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LIBRARY 


TORONTO 


Shelf  No.  . 


I, 


V*'\\ 


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NO.  8  4-.5.G*. 


..19 


A 


COMMENTARY 


ON  THE 


HOLY  SCRIPTURES: 


CRITICAL,  DOCTRINAL  AND  HOMILETICAL, 


SPECIAL  REFERENCE  TO  MINISTERS  AND  STUDENTS, 


BY 


JOHN  PETER  LANGE,  D.  D., 

IN   CONNECTION   WITH    A    NUMBER   OF   EMINENT    EUROPEAN    DIVINES. 


BY 


PHILIP  SCHAFF,  D.D., 

IN   CONNECTION    WITH   AMERICAN    SCHOLARS   OF    VARIOUS   EVANGELICAL   DENOMINATIONS. 


VOL.  XI.  OF  THE   OLD  TESTAMENT:    CONTAINING  THE 
PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


NEW   YORK: 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS, 

1884. 


THE 


PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


THEOLOGICALLY  AND  HOM1LETICALLY  EXPOUNDED 


CARL  WILHELM  EDUARD  NAGELSBACH, 

DOCTOR    OF    PHILOSOPHY    AND    OF    THEOLOGY.    AND    PASTOR    IN    BAYREUTH. 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN,  WITH  ADDITIONS, 


REV.  SAMUEL  T.  LOWRIE,  D.D.,  PHILADELPHIA, 


REV.  DUNLOP  MOORE,  D.D.,  NEW  BRIGHTON,  PENNA. 


NEW  YORK: 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS, 

1884. 


THE 


THEOLOGICALLY  AND  HOMILETICALLY  EXPOUNDED 


BY 


CARL  WILHELM  EDUARD  NAGELSBACH, 

DOCTOR    OF    PHILOSOPHY    AND    OF    THEOLOGY.    AND    PASTOR    IN    BAYREUTH. 


TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  GERMAN,  WITH  ADDITIONS, 


REV.  SAMUEL  T.  LOWRIE,  D.D.,  PHILADELPHIA, 


REV.  DUNLOP  MOORE,  D.D.,  NEW  BRIGHTON,  PENNA. 


NEW  YORK: 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS, 

1884 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1878,  by 

CHARLES  SCKIBNER'S  SONS, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


GRANT,  FAIBES  &  RODQERS, 

BLBCTROTYPERS  AND  PRINTERS, 

PHILADELPHIA. 


PREFACE. 


DR.  NAEGELSBACH'S  Commentary  on  Isaiah,  the  Evangelist  among  the  Hebrew  prophets,  ap- 
peared, as  the  concluding  volume  of  Dr.  LANGE'S  Bibdwerk,  in  1877,  just  twenty  years  after  the 
publication  of  its  first  volume  on  Matthew  (1857).  The  author  says  in  his  preface  (dated  July 
26th,  1877)  that  the  "nonum  prematur  in  annum"  was  literally  fulfilled,  since  he  has  been  engaged 
on  it  nine  years. 

The  English  translation  was  begun  several  years  ago  from  advanced  sheets  kindly  forwarded  by 
the  German  publisher.  It  was  undertaken  by  Dr.  LOWRIE,  then  Professor  of  New  Testament  Litera- 
ture and  Exegesis  in  the  Western  Theological  Seminary  at  Allegheny,  Pa.,  and  his  colleague  and  friend, 
the  late  Dr.  JACOBUS.  But  Dr.  JACOBUS  only  lived  to  make  some  notes  on  the  first  few  chapters, 
which  were  retained  unaltered  (with  his  initials,  M.  W.  J.)  from  motives  of  affectionate  remem- 
brance. After  his  death,  the  Kev.  Dr.  MOORE,  formerly  of  Vienna,  now  of  New  Brighton,  Pa.,  was 
associated  with  the  work,  and  assumed  the  translation  of  chaps,  xxi.-xxx.,  and  chaps.  Ix.-lxvi.,  in- 
clusive. The  other  chapters  were  prepared  by  Dr.  LOWRIE,  who  for  the  last  year  and  a  half  has 
devoted  all  his  time  and  strength  to  the  laborious  work. 

The  great  length  of  the  German  commentary  (827  pages),  and  the  inexpediency  of  dividing  the 
English  edition  in  two  volumes,  made  it  necessary  to  condense  and  to  abridge  as  much  as  was  con- 
sistent with  justice  to  the  author  and  his  work.  For  the  same  reason  the  original  additions  are  con- 
fined to  interpretations  diflering  from  those  of  Dr.  NAEGELSBACH,  and  to  additions  and  substitutions 
of  doctrinal  and  homiletical  matter  from  English  sources  for  those  of  German  authors  and  sermon- 
izers.  The  metrical  arrangement  of  the  text  is  based  upon  the  well-known  commentary  of  Bishop 
LOWTH  and  the  Annotated  Paragraph  Bible  of  the  London  Religious  Tract  Society.  Dr.  NAE- 
OELSBACH  gives  a  prose  version  printed  in  the  usual  style,  without  reference  to  the  Hebrew 
parallelism. 

One  more  volume,  containing  Numbers  and  Deuteronomy,  which  has  been  unavoidably  de- 
layed for  one  portion  of  it,  remains  to  complete  the  Anglo-American  reproduction  of  LANGE,  which 
was  begun  in  1864  (seven  years  after  the  German). 

It  is  doubtful  whether  any  editor  or  publisher  would  have  ventured  on  a  commentary  of  twen- 
ty-four large  and  closely  printed  volumes,  could  he  have  forseen  the  difficulties  and  risks  con- 
nected with  it;  and  yet  it  has  proved  successful  beyond  all  expectation.  May  LANGE'S  Bible-work 
long  continue  to  be  an  aid  and  comfort  to  pastors  and  theological  students  for  whose  special  benefit 
it  was  prepared. 

PHILIP  SCHAFF. 


NEW  YOBK,  October  31st,  1878. 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


INTRODUCTION. 

§  1.     CONTEMPORARY   HISTORY. 

From  the  period  of  their  establishment,  all  the  conflicts  in  which  the  kingdoms  of  Israel  and 
Judah  were  involved  with  the  neighboring  nations  were,  so  to  speak,  merely  of  a  local  nature.  Only 
when  they  came  in  contact  with  Assyria  and  Babylon  did  they  enter  into  relations  with  the  world- 
pow.er  (  WeUmachi).  If  thereby,  on  the  one  hand,  the  danger  became  infinitely  greater  for  the  theo- 
cratic life,  the  theocracy,  on  the  other,  approached  so  much  nearer  the  fulfilment  of  its  task  in  the 
world's  history.  The  relation  to  Assyria  was  brought  about  by  the  desire  of  Ahaz  king  of  Judah  to 
obtain  protection  against  Syria  and  Ephraim.  Out  of  the  dependence  on  Assyria  in  which  Ahaa 
became  thereby  involved,  his  successor  Hezekiah  sought  to  free  himself  by  the  aid  of  the  southern 
world-power,  Egypt.  This,  on  his  part,  was  an  untheocratic  procedure.  Assyria  was  not  to  be  hin- 
dered in  subjugating  Judah  by  human  power.  Jehovah  Himself  protected  His  people  and  com- 
pelled Sennacherib,  the  king  of  Assyria,  to  make  a  hasty  retreat  by  the  fearful  desolation  which  the 
angel  of  the  LORD  wrought  in  his  army  (2  Kings  xix.  35).  But  even  before  Judah  was  entirely 
rescued  out  of  the  power  of  Assyria  by  this  miraculous  aid,  it  had  initiated  another  relation  to  a 
world-power  that  was  to  become  incomparably  more  fatal  to  it  than  the  relation  to  Assyria. 

The  Babylonian  king  Merodach-Baladan,  when  Hezekiah  recovered  from  a  dangerous  illness, 
had  sent  an  embassy  to  him  to  congratulate  him  and  to  initiate  friendly  relations.  Hezekiah,  flat- 
tered by  the  honor  shown  him,  met  the  Babylonian  ambassador  with  too  little  reserve.  Thereupon 
he  was  obliged  to  hear  from  Isaiah's  lips  the  denunciation  that  all  the  treasures  of  his  house,  that  he 
had  displayed  with  such  pride  to  those  ambassadors,  would  be  carried  away  as  booty,  and  his  chil- 
dren as  captives  to  Babylon.  In  place  of  Assyria,  therefore,  now  a  thing  of  the  past,  Isaiah  sees 
Babylon  appear  on  the  horizon  as  the  enemy  that  was  to  prepare  the  end  of  the  outward  theocracy. 
The  Babylonian  captivity  stands  clear  before  his  prophetic  vision,  but  also  the  end  of  it,  and  there- 
with the  beginning  of  the  great  period  of  salvation  that  was  to  reach  to  the  end  of  the  world,  albeit 
with  great  alternations.  Thus,  therefore,  it  is  a  threefold  conflict  in  which  Isaiah  sees  the  theocracy 
placed :  that  with  Ephraim-Syria,  Assyria  and  Babylon.  One  develops  out  of  the  other.  The  con- 
flict with  Ephraim-Syria  was  properly  but  the  handle  to  the  fatal  complication  with  Assyria,  and 
the  latter  in  turn  generated  the  relations  with  Babylon.  For  Merodach-Baladan,  the  great  Baby- 
lonian patriot  (see  comment  at  xxxix.  1-8)  and  firm  defender  of  the  freedom  of  his  country  against 
the  oppression  of  the  Assyrians,  would  certainly  not  have  congratulated  Hezekiah  on  his  recovery, 
had  he  not  seen  in  him  an  ally  against  the  common  enemy,  Assyria.  Thus  we  see  the  Prophet  Isaiah 
appearing  at  a  period  when  the  way  was  paving  for  the  immediate  relations  of  the  theocracy  with 
the  great  world-powers  by  which  its  ruin  was  threatened.  Beyond  doubt,  this  was  an  historical  cri- 
sis of  the  utmost  significance,  and  we  see  that  only  a  man  of  the  greatest  spiritual  power  could  be 
equal  to  the  occasion.  Isaiah  was  equal  to  it.  When  it  was  reported  in  Jerusalem  that  Ephraim 
had  combined  with  Syria,  hearts  trembled  like  the  trees  of  the  forest  shaken  with  the  wind  (vii.  2). 
But  Isaiah  declared  that  Kezin  and  the  son  of  Eemaliah  were  nothing  but  two  smoking  stumps  of 
torches  (vii.  4).  But  Assyria,  in  which  Ahaz  confided,  was  to  be  feared  (vii.  17).  However,  when 
Assyria  had  fulfilled  its  mission  in  Israel  and  Judah,  and  now  in  wicked  arrogance  would  possess 

1 


2  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 

the  city  of  Jerusalem,  and  so  swallow  up  Judah  as  it  had  done  Ephraim,  it  was  said:  "I  will  put 
my  hook  in  thy  nose  and  my  bridle  in  thy  lips,  and  I  will  turn  thee  back  by  the  way  which  thou 
earnest"  (xxxvii.  29).  And  so  it  came  to  pass.  What  human  wisdom  could  see  danger  for  the 
theocracy  in  that  embassy  of  Merodach-Baladan  ?  The  Prophet  detects  the  danger.  He  gives 
warning — he  announces  that  Babylon  will  have  the  king  of  Judah  and  those  that  belong  to  him  as 
captives  in  the  midst  of  it.  But  much  more  than  with  the  portrayal  of  this  judgment  he  occupies 
himself  with  the  consolation  that  will  be  extended  to  Israel  for  this  visitation.  His  gaze  is  cliiefly 
directed  to  the  deliverance  out  of  this  exile,  and  every  thing  belonging  to  a  glorious  salvation  lor 
personal  and  natural  life  that  lies  in  perspective,  even  to  the  remotest  distance,  is  naked  and  open 
before  his  eyes. 

Thus  Isaiah  is  the  great  Central-Prophet  who,  stationed  at  a  decisive  turning-point,  detects  with 
a  clear  eye  all  the  principal  points  of  the  perspective  that  open  out  from  it,  and  becomes  thereby 
to  his  people  the  prophetic  mediator  both  of  exhortation  and  warning,  and  also  of  consolation  and 
instruction  as  occasion  demanded.  And  by  this  means  he  becomes,  at  the  same  time,  the  one  on 
whom  all  later  prophets  lean  as  on  their  greatest  exemplar  and  highest  prophetic  authority. 

Isaiah's  labors  fall,  according  to  i.  1,  in  the  time  of  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz  and  Hezekiah,  kings 
of  Judah.  According  to  vi.  1  he  was  called  to  the  prophetic  office  in  the  year  that  Uzziah  died.  It 
need  occasion  no  surprise,  therefore,  that,  with  the  exception  of  that  information  concerning  the  call 
of  the  Prophet,  there  appears  no  further  piece  of  writing  from  Uzziah's  time.  But  we  find  none  also 
from  Jotham's  time.  For  there  happened  nothing  under  Jotham  that  could  have  moved  Isaiah  to 
prophetic  activity.  The  period  of  sixteen  years  under  Jotham  may  have  been  a  period  of  inward 
collection  and  preparation  for  the  Prophet.  First  under  Ahaz  his  labors  proper  began.  The  first 
occasion  was  furnished  by  the  Syro-Ephraimitic  war,  concerning  the  particulars  of  which  see  the 
commentary  on  vii.  1  sq.  The  combination  of  the  military  forces  of  Ephraim-Syria  moved  Ahaz  to 
call  in  the  aid  of  the  Assyrian  king,  Tiglath-Pileser.  But  Isaiah  it  moved  to  direct  his 
prophetic  gaze  on  Assyria,  and,  primarily,  in  the  prophetic  cycle,  chapters  vii.-xii.,  to  announce 
both  the  danger  impending  from  Assyria  and  the  final  deliverance  out  of  it.  Tiglath-Pileser,  in 
fact,  complied  with  the  desire  of  Ahaz  for  aid.  It  was  welcome  to  him  in  the  interests  of  his  policy 
of  conquest.  He  conquered  and  made  subject  the  kingdom  of  Syria  (2  Kings  xvi.  9;  comp.  on  Isa. 
xvii.  1).  He  conquered  at  the  same  time  the  north  and  east  of  the  kingdom  of  Ephraim,  and  led 
the  inhabitants  away  captive  (2  Kings  xv.  29).  From  that  time  onwards  Palestine  and  the  coun- 
tries in  its  neighborhood  remained  a  principal  mark  for  the  conquering  expeditions  of  Assyria. 
Ahaz  brought  this  down  on  himself  by  his  policy  of  unbelief.  He  himself,  indeed,  was  not  yet  to 
reap  the  fruits  of  his  untheocratic  conduct.  Although  by  direct  encouragement  of  foreign  modes  of 
religious  worship  (comp.  2  Kings  xvi.  10  tfqq.)  he  had  added  to  his  guilt,  he  still  remained  in  pos- 
session of  his  land  and  throne  to  the  end  of  his  life  (728  B.  C.).  But  his  successor,  Hezekiah,  although 
a  prince  devoted  to  the  LORD  with  his  whole  heart,  was  obliged  to  experience  all  the  distresses  that 
sprang  forth  like  mischievous  fruit  from  the  dragon  seed  of  his  father.  "When  Hosea,  king  of  Israel, 
sought  to  rid  himself  of  the  oppressive  power  of  Assyria  by  an  alliance  with  Egypt,  Shalmaneser, 
Tiglath-Pileser's  successor,  besieged  Samaria  for  two  years.  He  was  prevented  by  death  from  com- 
pleting his  undertaking.  His  successor,  Sargon,  took  the  city  in  the  third  year  of  the  siege  (722  B. 
C.,  2  Kings  xvii.  6)  and  led  away  the  remnant  of  the  ten  tribes  into  captivity.  But  by  that  eflbrt 
of  the  king  of  Israel  to  find  protection  against  Assyria  in  Egypt,  the  attention  of  the  Assyrian  ruler 
was  drawn  to  the  latter  power.  From  the  middle  of  the  eighth  century,  according  to  MANETHO, 
there  reigned  in  Egypt  the  twenty-fifth  Ethiopia  dynasty.  Three  of  its  kings  are  mentioned  by 
name:  Sabako  (Sevech,  So)  I.  and  II.  and  Tirh&ka.  According  to  the  annals  of  Sargon  (comp. 
SCHRADER,  Die  Keilinschriften  und  das  A.  T.,  pp.  258,  318),  Sevech  (II.),  in  union  with  Hanno  of 
Gaza,  encountered  Sargon  at  Raphia  (twenty-two  miUiaria  south-west  of  Gaza)  in  the  year  720  B.  C. 
Sargon  conquered  and  subdued  Philistia.  But  the  Philistine  princes  revolted.  Therefore  a  new  ex- 
pedition of  Sargon  against  Philistia,  that  resulted  in  the  subjection  of  the  insurgents  in  the  year  711. 
This  is  the  expedition  conducted  by  Tartan  (i.  e.,  general  in  chief)  to  which  Isa.  xx.  refers.  All 
these  conflicts  had  taken  place  without  the  kingdom  of  Judah  becoming  involved  as  a  fellow-sufferer. 
The  clouds  big  with  destruction  moved  thrice  along  the  north,  west  and  south-west  borders  of  Judah 
before  they  turned  to  empty  themselves  on  Judah  itself.  It  is  related  also,  2  Kings  xviii.  7,  that 
Hezekiah  revolted  from  the  king  of  Assyria,  i.  e.,  that  he  sought  to  relieve  himself  of  the  dependence 
to  which  Ahaz  had  submitted.  At  the  same  time  Hezekiah — and  this  was  the  great  weakness  of 


§  2.   THE  PERSON  AND  PROPHETIC  LABORS  OF  ISAIAH.  3 

which  this  otherwise  admirable  prince  was  guilty — sought  protection  and  help  from  Egypt  against 
the  danger  impending  from  Assyria.  On  this  account  he  is  sharply  reproved  by  Isaiah.  Chapters 
xx.,  xxviii.-xxxiii.  are  meant  to  warn  against  this  untheocratic  policy.  Judah  must  trust  in  the 
LORD  who  promised  by  His  prophet  not  to  yield  it  up  to  the  Assyrian,  but  that  he  would  free  it  by 
a  mighty  act  of  deliverance.  Sargon  was  murdered  in  the  year  705.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Sennacherib.  The  third  expedition  of  this  king  that  occurred  in  the  year  700  B.  C.  passed  through 
Phcenicia  to  the  south  of  Palestine.  The  land  of  Judah  was  traversed  and  desolated.  Only  the  city 
of  Jerusalem  remained  to  Hezekiah,  in  which  he  was  shut  up  "like  a  bird  in  its  cage."  In  order 
to  save  at  least  Jerusalem,  Hezekiah  paid  Sennacherib  to  retire  thirty  talents  of  gold  and  three  hun- 
dred talents  of  silver  (2  Kings  xviii.  14  sqq.).  Sennacherib  took  the  money  and  then  still  demanded 
the  surrender  of  the  city.  In  this  great  strait  Hezekiah  cried  to  the  LORD  and  received  through 
Isaiah  a  comforting  promise.  At  Eltekeh,  a  Levitical  city  in  the  territory  of  Dan  (Josh.  xix.  44; 
xxi.  23)  the  armies  of  Sennacherib  and  TirMka  encountered.  The  victory  was  undecided.  But 
shortly  after  185,000  men  perished  in  the  camp  of  the  Assyrian  in  one  night,  likely  of  a  pest.  This 
compelled  Sennacherib  to  retreat  (comp.  2  Kings  xviii.  and  xix.;  Isa.  xxxvi.  and  xxxvii.).  Thus 
Judah  was  rescued. 

This  event  forms  the  conclusion  of  the  history  of  Isaiah  as  far  as  known  to  us.  For  not  long 
after  this  miraculous  deliverance  Hezekiah  died.  It  is  doubtful  if  Isaiah  still  lived  to  see  the  reign 
of  Manasseh.  Isaiah  i.  1  is  against  it.  For  there  Hezekiah  is  named  as  the  latest  king  under  whom 
Isaiah  lived.  Isaiah  knew  that  after  that  overthrow  (xxxvii.  3G)  Assyria  was  done  away,  and  was 
no  more  to  be  dreaded  by  the  theocracy.  His  gaze,  as  early  as  the  fourteenth  year  of  Hezekiah,  since 
that  embassy  related  in  Isaiah  xxxix.,  had  turned  in  another  direction.  He  knew  that  the  greatest 
danger  threatened  the  theocracy,  not  from  Assyria,  but  from  Babylon.  At  this  time,  toward  the  end 
of  his  life,  before  or  after  the  Assyrian  overthrow,  he  must  have  occupied  himself  with  the  relation 
of  his  nation  to  Babylon.  But  he  is  not  especially  interested  in  the  victory  of  Babylon  and  the  capti- 
vity of  his  people  there.  This  point  he  leaves  to  others  whom  the  matter  more  nearly  touched.  Only  the 
thoughts  of  salvation  and  redemption  employ  him  at  the  end  of  his  life.  In  this  period  must  have 
originated  the  great  book  of  consolation  (xl.-lxvi.),  along  with  the  smaller  pieces  that  relate  to  Ba- 
bylon (xiii.-xiv.  23 ;  xxi.  1-10;  xxxiv.,  xxxv.). 

\  2.     THE   PERSON  AND  PROPHETIC   LABORS   OF   ISAIAH. 

The  name  ^'Jpty*  (abbreviated  JV.pEP,  which  form,  however,  is  never  used  in  the  text  of  the 
Old  Testament  as  the  name  of  the  Prophet)  can  mean  salus  Jovcr,  or  Java  salvat  (salvavit).  Jfl2£  com- 
bined with  5V  must  properly  have  sounded  fTJ?B^  or  ityfl&'j  abbreviated  "*?&]  (which  actually 
occurs  1  Chron.  ii.  31 ;  iv.  20;  v.  24).  Still  there  prevails  a  certain  freedom  in  the  formation  of 
compound  proper  names.  On  the  other  hand,  the  compounds  with  H\  whose  first  part  is  a  verb — 
and  that  Kal — are  extremely  numerous,  so  that  it  is  natural  here  to  take  J/'tf'  for  a  verbal  form. 
But  the  meaning  of  HI  IT  >'iT  would  be  primarily :  Java  salvus  est.  Still  it  happens  not  unfrequently 
that,  in  compounding  names,  Kal  is  taken  in  the  sense  of  Piel  or  Hiphil  (comp.  KOEHL.ER,  Komm. 
on  Zech.,  p.  3  sq.) ;  so  that  here  too  y&  might  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  JTEMn.  There  remains  still 
some  irregularity,  whether  we  derive  iVJTBf1  from  yVPf  or  y&.  But  the  sense  remains  the  same. 
FUERST  (in  his  Lexicon)  takes  a  substantive  ytt*  for  the  root,  and  translates  "Jah  is  helper;"  whereas 
in  his  Concordance  he  translates  it  "deliverance  of  God."  In  JEROME,  too,  the  same  difference  is 
found,  only  that  once  he  renders  the  name  aurripia  Kvpiov,  and  again  salvator  Domini.  Other  men 
of  this  name  are  mentioned  1  Chr.  iii.  21 ;  xxv.  3,  15 ;  Ezr.  via.  7,  19 ;  Neh.  xi.  7.  Concerning 
the  attempt  of  ABARBANEL  to  establish  a  connection  between  the  names  of  the  prophets  (and  thus 
Isaiah's  also)  and  prophecy,  see  KOEHLER,  /.  c.,  p.  5,  Anm. 

We  know  almost  nothing  concerning  the  outward  relations  of  the  Prophet.  His  father  is  called 
Amoz  (yiOtf).  Who  this  was  is  wholly  unknown.  Only  ignorance  of  the  language  could  identify 
him  with  the  prophet  Amos  (D1DJ')  ;  only  Rabbinical  jugglery  could  make  out  of  him  a  brother  to 
the  king  Amaziah  (^V!??)-  The  latter  is  the  source  of  the  saying  that  Isaiah  came  of  a  royal  race. 
We  are  moreover  uninformed  about  the  time  of  Isaiah's  birth  and  death.  The  opinion  that  Isaiah's 
prophetic  labors  extended  through  the  whole,  or  at  least  the  greater  part  of  the  reign  of  Uzziah,  is 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


founded  on  the  false  exposition  of  the  date  given  i.  1,  and  also  of  the  position  that  the  account  of  the 
calling  of  the  Prophet  occupies  in  the  book  (comp.  on  this  GESENIUS  in  his  Commentary,  p.  5sqq.). 
That  the  call  of  the  Prophet  is  first  narrated  chap.  vi.  has  quite  another  explanation  (comp.  our 
commentary,  in  loc.).  We  can  only  infer  from  vi.  1  that  Isaiah  was  called  to  the  prophetic  office  in 
the  year  of  Uzziah's  death,  i.  e.,  therefore  in  the  year  759  B.  C.  How  old  he  was  at  that  time,  we 
know  not.  If  we  assume  that  he  could  hardly  have  been  younger  than  Jeremiah,  who  calls  him- 
self a  ~U?J  when  he  was  called  ( Jer.  i.  6  sq.),  and  if  we  further  assume  that  Jeremiah  was  twenty 
years  old,  then  Isaiah  would  have  lived  from  that  time  16  -f- 16  -f-  29,  thus  at  least  sixty-one  years, 
and  consequently  must  have  attained  an  age  of  at  least  eighty-one  years.  Concerning  the  period 
and  manner  of  his  death  we  have  only  rumors.  Manasseh,  Hezekiah's  successor,  is  said  to  have 
caused  the  Prophet  to  be  sawn  asunder.  The  Prophet  having  fled  to  a  hollow  cedar  from  the  king's 
wrath,  and  having  been  "enfolded"  by  it,  the  king  let  him  be  sawn  in  this  tree  (comp.  the  passages 
from  the  Talmud  relating  to  this  in  GESENIUS,  in  loc.) .  In  itself  it  is  not  at  all  improbable  that 
Manasseh  inflicted  a  martyr's  death  on  the  faithful  prophet  of  Jehovah.  As  is  well  known,  he  is 
described  to  have  been  the  wickedest  and  cruelest  of  all  the  kings  of  Judah.  It  is  expressly  said  of 
him  that  he  shed  very  much  innocent  blood  (2  Kings  xxi.  16).  JOSEPHUS  (Antiq.  X.  3,  1)  adds  to 
this  that  he  did  not  spare  the  prophets.  But  opposed  to  all  this  is  the  fact  that,  chap.  i.  1,  the  reign 
of  Manasseh  is  not  named,  -which  certainly  would  not  have  been  omitted,  especially  if  the  Prophet 
had  been  put  to  death  by  that  king.  At  the  spot  where  the  three  valleys,  Jehoshaphat,  Gihon  and 
Tyropoeon,  come  together,  there  stands  an  ancient  gnarled  trunk  (it  is,  however,  the  trunk  of  a  mul- 
berry tree)  that  is  called  the  tree  of  Isaiah  (comp.  GRAF  VON  WARTENSLEBEN,  Jerusalem,  Gegen- 
wartiges  und  Vergangenes,  3,  Avfl.,  Berlin,  1875,  p.  83)  [Dr.  ROBINSON'S  Researches,  etc.,  Vol.  I.,  p. 
232,  336. — TR.]  At  the  same  spot  the  fountain  Siloam  issues,  of  which  the  report  says  that  God 
sent  it  to  the  Prophet  to  still  his  thirst  when  he  was  near  his  death  (comp.  LEYRER  in  HERZOG'S 
R.  Encycl.  XIV.  p.  375).  We  have  no  hint  of  Isaiah's  ever  having  lived  any  where  else  than  in 
Jerusalem.  That  he  was  married  appears  from  vii.  3  (comp.  x.  21  sq.),  where  his  son  is  called 
Shear- Jashub,  and  from  the  account  viii.  3  that  Isaiah,  at  God's  command,  "  went  unto  the  pro- 
phetess," who  bore  him  a  son,  whom,  also  by  divine  command,  he  named  Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 
Moreover,  viii.  18,  Isaiah  speaks  of  the  children  "that  God  had  given  him."  From  what  is  related 
in  the  passages  just  cited,  we  see  that  the  family  of  the  Prophet  was  quite  drawn  into  the  sphere  of 
his  prophetic  activity.  That  Isaiah  was  the  instructor  of  king  Hezekiah,  as  Nathan  had  formerly 
been  of  Solomon  (2  Sam.  xii.  25),  is  mere  conjecture  that  PATTLUS  sets  up  in  the  clavis  on  Isaiah  ix. 
5.  A  double  notice  in  Chronicles  has  occasioned  the  conjecture  that  Isaiah  was  annalist  of  the  king- 
dom. Thus  we  read  2  Chron.  xxvi.  22  that  Isaiah  wrote  (3H3)  the  1i"n#  "Hin,  the  first  and  the 
last.  And  2  Chron.  xxxii.  32  it  reads :  "  Now  the  rest  of  the  acts  of  Hezekiah,  and  his  goodness,  be- 
hold, they  are  written  in  the  vision  of  Isaiah,  the  Prophet,  the  son  of  Amoz,  and  in  the  book  of 
the  kings  of  Judah  and  Israel"  ["(which  is  received)  into  the  book  of  the  kings,"  etc.  Dr.  N.'a 
translation. — TR.].  According  to  this,  therefore,  Isaiah  composed  historical  works  on  the  lives  of 
the  two  most  distinguished  kings  that  were  his  contemporaries,  and  one  of  these  works  was  incorpo- 
rated, though  perhaps  only  partially,  in  the  great  annalistic  historical  work  of  the  kings  of  Judah 
and  Israel,  from  which  the  Chronicler  drew  (comp.  iZoEOKLER,  CJironik.,  p.  16  sq.).  When  the 
Chronicler  calls  the  work  on  Hezekiah  fin,  it  is  most  .natural  to  explain  this  designation  by  saying 
that  that  historical  work  was  regarded  as  a  part  of  our  prophetic  book,  which  in  fact  bears  the  title 
in'J?ty  pin.  And  this  might  happen  for  the  reason  that  chapters  xxxvi.-xxxix.  contain  historical 
eections  that  are  common  to  our  book  of  prophecy  and  to  the  canonical  book  of  Kings,  as  well  as  to  the 
annals  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah  that  were  the  source  of  the  latter.  The  book  of  prophecy  might  easily 
be  regarded  by  the  Chronicler  (who  lived  later,  and  could  hardly  have  had  before  him  the  writing  of 
Isaiah  about  Hezekiah)  as  the  source  of  Isaiah's  accounts  concerning  Hezekiah  which  he  found  in  his 
annalistic  historical  work.  But  the  statements  of  the  Chrohicler  by  no  means  justify  the  assumption 
that  Isaiah  filled  the  office  of  a  "^TD.  In  the  writings  that  we  have  from  him  the  person  of  the 
Prophet  is  kept  in  the  background.  They  speak  of  him  and  of  what  belongs  to  him  only  so  far  as 
they  have  to  tell  of  his  direct  and  personal  interference  in  what  occurred  (comp.  vi.  1  sqq.;  vii.  1  sqq.; 
viii.  1  sqq.,  16  sqq.;  xx.  1  sqq.;  xxii.  15  sqq.;  xxviii.  9  sqq.;  xxxvii.-xxxix.).  The  secret  founda- 
tion of  all  his  prophetic  activity  was  the  consciousness  that  he  was  an  instrument  of  God,  chosen, 
equipped  and  called  to  His  service  (comp.  vi.).  This  consciousness  generated  in  him  the  most  de- 
voted obedience  and  the  most  implicit  trust  in  God.  Consequently  he  had  no  fear  of  man  and  no 


I  2.    THE  PERSON  AND  PROPHETIC  LABORS  OF  ISAIAH.  5 

regard  for  merely  human  interests.  With  the  greatest  freedom  he  opposes  Ahaz  (vii.  1  sqq.).  He 
does  the  same  to  the  chamberlain  Shebna  (xxii.  lonqq.),  people  of  rank,  priests  and  prophets,  men 
and  women,  in  fact  the  whole  people  in  general  (ii.;  iii.;  v.;  xxviii.  7  sqq.)-  Moreover  he  does  not 
spare  Hezekiah  and  his  noble  counsellors,  nor  the  women  who  seem,  under  him  also,  to  have  attained 
great  influence.  He  keenly  reproves  the  secret  ways  that  their  policy  followed  in  regard  to  Egypt 
(xxx.-xxxii.).  When  Hezekiah  was  sick,  he  says  to  him  that  he  must  die  with  the  same  boldness 
(xxxviii.  1),  that  he  afterwards  joyfully  announces  to  the  believing  suppliant  his  deliverance  and 
the  lengthening  of  his  life  (xxxviii.  5 sqq.)-  And  upon  Hezekiah's  having  in  foolish  vanity  dis- 
played his  treasures  to  the  messengers  from  Babylon,  he  tells  him  plainly  that  all  this  shall  be  car- 
ried away  in  exile  to  Babylon  (xxxix.  5  sqq.)- 

Though,  on  the  one  hand,  we  see  the  Prophet  dealing  thus  practically  with  the  emergencies  of 
the  present,  yet,  on  the  other  hand,  there  exists  for  him  no  merely  contemporary  interest.  For  him 
that  immeasurable  interval  does  not  exist  that  for  common  men  divides  the  remote  from  the  imme- 
diate future.  Both  appear  to  him  a  continued  whole  which  he  commands  with  his  gaze  in  all  its 
parts.  Every  thing  of  like  sort,  which  in  its  realization  in  time  forms  indeed  an  organic,  connected 
line  of  development,  yet  one  that  is  measurelessly  extended,  he  sees  before  him  as  one  tableau,  whose 
figures,  though  really  belonging  to  the  raost  different  stages  of  time,  appear  to  him  to  stand  along- 
side of  one  another.  In  one  word,  the  limits  of  time  do  not  exist  for  him.  Periods  of  time  vanish 
before  his  gaze.  He  contemplates  together  what  is  nearest  and  farthest  when  they  belong  together. 
Thus  he  comes  back  from  the  remotest  future  into  the  immediate  present  with  a  sudden  spring,  and 
vice  versa.  Thus  i.  12  he  comprehends  Jerusalem's  whole  future  of  salvation  in  one.  The  great  dis- 
course of  the  second  introduction  sets  two  grand  images  of  the  remotest  future  at  its  head  (ii.  1-4; 
iv.  2-6),  in  order  to  contemplate  the  present  in  their  light.  Much  more  frequently  it  happens  that, 
immediately  after  an  event  of  the  near  future,  the  Prophet  sees  the  far  and  farthest  future.  Thus  in 
chap,  xi.,  immediately  after  the  deliverance  out  of  the  hand  of  Assyria,  he  sees  the  form  of  the  Mes- 
siah and  of  His  kingdom  of  peace,  and  the  latter,  in  fact,  unfolded  to  its  extremest  consequences  in 
the  generation  of  a  new  life  of  nature.  In  chap.  xvi.  5,  to  Moab,  in  reward  for  its  reception  of  the 
fugitives  of  Jndah  (whom,  according  to  the  whole  context,  he  contemplates  as  expelled  by  a  present 
threatening  world-power),  he  promises  participation  in  the  blessings  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom.  In 
chap,  xix.,  immediately  after  announcing  to  Egypt  its  ruin  by  means  of  Assyria,  the  then  representa- 
tive of  the  world-power,  he  announces  to  it  its  conversion  to  Jehovah  and  its  peaceful  union  with 
Assyria  and  Israel.  Let  these  examples  suffice.  It  would  lead  us  too  far  to  enumerate  all  the  cases 
of  this  kind  that  occur  in  both  parts  of  the  book.  Though  this  may  not  be  an  exclusive  character- 
istic of  Isaiah's,  still  one  may  say  that  it  appears  especially  strong  and  frequent  in  him.  This 
agrees  with  the  elevation  of  the  view-point  that  he  takes.  For  he  that  stands  highest  sees  the 
farthest. 

On  this  account  especially  he  takes  so  high  a  rank  among  the  prophets.  In  Jesus  the  son  of 
Sirach  he  is  called  6  Tiyjo^rvf  o  fiejag  (Ecclus.  xlviii.  22),  who  further  says  of  him  that  he  web/tan 
(lEyalcj  elSe  TO,  iaxara  (ibid.  ver.  24},  and  that  he  ew?  TOV  aluvos  vir£Se.i!-e  ra  ea6fteva  (ibid.  ver.  25). 
ETTSEBIUS  calls  him  (dem.  ev.  II.  4)  TOV  [teyav  KOL  -&avuaniov  TrpofyfjTTjv — indeed  even  •KpotyfjTrjv  fieyiarov 
(ibid.  V.  4).  TIIEODORET  calls  him  6  #e((5rarof  'Uaataf.  IsiDORUS  PELUS  :  o  SiopaTtKUTciToc  (lib.  I. 
ep.  3G6),  and  ruv  TrpotiijT&v  caQeaTaTog  (ibid.  ep.  366).  Closely  connected  with  this  is  the  considera- 
tion that  Isaiah  foresees  those  facts  of  the  fulfilment  of  salvation  on  which  rests  the  specific  teaching 
of  Christianity.  For  it  is  historical  facts,  not  dogmas,  that  constitute  the  pith  of  Christian  teaching. 
Of  course  it  is  not  like  one  standing  near  that  Isaiah  sees  those  facts,  but  like  one  standing  far  off, 
which  is  as  it  should  be.  For  this  reason  he  describes  them  in  peculiarly  strange  words,  that  are  to 
himself  indistinct,  and  yet  are  essentially  correct.  Without  himself  having  any  presentiment  of  the 
meaning  of  his  words,  he  must  predict  the  birth  of  the  Saviour  from  an  unmarried  woman  (vii.  14). 
And  then  he  describes  this  child  by  expressions  that  sound  blasphemous,  if  he  to  whom  they  are 
applied  is  held  to  be  a  man  (ix.  5).  In  contrast  with  this,  he  sees  the  servant  of  God  defamed  so  as 
to  appear  no  longer  human,  and  then  again  raised  up  to  superhuman  power  and  glory  (liii.).  More- 
over lie  sees  an  entirely  new  way  of  appropriating  salvation  that  must  indeed  appear  strange  enough 
to  human  thoughts  (Iv. ),  and,  what  to  pious  persons  of  the  Old  Testament  must  have  appeared  down- 
right offensive,  he  speaks  of  a  worship  of  God  to  which  the  outward  temple  and  ceremonial  service 
will  seem  an  abomination  (Ixvi.  1  sqq.). 

Such  are,  if  I  may  so  express  myself,  the  formal  substructures  of  Isaiah's  prophecy  that  make 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


it  proper  to  call  him,  as  JEROME  is  the  first  to  do :  "  non  solum  prophetam  sed  evangelistam  et  aposlo- 
lum"  (Prolog,  in  expos.  Jes.;  comp.  the Epist.  ad Paulinam,  where  he  says:  "non  propheliam  mihi  vi- 
detwr  texere  Esaias  sed  evanyelium").  With  reference  to  this,  AUGUSTINE  (De  civ. Dei.  XVIII.  29) 
says  that  Isaiah :  "  de  Christo  et  ecclesia  rnulta  plura  quam  caeteri  prophetavit,  ita  ut  a  quibusdam  evan- 
gelista  quam  propheta  potius  diceretw."  CYRIL  OF  ALEXANDRIA  also,  in  the  preface  to  his  commen- 
tary, remarks:  " £v  TOVTG)  lari  7rpo0;/r^f  a/ia  Kal  andaro^o^." 

I  never  could  comprehend  how  any  one  could  regard  it  as  a  postulate  and  promotive  of  scienti- 
fic knowledge  to  explain  the  world  without  the  personal  God.  Cancel  Him,  and  then  riddles  and 
miracles  fairly  begin,  and  impossibilities  are  exacted  of  our  faith.  If  one  would  require  us  to  be- 
lieve that  some  work  of  art  came  into  being,  not  by  an  artist,  but  by  abstract  art,  wisdom,  power,  we 
would  declare  such  an  one  to  be  fit  for  the  insane  asylum.  And  yet  men  would  have  us  believe  that 
there  is  an  abstract  thinking  and  willing !  They  hold  personality  to  be  a  limiting,  and  therefore  an 
impersonal  God  to  be  something  unlimited,  therefore  something  higher!  But  as  soon  as  the  limits 
of  personality  are  broken  away,  one  comes  into  the  region  of  merely  subjective  representations ;  and 
the  philosophers  had  better  look  to  their  aristocratic  abstractions  and  see  whether  they  possess  the 
property  of  real,  objective  existence.  If  they  lack  this,  then  the  philosophers  have  perhaps  wrought 
for  the  study,  but  not  for  real  life.  It  is  both  insanity  and  idolatry  to  wish  to  put  abstract- 
ideal  philosophy  in  the  place  of  the  concrete,  vitalizing  Christian  religion.  Moreover  personality 
is  not  limitation  in  the  negative  sense.  It  is  merely  concentration,  and  thereby  the  condition  of  or- 
derly and  really  effective  being.  Personality  is,  however,  at  the  same  time,  the  condition  of  an  en- 
tire and  full  existence,  i.  e.,  it  is  not  mere  thinking  and  willing,  but  also  sensibility.  In  other  words : 
only  personality  can  have  a  heart  and  love.  To  be  sure,  we  touch  here  on  the  proper  pith  of  the 
controversy.  Not  all  men  wish  to  be  loved  by  God,  still  less  to  love  Him  in  return.  Humanity 
entire  divides  into  two  parts,  one  of  which  presses  toward  God,  the  other  away  from  God.  For  the 
former,  nothing  is  more  precious  than  nearness  to  God ;  the  latter  feel  easy  only  at  a  distance  from 
Him.  And  now-a-days  those  are  esteemed  as  the  lords  of  science  and  as  benefactors  to  mankind 
who  do  their  best  to  "  free  (us)  from  the  Creator,"  as  DAVID  STRAUSS  says !  But  here  the  criterion 
is  not  objective,  impartial,  scientific  interest,  but  the  interest  of  the  heart  self-determined  in  this  or 
that  way  toward  God.  For  under  all  circumstances  our  relation  to  God  is  a  concern  of  the  heart. 
One  must  either  love  Him  or  hate  Him,  be  for  Him  or  against  Him  (Luke  xi.  23).  Neutral  no  one 
can  be.  Consciously  or  unconsciously  every  man  must  feel  himself  attracted  by  God  or  repelled 
from  Him,  according  as,  in  his  secret  heart,  that  which  is  kindred  to  God  or  that  which  is  inimical 
to  God  has  the  upper  hand.  For  there  is  no  man  in  which  both  are  not  present.  Take  the  her- 
meneutics  that  is  founded  on  the  assumption  that  there  is  no  personal  God,  and  that  the  world  is 
founded  on  abstractions,  in  whose  real  existence  one  must  believe,  much  as  that  contradicts  all  rea- 
son and  experience ;  shall  such  hermeneutics  be  more  entitled  to  consideration  than  that 
which  rests  on  the  fundamental  view  that  there  is  a  personal  God,  to  whom  we  are  related,  who 
loves  us  and  guides  our  fortune  with  paternal  wisdom  ?  This  question  can  never  be  objectively  de- 
cided here  below,  because  for  each  individual  the  subjective  attitude  of  his  own  heart  is  the  crite- 
rion. But  at  least  let  no  one  despise  those  who  see  in  the  Scriptures  the  revelation  of  a  personal 
God.  And  above  all  things,  one  must  not  explain  the  writings  of  the  prophets  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment on  the  assumption  that  they  did  not  bona  fide  regard  themselves  as  organs  of  the  living,  per- 
sonal God  that  governs  the  world.  One  may  say :  they  fancied  themselves  inspired.  Very  well — 
then  let  such  point  out  the  illusions  that  entangled  them,  and  expose  their  enthusiasms.  Or  one  may 
say :  they  were  impostors.  Then  let  such  unmask  them.  But  let  no  one  put  upon  their  words  a 
sense  that  they  themselves  did  not  intend,  because  they  just  believed  in  a  living  personal  God,  and 
were  convinced  that  they  stood  under  the  direct  influence  of  His  Spirit.  Let  no  one  empty  their 
words  of  sense — let  no  one  deny  that  they  meant  to  prophesy  because  one  does  not  himself  believe 
in  any  prophecy.  Let  no  one  (as  e.  g.  KNOBEL  does)  make  out  of  the  prophecy  a  marvellous  masked 
representation  of  events  that  had  already  taken  place.  I  willingly  confess  that  the  representatives 
of  the  divine  origin  of  prophecy  have  been  faulty  in  many  respects.  It  has  been  often  overlooked 
that  not  every  thing  can  be  prophesied  at  any  time ;  that  therefore  each  prophecy  must  have  its 
historical  reason  and  ground,  and  that  the  form  and  contents  of  the  prophecy  must  be  in  harmony 
with  these.  It  has  been  further  overlooked  that  prophesying  is  a  seeing  from  a  distance.  From  a 
distance  one  may  very  well  observe  a  city,  mountain  and  the  like,  in  general  outlines.  But  parti- 
culars one  does  not  see.  For  this  reason  genuine  prophecy  in  general  will  never  meddle  with  ape- 


i  3.  LITERARY  PERFORMANCE  AND  THE  BOOK  OF  THE  PROPHET.  7 

cial  prediction.  Where,  however,  the  latter  takes  place,  either  the  special ttrait  contemplated  is  no 
subordinate  individual  thing,  or  it  justifies  the  suspicion  that  it  is  false.  These  and  like  mistakes 
have  been  committed.  But  this  does  not  hinder  me  from  maintaining  the  divine  origin  of  prophecy 
in  general,  and  also  from  claiming  a  scientific  title  for  my  construction  of  Isaiah's  prophecy. 

§  3.     THE  LITERARY   PERFORMANCE  AtfD  THE  BOOK   OF   THE  PROPHET. 

1.  The  lofty  spirit  resident  in  our  Prophet  has  taken  also  a  corresponding  form.     We  see  in 
him  a  master  of  the  Hebrew  language.     He  uses  it  with  a  power  and  ease  that  find  their  like  in  no 
other.     He  brought  it  to  the  summit  of  its  development.     Not  only  has  he  always  the  right  word  at 
command — he  also  never  uses  one  word  too  much  or  one  too  few.     And  with  admirable  art,  yet 
without  affectation,  he  knows  how  to  modulate  the  word  according  to  the  contents  of  the  thought. 
All  rhetorical  forms  of  art  are  at  his  command,  and  he  can  employ  all  the  riches  of  ihe  language. 
Something  royal  has  been  observed  in*the  way  that  Isaiah  uses  the  language.     So  that  ABARBANEL 
associates  this  character  of  Isaiah's  language  with  the  fancied  royal  descent  of  the  Prophet,  saying: 
"  the  charm  of  his  discourse  and  the  beauty  of  his  eloquence  is  like  the  discourse  of  the  kings  and 
counsellors  of  the  land,  who  had  a  much  pleasanter  and  purer  way  of  speaking  than  the  rest  of  the 
children  of  men"  (Comm.in  propk.  post  Jes.  I.;  see  GESENIUS  on  Jes.  I.  p.  36).     And  in  another 
fashion  the  TALMUD,  Tractat.  Chagiga  (Fol.  136)   expresses  the  same  thought,  saying:  "Ezekiel 
resembles  the  son  of  the  village  when  he  beholds  the  splendor  of  the  king,  but  Isaiah  resembles  the 
son  of  the  royal  residence"  (comp.  FUERST, D.Kanon  des  A.  T.,  pp.  17,  21). 

2.  As  regards  the  book  itself,  it  divides  first  into  two  chief  parts :  chaps,  i.-xxxv.  and  xl.-lxvi. 
Between  these  two  chief  parts  are  the  chapters  xxxvi.-xxxix.,  which,  Janus-like,  look  forwards  and 
backwards,  inasmuch  as  the  chapters  xxxvi.  and  xxxvii.  conclude  the  Assyrian  period,  and  chap- 
ters xxxviii.  and  xxxix.  prepare  the  way  for  the  Babylonian  period.     The  first  part  then  ought 
properly  to  be  reckoned  from  i.-xxxvii.,  the  second  from  xxxviii.-lxvi.     But  it  is  traditional  to 
reckon  xxxvi.-xxxix.  together,  and  that,  too,  along  with  the  first  chief  part,  because  part  first,  on 
account  of  the  greater  variety  of  its  contents,  may  easier  receive  those  historical  chapters  than  the 
second  part  that  has  a  quite  uniform  and  exclusive  character. 

3.  Taking  part  first  to  include  i.-xxxix.  we  follow  the  traditional  way  of  counting.     But  pro- 
perly this  first  principal  part  begins  with  chap.  vii.     For  chapters  i.-vi.  contain  the  great  threefold 
introduction  relating  to  the  entire  book.     That  is  to  say,  not  only  is  chap.  i.  introductive,  but  chap- 
ters ii.-v.  are  the  second  and  chap.  vi.  the  third  introduction.     Through  three  gates  we  enter  into 
the  majestic  structure  of  Isaiah's  prophecy.     For  the  proof  of  this  see  the  comment  in  loc.    Part 
first  falls  into  five  subdivisions.     The  first  subdivision  comprises  chaps,  vii.-xii.     In  this  section  the 
Prophet  treats  of  the  relations  of  Israel  to  Assyria,  contrasting  the  ruinous  beginning  of  this  rela- 
tion  with  the  blessed  termination   of  it.    The  second  subdivision  contains  the  prophecies  against 
foreign  nations  (xiii.-xxiii.)     At  the  head  of  these  stands  a  prophecy  against  Babylon.     For  first, 
this  begins  with  a  general  contemplation  of  "the  day  of  the  Lord,"  so  that,  in  a  measure,  it  forms 
the  introduction  to  all  announcements  of  judgment  that  follow,  and,  then,  the  Prophet  sees  precisely 
in  Babylon  the  chief  enemy  of  the  theocracy  that  is  appointed  to  make  a  preliminary  end  to  its  out- 
ward  continuance  (xiii.  1 — xiv.  23).      This  is  followed  by  a  short  prophecy  against  Assyria,  the 
enemy,  of  course,  most  to  be  dreaded  in  the  Prophet's  time  (xiv.  24 — 27).      Following  this  are 
prophecies  relating  to  other  nations  threatened  by  Assyria :  Philistia,  Moab,  Ephraim-Syria,  Ethi- 
opia and  Egypt  (xiv.  28 — xx.  6). 

Chapters  xxi.  and  xxii.  constitute  a  special  little  ^3D.  They  also  contain  prophecies  agaimt 
heathen  nations,  viz.:  Babylon,  Edom,  and  Arabia.  But  there  is  connected  with  this  in  an  unusual 
way  a  prophecy  against  Jerusalem.  The  reason  is  that  these  four  prophecies  bear  emblematic  su- 
perscriptions, on  which  account  we  have  called  them  libellus  emblematicus.  The  character  of  the  su- 
perscription, therefore,  which  coincides  with  that  of  the  other  three  superscriptions,  makes  the  rea- 
son why  this  prophecy  against  Jerusalem  is  incorporated  with  the  prophecies  against  foreign  nations. 
A  prophecy  against  Tyre  forms  the  conclusion  of  this  second  subdivision :  the  siege  of  this  city  by 
Shalmaneser,  which  took  place  in  the  Prophets  time,  furnished  the  occasion  for  it.  But  the  Prophet 
sees  before  him  the  fate  of  the  city  down  to  the  remotest  future,  and  in  this  contemplation  of  the  fu- 
ture is  not  wanting  the  factor  that  the  Chaldeans  shall  be  the  ones  to  make  an  end  of  the  independ- 
ence of  Tyre.  Chaps,  xxiv. — xxvii.  form  a  kind  of  finale  to  the  discourses  against  the  nations. 
They  treat  of  last  things,  of  the  end  of  the  world,  the  world's  judgment,  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and 


8  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  fulfilment  of  the  salvation  promised  to  the  people  Israel.  We  have  called  these  four  chapters 
libellus  apocalypticus.  The  Third  Subdivision  has  for  its  subject  the  relation  of  Israel  to  Assyria  .n 
the  days  of  king  Hezekiah  (xxviii. — xxxiii.).  It  contains  five  discourses  in  six  chapters.  Each 
discourse  begins  with  V1H.  They  stand  in  chronological  order,  and  are  all  of  them  total  surveys,  in 
that  each,  in  a  special  manner,  proceeding  from  the  present  distress,  and  with  censure  of  the  false 
means  of  deliverance,  compresses  in  one  the  deliverance  out  of  the  distress  and  the  salvation  of  the 
(Messianic)  end-period  that  are  determined  and  promised  of  God.  The  Fourth  Subdivision  com- 
prises chaps,  xxxiv.  and  xxxv.  These  two  chapters  we  designate  the  finale  of  part  first.  They  con- 
tain a  concluding  glance  at  the  end-period  in  respect  to  the  two  aspects  of  it,  viz.:  the  divine  judg- 
ments both  in  respect  to  punishment  and  salvation.  The  first  is  described  as  comprehending  not 
only  the  earth,  but  also  the  constellations  of  heaven,  in  which,  however,  the  manner  of  its  operation 
on  earth  is  exhibited  by  a  special  portrayal  of  the  judgment  against  one  of  Israel's  most  bitter  ene~ 
mies,  viz.:  Edom.  That  we  stand  here  at  an  important  bounflary,  viz.:  at  the  close  of  part  first,  ap" 
pears  from  the  invitation,  xxiv.  16,  to  search  the  "  Book  of  Jehovah,"  and  thereby  verify  the  fulfil- 
ment. This  Book  of  Jehovah  can  be  nothing  else  than  just  our  part  first,  to  which  the  Prophet  here 
refers  back  as  to  a  whole  now  brought  to  conclusion.  Finally  xxxv.  describes  the  salvation  which 
shall  be  imparted  to  the  people  of  God  by  the  final  judgment.  But  the  Prophet  for  the  present 
makes  prominent  only  one  principal  point,  viz.*  the  return  home  out  of  the  lands  of  exile  into  the 
Holy  Land  to  everlasting  joy.  We  see  in  this,  at  the  same  time,  a  transition  to  part  second,  that 
has  for  its  subject  the  description  of  the  period  of  salvation  in  all  its  aspects. 

The  Fifth  Subdivision  finally  comprehends  chapters  xxxvi. — xxxix.  Their  contents  is  histo- 
rical and  essentially  the  same  that  we  read  in  2  Kings  xviii.  13 — xx.  19.  Chapters  xxxvi.  and 
xxxvii.  relate  the  deepest  distress  into  which  Hezekiah,  confined  to  his  capital  city,  was  brought  by 
the  Assyrians,  and  also  the  unexpected,  sudden  and  complete  deliverance  out  of  this  distress  by  the 
plague  that  broke  out  in  the  camp  of  the  Assyrians.  This  fact  forms  the  conclusion  of  all  relations 
of  Israel  to  Assyria,  and  therefore  xxxvi.  and  xxxvii.  stand  first,  although  the  events  narrated  in 
them  belong  to  a  later  period.  Chapters  xxxviii.  and  xxxix.  inform  us*  of  the  sickness  and  recovery 
of  Hezekiah  in  the  fourteenth  year  of  his  reign,  and  of  the  Babylonian  embassy  that  congratulated 
him  on  this  account.  Hereby  was  afforded  occasion  to  the  Prophet  to  prophesy  the  Babylonian  ex- 
ile, and  in  so  far  xxxviii.  and  xxxix.  are,  so  to  speak,  the  bridge  to  chapters  xl. — xlvi.,  and  stand 
immediately  before  them,  although  the  events  of  which  they  inform  us  precede  by  about  fourteen 
years  the  events  narrated  in  chaps,  xxxvi.  and  xxxvii. 

4.  Surveying  again  the  collection  of  prophecies  in  part  first,  we  see  that  they  are  well  arranged. 
The  older  commentators  (even  LUTHER)  have  erroneously  held  them  to  be  without  arrangement, 
and  put  together  without  plan.  But  the  dominating  principle  is  an  arrangement  according  to  mat- 
ter rather  than  chronological  arrangement.  The  first  introduction  (chap,  i.)  belongs  to  the  latest 
pieces.  It  has  much  in  common  with  chapters  xl. — xlvi.  (see  below).  The  second  introduction 
(ii. — v.)  is,  as  a  whole,  also  the  product  of  that  period  when  the  Prophet  put  his  book  together.  Still 
for  this  introduction  the  Prophet  made  use  of  earlier  pieces,  especially  of  the  period  of  Ahaz  (comp- 
iii.  comm.).  And  thereby,  of  course,  he  has  given  at  the  same  time  a  picture  of  that  period  of  his 
labors  which  preceded  the  first  conflict  with  the  world-power  and  the  prophecies  that  related  to  it. 
For  this  reason  this  introduction  bears  more  of  a  general  ethical  character.  The  third  introduction 
belongs  to  the  fact  of  the  last  year  of  Uzziah  therein  related.  When  it  was  written  up  is  not  ex- 
pressly said.  But  it  is  in  the  nature  of  the  thing  that  this  should  happen  early  rather  than  late  af- 
ter the  event  itself. 

Of  chapters  vii. — xii.  the  first  part  (vii.  1 — ix.  6)  belongs  to  the  beginning  of  the  three  years 
which  Pekah  had  in  common  with  Ahaz,  thus  about  743  B.  C.  The  second  part,  however  (ix.  7 — 
x.  4)  belongs  in  the  end  of  this  period,  thus  about  740,  39  (see  introd.  to  the  text  in  loc.).  Of  the 
eecond  part  (x.  5 — xii.  6)  the  piece  x.  5-34  belongs  in  the  time  when  Hezekiah  was  put  to  the  great- 
est distress  by  the  summons  related  xxxvi.  (see  introduction  to  x.  5-19).  Chap,  xi.,  on  account  of 
its  relationship  with  xiv.  28-32,  originated  in  the  period  when  Hezekiah  had  ascended  the  thione, 
thus  about  728  B.  C.  The  doxology,  chap,  xii.,  bears  no  trace  of  any  particular  time ;  still,  as  con- 
clusion of  this  section,  it  must  any  way  have  originated  at  the  time  the  latter  was  put  together  (ibid.) 
The  first  prophecy  against  Babylon  (xiii.  1 — xiv.  23)  presupposes  the  period  in  which  the  Prophet 
recognized  Assyria  as  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  saw  in  Babylon  the  world-power  that  was  called  to 
execute  judgment  on  the  theocracy.  The  prophecy,  therefore,  falls  in  the  latest  stadium  of  Isaiah's 


{  3.  LITERARY  PERFORMANCE  AND  THE  BOOK  OF  THE  PROPHET.  9 

prophetic  activity.  The  short  prophecy  against  Assyria  predicts  Sennacherib's  catastrophe  as  near 
at  hand.  It  belongs  therefore  to  the  period  shortly  before  the  event.  The  short  piece  xiv.  28-32 
must  have  originated  shortly  after  Hezekiah  took  the  throne.  The  prophecy  against  Moab  (xv.  and 
xvi.)  must,  as  to  its  older  part  (xv.  1-xvi.  12),  belong  to  the  reign  of  Ahaz.  It  may  have  originated 
after  741  B.  C.  and  before  the  incursion  of  the  Edomites  into  Judah  mentioned  in  2  Chron.  xxviii. 
17.  The  time  of  its  publication  is  indeed  relatively  determined  by  the  later  brief  prophecy  xvi.  13, 
14 ;  but  so  far  it  has  not  been  made  out  what  event  the  Prophet  means  by  the  blow  threatened  against 
Moab  xvi.  14.  Any  way,  however,  the  Prophet  has  in  mind  an  act  of  hostility  on  the  part  of  Assyria 
against  Moab. 

Chapters  xvii.  and  xviii.,  which  are  equally  directed  against  Ephraim-Syria  and  against  Assy- 
ria, belong  to  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Ahaz,  to  the  same  period  to  which  the  prophecies  vii.  1 
— ix.  6  owe  their  origin. 

Chapters  xix.  and  xx.  relate  to  Ethiopia- Egypt.  They  fall  in  the  time  of  Hezekiah,  and  in- 
deed they  cannot  have  been  written  earlier  than  708  B.  C.  (see  in  Comm.  introd.  to  xvii.-xx.).  The 
brief  prophecy  against  Babylon  (xxi.  1-10),  which  stands  here  on  account  of  its  emblematical  super- 
scription, appears  to  belong  to  the  same  period  as  xiii.  1-14.  Still  the  character  of  the  piece  in  re- 
spect to  language  and  rhetoric  are  not  quite  in  harmony  with  it.  The  two  small  prophecies  against 
Edom  (xxi.  11, 12)  and  Arabia  (xxi.  13-17)  fall  in  the  time  of  Hezekiah,  more  exactly,  in  the  time 
before  the  catastrophe  of  Sennacherib,  when  the  Assyrians  threatened  the  independence  of  all  the  na- 
tions that  lay  between  Assyria  and  Egypt.  To  this  same  period  also  belongs  chap.  xxii.  More  ex- 
actly, the  chapter  presupposes,  and  that  in  both  its  parts,  the  period  when  the  Assyrians  threatened 
Jerusalem  directly.  The  prophecy  against  Tyre  has  this  in  common  with  the  prophecies  against 
the  theocracy  itself,  that  it  does  not  designate  Assyria,  the  immediate  source  of  menace,  but  Babylon 
as  the  instrument  to  whom  God  has  entrusted  His  judgment,  and  it  must  have  originated  in  the  time 
when  Shalmaneser  besieged  Tyre,  thus  before  722  B.  C.  (see  comm.  in  loc.).  It  is  hard  to  determine 
when  the  chapters  xxiv. — xxvii.  originated.  Still  the  Prophet  sees  the  theocracy  in  conflict  with 
Assyria  and  Egypt.  Babylon  stands  veiled  in  the  background.  This  seems  to  point  to  the  time  of 
Hezekiah,  and  indeed  to  the  time  before  Sennacherib's  catastrophe  (see  comm.  in  loc.).  Of  the  five 
discourses  (xxviii.-xxxiii.)  that  represent  the  relation  of  Israel  to  Assyria  in  the  time  of  Hezekiah, 
the  first  must  have  originated  already  before  the  beginning  of  the  siege  of  Samaria,  thus  about  725 
B.  C.  (ibid.).  Chap.  xxix.  is  of  much  later  origin,  belonging  to  about  the  year  902  B.  C. 

Chapters  xxx. — xxxii.,  according  to  their  contents,  belong  to  the  same  period  as  xxix.  They 
join  directly  on  to  this  in  chronological  order.  Chap,  xxxiii.  belongs  to  the  period  shortly  before 
the  summons  that  Rabsheka  sent  to  Hezekiah.  Chaps,  xxxiv.  and  xxxv.  originated  in  the  latest  pe- 
riod of  the  Prophet  contemporaneously  with  the  grand  connected  complexity  of  prophecy  in  the 
chaps,  xl. — Ixvi.  A  more  exact  determination  of  the  time  is  impossible. 

Chaps,  xxxvi. — xxxix.  very  probably  spring  from  a  memorandum  of  Isaiah's  that  had  for  its 
subject  the  great  events  of  the  reign  of  Hezekiah,  and  to  which  2  Chron.  xxxii.  26  seems  to  point. 
The  insertion  of  these  chapters  at  this  point  is  so  suitable — in  fact  so  necessary — that  we  must  even 
ascribe  them  to  the  Prophet  himself.  But  a  later  hand  has  made  alterations  in  the  dates  of  the  su- 
perscriptions, and  also  perhaps  in  the  mention  of  names  (xxxix.  1),  which  has  become  the  occasion  of 
great  confusion.  The  events  for  instance  narrated  in  xxxvi.  and  xxxvii.  took  place  fourteen  years  later 
than  those  narrated  in  xxxviii.  and  xxxix.  Any  way,  the  narratives  stood  in  the  original  source  in  the 
correct  chronological  order,  i.  e.,  so  that  xxxvi.  and  xxxvii.  followed  xxxviii.  and  xxxix.  The  narra- 
tives were  transposed  to  correspond  with  the  aim  of  the  book  of  prophecy.  Now  in  the  original  source 
the  introduction  of  chap,  xxxviii.  must  have  read :  "And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  fourteenth  year  of  king 
Hezekiah."  But  chap,  xxxvi.  began  with  the  words:  "And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  fourteenth  year." 
Thereby  was  meant  the  fourteenth  year  after  the  events  narrated  in  xxxviii.  and  xxxix.;  therefore 
the  twenty-eighth  year  of  Hezekiah,  or  the  700  B.  C.,  the  year  in  which  actually  occurred  Sennache- 
rib's catastrophe.*  When  then  those  historical  sections  were  adopted  into  the  collection  of  Isaiah's 
prophecies,  and  that  in  a  reversed  order,  the  dates  ought  properly  to  have  been  altered  to  correspond. 
This,  however,  did  not  take  place.  Thus  xxxvi.  began  with  the  words:  "And  it  came  to  pass  in 

*  I  remark  here  that  the  historical  and  chronological  objections  raised  by  WELLIIAUSEN,  v.  GUTSCHMID,  OPPERT 
against  many  results  of  SCHRADER'S  investigations  are  well  known  to  me.  Still  the  few  data  that  come  here  into 
account  partly  lie  quite  out  of  the  sphere  of  those  objections,  partly,  as  appears  to  pae,  they  are  quite  unaffected 
by  them. 


10  INTKODUCTION  TO  THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 

the  fourteenth  year,"  but  xxxviii.  with  the  words :  "And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  fourteenth  year  of  Heze- 
kiah."  To  an  uninformed  reader  this  sounded  strange.  The  fourteenth  mentioned  in  the  beginning 
of  xxxvi.  seemed  as  if  it  could  be  no  other  than  the  fourteenth  of  Hezekiah.  And  because  xxxviii. 
again  bore  at  its  head  the  fourteenth  year  of  this  king,  nothing  seemed  more  natural  than  to  let 
xxxvi.  begin  with  the  words:  "And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  fourteenth  year  of  king  Hezekiah,"  and 
then  join  on  chapters  xxxviii.  and  xxxix.  simply  with  the  date  "  in  those  days,  in  that  time  "  (see 
introd.  to  xxxvi.-xxxix.  below).  Whoever  made  these  alterations  doubtless  lived  at  a  period  when 
the  living  tradition  about  the  correct  order  of  these  events  had  long  been  obliterated.  Perhaps,  too, 
the  erroneous  mention  of  a  name  xxxix.  1  is  the  fault  of  the  same  man  and  of  the  same  time.  For 
Merodach-Baladan  does  not  mean  "Merodach,  son  of  Baladan,"  as  is  there  intimated.  Merodach- 
Baladan  (  =  Merodach  gave  a  son)  is  only  one  name,  and  is  the  name  of  a  man  whose  father  was 
called  Jakin  (see  cornm.  in  loc.).  This  erroneous  meaning  given  to  the  name  appears  also  to  point 
to  a  later  time  in  which  the  knowledge  of  the  proper  relation  was  lost. 

5.  Part  second  consists  of  chapters  xl. — Ixvi.     These  chapters  form  a  separate  and  well  arranged 
total  by  themselves.     As  in  other  collections  of  Isaiah's  prophecies,  so  here  we  notice  a  fundamental 
number.     For  the  total  consists  of  three  divisions,  each  containing  three  times  three  discourses.     It 
is  to  be  noticed,  however,  that  in  the  third  division  only  five  discourses  are  to  be  distinguished, 
which,  however,  divide  into  nine  chapters.     The  subject  of  these  twenty-seven  chapters  is  the  time 
of  salvation,  and  that  indeed  the  whole  period  beginning  with  the  deliverance  from  exile  and  ex- 
tending to  the  end  of  the  present  world,  i.  e.,  to  the  appearance  of  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth. 
Although,  in  accordance  with  the  peculiarity  of  prophetic  seeing,  the  prophet  sees  things  of  the  same 
sort  together,  no  matter  what  time  they  belong  to,  we  still  distinguish  in  the  total  period  of  salvation 
three  chief  stages  to  which  the  three  chief  subdivisions  of  nine  chapters  each  correspond.     In  the 
first  Ennead  the  Prophet  sees  chiefly  and  primarily  the  deliverance  out  of  the  Babylonian  captivity, 
and,  as  the  source  of  it,  Cyrus.    But  this  Ennead  by  no  means  has  this  aim  merely.     The  Prophet 
knows,  that  along  with  the  redemption  out  of  exile,  Israel  must  be   raised  to  a  higher  plane  of 
religious  moral  life :  it  must  be  freed  from  idolatry  and  led  to  the  sole  worship  of  Jehovah.     The 
outward  deliverance  without  the  inward  would  be  only  a  half  work ;   for  it  was  precisely  Israel's 
spiritual  bondage  to  idols  that  had  been  the  cause  of  its  bodily  servitude.     How  could  the  latter  be 
removed  without  the  former?     But  this  redemption  out  of  exile  and  the  chains  of  a  gross  idolatry  is 
only  the  first  stage  of  the  period  of  salvation.     Within  this  we  see  forming  the  outlines  of  a  second  and 
higher  stage.     The  glorious  Cyrus,  who  is  not  called  servant  of  God,  but  is  called  ITl^D,  and  the  suffer- 
ing people  Israel,  that  is  yet  destined  to  glory,  compose,  so  to  speak,  the  ground  forms  in  which  a 
new  stage  of  salvation  is  typically  represented.     These  preparatory  elements  combine  in  their  higher 
unity  in  the  person  of  the  servant  of  God  who  will  be  a  suffering  Israel  and  a  conquering  Cyrus  at 
the  same  time.      But  first  appears  the  first  named  aspect  of  his  existence,  the  suffering  servant. 
This  forms  the  central  point  of  the  second  Ennead.   By  suffering  the  servant  of  God  becomes  the  re- 
deemer of  His  people,  the  founder  of  a  new  way  of  appropriating  salvation,  and  of  a  new  condition 
of  salvation  that  is  both  intensively  and  extensively  higher.     But  this  servant  of  God  lifts  Himself 
up  out  of  His  humility  and  becomes — this  is  the  contents  of  the  third  Ennead — on  the  one  hand,  Judge 
of  the  world  who  will  destroy  all  the  wicked,  on  the  other,  the  Creator  of  a  new  creature.     The 
fruit  of  His  redeeming  work  will  be  a  new  humanity,  a  new  name,  a  new  worship  of  God  in  spirit 
and  in  truth,  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth. 

Therefore  the  Prophet  has  by  no  means  in  mind  merely  circumstances  of  the  exile.  Of  course 
he  sees  primarily  the  redemption  out  of  the  exile.  But  he  sees  behind  this  also  the  time  in  which 
the  personal  servant  of  God,  prefigured  in  the  first  stage  by  Cyrus  and  Israel,  will  begin  his  work  of 
salvation  by  suffering  and  dying  ;  and  behind  this  second  stage  he  sees  a  third,  in  which  the  servant 
of  God,  raised  out  of  His  humble  state  to  the  dignity  of  a  highest  Prophet,  Priest  and  King,  shall  re- 
new the  creature  and  lead  it  upwards  to  the  highest  degree  of  life  in  the  spirit. 

6.  The  scheme  of  the  book  is  as  follows : 

I.  THE  THREEFOLD  INTRODUCTION. 

o.  The  First  Introduction,  chap.  i. 

b.  The  Second  Introduction,  chaps,  ii. — v. 

C.  The  Third  Introduction,  chap.  vi. 


§  3.    LITEEARY  PERFORMANCE  AND  THE  BOOK  OF  THE  PROPHETS.         11 
II.    PART  FIRST,  vii.— acxxix. 

1.     FIRST   SUBDIVISION.   CHAPS.   VII. — XII. 

Israel's  relation  to  Assyria,  the  representative  of  the  world-power  in  general,  described 
in  its  ruinous  beginning  and  its  blessed  end. 

A. — The  prophetic  perspective  of  the  time  of  Ahaz,  chap.  vii.  1 — ix.  6. 

1.  The  prophecy  of  Immanuel  the  son  of  a  Virgin,  chap.  vii.  1-25. 

2.  Isaiah  giving  the  whole  nation  a  sign  by  the  birth  of  his  son  Maher-shalal-hash- 

baz,  chap.  viii.  1-4. 

3.  Additions : 

a.  The  despisers  of  Siloah  shall  be  punished  by  the  waters  of  Euphrates, 

chap.  viii.  5-8. 

b.  Threatening  call  to  those  that  conspire  against  Judah,  and  to  those  that 

fear  the  conspirators,  chap.  viii.  9-15. 

c.  The  testament  of  the  Prophet  to  his  disciples,  chap.  viii.  16 — ix.  6. 

B. — Threatening  of  judgment  to  be  accomplished  by  Assyria,  directed  against  the  Israel  of 

the  Ten  Tribes,  chap.  ix.  7 — x.  4. 
C. — Assyria's  destruction  Is/ael's  salvation,  chap.  x.  5 — xii.  6. 

1.  Woe  against  Assyria,  chap.  x.  5-19. 

2.  Israel's  redemption  from  Assyria,  chap.  x.  20-34. 

3.  Israel's  redemption  in  relation  to  the  Messiah,  chap.  xi.  1 — xii.  6. 

2.     SECOND  SUBDIVISION.   CHAPS.   XIII.-XXVII. 
The  prophecies  against  foreign  nations. 
A. — The  discourses  against  individual  nations,  chaps,  xiii. — xxiii. 

1.  The  first  prophecy  against  Babylon,  chap.  xiii.  1 — xiv.  23. 

2.  Prophecy  against  Assyria,  chap.  xiv.  24-27. 

3.  Against  Philistia,  chap.  xiv.  28-32. 

4.  Against  Moab,  chaps,  xv.,  xvi. 

5.  Against  and  for  Damascus  and  Ephraim,  chap.  xvii. 

6.  Ethiopia  now  and  then  again,  chap,  xviii. 

7.  Egypt  now  and  then  again,  chaps,  xix.,  xx. 

8.  The  libellus  emblematicus,  containing  the  second  prophecy  against  Babylon,  then 

prophecies  against  Edom.  Arabia,  Jerusalem  and  the  chamberlain  Shebna, 
chaps,  xxi.,  xxii. 

9.  Prophecy  against  and  for  Tyre,  chap,  xxiii. 

B. — The  finale  of  the  prophecies  against  the  nations :    the  libellus  apocalypticus,  chapters 
xxiv. — xx  vii. 

3.  THIRD  SUBDIVISION.   CHAPS.  XXVIII. — XXXIII. 

Relation  of  Israel  to  Assyria  in  the  time  of  king  Hezekiah. 

4.  FOURTH   SUBDIVISION.   CHAPS.   XXXIV. — XXXV. 

The  finale  of  part  first. 

5.  FIFTH   SUBDIVISION.   CHAPS.  XXXVI. — XXXIX. 

Historical  pieces,  containing  the  conclusion  of  the  Assyrian  and  the  preparation  for  the 
Babylon  period. 

III.    PART  SECOND,  Chaps,  xl.— Ixvi. 

The  entire  future  of  salvation,  beginning  with  the  redemption  from  the  Babylonian  exile, 
concluding  with  the  creation  of  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth. 


12  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 

A. — CYRUS,  chaps,  xl. — xlviii. 

1.  First  Discourse.     The  Prologue,  the  objective  and  subjective  basis  of  redemption, 

chap.  xl. 

2.  Second  Discourse.     First  appearance  of  the  Redeemer  from  the  East,  and  of  the 

servant  of  the  Jehovah,  and  also  the  first  and  second  use  of  the  prophecy  re- 
lating to  this  in  proof  of  the  divinity  of  Jehovah,  chap.  xli. 

3.  Third  Discourse.     The  third  chief  figure  :  The  personal  servant  of  Jehovah  in  the 

contrasted  features  of  his  appearance,  chap.  xlii. 

4.  Fourth  Discourse.     Redemption  or  salvation  in  its  entire  compass,  chap,  xliii.  1— 

xliv.  5. 

5.  Fifth  Discourse.     Prophecy  as  a  proof  of  divinity  comes  to  the  front  and  culmi- 

nates in  the  name  of  Cyrus,  chap.  xliv.  G-28. 

6.  Sixth  Discourse.     The  culminating  point  of  the  prophecy :  Cyrus,  and  the  effect  of 

his  appearance,  chap.  xlv. 

7.  Seventh  Discourse.     The  fall  of  the  Babylonian  gods,  and  the  gain  to  Israel's  know- 

ledge of  God  that  will  be  derived  therefrom,  chap.  xlvi. 

8.  Eighth  Discourse.     The  well-deserved   and    inevitable  overthrow  of  Babylon, 

chap,  xlvii. 

9.  Ninth  Discourse.     Recapitulation  and  conclusion,  chap,  xlviii. 

B. — THE   PERSONAL  SERVANT   OF   JEHOVAH.    Chaps,  xlix.— Ivii. 

1.  First  Discourse.     Parallel  between  the  servant  of  Jehovah  and  Zion.     Both  have 

a  small  beginning  and  a  great  end,  chap.  xlix. 

2.  Second  Discourse.     The  connection  between  the  guilt  of  Israel  and  the  sufferings  of 

the  servant,  and  the  liberation  of  the  former  through  faith  in  the  latter,  chap.  1. 

3.  Third  Discourse    The  final  redemption  of  Israel.    A  dialogue  between  the  Servant 

of  Jehovah  who  enters,  as  if  veiled,  Israel,   Jehovah  Himself,  and  the  Pro- 
phet, chap.  li. 

4.  Fourth  Discourse.     The  restoration  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  chap.  Hi.  1-12. 

5.  Fifth  Discourse.     Golgotha  and  Scheblimini  (sit  thou  on  my  right  hand),  chap.  Hi. 

13— liii.  12. 

6.  Sixth  Discourse.     The  new  salvation,  chap.  liv. 

7.  Seventh  Discourse.     The  new  way  of  appropriating  salvation,  chap.  lv. 

8.  Eighth  Discourse.  The  moral,  social  and  physical  fruits  of  the  new  way  of  salva- 

tion, chap.  Ivi.  1-9. 

9.  Ninth  Discourse.     A  look  at  the  mournful  present,  which  will  not,  however,  hin- 

der the  coming  of  the  glorious  future,  chap.  Ivi.  10 — Ivii.  21. 

C. — THE  NEW  CREATURE.  Chaps.  Iviii. — Ixvi. 

1.  First  Discourse.     Bridge  from  the  present  to  the  future ;  from  preaching  repent- 

ance to  preaching  glory,  chaps.  Iviii.,  lix. 

2.  Second  Discourse.     The  rising  of  the  heavenly  sun  of  life  upon  Jerusalem,  and 

the  new  personal  and  natural  life  conditioned  thereby,  chap.  Ix. 

3.  Third  Discourse.     The  personal  centre  of  the  revelation  of  salvation,  chap.  Ixi. — •• 

Ixiii.  1-6. 

4.  Fourth  Discourse.     The  Prophet  in  spirit  puts  himself  in  the  place  of  the  exiled 

church,  and  bears  its  cause  in  prayer  before  the  LORD,  chap.  Ixiii.  7— Ixiv.  11. 

5.  Fifth  Discourse.     The  death  and  life  bringing  end-period,  chaps.  Ixv.,  Ixvi. 

§   4.     AUTHENTICITY  AND   INTEGRITY   OF   THE  BOOK. 

1.  KNOBEL  says  of  the  Isaiah  collection  there  is  found  in  it  more  that  is  not  genuine  than  in 
any  other  prophetic  book  (p.  xxvi).  The  passages  ii.  2-4  and  xv.-xvi.  12  are  not  denied  to  be  genu- 
ine indeed,  but  they  are  said  not  to  be  Isaiah's,  he  having  appropriated  them  from  older  prophets. 
As  regards  ii.  2-4,  this  statement  is  of  course  correct.  For  Isaiah  has  in  fact,  and  for  good  reason, 
put  a  saying  of  his  contemporary  and  fellow  prophet  Micah  at  the  head  like  a  light,  in  order  to  con- 
template in  its  light  the  (relative)  present  of  his  people.  But  as  regards  the  prophecy  against  Moab, 


4.    AUTHENTICITY  AND  INTEGEITY  OF  THE  BOOK.  13 


xv.-xvi.  12,  the  Prophet  himself,  it  is  true,  designates  it  as  a  word  that  the  LORD  once  ('^O,  i.  e., 
before)  spoke  against  Moab.  But  the  words  xvi.  13  by  no  means  assert  that  Isaiah  cites  the  words 
of  another.  Would  he  not  have  indicated  this  more  plainly  ?  Besides  the  piece  is  in  contents  and 
form  quite  like  Isaiah.  (See  Comm.  in  loc.).  The  following  passages  are  said  to  be  decidedly  not 
genuine  :  xiii.  1-xiv.  23  ;  xxi.  1-10  ;  xxiv.-xxvii.  ;  xxxiv.-xxxv.  ;  xxxvi.  1-xxxvii.  20  ;  xxxvii. 
36-xxxix.  8  ;  xl.-lxvi.  Beside  these  a  few  other  passages  are  assailed  by  individual  critics.  Thus 
chap.  xii.  is  assailed  by  EWALD  (see  on  the  contrary  MEIER,  KNOBEL,  p.  113).  Chap.  xix.  ia 
partly  or  entirely  so  by  several  expositors  (EICHHORN,  ROSENMUELLER,  KOPPE,  DE  WETTE,  GE- 
SENIUS,  HITZIG,  on  the  contrary  KNOBEL,  p.  159)  ;  single  parts  of  chaps,  xxviii.-xxxiii.  by  EICH- 
HORN  (against  which  see  GESENIUS  I.  2,  p.  826)  ;  chap,  xxxiii.  by  EWALD  (against  whom  see  KNO- 
BEL, p.  273).  As  these  critical  objections  have  been  proved  groundless  even  by  such  men  as  GESE- 
NIUS and  KNOBEL,  we  will  not  enter  into  them  here.  I  will  in  the  commentary  itself  give  the 
reasons  why  I  must  regard  chaps,  xiii.  1-xiv.  23;  xxi.  1-10;  xxiv.-xxvii.  ;  and  xxxiv.,  xxxv.,  as 
Isaiah's  genuine  productions.  We  have  already  said  in  §  3  under  4,  what  is  to  be  thought  of 
chaps,  xxxvi.-xxxix. 

2.  We  must  give  particular  attention  to  chaps,  xl.-lxvi.  Since  KOPPE  and  DOEDERLEIN  (comp. 
BERTHOLDT,  Einl.  p.  1356  sqq.)  the  majority  of  commentators  have  held  the  opinion  that  a  much 
later  person  than  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz  wrote  these  prophecies.  The  most  suppose  that  this  later 
person  lived  in  Babylon  among  the  exiles.  Only  EWALD  (Propheten  des  A.  B.  II.  p.  403  sqq.  ; 
Gesch.  des  V.  fsr.  IV.  p.  22  sqq.  ;  56  sqq.,  66,  103,  138)  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  "great  unnamed," 
as  a  descendant  of  those  Jews  that  with  Jeremiah  went  into  Egypt,  lived  in  the  latter  place.  On 
the  other  hand  SEINECKE  (Der  Evangelist  desA-B.  1870)  concludes  from  chap.  xl.  9,  that  the  author 
must  have  lived  in  Jerusalem  because  otherwise  the  summons  "  Jerusalem,  get  thee  up  into  a  high 
mountain,"  would  have  no  sense.  DUHM  (Die  Theologie  der  Propheten,  Bonn.,  1875,  p.  283),  infers 
from  chap.  xiii.  22  that  Deutero-Isaiah  at  least  did  not  live  in  Babylon,  for  it  hardly  went  so  hard 
with  the  exiles  as  is  there  described.  As  regards  the  time,  although  the  critics  in  general  maintain 
that  it  was  written  during  the  exile,  still  they  differ  in  details  very  much.  BERTHOLDT  (Einl.,  p. 
1390)  distributes  the  chapters  into  four  periods  :  Before  and  after  the  invasion,  during  and  after 
the  siege  of  Babylon.  GESENIUS  supposes  (II.  Th.  p.  33)  that  the  prophecies  originated  at  the  time 
when  the  advance  of  Cyrus  against  Babylon  awaked  in  the  Hebrews  the  assured  hope  of  a  speedy 
deliverance.  Still  he  thinks  that  the  last  chapters  were  written  sooner  than  the  earlier  ones,  in 
which  is  discoursed  with  so  much  certainty  of  the  victories  of  Cyrus.  HITZIG  also  apportions  the 
chapters  very  exactly  among  the  incidents  of  the  Persian-Babylonian  war,  only  he  thinks  that  chap. 
xlvii.  does  not  fit  into  the  context  chronologically,  and  that  as  an  independent  whole  it  was  incor- 
porated later.  BECK  (Die  Cyrojesajan.  Weissagungen,  p.  16)  thinks  that  all  twenty-seven  chapters 
presuppose  the  permission  of  Cyrus  to  return  home.  The  Prophet  only  represents  what  has  hap- 
pened as  revealed  by  Jehovah  in  advance,  in  order  that  "  His  contemporaries  might  regard  it,  not 
as  accident,  but  as  proceeding  from  the  decree  of  God."  According  to  KNOBEL  '*  the  Prophet  fol- 
lowed attentively  the  great  events,  spoke  as  these  and  the  circumstances  they  brought  about  dictated 
he  should,  and  wrote  up  the  discourses  one  after  another"  (p.  342).  And  so  he  maintains  that  chaps. 
xl.-xlviii,  originated  in  the  time  of  the  first  splendid  successes  of  Cyrus  ;  chaps,  xlix.-lxii.,  however, 
he  puts  in  the  time  when  Cyrus  began  to  carry  out  his  plan  of  subduing  the  western  nations.  Chap. 
Ixii.  1-6  is  supposed  to  refer  to  the  taking  of  Sardis.  The  prayer,  chap.  Ixiii.  7-lxiv.  11,  and  the 
answer  to  it,  chapter  Ixv.  are  supposed  to  fall  in  the  period  after  this  event.  Only  in  regard 
to  chapter  Ixvi.  KNOBEL  is  undetermined  whether  it  is  to  be  put  before  the  conquest  of  Ba- 
bylon by  Cyrus,  or  in  the  time  after  it.  SEINECKE  takes  again  the  view-point  of  BECK  :  only  he 
denies  that  the  Prophet  prophesied  the  deliverance  by  Cyrus.  Much  rather  this  is  everywhere  pre- 
supposed. What  he  does  prophesy  is  the  "  new  salvation,"  i.  e.,  a  period  of  great  happiness,  which 
of  course  can  only  be  realized  in  the  holy  land.  The  entire  prophecy  is  one  whole  made  at  one  cast. 
If  one  point  of  time  is  fixed,  then  the  time  of  the  composition  of  the  whole  is  clear.  Now  it  appears, 
especially  from  chap.  xli.  2,  3  ;  xliv.  25;  xlv.  4  sq.  ;  Hi.  11  ;  xlix.  22,  23,  that  the  edict  of  Cyrus 
(Ezra  i.  1  sqq.)  had  already  appeared.  After  this  proclamation,  before  the  start  of  the  first  train  of 
exiles,  therefore  in  (he  year  536  was  the  prophecy  written. 

Most  of  the  critics  regard  our  chapters  as  the  work  of  a  nngle  author.  Only  here  and  there  a 
voice  contends  for  different  authors.  See  AUGUSTI,  Exeget.  Handbuch,  p.  24  sqq.,  BERTHOLDT,  /  r., 
p.  1375  ;  EICHHORN,  Propheten  (the  list  at  the  close  of  Vol.  III.,  p.  686).  In  regard  to  chap.  lii.  13- 


14  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


1m.  12  sq.,  see  our  comm.  and  SCHENKEL,  Stud.  u.  Krit.,  1836,  p.  996.  Especially  EWALD  has  felt 
that  he  must  assume  a  plurality  of  authors.  But  who  may  have  been  the  author  or  authors  no  one 
is  able  to  say.  The  critics  are  only  united  in  this,  that  it  was  not  Isaiah,  yet  they  confess  that  he 
must  have  been  a  man  of  great  spiritual  significance.  EWALD  has  introduced  the  name  "  the  -reat 
unnamed"  (comp.Propf, d.  A.  B.  11.,  p.  403;  Gesch.  d.  V.  Isr.  IV.,  p.  56).  It  is  even  confessed 
that  the  so-called  Deutero-Isaiah  has  a  great  resemblance  to  the  genuine  Isaiah.  To  the  question  • 
Why  then  have  chaps,  xl.-lxvi.  been  ascribed  to  Isaiah,  SEINECKE  (p.  36)  replies  by  savin-,  "that 
no  later  Prophet  has  approached  so  near  the  spirit  of  Isaiah  as  the  author  of  chap.xl-lxvi  •  in 
none  are  found  so  reproduced  his  characteristic  forms  of  expression/' 

3.  The  reasons  urged  against  Isaiah  being  the  author  of  part  second  are  the  following :  1  Isaiah 
lived  more  than  an  hundred  years  before  the  exile.  He  has  also  not  once  prophesied  it.  But  the 
author  of  chaps,  xl.-lxvi.  lived  in  the  exile.  Both  the  oriental  relations  in  general  at  the  time  of 
the  exile  (he  even  calls  Cyrus  by  name),  and  the  special  relations  of  the  exiles  are  so  exactly  known 
to  him,  that  we  must  recognize  in  him  an  eye-witness  and  a  sharer  of  those  relations  2  He  dis- 
tinguishes himself  from  Isaiah  as  much  by  different  religious  and  theocratic-political  views  as  bv 
peculiar  style  and  usus  loquendi.  3.  Those  prophets  that  lived  after  Isaiah  and  before  the  exile  did 
not  know  the  chaps,  xl.-lxvi.  4.  According  to  an  old  tradition,  to  which  the  TALMUD  testifies  and 
to  Which  the  German  and  French  Manuscripts  conform,  the  three  great  Prophets  follow  in  the  order 
Jeremiah,  Ezekiel,  Isaiah.  From  this  is  inferred  that  this  arrangement  has  chronological  reason,' 
and  that  Isaiah,  on  account  of  the  second  part  having  been  composed  at  the  end  of  the  exile  was' 
placed  after  Ezekiel. 

IN  REPLY  TO  THE  FIRST  OBJECTiON.-a).  If  it  were  proved  that  there  is  no  personal  God 
or  that  this  personal  God,  if  there  be  one,  at  least  never  in  a  direct,  supernatural  way  interfered  in  the 
course  of  the  history  of  the  world,  then,  of  course,  Isaiah  could  never  be  the  author  of  chaps,  xl.- 
lxvi.     For  then  there  would  be  no  prophecy  in  a  supernatural  and  miraculous  sense.     There  would 
then  at  best  be  only  an  intensified  power  of  presentiment  or  gift  of  combination.     That  is  the  stand- 
point of  those  who  aim,  more  or  less  consciously,  to  be  rid  of  God  as  much  as  possible,  to  explain 
the  world  without  God,  and  without  God  to  live  merely  under  the  abstract,  unalterable  laws  of  na- 
ture.    There  are,  therefore,  here  two  fundamental  ways  of  looking  at  things  that  are  opposed  to  each 
other,  and  that  can  never  harmonize.     All  dialectic  demonstration  is  useless  here.     Of  course  an 
interference  without  motive  and  arbitrary  on  God's  part,  no  one  will  admit  who  holds  the  view-point 
of  the  moderate  theism  of  the  Bible.     But  according  to  Scripture,  over  the  present,  earthly,  temporal 
order  of  nature  there  exists  a  higher  and  eternal  order.     The  earthly,  temporal  order  of  nature  is 
characterized  by  the  disharmony  of  spirit  and  body.     The  higher  order  rests  on  the  harmony  of 
these.     The  lower  stage  must  form  the  transition  to  the  higher.     This  is  only  possible  by  the  latter 
entering  into  the  former,  partly  in  order  to  prepare  the  judgment  on  the  same,  partly  to  lay  in  it 
the-  new  germs  of  life.     Miracle  and  prophecy,  as  in  the  organism  of  the  history  of  salvation  thev 
appear  authenticated,  though  they  are  not  the  highest,  are  still  the  first  traces  of  that  super-terrestrial 
spiritual  power  that,  on  the  one  hand  subdues  matter,  and  on  the  other,  time  and  space,  in  order  to 
make  known  the  divine  decree  of  love,  and  gradually  to  realize  it.     Now  among  all  the  men  that 
divine  love  employs  to  this  end  in  the  Old  Testament,  Isaiah  occupies  the  first  rank.     First  he  sees 
Syria  and  Ephrairn  coming  against  the  theocracy,  and  recognizes  at  once  their  harmlessness.     As- 
syria rises  threatening  behind  them.     But  soon  the  Prophet  sees  that  it  too  will  not  harm  the  theoc- 
racy, but  must  itself  come  to  disgrace  by  the  theocracy.     Only  the  third  world-power,  (Ephraim- 
Syria  reckoned  as  the  first),  that  emerges  to  the  view  of  the  Prophet,  immediately  behind  Assyria  to 
i.  e.,  Babylon,  he  recognizes  as  the  agent  called  to  execute  the  next  great  judgment  on  the  outward 
theocracy.     Babylon  was  Nineveh's  rival.     They  had  severe  conflicts  until  first  Babylon,  and  then 
at  length  Nineveh  fell.     Now  it  is  said  that  Isaiah  never  predicted  Israel's  being  led  into  the  Baby- 
lonian captivity.     True  enough,  this  was  not  his  commission.     This  part  of  the  history  of  the  future 
belonged  to  his  successors  Zephaniah  and  Jeremiah.     Yet  Babylon's  destination  to  effect  this  was 
not  unknown  to  him.     For  he  expresses  it  chap,  xxxix.  6  sq.,  briefly  indeed,  but  in  plain  words. 
And  even  if  Isaiah  were  not  the  author  of  the  original  writing  from  which  chaps,  xxxvi.-xxxix. 
were  taken,  still  this  does  not  justify  ns  in  doubting  that  he  made  the  statement  of  which  xxxix.  6  sq. 
informs  us.     Without  mentioning  Babylon,  a  period  of  exile  is  partly  presupposed,  partly  directly 
announced  to  the  land  and  nation  in  chap.  i.  27  ;  v.  5  sq. ;  xiii.  26  sqq. ;  vi.  11,  12  ;  x.  5  sqq. ;  xii. 
20  eg.. ;  xi.  11;  xxx.  12.     And  does  not  Micah  (iv.  10),  the  contemporary  of  Isaiah,  prophesy  in 


15 


plain  words  the  transpor  a  on 
ness  of  those  words  of  Micah.  . 
Babylonian  exile  was  already  i 

But  Isaiah's  chief  commission  was 
the  deliverance  out  of  exde 
regard  to 

is  the  proper  content  of 
the  second  part  as  "a 
this  he  honors  his  name 


that  I  know  of  has  ever  attacked  the  genuine- 

what  Micah  saw?     We  see  therefore  that  the 

to  prophecy  as  a  fact  of  the  future. 

gLperM  of  station,  that  begins  with 
^9     ^  ^^  ^.^  .g  ^  ^  ^ 

Israel  or  the  heathen,  still  the  proclamation  of  salvation 

In  fact  the  opening  words  of  xl.  1  especially  characterize 
^  ^  ^^  ^  rf  ^    ^  ^  ]5)      fiy 

The  TALMUD  expresses  the  difference  between  the 
J£^£Z        ^  ^    ^  of  ^  ^ 


U 

phetic  word  Ml  on  the       .a  ^  tQ  ^  narrower  branch       as  a 

ffi£t  £SR^«£  fl-k  ii>  -  is  isaiah;s  rheTlat1  to  r/t  1116 

o  her  pr  phets.  It  is,  therefore,  incorrect  to  say  that  Isaiah  only  lives  m  the  exile,  and  that  his 
±  doe  not  extend  beyond  the  horizon  of  this  period  of  history.  Isaiah  is  just  as  conscious  that 
he  prophesies,  i.  e,  that  the  exile  is  a  thing  of  the  future  for  him  also  (comp  xh.  9  ;  x  viii.  6,  16; 
;  Hvi  10-lvii  21  and  the  comm.  in  loo.),  as  he  is  conscious  that  the  period  of  exde  does  not 
n  'the  limit  of  his  prophetic  gaze.  In  fact  he  distinguishes  most  clearly  three  stages  of  that  future 
nnl^tP,  The  servant  of  Jehovah  suits  neither  the  time  of  Cyrus,  nor  that  of 

^t±Tt£l^S  time  between  as  the  mediation  of  both  For  without  the 
ervanTof  Jehovah,  Israel  when  returned  could  not  possibly  have  nsen  to  the  grade  of  the  new  crea- 
ure  On  may  quUe  as  well  insist  that  the  author  of  chaps,  xl.-lxvi-  stood  under  the  cross  of  Chnot, 
and  that  he  Jd  the  writings  of  Paul,  consequently  that  at  least  chaps.  ln.-lv.  were  written  m  the 
.after  Christ,  as  that  this  author  lived  in  the  exile.  For  he  speaks  of  the  suffenngs  of  he  ser- 
van  o  the  fr  of  them,  and  of  the  new  way  of  salvation  thereby  conditioned  not  less  phunly  than 
Te  doesTth  redemption  of  Israel  out  of  the  exile.  In  fact  DUHK  (1.  c  p  291)  acknow  edges  that 
the  vtw  of  the  DeuLo-Isaiah  approaches  very  near  that  of  Paul.  It  -  ejected  U  a  t  the  naming 
of  Cyrus  and  the  description  of  relations  peculiar  to  the  exile  (comp.  Ixiv.  £ 

?2     5;lxvi.  36-6  ;  Ixvi.  17)  prove  that  we  have  before  us  specific  prediction  and  no   prophecy 
A   such  things  are  impossible,  only  a  contemporary  of  the  exile  can  be  the  author  of  xl.-lxvi. 
tad    me  to  the  inquiry  into  the  ethical  character  of  genuine  prophecy,  and  then  to  the  o  her  ques- 
lion  whether  chapl  xL-lxvi.  correspond  to  that  distinction  between  prophecy  and  prediction  that  I 


of  Cyrus  (xli,  23;  xl,  1,  must 

But  let  us  fir<t  notice  the  connection  in  which  this  naming  occurs.  In  the  first  Ennead 
^Prophet  has  directed  his  gaze  to  a  double  deliverance  of  his  people  :  to  the  bodily  one  out  of  the 
tpth-ityo  the  exile,  and  to  the  spiritual  one  from  the  chains  of  idolatry.  He  seeks  to  bring  about 
he  a<Lr  bv  convinc  ng  his  people  of  the  nothingness  of  idols  and  of  the  sole  divinity  of  Jehovah^ 
For  til  purpose  he  argues  thus:  Prophecy  and  fulfilment  belong  only  to  the  omn.cient  and 
almighty  God  It  is  a  test  of  divinity  that  idols  cannot  sustain.  I  announce  to  you  long  before  the 
pun  Lm'ent  of  the  exile  has  even  begun,  that  Israel  shall  be  delivered  from  the  same  £  -  ,  ,  pnn  e 
Lt  shall  bear  the  name  Cvrus.  If  this  prophecy  be  not  fulfilled,  then  may  you  doubt  the  dmn 
of  Jehovah.  But  if  it  be  fulfilled,  then  know  that  the  LOKD  is  God. 

Seven  times  the  Prophet  presents  this  syllogism  with  the  greatest  emphasis.     He  would  evi- 
dently  have  men  regard  this,  not  as  mere  rhetorical  ornament,  but  as  meant  m  earnest,  and  , 
practical  test  with  it.     Now  let  one  suppose  the  author  of  our  chapters  to  have  been  a  contemporary 
of  Cyrus,  and  to  have  only  feigned  this  prophecy,  then  it  would  be  but  a  worthless  .comedy  ^   Th 
would-be  prophet  was  then  an  impostor  that  blasphemously  abused  the  name  of  God. 
Tas  already  Ire,  and  all  that  Isaiah  prophesies  of  him  had  already  happened,  or  at  lea*  was  a 
the  point  of  taking  place,  then  that  argument  wholly  lacks  foundation      Then  Jehovah  ^  d        no 
prophesy,  but  an  impostor  pretends  to  prophesy  in  His  name  things  that  in  fact  we«  .not  future  but 
p  art      The  pretended  prophecy,  then,  would  be  a  product,  not  of  the  Holy  Sp^t,  of  the  Spi  ntrf 
Lth,  but  of  the  spirit  of  lying.     If  any  would  assume  that  the  pretended  prophet  < 


16  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 

to  attain  a  good  object  by  morally  objectionable  means,  that,  therefore,  his  fraud  was  a  pious  fraud, 
then  nothing  is  gained  thereby.  A  truly  pious  Israelite  could  not  possibly  have  been  willing  to 
prop  his  faith  in  Jehovah  by  means  which  Satan,  Jehovah's  enemy,  uses  to  gain  his  ends — by  lies  I 
But  a  man  who  is  capable  of  desecrating  God's  name  by  gross  lies  cannot  at  the  same  time  be  inter- 
ested to  have  God's  name  sanctified.  Such  a  man  is  an  inward  contradiction.  One  is  involuntarily 
reminded  here  of  the  words  of  Christ :  "  If  Satan  cast  out  Satan,  he  is  divided  against  himself;  how 
shall  then  his  kingdom  stand?"  (Matt.  xii.  25  sqq.).  And  how  does  this  lying  procedure  agree  with 
the  moral  character  of  our  prophecy  in  general  ?  Every  one  receives  the  impression,  and  the  mo- 
dern critics  themselves  cannot  ignore  it,  that  there  runs  through  the  entire  prophecy  a  spirit  of  ele- 
vated, moral  earnestness.  Moral  effect  in  the  hearer  and  reader  indeed  is  meant  to  be  the  chief  aim 
of  the  prophecy.  How  does  Christ  agree  with  Belial?  Comp.  STIER,  Isaiah,  nicht  Pseudo-Isaiah,  p. 
xlvi.  F.  A.  LOWE,  Weissagung  u.  Weltgeschichte,  Zurich,  1868,  p.  13.  It  is  incomprehensible  how  a  man 
like  DUESTERDIECK  (D.  Pro.  Isa.,  ein  Vortr.  Jahrb.f.  deutsche  Theol.  XVIII.  3,  p.  386  sqq.)  can  assert 
that  the  author  of  xl.-lxvi.  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  mighty  crisis  brought  about  by  Cyrus  (1.  c.  p.  401), 
and  yet  at  the  same  time  produced  the  prophecy  that  is  "  not  only  the  holiest  of  all  of  our  prophetic 
book,  but  of  the  entire  Old  Testament."  Can  then  the  author  of  a  fictitious  prophecy  of  Cyrus,  seven 
times  repeated,  be  at  the  same  time  the  interpreter  of  the  holiest  of  all  of  the  divine  revelation  ? 

c.  But  it  is  objected  that  still  the  name  Cyrus  is  quite  a  special  prediction,  just  as  also  those 
other  traits  of  special  exile  life  that  confront  us  in  the  last  three  chapters.     But  the  ne.me  Cyrus  is 
not  a  name  like  any  other.     According  to  our  Prophet's  construction,  Cyrus  stands  at  the  head  of  the 
period  of  salvation.     He  represents  the  great  turning  point  in  the  history  of  Israel  with  which  be- 
gins the  ''return"  pW)  of  the  holy  nation.     The  name  of  the  man  that  occupied  this  high  and  im- 
portant position  is  no  subordinate,  small  incident  that  one  cannot  see  from  a  distance.     On  the  con- 
trary, this  name  stands  forth  so  great  and  illustrious  in  history,  even  in  profane  history,  that  we 
must  include  it  among  the  great  outlines  which,  according  to  our  statement,  can  alone  be  the  subject 
of  prophecy.     But  were  I  even  mistaken  in  this  view,  still  only  the  name  Cyrus  would  need  to  be 
given  up.     Then  we  would  need  to  assume  that  xliv.  28  another  word  stood  in  the  place  of  KHD/, 
and  that  xlv.  1  the  same  word  was  either  simply  interpolated  (which  the  construction  allows),  or 
was  substituted  for  another  word.     We  would  need  then,  of  course,  to  grant  also  that  the  words 
•pDN  "JDEQ  (xlv.  5),  which  manifestly  presuppose  the  mention  of  the  name,  were  inserted  by  the 
interpolator.     This  would  leave  untouched  the  chief  thing,  the  prophecy  of  the  redeemer  from  the 
east.     The  reproach  of  lying  would  not  then  concern  the  real  author  of  the  prophecy,  but  only  some 
uninvited  intruder.     But  although  I  confess  that  this  point  is  the  most  difficult,  still  I  do  not  believe 
that  there  are  material  reasons  to  compel  the  adoption  of  this  construction. 

d.  As  for  the  traces  of  authorship  in  the  exile  to  be  found  in  the  last  three  chapters,  viz. :  in 
Ixiv.  9-11 ;  Ixv.  3  6-5  a;  Ixv.  11,  12 ;  Ixv.  25 ;  Ixvi.  3  6-6  ;  Ixvi.  17,  they  are  of  three  sorts.     I  must 
first  say  in  general,  that  the  last  Ennead    (Iviii. — Ixvi.)  does  not  appear  to  have  received  its  finishing 
touches  from  the  hand  of  the  Prophet.     Perhaps  death  arrested  him.     He  seems  rather  to  have  left 
behind  only  the  materials.     At  least  it  must  seem  strange  to  us  that  the  matter  is  not,  as  in  both  the 
Enneads  that  precede,  more   arranged  in  nine  distinctly  marked  discourses.     [Comp.  below  the  intro- 
duction to  chaps.  Iviii. — Ivi. — TR.].     This  very  condition  of  the  original  text  invited  a,nd  facilitated 
the  work  of  an  interpolator.     Now,  as  I  have  said,  I  find  three  sorts  of  suc.h  interpolations.     In  re- 
gard to  the  first  sort,  I  must  primarily  recall  the  fact  that  to  the  request  of  the  people  that  the  LORD 
would  even  remember  that  all  Israelites  are  His  people  (Ixiii.  7 -Ixiv.  9)  the  reply  is  made:  neither 
all  Israelites  shall  be  saved,  nor  shall  all  be  rejected  (Ixv.).     The  Prophet  intimates  by  this,  that  in 
the  time  when  the  redemption  will  begin,  i.  e.,  at  the  end  of  the  exile,  a  division  shall  be  effected. 
And  this  division  actually  took  place  when  Cyrus  gave  the  permission  to  return.     The  contrast  be- 
tween the  apostates  and  the  faithful  Israelites  wae  distinctly  marked.     The  original  contents  of  the  last 
three  chapters  offered  a  fitting  opportunity  for  the  expression  of  those  sentiments  that  the  latter  felt  to- 
ward the  former  in  consequence  of  that  contrast.     Hence  we  find  in  these  chapters  those  passages  that 
have  so  specific  a  coloring  from  the  exile,  which,  of  course,  if  they  were  genuine,  must  be  construed  as 
the  most  specific  prediction.    Such  are  Ixv.  3  6-5  a  ;  11, 12;  Ixvi.  3  6-6;  Ixvi.  17.    A  second  sort  of  in- 
terpolation I  find  in  the  passage  Ixiv.  9-11.     Here  the  condition  of  the  Holy  Land  and  of  the  Holy  City 
are  spoken  of  in  a  way  that  shows  that  the  sacred  places  must  already  have  lain  waete  when  these 
words  were  written.     A  third  interpolation  of  still  another  sort  I  find  in  Ixv.  25.     Here  an  earlier  say- 
ing of  the  Prophet  (comp.  xi.  6-9)  is  abruptly  repeated.     For  particulars  see  the  comm.  in  loc. 


2  4.  AUTHENTICITY  AND  INTEGRITY  OF  THE  BOOK.  17 

Regarding  passages  of  the  first  sort :  on  the  one  hand  they  contain  such  exact  details  relative 
to  Babylonian  idolatry,  and  on  the  other,  party  sentiment  finds  in  them  such  intense,  fresh  and 
lively  expression,  that  some  have  supposed  the  Prophet  has  wholly  translated  himself  here  into  the 
exile  life,  and  saw  it  as  plainly  as  his  own  actual  present  time,  while  others,  who  deny  the  possi- 
bility of  such  translation  into  the  future,  maintain  that  the  passages  in  question  were  composed  by 
one  living  in  the  exile.  I  share  neither  of  these  views.  It  was  no  affair  of  prophecy  to  observe  the 
special  traits  of  the  future ;  it  was  no  affair  of  Isaiah's  to  furnish  "  Scenes  of  exile  life."  On  the 
other  hand  the  great  mass  of  xl-lxvi.  are  so  unmistakably  genuine  prophecy,  in  fact  the  crown  of 
all  Old  Testament  prophecy,  that  we  can  ascribe  them  to  no  other  than  to  the  king  among  the  pro- 
phets, to  Isaiah.  If  now  single  passages  in  the  last  chapters  bear  undoubted  marks  of  originating 
in  the  exile,  then  they  must  be  later  additions  to  the  original  writing  of  Isaiah.  This  applies  also 
to  passages  of  the  second  and  third  sort.  Even  KNOBEL  and  DIESTEL,  who,  for  the  sake  of  making 
the  whole  out  to  be  not  genuine,  will  admit  no  interpolations,  are  still  inclined  to  explain  Ixv.  25  as 
"  a  disconnected  addition."  And  Ixvi.  3  6-6  is  manifestly  an  interpolation,  interrupting  the  con- 
nection, and  occasioned  by  a  misunderstanding  of  what  precedes.  But  if  one  interpolation  occurs, 
may  there  not  be  several,  even  though  the  seam  in  every  case  is  not  equally  noticeable  ?  I  have 
distinctly  declared  Ixiv.  9-11 ;  Ixv.  3  6-5  a  ;  11,  12  ;  25  ;  Ixvi.  3  6-6 ;  17  to  be  interpolations.  I 
confess  however  that  I  hold  these  to  be  only  the  ones  most  plainly  recognizable  as  such.  As  re- 
marked above,  the  Prophet  seems  to  me  to  have  left  the  last  Ennead  in  a  form  not  completely 
wrought  out.  Precisely  hereby  some  later  person,  was  moved  to  put  a  finishing  touch  to  it.  What 
is  most  probable  is  that  the  final  editor  of  the  work  did  this.  Thus  it  may  be  that  we  possess  the 
last  chapters  only  in  a  form  more  or  less  wrought  over.  What  is  the  boundary  between  the  work 
of  the  Prophet  and  that  of  the  reviser,  is  likely  never  to  be  made  out.* 

*  No  one  will  follow  the  Author  in  admitting  interpolations,  unless  first  entangled  by  the  criterion,  he  sets  up 
(end  of  J  2)  as  the  mark  of  genuine  prophecy.  In  a  distant  view  one  observes  general  outlines,  but  not  details. 
Prophecy  is  viewing  at  a  distance.  Hence  prophecy  in  general  will  never  meddle  with  special  prediction.  Where 
the  latter  occurs  it  is  only  a  seeming  detail,  while  in  fact,  properly  understood,  it  belongs  to  the  grand  outline, 
«.  g.,  the  naming  of  Cyrus— or  if  not,  then  it  must  be  suspected  as  an  interpolation.  Such  is  the  canon  the  Author 
adopts.  Is  this  seif-evident?  It  will  not  appear  so  to  multitudes.  Is  it  proved  by  the  mere  analogy  of  viewing  a 
city  or  mountain  at  a  distance  ?  One  must  not  be  betrayed  by  so  shallow  a  fallacy.  An  exact  statement  of  the 
nature  of  prophesying,  we  see,  involves  the  question:  does  prophecy  med  lie  with  details?  This  cannot  be  settled 
by  any  aprioral  dictum:  nor  by  an  analogy  drawn  from  some  totally  different  sphere.  It  can  only  be  settled  by 
observing  the  facts :  have  we  or  have  we  not  examples  of  such  prediction.  If  the  Author  has  nothing  but  his  canon 
to  oppose  to  the  passage  in  question,  then  we  accept  the  passage  as  genuine,  and  must  simply  reverse  his  canon. 
It  seems  that  he  has  something  additional.  It  is  this:  chap.  Iviii.-lxvi.,  depart  from  the  fundamental  number 
three,  and  though  we  have  nine  chapters,  we  have  only  five  discourses.  Nine  discourses  are  demanded  for  the 
sake  of  consistency.  This  abnormity  opens  the  door  to  many  things,  among  others  to  a  reasonable  account  of 
the  supposed  interpolations.  The  reflecting  reader  will  see  that  by  that  door  will  come  in  more  than  the  Author 
himself  would  welcome.  In  fact  nothing  remains  certainly  the  genuine  production  of  Isaiah.  For  as  DR.  NAB- 
GELSBACH  says  above.  "  It  wi',1  perhaps  never  be  wholly  made  out  where  is  the  boundary  between  the  work  of  the 
Prophet  and  that  of  the  reviser."  In  such  uncertainty,  each  will  draw  the  line  to  suit  himself. 

Only  those  will  be  entangled  in  this  quandary  that  share  the  Author's  fancy  for  an  exact  and  lucid  scheme  of 
the  entire  book,  or  rather,  who  is  captivated  by  his  particular  scheme.  But  most  students  will  agree  with  DR.  J.  A. 
ALEXANDER  (Introduction  to  his  Commentary,  Vol.  I.  p.  75,  Ed.  1875)  who  thus  remarks  on  the  arrangement  of 
HAEVERNICK  who  follows  RUCKERT,  and  to  which  our  Author's  bears  resemblance  :  "  As  an  aid  to  memory,  and  a 
basis  of  convenient  distribution,  this  hypothesis  may  be  adopted  without  injury,  but  not  as  implying  that  the 
book  consists  of  three  independent  parts,  or  that  any  one  of  the  proposed  divisions  can  be  satisfactorily  inter- 
preted apart  from  the  others.  The  greater  pains  taken  to  demonstrate  Such  a  structure,  the  more  forced  and 
artificial  must  the  exposition  become :  and  it  is  best  to  regard  this  ingenious  idea  of  RUCKERT,  as  an  aesthetic 
decoration  rather  than  an  exegetical  expedient.  After  carefully  comparing  all  the  methods  of  division  and  ar- 
rangement which  have  come  to  my  knowledge,  I  am  clearly  of  the  opinion  that  -in  this  part  of  Scripture,  more 
perhaps  than  in  any  other,  the  evil  to  be  shunned  is  not  so  much  defect  as  excess ;  that  the  book  is  not  only  a 
continued,  but  a  desultory  composition;  that  although  there  is  a  sensible  progression  in  the  whole  from  the  be- 
ginning to  the  end,  it  cannot  be  di-tinctly  traced  in  every  minor  part,  being  often  interrupted  and  obscured  by 
retrocessions  and  resumptions,  which,  though  governed  by  a  natural  association  in  each  case,  are  not  reducible 
to  a  system." 

To  recur  to  the  Author's  analogy  of  a  distant  view  of  a  city :  the  parallel  between  that  and  prophetic  prospect 
cannot  be  exact.  A  man  on  the  street  of  that  distant  city,  must  not  necessarily  be  like  a  man  in  the  imperial 
city  the  Prophet  sees  far  off  in  the  future.  Conversation  at  the  gate  of  that  city  far  off  in  the  vista,  must  not  be 
like  the  discourse  of  men  in  that  city  the  Prophet  sees  In  a  moral  and  historical  survey,  things  seemingly 
minute  by  common  measures,  rise  into  great  prominence.  Jenny  Geddes  and  her  stool  in  St.  Giles  Cathedral 
Church  of  Edinburg,  in  1637,  and  the  masqueraders  of  the  Boston  harbor  Tea  party,  are  such  to  us  in  the  distant 
survey  of  the  past.  No  one  charges  the  historian  with  an  unphilosophical  attention  to  minute  details  that  takes 

2 


18  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 

REPLY  TO  THE  SECOND  OBJECTION,  a.  It  is  said  that  there  exists  between  Isaiah  and  the  au- 
thor of  these  chapters  "  a  great  diversity  of  spirit  and  of  views."  Let  us  contemplate  these  reputed 
diversities  as  they  are  specified  in  the  latest  edition  of  KNOBEL'S  Commentary  as  revised  by  DIESTEL. 
First,  the  author  is  thought  to  cherish  the  most  transcendent  hopes  in  regard  to  the  return  home : 
xli.  18  sq. ;  xliii.  19  sq. ;  xlviii.  21 ;  xlix.  10  sq.  These  passages,  promise  all  of  them  to  those  re- 
turning abundance  of  water,  and  have  more  or  less  direct  relation  to  Exod.  xvii.  6  (cornp.  especially 
xlviii.  21).  No  one  is  justified  in  saying  that  the  author  would  have  them  understood  literally  with 
reference  to  the  return-way  out  of  the  exile.  But  if  at  the  same  time  he  had  in  mind  a  second  re- 
turn, lying  still  in  the  remote  future,  then  we  must  wait  for  the  future  to  show  us  whether  the  ex- 
pectations regarding  it  are  superabounding.  They  are  by  no  means  more  so  than  what  Isaiah  says 
of  the  same  return  xi.  15,  where  he  speaks  of  the  drying  up  of  the  Red  sea,  and  of  the  smiting  the 
Euphrates  into  seven  shallow  brooks.  To  the  same  transcendent  expectations  are  thought  to  belong, 
what  the  author  says  of  the  new  heaven  and  new  earth  (li.  6 ;  Ixv.  17  ;  Ixvi.  22  ;  Ix.  19  sq.),  of  the 
splendor  and  riches  of  the  new  Jerusalem  (liv.  12  ;  Ix.  1  sqq. ;  Ixvi.  12),  of  the  great  age  of  the  Jews 
that  may  be  looked  for  (Ixv.  20)  and  of  their  relation  to  the  heathen  (xlix.  22  sq. ;  Ix.  9,  10,  12; 
Ixi.  5  sq. ;  liii.  11).  All  this  is  thought  to  be  foreign  to  the  more  natural  sense  of  Isaiah.  But  do 
not  the  germs  of  all  this  lie  already  in  the  first  eleven  chapters  of  the  book  ?  We  have  shown 
already  above,  that  the  principle  of  the  world's  renewal  is  expressed  in  passages  like  ii.  2  sqq. ;  iv. 
2  sqq.,  (see  also  commentary  on  the  "  HOV  iv.  2).  Can  anything  more  glorious  be  said  of  the  Zion 
of  the  future  than  is  said  ii.  3  ;  xi.  9  ?  Is  not  the  great  age  spoken  of  Ixv.  20,  a  consequence  of  the 
same  new,  higher  principle  of  life,  of  whose  operation  in  the  impersonal  creature  xi.  6  sqq.,  speaks? 
Finally,  what  is  said  about  the  relation  of  Israel  to  the  heathen  in  the  passages  named,  has  after  all 
its  root  in  what  the  Prophet  has  already  expressed  ii.  2  sqq. ;  ix.  2  sqq.  7  ;  .^i.  10  sqq. — KNOBEL 
urges  further,  that  calling  Judah  and  Jerusalem  a  sanctuary  (xlviii.  2;  lii.  1 ;  Ixiii.  18 ;  Ixiv.  9  (10) 
attests  the  later  period.  It  is  true  that  the  expression  BnpD  "V#,  beside  xlviii.  2;  lii.  1,  occurs  only 
Dan.  ix.  24 ;  Neh.  xi.  1,  18.  Yet  the  expression  is  so  natural  and  has  so  little  that  is  specific  in  it, 
that  one  can  only  treat  its  unfrequent  occurrence  in  the  literature  as  accidental.  It  is  strange  that 
it  occurs  so  seldom  in  general,  thus  the  weight  of  the  fact  is  lessened,  when  it  is  noticed  that  it  ap- 
pears in  Isaiah  for  the  first  in  part  second.  If  he  did  not  invent  the  expression,  still  he  is  the  first 
from  whom  we  have  a  writing  that  contains  the  expression.  As  regards  Ixiii.  18  ;  Ixiv.  9  (10)  see 
above  d. — It  is  urged  that  the  importance  attached  to  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath  points  to  a 
later  period  (Ivi.  2  sqq. ;  Iviii.  13).  If  now  it  must  be  admitted  that  neither  in  the  historical  nor 
in  the  prophetic  books  of  the  older  period,  is  found  frequent  mention  of  the  Sabbath,  still  the  insti- 
tution was  known  and  recognized  by  them  as  ancient  and  holy  (see  Amos  viii.  6  ;  2  Kings  iv.  23, 
comp.  SCHTTI/TZ,  AUtestl.  Theol.  I.  p.  216).  But  like  the  most  of  the  commandments  of  the  law,  it 
was  badly  observed  by  idolatrous  Israel.  In  Ivi.  and  Iviii.  Isaiah  presents  in  prospect,  a  time  in 
which  the  new  way  of  salvation  spoken  of  in  liv.  and  Iv.,  will  bring  forth  its  glorious  fruits.  Shall 
we  wonder  then  if  the  Prophet  among  these  fruits  makes  especially  prominent  the  sanctifying  of  the 
Sabbath,  since  in  fact  this  was  the  most  patent  sign  of  the  universal  reign  of  the  worship  of  Jehovah 
and  of  the  overthrow  of  idolatry  ?  Representations  of  God,  as  one  that  troubles  Himself  very  little 
about  the  earth,  as  they  appear  in  xl.  27  ;  xlvii.  10 ;  xlix.  14 ;  Ivii.  15,  are  said  to  occur  only  in 

note  of  such  things.  In  his  prospect  they  are  prominences  and  belong  to  the  grand  outline.  It  is  this  that  af- 
fords the  proper  analogy  for  prophetic  surveys  of  the  future.  And  this  shows  that  the  distinction  made  in  the 
Author's  canon  between  prophecy  and  prediction,  and  grand  outline  and  details  is  illusory,  and  results  from 
pressing  an  analogy  between  things  unlike.  We  may  agree  that  prophecy  will  deal  only  in  genera!  outline.  But 
whatever  the  Prophet  sees  and  depicts,  belongs  to  this  outline  and  is  a  prominence  in  his  prospect,  however  in- 
significant and  unobservable  it  may  be  to  other  ways  of  seeing.  And  such  are  the  things  represented  in  those 
texts,  which  the  Author  would  surrender  as  interpolations.  This  leaves  prediction  and  prophecy  absolutely 
synonymous  in  that  respect  wherein  the  Author  attempts  a  distinction. 

It  may  be  added  that  the  Author's  chief  reason  for  admitting  the  notion  of  interpolations,  maybe  turned 
against  his  scheme  of  the  contents  of  the  book  of  Isaiah.  If  the  departure  from  the  rule  of  throe,  i.  e..  from  the 
nine  discourses,  be  such  palpable  proof  that  chapters  lviii.-!xvi.,  were  left  incomplete  by  the  Prophet,  this  defect 
would  have  been  as  evident  to  the  fina-  editor  as  to  modern  commentators,  and  must  have  appeared  equally  im- 
portant. If  such  an  editor  dared  to  tamper  with  the  text  at  all  in  the  way  of  giving  it  polish  and  completeness, 
his  first  care  would  be  to  carry  out  this  rule  of  three,  and  furnish  the  arrangement  into  nine  discourses,  accord- 
ing to  the  Prophet's  (supposed)  original  intent.  But  there  is  no  evidence  that  such  an  arrangement  was  re- 
quired for  completeness  and  finish,  and  thus  the  Author's  reason  for  thinking  Isaiah  left  his  composition  un- 
finished is  imaginary. — TB,]. 


g  4.  AUTHENTICITY  AND  INTEGRITY  OF  THE  BOOK.  19 

the  later  books  of  the  Old  Testament.     But,  not  to  mention  other  passages  like  Ps.  ix.   19  ;  x.  1 ; 
xiii.  2,  is  not  this  representation  found  xxix.  15  sq.,  which  is  admitted  to  be  Isaiah's  ?  What,  more- 
over, is  to  be  said,  when  KNOBEI,  explains  the  controverting  of  idols  with  reasons,  and  the  apology 
for  Jahve  as  the  sole  God  (xl.  12  sqq. ;  xli.  21  sqq. ;  xliii.  9  sqq. ;  xliv.  6  sqq.  ;  xlv.  11  sqq. ;  xlvi. 
1  sqq.  ;  xlviii.  3  sqq.),  and  the  proof  of  Jahve's  divinity  from  prophecy  and  fulfilment   (xli.  21 
sqq. ;  xliii.  9  sqq. ;  xliv.  7  sq. ;  xlv.  19,  21  ;  xlvi.  10 ;  xlviii.  3  sqq.),  the  servant  of  Jahve  (lii.  13 
sqq.),  and  the  representation  of  a  representative  endurance  of  punishment  (liii.  4  sqq.;  Ivii.  1)  to 
be  "  favorite  subjects  "  of  the  author's  that  do  not  appear  in  Isaiah?     We  shall  show  below,  that 
the  dialectics  with  which  the  Prophet  enters  the  lists  against  idols  and  for  Jehovah,  and  which  are 
found  already  in  the  germ  ii.  20 ;  xxx.  22 ;  xxxi.  7,  by  no  means  pertain  to  a  mere  pet  theme  that 
involuntarily  comes  uppermost,  but  that,  in  the  passages  named,  it  quite  accords  with  the  practical 
tendency  to  wholly  deliver  from  the  bonds  of  idolatry  the  nation  that  at  the  end  of  the  exile  would 
be  ripe  for  this.     The  servant  of  Jehovah  is  just  as  little  a  mere  pet  theme.     This  notion  in  all  cir- 
cumstances stands  sui  generis.     If  Isaiah  is  not  the  author  of  chapters  xl.-lxvi.,  then  the  "  ~\3y  is 
peculiar  to  this  author,  for  no  where  else  does  it  appear.     But  just  in  the  recognized  genuine  pas- 
sages of  Isaiah   are  to  be  found  the  germs  also  of  this  conception.  Such  is  the  np¥  iv.  2;  very  espe- 
cially however  the  ""EP  J7IJD   "\tpn  xi.  1,  to  which  passage  manifest  reference  is  had. liii.  2.     To  this 
may  be  added,  that  the  word  £TJ,  beside  xi.  1,  occurs  only  xl.  24  and  Job  xiv.  8.     A  representa- 
tive endurance  of  punishment  lies  at  the  foundation  of  the  entire  sacrificial  worship  (comp.  liii.  7), 
and  that  the  idea  was  taken  up  into  the  national  consciousness,  and  further  developed  is  proved  by 
expressions  like  that  of  Micah,  Isaiah's  contemporary,  who,  vi.  7,  speaks  of  the  giving  of  the  first 
born  son  as  an  atoning  sacrifice.     Must,  therefore,  this  idea  have  been  foreign  to  Isaiah  ?     Must  it 
point  to  the  period  of  the  exile  ?     And  must  Isaiah  necessarily  speak  of  it  before  he  proceeded  to 
make  his  prophetic  sketch  of  the  "  13J7  ?     Finally  it  is  urged  as  a  discrepancy  that  our  author 
looks  for  a  theocracy  without  a  king,  whereas  Isaiah  will  not  do  without  a  king  (ix.  5  (6)  ;  xi.  1 ; 
xxxii.  1 ;  xxxiii.  17).     It  is  true  indeed  that  in  our  chapters  the  promised  redeemer  is  never  called 
king.     Manifestly  the  author  avoids  the  word,  but  he  has  the  substance.     For  royal  works  and  royal 
honors  are  in  richest  measure  attributed  to  this  Redeemer.     It  is  said  of  Him  that  He  will  set  up 
justice  and  law  on  earth  (xlii.  4;  li.  4),  and  will  judge  the  people  (li.  5  ;  Ixiii.  1-6).     He  will  also 
be  light  and  salvation  to  the  heathen,  (xlix.  6),  all  kings  of  the  heathen  will  pay  Him  homage  as 
the  prince  and  commander  of  the  nations  (Iv.  4  sqq. ;  xlix.  7  ;  Ix.   2  sq.,  10  sqq.  ;  lii.   15  ;  liii.  12. 
Comp.  Ixi.  2-5  and  the  commentary).    One  must  wonder  that  He,  who  will  be  over  all  kings,  does 
not  Himself  receive  the  royal  title.     But  just  in  this  seems  to  lie  also  the  solution  of  the  riddle. 
The  title  "J/O  appeared  to  the  Prophet  too  inferior,  too  liable  to  misconstruction.     One  might  have 
supposed  the  redeemer  would  be  only  a  king  of  the  same  genus  as  the  others,  only,  perhaps,  a  higher 
species  of  this  genus.   But  the  Prophet  knows  that  this  TJJ,  as  he  calls  Him  Iv.  4,  will  be  toto  yenere 
different  from  all  other  kings.     He  will  even  be,  on  the  one  hand,  as  the  despised  servant,  (seem- 
ingly) low  beneath  them,  and  on  the  other,  by  reason  of  the  extent,  power  and  glory  of  His  king- 
dom, immeasurably  high  above  them.     So  that  one  may  say :  the  title  "] /D  appeared  to  the  Prophet 
to  suit  neither  the  lowliness  nor  the  highness  of  the  servant. 

b.  As  regards  style  and  the  use  of  words,  it  is  indeed  acknowledged  that  our  author  has  in  these 
respects  great  resemblance  to  Isaiah.  KNOBEL  says :  "  The  author  writes,  indeed,  like  Isaiah,  very 
enthusiastically,  fervently  and  lively,  but  much  more  flowingly  and  smoothly,  also  more  broadly  and 
more  diffuse."  FUERST  (Gesch.  d.  bibl.  Lit.  II.  p.  G43)  says  of  the  Unnamed,  that  He  "  occupies  the 
highest  position  among  the  later  prophets  as  a  classic."  This  saying  is  properly  a  contradiction ; 
for  classic  writing  is  found  only  in  the  period  of  the  splendor  of  a  language,  not  among  the  epigonai. 
FUERST  involuntarily  gives  us  to  understand  that  the  chapters  xl. — Ixvi.  belong  still  to  the  classic  pro- 
ductions of  Hebrew  literature.  UMBREIT  also  (in  HERZ.,  R.  Encycl.  VI.  p.  518)  says :  *'  If  the  son 
of  Amoz  were  really  the  author  also  of  the  later  books,  then,  not  only  in  respect  to  form,  but  also 
in  the  perfection  of  the  prophetic  spirit  ...  he  attained  the  highest  pinnacle."  And  on  the  next 
page  he  calls  the  author  of  chapters  xl.-lxvi.  "Isaiah  risen  again  in  a  new  body  of  the  spirit." 
Therefore  we  find  here  again  the  admission,  that  chapters  xl.-lvi.,  in  respect  to  the  "form"  or 
''  body,"  belong  to  the  grandest  productions  of  the  Hebrew  spirit.  And  this  writing,  to  which  men 
cannot  refuse  the  reputation  of  a  classic  even  as  to  form,  must  still  have  originated,  not  in  the  classic 
period,  but  in  a  period  when  Hebrew  was  just  at  the  point  of  disappearing  as  a  living  tongue?  The 
Psalms  of  the  exile,  Haggai,  Zechariah,  Ezra,  Daniel,  Chronicles  would  be  the  books  which,  in 


20  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 

point  of  time,  would  stand  nearest  our  chapters.  Yet  what  a  difference  between  those  and  these  in 
respect  to  the  character  of  the  language  in  general.  Contrasted  with  this  great  difference,  the  relatively 
few  singularities  that  are  urged  in  favor  of  the  exile  origin  of  our  chapters  cannot  be  regarded.  If 
we  consider  how  many-sided  the  spirit  of  Isaiah  is,  and  how  he  knows  how  to  fit  the  form  to  the 
contents,  we  cannot  wonder  if  he  uses  up  the  entire  store  of  words  at  his  command,  and  therefore  at 
times  draws  from  popular  speech,  from  kindred  dialects  and  even  from  foreign  languages,  and  here 
and  there  allows  himself  to  diverge  from  the  normal  modes  of  expression  with  a  rhetorical  art, 
whose  fineness  we  are  not  always  in  condition  to  appreciate.  Doubtless,  too,  many  an  expression 
that  occurs  only  in  later  writers  is  to  be  referred  to  Isaiah  as  its  source.  To  this  is  to  be  added 
that  Isaiah  no  doubt  wrote  our  chapters  in  the  latest  period  of  his  life,  that  therefore  a  period  of 
forty  or  more  years,  perhaps,  separate  his  latest  and  earliest  literary  productions,  and  that  the,  in 
many  respects,  new  contents  naturally  conditioned  a  corresponding  new  form.  EWALD  says  of  the 
genuine  Isaiah :  ''As  the  subject  requires,  he  has  easily  at  command  every  sort  of  speech  and  every 
change  of  representation,  and  that  establishes  his  greatness,  and  also  in  general  is  one  of  his  most 
prominent  advantages."  (Proph.  d.  A.  B.  I.  p.  173,  comp.  HENGSTENBERG,  Christol.  II.  p.  213). 
And  yet,  regardless  of  this  .recognized  peculiarity  of  Isaiah,  and  spite  of  the  existing  relationship 
in  respect  to  form  so  recognized,  men  will  deny  that  chapters  xl.-lxvi.,  are  Isaiah's!  I  would  add 
still  further,  that  much  that  is  urged  as  proof  of  difference  is  to  be  put  to  the  account  of  the  few  in- 
terpolations that  I  think  I  must  assume  (see  the  commentary).  Thus  I  might  be  held  excused  from 
entering  upon  the 'Consideration  of  the  several  points  that  are  urged  in  regard  to  style  and  language. 
Yet  I  will  investigate  a  few  of  these  points  by  way  of  example,  in  order  to  show  how  little  reliable 
the  critical  results  are.  Thus  KNOBEL  urges  that  the  author  frequently  doubles  words  for  the  sake 
of  emphasis,  i.  e.,  applies  the  rhetorical  figure  of  anadiplosis  or  epanalepsis.  He  quotes  in  proof 
xl.  1 ;  xli.  27  ;  xliii.  11,  25 ;  xlviii.  11,  15;  H.  9,  12,  17 ;  Hi.  1,  11;  Ivii.  6,  14,  19;  Ixii.  10;  Ixv.  1. 
But  this  form  of  speech  occurs  not  seldom  in  the  passages  recognized  as  genuine  :  viii.  9  ;  xviii.  2, 
7  ;  xxi.  11  ;  xxviii.  10,  13;  xxix.  1.  If  we  add  to  this  that  it  appears  also  in  the  assailed  passages 
of  part  first  (xv.  1 ;  xxi.  9  ;  xxiv.  16;  xxv.  1 ;  xxvi.  3,  5,  15  ;  xxvii.  5  ;  xxxviii.  11,  17,  19),  we 
can  only  say  that  it  is,  after  all,  a  peculiarity  of  our  Prophet  that  answers  to  the  liveliness  of  his 
spirit. 

In  these  chapters  are  found  ''a  great  many  expressions  that  occur  only  in  them,  or  at  least  only 
in  the  later  books  beside,  and  that  for  the  most  part  need  to  be  explained  from  the  Aramaic,"  says 
KNOBEL  (p.  335).  As  regards  the  many  airat;  Tie-j'6/uEva,  they  furnish  no  proof  in  themselves.  For 
even  in  the  unassailed  passages  such  are  found  in  great  number.  Their  use  is  to  be  explained  by 
this,  that  the  Prophet  completely  commanded  the  entire  vocabulary  of  his  language,  and  hence,  for 
the  more  fitting  expression  of  some  turns  of  thought,  drew  from  some  province  of  language  not 
otherwise  known  to  us.  If  many  such  expressions  occur  only  once  in  Isaiah,  and  are  found  beside 
only  in  later  w-riters,  it  ought  first  to  be  proved  that  the  latter  did  not  borrow  from  Isaiah.  Regard- 
ing the  statement  that  these  expressions  must  for  the  most  part  be  explained  from  the  Aramaic,  it 
must  be  remembered  that  in  very  many  instances  the  etymology  is  doubtful.  Beside,  it  is  quite 
possible  that  the  root  of  the  words  in  question  received  in  the  Aramaic  branch  of  the  language  a 
stronger,  in  the  Hebrew  a  weaker  development.  But,  as  has  been  said,  Isaiah  used  less  frequent 
words,.and  forms  of  languageand  discourse,  as  he  needed  them.  The  commentary  offers  the  proof  of 
all  this.  The  word  D^Jp  (xli.  25),  which  KNOBEL  says  is  Persian,  is  now  most  conclusively  proved 
to  be  Assyrian  (comp.  SCHRADER,  Die  Keilinschriften  u.  d.  A.  T.  p.  254,  32  ;  270,  15  ;  279,  6).  For 
the  rest  we  refer  to  the  List  prepared  by  me  with  great  pains,  and  to  be  found  at  the  close 
of  the  volume.  It  offers  a  convenient  survey  of  the  vocabulary  of  chapters  xl.-lxvi.  It  may  be 
seen  there  what  words  and  word  forms  (and  to  some  extent,  turns  of  expression)  occur  in  both  parts, 
and  what  in  only  part  second,  and  what  are  absolute  or  relative  cnra!-  "Xey6neva.  This  collection 
contains  all  the  words  that  occur,  excepting  such  words  as  can  properly  mark  no  characteristic  dif- 
ference. By  this  means  I  have  put  a  considerable  weight  into  the  scale  of  criticism.  But,  on  the 
one  hand,  this  exacts  the  scientific  rule  of  debate,  which  forbids  arguing  ex  dubiis.  On  the  other 
hand  this  disadvantage  is  more  than  balanced  by  the  advantage  that  the  result,  which,  as  it  seems 
to  me,  favors  the  authenticity  of  chapters  xl.-lvi.,  may  be  recognized  as  all  the  more  assured.  It  ig 
true  that  from  this  arrangement  of  the  survey  it  also  becomes  plain  that  several  of  the  controverted 
passages  of  part  first,  expressly  xxxiv.-xxxv.,  are  very  nearly  related  to  the  chapters  xl.-lxvi.,  be- 
longing, as  they  doubtless  do,  to  the  same  period  of  the  Prophet's  life.  I  would  add  that  the  collec- 


\  4.    AUTHENTICITY  AND  INTEGRITY  OF  THE  BOOK.  21 

tion  in  so  far  gives  an  unsatisfactory  representation,  that,  though  it  shows  where  each  word  occurs 
in  Isaiah,  it  does  not  show  where  it  is  to  be  found  beside ;  therefore,  especially,  it  does  not  appear 
in  it  whether  a  word  belongs  to  the  older  or  more  recent  period  of  the  language.  Space  did  not  al- 
low me  to  embrace  this  feature  in  the  collection  :  yet  the  commentary  makes  up  as  much  as  possible 
what  is  wanting.  The  sum  of  the  matter  is :  it  will  appear  from  the  comparison  that  chapters  xl.- 
lxvi.,  do  indeed  differ  considerably  in  language  from  the  passages  of  Isaiah  that  are  recognized  as 
genuine  ;  but  that  still  that  there  is  so  much  that  is  common  to  both,  that  these  differences  afford 
no  satisfactory  reasons  for  denying  Isaiah's  authorship  of  the  chapters  in  question.  I  may  be 
charged  with  inconsistency  because,  in  reference  to  the  genuineness  of  Lamentations,  I  attached  such 
considerable  weight  to  singularities  of  language  as  proving  that  Lamentations  had  not  Jeremiah  for 
their  author,  whereas  I  do  otherwise  in  reference  to  Isa.  xl.-lxvi.  But,  apart  from  the  fact  that  the 
differences  in  language  in  the  case  of  Isa.  xl. — Ixvi.,  seem  to  me  less  than  those  observed  in  the  case 
of  Lamentations,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  Isa.  xl.-lvi.,  as  a  whole  must  be  acknowledged  to  bt  as 
decidedly  like  Isaiah  in  character,  as  the  Lamentations  taken  as  a  whole  are  unlike  Jeremiah. 
When  I  make  the  above  admission  of  general  difference  between  the  first  and  second  parts  of  Isaiah, 
I  must  still  emphasize  here,  that  the  first  chapter  of  our  book,  i.  e.,  the  first  introduction,  forms  a  re- 
markable exception.  For  this  chapter  has  plain  traces  of  relationship  to  chapters  xl.-lxvi.  Now 
no  one  doubts  the  genuineness  of  chap.  i.  But  if  that  is  acknowledged,  then,  presupposing  that  re- 
lationship, one  must  decide  in  favor  of  the  genuineness  of  xl.-lxvi.  That  such  a  relationship  act- 
ually exists  may  be  seen  from  the  following  comparison,  in  which  are  enumerated  those  expressions 
that  occur  only  in  chap.  i.  and  xl.-lxvi.  (or  in  the  contemporaneous  chapters  of  part  first,  that  are 
likewise  pronounced  not  genuine). 

•V3Ni.  24-xlix.  26;  Ix.  16. 

3HK  i.  23-xli.  8 ;  Ivi.  10 ;  Ixi.  8 ;  Ixvi.  10. 

D'VK  Terebinths  i.  29— Ivii.  5 ;  Ixi.  3. 

D^N  Earns  i.  11— xxxiv.  6  ;  Ix.  7. 

*?£!  i.  3— (xvi.  8) ;  xli.  15  ;  1.  8. 

Pp_3  Pi.  i.  12— xl.  20 ;  xli.  12,  17 ;  xlv.  19 ;  li.  1 ;  Ixv.  L 

p'V  r\3  i.  8;— (xvi.  1);  xxxvii.  22;  lii.  2;  Ixii.  11. 

F1M  i.,  xxix.  30— Ixi.  11;  Ixv.  3;  Ixvi.  17. 

DT  Sing.  i.  11— (xv.  9);  xxxiv.  3,  6,  7  ;  xlix.  26  ;  lix.  3,  7;  IxvL  & 

|3)3nn  i.  3-xiv.  16;  xliii.  18;  lii.  15. 

13n  i.  23-xliv.  11. 

BhTI  i.  13,  14— xlvii.  13 ;  Ixvi.  23. 

NBH  Kal.  i.  4— xlii.  22 ;  xliii.  27  ;  Ixiv.  4 ;  Ixv.  20, 

Snn  i.  11— xxxiv.  6,  7;  xliii.  24;  Ix.  16. 

ll?n  i.  5— xxxviii.  9  ;  liii.  3.  4.  10. 

•  TS  '  '        ' 

npn  i.  29— xliv,  9 ;  liii.  2. 

}'3n  i.  11— xiii.  17 ;  xlii.  21. 

•I3n  i.  29— xxiv.  23. 

310  i.  19— Ixiii.  7  ;  Ixv.  14. 

H33  i.  31— xxxiv.  10 ;  xlii.  3 ;  xliii.  17 ;  Ixvi.  24. 

13/1  "  <3  '3  i.  2,  20— xl.  5;  Iviii.  14. 

n£?  Niph.  i.  14— (xvi.  12) ;  xlvii.  13. 

Dm  Niph.  i.  24— Ivii.  6. 

n:!3  Hoph.  i.  5— liii.  4. 

tnb  subst.  i.  22— K3D  verb  Ivi.  12. 

mrv  3?y  i.  4,  28— ixv.  11. 

nS>  i.  11— xl.  16 ;  xliii.  23 ;  Ivi.  7 ;  bci.  8. 


22  INTKODUCTION  TO  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


j;  i.  30—  xxvii.  3;  xxxiv.  4;  Ixiv.  5. 
Sp  Hiph.  i.  15—  Hithp.  Iviii.  7. 
?3  Pi.  i.  15—  xxv.  11  ;  Ixv.  2. 

Bte  i.  2,  28;—  xliii.  27  ;  xlvi.  8;  xlviii.  8;  liii.  12;  lix.  13;  Ixvi.  24. 
PX  i.  18—  li.  8. 

p3f  i.  25—  xl.  19  ;  xli.  7  ;  xlvi.  6  ;  xlviii.  10. 
rtf  K-J  i.  26—  lii.  4  ;  Ix.  9  ;  Ixv.  7. 

'l  i.  11—  xxxvii.  24;  xlvii.  9,  12,  13;  Mi.  10;  Lxiii.  1,7. 
:n  Imperf.  Hiph.  i.  15  -xl.  29  ;  li.  2  ;  Iv.  7  ;  Ivii.  9. 
n  i.  23—  xxxiv.  8;  xli.  11,  21  ;  Iviii.  4. 

fr  i.  14—  Ix.  15  ;  Ixi.  8  ;  Ixvi.  5. 
?%  i.  7—  xliv.  16,  19;  xlvii.  14. 

i.  27—  lix.  20. 

|tf  i.  13—  Ivi.  2,  6;  Iviii.  13;  Ixvi.  23. 
i.  18—  Iv.  10. 

(njijSiR  n^n)  i.  18—  xiv.  11;  xli.  14;'lxvi.  24. 
tffl  i.  13—  xli.  24;  xliv.  19. 
v3ri  i.  15  —  xxxvii.  4  ;  xxxviii.  5  ;  Ivi.  7. 

Of  course  this  list  offers  primarily  only  dry  words  and  figures.  But  whoever  examines  closely 
will  see  that  very  characteristic  traits  are  represented  by  them.  Thus  it  is  certainly  not  an  accident 
that  the  expressions  D  'TN  and  JVUJ,  found  in  the  reproofs  addressed  to  the  idolatrous  nation  still  in 
exile,  occur  again  only  in  chap.  i.  The  D'SUf  are  mentioned  i.  27  only  in  the  same  connection  as  in 
lix.  20,  i.  e.,  in  connection  with  the  idea  of  the  restoration  of  law  and  justice.  What  meaning  the 
'""  3\y  has  in  xl.  —  Ixvi.  will  appear  below.  Can  it  be  an  accident  that  this  conception  occurs  only 
i.  4,  28  and  Ixv.  11?  Just  as  little  as  the  use  of  y*&3  noted  in  the  foregoing  list.  The  notion 
njttfiO  plays  a  great  part  in  these  chapters.  How  does  it  happen  that  it  is  only  mentioned  beside  in 
i.  26  ?  Nothing  is  said  in  the  whole  book  of  roi?  and  $in  except  at  the  beginning  and  end,  as 
noted  above.  The  same  is  the  case  with  "m  "  '3  O,  with  |V2f  m,  with  tfj?3,  NDPI,  310,  HN1?!  31,  3n 
and  all  the  modes  of  expression  cited  above.  It  is  incontestible  that  the  Prophet  in  chap.  i.  accords 
in  many  ways  precisely  with  the  sphere  of  thoughts  in  which  he  had  moved  in  chaps,  xl.  —  Ixvi. 
And  that  agrees  admirably  with  the  view,  in  which  we  have  followed  DRECHSLEB  and  others,  that 
chap.  i.  was  exactly  the  last  piece  written.  For  in  that  case  it  is  quite  natural  that  in  this  piece 
numerous  agreements  should  appear  with  the  final  parts  of  the  work  just  completed.  And  how  very 
exactly  the  words  i.  7-9  correspond  to  the  situation  of  the  land  under  Hezekiah,  when  the  king  of 
the  land  was  isolated  and  shut  up  in  his  capital  ''  like  a  bird  in  its  cage  I"  How  admirably,  too,  it 
suits  the  grand,  threefold  entrance,  that  the  author  had  before  him  in  its  chief  substance  the  whole 
of  his  great  work  ! 

REPLY  TO  OBJECTION  THREE.  —  Jer.  xxvi.  is  cited  as  proof  that  the  prophets  who  prophesied 
after  Isaiah  and  before  the  exile  did  not  know  the  chaps,  xl.  —  Ixvi.  It  is  said  that  Jeremiah,  having 
incurred  the  peril  of  his  life  by  announcing  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  of  the  holy  places, 
would  certainly  in  self-protection  have  appealed  to  these  chapters  had  he  been  acquainted  with  them. 
This  is  a  very  weak  objection.  For,  in  the  first  place,  what  we  read  Jer.  xxvi.  4-6  is  only  the  quint- 
essence of  what  he  had  to  announce  at  that  time.  Yet  even  in  this  quintessence  it  is  intimated  that 
Jeremiah  appealed  to  existing  prophecies.  For  it  is  said  there  :  "  If  ye  will  not  hearken  to  me,  to 
walk  in  my  law,  which  I  have  set  before  you,  to  hearken  to  the  words  of  my  servants  the  prophets, 
whom  I  sent  unto  you,  —  then  will  I  make  this  house  like  Shiloh,"  etc.  Who  can  maintain  that 
Jeremiah,  if  he  mentioned  the  prophets  that  the  LORD  sent,  did  not  cite  also  some  expression  of 
theirs  ?  The  summary  statement  Jer.  xxvi.  5  certainly  does  not  exclude  this.  But  if  he  did  so,  was 
he  obliged  to  quote  precisely  Isa.  xl.  —  Ixvi.  ?  These  chapters  do  not  even  discourse  about  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem  and  of  the  temple,  but  of  their  restoration.  The  sole  passage  that  speaks  of 
the  destroyed  sanctuaries  is  Ixiv.  10,  11.  But  precisely  this  passage  Jeremiah  could  not  quote,  see- 


I  4.   AUTHENTICITY  AND  INTEGRITY  OF  THE  BOOK.  23 

ing  that  (according  to  our  view)  it  did  not  at  that  time  exist.  Any  way  this  arguing  a  silentio  proves 
too  much,  and  therefore  proves  nothing.  For  since  there  cannot  be  found  in  Jeremiah  xxvi.  quota- 
tions from  any  other  older  prophecies  that  directly  predict  this  destruction,  one  must  conclude  with 
the  same  justice  that  all  reputed  older  prophecies  of  the  sort  were  not  in  existence  in  Jeremiah's 
time.  Take  e.  g.,  Isa.  v.  5  sqq. ;  vi.  11 ;  Hos.  v.  14  ;  Amos  ii.  4  sq.  ;  vi.  1  sqq. — Here  criticism  uses 
Jeremiah's  silence  to  draw  from  it  an  argument  against  the  genuineness  of  Isa.  xl. — Ixvi.  In  other 
places,  where  Jeremiah  and  his  fellow-prophets  after  the  time  of  Isaiah  actually  quote  Isa.  xl.,  Ixvi., 
criticism  will  have  that  it  is  no  quotation  from  our  chapters,  but  a  quotation  on  the  part  of  the  au- 
thor of  chapters  xl. — Ixvi.  of  the  passages  in  question.  The  passages  principally  concerned  here 
are  the  following : — 

Isaiah  xl.  24  compare  with  Jer.  xii.  2. 

"  xlvii.  8  "  «  Zeph.  ii.  15. 

"  Ii.  7  "  «  Jer.  xxxi.  33. 

"  Ii.  15  «  «                           xxxi.  35. 

"  Ii.  17  "  "  Ezek.  xxiii.  34. 

"  Ii.  19  «•  «  Nah.  iii.  7. 

"  Ii.  19  (lix.  7 ;  Ix.  18)  «  «'  Jer.  xlviii.  3. 

"  Ii.  20  «  «  Nah.  iii.  10. 

"  lii.l  (li.23),7  «*  «  "      ii.  1. 

"  Ivii.  19,  21  «  «  Jer.  vi.  14;  viii.  11. 

"  Ivii.  20  «  «  «    xlix.  23. 

"  Ixi.  8  u  a  a    xxxii  40  pq. 

"        Ixv.  3  «  «  "  xxxii.  29,  30. 

"        Ixv.  6, 7  "  "  "  xvi.  18 ;  xxxii.  18. 

"        Ixv.  16  "  «  «  iv.  2. 

"        Ixv.  17  "  «  "  iii.  16. 

"        Ixvi.  15  «  «  "  iv.  13. 

Ixvi.  16  "  «  "  xxv.  31,  33 

This  list  is  by  no  means  complete.  It  contains  only  a  selection.  We  shall  mention  below  a 
much  larger  number  of  parallel  passages  and  examine  them.  Comp.  also  KUEPEK,  Jer.  librorum  ss. 
interpr.  atque  vindex,  1837,  p.  132  sqq.  But  it  will  suffice  to  prove  in  a  few  passages  the  priority  of 
our  chapters,  and  to  establish  it  generally  as  an  existing  fact.  Such  striking  passages  are  found 
above  all  in  Nahum  who,  as  to  time,  comes  next  after  Isaiah.  It  is  now  definitely  known  from  the 
Assyrian  monuments  that  Asurbanapal,  the  son  and  successor  of  Asarhaddon,  destroyed  the  Egyp- 
tian Thebes  (No — Amon)  in  his  second  great  military  expedition  (see  SCHRADER,  D.  Keilinschriffen 
u.  d.  A.  T.  p.  287  sqq.).  Nothing  is  known  of  any  other  destruction  of  Thebes.  Thebes  declined 
gradually  after  the  residence  of  the  Pharaohs  had  been  transferred  to  the  Delta.  According  to  the 
monuments,  that  expedition  of  Asurbanapal  occurred  in  the  period  immediately  after  the  death  of 
Tirhaka  (664  B.  c.).  The  destruction  of  Thebes,  therefore,  happened  about  the  year  663.  But 
Nahum,  in  whose  mind  this  event  was  fresh,  must  have  written  soon  after,  say  about  the  year  660 
(as  SCHRAJJER  conjectures,  I.e.}.  If  this  was  so,  then  it  appears  indubitable  that  chapters  xl.-lxvi. 
had  already  been  written.  For  certainly  no  candid  man  can  controvert  that  Nahum  ii.  1,  is  a  di- 
luted conglomeration  from  Isa.  Iii.  7,  1  and  Ii.  23.  Notice  especially  the  construction  ^'DV  H*7 
"ity  ^3->fcr  Isa.  Iii.  1  compared  with  "^-"taj?1?  ity  typ'V  tih  in  Nahum.  In  the  latter  not  only  is  the 
Infin.  "Ojn  the  normal  and  easier  construction  compared  with  the  harsher  construction  with  the 
verb.  fin.  (which  is  common  in  Isaiah;  seei.  19  ;  vi.  13;  xxix.  4;  xlv.  21;  xlvii.  1,  5  ;  Iii.  1 ;  Ixiv. 
4,  but  never  occurs  in  Nahum),  but  *O#  is  evidently  borrowed  from  Isa.  Ii.  23,  yet  is  connected* 
not  with  "&V,  which  would  be  most  natural,  but  with  the  }|  that  is  found  in  Isaiah.  See  moreover 
the  commentary.  It  can  be  just  as  little  controverted  that  Nah.  iii.  7  and  10  find  their  pattern 
and  source  in  Isa.  Ii.  19,  20.  For  the  proof  see  the  commentary.  Zeph.  ii.  15  announces  itself  as  a 
citation  by  the  words  "Vj;n  fiNT-  r^y  is  specifically  one  of  Isaiah's  expressions,  and  as  for  "ity  'Pp**, 
in  no  book  does  Df)X  occur  so  often  as  in  Isaiah  (see  the  comment).  The  words  V/J  IDm  DTI  JMT 
1*3$  niX3¥  mrv  Isaiah  Ii.  15  are  found  in  Jer.  xxxi.  35  where  they  are  quoted  in  proof  of  the  un- 
changableness  of  the  order  of  nature  given  by  God.  But  the  words  are  applicable  in  this  sense 


24  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 

only  when  used  of  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tide.  The  words,  in  themselves  considered,  only  signify 
that  God  is  able  by  His  omnipotence  to  stir  up  the  sea  into  mighty  heaving  waves.  This  happens 
chiefly  by  storms.  For  the  regular  rising  of  the  tide  is  not  necessarily  attended  with  mighty  heaving 
waves.  The  reference  to  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tide  is  put  into  the  words.  Thus  the  words  Isa. 
li.  15  stand  in  their  original  sense,  and  hence  manifestly  in  their  original  place  (see  the  comm.,  in 
loc.,  and  also  on  Jer.  xxxi.  35).  The  words  73I1  &w  £9D#n  Isa.  Ivii.  20,  spoken  of  the  stirred  up 
sea,  are  applied  in  Jer.  xlix.  23  to  the  population  of  a  city  set  in  commotion  by  bad  news.  Here, 
too,  one  may  see  that  Jeremiah  has  only  transferred  the  words,  and  applied  them  in  quite  a  special 
sense  that  does  not  quite  agree  with  their  original  sound.  For  in  Isa.  the  wicked  are  compared  to  the 
never-resting  sea  that  ceaselessly  casts  up  foam  and  dirt.  There  the  expression  73V  vh  Dptyn  is 
quite  in  place.  But  may  one  say  that  the  populace  of  a  city  is  continually  in  a  commotion  such  as 
bad  news  occasions?  Therefore  Jeremiah  characterizes  a  transitory  condition  with  words  that  pro- 
perly and  originally  can  only  describe  a  continuing  state.  Let  us  notice  also  that  we  find  in  Zecha- 
riah  (vii.  7)  a  very  express  testimony  that  our  chapters,  which  he  uses  in  many  ways,  were  composed 
by  one  of  the  "old  prophets"  at  a  time  "when  Jerusalem  was  inhabited  and  prosperous,  and  the 
cities  thereof  round  about  her,  when  men  inhabited  the  south  and  the  plain."  See  for  particulars 
the  comment  on  Isa.  Iviii.  6  sqq. 

REPLY  TO  OBJECTION  FOURTH. — It  is  alleged  that  in  the  TALMUD  Isaiah  follows  Ezekiel,  be- 
cause at  that  time  already  part  second,  written  at  the  close  of  the  exile,  had  been  bound  to  part  first, 
and  both  parts  indeed  were  currently  received  as  Isaiah's ;  yet  an  obscure  hint  of  Isaiah  not  being 
the  author  was  given  by  putting  the  book  of  two  parts  after  Ezekiel  (see  FUERST,  D.  Kanon  des  A.  T., 
p.  16).  EICHHOKN  was  the  first  to  use  this,  and  since  then  it  has  been  continually  repeated  (see 
GESENIUS,  I.  1,  p.  22;  HITZIG,  p.  475;  KNOBEL,  edited  by  DIESTEL,  p.  XXVIIL,  etc.).  Accord- 
ing to  EICHHORN,  the  book  of  Isaiah  is  an  anthology  of  prophecies,  all  the  authors  of  which  are  un- 
known, excepting  only  Isaiah.  The  book  of  the  twelve  minor  prophets  also  he  would  make  out  to 
be  an  anthology,  but  of  prophets  all  of  whom  are  known.  Now  because  the  latter  anthology  con- 
tained several  names  (Zech.,  Hag.,  Mai.)  that  were  more  recent  than  the  most  recent  in  the  Isaiah 
anthology,  this  last  named  was  placed  before  the  other,  between  it  and  Ezekiel.  EICHHORN  says 
this  in  Part  III.,  §  528  of  his  Introduction  (and  that  even  in  the  first  edition  of  1783).  But  in  Part 
I.,  |  7  he  does  not  seem  to  have  known  that  the  order  "Jer.,  Ezek.,  Isa."  occurs  already  in  the  TAL- 
MUD. He  ascribes  it  to  the  more  recent  manuscripts,  by  which  doubtless  must  be  meant  the  Ger- 
man and  Gallican  ;  for  the  Spanish  MSS.,  like  the  Masorets,  put  Isaiah  before.  But  if  now  EICH- 
HORN regards  this  placing  Isaiah  after  as  a  change  which  the  Jews  made  "on  account  of  certain  and 
unknown  causes,  often  on  account  of  wonderful  caprice,"  may  not  the  same  be  said  of  those  old  Jews 
that  fancied  the  order  found  in  the  TALMUD?  Even  VITRINGA  (p.  21,  ed.  Basil)  calls  attention  to 
the  fact  that,  according  to  the  TALMUD,  Jeremiah  wrote  the  Books  of  Kings  (BABA  BATRA,  15  a; 
FUERST,  Kanon  des  A.  T.,  p.  14).  And,  in  fact,  Jer.  lii.  is  nearly  identical  with  2  Kings  xxiv.  18 
— xxv.  30.  Therefore,  because  Jeremiah  was  regarded  as  the  writer  of  the  last  book  of  the  pro- 
phetae  priores,  his  prophetical  book  was  made  the  first  of  the  prophetae  posteriores.  Then  Isaiah 
must  be  put  either  between  Jer.  and  Ezek.,  or  after  Ezekiel.  The  latter  was  resolved  on  under 
the  influence  of  the  fashion  of  gauging  the  principal  contents  of  these  books  then  current.  Re- 
proving was  thought  to  be  Jeremiah's  characteristic  (KJ3"UH  H^Jp,  totus  in  vastatione),  Ezekiel's  to 
behalf  reproving,  half  consolatory  (Nrronj  HSlu  W3"Nri  HB^Jj  Isaiah's  to  be  altogether  consola- 
tory (Kflonj  rnp).  Thus  was  obtained  a  very  fitting  gradation.  Isaiah,  of  cousse,  is  not  wholly 
consolatory.  But  he  may  be  considered  so  in  the  same  degree  that  Jeremiah  is  considered  to  be 
wholly  reproving.  Putting  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  together  may  also  have  been  occasioned  by  the 
fact  that  they  were  contemporaries,  both  prophesied  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Chaldeans 
and  the  exile,  both  were  witnesses  of  the  judgment,  the  end  of  which  Isaiah  announced  as  the  be- 
ginning of  the  glorious  period  of  salvation.  After  all  this  it  may  well  be  regarded  as  a  bold  asser- 
tion, that  the  position  assigned  to  the  Prophet  by  talmudic  tradition  is  to  be  taken  as  a  proof  of  the 
exile  authorship  of  part  second.  Besides  we  can  refer  to  a  witness  that  is  older  than  the  TALMUD, 
and  easily  holds  the  balance  against  the  latter.  That  is  JESUS  SIRACH,  who  in  his  catalogus  viro- 
rum  illustrium  ( Ecclus.  xliv.-l.)  enumerates  the  great  prophets  in  their  order:  Isaiah,  Jeremiah, 
Ezekiel  (Ecclus.  xlviii.  17— xlix.  9).  He  puts  the  twelve  minor  prophets  as  following  these  (xlix. 
10).  Of  Isaiah  in  particular  he  says  (xlviii.  22-25)  :  "  Ezekias  was  strong  in  the  ways  of  David 
his  father,  as  Esay  the  Prophet,  who  was  great  and  faithful  in  his  vision,  (cv  opdaei  avrov),  had  com- 


5.    LITERATURE.  25 


manded  him.  In  his  time  the  sun  went  backward,  and  he  lengthened  the  king's  life.  He  saw  by 
an  excellent  spirit  what  should  come  to  pass  at  the  last  (rd  etr^ara),  and,  he  comforted  them  that 
mourned  in  Zion.  He  showed  what  should  come  to  pass  forever,  and  secret  things  or  ever  they 
came."  By  these  words  the  son  of  Sirach  plainly  characterizes  the  different  parts  of  Isaiah's  book. 
The  mention  of  the  bpacie  points  to  the  title  pin  (i.  1)  and  perhaps  to  chap.  vi.  also.  Any  way, 
the  expression  bpaaiq  presupposes  part  first.  The  mention  of  the  sun  turning  backwards  and  the 
prolongation  of  Hezekiah's  life,  shows  that  the  historical  section  (xxxvi.-xxxix.)  belonged  to  the 
book.  The  prominent  mention  of  the  prophetic  distant  vision,  and  of  the  comforting  manifestly 
characterizes  chapters  xl.— Ixvi.  It  is  plainly  seen,  therefore,  that  these  chapters  were  regarded  at 
that  time  already  as  belonging  to  the  book  of  Isaiah,  and  as  his  work.  In  these  words  of  the  son 
of  Sirach,  we  do  not  observe  in  the  slightest  degree  the  existence  of  a  tradition  that  chapters  xl.- 
Ixvi.  were  not  Isaiah's,  which,  as  is  alleged,  has  left  its  trace  in  the  taltnudic  arrangement  that  as- 
signs an  after  position  to  Isaiah. 

§5.     LITERATURE. 

The  literature  relating  to  Isaiah  is  extraordinarily  abundant.  We  will  confine  ourselves  to  the 
mention  of  the  most  considerable  works,  referring  the  reader  to  GESENIUS  and  ROSENMULLER,  es- 
pecially as  regards  the  older  literature  up  to  the  middle  of  the  last  century. 

Of  patristic  commentaries,  the  most  important  are  that  of  THEODORET  (in  the  edition  of  SIR- 
MOND,  prepared  by  SCHULZE,  1777  Tom.  II.),  and  that  of  JEROME  (cd.  VALLARSII,  Tom.  IV.). 
Besides  these  there  are  the  t>~o/w//zara  of  EUSEBIUS  of  Caesarea  (ed.  MONTFAUCON,  Paris,  170G 
2  Tomi  fol.) ;  a  commentary  which  (probably  wrongly)  is  ascribed  to  BASILIUS  the  great  (Opp. BA- 
SILII  M.,  ed.  GARNIER,  Tom.  I.)  ;  the  commentary  of  CYRILL  of  Alexandria  (Opp.  ed.  AUBERT, 
lorn.  II.) ;  the  Ipum-ela  of  CHRYSOSTOM  on  chapters  i.-viii.  ( Tom.  VI.,  ed  MONTFAUCON)  ;  the  Syrian 
commentary  of  EPHREM  SYRUS  (Opp.  ed.  AssEMANiand  PETR.  BENED.  JSom.,  1740, Tom.  II.).  PKO- 
COPIUS  of  Gaza,  who  lived  in  the  6th  century  in  Constantinople,  begins  the  list  of  ihe  writers  of 
Catenas  among  the  Greeks  (Procopii  variorum  in  Es.  proph.  commenlariorum  epitome,  gr.  et  lot.  JOH. 
CURTERIO,  interpete,  Paris,  1580,  Fol.). 

There  exist  rabbinical  commentaries  of  RASCHI,  ABEN  ESRA,  DAVID  KIMCIII,  ABARBANEL. 

As  works  of  Catholic  expositors  are  especially  to  be  mentioned,  the  comments  of  the  abbot 
JOACHIM,  f  1202  (ed.  Cologne,  1577).  NIKOLAUS  DE  LYRA  (in  the  Postillae  perpetuae).  THOMAS 
AQUINAS  (Lyons,  1531).  FRANZ  VATABLE  or  VATABLE  (in  the  editions  of  the  VULGATE, 
published  by  ROBT.  STEPHENS,  1545,  1547,  1557).  FRANZ  FORERIUS,  (Portuguese,  Dominican, 
1553).  Comp.  the  literary  account  in  REINKE'S  Messian,  Weiss.,  1859,  L,  p.  2G  sqq. 

From  the  Reformation  period  are  to  be  mentioned,  the  exposition  of  LUTHER  (In  Es.  proph. 
scholia,  ex.  D.  M.  LUTHERI,  praelectitnibus  collccta,  Viteb.,  1534).  CALVIN  (Commentarii,  Genev., 
1562,  and  often).  ZWINGLI  (Complanationcs,  Turic.,  1529  and  often).  OECOLAMPADILT,  (Hypo- 
mnemata,  Basil,  1525  and  often).  BRENZ  (Comment.  Francof.  1550).  MUSCULUS  (Comment.  Basil, 
1557  and  often). 

From  the  17th  and  18th  centuries.  The  commentaries  of  the  Jesuit  CASP.  SANCTIUS  (SAN- 
CHEZ, Antw.,  1621).  CORN.  A  LAPIDE  (Paris,  1621). 

On  the  side  of  the  Reformed  [J.  COCCEJUS  :  born  1603,  died  1G69.  Prof,  at  Leyden.  His  Com- 
mentaries and  other  works  were  printed  at  Amsterdam,  1701.  10  vols.  Fol.].  HUGO  GROTIUS,  An- 
notationes  in  V.  T.,  Paris,  1644.  Above  all  the  admirable  commentary  of  CAMPEGIUS  VITRINGA, 
Prof,  in  Franeker,  died  1722.  This  commentary  is  distinguished  as  much  by  astounding  learning, 
penetration  and  sober  sense  as  by  elegance  in  style  and  practical  warmth.  It  appeared  first  in  Leu- 
warden,  1714  and  1720  in  2  vols.  Fol.  Often  printed  since  (Basil,  1732)  and  pirated  (Herborn, 
1713,  Tuebingen,  1732).  BUSCHING  has  produced  an  abbreviated,  German  edition  (Halle,  1749  and 
1751),  with  a  preface  by  MOSHEIM.  JOH.  RAMBACH,  Prof,  in  Giessen,  has  also,  in  his  exposition 
of  the  Proph.  Isaiah  (Ziillichau,  1741).  "drawn  out  in  quite  a  brief  form  the  pith  of  the  work  of 
CAMP.  VITRINGA."  Here  belongs  also  ROBT.  LOWTII,  Bishop  of  London,  "  Isaiah,  a  new  transla- 
tion," etc.,  London,  1778.  [American  reprint  from  the  tenth  Eng.  Ed.,  Boston,  1834].  This  com- 
mentary  appeared  in  German  with  additions  and  remarks  by  JOH.  BENZ.  KOPPE,  Prof,  in  Goet- 
tingen,  Leipzig,  1779.  Against  LOWTH'S  critical  experiment  appeared  "  Vindiciae  tcxtus  heir.  Esa- 
jae  adv.  LOWTIII  criticam,"  by  DAV.  KOCHER,  Prof,  in  Bern,  1786  (concerning  the  latter,  see 
STUT>ES.Zur  Textkritik  des  Jesaja  in  d.  Jahrbb.  f.  prot.  Theol.  von  HASE  u.  a.,  1877,  IV.,  p.  706  sqq.). 


26  INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 

[JOHN  GILL,  a  Baptist  minister  in  London :  *'  An  exposition  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  Lon« 
don,  1743-63,  9  parts  Fol. ;  designed  for  doctrinal  and  practical  improvement,  yet  distinguished 
from  other  works  of  the  class  by  its  erudition  in  a  single  province,  viz.,  talmudic  and  rabbinical 
literature"]. 

On  the  Lutheran  side  we  may  mention  the  expositions  of  SEB.  SCHMIDT,  Prof.,  in  Strassburg 
(Hamburg,  1702),  JOH.  DAV.  MICIIAELIS,  ''  German  translation  of  the  Old  Testament,  with  re- 
marks for  the  unlearned,  Part  VIII.,  Isaiah,  Goettingen,  1779."  MOLDENHATJER,  pastor  in  Ham- 
burg (1780).  HEZEL,  Prof.,  in  Giessen  and  Dorpat  (Lemgo,  1784,  fifth  part  of  HEZEL'S  Bibel- 
werk).  HENZLER,  Prof.,  in  Kiel  (Hamburg,  (1788). 

The  transition  to  the  19th  century  is  formed  by  E.  F.  K.  ROSENMULLER,  Scholiain  V.  T.,  the 
third  part  of  which  containing  Isaiah,  appeared  in  Leipzig,  1791-93,  1810-20, 1829-34.  The  critical 
tendency  which  began  already  in  the  18th  century  with  KOPPE,  EICHHORN  (Introduction  to  the 
Old  Testament,  I.  ed.,  1783 ;  [to  be  found  in  English],  JOH.  CHR.  DOEDERLEIN  (Esaias,  etcf 
Latine  vertit  notasque  subjecit,  Altorf,  1775  and  often),  G.  EBERH.  GOTTL.  PAULUS  (Philologische 
Clavis  ueber  das  A.  T.,  1793),  G.  L.  BAUER  (Scholia  in  V.  T.,  vols.  VIII.  and  IX.,  1794,  1795), 
J.  CHR.  W.  ATJGUSTI  (Exeget.  Handb.  d.  A.  T.  v.  HOPFNER,  5  and  6  Stuck,  1799),  &c.,  was  continued, 
in  the  19th  Century  by  GESENIUS  (D.  Proph.  Jes.  neu  uebersetzt,  1820.  Philolog.  kritischer  u.  hist. 
Comm.y  1821),  HITZIG  (D.  Proph.  Jes.  uebers.  u.  ausg.,  1833),  MATJRER  (Comm.  gramm.  crit.  in 
V-  T.,  Vol.  I.,  1835),  HENDEWERK  (Des  Proph.  Jes.  Weiss,  chronolog.  geordnet,  uebersetzt  u.  erkl., 
1838  and  1843),  EWALD  (die  Proph.  d.  A.  B.  I.  Ausg.,  1840),  BECK  (die  cyro-jesajan.  Weiss, 
odcr  die  Kapp.  XL.-LXVI.,  etc.,  1844),  ERNST  MEIER  (D.  Proph.  Jes.  ekl.,  1850 — contains  only 
chapters  i.-xxiii. — and  Die  Proph.  BB.  d.  A.  T.,  uebers.  u.  (rkl.,  1863),  KNOBEL  (D.  Proph.  Jes. 
erkl.  I.  Ausg.,  1843;  4,  herausg.  von  DIESTEL,  1872).  In  some  respects  the  practical  commentary 
of  UMBREIT  (I  Ausg.,  1841,  II.  AufL,  1846)  belongs  here. 

From  the  positive  standpoint  Isaiah  has  been  expounded  by  DRECHSLER  (D.  Proph.  Jes.  ueber- 
setzt u.  erkl.  Kapp.  i.-xii.,  1845 ;  II.  Th.  1.  Hdlfte  Kapp.  xiii.-xxvii.,  1849  ;  2.  Haelfte,  xxviii.- 
xxxix.,  published  from  DRECHSLER'S  remains  by  DELITZSCH  and  HAHN,  1854;  III.  Theil,  Kapp., 
xl.-lxvi.,  prepared  by  HAHN  with  a  preface  by  DELITZSCH),  then  by  DELITZSCH  (Bibl.  Kommentar 
ueber  d.  Proph.  Jcs.  II.  Ausg.,  1869)  [published  in  English  by  CLARK  of  Edinburg].  The  chapters 
xl.-lxvi.,  have  been  expounded  alone,  from  the  positive  position  by  STIEK  (Jesajas  nicht  Pscudo  = 
Jesajae,  1850),  in  the  sense  of  the  modern  criticism  by  SEINECKE  (Der  Evangelist  des  A.  T., 
1870). 

The  Messianic  prophecies  have  been  expounded  on  the  part  of  Protestants  by  HENGSTENBERG, 
in  his  Christology  of  the  Old  Testament  (I.  Ausg.  1829-35,  I.  Bd.  2  Haelfte  ;  II.,  Ausg.,  1854-56  ; 
II.,  Bd.).  [Published  in  English  by  CLARK,  of  Edinburg].  On  the  part  of  the  Roman  Catholics, 
by  LOR.  REINKE,  Prof.,  in  Munster.  The  same  author  published  separate  treatises  on  chapters  lii. 
13-liii.  12,  in  1836,  chapter  ii.  2-4  in  1838,  chapters  vii.  14-16  in  1848  ;  but  the  other  passages  in 
the  book  "Diemessian  Weiss,  bei  den  grossen  u.  kleinen  Propheten,"  Giessen,  1859-62,  5  vols.  (vols. 
I.  and  II.,  contain  Isaiah).  Apart  from  the  Romish  lack  of  freedom,  it  is  a  very  learned  work,  pre- 
pared with  great  thoroughness  and  care.  Other  commentaries  by  catholic  theologians  will  be  found 
enumerated  by  REINKE,  1.  c.  I.  p.  39  sq.,  43  sq.  As  recently  published  I  will  add  :  ROHLLNG,  D. 
Proph.  Jes.  uebers.  u.  erkl.,  1872  (4.  Abth.  I.  Bd.von  "Dieheil.  SchriftendesA.  T.,nach  Katholisclien 
Prinzipien  uebers.  u.  erkl.  von  einem  Verein  befreundeter  Fachgenossen).  NETELER,  Das  Buch  Jesa- 
jas uebers.  u.  erkl.,  1876.  By  the  same  author  has  appeared  already  in  1870:  Die  Gleiderung  des 
Bucks  Jesajas  als  Grundlage  seiner  Erklaerung.  [Dr.  HOSSE, DieWeiss.  des  Proph.  Jes.  Berlin,  1877]. 

[Works  on  Isaiah  in  English  of  more  recent  date  are:  The  Book  of  Isaiah,  with  a  New  Trans!,  - 
tion  and  Notes,  by  the  Rev.  ALBERT  BARNES,  3  vols.,  8vo,  Boston,  1840,  and  various  reprints.  Tie 
Earlier  Prophecies  of  Isaiah,  by  J.  A.  ALEXANDER,  D.  D.,  New  York,  1846 ;  Later  Prophecies,  ibid., 
1847  ;  both  reprinted  in  Glasgow  under  the  editorship  of  JOHN  EADIE,  D.  D.,  1848  and  1865  ;  new 
and  revised  edition,  New  York,  1875.  Isaiah  Translated  and  Explained,  an  abridgement  of  the  fore- 
going, New  York,  1851,  12mo,  2  vols.  This  Commentary  of  Dr.  J.  A.  ALEXANDER  ranks  all  of 
English  authorship  to  the  present.  The  8vo  edition  is  valuable  as  a  synopsis  of  commentators  and  of 
exposition  up  to  1848.  Dr.  EBENEZER  HENDERSON'S  Translation  and  Commentary,  London,  1840, 
2nd  edition,  1857.  See  also  Dr.  NOYSE'S  New  Translation  of  the  Hebrew  Prophets,  with  Notes,  VoL  I., 
3d  edition,  Boston,  1867.  Commentary  on  the  Book  of  Isaiah,  including  a  revised  English  Translation, 
by  the  Rev.  T.  R.  BIRKS,  London,  1871.] 


5.    LITERATURE.  27 


Other  works  that  have  chosen  for  subjects  selected  and  smaller  portions  of  the  Prophet  are : 
L'  EMPEREUR  D.  Is.  Abrabanielis  et  Mos.  Alschechi  comm.  in  Esajae  prophetiam  tricesimam  (cap.  Hi. 
13 — IHi.  12),  etc.;  subjuncta  refutatione,  etc.;  Ludg.  Bat.,  1631.  DAV.  MILLII:  Miscellanea  Sacra, 
containing  among  other  things  a  Comm.  philolog.  crit.  in  Jesajae,  cap.  liv.,  Amstelod.,  1754.  Srox- 
SEL  :  Abhandlungen  ueber  den  Propheten  Jesajas  (kap.  i. — xvii.),  Nuremberg,  1779.  I.  DAN  KRUI- 
GER:  De  verisimittima  oraculi  Jes.  lii.  13 — liii.  12  interprelandi  ratione  (Leipzig  Univ.  Programme), 
1809.  C.  FR.  LUDW.  ARNDT  :  De  loco  Jes.  capp.  xxiv.— xxvii.  vindicando  et  explicando,  Hamburg, 
1826.  A.  McCAUL  [of  Trinity  College,  London]  :  The  doctrine  and  Exposition  of  the  liii.  of  Isaiah 
(German  translation,  Frankfurt  a.  M.,  1854,  6th  ed.).  LUD.  DE  GEER:  De  oraeulo  in  Moabitas  Jes. 
xv.,  xvi.  (Doctor-Dissert.),  Utrecht,  1855.  BOEHL:  Vat.  Jes.  capp.  xxiv. — xxvii.,  Leipzig,  1861. 
V.  F.  OEHLER  :  Der  Knecht  Jehovas  im  Deuterojesaja,  1865.  S.  J.  JAKOBSSON  :  Immanuel,  die  Ersch- 
einung  des  Messias  in  Knechtsgeslalt,  Berlin,  1868.  BERXH.  STADE:  Delsaiae  vaticiniis  aethiopicis, 
Leipzig,  1873. 

On  Introduction  and  Criticism. — PIPER  :  Integritas  Jesaiae  a  recentiorum  conatibus  vindi- 
cata,  Greifsw.,  1792.  BECKHAUS:  Ueber  die  Jntegretaet  der  proph.  Schriften  des  A.B.,  Halle,  1798. 
MOELLER:  Deauthentia  orac.  Jes.  capp.  xl. — Ixvi.,  Havniae,  1825.  KLEINERT:  Ueber  die  Echtheit 
saemmtlicher  in  dem  Such  Jes.  enthaltenen  Weissagungen,  Berlin,  1829.  CASPARI:  Beitraege  zur  Ein- 
leilung  in  das  B.  Jesaja  und  zur  Gesch.  derjesajan.  Zeit,  Berlin,  1848.  Ibid.:  Jeremia,  ein  Zeuge  f.  d. 
Echth.  von  Jes.  xxxiv.,  etc.  (in  the  Zeitschr.  f.  luth.  Theol.  u.  K.,  1843). 

Of  practical  treatises  on  Isaiah  I  mention  only  such  as  comprehend  the  entire  book.  VEIT 
DIETRICH  :  Der  ganze  Proph.  Jesaias  ausgelegt,  alien  Christen  nuetz-und  trocstlich  zu  lesen,  Nuremberg, 
1548.  NIK.  SELNECCER:  Ausleg.  des  Proph.  Jes.,  Leipzig,  1569.  ABR.  SCULTETI:  Ooncionum  in 
Jes.  habitarum  idea  confecta  opera  BALTII.  TILESII,  Hanau,  1609  (the  arrangement  of  the  sermons 
carried  even  into  details  in  the  Latin).  HEINR.  BULLINGER:  190  homiliae  in  Esaiam,  Tiguri,  1565 
and  1576.  RUD.  GUAIVTHERUS  :  Archetypi  homiliarum  in  Esaiam,  Tiguri,  1590  (327  homilies). 
Des  Evangelisten  A.  T.  Jeaaiae  Sonn-u.  Festagsevangelien,  etc.,  grucndlich  erklart  von  J.  B.  CARPZOV, 
Leipzig,  1719  (sermons  on  all  Sundays  and  Feast-days  of  the  Church  year,  having  each  a  text  from 
Isaiah  corresponding  to  the  Gospel  text).  JNO.  GEO.  LEIGH  (Pastor  in  Kindelbruecken) :  Comment, 
analytico-exegetico-porismaticiis  oder,  exegetisch-moralische  Betrachtungen  urber  d.  Weiss,  des  Proph.  Jes.  6 
Tom.  4,  Brunswick,  completed  1734  (diffuse,  yet  full  of  spirit,  a  rich  treasury  of  varied  learning). 

In  regard  to  that  theologia  prophetica  which  endeavors  to  prove  that  all  the  loci  of  dogmatics  are 
contained  in  the  declarations  of  the  prophets,  and  which  is  to  be  distinguished  from  the  theologia 
prophetica  that  gives  information  of  all  that  relates  to  the  prophets  and  to  prophecy  (see  BUDDEUS 
Isagoge  in  theol.  universam,  Lipsise  1727,  p.  1738  b  sqq.),  comp.  my  remarks  in  the  Introduction  to 
Jeremiah. 

Finally  I  would  mention  a  peculiar  poetical  treatment  of  a  selection  from  the  prophecies  of 
Isaiah  that  has  appeared  under  the  title :  "Les  visions  d'Esaie  et  la  nouvelle  terre  par  Eliakim,  Hotter- 
dim,  et  Leipsic  1854."  The  author  is  a  Catholic,  but  he  regards  Roman  Catholicism  as  an  apostacy 
from  the  evangile  primitif,  which  he  proves  from  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah,  by  attempting  to  show  that 
the  doctrines  of  the  Trinity,  of  the  divinity  of  Christ,  and  of  justification  by  faith,  are  contrary  to 
this  gospel.  He  teaches  a  sort  of  transmigration  of  souls  and  return  to  God  through  successive  puri- 
fication. 

Of  recent  date  1  mention:  J.  DIEDRICH,  Der  Proph.  Jes.  Kurz  erklart filr  aufmerks.  Bibelleser, 
Leipsig  1859.  By  the  same  :  Der  Pr.  Jes.  zu  ffausandachten  kurz  bearbeilet,  Hanover  1874.  REN- 
NER,  Der  Pr.  Jes.  ausgelegt  mit  Bcrucksicht.  der  Wurtemb.  Summarien,  Stuttg.  1865.  WEBER,  Der  Pr. 
Jes.  in  Bibelstunden  ausgelegt.,  2  vol.,  Nordlingen  1875-7(3. 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


I.  THE  THREEFOLD  INTRODUCTION. 


CHAPTERS  I.— VI. 


THB  extent  and  the  grand  contents  of  Isaiah's 
prophecies  justify  the  artistic,  complex  form  of 
the  introduction.  It  is  not  merely  one  gate; 
there  are  three  gates  that  we  must  pass  through  in 
order  to  reach  the  majestic  principal  edifice  of 
Isaiah's  prophecy.  That  the  entire  first  six  chap- 
ters constitute  the  introduction  of  the  whole  book, 
yet  so  that  this  introduction  itself  again  appears 
3.1  threefold,  (chap,  i.,  chaps,  i. — iv.,  chap,  vi.) 
becomes  plain  both  from  the  contents  and  from 
the  form  of  these  chapters.  That  chap.  i.  is  in- 
troduction requires  no  proof.  Both  the  contents, 
which  comprehend  in  grand  outlines  the  entire 
past,  present  and  future,  and  also  the  title,  with 
its  formal  reference,  guarantee  that.  Chaps,  ii. — 
v,,  however,  whose  connection  we  shall  show 
hereafter,  have  essentially  the  same  contents  and 
the  same  title.  The  same  contents;  for  these 
chapters  comprehend  in  general  the  present  and 
future.  CASPAEI  has  completely  demonstrated 
how  in  chaps,  i.,  ii. — iv.,  v.  threatening  and  pro- 
mise'have.  still  quite  a  general  character  in  dis- 
tinction from  the  later  prophecies.  Compare  in 
regard  to  chap,  i.,  Beitr.,  p.  227  sqq.,  in  regard 
to  chaps,  ii. — iv.,  p.  283  sqq.,  in  regard  to  chap, 
v.,  p.  325  sq.,  334. — DBECHSLEB,  too,  says  (I.  p. 
225) :  "  A  certain  character  of  generality  attaches 
to  all  these  chapters  (i. — v.).  Comp.  DELITZSCH, 
p.  114  sq. — HENOSTENBEBO,  Ohristol.  I.  p.  484. — 
HENDEWEBK,  I.  p.  64. 

As  regards  the  form :  it  is  of  the  greatest  sig- 
nificance that  chap.  ii.  bears  essentially  the  same 
title  at  its  head  as  chap  i.  And  this  title  does 
not  recur  again.  This  repetition  of  the  title  of 
chap.  L  at  the  head  of  chap,  ii.,  has  occasioned 
commentators  great  trouble.  But  they  were  ham- 
pered by  the  strange  assumption  that  only  chap, 
i.  could  be  introduction.  As  soon  as  we  give  up 
this  assumption,  we  at  once  recognize  the  mean- 
ing of  the  title  of  chap.  ii.  Thereby  it  is  out- 
wardly and  right  away  shown  to  the  reader,  that 
all  which  this  title  concerns  bears  the  same  cha- 
racter as  chap,  i.,  i.  e.,  that  it  ia  also  Introduc- 
tion- 


Jeremiah  also  has  a  double  introduction ;  a 
fact  that  escaped  my  notice  when  preparing  my 
commentary  on  that  prophet.  For  Jer.  ii.  is  also 
introduction,  because  that  chapter,  like  an  over- 
ture, represents  in  advance  all  the  principal 
thoughts  of  Jeremiah's  prophecy  (even  the  warn- 
ing against  the  expedition  into  Egypt,  vers.  16, 
18,  36,  37). 

That  chap.  vi.  also  bears  the  character  of  an 
introduction  cannot  be  doubted,  and  is  acknow- 
ledged by  all  expositors.  It  contains  indeed  the 
call  of  Isaiah  to  the  prophetic  office.  But  why 
does  not  this  history  stand  at  the  beginning,  like 
the  story  of  the  call  of  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  ? 
This  question,  too,  has  given  the  commentators 
great  trouble.  Many  have  resorted  to  the  follow- 
ing explanation  (comp.  CASPARI,  p.  332) :  they 
say  chap.  vi.  contains  the  account  of  a  second 
calling,  after  Isaiah  has  been  once  already  called, 
but  had  forfeited  the  office  on  account  of  his 
silence  about  the  notorious  arbitrary  deed  of  Uz- 
ziah  (2  Chron.  xxvi.  16  sqq.).  Others  assume 
that  chap.  vi.  contains  only  the  call  to  a  special 
mission,  and  to  a  higher  degree  of  prophecy. 
But  these  are  only  expedients  to  which  exposi- 
tors were  driven  because  they  were  controlled  by 
the  assumption  that  only  the  first  chapter  can  be 
introduction.  All  these  and  other  artful  devices 
are  unnecessary  as  soon  as  one  knows  that  chap, 
vi.  is  introduction  indeed,  yet  the  third  intro- 
duction. 

But  why  does  not  this  stand  at  the  beginning? 
We  will  hereafter  in  the  exposition  show  that 
Isaiah,  unlike  Moses,  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel,  did 
not  decline  the  divine  commission,  but  rather,  to 
the  Lord's  question  :  "  Whom  shall  I  send,"  vj. 
b,  at  once  boldly  replied:  "Here  am  I,  send 
me."  That  Isaiah,  therefore,  not  only  accepts 
the  call,  but  offers  himself,  is  something  so  extra- 
ordinary that  .one  may  easily  imagine  why  he 
would  not  put  (his  narrative  at  the  head  of  his 
book.  He  had  rather  prepare  the  reader  for  it : 
he  would  give  beforehand  proofs  of  his  prophetic 
qualification,  in  order  thereby  to  explain  and 

29 


30 


INTRODUCTION  TO  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


justify  that  bold  speech.  It  does  not  stand  out- 
side by  the  gate,  offering  itself  at  once  to  every 
profane  eye,  but  one  must  first  pass  through  two 
other  portals,  by  which  the  mind  is  prepared  and 
translated  into  that  sentiment  which  is  necessary 
in  order  to  understand  and  appreciate  that  ex- 
alted vision,  and  the  part  that  isaiah  plays  in  it. 
Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  were  not  sensible  of  the 
necessity  of  preparing  in  this  way  for  the  repre- 
sentation of  their  calling,  because  they  behaved 
in  respect  to  the  divine  calling  in  quite  a  normal 
way,  i.  e.,  declining  it.  The  one,  Jeremiah,  de- 
clined in  express  terms  Jer.  i.6;  the  other,  at 
least  by  silence,  let  himself  be  so  understood, 
Ezek.  ii.  8. 

But  why  does  Isaiah  let  two  doctrinary  intro- 
ductions, if  I  may  so  call  them,  precede  the  his- 
torical one,  whereas  Jeremiah  follows  his  histori- 
cal introduction  by  only  one  doctrinary  one,  Jer. 
ii  ?  I  believe  this  has  a  double  reason.  First : 
threatening  and  promise  form  the  chief  contents 
of  Isaiah's  prophecy,  as  of  all  prophecy.  In 
every  single  prophetic  address  one  or  the  other 
ever  preponderates.  Either  threatening  forms 
the  warp  and  promise  the  woof,  or  the  reverse. 


So  Isaiah  would  even  prelude  with  two  addresses 
of  which  the  first  has  an  undertone  of  threatening' 
|  with  which  it  begins  and  ends,  while  the  element 
of  promise  is  represented  only  by  intermediate 
chords, — the  second,  however,  has  promise  for 
undertone,  for  this  is  represented  by  the  two  fun- 
damental prophetic  lights  (ii.  2-4,  and  iv.  2-6) 
in  the  second  introduction.  Second  :  It  seems  to 
me  also  that  the  three  portals  are  demanded  by 
the  architectonic  symmetry.  On  the  assumption 
that  these  introductions  have  Isaiah  himself  for 
their  author,  which  so  far  as  I  know  has  never 
been  disputed,  we  have  therein  a  strong  presump- 
tion in  favor  of  the  composition  of  the  whole  book 
by  Isaiah  (therefore  also  the  second  part,  xl. — 
Ixvi.).  For  a  small  building  one  entry  is  suffi- 
cient. A  great,  comprehensive,  complex  build- 
ing, however,  that  pretends  to  artistic  complete- 
ness, may  very  well  require  various  graded 
approaches  that  the  introduction  to  the  chief 
building  may  stand  in  right  proportion.  Thus 
the  book  of  Jeremiah  has  a  twofold  introduction, 
but  the  book  of  Isaiah,  which  is  still  grander,  and 
more  comprehensive,  and  altogether  more  artistic 
even  down  to  minutiae,  has  a  threefold  entrance. 


A.   THE  FIRST  INTRODUCTION. 


CHAPTER  I. 


As  regards  the  time  of  the  composition  of  this 
section,  it  seems  to  me  all  depends  on  the  ques- 
tion :  was  Isaiah  prompted  to  utter  this  prophecy 
by  a  definite  historical  transaction  that  demands 
his  prophetic  guidance?  No  such  transaction 
appears.  Expositors  on  the  contrary  recognize 
the  chapter  to  be  of  a  general  character.  Comp. 
the  complete  proof  in  DBECHSLER  I.  p.  93  sq. 
If,  therefore,  the  address  was  not  composed  for  a 
definite  historical  event,  according  to  which  it 
must  be  understood  ;  if  it  is  rather  meant  to  be 
only  an  introduction  to  the  whole  book,  then  the 
time  of  its  origin  is  in  itself  a  matter  of  indiffer- 
ence. Bui  it  is  probable  that  Isaiah  wrote  the 
address  at  the  time  he  began  to  put  his  book  to- 
gether, or  when  he  had  completed  it.  This  does 
not  exclude  the  possibility  that  some  important 
events  are  reflected  in  the  address.  And  sucli  is 
really  the  case.  The  verses  7-9  and  especially 
ver.  8,  are  so  specific  in  their  contents  that  one 
must  sny  :  the  prophet  describes  here  his  personal 
experience,  and  in  fact  a  present  one  (comp.  the 
exposition). 

Now,  during  Isaiah's  life  time.  Jerusalem  was 
only  twice  hard  pressed  by  enemies  in  its  imme- 
diate neighborhood  :  once  in  the  War  with  Syria 
and  Ephraim  (2  Kings  xvi.  5) ;  the  other  time 
by  Sennacherib  (2  Kings  xviii.,  xix.).  If,  then, 
chap.  i.  was  written  as  a  preface,  it  is  by  far  the 
most  probable  that  it  was  written  in  Hezekiah's 


time,  than  in  that  of  Ahaz.  For  Isaiah  under- 
took the  collection  of  his  book  certainly  not  in 
the  midst  of  his  ministry,  but  at  the  close  of  it. 
Moreover  what  is  said  in  2  Kings  xviii.  13,  and 
xix.  32,  fits  admirably  the  description  of  chap.  i. 
7,  8.  For  in  the  first-named  place  it  is  said  Sen- 
nacherib took  all  the  fenced  cities  of  Judah, 


which  quite  corresponds   to  K 

..  • 

7.  In  the  second-named  place,  however,  we  read: 
"  The  king  of  Assyria  shall  not  come  into  this 
city,  nor  shoot  an  arrow  there,  nor  come  before 
it  with  shield,  nor  cast  a  bank  against  it."  This 
corresponds  to  the  specific  situation  in  which,  ac- 
cording to  chap.  i.  7,  Jerusalem  must  have  been. 
We  say,  therefore,  chap.  i.  was  written  at  the 
time  of  Sennacherib's  invasion.  We  know  this 
from  vers.  7  and  8,  but  do  not  assert  that  chap.  i. 
was  written  for  that  time,  but  regard  the  histori- 
cal trait  that  points  us  to  this  time  only  as  a  proof 
of  the  charge  that  the  prophet  raises  against  'he 
Israel  of  all  times.  The  prophet  adduces  this 
proof  from  the  present,  because  the  conduct  of  the 
people  during  and  after  the  invasion  of  Sennache- 
rib could  be  regarded  as  a  characteristic  symptom 
of  a  stiffheckedness  that  was  not  to  be  subdued  by 
any  blows.  Moreover  the  vain  ceremonial  ser- 
vice spoken  of  in  ver.  lOsqq.  would  suit  the  times 
of  Hezekiah.  But  I  lay  no  stress  on  that,  since 
there  is  nothing  specific  about  it.  If  the  prophet 


CHAP.  I.  1. 


31 


warns  against  such  ceremonial  service,  and  ex- 
horts to  sincere  repentance;  if,  further,  to  the 
purified  Israel  he  holds  up  the  prospect  of  a  glo- 
rious future,  while,  to  those  persevering  in  their 
apostacy  from  Jehovah,  he  displays  a  frightful 
one,  it  is  not  that  he  speaks  of  a  specific  occasion ; 
but  that,  like  the  whole  book,  has  regard  to  all 
times ;  even  primitive  time  may  be  reflected  in 
the  language. 
Concerning  the  difference  between  this  first  and 


the  second  introduction  see  above  the  general  re- 
marks on  the  threefold  introduction.  The  analy- 
sis of  the  chapter  is  as  follows : 

1.  The  Title,  i.  1. 

2.  The  mournful  present,  i.  2-9. 

3  The  means  to  securing  a  better  future,  i. 
10-20. 

4.  Comprehensive  review  of  the  past,  present 
and  future,  i.  21-31. 


1.    THE  TITLE. 
CHAP.  I.  1. 

1       The  vision  of  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz,  which  he  saw  concerning  Judah  and  Je- 
rusalem in  the  days  of  Uzziah,  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah,  Kings  of  Judah. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  I.  Din 


is  the   proper  word  for 


prophetic  seeing  in  the  double  sense  named  below  ; 


whence  HTH  is  used  synonymously  with  H''3 

•  T 

(1  Sam.   ix.  9;  2  Kings  xvii.  13).    Thence  also  the  ex- 


i3in isa.  a.  i  ;  run  "itfx  n;n 

"          ic.  i.  1  ;  PUPl  Vtf  X  X&O, 

- 


pressions  ntn 
Amos  i.  1;  HIPI  "l&i* 

T  T        v  -: 

Isa.  xiii.  1;  Hah.  i.  1.    These  are  the  only  places  where 
Pun   occurs  as  part  of  a  superscription. 

TT 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


We  must  consider  this  title  in  reference  to 
three  things,  viz.,  in  its  relation  to  chap.  i.  and  to 
chap,  ii.,  where  a  title  essentially  like  this  recurs, 
and  to  the  entire  collection.  That  the  superscrip- 
tion belongs  to  the  entire  collection,  is  evident  at 
once  from  the  words,  "  in  the  days  of  Uzziah,  Jo- 
tham, Ahaz,  and  Hezekiah,  kings  of  Judah." 
That  the  title  is  comprehensive  enough  to  apply 
to  the  entire  book  is  clear  when  we  consider  that 
pin  "  the  vision"  has  a  collective  meaning,  (comp. 
Hos.  xii.  10  ;  Ezek.  vii.  26  ;  Lam.  ii.  9,  etc.],  and 
that  Judah  and  Jerusalem  represent  the  centre  of 
the  prophetic  view,  around  which  also  the  pro- 
phecies that  relate  to  Ephraim  and  the  world  po- 
tentates are  grouped  as  radii  servi.  In  this  con- 
nection CASPARI  says  very  appropriately  :  "  Je- 
rusalem, Judah,  Israel,  are,  from  Isa.  vii.  on,  the 
centre  of  prophecy  in  such  a  way  that  they  form 
three  concentric  circles,  of  which  Jerusalem  is 
the  smallest,  Jerusalem  and  Judah  the  wider, 
while  Jerusalem,  Judah  and  Israel  is  the  widest. 
To  these  three  the  heathen  world  joins  on  as  a 
fourth  circle."  (Beitr.  z.  Einlc.it.  in  d.  B.  Jes.,  p. 
231  sq.).  Therefore  both  pin  and  "concerning 
Judah  and  Jerusalem"  make  a  denominatio  a 
potiori.  The  first,  because  prophetic  sight,  in  the 
double  sense  of  more  or  less  bodily  vision,  (comp. 
chap,  vi.)  and  of  pure  spiritual  knowing,  gave 
origin  to  the  nucleus  of  the  book,  so  that  about 
this  nucleus  doctrine,  warning,  comfort  and  his- 
tory should  find  their  place.  The  latter  because, 
as  has  already  been  remarked,  Judah  and  Jeru- 
salem must  be  regarded  as  those  to  whom  the 
prophet  speaks  first  of  all,  and  for  whose  sake  he 
speaks  of  others. 

But  it  has  seemed  strange,  especially  to  Vi- 


TRINGA,  that  in  chap.  ii.  1  a  superscription  of 
almost  the  same  sound  recurs;  and  he  would  infer 
from  it  that  originally  in  this  title  the  date  ('O'3 
Ul  "  in  the  days  of")  was  wanting,  and  the  re- 
maining words  were  only  a  title  to  the  first  chap- 
ter. Against  this  the  following  is  to  be  remem- 
bered: 1)  The  two  superscriptions  are  not  quite 
alike.  In  this  one  we  have  pin ;  in  chap.  ii.  1 
"mn. — pin  is  plainly  a  word  of  weightier  im- 

TT-  I         T  " 

port.  It  is  better  fitted,  therefore,  for  the  begin- 
ning of  the  book,  and  in  a  certain  measure  for  its 
title;  wherefore  we  see  (2  Chron.  xxxii.  32),  that 
the  book  even  at  that  time  was  known  under  that 
title.  2)  That  a  superscription  almost  alike  oc- 
curs twice,  has  its  reason  in  the  fact  that  chap.  ii. 
1  is  the  title  of  the  second  introduction.  For  the 
book  of  Isaiah  has  a  threefold  portal,  as  said 
above ;  and  that  the  superscription  "  vision  or 
word  that  Isaiah  saw  concerning  Judah  and  Je- 
rusalem" occurs  only  i.  1,  and  ii.  2,  and  not  again 
afterwards,  is  precisely  proof,  that  with  chap.  ii. 
we  enter  the  second  portal  which  comprehends 
chapters  ii. — v. 

Finally,  as  regards  the  relation  of  this  super- 
scription to  chap,  i.,  we  may  fittingly  say  that  the 
entire  ver.  1,  date  included,  is  the  title  of  chap. 
i.  For  chap.  i.  is  just  the  whole  prophecy  of 
Isaiah  in  nuce,  as  he  delivered  it  under  the  four 
kings ;  an  assertion  whose  correctness  can  only 
appear  indeed  as  the  result  of  exposition. 

At  the  beginning  of  prophetic  books  as  here 
we  find  pin  Obad.  1,  Nah.  i.  1.— Isaiah  the 
son  of  Amoz.  For  the  meaning  of  the  name 
and  the  lineage  of  the  prophet  see  the  Introduc- 
tion.—Concerning  Judah  and  Jerusalem. 
Jerusalem,  as  the  holy  city  and  centre  of  the 


32 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


theocracy  is  made  equal  to  the  entire  region  of 
Judah,  and  distinguished  from  it,  which  also  hap- 
pens elsewhere ;  Jer.  xi  2;  xvii.  20,  etc. ;  2  Kings 
xviii.  22,  etc. ;  2  Chron.  xxxiv.  3,  5,  etc,. ;  and  in 
a  reversed  order,  Jer.  xxxvi.  31 ;  2  Kings  xxiv. 
20;  Ezra  ii.  1.  We  have  already  remarked  that 
the  naming  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem  presents  no 
incongruity  between  the  superscription  and  the 
whole  book.  It  is  worthy  of  special  remark,  that 
only  in  chap.  ii.  1  beside  this  does  the  expression 
form  part  of  the  title,  and  that  it  occurs  in  chap. 
ii. — v.  relatively  with  most  frequency.  For  it  is 


found  beside  chap.  ii.  1,  also  iii.  1,  8 ;  v.  3.  Be- 
side this  only  in  xxii.  21 ;  xxxvi.  7 ;  xliv.  26. 
Comp.  remarks  at  ii.  1. — In  tbe  days  of,  etc. 
That  Isaiah  lived  and  labored  under  these  four 
kings  cannot  be  doubted.  Comp.  the  Introduc- 
tion. The  time  designated  is  identical  with  that 
given  Hos.  i.  1,  and  with  that  in  Mic.  i.  1,  only 
that  in  the  latter  the  name  of  Uzziah  is  wanting. 
Even  the  asyndeton  and  the  form  ^"pITT  instead 
of  '""^Pfn  (about  which  comp.  DRECHSLER  in  loc,) 
are  to  be  found  in  both  the  places  named. 


2.    THE  MOUKNFUL  PEESENT. 
CHAPTER  I.  2-9. 

2  Hear,  O  heavens,  and  give  ear,  O  earth  : 
For  the  LORD  ahath  spoken, 

I  have  nourished  and  brought  up  children, 
And  they  have  rebelled  against  me. 

3  The  ox  knoweth  his  owner, 
And  the  ass  his  master's  crib  : 
But  Israel  doth  not  know, 
My  people  doth  not  consider. 

4  Ah  sinful  nation,  a  people  Maden  with  iniquity, 
A  seed  of  evil-doers,  children  that  are  corrupters : 
They  have  forsaken  the  LORD, 

They  have  provoked  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  unto  anger, 
They  are  2gone  away  backward. 

5  Why  should  ye  be  stricken  any  more? 
Ye  will  3revolt  more  and  more : 

bThe  whole  head  is  sick,  and  the  whole  heart  faint. 

6  From  the  sole  of  the  foot  even  unto  the  head  there  is  no  soundness  in  it; 
But  wounds,  and  bruises,  and  putrifying  sores : 

"They  have  not  been  closed,  neither  bound  up, 
Neither  mollified  with  4ointment. 

7  Your  country  is  desolate, 

Your  cities  are  burned  with  fire  : 

Your  land,  strangers  devour  it  in  your  presence, 

And  it  is  desolate,  8as  doverthrown  by  strangers. 

8  And  the  daughter  of  Ziou  is  left  as  a  ecottage  in  a  vineyard, 
As  fa  lodge  in  a  garden  of  cucumbers, 

As  a  besieged  city. 

9  Except  the  LORD  of  hosts  had  left  unto  us  a  very  small  remnant, 
We  should  have  been  as  Sodom, 

And  we  should  have  been  like  unto  Gomorrah. 


1  Heb.  of  heaviness. 

*  Or,  oil. 

•  Speaks. 

4  a  Sodom  of  strangers 


8  Heb.  alienated,  or,  separated. 

B  Heb.  as  the  overthrow  of  strangers. 

*>  Every  head,  every  heart. 
•  a  booth. 


*  Heb.  increase  revolt. 


0  Not  pressed  out. 

1  a  hanging  mat. 


CHAP.  I.  2-9. 


33 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  2.  The  formula  "131  "  '3,  is  found  Joel  iii.  8  ; 
Obad.  IS;  Mic.  iv.  4;  Jer.  xiii.  15.  Beside  these,  in 
Isaiah  partly  in  the  simple  form  as  here  (xxii.  23  ;  xxv. 
8),  partly  somewhat  extended  (xxi.  17  ;  xxiv.  3).  The 
more  extended  form  ~.3T  "  '3  "3  is  found  in  Isaiah 
only,  i.  20,  and  xl.  5  ;  Iviii.  14.  -  7  "1.1  i*  often  used  by 
Isaiah  especially,  for  bringing  up  children,  xxiii.  4; 
xlix.  21;  li.  18;  comp.  xliv.  14  ;  IIos.  ix.  12  --  It  is  to 
be  seen  from  the  exposition  that  we  take  'JTDOn  in  an 


emphatic  sense.  Although  elsewhere  (xxiii.  4;  Ezek. 
xxxi.  4)  it  means  the  same  as  7"1j,  yet  our  construction 
(which  is  found  in  LUTHER,  KNOBEL,  et  al.)  is  justified 
here  because  ^roil  does  not  stand  in  a  parallel  phrase 
to  7"TJ,  but  follows  with  epexegetical  emphasis.  For  if 
'.Tm'n  is  taken  as  meaning  just  the  same  as  TTni 
it  would  be  empty  repetition.  Besides,  VITRINGA  refers 
appropriately  to  Deut.  xxxii.  6.  [Ezek.  xxxi.  4.  The 
same  words  occur:  Children  I  have  made  great  and  set 
on  hlyh.-M..  W.  J.] 

Ver.  3.  i~ljp  properly  "  the  buyer,"  (comp.  xxiv.  2) 
then,  "the  owner,  the  possessor,"  (Lev.  xxv.  50;  Zech. 
xi.  5)  DWX  is  found  only  in  Jobxxxix.  9;  Prov.  xiv.4, 
beside  this  place.  From  these  places  it  is  not  evident 
whether  "  stall  "  or  "  crib  "  is  the  correct  meaning.  As 
little  decisive  is  the  root  meaning  "fatten"  (1  Kings 
v.  3,  (Eng.  Bib.  iv.  2:5),  Prov.  xv.  17).  Still  in  the  later 
Hebrew,  which  uses  the  word  for  the  platter  of  the  la- 
borer (see  BUXTORF  Lex.,  p.  16.  GESENIUS  and  DELITZSCH 
in  loc.)  the  meaning  '•  orib  "  seems  to  prevail.  The 
earliest  versions,  moreover,  all  give  this  rendering. 
The  context  demands  that  the  object  of  j»T  and 
J313nn  be  supplied  from  what  precedes.  For  would 
one  take  the  words  absolutely  (ROSENMUELLER,  FUERST) 
then  the  two  members  of  the  comparison  do  not  harmo- 
nize. Just  what  ox  and  ass  do  notice,  Israel  does  not 
notice.  p13PH  is  used  as  verb,  trans,  by  Isaiah,  also 
xliii.  18  ;  Iii.  15.  As  substantially  parallel  we  may  com- 
pare (Jer.  viii.  7.) 

Ver.  4.  "fri  (frequent  in  Isaiah,  also  in  the  2d  part  ; 
xlv.  i,  10;  Iv.  1  ;  he  uses  it  twenty-one  times,  whereas 
in  the  rest  of  the  prophets  it  occurs  twenty-eight  times  ; 
for  it  is  only  found  in  the  prophetic  books,  with  the 
exception  of  1  Kings  xiii.  30)  is  distinguished  from  MX 
in  that  the  latter  is  more  substantive,  the  former  more 
adverb.  Hence  it  is  that  'IX.  with  few  exceptions  (Num. 
xxiv.  23;  Ezek.  xxiv.  6,  9)  has  7  after  it,  whereas  °in 
is  followed  by  7  only  Ezek.  xiii.  18,  and  by  7^,  Ezek. 
xiii.  3;  Jer.  1.  27,  and  by  Stf.  Jer.  xlviii.  1  ;  everywhere 
else  (e.  <j  1  Kings  xiii.  30;  Isa.  v.  8,  11,  etc.)  it  is  used 
without  a  connecting  proposition,  "in  therefore  has 
more  the  character  of  a  prepositive  exclamation,  though 
in  regard  to  the  meaning  no  essential  difference  is 
noticeable.  It  is  taken  for  granted  that  an  intentional 
paronomasia  influenced  the  selection  of  the  word  '1J. 
On  the  other  hand  it  is  clear  that  a  synonym  of  DJ7  was 
meant,  as  after  this  ^HI  and  D'J3  correspond  to  one 
another.  -  jty  133  is  "  guilt-encumbered."  Re- 
garding the  meaning,  comp.  Gen.  xiii.  2;  Exod.  iv.  10; 
Ezek.  iii.  5,  6;  regarding  the  form  (the  construet-form, 


GRAMMATICAL. 

133  along  with  133,  like    i^S  along  with  7"TJ7,  only 

here). A  JTHiyO  J3  is  not  one  who  destroys  aji- 

other,  but  one  that  acts  ruinously  (direct  causative  Hi- 
phil,  2  Chr.  xxvii.  2).  The  expression  is  partly  stronger, 
partly  more  general  than  the  kindred  ones:  Q'J3 
DnTID  xxx.  l;  yvOtf  13X  *6  D'tfrO  D'12 
xxx. '9.  D'33Uy  D'J3  Jer.  iii.T14,  22;  iv.  22.'  CompT. 

nptf11  X7  D'J3  Isa.  Ixiii.  8.    We  see  that  this  form  of 
I  ••-  .  .  T 

expression  is  especially  current'  with  Isaiah,  for,  ex- 
cepting the  phrase  just  quoted  from  Jeremiah,  it  is  to 
be  found  in  no  other  prophet. 
Ver.  5.  PHD,  ver.  5,  dcclinatio,  defcct.us  only  in  Deut. 

TT 

xiii.  6 ;  xix.  10;  Jer.  xxviii.  16;  xxix.  32  and  Isa.  xiv.  6; 
xxxi.  6;  lix.  13. It  is  true  that  73  without  the  ar- 
ticle sometimes  has  the  meaning  of  "whole"  (ix.  11; 
Ezek.  xxix.  7  ;  xxxvi.  5;  2  Kings  xxiii.  3;  see  DELITZSCH 
in  loc.;  EWALD  §  200,  c).  But  a  comparison  of  these  pas- 
sages shows  that  the  expressions  in  question  are  partly 
proverbial,  (see  DRECIISLER  in  loc.)  partly  do  not  admit 
of  the  meaning  "all"  in  any  wise.  In  the  present  case 
both  meanings  are  in  themselves  possible.  If,  then,  the 
prophet  would  convey  the  meaning  "  whole,"  he  must 
use  the  article.  '7H7  must,  any  way,  be  regarded  as  de- 

•   T:  IT 

pendent  on  7Tn  understood.   But  it  is  doubtful  whether 

T  T 

that  is  to  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  •'  belongs,  is  fallen  to," 
or  as  meaning  "is  become."  The  latter  is  the  more 
probable,  because  '7l~l7  HTI  bears  analogy  to  expres- 

,  I-T:   IT       TT 

sionslike  113  7,  D3/  PITI.    It  is  a  strong  expression, 

T        •    -   T         iTT 

stronger  than  n7P.    '/Fl  is  then  to  be  taken  as  nb- 

T  T  •  T: 

stractum  pro  concreto.  Apart  from  this  concrete  mean- 
ing of  the  word,  we  may  compare  the  construction  of 
rrri  withS  with  passages  likel  Sam.  iv.  9(D"IL^JX'"'  Vi"ll) 

TT  :  '  T  ~:i~         :  • 

and  xviii.  17  (Vfl^S    'S-TTH). "H  '33L'-L'31. 

.  _    | .. .       .      .. ._.. 

'•TT  37  is  found  also  Jer.  viii.  18,  and  Lam.  i.  22.  'IT 
T-  ••  T- 

does  not.  occur  again  in  Isaiah. 

Ver.  6.  The  expression  tysn~l^l  SjV^O  is  found 
only  here.    Every  where  else  it  reads  "IpTp  TJM,  (Deut. 

I     :!T       -: 

xxviii.  35  ;  '2,  Sam.  xiv.  25  ;  Job  ii.  7).— 13  j.'X-  We  would 
expect  D33,  as  in  ver.  5.  But  such  changes  in  person 

'.'  T 

and  number  occur  frequently  in  Hebrew,  comp.  xvii. 
13 ;  Ps.  v.  10. — Dro  integrum,  sanum,  is  found  beside 
only  Jud.  xx.  43;  Ps."xxxviii.4,  8.— y%3  (from  pX3  fidit) 
is  fissura,  a  wound  that  comes  from  tear  or  scratch ; 
found  in  Isaiah  only  here.  rP'iSn  (joined  to  y^D,  also 
Prov.  xx.  30)  is  "the  extravasated  stripe  or  swelling," 
(see  DELITZSCH  in  loc.) ;  only  here  in  Isaiah.  H'HB  H30 

T  •    :          T    ~ 

('1L3  from  !~Pt3  =  PHD  recent  fuit,  found  beside  only 

•  T  T  T  T  T 

in  Jud.  xv.  15)  is  the  raw  wound  of  a  cut.  Of  with  ac- 
cented penult  cannot  be  derived  from  n~U  dispersit  : 

T  T 

nor  can  it  be  the  same  as  111  in  Ps.  Iviii.  4.  It  is  either 
an  intensive  form  analogous  to  11^3,  ON,  1  Sam.  xiv. 
29;  13C3,  Num.  xxiv.  5;  Song  of  S.  iv.  10 ;  or  an  archaic 
passive  form  from  "HT  (comp.  10*1,  Job  xxiv.  24).  The 
latter  seems  to  me  likely  for  PPM!"!,  Isa.  .lix.  5,  "the 
squeezed,  crushed"  (egg),  rP1T.n  (the  foot  shall  erush 
it,  Job  xxxix.  15)  1T51  (he  squeezed  out  the  fleece,  Jud. 


34 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


vl.  38),  as  well  as  the  substantive  TITO  compressio,  com- 

T 

pressum^ulnus,  (Jer.  xxx.  13;  Hos.  v.  13)  prove  that 
there  is  a  root  "Hf  with  the  meaning  "  press  together  " 
(comp.  "v"^),  to  which  then  our  OT  would  serve  as  a 
passive,  Mke  IQ^  to  DO;  comp.  GESENICS  Thcsnur.,p. 
412. EOH  in  Isaiah  beside  this  iii.  7;  xxx.  26;  Ixi. 

-  T 

1. The  first  two  verbs   are  in  the  plural,  which 

shows  that  the  substantives  are  to  be  understood  col- 
lectively: the  third  verb  is  fern,  singular.  No  gram- 
matical necessity  appears  for  this.  It  seems  as  if  the 
prophet  wanted  to  vary  the  foi-m  of  expression  and  the 
fem.  sing,  with  its  quality  of  taking  a  neuter  construc- 
tion offered  the  handle  for  it.  Pual  ~33~\  only  found 
here  ;  Kal  of  it  is  found  Isa.  vii.  4. 

Ver.  7.  n*DOty  occurs  in  Isa.  also  vi.  11 ;  xvii.  9 ;  Ixii. 
4;  Ixiv.  9.  The  expression  £/X  r\1£nt?  (Ps.  Ixxx.  17)  is 
only  found  here. The  following 'riOOt!/1)  does  not 

T  T  : 

belong  as  a  second  predicate  to  DDflOlX,  for  then  NT) 
ought  not  to  be  absent.  But  it  is  itself  subject,  to  which 
nrPn  must  be  supplied.  The  last,  then,  has  the  words 

T  :  ,T 

D1"^  J"O3n03  as  attribute.  These  last-named  words 
are  explained  quite  variously.  But  as  it  is  established 


that  the  first  word  is  used  onlv  in  reference  to  the  de- 
struction of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  the  meaning  of  it 
cannot  be  doubtful.  From  the  original  passage,  Deut. 
xxix.  22  (23)  we  find  the  words  cited  in  Amos  iv.  11,  and 
in  Isa.  xiii.  19  and  Jer.  1.  40  ejcactly  alike.  In  Jer.  xlix. 
18  we  find  them  as  in  Deut. 

Ver.  8.  'y~r\3  rpnijl.  The  1  h>ere  is  not  conversive 
but  simple  conjunctive,  as  the  whole  context  proves. 
which  is  only  a  representation  of  things  present  -- 
H3D  from  V)D,  "to  weave  together,"  the  lair  of  the 

T\  '-   T 

lion  as  well  as  the  foliage  of  the  feast  of  tabernacles, 
Lev.  xxiii.  34  sqq.,  or  the  booth  of  the  watchman,  Job 
xxvii.  18;  found  again  Isa.  iv.  6.  -  njlSo  synonym 
of  J1/r3  locus  pernortandt,  night  lodging  x.  29,  is  used 
xxiv.  20,  for  the  watchman's  sleeping  rug,  that  swings 
to  and  fro,  having  been  hung  up  and  spread  out.  - 


,  from  XI^p  cucumis,  "  field  of  cucumbers,"  found 

T     :   •  '•.  r 

also  only  Jer.  x.  ">. 

Ver.  9.  The  expression  T^ty  "Vflin  as  to  its  mean- 
ing, is  borrowed  from  the  ustis  loquendi  of  the  Penta- 
teuch and  Joshua.  Only  there  it  always  reads,  "VXE/n 
T1t9,  Num.  xxi.  35;  Deut.  ii.  34;  iii.  3;  Josh.  viii.  22; 
x.  2STsq.—  Jer.  xliv.  7  reversed  JT"1KI?  "VJYin. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  prophet  first  introduces  Jehovah  Him- 
self speaking,  (vers.  2,  3).     He  calls  heaven  and 
earth  to  witness  in  order  to  enhance  His  lament 
over  the  people  Israel.     For  His  beneficence  the 
Lord  had  only  a  harvest  of  disobedience,  (ver.  2). 
Tne  ox  and  ass  are  attached  to  their  lord.     Is- 
rael is  not,  (ver.  3).     Therefore  the  prophet  pro- 
nounces a  war  against  the  people  that  had   for- 
saken  the  best  and  the  greatest  Lord,  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel,  (ver.  4).    Had  the  Lord  been  want- 
ing in  discipline?     No.     He  had  chastised  the 
people  so  much,  that  for  the  future  He  hopes  for 
nothing   more  from   that.     Israel    is    (inwardly, 
morally)  incurably  sick,  vers.  (5,  6).     While  out- 
wardly (from  the  chastisement)  it  is  reduced  to  a 
minimum,  (vers.   7,   8).     Thus  far,  (directly  and 
indirectly)  the  address  of  Jehovah.     In  the  last 
verse,   (9),  the  prophet  himself  confirms  the  fact, 
that  still  a  little  remnant  exists  on  which  to  build 
the  hope  of  a  better  future. 

2.  Hear   heaven — do   not    consider   it, 
vers.  2,  3.  When  the  Lord  of  the  world  speaks,  the 
world  must  hear  in  silence.     Comp.  Deut.  xxxii, 
1 ;  Ps.  1.1,  4 ;  Mic.  i.  2  ;  vi.  1,  2.     But  here,  as 
elsewhere,  (Dent,  iv.  26;  xxx.  19;  xxxi.28;  Ps. 
1.  4)  the  world  is  not  invoked  as  simply  an  audi- 
ence, but  as  a  witness,  before  whom   the  Lord 
would  make  good  His  claim  of  right.     For  it 
concerns   a   matter   of  universal   interest.      The 
world  must  react  with  Jehovah  against  Israel's 
infraction  of  law,  that  the  }\~}N  \"?0to,  foundations 
of  the  earth,  PR.  Ixxxii.  5,  may  not  totter.    At  the 
same  time  one  must  assent  to  the  remark  of  DE- 
T.ITZSCH  :  "  heaven  and  earth  were  present  and 
participants  when  Jehovah  gave  His  people  the  law 
(comp.  Deut.  iv.  36,  and  the  places  cited  above) 
— so  then  must  they  hear  and  witness  what  Jeho- 
vah, their  Creator  and  Israel's  God,  has  to  say  and 
complain  of,"  [after  seven  centuries.— M.W.  J.] 


As  Isaiah  begins  his  book  of  prophecy  with 
almost  the  words  of  Deut.  xxxii.  1,  he  indicates 
that  he  had  that  prophetic  song  before  his  eyes, 
which,  with  DELITZSCH,  may  be  called,  "the 
compendious  outline  and  the  common  key  to  all 
prophecy."  He  does  not  indeed  quote  verbatim, 
for  the  predicates  {TXH  and  y^W  are  transposed 

I    •  v:|V  -  T 

(comp.,  too,  chap,  xxviii.  23  ;  xxxii.  9).  But 
the  thought  is  the  same.  The  same  is  true  in  re- 
gard to  the  causal  phrase,  "12H  "  '3,  In  Deut. 
it  reads:  pxn  yn&ni  rP3n«l  D"Dt!/n  IJ'TNn 

VT  T       '   - 


'?   ""Df^-     What  Isaiah  assigns  as  the  reason,  is 

in  Deut.  designated  as  object  and  effect.  The 
difference  is  substantially  a  formal  one.  Jehovah 
is  indeed  Father  of  all  men  and  all  creatures. 
He  is  even  called  (Num.  xvi.  22;  xxvii.  16) 
"  God  of  the  spirits  of  all  flesh  ;"  and  Ps.  cxlv.  15 
sq.—  comp.  civ.  27  sqq.  —  we  read  that  the  eyes  of 
all  wait  on  the  Lord,  and  that  He  fills  everything 
that  lives  with  satisfaction  (comp.  Rom.  iii.  29; 
ix.  24sqq.;  x.  12pqq.).  But  among  the  many 
children  that  He  lias,  there  is  one  race  that  He 
has  not  only  brought  up  to  maturity,  but  has  ele- 
vated to  high  honor.  The  Lord  did  not  suffer  all 
peoples  to  attain  the  grown-up  state  ;  or  rather, 
not  all  sons  of  the  original  Father,  became  the 
fathers  of  nations.  But  to  Abraham  precisely  this 
was  granted  as  the  finst  promise  :  "  I  will  make 
of  thee  a  great  nation,"  Gen.  xii.  2  ;  and,  "  Unto 
thy  seed  have  I  given  this  land,  from  the  river  of 
Egypt,  unto  the  great  river,  the  river  Euphrates," 
Gen.  xv.  18.  And  this  promise  was  fulfilled. 
Abraham's  seed  became  a  great  and  numerous 
people.  But  this  people  also  were  the  recipients 
of  high  honor.  For  it  is  the  holy  nation,  Deut.  vii. 
6,  to  whom  the  Lord  drew  near  and  revealed  Him- 
self in  an  especial  manner,  Deut.  iv.  6  eqq.  ; 


CHAP.  I.  2-9. 


35 


xxxii.  sq.;  PH.  cxlvii.  19  sq.  It  is  therefore  the 
peculiar  people  (H7JD  D^,  Deut.  vii.  6  ;  xiv.  2) 
through  whom  the  blessing  of  Jehovah  shall 
come  on  all  nations  (Gen.  xii.  2  sq.;  xxii.  18  ; 
Jer.  iv.  2).  And  in  consequence  of  all  this,  it  is 
called  "high  above  all  nations,"  Dcut.  xxvi.  19; 
xxviii.  1  ;  comp.  2  Sam.  vii.  23.  The  time  of 
David  and  Solomon,  and  Uzziah's  and  Jotham's 
time,  the  echo  of  the  former,  are  to  be  regarded 
as  forerunner  and  type  of  these  promises.  And 
they  have  rebelled  against  me.  —  According 
to  well-known  Hebrew  usage,  what  in  substanca 
stands  related  as  opposite  is  designated  as  equiva- 
lent in  form.  J^3  is  a  current  word  in  Isa.  i. 
28;  xliii.  27;  xlvi.  8;  lix.  13,  etc.  Expositors 
inquire  whether  only  idolatry  is  meant,  or  al-o 
every  kind  of  transgression.  But  we  can't  see 
why  every  thing  should  not  be  meant  that  could 
be  called  opposition  to  the  Lord  ;  or  rather,  why 
every  transgression  should  not  be  regarded  as 
idolatry.  [They  have  broken  away  from  me.  —  M. 
W.  J-]  The  ox  knoweth  his  owner.  —  An 
ox  knoweth  his  owner,  any  ox.  The  words  explain  j 
the  rebelling,  ver.  2,  by  a  rhetorical  contrast  that 
sets  this  in  clearer  light.  The  unthinking  brutes, 
even  those  of  lowest  degree,  as  the  ox  and  ass,  still 
know  their  masters  that  feed  them,  and  the  crib 
out  of  which  they  eat,  and  acquire  a  certain  at-  , 
tachment  for  master  and  crib,  so  that  they  do  not 
voluntarily  forsake  them. 

3.  Ah,  sinful  nation  —  besieged  city.— 
Vers.  4-8.  Jehovah's  benefactions  have  not  suf- 
ficed to  awaken  in  Israel  the  feeling  of  grateful  ' 
attachment.  On  the  contrary  this  nation  forsakes 
its  God,  rejects  Him,  and  sinks  back  into  the  dark- 
ness of  heathendom,  out  of  which  He  had  rescued 
them.  The  three  verbs  in  ver.  46  express  the 
positive  consequences  of  the  negative  "doth  not 
know,"  ver.  3;  and  vers.  3  and  4  together  contain 
the  more  particular  signilication  of  (<  rebelled! 
against  me,"  ver.  2.  Thus  a  climax  occurs  in  ! 
vers.  2-4.  The  outward  construction  of  the  lan- 
guage also  corresponds  to  this.  Vers.  2  and  3 
consist  of  four  members,  and  vers.  4  of  seven,  of 
which  the  first  begins  with  an  impressive  assu- 
rance. But  in  the  first  four  members  of  ver.  4 
the  reason  is  given  why  Israel  became  untrue  to 
its  God.  The  reason  is  a  subjective  one.  Israel 
itself  is  good  for  nothing  —  it  is  a  bad  tree  witli 
bad  fruit.  The  meaning  heathen  nation  need  not 
be  pressed,  and  so  much  the  less,  seeing  the  sin- 
gular is  often  used  for  Israel  without  any  second- 
ary idea  of  reproach  (Exod.  xix.  6;  Jos.  iii.  17, 

efc.),  and  also  parallel  with  DJ£.  We  have  trans- 
lated it  "  Woe  world"  in  order  to  re-echo  the  con- 
sonance of  the  original  as  nearly  as  possible.  It 
has  been  justly  remarked  besides  that  Israel  is 


called  here  Ntoh  "U,  "sinful  nation,"  in  contrast 
with  Efilp  ''U,  "holy  nation,"  which  it  ought  to 
be  according  to  Exod.  xix.  6;  Deut.  vii.  6;  xiv. 
2,  21  ;  and  -pJ£  "^3  D£  in  contrast  with  N'f  3  DJ7 
Ity,  which  it  is  called  xxxiii.  24.  Israel  is  called 
moreover  "  a  seed  of  evil  doers,"  though  it  ought 
to  be  ''a  holy  seed"  (vi.  13;  Ezra  ix.  2).  Many 
expositors  (e.  g.,  DRECHSLER)  scruple  to  render 
these  words  as  in  the  Genitive  relation,  because 


then  the  ancestors  themselves  would  be  called  re- 
probates. They  therefore  take  D'jnD  as  in  appo- 
sition with  jnf.  But,  apart  from  the  fact  that 
then  it  must  rather  read  JTI'?  &??.,  as  in  Ivii.  3, 
I^P  yiT.>  that  scruple  ia  entirely  groundless. 
For  OMnp  jni  is  not  only  a  posterity  from 
reprobates,  but  also  a  posterity  that  consists  of 
reprobates,  as  Ixv.  23,  "  '3O2  jn_T,  means,  not 
the  descendants  of  blessed  ones,  but  those  them- 
selves blessed,  and  like  the  expressions,  733  '33, 
SjrSp  'J3,  D'X'33n  '33,  |»&  'pa,  etc.,  do  not 
mean  the  sons  of  fools,  of  worthless  fellows,  of 
prophets,  of  sheep,  but  sons  that  are  themselves 
fools,  worthless,  prophets,  sheep.  But  as  the 
idea  JPT  points  to  the  essential  identity  in  fruit 
and  seed,  and  to  the  former  being  conditioned  by 
the  latter,  so  one  must  think,  not  of  the  original 
ancestors  of  the  nation,  but  rather  of  the  genera- 
tion immediately  preceding,  chiefly,  however, 
of  an  ideal  ancestry,  a  notion  that  even  underlies 
the  expression  yevvfjfiara  ixtfivuv,  ''generation  of 
vipers,"  Matt.  iii.  7.  D'.jno  JPT  is  therefore  a 
genitive  relation,  in  which  the  ideas  of  causality 
and  of  the  attribute  are  combined.  The  expres- 
sion is  found  again  xiv.  20. — Finally,  the  Israel- 
ites are  called  DTl'TOD  0^3,  "children  that  are 

•     •  :  'TJ 

corrupters,"  although,  according  to  ver.  2,  they 
are  children  whom  the  Lord  has  brought  up  and 
made  high ;  for,  although  any  one  may  be  called 
rrnc?D  JS,  who  as  a  man  (not  as  a  son)  is 
rvntypj  all  reference  must  not  be  denied  to  ver. 
2,  and  all  the  places  that  express  Israel's  filial 
relation  to  Jehovah,  e.  g.  Dcut.  xiv.  1. 

In  three  phrases,  now,  the  bad  fruits  are  de- 
clared that  the  bad  tree  has  borne.  They  have 
(negative)  forsaken  Jehovah,  they  have  (positive) 
rejected  with  sco  n  (v.  24;  Iii.  5;  Ix.  14),  the 
Holy  One  of  Israel  (an  expression  peculiarly 
Isaiah's,  that  occurs  fourteen  times  in  the  first 
part,  and  fifteen  times  in  the  second,  and  in  other 
parts  of  the  Old  Testament  only  six  times),  and 
they  have  turned  themselves  backwards.  This 
turning  backwards  can  only  mean  the  turning  to 
idols.  For  the  Lord  had  turned  Israel  from 
idols  to  Himself,  comp.  Josh.  xxiv.  2,  14.  If  the 
nation  then  turned  their  backs  to  Him,  it  was  pre- 
cisely that  they  might  return  to  their  idols.  This 
is  confirmed  by  Ezek.  xiv.  5,  the  only  place  be- 
side the  present  in  which  the  expression  occurs. 

Vers.  5  and  6  seem  to  respond  to  an  objection. 
For  after  the  description  in  vers.  3,  4,  of  the 
nation's  deep  depravity,  the  prophet  proceeds  to 
portray  the  impending  chastisement  of  it,  ver.  7. 
But  before  he  does  so,  he  removes  an  objection 
that  might  be  raised  from  the  stand-point  of 
forbearing  love,  viz.  had  sufficient  discipline  been 
exercised  on  Israel?  if  not,  might  not  the  re- 
newed application  of  it  ward  oft'  the  judgment? 
The  inquiry  is  negatived.  For  the  uselessness 
of  the  smiting  has  long  been  proved  by  the  ever- 
repeated  backsliding  of  the  nation.  It  is  seen 
that  we  render  the  beginning  of  ver.  5 :  "  To 
what  purpose  shall  one  smite  you  still  more?" 
For  there  are  three  expositions  of  these  words. 
The  first  is:  "On  what  part  of  the  body  shall 
one  still  smite  you?"  (thus  JEROME,  SAADA, 


36 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


GESENITJS,  ROSENMTJEI/LER,  UMBREIT,  KNOBEL 
and  others  [J.  A.  ALEXANDER,  BARNES]. 

This  rests  chiefly  on  what  follows,  where  the 
body  is  described  as  beaten  all  over.  However, 
four  things  are  to  be  objected  to  this  view:  a)  it 

could  not  then  read  Hp-1?^,  but  11j?  *2T}  HI  'K, 
or  the  like.  For  HO  is  purely  the  general, 
abstract  "what?"  never  the  partitive,  distin- 
guishing one  part  from  another :  "  which  ?" 
Job  xxxviii.  6  cannot  be  appealed  to.  For  the 
meaning  of  that  place  is  not :  On  which  founda- 
tions do  the  pillars  of  the  earth  rest  ?"  But : 
do  they  rest  at  all  on  anything t  b)  Were  the 
rendering :  "  where  shall  we  smite  ?"  correct, 
then  the  intermediate  phrase,  J"PD  UPDta,  were 

fi- 
OUt  of  place.  For  then  one  would  right  off  look  for 
the  answer :  "  nowhere,  for  all  is  beaten  to  pieces." 
The  insertion  of  those  words  in  this  form  plainly 
indicate  that  they  themselves  contain  the  an- 
swer to  the  inquiry,  '131  riD~7j?>  and  that  what 
follows  is  only  to  be  viewed  as  the  nearer  expla- 
nation of  this  reply.  It  would  be  very  different 
if  the  words  were  in  apposition  with  the  subject 
of  Of\.  c)  It  is  remarked  by  LUZZATTO  (see  in 
DELITZSCH)  that  the  fact  that  the  body  was 
beaten  all  over  would  not  hinder  its  being  smit- 
ten more,  d)  The  phrase,  ver.  6  b,  Jlf  K) '  etc., 
"  they  have  not  been  closed,"  shows  that  not  the 
being  wounded  itself  was  the  matter  of  chief 
moment,  but  the  being  wounded  without  applica- 
tion of  curatives.  The  latter,  however,  as  little 
hinders  the  smiting  as  the  binding  up  and  heal- 
ing would  provoke  it.  If  H3~  1$  =.  '« where  ?" 
then  the  whole  phrase,  ver.  6  b,  would  be  super- 
fluous.— A  second  exposition  (DELITZSCH)  takes 

riD~7>'  =  HO  ;,  and  13H  =  ye  want  to  be  smitten. 
Then  the  remote  thought  would  be:  "That  were 
an  insane  delight  in  self-destruction."  But  the 
" that  were"  must  not  be  adopted  as  the  under- 
lying thought,  but:  "that  is  indeed  delight  in 
self-destruction."  For:  "that  were"  would  in- 
volve the  thought  that  this  delight  is  not  pre- 
supposed, consequently  there  can  be  no  question 
about  a  wanting  to  be  "smitten.  But  if  we  supply 
"that  is,"  etc.,  that  would  impute  too  much  to 
the  simple  Imperfect.  The  idea  of  wanting  it 
must  then  be  more  strongly  indicated,  say  by 
j*Sn,  or  the  like. — According  to  the  third  ren- 
dering, which  seems  to  me  the  correct  one. 

tVSrjy  means  "to  what  purpose?"  Comp.  Num. 
xxii.  32 ;  Ps.  x.  13 ;  Jer.  xvi.  10.  The  imper- 
fect Passive  is  then  simply  a  briefer  expression 
for  the  Active:  why  should  I,  or  should  one 
smite  you  more?  with  which  at  least  a  suffix 
were  needed.  i"PD  32'Dl'fl  need  not  then  be 

TT 

taken  as  a  dependent  adverbial  phrase;  as  if, 
"in  that  ye  add  revolt,"  which  involves  a  certain 
grammatical  harshness,  that  might  be  easily 
avoided  by  a  participial  construction.  But 
!"PL>  'in  is  principal  phrase  and  reply  to  the 
inquiry:  to  what  purpose  shall  one  smite  you 
more? 

However,  the  following  words  give  the  reason 
for  the  saying.  That  is:  Israel  adds  revolt  to 


revolt,  because  it  is  thoroughly  sick,  and  does 
not    even    use   curatives   for   its   sickness.     We 


therefore   construe   the   words  DX^~73  to 

r  V  T  T 

not  as  describing  a  condition  resulting  from  the 
previous  smiting,  much  as  this  seems  to  answer 

the  inquiry,  U1  HD-7.P,  but  as  a  figurative  ex- 
pression for  the  moral  habit  of  the  nation. 

337~;3,  ttffcO-7.3,  especially  seem  to  favor  this 
view.  This  does  not  mean  ''the  whole  head,  the 
whole  heart,"  but  "  every  head,  every  heart."  If  it 

read  'U1  t2fcOn~73,  the  meaning  might  easily 
enough  be  that  head  and  heart  were  already  so 
sore  and  sick  that  no  spot  remained  for  a  blow. 
But  every  head,  every  heart  only  expresses  that  no 
head,  no  heart  remained  intact. 

The  context  closely  considered  forbids  our 
understanding  by  head  and  heart  "all  that  exer- 
cise indispensable  functions  in  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral offices"  (DRECHSLER).  For  by  ver.  6  it 
plainly  appears  that  not  only  the  heads,  but  all 
individuals  of  the  nation,  are  described  as  se- 
riously sick.  Head  and  heart  are  rather  the 
central  and  dominant  organs  in  the  life  of  ei'ery 
single  person,  whereas  ver.  6  speaks  also  of  the 
structure  of  the  outward  manifestation  of  the  life. 

From  a  comparison  of  'n  337  with  ver.  6,  it 
seems  to  me  that  bv  '711  not  an  outward  wound- 

*          •   T: 

ing  of  the  head  is  meant,  but  an  internal  disorder 
(comp.  2  Kings  iv.  19).  —  From  the  sole  of 
the  foot,  etc.  Ver.  6.  As  has  been  remarked, 
these  words  describe  the  moral  condition  as  to 
its  outward  manifestation,  as  ver.  5  b  described 
its  inward  form.  We  must  not  press  too  far  the 
figurative  language  of  the  prophet  in  regard  to 
this  inward  and  outward  disorder,  and  especially 
the  wounds  of  ver.  6  must  not  be  regarded  as 
presenting  something  additional. 
The  three  substantives  J?i'3,  !TN3n  and  '13  H30 

-  V  T          -  T  — 

are  followed  by  three  corresponding  verbs,  and 
one  is  tempted  to  construe  them  as  if  those  occu- 
pying the  same  relative  position  belonged  to 
each  other.  But  such  strict  parallelism  cannot 
be  carried  out.  It  is  rather  to  be  said  that  each 
of  the  three  uorts  of  wounds  referred  to  requires 
all  the  three  means  of  healing.  Each  wound 
must  be  pressed  together,  and  treated  with  heal- 
ing stuffs.  The  former  process  is  two-fold  :  first 
it  is  done  by  the  hand  in  order  to  cleanse  the 
wound  from  blood  and  matter,  and  then  by  the 
bandage,  that  prevents  further  bleeding  and  pro- 
motes the  growing  together  of  the  several  parts. 
Thirdly,  mollifying,  healing  oil  (see  Luke  x.  34; 
HERZOG'S  R.  Encyc.  X.,  p.  548)  must  be  super- 
added  as  organic  means  of  cure. 

The  words  of  ver.  6  b  moreover  contain  ano- 


ther proof  for  the  assertion  that  from 
''every  head,"  on,  only  the  moral  habit  of  the 
nation  is  described.  For  is  not  the  want  of  all 
bodily  therapeutics  a  figure  for  the  want  of  the 
spiritual;  i.  e.  repentance?  Not  only  is  Israel 
inwardly  sick,  but  also  in  its  outward  life  it  pre- 
sents the  picture  of  a  torn  and  distracted  exist- 
ence without  one  trace  of  discipline  or  effort  at 
improvement.  If  the  chief  thought  of  vers.  5,  6, 
were  that  Israel  cannot  be  smitten  any  more  be- 


CHAP.  I.  2-9. 


37 


cause  it  is  beaten  all  to  pieces,  then,  as  alread} 

remarked,  the  phrase  'U1  OT-JO,  "not  closec 
up,"  would  be  quite  without  meaning.  For  ma, 
a  bandaged-up  person  be  sooner  smitten  than  on 
not  bound  up  ?  But  this  phrase  becomes  very 
significant  if  we  regard  the  words  :  "  every  head,' 
etc.,  as  portraying  the  moral  condition  of  things 
For  it  is  most  important  in  regard  to  a  man's 
moral  state  whether  the  proper  curatives  for  the 
moral  disorder  are  used  or  not. 

Your  land,  etc.     The  outward  state  of  the 
nation  answers  to  the  moral  state.     The  nation 
had  already  begun  to  reap  the  fruits   of  their 
revolt.     The  country  is  desolate ;  only  the  me- 
tropolis still  remains  intact,  yet  isolated  in  the 
midst  of  a  land  that  has  been   made  a  desert 
Therefore  it  may  be  said  that  the  train  of  thought 
that  began  with  ver.  5  ends   with   ver.  8.     The 
Lord  declares,  ver.  5,  that  for  the   present  He 
will  smite  Israel  no  more.     For  there  is  no  use. 
This  is  because  Israel  is  still  sick  inside  and  out, 
spite  of  having  suffered  chastisement  almost  to 
annihilation.     It  seems  to  me  therefore  that  vers. 
7  and  8  stand  in  contrastive  relation  to  the  two 
preceding,  although  this  contrast  is  indicated  by 
no  particle.     Israel  is  morally  sick,  the  country 
is  turned   into   a  desert.     Had   things  taken  a 
normal  course,  then  the  country  had   been  deso- 
lated,  but   Israel  would    have   been   in  health. 
Then  Israel  had  received  instruction,  Prov.  viii. 
10 ;  xix.  20.     But  now  that  the  country  is  waste, 
and  Israel  still  sick,  one  sees  that  whipping  is  of 
no   use.     Comp.  Jer.  ii.  30 ;  v.  3 ;  Isa.   ix.  13  ; 
xlii.  25.     Thus  I  construe  vers.  7  and  8,  not  as  a 
mere  change  from  figurative   language   (vers.  5 
and  6)  to  literal,  because,   as  was  shown,  both 
ver.  5  b  and  6  6  contain  thoughts  that  do  not 
answer  to  purely  outward  circumstances.     More- 
over, according  to  our  explanation,   it  is  clear 
that  ver.  7  sqq.  does  not  speak  of  future,  but  of 
present   affairs.      These   verses   do   not   contain 
threats  of  judgment,  but  a  portrait  of  judgment 
already  accomplished.     If  it  were  otherwise,  then 
surely  the  threatenings  of  judgment  would  not 
8top  outside  of  the  gates  of  the  metropolis,  which 
yet  was  crater  and   fountain   of  all  the  revolt. 
This  is  not  opposed  by  Jer.  iv.  27 ;  v.  10,   18 : 
"Yet  will  I  not  make  a  full  end,"   which   some 
adduce  against  our  view.     For  threats  of  Judg- 
ment only  for  the  country,   but  that  spare  the 
capital,  are  not  to  be  found  in  any  prophet. — 
The  words:  "your  land  waste,"  etc.,  are  quoted 
from  Lev.   xxvi.  33,    where  it   is  said :  "  Your 
land  shall  be  desolate,  and  your  cities  waste." 

Your  ground  before,  etc.  Here,  too,  impre- 
cations from  the  Law  are  in  the  mind  of  the 
prophet,  and  particularly  Deut.  xxviii.  33 :  "  The 
fruit  of  thy  land,  and  all  thy  labors,  shall  a  na- 
tion which  thou  knowest  not,  eat  up."  Comp., 
too,  ver.  51  ;  Lev.  xxi.  16,  32.  From  Deut. 
xxviii.  33,  51,  it  is  seen  what  is  meant  by  li- 
lt is  one  that  Israel  does  not  know,  and  whose 
language  is  not  understood.  That  the  word 
"stranger"  includes  also  the  idea  of  "enemy,"  is 
manifest  from  the  parallel  passages  in  Lev.  xxvi. 
16,  32,  where  for  D'^I  we  have  D'3'X.  "U  occurs 
Isa.  xvii.  10;  xxv.  2,  5;  xxviii.  21;  xxix.  5; 
xliii.  12 ;  Ixi.  5.  The  participle  D'  /pj<  confirms 


our  view  that  the  prophet  speaks  of  present  and 
still  continuing  circumstances.  The  metonymy 
(the  enemies  eat  the  land)  is  as  in  xxxvi.  16; 

Gen.  iii.  17,  etc.—  D31JJ1?,   according  to  the  ac- 

cents and  the  sense,  relates  towhat  follows.  Be- 
fore your  eyes,  without  your  being  able  to  hin- 
der them,  the  enemies  devour  your  land. 

In  our  passage  it  is  evident  the  prophet  would 
compare  the  destruction  of  the  land  of  which  he 
speaks  to  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah. He  calls  the  Jewish  country  a  second  de- 
stroyed Sodom,  only  with  the  difference  that  that 
was  a  destruction  of  God,  this  of  strangers.  The 
question  whether  we  have  here  a  genitive  of  the 
subject  or  of  the  object  thus  settles  itself.  It  is 
the  genitive  of  the  subject.  For  then  God  was 

the  destroyer  ;  here  it  is  the  strangers.     If  D"U 

'strangers,"  be  taken  as  object,  it  will  not  suit 
he  context.  For  immediately  before  the  stran- 
gers were  named  as  destroyers.  How  shall  they 
iuddenly  be  named  the  destroyed  ?—  From  the 
connection  it  appears  that  the  "daughter  of 
ion"  means  Jerusalem.  Zion  is  originally  the 
mountain,  then  the  castle,  then  the  quarter  "built 
ibout  it  (2  Sam.  v.  6-9;  1  Kings  viii.  1);  then 
n  an  extended  sense  the  city  without  the  inha- 
bitants (Lam.  ii.  8)  or  the  inhabitants  without 
he  city  (Mic.  iv.  10),  or  as  both  together,  as  in 
our  passage. 

Jerusalem  with  its  inhabitants  lying  isolated 
n  the  midst  of  a  desolated  country  is  now  com- 
jared  to:  a)  a  booth  in  a  vineyard;  b)  to  a 
langing  mat  [hammock]  in  a  cucumber-field, 
vhich  like  the  booth  of  the  vineyard-keeper,  is 
a  lonely  and  scanty  dwelling-place  for  men  ;  c) 
to  a  besieged  city.  But  why  is  Jerusalem  only 
compared  to  a  beleagured  city?  After  all  that 
vers.  7,  8  say  of  it,  is  it  not  such  itself?  First 


of  all  we  must  investigate  the  meaning  of 
The  verb  "*¥J  means  primarily  obscrvare,  which 
can  be  said  of  commandments,  Ps.  Ixxviii.  7, 
and  of  covenants,  Deut.  xxxiii.  9,  as  well  as  of 
the  overseeing  of  a  protector  or  keeper,  Isa. 
xxvii.  3;  2  Kings  'xvii.  9,  and  of  the  attention 
of  a  besieger,  Jer.  iv.  16;  comp.  2  Sam.  xi.  16; 


Jer.  v.  6.  An  !"P1¥J  Y#  is  therefore  either  a 
watched  or  a  beleaguered  city.  But  the  first 
does  not  suit  the  connection.  The  latter  is 
equally  unsuitable  if  Jerusalem  at  the  time  of 
writing  was  actually  besieged.  But  ver.  7  speaks 
only  of  the  desolating  of  the  country.  That  Je- 
rusalem itself  was  besieged  or  blockaded  is  not 
said  directly.  At  the  moment  of  saying  this, 
therefore,  the  position  of  Jerusalem  seems  to 
have  been  that  the  enemy  enclosed  the  city,  not 
yet  in  its  immediate  neighborhood,  but  still  so 
as  to  restrict  all  intercourse  with  it,  so  that  it  lay 
there  isolated  like  a  blockaded  town  No  one 
ventured  out  or  in,  for  the  enemy  was  near, 
though  his  forces  were  not  seen  encamped  around 
the  walls  of  the  city.  The  other  renderings  : 
"  as  a  rescued  city  "  (GESENIUS,  in  loc.;  MALRER, 
etc.),  "as  a  devastated  city"  (KABBINS,  VULG., 
LUTHER),  "as  a  watch  tower"  (HITZIG,  TING- 
STAD,  GESENITTS  in  his  Thesaurus,  p.  908),  etc., 
which  are  to  be  found  in  ROSENMUELLER,  either 


38 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


conflict  with  the  requirements  of  the  language  or 
the  context. 

4.  Had  not — we  were  like,  ver.  9.  We 
must  regard  it,  not  as  accidental,  but  as  an  evi- 
dence of  the  artistic  design  of  this  address,  that 
in  vers.  2,  3,  Jehovah  Himself  .speaks,  in  vers. 
4-8  the  prophet  in  the  name  of  Jehovah,  and  in 
ver.  9  the  prophet  in  his  own  and  the  people's 
name.  It  is  therefore  a  climax  descendens.  The 
first  word  belongs  to  Jehovah  the  Lord.  After 
that  Jehovah's  prophet  speaks  in  His  name  to 
the  people.  Last  of  all  the  prophet,  who  is  in  a 
sense  the  mediator  of  the  people,  speaks  in  their 
name  to  Jehovah.  In  this  scheme  is  prefigured 
in  a  certain  degree  the  direction  of  all  prophetic 
discourse.  For  it  is  either  Jehovah  speaking, 
directly  or  indirectly,  or  it  is  a  speaking  to 
Jehovah.  But  ver.  9  is  joined  by  a  double  band 
to  what  precedes:  by  T^'H,  "had  left,"  and  by 

the  comparison  to  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  As  to 
*Jie  former,  it  is  recognized  that  something  re- 
mains in  Israel,  rpflljl,  ver.  8,  and  that  this 
remnant  is  owing  to  the  grace  of  Jehovah.  But 
so  the  clear  consciousness  is  expressed,  that  but 
for  the  grace  of  God,  the  resemblance  to  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah,  which  in  ver.  7  was  only  slightly 
intimated,  would  have  been  a  notorious  one. 
This  is,  on  the  one  hand,  an  humble  confession, 
for  this  comparison  is  not  honorable  for  Israel ; 
but  on  the  other  hand  there  is  the  opposite 
thought  that  underlies  the  hypothetic  reflection  : 
"  he  has,  however,  left  something  remaining ; 
therefore  we  are  still  not  like  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah ;"  and  that  forms  a  comforting  germ  of  hope 
for  the  future. 

The  expression  niJOi*  mrv,  Jehovah  Sabaoth,  '• 
is  not  to  be  found  in  the  Pentateuch,  nor  in  Josh.,  j 
Jud.,  Ezek.,  Joel,  Obad.,  Jonah.  In  Exod.  xii  | 

41  '"  nfcenf-73  is  said  of  the  Israelites.     If  one  ' 

:    *          T 

may  regard  the  completes!  form  as  the  original 
one,  then  we  must  designate  Hosea  as  the  origi- 
nator of  the  expression.  For  in  Hos.  xii.  6  we  I 

find  f"OT  nirv  rrijosn  -rtSx  nirn;   similarly 

:  •        T  T  :    -        ••     V:  * 

Amos  iii.  13 ;  vi.  14 ;  ix.  5.  Here  it  is  seen  that 
fi1XD¥  is  slill  construed  as  appellative.  They 
are  not  the  "  nnO¥,  Ex.  xii.  41,  but  MX-Sp 
D!?^Di  Isa.  xxxiv.  4,  whose  relation  to  the  stars 


may  be  debated.  Comp.  DELITZSCH,  The  Divine 
Name  Jahve  Zebaot,  in  Her  Zeitschrift,  f.  d.  yes.  luth. 
Theologie  u.  Kirche  1874,  Heft  2,  p.  217.— But 
''Hosts''  becomes  gradually  a  proper  name.  It 
is  so  beyond  doubt  in  God  of  Hosts,  Ps.  lix.  6 ; 
Ixxx.  5,  8,  15,  20 ;  Ixxxiv.  9,  and  Lord  of  Hosts, 
Isa.  x.  16.  Probably  it  is  to  be  so  rendered  in 
"  Jehovah  of  Hosts,"  which  is  very  frequent  in 
the  first  and  second  parts  of  Isaiah.  Also  Jer  , 
Zech.,  Mai.,  use  it  very  often. — ®£ft3  is  not 
added  to  the  verb  here  adverbially  with  the 
meaning  "almost,"  but  united  to  it  substantively, 
and  as  in  2  Chron.  xii.  7,  is  object  (as  apposition 
with  the  object).  In  Prov.  x.  20;  Ps.  cv.  12,  it 
is  similarly  a  predicate.  In  respect  to  its  sense, 
it  is  a  dimished  PJ£p,  i.  e.  not  paulum,  but  quasi 
paulum.  I  do  not  ihink  with  DELITZSCII  lhat 
referring  to  Ps.  Ixxxi.  14  sq.;  Job  xxxii.  22,  it 
may  be  construed  with  what  follows.  For  with 
the  supposition  that  is  expressed  in  the  first 
clause  of  the  verse,  they  had  been,  not  almost, 
but  altogether  a  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  More- 
over, it  is  affecting  to  observe  how  the  man  pene- 
trates through  the  prophet.  He  began  as  the 
mouth  of  God,  that  does  not  distinguish  himself 
from  God ;  he  proceeds  as  servant  of  God,  that 
clearly  distinguishes  himself  from  God  ;  he  con- 
cludes as  citizen  of  Jerusalem,  lhat  comprehends 
himself  with  the  men  against  whom  he  directs 
his  words  of  threatening. 

[Ver.  7.  'T  fOiinoD,  like  the  overthrow  of 
strangers,  J.  A.  ALEXANDER,  ''?'.  e.  as  foreign 
foes  are  wont  to  waste  a  country  in  which  they 
have  no  interest,  and  for  which  they  have  no 
pity."  BARNES,  similarly. 

Ver.  9.  "  The  idea  of  a  desolation  almost  total 
is  expressed  in  other  words,  and  with  an  intima- 
tion that  the  narrow  escape  was  owing  to  God's 
favor  for  the  remnant  according  to  the  election 
of  grace,  who  still  existed  in  the  Jewish  Church. 
That  the  verse  has  reference  to  quality,  as 
well  as  quantity,  is  evident  from  Rom.  ix.  29, 
where  Paul  makes  use  of  it,  not  as  an  illustra- 
tion, but  as  an  argument  to  show  that  mere  con- 
nection with  the  Church  could  not  save  men 
from  the  wrath  of  God.  The  citation  would  have 
been  irrelevant  if  this  phrase  denoted  merely  a 
small  number  of  survivors,  and  not  a  minority 
of  true  believers  in  the  midst  of  the  prevailing 
unbelief."  J.  A.  ALEXANDER]. 


CHAP.  I.  10-20.  39 


3.   THE  MEANS  FOR  OBTAINING  A  BETTER  FUTURE. 
CHAPTER  I.  10-20. 

10  Hear  the  word  of  the  LORD,  ye  rulers  of  Sodom ; 

Give  ear  unto  the  law  of  our  God,  ye  people  of  Gomorrah. 

11  To  what  purpose  is  the  multitude  of  your  sacrifices  unto  me?  saith  the  LORD  : 
I  am  full  of  the  burnt-offerings  of  rams,  and  the  fat  of  fed  beasts  ; 

And  I  delight  not  in  the  blood  of  bullocks,  or  of  lambs,  or  of  'he  goats. 

12  When  ye  come  2to  appear  before  me, 

Who  hath  "required  this  at  your  hand,  bto  tread  my  courts  ? 

13  Bring  no  more  °vain  oblations  ; 
Incense  is  an  abomination  unto  me  ; 

The  new  moons  and  sabbaths,  the  calling  of  assemblies,  I  cannot  away  with  ;a 
It  is  iniquity,  even  the  solemn  meeting. 

14  Your  new  moons  and  your  appointed  leasts  my  soul  hateth: 
They  are  a  trouble  unto  me  ; 

I  am  weary  to  bear  them" 

15  And  when  ye  spread  forth  your  hands, 
I  will  hide'  mine  eyes  from  you  : 

Yea,  when  ye  4make  many  prayers,  I  will  not  hear : 
Your  hands  are  full  of  5blood. 

16  Wash  you,  make  you  clean  ; 

Put  away  the  evil  of  your  doings  from  before  mine  eyes : 

17  Cease  to  do  evil ;  learn  to  do  well ; 
Seek  judgment,  6relieve  the  oppressed, 
Judge  the  fatherless,  plead  for  the  widow. 

18  Come  now,  and  let  us  reason  together,  saith  the  LORD  : 
Though  your  sins  bs  as  scarlet,8  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow ; 
Though  they  be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  wool. 

19  If  ye  be  willing  and  obedient, 

Ye  shall  eat  the  good  of  the  land  : 

20  But  if  ye  refuse  and  rebel, 

Ye  shall  be  devoured  with  the  sword  : 
For  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it. 

1  Heb.  great  he-goats.  2  Heb.  to  be  seen.  3  Or,  grief. 

*  Heb.  multiply  prayer.  &  Hob.  bloods.  6  Or,  Tighten. 

»  Requires.  »  Trample.  «  Oblations,  the  sacrilege — incense  that  is  abomination  to  me. 

d  /  cannot  bear  sacrilege  and  solemn  meeting.  •  I  bear  them  no  longer.  f  I  hide.  s  scarlet  stuffs. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  10.    p¥p  is  found  in  Isa.  also  ;  iii.  6,  7 ;  xxii.  3. 

Ver.  12.  In  regard  to  the  construction  JTIX"O  IJOfl  O, 
'J3  it  is  to  be  noticed  especially  that  we  have  here  an 
old.  solemn  form  of  expression.  It  is  found  first,  Ex. 


xx 


xxxv.  1 ;  Ex.  iii.  16,  etc.  But  then  the  form  '  J 
"  is  found  in  five  places:  Ex.  xxxiv.  23  sq. ;  Deut.  xvi. 
1C;  xxxi.  11;  1  Sam.  i.  22.  Here  the  question  arises, 
whether  J"\X  is  nota  accusatavi,  or  preposition  with  the 


meaning  "cum,  coram ;"  or  finally,  whether  the  accusa- 
Ps.  Ixxxiv.  8.    This  is  the  customary,  and  besides  very 


iii.  17,where  it  is  said :  pj<n  '  J3~Sx  T 

TT    ":         '*'     '      '       V"    tive,  as  in  ^3XF\  3111:  "Ye  shall  be  devoured  by  the 
—"All  thy  males  shall  appear  before  the  Lord;"  also  :  •..  : 

sword,"  ver.  20,  is  to  be  taken  in  an  instrumental  sense. 


as  if  it  ought  to  be  rendered:  "was  seen  of  Gods  face 
frequent  construction  of  the  Niphal  Hk'OJ,  Gen.  xn.  7;     ,  ,  „,„  „,.     ,     . 

(so  EWALD,  Gram.  §  279,  c).    This  last  rendering  com- 


40 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


mends  itself  the  least.  For  in  INDICT  3~»n,  the 
is  conceived  of  as  adverbial.  It  is  as  one  would  say  in 
Latin:  gladiatimdevorabimmi,  "  Ye  shall  be  sword-fashion 
devoured."  It  is  essential  to  this  construction  that  the 
substantive  so  used  be  without  suffix,  or  a  genitive  fol- 
lowing. In  'J3  j"\iXl7  or  "  'J3-.HX  DX1J,  however, 

-T  T  "  •':  V  T    :  ' 

this  adverbial  use  is  not  admissible.  It  is  to  be  objected 
against  the  first  rendering  that  j"IX  always  marks  dis- 
tinctly the  definite  object,  and  never  is  used  after  the 
question  "where?"  On  the  other  hand  it  is  admitted 
that  'JS-fiX  means  coram  fade,  e.  g.  Gen.  xxvii.  30: 
pnr  ;J3  hNO  3pjr  &«'.  Comp.  2  Kings  xvi.  H: 

I     -  :  •       ••  :  ••  "         I    -:-        TT 

Gen.  xix.  13.  "The  cry  of  them  is  waxen  great,  ~T\* 
''  ""33  before  the  face  of  the  Lord."  Comp.  1  Sam. 
xxii.  4;  Gen.  xxxiii.  18.  According  to  that  we  must 
translate  the  expression  in  question :  "  appear  before 
the  presence  of  Jehovah."  It  may  be  remarked,  in 

passing,  that  Deut,  xvi.  16,  Dp'1  '"  'J3~nX  HNV  X'1?, 

IT  "  •:          V        V  T" 

is  to  be  translated  ;  "  the  face  of  the  Jehovah  is  not  seen 
empty,"  t.  e.  without  the  presentation  of  a  gift :  where 
the  passive,  according  to  well-known  usus  loquendi,  is 
construed  as  active.  This  latter  form  of  expression  is, 
as  to  sense,  like  those  found  Ex.  xxiii.  15 ;  xxxiv.  20, 
— Lastly,  in  two  places,  viz.  Ps.  xlii.  3  and  in  our  text 
ilXfJ  with  "  »J3  is  found  without  nx.  In  both 

T    :  •  ••  : 

places  X13  stands  before  the  Niphal  of  riX"V    Here, 

T  T 

without  doubt,  "  'J3  is  the  accii&ativus  localis.  In  it- 
self, this  accusative  can  depend  on  X13  as  well  as  on 
the  Niphal  nX"1J-  However,  the  original  sense  of  the 
formula  favors  decidedly  the  last  supposition.  Thus 
the  expression,  as  found  in  our  text  and  in  xlii.  3,  is 
to  be  taken  as  a  modification  of  the  older  formula,  and 
as  having  the  same  meaning.  'J3  therefore  is  here 

-  T 

accusativus  localis  in  the  same  sense  as  "  1|J3~riX  in 
the  places  cited  above. —  TO  l^pS,  Gen.  xxxi.  39; 

xliii.  9;  1  Sam.  xx.  16. — (pi  Ob"^  is  in  restrictive  appo- 
sition with  nXT-  Isaiah  uses  DD"^  pretty  often :  xvi. 

-"  T 

4;  xxvi.  6;  xxviii.  3;  xli.  25;  Ixiii.  3.  Moreover,  the  sub- 
stantive D^!"O  is  used  by  him  relatively  oftener :  v.  5; 

T    :  • 

vii.  25;  x.  6;  xxviii.  18. 

Ver.  13.  It  is  debated  whether  the  following  rHQp, 
incense,  is  to  be  taken  as  stat.  absol.  as  distinct  from 
nnjO,  or  as  stat.  construct.,  and  as  designating  that 
which  the  &Ot£>~r,nj'D  is  to  Jehovah  ("ic  is  abominable 

:  T          —  :  • 

incense  tome").  Grammatically  both  renderings  are 
admissible.  It  is  not  decisive  for  the  latter  rendering 
that  the  Masorets  have  pointed  J"nbp  with  the  con- 

V  S  I  : 

junctive  Darga.  It  seems  to  me  important  to  our  in- 
quiry, that  with  the  exception  of  Ps.  Ixvi.  15  (which 
confessedly  dates  after  the  exile),  neither  burnt-offer- 
ings nor  meat-offerings  are  ever  called  j"nC3p>  although 
"VtOpn  is  the  solemn  word  employed  for  the  consump- 
tion of  both.  Rather  it  is  always-  said,  that  the  sacrifice 
shall  be  nYVJ  TVI,  ''a  sweet  savor"  to  the  Lord.  I 
believe,  therefore,  that  the  prophet  must  have  written 
rOjJiri  IV"!  had  he  wished  to  express  what  the  de- 
fenders of  the  second  rendering  take  the  words  to 
mean.— The  combination  of  Unn  and  fGt?,  beside  the 

1    •  V  T  "" 

text,  is  to  be  found  also  2  Kings  iv.  23;  Hos.  ii.  13.— The 
expression  X"lpD  X^p  is  only  found  here.  Every- 


where   else  we  read:    Bnp  XlpO,  "a  holy  convoca- 

V  I  T|  :  • 

tion,"  Ex.  xii.  16;  Lev.  xxiii.  3  sqq.;  Num.  xxviii.  18  Hq.  ; 
xxix.  I  sqq.  As  regards  the  meaning  of  the  phrase,  it 
is  not  indictw  sancti,  i.  e.  the  publication  of  a  feast,  but 
convocatio,  the  assembling  of  the  nation  to  the  feast.  For 
only  on  the  principal  feast-days  was  the  nation  obliged 
to  appear  in  the  sanctuary,  (comp.  the  citations  imme- 
'diately  above,  and  OEHLEB  in  HEKZOG'S  R.  Encycl.  IV., 
p.  3=5).  The  three  substantives  stand  before  as  casut 
absoluti,  and  represent  a  premise,  to  which  S^X  X7 
'1  Jl  forms  the  conclusion  :  as  for  new  moon,  Sabbath, 
solemn  assembly,  I  can't  bear  them,  etc.  The  word 
rP^y  is  found  beside  only  in  2  Kings  x.  20  and  Joel  i. 

TT  -: 

14.  In  the  Pentateuch  only  the  form  rn^'J?  (stat.  ab- 
sol. and  conatr.)  is  used:  Lev.  xxiii.  36;  Num.  xxix. 
35;  Deut.  xvi.  8.  It  is  absolutely  parallel  with  &OpQ, 
tfTp  "  holy  convocation  ;"  comp.  2  Chron.  vii.  5;  Neb. 
viii.  18  ;  Amos  v.  21.  The  fundamental  idea  of  12f  J>  is 
cogere,  conciere,  continere,  to  draw  together,  to  keep  toge- 
ther. The  noun,  therefore,  denotes  coactio.  conclo.  The 
fundamental  idea  of  {IX  (NX,  spirare)  is  halltus,  breath. 
It  is  thus  synonym  wi*h 


Ver.  14.  Of  the  verb  Xjfr  only  the  Kal  (comp.  Ps.  xi  5) 

"  T 

partcps.  occur  in  our  book  after  this  :  Ix.  15  ;  Ixi.  8  ;  Ixvi.  5. 
fpb,  burden  (from  T"Pt3,  fatigari.  Job  xxxvii.  11)  is 
found  also  Deut.  i.  12.  Niphal  HX7J  again  in  Isa  xvi. 

T  :  • 

12;  xlvii.  13.  The  infinitive  Xfc'J  is  only  found  in  Isa. 
again  xviii.  3;  comp.  beside  Gen.  iv.  13;  Ps.  Ixxxix.  10. 

Ver.  15.  The  spreading  out  of  the  hands  for  prayer 
(comp.  HOELEMAXN,  Bibelstudicn  I.,  The  Scriptural  Form 
of  Worship,  p.  137,  JEneid.  I.  93,  duphces  tendens  ad  sidera 
palmas)  is  designated  here  by  jy^3  in  the  Piel,  and 
so  occurs  also  Jer.  Iv.  31  ;  Lam.  i.  17  ;  Ps.  cxliii.  6.  Usu- 
ally Kal  is  used.  Ex.  Is.  29,  33;  1  Kings  viii.  22,  etc.— 
Only  the  Hithpael  of  cS#  occurs  beside  in  our  book, 
Iviii.  7.—  The  meaning  of  'V  '3TK  is  "not  continually 
hearing,"  in  distinction  from  J/Ol^X  X?>  Jer.  vii.  16; 
xi.  14;  xiv.  12.—  Comp.  this  passage,  vers.  11-15,  with  the 
similar  one,  Amos  v.  21  sqq. 

Ver.  16.  On  account  of  the  accent,  13-TT1  can  only  be 
Hithpael  from  DDT,  not  Niphal  of  'HDI;  comp.  GESEN., 

T  T  T 

Thesaur.,  p.  413.  The  word  is  not  used  again  by  Isaiah  ; 
and  this  Hithpael  occurs  nowhere  else.  —  The  expression 
DD^bjfD  y^\  (which  occurs  first  Deut.  xxviii.  20,  and 
afterward  especially  frequent  in  Jer.  iv.  4;  xxi.  12;  xxiii. 
2  ;  xxvi.  3  ;  xliv.  22j,  calls  to  mind  the  Latin  usus  loquendi. 
that  makes  a  conception  prominent  by  designating  it  by 
means  of  the  abstract  idea  hovering,  so  to  speak,  over 
the  single,  concrete  manifestation  of  it:  agricolce  non 
dolent,  prceterita  vcrni  temporis  suavitate  wstatem  auc- 
tumnumque  venisse  (comp.  NAEGELSBACH,  Stilistik,  \  74). 

Ver.  17.  TDTI  noS  ("'/•  nominascens  like  j^T"!,  ver. 
16,  because  standing'  in  the  accusative).—  As  nouns  of 
the  form  S'ltDp,  all  have  an  active  meaning  (comp. 

nnj,  tin*,  *7fii  jflna-jna,  etc.)  so  pon,  which  oc- 

T  ' 


cursonly  here,  must  have  the  same  sense  as 
Ixxi.  4,  i.  e.=violentus,  violent  (comp.  DOfl).  The  Piel 
means  then,  just  as  iii.  12  ;  ix.  15  ;  Prov.  xxiii.  19,  "  mak« 


CHAP.  I.  10-20. 


41 


direct,  make  go  right,  conduct  aright."  The  verbs 
and  y\  as  so  often  elsewhere  (ver.  23  ;  Ps.  x.  18  ;  Ixxxii. 
3;  Jer.  v.  28,  etc.),  signify  not  merely  a  formal  judging, 
but  also  rendering  material  justice,  that  is,  so  render- 
ing judgment  that  what  is  just  shall  actually  be  done. 
3'"1,  moreover,  here  stands  for  the  more  usual  J'^.  For 
y~\  is  not  properly  "judge,"  but  ''strive,"  and  first 

attains  the  meaning  of  "helping  one  to  justice"  in  the 
connection  '£)  3'1  3'1  "to  manage  some  one's  quar- 
rel." It  is  therefore  with  a  derivatives  sense  that  3"! 
is  used  when  it  means  "judging,"  which  it  docs,  some- 
times in  malam  partem,  as  Dent,  xxxiii.  3  :  Job  x.  2, 
again  in  bonam  partem,  as  here  and  li.  22  ;  and  in  either 
sense  it  is  joined  to  the  accusative.  , 

Ver.  18.  The  Niphal  nnij  that  occurs  here,  is  found 


elsewhere  only  in  the  participle;  Gen.  xx.  16;  2  Sam. 
xv.  3  ;  Prov.  xxiv.  26  ;  Job  xxiii.  7.  The  meaning  is 
"  dtsceptare,  SiaAeyeo-flou,"  argue.  The  word  is  evidently 
used  in  a  friendly  sense.  Regarding  the  Hiphil  in 


J'3  7il  (comp.  Ps.  li.  9  (6),  the  word  does  not  again  occur 
in  Isa.)  and  Q'HXn  (an-af  Aey.)  and  their  direct  causa- 


tive meaning  (producing  whiteness,  redness,  i.  e.,  be- 
coming white,  red). 
Ver.  19.  The  fundamental  meaning  of  H3X,  (which  it 

,  T  T 

is  worthy  of  note  always  has  JO  before  it  except  here 
and  Job  xxxix.  9,  where  it  stands  in  a  negative  ques- 
tion), is  "ready,  to  be  willing."  (Ps.  Ixxxi.  12  ;  1  Ki.  xx. 
8).  Accordingly  the  construction  with  vav  and  perfec- 
tum  consecutivum  is  explained  ;  when  ye  are  willing,  so 
that  ye  hearken  (comp.  the  otherwise  usual  construc- 

tion with  j  ust  the  infinitive  or  7  ;  chap,  xxviii.  12  ;  xxx. 
9  ;  Ezek.  iii.  7  ;  xx.  8  ;  Lev.  xxvi.  21).  The  construc- 
tion JXp  ver.  20  is  evidently  copied  from  this.  —  The  ex- 
pression V1XH  310,  good  of  the  land,  is  first  found 

I   V  T  T 

Gen.  xlv.  IS,  20,  where  it  stands  parallel  with  <1t'TNri~3  7H 

I    V  TT 

fat  of  the  land,  (comp.  Deut.  vi.  11  ;  2  Kings  viii.  9;  Ezr. 
ix.  12). 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  This  section  refers  to  the  future,  as  vers.  2-9 
did  to  the  past  and   present.     For  the  theme  is 
how  to  escape  out  of  the  misery  of  the  present 
and   attain   a   better    future.      The   people   had 
hitherto  employed  false    means ;    outward  cere- 
monies that  were  an  abomination  to  the  Lord, 
(vers.  10-15).     Instead  of  these  the  people  must 
bring  the  genuine  fruits  of  repentance,  (vers.  16, 
17).      Then    conference    may  be  held  with   the 
people ;  then  will  God's  grace  be  greater  than  all 
guilt,  (v.  18).  This  is  the  right  road.  If  the  people 
will   go  that  road  they  shall  find  salvation ;  if 
they  will  not,  they  shall  find  destruction,  (vers. 
19,  20).     It  is  seen  that  a  simple  and  clear  order 
of  thought  occurs  in  this  section.     Vers.  18-20 
must  not  be  severed  and  joined   to  what  follows. 
For  they  contain  exactly  the  indispensable  con- 
clusion, viz. :    the  promise  of  grace  in   case  of 
obedience,  on  the  other  hand    denunciation  of 
wrath  in  case  of  disobedience. 

2.  Hear— Gomorrah,   ver.  10. — As    regards 
the  verbs,  ''  hear, — hearken,"  this  beginning  is 
like  that  of  the  preceding  section,  ver.  2.     But 
the   subjects   are    different :    there    heaven   and 
earth,  here  the  Sodom-judges  and  the  Gomorrah- 
nation.     The  dividing  into  judges  and  nation  is 
occasioned  partly  by  the  double  idea  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah,  by  which   this   section  is  connected 
with  the  foregoing  one,  partly  by  the  contents  of 
the  positive  demand,  ver.  17.    For,  as  regards  its 
general  contents,  this  is  directed  against  the  entire 
nation,  but  especially  also  against  the   princes 
and  judges  of  the  nation.     Expositors  correctly 
call  attention  to  the  fact  that  after  ver.  9,  the  pro- 
phet supposes  a  reply  on  the  part  of  the  people 
to  this  effect ;  how  have  they  deserved  so  hard  a 
fate,  seeing  they  had  been  so  zealously  diligent, 
to  observe  all  the  ceremonies  of  the  worship  of 
Jehovah.     To  this  it  is  replied,  that  they  are  not 
unjustly  become  like  Sodom  and  Gomorrah   be- 
cause  for  a  long  time  they  were  inwardly  like 
them.      What  Sodom-judges  and    a  Gomorrah- 
nation  may  be,  can   be  learned  from   Ezek.  xvi. 
48  sqq.    "  As  I  live,  saith  the  LORD  God,  Sodom 
thy  sister  hath  not  done,  she  nor  her  daughters, 
as  thou  hast  done,  thou  and  thy  daughters.     Be- 
hold this  was  the  iniquity  of  thy  sister  Sodom, 
pride,  fulness  of  bread,  and  abundance  of  idle- 


ness was  in  her,  and  in  her  daughters,  neither  did 
she  strengthen  the  hand  of  the  poor  and  needy. 
And  they  were  haughty,  and  committed  abomina- 
tion before  me  ;  therefore  I  took  them  away  as  I 
saw  good."  Comp.  Gen.  xiii.  13 ;  xviii.  20. 
Therefore,  rude,  violent  selfishness,  joined  with 
sensual  abomination  was  the  sin  of  Sodom,  and 
is  the  sin  of  Judah.  Consequently,  and  in  refer- 
ence to  our  passage,  the  earthly  Jerusalem  is 
called  in  Rev.  xi.  8  TrvevfiariKuc;  "Z66op.a  Kat  Al-yvir- 
rof.  The  prophet  does  not  understand  by  mir\ 
im  7N, ''  the  law  of  our  God"  a  simple'parallel  with 
''  131,  "the  word,"  etc.,  institutio,  or  nrnifl  (chas- 
tisement) in  general,  but  the  Mosaic  "  Law,  es- 
pecially, corresponding  to  the  context,  which 
treats  of  the  difference  between  a  true  and  a  false 
observance  of  the  law.  Thus  the  second  member 
marks  an  advance  in  reference  to  the  first,  and 
rpin  is  to  be  construed  synedochically.  "  Docebo 
vos,"  &c.,  says  VITRINGA,  "I  will  teach  you 
what  is  the  sum  of  the  law  of  Moses ;  not  this, 
assuredly,  which  ye  hypocritically  exhibit,  but  to 
worship'God  with  a  pure  heart,  and  manifest  zeal 
for  justice,  equity,  honor  and  every  virtue." 

3.  To  what  purpose — full  of  blood,  v.  11- 
15. — VITRINGA  calls  attention  to  a  gradation  in 
these  verses.  Bloody  sacrifices,  attendance  at  the 
temple,  unbloody  sacrifices,  feasts,  prayers,  make 
the  series  of  religious  formalities  which  approach 
step  by  step  to  a  truly  spiritual  worship.  And 
yet  they  may  all  of  them  not  satisfy  the  Lord  as 
Israel  observed  them:  for  the  nation,  notwith- 
standing, does  not  rise  above  the  level  of  mere 
outward  ceremonial  service.  The  DTpT  are  a 
comprehensive  expression  for  bloody  sacrifices, 
as  is  often  the  case  in  writers  of  later  date  than 
the  Pentateuch,  see  1  Sam.  ii.  29 ;  iii.  14.  Isa. 
xix.  21;  HERZOG  R.  Encycl.  X.  p.  621,  637. 
This  appears  from  the  prominence  of  the  word  in 
Ter.  11,  and  from  its  being  made  parallel  with 
nnj"D  ver.  13.  That  the  discourse  of  Jehovah 
must  not  be  regarded  as  the  first  and  only  one  of 
the  sort  spoken  in  this  matter,  but  as  a  member 
of  a  continuous  chain  of  words  of  the  same  pur- 
port, is  indicated  by  the  Imperfect. 

Without  exactly  intending  completeness,  or  an 


42 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


especially  significant  order  of  the  classes  of  beasts 
and  sacrifices,  the  prophet  still  enumerates  the 
chief  sorts  of  those  sacrifices  that  were  taken  from 

fXV  and  I53  (flocks  and  herds).     The 


the  principal  sacrifice  is  named  first  :  (it  is 
D'tyip  comp.  (EHLER  in  HERZOG'S  R.  Encyd.  X. 

p.  634).  That  only  D'Vx  m'bj»  are  named,  is 
accidental.  For  burnt-offerings  were  not  pre- 
sented only  of  rams,  see  Lev.  i.  nor  were  offerings 
of  rams  especially  holy.  In  all  enumerations  of 
the  sacrificial  beasts  rams  are  in  the  second  place, 
after  bullocks.  Exod.  xxix.  ;  Lev.  viii.  ;  Num. 
vii.  15  sqq.  ;  xxix.  2  sq.,  etc.  In  as  much  as,  with 
the  exception  of  the  whole  burnt-offering,  only 
the  fat  and  the  blood  were  offered,  (comp.  CEnLER 
HERZOG'S  R.  Encyd.  X.  p.  G32),  Lev.  iii.  16  sq.  ; 
vii.  23  sqq.  ;  Ezek.  xliv.  15,  it  is  natural  that 
these  should  have  especial  prominence  in  this 
place.  By  D'N'^p  we  are  not  to  understand  a 
particular  species  of  beast,  as  many  have  thought. 
The  word  is  only  found  elsewhere  in  2  Sam.  vi. 
13  ;  1  Kings  i.  9,  19,  25  ;  Isa.  xi.  6  ;  Ezek.  xxxix. 
18  ;  Amos  v.  22.  The  meaning  is  not  made  out 
with  certainty.  But  in  this  place  it  seems  to 
mean  fed  beasts  in  general.  If  the  fat  were  all 
that  was  offered  of  the  solid  matter  of  the  beast, 
tiien  must  a  beast  be  the  better  suited  for  an  of- 
fering according  as  it  had  more  fat.  Thence  the 
being  fat  is  named  as  a  desirable  quality  in  the 
sacrificial  animal,  Ps.  xx.  ;  Gen.  iv.  4.  A  further 
proof  that  the  prophet  does  not  intend  an  exact 
classification  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  he  speaks 
only  of  the  blood  of  bullocks,  of  sheep,  (JW3  the 
male  sheep  Lev.  xiv.  10)  and  of  he-goats  ("Nr\J? 
the  younger,  ">\P^  the  older  he-goat),  although 
neither  the  blood  of  only  these  beasts,  nor  yet  of 
these  beasts  was  only  the  blood  offered. 

Ver.  12.  When  ye  come  to  appear,  etc.  — 
A  grade  higher  than  the  rude  bloody  sacrifice, 
this  personal  appearance  at  the  place  of  worship 
stands  on  the  platform  of  spirituality.  It  also  is 
an  homage  that  is  paid  to  the  divinity.  But  it 
does  not  suffice.  Hence  it  may  be  said  of  the 
mere  bodily  presence,  that  the  Lord  has  not  de- 
manded that. 

Who  hath  required.—  Jehovah  does  not 
require  the  mere  bodily  presence,  so  far  as  this  is 
nothing  but  an  useless  wearing  out  of  the  courts 
by  the  feet  of  those  that  stand  in  them. 

The  unbloody  sacrifices  and  the  solemn  assem- 
bles represent  again  a  different  and  still  higher 
grade  of  worship.  No  more  lying  meat-offerings 
shall  they  bring,  (Comp.  v.  18  ;  xxx.  28)  i.  e., 
such,  in  which  the  disposition  of  the  one  sacrific- 
ing does  not  correspond  to  the  outward  rite.  I  do 
not  believe  that  the  text  has  to  do  only  with  the 
performances  of  the  AatSf,  "  laity,"  as  DELITZSCH 
supposes.  For  the  prophet  rejects  the  entire  out- 
ward ceremonial  service,  which,  in  fact,  the 
priests  solemnized  ortly  in  place  of  the  nation 
which  ideally  was  itself  a  priestly  nation,  Exod. 
xix.  6.  Moreover,  there  would  be  an  omission 
in  the  enumeration  of  the  parts  of  worship  if 
that  very  important  and  most  holy  incense  offer-t 
ing  were  left  out  (Exod.  xxx.,  especially  ver.  36).' 
The  Lord  says,  therefore,  that  incense,  otherwise 


so  like  the  fragrant  blossom  of  the  sacrificial  wor- 
ship, was  itself  an  abomination,  when  offered  in 
the  false  way  as  hitherto. 

The  new  moon  and  Sabbath.—  The 
observance  of  the  holy  days  and  seasons  appointed 
by  the  Lord  Himself  was  an  essential  part  of  the 
obedience  demanded  from  the  nation,  comp. 
Exod.  xxiii.  10-17  ;  Lev.  xxiii.  ;  Num.  xxviii.  ; 
xxix.  ;  Deut.  xvi.  Yet  even  such  performance 
is  of  no  account  in  God's  sight,  but,  on  the  con- 
trary, offensive  and  vexatious  when  it  does  not 
proceed  from  that  disposition  He  would  have. 
The  new  moons,  "  were  so  to  speak  the  first  born 
among  the  days  of  the  month,"  and  the  fixing  of 
the  other  feast  days  that  occurred  in  the  month 
depended  on  them  (''From  the  moon  in  the  sign 
of  feasts,"  Ecclus.  xliii.  7  ;  comp.  SAALSCIIUETZ, 
Mos.  R.,  p.  402  sqq.).  Concerning  their  cele- 
brations, see  Num.  x.  10;  xxviii.  11-16;  1  Sam. 
xx.  5,  18  sq.  By  f!3$  is  to  be  understood  the 
weekly  Sabbath,  as  appears  from  the  fact  that,  in 
what  follows,  the  feasts  and  therefore  the  feast 
Sabbaths  are  especially  mentioned  ;  see  HERZOG'S 

R.  Encyd.  IV.  p.  385.  hjiX  is  used  here  in  the 
pregnant  sense  of  "  surmounting,  enduring,  being 
able  to  hold  out,"  like  we  too  could  say;  ''  nicht 
vermac)  ich  Frevel  und  Festversammlung."  ''  I  can't 
(stand)  outrage  and  solemn  assembly,"  i.  e.,  the 
combination  of  the  two,  both  at  once  surpasses 

my  ability.  In  a  similar  sense  7lT  is  used  Hos. 
viii.  5;  Ps.  ci.  5  sq.  ;  xiii.  5;  Prov.  xxx.  21. 
God  cannot  put  up  with  this  combination  of  con- 
centration and  decentralization,  of  centripetal 
and  centrifugal  forces.  He  opposes  to  them  a 
nonpossumus.  In  the  following  verse  the  pro- 
phet repeats  the  same  thought  with  still  stronger 
expressions.  For  he  names  again  the  new  moons. 
But  what  in  ver.  13  he  designates  by  the  words, 
"  Sabbath,  calling  assembly  and  solemn  meet- 
ing," he  comprehends  here  in  the  one  conception 
DHJTIO  O#iD  "the  most  general  word  for  the 
lioly  seasons  that  occurred  by  established  order." 
(EHLER  in  HERZOG'S  R.  Encyd.  IV.  p.  383,  comp* 
Lev.  xxiii.  2).  What  he  says  to  them  ver.  13, 


in  one  word  731K~w7i  "  /  can't  bear"  he  now  ex- 
presses by  three  verbs.  He  explains  his  non 
possumus  in  that  he  says  he  hates  those  cere- 
monies, that  they  are  a  burden  to  him  and  a  sub- 
ject of  loathing. 

But  prayer,  too,  although  it  is  the  fragrant  blos- 
som of  the  soul's  life  (comp.  Rev.  v.  8  ;  viii.  3  sq.), 
and  therefore  stands  high  above  the  previously 
named  elements  of  worship  in  regard  to  imma- 
;eriality  and  spirituality,  is  not  acceptable  to  the 
Lord  in  the  mouth  of  this  people.  For  it  also  is 
only  empty  lip  and  hand  service.  Jehovah  shuts 
His  eyes  at  the  caricature  of  prayer  ;  comp.  1  Sam. 
xii.  3  ;  Prov.  xxviii.  27  ;  and  also  much  praying 
does  not  help  the  matter,  for  Jehovah  does  not 
jo  on  hearing  constantly. 

Your  bands  are  full  of  blood."  —  In  this 
hort  phrase,  which  is  added  emphatically  without 
:onnecting  particle,  the  reason  is  given  why  Je- 
:iovah  cannot  endure  all  the  ceremonial  obser- 
vances of  the  nation.  They  are  offered  by  hands 
stained  with  blood.  It  ia  thus  a  revolting  lie, 
xxix.  13. 


CHAP.  I.  10-20. 


43 


4.  Wash  ye — plead  for  the  widow,  vers. 
16-17. — Heart  cleansing,  turning  away  from  evil, 
proper  fruits  of  repentance, — such  is  the  divine 
service  that  the  Lord  requires.     There  are  nine 
demands  made  on  the  people ;  four  negative,  ver. 
16,  and  five  positive,  vcr.  17.     The  first  two  of 
the   four  negative    expressions    are    figurative. 
1'ni  is  indeed  often  used  of  bodily  washing  (and 
in  a  medial  sense  as  here :  Ex.  ii.  5 ;  Lev.  xiv. 
8;  xv.  5  sqq.  etc.}.     HDI  is  used  only  of  moral 
purity,  but,  according  to  its  fundamental  idea, 
must  be  regarded  as  a  figurative  expression.     In 
what   follows  the  prophet  says  the   same  thing 
without  figure  of  speech :  they  must  let  the  Lord 
see  no  more  wicked  works,  i.  e.,  they  must  cease 
to  sin. 

The  five  positive  demands  proceed  from  the 
general  to  the  particular.  For  in  advance  stands 
the  quite  general  ''  learn  to  do  well."  Then  fol- 
lows the  exhortation  to  "seek  Judgment,"  (the 
phrase  is  found  again  only  xvi.  5).  The  Old 
Test,  flp"^  "  righteousness,"  consists  essentially 
in  conformity  to  COStfD,  '' judgment."  Whoever, 
under  all  circumstances,  does  what  is  right,  even 
when  he  has  the  power  to  leave  it  undone,  is  a 
p^T^,  "righteous  one."  When  the  powerful, 
then,  spite  of  his  power,  suffers  the  poor,  the 
wretched,  the  widow  and  the  orphan  to  enjoy 
their  rights,  then  this  justice  appears  subjectively 
as  gentleness  and  goodness,  objectively  as  salva- 
tion. Hence  P'T^  has  so  often  the  secondary 
meaning  of  "  kindness,  mercy  "  (com p.  Ps.  xxxvii. 
21;  Prov.  xii.  10;  xxi.  26)  and  pT*  or  nj3n* 
that  of  "salvation"  (Ps.  xxiv.  5;  cxxxii.  9,  16; 
Isa.xli.  10;  xlv.8,ete.).  The  Old  Test.  r^TTC  con- 
trasts, therefore,  on  the  one  hand  with  grace,  that 
gives  more  than  can  justly  be  demanded,  on  the 
other  hand,  with  oppressive  unrighteousness, 

(comp.  Y'^%>  T101?'  l^-?  and  others)  that  gives 
less.  Comp.  my  comment,  on  Jer.  vii.  5. — Who- 
ever exercises  strict  justice  will  quite  as  much  re- 
strain the  oppressor  from  doing  injustice,  as  aid 
those  seeking  their  rights  to  the  enjoyment  of 
them.  The  prophet  expresses  the  former  by  the 
words  j'ton  ^$N,  "righten  [marrj.  Eng.vers.]  the 
oppressor." 

5.  Come  now— hath  spoken  it,  vers.  18- 
20.     As  in  ver.  15  the  phrase  "  your  hands  are 
filled  with  blood"  is  loosely  strung  on  without 
connecting  particle,  so  also  the  complex  thought 
of  vers.  18,  19,  as  to  its  sense,  refers  back  to  ver. 
15  b.     For  the  prophet  evidently  would  say:  your 
hands  are  indeed  full  of  blood,  but  if  ye  truly  be- 
come converted,  all  debts  shall  be  forgiven,  etc. 
Verse  18  therefore  contains  the  necessary  conse- 
quences of  the  premises  laid  down  in  what  pre- 
cedes.    The  discourse  gains  in  brevity  and  viva- 
city by  its  members  being  strung  together  without 
conjunctions.— "  Come,  now,"  etc.,  comp.  ii.  3,  5. 
The  prophot  would  say :  when  ye  shall  have  truly 
repented,  then  come,  and  then  we  shall  easily 
come  to  an  understanding.    GESENIUS  and  others 
would  have  the  sense  to  be,  not  that  Jehovah  is 
represented  as  forgiving,  but  that  the  taking  away 
of  the  blood-red  guilt  consists  in  an  extirpation 
of  the  sinner.     They  support  this  view  by  remind- 


ing that  03E/J  and  J\K  O'JpZJCb  "13T  always  de- 
signate God  as  the  punitive  Judge  ;  eomp.  Ixvi- 
10  ;  Joel  iv.  (iii.)  2;  Jer.  xxv.  31  ;  Ezek.  xx.  35, 
etc.  But  it  is  precisely  for  this  reason  that  Isaiah 
does  not  employ  the  usual  expression  for  "  liti- 
gate," but  a  word  that  does  not  elsewhere  occur, 
in  order  to  indicate  that  he  has  in  mind  a  litiga- 
tion. altogether  different  from  the  usual  sort.  Be- 
sides, it  contradicts  not  only  the  sense  and  the 
connection  of  our  passage,  but  the  spirit  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures  generally,  for  one  to  assume  that 
pardon  may  not  follow  the  fulfilling  of  the  condi- 
tions proposed  in  ver.  16,  or  that  this  pardon  may 
consist  in  the  extirpation  of  the  outrageous  offend- 
ers and  the  "cleansing  and  clearing  away"  thus 
effected.  No  !  just  those,  whoso  hands  are  full  of 
blood,  may,  if  they  cleanse  themselves,  be  pure 
and  white  ;  oomp.  xliii.  24  pq.  ;  xliv.  22  ;  Ps. 
xxxii.  and  Ii.  —  "Ji?  and  flJ^Vlfl  are  one  and  the 
same  color,  viz.,  bright  red,  crimson.  Here,  evi- 
dently, it  means  the  color  of  blood.  In  many 
places,  as  Exod.  xxviii.  5,  6;  xxxvi.  8,  etc.;  Jer. 


iv.  30,  we  find  ^p  njnin  or  'P^l?  ;  Lev.  xiv.  4, 
6,  49,  51,  52;  Num.  xix.  6  r\£Sin  'Jt£  Lam. 
iv.  5  only  Jmfl.  The  last  word  means  "  worm," 
(comp.  Exod.  xvi.  20,  and  njpVlfl  Isa.  xiv.  11  . 
Ixvi.  24;  Job  xxv.  6).  What  the  *W  AgVlfl  is 
we  are  well  informed.  It  is  the  female  cochineal 
(coccus  ilia's,  LIXNE)  which  lays  its  eggs  on  the 
twigs  of  the  holm  oak,  and,  expiring  upon  them, 
covers  them  with  its  body.  The  egg  nests  so 
formed  were  pulverized  and  the  color  prepared 
therefrom.  It  is  less  certain  why  the  color  is 
named  '3^.  Comp.  LEYKER,  Art.  crimson  in 
HERZOG'S  E.  Encycl.  XXL,  p.  60(5.  The  plural 
D^t!/  is  found  only  here  and  Prov.  xxxi.  21.  It 
seems  to  me  in  both  places  to  mean  more  proba- 
bly "  scarlet  stuffs.''  That  sin  is  here  called  red, 
has  its  reason  in  the  evident  retcrence  to  the 
bloody  hands,  ver.  15  b.  But  that  the  righteous 
estate  is  compared  to  white  color,  happens  ac- 
cording to  the  natural  and  universal  symbolism 
of  colors;  comp.  Ps.  xxxvii.  6;  Mai.  iii.  20  (iv. 
2)  ;  1  Jno.  i.  5,  7;  Kev.  i.  14;  iii.  4;  xix.  14,  etc. 

If  ye  be  willing,  ver.  19.  The  exhortation 
vers.  16,  17  is  followed  ver.  18  by  a  similar  pro- 
mise, i.  e.,  by  one  that  similarly  confines  itself  to 
the  inward,  spiritual  domain.  To  this  is  now 
joined  a  twofold  word  of  a)  promise  also  of  out- 
ward felicity,  ver.  19;  b)  of  threatening  of  bodily 
destruction,  ver.  20.  The  conclusion  ''  ye  shall 
be  devoured  of  the  sword,"  vcr.  20,  corresponds 
to  "ye  shall  eat  the  good  of  the  land,"  not  only 
as  to  sense,  but  also,  as  near  as  may  be,  as  to 
sound.  On  the  formula  "  for  the  mouth,"  etc., 
comp.,  at  ver.  2. 

[Ver.  13.  "The  last  clause,  meaning  of  course, 
I  cannot  bear  them  together,  is  a  key  to  the  pre- 
ceding verses.  It  was  not  religious  observance 
itself,  but  its  combination  with  iniquity,  that  God 
abhorred."  J.  A.  ALEXANDER. 

Oblations,  HnjO.  "  This  word  properly  de- 
noted a  gift  of  any  kind,  (Gen.  xxxii.  13),  then 
especially  a  present  or  offering  to  the  Deity. 
Gen.  iv.  3,  4,  5.—  The  proper  translation  would 


44 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


have  been  meal  or  flour-offering,  rather  than  meat- 
offering, since  the  word  meat  with  us  now  denotes 
animal  food  only.  Lev.  ii.  1 ;  vi.  14 ;  ix.  17." 
BARNES. 

Ver.  16.  Wash. — "  It  is  used  here  in  close  con- 
nection with  the  previous  verse,  where  the 
prophet  says  that  their  hands  were  filled  with  blood. 
He  now  admonishes  them  to  wash  away  that 
blood,  with  the  implied  understanding,  that,  then 
their  prayers  would  be  heard."  BARNES. 

From  before  mine  eyes.  "  As  God  is  omni- 
scient, to  put  them  away  from  before  His  eyes  is 
to  put  them  away  altogether."  BARNES. 

Ver.  18.  "  God  lias  been  addressing  magistrates 
particularly,  and  commanding  them  to  seek  judg- 
ment, etc.,  all  of  which  are  terms  taken  from  the 
law.  He  here  continues  the  language,  and  ad- 
dresses them  as  accustomed  to  the  proceedings 


of  courts,  and  proposes  to  submit  the "  (their) 
"  case  as  if  on  trial."  BARNES. 

Scarlet. — "  There  is  another  idea  here.  This 
was  a,  fast  or  fixed  color.  Neither  dew,  rain,  nor 
washing,  nor  long  usage  would  remove  it.  Hence 
it  is  used  to  represent  the  fixedness  and  perma- 
nency of  sins  in  the  heart.  No  human  means  will 
wash  them  out.  No  effort  of  man,  no  external 
rites,  no  tears,  no  sacrifice,  no  prayers  are  of 
themselves  sufficient  to  take  them  away.  An 
almighty  power  is  needful  to  remove  them." 
BARNES. 

Like  the  wool. — Instead  of  the  wool  becom- 
ing like  the  crimson,  the  crimson  shall  become 
like  the  wool.  Regarding  the  sequence  of  vers. 
16,  17,  and  ver.  18 ;  comp.  Matt.  v.  22-24.— TR. 

Ver.  19.  Ye  shall  eat. — "  Instead  of  seeing 
them  devoured  by  strangers,  as  in  ver.  7."  J.  A. 
ALEXANDER]. 


4.  COMPREHENSIVE  SURVEY  OF  THE  PAST,  PRESENT  AND  FUTURE. 

CHAPTER  I.  21-31. 

21  How  is  the  faithful  city  become  an  harlot ! 
It  was  full  of  judgment ; 

Rightepusness  lodged  in  it ;  but  now  murderers. 

22  Thy  silver  is  become  dross, 
Thy  wine  mixed  with  water : 

23  Thy  princes  are  rebellious,  and  companions  of  thieves : 
Every  one  loveth  gifts,  and  "followeth  after  rewards: 
They  judge  not  the  fatherless, 

Neither  doth  the  cause  of  the  widow  come  unto  them. 

24  Therefore  saith  the  LORD, 

The  LORD  of  hosts,  the  Mighty  One  of  Israel, 
Ah,  I  will  bease  me  of  mine  adversaries, 
And  avenge  me  of  mine  enemies : 

25  And  I  will  turn  my  hand  upon  thee, 
And1  "purely  purge  away  thy  dross, 
And  take  away  all  thy  dtin  : 

26  And  I  will  restore  thy  judges  as  at  the  first, 
And  thy  counsellors  as  at  the  beginning: 
Afterward  thou  shalt  be  called, 

The  city  of  righteousness,  the  faithful  city. 

27  Zion  shall  be  redeemed  with  judgment, 
And  "her  converts  with  righteousness. 


1  Heb.  according  to  pureness. 

»  chases. 

e  win  melt  out  thy  dross  with  lye. 


1  Or,  the;/  that  return  of  her. 

b  refresh  myself  on,  and  avenge  me  on, 

«  lead. 


CHAP.  I.  21-31. 


45 


28  'And  the  'destruction  of  the  trangressors  and  of  the  sinners  shall  be  together, 
And  they  that  forsake  the  LORD  shall  be  consumed. 

29  For  they  shall  be  ashamed  of  the  oaks  which  ye  have  desired, 
And  ye  shall  be  confounded  for  the  gardens  that  ye  have  chosen. 

30  For  ye  shall  be  as  an  oak  whose  leaf  fadeth, 
And  as  a  garden  that  hath  no  water. 

31  And  the  strong  shall  be  as  tow, 
4And  rthe  maker  of  it  as  a  spark, 
And  they  shall  both  burn  together, 
And  none  shall  quench  them. 


Heb.  breaking. 
But. 


*  Or,  And  his  work. 
1  his  work  a  spark. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  21.  Concerning  the  distinction  between  np1¥,  p"l¥ 

ITT:     I 

and  J3£3t?0  comp.  DBECHSI.EU  in  loc.    I  will  only  remark 
T  :    • 

that  the  grammatical  form  pn¥  requires  as  its  primitive, 
fundamental  meaning  "the  being  righteous,  integrity," 
therefore  the  idea  of  the  verb  pHV  in  its  abstract  gen- 
erality (cbmp.  plV  "JIXO,  pi*  'J3X),  whereas  DpTi', 
I  vv  ":  I  vv  ••:  -  ITT  : 

although  also  abstract,  signifies  integrity  as  the  moral 
quality  of  a  person,  and  as  the  prerequisite  of  right  doing. 
Comp.  also  EWAI.D,  \  143  a ;  1506. — ft3CfD  on  the  other 
hand,  involves  the  idea  of  right  perse,  and  in  every  respect 
of  its  concrete  realization.  It  is  thus  at  once  normal  right, 
and  also  rightful  claim,  legal  proceeding,  verdict,  and 
judgment.  It  is  natural  that  in  application  the  three 
conceptions  should  blend  with  one  another. — {'7,  related 
by  root  to  7^7  is  properly  pernoctare,  then  "  to  stay,  to 
dwell"  generally:  comp.  Ps.  xxv  13;  Prov.  xv.  31 ;  Job 
xix.  4. — The  verb  H2O  does  not  again  occur  in  Isaiah  ; 
its  participle  Piel  only  2  Kings  vi.  32.— Regarding  the 
construction  of  ver.  21,  '3  TlxSiD  is  not  in  a  manner  in 
apposition  with  DJDX3)  as  one  might  be  tempted  to 
think,  out  of  liking  for  the  easier  grammatical  connec- 
tion, for  the  sense  is  decidedly  against  it. 

Ver.  22.  D'J'D  because  of  the  derivation  from  J1D 
more  correct  than  D'JD,  comp.  Ezek.  xxii.  18  sq. ;  Ps. 
cxix.  119;  Prov.  xxv.  4;  xxvi.  23;  only  in  Isaiah  again, 
ver.  25.  JOD,  only  found  again  IIos.  iv.  18,  comp.  Isa. 
Ivi.  12,  that  with  which  one  carouses,  intoxicates  himself, 
in  French,  ce  qui  soule.  71P1D  »"••  ^«V-,  is  kindred  to 
713  circumcised,  cut,  comp.  juylare  Falernum,  Martial 
ep.  i.  18  ;  castrare  vinum,  Plin,  Hist.  Nat. 

Ver.  23.  pit?  and  D'TllD  (comp.  xxx.  1;  Ixv.  2;  Jer. 
vi.  28;  Hos.  ix.  15)  is  a  play  on  words  and  indicates  the 
relation  of  those  men  to  God  (1.  Table),  as  the  following 
CJ  '"UP)  does  their  relation  to  men  (2.  Table,  comp. 
Prov.  xxix.  24).— The  singular  ^3  embraces  the  D^t? 
as  unity,  as  rank.  D'JD1?^  is  an.  Aey.  inttf  is  in  Isa. 
v.  23;  xxrxiii.  15;  xlv.  13. 

Ver.  24.  On  MH  comp.  ver.  4.  The  Niphal  En 3  is  used 
here  in  the  sense  "  to  breathe  again  refreshed,"  i.  e.,  "  re- 
fresh oneself,"  as  Ivii.  G ;  Jcr.  xxxi.  15 ;  Ezek.  xxxi.  16, 
etc.  This  meaning,  however,  changes  to  the  kindred  one 
of  DDJ  to  revenge,  Niphal,  to  revenge  oneself.  For  re- 
venge is  a  refreshment.  Therefore  also  is  Dt"U  joined 
here  with  JT3,  which  construction  is  the  usual  one  for 


DPJ,  ultionem  capcre,  Judg.  xvi.  28;  1  Sam.  xiv.  14;  Jer. 
xv.  15;  xlvi.  10,  etc.. 

Ver    25.    Whereas   T    3'l^n  means  either  "to  draw 

T         •  •• 
back  the  hand,"  Gen.  xxxviii.  29;  Josh.  viii.  26;  1  Sam. 

xiv.  27;  livings  xiii.  4;  Isa.  xiv.  27;  or  "  to  return  the 
hand  to  a  place,"  Exod.  iv.  7,  or  "to  bring  the  hand 
repeatedly  somewhere  "  Jer.  vi.  9,  *~)y  "V  2^i!/n  in  most 
places  of  its  occurrence  (Ezek.  xxxviii.  12:  Amos  i. 
8;  Zech.  xiii.  7;  Ps.  Ixxxi.  15;  comp.  2  Sam.  viii.  3)  =  to 
turn  one's  hand  in  a  figurative  sense,  i.  e.,  to  turn  in  an 
hostile  way  against  any  one.  7 '"13  stannum  or  plumbum 
nigrum,  only  used  this  once  in  isa.  *^3  •=  m3  vege- 
table alkali,  only  here  in  Isa.,  comp.  Job  ix.  30.  As  the 
alkali  does  not  effect  the  smelting  process,  but  only 
promotes  it,  ""1,33  must  not  be  construed  as  nominative, 
but  as  an  accusative  that  supplies  the  preposition  that 
is  wanting  after  3  (alkali  fashion,  comp.  on  31H  vers. 
20  and  12),  comp.  GESEXIUS,  <J  118,  3  Anm;  the  plural 
D'1?  "13,  lead  pieces,  is  the  only  form  of  the  word,  which 
occurs  only  here;  comp.  Ezek.  xxii.  18,  20;  xxvii.  12. — 
Kindred  passages,  whose  authors  may  have  had  our  text 
in  mind,  are  Jcr.  vi.  29  sq. ;  Zech.  xiii.  7  sqq. 

Ver.  2G.  The  beginning  with  n3''i^Xl  has  almost  the 
appearance'of  a  rhyme  in  relation  to  the  same  word,  ver. 
25.  Evidently  the  prophet  intends  to  emphasize  the 
difference  of  sense  by  the  similar  sound  of  the  words. 
The  construction  is  an  adverbial  prolcpsis.  For  whereas 
otherwise,  in  prolepsis  that,  which  is  the  effect  of  the 
transaction,  is  adjoined  to  the  object  in  the  form  of  ad- 
jective, the  adjoining  occurs  here  in  adverbial  form; 
(comp.  Jer.  xxxiii.  7,  11;  and  1  Kings  xiii.  6). 

Ver.  23.  As  regards  the  sense,  it  does  not  matter 
whether  we  take  IDjy  (properly  fractura  xv.  5;  xxx.  26) 

as  predicate,  as  HITZIO  does,  or,  like  most  others,  as  the 
object  of  an  exclamatory  phrase.  As  in  this  chapter 
several  such  nominatives  occur  absolutely,  and  repre- 
senting a  phrase  (vers.  7, 13),  the  latter  may  be  more 
correct. 
Ver.  29.  The  singular  of  D' ?X  occurs  only  once  Gen. 

xiv.  6  in  the  proper  name  pN3  TN-    As  singular  n 7X 

IT      T  ••  T" 

(ver.  30)  is  always  used  elsewhere.  The  meaning  "Tere- 
binth," which,  parallel  with  meanings  "  strength,"  and 
"  ram  "  (eomp.  the  Latin  robur),  develops  out  of  the  funda- 
mental meaning  torqutre,  is  now  admitted  by  all  exposi- 
tors, whereas  many  of  the  older  ones,  following  the  LXX. 


46 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


and  VULGATE,  took  the  word  in  the  sense  of  "  Idols." 
Isa.  mentions  the  D'Sx  as  objects  of  idolatrous  worship, 
also  Ivii,  5,  whereas,  Ixi.  3,  he  opposes  to  thesj  idolatrous 
ones  the  pli;  'S'K,  trees  (Tereb.ntbs)  of  righteousness, 
with  plainly  a  pregnant  meaning.— The  word  Jlfjj  only 
Isa.,  uses  of  the  groves  of  idols,  Ixv.  3;  Ixvi.  17;  comp. 
also  HERZOG'S  R.  Encycl.  V.  p.  4  4,  Art.  Haine  "  The  ab- 
rupt change  of  person  in  animated  address  cannot  be 
thought  strange.  As  Tpn  l*l'V.  9;j  and  1P3  (Ixvi.  3 

sq. ;  Josh.  xxiv.  15,  22,  etc.),  are  often  used  of  religious 
deciding,  so,  still  more  frequently  U/13  (xx  5;  Jer.  ii. 
30;  xlviii.  13,  etc.),  and  "\3n  (xxiy.  23;  Mic.  iii.  7,  efc.), 

arc  used  for  the  confounding  results  of  the  assurance 
reposed  in  idols. 

Ver.  30.  rhy  may  be  construed  as  the  accusative  of 
closer  definition  (a  terebinth  falling  away  in  regard 
to  its  leaves),  because  flS^J  as  feminine  connects  more 

ea«ily  with  flSx  than  with  the  masculine  PPl'-    Yet 

T"  L  VT 

to  me  it  seems  more  probable  that  rO2J  is  to  be  joined 

to  nSj,',  not  as  adjective,  however,  but  as  substantive- 
For,  as  we  see  from  xxviii.  1,  4  ;  xxxiv.  4,  the  participle 


Kal  of  S33  becomes  a  noun  both  in  the  masculine  and 

-  T 

in  the  feminine.  In  that  case  it  would  be  rendered  ;  a 
terebinth,  foliage  that  falls,  (are)  its  leaves.  r\ftf  is  to 

be  taken  collectively  =  foliage.    Comp.  Jer.  xvii.  8;  Ps. 
i.  3;  Ezek.  xlvii.  12.    As  the  plural  occurs  only  in  the 
later  Hebrew,  (Neh.  viii.  15),  the  reading  !T_7J7  is  to  be 
rejected 
Yer.  31.  The  word   pn  occurs  beside  here  only  in 

Amos  ii.  9.  According  to  this  passage,  and  Ps.  Ixxxix. 
9  (where  the  form  T'OH  occurs)  and  according  to  the 

noun  pn  (xxxiii.  t>;  Jeremiah  xx.  5,  etc.),  whence  the 
Niphal  p|T  (xxiii.  18),  the  meaning  can  only  be  opu- 
lentus,  opibus  validas.  The  punctuation  1 7>?D  does  not 

conflict  with  our  explanation ;  see  Exeg.  and  Crit.  For, 
apart  from  the  fact  that  it  is  not  without  analogy,  the 
use  of  pn  for  idols  would  be  quite  unusual,  and  the 
idea  that  the  idolater  plunges  his  idols  in  ruin  would 
not  only  be  strange,  but  also  wholly  without  motive  in 

the  context The  formula  n3D"D  TX1  occurs  in  Isa., 

only  here;  elsewhere  Amos  v.  6;  Jer.  iv.  4;  xxi.  12. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  prophet  first  looks  back  into  the  past. 
What  vrcre  the  people  formerly  f    They  were  a 
people  in  whom  faithfulness  and  righteousness 
flourished.     But  then  he   asks:    what  are  they 
nmvf   A  ruined  nation,  in  which  unrighteousness 
and    violence    hold  the  sceptre,    (vers.  21-23). 
The  Lord  will  subject  this  people  to  a  severe 
process  of  purifying,  (vers.  24,  2-3) :  whose  conse- 
quences will  be  SL future,  two-fold  in'form;  a)  the 
good    elements  will    attain    their    Original  (su- 
premacy, Jerusalem  will  again  become  a  city  of 
justice,  and  by  justice  become  partaker  of  salva- 
tion (vers.  20,  27) ;  6)  but  the  bad  elements,  the 
apostates  that  have  forsaken  Jehovah  and  served 
idols,  shall  by  their  own  works  be  pitiably  de- 
stroyed (vers.  28-31). 

2.  How  is    the    faithful   city  —  widow 
come  unto  them. — Vers.  21-23.  DELITZSCH 
justly  remarks  that  ver.  21  calls  to  mind  the  tone 
of  the  nrp,  the  Elegy.     And  I  have  myself,  in 
the  comment  on  Lam.  i.  1,  pointed  to  the  de- 

Eendence  of  that  passage  on  this.     The  tone  of 
iment,  the  n^K  (occurring  four  times  in  Lam.), 

the  archaic  form  ^£.P  made  this  passage  appear 
to  the  author  of  Lam.  a  suitable  prototype  and 
point  of  departure. — By  reason  of  many  expres- 
sions in  the  Pentateuch,  that  designate  idolatrv 
as  whoredom  (Exod.  xxxiv.  15  sq. ;  Lev.  xvii. 
7;  xx.  5  sqq.;  Num  xv.  39;  Deut.  xxxi.  16). 
Isa.,  here  calls  Jerusalem  nji?  on  account  of  its 
apostacy  from  Jehovah  by  grosser  and  more  re- 
fined idolatry.  Comp  Hos.  i.  2 ;  ii.  6  sqq. ;  iv. 
10  pqq.;  Jer.  ii.  23  sqq. ;  iii.  1  pqq. ;  Ezek.  xvi. 
15  sqq.,  etc.).  It  was  become  such,  however,  only 
in  process  of  time.  For  originally,  so  to  speak, 
in  its  paradisaical  or  golden  age" it  was  nj"DXJ, 
faithful.  It  may  be  asked  ;  does  the  prophet  by 
this  golden  age  mean  the  time  of  wandering  in 


the  wilderness,  as  Hos.  xi.  1 ;  Jer.  ii.  2,  or  the 
period  of  David  and  Solomon  ?  But  as  the  pro- 
phet speaks  here  of  the  city  ("T^p)  by  which  he 
can  only  mean  Jerusalem,  so  one  can  only  think 
immediately  of  the  beginning  period  of  the  king- 
dom. The  prophet  seems  to  have  especially  in 
mind  the  early  days  of  Solomon.  For  this, 
without  doubt,  was  in  respect  to  the  administra- 
tion of  justice  the  golden  age  of  Israel.  For  in 
answer  to  Solomon's  prayer  for  "an  understand- 
ing heart,  to  judge  the  people  and  to  discern  be- 
tween good  and  bad,"  the  Lord  had  given  him 
"  a  wise  and  understanding  heart,  so  that  there 
was  none  like  him  before  him,  neither  after  him 
should  any  be  like  him."  1  Kings  iii.  9,  12- 
And  by  the  celebrated  judgment  Solomon  ren- 
dered (ibid  ver.  16  sq.),  the  people  "saw  that 
the  wisdom  of  God  was  in  him,  to  do  judgment 
(ibid.  ver.  28).  And,  moreover,  as  "Solomon 
loved  Jehovah"  (ibid  ver.  3),  he  was  permitted 
also  to  build  the  Lord  "  an  house,"  and  thereby 
to  join  the  Lord  and  the  people  together  by  an 
important  outward  tie.  Hence  could  Jerusalem, 
in  reference  to  that  time,  be  justly  named  a 
"fixed  city"  (comp.  JEW  Dipo  xxii.  23,  25; 
'3  n'3  1  Sam.  ii.  35;  xxv.'  28)/that  "was  full 
of  justice,"  and  in  which  righteousness  had,  not 
a  transitory,  but  a  permanent  abode.  It  is  there- 
fore doubtful  whether,  in  addition  to  this  ele- 
vated point  represented  by  Solomon,  we  may  re- 
gard the  reign  of  Jehoshaphat,  with  its  reforma- 
tion of  justice,  2  Chr.  xix.  5  sq.,  that  came  an 
hundred  years  later,  as  referred  to  in*  this  place. 
For  that  effort  can  only  be  looked  on  as  a  mo- 
mentary check  of  the  downward  course  that  the 
nation  began  with  Rehoboan.  It  may  be  asked 
with  more  justice ;  did  not  Isaiah  have  in  mind 
here  also  an  earlier  age  than  that  of  Solomon  ? 


CHAP.  I.  21-31. 


47 


If  only  the  city,  and  not  the  nation,  is  in  question 
here,  that  age  could  only  be  Melchisedec's.    Thi 
occurred  to  VITRINGA,  but  with  a  "  non  ausim 
he  left  the  matter  in  suspense.     I  believe  that  th 
reference  to  Melchisedec's  time  is  not  to  be  re 
jected,  and  shall  give  the  reason  for  this  at  ver 

26.  The  phrase  H2  pS'  pltf,  "righteousness 
lodged  in  it,"  is  only  another  turn  and  at  the 
same  time  the  establishing  of  the  sentlmen 
''full  of  judgment."  For  if  Jerusalem  is  ful 
of  the  concrete  manifestation  of  a  truly  right- 
living,  then  tliis  comes  only  from  the  fact  that 
the  idea  of  right  has,  so  to  speak,  taken  up  its 
permanent  abode  in  Jerusalem.  The  words  "  full 
of  judgment,"  therefore,  belong  to  what  follows 
and  stand  absolutely,  at  the  beginning  (comp, 
ver.  13),  the  one  full  of  right,  —  righteousness 
dwelt  in  her  ;  but  now  murderers.  The  anti- 
thesis is,  of  course,  not  quite  complete.  Either 

PIN  >D  must  be  wanting  or  else  a  corresponding 
adversative  be  found.  Jt  must  either  say  :  as  re- 
gards justice,  righteousness  formerly  dwelt  in  it, 
but  now  murderers,  —  or;  full  of  justice,  right- 
eousness dwelt  in  it;  devoid  of  justice,  murderers 
swarm  in  it.  But  the  prophet,  evidently  influ- 
enced by  an  effort  at  brevity,  expresses  in  the 
second  member  of  the  adversative  phrase  only 
that  thought  that  corresponds  to  the  thought  of 
the  first  member,  and  easily  joins  on  to  it.  That 
one  may  not  translate,  «"  it  was  full  of  justice" 
arises  from  the  absence  of  the  pronomen  separatum. 
For  only  in  crises  where  this  may  be  supplied  of 
itself  may  it  be  dispensed  with. 

Thy  silver  is  become.—  With  these  words 
the  prophet  passes  from  the  region  of  the  inward 
and  general  to  that  of  the  concrete  outward  ap- 
pearance. The  silver  of  Jerusalem  has  become 
dross,  the  noble  wine  mixed  with  water.  The 
noble  metal,  the  noble  wine  can  only  mean  the 
noble  men.  And  it  appears  from  ver.  23,  which 
explains  the  figurative  language,  that  the  prophet 
has  the  princes  of  the  people  in  mind.  "Dicitur 
arf/entum,"  etc.  "The  silver  is  said  to  be  turned 
into  dross,  and  the  pure  wine  to  be  mixed  with 
water,  when  judges  and  senators  turn  from  purity 
and  grave  manners,  from  integrity,  sincerity  and 
candor,  and  prostitute  their  own  dignity."  Vi- 
TRINGA. 

As  dross  is  related  to  silver,  the  emblem  of 
moral  purity  (comp.  LEYRER  in  HERZOG'S  _R. 
Encyd.  XV.  p.  Ill,  114)  so  the  diluting  with 
water  to  the  strong  wine.  —  On  the  matter  of  the 
ver.  comp.  Jer.  vi."28;  Ezek.  xxii.  18  sqq. 

Thy  princes,  etc.  —  By  these  words  the  pro- 
phet himself  shows,  as  lie  often  does,  the  meaning 
of  his  figurative  language.  On  the  change  of 

number   comp.  Ps.   v.  10.    "It  is  not  DlV#,  that 


they  chase  after,  hut  D^jb^Kf,  not  peace,  but  pa- 
cifying their  greed."  DELITZSCH.  Comp.  ver.  23  b 
with  ver.  17  6,  and  the  comment  there. 

3.  Therefore—  all  thy  tin.—  Vers.  24,  25. 
From  the  contemplation  of  the  past  and  present 
the  prophet  now  turns  to  consider  the  future. 
The  transition  to  it  shall  be  made  by  a  grand  act 
of  judgment  and  purifying.  The  prophet  intro- 
duces his  discourse  with  solemn  language,  espe- 


cially  by  employing  in  detail  all  the  titles  of  the 
Lord.  He  uses  the  solemn  DNJ,  which  is  found 
in  Isa.  much  more  seldom  than  in  Jer.,  and  Ezek. 
Also  p'"l*?n  occurs  in  Isa.  relatively,  not  often  ; 
comp.  ver.  9,  on  "of  hosts;"  f&\  "ION  "the  mighty 
one,  of  Israel,"  is  found  first  Exod.  xlix.  24, 
where  however  it  reads  2PJT  'X.  The  latter 
form  appears  in  all  the  rest  of  the  places  where  it 
is  used,  xlix.  26;  lx.  16;  Ps.  cxxxii.  2,  5— 
"Ah!  I  will  ease"  etc.  The  Lord  announces  His 
intervention  in  terms  that  make  known  His  de- 
termination to  obtain  satisfaction. 

I  will  turn,  etc.  —  In  the  passages  cited  (see  Text. 
&  Gram.  )  the  hand  of  the  subject  is  not  said  to  have 
been  previously  on  the  object  named,  and  as  little 
is  such  the  case  here.  The  translation  of  UMBREIT, 
therefore,  "let  come  afresh"  i.s  not  admissible. 
And  for  the  same  reason  we  must  not,  with  Vi- 
TRINGA,  who  appeals  to  xi.  11,  refer,  T  iri^n  to 
the  sanans  et  benefit  manus,  the  healing  and  bene- 
ficent hand  of  God.  The  totality  of  the  nation 
shall  be  subjected  to  a  purifying  process  which 
the  prophet  compares  to  the  process  by  whi<;h 
silver  ore  is  freed  from  the  mixtuie  of  ignoble 
metal,  and  rendered  solid  silver  (^"^  ^33  or 
ppTr?  Ps.  xii.  7).  The  separation  of  the  lead  ore 
is  promoted  by  applying  alkali,  comp.  WINER 
K.  W.  B.,  word,  Metals. 

4.  And  I  will  restore  —  with  righteous- 
ness. —  Vers.  26,  27.  With  these  words  the  pro- 
phet indicates  the  positive  good  that  shall  arise 
from  this  purifying  process;  such  judges  and 
counsellors  as  shall  resemble  those  of  the  early 
age  (ver.  21)  and  by  whose  agency  Jerusalem 
shall  become  a  righteous  and  faithful  city.  It 
is  seen  that  the  prophet  ascribes  a  decisive  effect 
to  the  influence  of  the  chiefs  of  the  state.  He 
must  very  well  have  known,  by  what  he  observed 
in  his  times,  how  great  must  have  been  this  in- 
fluence for  evil.  This  place  reminds  us  much  of 
Jer.  xxiii.  3-6;  xxxiii.  15,  16.  For  as  Isa.  in 
this  place,  so  there  Jer.,  promises  the  restora- 
tion of  a  good  administration  that  shall  exercise 
righteousness,  and  procure  a  name  that  shall  be 
significant  of  that  righteousness.  Here  as  there, 
that  name  shall  be  an  ideal  one  (not  a  name  act- 
ually employed,  comp.  my  comment  on  Jer.  xxiii. 
3).  The  glorious  end  shall  correspond  to  the  glori- 
ous beginning,  (comp.  "faithful  city,"  "right- 
eousness lodged  in  it,"  ver.  21).  It  is,  moreover, 
;o  me  very  probable  that  by  the  original  and 
irst  times  Isa.  understands,  not  only  Solomon's 
time,  but  also  Melchizedec's.  For  P^X  VJ,'  and 


of  righteousness  and  king  of 
righteousness)  comp.  Hcb.  vii.  2,  look  quite  too 
much  alike.  Also  the  name  Adoni-zedec,  Josh. 
x.  ;  (comp.  Adoni-bezek,  Jud.  i.  5;  1  Sam.  xi.  8), 
proves  that  not  only  one  king  of  Salem  had  a 
name  composed  of  Zcdec.  It  can  only  be  objected 
that  Melchizedec  does  not  belong  to  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Israel  Jerusalem.  Yet  he  does  belong 
o  the  beginning  of  the  Jerusalem  of  the  history 
of  grace.  This  city  had  not  become  the  capital 
ity  of  Israel,  had  it  not  before  that  been  the 
ity  of  Melchizedec;  and  all  the  glory  and  signi- 
icance  of  the  Israel  Jerusalem  is  only  a  transi- 
ional  fact,  that  would  restore  that  ancient  glory 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


of  Melchizedec.  (comp.  my  Art.  Melchizedec  in 
HEKZOG'S  R.  Encyd.  IX.  p.  300  sq.).  We  are  so 
much  the  more  justified  in  this  reasoning  as  the 
ideal  fact  of  the  future  that  the  prophet  has  in 
view  is,  without  doubt,  identical  with  the  Mes- 
sianic future  (comp.  xi.  3-5;  Ps.  Ixxii.  Isq.); 
the  Messiah,  however  Ps.  ex.  4  (comp.  Heb.  v. 
6,  10;  vi.  20;  vii.  1  sqq.),  is  expressly  designated 
as  the  antitype  of  Melchizedec. 

Ver.  27,  is  difficult.  The  question  is;  by  whose 
righteou.me.ss  is  Zlon  redeemed?  To  this  three 
answers  are  given.  Some  say  by  the  righteous- 
ness of  the  Israelites.  Thus  the  Rabbins  espe- 
cially, "Because  in  it  there  shall  be  those  who 
exercise  justice,  it  is  redeemed  from  its  iniqui- 
ties." EASCHI.  But  that  conflicts  with  vers.  24, 
25 ;  for  according  to  these  declarations  the  Lord 
Himself  vindicates  the  cleansing  and  deliver- 
ance of  Israel  as  His  own  judging  and  sifting 
operation.  Others  regard  the  judgment  and 
righteousness  in  question  as  God's.  Against  this 
idea  there  is,  in  itself,  naturally  nothing  to  ob- 
ject, in  as  much  as  there  are  plenty  of  passages 
in  which  saving  effect  is  ascribed  to  the  right- 
eousness of  God.  DELITZSCH,  who  adopts  this 
view,  cites  especially  iv.  4;  v.  16;  xxviii.  17. 
But  then  ver.  27  would,  in  substance,  say  only  in 
other  words  what  is  already  contained  in  vers. 
24,  25.  It  is  to  be  considered  moreover,— and 
therein  is  seen  the  third  answer  to  our  inquiry — 
that  in  many  passages,  to  which  this  is  nearest 
kindred  in  its  description  of  Messianic  salva- 
tion, the  righteousness  of  the  administration  of 
justice  forms  an  essential  element  of  that  glori- 
ous time.  Thus  ix.  6  it  is  said,  the  Messiah  shall 
order  and  support  the  kingdom  of  David  with 
judgment  and  righteousness.  Thus  xi  3-5  it  is 
said  of  the  rod  out  of  Jesse,  that  he  shall  judge 
the  poor  with  righteousness,  and  that  righteous- 
ness shall  be  the  girdle  of  his  loins,  and  faithful- 
ness the  girdle  of  his  reins.  And  xvi.  5  we  read 
that  upon  the  throne  and  in  the  tabernacle  of 
David  one  shall  sit,  "judging  and  seeking  judg- 
ment, and  hastening  righteousness."  But  in 
Jeremiah's  celebrated  prophecies,  xxiii.  5sq.  and 
xxxiii.  15,  it  is  emphatically  said  that  the  Lord 
will  raise  unto  David  a  righteous  Branch,  and  that 
this  one  shall  restore  judgment  and  righteousness 
in  the  land,  and  shall  procure  to  him  the  name 
Jehovah  our  righteousness.  And,  to  prevent  our 
thinking  that  this  righteous  government  is  to  be 
only  the  prerogative  of  the  Messiah,  it  is  said 
Isa.  xxxii.  1,  expressly  of  the  "  princes "  too, 
"  they  shall  rule,  in  judgment."  Our  passage, 
also,  which  does  not  at  all  mention  the  person  of 
the  Messiah,  speaks  of  judges  and  counsellors  in 
the  plural,  which  may  remain  undetermined 
whether  the  abstract  pluralis  generalis,  is  meant 
or  an  actual  ]>luralis  multitudinis.  In  the  former 
case  the  plural  would  include  the  Messiah,  and 
this  is  in  the  end,  the  more  probable ;  in  the 
latter  case  the  righteous  judges  and  counsellors 
would  be  distinguished  from  the  Messiah,  who 
is  only  presented  in  idea.  In  any  case,  by 
our  construction,  ver.  27  is  a  corollary  of  ver. 
26.  The  righteous  judges  named  in  ver.  26, 
shall  fulfil  as  the  task  set  before  them  just 
that  which  is  mentioned  ver.  27 ;  by  righteous 
rule  they  shall  procure  deliverance  from  thejevils 
under  which  Zion  and  the  D'3t9  (those  return- 


ing, Eng.  vers.  "converts  ")  had  to  suffer  hitherto 
on  account  of  the  unrighteousness  of  their  rulers. 

This  DOty,  by  reference  to  the  ?&£)  '2K?  (those 
turning  from  transgression)  lix.  20  has  been 
translated  "converts;"  [so  Eng.  ver.].  But  to 
me  it  seems  more  likely  that  Isa.,  whose  manifold 
use  of  31E/  is  a  prelude  tn  Jeremiah's  use  of  the 
word,  uses  the  word  here  in  the  double  sense  of 
the  spiritual  and  bodily  return,  that  it  so  often 
has  in  Jer.  (comp.  my  comment  on  Jer.  xxxi. 
22).  To  be  sure  Isa.,  does  not,  in  what  precedes, 
speak  expressly  of  the  Exile.  But  tins  notion  is 
impliedly  contained  in  ver.  25.  For,  of  course 
the  exile  belonged  essentially  to  that  mighty 
smelting  and  purifying  process  to  which  the 
people  must  be  subjected.  Let  a  comparison  be 
made  of  the  passages  that  give  a  survey  of  the 
Messianic  salvation,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  pre- 
cisely the  return  to  the  holy  land,  which  of  course 
cannot  be  conceived  of  without  the  spiritual  re- 
form, forms  a  principal  element  (see  my  comment 
Jer.  iii.  18).  If  therefore  our  text  is  related  to 
later  passages  like  the  germ  to  the  developed 
plant,  then  we  are  right  in  regarding  the  latter  as 
a  commentary  on  it,  and  accordingly  in  taking 
the  n'3ty  in  the  double  sense  of  a  spiritual  and 
bodily  return  (Ezr.  vi.  21;  Neh.  viii.  17). 

5.  And  the  destruction  —  none  shall 
quench  them.  —  Vers.  28-31.  The  reverse  side 
of  the  smelting  process,  the  fate  of  the  "dross" 
is  presented  to  us  here.  *It  is  difficult  to  say  what 
difference  there  is  between  D^^S,  (transgressors) 
and  D^Xttn  (sinners).  At  all  events  the  former 
is  the  more  particular,  (see  ver.  2),  the  latter  the 
more  general  word.  Both  words  signify  inimical 
conduct,  the  former  more  toward  the  person  of 
Jehovah,  the  latter  more  to  the  idea  of  the  good. 


At  the  same  time  NE3n  as  Piel  form,  contains  an 
intensive  force  in  comparison  with  NDn  ver.  4.  — 

The  "  ^}y>  "  they  that  forsake,"  are  related  to 
"  the  transgressors,"  as  negative  to  positive.  Who- 
ever does  evil  conducts  himself,  in  some  fashion, 
aggressively  against  the  Lord.  But  whoever  de- 
serts from  the  Lord  is  an  idolater.  In  this  sense 
the  expression  "'"•HN  311'  is  often  used;  so  ver. 
4;  still  more  plainly  Ixv.  11,  the  sole  place  in 
Isa.,  beside  this  where  the  participle  occurs  in 
connection  with  "  ;  comp.  Hos.  iv.  10  ;  Jer.  ii. 
13;  xvi.  11;  xvii.  13  (in  which  place  Jer.,  had 
our  text  before  him)  ;  xxii.  9;  1  Kings  ix.  9,  etc. 
For  ye  shall  be  ashamed,  etc.  —  The  gen- 
eral declaration  that  "the  transgressors,"  etc., 
shall  bo  destroyed,  is  more  particularly  estab- 
lished by  two  connected  sentences,  each  of  which 
begino  with  "for,"  and  the  second  is  subordinated 
to  the  first.  Those  that  forsake  the  Lord  would 
not  be  destroyed  if  they  found  the  expected  help 
from  those  to  who.n  they  deserted.  But  they  are 
destroyed  because  they  do  not  find  in  idols  this 
help  ;  consequently  are  brought  to  shame  in  the 
hopes  they  entertained  in  this  direction.  I  un- 
derstand, therefore,  "the  oaks"  and  "gardens" 
to  be  synecdochical  for  the  idols  that  were  wor- 
shipped in  them.  It  is  past  comprehension  how 
DRECHSLER  can  say  that  "nothing  whatever  in 
the  text  itself  or  in  the  context  suggests  the  ex- 


CHAP.  I.  21-31. 


49 


planation  of  idolatry  "     He   could  only  say  so 
because  he  has  utterly  disregarded  the   specific 

meaning  of  "  ^T^,  "they  that  forsake." 

For  ye  shall  be  as  an  oak,  etc. — This  ex- 
plains how  the  becoming  ashamed  ver.  29"  shall 
be  realized.  The  "for"  of  ver.  30,  is  therefore 
not  co-ordinate  with  the  "for"  of  ver.  29,  but 
subordinate  to  it.  Thus  the  prophet  retains  his 
figure  of  speach.  Those  that  clung  with  their 
hearts  to  treacherous  trees  and  gardens,  and  for- 
sook the  living  waters,  (Jer.  ii.  13;  xvii.  13), 
shall  themselves  become  withered  trees  and  dried- 
up  gardens.  The  Terebinth  is  not  evergreen, 
as  is  commonly  asserted  (comp.  ARNOLD  in 
HERZOG'S  R.  Encycl.  XI.  p.  26).  Therefore  not 
the  normal  falling  of  the  leaves  is  meant,  but 
their  abnormal  wilting. 

And  the  strong  shall  be,  etc. — Ver.  31. 
But  the  idols  are  not  only  powerless,  they  are 
positively  ruinous.  For  this  sin  against  the  first 
commandment  includes  in  itself  all  the  elements 
of  spiritual  as  well  as  bodily  ruin.  The  prophet 
would  say  that  the  idolater,  even  if  he  be  no 
poor,  powerless  man,  resembling  the  withered 
tree,  or  the  garden  devoid  of  water,  if,  on  the 
contrary,  he  is  rich,  and  mighty,  and  like  the 
tree  abounding  in  sap,  or  a  well  watered  garden, 
nevertheless,  by  the  ruinous  influences  of  idolatry 
he  shall  be  destroyed.  He  compares  such  an 
idolater  to  the  tow  (Jud.  xvi.  9) ;  his  work,  how- 
ever, i.  e.,  the  idols  to  a  spark  (|*tt'J  an-fay.) 

[Ver.  21.  The  faithful  city  ("including  the 
ideas  of  a  city  and  a  state,  urbs  et  civitas,  the 
body  politic,  the  church  of  which  Jerusalem  was 
the  centre  and  metropolis.")  "The  particle  at 
the  beginning  of  the  verse  is  properly  interroga- 
tive, but  like  the  English  how  is  used  also  to  ex- 
press surprise,  '  How  has  she  become  ?'  i.  e.,  how 
could  she  possibly  become?  How  strange  that 
she  should  become!"  J.  A.  ALEXANDER. 

Ver.  23.  They  judge  not  — doth  not 
come  unto  them. — "  They  are  not  simply  un- 
just judges,  they  are  no  judges  at  all,  they  will 
not  act  as  such,  except  when  they  can  profit  by 
it."  J.  A.  ALEXANDER. 

Ver.  24.  "  I  will  ease  me.— This  refers  to 
what  is  said  in  ver.  14,  where  God  is  represented 
as  burdened  with  their  crimes." — "  It  means  that 
He  had  been  pained  and  grieved  by  their  crimes ; 
His  patience  had  been  put  to  its  utmost  trial ; 
and  now  He  would  seek  relief  from  this  by  in- 
flicting due  punishment  on  them.  Comp.  Ezek. 
v.  13 ;  Deut.  xxviii.  63,"  BARNES. 

Ver.  27.  "  This  verse  means  that  the  very  same 
events  by  which  the  divine  justice  was  to"  mani- 
fest itself  in  the  destruction  of  the  wicked,  should 
be  the  occasion  and  the  means  of  deliverance  to 
Zion,  or  the  true  people  of  God,"  J.  A.  ALEX- 
ANDER. 

"With  judgment.— In  a  righteous,  just 
manner.  That  is,  God  shall  evince  His  justice 
in  doing  it;  His  justice  to  a  people  to  whom  so 
many  promises  had  been  made,  and  His  justice 
in  delivering  them  from  long  and  grievous  op- 
pression. All  this  would  be  attended  with  the 
displays  of  judgment,  in  effecting  their  deliver- 
ance." "With  righteousness. — This  refers 
to  the  character  of  those  who  shall  return.  They 
would  be  a  reformed,  righteous  people,"  BARNES]. 
4 


DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On   ver.  1.      Concerning   Judah   and  Jeru.- 
salem.  —  JEROME     here     pronounces     decidedly 
against    Chiliasm,    in    that   he  says :    Scio  quon- 
dam  Judaeam,   etc.      "1    am   aware    that    some 
explain  Judah  and  Jerusalem  of  celestial  things, 
and  Isaiah  under  the  person  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
that  He  foretells  the  captivity  of  that  province 
in  our  land,  and  the  after  return  and  ascending 
the  sacred  mount,  in  the  last  days.      Which  thingK 
we  make  no  account  of,  holding  them  to  be  wholly 
contrary  to  the  faith  of  Christians." 

Whether  JEROME  understands  by  these  fid  el 
Christianorum  contraria,  which  the  universa  de- 
spises, Chiliasm  generally,  or  only  the  giving  this 
passage  a  chiliastic  significance  may  be  doubted. 
For,  on  Jer.  xix.  10,  he  says  in  regard  to  the  Jewish 
expectation  of  a  restitution  of  Israel  to  the 
earthly  Canaan  ;  Qute  licet  non  sequamur"  etc. 

"  Which  we  may  not  follow,  nor  yet  can  we 
condemn  it ;  for  many  churchmen  and  martyrs 
have  said  that.  And  each  is  strong  in  his  opinion 
and  the  whole  may  be  reserved  to  the  judgment 
of  the  Lord."  We  Bee  from  this  he  inclined  more 
to  reject  Chiliasm. 

2.  On    ver.    1.     In  the  days  of,   etc. — Sciamvs 
quoque,  Ezechiam,  etc.     We  know,  moreover,  that 
Hezekiah  began  to  reign  in    Jerusalem  in  the 
twelfth  year  of  Eomulus,  who  erected  a  city  of 
his  own  name  in  Italy,  so  that  it  is  very  apparent 
how  very  much  more  ancient  our  history  is  than 
that  of  other  nations.  JEROME,  comp.  his  Epist. 
ad  Damasum,  where  it  is  said :   Begnavit   Ozias 
annis  52,  etc.     "  Uzziah  reigned  52  years,  in  the 
time  Amulias  ruled  among  the  Latins,  and  Aga- 
mester  12th  among  the  Athenians.     After  whose 
death  Isaiah  the  prophet  saw  this  vision,  i.  e.,  in 
that  year  that  Romulus,  founder  of  the  Roman 
empire,  was  born." 

3.  On  ver.  2.  THEODORET  remarks  that  heaven 
and  earth  were  qualified  witnesses  to  the  ingrati- 
tude   of   Israel    because   the   people    "received 
through  them  the  most  manifold  benefits.     For 
heaven  extended  to  them  from  above  the  food  of 
manna.     For  he  commanded,  says  Ps.  Ixxviii. 
23,  24,  the  clouds  from  above,  and  opened  the 
doors  of  heaven,  and  rained  down  manna  upon 
them  to  eat,  and  he  gave  them  bread  from  heaven. 
But  the  earth  brought  them  in  the  desert  the 
needed  water,  and  in  Palestine  it  afforded  them 
a  superabundance  of  all  sorts  of  fruits."     That 
heaven  and    earth,  however,  can    actually  bear 
their  testimony  he  proves  by  reference   to  the 
display  at  the  death  of  the  Lord  ;  "  for  when  the 
Jews  had  nailed  the  Saviour  to  the  cross,  the 
earth  quaked    mindful    of  the    testimony;    but 
heaven,  unable  to  convey  this  sensation  owing  to 
its  position  overhead,  displayed  the  sun  in  his 
course,  robbed  of  his  beams  and  brought  in  dark- 
ness as  testimony  against  the  impious  deed." 

4.  On  ver.  3.  "  There  God  tells  them  to  go  to 
the  beasts'  school  and  uncover  their  heads  before 
the  oxen  and  asses  as  their  teachers,  who  though 
the  stupidest  and  slowest  beasts,  still  submit  to 
their   lords  and  drivers,  and  are  therefore  pre- 
sented to  us  by  God  that  we  may  learn  from  their 
example,  how  we  should  have  reverence  before 
our  God.    Is  not  that  the  greatest  shame  that,  ac- 


50 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


cording  to  divine  declaration,  an  ox  and  ass  are,  I 
will  not  say  contrasted  with  us,  but  preferred  to  us 
because  they  do  their  duty  toward  their  lord  ?^  Shall 
we  not  observe  our  duty  toward  God  ?  This  is 
expressly  the  wisdom  and  piety  of  men,  that  they 
are  more  stupid  than  an  ox  and  ass,  although  in 
their  own  eyas  they  fancy  they  are  wiser  than  all 
men.  For  what  sort  of  wisdom  can  be  left  when 
one  does  not  know  God  ?"  HEIM  and  HOFF- 
MANN, "  The  great  prophets  according  to  Luther." 

5.  On  ver.  4.  "  A  sinful  people  is  one  that  alto- 
gether sticks  in  sin  (Jno.  ix.  34),  that  makes  of 
sin  a  real  trade,  and    its   best  amusement; — of 
the  people  that  is  loaded  with  iniquity,  the  impos- 
tures and  trespasses  are  so  great  and  so  many, 
that  they  load  their  conscience  therewith  as  with 
a  burden  (Ps.  xxxviii.  5) ;  the   evil  seed   (Jno. 
viii.  39)  has  not   the   disposition   of  Abraham, 
but  is  of  Cain's  and  the  serpent's  kind."  STARKE. 
In   peccaio  originali,  etc.      "  In   original  sin  are 
two  evils:  evil  itself  and  punishment  (AuGUSTlN, 
Deciv.Dei.  xxii.  24).     Parts  of  sin  itself  are  im- 
perfection   and  concupiscence    (AUGUSTIN),    aa 
GERSON  says :  "  impotent  toward  good,  potent  to- 
ward evil."  FOERSTER. 

6.  On  vers.  5-9.    "  God  has  two  ways  by  which 
to  bring  His  ill-advised  and  disobedient  children 
to  obedience;   goodness  and  severity  (Rom.  xi. 
22). — That   many  men  become  only  worse  and 
more  hardened  by  the  divine  judgments  comes 
about,  not  from  God,  but  from  their  own   guilt 
(Jer.  ii.30;  Rom.  ii.  5).  The  desolation  of  whole 
cities  and  lands  is  the  result  of  sin,  hence  there 
is  no  better  means  against  it  than  true  repent- 
ance (Jer.  ii.  19;  xviii.  7,  8). — God  is  gracious 
even  in  the  midst  of  wrath  (Ps.  cxxxviii.  7),  and 
daes  not  utterly  consume  (Lam.  iii.  22).     The 
true  Church  must  not  be  judged  by  outward  ap- 
pearance, for  often  things  look  very  bad  within  it 
(1  Kings  xix.  14). — God  is  never  nearer  His  own 
than  in  cross  and  misfortune  (xliii.  2 ;  Ps.  xci. 
15)."— STARKE. 

7.  On  vers.  10-15.    "  We  learn  here  plainly, 
that  God  did  not  command  them   to  offer  sacri- 
fices because  of  pleasure  He  had  in  such  things, 
but  because  He  knew  their  weakness.    For  as  they 
had  grown  up  in  Egypt,  and  had  learned  there  to 
offer  sacrifices  to  idols,  they  wished  to  retain  this 
custom.     Now  in  order  to  divert  them  from  this 
error,  God  put  up  with  the  sacrifices  and  musical 
instruments  (sic!)  in  that  He  overlooked  their 
weakness,  and  directed  their  childish  disposition. 
But  here,  after  a  long  course  of  years,  He  forbids 

the  entire  legal  observance."— THEODORET. 

"Hostia;  et,"  etc.  ''  Sacrifices  and  the  immolation 
of  victims  are  not  principally  sought  by  God,  but 
lest  they  may  be  made  to  idols,  and  that  from  carnal 
victims  we  may,  as  by  type  and  image  pass  over  to 
the  spiritual  sacrifice.'11 — JEROME. 

8.  On  ver.  10.    JEROME  observes  :  "  Aiunt  He- 
brai,"  etc.     "  The  Jews  say  that  Isaiah  was  slain 
on  two  accounts :  because   he   had   called  them 
princes  of  Sodom  and   people  of  Gomorrah,  and 
because  the  Lord  having  said  to  Moses,  '  thou 
canst  not  see  my  face,'   he  had  dared  to  say,  '  I 
saw  the  Lord  sitting'  (vi.  1)." 

9.  Vers.  10-15.  "  What  Isaiah  says  here  is  just 
as  if  one  in  Christendom  were  to  say:    What  is 
the  multitude  of  your  assemblies  to  me  ?     I  don't 

'  want  your  Lord's  suppers.     My  soul  loathes  your 


feast  days ;  and  if  you  assemble  for  public  prayer, 
I  will  turn  my  eyes  from  you.  If  one  were  to 
preach  so  among  us,  would  he  not  be  regarded  as 
senseless  and  a  blasphemer  because  he  condemned 
what  Christ  Himself  instituted  ?  But  the  pro- 
phet condemns  that  which  was  the  principal  mat- 
ter of  the  law,  and  commanded  by  God  Himself, 
viz.,  sacrifices ;  not  as  if  sacrifices  in  themselves 
were  evil,  but  because  the  spirit  in  which  those 
people  sacrificed  was  impious.  For  they  cast 
awav  reliance  on  the  divine  compassion,  and  be- 
lieved they  were  just  by  the  sacrifice,  by.  the  per- 
formance of  the  bare  work.  But  sacrifices  were 
not  instituted  by  God  that  the  Jews  should  be- 
come righteous  through  them,  but  that  they 
might  be  signs  through  which  the  pious  testified 
that  they  believed  the  promises  concerning  Christ, 
and  expected  Christ  as  their  Redeemer." — HEIM 
and  HOFFMANN.  The  Great  Prophets,  according 
to  Luther. 

10.  Vers.    16-20.     "A  generali  reformatione," 
etc.     "  He  begins  with  a  general  reformation,  lest, 
having  finished  with  one  part,  they  might  think 
it  opposed  a  veil  to  God.     And  such  in  general 
must  be  the  treatment  of  men  alienated  from  God. 
Not  one  or  other  of  the  vices  of  a  morbid  body  is 
to  be  dealt  with,  but,  if  one  cares  to  have  a  true 
and  entire  recovery,  they  are  to  be  called  to  re- 
novation, and  the  contagion  thoroughly  purged, 
that  they  may  begin  to  please  God,  who  before 
were  hateful  and  nauseous.     And  by  the  meta- 
phor of  washing  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  they 
are  exhorted  to   cleanse   away  inward  filth ;   a 
little  later  indeed  he  adds  the  fruits  of  works." — 
CALVIN. 

11.  Ver.   18.     "My    art  is  wonderful.    For, 
whereas  the  dyers  dye  rose-red,  and  yellow  and 
vk>let  and  purple,  I  change  the  red  into  snow 
white."  —  THEODORET.       "  Opera  crucris"    etc. 
"  Works  of  blood  and  gore  are  exchanged  for  a 
garment  of  the  Lord,  which  is  made  of  the  fleece 
of  the  Lamb  whom  they  follow  in  the  Revelation 
(iii.  5;  vi.  11),  who  shine  with  the  whiteness  of 
virginity." — JEROME. 

12.  Vers.  21-23.  "  From  the  condition  of  Jeru- 
salem at  that  day,  one  may  see  how  Satan  often 
exercises  his  lordship  in  the  Church   of  God,  as 
if  all  bands  were  dissolved.     For  if  anywhere, 
then  the  church  was  at  that  time  in  Jerusalem. 
And  yet  Isaiah  calls  it  a  den  of  murderers  and  a 
cave  of  robbers.     If  Satan  could  so  rage  in  it,  we 
must  not  wonder  if  the  same  thing  happens  in  our 
day.     But  we  must  take  pains  that  we  be  not  se- 
duced by  so  bad  an  example." — HEIM  and  HOFF- 
MANN. 

13.  Ver.  23.  "  It  is  great  consolation  for  pious 
widows  and  orphans  that  God  knows  when  rulers 
and  judges  will  pay  no  heed  to  their  want  (Pa. 
Ixviii.  6). — STARKE. 

14.  Vers.  24,  25.  "  God  proceeds  very  unwil- 
lingly to  punishment  (Gen.  vi.   3). — Not  only 
those  are  the  enemies  of  God  that  defiantly  re- 
ject His  word,  but  those  also  who  hypocritically 
glory  in  it. — Although  one  may  not  carnally  re- 
joice at  the  misfortune  of  his  enemies,  yet  it  is 
allowable  to  praise  the  righteousness  of  God  in 
it  (Ps.  Iviii.  11). — If  God  wishes  to  avenge  Him- 
self on  His  enemies,  every  thing  is  ready  for  the 
exercise  of  His  will  (Ecclus.  xxxix.  5  sq.).— It  is 
a  blessing  when  God  by  persecution  purifies  Hia 


CHAP.  I.  21-31. 


51 


church  from  dross  (Matth.  iii.  12). — What  is  tin 
and  what  silver  can  be  easily  found  out  by  fire. 
So  by  the  tire  of  affliction  is  soon  made  plain  who 
has  been  a  hypocrite  and  who  a  true  Christian." 
— STARK.E. 

15.  Ver.  26.  Regarding  the  fulfilment  of  this 
prophecy,  many,  e.  g.,  MUSCULUS,  have  found  in 
it  the  promise  of  a  return  of  the  days  of  the  Judges, 
i,  e.,  the  days  of  a  Jephtha,  Gideon,  Samuel,  etc. 
Others  understand  the  language  of  the  restitution 
of  the  kingdom.     Others  again  refer  the  language 
to  the  return  out  of  the  Babylonish  captivity  un- 
der Zerubabbel,  Joshua,  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  Still 
others  see  the  Apostles  in  the  promised  judges. 
But  all  these  explanations  are  evidently  too  nar- 
row and  one-sided.     The  fulfilment  has  its  de- 
grees.    And  if  Zerubbabel,  Ezra  and  Nehemiah 
are  justly  regarded  as  the  representatives  of  the 
first  feeble  beginnings  of  the  great  restitution  of 
Israel ;  if,  further,  the  Apostles  are  justly  regarded 
as  the  founders  of  the  new  Zion  on  a  higher  plain, 
still  by  all  this  the  prophecy  is  not  at  all  fulfilled. 
It  will  only  then  be  fulfilled  when  the  Lord  comes 
"into  His  kingdom"  (Luke  xxiii-  42). 

16.  Ver.  27.  The  happiness  of  a  people  is  not 
secured  by  sword  and  spear,  nor  by  horse  and 
•chariot,  nor  even  by  industry,  flourishing  com- 
merce or  any  sort  of  outward  institution.     Only 
justice   and   righteousness  in  Christ's  sense  can 
give  true  peace  and  true  well-being. 

17.  Vers.  27-31.  "  Precisely  from  that  quarter 
shall   ruin  come  upon  the  godless,  where  they 
looked  for  salvation.     For  their  images  and  idols 
are  the  tinder  for  God's  wrath  by  which  an  un- 
quenchable  conflagration   shall   be   kindled." — 
HEIM  and  HOFFMANN. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  Vers.  2-9.  The  judicial  process  of  the  Lord 
is  no  secret  one,  but  public.  Yea,  He  gives  it 
the  greatest  publicity  that  can  be  imagined.  He 
invites  heaven  and  earth,  and  all  creatures  that 
are  in  it,  to  attend  the  great  trial  He  has  with  His 
people. — He  is  a  true  Father.  He  has  let  it  cost 
Him  a  great  deal  to  bring  up  His  children.  He 
has  raised  them  from  small  beginnings  to  a  high 
degree  of  honor  and  dignity. — For  that  they  ought 
to  be  grateful  to  Him. — How  God  wrestles  for  hu- 
man souls:  1.  He  nourishes  and  trains  them 
with  true  paternal  love.  2.  They  reward  His 
love  with  ingratitude  and  apostasy.  3.  He  chas- 
tises them  as  they  deserve.  4.  They  become  little 
in  order  renewedly  to  grow  up  to  true  greatness. 

4.  Vers.  27-31.  "  Righteousness  exalteth  a  na- 
tion; but  sin  is  a  reproach  to  any  people."  Prov. 
xiv.  34.  Therefore  every  policy  that  is  contrary 
to  the  commands  of  God,  can  only  have  God  for 
opponent. — Now  wherever  the  chastisements  of 
God  are  disregarded,  there  will  His  judgment  also 
go  forth  until  He  exterminates  those  that  oppose 
Him.  "  Then  it  goes  on  to  the  judgment  of  being 
hardened,  and  sin  itself  must  become  the  man's 
scourge,  so  that  he  is  as  the  tow  and  his  work  as 
the  spark,  that  it  may  consume  himself."  (Tuo- 
LUCK;,  Hours  of  Christian  Devotion,  p.  131). 


False  and  true  progress.  1.  False  progress  is  in 
fact  a  retrograde,  for  a)  it  consists  in  turning  back 
from  God's  command  (mostly  under  guidance  of 
over-shepherds) ;  b)  it  necessarily  occasions  out- 


ward ruin.  2.  True  progress  is  a)  apparently  a 
going  backwards,  in  that  it  first  of  all  rests  on  a 
return  to  the  eternal  foundations  of  salvation ;  6) 
in  fact,  however,  is  a  genuine  movement  forward ; 
a)  to  a  deeper  comprehension  of  the  truth  •,  b)  to 
an  inalienable  possession  of  true  salvation. 

From  M.  HENRY  on  the  whole  chapter. 

[Ver.  4.  "Children  that  are  corrupters."  If  those 
that  are  called  God's  children,  that  are  looked 
upon  as  belonging  to  His  family,  be  wicked  and 
vile,  their  example  is  of  the  most  malignant  in- 
fluence. 

Vers.  11-15.  When  sinners  are  under  the  judg- 
ments of  God  they  will  more  easily  be  brought  to 
fly  to  their  devotions,  than  to  forsake  their  sins 
and  reform  their  live^. 

"  Your  sacrifices."  They  are  your  sacrifices  and 
none  of  mine;  I  am  full  of  them,  even  surfeited 
with  them. 

Dissembled  piety  is  double  iniquity.  Hypoc- 
risy in  religion  is  of  all  things  most  abominable 
to  the  God  of  heaven. 

Vers.  16-20.  Let  them  not  say  that  God  picks 
quarrels  with  them ;  no,  He  proposes  a  method 
of  reconciliation. 

"  Cease  to  do  evil ;  learn  to  do  well."  1.  We  must 
be  doing  ;  not  cease  to  do  evil  and  then  stand  idle. 
2.  We  must  be  doing  good,  the  good  which  the 
Lord  requires,  and  which  will  turn  to  good  ac- 
count. 3.  We  must  do  it  well,  in  a  right  manner, 
and  for  a  right  end ;  and  4.  We  must  learn  to  do 
well :  we  must  take  pains  to  get  the  knowledge 
of  our  duty,  etc. 

"  Let  us  reason."  1.  Religion  has  reason  on  its 
side :  there  is  all  the  reason  in  the  world  that  we 
should  do  as  God  would  have  us  do.  2.  The  God 
of  heaven  condescends  to  reason  the  case  with 
those  who  contradict  Him,  and  find  fault  with 
His  proceedings,  for  He  will  be  justified  tvhen  He 
speaks.  Ps.  li.  4.  The  case  needs  only  to  be  stated 
(as  here  it  is,  very  fairly),  and  it  will  determine 
itself. 

Vers.  21-23.  Corruptio  optimi  est  pessima.  That 
which  originally  was  the  best,  when  corrupted 
becomes  the  worst,  Luke  xi.  26 ;  Eccl.  iii.  16  ; 
Jer.  xxiii.  15-17.  This  is  illustrated  1,  By  simi- 
litudes, ver.  22.  2,  By  some  instances,  ver.  23. 

Vers.  24-26.  Two  ways  in  w,hich  God  will  ease 
Himself  of  this  grievance:  1.  By  reforming  His 
church  and  restoring  good  judges  in  the  room  of 
those  corrupt  ones.  2.  By  cutting  off  those  that 
hate  to  be  reformed,  that  they  may  not  remain 
either  as  snares  or  as  scandals  to  the  faithful  city. 

Ver.  30.  Justly  do  those  wear  no  leaves  that 
bear  no  fruit :  as  the  fig  tree  that  Christ  cursed. 

Ver.  10.  "  There  could  have  been  no  more  se- 
vere or  cutting  reproof  of  their  wickedness  than  to 
address  them  as  resembling  the  people  whom  God 
overthrew  for  their  enormous  crimes." — BARNES. 

Ver.  11.  "Hypocrites  abound  in  outward  reli- 
gious observances  just  in  proportion  to  their  ne- 
glect of  the  spiritual  requirements  of  God's  word. 
Comp.  Matt,  xxiii.  23. — BARNES. 

Ver.  31.  "  The  principle  in  this  passage  teaches 
us  the  following  things.  (1).  That  the  wicked, 
however  mighty,  shall  be  destroyed.  _(2).  That 
their  works  shall  be  the  cause  of  their  ruin — a 
cause  necessarily  leading  to  it.  (3).  That  the 
works  of  the  wicked — all  that  they  do  and  all  on 


52 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


which  they  depend— shall  bo  destroyed.  (4). 
That  this  destruction  shall  ba  final.  Nothing 
shall  stay  the  flame.  No  tears  of  penitence,  no 


power  of  men  or  devils  shall  put  oat  the  fires 
which  the  works  of  the  wicked  shall  enkindle."— 
BABXES. 


CHAPTERS  II.— V. 


Chapters  ii. — v.  contain  the  second  introduc- 
tion, the  second  portal,  so  to  speak,  of  the  majes- 
tic cathedral  of  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah.  This 
portal  i^  the  greatest  as  regards  the  extent  of  it. 
It  is  meant  to  afford  us  a  more  exact  insight  into 
the  contents,  the  power  and  the  reach  of  Isaiah's 
prophecies.  The  first  introduction  proceeds  from 
the  mournful  condition  of  the  present,  speaks  of 
the  means  of  securing  a  better  future,  and  closes 
with  a  grand  survey  of  past,  present  and  future, 
from  which  it  appears  that,  for  the  believing  part 
of  the  people,  the  end  shall  correspond  to  the 
beginning  as  its  much  more  glorious  antitype, 
whereas,  for  the  unbelieving  part,  there  is  only 
the  prospect  of  a  wretched  and  total  destruction,  j 
In  that  chapter,  therefore,  threatening  consti- 
tutes the  key-note,  'the  promise  appears,  as  it 
were  ah  interlude.  But  that  chap.  i.  gives  only 
brief  outlines.  Particularly  the  future  is  indi- 
cated only  by  a  few,  albeit  significant  words, 
vers.  26,  27. 

The  second  introduction  looks  entirely  away 
from  the  past.  It  treats  only  of  future  and  pre- 
sent. It  does  .this,  however,  in  such  a  way  that 
the  Prophet,  as  it  were,  with  arms  reaching  out 
far  before  him.,  holds,  one  after  another,  two  lights 
out  into  the  remotest  future,  that  make  it  appear 
as  a  time  of  the  greatest  glory.  These  two  pro- 
phetic lamps,  however,  must  serve  at  the  same 
time  to  show  in  so  much  the  more  glaring  light 
the  distress  and  also  the  nothingness  of  that  pre- 
sent time  that  precedes  that  period  of  glory.  In- 
voluntarily the  eye  turns  backwards  from  it  to  the 
circumstances  of  the  present,  and  these  appear  all 
the  more  gloomy  because  the  eye  has  beheld  be- 
fore such  bright  light  in  the  future.  But  just  the 
inward  nothingness  and  emptiness  of  the  bad  pre- 
sent is,  in  some  sense,  the  first  step  to  the  revela- 
tion of  the  divine  glory.  For  the  bad  bears, 
indeed,  the  judgment  in  itself.  But  this  ideal 
judgment  must  become  real,  and  then  is  the  mo- 
ment come  wherein  the  majesty  of  the  only  true 
God,  hitherto  hidden  and  ignored,  bursts  forth  in 
its  full  splendor 

We  must  remark  in  advance  that  this  second 
introduction  is  built  upon  the  fundamental  num- 
ber two.  It  divides  into  two  principal  parts.  At 
the  head  of  each  of  these  parts  stands  a  prophetic 
announcement  of  glorious  contents  relatin"  to 
final  events  of  history,  the  first  of  which  portravs 
more  the  future,  outward  glory,  the  second  more 
the  inward  glory  of  Israel,  that  which  lies  at  the 
base  of  the  first,  and  is  identical  with  holiness 


These   two   announcements  extend  far  into  the 
future  to  the  very  end  of  history. 

Each  of  these  lamps  is  followed  by  a  look  at 
the  present,  taking  this  expression  in  a  relative 
sense,  so  that  by  it  everything  is  understood  that 
precedes  the  future  events  lighted  up  by  the  two 
lamps.  Each  of  these  two  looks  at  the  present 
divides  again  into  two  parts  that  differ  from  one 
another  in  their  structure.  The  first  look  resolves 
itself  into  a  general  (ii.  5-11)  and  a  particular 
part  (ii.  12 — iv.  1) ;  the  last  again  falls  into  two 
subdivisions,  of  which  the  first  portrays  the  judg- 
ment in  the  extra-human  sphere,  the  second  that 
in  the  human  sphere.  The  judgment  in  the 
extra-human  sphere,  then  again,  subdivides  into 
two  halves,  of  which  the  first  embraces  all  that 
is  beneath  mankind  (ii.  12-17),  the  second  all 
that  is  above  mankind,  i.  e,  idols  (ii.  18-21).  The 
judgment  of  things  belonging  to  the  human 
sphere  also  subdivides  into  two  halves,  the  first 
of  which  (ii.  22 — iii.  15)  has  men  for  its  subject, 
the  second  (iii.  16 — iv.  1)  the  women.  The  se- 
cond lamp  (iv.  2-6)  has  an  attendant  section  (v.) 
that  again  is  composed  of  two  members.  The 
first  is  a  parable  (v.  1-7)  which,  though  as  to  form 
it  departs  surprisingly  from  iv.  2-6,  still  in  sense 
joins  closely  on  to  it.  For  as  iv.  2-6  treats  of 
the  glorious  rod,  and  the  glorious  fruit  of  the  fu- 
ture, v.  1  sqq.  treats  of  the  mournful  fruits  of  the 
present.  The  second  part  specifies  more  particu- 
larly the  bad  fruits  of  the  present  and  their  con- 
sequences in  a  sixfold  woe,  which  again  subdi- 
vides into  two  chief  parts.  The  first  two  woes, 
namely,  evidently  refer  back  to  the  first  principal 
part  of  the  whole  discourse  (ii.  2 — iv.  1)  and  con- 
tain relatively  to  it  an  appropriate  conclusion ; 
whereas  the  last  four  woes  refer  more  to  the  se- 
cond principal  part  of  the  discourse  (iv.,  v.)  and 
contain  the  definitive  chief  conclusion  of  the  dis- 
course. 

In  regard  to  the  date  of  the  composition  of  this 
discourse,  I  must  first  of  all  warn  against  the 
petty  and  superficial  way  of  viewing  this  thing, 
that  ignores  the  grand,  comprehensive  glance  of 
prophecy,  and  restricts  to  a  special  point  of  time 
what  concerns  the  whole  and  the  general.  Thus 
I  challenge  the  right  of  exegesis  altogether  to 
draw  conclusions  regarding  the  date  of  composi- 
tion from  single  exhortations,  warnings,  threat- 
enings  or  promises,  if  those  are  not  quite  de- 
cidedly of  a  specific  nature.  If,  for  example,  the 
Prophet  speaks  against  idolatry,  the  injustice  and 
oppressions  of  the  great  intemperance  and  licen- 


CHAP.  II.  1. 


53 


tiousness,  one  is  not  justified  in  concluding  there- 
from that  lie  spoke  these  words  under  a  godless 
prince,  an  Ahaz  or  Manasseh.  He  could  have 
spoken  them  under  an  Uzziah  or  Hezekiah,  for 
the  prophet  may  have  had  in  his  mind  the  entire 
present,  i.  e.,  the  whole  time  preceding  the  re- 
demption that  terminates  history,  ll,  on  the 
other  hand,  the  Prophet  speaks  of  boy  and  wo- 
man government  (iii.  4,  12)  that  is  not  necessa- 
rily something  general.  That  is  not  a  standing 
and  abiding  characteristic  of  rebellious  Israel,  but 
an  abnormity,  that  even  in  the  times  of  deepest 
degradation  does  not  always  happen.  Where 
such  a  reference  is  made,  one  may  reasonably  in- 
fer that  the  Prophet  has  in  mind  quite  special  and 
actual  circumstances  of  his  own  time.  It  may 
therefore  be  assumed  with  a  degree  of  probability 
(for  certainty  is  not  to  be  thought  of)  that  chap, 
iii.  was  composed,  under  Ahaz.  But  I  shall  show 
hereafter  that  this  chapter  betrays  the  marks  of 
another  sort  of  origin  in  the  form  of  its  transi- 
tions and  combinations :  i.  e.,  it  gives  evidence  of 
being  an  older  piece,  already  prepared,  that  is 
only  put  in  here  as  in  a  suitable  place. 

Now  if  we  consider  that  our  passage  (ii. — v.) 
as  second  portal  belongs  to  the  introduction  to 
the  entire  book,  then  we  must  say,  the  obvious 
date  of  its  origin  is  that  time  when  the  Prophet 
compiled  his  book  into  a  whole.  He  could  then 
very  well  make  use  of  older  discourses  already 
on  hand  for  introduction,  but  on  the  whole,  as 
introduction,  as  overture,  as  preface  the  passage  pre- 
supposes the  whole  book.  The  comprehensive 
character  of  our  passage,  which  surveys  the  entire 
present  and  the  future  into  the  remotest  distance, 
has  long  been  recognized,  and  with  that  it  has 
been  admitted  that  it  has  essentially  and  gener- 
ally the  same  extension  as  the  whole  book,  thus 
it  possesses  the  qualities  that  belong  to  an  intro- 
ductory preface.  With  this  correspond  the  chro- 
nological indications  that  appear  in  ii.  2-4,  as 
related  to  Mich.  iii.  12;  comp.  Jer.  xxvi.  18. 

From  Jer.  xxvi.  18  we  receive  the  impression 
that  Micah  spoke  the  words  iii.  12  (that  are 
closely  connected  with  iv.  1  sqq.),  under  Hezekiah. 


How  could  they  previously  be  known  to  Isaiah? 
Therefore  if  ii.  2-4  presupposes  the  time  of  He- 
zekiah, then  this  agrees  with  our  assumption  that 
the  chapters  ii.— v.  only  then  originated  as  a 
whole,  when  the  prophet  compiled  his  whole 
book. 

The  structure  of  our  passage  is  made  clear  bv 
the  following  scheme. 

ISRAEL   OF   THE    PRESENT   TIME    IN   THE   LIGHT 
OF    ITS   FINAL   GLORY. 

A.  The  Superscription,  ii.  1. 

B.  The  first  prophetic  lamp,  which  in  the  light 
of  the  divine  eminence  that  shall  finally  ap- 
pear makes  known  the  things  falsely  eminent 
of  the  present  time,  ii.  1 — iv.  1. 

1.  The  first  prophetic  lamp  itself,  ii.  2-4. 

2.  The  falsely  eminent  things  and  their  abase- 
ment in  general,  ii.  5-11. 

a.  The  judgment  against  the  tilings  falsely 
eminent  in  the  sub-human  and  superhu- 
man sphere,  ii.  12-21. 

5.  The  judgment  against  the  falsely  eminent 

things  in  the  human  sphere,  ii.  22 — iv.  1. 

a    The  judgment  against  godless  men,  H. 

22— iii.  15. 

/?.  The  judgment  against  godless  women, 
iii.  16— iv.  1. 

C.  The   second   prophetic  lamp  which,  in   the 
light  of  the  glorious  divine  fruit  of  the  last 
time,  makes  known  the  bad  fruits  of  the  pre- 
sent, iv.  2— v.  30. 

1.  The  second  prophetic  lamp  itself,  and  the 
glorious  divine  fruit  displayed  by  it,  iv.  2-6. 

2.  The  bad  fruits  of  the  present  in  the  light  of 
the  glorious  divine  fruit  of  the  final  period, 
v.  1-30. 

a.  The  bad  fruits  of  the  present  shown  in  the 
parable  of  the  vineyard,  v.  1-7. 

b.  The  bad  fruits  of  the  present  and  their 
consequences  more  nearly  described  in  a 
sixfold  woe,  at  the  same  time,  double  con- 
clusion of  the  whole  discourse,  v.  8-30. 


ISRAEL  OF  THE  PRESENT  TIME  IN  THE  LIGHT  OF  ITS  FINAL 

GLORY. 

A.  —  The  Superscription. 

CHAPTER  IT.  1. 
1       The  word  that  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz  saw  concerning  Judah  and  Jerusalem. 


TEXTUAL    AND 

The  formula  "the  word  which  saw,"  i<!  found  onlv 
hero.  It  docs  not,  occur  again  cither  in  Isaiah  or  in  any 
other  prophet.  The  form  of  expression  1TJ?X  imn, 
beside  this  place,  is  only  found  in  Jeremiah,  where, 

however,  it  is  regularly  followed  by  '1J1    7tf    TTi"l-  - 

TT 

Concerning  PITH  in  this  connection  comp.  i.  1. 


3KAMMAT1UA.L.. 

The  expression  "concerning  Judah  and  Jerusalem" 
connects  i.  1  with  ii.  1,  because  it  occurs  in  no  other 


1Q  11.   1  111  rult;rcLH;c   vu  tile    11101*    iKiii,   j*?    ^viui-'iv-i      *    <~-j 

lis  similarity  of  sound  in  the  second  half,  where  we 
ould  not  omit  to  point  out  a  second  time  that  the  dif- 


54 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


ferenco  between  ii.  1  and  i.l  in  expression  quite  corres- 
ponds to  the  difference  of  the  !"«  rf  «^  ohggM. 
W  as  the  expression  ''concerning  Judah  and  Jeiusa- 
lem,"  ii.l,  helps  connect  with  i.  1,  so  it  does  in  like 
fashion  with  the  following  chapters  11.— v.  For,  as  was 


remarked  i.  1,  it  is  a  fact  not  to  be  overlooked  that  the 
expression  "  Judah  and  Jerusalem"  occurs  relatively 
the  oftenest  in  these  chapters.  It  occurs  in. .  1,  8,  and  v. 
3  whereas  in  all  the  rest  of  the  book  ot  Isaiah,  it  occurs 
o'nlv  three  times,  viz.,  xxii.  21 ;  xxxvi.  7  ;  xliv.  ^6. 


B  -The  first  prophetic  lamp,  which  in  the  light  of  the  divine  eminence  that  9hall 
'    finally  ap£e2r .makes  known  the  things  falsely  eminent  of  the  present  time. 

CHAPTER  II.  2— IV.  1. 

1.  THE  FIKST  PKOPHETIC  LAMP. 

CHAPTER  II.  2-4. 

2  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days, 
That  the  mountain  of  the  LORD'S  house 

Shall  be  established  in  the  top  of  the  mountains, 
And  shall  be  exalted  above  the  hills ; 
And  all  'nations  shall  flow  unto  it. 

3  And  many  bpeople  shall  go  and  say, 

Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  the  LORD, 

To  the  house  of  the  God  of  Jacob ; 

And  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways,  and  we  will  walk  in  his  paths : 

For  out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law, 

And  the  word  of  the  LORD  from  Jerusalem. 

4  And  he  shall  judge  among  the  nations, 
And  shall  "rebuke  many  people : 

And  they  shall  beat  their  swords  into  plowshares, 
And  their  spears  into  2pruning  hooks : 
Nation  shall  not  lift  up  sword  against  nation, 
Neither  shall  they  learn  war  any  more. 


1  Or,  prepared. 
»  peoples. 


Or,  scythes, 
nations. 


award  sentence. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


It  is  now  admitted  by  almost  all  expositors  that  this 
passage  is  borrowed  from  Micah.  It  is  old  orthodox 
opinion  that  the  passage  may  be  original  as  well  with 
Isaiah  as  with  Micah.  This  view  occurs  in  ABARBANEL, 
with  the  additional  notion  that  the  passage  is  indeed 
older  in  Isaiah,  but  taken  from  Isaiah,  not  by  Micah 
himself,  but  that  it  was  brought  to  him  in  the  way  of 
inspiration  from  the  older  prophet.  (Micha  visionem  suam 
enarravit  illis  verbis,  quce  tune  ex  Jesnia  ori  ipsius  erant  in- 
dita).  That  the  passage  is  original  with  Isaiah  and  bor- 
rowed from  him  by  Micah  is  maintained  by  CALMET, 
RKCKHAUS  (Inteqr.  d.  proph.  Schr.  d.  Alien  Sundes,  1798), 
UMBREIT.  Some  recent  expositors  (KOPPE,  ROSEN- 
MUELLER,  HITZIO,  MAURER.  EW«,D),  are  of  the  opi- 
nion that  our  passage  is  the  expression  of  a  third  per- 
son, from  whom  Isa.  and  Micah  nave  drawn  in  common. 
HITZIO  and  EWALD  even  indicate  Joel  as  the  third  per- 
son, and  Joel  iv.  10  as  the  source  of  our  text.  If  there 
were  an  expression  of  essentially  the  same  import  in 
any  older  prophet,  this  hypothesis  might  have  some 
ground.  But  such  a  passage  is  not  to  be  found.  Joel 
iv.  10  contains  in  fact  precisely  the  opposite.  For  there 
Israel  is  summoned  to  forge  its  mattocks  into  swords, 
and  its  pruning  hooks  into  spears,  for  a  war  of  destruc- 


tion against  the  heathen.    In  as  much  as  a  third  place 

from  which  both  may  have  drawn,  is  actually  non-ex" 

-'-'ont,  this  hypothesis  is  in  itself  superfluous  and  null. 

le  question  can  only  be,  which  of  the  two  contempo- 


Isti 

The  question  CHII  ouiy  ue,  wmcii  01  me  tvru  uum-cnipi/- 
raries  has  drawn  from  the  other?  And  there  everything 
favors  the  view  that  Micah  is  original.  In  the  first  place 
the  form  of  the  text  in  both  points  chat  way.  For  the 
text  of  Isaiah,  although  in  the  main  sounding  the  same, 
has  still  some  modifications  that  characterize  it  as  a 
free  citation,  drawn,  not  from  the  manuscript  original, 
but  from  memory.  "All  nations  shall  flow  unto  it," 
ii.  2,  certainly  comes  from  the  harder,  "people  shall 
flow  unto  it,"  Micah  iv.  1,  and  not  the  reverse.  And  if 
ii.  4  is  compared  with  Micah  iv.  3,  the  unusual  D'TpXi?' 
strong,  and  the  still  more  unusual  pirT^Tj?,  afar  'off, 
certainly  do  not  make  the  impression  of  being  addi- 
tions. Rather  the  language  of  Isaiah,  "  And  he  shall 
judge  among  the  nations,  and  rebuke  many  people," 
appears  as  an  abbreviation  that  reproduces  only  what 
is  essential.  In  the  second  place  the  passage  in  Micah 
stands  in  the  closest  connection  with  what  precedes. 
For  with  the  threatening  prophecy  that  for  the  sake  of 


CHAP.  II.  2-4. 


55 


Judah's  sins  "  Zion  shall  be  plowed  as  a  field,  and  Jeru- 
salem shall  become  heaps,  and  the  mountain  of  the 
house  as  the  high  places  of  the  forests,"  Micah  iii.  12, 
the  promise  is  connected  by  way  of  contrast,  that  this 
desolation  of  the  divine  mount  shall  be  superseded  by 
a  wonderful  glory  (comp.  CASPARI,  Micah  der  Moranthite 
s.  444  sqq.).  It  is  most  intimately  connected  with  this 
that  PITH,  Micah  iv.  1,  has  a  motive  in  what  goes 

TT: 

before,  whereas,  Isa.  ii.  2  it  has  no  motive,  and  is 
without  example  in  so  abrupt  a  position  (comp.  DE- 
LITZSCH).  In  the  third  place  the  passage  in  Isaiah 
appears,  in  reference  to  what  follows,  as  a  motto, 
or  a  torso,  prefixed  theme-like,  whereas  in  Micah  it 
forms  a  well-rounded  whole  with  two  following  verses. 
HEXGSTENBERG  is  wrong  when  he  refers  the  words 
Mic.  iv.  4  to  the  Israelites.  The  heathen,  too,  according 
to  vers.  2  and  3  are  Israelites,  and  thereby  partakers  ot 
the  promise  given  to  Israel  (Lev.  xxyi.  5).  For  (such  is 
evidently  the  meaning  of  ver.  5),  while  Israel  holds  to 
its  God  forever  as  the  rightful  one,  the  heathen  shall 
hold  to  their  gods,  only  for  a  season,  viz.,  until  the  re- 
volution announced,  ver.  1,  takes  place.  The  im- 
perfect 13/*i  ver  5 a.  is  therefore  not  future,  but  sig- 
nifies continuance  in  the  present.  At  present  the  pro- 
phet would  say,  all  people  walk  after  their  gods,  but 
they  will  not  do  this  forever  as  Israel.  For,  vers.  1-3, 
he  had  expressly  announced  that  all  heathen  shall  flow 
to  the  mountain  of  Jehovah.  As,  therefore,  ver.  4  com- 
pleted the  all-comprehensive  portrait  of  peace  in  the 
old  theocratic  sense,  according  to  passages  like  Lev. 
xxvi.  5 ;  1  Kings  iv.  25,  ver.  5  assigns  the  reason  for  the 
glorious  premise  made  in  vers.  1-4.  Israel  has  already 
novy  the  true  way,  therefore  it  needs  only  to  persevere 
on  its  way.  But  the  heathen,  that  are  now  in  the  false 
way,  will  one  time  forsake  this  false  way  and  turn  to 
the  right  way.  The  same  construction  proceeds,  and 
the  vers.  1-5  appear  completely  as  one  work  from  one 
mould.  In  the  fourth  place,  the  characteristics  of  the 
language  in  several  respects  bear  the  decided  impress 
of  Micah.  The  expression  "in  the  last  days,"  occurs  in 
Isaiah  as  in  Micah,  only  in  this  one  place.  The  expres- 
sion "  JV3  TH  is  an  evident  connection  with  j~\on  "1H 
Mic.  iii.  12,  a  designation  that  occurs  only  here,  there- 
fore is  peculiar  to  Micah.  2  Chr.  xxxiii.  15  71  JV3  TD 

occurs  again  for  a  special  reason,  and  possibly  with  re- 
ference to  our  passage.  p3J  only  here  in  both  Isaiah 

and  Micah  :  likewise  Tin  C'fcO 3-    Xi2?J  in  Micah  only 

T   ' 

here :  in  Isaiah  three  times  beside,  evidently  occasioned 
by  our  text  in  ii.  2:  see  vers.  12,  13,  14:  beside  these  vi. 
1;  Iii.  13;  Ivii.  1,  15. "irij  with  the  meaning  confluere 

TT 

only  here  in  Isaiah  and  Micah. The  expression   D'U 

D'31  does  not  occur  in  Isaiah  except  ii.  2;  on  the  other 
hand  in  Micah  twice ;  here  and  iv.  11,  (comp.  the  remark 
on  D'3"l  D'O.JJ  at  ver.  3).  Later  prophets,  following 
Micah's  example,  make  use  of  it,  especially  Ezek.  (iii.  6 ; 
xxvii.  33;  xxxii.  3,  9,  10,  etc.).  HliT  TH  only  here  in 
Micah  ;  and  also  in  Isaiah  only  once  beside,  xxx.  29. 

3D.I?1  Tl  /X  in  Isaiah  and  Micah  only  here.  Isa.  always 
says  ^JOt?"  Tlbx,  once  Spy  ^jSn  (xli.  21);  twice 
ipy  V3X  (xlix.  26;  Ix.  16).  VD'i'TS  1J1V  in  both 
prophets  only  here  (comp.  Mic.  iii.  11 ;  Isa.  xxviii.  9,  26). 


Likewise 'X3  i"O/J. The  pairing  of  Zion  and  Jeru- 
salem occurs  in  Micah  in  iii.,  iv.,  relatively  often ;  iii 
10, 12;  iv.  2,  8.  But  in  Isaiah,  too,  it  occurs  often;  iv.  3, 
4;  x.  12,  32;  xxiv.  23;  xxx.  19;  xxxi.  9;  xxxiii.  20  ;  xxxvii. 
22,32;  xli.  27;  Hi.  1,2;  Ixii.  1;  Ixiv.  9. D'jP  D'3^ 

occurs  in  Isaiah  in  only  one  other  place,  xvii.  12.  whereas 

i*  occurs  in  Micah  four  times :  iv.  3, 13;  v.  6,  27. The 

use  of  D'31  and  D^DIX^  together  does  not  occur  again 
in  Micah;  on  the  other  hand  once  in  Isa.  liii.  12.  The 


singular  DIV^  'IJ  once  in  Isa.  Ix.  22.  The  words 
pim~TJ7  are  wanting  in  Isaiah.  In  iact  they  occur 
only  here.  JirO  in  Micah  again  i.  7;  in  Isa.  xxiv.  12; 
xxx.  14.  Plural  of  mn  in  Isaiah  only  xxi.  15.  --  DT1X 
only  here  and  Joel  iv.  10.  JTJH  nowhere  in  Isaiah.  - 
rOTDID  in  Isaiah  again  xviii.  5.  The  other  words  have 
no  specific  importance.  The  following  expressions, 
therefore  are  decidedly  peculiar  to  Micah:  l)<*  JV3  in; 
2)  D"3T  D'U;  3)  D'lH  D'?3£;  4)  spy  'nSx;  for  Isa. 
constantly  says,  Sx'W  TlSx,  and  *\py  is  generally  a 

favorite  expression  of  Micah,  which  he  uses  eleven  times 
(comp.  CASP.  Mic.  d.  Mor.  ss.  412,444).  Only  once  in  Micah 
and  Isaiah,  and  that  in  our  passage,  do  the  expressions 
occur;  D'DYl  mriN3,  I'm  D^HH  1^3,  VIJ, 

IT  -TV  j          -  T 

confluere,  VDTIO  IJIV,  VnrPX3  HD^J.   At  most  X&J 

TT   :  •          ••  T        :       :          T  :  "  T  • 

and  the  use  of  D^ST  and  D^DI^JJ  remind  us  of  Isaiah's 


style.    But  it  is  to  be  considered  that  owing  to  the  dif- 
ference in  the  size  of  the  books,  a  single  occurrence  in 
Micah  has  relatively  much  more  weight  in  settling  the 
usus  loquendi. 
Ver.  2.  This  beginning  of  the  discourse  with  7Tm  is 

T  T  : 

unexampled.  As  is  well  known,  several  books  begin 
with  THi  (Josh.,  Judges,  1  Sam.,  2  Sam.,  Ezek.,  Jonah, 

Neh.).  But  nowhere  except  here  docs  HTIl  stand  at 
the  beginning  of  a  discourse  without  a  point  of  support 
given  in  what  precedes.  We  recognize  in  that,  as  shown 
above,  a  proof  that  Isaiah  took  the  w./rds,  vers.  2-4,  from 
Mic.  iv.  1-4  as  the  basis  of  his  discourse.  Unmoved,  fixed' 
Such  is  the  meaning  of  mj,  comp.  jlJJ  ND3,  JIJJ  P'3 
2  Sam.  vii.  16,  26;  1  Kings  ii.  45;  Ps.  xciii.  2.  1HJ  is 

-T 

probably  denom.  from  ~inj>  and  does  not  occur  again 


in  Isaiah  in  the  sense  of  "flowing."    For 


Ix.  5, 


comes  from  another  root,  kindred  to  "1}J,  comp.  Ps. 
xxxiv.  6.  The  word  occurs  in  Jer.  xxxi.  12;  Ii.  44,  with 
the  meaning  of  "flowing,  streaming,"  but  also  only  in 
regard  to  nations. 


Ver.  4.  C3319  with  j'3  is  found  again  in  Isa.  only  v.  3. 
ITDin  is  a  juridical  term  as  well  as  £33ty.  The  funda- 
mental meaning  is  "eiiOvvia,"  "make  right,  straight,"  and 
corresponds  to  our  "richtenundsclichten.'"  Comp.  xi.  3,  4. 
In  the  latter  place  we  find  the  construction  with  7  (direct 
causative  Hiphil).  Comp.  Job  xvi.21  ;  ix.  33;  Gen.'xxxi.  37. 

D'.nX>  which,  as  already  remarked,  excepting  here  oc- 

curs only  Mic.  iv.  Sand  Joel  iv.  10,  is,  doubtless,  radically 
related  to  j"\X,  DT^X,  which  occurs  1  Sam.  xiii.  20,  21.  The 

first  the  LXX  translate  in  all  cases  by  dpoTpa,  the  VUL- 
GATE by  aratra  (in  Joel)  or  vomerei  (in  Isa.  and  Mich.)  ; 
the  latter  the  LXX  translates  O-KCUOS,  VULGATE,  liao.  It 
is  uncertain  whether  the  distinction  between  DT}X  and 
DT1X  is  only  to  be  referred  to  the  Masoretic  pointing, 

or  to  a  real  etymological  difference.  In  the  latter  case 
it  is  not  agreed  whether  the  roots  of  the  words  in  ques- 
tion are  n?X=£0:l>>,  from  which  Q%,  style,  li  engrave, 
draw,"  thence  HX,  JVIK,  not.  ace.,  or  n^X,  from  which 
on  the  one  hand,  is  'JX,  ship=aKtvos  on  the  other  hand 

•  T: 

rUX,  HX,  or  still  another  root. 


EXEGETICAL 

1.  At  the  end  of  days  shall  the  mountain  of  the 
house  of  Jehovah  be  higher  than  all  mountains, 
and  all  peoples  shall  flow  to  it,  (ver.  2).  They 
shall  encourage  themselves  to  walk  thither  in 
order  to  be  instructed  in  the  law  of  Jehovah. 
For  the  law  going  forth  from  Zion  shall  be  ac- 
knowledged as  the  right  lamp  of  truth  (ver.  3). 


AND   CRITICAL. 

Then  shall  all  strife  among  nations  be  decided  by 
the  application  of  this  law,  and  therefore,  so  to 
speak,  by  the  Lord  Himself,  so  that  there  shall 
be  no  more  war,  but  rather  weapons  of  war,  and 
warlike  exercises,  shall  cease. 

2.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass    . .  from  Je- 
rusalem.—Vers.  2,  3.     D^H   JVinX,  last  days, 


56 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


which    Isaiah    never    uses,  is    a    relative    con 
ception,  but  always  of  eschatologieal  significance 
whence    the     LXX    correctly   translate    it    b, 
"ev    ralf  ioxdraif  j][i£pai<;t"   or  by   "  ETT'  ea^dro 
TUV   qfiepuv"   or   by    "£?r'    ea^aruv  ruv  T//J.EIJUV 
It  is  therefore  not  =  in  the  time  following,  bu 
==  in  the  last  time.     Yet  it  is  to    be    remarke 
herewith,  that,  as    OEHLEK    says:     "Also  th 
Hearer  future  is  set  in  the  light  of  the  last  de 
velopment  of  the  divine  kingdom."     Comp.  the 
admirable  exposition  of  this  by  OEHLEK,  HER 
zoo's  R.  Encyd.  XVII.  S.  653.— In  this  last  tim 
now  shall  the  mountain  of  the  house  of  Jehoval 
(comp.  Mic.  iii.  12)  for  all  time  stand  unmovec 
on  the  top  of  the  mountains,  and  be  exalted  abov 
all  hills.     The  mountains  are  the  protuberances 
of  the  earth,  in  which,  so  to  speak,  is  embodiec 
its  effort  upwards,  its  longing  after  heaven.  Hence 
the  mountains  also  appear  especially  adapted  a 
places  for  the  revelation  of  divinity,  and  as  place 
of  worship  for  men  adoring  the  divinity.     ( Whai 
is  great  generally,  in  contrast  with  little  human 
works,  is  conceived  of  as  divine  work,  compare 

^"^D  Ps-  xxxvi.  7  ;  Ixviii.  16,  Sx-'HK  Pa. 
Ixxx.  11,  D'rftxS  nVu  Vjp  Jonah  iii.  3).    But 
there  are  mountains  of  God  in  a  narrower  sense; 
thus  Horeb  is  called  Mount  of  God,  Exod.  iii.  1 ; 
xviii.  5 ;  and  Sinai,  Num.  x.  33.     But  above  all 
the  mountain  of  the  temple,  to  which  per  synec- 
dochen  the  name  of  Zion  is  given,  is  called  the 
"Mount  of  God,"  the  "  holy  mountain  of  God," 
Ps.  ii.  6  ;  iii.  5  ;  xxiv.  3,  etc.;  Jer.  xxxi.  23;  Joel 
ii.  1  ;  iii.  17,  etc.     But  the  idols  compete  with  the 
Holy  God  for  possession  of  the  mountains.     For 
the  high  places  of  the  mountains  are  also  conse- 
crated by  preference  to  their  worship,  so  that  Is- 
rael is  often  reproached  with  practising  fornication 
with  the  idols  on  every  high  mountain,  1  Ki.  xiv. 
23;  2Ki.  xvii.  10;  Isa.  Ivii.  7  ;  Ixv.  7  ;  Jer.  ii.  20- 
iii.  6;  xvii.  2;  1.  6 ;  Ezek.  vi.  2,  3;  Hos.  iv.  13. 
Bui  the  Scripture  recognizes  still  another  rivalry 
between  the  mountains.     Ps.  Ixviii.  16  speaks  of 
the  basalt  mountains  of  Bashan  with  their  many 
pinnacles  that  look  down  superciliously  upon  the 
lowly  and  inconsiderable  Mount  Zion.     All  these 
rivalries  shall  come  to  an  end.     It  is  debated, 
how  does  the  prophet  conceive  of  the  exalting  of 
Mount  Zion  over  the  others?     Many  have  sup- 
posed he  conceives  of  Mount  Zion  as  piled  up 
o^er  the  others,  (aJiiis  montibus  veluti  superimno- 
atttm,  VITR.  ),  or  thus,  that  "  the  high  places  run 
together  toward  it.  which  thus  towers  over  them 
seem  to  bear  it  on  their  heads  "  (HOFMANN,  Weisz. 
u  £rf.  11.  p.  101 ).    But,  comparing  other  passages, 
it  seems  to  me  probable  that  Isaiah  would  sav  • 
there  will  be  in  general  no  mountain  on  earth  ex- 
cept Mount  Zion  alone.     All  will  have  become 
lam ;  only  the  mount  of  God  shall  be  still  a 
mountain.     One  God,  one  mountain.     If,  for  ex- 
ample, we  consider  the  words  below,  vers  12-17 
the  prophet  says  there  that  divine  judgment  shall 
go  forth  upon  all  that  is  high  in  the  world   and 
all  human  loftiness  shall  be  humbled,  that  "the 
Lord  alone  shall  be  exalted  in  that  day."     Just 
so  too,  we  read  xl.  4,  «  Every  vallev  shall  be  ex- 
ited, and  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  made 
>w,  and  the  crooked  shall  be  made  straight  and 
the  rough  places  plain."    When  hills  and  vallies 
disappear,  the  land  becomes  even.     To  be  sure 


it  seems  as  if  xl.  treats  only  of  a  level  road  for 
the  approaching  king.  But  this  level  road  is  pre- 
pared for  the  Lord  precisely  and  only  thereby, 
that  in  all  the  land,  all  high  places  shall  disap- 
pear upon  which  idols  could  be  worshipped. 
Zechariah  expresses  still  more  clearly  the  thought 
that  the  sole  dominion  of  the  Lord  is  conditioned 
on  the  restoration  of  a  complete  plain  in  the  land. 
He  says,  xiv.  9,  10.  "  And  the  LORD  shall  be 
king  over  all  the  land  ;  in  that  day  shall  be  one 
LORD,  and  His  name  one.  All  the  land  shall 
turn  to  lowness  from  Geba  to  Rimmon  south  of 
Jerusalem  ;  But  this  itself  shall  be  lifted  up,  and 
shall  abide  in  its  place,"  etc.  It  may  be  ob- 
jected to  this  explanation  that  ii.  2,  the  presence 
of  mountains  and  hills  is  in  fact  presupposed,  be- 
cause it  says,  "  at  the  top  of  the  mountains,"  and 
"  higher  than  the  hills."  But  must  the  prophets 
in  the  places  cited  above,  have  thought  of  the  re- 
storation of  a  plain  in  a  mathematical  sense  ? 
Certainly  not.  The  notion  of  a  plain  is  relative. 
There  shall,  indeed,  remain  therefore,  mountains 
and  hills,  but  in  comparison  with  the  mountain 
of  the  Lord,  they  shall  no  more  deserve  these 
names  ;  they  shall  appear  as  plains. 


From  this  results  that  t?JO2  is  not  =upon  the 
head  (this  must  be  expressed  by  t^JO  hg,  comp. 
Exod.  xxxiv.  2.  1  Sam.  xxvi.  13;  Isa.  xxx.  17) 
but  =  at  the  top  or  head  (comp.  Am.  vi.  7  ; 
Deut.  xx.  9;  1  Sam.  ix.  22  ;  1  Kings  xxi.  9,  12). 
This  latter  however,  cannot  mean  that  the  moun- 
ain  of  the  Lord  shall  have  the  other  mountains 
behind  it,  but  under  itself.  Without  doubt  "  the 
mountain  of  the  house  of  the  Lord,"  and  the 

ntP  DfID  in  and  nil  nn  Of  Ezekiel  are  identi- 
cal, (Ezek.  xvii.  22  sq.  ;  xx.  40.  xxxiv.  14  ; 
xl.  2). 

This  high  mountain  shall  be  exactly  the  oppo- 
site of  that  ''  tower  whose  top  may  reach  unto 
leaven"  Gen.  xi.  4,  which,  being  a  self-willed 
jtructure  by  the  hands  of  insolent  men,  separated 
mankind.  For  our  divine  mountain,  a  work  of 
jrod,  reunites  mankind  again.  They  all  see  it  in 
ts  glory_  that  is  radiant  over  all  things,  and  re- 
Cognize  it  not  only  as  the  source  of  their  salva- 
ion,  but  also  as  the  centre  of  their  unity.  There- 
ore  they  flow  from  all  sides  to  it.  These  "  Many 
people,"  i.  e.,  countless  nations,  which  are  essen- 
ially  the  same  as  the  "  all  nations  "  mentioned 
Before,  shall  mutually  encourage  one  another  ''to 
jo  up,"  (the  solemn  word  for  religious  journies, 
omp.  CASPARI,  Micha,  p.  140),  for  which  a  four- 
old  object  is  named  :  the  mountain  of  Jehovah  ; 
n  the  mountain  the  house  of  the  God  of  Jacob; 
n  the  house  the  instruction  out  of  the  ways  of 
jod  (the  ways  of  God  are  conceived  of  as  the 
ource  of  the  instruction,  comp.  xlvii  13;  Ps. 
xciv.  12)  ;  and,  in  consequence  of  this  instruction, 
he  walking  in  the  paths  of  God.  Only  the  words 
rom  "Come  ye"  to  "his  paths  "  contain  the 
anguage  of  the  nations.  The  following  phrase 
for  out  of  Zion,"  gives  the  reason  that  shall  de- 
ermine  the  nations  to  such  discourse  and  con- 
uct.  rni'fi,  law,  is  neither  the  (Sinaitic)  law,  for 
,  must  then  read  rnifln,  nor  the  law  of  the  king 
iling  in  Zion.  For  what  goes  forlh  from  Zion 
just  what  the  nations  seek.  They  do  not  seek 
political  chief,  however,  but  one  that  will  teach 


CHAP.  II.  2-4. 


57 


them  (he  truth.  rPl'fl  is  therefore  to  be  taken  in 
the  sense  of  the  preceding  'J^T'  he  will  teach  us. 
It  is  therefore  primarily  doctrine,  instruction  in 
general,  but  which  immediately  is  limited  as 
"  "13T  word  of  the  Jehovah.  But  shall  the  nations, 
turn  toward  Zion  only  because  "  law  "  goes  forth 
from  thence  ?  Did  not  then,  even  in  the  Pro- 
phet's time  and  before  that,  law  go  out  from  Zion ; 
and  did  the  nations  let  themselves  be  determined 
by  that  to  migrate  to  Zion  ?  We  shall  then  need 
to  construe  ''  law  "  and  "  word  of  the  Lord  "  in  a 
pregnant  sense:  that  which  deserves  the  name 
of  divine  doctrine  in  the  highest  and  completest 
sense,  therefore  the  absolute  doctrine,  which  alone 
truly  satisfies  and  therefore  also  irresistibly  draws 
all  men.  This  doctrine,  i.  e.,  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  is,  true  enough,  gone  forth  out  of  Jeru- 
salem, and  may  be  called  the  Zionitic  Tora,  in 
contrast  with  the  Sinaitic.  (Com p.  DELITZSCH  in 
loc-).  Therefore  that  '-preaching  repentance  and 
remission  of  sins  in  the  name  of  Christ  to  all 
nations,  beginning  at  Jerusalem,"  Luke  xxiv.  47, 
is  the  beginning  of  the  fulfilment  of  our  prophecy. 
Com  p.  Zech.  viii.  20  sqq. 

3.  And  he  shall  judge — learn  war  any 
more. — Ver.  4.  The  consequences  of  this  divine 
instruction,  sought  and  received  by  the  nations, 
shall  be,  that  the  nations  shall  order  their  affairs 
and  compose  their  judicial  processes  according  to 
the  mind  of  him  that  has  taught  them.  So  shall 
God  appear  as  that  one  who  judges  between  the 
nations  and  awards  a  (judicial)  sentence.  The 
Spirit  of  God  that  lives  in  His  word  is  a  Spirit 
of  love  and  of  peace.  The  God  of  peace  sancti- 
fies, therefore,  the  nations  through  and  through 
(1  Thess.  v.  23)  so  that  they  no  more  confront 
one  another  in  the  sense  and  spirit  of  the  brute 
power  of  this  world,  but  in  the  mind  and  spirit 
of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  They  are  altogether 
children  of  God,  brothers,  and  are  become  one 
great  family.  War  ceases;  the  implements  of 
war  become  superfluous ;  they  shall  be  forged 
over  into  the  instruments  of  peace.  The  exercises 
at  arms,  by  which  men  in  peace  prepare  for  war, 
fall  of  themselves  away.  The  meaning  "plow- 
share" evidently  corresponds  best  to  the  context, 
in  which  the  contrast  between  agriculture  and 
war  is  the  fundamental  idea  ;  at  the  same  time  it 
may  be  remarked  that  a  scythe,  mattock,  or  hoe, 
does  not  need  to  be  forged  over  again  to  serve  for 
arms,  Joel  3 : 10.— The  rnpTD  (xviii.  5)  is  the 
vine-dresser's  knife.  A  lance  head  may  easily 
be  made  out  of  it.  It  is  remarkable,  that  ex- 
cepting this  place,  Isaiah,  who  speaks  so  much 
of  war,  uses,  none  of  the  words  that  in  Hebrew 
mean  "  spear,  lance." 


As  regards  the  fulfilling  of  our  prophecy,  the 
Prophet  himself  says  that  it  shall  follow  in  the 
last  time.  If  it  now  began  a  long  time  ago ;  if 
especially  the  appearance  of  the  Lord  in  the  flesh, 
and  the  founding  of  His  kingdom  and  the  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel  among  all  nations  be  an  element 
of  that  fulfilment,  yet  it  is  by  no  means  a  closed 
up  transaction.  What  it  shall  yet  bring  about 
we  know  not.  If  many,  especially  Jewish  ex- 
positors hav*  taken  the  words  too  coarsely,  and 
outwardly,  so,  on  the  other  hand,  we  must  guard 
against  a  one-sided  spiritualizing.  Certainly 
the  prophets  do  not  think  of  heaven.  Plows  and 
pruning  hooks  have  as  little  to  do  with  heaven, 
as  swords  and  spears.  And  what  has  the  high 
place  of  Mount  Zion  to  do  in  heaven?  Therefore 
our  passage  speaks  for  the  view  that  one  time,  and 
that,  too,  here  on  this  earth,  the  Lord  shall  ap- 
propriate the  kingdom,  (Ix.  21  ;  Matt.  v.  5),  sup- 
press the  world  kingdoms  and  bring  about  a  con- 
dition of  peace  and  glory.  That  then  what  is 
outward  shall  conform  to  what  is  inward,  is  cer- 
tain, even  though  we  must  confess  our  ignorance 
in  regard  to  the  ways  and  means  of  the  realiza- 
tion in  particulars. 

[Regarding  the  question  of  ii.  2-4  being  original 
to  Isa.  or  Micah,  J.  A.  ALEXANDER  says  :  ''  The 
verbal  variations  may  be  best  explained,  how- 
ever, by  supposing  that  they  both  adopted  a  tra- 
ditional prediction  current  among  the  people  in 
their  day,  or,  that  both  received  the  words  di- 
rectly from  the  Holy  Spirit.  So  long  as  we  have 
reason  to  regard  both  places  as  authentic  and  in- 
spired, it  matters  little  what  is  the  literary  his- 
tory of  either." 

BARNES  says :  "  But  there  is  no  improbability 
in  supposing  that  Isa.,  may  have  availed  himself 
of  language,  used  by  Micah  in  describing  the 
same  event." 

At  ver.  2.  "  Instead  of  saying,  in  modern 
phraseology,  that  the  church,  as  a  society,  shall 
become  conspicuous  and  attract  all  nations,  he 
represents  the  mountain  upon  which  the  temple 
stood  as  being  raised  and  fixed  above  the  other 
mountains,  so  as  to  be  visible  in  all  directions." 
— J.  A.  A.  . 

Ver.  4.  ''  VOLNEY  states  that  the  Syrian  plow  is 
often  nothing  but  the  branch  of  a  tree,  cut  below 
a  bifurcation,  and  used  without  wheels.  The 
plowshare  is  a  piece  of  iron,  broad  but  not  large, 
which  tips  the  end  of  the  shaft.  So  much  does  it 
resemble  the  short  sword  used  by  the  ancient 
warriors,  that  it  may  with  very  little  trouble,  be 
converted  into  that  deadly  weapon  ;  and  when 
the  work  of  destruction  is  over,  reduced  again  to 
its  former  shape." — BARNES.] 

[So  we  have  seen  it— ploughing  on  Mount  Zion. 
— M.  W.  J.] 


58 


THE  PEOPIIET  ISAIAH. 


2.  THE   FALSE   EMINENT  THINGS  AND  THEIR  ABASEMENT  IN  GENERAL. 


CHAPTER  II.  5-11. 

5  O  house  of  Jacob,  come  ye, 

And  let  us  walk  in  the  light  of  the  LORD. 

6  Therefore  thou  hast  'forsaken  thy  people  the  house  of  Jacob, 
Because  they  be  replenished  'from  the  East, 

And  are  soothsayers  like  the  Philistines, 

And  they  aplease  themselves  in  the  children  of  strangers. 

7  Their  land  also  is  full  of  silver  and  gold, 
Neither  is  there  any  end  of  their  treasures  ; 
Their  land  is  also  full  of  horses, 
Neither  is  there  any  end  of  their  chariots  : 

8  Their  land  also  is  full  of  idols  ; 

They  worship  the  work  of  their  own  hands, 
That  which  their  own  fingers  have  made  ; 

9  And  °the  mean  man  boweth  down, 
And  d  the  great  man  humbleth  himself: 
"Therefore  forgive  them  not. 

10  Enter  into  the  rock,  and  hide  thee  in  the  dust, 

For  fear  of  the  LORD,  and  for  the  glory  of  his  majesty. 

11  The  lofty  looks  of  man  shall  be  humbled, 

And  the  haughtiness  of  men  shall  be  bowed  down, 
And  the  LORD  alone  shall  be  exalted  in  that  day. 


1  Or,  more  than  the  East. 

*  repudiated. 

«  a  man  is  bowed  down, 

•  And  thou  wilt  not  forgive  them. 


*  Or,  abound  with  the  children,  etc. 

b  make  covenant  with  foreign  born. 
d  everybody  humbled. 


Ver.  5. 


and 


TEXTUAL  AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Come,  and  we  will  walk,  are 
not  only  reminds  of 


taken  from  ver.  3,  and  (' 
U^iM,  ver.  3,  but  one  is  almost  tempted  to  believe  that 
("  TlJO  ver.  3  is  an  echo  of  mrPXa,  which,  ver.  3, 
follows  roSri.  And  if  the  words  are  compared  that  in 
Mich,  follow  the  borrowed  verses  iv.  1-3;  ("  For  all  peo- 
ple will  walk  every  one  in  the  name  of  his  God,  and  we 


ever,"  ver.  5)  it  will  be  seen  that  these  words,  too,  floated 

eforo  Isaiah's  mind.    Grammatically  there  is  nothing 

to  object  to  the  view  of  the  comment  below.    For 


may  just  as  well  mean  eamus  in  lucem,  as  in  luce, 
let  tu  walk  into  the  light,  as  in  the  light.  And  if  the  words' 
of  vers.  2  and  3  that  sound  alike  are  not  taken  in  quite 
the  same  meaning,  I  would  ask  :  are  they  then  identi- 
cal? And  if  they  were  identical,  must  then  the  roS 
"  nirnka  (that  must,  according  to  ver.  3,  occur  in  the 
last  time)  be  the  same  with  ">  1^3  rgS  that  the  Pro- 
phet imposes  as  a  duty  on  the  Israel  of'  the  present? 


Ver.  6.  jj?'£pj  stands  very  commonly  in  the  sense  of  re- 
pudiate :  Judg.  vi.  13  ;  1  Sam.  xii.  22  ;  1  Kings  vlii.  57  ; 
Ps.  xxvii.  9;  xciv.  14;  Jer.  vii.  29;  Ezek.  xxix.  5;  xxxii. 
4.  But  especially  the  notion  of  #£3J  appears  signifi- 
cantly as  contents  of  the  "  burden  of  Jehovah,"  and  pro- 
bably with  reference  to  our  passage;  Jer.  xxiii.  33; 
comp.  xii.  7  and  2  Kings  xxi.  14.  In  many  of  these 
places  3JJ?  stands  parallel  with  Ctoj.  From  that,  and 
from  the  impossibility  of  taking  DJT  —  Di>  ^1,  wny, 
fashion  of  the  people,  nationality,  the  inaccuracy  appears 
of  the  explanation  given  by  SAAHIA,  TARO.,  J.  D.  MICHA- 
ELIS  and  others:  "thou  hast  abandoned  thy  nation- 


- 

ality." DnpD  llOOi  according  to  the  comment  below. 
is  particularly  to  be  maintained  as  the  correct  reading. 
Thus  both  the  conjecture  of  BHEVZ  and  BOTTCTIER  (Exeq. 
Krit.  ^hrenlese,  p.  29)  DDpO  (comp.  Ezek.  xii!  24;  xiii. 
7),  and  that  of  GESENTOS  (in  his  Thesau.  s.  v.  Dl"),  P-  1193, 
though  in  his  commentary  he  declares  for'the  text). 
DDJ5D  (comp.  Jer.  xiv.14;  Ezek.  xiii.  6,  23)  are  needless. 
Also  the  signification  of  old  translations  (is  TO  iir'  op- 


CHAP.  II.  5-11. 


59 


xfi<;,  LXX.,  ut  olim,  VULO.,  ut  antea,  PESCHIT.,  sicut  ab  ini- 
tio,  Targ.,  Jon.)  is  incorrect,  because  the  insertion  of 
the  particle  of  comparison  and  the  leaving  out  of  ac- 
count the  1  before  Q'J ]y  are  arbitrary.  DBECHSLEB  has 
justly  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  &OD  with  jp 
never  means  the  same  as  X70  with  the  accusative. 

"  T 

For  the  first  does  not  so  much  name  the  matter  with 
which  one  is  filled  as  the  source,  the  fund,  the  provision 
out  of  which  the  matter  is  drawn.  Thus  e.  g.  Exod.  xvi. 
32,  IjQQ  "^P.yVl  N70  is  not:  imple  mesuram  eo,  but  ex 
eo,  i.  e.,  fill  the  omer  with  the  proper  quantity  taken  from 
the  whole  mass.  Comp.  Lev.  ix.  17;  Jer.  li.  34;  Ezek. 
xxxii.  6;  Ps.  cxxvii.  5.  It  is  different  Eccl.  i.  8.  D'JJJ? 
(Lev.  xix.  26 ;  Isa.  Ivii.  3 ;  Jer.  xxvii.  9  ;  2  Kings  xxi.  6 ; 
2  Chron.  xxxiii.  6)  or  D'JJJJp  (Deut.  xviii.  10,  14 ;  Mlc. 
v.  11)  according  to  the  context  of  the  passages  cited, 
are  places  of  magicians  or  diviners.  For  the  word 
stands  parallel  with  ^^2  sometimes,  and  sometimes 
with  l^nji  as,  then,  in  substance  both  are  nearly  re- 
lated. But  the  fundamental  meaning  is  doubtful. 
FLEISCHER  in  a  note  in  DELITZSCH  in  loc.  controverts  the 
tundamental  meaning  maintained  by  FUEBST,  "  tecta,  ar- 
cana faciens,"  and  also  the  derivation  from  t'_y  (oculo 
maligno  fascinans),  and  would  derive  it  either  from  ny, 

cloud  (weathermaker),  or  from  the  Arabic  root  anna 
(coercere,  stop  by  magic). — As  regards  the  construction, 
DKECHSLEB  has  remarked  that  the  absence  of  QH  must 
occasion  no  surprise.  The  verb  Ip'Bty  in  this  sen- 
tence causes  no  little  trouble.  p£JE7  occurs  in  only 

I  -  T 
three  places  in  the  Old  Testament:  Job  xxvii.  23;  1 

Kings  xx.  10  and  here.  Beside  that  there  is  also  the 
noun  p3t^  (p3D)  Job  xx.  22;  xxxvi.  18.— Job  xxvii.  23 
we  read'  the  words  1D'3D  ^'Sj?  pSM"1-  Here  evi- 
dently p3t#  =  p3D  which  often  occurs  for  clapping 
the  hands  together,  or  for  slapping  on  the  thigh :  Num. 
xxiv.  10;  Lam.  ii.  15  ;  Jer.  xxxi.  19;  Ezek.  xxi.  17.  But 
1  Kings  xx.  10,  the  king  Ben-Hadad  of  Syria  says  :  "  The 
gods  do  so  unto  me  and  more  also,  if  the  dust  of  Sama- 
ria shall  suffice  (p'afc^)  for  handfuls  for  all  the  people 
that  follow  me."  And  with  this  agrees  also  the  Aramaic 
p3D  redundare,  and  the  p"3#n  "  superfluere,  satis  esse" 
of  the  late  Hebrew.— Also  in  regard  to  the  substantive 
p3t^  the  same  division  of  meaning  occurs.  For  while 
Job  xx.  22  the  context  requires  the  meaning  "  abundan- 
tia,"  opinions  vary  a  great  deal  in  regard  to  Job  xxxvi. 
18.  Still  to  me  the  weight  of  reason  seems  on  the  side 
of  the  meaning  "explosio."  (disapproval,  insult  by  hand 
clapping,  comp.  Job  xxxiv.  26,  27).  And  the  explana- 
tions of  our  passage  divide  into  two  classes,  in  that  the 
one  bring  out  the  'fundamental  idea  of  striking,  the 
other  that  of  superabundance,  but  each  variously  modi- 
fied. The  Hiphil  occurs  only  here.  It  is  to  be  con- 
strued in  a  direct  causative  sense  (complosionem  facer  e). 
Ver.  7.  HXp  always  with  TNI  only  here  and  Neh.  ii. 
10  ;  iii.  3,  9. ' 


Ver.  8.  D^TyX  from  7X  with  intentional  like  sound 
to  7N,  D'riSx,  comp.  Zech.  xi.  17  ;  Jer.  xiv.  14 ;  Isa.  ii. 

18,  20;  x.  10  sq. ;  xix.  1,  3;  xxxi.  7.  The  singular  suffix 
in  VT  and  Vf\I73¥N  is  to  be  noticed  in  grammatical 
respects.  Expositors  correctly  construe  the  suffixes  as 
distributive.  Comp.  v.  23  concerning  the  ideal  number. 
Ver.  9.  At  first  sight  the  explanation  (adopted, 
e.  g.,  by  LUTHEB),  commends  itself,  that  takes  the 
verbs  nttf11  and  73ET  as  descriptive  of  the  volun- 
tary homage  that  the  Israelites  rendered  to  the  great 
things  depicted  verse  7  sq.  It  appears  to  belong  to 
the  completeness  of  the  mournful  picture  that  the 
Prophet  draws  here  of  the  condition  of  Israel,  that  also 
that  recognition  should  be  mentioned  which  those  great 
things  named,  vers.  7,  8,  received  at  their  hands.  More- 
over the  similarity  of  construction  seems  to  point  to  a 
continuation  of  that  strain  of  complaint  against  Israel 
already  begun.  Indeed  the  second  half  of  ver.  9  "  and 
forgive  them  not,"  seems  to  form  the  fitting  transition 
to  the  announcement  of  judgment,  whereas  these  words, 
if  the  announcement  of  judpment  begins  with  9  a  al- 
ready, seem  to  be  an  vartpov  Trpdrcpoi/.  That  fin^  and 
73 K/  in  what  follows  (vers.  11, 12, 17)  and  especially  v. 
15,  are  used  for  involuntary  humiliation  would  be  no 
objection,  in  as  much  as  a  contrast  might  be  intended. 
Nevertheless  I  decide  in  favor  of  the  meaning  approved 
by  all  recent  expositors,  viz.,  involuntary  bowing.  What 
determines  me  is,  first,  that  already  ver.  86  speaks  of 
the  voluntary  bowing  to  idols.  Had  the  prophet  meant 
to  emphasize,  not  simply  this,  but  also  the  bowing  be- 
fore the  idols  of  riches  and  power,  he  would  surely  have 
joined  both  in  a  different  fashion  than  happens  if  ver. 
9  a  is  referred  to  ver.  7.  And  then  Isaiah  must  have 
said:  T\  *7N  nfiNl,  but  thou  forgive  them  not.  That  the 

—         T  ~ : 

antithesis  is  not  marked  in  ver.  9  6,  is  proof  that  none 
exists.  But  then  in  this  case  ver.  9  a  itself  must  con- 
tain a  threatening  of  judgment.  It  is  no  objection  to 
this  that  it  is  expressed  in  narrative  form  with  the  vav. 
consecutivum ;  comp.  DRECHSLEE  in  loc.  Ver.  9  6  is  then 
not  antithesis  but  explanatory  continuation.  7N  must 
then  be  taken  in  the  weaker  signification  of  J<7-  Comp. 
2  Kings  vi.  27.— DIN  and  tJTtf  (comp.  v.  15;  xxxi.  8; 
Ps.  xlix.  3;  Prov.  viii.  4)  form  only  a  rhetorical,  not  a 
logical  antithesis.  It  is  not  =  mean  and  great,  but  = 
all  and  every.  The  idea  of  "  man  "  is  only  for  the  sake 
of  parallelism  expressed  by  two  synonymous  words. 
Comp.  ver.  11.  After  N&FI  must  jty  be  supplied,  comp. 
Gen.  xviii.  24,  26 ;  Hos.  i.  6,  coll.  Isa.  xxxiii.  24. 

Ver.  10.  f  1H3  genitive  of  the  object,  comp.  1  Sam. 
xi.  7 ;  2  Chr.  xiv.  13 ;  xvii.  10  and  below  vers.  19  and  21. 
T1NJ  TV!  only  here. 

Ver.  11.  fOrOJ  only  here  and  ver.  17.  DH  in  Isaiah 
only  here  and  ver.  17,  and  x.  12.  The  singular  73127  is 
explained  in  that  niHDJ  is  the  main  idea.  Comp.  v.  15. 
73K?,  a  common  word  with  Isaiah  (vers.  9,  11,  12,  17; 
v.  15;  xl.  4,  etc.)  is  verb,  not  adjective,  for  the  latter  is 
.  The  same  ramark  obtains  in  reference  to  DIN 
o'l^JN  that  was  made  ver.  9  concerning  DIN  and 


GO 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet's  glance  has  penetrated  into  the  ;      3.  Therefore  thou  hast— strangers^  ver.  6. 


farthest  future.     There  he  gazes  on  the  glory  of 
Jehovah  and  his  people.     In  the  words  of  his 
fellow  prophet  Micah,  to  whom  he  thereby  ex- 
tends the  hand  of  recognition  and  joins  himself, 
he  portrays  how  highly  exalted   then  the   Lord 
and  His  people  shall  be.     Th^t"  is  the  true  emi- 
nence to  which  Israel  is  destined,  and  after  which 
it  ought  to  strive.     But  what  a  chasm  between 
that  which  Israel  shall  be  and  what  it  actually  is! 
The  Prophet  calls  on  the  people  to  set  them- 
selves in  the  light  of  that  word  of  promise,  that 
promise  of  glory  (ver.  5).     What  a  sad   picture 
of  the  present  reveals  itself!     The  people  in  that 
glorious  picture  of  the  future,  so   one  with  its 
God  that  it  does  not  at  all  appear  in  an  indepen- 
dent guise,  appears  in  the  present   forsaken   of 
God,  for  it  has  yielded  itself  entirely  to  the  in- 
fluences of  the  world  from   the  East  and  West, 
and  all  sides  (ver.  6).     In  consequence  of  this, 
much  that  is  high  and  great  has,  indeed,  towered 
up  in  the  midst  of  them.     But  this  highness  con- 
sists only  of  gold  and  silver,  wagons  and  horses, 
and  dead  idols  made  by  men  (vers.  7-8).    For  that, 
in  the  day  of  judgment,  they  shall  be  bowed  down 
so  much  the  lower  and  obtain  no  pardon  (ver.  9). 
For  in  that  day  they  must  creep  into  clefts  in  the 
rocks  and  holes  in  the  ground,  before  the  terrible 
appearance  of  Jehovah  (ver.  10),  and  then  shall 
every  false,  earthly  eminence  be  cast  down,  that 
Jehovah  alone  may  appear  as  the  high  one  ( v.  11 ). 
2.  O  house  of  Jacob— light  of  the  Lord. 
— Ver.  5.    "  House  of  Jacob,"  so  the  Prophet  ad- 
dresses the  inhabitants  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem 
(ver.  1),  in  that  he  connects  what  he  says  in  this 
address,  and  in  the  second  half  of  the  verse  with 
the  prophetic  address  uttered  in  what  precedes, 
in   which   (ver.  3)  the  temple  was  named  "the 
house  of  the  God  of  Jacob."      The  expression 
"  house  of  Jacob "  for  Israel  is  besides  frequent 
m  Isa.  viii.  17;  x.  20;   xiv.  1;    xxix.  22;  xlvi. 
3;   xlviii.  1;  Iviii.  1. — As  the  Prophet  at  once 
expresses  what  he  has  to  say  to   the   house  of 
Jacob  in  words  that  are  taken  from  the  prophecy 
that  precedes,  he  intimates  what  use  he  intends  to 
make  of  these  words. 

Expositors  understand,  {"  1iX  partly  of  the 
favor  and  grace  of  the  Lord  (for  which  otherwise 
often  r  'J3-OX  ps.  Ixxxix.  16;  iv.  7  ;  xxxvi. 
10),  partly  of  the  instruction  through  the  law  of 
the  Lord  (luz  Jehovre  lex  Dei,  VITR.).  But  neither 
the  one  nor  the  other  meaning  seems  to  me  to 
suit  the  context.  For  in  what  follows  there  is 
neither  a  promise  of  divine  grace,  nor  exhorta- 
tion tD  holy  walk.  I  am  therefore  of  the  opinion 
that  the  prophet  by  "  light  of  Jehovah,"  under- 
stands that  light  which  Jehovah  Himself  extends 
to  the  people  by  the  prophetic  word  that  iust 
precedes.  In  the  light  of  that  word  ought  Israel 
to  set  ita  present  history.  The  Prophet  shows,  in 
what  follows,  how  infinitely  distant  the  present 
Israel  is  from  the  ideal  that,  vers.  2-4  he  has 
shown,  and  which  shall  be  the  destiny  of 'this  de- 
generate Israel  in  "the  last  time."  Now  if  Israel 
will  apply  the  measure  of  that  future  to  its  pre- 
sent, it  may  escape  the  judgment  of  the  last  time. 
On  this  account  the  Prophet  summons  his  people 
to  set  themselves  in  the  "  light  of  Jehovah " 


The  words  "  thou  hast  repelled  thy  people  "  seem 
to  me  to  indicate  the  fundamental  thought  of  the 
whole  address  to  the  end  of  Chap.  v.    From  vers. 
2-4,  where  Jehovah  is  named  the  God  of  Jacob, 
and  Zion  the  place  where  God's  word  shines  so 
gloriouslv  that  all  nations  assemble  to  this  shin- 
ing, it  is'seen  that  Israel  in  this  last  time  shall 
live   in  most  intimate    harmony  with  its   God. 
That  it  is  not  so  now  he  proceeds  to  describe. 
For  God  has  repudiated  His  people.     Jehovah, 
however,  has  not  arbitrarily  repudiated  His  peo- 
ple.    He  could  do  no  otherwise.     For  the  nation 
had  forsaken  Him,  had  abandoned  itself  to  the 
spirit  of  the  world.     They  accorded  admittance 
to  every  influence  that  pressed  on  them  from  East 
and  West.     Such  is  the   sense  of  the  following 
words.     "  From  the  east,"   means  primarily,  in- 
deed, those  parts  of  Arabia  bordering  on  Pales- 
tine (Judg.  vi.  3,  33;  vii.  12;  viii.  10), but  here, 
in  contrast  with  Philistines,  it  signifies  the  lands 
generally  that  lie  east  of  Palestine.     That  de- 
structive influences,  especially  of  a  religious  kind, 
proceeded  from   these  lands   to   Israel,  appears 
from  the  instance  of  Baal-Peor  (Num.  xxv.  3; 
Deut.  iv.  3),  and  of  Chemosh  (1  Kings  _xi.  7  ;  2 
Kings  xxiii.  13)  of  the  Moabites,  and  Milcom  of 
the  Ammonites  (1  Kings  xi.  5,  7)  the  altar  in 
Damascus  (2  Kings  xvi.  10),  and  the  star  worship 
of  Manasseh  (2  Kings  xxi.  5 ;  Jer.  vii.  18 ;  xliv. 
17  sqq.;  Ezek.  viii.   16).     But   DRECHSLER,  in 
loc,  has  proved  that  not  only  religious  influences, 
but   also  social  culture  of  every  sort  penetrated 
Israel  from  the  East  (comp.  on  iii.  18  sqq.;  1  Kings 
v.  10;  x.  1-15;  xi.  1  sq.     If,  then,  we  translate 
''  for   they  are  full   from  the  East,"   we  would 
thereby  indicate  the  Prophet's  meaning  to  be  that 
Israel  has  drawn  from  the  Orient  that  of  which 
it  is  full,  in  the  sense  of  intellectual  nourishment. 
But  the  West,  too,  exercised  its  destructive  in- 
fluences.    The  Philistines  are  named  as  repre- 
sentatives of  it,  and  especially  they  are  indicated 
as  Israel's  examples  and  teachers  in  witchcraft. 
It  is  true  that  we  have  no  express  historical  evi- 
dence that  the  Philistines  were  especially  given 
to  witchcraft.      Yet  1  Sam.  vi.  2  mentions  their 
"  diviners,"  and  2  Kings  i.  2,  refers  to  the  sanctu- 
ary of  Baalzebub  at  Ekron,  as  a  celebrated  oracle. 
And  in  the  children,  etc.   Excepting  TARO. 
JONATHAN  (el  in  legibus  populorum  ambulant]  all 
the  ancient  versions  find  in  our  passage  a  accusa- 
tion   of     sexual     transgression.      The     LXX, 
PESCHIT,  and  Ar,  understand  the  words  to  refer 
to  intercourse  of  Jewish  men  or  women  with  the 
heathen,  and  the  generation  of  theocratic  illegiti- 
mate posterity.     JEROME,  however,  understands 
the  "  et  pueris  alienis  adhceserunt ' '  of  Pederasty, 
as  he  expressly  says  in   his  commentary.     The 
translation  of  SYMMACHUS,  too,  which  JEROME 
quotes,  "  et   cum  filiis  alienis  applauserunt,"  is  to 
be  understood  in  the  same  sense.    For  JEROME  re- 
marks expressly:  '* Symmachus  guodam  circuita,  et 
honesto  sermone  plaudentium  eandem  cum  pueris  tur- 
pitudinem  demonstravit."     GESENIUS  in  his  Com- 
mentary p.  18  has  overlooked  this.     It  is  seen 
that  LXX.(refi>a  TroW.a 

PESCHIT.    (plurimos    exterorum  filios   educarunt), 
Arab,  (nati  sunteisfilii  exteri  permulti)  have  found 


CHAP.  II.  5-11. 


61 


the  notion  of  "fulness,  superfluity"  in  Ip'SE''.  But 
JEROME  and  the  Hebrew  scholars  that  after  him 
translate  ecdT/vu'&T/aav  (wedging  oneself  in,  in 
an  obscene  sense)  proceed  evidently  from  the  fun- 
damental meaning  "striking."  The  later  ex- 
positors divide  into  these  two  classes.  Still  the 
majority  decide  in  favor  of  the  meaning,  "strik- 
ing into,  i.  e.,  the  hand,  as  sign  of  making  a  cove- 
nant," and  refer  to  the  construction  3  ^J3  (Gen. 
xxxii.  2  ;  Josh.  xvi.  7  ;  xvii.  10,  etc.),  to  illustrate 
the  construction  with  3  here.  Still  better  is  it  to 
compare  the  construction  with  3  of  the  verbs, 

1U1  pal,  p'lnn,  mx,  "in3.      ,:  'iV   are  the  chil- 

-T    I     TT       I       ••.•I|V         -  T  -  T 

drcn  of  strangers  (Psalm  xviii.  45,  sq.  ;  Isaiah 
Ix.  10,  etc.),  with  only  the  difference  that  in 

O  "HT  the  idea  of  a  profane  birth  is  more  promi- 
nent. The  expression  is  to  be  understood  as  gen- 
erally comprehensive  of  the  eastern  and  western 
nations  named  immediately  before,  word  \£t 
itself,  it  occurs  not  seldom  in  Isa.  ix.  5  ;  viii.  18; 
xi.  7  ;  xxix.  23  ;  Ivii.  4,  5. 

4.  Their  land— have  made. — Vers.   7,    8. 
Neither  the  having  abundance  of   children  of 
strangers  (Ew.),  nor  the  contenting  oneself  with 
such  (DRECHSLER)  explains  to  us  why  the  land 
of  Jacob  was  full  of  silver  and  gold,  of  horses 
and  wagons.     But  it  is  very  easily  explained  if 
Israel  had  treaties  and  a  lively  commerce  with 
foreign  nations.     But   this  was  contrary  to  the 
law  and  the  covenant  of  Jehovah.  For  according 
to  that  Israel  should  be  a  separate  people  from 
all  other  nations :  "  And  ye  shall  be  holy  unto 
Me  ;  for  I  the  LORD  am  holy,  and  have  severed 
you  from  other  people,  that  ye  should  be  Mine." 
Lev.    xx.    26.     Commerce   with   the   world,   of 
course,  brought  the  Israelites    material  gain,  in 
gold  and  silver,  horses  and  wagons,  so  that,  in 
fact,  there  was  a  superfluity  of  these  in  the  land. 
B-it  by  this  growth  in  riches    and   power    the 
divine  prohibition  (Deut.   xvii-   17,)  was  trans- 
gressed.    It  is  plain  enough  now  how  necessary 
this  prohibition  was.     For  with  the  treasures  of 
this  world  the  idols  of  this  world  are  drawn  in. 
This  prohibition  would  guard  against  that,  for  the 
subtile  idolatry  of  riches  and  power  would  serve 
as  a  bridge  to  coarser  idolatry,  because  it  turns 
the  heart  away  from  the  true  God,  and  thereby 
opens  a  free  ingress  to  the  false  gods.  Thus  is  Israel, 
in  consequence  of  that  being  full,  of  which  ver. 
6  speaks,  also  outwardly  become  full  of  that  which 
passes  for  great  and  glorious  in  the  world.     But, 
regarded  in  the  light  of  Jehovah,  this  is  a  false 
eminence.     On  the  subject  matter  comp.  Mich. 
V.  9  sqq. 

5.  Enter  into— in  that  day.— Vers.  10  and 
11.     These  words  stand  in  an  artistic  double  re- 
lation.    First,  they  relate  to  what  precedes  (ver. 
9)  as  specification.     Second,  to  what  follows  (as 
far  as  iii.  26)  as  a  summary  of  the  contents.    For 
the  brief  words  of  ver.  9  express  only  in  quite  a 
general  way  the  human  abasement,  and  indicate 
the  sole  majesty  of  Jehovah  only  by  ascribing  to 
Him  the  royal  right  of  pardon.    These  words  are 
now  in  both  these  particulars  more  nearly  de- 
termined  in   vers.  10  and  11.     With  dramatic 


animation  the  prophet  summons  men,  in  view  of 
the  terror  that  Jehovah  prepares,  and  before  the 
majestic  appearance  of  His  glory,  to  creep  into  the 
clefts  of  the  rocks,  and  rock  chasms  (comp.  ver. 
19  and  ver.  21),  and  in  the  depths  of  the  dust  i.  e., 
holes  or  caves  in  the  earth,  (comp.  ver.  19).  The 
terror,  therefore,  shall  be  like  that  which  spreads 
before  an  overpowering  invasion  of  an  enemy 
(Judg.  vi.  2;  1  Sam.  xiii.  6).  Then  shall  the 
lofty  eye  be  cast  down  and, — which  is  the  reason 
for  the  former — all  human  highness  shall  be  hu- 
miliated. Jehovah  alone  shall  be  high  in  that 
day,  just  as  all  mountains  shall  have  disappeared 
before  the  mountain  of  Jehovah  (ver.  2).  It 
will  immediately  appear  that  the  matter  of  both 
these  verses  shall  be  more  exactly  detailed  in 
what  follows. 

[Ver.  5.  "  From  this  distant  prospect  of  the 
calling  of  the  gentiles,  the  Prophet  now  reverts  to 
his  own  times  and  countrymen,  and  calls  upon 
them  not  to  be  behind  the  nations  in  the  use  of 
their  distinguishing  advantages.  If  the  heathen 
were  one  day  to  be  enlightened,  surely  they  who 
were  already  in  possession  of  the  light  ought  to 
make  use  of  it."  "In  the  light  of  Jehovah;  (in 
the  path  of  truth  and  duty  upon  which  the  light 
of  revelation  shines).  The  light  is  mentioned  as 
a  common  designation  of  the  Scriptures  and  of 
Christ  Himself."  (P/ov.  vi.  23;  Ps.  cxix.  105; 
Isa.  li.  4  ;  Acts  xxvi.  23 ;  2  Cor.  iv.  4).  J.  A.  A. 

Ver.  6  c.  And  with  the  children  of  strangers 
they  abound. — The  last  verb  does  not  mean  they 
please  themselves,  but  they  abound. — Children  of 
strangers. — Means  strangers  themselves, — foreign- 
ers considered  as  descendents  of  a  strange  stock 
and  therefore  alien  from  the  commonwealth,  of 
Israel." — J.  A.  A.  [See  comment  on  i.  4 
DWnefc  D'J3.-— TR.] 

•      •    :    -         •  T 

Ver.  7.  "  The  common  interpretation  makes 
this  verse  descriptive  of  domestic  wealth  and 
luxury.  But  these  would  hardly  have  been 
placed  between  the  superstitions  and  the  idols, 
with  which  Judah  had  been  flooded  from  abroad. 
Besides,  this  interpretation  fails  to  account  for 
gold  and  silver  being  here  combined  with  horses 
and  chariots. — But  on  the  supposition  that  the 
verse  has  reference  to  undue  dependence  upon 
foreign  powers,  the  money  and  the  armies  of  the 
latter  would  be  naturally  named  together. — The 
form  of  expression,  too,  suggests  the  idea  of  a  re- 
cent acquisition,  as  the  strict  sense  of  the  verb  is, 
not  it  is  full,  nor  even  it  is  filled,  but  it  was,  or  has 
been  filled-^ — J.  A.  A. 

Ver.  9  "  They  who  bowed  themselves  to  idols 
should  be  bowed  down  by  the  mighty  hand  of 
God,  instead  of  being  raised  up  from  their  wilful 
self-abasement  by  the  pardon  of  their  sins.  The 
relative  futures  denote,  not  only  succession  ^  in 
time,  but  the  relation  of  cause  and  effect." — 
J.  A.  A. 

Ver.  10.  And  hide  thee  in  the  dust.  "May 
there  not  be  reference  here  to  the  mode  prevail- 
ing in  the  East  of  avoiding  the  Monsoon.,  or 
poisonous  heated  wind  that  passes  over  the  de- 
sert ?  Travelers  there,  in  order  to  be  safe,  are 
obliged  to  throw  themselves  down,  and  to  place 
their  mouths  close  to  the  earth  until  it  haa 
passed ."— BARNES.] 


62 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


a    The  judgment  against  the  things  falsely  eminent  in  the  sub-human  and  super. 

human  spheres. 

CHAPTER  II.  12-21. 

12  "For  the  day  of  the  LORD  of  hosts  shall  be 
Upon  every  one  that  is  proud  and  lofty, 

And  upon  every  one  that  is  lifted  up ;  and  he  shall  be  brought  low : 

13  And  upon  all  the  cedars  of  Lebanon,  that  are  high  and  lifted  up, 
And  upon  all  the  oaks  of  Bashan, 

14  And  upon  all  the  high  mountains, 

And  upon  all  the  hills  that  are  lifted  up, 

15  And  upon  every  high  tower, 
And  upon  every  fenced  wall, 

16  And  upon  all  the  ships  of  Tarshish, 
And  upon  all  '"pleasant  pictures. 

17  And  the  loftiness  of  man  shall  be  bowed  down, 
And  the  haughtiness  of  men  shall  be  made  low  : 
And  the  LORD  alone  shall  be  exalted  in  that  day. 

18  And  the  idols  2he  shall  utterly  abolish. 

19  And  they  shall  go  into  the  holes  of  the  rocks, 
And  into  the  caves  of  3the  earth, 

For  fear  of  the  LORD,  and  for  the  glory  of  his  majesty, 
When  he  arises  to  shake  terribly  the  earth. 

20  In  that  day  a  man  shall  cast  4his  idols  of  silver,  and  his  idols  of  gold, 
"Which  they  made  each  one  for  himself  to  worship, 

To  the  moles  and  to  the  bats  ; 

21  To  go  into  the  clefts  of  the  rocks, 
And  into  the  "tops  of  the  ragged  rocks, 

For  fear  of  the  LORD,  and  for  the  glory  of  his  majesty, 
,  When  he  ariseth  to  shake  terribly  the  earth. 


1  Heb.  pictures  of  desire. 

•  Heb.  the  idols  of  his  silver,  etc. 


8  Or,  shall  utterly  pass  away. 
6  Or,  Which  they  made  for  him. 


9  Heb.  the  dust. 


•  For  the  Lord  of  hosts  ha#  a  day  on  every  thing  proud,  etc. 
b  spectacles  of  desire.  "'fissures. 


TEXTUAL    AND 

Ver.  12.  riNJ  in  Isaiah  only  here.  Q1  is  often  found  : 
vers.  13, 14;  vi.  1 ;  x.  33;  Ivii.  15.  On  Njyj  comp.  above 
Ter-  2-—  72Kft  is  to  be  construed  as  future,  since  QV  'D 
"7  must  be  regarded  as  a  determination  of  time  that 
points  to  the  future. 

Ver.  16.  nVDiy  is  air.  \ey.  It  comes  from  mfr 
certainly,  which,  although  unused  itself,  is  kindredYo 
n;?E?,  to  behold,  is  only  now  identified  in  the  substantive 
n'2!^D.  According  to  this  etymology  rPDtt'  must 
mean  ^aMa,  showpiece,  thus  every  work  of Vrt  that  Is 
fitted  to  gratify  the  beholder's  eye. 

Ver.  18.  I  do  not  deny  that  D'S'Stf  is  taken  as  ideal 
singular,  and  may  accordingly  be  joined  to  the  predicate 


GRAMMATICAL. 

in  the  singular.  Butthen  T72  must  be  taken  as  ad  verb. 
Yet  wherever  this  word  occurs  (only  this  once  in  Isa.; 
comp.  Lev.  vi.  15  sq. ;  Deut.  xiii.  17;  xxxiii.  10:  Judg. 
xx.  40;  1  Sam.  vii.  9  ;  Ezek.  xvi.  14,  etc.)  it  is  adjective  or 
substantive :  entire  or  entirety.  I  agree  therefore  with 
MAURER,  who  takes  D^T/XHl  as  casm  absolutus  put 
before,  and  T /3  as  subject :  et  idola  (quod  attinet,  eorum) 
universitas  peribit. — The  fundamental  meaning  of  rpn 
seems  to  me  to  be  "  to  change."  Out  of  that  develope 
the  apparently  opposite  meanings  "revirescere  "  IPs.  xc. 
6;  Job  xiv.  7;  Isa.  ix.  9;  xl.  31;  xll.  1)  and  "  transire,  pras- 
terire,  perire"  (Isa.  viii.  8;  xxi.  1 ;  Ps.  cii.  27).  The  last 
is  proper  here. 
Ver.  19.  n"\I?D  (in  Isaiah  again  xxxii.  14)  is  the  natu- 


CHAP.  II.  12-21. 


63 


ral  rock  caves,  riv'TID  (<**••  *«Y-,  comp.   VSn,  }iSn) 
is  the  cave  hewn  out  by  art.    Notice  the  paronomasia 


Ver.  20.  The  Prophet  might  have  written  here  and 
xxx.  22;  xxxi.7,  '1  H03  vVSx,  his  idols  of  silver.    But 

I  V  V          T     '  V: 

he  has  chosen  the  common  construction,  which 
rests  on  this,  that  nomen  rectum  and  nomen  regens 
are  construed  as  one  notion,  and  thus  in  some  mea- 
sure as  one  word.  —  If  I1?  after  )&y  is  taken  in  a  re- 
flexive sense,  the  cnallage  numeri  would  certainly 
be  very  strong.  Therefore  most  expositors  justly  re- 
gard the  artificers  as  subject  of  %&]?.  -  The  words 
r\l"13  "lUnS,  as  they  stand,  can  only  present  an  infini- 
tive with  the  prefix,  and  object  following,  for  there  is 
no  noun  "\bn.  But  an  infinitive  does  not  suit  here, 
and  besides  there  is  no  noun  rp3-  Therefore  the  ren- 

T   " 

dering  "hole  of  the  mice,"  for  which  expositors  have 
gone  to  the  Arabic,  is  only  an  arbitrary  one.  Evidently 
the  Masoretes,  according  to  the  analogy  of  nip~np3, 


Ixi.  1,  and  rP3~n3'1  Jer.  xlvi.  20  would  separate  what 
was  to  he  united.    We  must  then  read 


one  word.    But  how  it  is  to  be  pointed  is  doubtful.    Ac- 
cording  to    the    analogy    of 


'  we  might  Point  it 
from  a  singular  rP2"^2n.    The  meaning  of  this  word 

T  T    :   --  : 

can  only  be  digger.  But  what  sort  of  burrowing  animal 
is  meant,  is  doubtful.  JEROME  translated  it  talpa,  mole. 
GESENIUS  and  KNOBEL  object  to  that,  that  the  mole  does 
not  live  in  houses  :  DUECHSLEK  that  the  Hebr#w  has  an- 


other word  for  mole,  i.  e.,  iSh-  But  regarding  the  for- 
mer, as  DELITZSCH  remarks,  the  mole  does,  true  enough, 
burrow  under  buildings,  and  in  regard  to  the  latter 
consideration  of  DRECHSLEE,  TT7n  also  occurs  only  once 
(Lev.  xi.  29),  and  two  words  for  one  thing  are  not  un- 
usual in  any  language.  Yet  the  foundation  for  a  positive 
opinion  is  wanting.  -  ^vtO.!?  *s  'ue  bat  (Lev.  xi.  19; 
Deut.  xiv.  18). 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  With  this  section  the  Prophet  begins  his  ex- 
plication and  specification  of  what  he  has  pre- 
viously vers.  9-11  said  in  general.      That  last 
time,  vers.  2-4,   which   the    Prophet   described 
above  in  its  glorious  aspect  for  Israel,  coincides 
with  the  time  when  the  Lord  shall  sit  in  judg- 
ment on  everything  humanly  high,  that  is  hostile 
to  Him.      And  even  all  impersonal  things,  thus 
creatures  beneath  man,  on  which,  in  proud  arro- 
gance, men  put  their  trust,  shall  the  Lord  make 
small  and  reduce  to  nothing ;  the  cedars  of  Le- 
banon, the  oaks  of  Bashan,  the  high  mountains 
and    hills,  the  towers   and  walls,  the  ships   of 
Tarshish,  and  all  other  pomp  of  human  desire 
(vers.  12-16).     All  this  shall  be  abased  that  the 
Lord  alone  may  be  high  (ver.  17).    But  the  same 
shall  happen  to  the  beings  above  men,  viz. ;  to  the 
idols  (ver.  18).     That  is  the  idolaters  shall  hide 
themselves  in  terror  before  the  manifestation  of 
that  Jehovah  whom    they  have  despised    (ver. 
19) ;  they  shall  themselves  cast  their  idols  to  the 
unclean  beasts,  in  order,   mindful  only  of  their 
own  preservation,  to  be  able  to  creep  into  the  hol- 
lows and  crevices  of  the  rocks.  (21). 

2.  For  the  day — brought  low. — Ver.  12. 
The  Prophet  had  used  for  the  first  time  ver.  11 
the  expression  "  in  that  day  "  that  afterwards  oc- 
curs often  (comp.  v.  17,  20 ;  iii.  7,  18 ;  iv.  1,  2 ; 
v.  30).     He  points  thereby  to  the  time  which  he 
had  before  designated  as  "  the  last  days."     Of 
course  he  does  not  mean  that  this  last  time  shall 
comprehend  only  one  day  in  the  ordinary  sense. 
The  day  that  Isa.,  means  is  a  prophetic  day,  for 
whose  duration  we  must  find  a  different  measure 
than  our  human  one.     With  the  Lord  one  day  is 
as  a  thousand  years  and  a  thousand  years  as  one 
day.     (2  Pet.  iii.  8;  Ps.  xc.  4).     But  the  chief 
concern  is  whether  there  is  really  such  a  day  of 
the  Lord.     This  the  Prophet  asserts  most   dis- 
tinctly.    For  precisely  because  there  is  such  a  day 
(^2  for,  ver.  12)  Isaiah  could  ver.  17  refer  to  it. 
But  this  day  is  a  day  for  Jehovah  Sabaoth  (comp. 
i.  9),  or  more  correctly :  Jehovah  has  such  in 
preparation,  so  to  speak,  in  sure  keeping,  so  that, 


as  soon  as  it  pleases  Him,  He  can  produce  it  for 
His  purpose  (comp.  xxii.  5  ;  xxxiv.  8,  and  espe- 
cially Ixiii.  4 ;  Jer.  xlvi.  10 ;  Ezek.  xxx.  3). 
This  day  is  a  day  of  judgment,  as  already  even 
the  older  prophets  portray  it:  Joel  i.  15 ;  ii.  1,  2, 
11;  iii.  4;  iv.  14;  Amos  v.  18,  20.  Obad.  15. 
Indeed  the  notion  of  judgment  is  so  closely 
identified  with  "  the  day  of  Jehovah  "  that  Isaiah 
in  our  text  construes  DV  a  day  directly  as  a  word 

signifying  ''  court  of  justice,"  for  he  lets  /y_  de- 
pend on  it.  Once  more  in  ver.  12,  the  notion  of 
high  and  proud  is  generally  expressed  before 
(ver.  13)  it  is  individualized. 

3.  And  upon  all — in  that  day. — Vers.  13- 
17.  The  judgment  of  God  must  fall  on  all  pro- 
ducts of  nature  (vers.  13,  14),  and  upon  human 
art  (vers.  15,  16)  It  may  be  asked,  how  then 
have  the  products  of  nature,  the  trees  and  moun- 
tains become  blameworthy?  KNOBEL,  to  be  sure, 
understands  by  the  cedars  houses  made  of  cedar 
(comp.  2  Sam.  vii.  2,  7)  and  by  oaks  of  Bashan 
houses  of  oak  wood  (Ezek.  xxvii.  6)  such  as  Uz- 
ziah  and  Jotham  constructed  partly  for  fortifying 
the  land,  partly  for  pleasure,  and  by  mountains 
and  hills  "the  fastnesses  that  Jotham  built  in  the 
mountains  of  Judah  (2  Chr.  xxvii.  4)."  But, 
though  one  might  understand  the  cedars  to  mean 
houses  of  cedar,  (for  which,  however,  must  not 
be  cited  ix.  9;  Nah.  ii.  4,  but  Jer.  xxii.  23  comp. 
Isa.  Ix.  13)  still  the  mountains  and  hills  can 
never  mean  "  fortified  places."  2  Pet.  iii.  10, 
seems  to  me  to  afford  the  best  commentary  on 


our  passage.  As  sure  as  p  "|¥  {O<  angel  of  the 
LOKD  of  the  Old  Testament,  is  identical  with  the 
fiyyeAof  Kvpiov  of  the  New  Testament  so  is  also  the 
^  DV,  day  of  the  Lord  identical  with  the 
tinkpa  Kvpiov  (IJCor.  i.  8  ;  1  Thess.  v.  2,  etc.).  Now 
of  this  day  of  the  Lord  it  is  said,  in  the  above 
passage  in  Peter,  that  in  it,  "  the  earth  also  and 
the  works  that  are  therein  shall  be  burned  up." 
If  now  this  last  great  day  has  its  preliminaries,  too, 
like,  on  the  contrary,  the  revelation  of  glory  ver. 
2  sqq.,  has,  then  we  are  justified  in  regarding  all 


64 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


degrees  of  God's  world-judging  activity  as  parts 
of  "  the  day  of  the  Lord."  If  then  the  prophet 
here  names  only  the  high  mountains  and  the 
highest  trees  growing  on  them  as  representatives 
of  nature,  he  evidently  does  so  because  it  is  his 
idea,  according  to  the  whole  context,  to  make 
prominent  that  which  is  high  in  an  earthly 
sense,  especially  what  is  'wont  to  serve  men  as 
means  of  gratifying  their  lust  of  power  and  pomp. 
But  the  mountains  and  the  trees  on  them  could 
not  he  destroyed  without  the  earth  itself  were  de- 
stroyed. Therefore  the  high  mountains  and  trees 
are  only  named  as  representatives  of  the  entire 
terrestrial  nature,  of  the  yn  as  it  is  called  by  Peter, 
as  also  afterwards  the  towers,  ships  of  Tarshish, 
etc.,  are  only  representative  of  the  epya,  the  human 
works,  thus  the  productions  of  art.  The  oaks  of 
Bashan,  beside  this  place,  are  mentioned  Ezek. 
xxvii.  6 ;  Zech.  xi.  2.  A  parallel  is  drawn  be- 
tween Lebanon  and  Bashan  also  xxxiii.  9 ;  Jer. 
xxii.  20 ;  Nah.  i.  4. — High  towers  and  strong 
walls  were  built  by  others  as  well  as  by  Uzziah 
and  Jotham ;  comp.  2  Chr.  xiv.  7  ;  xxxii.  5,  etc. 
— Tarshish  is  mentioned  by  Isaiah  again :  xxiii. 
1,  6,  10  ;  Ix.  9  ;  Ixvi.  19.  It  is  now  generally 
acknowledged  that  the  locality  lay  in  south  Spain 
beyond  the  Pillars  of  Hercules.  It  is  the  Tap-jjaabs 
Tartessus  of  the  Greeks ;  not  a  city,  likely,  but 
the  country  that  lay  at  the  mouth  of  the  Bsetis 
(Guadalquiver) :  comp.  HERZOG,  R.  Encycl.  XV. 
p.  684.  Ships  of  Tarshish  are  thus  large  ships 
fitted  for  distant  and  dangerous  voyages  (Jon.  i. 
3  ;  iv.  2  ;  1  Kings  x.  22  ;  xxii.  49;  Ps.  xlviii.  8). 
All  this  must  be  destroyed  and  so  must  the 
arrogance  of  men  be  humbled,  that  Jehovah 
alone  may  he  high  in  that  day.  So  the  pro- 
phet repeats,  with  some  modification,  the  words 
of  ver.  11,  to  prove  that  the  specifications  just 
given  are  only  meant  as  the  amplification  of 
that  general  thought  expressed  in  ver.  9.  For 
these  verses  12-16,  refer  as  much  back  to  vers. 
9  as  do  ver.  18  sqq.,  (especially  vers.  18,  21,)  to 
ver.  10  a. 

4.  And  the  idols— the  earth.— Vers.  17-21. 
The  judgment  against  the  sub-human  creatures 
is  followed  by  that  against  the  superhuman,  the 
idols.  As  verses  13-16  refer  back  to  ver.  7,  so 
ver.  18  fiqq.,  does  to  ver.  8. 

But  the  judgment  against  the  idols  is  most 
notably  accomplished  when  the  worshippers  of 
idols,  now  visited  by  the  despised,  true  God,  in 
all  His  terrible  reality,  see  themselves  the  noth- 
ingness of  their  idols  and  cast  them  away  in 
contempt.  Jehovah  appears  in  the  awful  pomp 


of  His  majesty.  If  the  gods  were  anything,  then 
they  would  now  appear  and  shield  their  fol- 

loweis.  But  just  because  they  are  D'T7lt  noth- 
ings ;  they  cannot  do  it.  We  see  from  this  that 
the  ''enter  into  the  rook  and  hide  thee  in  the 
dust"  ver.  10,  refers  especially  to  the  bringing 
to  shame  these  illusory  superhuman  highnesses. 
In  Rev.  vi.  12  sqq.,  when  at  ver.  15  our  passage 
is  alluded  to,  the  shaking  of  the  earth  appears 
as  the  effect  of  a  great  earthquake.  Kegarding 
the  usus  loquendi  comp.  viii.  12, 13 ;  xxix.  23 ; 
xlvii.  12. 

Therefore  men  shall  cast  their  idols  away  to  the 
gnawing  beasts  of  the  night,  in  their  unclean  holes, 
not  that  their  flight  may  be  easier,  but  because  the 
idols  belong  there.  May  there  not  be  an  allu- 
sion in  the  words  to  the  demon  origin  of  the 
idols  (1  Cor.  x.  20  sq.)?  In  the  description  of 
"  A  little  excursion  into  the  Land  of  Moab,"  con- 
tained in  the  Magazine  Sueddeutcke  Reichspost, 
1872,  No.  257  sqq.,  we  read  in  No.  257  the  fol- 
lowing, in  reference  to  the  discovery  of  a  large 
image  of  Astarte.  "The  Bedouins  dig  in  the 
numerous  artificial  and  natural  caves  for  salt- 
petre for  making  gunpowder.  In  this  way  they 
find  these  objects  that  in  their  time  were  buried 
or  just  thrown  there,  which,  in  the  judgment  of 
those  that  understand  such  matters,  belonged  all 
of  them  once  in  some  way  to  heathen  worship, 
and  on  which  the  prophecy  of  Isa.  ii.  20  has  been 
so  literally  fulfilled." — Thus  they  cast  their  idols 
away,  they  entertain  themselves  no  more  with 
the  care  and  worship  of  them,  all  trust  in  them 
is  also  gone.  They  only  hasten  to  save  them- 
selves by  flight  into  the  caverns  ('T^PJ  see  Exod. 
xxxiii.  22  from  "IPJi  to  bore,}  and  crevices  of  the 
rocks  (comp,  Ivii.  5).  We  are,  moreover,  re- 
minded of  the  words  in  Luke  xxiii.  30.  ''  Then 
shall  they  begin  to  say  to  the  mountains  fall  on 
us ;  and  to  the  hills,  cover  us."  For  what  wish 
can  be  left  to  those  that  have  fled  to  the  rocks, 
when  the  rocks  themselves  begin  to  shake,  except 
to  be  covered  as  soon  as  possible  from  the  tumb- 
ling mountains. 

[Ver.  20.  Idols  of  silver  and  idols  of  gold.  "  Here 
named  as  the  most  splendid  and  expensive,  in 
order  to  make  the  act  of  throwing  them  away  still 
more  significant. 

"Moles  and  bats  are  put  together  on  account  of 
their  defect  of  sight."— J.  A.  A.] 


CHAP.  11.  22-111.  15. 


b.    The  judgment  against  the  falsely  eminent  things  in  the  human  sphere. 

CHAP.  II.  22— IV.  1. 

a.  THE  JUDGMENT  AGAINST  GODLESS  MEN. 
CHAP.  II.  22— III.  15. 

22       Cease  ye  from  man,  whose  breath  is  in  his  nostrils : 
For  wherein  is  he  to  be  accounted  of? 

1  For,  behold,  the  LORD,  the  LORD  of  hosts, 
Doth  take  away  from  Jerusalem  and  from  Judah 
"The  stay  and  the  staff, 

bThe  whole  stay  of  bread,  and  the  whole  stay  of  water, 

2  The  mighty  man,  and  the  man  of  war, 

The  judge,  and  the  prophet,  and  the  cprudent,  and  the  dancient, 

3  The  captain  of  fifty,  and  lethe  honorable  man, 

And  the  counsellor,  and  the  cunning  artificer,  and  the  '^eloquent  orator. 

4  And  I  will  give  children  to  be  their  princes, 
gAud  babes  shall  rule  over  them. 

5  And  the  people  hshall  be  oppressed, 

Every  one  by  another,  and  every  one  by  his  neighbour: 
The  child  shall  behave  himself  proudly  against  the  ancient, 
And  the  base  against  the  honourable. 

6  When  a  mail  shall  take  hold  of  his  brother  of  the  house  of  his  father,  saying, 
Thou  hast  clothing,  be  thcu  our  ruler, 

And  let  this  ruin  be  under  thy  hand : 

7  In  that  day  shall  he  3is\vear,  saying, 
I  will  not  be  a  4healer  ; 

For  in  my  house  is  neither  bread  nor  clothing : 
Make  me  not  a  ruler  of  the  people. 

8  For  Jerusalem  is  ruined,  and  Judah  is  fallen  : 

Because  their  tongue  and  their  doings  are  against  the  LORD, 
To  provoke  the  eyes  of  his  glory. 

9  The  show  of  their  countenance  doth  witness  against  them  ; 
And  they  declare  their  sins  as  Sodom,  they  hide  it  not. 

Woe  unto  their  soul !  for  they  have  rewarded  evil  unto  themselves, 

10  Say  ye  to  the  righteous,  that  it  shall  be  well  with  him: 
For  they  shall  eat  the  fruit  of  their  doings. 

1 1  Woe  unto  the  wicked  !  it  shall  be  ill  with  him ; 
For  the  reward  of  his  hands  shall  be  5given  him. 

12  As  for  my  people,  children  are  their  oppressors, 
And  women  rule  over  them. 

O  my  people,  8they  which  lead  thee  cause  thee  to  err, 
And  'destroy  the  way  of  thy  paths. 

13  The  LORD  standeth  up  to  plead, 
And  standeth  to  judge  the  people. 

14  The  LORD  will  enter  into  judgment 

With  the  ancients  of  his  people,  and  the  princes  thereof: 
For  ye  have  8eaten  up  the  vineyard  ; 
The  spoil  of  the  poor  is  in  your  houses. 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


15  What  mean  ye  that  ye  jbeat  my  people  to  pieces, 
And  grind  the  faces  of  the  poor  ? 
Saith  the  LORD  God 


1  Heb.  a  man  eminent  in  countenance. 

*  Heb.  lift  up  the  hand. 

*  Heb.  done  to  him. 
i  Heb.  swallow  up. 

•  Supporter  and  supportress. 

•  the  favorite. 

b  shall  use  dud  law. 


b  every  supporter. 
*  expert  enchanter. 
1  lift  up  (his  voice). 


1  Or.  skilful  in  speech. 

4  Heb.  binder  up. 

«  Or,  they  which  call  tJiee  blessed. 

8  Or,  burnt. 

« diviner.  a  elder. 

f  and  childishly  shall  they  ~ule. 
i  trample. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  22.  The  verb  S^n  occurs  several  times  in  Isa. 
i.  16;  xxiv.  8,  coll.  liii.  3.  The  construction  with  the 
dative  of  the  person  addressed  (Dai.  ethicus)  has  here 
the  meaning  that  this  ceasing  is  in  the  interest  of  the 
person  addressed  himself.  -  bin  with  m  :  Exod.  xiv. 
15;  xxiii.  5;  Job  vii.16;  Prov.  xxiii.  4;  1  Sam.  ix.  5  ;  2 
Chr.  xxxv.  21. 

CHAP.  III.  Ver.  1.  rUj?tjto1  f  ##  0  =  logically  consi- 
dered there  can  be  no  difference  between  these  two 
words,  which  moreover  occur  only  here.  But  the  Pro- 
phet designs  by  the  words  only  a  rhetorical  effect.  With 
sententious  brevity  he  sketches  thus  the  contents  of 
the  chapter  whose  first  half  treats  of  the  male  supports, 
whose  second  half  of  the  female.  —  Examples  are  not 
few  of  concrete  nouns  which,  placed  along  side  of  one 
another,  designate  the  totality  by  the  masculine  and 
feminine  endings  :  xi.  12;  xliii.  6;  Jer.  xlviii.  19;  Nah. 
ii.  13  ;  Zech.  ix.  17.  It  is  doubtful  about  DDJ1  nnpj, 
1  Samuel  xv.  9.  But  abstract  nouns  are  very  few 
that  at  the  same  time  differentiate  the  idea  as 
to  gender  by  the  gender  endings.  The  most  likely 
case  of  comparison  is  fYlJjaXni  D'MXKn,  the 


male  ar.ii  female  branches  (xxii.  24).  It  is  doubtful 
about  (Tnj  T>J  Mich.  ii.  4  (comp.  CASPAKI,  Mioah,  p. 

T  :    •         •  : 

117).  jyt^p  found  elsewhere  only  2  Sam.  xxii.  19  (Ps. 
xviii.  19;.  The  feminine  form  occurs  more  frequently 
rUJ'tyO  :  Num.  xxi.  19;  Pd.  xxiii.  4;  Isa.  xxxvi.  6,  etc. 

Ver.  4.  D1  7l  7>'.n  occurs  only  here  and  Ixvi.  4.  The 
form  is  like  D'JIJ^n,  D'JIjnR  etc.  The  plural  can 
signify  the  abstract,  and  this  abstract  may  possibly 
stand  pro  concrete;  the  plural  may  also  have  a  simple 
concrete  meaning.  All  these  constructions  are  gram- 
matically possible  and  have  found  their  defenders.  As 
regards  the  meaning  of  the  word,  the  questions  arise, 
whether  the  word  contains  the  notion  of"  child  "  (comp. 
HVljr,  SStyD)  or  the  notion,  '-inflict,  bring  upon,  mis- 
handle," (comp.  SS^nn,  Judg.  xix.  25;  1  Sam.  xxxi. 

4,  etc.,  nVS^,  rvVSg  S'jgo.SiSmixTi.^orboth 

notions,  and  whether  it  is  to  be  taken  as  subject  or  as 
acc.  adverbialis  to  designate  the  manner  and  means. 
That  the  notion  "child'"  lies  in  the  word  appears  very 
conclusively  from  the  preceding  D'1J?3  and  from 
7  7\J?D,  ver.  12.  But  it  is  not  at  all  necessary  to  exclude 
the  notion  vexatio  which  is  decidedly  demanded,  Ixvi. 
4.  One  may  easily  unite  both  by  translating  as  DELITZSCH 
does,  "  childish  appetites,"  or  "  childish  tricks,  childish 
follies."  But  the  personifying  of  this  idea,  or  construing 
it  as  abstr.  pro  concrete  (puerilia  =  pueri,  GESENIUS) 
though  grammatically  possible,  is  still  hard.  I  agree 
therefore  with  HITZIO,  who  translates  by  "  with  tyranny, 
•rbitrariness."  Comp.  D'ltf'D,  nifcOij,  D^Ss,  etc. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  5.  (faustrecht.)  Such  is  the  sense  of  U/JJ.  The 
word  is  used  of  the  violent  oppression  of  the  Egyptian 
taskmakers(Exod.iii.7;  v.Gsqq.),  of  the  creditor  (Deut. 
xv.  2,  3),  of  a  superior  military  force  of  an  enemy  (1  Sam. 
xiii.  6),  also  of  overpowering  fatigue  (1  Sam.  xiv.  24)  or 
of  an  unsparingly  strict  judicial  process  (Isa.  liii.  7).  In 
our  passage  the  Niphal,  as  one  may  see  from  following 
1J1  E^iO  E^X,  appears  intended  in  a  reciprocal  sense. 
Moreover  Isaiah  uses  the  word  often  :  ver.  12 ;  ix.  3 ;  xiv. 
2;  Iviii.  3;  Ix.  17.  3r~P  tumultuari,  insolenter  tractare: 

comp.  xxx.  7  ;  Ii.  9. n  7pJ  contemtus,  vilis;  comp. 

xvi.  14;  1  Sam.  xviii.  23. 

Ver.  6.  '3  is  rendered  by  many  expositors  "when  "  : 

VlTRINQA,  HlTZIG,    EwALD,    DRECHSLER,    DELITZSCH.      They 

therefore  take  the  phrase  as  protasis  to  ver. 7.  The  con- 
sideration that  vers.  6  and  7  evidently  portray,  not  the 
reason,  but  rather  the  consequence  of  ver.  4,  determines 
me  also  to  adopt  this  view.  By  '3,  then,  a  possibility  is 
signified  that  may  often  ensue.  71 7EOO  occurs  again 

T  ••    :  — 

only  in  the  plural,  Zeph.  i.  3,  where  it  means  offendicu- 
lum,  a-Ka.vSa\ov.  Besides  it  is  synonym  of  75£OD-  The 
present  situation  therefore  is  manifestly  designated  as 
a  scandalous  one,  as  a  subject  of  offence. 

Ver.  7.  $3n  part,  occurs  only  here.  Other  forms  of 
the  verb  occur  in  Isaiah  in  the  sense  of  binding  and 
healing  wounds:  i.  6;  xxx.  26;  Ixi.  1.  He  repels  the 
allegation  that  he  still  has  clothing  and  bread,  and  de- 
clines therefore  the  honor  of  becoming  judge  of  his 
people.  J'i'p  is  principally  a  poetic  word.  It  .occurs 

'  'T 

only  twelve  times  in  the  Old  Testament;  three  of  these 
in  historical  books:  Josh.  x.  24;  Judg.  xi.  6, 11.  Isaiah 
uses  it  four  times,  viz.,  here,  i.  10 ;  xx.  3. 


Ver.  8.  7&3,  stumble,  totter,  fall,  Isaiah  uses  often : 

v.  27 ;  viii.  15 ;  xxviii.  13  ;  xl.  30 ;  lix.  10, 14,  etc. V">  VD 

Isaiah  uses  only  i.  16  and  iii.  8, 10. 7tf  in-an  inimical 

sense,  as  ii.  4;  Gen.  iv.  8,  etc. The  "form  fYhoS  is 

syncopated  from  fHhDnS  (EWALD,  $  244  6),  Comp.  i. 
12;  Ps.  Ixxviii.  17.  fPS  and  Hiph.  PHOn  occur  very 
often  with  "  'fi-flK ^Num.  xx.  24;  xxVii.  14;  Deut.  i. 
26,  43,  etc.  Once  the  Hiph.  occurs  with  the  following 
il  r\N  Ps.  cvi.  33,  with  following  <"•  "13T  Ps.  cv.  28 
npK  Ps.  cvii.  11 ;  once  with  'DSKto  Ezek.  v.  6. 
And  so  here,  too,  with  following  fi  'J_JT.  In  Isaiah  the 
construction  with  the  accusative  does  not  again  occur: 

ID  alone  with  the  meaning  "rebellem,  contumacem 
esse,"  occurs  again  i.  20;  1.  5  ;  Ixiii.  10. 

Ver.  9.  n"13n,  which  only  occurs  here,  can,  in  union 
with  D'JD,  have  no  other  meaning  than  the  adverbial 


CHAP.  II.  22— III.  15. 


67 


form  of  speech  D'J-)  V2n  (Deut.  i.  17;  xvi.  19;  Prov. 

•  T  '     ' 

xxiv.  23;  xxviii.  21).  which  means  "  dignoscere  fades, 
distinguish  the  countenances,  i.  e  ,  make  a  partial  dis- 
tinction" (comp.  D*J2  Nt!/J).  The  notion  of  partial- 

•T  T  T 

ity  indeed  does  not  suit  here,  although  not  a  few  Jew- 
ish and  Christian  expositors  understand  the  words  in 
this  sense.    The  context  constrains  us  rather  to  go 
hack  to  the  simple  fundamental  meaning  of  close  ob- 
servance, particular  notice,  which  is  the  preliminary 
of  partial  distinction.    We  are  the  more  justified  in  this 
as  "l'3n  elsewhere  too  (Ixi.  9;  Ixiii.  16;  Gen.  xxxi.  32, 
etc.)  is  used  in  a  sense  that  proceeds  from  this  funda- 
mental meaning.    '3  rnDPI  is  therefore  the  magiste- 
rial, so  to  speak,  the  juristic,  exact  observance  and  in- 
vestigation of  countenances.    nrOj7,  which  is  likewise 
a  legal  term,  also  favors  this  view.   For  it  is  used  as  much 
of  the  judge  that  takes  cognizance  (Exod.  xxiii.  2)  as  of 
the  witness  that  deposes  to  the  interrogation  of  the 
judge:  Deut.  xix.  16;  2  Sam.  i.  16:  "thy  mouth  hath 
testified   (njj,')  against  thee."     vDJ  occurs  in  Isaiah 
again  only  Ixiii.  7.    The  form  of  sentence  in  ver.  10  a  is 
owing  to  the  well  known  attraction,  common  also  in 
Greek,  by  means  of  which  the  subject  of  the  dependent 
phrase  becomes  the  object  of  the  principal  verb.  There 
is  no  need,  therefore,  of  taking  10X  in  the  sense  of 
prmdicare.    But  it  is  simply  "  say,  speak  out  loud,  be 
not  silent,  that  the  righteous  is  well  off."    There  is, 
thus,  no  need  of  referring  to  passages  as  Ps.  xl.  11 ;  cxlv. 
6, 11.    That  31£D  may  mean  not  only  bonus,  but  also  bene 
habens,  well  off,  is  shown  beyond  contradiction  by  pas- 
sages like  Am.  vi.  2;  Jer.  xliv.  17  ;  Ps.  cxii.  5. 

Ver.  11.  According  to  our  remarks  at  i.  4  concerning 
'IN,  it  is  agreeable  to  usus  loqttendi  to  connect  it  with 
tf0i).  Besides  in  the  best  editions  they  are  so  bound 
(comp.  DELITZSCH  in  loc.\  Therefore  JH  is  to  be  taken 
in  the  same  way  as  3'l£0  ver.  10.  To  be  sure,  there  is 


no  passage  we  can  cite  in  which  y^  means  infelix,  as 
we  can  for  310  mean  ing  fclix  For  Ps.  cvi.  32,  and 
Gen.  xlvii.  9  y~\  is  both  times  not  used  of  personal 
subjects.  And  there  are  no  other  places  to  cite.  One 
must  therefore  say,  that  the  prophet  in  respect  of  the 
meaning  of  y~\  has  in  ver.  11  a  imitated  the  corres- 
ponding part  of  ver.  10. ;}D  J  is  performance,  product. 

desert.  Comp.  Judg.  ix.  10;  Prov.  xii.  14.  The  word  is 
found  in  Isaiah  again  xxxv.  4;  lix.  18;  Ixvi.  6.  What  the 
hands  of  the  wicked  have  themselves  produced  shall 
be  joined  to,  put  on  them. 

Ver.  12.  The  singular  iSl^'D  has  general  significance 
and  hence,  represents  an  ideal  plural.  Comp.  |XV  njJ'l 
n'"I3j^  Gen.  xlvii.  3.  As  regards  the  form  of  the  word, 
which  occurs  here  only,  bVty'O  is  tne  root  form  for 
SVlj?  (  1  Sam.  xv.  3 ;  Isa.  xiii.  16,  etc.)  or  ^Sty  (Jer.  vi. 
11;  ix.  20). 

Ver.  13.  32f  J  (in  Isaiah  only  again  xxi.  8)  expresses 

T   ' 

the  opposite  of  movement.    3¥3  and  1317  along  side 
T. 

of  each  other  occur  1  Sam.   xix.  20. 3'T  and  TT 

though  not  seldom  interchanged  (comp.  i.  17),  still  stand 
here  fide  by  side.  But  comp.  Jer.  xv.  10;  Heb.  i.  3. — 
The  expression  OD^OU  N13  "  enter  into  judgment " 
occurs  only  here  in  Isaiah.  Comp.  beside  Job  ix.  32 ; 
xiv.  3;  xxii.  4;  PP.  cxliii.  V;  Eccl.  xi.  9;  xii.  14. 

Ver.  14.  The  Piel  "\J,'3  occurs  in  this  sense  in  Isaiah 
only  again  v.  5;  comp.  Exod.  xxii.  4.  It  is  depascere, 
grazing  of  cattle.  Elsewhere  it  is  used  of  fire  (vi.  13 ; 
xl.  10;  xliv.  15;  1.  11).  n?U  only  here  In  Isaiah,  7J.J 
Ixi.  8. 

Ver.  15.  N31  to  stamp,  trample  (xix.  10;  liii.  5,10)  is 

T     ' 

intensified  by  UntDH  ^y  12-      jHtO  is  to  grind,  pound 
Jlne,  xlvii.  2. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Chap.  iii.  connects  quite  easily  and  simply 
with  chap.  ii.  so  far  as  it  continues  the  idea  of 
the  judgment,  and  to  this  effect,  that  it  is  now  ex- 
tended to  the  sphere  of  human  existence.  Chap, 
ii.  22  makes  the  appropriate  transition.  For 
therein  the  Prophet  warns  against  trusting  in 
men,  who  are  only  weak  transitory  creatures. 
Chap,  iii.,  also,  with  this  fundamental  idea,  sub- 
divides into  two  parts,  of  which  the  first  (1-15) 
treats  of  the  men,  the  second  (16-iv.  1)  of  the 
women.  And  yet  we  at  once  receive  the  impres- 
sion that  in  chap.  iii.  he  is  treading  ground  do- 
minated by  other  sentiments.  For  while  chap.  ii. 
discourses  quite  evidently  of  the  judgment  that 
in  the  last  time,  the  great  day  of  Jehovah,  shall  be 
gassed  on  sub-human  and  superhuman  creatures, 
chap.  iii.  seems  only  to  speak  of  acts  of  judgment 
that  do  not  bring  the  continuation  of  human  kind 
into  question.  Moreover,  in  as  much  as  an  or- 
d2ra;l  government  is  essential  to  the  very  exis- 
toncs  of  such  continuance,  the  removal  of  those 
ia  power  enumerated  in  vers.  2,  3  does  not  appear 
to  03  a  panishmtot  of  these  themselves  for  their 
loftiness,  but  of  the  people.  Those  authorities 
appear  as  a  benefit  that  is  withdrawn  from  the 
sinful  nation,  and  in  their  stead  they  are  aban- 
doned to  the  miseries  of  anarchy,  or  of  a  boy  and 
wo  aaa  governtuant.  If  now  the  removal  of 


these  pillars,  the  great  and  mighty  (vers.  2,  3),  is 
because  they  on  their  part  share  the  blame,  still 
that  is  not  the  principal  thought.  But  the  chief 
matter  is  that  from  the  nation,  which  (ver.  8) 
had  "  provoked  the  eyes  of  the  glory  "  of  the 
Lord,  shall  be  taken  away  the  indispensable  sup- 
port of  its  customary  and  natural  rulers.  In  con- 
nection with  chap.  ii.  one  expects  a  specifying 
of  the  contents,  that  as  the  sub-human  and  su- 
perhuman magnates  must  be  humbled  so,  too, 
must  the  human  magnates  be.  But  this  thought 
comes  up  only  at  vers.  13-15.  Hence  vers.  1-21 
make  on  me  the  impression  of  a  discourse  that 
originally  did  not  belong  in  this  connection,  but 
which  was  inserted  here  because  it  still  in  some 
measure  suits  the  context.  It  is  possible  that 
originally  these  words  were  directed  against  the 
bad  government  of  Ahaz,  who  came  to  the  throne 
as  a  young  man  of  20  years  (2  Kings  xvi.  2),  al- 
though, taken  strictly,  they  portray  conditions  that 
really  never  occurred  either  under  Ahaz  or  in 
any  other  stadium  of  Jewish  history. 

Because  iii.  1.,  presupposes  the  destruction  of 
human  magnates,  that  were  for  themselves  and 
others  an  object  of  unjustifiable  confidence  (ii. 
22),  the  discourse  as  regards  its  matter  fits  the 
context  (comp.  ii.  11).  But  it  fits  in  also  in  chro- 
nological respects,  so  far  as  all  acts  of  divine 


68 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


judgment  constitute  a  unity  ;  consequently  all 
visitations  that  precede  the  last  judgment  belong 
essentially  to  it  as  precursors.  But  that  the  Pro- 
phet notwithstanding  makes  a  distinction  appears 
from  vere.  13-15. 

The  order  of  thought  in  our  passage,  then,  is 
as  follows:  After  the  Prophet  had  signified  by  ii. 
22,  that  now  he  would  proceed  to  the  judgment 
against  every  high  thing  among  men,  he  classi- 
lies  in  advance  iii.  1  the  contents  of  what  he  has 
to  say,  in  that  he  announces  that  Judah  and  Jeru- 
salem shall  be  deprived  of  every  support,  male  and 
female.  The  male  supports  he  then  enumerates 
vers.  2,  3.  If  these  are  removed,  of  course  only 
children  and  women  remain  as  supports  of  the 
commonwealth.  The  misery  of  boy  rule,  that 
gradually  degenerates  into  anarchy,  is  portrayed 
vers.  4-7  in  vigorous  lines.  This  misery  is  the 
symptom  of  prevalent  ruin  in  Judah  and  Jeru- 
salem, and  the  consequence  of  those  crimes  com- 
mitted against  the  Lord  (ver.  8),  that  are  public 
and  not  at  all  denied.  These,  therefore,  are  the 
self-meriting  cause  of  that  misery  (ver.  9) ;  for 
as  the  righteous  reap  salvation  as  fruit  of  their 
works  (ver.  10),  so  the  wicked  destruction  (ver. 
11).  Thus  it  comes  that  children  and  women 
rule  over  the  nation  and  that  these  bad  guides 
lead  it  into  destruction  (ver.  12).  But  this  self- 
merited  temporal  misfortune  is  only  the  prelude 
of  that  still  higher  judgment  that  Jehovah  shall 
conduct  in  proper  person  which,  according  to 
chap,  ii.,  shall  take  place  at  the  end  of  days,  and 
by  which  the  Lord  shall  finally  rescue  the  pith 
of  the  people,  but  will  drag  their  destroyers  to  a 
merited  accountability. 

2.  Cease  ye— accounted  of? — ii.  22.    As, 
in  what  precedes,  the  trust  in  things  falsely  emi- 
nent, in  money,  in  power,  in  idolatry,  was  demon- 
strated as  vanity,  so  the  same  occurs  here  in  re- 
gard to  men.  "  Cease  from  men,"  says  the  Prophet. 
How  shall  man  be  an  object  of  trust,  how  shall 
he  be  a  support,  seeing  the  principle  of  his  life  is 
the  air  that  he  breathes  in  and  out  of  his  nostrils, 
thus   the  fugitive  quickly  disappearing  breath  ? 
Thence  man  himself  is  called  so  often  72H  breath; 
Ps.   xxxix.  6,  7,   12 ;  Ixii.  10,  etc.,  comp.  Gen. 
iv.  2.— The  expression  "  whose  breath  is  in  his 
nostrils  "  calls  to  mind  Gen.  ii.  7  ;  vii.  22  ;  Job 
xxvii.  3. — "  For  wherein  is  he  to  be  accounted 
of?"     Man  as  such,  i.  e.,  as  bearer  of  the  divine 
image  in  earthly  form  (D^)  is  of  course  of  great 
value  before  God.     Comp.  Ps.  viii.  5  sqq.  ;   Job 
vii.  17.     In  these  passages  the  inquiry  "what  is 
man  "  reminds  one  very  much  of  the  inquiry  of 
our  Prophet.     But  as  helper,  saviour,  defender, 
support,  man  counts  for  little,  yea  less  than  noth- 
ing, according  to  Ps.  Ixii.  10.     For  as  one  knows 
at  once  from  iii.  1  sqq.,  human   props  may  in  a 
twinkling  all  of  them  be  taken  away.     The  pre- 
position 3  stands  here  .as  elsewhere  (comp.  vii.  2) 
as  sign  of  the  price  that  is  regarded  as  the  means 
for  purchasing  the  wares  or  work. 

3.  For  behold— eloquent  orator.— Ch.  iii. 
1-3.    The  solemn  accumulation  of  the  names  of 
God  that  occurs  here,  occurs  in  like  manner  i. 
24;  x.  16,  33;  xix.  4.     The  subject   addressed 
appears  here  also  the  chief  city  and  the  chief 
tribe  of  the  people  of  Israel.     But  while,  i.  and 
ii.,  it  is  always  said  "Judah  and  Jerusalem," 


here  (ver.  8)  it  is  said  "Jerusalem  and  Judah.'' 
This  is  not  without  meaning,  and  we  are  perhaps 
justified  in  finding  therein  a  support  for  the  con- 
jecture expressed  above,  that  our  passage  did  not 
originate  at  the  same  time  with  what  precedes 
and  what  follows  it,  but  is  inserted  here.  The 
following  words  :  "  the  whole  stay  of  bread  and 
the  whole  stay  of  water  "  appear  to  interrupt  the 
connection.  For  when,  vers.  2,  3,  the  different 
categories  of  kinds  of  human  callings  are  enum- 
erated, and  ver.  16  sqq.,  the  proud,  aristocratic, 
decked  out  ladies  are  portrayed,  is  that  not  the 
specification  of  the  ideas  Ji'EO  and  DJjPEftX  stay 
and  staff?  And  what  have  bread  and  water  to 
do  here,  seeing  everything  impersonal  has  already 
been  noticed  above  ii.  13-16?  It  is  conceivable 
that  a  reader,  who  did  not  understand  the  rela- 
tion of  the  two  words  to  what  follows,  had  made 
a  gloss  of  them  in  this  sense,  and  that  this  gloss 
then  had  crept  into  the  text.  Such  is  the  conjec- 
ture of  HITZIG,  KNOBEL,  MEIER,  and  —  though 
afterwards  retracted  —  of  GESENIUS  and  UM- 
BREIT.  The  expression  "stay  "  might  call  to 
mind  the  expression  ''comfort  your  hearts  with  a 
morsel  of  bread"  (Gen.  xviii.  5;  Judg.  xix.  5, 
8  ;  Ps.  civ.  15)  and  the  expression  "  staff  of 
bread"  (Lev.  xxvi.  26;  Ezek.  iv.  16;  5,16). 
That  just  bread  and  water  are  named  as  cor- 
responding to  {i^^  and  njJ^tJ'D  might  have  its 
reason  in  this,  that  they  recognized  in  bread  the 
female  principle  and  in  water  the  male.  But  it 
is  always  doubtful  to  assume  an  interpolation  only 
on  internal  grounds.  EWALD  and  DRECHSLER 
understand  the  words  in  a  figurative  sense.  The 
stay  of  bread  and  of  water  signify  the  supports 
that  are  necessary  as  bread  and  water.  But 
KNOBEL  justly  remarks  that  this  were  an  un- 
heard of  trope.  May  not  all  those  be  called 
"  staffs  of  bread  and  water  "  that  provide  the 
state  with  bread  and  water,  i.  e.,  with  all  that  per- 
tains to  daily  bread  ?  Call  to  mind  the  explana- 
tion of  the  fourth  petition  in  LUTHER'S  catechism, 
wherein  ''  pious  and  faithful  rulers  "  and  ''  good 
government"  are  reckoned  as  daily  bread  too. 
Staff  of  bread,  etc.,  would  be  therefore,  not  the 
bread  and  water  themselves  as  supports  for  pre- 
serving life  (Genitive  of  the  subject),  but  the 
supports  on  which  bread  and  water,  i.  e.,  the  ne- 
cessities and  nourishment  of  life  depend  (genitive 
of  the  object). 

In  the  following  enumeration,  as  DRECHSLER 
remarks,  the  instructors  and  military  profession 
are  especially  represented.  Even  the  entire  ap- 
paratus of  state  machinery  of  that  day  is  men- 
tioned. But  as  all  that  are  named  are  designated 
as  those  that  the  Lord  takes  away,  it  is  seen  that 
they  are  all  regarded  as  false  supports.  They 
may  even  be  that  per  se  in  so  far  as  they  ought 
not  to  exist  at  all  among  the  people  of  God  ;  as* 


e.  g.,  the  DOp,  diviner  and  the  $n7  p2J,  expert  en- 
chanter, (Deut.  xviii.  10-14).  t^nS  is  the  mur- 
muratio  (macjia  murmurata  Apul.),  the  muttered 
repetition  of  the  magic  formulas  (xxvi.  16)  ; 
|133  occurs  again  v.  21  ;  xxix.  14. 

Even  the  K'13  may,  according  to  the  context 
and  the  kindred  passage  ix.  14,  be  only  prophets 
that  propiiesy  falsely  in  the  name  of  Jehovah. 
The  use  of  the  rest  of  the  callings  named  is 


CHAP.  II.  22— III.  15. 


69 


indeed  legally  justified,  but  nevertheless  they  are 
subject  to  abuse.  One  may  indeed  cast  a  doubt 
on  the  legality  of  the  D'J3  Klt^J  (comp.  ix.  14) 
the  amicus  regis,  the  preferred  favorite,  but  not  on 
that  of  the  others.  Especially  the  men  of  war 
appear  to  be  indispensable,  whence  each  of  the 
verses  2  and  3  begins  with  the  naming  of  such. 
"VI3J  seems  to  mean  'the  warrior  proved  by 


deeds; 


t^'K  the  man  of  war  in  general  ; 


^  th->  rank  of  captain  ;  while  the 
=  state  officer  and  jpt  =  officer  of  the  congrega- 
tion. Ahithophel  and  Hushai  (2  Sam.  xvii.)  are 
practical  illustrations  of  ]'^>  counsellor.  The 
D'tf  "in  Dpn  is  the  engineer,  master  of  the  pre- 
paration of  warlike  weapons  and  military  ma- 
chines (comp.  on  Jer.  xxiv.  1). 

4.  And  I  will  give  —  a  ruler  of  the 
people.  —  Vers.  4-7.  When  a  state  trusts  to  an 
arm  of  flesh,  and  puts  its  trust  solely  in  its  princes 
and  men  of  might,  in  its  diplomats  and  generals, 
in  a  word,  in  the  strength  of  its  men,  and  the 
Lord  takes  away  these  strong  ones  as  false  sup- 
ports, then,  of  course,  a  condition  must  ensue  in 
which  weak  hands  manage  the  rudder  of  state. 
No  earthly  state  has  continuously  maintained  a 
position  strong  and  flourishing.  One  need  only 
call  to  mind  the  world-monarchies.  That  gradual 
weakening  of  the  world-power  indicated  in 
Daniel's  image  of  the  monarchies  (Dan.  ii.), 
takes  place  also  within  each  individual  kingdom. 
Call  to  mind  the  vigorous  Assyrian  rulers,  a 
Tiglath  Pileser,  Sargon,  Sennacherib,  and  the  in- 
glorious end  of  the  last  of  their  successors,  what- 
ever may  have  been  his  name:  think  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, and  Belshazsar,  of  Cyrus  and  Darius 
Codomannus,  of  Augustus  and  Romulus  Au- 
gustulus,  etc.  In  Judah,  too,  it  was  not  differ- 
ent. Zedekiah  was  a  weakling  that  perpetually 
wavered  between  a  fear  of  Jehovah's  prophet 
and  of  his  own  powerful  subjects.  It  may,  there- 
fore, be  said  that  not  some  quite  definite  histori- 
cal fact  is  prophesied  here,  but  a  condition  of 
punishment  is  threatened  such  as  always  and 
everywhere  must  ensue  where  the  strength  of  a 
national  life  is  exhausted,  and  the  end  approaches 
(comp.  Eccl.  x.  16}. 

When  weak  hands  hold  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment a  condition  of  lawlessness  ensues,  and  of 
defenc3lessna«s  for  the  weak.  The  strong  then 
do  as  they  wish.  They  exercise  club  law.  A 
further  consequence  of  that  anarchical  condition 
is  that  those  of  lower  rank  no  longer  submit  to 
the  higher  ranks,  but,  in  wicked  abuse  of  their 
physical  strength,  lift  themselves  above  them. 
The  misery  of  that  anarchical  condition,  how- 
ever, s'ands  out  in  strongest  relief  when  at  last 
no  one  will  tolerate  any  government.  Although 
the  inhabitants  would  gladly  make  a  ruler 
of  any  one  that  rises  in  any  degree  above  the 
universal  wretchedness  (say  any  one  that  has 
still  a  good  coat),  yet  every  one  on  whom  they 
would  put  this  honor  will  resist  it  with  all  his 
might.  "  Under  thy  hand,"  comp.  Gen.  xli. 
35  ;  2  Kings  viii.  20.  With  loud  voice  will  the 
chossn  man  emphatically  protest.  This  is  indi- 

cated by  the  expression  tf\y\  to  which  7^p  must 
be  supplied    (xlii.  2,  11).     "I  will  not  be   sur- 


geon," he  says,  by  which  he  calls  the  state  life 
sick.  [''  The  sick  man,"  as  modern  designation 
for  the  Turkish  Empire. — TK.]. 

[On  ver.  4.  "1  will  give  children."  "  Some  apply 
this,  in  a  strict  sense,  to  the  weak  and  wicked 
reign  of  Ahaz,  others  in  a  wider  sense  to  the  se- 
ries of  weak  kings  after  Isaiah.  But  there  is  no 
need  of  restricting  it  to  kings  at  all.  The  most 
probable  opinion  is  that  incompetent  rulers  are 
called  boys  or  children  not  in  respect  to  age  but 
character. — J.  A.  A.  Similarly  BARNES. 

On  ver.  6.  ''  The  government  shall  go  a  -beg- 
ging. It  is  taken  for  granted  that  there  is  no 
way  of  redressing  all  these  grievances,  and  bring- 
ing things  into  order  again,  but  by  good  magis- 
trates, who  shall  be  invested  with  power  by  com- 
mon consent,  and  shall  exert  that  power  for  the 
good  of  the  community.  And  it  is  probable  that 
this  was  in  many  places  the  true  origin  of  govern- 
ment ;  men  found  it  necessary  to  unite  in  a  sub- 
jection to  one  who  was  thought  fit  for  such  a 
trust, — being  aware  that  they  must  be  ruled  or 
ruined." — M.  HENRY. 

On  ver.  7.  ''  The  last  clause  does  not  simply 
mean  do  not  make  me,  but  you  must  not  or  you  shall 
not  make  me  a  ruler." — J.  A.  A. 

"The  meaning  is,  that  the  state  of  affairs  was 
so  ruinous  and  calamitous  that  he  would  not  at- 
tempt to  restore  them — as  if  in  the  body,  disease 
should  have  so  far  progressed  that  he  would  not 
undertake  to  restore  the  person,  and  have  him 
die  under  his  hands,  so  as  to  expose  himself  to 
the  reproach  of  being  an  unsuccessful  and  unskil- 
ful physician." — BARNES. 

On  ver.  9.  ''  The  sense  is  not  that  their  looks 
betray  them,  but  that  they  make  no  effort  at  con- 
cealment, as  appears  from  the  reference  to  So- 
dom. The  expression  of  the  same  idea  first  in  a 
positive  and  then  in  a  negative  form  is  not  un- 
common in  Scripture,  and  is  a  natural  if  not  an 
English  idiom.  MADAME  D.  ARBLAY,  in  her 
memoirs  of  DR.  BURNEY,  speaks  of  OMIAH,  the 
Tahitian,  brought  home  by  Capt.  COOK,  as  ut- 
tering first  affirmatively,  etc.,  then  negatively  all 
the  little  sentences  that  he  attempted  to  utter." — 
J.  A.  A. 

On  ver.  10.  "  The  righteous  are  encouraged 
by  the  assurance  that  the  judgments  of  God  shall 
not  be  indiscriminate. — The  object  of  address 
seems  to  be  not  the  prophets  or  ministers  of  God, 
but  the  people  at  large  or  men  indefinitely." — J. 
A.  A. 

"  Whatever  becomes  of  the  unrighteous  nation, 
let  the  riyhteous  num  know  that  he  shall  not  be 
lost  in  the  crowd  of  sinners :  the  Judge  of  all  the 
earth  will  not  slay  the  righteous  with  the  wicked  (Gen. 
xviii.  25) ;  no,  assure  him,  in  God's  name,  that 
it  shall  be  well  u<ith  him.  The  property  of  the 
trouble  shall  be  altered  to  him,  and  he  shall  be 
hidden  in  the  day  of  the  Lord's  anger.  — M. 
HENRY.] 

5.  For  Jerusalem — thy  paths. — Ver.  8-12. 
Such  a  condition  of  anarchy  is  only  a  symptom 
of  the  outward  and  inward  decay.  It  is  never 
blameless,  but  always  blameworthy  misfortune. 
As  the  second  hemistich  of  ver.  8,  evidently  de- 
scribes the  inward  decay,  the  first  must  conse- 
quently be  referred  to  the  outward.  But  hemi- 
stich 2  is  strung  on  with  "3  with  a  chain-like 


70 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


effect.  The  anarchy  is  the  symptom  of  the 
outward  decay ;  but  the  outward  decay  is  the 
consequence  of  that  which  is  inward.  With 
DRECHSLER  1  translate  by  "insult  the  eyes 
of  his  glory."  It  is  evident,  that  the  Prophet 
would  indicate  a  direct  antithesis  between  the 
glory  of  Jehovah,  and  the  bad  tongues  and 
works,  as  also  an  antithesis  between  "  the  eyes 
of  the  loftiness  of  man  "  ii.  11 ;  v.  15  and  "the 
eyes  of  the  glory  of  Jehovah."  The  eyes  of  God 
who  is  God  of  light  (Ix.  ID  ;  Mich.  vii.  8  ;  1  Jno. 
i.  5)  are  insulted  just  by  this,  that  they  must  see 
the  works  of  darkness.  It  seems  to  me,  on  this 
account,  clear  that  the  divine  majesty  is  desig- 
nated as  glorious  chiefly  in  respect  to  its  purity 
and  holiness;  therefore  ethically.  That,  more 
over,  the  eyes  of  the  glory  of  God,  are  not  some- 
thing different  from  the  eyes  of  God  Himself  is 
just  as  clear  as  that  the  eyes  of  the  glory  must 
themselves  be  glorious.  They  are  here  the  organ 
of  the  manifestation  of  His  glory  (comp.  Ilev. 
ii.  18),  as  in  other  places  it  speaks  of  the  arm  of 
His  salvation  (xl.  10),  of  His  holiness,  (Hi.  10) 
of  His  strength  (Ixii.  8).  Besides  the  expression 
is  only  found  here,  as  may  be  said  also  of  the  de- 
fective writing  of  it. 

The  Prophet  had  (ver.  8)  assigned  the  badness 
of  the  words  and  work  as  the  cause  of  the  fall. 
But  is  this  accusation  well  founded  ?  Yes,  it  is. 
A  double  and  unexceptionable  witness  testifies  to 
its  truth  :  1.)  the  cognitio  vultuum,  knowledge  of 
countenances.  Thus  we  might  translate:  ''ap- 
pearance testifies  against  thee."  (See  Text,  and  G-r.) 

2.)  Their  own  declaration,  though  not  made 
with  this  intention.  "  Out  of  the  abundance  of 
the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh."  The  godless  can- 
not lock  up  that  of  which  his  heart  is  full.  The 
mouth,  as  it  were,  foams  over  involuntarily  with 
it.  The  Sodomites,  too,  (comp.  i.  9,  10)  spoke 
out  insolently  the  shameful  purpose  they  had  in 
mind  (Gen.  xix.  3).  So  the  Israelites  made  no 
concealment  of  the  evil  they  had  in  mind. 
Therefore  their  ruin  is  merited  (comp.  Gen.  1. 
15,  17)  and  just.  The  sentence  :  ''woe  to  them, 
for  they  have  hurt  themselves  "  which,  ver.  9  6, 
is  especially  applied  to  Israel,  is  established  in 
what  follows,  by  stating  in  its  double  aspect 
the  fundamental  and  universal  truth  that  un- 
derlies it,  that  a  man  must  reap  what  he  sows. 
First,  the  righteous  is  pronounced  blessed  because 
he  shall  eat  the  (good)  fruits  of  his  (good)  works. 
As  that  universal  truth  of  the  causal  connection 
between  works  and  the  fate  of  men  is  not  ex- 
pressed, but  assumed,  so  that  aspect  of  it  that  re- 
lates to  the  righteous  is  not  expressed  in  doctrinal 
form,  but,  vigorous  and  life  like,  in  the  form  of 
a  summons  to  declare  the  righteous  blessed. 

The  happiness  of  the  righteous  will  consist  in 
this,  that  he  shall  enjoy  the  fruit  of  his  works 
(Prov.  i.  31).  To  the  wicked,  on  the  other  hand, 
a  woe  is  proclaimed.  The  happiness  of  the  pious 
is  announced  to  every  one ;  the  vengence  that 
shall  overtake  the  wicked  is  announced  to  him- 
self alone. 

Ver.  12.  Is  a  resum^.  In  these  words  the  whole 
course  of  thought  from  vers.  1-11.,  is  compre- 
hended again.  The  two  halves  of  ver.  12  begin 
with  '&$  "My  people"  put  before  absolutely, 
which  shows  how  much  the  Lord  loves  His 


people,  and  how  much  the  state  of  things  por- 
trayed makes  Him  sorry  for  His  people.  The 

word  D'KOJ,  oppressors,  is  used  of  those  whom  the 
people,  for  want  of  better,  in  consequence  of  that 
oppression  mentioned  in  ver.  5,  had  been  obliged 
to  make  chiefs.  By  this  is  intimated  that 
these  supports  of  necessity  shall  themselves 
be  no  proper  chiefs  that  merit  the  name,  but 
only  rude  oppressors.  Comp.  ix.  3 ;  xiv.  2 ; 
Ix.  17.  They  are  so,  not  in  spite  of,  but  just  be- 
cause of  their  being  children,  boys. 

"ItyXO  qui  recta  ducit,  comp.  i.  17.  The  word 
is  meant  ironically,  for  how  else  could  the  "WHO 
beai"l£np?  Our  passage  as  already  remarked 
stands  in  evident  connection  with  ix.  15.  There 
too  the  leaders  are  called  misleaders  ;  there,  too, 

the  word  y  73  is  used  of  those  who  mislead,  for  thej 
are  called  D*^v?O-  We  see  by  this  that  the  Pro- 
phet has  not  in  mind  the  same  persons  in  the 
second  half  of  the  verse  that  he  lias  in  the  first. 
He  speaks  in  the  second  clause  of  the  false  pro- 
phets, as  in  ix.  14  sq.  Like  flies  in  honey,  this 
vermin  is  ever  found  where  there  are  bad  rulers. 
For  they  need  false  prophets  to  cover  over  their 
doings.  These  false  prophets,  however,  devour 
the  path  of  the  people.  DEL.ITZSCH  (like  JEROME, 
THEODOKET,  LUTHER  before  him)  understands 
by  ''  the  way  of  their  paths"  the  right  way,  the 
way  of  the  law.  "  The  prophets,  that  ought  to 
preach  it,  say  mum,  mum,  and  retain  it  swal- 
lowed. It  has  gone  into  oblivion  by  false  pro- 
phetic, errorneous  preaching."  But  it  seems  to 
me  as  if  then  it  must  not  read  "pJTPX  "pi,  the 
way  of  thy  paths.  For  this  is  just  the  way  that 
Israel  actually  treads,  the  direction  that  its  life 
path  actually  tends.  It  must  then  read  way  of 
Jehovah  '"  ^T  as  Ps.  xviii.  22,  or  rWDK  1,  or 
'Tlli'?  '1,  as  Ps.  cxix.  30,  32,  or  tt3tfD  rPK  as 
Isa.  xl.  14  or  DI?#  n  as  lix.  8,  or  such  like.  I 
therefore  agree  with  the  explanation  of  those  that 

take  yhl  in  a  metaphorical  sense  like  that  where 
this  word  is  elsewhere  used  of  the  destruction  of 
a  city  (2  Sam.  xx.  19,  20)  or  of  a  wall  (Lam.  ii. 
8).  The  expression  only  occurs  in  this  place  in 
relation  to  a  way,  but  it  must  mean  nothing  else 
than  to  direct  the  path  of  one's  life  down  into  the 
depths  of  destruction  in  which  the  devourers 
themselves  are.  Comp.  Job  vi.  18. 

6.  The  Lord  standeth  up— the  Lord  of 
Hosts, — Vers.  13-15.  At  first  sight  one  might 
think  these  three  verses  bring  the  further  expli- 
cation of  one  matter  of  moment  in  vers.  1-12, 
viz.,  the  more  particular  laying  down  of  the  judg- 
ment against  the  chiefs  of  the  nation  which  was 
only  indicated  in  ver.  1,  by  "^DE  ''  taking  away" 
and  in  ver.  12  by  the  reproach  uttered  against 
them. 

But  we  see  from  the  solemnity  of  ver.  13,  es- 
pecially from  the  antithesis  between  D'3jl|  and 
lOj?  CTSj;  vers.  14,  15),  "  the  people  and  His  peo- 
ple" that  we  are  introduced  into  quite  another  mo- 
ment of  time.  For  evidently  vers.  13-15  depict 
again  the  judgment  of  the  world.  "  The  world's 
judgment  presents  itself  anew  before  hia  soul," 


CHAP.  III.  16— IV.  1. 


71 


says  DELITZSCH.  "  The  people "  ver.  13,  re- 
calls distinctly  ''the  nations"  and  ''many  peo- 
ple" of  ii.  2-4.  However,  it  is  not  the  judging 
of  the  nations  generally  that  is  portrayed,  but 
only  the  judging  of  the  people  of  God  as  a  part 
of  this  universal  judgment.  Moreover,  not  of  the 
nation  in  its  totality,  but  of  the  destroyers  of  this 
totality,  the  princes  and  elders  (ver.  14  a).  These 
appear,  therefore,  as  the  chief  agents  of  that  in- 
ward and  outward  decay  that  has  invaded  the 
nation.  If,  according  to  ii.  3,  all  nations  are  to 
stream  to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  because  the 
law  shall  go  forth  out  of  Zion,  then,  evidently, 
Jerusalem  itself  must  previously  be  cleansed  and 
filled  with  the  word  of  God.  This  cleansing,  ac- 
cording to  ix.  13  sqq.,  begins  with  this,  that  the 
Lord  will  cast  off'  from  Israel  head  and  tail. 
The  elders  are  the  head,  the  false  prophets  are 
the  tail.  Here  too,  though  a  briefer,  still  a 
comprehensible,  hint  is  given  that  indicates 
the  sort  of  purifying  that  Israel  itself  must  un- 
dergo in  order  to  become  what,  according  to  ii. 
3,  it  ought  to  become.  This  hint  makes  on  me 
the  impression  that  iii.  1-12  does,  viz.,  that  a  word 
spoken  on  some  other  occasion  has  been  applied 
to  this  purpose.  Comp.,  the  comment  on  ver.  16 
sqq.  Unmoved  and  unmovable  (comp.  Gen. 
xxxvii.  7}  i.  e.,  as  one  whom  no  one  can  crowd 
from  this  place,  the  Lord  conducts  the  judgment ; 
and  that  standing,  not  sitting,  therefore  ready 
and  prepared  for  instant  execution  of  the  judg- 
ment, He  exercises  the  magisterial  function,  PS. 
Ixxxii.  1,  which  so  far  resembles  our  passage  that 
it  also  describes  the  judgment  upon  the  mag- 
istrates of  the  people,  represents  too,  the  Lord  as 
a  judge  in  standing  posture.  Elsewhere  He  is  re- 
presented as  sitting  in  judgment :  Ps.  ix.  5 ; 
xxix.  10  ;  Joel  iv.  12,  etc. 

The  discourse  of  the  Lord  begins  with  the 
second  clause  of  ver.  14,  with  Df\X1,  "  but  ye," 
thus  with  a  conclusion  to  which  the  premise 


must  be  supplied.  It  is  the  same  construction  as 
Ps.  ii.  6.  The  premise  to  be  supplied  must  be  to 
this  effect:  "  I  have  made  you  commanders  that 
ye  might  administer  justice.  But  ye,"  etc.  The 
princes  have  regarded  the  nation  as  their  domain 
which  they  might  use  up  as  they  pleased.  They 
have,  therefore,  themselves  become  the  cattle  from 
which  they  ought  to  have  protected  the  vine- 
yard. The  he-goat  had  become  gardener  (DE- 
LITZSCH). Comp.  i.  23  ;  Mich.  iii.  1-3.  The 
image  of  the  devoured  vineyard  is  at  once  ex- 
plained ;  robbery,  plunder  wrested  from  the  poor 
is  found  in  their  houses.  To  the  "  but  you  "  of 
ver.  14  corresponds  an  equally  emphatic  ''  what 
mean  ye  "  that  begins  ver.  15.  The  flow  of  words 
is  so  fast  that  even  the  '3  for,  that  otherwise 
would  follow  the  question  (comp.  xxii.  1,  16)  is 
wanting  (comp.  Jon.  i.  6,  where,  however,  the 
construction  is  somewhat  different).  To  grind  to 
pieces  the  face  of  a  man  appears  to  me  to  be  the 
expression  for  beating  to  pieces  the  face  (1  Kings 
xxii.  24 ;  Mich.  iv.  14)  in  the  intensest  degree. 
The  expression  is  exactly  the  opposite  of  per- 

mudere  faciem  '3  rnn  Ps.  xlv.  13  ;  Prov.  xix.  6. 
The  high  significance  of  the  declaration  is,  in 
conclusion,  evidenced  by  the  reference  of  it  to 
"  the  Lord  Jehovah  Sabaoth,"  concerning  which 
see  the  comment  at  i.  9,  24. 

[On  ver.  13.  "Nations  here  as  often  elsewhere 
means  the  tribes  of  Israel.  See  Gen.  xlix.  10 ; 
Deut.  xxxii.  8  ;  xxxiii.  3,  19  ;  1  Kings  xxii.  28  ; 
Mich.  i.  2."-J.  A.  A. 

On  ver.  1-5.  "  Grind  the  faces  of  the  poor. 
The  simplest  and  most  natural  interpretation  is 
that  which  applies  it  to  the  act  of  grinding  the 
face  upon  the  ground  by  trampling  on  the  body, 
thus  giving  the  noun  and  verb  their  proper 
meaning  and  making  the  parallelism  more  ex- 
act."—J.  A.  A.] 


B. — The  judgment  upon  the  godless  women. 

CHAP.  III.  16— IV.  1. 

16  Moreover  the  LORD  saith, 

Because  the  daughters  of  Zion  are  haughty, 

And  walk  with  stretched  forth  necks 

And  'wanton  eyes, 

Walking  and  2mincing  as  they  go, 

And  making  a  tinkling  with  their  feet : 

17  Therefore  the  LORD  will  smite  with  a  scab 
The  crown  of  the  head  of  the  daughters  of  Zion, 
And  the  LORD  will  "discover  their  secret  parts. 

18  In  that  day  the  LORD  will  take  away 

The  bravery  of  their  tinkling  ornaments  about  their  feet.. 
And  their  4cauls,  and  their  round  tires  like  the  moon, 

19  The  5chains,  and  the  bracelets,  and  the  6mufflers, 


72 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


20  The  bonnets,  and  the  ornaments  of  the  legs,  and  the  headbands, 
And  the  'tablets,  and  the  earrings, 

21  The  rings,  and  nose  jewels, 

22  The  changeable  suits  of  apparel,  and  the  mantles, 
And  the  wimples,  and  the  crisping  pins, 

23  The  glasses,  and  the  fine  linen, 
And  the  hoods,  and  the  veils. 

24  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  instead  of  sweet  smell,  there  shall  be  stink ; 
And  instead  of  a  girdle,  a  rent ; 

And  instead  of  well  set  hair,  baldness  ; 

And  instead  of  a  stomacher,  a  girding  of  sackcloth ; 

And  burning,  instead  of  beauty. 

25  Thy  men  shall  fall  by  the  sword, 
And  thy  "mighty  in  the  war. 

26  And  he'r  gates  shall  lament  and  mourn  ; 

And  she  being9 10desolate  shall  sit  upon  the  ground. 

CHAP.  IV.   1  And  in  that  day  seven  women,  shall  take  hold  of  one  man,  saying, 
We  will  eat  our  own  bread, 
And  wear  our  own  apparel : 
Only  nlet  us  be  called  by  thy  name, 
12To  take  away  our  reproach. 


i  Hcb.  deceiving  with  their  eyes. 

*  Or,  networks. 

i  Hob.  houses  of  the  soul. 

10  Hcb.  cleansed. 


8  Or,  tripping  nicely.  s  Heb.  make  naked. 

6  Or,  sweet  balls.  6  Or,  spangled  ornaments. 

8  Heb.  might.  '  Or,  emptied. 

11  Heb.  let  thy  name  be  catted  upon  us.  12  Or,  Take  thou  away. 


[For  the  different  renderings  of  the  commentator  see  the  comment  itself.    On  the  importance  of  them  see 
J.  A.  A.'s  note  on  ver.  18  below. — TB.] 


EXEGETICAL  AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  This  section,  too,  has  for  its  subject  an  event 
that  cannot  possibly  coincide  with  the  last  judg- 
ment to  which  ii.,  refers.  For  that  great  day, 
the  last  of  all,  will  not  have  to  do  with  a  mere 
sinking  down  from  the  heights  of  luxury  and 
pride  to  the  plane  of  poverty ;  it  will  not  treat  of 
the  exchange  of  a  girdle  for  a  rope,  of  a  mantle 
for  a  sack,  nor  of  a  defeat  in  war,  nor  of  mourn- 
ful sitting  on  the  ruins  of  the  city  ;  there  will  be 
nothing  said  of  wives  wanting  nothing  beside  the 
prop  of  a  man.  For  in  that  day  all  will  be 
over;  the  old  world  generally  shall  be  out  and 
out  destroyed  in  order  to  make  room  for  a  new. 
Thus  this  section,  too,  makes  the  impression  of 
being  some  declaration,  meant  originally  to  serve 
some  special  object,  but  inserted  here  in  order  to 
complete  the  grand  picture  of  the  future  in  this 
particular  aspect.  The  Prophet  had  occasion 
once,  and  this  may  likely  have  been  in  the  days 
of  Uzziah  or  Jotham,  to  declare  himself  against 
the  irruption  of  pomp  of  dress  and  luxury.  This 
declaration,  or  at  least  a  part  of  it,  he  pieces  in 
here  to  his  comprehensive  prophecy  of  judgment. 
And  he  may  do  this.  For  whenever  this  de- 
nunciation against  the  arrogance  of  woman  may 
have  been  fulfilled,  such  fulfilment  always  consti- 
tutes a  part  of  the  great  whole  of  judgment  which 
is  to  be  completed  with  the  judgment  of  the  last 
day.  The  Prophet  assumes  in  the  prophecy  that 
stands  at  the  head  (ii.  2-4),  that  Israel  itself,  too, 
must  be  subjected  to  a  judgment.  For  only  by 
a.  great  process  of  refining  can  the  mountain  of 


Jehovah  rise  to  the  height  which,  according  to 
ii.  2,  it  must  attain,  and  only  when  Zion  itself  is 
full  of  the  Spirit  of  God  can  it  become  the  em- 
bodied ideal  for  all  nations.  How  this  refining 
is  to  take  place  in  every  respect  and  at  different 
times  is  described  in  what  follows  up  to  iv.  1. 
In  this  description  the  Prophet  makes  use  also 
of  older  utterances,  which  were  perhaps  too  short 
to  appear  independently,  and  that  might  more 
suitably  be  joined  in  just  here  than  elsewhere. 
Thus  there  was  a  section  of  this  sort  that  referred 
to  the  men,  iii.  1  sqq .;  so  now,  too,  we  have  one 
that  has  the  women  for  a  theme  The  connect- 
ing formula,  "  and  Jehovah  said,"  favors  the 
view  that  this  is  a  joined  on  piece.  It  would  be 
quite  superfluous  if  the  discourse  proceeded  from 
one  mould.  Comp.  on  this  the  comment  on  ver. 
16.  The  order  of  thought  is  as  follows :  The 
luxurious  pride  of  the  women,  too,  shall  be  hum- 
bled (ver.  16,  17).  In  the  day  that  this  shall 
happen  all  their  splendid  garments  shall  be 
taken  from  them  (vers.  18-23)  and  replaced  by 
wretched  ones  to  correspond  (ver.  24).  Their 
husbands,  too,  they  shall  lose  in  a  brief  space 
(yer.  25),  lamenting  and  desolated,  they  shall 
sit  in  the  gates  (ver.  26) ;  yea,  their  want 
shall  be  so  great  that  seven  women  shall  at- 
tach themselves  to  one  man,  without  demanding 
support  from  him,  only  thereby  to  escape  the 
misfortune  of  being  unmarried  (iv.  1). 

[On  ver.  16  sqq.     "  The  Prophet  here  resumes 
the  thread  which  had  be<_n  dropped  or  broken  at 


CHAP.  III.  16— TV.  1. 


73 


the  close  of  ver.  12,  and  recurs  to  the  undue  pre- 
dominance of  female  influence,  but  particularly 
to  the  prevalent  excess  of  female  luxury,  not  only 
as  sinful  in  itself  but  as  a  chief  cause  of  the  vio- 
lence and  social  disorder  previously  mentioned, 
and  therefore  to  be  punished  by  disease,  widow- 
hood, and  shameful  exposure.  These  two  verses 
(16,  17),  like  the  sixth  and  seventh,  form  one 
continued  sentence.  And  Jehovah  said  (in  addi- 
tion to  what  goes  before,  as  if  beginning  a  new 
section  of  the  prophecy),  because  the  daughters  of 
Zion  (the  women  of  Jerusalem,  with  special  re- 
ference to  those  connected  with  the  leading 
men,"  etc.) — J.  A.  A. 

On  ver.  18.  ''  As  in  other  cases  where  a  variety 
of  detached  particulars  are  enumerated  simply  by 
their  mimes  it  is  now  very  difficult  to  identify 
eomc  of  them.  This  is  the  less  to  be  regretted, 
as  the  main  design  of  the  enumeration  was  to 
show  the  prevalent  extravagance  in  dress,  an  ef- 
fect not  wholly  dependent  on  an  exact  interpreta- 
tion of  the  several  items.  The  interest  of  the 
passage  in  its  details  is  not  exegetical  but  arch- 
aeological."— J.  A.  A. 

On  ver.  26.  *'  The  gates  of  Ziou  are  said  to 
mourn,  by  a  rhetorical  substitution  of  the  place 
of  action  for  the  agent,  or  because  a  place  filled 
with  cries  seems  itself  to  utter  them.  She  is  de- 
scribed, not  as  lying,  but  as  sitting  on  the  ground. 
So  on  one  of  Vespasian's  coins,  a  woman  is  repre- 
sented in  a  sitting  posture,  leaning  against  a 
palm-tree,  with  the  legend  Judaea  Capta." — J. 
A.  A.] 

2.  Moreover  the  Lord — secret  parts. — 
Vers.  16,  17.  The  formula  "  and  the  LORD 
saith ''  occurs  in  Isaiah  on  the  whole,  relatively 
not  often.  It  occurs  in  all  thirty-two  times;  of 
these,  sixteen  times  in  the  historical  chapters 
xxxvi.  xxxix.,  where  it  indicates  the  actual  ex- 
change of  words  in  conversation.  Beside  that,  it 
is  only  employed  where  the  Lord  appears  actually 
speaking,  and  speaks  of  Himself  in  the  first 
person  (comp.  xxiii.  12;  xxix.  13;  xlix.  3,  6  ; 
Ixiii.  8).  But  in  our  passage  Jehovah  is  im- 
mediately spoken  of  again  in  the  third  person. 
*'  The  Lord  will  smite,  the  LORD  will  uncover" 
ver.  17.  Moreover,  in  what  follows,  the  Lord 
Is  not  introduced  again  as  speaker.  It  is  thus 
seen  that  by  this  formula  what  follows  is  only 
marked  as  God's  word  so  far  as  its  contents  are 
concerned,  and  not  formally  so.  But  as  this  is 
self-evident,  it  is  further  plain,  that  the  formula 
is  meant  to  serve  as  a  transition,  a  link,  a  means 
of  uniting.  We  recognize,  therefore,  in  it  a  sign 
that  here  is  a  piece  of  an  address,  already  on 
hand,  that  has  been  skilfully  strung  on  here. 
As  in  ii.  11  it  was  said  that  all  lofty  looks  shall 
be  humbled  and  all  haughtiness  of  men  be  bowed 
down,  so  the  Prophet  here  with  entire  justice  de- 
clares that  also  feminine  arrogance  must  expect 
i's  share  in  this  judgment.  Are  proud,  etc., 
stands,  therefore,  in  direct  relation  with  the  en- 
tire section  ii.  6-17.  What  is  said  there  in  gen- 
eral of  riches  (ver.  7),  of  arrogance  and  haughti- 
ness (vers.  11, 12, 17)  of  works  of  splendour  (ver. 
16),  has  its  special  application  to  the  proud  dis- 
play of  the  women.  But  our  passage  stands  in 
still  closer  connection  with  TliyW'O  supportress  iii. 
1.  We  showed  there  that  this  expression  points 


to  the  second  half  of  this  chapter  where  the 
women  are  spoken  of.  That  these,  too,  are  called 
"  supports,"  staffs,  refers  evidently  to  the  fact 
that  women,  even  in  the  commonweakh  of  Israel, 
played  a  considerable  part.  Let  it  be  remem- 
bered that  the  Book  of  Kings  expressly  names 
the  mother  of  each  king.  Individual  women  are 
designated  as  enjoying  political  influence  in  a 
high  degree;  Deborah  (Judg.  iv.)  ;  Bathsheba 
(1  Kings  i.);  Jezebel  (1  Kings  xvi.  31  sqq.j  ; 
Athaliah  (2  Kings  xi.).  We  are  expressly  in- 
formed that  Solomon's  wives  had  a  bad  influence 
over  him  (1  Kings  xi.  3sqq.).  As  long  as  a  regu- 
lar king  ruled  there  must  be  a  woman's  court 
household.  If  there  were  none  such,  then  there 
would  be  surely  no  king.  How  closely  kingdom 
and  harem  hung  together,  may  be  seen  from  the 
fact  that  the  possession  of  the  harem  obtained  as 
a  sign  that  the  royal  dignity  had  been  received. 
Therefore  Absalom  lay  publicly  with  the  eoucu- 
bines  of  his  father  (2  Sam.  xvi.  21).  David,  too, 
inherited  the  wives  of  Saul,  and  this  is  related  in 
a  connection  (2  Sam.  xii.  8)  that  leads  us  to  con- 
clude that  the  fact  must  have  been  important  to 
the  recognition  of  David's  succession  to  the  throne 
being  a  rightful  one.  Adonijah,  after  David's 
death,  begs  for  the  hand  of  Abishag  the  Shuna- 
mite,  and  we  see  from  Solomon's  reply  that  he 
regarded  this  request  as  an  attempt  to  use  the 
possession  of  the  concubine  as  a  step  to  the  throne 
(1  Kings  ii.  22).  Comp.  MICIIAELIS,  Mas.  Redd, 
I.  p.  207.  SAALSCHUETS,  DasMos.  Rccht,  p.  85. 
According  to  this  the  harem  was,  in  some 
measure,  a  political  institution,  an  attribute  of 
royalty  as  such,  and  in  so  far  in  a  special  sense 
a  support  of  the  life  of  the  state.  Yet  if  Isaiali 
here  has  especially  in  mind  the  royal  ladies,  that 
does  not  exclude  the  other  noble  and  proud 
women  from  a  share  in  his  reproachs. 


In  >"Up2J;!l   the  imperfect  with  vav.  consec.  is 
not  necessarily  to   be  construed  as  aorist.     The 


word 


is    a-a%    Aey.      The   root 


even  does  not  again  occur  in  all  the  Old 
Testament.  The  Aramaic  "^  may  be  most 
suitable  to  compare  here,  which  meam 
"  intueri,  conspicari."  The  Piel  then  may  have 
the  meaning  ''  blinking,  winking:"  &¥£  stands  in 
the  accusat.,  like  |'ni  There  is  indeed  a  "IJ50 
that  means  to  color,  to  paint,  whence  also,  the 
CHALD.,  ABARBAXEL  and  others  express  this 
idea  (  LUTHER:  with  painted  faces).  But  the 
custom  of  painting  the  eye-brows  black  is  so  uni- 
versal a  custom  of  the  Orient,  that  it  has  been 
justly  objected,  Isaiah  would  hardly  have  spoken 
out  against  it.  Moreover  the  rest  of  the  re- 
proachful expressions  relate  to  bodily  gestures. 
BUXTORF  in  Lex.  Chald.,  Talm,  et  Rabb.,  p.  1542 
cites  the  talmudic  dictum  :  "  Non  creavit  deus 
mulierum  ex  capite  Adami,  ne  caput  suum  nimium 
ornaret  and  efferref  ;  negue  ex  oculo,  neessct  JYJ'JpOi 
oculis  omnia  observans."  HITZIG,  justly  cites 
Plant.  Aulul.  I.  1,  2:  "  circumspectatrix  cum  oculis 
tuis  emissiciis,"  although  this  is  spoken  of  an  old 
tramp  with  thievish  propensities.  Also  ^JO 
(from  which  ^£0  Toppler,  Tripler,  Child)  is  a-rr. 
Aey.  The  tripping  short  steps  are  the  necessary 


74 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


consequences  of  the  step  chains  which  were 
fastened  by  means  of  a  ring  (D3JS7,  ver.  18,  again 
only  in  Prov.  vii.  22)  surrounding  the  leg  above 
the  ankle  joint.  The  little  chains  themselves 
were  called  n'n^Jf  ver.  20.  The  verb  03V,  which 
occurs  only  here,  is  denominative.  According 
to  the  context  the  meaning  can  be  nothing  else 
than  ;  rattling  the  rings  to  make  a  noise,  to  clink. 
Comp.  HERZOG'S  R.  Eiicycl.  VII.  p.  731.  As 
chastisement  tor  such  arrogance  the  daughters  of 
Zion  shall  be  punished  with  disgraceful  disorders. 
Their  proud  head  shall  become  scurfy,  covered 
with  scabs,  thus  loathsomely  unclean  (Lev.  xiii. 
2,  6-8 ;  xiv.  50).  HSt^,  (which,  written  with  '&, 
occurs  here  only),  is  according  to  some  a  denomi- 
native from  '~in3D,  finDDO,  scab,  scurf  (vid.  Lev. 
xiii.  xiv.  j  Still  it  is  possible  nDty  means,  to  make 
flow,  suppurate,  and  thus  deprive  of  the  hair, 
and  that,  so  derived,  /IFISD  means  the  fluid 
scab  or  scurf.  Comp.,  at  xxxvii.  30.  Their 
shame,  to  whose  impure  pleasure  those  luxurious 
gestures  were  meant  to  minister,  shall  be  disgrace- 
fully exposed  (xlvii.  3;  Jer.  xiii.  22,  26;  Ezek. 

xvi.  37,  etc.).  The  singular  fis  (from  fllS, 
nriS  nns,  pat-ere)  occurs  only  here ;  the  plural 
1  Kings  vii.  50  of  the  cardo  femina  from  an  ob- 
vious resemblance. — my  (from  which  ni^jp  and 
JThy  loca  nuda  (xix.  7)  which  does  not  occur 
in  the  Kal,  means  nudum  esse,  hence  Piel  to  make 
bare,  (in  Isaiah  again  only  xxii.  6)  ;  Hiphil, 
(because  what  has  been  hitherto  concealed,  when 
it  is  laid  bare,  is  at  the  same  time  poured  out) 
effundere,  (liii.  12),  Niphal,  effundi  (xxxii.  15). 

Without  excluding  the  literal  rendering  of 
ver.  17,  we  may  still  construe  the  language  first 
in  an  inexact  sense  and  generalize  it.  In  the  day 
of  judgment  loathsome  uncleanness  shall  take 
the  place  of  the  splendor  of  Zion's  daughters ; 
disgrace  and  shame  the  place  of  their  prond  dis- 
play. The  Prophet  has  in  this  expressed  some- 
thing in  general  which  he  proceeds  to  specify  in 
what  follows.  Feminine  interest  revolves  chiefly 
around  two  poles :  the  decking  out  of  the  body 
and  the  surrender  of  the  body  to  the  husband  ; 
therefore  about  dress  and  husbands.  Therefore 
the  disgrace  of  the  daughters  of  Zion  in  what 
follows  is  portrayed  in  these  two  respects.  And 
first  it  is  shown  of  what  they  shall  be  deprived 
in  the  way  of  dress  (ver.  18-23),  and  what  shall 
be  given  them  instead  (ver.  24). 

3.  In  that  day— instead  of  beauty.— 
Vere.  18-24  "  In  that  day,"  refers  back  im- 
mediately to  ver.  17.  But  we  showed  above  that 
not  the  day  of  the  last  judgment  is  meant  here, 
but  only  a  prelude  to  it,  which,  of  course,  how- 
ever, combines  with  the  last  judgment  to  make  a 
unity  of  divine  world-judgment.  In  that  day, 
then,  the  Lord  will  take  away  the  adornment 
rnxan).  All  that  follows  is  summed  up  under 
this  word.  The  word  is  found  often  in  both  parts 
of  Isa.  iv.  2  ;  x.  12;  xiii.  19  ;  xliv.  13;  lii.  1  ; 
Ixii.  3;  Ixiii.  14,  etc.).  Concerning  the  D'DD;? 
comp.,  at  ver.  16.  Concerning  the  D'D'3$  there 
are  two  views  held.  From  SCHROEDER  down  a 
number  of  expositors  (KOSENMUELLER,  WINER, 
EWALD,  KNOBEL,  DRECHSLER)  have  taken  the 
word  for  a  kindred  form  of  the  Arabic  schumeisa 


"••i'."itivc  ofschems,  the  sun),  the  lettersmand  b 
being  interchanged,  as  is  common  between  these 
two  kindred  letters :  SCHROEDER  proves,  besides, 
from  THEOPH,  hist.  pi.  IX.  4  and  PLIN.  H.  N. 
XII.  14,  2#/3<f  to  have  been  a  name  of  the  sun 
among  the  Arabians.  The  meaning  then  would 
be  little  suns  i.  e.,  a  metallic  ornament  shaped  like 
a  sun.  That  would  suit  very  well  to  the  follow- 
ing j^niy,  crescents,  as  generally  to  the  words  that 
precede  and  follow,  all  of  which  designate  metal 
ornaments.  In  as  much  as  in  the  following  list 
occur  several  expressions  borrowed  from  the 
Arabic  (comp.  DRECHSLER  on  ii.  6),  and  this 
word  in  Hebrew  is  CTT  Aey.,  and  even  the  root 
D2i^  does  not  again  occur,  so  that  word  and  thing 
both  appear  to  be  of  foreign  origin,  I  prefer  this 
view.  The  other  view  takes  D3U>  in  the  sense 
of  \3&  and  (Aram,)  tf3E/  "pleciere,  tobraid,"  and 
DOE/  therefore,  for  opus  reticulatum  (LXX  tu^o- 
Kia)  network,  hairnet:  (DELITZSCH,  "ribbons  for 
the  forehead  worn  underneath  the  hair  net,  and 
braided  of  gold  or  silver  thread  :"  BUXTORF, 
Lex.  Chald.,  p.  2315, " Ornamentum,"  etc.,  a  peculiar 
ribbon  ornament,  extending  in  front  from  one  ear 
to  the  other").  The  D'J^nt^  are  lunulce,  (irjviGnoi, 
moonshaped,  or  rather  half-moon  shaped  decora- 
tions. They  are  mentioned  Judg.  viii.  21,  26  as 
neck  ornaments  of  camels.  That  they  had 
a  moon  shape  appears  from  this,  that  sahro 
in  the  Syriac,  schahr  in  the  Arabic  mean  the 
moon.  Here,  too,  therefore  word  and  thing  are 
certainly  of  foreign  origin.  |V  is  a  diminutive 
ending,  comp.  ptf'K  ;  EWALD  \  167,  a.—  n'lStpJ 
(Judg.  viii.  26)  from  *}£?}  to  drop  (comp.  Ex. 
xxx.  34,  dropping  resin,  and  Job.  xxxvi.  27)  are 
a  drop  shaped  ornament,  as  they  were  likely 
worn  as  pendants  from  the  ears  (ear  drops). 
JThty  (an-.  Ae-^,)  from  "HE^  torquere,  to  twist,  is  tor- 
ques, a  collar,  chain,  not  for  the  neck,  however, 
but  an  armlet,  bracelet,  as  is  to  be  seen -from  the 
dialects.  ONKELOS,  e.  g.,  translates,  Gen.  xxiv. 
22,  30,  47,  the  Hebrew  word  TD3f  (the  proper 

word  for  bracelet  for  the  arm)  by  NTl^.  Comp., 
too,  men  I?  and  HEhtf  chains  Exod.  xxviii.  14, 

T  :     :  -  T       — 

22.— nnjp  (air.  Xt-/.),  from  Sjn  to  tremble,  wave, 
are  veils,  and  that,  as  appears,  of  a  costly  kind: 
viz.  HERZOG,  E.  Encycl.  VII.  p.  728.— 0^X3  are 
diadems,  tiarce,  that  are  also  elsewhere  named  as 
part  of  the  head  ornament  of  the  priesthood 
(Exod.  xxxix.  28;  Ezek.  xliv.  18),  or  of  the 
dress  of  a  bridegroom  (Isaiah  Ixi.  10).  What 
part  of  the  head  covering  or  what  sort,  is  not 
clear. — mj?2f  from  "iy¥,  to  march,  pace,  on  ac- 
count of  the  etymology  seems  most  naturally 
to  mean  the  step  chains  (comp.  on  MJDDJ?n,  ver. 
16).  But  2  Sam.  v.  24  and  1  Chr.  xiv.  15,  where 
the  word  occurs,  it  seems  to  mean  "  the  stepping, 
walking  along  ;"  and  Num.  xxxi.  50  ;  2  Sam.  i. 
10  myyx  designates  arm  bands,  arm  clasps,  as 

one  sees  clearly  in  2  Sam.  i.  10  from  the  ty'1!  '£' 
Hence  many  expositors,  both  old  and  new,  (among 
the  last,  EWALD),  translate  "arm  clasps."  And 
yet  it  is  only  my¥X  that  has  this  meaning.  The 
circumstance  that  myx  occurs  twice  in  the  sense 


CHAP.  III.  10— IV.  1. 


7-3 


of  walking  along"  is  no  obstacle  to  its  meaning 
step-chainlets.  For  the  abstract  word  could  easily 
be  taken  in  a  concrete  sense ;  the  walking  in  the 
sense  of  the  instrument  of  walking. — 0'°}$p  (from 
"IK^  to  bind)  are,  according  to  Jer.  ii.  32,  comp. 
Isa.  xlix.  18,  mentioned  as  pieces  of  a  bride's 
outfit.  But  whether  the  girdle  is  meant  or  band- 
ages (perhaps  the  breastband,  arrj&otieafios  LXX. 
in  Jer.  ii.  32)  is  uncertain. — ^P^L1  T^  are  smell- 
ing bottles.  For  J~V3  often  stands  for  recep- 
tacle, place  of  storage  generally  (comp.  Exod. 
xxvi.  29 ;  Job  viii.  17  ;  Ezek.  xli.  9,  and  for  the  very 
common  use  of  this  word  in  Aram,  and  Rabb.  lan- 
guage, see  BUXTORF,  Lex.  p.  301  sqq.).  tJ?3J,  how- 
ever is  breath,  scent  (comp.  Niphal  E?33n  respirare, 
to  breathe  out,  Exod.  xxiii.  12;  xxxi.  17.  •H^V 
K?3J  fragrant  wood,  Prov.  xxvii.  9 ;  and  the  ori- 
ginal passage  Gen.  i.  20,  30  ;  Job  xli.  13).  The 
expression  occurs  only  here — D^n?  (comp.  ver. 

3;  xxvi.  16)  are  instruments  of  magic,  amulets. — 
n^|£0  from  y^ft,  imprimere,  is  the  ring,  gener- 
ally, and  especially  the  signet  ring.  Comp.  Gen. 
xli.  42 ;  Exod.  xxv.  12,  14,  and  many  places  be- 
side in  Exodus. — ^NH  'DTJ  are  the  nose  rings 
which  are  in  use  in  the  East  to  the  present  day. 
Comp.  Prov.  xi.  22 ;  Ezek.  xvi.  12 ;  WINER  E. 
W.  B.  the  word,  nose-ring. 

So  far  the  prophet  has  named  articles  of  em- 
bellishment made  of  metal.  In  what  follows  he 
chiefly  enumerates  articles  of  clothing  proper. — 

The  rns^np,  according  to  Zech.  iii.  4,  are  such 
as  are  the  opposite  of  filthy  garments,  therefore 
stately,  splendid  clothes.  According  to  the  funda- 
mental meaning  (}'_?n,  extrahere,  exuere)  they  are 
clothes  that  one  takes  off  at  home,  comp.  JYf£T  7P. 
The  expression  appears  to  be  one  of  general  mean- 
ing, and  occurs  only  here,  and  in  the  passage  cited 
from  Zech. — fl'lS^O  (properly  covers,  from  ^y 
operire)  are  mentioned  only  here.  The  word  in 
Arabic  signifies  the  second  tunic,  broader,  longer 
and  provided  with  sleeves,  that  corresponds  to  the 
Koman  stola,  the  garment  peculiar  to  women. — 
nnSDD  from  D3D  expandere  (xlviii.  13)  is  the 
great  wide  over  all,  shawl  (Euth  iii.  15,  the  only 
place  beside  that  the  word  occurs).  tO'"iri  is  found 
beside  only  2  Kings  v.  23,  from  which  place  it 
is  seen  that  it  means  a  bag  or  pocket  that  may 

serve  to  carry  money.— O'J'^J,  according  to  LXX. 
would  be  diatiavij  AanuviKa,  {.  e.,  Lacedemonian 
gauze  dresses  that  expose  the  body  more  than 

cover  it.  But  jV^J,  viii.  1,  is  the  smooth,  po- 
lished tablet.  Such  served  for  mirrors,  as  the  an- 
cients knew  nothing  of  glass  mirrors.  Travellers 
assure  us  that  such  mirrors  in  the  form  of  small 
plates  set  in  a  ring  are  worn  to  this  day.  Comp. 
HERZOG,  E.  Encycl  XIV.,  p.  666.— D'J'-lp  are 
aivdovec,  i.  e.,  garments  of  fine  India  linen.  It  is 
debated  whether  undergarments,  such  as  shirts, 
are  meant,  or  some  sort  of  light  thing  to  throw 
over  one.  The  word  is  found  again  Judg.  xiv. 


12  sq.;  Prov.  xxxi.  24r-rtfi'»  (from  *]]¥,  tegere, 
vclare)  are  the  head-band,  turban.  The  word  bands, 
turbans,  occurs  Ixii.  3 ;  Job  xxix.  14 ;  Zech.  iii.  5. — 
T"p  (from  "H"1  spread,  spread  under,  spread  out, 
xlv.  1;  PH.  cxliv.  2;  1  Kings  vi.  32)  is  the  wide  veil 
that  covered  over  the  rest  of  the  clothes  (Arab,  rida 
ridat)  Song  of  Sol.  v.  7. — But  not  only  shall,  all 
rnNSn  adornment,  ver.  18,  be  taken  away,  they 
shall  also  be  replaced  by  worse  things.  Instead 
p£.0&3,  balsam,  (product  of  the  balsam  bush,  vid. 
Exod.  xxx.  23 ;  Ezek.  xxvii.  22  ;  1  Kings  x.  10) 
pp  shall  be  given.  This  latter  word  is  only 
found  again  v.  24,  where,  however,  it  is  written 
DO,  which  has  no  efiect  on  the  meaning.  The 
root  ppp,  diffluere  is  used  of  the  flowing  of  mat- 
ter from  a  wound  ;  e.  g.  Ps.  xxxviii.  6.  pp  seems 
therefore  rather  to  mean  matter  than  the  dry  de- 
cay. In  place  of  rnijn  (apron,  Gen.  iii.  7  ;  gir- 
dle, Isa.  xxxii.  11  ;  1  K.  ii.  5)  shall  be  a  rope, 
H3pJ.  The  word  is  a-,  /ley.  There  is  conflict  re- 
garding the  meaning.  Some  derive  it  from  HpJ 
percutere,  to  strike  (x.  34  ;  xvii.  6)  and  take  it  in 
the  sense  ofvulnus  (so  the  CHALD.  and  the  most  of 
the  Jewish  expositors).  But  this  meaning  does 
not  well  suit  the  context.  It  is  better  to  derive 
it  from  ^pJ  =circuire,  gyrare,  circle,  gyrate  (see 
xxix.  1 ;  Hiphil  Tp^)-  ^pJ  would  be,  then, 
feminine  of  ^pJ  or  *$}.  =  turning  around,  i.  e., 
that  resulting  from  twisting.  DELITZSCII  derives 
it  from  ""l^p,  contorquere,  but  this  does  not  occur 
in  biblical  idiom,  which  uses  only  ^^p,  to  contract, 

congeal. 

Instead  of  the  artistically  curled  hair,  shall 
baldness  be  given.  T^p?  (a«".  /^y.,)  in  apposition 
with  <"l^yp_  is  synonymous  with  Ht!/pp  Exod. 
xxv.  18,  31,  36  ;  Jer.  x.  5,  opus  tornatile,  twisted, 
turned  work.  Baldness,  compare  2  K.  ii.  23 ;  for 
women  it  is  doubly  disgraceful.  And  instead  of 
a  splendid  mantle,  shall  be  given  a  girding  of 

sackcloth.  Vj'nS,  air.  Aey.,  is  of  uncertain  deriva- 
tion and  meaning.  Expositors  waver  between 
the  derivation  from  JJ]3  amplum  esse,  with  affix 

S'7  (like  Vra-O  from  Q?3)  and  that  from  ^3  dis- 
tance, /&  festival  joy,  and  between  the  meanings 
fascia  pectnralii  (VuLG.)  and  broad  mantle;  yet 
the  grammatical  and  henneneutical  grounds  for 
the  latter  overbalance.  mjHD,  too,  is  OTT.  %ey. 
Girding  with  sackcloth,  as  is  known,  is  often 
mentioned  as  sign  of  the  deepest  mourning  and 
humiliation :  Gen.  xxxvii.  34,  Isa.  xv.  3  ;  xxii. 
12  ;  Jer.  vi.  26,  &c. 

The  conclusion  of  this  list  of  mournful  ex- 
changes is  made  by  the  phrase:  "Branding  for 
beauty."  The  words  are  strange.  They  appear 
disjointed  and  unsymmetrical.  For  \,  and,  is 
wanting  which  connects  all  the  preceding  mem- 
bers, and  thus  this  small  member  of  the  sentence 
stands  independent,  and  by  its  inversion  (the 
thing  given  stands  first)  in  contrast  with  all  that 
goes  before.  It  appears  to  me  as  if  the  prophet 
recalled  a  passage  of  the  law  wherein  a  number 
of  exchanges  or  recompenses  are  defined  by  means 


76 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


of  the  preposition  ''  instead  of."  Such  a  passage 
is  Exod.  xxi.  23-25.  Among  these  specifications 
occurs,  "  burning  for  burning."  rP13  j"\n_n  iT13. 
The  Prophet,  however,  was  not  speaking  of  jus 
tcdionis,  tlierefore  tlie  idem  per  idem  or  idem  pro 
eodem,  "  like  for  like,"  did  not  suit  his  purpose. 
He  speaks  of  the  recompense  that  threatened  the 
daughters  of  Zion.  Among  the  things  to  be  taken 
from  them  he  had  not  mentioned  beauty,  the  di- 
rect gift  of  nature,  which  to  women  is  of  the 
greatest  price.  He  had  to  this  point  spoken  only 
of  productions  of  art.  Now  as  beauty  is  "i)1 
(in  Isa.  again  only  xxxiii.  17),  he  might  easily 
happen  to  think  o'f  rn3  as  a  suitable  rhyme  for 
it.  However,  H'13  itself  does  not  rhyme,  but  a 
word  of  kindred  root,  properly  its  simple  masculine 
form,  ""13,  which  appears  only  to  have  been  used 
in  the  contracted  form  '3  (comp.  'X,  '#,  %  ^). 
Thus  too  the  inversion  explains  itself.  For  as 
we  find  the  words,  they  most  resemble  the  pass- 
ages in  Exod. ;  much  more  than  if  they  read  "  in- 
etead  of  beauty  burning."  '3  or  '13  is  a.-.  Aey.  Its 
root  is  H13  ''to  burn,"  and  means,  like  tT13  and 

TT  T't» 

like  the  Arabic  kej,  the  branded  mark,  arlyfia. 
If  even  it  cannot  be  proved  that  it  was  customary 
to  mark  captives  by  branding  them,  that  does  not 
affect  the  matter.  It  was  also  not  customary  to 
offer  them  pus  instead  of  balsam.  Such  traits  of 
poetic  speech  must  not  be  pressed.  Enough  if 
the  thought  in  itself  affords  a  suitable  meaning. 
I  think,  tlierefore,  the  established  meaning  "brand 
mark,"  which  indicates  a  strong  contrast  with 
"  beauty,"  is  not  to  be  departed  from,  and  we 
need  not  with  K NOBEL  understand  "scratchings." 
4.  The  women — our  reproach  — Ver.  25 
— iv.  1.  But  the  misery  of  the  daughters  of  Zion 
is  not  yet  exhausted.  Worse  things  yet  must 
happen  to  them.  They  shall  be  robbed,  too,  of 
the  men.  From  the  singular  suffix,  it  is  seen  that 
the  Prophet  ver.  25  now  addresses  Zion  itself,  thus 
not "  the  daughters  of  Zion,"  ver.  16,  but "  daughter 
of  Zion."  The  loss  of  splendid  garments  is  not 
to  be  understood  as  if  only  articles  of  luxury 
would  be  taken  from  the  women  of  Zion.  It  is 
seen  from  ver.  25  that  the  blow  is  to  be  universal, 
falling  upon  all.  Therefore  all  shall  suffer  under 
it :  but  the  rich  and  noble  most  of  all.  The  loss 
of  the  men,  however,  shall  concern  all  in  equal 
measure.  For  this  reason  the  Prophet  no  longer 
addresses  the  daughters,  but  the  daughter  of 
Zion.  O'HIp  does  not  appear  to  involve  the  no- 
tion of  strength,  manhood.  For  it  is  wont  to 
stand  where  inferiority,  lowness  are  predicated 
of  the  subject  man.  13D7D  ">Fft}  people  of  number, 
a  few,  G^n.  xxxiv.  30,  and  often.  Bi?0  '0  Deut. 
xxvi.  5;  xxviii.  62.  Nltf  'n  ps.  xxvi.  4;  T1X  '3 
Job  xxii.  15.  3JH  <V  'La.  v.  13 :  and  xli'J  14 
^7T-  "^?  stands  directly  parallel  with  r^Vin 
3p£l  worm  Jacob.  It  stands  then  as  the  anti- 
thesis of  }rn'2J  the  troops,  and  designates  not  the 
manhood  with  emphasis,  but  only  masculine  in- 
dividuals (people).  rni3i  (a  word  of  frequent 
occurrence  in  Isa.  xi.  2;  xxviii.  6  ;  Ixiii.  15,  &c.) 
only  here  stands  in  a  concrete  meaning=iroops. 


For  Jer.  xlix.  33  there  is  no  reason  for  taking  it 
in  any  other  than  the  usual  abstract  sense, 
strength. 

And  her  gates,  etc.     Ver.  26.     njN,  to  sigh, 
groan,  occurs  only  here  and  xix.  8,  where,  too,  it 

stands  with  /3*t  The  latter  word  is  in  general 
more  frequent,  and  common,  too,  in  Isaiah:  xxiv. 
4,  7;  xxxiii.  9;  Ixvi.  10.  Most  expositors  trans- 
late; ''and  her  gates  groan  and  lament."  With 
that  nnp  gate,  is  personified  and  used  by  me- 
tonymy for  the  assemblies  in  the  gate,  which  is 
grammatically  allowable.  But  I  would  make 
three  objections  :  1)  It  is  surprising  that  we  do 
not  read,  then,  "^yW,  gate.  For  DHS  is  only  the 
door  opening  (hence  so  often  "U't^D  nH3,  door 
of  the  gate,  Josh.  xx.  4  ;  Judges  ix.  35,  44  ;  2  Sam. 
x.  8  ;  Jer.  i.  15 ;  xix.  2 ;  Prov.  i.  21,  etc.),  while 
"l^tf  stands  for  gate  in  its  emphatic,  and  also  its 
comprehensive  meaning.  2)  Does  it  not  seem 
strange  in  this  exposition,  that  the  discourse  sud- 
denly turns  from  the  women  to  speak  of  the  to- 
tality of  the  people?  For  the  gates  do  not  repre- 
sent the  women  alone,  but  the  entire  people; 
whence  DRECHSLER  justly  calls  attention  to  the 
fact  that  this  exposition  occasions  "  something 
fluctuating  in  the  connection  of  ideas."  3)  nr}3. 
times  without  number,  stands  as  ace.  localis  to  the 
question  where?  or  whither?  without  a  preposi- 
tion, vid.  Lexicon  and  Concordances.  It  comes 
very  natural  tlierefore  to  translate  ;  *'  and  they 
(the  women)  groan  and  sigh  at  her  gates."  There 
they  await,  and  there  they  receive  the  mournful 
intelligence.  The  suffix  in  HTIPD  relates  nat- 
urally to  Zion  addressed  in  the  verse  before. 
The  following  words  are  obscure.  PirOJl  can 

T  IT-: 

be  nothing  else  than  Niph.  perf.  3  pers.  fern., 
from  npJ  purum  esse.  Kiphal  often  occurs  in  the 
sense  of  culpa  vacuum,  immunem  esse,  which  gives 
no  sense  here.  Punficari  here  can  only  mean 
''  swept  out,  cleared  up,  emptied,  desolated. '  In 
this  sense  the  word  does  not  again  occur ;  only 
Zech.  v.  3f  may  in  some  degree  be  compared. 
HOFMANN  (Schriftbeweis  II.  2,  p.  503)  translates  : 
"on  the  bareness,  off  on  the  bare  ground  sits  she." 
But  nnpj  is  neither  participial  nor  nominal  form. 
If  now  we  translate:  "and  she  was  emptied, 
desolated,  on  the  ground  she  sits," — we  must  first 
remark  concerning  the  construction,  that  DRECH- 
SLER is  right  in  connecting  the  two  verbs  so  that 
the  first  contains  an  adverbial  qualification  of  the 
second.  Sitting  on  the  ground  is  the  posture  of 
those  mourning:  xlvii.l;  Jobii.13;  Lam.  ii.  10. 
The  subject  of  nnpj  as  well  as  of  3.1271  is  Zion,  to 
which  also  the  suffixes  in  vers.  25,  26,  refer. 
Therefore  if  the  widows  of  Zion  weep  at  the  gates, 
Zion  itself  appears  desolate  and  lies  on  the 
ground.  Yet  I  confess  that  this  exposition  is 
not  entirely  satisfactory,  although  it  fits  the  ex- 
isting text.  Perhaps  the  text  is  corrupt  in  i~ir\pj. 
At  all  events,  according  to  ver.  25,  a  great 
scarcity  of  men  exists.  For  the  Hebrew  woman 
that  was  the  greatest  misfortune.  For  in  its  most 
ancient  parts  the  Old  Testament  knows  no  other 
genuine  life  than  that  on  this  earth,  and  thus  no 
other  continuation  of  living  after  death  than  by 
means  of  children.  To  be  childless  was,  then, 


CHAP.  IV.  2-6. 


77 


the  same  as  being  deprived  of  continuance  after 
djath.  It  corresponded  to  the  being  damned  of 
the  New  Testament.*  Physical  reasons,  there- 
fore, were  not  all  that  made  marriage  appear  as 
a  pressing  necessity.  It  is  now  said  here  that 
seven  women  (notice  the  sacred  number)  shall 
lay  hold  of  one  man  and,  renouncing  all  claim 
of  support  and  clothing,  beg  only  the  right  to  be 
called  his  wives.— Only  let  thy  name,  etc.— 
As  the  temple  was  called  the  house  that  bears  the 
minis  of  Jehovah,  without  however  the  temple 
being  called  Jehovah  Himself,  so,  among  the 
Hebrews,  the  wives  were  not  called  by  the  same 
name  as  their  husbands,  which  would  be  to  trans- 
fer modern  customs  to  the  ancients;  but  the  name 
of  the  husband  was  named  on  her,  when  she  was 
called  this  or  that  man's  wife.  Comp.  ''  Sarai, 
Abram's  wife,"  Gen.  xii  17,  ''  Rachel,  Jacob's 
wife,"  Gen.  xhri.  19.  GESENIUS  quotes  the  beau- 


tiful parallel  from  Lucam,  Pharsal.  II.  342,  which 
was  first  adduced  by  GROTIUS. 


-da  tantum  nomen  inane 


Connubii,  Liceat  tumulo  scripsisse:  Catonis 

Marcia  ****  *  *  * 

— Give  only  the  empty  name  of  marriage.  Let  my 
monument  be  inscribed :  C'ato's,  Marcia. 

^DX  with  the  meaning  ''auferre,  demere,"  bear 
away,  like  xvi.  10 ;  Ivii.  1.  As  a  parallel  expres- 
sion comp.,  too  Zech-  yiii.  23.  The  division  of 
chapters  is  evidently  incorrect  here.  That  the 
words  "  seven  women,"  etc.,  were  carried  over  to 
chap,  iv.,  as  VITRINGA  remarks,  happened  be- 
cause it  was  supposed  that  the  seven  women  re- 
presented the  seven  graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
(xi.  1,  2),  thus  JEROME  and  CYRIL — or  the 
believing  women  under  the  one  man  or  Christ, 
the  Branch,  ver.  2. 


*  [This  extreme  statement  of  the  Author  cannot  pass  without  challenge.  He  repeats  it  substantially  p.  259, 
24,  p.  60G,  p.  CIO,  g3.  As  he  does  not  support  it  by  any  more  texts  than  Gen.  xxx.  23;  1  Sam.  i.  5  sqq.;  ii.  1  sqtj.; 
Luke  i.  25,  the  reader  may  judge  for  himself  how  little  foundation  there  is  for  the  statement.  See  in  the  Vol.  on 
Exodus,  p.  17,  the  Translator  H  O.'s  note  on  the  kindred  notion  that  among  the  Israelites  "tlie  -eward  of  the 
good  aud  the  punishment  of  the  wicked  was  not  expected  after  death,  but  here  on  earth." — Ta.J 


C.— The  second  prophetic  lamp,  which,  in  the  light  of  the  glorious  divine  fruit  of 
the  last  time,  makes  known  the  bad  fruits  of  the  present. 

CHAPTER  IV.  2— V.  30. 

1.    THE  SECOND  PROPHETIC  LAMP  ITSELF  AND  THE  GLORIOUS  DIVINE 
FRUIT  OF  THE  FUTURE  DISPLAYED  BY  IT. 

CHAPTER  IV.  2-6. 

2  In  that  day  shall  athe  branch  of  the  LORD  be  beautiful  and  glorious, 
And  the  fruit  of  the  earth  shall  be  bexcellent  and  comely 

"For  them  that  are  escaped  of  Israel, 

3  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  he  that  is  left  in  Zion, 
And  he  that  remaincth  in  Jerusalem, 

Shall  be  called  holy, 

Even  every  one  that  is  written  3among  the  living  in  Jerusalem  ; 

4  When  the  LORD  shall  have  washed  away  the  filth  of  the  daughters  of  Zion, 
And  shall  have  purged  the  blood  of  Jerusalem  from  the  midst  thereof 

By  the  "spirit  of  judgment,  and  by  the  "spirit  of  dburning. 

5  And  the  LORD  will  create  upon  every  dwelling  place  of  Mount  Zion, 
And  upon  her  assemblies, 

eA  cloud  and  smoke  by  day, 

And  the  shining  of  a  flaming  fire  by  night :  » 

For  *upon  all  the  glory  shall  be  5a  defence. 

6  And  there  shall  be  a  'tabernacle  for  a  shadow  in  the  day  time  from  the  heat, 
And  for  a  place  of  refuge,  and  for  a  covert  from  storm  and  from  rain. 


1  Heb.  beauty  and  glory 
*  Or,  above. 

» thnt  which  sprouts  of  Jehovah. 

'wind. 

*with  the  shining,  etc. 


JHeb.  For  the  escaping  of  Israel. 
b  Heb.  a  covering. 

b  for  splendor  and  glory. 
d  sifting. 
f  a  booth. 


8  Or,  to  life. 


'  A  cloud  by  day,  and  smoke  togeUter. 


78 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


TEXTUAL   AND 
Ver.  2.  '3¥  vid.  xiii.  19;  xxiii.  9;  xxiv.  16;  xxviii.  1,4, 

6. NNJ  and  mJOn  occur  again  together  only  xiii. 

19. ntO'Si)  abut., pro  concr.,  comp.  iii    25;  x.  20;  xv. 

T    "  : 

9;  xxxvii.  31  sq. 

Ver.  3.  Niph.  TOXJ  is  a  peculiarity  of  Isaiah.  It  is 
found  in  no  book  oi'  the  Old  Testament,  relatively  so 
often  as  in  our  prophet:  xix.  18;  xxxii.  5;  Ixi.  6;  Ixii. 

4  (bis.). The   construction  D'TH  2irD  is  dubious, 

3t\3  in  this  sense  is  nowhere  else  construed  with  7, 

~  T  : 

unless  perhaps  xliv.  5  (wh.  see)  may  be  compared. 
D'Tl  may  be  abstraction  (vita)  or  concretum  (vivi). 

Ver.  4.  }TP    occurs  again  in  Isaiah  only  i.  16. 

nXV  in  Isaiah  again  only  xxviii.  8,  and  xxxvii.  12,  K'ri. 
——The  verb  n"in  is  found  only  in  tlie  Hiphil ;  in 
Isaiah  it  occurs  only  here ;  it  is  found  elsewhere  only 
inJer.  li.34;  Ezek.  xl.  38;  2  Chr  iv.  6.  As  the  parallel 
passages  show,  it  means :  "  wash  away,  rinse  away," 
and  thereby  cleanse.  It  is  therefore  synonymous  witli 

fD7- 

Ver.  5.  tOp"D  which  occurs  here  and  i.  13  in  Isaiah, 

T  I:  • 

and  in  Neh.  viii.  8  (where  it  seems  to  mean  "lecture  "), 
occurs  elsewhere  only  in  the  Pentateuch.  There,  too, 
with  the  exception  of  Num.  x.  2,  where  thernj/TI  JOp3 
convccatio  eoetus  is  indicated  as  the  object  of  the  use  of 
the  trumpets,  it  is  always  joined  with  EHp:  Exod.  xii. 
16;  Lev.  xxiii.  2  sq.;  Num.  xxviii.  18,  25  sq  ;  xxix.  1,7, 12. 
It  is  therefore  a  liturgical  term,  and  means  the  assem- 
bling of  the  congregation. pj?  occurs  again  in  Isaiah 

only  xliv.  22.    But  \iyy  he  often  uses:  vi.  4;  ix.  17  ;  xiv. 

ITT 

31;  xxxiv.  10;  H.  6;  Ixv.  5.  Moreover  HJJ,  which  does 
not  occur  In  the  Pentateuch,  is  peculiar  to  Isa.  1.  10; 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Ix.  3, 19 ;  Ixii.  1 ;  comp.  ix.  1 ;  xiii.  10.  So  too  H3n  7  flame 
never  occurs  in  the  Pentateuch,  except  in  Num.  xxi. 
28,  where  it  is  -not  used  of  the  pillar  of  fire.  But  it  is 
found  in  Isaiah  v.  24;  x.  17;  xliii.  2;  xlvii.  14.  He  in- 
timates by  it  that  one  must  picture  to  himself,  not  an 
even,  steady  gleam  of  fire,  but  an  agitated  flaming  fire. 
'1J1  lOD"1?^"^  O-  I  join  these  words  to  what,  fol- 
lows, as  HITZIO  also  does.  The  Masoretic  division  is 
probably  occasioned  by  the  fact  that  the  preceding 
sentence  from  JO21  to  nVb  present  no  strongly 

TT 

marked  point  for  setting  an  Athnach.  But  this,  as  is 
well  known,  is  not  at  all  necessary ;  comp.  ver.  4  and 
v.  3.  And  besides,  if  one  disjoins  these  words  from 
the  following,  he  must  conceive  such  a  verb  as  decet  sup- 
plied, or  at  least  a  nTIA  shall  be.  But  this  is  hardly 
admissible,  which  those,  too,  maintain  who  take  HDH 
as  Pual  ("For  all  that  is  glorious  "shall  be  defended'1 
GESENIUS;  KNOBEL  somewhat  differently. T\2T\  oc- 

T     '*t 

curs  beside  this  place  only  in  Ps.  xix.  6,  and  Joel  li.  16 
in  the  sense  of  "  bridal  chamber,  bridal  canopied  bed." 
And  so  it  means  here  a  protecting  cover,  and  sheltering 
baldachin. 

Ver.  G.  On  H3p  booth,  see  i.  R,  the  only  other  place 
where  it  occurs  in  Isaiah. — The  expressions  3"^nO  7V 
and  D~UO  nDnO  recur  xxv.  4 — IX  vid.  xvi.  3;  xxv.  5; 

xxx.   2 ;'  xlix.  2  etc. inn    xxv.  5  ;    Ixi.   4. HOPD 

xxviii.  15, 17. "n'fiDE  (comp.  D1OHD  xxxii.  2' and 

I'lflDD  xlv.3)  is  aTr.  Aey. D"U  is  a  word  of  frequent 

recurrence  in  the  first  part  of  Isaiah.  Besides  the 
passages  already  cited  see  xxviii.  2  (bis.) ;  xxx.  30.  Be- 
side those  only  Job  xxiv.  8,  and  Hab.  iii.  10. 

again  in  Isaiah  v.  6;  xxx.  23. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Just  at  that  time,  i.  e.,  at  the  time  to  which 
the  parallel  passage  ii.  2-4  refers,  the  rescued 
ones  of  Israel  shall  partake  of  a  glory  that  shall 
appear  as  fruit  of  the  life  that  Jehovah  Himself 
shall  produce  (ver.  2).  In  consequence  of  that 
all  that  still  remain  in  Jerusalem  shall  be  called 
holy,  all  whose  names  shall  be  written  in  Mie 
book  of  life  (ver.  3).  But  the  ones  left  remain- 
ing are  those  that  shall  be  present  when  all  moral 
filth  and  all  blood-guiltiness  shall  have  been 
cleansed  away  by  the  tempest  of  the  divine  judg- 
ment (ver.  4).  Then  shall  Jehovah  hover  over 
each  house  and  over  the  assembled  total  of  the 
dwellers  of  Jerusalem,  as  formerly  over  the 
tabernacle,  with  a  cloud  by  day,  with  smoke  and 
appearance  of  fire  by  night  (ve'r.  5),  for  the  pre- 
sence of  the  glory  of  Jehovah  shall  be  protection 
and  shelter  against  every  attack  (ver.  6). 

I  regard  this  section  as  parallel  member  to 
ii.  2-4.  Like  that,  it  transports  us  into  the  last 
time:  like  that,  it  sets  before  our. eyes  the  glory 
that  Israel  shall  then  enjoy.  Only  there  is  this 
difference,  that,  whereas  ii.  2-4  describes  the  out- 
ward eminence  and  exaltation  of  Zion,  as  the 
central  point  of  dominion  over  all  nations,  iv. 
2-6  rather  describes  the  inward  glory  of  Zion  as 
one  that  is  now  purified  and  sanctified.  For  the 
tempest  of  judgment  has  cleansed  away  all 


morally  impure  and  ungodly  elements.  Whatever 
personal  life  remains  in  Zion  is  a  divine  scion, 
and  therefore  whatever  the  land  produces  must 
be  glorious  divine  fruit.  And  as  in  the  wilder- 
ness the  cloud  by  day  and  the  appearance  of  fire 
by  night  was  over  the  Tabernacle,  so  shall  every 
single  house  in  Israel  and  the  whole  congrega- 
tion in  its  entirety  be  marked  as  the  holy  abode 
of  Jehovah  by  the  glorious  signs  of  His  presence 
warding  off  every  hostile  storm.  This  is  the 
second  prophetic  lamp  with  which  the  prophet, 
so  to  speak,  stretches  his  arm  far  out  and  illu- 
minates the  distant  future.  But  as  in  ii.  5 — iv. 
1  he  sets  the  present  that  lies  between  (we  com- 
prehend all  that  precedes  that  last  time  as  pre- 
sent) in  the  light  of  that  prophetic  word  ii.  2-4, 
and  by  this  means  makes  manifest  the  immense 
difference  between  the  present  and  the  future,  so 
he  does  likewise  here.  I  am  of  the  opinion  there- 
fore that  v.  has  the  same  subordinate  relation  to 
iv.  2-4  that  ii.  5— i  v.  1  has  to  ii.  2-4.  That  v.  is  not 
independent,  but  integral  part  of  the  prophecy 
that  begins  with  ii.  1,  has  already  been  asserted 

by  FORERIUS,VOGEL,  DOEDERLEIN,  JAHN,  HlT- 

ZIG,  EWALD  fcomp.  CASPARI,  Beitr,  p.  234).  I 
maintain  the  same,  only  I  have  other  grounds 
for  it  than  they.  If  one  were  to  assume  with 
CASPARI  (int.  al.  p.  300)  that  the  passage  ii.  2-4, 


CHAP.  IV.  2-6. 


79 


"  is  not  in  the  proper  sense  prophecy  ;  they  are 
repeated,  quoted,  recited  by  Isaiah,  as  a  prophecy 
given  to  Israel  by  another  prophet,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  joining  on  to  it  the  warning  and  reproof 
of  ii.  5-8,"— then  indeed  must  iv.  2-G  be  regarded 
as  the  promise  appertaining  to  ii.  5 — iv.  1. 

But  that  assumption  of  CASPARI  is  as  unnatural 
as  can  be.  The  glorious  words  of  MICAH  must  be 
no  prophecy  !  But  they  are  so  per  se.  This  can- 
not be  controverted.  They  must  serve  only  as 
''points  of  departure  and  connection!"  That 
would  need  to  be  indicated.  Then  Isaiah  must 
have  presented  them  in  a  form  that  would  reveal 
at  once  that  he  employs  the  words  only  as  intro- 
duction to  his  address  proper.  They  must  be 
separated  from  the  discourse  of  Isaiah,  and  be 
expressly  designated  as  a  citation  by  some  sort  of 
historical  reference.  But  suoli  is  not  the  case. 
Isaiah  makes  the  words  entirely  his  own.  He 
does  not  say  that  they  are  borrowed  from  another: 
those  informed  know  it  and  draw  their  own  con- 
clusion ;  but  that  is  another  thing.  The  main 
thing  is  that  the  LORD  has  so  said,  and  therefore 
Isaiah  too  may  use  the  words  and  found  his  dis- 
course on  it. 

It  is  clear  as  day  and  undisputed  that  Isaiah 
from  ii.  2  to  iv.  1  shows  the  false  estimate  of  hu- 
man glory  in  the  light  of  the  divine.  But  just  as 
clear,  it  seems  to  me,  is  it  that  Isaiah,  in  iv.  and 
v.,  also  contemplates,  as  it  were,  the  condition  of 
the  fruits  in  the  field  of  the  hearts  of  Israel  in  the 
present  in  the  light  of  the  fruitage  that,  in  the 
last  time,  shall  be  produced  on  the  soil  of  the 
judged  and  purified  Israel.  For  iv.  2,  "the 
Branch,"  and  "Fruit  of  the  earth"  are  evidently 
the  main  ideas.  These  both  shall  become  glori- 
ous. This,  however,  is  explained  ver.  3:  all 
that  then  remain  in  Zion  shall  be  called  holy,  be- 
cause the  tempest  of  judgment  has  removed  from 
Zion  all  pollution  and  all  guilt.  Then  shall  both, 
each  individual  and  the  totality,  be  fully  as  se- 
cure a  dwelling-place  of  Jehovah  as  once  the  Ta- 
bernacle was. 

Therefore  the  prophet  speaks  iv.  2-6  also  of  a 

flory  indeed,  but  of  a  different  one  from  ii.  2-4. 
n  the  latter  place  he  has  in  view  more  that  glory 
which  in  that  time  Israel  shall  develop  external- 
ly: it  shall  as  the  solitary  eminence  of  the  earth 
shine  far  around,  and  all  nations  shall  flow  to 
this  eminence.  But  iv.  2  sq.  speaks  of  that  glory 
that  is  identical  with  holiness,  the  notion  "holy" 
taken  in  the  sense  of  sancius  and  sacer :  this  glory, 
however,  is  first  of  all  inward.  But  as  that  out- 
ward glory  takes  the  inward  for  granted,  which  is 
indicated  ii.  3  by  the  terms  ''  out  of  Zion  shall  go 
forth  the  law,''  etc.,  so,  too,  the  inward  glory  can- 
not last  without  the  outward,  which  is  expressed 
iv.  2  by  the  terms  "  beautiful  and  glorious,  excel- 
lent and  comely,"  and  plainly  enough  in  vers.  5, 
6.  When  now  we  read  in  chap.  v.  of  a  vine- 
yard that  produces  wild  grapes  instead  of  grapes, 
and  when  v.  7,  this  is  expressly  interpreted  to 
mean  that  Jehovah  has  found  in  the  field  of  the 
hearts  of  Israel  bloodshed  and  the  cry  of  woe  in- 
stead of  judgment  and  righteousness,  and  when, 
after  that,  this  evil  fruit  is  more  particularly 
characterized  in  the  following  sixfold  woe,  can 
we  then  in  the  least  doubt  that  the  section  that 
treats  of  the  bad  fruits  of  the  present  stands  in  the 
same  relation  to  the  section  immediately  preced- 


ing which  describes  the  glorious  fruits  of  the  last 
time,  that  the  section  ii.  5 — iv.  1  concerning  false 
great  things  does  to  the  section  that  immediately 
precedes  it,  and  that  describes  the  true  divine 
greatness. 

I  do  not  suppose  that  this  would  ever  have 
been  doubted,  did  not  chap.  v.  appear  so  inde- 
pendent, so  peculiar,  so  distinct  in  itself  and  well 
rounded,  and  were  not  suddenly  ver.  1,  a  totally 
different  tone  assumed  ;  I  mean  the  parable  tone. 
But  we  must  not  overlook  the  relationship  of  the 
contents  because  of  the  difference  in  the  form. 
This  relationship  will  appear  plainer  as  we  con- 
template the  particulars:  but  we  mu^t  at  this 
point  draw  attention  to  one  thing.  As  ii.  5 — iv. 
1  the  outward  decay  appears  as  symptom  and 
consequence  of  the  inward,  so  in  chap.  v.  the 
inward  decay  appears  as  the  root  from  which  the 
outward  develops  by  an  inevitable  necessity. 
According  to  this  the  two  dominant  passages  ii. 
2-4  ani  iv.  2-6  stand  in  an  analogous  inverted 
relation,  like  the  sections  governed  by  them  ii. 
5 — iv.  1,  and  chap.  v. 

Finally  let  it  be  noticed  here,  what  we  shall 
prove  in  particular  further  on,  that  in  iv.  2-6,  as 
a  matter  of  course,  there  occur  back  looks  or  ref- 
erences to  what  ha?  preceded.  (Comp.  e.g.  ver.  4.) 
This  cannot  be  otherwise,  in  as  much  as  iv.  2-v.  30 
is  the  second  organic  half  of  the  great  second  por- 
tal of  Isaiah's  prophecies.  But  noticing  this  does 
not  in  the  least  hinder  the  assertion  that  section 
iv.  2-6  in  the  main  looks  forward  and  not  back- 
ward. 

3.  In  that  day, — spirit  of  burning. — Vers. 
2-4.  By  the  words  "  in  that  day  "  the  prophet 
refers  back  to  "in  the  last  days"  ii.  2.  For  ac- 
cording to  all  that  we  have  just  laid  down,  iv.  2- 
6  stands  parallel  with  ii.  2-4,  both  as  to  time  and 
subject  matter.  This  last  time  may  have  be- 
gun since  the  birth  of  Christ,  but  it  is  not  fin- 
ished ;  it  is  fulfilled  by  degrees  through  many  a 
rising  and  subsiding.  In  this  last  time,  there- 
fore, shall  "the  branch"  and  "the  fruit  of  the 
earth  "  be  for  beauty  and  honor,  splendor  and 
glory  to  the  saved  ones  of  Israel.  What  is 
""  HOtf  ''branch?"  The  word  means  germi- 
natio,  the  sprouting,  and  means  first  of  all,  not 
a  single  sprout,  but  sprouting  in  general,  and 
the  total  of  all  that  sprouts.  Thus  it  means  Gen. 
xix.  25  :  "And  he  overthrew  those  cities,  and  all 
the  plain,  and  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  cities, 
and  that  which  grew  upon  the  ground"  (HOX! 
rmxn).  So  again  we  read,  Ezek.  xvi.  7 :  "  I  have 
caused  thee  to  multiply  as  the  bud  of  the  field  r 
(rnfrn  noiO)  i.  e.  I  have  made  thce  like  the 
vegetation  of  the  field.  Again  Hos.  viii.  7 :  ''It 
hath  no  stalk,  the  bud  (np>')  shall  yield  no 
meal."  The  word  has  the  same  meaning  also 
Isa.  Ixi.  11 ;  Ps.  Ixv.  11.  In  Ezek.  xvii.  9,  10, 
the  abstract  meaning  germinatio  predominates. 
If  now  we  compare  Jer.  xxiii.  5  and  xxxiii.  15, 
we  find  that  there  "righteous  Branch"  (^5X 
p^tf)  means  a  single  personality.  "  I  will  raise 
unto  David  a  righteous  Branch,  and  he  shall 
reign  as  King,  and  shall  prosper,  and  execute 
judgment  and  justice  in  the  land ;  in  his  days," 
etc.  Notice  the  singular  after  Branch.  So  too, 
Jer.  xxxiii.  15.  In  Zechariah,  however,  we  find 


80 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


noX  Tzemach,  has  become  altogether  a  proper 
name.  "  Behold  I  will  bring  forth  my  servant 
Tzemach,  (Branch),"  Zech.  iii.  8.  And  vi.  12 : 
"  Behold  the  man  whose  name  is  Tzemach,  and 
he  shall  grow  up  out  of  his  place,  and  he  shall 
build  the  temple  of  the  LORD."  If  we  agree  with 
expositors  that  refer  the  Tzemach  of  Jer.  and 
Zech.  (which  in  them,  beyond  all  doubt,  means 
the  Messiah),  to  our  passage  as  its  original  source, 
si  ill  the  conclusion  must  not  be  countenanced 
that  the  word  is  to  be  taken  in  the  same  meaning 
in  our  passage  as  in  Jer.  and  Zech.  For  in  our 
passage  a  condition,  habitus,  is  evidently  described, 
not  a  personality.  "  Fruit  of  the  land  "  stands  as 
correlative  of  "  Branch  of  Jehovah."  This  is  so 
general  and  comprehensive  an  expression,  that  it 
is  impossible  to  understand  by  it  any  single  fruit, 
even  though  it  were  the  noblest.  The  passages 
xi.  1,  10  ;  liii.  2,  do  not  contradict  this.  For  just 
in  those  passages  the  Messiah  is  designated,  not 
as  the  fruit  of  the  land,  (or  of  the  earth),  in  gen- 
eral, but  a  shoot  out  of  the  root  of  Jesse.  "  Fruit 
of  the  land  "  in  the  general  and  indefinite  form 
of  its  expression,  can  only  signify  the  products  of 
the  land  in  general  (not  of  the  earth,  for,  accord- 
ing to  the  context,  only  Israel  is  spoken  of). 
Thus  what  grows  of  Jehovah  and  what  grows  of 
the  land  stand  in  antithesis ;  spiritual  and  corpo- 
ral fruits,  the  products  of  the  heavenly  and  of  the 
earthly  life. 

But  what  are  the  products  of  the  heavenly, 
spiritual,  divine  life  ?  This,  it  seems  to  me,  Isa. 
himself  tells  us  Ixi.  11:  ''For  as  the  earth 
bringeth  forth  her  bud,  and  as  the  garden  causeth 
the  tilings  that  are  sown  in  it  to  spring  forth  ;  so 
the  LORD  God  will  cause  righteousness  and  praise 
to  spring  forth  before  the  nations."  Thus, 
"  whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatsoever  things 
are  honest,  whatsoever  things  are  just,  whatso- 
ever things  are  pure,  whatsoever  things  are  love- 
ly, whatsoever  tilings  are  of  good  report ;  if  there 
be  any  virtue  and  if  there  be  any  praise"  Phil, 
iv.  8  (and  may  not  Paul  have  had  Isa.  Ixi.  11  in 
his  mind?)  that  is  Tzemach  of  Jehovah.  That 
is  the  divine  fruit  with  which  the  fruit  of  the 
land  stands  in  contrast,  viz.:  all  corporal  life  that 
the  land  produces  in  all  the  kingdoms  of  nature. 
Therefore  Tzemach  of  Jehovah  comprehends  the 
entire  sphere  of  the  free,  conscious,  personal  life, 
all  that  is  product  of  "  the  breath  of  life"  (Gen. 
ii.  7) ;  whereas  "  fruit  of  the  land  "  designates  the 
entire  impersonal,  corporal  life,  all  that  is  "the 
production  of  the  earth"  (Gen.  i.  12).  If  this 
is  the  meaning  of  Tzemach  of  Jehovah  in  our 
passage,  then  this  general  notion  may  easily  con- 
dense and,  so  to  speak,  crystallize  to  the  concep- 
tion of  a  definite  personality.  Thus,  for  instance, 
the  idea  of  the  seed  of  the  woman  (Gen.  iii.  15) 
proceeding  originally  from  a  conception  general 
and  indefinite,  gradually,  in  the  consciousness  of 
believing  Israel,  condensed  to  the  notion  of  a 
definite  personality. 

According  to  this  I  cannot  agree  with  those 
that  understand  "  HrD!f  Tzemach  of  Jehovah  of 
the  Messiah  only  (as  many  Jewish  and  Christian 
expositors),  or  of  the  Church  alone  (so  JEROME: 
nomen  Christianum],  or  of  the  people  of  Israel 
alone  (thus  KNOBEL,  who  confounds  "  HDX  with 
'  >'???)>  or  of  Christ  and  the  church  (thus  ZWLNG- 


LI  :  "  both  expressions  suit  to  the  Branch  Christ 
and  to  His  body  the  church."  HOFMANN'S  expla- 
nation (Schriftbew.  II.  2,  p.  503  sq.j  :  "  What  Jeho- 
vah causes  to  grow  and  the  land  brings  forth,  the 
Prophet  opposes  to  the  thousands  of  human  pro- 
ductions with  which  the  previously  rebuked  lux- 
ury decked  itself,  especially  in  the  case  of  wo- 
men," seems  to  me  to  construe  the  idea  of  Tze- 
mach of  Jehovah  too  narrowly,  and  too  little  in 
its  distinction  from  "  Fruit  of  the  land,"  as  well 
as  too  much  witli  reference  to  iii.  16  sqq. 

Therefore,  the  entire  products,  both  of  the 
spiritual  and  the  corporal  life  shall  be  such  that 
the  rescued  ones  of  Israel  shall  be  highly  honored 
and  glorified  thereby.  That  which  has  its  imme- 
diate source  of  life  in  Jehovah  Himself,  which  is 
the  fruit  of  His  Spirit  (Gal.  v.  22)  must  redound 
to  the  honor  of  those  in  whom  it  makes  its  ap- 
pearance (comp.  Rom.  ii.  7  sqq.).  We  read  else- 
where (Chap,  xxviii.  5)  that  Jehovah  Himseli 
"  shall  be  for  a  crown  of  glory  and  for  a  diadem 
of  beauty  unto  the  residue  of  His  people."  Both 
amount  to  the  same  thing.  For  where  Jehovah 
is,  there  He  is  with  His  life  and  with  His  power; 
and  where  He  lives  and  works,  there  He  makes 
glory.  Moreover  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  where 
the  LORD  alone  becomes  the  principle  of  spiritual 
life,  must  themselves  become  glorious  and,  as  it 
were,  the  cause  of  a  glory  like  Paradise.  All,  in 
fact,  will  become  new  :  body  and  soul,  nature  and 
history,  heaven  and  earth. 

|*ixn  '"13  (or  noixn)  never  means  anything 
else  than  the  products  of  the  ground.  The  ex- 
pression is  found  often  in  the  Pentateuch  (Gen. 
iv.  3;  Lev.  xxv.  19;  Num.  xiii.  20,  26),  most 
frequently  in  Deut.  (i.  25  ;  vii.  13  ;  xxvi.  2,  10  ; 
xxviii.  4,  11,  18,  &c.).  Beside  these  only  in  Jer. 
vii.  20,  and  Ps.  cv.  35.  But  all  this  splendor  and 
glory  shall  exist  only  for  '•  the  escaped  of  Israel.'' 
This  is  the  conception  so  frequent  in  Isa.,  which 
he  elsewhere  designates  as  "remnant,"  "him 
that  remaineth,"  "  residue,"  pNi?>  mNtf  ,  Ijm 
"INtfJ  comp.  v^r.  3;  vi.  13;  x.  20^22;  xi.  11,  16; 
xxviii.  5  ;  xxxvii.  31  sq.  ;  xlvi.  3),  and  which  ex- 
presses that,  not  all  Israel,  but  only  the  remnant 
left  after  the  judging  and  sifting  shall  partake  of 
the  salvation. 

Ver.  3  says  expressly,  that  the  glory  of  which 
v.  2  speaks  shall  depend  on  inward  purity  and 
spotlessness,  on  that  licht  that  is  said  to  be  the  gar- 
ment of  God  (Ps.  civ.  2).  This  verse,  therefore, 
contains  the  more  particular  definition  of  v.  2. 
''The  left  over"  pMN  comp.  xxxvii.  31)  and  "the 
remaining  over  "  ("b~nj  comp.  vii.  22,  and  DE- 
LITZSCH,  in  loc.}  in  Zion  and  Jerusalem  (vid.  ii. 
3)  shall  be  called  holy,  i.  e.,  not  only  be  so,  but  Le 
recognized  and  called  such. 

This  holiness,  which  becomes  God's  house.  P.°. 
xciii.  5,  is,  any  way,  to  be  construed  objectively 
as  well  as  subjectively.  It  includes  the  sacer  and 
the  sanctus.  But  these  holy  men  of  God  are  His 
elect  in  reference  to  whom  He  has  made  the  coun- 
sel of  His  love  documentary  by  entering  their 
names  in  the  book  of  life. 

"To  be  written  to  the  living"  or  "to  the 
life"  calls  to  mind  Psalm  Ixix.  29,  D''nv  DJ,', 


"let  them  not  be  written  with  the  right- 
eous," or  Jer.  xxii.  30,  where  it  is  said:  "write 


CHAP.  IV.  2-6. 


this  man  'y^P.  childless."  This  book  of  life  is 
not  that  in  which  are  written  those  destined  to 
earthly  life  (1  Sam.  xxv.  29,  Ps.  cxxxix.  16),  but 
that  wherein  stand  written  those  appointed  to 
everlasting  life.  What  sort  of  a  book  that  may 
be,  and  how  the  entry  in  it  comports  with  free 
self-determination  in  men  we  cannot  here  investi- 
gate. This  book  is  first  named  Exod.  xxxii.  32, 
33.  Later  Isa.  in  this  place,  and  Ps.  Ixix.  29  ; 
Ixxxvii.  4-6  ;  Dan.  xii.  1  mention  it.  In  the  N. 
Test,  we  read  of  it  Lake  x.  20 ;  Phil.  iv.  3  ;  Eev. 
iii.  5 ;  xiii.  8;  xvii.  8;  xx.  12,  15;  xxi.  27. 
Some,  not  without  propriety,  have  reminded,  in 
connection  with  x.  19;  Ezek.  xiii.  9;  Exod.  xxx. 
12,  etc.,  of  the  genealogical  registers  or  roll  of 
citizens,  in  so  far  as  those  inscribed  for  life  are  at 
once  citizens  of  the  kingdom  of  God  and  of  the 
city  of  God  (Gal.  v.  26  ;  Heb.  xii.  22;  Eev.  xxi. 

2). 

When  the  Lord  shall  have  •washed. — Ver. 
4.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  contents  of  ver.  4  show  de- 
cidedly that  it  is  no  premis  to  ver.  5,  but  is  to  be 
regarded  as  specification  of  the  time  and  conditions 
in  reference  to  vers.  2  and  3.  For  only  the  pu- 
rifying an  1  sifting  judgments  of  God,  that  cleanse 
away  all  filth,  bring  it  about  that  any  holy,  divine 
life  still  remains  in  Jerusalem.  The  filth  of  the 
daughter  of  Zion  is  not  only  her  moral  degrada- 
tion, but  all  that  appears  as  fruit  of  it  and  means 
for  furthering  it ;  thus  the  entire  apparatus  of 
luxury  discoursed  of  in  iii.  16  sqq.  Though  out- 
wardly showy  and  splendid,  regarded  from  the 
Prophet's  point  of  view  it  was  only  vile  filth.  The 
blood-guiltiness  of  Jerusalem  (comp.  i.  15  ;  ix.  4; 
xxvi.  21 ;  xxxiii.  15)  proceeds  from  the  innocent 
blood  shed  by  the  injustice  and  tyranny  of  the 
powerful  (i.  15 sqq.).  Concerning  Zion  and  Jerusa- 
lem, see  ii.  3.  This  cleansing  shall  be  brought 
about  by  a  spiritual  force  that  is  analogous  to  that 
force  of  nature  that  purifies,  viz.,  the  wind.  Like 
that  rushes  over  the  earth  and  bears  away  all  im- 
pure vapors,  so  shall  God  let  loose  His  judgments 
over  Israel,  destroy  the  wicked  and  drive  to  re- 
pentance those  in  whom  the  Spirit  T>f  God  finds 
still  a  point  of  contact,  thus  spiritually  purify  the 
nation.  I  do  not  think,  therefore,  that  nn  here 
is  to  be  translated  "  spirit."  The  context  evident- 
ly demands  the  meaning  "wind."  In  xxx.  28, 
also  HO  is  the  breath  of  God,  as  one  sees  from 
the  connection  with  the  lips  and  tongue  (ver.  27). 
Comp.  xii.  16,  DXt^n  PUT  "  the  wind  shall  carry 
them  away."  MEIER  translates  our  passage 
"  breath  of  wrath."  In  the  kindred  passage 
xxviii.  6,  however,  the  meaning  "spirit"  seems 
to  predominate.  Whether  "Up  is  kindred  to  that 
"\I? 3  that  means  "to  burn,  to  kindle"  (see  ver.  5  ; 
xl/16;  xliv.  15;  2  Chr.  iv.  20;  xiii.  11)  is 
doubtful.  Our  "\t'3  is,  like  vi.  13,  used  in  the 
sense  of  "to  cast  off,  cut  away,  brush  off,"  in 
which  sense  the  word  often  occurs  in  Deut.  in 
reference  to  exterminating  the  scabby  sheep  out 
of  the  holy  theocratic  congregation  (Deut.  xiii. 
6;  xvii.  7;  xix.  19;  xxvi.  13  sq.,  comp.  Num. 
xxiv.  22,  &c.)  The  word  therefore  involves  the 
notion  of  a  sifting.  After  the  purification  is  ac- 
complished by  judgment  and  sifting,  measures 
shall  be  taken  against  further  corruption  in  that 
the  LORD  shall  hover  with  the  'pillar  of  smoke 


and  fire  over  the  individual  dwellings  of  Mount 
Zion  and  over  the  whole  assembly  of  the  holy 
nation  for  their  protection. 

Ver.  5  N"O^  therefore  introduces  a  comple- 
mentary idea  of  what  precedes.  .  J130  (again 
in  Isaiah  only  xviii.  4)  is  sedes,  habitatio  pa- 
rata,  stabUita.  It  is  used  almost  exclusively  of 
the  divine  indwelling.  For  with  the  exception 
of  Ps.  civ.  5,  where  the  D'JiDO  (foundations)  of 
the  earth  are  named  (which  any  way  are  a  divine 
work  too),  JUD  stands  only  for  the  earthly  (Exod. 
xv.  17,  &c.)  or  the  heavenly  (1  K.  viii.  39,  43,  49, 
etc.)  dwelling-place  of  God.  One  is  tempted, 
therefore,  to  understand  JOO  here  of  the  temple 

as  God's  dwelling  place.  But  then  the  73  would 
be  incomprehensible.  Or  if  this  be  translated 
"  whole,"  then  there  must  be  an  article.  We 
must,  therefore,  understand  by  it  all  the  dwell- 
ings that  were  found  on  Mount  Zion  (comp.  ii.  2, 
3,  naming  of  the  city  Jerusalem  a  poliori).  The 
whole  of  these  have  become  holy  dwellings  of 
God,  too,  inasmuch  as  their  inhabitants  are  them- 
selves scions  of  God  (ver.  2). 

"Assemblies,"  is  evidently  in  contrast  with 
"every  dwelling,"  and  declares  that  the  sign  of 
Jehovah  shall  hover  over  both  the  dwellings  of 
individual  families  and  over  the  assembled  total 
of  the  nation.  Every  single  house,  as  well  as  the 
house  of  Jacob  as  a  whole,  shall  be  God's  holy 
tabernacle,  as  formerly  the  typical  Tabernacle 
was  alone.  Even  before  the  passage  of  the  fled 
Sea,  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  went  before  the 
Israelites  (Exod.  xiii.  21  sq.).  It  stood  as  a 
protection  between  the  armies  of  Israel  and 
Egypt  (Exod.  xiv.  19  sq).  But  when  the  Taber- 
nacle was  completed,  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire 
rested  over  it  (Exod.  xl.  34  sqq.). 

In  the  Pentateuch  the  expression  \VJy,  smoke,  is 
never  used  for  this  wonderful  phenomenon.  It 
is  put  in  here  in  such  a  way  that  one  does  not 
know  whether  to  join  it  to  jV  cloud,  or  to  ^  HJJ 
shining,  etc.  According  to  the  accents  the  former 
should  be  done.  Moreover  it  may  be  urged  that 
smoke  is  not  seen  by  night.  But  why  then  is 
V&y  placed  after  DOl'1  ?  Some  consider  the  con- 
struction a  hendiadys:  cloud  and  smoke=smoke 
cloud ;  for  an  ordinary  vapor  cloud  it  was  not. 
This  may  be  correct.  But  from  the  nature  of 
things  smoke  belongs  to  fire.  For  there  is  no  fire 
without  smoke,  nor  smoke  without  fire.  Like 
HENGSTENBERG,  therefore,  I  refer  j^J^,  and 
smoke  to  what  follows.  Precisely  as  smoke  would 
the  cloud  at  night  be  most  plainly  visible,  for  then 
the  smoke  was  seen  mounting  out  of  the  fire  and 
illuminated  by  it. 

For  upon  all  glory,  etc.— If  the  Prophet,  as 
has  been  shown,  regards  every  single  house  as 
God's  holy  tabernacle,  then  he  can  call  it  glorious 
too,  like  in  Exod.  xl.  34  sq.,  that  which  filled  the 
dwelling  of  the  sanctuary  is  called  the  glory  of  Je- 
hovah. Comp.  on  ver.  13.  This  glory  of  Jehovah 
in  the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  served  on  the  one 
hand  for  Israel's  protection — viz.,  standing  be- 
tween them  and  the  Egyptians, — on  the  other  for 
a  guide  in  the  desert.  The  sanctified  Israel  of 


82  THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  last  time  will  not  need  a  guide,  for  they  will 
no  more  wander.  They  are  to  be  firmly  founded 
on  the  holy  mountain.  But  they  will  still  need 
protection.  For  if  even  the  majority  of  the  na- 
tions flow  to  them,  shall  then  at  once  all  enmity 


in  the  world  against  God's  sanctuary  be  extin- 
guished ?  Is  it  not  conceivable  that  both  in  the 
world  of  men  and  of  devils  hostile  powers  may 
exist,  inclined  to  and  capable  of  doing  harm? 
(Rev.  xx.  7sqq.) 


2   The  bad  fruits  of  the  present  in  the  light  of  the  glorious  divine  fruit  of  the  last 

time.    CHAP.  V.  1-30. 

a     THE  BAD  FRUITS  OF  THE  PRESENT  SHOWN  IN  THE  PARABLE 
OF  THE  VINEYARD. 

CHAPTER  V.  1-7. 

1  Now  will  I  sing  "to  my  well-beloved 

A  song  of  my  beloved  touching  his  vineyard. 
My  well  beloved  hath  a  vineyard 
Inlba  very  fruitful  hill : 

2  And  he  2cfenced  it,  and  gathered  out  the  stones  thereof) 
And  planted  it  with  the  choicest  vine, 

And  built  a  tower  in  the  midst  of  it, 

And  also  3made  a  winepress  therein : 

And  he  looked  that  it  should  bring  forth  grapes, 

And  it  brought  forth  wild  grapes. 

3  And  now,  O,  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  and  men  of  Judah, 
Judge,  T  pray  you,  betwixt  me  and  my  vineyard. 

4  What  could  have  been  done  more  to  my  vineyard, 
That  I  have  not  done  in  it? 

Wherefore,  when  I  looked  that  it  should  bring  forth  grapes, 
Brought  it  forth  wild  grapes? 
6  And  now  go  to  ;  I  will  tell  you 
What  I  will  do  to  my  vineyard  : 

I  will  take  away  the  hedge  thereof,  and  it  shall  be  eaten  up  ; 
And  break  down  the  wall  thereof,  and  it  shall  be  4trodden  down : 

6  And  I  will  lay  it  waste : 

It  shall  not  be  pruned,  nor  digged  ; 
But  there  shall  come  up  briers  and  thorns  : 
I  will  also  command  the  clouds 
That  they  rain  no  rain  upon  it, 

7  For  the  vineyard  of  the  LORD  of  hosts  is  the  house  of  Israel, 
And  the  men  of  Judah  5his  pleasant  plant : 

And  he  looked  for  judgment,  but  behold  'oppression; 
For  righteousness,  but  behold  a  cry. 

1  Heb.  the  horn  of  the  son  of  oil.  »  Or,  made  a  watt  about  it. 

»  Heb.  hewed.  *  Heb.  for  a  treading.  *  Heb.  plant  of  his  pleasure. 

•  Heb.  a  scab. 

*ofmy  friend.  fc  a  hill  of  fat  soil.  «  hoed  it. 

«  auf  (futthat  und  siehe  da  :  Slutthat !  Undauf  Oerechtigkeit,  und  siehe  da :  Schlechtigkeit.  [The  commenta- 
tor's license  in  translating  with  reference  to  the  sound  and  sense  combined  may  be  imitated  fn  English 
thus:  He  waited  for  equity,  and  lo,  iniquity :  For  right  and  lo,riot. — TK/J 


CHAP.  V.  1-7. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  Attention  has  often  been  called  to  the  artistic, 
rythmical  structure  of  ver.  1:  to  iTVtJftf  corresponds 

i  .       T      •     T 

n"Viy;  to  Tr?  corresponds  H11-  The  first  clause 
of  the  verse  concludes  with  iOTJ  7  ;  the  second  begins 
with  D~\3.  and  the  third  word  is  again  'TT^-  j"}p 
rhymes  to  D^P,  and  the  last  three  words  of  the  verse 
end  with  ?.  Moreover  tM  rythm  continues  into  the  2d — 
ver. ;  for  the  three  verbs  that  begin  it,  resemble  one 
another  in  formation  and  ending. 

The  verb  Tl^  joined  with  the  noun  TJZJ  occurs  of  joy- 
ful song  in  Isaiah  in  two  other  places,  xxvi.  1 ;  xlii.  10. 
rP'ty  always  has  the  pronoun  flK-in after  it  (Exod. 
xv.  1;  Num.  xxi.  17;  Deut.  xxxi.  19,21,  22,30;  xxxii. 
44;  2  Sam.  xxii.  1 ;  Ps.  xviii.  1) ;  only  in  Isaiah,  who  be- 
side here  uses  it  xxiii.  15,  is  it  determiueo.  by  only  a 
noun  following  in  the  genitive.  TT  (the  closely  bound, 

•T 

beloved,  friend)  used  by  Isaiah  only  here.  Comp.  Deut. 
xxxiii.  12;  Jer.  xi.  15;  coll.  xii.  7;  Ps.  Ix.  7;  cxxvii.  2. 
Til,  kindred  to  TT,  is  originally  an  abstract  noun  — 

•T 

amor,  caritas  (comp.  Song  of  S.  v.  9)  especially  in  the 
plural  (love  deeds,  fondling,  Song  of  S.  i.  2;  iv.  4,  etc. ; 
Ezek.  xvi.  8;  Prov.  vii.  IS,  etc.).  Then  Ti'l  stands  for  the 
person  beloved  (compare  the  words  Liebschaft,  Bekannt- 
itchaft,,  acquaintance,  f\J?TO  Ruth,  iii.  2)  and  signifies 
both  the  beloved  generally  (Song  of  S.  ii.  3,  etc.),  and  a 
beloved  and  near  relation  (Lev.  x.  4;  1  Sam.  x.  16,  cic.). 
That  it  here  means  the  beloved  generally  appears  from 
its  connection  with  TT.  This  word,  too,  does  not  again 
occur  in  Isaiuh.  1  indicates  the  object  after  verbis  de- 
cendi:  Gen.  xx.  13 ;  Lev.  xiv.  54;  Ps.  iii.  3;  xxii.  31; 
Isa.  xxvii.  2,  etc. pp  is  used  only  here  in  the  Old 

Testament  of  a  horn  shaped  hill.  In  Ovid  mountain 
spurs  are  called  cornua  tcrroe.  In  Greek  too  ice'pa?  is  so 
used.  Comparo  the  German  Schreckhorn,  Wetterhorn, 

etc. The  expression  JD12~T3  occurs  only  here.    Yet 

comp.  D^Ot?  fcPj  xxviii.  1,  and  the  kindred  expres- 
sions used  of  the  fruitfulness  of  the  soil.  Jft$  (xxx. 
23;  Ezek.xxxiv.  14),  D'3OtfD.(Gen. xxvii. 28,  39)  D^Oi^'X 
(Isa.  Its.  10). 

Ver.  2.  p-ty  is  an-.  Aey.,  but  its  meaning  is  definitely 

t 
derived  from  the  dialects. 7pD  in  this  sense  only 

here  and  Ixii.  10. J?£OJ  with  double  accusative  comp. 

Jer.  ii.  21;  where,  beside,  the  word  is  borrowed  from 

our  passage. pljy   only  here  and  Jer.  ii.  21;  Gen. 

xlix.  11,  npTZ';  Isa.  xvi.  8,  D^p/n^:  etymology  doubt- 
ful, pome  taking  the  underlying  idea,  to  lie  without 
seeds,  others  the  shooting  up,  others  purple  color  [Zech. 
i.  8]:  comp.  LEYRF.R  in  HERZOG'S  R.  Encycl.  XVII.  p.  612. 
Ver.  3.  On  "Jerusalem  and  Jtidah"  comp.  at  ii.  1. 
The  expression  oStyiT  3EP  occurs  beside  in  Isa.  viiL 
H;  xxii.  21 ;  chap.  x.  24  Wit  3W"1  occurs.  Except  these 
only  Zech.  xii.  7,  8, 10,  uses  "  3$\  The  more  usual  ex- 
pression is  '•  '3J2P;  2  Kings  xxiii.  2,  especially  in  Jer. 
(viii.  1;  xi.  2;  xiii.  13,  etc.),  and  in  2  Chron.  (xx.  15;  xxi. 
11,  13;  xxxii.  26,  33,  etc.). 

Ver.  4.   On  f\1^S   GESEMICS  §  132,  Rem.  1. ^ITO 

'U1  'mp.     Comp.  1.  2. 
Ver.  5.1  rDlirO,  which  some  of  the  MSS.  write  with 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Dag.  forte,  is  =  J&  (Lam.  ii.  6)   and   HDIDD  (Mich- 

•f  ; 

vii.  4;  Prov.  xv.  19).  The  word  occurs  only  here  in 
Isaiah.  The  meaning  is  :  a  hedge,  a  thorn  hurdle,  from 
IJlt?  sepire  (Hos.  ii.  (8)  6  ;  Job  i.  10).  ~\y^j  n'ill  et  erit 
ad  depascendum,  comp.  iii.  14;  iv.  4;  vi.  13.  The  expres- 
sion "1JJ37  occurs  also  with  the  meaning  "ad  combit- 
rendum  ;"  xliv.  15,  comp.  xl.  16  ;  1.  11.—  VI  J3  in  the  sense 
"  to  tear  down  "  only  here.  Beside  this  in  liv.  3,  in  the 
sense  "  to  break  out,  extend  oneself  abroad."  T1J  may 
signify  the  low  wall  of  a  vineyard  as  well  as  the  high 
wall  of  a  city:  comp.  Jer.  xlix.  3;  Num.  xxii.  24.  In 
Isaiah  the  word  does  not  again  occur.  Hedge  and  wall 
might  be  combined  in  such  a  way  that  the  hedge  sur- 
ronncled  the  foot  of  the  wall  so  as  also  to  protect  it. 
Yet  perhaps  the  double  enclosure  is  not  to  be  pressed 
literally,  but,  may  be  construed  rhetorically,  since  no 
actual  vineyard  is  meant.  -  DD"^O  c.onculcatio  :  vii.  25; 

T    :  • 

10,6;  xxviii.  18.  —  Giving   up   His    vineyard,  the    Lord 
abandons  it  to  desolation. 
Ver.  6.   nr>3  JVE/  appears  to  correspond  to  the  ex- 

(T  T 

pression  H73  r\*\3y  often  used,  by  Jer.  especially,  but 


which  does  not  occur  in  Isaiah.  nH3  is  arr.  Aey.    Accord- 

TT 

ing  to  its  meaning  and  derivation  it  is  one  with  nn3 

T  - 

vii.  19.    The  verb  JlfG  does  not  occur  in  Hebrew.    Yet 

-  T 

the  meaning  "  abscindere  "  is  established  from  the  dia- 
lects. From  that  develops  J13  =  ^ne  close-cut-off,  ex- 
actly measured  out,  as  the  name  of  a  fluid  measure, 
(comp.  ver.  10),  and  71  H3  vattatio  and  np\3  abscifsum, 

T    T  T  " 

prccruptum.  -  The  vineyard  abandoned  to  desolation 
will,  of  course,  no  more  be  pruned  OOT  in  this  sense 

~T 

only  here  in  Isa.,  otherwise  xii.  5)  and  no  more  digged 
(TTJ?  in  the  sense  of  •'  to  dig  "  only  again  vii.  25).  Con- 
sequently it  springs  up  with  thorns  and  thistles  (the 
construction  of  n  lV  with  the  accusative  like  xxxiv. 

TT 

13;  Prov.  xxiv.  31.    The  two  words  TOE/  and  IVty,  ex- 

•  T  •  ~ 

cepting  xxxii.  13,  are  always  joined  together  by  Isa.:  vii. 
23,  24,  25;  ix.  17;  x.  17  ;  xxvii.  4.  -Both  words,  as  one  may  see 
from  the  passages  cited,  signify  combustible  vegetation 
of  the  desert,  although  nothing  as  yet  has  been  estab- 
lished concerning  the  etymology  and  mejming  of  either. 
But  comp.  DIETRICH,  Abhanfil.  fur  scmit.  Wortfijrschunq, 
p.  73,  and  the  Drnkschrift  dtr  Erfiirtcr  Akadcmie  von  8. 
CASSEL,  1851,  p.  74  sqq.,  cited  by  D'ELITXSCH. 

Ver.  7.  J^OJ  occurs  again  in  Isa.  xvii.  10,  11.  Isaiah 
uses  Wywyyyy  only  here.  -  PISt^D  occurs  only  here. 
The  verb  flSti?  occurs  in  Hebrew  only  in  the  Piel  form 
r\3W  iii.  17.  TIt  is  identical  with  H3D  (Hab'.  ii.  15)  ac- 
cording to  a  frequent  exchange  of  sound.  Not  only  the 
Arabic  saphacha  proves  that  n£)D  means  effundere,  but 

-  T 

also  passages  like  Job  xxx.  7  ;  then  the  substantive 
TV3D  that  means  effusio,  inundatio  (Job  xiv.  19)  and  ef- 
fusum,  i.  e.,  especially  the  grain  that  falls  out  (Lev.  xxv. 
5,  11).  Of  course  then  nSJ^O  means  first  of  all  effusio. 


But  for  the  pake  of  a  play  on  words,  an  author  may  in- 
dulge in  such  an  incomplete  expression.  The  reader  at 
once  thinks  of  passages  like  iv  4;  i.  1">,  and  fills  out  the 
conception  "  sanguinix  "  of  himself.  The  word 


crji,  is  not  repeated  in  Isaiah,  he  also  choose?  it  for  the 
f.ike  of  the  play  on  words.  For  my  own  part  I  have  al- 
lowd  myself  to  waive  a  literal  tranMntion  in  favor  of  a 
likeness  of  sound  and  to  use  a  word  that  at  least  corre- 
sponds to  the  proper  intention  of  the  Prophet. 


THE  PKOPIIET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  When  we  read  the  introduction  of  this  piece 
it  sounds   like   a   lovely  musical   prelude.     All 
sounds  like  Hinging.    It  is  as  if  the  Prophet  tried 
everv  harmonious  sound  of  speech  in  order  to 
turn'the  hearts  of  his  hearers  to  joy.    But  it  hap- 
pens to  us  as  he  says,  ver.  7,  it  happened  to  God 
in  reference  to  Israel.     Instead  of  a  joyful  report 
we  receive  a  mournful  one ;  instead  of  happiness, 
a  gloomy  prospect  of  evil  is  presented.      The 
piece    therefore   bears    the    character    of   bitter 
irony.     This  is  especially  in  the  beginning  carried 
out  even  to  minuteness.     The  Prophet  makes  as 
if  he  would  sing  a  joyous  song,  a  ^song  of  the 
vineyard,  thus  perhaps  of  wine,  a  drinking  song ! 
It  shall  be  of  the  vineyard  of  a  boon  companion. 
And  then  the  Prophet  describes  the  situation.     It 
is  a  good  site.     For  there  is  no  better  than  on  a 
sunny  knoll  with  a  good,  fat  soil  (ver.  1  a).     But 
the  owner  aided  nature  as  much  as  possible  by 
art  (ver.  2  a.).     He  had  a  right  therefore  to  ex- 
pect a  good  yield.     His  hopes  were  disappointed. 
Instead  of  good  grapes  the  vines  bore  wild  grapes 
(ver.  2).     Thus  far  the  Prophet  speaks.     From 
this  point  he  lets  the  owner  of  the  vine  speak. 
One  looked  to  hear  of  a  real  vineyard.    But  what 
sort  of  a  vineyard  is  that  whose  owner  accuses  it 
and  charges  it  with  guilt  1     Now,  therefore,  when 
the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem    and    Judah  are 
summoned  to  judge  between  the  vineyard  and  its 
lord  (ver.  3),  in  as  much  as  he  has  faithfully 
done  his  best,  yet  instead  of  grapes  has  gathered 
only  wild  grapes  (ver.  4),  it  is  noticed  at  once 
that  behind  tkis  is  concealed  something  else  than 
the  story  of  a  real,  natural  vineyard.     And  step 
by  step  this  becomes  plainer.     For  the  lord  of  the 
vineyard  declares  that  he  will  tear  away  hedge 
and  wall,  and  give  the  vineyard  up  to  be  browsed 
upon  and  trampled  down  (ver.  5),  yea,  that  he 
will  make  a  ruin  of  it,  he  will  no  more  hoe  and 
prune  it,  but  let  it  grow  rank  with  thorns  and 
thistles,  and  will  forbid  the  heavens  to  rain  on  it 
(v.  6).    This  last  word  lifts  the  mask  entirely.   It 
is  now  seen  who  is  the  owner  and  who  the  vine- 
vard.    And  this  is  now  (v.  7)  openly  declared :  Je- 
hovah Is  the  lord;    Israel,   summoned  to  judge 
between  the  lord  and  his  vineyard,  is  itself  the 
vineyard.     The  Lord  had  expected  of  Israel  the 
fruits  of  righteoifsness,  but  only  gathered  the  fruits 
of  unrighteousness.  What  a  contrast  between  this 
fruit  of  the  land  and  that  which,  according  to  iv. 
2,  the  land  shall  one  time  bear  I 

2.  I  will  sing— wild  grapes.    Vers.  1  and 
2.     Everything  in  this  passage  tends  to  express 
the  idea  of  disappointment,  the  contrast  between 
incipient  hope   and  the  final,    mournful   event. 
Hance  the  joyous,  one  may  say  the  lark-like  trill- 
ing commencement.     Every  harvest  is  preceded 
by  a  season  of  hope.     Israel  too  awakened  such. 
How  joyous  this  was,  v.  1  portrays.     One  must 
not,  therefore,  be  misled  by  the  peculiar  joyous 
tone  of  v.  1,  to  think  that  here  begins  an  essenti- 
ally new  and  independent  piece.    For  this  sound- 
coloring  of  ver.  1,  is  intentional,  is  art. 

The  address  begins  with  HTJ^x,  /  will  sing. 
One,  therefore,  expects  a  "VET,  0  jovial  song :  but 
a  n}'p. (Am. viii.  10), alament follows.  Whatacon- 


trast,  therefore,  between  the  sixfold  woe  of  ver.  8 
sqq.,  and  this  joy  bespeaking  beginning  !  ¥fT7 
seems,  at  first  sight,  to  be  an  ordinary  dative,  and  to 
pay  that  the  prophet  would  sing  to  his  friend  a  song, 
thus  likely  a  song  of  right  hearty  and  enlivening 

contents.  But  '^"oS  suggests  that,  that  may  be 
an  incorrect  meaning:  for  this  must  mean  "  in  re- 
gard to  his  vineyard."  Thus  7  must  here  be  \ 
of  the  object.  Then  it  seems  likely  that  in  the 
preceding  case  it  has  the  same  force.  This  con- 
jecture becomes  a  certainty  when  we  read  further 

"my  friend  ("VT1?)  had  a  vineyard."  From  this 
it  becomes  plain:  1)  that  the  friend  in  each  case 
is  the  same,  for  the  owner  of  the  vineyard  is 
called  both  in  and  TT  ;  2)  that  we  must  trans- 
late TY7  in  ver.  1  "  of  my  friend,"  for  the  song 
shall  treat  of  the  vineyard  of  his  friend  ;  3)  what 
the  Prophet  wouldsing  is  not  a  song  of  his  own  com- 
posing, but  one  that  his  friend  has  made  of  his 
vineyard,  so  that  "  I  will  sing"  is  qualified  by 
the  following,  "  a  song  of  my  friend,"  &c. ;  4) 
from  the  words  "  my  friend  had  a  vineyard,"  &c., 
we  know  that  the  song  of  the  friend  does  not  yet 
begin.  For  to  the  end  of  ver.  2  we  have  still  the 
words  of  the  Prophet,  by  which,  as  it  were,  he 
preludes  the  song  of  the  friend,  in  order  to  ac- 
quaint the  hearer  with  the  facts  that  the  song  pre- 
supposes. Thus  the  Prophet  gives  us  one  disap- 
pointment after  the  other.  Though  they  are  only 
of  a  formal  kind,  still  they  prepare  us  for  the 
more  earnest  and  material  disappointments  that 
follow. 

We  have  already  remarked  that  with  ''my 
friend  had,"  &e.,  the  song  of  the  friend  by  no 
means  begins,  as  one  would  expect,  and  that  what 
the  Prophet  himself  says  is  by  no  means  a  song, 
but  a  very  earnest  presentation  of  gloomy  tacts. 
This  is  a  further  disappointment.  That  {3,  as 
commentators  remark,  signifies  the  natural  fruit- 
fulness  in  opposition  to 'what  is  artificial  appears 
to  me  to  lie  less  in  the  expression  itself  than  in 
its  relation  to  ver.  2.  The  mus  lorjuendi  in  itself 
is  well  known  :  UMBREIT'S  translation  ''  on  the 
prominence  of  a  fat  spot"  is  incorrect.  For 
ptf-}3  in  itself  is  not  a  "  fat  spot "  but  a  real 
son,  a  man,  whom  the  notion  "  oil  "  characterizes 
(comp.  "irW'  'J3  Zech.  iv.  14).  It  can  only  be- 
come predicate  of  a  place  by  connection  with  an 
idea  of  place.  Such  is  pp  with  which  jDSy~p 
stands  in  apposition.  If  they  were  taken  as 
standing  in  a  genitive  relation  the  meaning  would 
be:  horn  of  a  man  of  oil,  of  one  oiled,  of  an 
anointed  man.  However,  to  this  naturally  fruit- 
ful spot,  the  owner  had  done  everything  that  the 
art  of  wine  culture  could  suggest.  He  had  hoed 
it,  gathered  out  the  stones,  and  planted  it  with  a 
choice  vine.  But  not  only  did  the  owner  under- 
take such  labor  as  was  important  for  the  flourish' 
ing  of  the  vines  themselves,  but  also  such  as  wero 
for  the  protection  of  the  fruit  and  putting  it  to 
use.  Such  are  the  watch  tower  (vid.  Matth.  xxi. 
33)  and  the  wine  press  (3p'  the  lower  wine-presa 


CHAP.  V.  1-7. 


85 


trough,  comp.  xvi.  10,  Num.  xviii.  27,  &c.),  both 
of  them  costly,  &c., — especially  the  latter,  hence 
DJ1  and  also — demanding  hard  labor,  because  the 
wine-press  trough,  as  2i*n  (x.  15;  xxii.  16;  li.  1, 
9)  indicates,  was  hewn  out  of  the  rock.  See  HER- 
ZOG'S  R.  Encycl.  VII.,  p.  508,  Art.  Wine-press,  by 
LEYRER.  But — disappointed  hope !  Instead  of 
D'pV  (in  Isa.  only  here,  and  vers.  2  and  4)  good 
grapes,  the  vineyard  bore  only  D'^3  sour  grapes. 
This  last  word  occurs  only  here  and  ver.  4.  It 
comes  from  t^X2  "  to  be  bad,  stink."  and  means 

-T 

the  fruit  of  the  wild  vine,  the  labrusca.  It  has, 
therefore,  happened  to  the  choice  vine  according 
to  the  word  of  Jer.  (ii.  21),  which  may  he  regarded 
as  a  commentary  on  our  passage:  "thou  art 
turned  into  a  degenerate  plant  of  a  strange  vine." 
The  noble  vine  is  degenerated  and  become  wild, 
so  that  it  produces  wild  grapes  instead  of  grapes. 
— Comp.  Job  xx xi.  40. 

3.  And  now.  O  inhabitants — no  rain 
upon  it.— Vers.  3-6.  The  song  of  the  ''  friend  " 
begins  first  at  ver.  3.  It  is,  however,  no  gladsome 
song,  but  a  lament  and  a  complaint.  And  the 
friend  is  not  some  good  friend  or  boon  companion 
of  the  Prophet,  but  the  Lord  Himself,  which 
comes  out  clearly  at  the  end  of  ver.  6.  This  one, 
now,  summons  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  and 
Judah  to  judge  between  him  and  his  vineyard. 

Judge  bet-ween  me,  etc.-  Comp.  ii.4;  Exod. 
xviii.  16;  Ezek.  xxxiv.  17,  20,  22.  The  sum- 
mons of  ver.  3  to  judge  between  the  vineyard  and 
its  owner,  must  of  itself  awaken  the  thought 
that  no  actual,  physical  vineyard  is  meant  here. 
For  where  is  the  owner  that  would  ever  think  of 
laying  a  complaint  against  his  vineyard  ?  One 
sees  from  this,  and  other  obvious  traits  of  the  de- 
scription, that  the  subject  here  is  not  an  ordinary 
vineyard  and  its  owner ;  and  v.  6  b.  one  is  made 
aware  that  the  owner  is  God  Himself.  For  only 
Pie  has  the  power  10  cause  it  to  rain,  and  to  shut 
up  the  rain.  Notice,  moreover,  how  vers.  1  and  2 
the  Prophet  himself  has  spoken,  although  an- 
nouncing a  song  of  the  friend,  and  only  at  ver.  3  the 
friend  begins  to  speak,  in  that  with  "and  now" 
he  takes  up  the  discourse  of  the  Prophet  and  con- 
tinues it.  One  may  say :  quite  unnoticed  the 
Prophet  glides  over  into  the  part  played  by  him 
whom  properly  he  has  to  produce  to  view.  And 
to  the  first  "  and  now  "  corresponds  a  second  in  ver. 
5,  that  introduced  the  judgment,  so  that  the  ex- 
traordinary judgment  begins  in  precisely  the  same 
way  that  the  extraordinary  complaint  does. 

The  Lord  will  command  the  clouds  to  let  no 
rain  fall  on  the  vineyard.  With  these  words  the 
vail  falls  completely.  It  is  plain  now  that  the  be- 
ginning of  ver.  1  was  irony.  A  fearful  disappoint- 
ment comes  on  those  that  had  disappointed  the 
Lord  Himself,  and,  by  the  art  of  the  Prophet,  the 
reader,  too,  must  share  this  disappointment,  in 
that  he  is  conducted  from  the  charming  pictures 
of  ver.  1,  to  the  dreadful  ones  that  are  now  to 
follow. 

For  th«?  vineyard — a  cry. — Ver.  7.  Like 
the  prophet  Nathan,  2  Sam.  xii.  5,  first  provoked 
King  David  to  a  stern  judgment  of  a  wicked  man 
by  means  of  a  fictitious  story,  and  then  exclaimed : 


"  thou  art  the  man,"  so  here  Isaiah  explains  to 
the  men  of  Jerusalem  and  Judah,  after  they  had 
at  least  silently  given  their  assent  to  the  judgment 
on  the  bad  vineyard  :  "The  vineyard  of  Jehovah 
is  the  house  of  Israel."  But  this  statement  is 
connected  by  '3  for,  with  what  precedes,  because 
a  consequence  of  this  fact  was  already  indicated 
at  the  end  of  ver.  G.  For  this  not  letting  it  rain 
explains  itself  from  the  fact  that  the  Lord  Him- 
self is  the  owner,  and  the  vineyard  is  the  house 
of  Israel.  For,  though  one  must  admit  that  ver.  7 
refers  to  all  that  precedes,  yet  still  that  trait  in  ver. 
1-6  which  especially  receives  its  light  from  the 
identity  of  the  owner  with  Jehovah,  is  precisely 
that  which  we  read  in  ver.  6  b. 

But  why  does  the  prophet  vary  from  the  desig- 
nation "  Judah  and  Jerusalem "  hitherto  em- 
ployed by  him?  Why  does  he  here  make  "house 
of  Israel"  and  "men  ot  Judah  "  parallel?  CAS- 
PARI  attempts  in  his  Beitrdgen.  p.  164,  an  extended 
proof  that  here,  as  iv.  2  and  i.  2,  Israel  is  Judah 
as  Israel,  and  as  Israel  in  Judah.  But  one  na- 
turally asks:  why,  if  Isaiah  meant  only  Judah, 
does  he  not  name  Judah  exclusively  ?  Why  does 
he  suddenly  drop  the  designation  used  hitherto? 
But  if  with  the  name  "house  of  Israel"  he  desig- 
nates Judah  (to  be)  as  Israel,  is  it  not  therewith 
admitted  that  the  conception  Israel  extends  over 
Judah,  and  is  not  then  this  more  comprehensive 
Israel  in  its  totality,  the  vineyard  of  Jehovah  ? 
It  is  true  that  the  figure  of  the  vineyard  is  no- 
where in  older  writings  applied  either  to  Judah 
or  Israel.  But  the  Lord  calls  Israel  His  people 
(iii.  18,  &c.),  His  flock  (Ps.  xcv.  7,  &c.),  His  pe- 
culiar treasure  (Exod.  xix.  5  ;  Dent.  vi.  6).  His 
inheritance  (Jer.  ii.  7  ;  xvi.  18,  &c.),  and  all 
these  expresssions  refer  to  Israel  entire.  Thus  it 
cannot  be  contested  that. Israel  in  the  narrower 
sense  belongs  also  to  the  vineyard  of  Jehovah. 
If  now,  too,  in  general,  as  can  not  be  denied,  Ju- 
dah and  Jerusalem  form  the  principal  object  of 
the  discourse  (ii.  1),  yet  the  prophet  may  here 
and  there  cast  a  glance  aside  at  the  kingdom  of 
Israel.  Prophets  of  Jehovah  can  never  forget 
that  Israel,  which  hastens  faster  to  the  abyss  of 
destruction  than  Judah,  as  Jer.  expressly  says : 
xxxi.  20;  comp.  Isa.  xi.  llsqq.  I  therefore  share 
the  view  of  VITRINGA,  DRECHSLER,  DELITZSCH, 
that  "  house  of  Israel"  of  course  means  all  Israel. 
This  view  is  not  refuted  but  rather  confirmed  by 
the  fact  that  the  men  of  Judah  are  presently 
called  "  the  plant  of  his  pleasure."  For  this  ex- 
pression that  accords  to  Judah  a  certain  prece- 
dence, suits  better  when  "  house  of  Israel  "  does 
not  signify  Judah  over  again,  but  the  Israel  of 
the  Ten  Tribes. 

The  Lord  had  planted  with  pleasure.  But  He 
was  outrageously  deceived  in  His  just  expecta- 
tions. He  had  expected  a  "fruit  of  the  earth 
iv.  2,  that  would  do  Him  honor.  But  behold ! 
instead  of  ESt^rD  mishpot,  He  gathers  nDtra  mis- 
pahh:  instead  of  npltt  tzedhaka,  he  gathers  np^JX 
tzeaka.  The  poet  here  choicely  depicts  by  the 
word-likeness,  which  yet  conceals  a  total  differ- 
ence of  meaning,  the  deceptive  appearance  in  the 
conduct  of  the  Israelites,  which  at  first  looked  like 
good  vines  and  then  developed  a  \!i\d  wine. 


86  THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


b    THE  BAD  FRUITS  AND  THEIR  EFFECTS  MOKE  PARTICULARLY  DESCRIBED 

IN  A  SIXFOLD  WOE  — AT  THE  SAME  TIME  A  TWOFOLD 

CONCLUSION  OF  THE  WHOLE  DISCOURSE. 

CHAPTER  V.  8-30. 

8  Woe  unto  them  that  join  house  to  house, 
That  lay  field  to  field, 

Till  there  be  no  place, 

That  'they  may  be  placed  alone  in  the  midst  of  the  earth ! 

9  2Iu  mine  ears  said  the  LORD  of  hosts, 
'Of  a  truth  many  houses  shall  be  desolate, 
Even  great  and  fair,  without  inhabitant. 

10  Yea,  ten  acres  of  vineyard  shall  yield  one  bath, 
And  the  seed  of  an  homer  shall  yield  an  ephah. 

11  Woe  unto  them  that  rise  up  early  in  the  morning,  that  they  may  follow  strong  drink ; 
That  continue  until  night,  till  wine  4inflame  them  ! 

12  "And  the  harp,  and  the  viol,  the  tabret,  and  pipe, 
bAud  wine,  are  in  their  feasts  : 

But  they  regard  not  the  work  of  the  LORD, 
Neither  consider  the  operation  of  his  hands. 

13  Therefore  my  people  are  gone  into  captivity,  "because  they  have  no  knowledge: 
And  5their  honorable  men  are  dfamished, 

And  their  multitude  dried  up  with  thirst. 

14  Therefore  hell  hath  enlarged  "herself, 
And  opened  her  mouth  without  measure  : 

And  their  glory,  and  their  multitude,  and  their  pomp, 
And  he  that  rejoiceth,  shall  descend  into  it. 

15  Andf  the  mean  man  shall  be  brought  down, 
And  rthe  mighty  man  shall  be  humbled, 
And  the  eyes  of  the  lofty  shall  be  humbled : 

16  But  the  LORD  of  hosts  shall  be  exalted  in  judgment, 
And*  TGod  that  is  holy  shall  be  sanctified  in  righteousness. 

17  Then  shall  the  lambs  feed  Bafter  their  manner, 

And  the  waste  places  of  the  fat  ones  shall  strangers  eat. 

18  Woe  unto  them  that  draw  iniquity  with  cords  of  vanity, 
And  sin  as  it  were  with  a  cart  rope : 

19  That  say,  Let  him  make  speed,  and  hasten  his  work, 
That  we  may  see  it  : 

And  let  the  counsel  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  draw  nigh  and  come, 
That  we  may  know  it. 

20  Woe  unto  them  "that  call  evil  good,  and  good  evil ; 
That  put  darkness  for  light,  and  light  for  darkness : 
That  put  bitter  for  sweet,  and  sweet  for  bitter ! 

21  Woe  unto  them  that  are  wise  in  their  own  eyes, 
And  prudent  9in  their  own  sight ! 

22  Wos  unto  them  that  are  mighty  to  drink  wine, 
And  men  of  strength  to  mingle  strong  drink  : 

23  Which  justify  the  wicked  for  reward, 

And  take  away  the  righteousness  of  the  righteous  from  him  I 
<J4  Iherefore  as  10the  fire  devoureth  the  stubble, 
And  the  flame  consumeth  the  hcharf, 


CHAP.  V.  8-30. 


87 


So  their  root  shall  be  as  rottenness, 

And  their  blossom  shall  go  up  as  dust : 

Because  they  have  cast  away  the  law  of  the  LORD  of  hosts, 

And  despised  the  word  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. 

25  Therefore  is  the  anger  of  the  LORD  kindled  against  his  people, 
And  he  hath  stretched  forth  his  hand  against  them, 

And  hath  smitten  them  :  and  the  hills  did  tremble, 
And  their  carcasses  were11  'torn  in  the  midst  of  the  streets. 
For  all  this  his  anger  is  not  turned  away, 
But  his  hand  is  stretched  out  still, 

26  And  he  will  lift  up  an  ensign  to  the  nations  from  far, 
And  will  hiss  unto  them  from  the  end  of  the  earth : 
And,  behold,  jthey  shall  come  with  speed  swiftly : 

27  None  shall  be  weary  nor  stumble  among  them  ; 
None  shall  slumber  nor  sleep  ; 

Neither  shall  the  girdle  of  their  loins  be  loosed, 
Nor  the  latchet  of  their  shoes  be  broken  : 

28  Whose  arrows  are  sharp, 
And  all  their  bows  bent, 

Their  horses'  hoofs  shall  be  counted  like  flint, 
And  their  wheels  like  a  whirlwind  : 

29  Their  roaring  shall  be  like  a  klion, 
They  shall  'roar  like  young  lions  : 

Yea,  they  shall  roar,  and  lay  hold  of  the  prey, 

And  shall  carry  it  away  safe,  and  none  shall  deliver  it. 

30  And  in  that  day  mthey  shall  roar  against  "them  like  the  roaring  of  the  sea : 
And  if  one  look  unto  the  land,  behold  darkness  and  "sorrow, 

13Aud  the  light  is  darkened"  in  the  heavens  thereof. 


1  Hob.  ye.  *  Or,  This  is  in  mine  cars,  saith  the  Lord,  etc. 

*  Or.  pursue  them.  6  Heb.  their  glory  are,  men  of  famine. 

'  Hob.  the  God  the  hoi;,          8  Heb.  that  say  concerning  evil,  It  is  good,  tkc. 
10  Heb.  the  tongue  of  fire.       u  Or,  as  dung. 
13  Or,  When  it  is  light,  it  shall  be  dark  in  the  destructions  thereof. 

»  And  have  the  harp,  etc.  b  And  wine  as  beverage. 

4  starvelings.  *  her  greed. 

t  as  if  it  were  their  pasture.  h  hay. 

i  he  comes.  k  lioness. 

m  he  and  him.  n  through  its  clouds. 


«  Heb.  If  not. 
«  Or,  the  holy  God. 
•  Hfb.  before  Iheir  own  face, 
12  Or,  distress. 


"  unawares, 
'see  at  ii.  9. 
1  as  sweepings 
1  deep  growl. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  8.  j;J3  is  often  construed  with  3  :  Gen.  xxvi.  11 ; 
xxxii.  33 ;  Lev.  xi.  3G ;  1  Ki.  xix.  5, 7,  etc.  Comp.  especially 
Hos.  iv.  2.  Hiphil  ^'jlil  occurs  beside  only  vi.  7  ;  viii. 
8;  xxv.  12;  xxvi.  5;  xxx.  4.  3Tp  is  generally  not  con- 

-IT 

strued  with  3.  But  when  DRECHSLER  says  that  this  con- 
struction never  occurs,  it  is  asserting  too  much.  For 
Ps.  xci.  10  it  is  said  "  No  plague  H  7HN3  3"^pV  Comp. 

I  YT:|T:        -  I  :• 

Judges  xix.  13.  In  our  passage  the  construction  of 
the  first  clause  has  doubtless  influenced  that  of  the 

second.    Hiph.  3'^pD  only  again  xxvi.  17. 03^  (de- 

fectus,  non-existent)  occurs  oftener  in  the  second  part 
than  in  the  first :  xl.  17 ;  xli.  12,  29 ;  xlv.  C,  H,  22  ;  xlvi.  9, 
lii.  4, 10;  liv.  15.  In  the  first  part  it  occurs  again  only 

xxxiv.  12. The  Hophal  DfpBttn  (xliv.  26)  indicates 

that  their  dwelling  alone  in  the  land  was  not  a  natural 
thing,  but  something  contrived.  Compare  complaints 
of  like  import  iii.  14  sq. ;  Mich.  ii.  2  ;  iii.  2,  sq. 

Ver.  9.  In  mine  ears,  etc.  In  xxii.  14  an  address 
of  Jehovah  begins  with  the  words,  "and  it  was  revealed 
in  mine  ears,"  etc.  In  our  passage  H/JJl  "and  it  was  re- 


vealed" is  omitted.  It  does  not  follow  from  this  that 
this  or  some  similar  word  has  fallen  out  of  the  text. 
For  the  Prophet  may  very  well  have  had  in  thought  the 
bare  notion  of  existence  as  predicate  of  his  sentence ; 
"  In  mine  ears  is  Jehovah  Sabaoth."  It  must  not  how- 
ever be  construed  in  a  pregnant  sense :  Jehovah  keeps 
ever  saying  to  me  (liegt  mir  in  den  Ohren).  For  there 
is  not  a  thought  of  any  resistance  on  the  part  of  the 
Prophet  that  had  provoked  a  persistence  on  the  Lord's 
side.  Neither  may  the  expression  mean:  Jehovah 
whispers  in  my  ear ;  as  if  the  secrecy  of  the  address 
were  meant  by  it ;  for  there  exists  no  reason  for  such 
secrecy.  But  the  Prophet  will  only  say,  that  what  fol- 
lows he  has  clearly  heard  by  the  inward  ear  as  the  word 
of  Jehovah.  There  lies  thus  in  the  expression  a  dis- 
tinguishing of  actual  from  merely  imaginary  hearing. 
Comp.  Ps.  xliv.  2;  Job  xxviii.  22  ;  xxxiii.  8. 

The  pointing  of  the  word  'JTKIJ  as  a  pausal  form  ap- 
pears to  have  for  its  object  to  separate  it  from  what  fol- 
lows and  to  signify  thereby  that  in  this  word  alone  is 
contained  the  predicate  of  the  sentence.— riOKO  again 

xiii.  9,  comp.   Dent,  xxviii.  37;    Mich.  vi.  16. j'XD 

3$r  comp.  vi.  11;  Jer.  ii.  15;  iv.  7,  etc.;  Zeph.ii.5;  liL  6. 


88 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


Ver.  11.  A  likeness  of  structure  is  to  be  noticed  in  the 
two  halves  of  the  verse.  The  verb.  fin.  in  the  phrase 
1DTV  "Oi?  relates  to  the  foregoing  participle,  not  sim- 
ply like  O'lp'  ver.  8,  as  the  dominant  form,  but  at  the 
game  time  us  assigning  thepurpose  ;  and  so  is  it  too  with 
Qp'  7T.—  The  Ti.  of  IPS  again  in  Isa.  xlvi.  13.  c|tZ?J  from 
rmj  to  breathe,  to  blow,  the  time  of  day  when  cooler 
air  stirs,  the  morning  and  evening  twilight  :  comp.  xxL 
4:  lix.  10.  The  verb  p1?!  (comp.  Ezek.  xxiv.  10)  is  found 
only  here  in  Isaiah. 

Ver.  12.  If  DrrntPD  (s'Qg.  comp.  GESENJTJS,  ?  93,  9) 
were  subject,  it  must  follow  PITH,  for  this  position  is 

TT  : 

constantly  maintained  after  a  verb  with  Vav  consec.  But 
if  it  were  predicate,  it  would  say  nothing;  for  what 
else  would  music  and  wine  be  but  a  feast.  For  that 
PPPI1  would  be  superfluous.  We  construe  PTPI  there- 
fore, not  as  mere  copula,  but  in  the  sense  of  being  on 
hand  ;  and  there  is  on  hand.  -  The  combination  of 
nty^'O  with  T  in  a  manfold  sense  is  quite  current  with 
Isa.  ii.  8;  xvii.  8;  xix.  25;  xxix.  23;  xxxvii.  19  ;  Ix.  21; 
Ixiv.  7  ;  Ixv.  22. 
Ver.  13.  rhl  in  the  sense  of  "  making  bare,  i.  e.,  clear- 

T  T 

ing  out  the  land"  occurs  in  Isaiah  only  again  xxiv.  11, 
which  passage  generally  resembles  this  one.  -  TiO 
3T?"1  has  without  reason  been  discredited,  and  instead 
some  would  read  3.1H  'TO  according  to  Deut.  xxxii.  24, 
for  DTD  is  wont  to  be  used  in  a  contemptuous  sense, 
comp.  iii.  25.  -  PlPl^f  (comp.  GREEN'S  Gram.  §187,1  6.)  is 
adjcctivum  adf.  "l}j),  J3J,  Q^S  etc.,  and  only  occurs  here. 

Ver.  14.  *\y2  aperire,  that  always  stands  with  P|£) 
(Job  xvi.  10;  xxix.  23;  Ps.  cxix.  131)  occurs  in  Isaiah 
only  here.  The  same  with  '737  '(comp.  Job  xxxviii. 
41  ;  xli.  25).  pn  again  only  xxiv.  5.  -  The  suffixes  of 
the  nouns  are  to  be  referred  to  the  notion  "Jerusalem," 
although  immediately  before  ver.  13,  the  masculine  Qj; 
if  used.  But  it  is  plain  that  the  Prophet  in  ver.  14  b., 
aims  at  a  mimicry  of  sound.  For  this  purpose  he  cm- 
ploys  the  clear  a  sound  as  often  as  possible.  DELITZSCH 
calls  attention  to  the  omission  to  draw  the  tone  back  on 
the  penult,  of  the  word  I7J!1,  "  so  that  one  may  hear  the 
object  that  is  falling  down  as  it  rolls  and  at  last  strikes 
bottom."  Tin  comp.  ii.  10,  19,  21  ;  xxxv.  2  ;  liii.  2. 

Ver.  15.  The  aorists  flEh,  S3EH,  HUn  are  to  be  con- 
strued as  Procterita  prophetica.  Also  PU^St^ri,  with  the 
Vav  preceding  and  separate,  is,  as  DBECHSLEB  has  re- 
marked — 


Ver.  17.  Ijn  is  to  be  taken  absolutely,  without  object. 
What  is  understood  suggests  itself  from  what  pre- 
cedes. The  pronoun  of  the  third  person  is,  as  object 
of  the  phrase,  very  often  omitted;  Gen.  ii.  19;  iii.  21  ; 
vi.  19,20,  21,  etc.  It  is  not  necessary,  with  GES'EXIUS  to' 
take  01313  for  D^3;i33:  for  H^T  very  often  stands 
with  the  accusative  of  the  place  that  is  pastured  •  xxx 
23;  Mich.  vii.  14;  Jer.  vi.  3;  1.  19,  etc.  As  their  pasture 
shall  the  sheep  graze  over  the  ruins  of  Jerusalem,  in  so 
far  as  the  inhabited  city  becomes  a  sheep  walk.  When 
DKLITZSCH  thinks  that  no  accusative  object  is  to  be  sup- 
plied to  i;n,  but  that  the  determination  of  the  locality 
results  from  the  context,  it  is  seen  that  still  there  is  a 
Applying  of  the  object.  One  may  as  well  supply  the 
definite  locality  as  object  according  to  frequent  usus 


loquendi,  as  imagine  it  from  the  context.     The  sense, 

in  any  case  remains  the    bame. IJO3   found    again 

only  i.  11 ;  xL  6,  "m  —  "1313  the  place  whither  flocks 
are  driven,  found  again  only  Mich.  ii.  12.  Q'nO  found 
beside  only  Ps.  Ixv.  6,  15.  Q'lj  axe  not  D'lJ  the 
strangers  that  are  constant  dwellers  in  the  land,  but  as 
participle  from  "NJ,  those  cnpassant.  The  LXX  translate 
ipj-es.  They  may  have  read  perhaps  D'~U  (D'"U).  This 
word,  moreover,  SCHLEUSSXEK,  HITZIG,  EwALnand  others 
would  restore.  But  we  have  shown  above  that  an  em- 
phasis rests  on  the  idea  of  a  transitory  stopping.  "|j 
in  Isaiah  again  xi.  6;  liv.  15.  The  plural  ni3"in  occurs 
only  here  in  the  first  part  of  Isaiah  ;  but  six  times  in 
the  second  part:  xliv.  26;  xlix.  19;  Ii.  3;  Hi.  9;  Iviii.  12; 
Ixi.  4.  The  singular  is  found  only  Ixiv.  10. 

Ver.  IS.  I  take  "jt^O  in  its  usual  meaning  in  which 
it  often  occurs  with  the  accusative  (in  Isaiah  again 
only  Ixvi.  19,  coll.  xiii.  22  ;  xviii.  2).  KVtfn  "^H 
are  ropes  of  lies,  for  what  binds  them  to  sin,  is  the 
illusion  that  sin  makes  one  happy.  Hence  every  sin 
is  a  fraud  (Heb.  iii.  1?).  The  expression  further 
calls  to  mind  Jon.  ii.  9;  Psalm  xxxi.  7;  and  also 
PtNLDPI  '"7311  Prov.  v.  22,  and  D~lK  ""Ssn  Hos.  xi.  4.  Re- 

T  T  —       "  I  ~  .  T  T      "  I  ~ 

garding  the  use  of  Kl^  in  Isaiah,  comp.  i.  13  ('W~T\r\  33), 
xxx.  28  (<W  ri3J),  lix-  4,  CEM31).  The  word  occurs 

-  T  V  — 

only  in  these  places  in  Isaiah.  In  j"\13.J,'D  the  prefix  3 
is  wanting  according  to  the  familiar  rule;  comp.  GE- 
SENIUS,  'i  118,  Hem.  J113J7  (from  T\iy  to  twist,  the  twist- 
ing, twisted  work,  rope)  Isaiah  uses  only  here.  Comp. 
Hos.  xi.  4.  Pt7j#,  "a  freight  wagon,"  found  too  xxviii. 
27,  28. 

Ver.  19.  "1PID  and  2?TV  maybe  taken  transitively  and 
intransitively.  I  decide  for  the  latter  construction,  1) 
because  "1710  is  used  by  Isaiah  only  intransitively 
(xxxii.  4;  xlix.  17  ;  Ii.  14;  lix.  7),  t^TT,  that  occurs 
twice  beside  here  (xxviii.  16;  Ix.  22),  is  one  of  these 
times  (xxviii.  16)  used  intransitively;  2)  because  in  the 
parallel  phrase  'Ul  31pm  not  Jehovah  but  'p  jiyj;  is 
subject.  The  sense  is  any  way  in  both  instances  the 
same.  The  forms  PICT  IT  and  PtfcOfi  belong  to  the  few 

T         •  T  T        T 

instances  of  the  voluntative  PI  appended  to  the  third 
person,  (comp.  Ps.  xx.  4,  and  the  more  doubtful  cases 
Lev.  xxi.  5;  Deut.  xxxiii.  16;  Job  xi.  17;  xxii.  21; 
Ezek.  xxiii.  20 ;  OLSHAUSEN,  JS  228  6.  Anm.  [GEEEX,  §  97,  7). 
Let  it  be  noticed  moreover  that  this  He  so  stands  in  two 
pairs  of  verbs,  that  each  time  it  is  only  appended  to  the 
last  word.  It  seems  that  each  time  it  should  avail  as 
well  for  the  first  word.  Comp.  i.  24  6. — rti'j7  is  a  cur- 
rent word  with  Isaiah  that  occurs  thirteen  times  in  the 
first  part  and  five  times  in  the  second.  On  "the  Holy 
One  of  Israel "  see  i.  4. 

Ver.  20.  Dlty  with  7  following  in  the  sense  "  to  make 
into  something;"  xiii.  9;  xxiii.  13;  xxv.  2;  xli.  15; 
xlii.  15;  xlix.  11,  etc. 

Ver.  21.  On  DPT33  "UJ  comp.  Hos.  vii.  2;  Lam.  iii. 
35  ;  the  expression  does  not  again  occur  in  Isaiah.  J13J 
part.  iii.  3;  xxix.  14. 

Ver.  22.  "pn  in  Isaiah  again  xix.  14,  }D?pp  —  }DD 
Ixv.  11.  Hiph.  pHXn  found  again  1.  8 ;  lilt  11.  3pj£ 
only  here.  in#  again  i.  23 ;  xxxiii.  15;  xlv.  13.  Hiph. 

DH  frequent  in  the  first  part  (i.  16,  25;  iii.  1,18;  v.  6, 
23  ;  x.  13,  etc.),  in  the  second  part  only  in  Iviii.  9.  Th» 


CHAP.  V.  8-30. 


89 


singular  suffix  in  1JOO  must  be  construed  distribu- 
tively.  The  righteousness  of  the  righteous  they  let 
disappear  from  him,  i.  e.,  from  the  righteous  man  in 
question.  Comp.,  at  ii.  8  and  i,  23. 


Ver.  24.  As  regards  the  construction  ;  vDfcO  is  a  pre- 
dicate infinitive  dependent  on  a  preposition,  which  is 
followed  immediately,  not  as  usually  by  the  subject, 
but  by  the  object,  because  the  order  typ_iyX  {IK?  7  7DJO 
offends  against  euphony  ;  also  in  xx.  1,  the  object  pre- 
cedes, because  it  is  a  pronoun  ("1/14$  ).  Commentators 
call  attention  to  the  multiplication  of  sibilants  in  the 
sentence.  "One  hears  the  crackling  sparks,  the  sput- 
tering flames  "  says  DELITZSCH.  E/  H/n  occurs  only 
once  again  in  the  Old  Testament,  xxxiii.  11.  —  n£H  is 

TT 

"to  become  lax,  withered,  weary,  fall  away"  (especially 
of  the  hands  xiii.  7).    J"l3ri7  is  accus.  loci.  -  The  suf- 


fixes in  DEniy  and  DJ"P3  refer  back  to  those  whom 
the  preceding  four  woes  concern.  To  these  then  their 
punishment  is  announced.  pO  only  occurs  aga'n  iii.  24. 

PP2  (onlyxviii.  5  again)  is  the  blossom.  pUX  dust,  only 

-  v  ITT 

occurs  again  xxix.  5.  —  The  second  clause  of  the  verse 

calls  to  mind  i.  4.  They  were  therefore  the  opposite  of 
"  the  branch  of  Jehovah  "  iv.  2,  and  much  rather  com- 
parable to  the  bad  grape-vine,  v.  1  sqq.  rPOK  occurs 

T  :    ' 

again  xxviii.  23;  xxix.  4;  xxxii.  9. 

Yer.  23.  The  expression  PX   H^n    does    not  occur 

I-        TT 
again  in  Isaiah,  and,  excepting  the  part,  Niph.  xli.  11; 

xlv.  24,  no  other  form  of  the  verb  rpn  occurs  in  Isaiah. 
Our  expression,  however,  calls  to  mind,  Num.  xi.  33, 
"And  the  wrath  of  the  LORD  was  kindled  against  His. 
people,  and  the  LORD  smote  the  people,"  as  all  those 
numerous  places  in  the  Pentateuch,  especially  Num. 
where  the  expression  <""  F|$<  "ITVI,  "  and  the  anger  of 

the  LORD  kindled,"  etc.,  occurs  (Exod.  iv.  14;  Num.  xi. 
1,  10;  xii.  9,  etc).  —  IT  £3'1  is  also  a  reminiscence  of  the 
Pentateuch  from  Exod.  viii.  2,  13;  x.  22;  xiv.  21,  27, 
where  the  expression  is  used  of  Aaron  and  Moses  as 
they  stretched  out  the  hand  to  the  performance  of  their 
miracles.  In  Isaiah,  this  expression  is  repeated  in  the 
same  manner  in  xxiii.  11;  xxxi.  3,  coll.  xiv.  26,27.  - 
IJ1  (Kal.,  in  Isaiah  xiv.  9  ;  xxxii.  10,  11  ;  xxviii.  21  ; 

-T 

Ixiv.  1),  used  of  the  trembling  of  the  earth  (Joel.  ii.  10) 
or  of  the  foundation  of  the  mountains  (Ps.  xviii.  8, 
coll.  2  Sam.  xxii.  8).  The  expression  that  the  carcass 
(PI  73J  occurs  xxvi.  19)  shall  be  as  the  sweepings  (rUTTD 

T  "  :  T 

from  nnO  Ezek.  xxvi.  4,  everrere,  detergere  =  T1D  Lam. 

T  T 

iii.  45,  "  leavings,  sweepings  out  ;"  aw.  Aey.),  occurs  only 
here.  Elsewhere  it  is,  that  the  H72J  shall  be  as  dung 
in  the  field  (Jer.  ix.  21),  shall  be  cast  as  a  prey  (Dent. 
xxviii.  26;  Jer.  vii.  33;  xvi.  4;  xix  7,  etc.),  to  the  wild 
beasts.  The  reading  nV^H  (the  London  Polyglot  has 
/VlY:in)  is  both  etymologi'cally  incorrect,  and  also  in 
conflict  with  every  other  place  in  which  the  word  oc- 
curs in  Isaiah  (x.  6;  xv.  3;  xxiv.  11  ;  Ii.  20. 
Ver.  20.  p'lpPO  does  not  belong  to  X$J,  but  it  has 

IT"  TT 

become  an  adjective  conception  and  takes  the  place  of 
an  adjective,  as  may  be  seen  fiom  passages  like  Jer. 
xxiii.  23;  xxxi.  10.  The  same  is  true  of  pfPfDD  that 

I     T    :  V  • 

has  the  same  meaning.  The  former  word  occurs 
in  Isaiah  twelve  times  ;  five  times  in  the  first  and  seven 
times  in  the  second  part  (xxii.  3,  11;  xxiii.  7;  xxv.  1; 
xliii.  6;  xlix.  1,  12;  Ivii.  9;  lix.  14;  Ix.  4,9).  DJ  a  signal 
set  up  on  a  high  point;  xi.  12;  xiii.  2;  xviii.  3;  xxxiii. 


23;  Ixii.  10.    Only  in  the  last  named  passage  does  the 

verb  Q'ln  occur.   Dili/  "  to  hiss,  whistle,"  is  taken  from 

I   -  T 

the  practice  of  bee  keepers,  as  may  be  seen  in  vii.  18, 
where  the  same  figure  recurs.  Di'pO  recurs  xiii.  5; 
xlii.  10;  xliii.  6,  thus  equally  in  both  parts.  In  each 
place,  xiii.  5  excepted,  V~IXn  follows  it.  riTlD  pro- 

T  "  : 

perly  substantive  =  celeritas  :  recurs  Iviii.  8  ;  combined 
with  7p  according  to  Joel  iv.  4.  7p  recurs  in  Isa.  xix. 
1;  xxx.  1G;  xviii.  2.  On  the  change  of  number  in  "f~>, 
comp.,  at  ver.  23.  The  singular  here  apparently  indi- 
cates that  though  the  signal  is  given  at  various  times 
and  to  different  nations,  still  always,  it  shall  be  only 
one  at  a  time,  that  they  shall  be  summoned. 

Ver.  27.  DUECHSLER  justly  calls  attention  to  the  per- 
fect equilibrium  in  the  structure  of  this  ver.  27  ;  in  the 
first  hemistich  two  clauses,  each  with  two  members  of 
like  arrangement  ;  in  the  second  hemistich  two  clauses, 
each  with  one  member,  the  corresponding  words  in 
which  rhyme  together:  nn£)J—  pfU,  1UK—  ~]^&, 
VX  /n  —  V^J.  srj?  recurs  in  Isaiah  xxviii.  12; 


xxix.  8  ;  xxxii.  2  ;  xlvi.  1.  On  cO  see  at  iii.  8.  The 
Participle  (Jer.  xlvi.  16  ;  Ps.  cv.  37  ;  2  Chr.  xxTiii.  15),  oc- 
curs only  here  in  Isaiah.  D1J  recurs  only  Ivi.  10,  Jty'1 
only  here  in  Isaiah.  Niph.  nn£3J  xxiv.  18;  xxxv.  5; 
Ii.  14. 

Ver.  28.  "\¥  in  the  sense  of  "  stone,  flint  "  occurs  only 
here  and  ver.  30.  if  this  interpretation  is  allowable  in 
the  second  case  ;  it  has  then  the  same  meaning  as  lif 
Ezek.  iii.  9  ;  Exod.  iv.  25  and  *M¥  ii.  10  ;  viii.  14  ,  etc. 
Niph.  3#nJ  like  ii.  22;  xxix.  1C,  17;  xl.  15. 

Ver.  29.  N^S  (again  in  Isa.  xxx.  6)  is  by  most  held 
to  mean  lioness.  Comp.  GESEXIUS,  Thes.  p.  738  ...  On 
the  construction  of  tf'3  73  see  at  ver.  18.—  jNtfl  is  ac- 
cording to  K'thibh  JKE/1,  according  to  K'ri  JN$''.  The 

-  T    :  —  :    • 

reading  of  K'ri  is  the  correct  one,  for  there  is  no  rea- 
son for  the  perfect  with  the  Vav  consfc.,  whereas  the  im- 
perfect stands  here,  according  to  rule,  to  describe  per- 
manent qualities.  -  DHJ  only  here  in  Isaiah,  see  Prov. 
xxviii.  15  ;  xix.  12  ;  xx.  2).  Of  £3^3  the  form  found  here 

—  T 

is  the  only  one  used  by  Isaiah,  and  that  only  here.  The 
formula  V^O  T'tO  occurs  again  xlii.  22,  and  xliii.  13,  in 
which  latter  place  it  sounds  the  same  as  the  original 
passage  Dent,  xxxii.  39. 

Ver.  30.  The  subject  of  DHJ\  "he  shall  roar,"  is  the 
same  that  it  has  in  the  preceding  verse.  But  we  trans- 
late "  it  roars  dull,"  only  to  give  prominence  to  the  col- 
lective more  than  to  the  individual  as  indicated  in 
D^rOrUD  "  as  tne  roaring  of  tne  sea-"  Tne  suffix,  in 
rhy  can  refer  only  to  the  one  seized,  i.  e.,  Judah.  - 
HoflJ  occurs  only  again  Ps.  xxxviii.  9.  -  DRF.CHSLEB, 
has  justly  called  attention  "to  the  sound  painting  pro- 
duced by  accumulating  the  buzzing  and  rumbling 
sound  of  m,  and  n,  too,"  in  the  fir.<t  hemistich  of  this 
verse.  Both  sounds  are  in  Dili11  ;  to  this  word  DV3 
rhymes  ;  in  D^flDTUS  we  find  m.  and  n.  again,  and  the 
syllable  am  twice.—  To  this  hemistich,  which  I  may  say 
has  itself  a  low  rumble,  the  second  is  opposed,  which 
portrays  the  conquered  by  its  many,  i  e,  and  a  sounds, 
thus  by  thinner  sounds,  that  in  a  measure  paint  weak- 
ness. 


90 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


i 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  meaning  of  this  section  is  twofold. 
First  of  all  it  contains  a  specification  of  the  sour 
grapss,  and  a  corresponding  announcement  of 
punishment.  In  this  matter  the  Prophet  begins 
with  a  certain  selection.  For  he  does  not  censure 
all  sins,  but  only  the  sins  of  the  eminent,  and 
eminent  sins.  Tims  six  evil  fruits  are  enume- 
rated, and  what  the  Prophet  has  to  say  with  refer- 
ence to  each  begins  with  a  woe-  But  a  detailed 
announcement  of  punishment  follows  on  each  of 
the  first  two  woes  only,  after  the  description  of  the 
sinful  condition  with  which  they  are  concerned. 
For  the  following  woes  there  follows  an  announce- 
ment of  punishment  common  to  all  from  ver.  24 
on.  This  difference  observed  by  the  Prophet  in 
regard  to  the  order  of  his  topics  is  connected  with 
the  second  meaning  of  the  passage  :  that  is  to  say 
it  contains  at  the  same  time  the  twofold  conclusion 
of  the  second  portal,  i.  e.  of  the  whole  discourse 
from  chap.  ii. — v.  For  the  announcement  of 
punishment  after  the  second  woe,  which  is  in  pro- 
portion long  extended  through  five  verses  (v.  13- 
17),  manifestly  contains  a  relative  ending:  the 
wicked  city  sinks  into  the  lower  world,  and  the 
grass  grows  over  its  grave.  These  are  manifest- 
ly, I  may  say,  final  chords.  But  in  as  much  as 
the  Prophet,  vers.  15  and  16,  reiterates  verbatim  the 
fundamental  thought  of  his  first  illumination  of 
the  present,  he  gives  us  to  understand  that  he 
would  have  this  first  (relative)  conclusion  refer  to 
the  first  half  of  his  discourse  (chap.  ii.  and  iii). 
And  as  he  handles  the  following  twice-two  woes 
differently  from  the  first  two,  he  intimates  that 
they  have  another  purpose.  They  are  not  inter- 
ruptsd  in  their  sequence  by  announcements  of  pun- 
ishment coming  between,' but  these  follow  after  as 
common  to  all,  Precisely  by  this  concentration 
the  Prophet  gains  a  highly  effective  conclusion 
of  the  whole  discourse,  but  which  at  the  same  time 
undeniably  refers  to  the  second  lamp  (chap.  iv. 
and  v.),  just  as  we  have  seen  that  the  first  (rela- 
tive) conclusion  refers  to  the  first  lamp.  One 
recognizes  this  from  the  comparison  of  ver.  24, 
drawn  from  vegetation,  especially  from  the  no- 
tions "  root "  and  "  scion,"  in  which  the  reference 
back  to  the  notf  branch,  chap,  iv.,  aa  also  to  the 
vineyard  and  its  fruit  cannot  be  mistaken. 

Thus  this  most  artistically  composed  ending  is 
at  the  same  time  an  image  of  the  whole  discourse, 
whose  unity,  comprising  chaps,  ii.-v.,  here  be- 
comes most  evident.  As  the  twofold  division 
forms  the  ground-work  of  the  whole  discourse,  so 
it  does  of  this  conclusion.  And  this  twofold  divi- 
sion appears  in  the  conclusion  in  a  double  form : 
first  the  simple  two  for  the  first  (relative)  conclu- 
sion; then  the  potent,  doubled  two  for  the  great 
principal  conclusion.  From  this  we  know,  at 
the  same  time,  why  there  must  be  six  woes,  and 
not  seven,  as  one  inclines  to  expect. 

The  first  woe  concerns  the  rich  and  mighty, 
that  swallow  up  the  property  of  inferior  people' 
BO  that  at  last  they  possess  the  land  alone  (ver.  8).' 
These  are  threatened  that  their  houses  shall  be 
destroyed  (ver.  9),  and  their  ground  shall  become 
so  sterile  that  ten  acres  shall  yield  only  a  bucket- 
ful of  must,  and  a  bushel  of  seed  a  peck  [i.  e.  1-16 


of  a  German  bushel. — TR.]  of  fruits  (ver.  10).  The 
second  woe  pertains  to  high  livers  and  gluttons, 
that  begin  early  and  leave  off  late  (ver.  11),  and 
who,  amid  the  noise  of  music  and  the  banquet, 
never  come  to  regard  Jehovah's  work  (ver.  12).  For 
this  the  people  must  wander  into  exile,  and  high 
r:«k  and  low  rank  shall  perish  of  hunger  and 
thirst  (v.  13),  and  be  used  only  to  be  cast  into  the 
jaws  of  the  in?aiiably  greedy  underworld  (ver.  14). 
Then  shall  human  pride  be  humbled  (ver.  15),  and 
the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge  shall  appear  then 
as  alone  high  in  His  righteousness  and  holiness 
(ver.  16),  the  waste  places  of  the  fallen  grandees 
shall  become  the  pastures  of  the  flocks  of  alien 
tribes  (ver.  17).  The  third  woe  is  proclaimed  against 
the  insolent  mockers  that  do  evil  with  a  very 
rage  for  it  (ver.  18),  and  with  blasphemous  con- 
tempt, challenge  the  Lord,  in  whom  they  do  not 
believe,  to  oppose  His  work  to  their  own  (ver.  19). 
The  fourth  woe  strikes  those  who  perversely  call 
exactly  that  good  which  is  bad,  and  that  bad 
which  is  good  ( ver.  20).  The  fifth  woe  concerns  the 
conceited  that  think  they  alone  are  wise  (ver.  21). 
The  sixth  woe,  finally,  is  proclaimed  against  the 
oppressors  and  unjust,  who  in  order  to  live  high, 
turn  aside  justice  for  a  vile  reward  (vers.  22,  23). 
The  threatening,  that  those  who  have  despised 
the  law  of  Jehovah,  shall  be  destroyed  root  and 
branch,  corresponds  to  the  last  four  woes  in  com- 
mon (ver.  24).  For  this  the  people  shall  be  smitten 
and  their  dead  bodies  be  cast  into  the  streets  like 
sweeping;?.  But  that  is  not  enough  even  (ver.  25). 
Foreign  nations  shall  be  brought  from  a  distance 
against  Israel  (26).  They  shall  vigorously  and 
zealously  accomplish  the  work  to  whicji  they  are 
called  (27-29).  Then  like  the  roaring  surges  of 
the  sea  the  enemy  shall  break  over  Israel.  Israel 
shall  see  nothing  on  the  earth  but  dark  night :  in- 
stead of  a  protection  against  rain  and  storm  (iv.  6), 
a  dark  storm-cloud  shall  envelop  the  earth  that 
shall  turn  aside  the  vivifying  and  warming  light 
(v.30)._ 

This  is  the  result  of  the  contemplation  that  the 
Prophet  sets  forth  in  regard  to  the  (relative)  pre- 
sent. Sad  and  gloomy  as  this  result  is,  the  realiza- 
tion of  that  glorious  future  which  he  holds  in  pros- 
pect (iv.  2-6)  is  not  thereby  hindered :  on  the  con- 
trary it  postulates  and  prepares  the  way  for  that 
future.  The  words  "in  that  day"  point  away  to 
that. 

2.  Woe  unto  them — yield  an  epha. — 
Vers.  8-16.  On  'in  comp.  remarks  at  i.  4.  The 
Prophet  first  proclaims  a  woe  against  the  rich 
and  mighty,  who  with  insatiable  greed  annex  the 
houses  and  fields  of  their  poor  neighbors,  so  that 
these  are  crowded  out  of  the  land,  and  the  country 
becomes  the  exclusive  domain  of  these  op- 
pressors. 

This  accumulation  of  property  violates  both 
the  statutes  concerning  the  inheritance  of  real 
estate,  and  the  year  of  Jubilee  (Lev.  xxv.  10-13 ; 
25  sqq.).  What  the  Prophet  has  heard  is  this ;  not 
merely  some,  but  many  houses,  i.  e.  the  houses,  all 
that  there  are  of  them  (ii.  3),  shall  be  desolated, 
and  the  great  and  beautiful  ones  shall  be  without 
dwellers.  This  desolation  of  the  houses  is  ascribed 


CHAP.  V.  8-30. 


91 


to  the  sterility  that  comes  on  the  land  as  a  pun- 
ishment from  God.  For  the  Pentateuch  threatens 
the  disobedience  of  Israel  with  this  punishment, 
and  that  in  not  a  few  passages:  Lev.  xxvi.  18-20  ; 
Dent.  xi.  17;  xxviii.  17  sq.,  23  sq.,  38  sqq.  How 
great  the  barrenness  shall  be  may  be  determined 
from  the  fact,  that  ten  acres  of  vine  land  will 
only  yield  a  bucket  of  wine,  and  a  bushel  of  seed 
only  the  tenth  part  as  much  fruit.  —  ^V  is  a  pair 
of  beasts  of  burden  bound  by  a  yoke  (  Judg.  xix. 
10  ;  1  Sam.  xi.  7  ;  Isa.  xxi.  7,  9),  then  a  piece  of 
ground  as  great  as  such  a  "I0i*  could  plow  up  in 
a  day.  If  a  vineyard  is  not  plowed  it  might  still  be 
measured  by  the  acre.  How  large  a  surface  a  ^¥ 
might  be  according  to  our  measures,  has  never 
yet  been  made  out.  Comp.  Unterss.  iiber  die  Lan- 
gen-Feld-und  Wege-Masse,  insbcsondere  der  Greich- 
en  und  der  laden  von  L.  FENNER  v.  FENNEBERG, 
Berlin,  1859,  p.  96. 

rO  a  bath  (comp.  at  HH3  ver.  6)  is  the  principal 
measure  for  fluids,  like  the  cphah  for  dry  measure. 
Both  are  the  tenth  part  of  a  homer  or  "Vl3,  cor. 
(Ezek.  xlv-  11,  14),  ro  occurs  only  here  in  Isa. 

"ipn  homer,  (probably  the  burden  of  a  "ion,  an  ass., 
whence  Judg.  xv.  16  ;  1  Sam.  xvi.  2  "NOn  stands 


directly  for  "^H)  does  not  again  occur  in  Isa.  in 
this  sense.  Also  HD'X  "  an  ephah  "  is  only  here 
in  Isa.  There  is  still  great  uncertainty  regarding 
the  relation  of  these  measures  to  those  used  by  us. 
If  THENIUS  (  The  ancient  Hebrew  lony  and  hollow 
measures,  Studien  und  Krit.-,  1846,  Heft.  1  and  2)  is 
correct,  who  sets  the  contents  of  the  homer  at 
10143.9  Paris  cubic  inches,  then  this  would 
about  correspond  to  the  burden  an  ass  can  bear. 
3.  Woe  unto  them  that  rise  up  early  — 
shall  strangers  eat.  —  Vers.  11-17.  The  second 
woe,  the  longest  and  most  detailed,  is  directed 
against  the  high  livers  and  gluttons.  They  rise 
early  so  as  to  go  soon  to  drinking;  they  remain 
long  sitting  of  evenings  so  as  to  inflame  them- 
selves with  wine.  ''  Woe  to  thee,  O  land,  when 
thy  king  is  a  child,  and  thy  princes  eat  in  the 
morning  !  Blessed  art  thou,  O  land,  when  thy 
king  is  a  noble,  and  thy  princes  eat  in  due  sea- 
son, for  strength  and  not  for  drunkenness!"  Eccl- 
x.  16,  17;  Comp.  xxii.  13;  Ivi.  12;  Am.  vi.  3 
sqq.  The  Romans  called  feasts  that  began  before 
the  usual  time  (i.  e.  in  the  ninth  hour)  tempestiva 
convivia,  seasonable  feasts  (Cic.  de  Senect.  14,  &c.). 
Ab  octava  hora  bibere  was  accounted  debauchery 
(Juven.  1,  49,  comp.  GESENIUS  on  our  ver.). 
^3KJ  is  the  artificial  wine,  and  j"  the  natural. 
The  first  was  prepared  partly  from  dates,  apples, 
pomegranates  (Song  of  S.  viii.  2),  honey,  barley, 
c,  olvof  Kpidivoc,  HER.  2,  77),  partly  by  mix- 


ture (like  our  punch,  hence  ~O$  ^0^  to  mingle 
drink  v.  22);  Comp.  HERZOG'S  R.  Encyd.  XVII. 
p.  615.  In  general  comp.  xxiv.  9;  xxviii.  7; 
xxix.  9;  Ivi.  12. 

The  inflaming  caused  by  wine  is  physical  and 
psychical  ;  (the  former  was  by  the  ancients  re- 
ferred to  the  hepar  and  oculi,  the  liver  and  the 
eyes)  ;  comp.  Prov.  xxiii.  29  sq. 

But  to  a.  jovial  banquet  belongs  music.  There 
does  not  fail  "Vl33  (the  harp,  i.  e.  a  stringed  in- 
strument, with  strings  resting  free  and  plumb 


on  the  sounding  board,  comp.  xvi.  11 ;  xxiii.  16; 
xxiv.  8;  xxx.  32),  73J  (i.e.,  every  stringed  in- 
strument, whose  strings  are  stretched  over  a  bag- 
shaped  sounding  board  by  means  of  a  bridge,  for 

733  is  properly  the  bag. — comp.  xiv.  11  ;  xxii. 
24),  ^n  (the  hand  drum,  the  tambourine,  xxiv. 
8 ;  xxx.  32),  and  T^P  (the  flute,  literally  bored 
out,  hollow,  xxx.  29).  Comp.  HERZOG'S  E.  En- 
cyd. X.  p.  126  sqq  If  now  it  is  added,  '•  and  wine" 
is  their  drink,  it  is  to  prevent  one  from  thinking 
that  ver.  12  a  indicates  a  different  situation  from 
that  of  ver.  11 ;  rather  the  identity  of  both  is  ex- 
pressly made  prominent. 

While  nothing  is  wanting  to  the  scene  as 
regards  worldly  pleasure  and  joy,  there  is  the 
most  serious  poverty  in  regard  to  spiritual  life. 
In  this  respect  they  are  as  if  blind  and  dead ;  the 
revelations  of  God  that  are  written  both  in  the 
book  of  nature  and  in  history,  they  do  not  in  any 
way  regard.  The  greatest  misery  ever  known  to 
antiquity  was  destined  to  follow  this  luxury, 
and  debauchery  that  wickedly  forgot  the  one 
thing  needful ;  the  wandering  into  exile.  One 
may  see  from  Lam.  v.,  how  distressingly  it  went 
with  such  a  herd  of  humanity,  driven  away  as 
they  were  like  cattle.  Because  the  nation  had 
not  regarded  what  would  promote  its  peace,  it 

must  go  out  "unawares,"  ATT  'v30.  In  this  is 
signified  both :  without  insight,  and  unawares. 
The  word  designates  the  subjective  state  that  was 
portrayed  ver.  12  b,  and  at  the  same  time  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  objective  divine  judgment  should 

break  over  them.  Hjn  ""wO  is  only  found  here. 
But  in  Hos.  iv.  6,  which  comp.  A^l"!  '730  is 
found  in  a  connection  similar  to  this.  Every 
where  beside  it  reads '1  '/33  (Deut.  iv.  42;  xix. 
4;  Josh.  xx.  3 ;  Job  xxxvi.  12).  "]D  here  is  not 
causative,  but  negative  =  without.  [Lowrn, 
BARNES  and  J .  A.  ALEXANDER  retain  the  meaning 
of  the  Eng.  Vers.:  "  for  want  of  knowledge."—  TR.] 
The  honored,  the  nobility  of  the  people  ( "1133 
abstr.pro  concr.  comp.  iv.  5  ;  xvi.  14;  xvii.  3;  Ix. 
13;  Ixvi.  12;)  shall  become  starvelings,  and  the 
great  crowd  (  pon  noise,  then  what  makes  noise, 
the  great  crowd  xvii.  12;  xxix.  5-8,)  shall  pant 
with  thirst.  Many,  like  GESENIUS,  would  take 
p'DH  to  mean  the  "rich,  because  the  word  occurs 
in  the  sense  of  "  riches,  treasures  "  (Ix.  5 ;  Jer. 
iii.  23).  But  the  Prophet  announces  the  judgment 
to  the  entire  people  (comp.  'BJ7  in  the  beginning 
of  the  verse) :  according  to  which  it  is  quite  suit- 
able for  him  to  divide  the  totality  into  nobility 
and  common  people.  When  death  has  rich  har- 
vest on  the  earth,  then  the  underworld  must  open 
its  gates  wide  to  receive  the  sacrifice.  According 
to  that  then  pS  therefore,  ver.  14  stands  to  the  p? 
ver.  13,  not  in  a  co-ordinate  but  in  a  subordinate 
relation.  A  soul  is  ascribed  to  Sheol  (the  word 
is  with  few  exceptions,  e.  n.  Job  xxvi.  6,  feminine). 
It  is  therefore  personified.  The  notion  "soul  _'  is 
at  the  same  time  used  in  the  meaning  of ''desire, 
greed,"  a  usage  that  is  not  infrequent  in  the  O. 


92 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Test.,  as  is  well  known.  Thus  it  is  used,  e-  g., 
Deut.  xxiii.  25,  "  When  thou  comest  into  thy 
neighbor's  vineyard,  then  thou  muyest  eat  grapes 

sjtafr  1^333."    Comp.  Prov.  xxiii.  2   tf3.A  7#| 

a  greedy  person;  E^A"^  D^^  Isa  lvL  U>  d°8s 
strong  in  greediness;  comp.  Ps.  xxvii.  12.  The 
same^  expression  as  in  our  passage  is  found  in 
Hab.  ii.  5.  The  insatiable  nature  of  the  under- 
world is  declared  also  Prov.  xxvii.  20;  xxx. 
16. 

Sheol  (in  Isa.  again  xiv.  9,  11,  15;  xxviii.  15, 
18;  xxxviii.  10,  18;  Ivii.  9],  according  to  the  O. 
Test,  representation,  is  the  resting-place  of  de- 
parted souls,  corresponding  to  the  Hades  of  the 
Greeks,  which  is  conceived  of  as  in  the  inward 

part  of  the  earth  (hence  rvnnn  VlK2/  the  lowest 
hell,  Deut.  xxxii.  22;  Ps.  Ixxxvi.  13,  coll.  Ps. 
Ixxxviii.  7 ;  Lam.  iii.  55 ;  Isa.  xliv.  23 ;  Ezek.  xxvi. 
20;  xxxii.  18,  24),  because,  naturally,  the  king- 
dom of  deatli  must  be  conceived  of  as  in  the  op- 
posite direction  from  the  kingdom  of  life.  When, 
therefore,  God,  the  Lord  of  light,  has  His  seat  in 
light  which  envelops  us  from  above,  then  must 
the  kingdom  of  death  be  sought  under  us  in  the 
dark  depths  of  the  earth. 

There  are  three  views  regarding  the  derivation 
of  the  word  7lN2?;  1)  the  older,  according  to 
which  the  word  should  be  derived  from  /NET, 
to  demand.  The  underworld  was  called  ''  the  de- 
manding, the  summons,"  in  accordance  with  its 
insatiabYeueaa  (comp.  the  passages  cited  above)  ; 
and  because  it  will  only  receive  and  never  gives; 
2)  GESEXIUS,  and  at  the  same  time  with  him, 
though  quite  independently,  BOTTCHER,  EWALD, 
MAURER  (comp.  Thcsaur.  p.  134S)  maintain  that 

VlNtf  is  softened  from  ^W.  But  bjptf,  which 
never  occurs,  must,  according  to  />^  the  hollow 
hand,  /JttEJ  the  excavator,  inhabitant  of  caves, 
the  forj'rtjHtto  (Num.  xxii.  24)  the  hollow  way, 
have  the  meaning  of  being  hollow.  Sheol  would, 
then,  be  "the  cavern."  3)  HUPFELD,  CEiiLER, 

DELITZSCII,  refer  the  word  back  to  the  root  Stf, 
W,  which  is  the  root  of  hgit  itself,  and  has  the 
meaning  of  "  hanging  down  loose,  sinking  down," 
so  that  Sheol  would  be  "  the  pinking,  going  down 
deep."  The  matter  is  still  undetermined.  If  it 
is  opposed  to  the  first  explanation  that,  according 
to  it,  a  poetic  epithet  is  made  the  chief  name  of 
the  kingdom  of  the  dead  (comp.  (EiiLER  in  HER- 
ZOG'S  R.  Encijd.  XXI.  p.  412) ;  so,  too,  both  the 
other  views  must  make  it  comprehensible  how  an 
K  comes  to  take  the  place  of  the  middle  radical. 

All  the  glory  of  Jerusalem  descends  into  the 
wide  gaping  throat  of  hell,  fton  means  the 
crowd  here  too  (as  in  ver.  13),  but  as  there  is 
here  no  contrast  with  the  honored  ones  as  there, 
but  only  the  notion  of  superabundance,  of  multi- 
tude, of  tumult  is  added  to  that  of  glory,  I  allow 
myself  with  DRECHSLER  to  translate  "riot  and 
revel."  |HW  streptius,  noise,  is  used  of  the  roar 
of  water  (xvii.  12,  13),  and  of  a  multitude  of  men 
(xiii.  4;  xxiv.  8;  xxv.  5;  Ixvi.  6).  The  three 


substantives  designate  everything  that  is  splendid 
and  makes  a  noise,  be  it  person  or  thing.  1^ 
(ax.  My.),  too,  before  which  ">???  is  to  be  supplied, 
does  not  seem  to  exclude  reference  to  things.  For 
why  should  not  the  music  and  all  that  pertains 
to  a  banquet  (ver.  12J  be  called  jovial?  Comp.  Ps. 
xcvi.  12. 

In  as  much  as  the  Prophet  in  vers.  15  and  16 
partly  repeats  verbatim  the  fundamental  thoughts 
of  the  first  half  of  this  discourse,  that  we  have 
called  the  first  prophetic  lamp  (comp.  ii.  9,  11, 
17),  he  intimates  that  the  two  parts  belong  to  one 
another.  Those  false  eminences  illumined  by  the 
first  lamp,  and  the  false  fruits  of  which  the 
second  treats,  lead  to  the  same  end :  to  the  hu- 
miliation of  the  wickedly  insolent  men,  and  to 
the  proof  that  the  holy  and  just  God  is  alone 
high.  But  why  the  Prophet  just  at  this  point  casts 
back  this  connecting  look,  is  explained  in  the  fact 
that  here  we  stand  at  a  point  of  relative  conclu- 
sion. This  we  recognize,  as  was  shown  above, 
partly  from  the  contents  of  this  second  woe,  which 
sounds  like  a.  finale,  partly  from  the  form,  for  the 
following  woes  have  a  very  different  structure 
from  this  first.  But  notice  with  what  art  the  Pro- 
phet leads  over  to  the  theme  of  the  first  lamp, 
and  thus  unites  the  fundamental  thought  of  both 
lamps.  By  the  description  of  the  destruction  of 
the  wicked  multitude  by  hunger  and  thirst,  he 
comes  quite  naturally  on  the  idea  of  their  sinking 
down*  into  the  underworld.  Therewith  he  has 
touched  the  deepest  point  of  antagonism  which 
human  enmity  against  God  can  attain.  For  it 
goes  no  deeper  down  than  the  jaws  of  Sheol.  This 
mention  of  the  deepest  deep  reminds  him  that 
therewith,  what  he  had  said  above  on  the  abase- 
ment of  human  pride,  appears  in  a  new  light. 
That  is  to  say  it  appears,  by  what  is  threatened 
in  ver.  14,  to  be  absolute.  Precisely  thereby  the 
highness  of  the  Lord  appears  in  its  fullest  light. 
For  He  that  is  able  to  cast  down  into  the  lowest 
deep  must  for  His  own  part  necessarily  be  the 
highest.  But  He  is  so  as  the  holy  one  that  judges 
righteously.  Now  if  the  highness  of  God  calls  to 
mind  the  fir.«t  lamp,  His  holiness  calls  to  mind  the 
second  (comp.  the  sacred  and  sanctifying  Branch 
of  God,  iv.  2,  3).  And  thus  the  fundamental 
thoughts  of  the  first  and  second  lamp  combine 
most  beautifully. 

The  first  half  of  ver.  15  is  repeated  verbatim 
from  ii.  9  a.  The  second  half  of  ver.  15  is,  with 
some  abbreviation,  taken  from  ii.  11  coll.  ver.  17. 
03t"/D  is  the  judicial  act  (comp.  i.  21) ;  in  so  far 
as  it  is  a  realization  of  the  idea  of  righteousness, 
God  at  the  same  time  proves  Himself  to  be  holy 
(comp.  Ezek.  xx.  41  ;  xxviii.  22,  25  ;  xxxvi.  23; 
xxxviii.  1G,  23).  For  holiness  and  righteousness 
belong  together  like  lamps  and  burning  (ver.  17). 
The  Prophet  concludes  his  mournful  picture  of 
the  future  in  a  highly  poetic  manner,  in  that  on 
the  site  of  the  once  glorious  and  joyous  city,  now 
sunk  into  the  ground  (vers.  11,  12),  he  presents  a 
pasture  in  which  wandering  nomads  are  feeding 
their  flocks.  Comp.  the  quite  similar  pictures  of 
future  change  of  fortune,  vii.  21-25 ;  xvii.  2 ; 
xxxii.  13  sq. ;  Zeph.  ii.  14  sq.  Commentators 
have  justly  pointed  out  that  the  present  condition 
of  Jerusalem  and  Palestine  may  be  regarded  as  a 
part  of  the  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy.  For  the 


CHAP.  V.  8-30. 


93 


ancient  city  is  as  if  sunk  into  the  ground.  A 
depth  of  rubbish  covers  the  old  streets  and  open 
places,  and  above  them  new  ones  are  laid  out  in 
totally  different  directions.  Only  laborious  ex- 
cavations can  give  a  correct  picture  of  the  topo- 
graphy of  ancient  Jerusalem.  The  land,  how- 
ever, is  almost  every  where  become  pastures  for 
namadic  Arabian  tribes.  And  when,  moreover, 
one  reflects  that  a  foreign  people,  of  another 
faith  and  inimical  to  the  Jews,  has  for  a  long  time 
reigned  in  Palestine,  it  must  be  confessed  that  the 
present  time  corresponds  very  exactly  to  this  an- 
nouncement of  the  Prophet.  Yet  it  must  not  be 
overlooked  that  the  circumstances  mentioned  only 
touch  the  outward  side  of  the  fulfilment.  It  can- 
not be  doubted  that  ver.  14  has  been  fulfilled  also 
in  a  deeper,  more  inward,  and,  I  may  say,  tran- 
scendental way.  For  what  has  become  of  the 
land  we  know.  But  had  not  the  Prophet  also  a 
thought  of  the  immortal  souls  of  men? 

The  DT1O  r\D"in  are  the  ruins  that  once  be- 
longed to  the  fat  and  rich,  and  were  then  the  op- 
posite of  mournful,  waste  wrecks,  that  is  to  say, 
places  of  splendor  and  prosperity.  Strangers 
shall  devour  the  products  of  these  wastes,  i.  e.  the 
grass  growing  there,  that  is  use  it  for  their  cattle. 
By  this  is  implied  that  the  places  shall  lie  unno- 
ticed and  without  owners.  Only  stranger,  noma- 
dic shepherds,  in  passing  along,  will  stop  there 
with  their  flocks. 

4.  Woe  unto  them — may  know  it.— Vers. 
18,  19.  The  third  woe  is  directed  against  auda- 
cious sinners  who  make  unbelief  in  God's  puni- 
tive justice  the  foundation  of  their  wicked  doings. 
The  fact  that  the  Prophet  represents  these  people 
as  impiously  bringing  down  the  divine  judgment 
on  themselves,  lias  caused  many  commentators  to 
construe  "SJEO  in  the  sense  of  "  attrahere,  draw 
toward,"  and  jl^.  in  the  sense  of  "guilt"  (EwALD, 
UMBREIT),  or  "punishment  of  sin"  (GESENIUS, 
KNOBEL,  and  others).  But  if  the  Prophet  meant 
to  say  this,  and  to  express  that  those  had  drawn 
on  themselves  by  deeds  what  they  had  invoked 
by  words,  i.  e.  the  judgments  of  God,  he  would 
certainly  have  employed  expressions  that  would 
more  exactly  correspond  to  the  notions  "  ntJty'O 
and  ""  t^np  r\^y>  thus  words  that  mean  directly 
"  punishment,  judgment,  destruction,  ruin."  I 
do  not  deny  that  under  some  circumstances  the 
words  jty  and  HNOn  may  be  taken  in  a  sense  bor- 
dering very  nearly  on  "guilt  of  sin,  and  punish- 
ment of  sin"  (comp.  the  passages  cited  by  KNO- 
BEL,  Gen.  iv.  13;  xix.  15;  PH.  xxxi.  11  ;  Zech. 
xiv.  19;  Prov.  xxi.  4;  to  which,  also,  I  would 
add  Isa.  xxvii.  9,  where  these  words  in  the  paral- 
lelism correspond  to  one  another.  See  at  the 
place).  But,  in  the  present  instance,  precisely 
the  choice  of  these  words  proves  to  me  that  the 
Prophet  did  not  think  of  the  identity  of  the  fruits 
of  those  doings  with  the  display  of  the  divine 
justice,  but  only  of  a  causal  relation  between 
those  doings  and  the  divine  justice.  They  sin 
away  so  boldly,  precisely  because  they  believe 
there  is  no  danger  of  a  day  of  vengeance.  The 
idea  of  "  boldly  sinning  away  "  the  Prophet  ex- 
presses in  his  vigorous  style,  in  that  he  compares 
those  wicked  men  to  draught  horses,  that  drag  a 
heavy  wagon  by  means  of  stout  ropes.  Like  these 
beasts  lay  themselves  to  the  traces  with  all  their 


might  in  order  to  start  the  load,  so  these  lay 
themselves  out  to  sin  witli  all  their  might.  They 
pull  with  might  and  main,  they  surrender  them- 
selves to  sin  with  a  diligence  and  expenditure  of 
power  worthy  of  a  better  cause. 

That  say,  ete.-Ver.  19.  What  chains  them 
so  fast  to  sin,  and  makes  them  so  zealous  in  its 
service,  is  just  that  they  do  not  believe  in  the  di- 
vine announcement  of  a  day  of  retribution.  They 
express  their  unbelief  in  a  contemptuous  chal- 
lenge to  Jehovah  to  expedite  His  work,  i.  e.  His 
work  of  judgment  and  punishment,  to  fulfil.  His 
purpose  of  retribution.  They  wish  for  an  early 
coming  of  this  manifestation  of  judgment.  For 
they  would  like  to  experience  it.  They  dare  so 
much.  They  are  not  afraid  of  it,  though  it  were 
true ;  but  they  do  not  believe  it  is  true.  With 
impious  irony  they  even  call  Him,  in  whose  dis- 
play of  justice  they  do  not  believe,  by  His  title; 
the  Holy  One  of  Israel.  They  would  have  it  un- 
derstood thereby,  that  He  is  so  called,  it  is  true, 
but  He  is  not  this.  Comp.  xxviii.  15 ;  Jer.  v. 
12  sq.  ;  xvii.  15  ;  Ezek.  xii.  22. 

5.  Woe  unto  them — the  righteous  from 
him. — Vers.  20-23.  That  ver.  20  does  not  speak 
merely  of  perversion  of  justice,  as  some  would 
have  it,  appears  from  the  generality  of  its  expres- 
sions, and  from  ver.  23.  This  perversion  of  the 
world  whereby  exactly  bad  is  good,  and  good 
bad,  is  Satanic.  For  if  the  devil  became  God,  as 
he  attempts  to  become  (2  Thess.  ii.  4),  it  would 
happen  thus.  But  evil  has  in  the  physical  do- 
main, its  correlate  in  darkness  and  bitterness,  as 
good  has  in  light  and  sweetness.  For  what  dark- 
ness and  bitterness  are  for  the  body,  such  is  evil 
for  the  spirit,  and  what  light  and  sweetness  are 
for  the  body,  such  is  good  for  the  spirit.  Thus, 
Ps.  xix.  9,  the  commandment  of  the  LORD  is 
clear  as  light,  and  ver.  11,  sweeter  than  honey 
and  the  honey  comb.  But  bitter  appears  in 
many  places  as  the  symbol  of  evil :  Num.  v.  18 
sq.;  Deut.  xxxii.  32  sq. ;  Jer.  ii.  19;  Acts  viii. 
23  ;  Hcb.  xii.  15.  That  to  the  bad  it  is  just  bad 
that  tastes  good,  we  read  Job  xx.  12;  Prov.  v. 
3,  4. 

Ver.  21.  The  Prophet  pronounces  the  fifth 
woe  against  the  proud  self-deification,  to  which 
divine  wisdom  counts  for  nothing,  but  its  own 
for  everything.  Comp.  Prov.  iii.  7  ;  Jer.  viii.  8 
sq. ;  ix.  22  sq.  The  sixth  woe,  finally,  vers.  22, 
23,  strikes  the  unjust  and  oppressors,  who  sell 
justice  in  order  to  obtain  the  means  for  enjoying 
a  dissolute  life.  "^^  "]DD,  mixing  of  drink, 
comp.  on  ver.  11.  It  is  debatable  whether  the  He- 
brews were  acquainted  with  wines  prepared  with 
spices.  HITZIG,  HENDEWERK,  DELITZSCII,  main- 
tain that  proof  that  they  did  is  wanting,  and 
take  "&  ~|DS  "~  temperare  aqua,  to  mix  with  water, 
in  which  sense  the  later  Jews  nse  JJD-  According 
to  BUXTORF,  this  word  means  :  "  miscuit,  temper- 
aril  vinum  a/usa  aqua"  whence  it  is  used  di- 
rectly for  ''  infundere,  to  pour  into."  Comp.  JJO 
Song  of  Sol.  vii.  3.  On  the  other  hand  GESE 
NITJS  (with  whom  under  the  word  JiS  HITZIG 
had  agreed)  see  word  "]D3,  WINER  (R-  W.  .s. 
v.  Wein,  DREOHSLER,  KNOBEL,  LEYRER  (in 
R.  Encyl.  xvii.  p.  616)  maintain  most  decidedly 
that  the  Hebrews  were  acquainted  with  spiced 
wines.  WINER  and  LEYKR  dispute  even  that 


94 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  use  of  vinum  aqua  temperare  among  the  Jew? 
can  be  certainly  proved.  These  scholars  named 
cite  Prov.  ix.  2,  5  in  proof  of  the  existence  among 
the  ancients  of  spiced  wine  (which  is  to  be  dis- 
tinguished from  that  prepared  from  fruit,  honey, 
barley),  in  which  passage  the  "|D"3  that  is  simul- 
taneous with  the  killing,  must  point  to  another 
mixing,  than  that  with  water,  which  latter  must 
be  coincident  with  the  pouring  out.  They  farther 
cite  a  passage  in  Mischna  JSfaater  scheni  2,  1  (non 
condiunt  oleum  .  .  •  sed  condiimt  vinum;  si  inci- 
derit  in  id  mel  et  condimenta,  unde  melius  reddatur, 
ilia  in  melius  confeclio  fit  jtizta  computum;)  and 
also  Plin.  Hist.  nat.  xiv.  13,  14,  15  19  where  he 
speaks  of  vinum  aromatites,  myrrhinum,  absynthites, 
etc.;  and  further  to  the  New  Testament  expres- 
sions olvoc  eaiivp/iiafiivoq  Mark  xv.  23,  KEKep 
fifvov  a.Kf)arni't  Rev.  xiv.  10  ;  and  to  a  passage  in 
DIOSCOR.  5,  64  sq.  According  to  these  evidences 
I  do  not  see  how  it  can  be  doubted  that  the  He- 
brews were  acquainted  with  spiced  wines. 

G.  Therefore  as — stretched  out  still. — 
Vers.  24,  25.  On  the  fourfold  woe  of  vers.  18-23, 
now  follows  the  announcement  of  the  punishment 

to  be  shared  in  common.  It  is  joined  on  by  |3v 
like  ver.  13.  The  people  are  compared  to  stub- 
ble and  hay,  who,  according  to  iv.  2,  ought  to  be 
a  flourishing  divine  branch.  And  quick  as  stub- 
ble is  devoured  by  fire  or  hay  disappears  in  the 
flames,  shall  their  root  decay  and  their  bloom 
pass  away  like  dust.  Thus  here  too  Israel  is 
again  represented  as  a  plant,  a  figure  that  re- 
minds us  strongly  of  iv.  2  sqq.,  consequently  of 
the  second  prophetic  lamp.  Hay  and  stubble 
are  very  inflammable  stuff.  But  those  roots  and 
blossoms,  that  ought  properly  to  be  fresh  aud 
full  of  sap,  shall  fly  away,  dissolved  as  they  are 
in  dust  and  decay,  as  easily  as  hay  and  stubble 
are  devoured  by  the  flames. 

The  threatening  of  ver.  24,  as  appears  from  the 
suffixes,  concerns  immediately  those  against 
whom  the  preceding  four  woes  were  proclaimed. 
But  as  ver.  13,  the  banishment  of  the  entire 
nation  is  represents;!  as  the  consequence  of  the 
sins  of  those  greedy  and  riotous  men,  so  here  it 
is  shown  how  the  waves  of  destruction  shall  roll 
on  to  the  utmost  periphery,  and  thus  seize  the 

whole  people.  I  refer  \^y  "therefore,"  not 
merely  to  the  second  clause,  but  to  the  whole  of 
ver.  21.  Although  all  the  verbal  forms  in  25  a, 
point  to  the_past,  the  things  themselves  that  they 
declare  fall  in  the  future.  This  is  evident  from 
(ver.  21)  the  relation  of  the  announcement  of 
punishment  to  the  sin,  which  is  indicated  as  pre- 
sent (ver.  18  sqq.),  and  from  the  parallel  between 
the  threatening*  of  ver.  9  sq.,  and  ver.  13  sq.— 
Comp.  DRECHSLER,  in  loc. — But  it  were  not  im- 
post ble  that  Isaiah  employs  here  the  past  forms, 
because  facts  of  the  pa<t  float  before  his  mind, 
that  were  to  be  regarded,  too,  as  proofs  of  the 
wrath  portrayed  in  ver.  2 ),  without,  however,  re- 
presenting the  entire  fulfilment  of  the  threaten- 
ing. If,  then,  as  to  its  chief  import  ver.  25  has 
respect  to  the  future,  and,  in  contrast  with  the 
blows  to  be  expected  from  a  distant  people  (ver. 
23  sqq.),  indicates  the  blows  to  be  expected  out 
of  the  midst  of  Judah  herself,  or  from  the  im- 
mediate neighborhood,  then  there  might  be  a 


reference  in  ''  the  hills  did  tremble"  to  the  earth- 
quake in  Uzziah's  time  (Am.  i.  1  ;  Zech.  xiv. 
5),  and  in  "their  carcases,''  etc.,  a  reference  to 
those  120,000  men  of  Judah,  that  Pekah,  the 
king  of  Israel  slew  in  one  day  :  2  Chr.  xxviii.  6. 
The  formula,  <;for  all  this,  his  anger  is  not 
turned  away,  but  his  hand  is  stretched  out  still," 
(ix.  11,  1C,  20;  x.  4),  expresses  the  thought  that 
something  still  greater  is  coming.  Thus  then 
this  formula  introduces  the  chief  conclusion  of 
the  discourse  which  corresponds  to  that  relative 
conclusion,  vers.  13-17.  For  if  foreign  nations 
from  a  great  distance  are  called  to  accomplish  a 
judgment,  it  is  to  be  expected  in  advance  that 
this  judgment  shall  be  decisive,  and  of  mighty 
consequence.  In  fact,  too,  it  was  ever  nations 
from  a  distance  that  destroyed  the  respublica  Isra- 
elitarum.  Call  to  mind  the  Assyrians,  Baby- 
lonians, Romans.  And  those  that  came  the 
farthest,  did  the  work  of  destruction  the  most  ef- 
fectually. 

7.  And  He  will  lift  up,— deliver  it.— 
Vers.  26-29.  The  whole  description  is  general, 
and  not  special.  That  is,  it  is  not  a  single,  par- 
ticular nation,  but  only  the  genus  of  foreign,  dis- 
tant nations  in  general  that  is  described.  The 
prophecy,  therefore,  finds  its  fulfilment  in  all  the 
catastrophes  that  brought  foreign  powers  against 
Israel,  from  the  Assyrians  to  the  Romans.  Evi- 
dently Isaiah  has  in  mind  the  fundamental  pro- 
phecy Deut.  xxviii.  49  sqq.,  from  which  the  ex- 
pression pirprD  D'iJ,  "  nations  from  afar,"  is 
taken  verbatim,  and  of  which  also  the  KJ2J1,  "and 

T  T  : 

He  shall  lift  up,"  reminds  one.  It  is  re- 
markable that  after  the  arrival  of  those  Baby- 
lonian ambassadors,  2  Kings  xx.  14,  Hezekiah 
should  himself  apply  our  passage,  and  so  give 
testimony  to  its  fulfilment,  in  that,  when  asked 
by  the  Prophet,  whence  these  people  came,  he 
replied,  "They  are  come  from  a  far  country 
(HjTl'rn  ]'.•?{«),  from  Babylon."  The  description 
that  now  follows  in  vers.  27-29,  of  the  enemy 
that  is  summoned,  is  not  of  any  individual  enemy, 
in  fact  is  not  at  all  historical,  but  generic  and 
ideal  in  character.  For,  in  reality,  there  is  no 
army,  where  no  one  grows  tired  nor  stumbles,  in 
which  no  one  sleeps  nor  slumbers,  etc.  The  Pro- 
phet would  only  express  in  poetic  form,  the 
greatest  activity,  unwcariedness,  and  readiness  for 
conflict.  There  is  a  similar  description  Jer.  v. 
15  sqq.  Their  eagerness  for  battle,  and  their  zeal 
for  the  cause  is  so  great  that  they  neither  slum- 
ber, nor  sleep.  The  girdle  (xi.  5;  Jer.  xiii. 
11),  that  binds  the  garment  about  the  hips  (xi. 
5;  xxxii.  11:  coll.  iii.  22)  does  not  get  loose  on 
anyone;  no  one  breaks  (xxxiii.  20;  Iviii.  6,  Pi.), 
the  strings  (only  here  in  Isaiah,  comp.  Gen.  xiv.. 
23),  by  which  the  sandals  (xi.  15;  xx.  2)  are 
fastened  to  the  feet. 

Ver.  28.  The  equipment  of  the  enemy,  too, 
is  admirable.  The  arrows  are  sharp  ;  the  bows 
are  bent,  (an  ideal  trait,  for  in  reality  bows  could 
not  be  ever  bent,  that  is,  trod  on  with  the  foot, 
xxi.  15).  The  hoofs  (only  here  in  Isaiah),  of 
the  steeds  are  hard  as  stone.  As  the  ancients  did 
not  understand  shoeing  horses,  hard  hoofs  were 
an  important  requisite  in  a  war  horse,  comp. 
Mich.  iv.  13,  and  A'a?.K<5rrot>f,  Kparepuvv^.  The  im- 
petuous, thundering  roll  of  their  wheels  makes 


CHAP.  V.  3-30. 


95 


them  resemble  a  tempest.  The  same  figure  re- 
curs Ixvi.  15.  Comp,  beside  xvii.  13;  xxi.  1; 
xxix.  6. 

The  29th  verse  finally  describes  the  attack  and 
victory  of  the  enemy.  The  discourse  which,  to 
this  point,  has  had  almost  a  regular  beat,  and 
progressed,  one  might  say,  witli  a  martial  step, 
now  becomes  irregular  and  bounding.  With 
mighty  impetuosity  that  reveals  itself  in  a  battle 
cry  that  is  compared  to  the  roaring  of  a  lion,  the 
enemy  attacks.  It  is  strange  that  the  Prophet 
expresses  this  thought  doubly.  But  this  doubled 
expre.-sion  has  apparently  only  a  rhetorical  aim. 
If  we  take  into  account  the  comparison  of  deep 
growling,  we  receive  the  impression  that  the 
Prophet  would  indicate  that  the  enemy  has  at 
command  every  modulation  of  the  lion's  voice. 
The  moment  the  lion  seizes  his  prey,  he  ceases  to 
roar,  and  one  hears  only  deep  growiing.  The 
seized  prey  he  saves  for  himself:  i.  e.,  he  bears 
it  away  out  of  the  tumult.  ^23  (recurs  only  xi. 
6),  is  the  young  lion  no  longer  sucking  but  be- 
come independent  of  its  dam.  "HJ  is  the  sucking 
lion.  The  plural  is  used  here,  probably,  on  pur- 
pose to  make  prominent  the  numbers  in  contrast 

with  K'3j?. 

8.  An  din  that  day — the  heavens  thereof. 
— Ver.  30.  The  Prophet  hastens  to  the  conclu- 
sion. For  this  purpose  he  comprehends  all  that 
he  has  still  to  say  in  one  figure  drawn  with  a  few, 
yet  strong  traits.  It  is  also  a  proof  of  the  great 
rhetorical  art  of  the  Prophet,  that  he  does  not 
name  Judah.  He  rather  allows  to  be  guessed 
what  was  painful  to  him  to  say.  For  we  need 
not  refer  the  words  only  to  what  immediately 
precedes,  as  if  it  were  declared  that  what  is  de- 
scribed ver.  30,  happens  on  the  same  day  as  that 
of  which  ver.  29  speaks.  For  that  is  to  be  un- 
derstood of  course.  But  this  "in  that  day"  re- 
fers back  to  ii.  11,  17,  20;  iii.  7,  18;  iv.  1  and 
to  iv.  2,  so  that  hereby  is  intimated  that  this 
prophecy  too,  shall  be  fulfilled  in  the  "  last  days." 
And  as  iv.  2  speaks  of  a  day  of  great  happiness, 
the  passage  previously  named,  however,  of  a  day 
of  dreadful  judgment,  so  the  Prophet  refers 
back  to  both,  meaning  to  intimate  that  when 
these  final  dreadful  visitations  of  the  last 
time  shall  have  come  upon  Israel,  then  shall 
come  the  daybreak  of  salvation.  I  see  therefore 
in  this  phrase  "  in  that  day  "  a  fresh  proof  of  the 
connection  of  chap,  v.,  with  the  preceding  chap- 
ters ii.  iv.  Like  surges  of  the  sea,  therefore,  ra- 
ging and  roaring,  shall  the  enemy  fall  on  Judah 
in  that  day  ?  DELITZSCH  appropriately  refers 
to  Sierra-Leone  because,  "  those  that  first  landed 
there,  mistook  the  noise  of  the  surf  breaking  on 
the  precipitous  shore  for  the  roar  of  lions."  The 
subject  of  ttDJI  (Niph.  arr.  Af/.),  is  evidently 
Judah.  But  the  further  meaning  of  these  words 
presents  great  difficulties.  I  think  two  passages 
shed  light  on  this  one.  The  first  is  cited  by  all 
commentators,  viz. :  viii.  42.  When  we  read 
there:  ''  And  He  looks  to  the  earth  and  behold 

trouble  and  darkness,"  (HD^m  rP¥)  we  are 
.  .  .  .  •  T "~:  l~  TT 

justified  in  taking  1¥  ?t!TJ  in  our  passage  to- 
gether;  either  "l¥  as  adjective  (compressed,  thick 
darkness,  ^H  is  masc.),  or  as  apposition  (Vi- 
TRINGA,  HENDEWERK),  or  as  genitive  (darkness 


of  anguish).  According  to  that  we  must  sepa- 
rate, then,  "IV  from  "li*a  a  union  for  which  there 
is  no  other  authority  than  the  (for  us  not  bind- 
ing) Masoretic  tradition,  and  then  we  must  read 
TIKI.  For  this  reading,  however,  we  have  the 
support  of  another  passage,  which,  so  far  as  I 
know,  has  never  hitherto  been  adduced  by  any 
expositor  for  the  elucidation  of  our  verse  ,  viz.  : 

Job   xviii.  G.     There  we  read   ibn&O  71U/H  1iK 

T:  |T  i      '  -.  T 

''  the  light  shall  be  dark  in  his  tent."  That 
passage  speaks  of  the  wicked  whose  light  goes 
out,  and  whose  fire  burns  no  longer,  in  whose 
tent,  therefore,  it  is  dark.  (Jan  then  the  coin- 
ing together  of  these  words  jt^n  ~)1X  be  ac- 
cidental ?  I  am  the  less  inclined  to  believe  this, 
as  the  thought,  that  the  light  itself  becomes  dark, 
and  not  the  lighted  room,  is  a  very  specific  one. 
Something  similar  may  be  found  xiii.  10  ;  Ezek. 
xxxii.  8  ;  Joel  iv.  15.  —  D'£r"l,J?  is  a~.  /.{•}-.  It  is 
derived  from  ^"IJJ  "  to  drop  down,"  which  oc- 
curs only  Deut.  xxxii.  2  ;  xxxiii.  28. 


appears  to  be  kindred  to  it.  As  v3^  originates 
from  2"\y  by  the  addition  of  the  Icjtter  /  like 
Sp"l3  from  DV>  and  S.P3  from  P3  (CnALD., 
fixit,  transfixit)  see  GREEN  \  193,  2  c,  and  as 
731J7  very  often  joined  to  \ty  (Deut.  iv.  11;  v. 
19:  Joel  ii.  2;  Zeph.  i.  15;TTEzek.  xxxiv.  12) 
undoubtedly  means  the  cloudy  obscurity,  the 
thick  clouds,  so  D'2"^  can  be  nothing  else  than 
the  rain  clouds  out  of  which  the  rain  drops  down. 
This  rain  cloud  is  now  regarded  as  the  tent 
covering  of  the  earth,  or  at  least  as  belonging  to 
it,  like  e.  g.,  xl.  22  it  says  :  "  that  stretchcth  out 
the  heavens  as  a  curtain  and  spreadeth  them  out 
as  a  tent  to  dwell  in,"  (comp.  Job  xxxvi.  29  ; 
Ps.  civ.  2  sqq.).  The  expression  "in  his  tent" 
would  not  be  suitable.  For  the  light  that  illu- 
mines a  tent,  stands  within  under  the  tent  cover. 
But  the  light  that  illumines  the  earth,  is  above 
and  beyond  the  heavenly  tent  cover.  If,  then,  it 
is  to  be  dark  on  earth,  the  light  must  be  hindered 
from  penetrating  down  from  above.  Therefore  I 
translate:  ''and  the  light  becomes  dark  through  its 
clouds."  The  fern.,  suffix  is  therefore  to  be  referred 
to  ]PN>  "earth."  It  will  not  do  to  refer  it  to  "11K, 
as  GESENIUS  does,  referring  to  Job  xxxvi. 
32  (Thes,  p.  1072),  because  then  it  must  read 
r\DVtr\.  If  one  would,  with  HITZIG,  make  1iK 
dependent  on  tQ33i  then  the  expression  is  sur- 
prising. For  the  opposite  of  "earth"  is  not 
''  the  light,"  but  ''  the  heaven."  The  explana- 
tions "distress  and  light"  (DELITZSCH),  and 
"stone  and  gleam"  (i.  e.,  hail  and_  lightning, 
DRECHSLER)  seem  to  me  to  pay  too  little  regard 
to  the  two  parallel  passages  quoted.  I  would, 
moreover,  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  in  this 
ji^n  "KX  there  lies,  too,  a  significant  reference  to 
the  doings  of  the  people  who,  according  to  ver. 
20  "make  darkness  light  and  light  darkness." 
Because  they  do  that,  their  light  shall  be  dark- 
ened wholly  and  permanently.  And  at  the  same 
time  we  find  here  a  remarkable  antithesis  to  iv. 
5.  6.  There  God  creates  upon  Mount  Zion  a 


96 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


cloud  by  day  and  flaming  fire  by  night,  for  a 
shade  by  day  against  the  heat,  and  for  shelter 
against  fain  and  storm.  Here  darkness  of  an- 
guish shall  cover  the  earth  and  the  rain-clouds 
shall  not  only  overwhelm  the  unprotected  earth 
with  their  showers,  but  beside  these  keep  back 
the  light,  therefore,  in  a  sense,  be  a  shelter  before 
the  light.  Thus  this  chapter,  which  had  appar- 
ently begun  so  joyously,  ends  in  deepest  night 
and  gloom.  One  "feels  that  the  discourse  of  the 
Prophet  has  exhausted  itself.  We  are  at  the  end. 
Nothing  can  follow  these  mighty,  and  at  the 
same  time  vain  words  but — silence.  But  the  in- 
formed know  well  that  the  two  prophetic  lamps 
that  are  thrust  out  before  (ii.  1-4  and  iv.  2-6) 
stretch  out  beyond  this  period  of  misfortune. 
When,  then,  ver.  30,  it  reads  "  in  that  day,"  we 
know  that  this  is  a  hint  that  refers  back  out  of 
the  midnight  gloom  of  this  conclusion  to  the 
comforting  beginning  iv.  2.  That  very  day,  when 
the  evil  fruits  of  the  vineyard  sink  away  in  night 
and  horror,  begins  for  the  "  Branch  of  Jehovah  " 
the  day  of  light,  and  of  eternal  glory. 

DOCTRrNAi.  AND  ETHICAL. 

1.  On  ii.  2»  DomusDei,  etc.  "The  house  of  God 
is  built  on  the  foundation  of  the  Apostles  and  Pro- 
phets, who,  themselves,  too,  are  mountains,  quasi 
imitators  of  Christ.  (They  that  trust  in  the  Lord 
shall  be  as  Mount  Zion,  Ps.  cxxv.  1.)  Whence, 
also,  upon  one  of  the  mountains  Christ  founded 
the  Church  and  said:  Thou  art  Peter,  etc.,  Matth. 
xvi.  18."  JEROME. ''  We  can  understand  Je- 
rusalem by  the  mountain  of  God,  for  we  see  how 
the  believing  run  thither,  and  how  those  that  have 
accepted  the  testimony  come  thither  and  seize  the 
blessing  that  proceeds  thence.  But  we  may  also 
by  the  house  of  God  understand  the  churches 
spread  over  land  and  sea,  as  we  believe  St.  Paul, 
who  says,  'we  are  the  house  of  God,'  Heb.  iii.  6. 
And  so  we  may  recognize  the  truth  of  the  pro- 
phecy. For  the  Church  of  God  stands  shining 
forth,  and  the  nations,  forsaking  wickedness  that 
has  long  had  dominion  over  them,  hasten  to  her 

and  are  enlighten3d  by  her."   THEODORET. 

JScdetia  est,  etc.  "The  church  is  a  mountain  ex- 
alted and  established  above  all  other  mountains, 
but  in  spirit.  For  if  you  regard  the  external  look 
of  the  church  from  the  beginning  of  the  world, 
then  in  New  Testament  times,  you  will  see  it  op- 
pressed, contemned,  and  in  despair.  Yet,  not- 
withstanding, in  that  contempt  it  is  exalted  above 
all  mountains.  For  all  kingdoms  and  all  domi- 
nions that  have  ever  been  in  the  world  have  pe- 
rished. The  church  alone  endures  and  triumphs 
over  heresies,  tyrants,  Satan,  sin,  deatli  and  hell, 
and  that  by  the  word  only,  by  this  despised  and 
feeble  speech  alone.  Moreover  it  is  a  great  com- 
fort that  the  bodily  place,  whence  first  the  spiri- 
tual kingdom  should  arise,  was  so  expressly  pre- 
dicted, that  consciences  are  assured  of  that  being 
the  true  word,  that  began  first  to  be  preached  in 
that  corner  of  Judea,  that  it  may  be  for  us  a  mount 
Zion,  or  rule  for  judging  of  ail  religions  and  all 
doctrines.  The  Turkish  Alcoran  did  not  begin  in 
Zion— therefore  it  is  wicked  doctrine.  The  va- 
rions  Popish  rites,  laws,  traditions  began  not  in 
Zion— therefore  they  are  wicked,  and  the  very 
doctrines  of  devils.  So  we  may  hold  ourselves 


upright  against  all  other  religions,  and  comfort 
our  hearts  with  this  being  the  only  true  religion 
which  we  profess.  Therefore,  too,  in  two  psalma, 
Ps.  ii.  and  ex.,  mount  Zion  is  expressly  signified  : 
"  I  have  set  my  king  upon  my  holy  hill  of  Zion ;" 
likewise:  "The  LORD  shall  send  the  rod  of  thy 
strength  out  of  Zion."  LUTHER. 

2.  On  ver.  2.    LUTHER   makes   emphatic,   as 
something  pertaining  to  "the  wonderful  nature 
of  this  kingdom,"  that  ''other  kingdoms  are  esta- 
blished and  administered  by  force  and  arms.     But 
here,  because  the  mountain  is  lifted  up,  the  na- 
tion shall  flow  (fluent),  i.  e.,  they  shall  come  volun- 
tarily, attracted  by  the  virtues  of  the  church.    For 
what  is  there  sweeter  or  lovelier  than  the  preach- 
ing of  the   gospel?      Whereas   Moses  frightens 
weak  souls  away.     Thus  the  prophet  by  the  word 
fluent,  "flow,"  has  inlaid  a  silent  description  of 
the  kingdom  of  Christ,  which  Christ  gives  more 
amply  when  He  says:  Matth.  xi.  12,  "the  king- 
dom of  heaven  suffereth  violence  and  the  violent 
take  it  by  force,"  i.  e.  ''  they  are  not  compelled, 
but  they  compel  themselves."     ''  Morever  rivers 
do  not  flow  up  mountains,  but  down  them ;  but 
here  is  such  an  unheard-of  tiling  in  the  kingdom 
of  Christ."— STARKE. 

3.  LUTHER  remarks  on  "and  shall  say:  come," 
etc.     "  Here  thou  secst  the  worship,  works  and 
efforts  and  sacrifices  of  Christians.     For  they  do 
onlv  the  one  work,  that  they  go  to  hear  and  to 
learn.     All  the  rest  of  the  members  must  serve 
their   neighbors.      These   two,   ears   and   heart, 
must  serve  God  only.     For  the  kingdom  rests  on 
the   word   alone.     Sectaries   and   heretics,  when 
they  have  heard  the  gospel  once,  instantly  become 
masters,  and  pervert  the  Prophet's  word,  in  that 
they  say  :     Come  let  us  go  up  that  we  may  teach 
him  his  way  and  walk  in  our   paths.     They  de- 
spise, therefore,  the  word  as  a  familiar  thing  and 
seek  new  disputations  by  which  they  may  display 
their    spirit    and   commend    themselves   to   the 
crowd.     But  Christians  know  that  the  words  of 
the  Holv  Ghost  can  never  be  perfectly  learned  as 
long  as  we  are  in  the   flesh.     For  Christianity 
does  not  consist  in  knowing,  but  iu  the  disposi- 
tion. This  disposition  can  never  perfectly  believe 
the  word  on  account  of  the  weakness  of  the  sinful 
flesh.     Hence  they  ever  remain  disciples  and  ru- 
minate the  word,  in  order  that  the  heart,  from 
time  to  time,  may  flame  up  anew.     It  is  all  over 
with  us  if  we  do  not  continue  in  the  constant  use 
of  the  word,  in  order  to  oppose  it  to  Satan  in 
temptation   (Matth.  iv.).     For  immediately  after 
sinning  ensues  an  evil  conscience,  that  can  be 
raised  up  by  nothing  but  the  word.     Others  that 
forsake  the  word  sink  gradually  from  one  sin  into 
another,  until  they  are  ruined.     Therefore  Chris- 
tianity must  be  held  to  consist  in  hearing  the 
word,  and  those  that  are  overcome   by  tempta- 
tions, whether  of  the  heart  or  body,  may  know 
that  their  hearts  are  empty  of  the  word." 

4.  VITRINGA  remarks  on  the  words,  "  Out  of 
Zion  goes  forth  the  law,''  v.  3.     ''  If  strife  springs 
up  among  the  disciples  concerning  doctrine  or 
discipline,  one  must  return  to  the  pattern  of  the 
doctrine  and  discipline  of  the  school  at  Jerusa- 
lem.    For  X^T  "  shall  go  forth,"  stands  here  only 
as  in  Luke  ii.  1,  "There  went  forth  a  decree  from 
Caesar  Augustus."     In  this  sense,  too,  Paul  says, 


97 


1  Cor.  xiv.  36,  "What?  came  the  word  of  God 
out  from  you  V"  The  word  of  God  did  not  go 
forth  from  Corinth,  Athens,  Rome,  Ephesus,  but 
from  Jerusalem,  a  fact  that  bishops  assembled  in 
Antioch  opposed  to  Julius  I.  (SozoM.  hist.  eccl.  III. 
8,  "  the  orientals  acknowledged  that  the  Church 
of  Rome  was  entitled  to  universal  honor — although 
those  who  first  propagated  a  knowledge  of  Chris- 
tian doctrine  in  that  city  came  from  the  East"). 
CYRIL  took  N2T  in  the  false  sense  of  KaTt-As'/.oiire 
TT/V  ZLUV,  "  has  forsaken  Zion."  When  the  Lord 
opened  the  understandings  of  the  disciples  at  Em- 
maus,  to  understand  the  Scriptures  and  see  in  the 
events  they  had  experienced  the  fulfilment  of 
what  was  written  concerning  Him  in  the  law, 
Prophets  and  Psalms,  He  cannot  have  forgotten 
the  present  passage.  Of  this  we  may  be  the  more 
assured  since  thy  words:  ''Thus  it  is  written 
and  thus  it  behooved  Christ  to  suffer  and  to  rise 
from  the  dead  the  third  day :  And  that  repent- 
ance and  remission  of  sins  should  be  preached  in 
His  name  among  all  nations  beginning  at  Jerusa- 
lem.'1 Luke  xxiv.  46,  47,  point  clearly  to  vers.  2 
and  3  of  our  passage.  Therefore  too,  JUSTIN 
MARTYR  Apol.  i.  (commonly  ii.),  $  49,  says :  "  But 
where  the  prophetic  spirit  predicts  the  future,  he 
says :  from  Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law,  etc.  And 
that  this  finally  came  to  pass  in  fact,  you  may 
credibly  assure  yourselves.  For  from  Jerusalem 
have  men  gone  forth  into  the  world,  twelve  in 
number,  and  these  were  unlearned,  that  knew  not 
how  to  speak.  But  by  the  might  of  God  they  have 
proclaimed  to  all  mankind  that  they  were  sent  by 
Christ  in  order  to  teach  all  the  word  of  God." 

"  Zion  is  contrasted  here  with  Mount  Sinai, 
whence  the  law  came,  which  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment was  the  foundation  of  all  true  doctrine  :  But 
in  the  New  Testament  Mount  Zion  or  Jerusalem 
has  the  privilege  to  announce  that  now  a  more 
perfect  law  would  be  given  and  a  new  Covenant 
of  God  with  men  would  be  established.  Thus  Zion 
and  Jerusalem  are,  so  to  speak,  the  nursery  and 
the  mother  of  all  churches  and  congregations  of 
the  New  Testament." — STARKE. 

5.  FORSTER  remarks  on  the  end  of  ver.  3,  that 
the  goKpal  is  the  sceptre  of  Jesus  Christ,  accord- 
ing to  Ps.  ex.  2  and  xlv.  7  (the  sceptre  of  thy 
kingdom  is  a  right  sceptre).     "  Fo/  by  the  word 
Christ  rules  His  church  (Rom.  x.  14  sqq.)." 

6.  On  ver.  4.   "Pax  optima  rerum."  FOERSTER. 
The  same  author  finds  this  prophecy  fulfilled  by 
Christ,  who  is  our  peace,  who  has  made  of  both 
one,  and  broken  clown  the  partition  that  was  be- 
tween, in  that  by  His  flesh  He  took  away  the  en- 
mity ( Eph.  ii.  14).    FOERSTER,  moreover,  combats 
the  Anabaptists,  who  would  prove  from  this  pass- 
age that  waging  war  is  not  permitted  to  Chris- 
tians.    For  our  passage  speaks  only  against  the 
privata  Ckristianorum  discordia      But  waging  war 
oelongs  to  the  publicum  magistratits  qfficium.     Wa- 
ging war,  therefore,  is  not  forbidden,  if  only  the 
war  is  a  just  one.     To  be  such,  however,  there 
must  appear  according  to  THOMAS,  part.  2  th. 
qucest,  40.     1)  auctoritatis  principis,  2)  causa  justa, 
3)  intentio  bellantium  justa,  or  ut  allii  cfferunt:  1) 
jurisdictio  indicentis,  2}  offensio  patien/is,  3)  inten- 
tio finem  (?}  convenientis. 

1.  On  ver.  4.     JEROME  regarded  the  time  of 
Augustus,  after  his  victory  at  Actium,  as  the  ful- 


filling  of  this  prophecy.  Others,  as  COCCEIUS, 
refer  the  words,  "  they  shall  turn  their  swords 
into  plowshares  and  their  spears  into  pruning- 
hooks,"  to  the  time  of  Constantine  the  Great ;  and 
the  words  "  nation  «hall  not  lift  up  sword  against 
nation  "  to  the  period  of  the  restoration  of  reli- 
gious peace  in  Germany, —  finally  the  words: 
•'  they  shall  no  more  learn  war,"  to  a  future  time 
that  is  to  be  hoped  for.  Such  interpretations  are, 
however,  just  as  one-sided  as  those  that  look  only 
for  a  spiritual  fulfilment  of  prophecy.  For  how 
is  an  inward  fulfilment  of  this  promise  of  peace  to 
be  thought  of  which  would  not  have  the  outward 
effects  as  its  consequence '!  Or  how  is  an  outward 
fulfilment,  especially  such  as  would  deserve  the 
name,  conceivable  without  the  basis  of  the  in- 
ward ?  Or  must  this  peaceful  time  be  looked  for 
only  in  heaven?  Why  then  does  the  promise 
stand  here  ?  It  is  a  matter  of  course  that  there  is 
peace  in  heaven:  for  where  there  is  no  peace  there 
can  be  no  heaven.  The  promise  has  sense  only 
if  its  fulfilment  is  to  be  looked  for  on  earth.  The 
fulfilment  will  take  place  when  the  first  three  pe- 
titions of  the  Lord's  prayer  are  fulfilled,  i.  e. 
when  God's  name  shall  be  held  holy  by  us  as  it 
in  itself  is  holy,  when  the  kingdom  of  God  is 
come  to  everything,  without  and  within,  and 
rules  alone  over  all,  when  the  will  of  God  is  done 
on  earth  as  in  heaven.  Christendom  makes  this 
prayer  quite  as  much  with  the  consciousness  that 
it  cannot  remain  unfulfilled,  as  with  the  con- 
sciousness that  it  must  find  its  fulfilment  on  earth. 
For,  if  referred  to  heaven,  these  petitions  are 
without  meaning.  Therefore  there  is  a  time  of 
universal  inward  and  outward  peace  to  be  looked 
for  on  earth.  "  It  is  not  every  day's  evening,"  i. 
e.  one  must  await  the  event,  and  our  earth,  with- 
out the  least  saltus  in  cogitando,  can  yet  experi- 
ence a  state  of  things  that  shall  be  related  to  the 
present,  as,  the  present  to  the  period  of  trilobites 
and  saurians.  If  one  could  only  keep  himself 
free  from  the  tyranny  of  the  present  moment ! 
But  our  entire,  great  public,  that  has  made  itself 
at  home  in  Philistia,  lives  in  the  sweet  confi- 
dence that  there  is  no  world  beside  that  of  which 
we  take  notice  on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  nor 
over  was  one,  nor  ever  will  be. 

8.  On  ver.  4.     Poets  reverse  the  figure  to  por- 
tray the  transition  from  peaceful  to  warlike  con- 
ditions.    Thus  VIRGIL,  Georg.  I.  ver.  506  sq. : 

Non  ullns  aralro 

Dignus  honos,  squalont  ahduotis  arva  colonis. 
Et  curvse  rigidum  Calces  conflauiur  in  ensem. 

Aeneide  VII.  ver.  635  sq. : 

Vomeris  hue  et  falcis  honos,  hue  omnis  nrntri 
Cessit  amor;  recoquuut  patrios  fornacibus  cnses. 

OVID,  Fast.  I.  ver.  697  sqq. : 

Bella  diu  tenuere  viroy.  Erat  aptior  ensis 
Vomere.  cedebat  taurus  arator  pquo. 

Sarcula  cessabant,  versique  in  pil.i  ligones. 
Faotaque  de  rastri  poudere  cast-is  erat. 

9.  On   ver.   5.     As   Isaiah   puts   the  glorions 
prophecy  of  his  fellow-prophet  Micah  at  the  head, 
he  illuminates  the  future  with  a  splendid,  shining, 
comforting  light.     Once  this  light  is  set  up,  it  of 
itself  suggests  comparisons.     The  questions  arise: 
how  does  the  present  stand  related  to  that  shining 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


future  ?  What  difference  obtains  ?  What  must 
happen  for  that  condition  of  holiness  and  glory 
to  be  brought  about?  The  Christian  Church, 
too,  and  even  each  individual  Christian  must  put 
himself  in  the  light  of  that  prophetic  statement. 
On  the  one  hand  that  will  humiliate  us,  for  we 
must  confess  with  the  motto  of  Charles  V. :  non- 
dum!  And  long  still  will  we  need  to  cry  :  Watch- 
man what  of  the  night  (xxi.  11)?  On  the  other 
hand  the  Prophet's  word  will  also  spur  us  up  and 
cheer  us.  For  what  stronger  impulse  can  be  im- 
agined than  the  certainty  that  one  does  not  con- 
tend in  vain,  but  may  hope  for  a  reward  more 
glorious  than  all  that  ever  came  into  a  man's 
heart?  (Ixiv.  4;  1  Cor.  ii.  9). 

In  the  time  of  the  second  temple,  in  the  eve- 
nings of  the  first  days  of  the  feast  of  Tabernacles, 
great  candelabras  were  lighted  in  the  forecourt 
of  the  temple,  each  having  four  golden  branches, 
and  their  light  was  so  strong  that  it  was  nearly 
•us  light  as  day  in  Jerusalem.  That  might  be  for 
•Jerusalem  a  symbol  of  that  "let  us  walk  in  the 
light  of  the  LORD  "  But  Jerusalem  rejoiced  in 
this  light,  and  carried  on  all  sorts  of  pastime,  yet 
it  was  not,  able  to  learn  to  know  itself  in  this  light, 
and  by  this  self-knowledge  to  come  to  true  re- 
pentance and  conversion. 

10.  On  ver.  8,  "  their  land  is  full   of  idols." 
"Not  only  images  and   pictures  are  idols,   but 
every  notion   concerning  God   that  the  godless 
heart  forms  out  of  itself  without  the  authority  of 
the  Scripture.     The  notion  that  the  Mass  is  effec- 
tive ex  opere  operate,  is  an  idol.     The  notion  that 
works  are  demanded  for  justification  with  God, 
is  an  idol.     The  notion  that  God  takes  delight  in 
fasts,  peculiar  clothes,  a  special  order  of  life,  is  an 
idol.     God  wills  not  that  we  should   set  up  out 
of  our  own  thoughts  a  fashion  of  worshipping 
Him;  but  lie  says:  "In  all  places  where  I  re- 

.cord  My  nnme,  I  will  corne  unto  thee,  and  I  will 
bless  thee,"  Exod.  xx.  24  — LUTHER. 

11.  On  ii.  9-21.   When  men  have  brought  an 
idol  into  existence,  that  is  just  to  their  mind, 
whether  it  be  an  idolam  manu  factum,  or  an  idolum 
mente  excoyitatnm,  there  they  are  all  wonder,  all 
worship.     "  Great   is  Diana  of  the  Ephesians." 
Then  the  idol  has  a  time  of  great  prosperity  and 
glory.     But  sooner  or  later  there  comes  a  time 
when  the  judgment  of  God  overtakes  the  idol  and 
its  servants.     God  suffers  sin  to  become  ripe  like 
men  let  a  conspiracy,  like  they  let  fruit  ripen. 
But  when  the  right  time  comes  then  He  steps 
forth   in   such    a  fashion   that  they  creep   into 
mouse-holes  to  hide  themselves,  if  it  were  pos- 
fiible,  from  the  lightning  of  His  eye  and  His  hand. 
Where  then  are  the  turned-up  noses,  the    big 
mouths,  the  impudent  tongues?    Thus  it  has  often 
happened  since  the  world  began.     But  this  being 
brought  to  confession  shall  happen  in  the  highest 
degree  to  the  puffed-up  world  at  tha    day  when 
they  shall  see  that  one  whom  they  pierced,  and 
whom  they  thought  they  might  despise  as  the 
crucified  One,  coming  in  His  glory  to  judge  the 
world.     Then  they  shall  have  anguish  and  sor- 
row, then  shall  they  lament  and  faint  away  with 

.apprehension  of  the  things  that  draw  nigh.  But 
those  that  believed  on  the  Lord  in  His  holiness, 
Bhall  then  lift  up  their  heads  for  that  their  re- 
demption draws  nigh.  At  that  time,  indeed,  shall 

.the  LORD  alone  be  high,  and  before  Him  shall 


bow  the  knees  of  all  in  heaven,  on  earth,  and  un- 
der the  earth,  and  all  tongues  must  confess  that 
Christ  is  the  LORD,  to  the  glory  of  God  the 
Father. 

12.  On  ii.  22.  Of  what  do  men  not  make  idols! 
The  great  industrial  expositions  of  modern  times 
often  fill  me  with  dismay,  when  I  have  seen  how 
men  carry  on  an  actual  idolatrous  worship  with 
ihese  products  of  human  science  and  art,  as  if  that 
all  were  not,  in  the  end,  God  s  work,  too,  but  hu- 
man genius  were  alone  the  creator  of  these  won- 
ders of  civilization.     How  wickedly  this  so-called 
worship  of  genius  demeans  itself!    How  loathsome 
is  the  still  more  common  cultus  of  power,  mam- 
mon and  the  belly ! 

13.  On  iii.   1  sqq.     Causa  auarii<?ft  etc.     "  The 
saving  cause  of  the  commonwealth   is  the  pos- 
session of  men  of  the  sort  here  mentioned,  which 
Plato  also  knew,  and  Cicero  from  Plato,  each  of 
whom  judge,  commonwealths  would  be  blessed  if 
philosophers,  i.  e.,  wise   and  adept  men  were  to 
administer  them."— FOERSTER.    The  same  writer 
cites  among  the  causes  why  the  loss  of  such  men 
is  ruinous,  the  changes  that  thence  ensue.     All 
changes  in  the  commonwealth  are  hurtful.     XEN- 
OPH.  Hellen.  2 :    "  flat  pev  -aoai  [if.Ta/1n%ai  noAt- 

UV    ^avar^opot."     ARISTOT.   Meluph.  2:    ''  al 
era fiofatl    irdvruv  rapa^u^Eic." 

14.  On  ver.  1.    "The  stay  of  bread,"  etc.     Vl- 
TRINGA  cites  Horat.  Satir.  L.  II.,  3  v.  153  sq.: 

Deficient  inopem  vence  te,  ni  cibus  atque 
Inyens  accedit  stomacho  fultura  ruenti. 

And  on  ver.  2  sq.  he  cites  CICERO,  who,  De  Nat' 
Deorum  III.,  calls  these  " prcesidia  humana,"  "fir- 
namenta  reipitbticas."  On  ver.  6  sq.  the  same  au- 
thor cites  the  following  passage  from  LIVY  (xxvi. 
chap.  6)  :  "  Cam  fame  fen  oque  (Capuani)  urycrtn- 
tur,  nee  ulla  spes  superesset  Us,  qui  nati  in  spem  ho- 
norum  erant,  honor  es  detrectantibus,  Lesius  qucrendo 
lesertam  et  proditam  a  primoribus  Capuam  summum 
magistratum  ultlmws  omnium  Campanorum  cepitf" 
On  ver.  9  he  quotes  SENECA:  Devitn  beuta,  chap, 
xii. :  "Itaque  quod  unum  habebant  in  peewit  is  bn- 
num  perdunt  pcccandi  verecundiam.  Lau- 
dant  enim  ea,  quibus  erubescant,  et  vitio  c/lorian- 
\" 

15.  On  iii.  4  and  12.      FOERSTER  remarks: 
Pueri,  etc.     "  Boys  are  of  two  sorts.     Some  are 
so  in  respect  to  age,  others  in  respect  to  moral 
qualifications.     So,  too,  on  the  contrary  there  ia 
an  old  age  of  two  sorts  :  "  For  honorable  age  is 
not  that  which  standeth  in  length  of  time,  nor  that 
3  measured  by  number  of  years.     But  wisdom  is 
he  true  gray  hair  unto  men,  and  an  unspotted  life 
s  the  true  old  age."    Wisd.  iv.  8,  9.   Examples  of 
oung  and  therefore  foolish  kings  of  Israel  are 

Elehoboam  ('' the  young  fool  gambled  away  tea 
whole  tribes  at  one  bet"  1  Kings  xii).  Ahaz, 
who  was  twenty  years  of  age  when  he  began  to 
•eign  (2  Kings  xvi.  2).  Manasseh  who  was 
welve  years  (2  Kings  xxi.  1,)  and  Amon  who 
was  twenty-two  years  (2  Kings  xxi.  19). 

16.  On  iii.  7.    FOERSTER  remarks  :     Nemo  se, 
'•tc.  _  "  Let  no  one  intrude  himself  into  office,  es- 
lecially  when  he  knows  he  is  not  fit  for  it,"  and 
then  cites:  ''  Se^k  not  of  the  LORD  pre-eminence, 
neither  of  the  king  the  seat  of  honor.     Justify 
not  thyself  before  the  LORD  ;  and  boast  not  of 
thy  wisdom   before  the  king.     Seek  not  to  be 


CHAP.  V.  8-30. 


judge,  being  not  able  to  take  away  iniquity. 
Ecclus.  vii.  4-6." — "  Wen  aber  Gott  schickt,  den 
,   macht  er  auch  geschickt." 

17.  On  iii.  8.    "  Their  tongue  and  their  doings 
are  against  the  LORD.':  Duptici  rnodo,  etc.     "  Goo 
may  be  lionored  by  us  in  two  outward  ways :   by 
word  and  deed,  just  as  in  the  same  way  others 
come  short;  '' to  convince  all  that  are  ungodly 
among  them  of  all  their  ungodly  deeds,  which 
they  have    committed,  and   of    all    their   hard 
speeches   which   ungodly  sinners    have  spoken 
against  him."     Jude  15. — VITRINGA. 

18.  On  iii.  9.    "They  hide  not  their  sin."    Se- 
cunda  post,  etc.     "The   next  plank  after  ship- 
wreck, and  solace  of  miseries  is  to  hide  one's  im- 
piety."— JEKOME. 

19.  On  iii.  10.  "  Now  He  comforts  the  pious  as 
in  Ps.  ii.    His  anger  will  soon  kindle,  but  it  shall 
be  well  with  all  that  trust  in  Him.  So  Abraham, 
so  Lot  was  delivered  ;  so  the  apostles  and  the 
remnant  of  Judah  when  Jerusalem  was  besieged. 
For  the  Lord  helps  the  righteous  (Ps.  xxxvii. 
17,  39)."— LUTHER. 

20.  On  iii.  13,  14. 

"  Judicabit  judices  judex  generalis, 
Neque  quiaquam  proderit  dignitas  papalis, 
Sive  sit  episcopus,  sive  cardinalis, 
Reus  coudemiiabitur,  nee  dieetur  qualis." 

"Rkythmi  vulgo  noti,"  quoted  by  FOERSTER. 

21.  On  iii.  16  sq.   Usus  vestium,  etc.     "Clothes 
have  a  four-fold  use:  1)  they  are  the  badge  of 
guilt,  or  souvenir  of  the  fall  (Gen.  iii.  7,  10,  21) ; 

2)  they  should  be  coverings  against  the  weather ; 

3)  they  may  be  ornaments  for  the  body,  (Prov. 
xxxi.  22,  25)  ;  4)  they  may  serve  as  a  mark  of 
rank  (2  Sarn.  xiii.  18). — The  abuse  of  clothes  is 
three-fold  ;  1)  in  regard  to  the  material,  they  may 
be  costlier  or  more  splendid  than  one's  wealth  or 
rank  admits  of;  2)  in  respect  of  form,  they  may 
betray  buffoonery  and  levity  ;    3)  in  respect  to 
their  object,  they  may  be  worn  more  for  the  dis- 
play of  luxury  and  pride  than  for  protection  and 
modest  adornment." — FOERSTER. 

22.  On  iv.  2.   "Oermen  Jehovae  est  nomen 
Messice  mysticum,  a  nemine  inlellectum,  quam  qui 
tenet  mysterium  Patris  et  Christi.     Idem  valet  quod 
films  propac/o  Patris  naturalis,  in  quo  patris  sai 
imago  et  gloria  perfect  issime  splendet,  Jessaiae  in  seqq. 

(ix.  5)  T7\  p,  f  Hits,  Joanni  6  ?6yo<;  rov  $cni>y  6 
vibe  ifpor6roKO(l  [iwoyevf/r,  processio  Patris  natu- 
ralis. Est  hie  eruditi  cujusdam  viri  elegans  obser- 
vatio,  quae  eodem  tendit,  quam  non  licet  intactam 
praetermitlere.  Comparat  ille  inter  se  nomina  Mes- 
sice TH  m*  (Jer.  xxiii.  5)  et  niTV  PD¥  in  hoc 
loco.  Cum  autem  prior  appeUatio  absque  dubitatione 
innuat,  Messiam  fore  filinm,  Davidis,  docet  poster  io- 
rem  avah>yiK<~>r  non  posse  aliud  signiftcare  quam  fili- 
um  Jehovae.  quod  nomen  Christi  Jesu  est  HVGTIKUTK- 
pov,  omni  olio  nomine  excellentius.  Addit  non  minus 
docte,  personam,  quae  hie  germen  Jehovae  dicitur, 
deinceps  a  propheta  nostro  appellari  Jehovam  (xxviii. 
5)."  —  VITRINGA.  This  exposition,  which  is 
retained  by  most  Christian  and  orthodox  com- 
mentators, ignores  too  much  the  fundamen- 
tal meaning  of  the  word  np¥,  "Branch."  It 


is,  nevertheless,  not  incorrect  so  far  as  the 
broader  meaning  includes  the  narrower  concen- 
trically. If  "  Branch  of  Jehovah  "  signifies  all 
that  is  the  personal  offshoot  of  God,  then,  of 
course,  that  one  must  be  included  who  is  such  in 
the  highest  and  most  perfect  sense,  and  in  so  far 
the  passage  xxviii  5  does  not  conflict  with  ex- 
position given  by  us  above. 

[J.  A.  ALEXANDER  joins  with  VITRINGA  and 
HENGSTENBERG  in  regarding  "the  fruit  of  the 
earth,"  as  referring  to  the  same  subject  as  "  the 
branch  of  the  LORI>,"  viz.  :  the  Messiah  ;  and 
thus,  while  the  latter  term  signifies  the  divine 
nature  of  the  Messiah,  the  former  signifies  His 
human  origin  and  nature ;  or  if  we  translate 
"  land  "  instead  of  earlh,  it  points  to  his  Jewish 
human  origin.  Thus  appears  an  exact  cor- 
respondence to  the  two  parts  of  Paul's  descrip* 
tion,  Rom.  i.  3,  4,  and  to  the  two  titles  used  in 
the  New  Testament  in  reference  to  Christ's 
two  natures.  SON  OF  GOD  AND  SON  OP  MAN. — 
TR.]. 

23.  On  iv.  3,  4.     Great  storms  and  upheavals, 
therefore,  are  needful,  in  order  to  make  the  ful- 
filment of  this  prophecy  possible.     There  must 
first  come  the  breath  of  God  from  above,  and  the 
flame  of  God   from  beneath  over  the  earth,  and 
the  human  race  must  first  be  tossed   and  sifted. 
The  earth  and  mankind  must  first  be  cleansed  by 
great  judgments  from  all  the  leaven  of  evil.     [J. 
A.  ALEXANDER,  with  LUTHER,  CALVIN,  EWALD, 
maintains  concerning  the  word  Spirit  in  ver.  4, 
that  "  the  safest  and  most  satisfactory  interpreta- 
tion is  that  which  understands  by  it  a  personal 
spirit,  or  as  Luther  expresses  it,  the  Spirit  who 
shall  judge  and   burn." — TR.].     What  survives 
these  judgments  is  the  remnant  of  which   Isaiah 
speaks.     This  shall  be  holy.     In  it  alone  shall 
the  LORD  live  and  rule.     This  remnant   is  one 
with  the  new  humanity  which  in  every  part,  both 
as  respects  body  and  soul,  will  represent  the  image 
of  Christ  the  second  Adam.     This  remnant,  at 
the  same  time,  comprehends  those  whose  names 
are  written  in  the  book  of  life.     What  sort  of  a 
divine  book  this  may  be,  with  what  sort  of  cor- 
poral, heavenly  reality,  of  course  we  know  not. 
For   Himself  God  needs   no   book.     Yet  if  we 
compare  the  statements  of  the  Revelation  of  John 
regarding  the  way  in  which  the  last  judgment 
shall  be  held,  with  certain  other  New  Testament 
passages,  I   think  we  obtain  some  explanation, 
We  read   Matt.  xix.  28,  tint  on  the  day  of  the 
•egeneration,  when  the  Son  of  Man  shall  sit  on 
he  throne  of  His  glory,  the  twelve  apostles,  too, 
shall  sit  on  twelve  thrones  to  judge  the  genera- 
ions  of  Israel.     And  1  Cor.  v.  2,  we  read  that 
lie  saints  shall  judge  the  world.     But,  Rev.  xx. 
11,  we  find  again  the  great  white  throne,  whereon 
sits  the  great  Judge  of  the  living  and  the  dead, 
ifter  that,  just  before  (ver.  4),  it  was  said:  "  And 
!  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat  upon  them,  and  judg- 
ment  was    given    unto   them."      Afterwards   it 
reads  (ver.  12):    ''And   I  saw  the  dead,  small 
and  great,  stand  before  God  ;  and  the  books  were 
jpened  ;  and  another  book  was  opened,  which  is 
he  book  of  life ;  and  the  dead  were  judged  out 
>f  those  things  which  were  written  in  the  books, 
iccording  to  their  works."  And  (ver.  15).  ''And 
whosoever  was  not  found  written  in  the  book  of 


100 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


life  was  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire."  From  this 
description  there  seems  to  me  to  result  that  the 
books  necessarily  arc  meant  for  those  who  are, 
by  the  Supreme"  Judge  charged  with  the  judg- 
ment of  particular  ones.  To  this  end  they  need, 
in  the  first  place,  many  books  that  contain  the 
works  of  individuals.  God  has  a  book-keeping 
for  the  life  of  every  man.  This  divine  record 
will  be  produced  to  every  single  one  at  the  day 
of  judgment.  Is  he  a  Jew?  by  one  of  the  twelve 
Apostle*.  Is  he  a  heathen?  by  some  other  saint. 
No  man  shall  be  able  to  remonstrate  against  this 
account  for  it  will  carry  the  evidence  of  truth  in 
itself,  and  in  the  consciences  of  those  to  be  judged 
Should  such  a  protest  occur,  the  arraigned  will 
be  referred  to  the  book  of  life.  This  is  only  one. 
For  it  contains  only  names.  After  this  manner 
will  the  separation  be  accomplished,  spoken  of 
in  Matt.  xxv.  32  sq.  For  those  whose  names 
are  found  in  the  book  of  life  go  to  the  light  side ; 
the  rest  to  the  left.  Then  the  great  Judge  Him- 
self takes  up  the  word  in  the  manner  described 
in  Matt.  xxv.  34  sqq.,  and  calls  the  righteous  to 
Himself,  that  they  may  inherit  the  kingdom  that 
is  prepared  for  them.'  But  the  wicked  He  re- 
pulses from  Him  into  everlasting  fire,  that  is  pre- 
pare;! for  tli2  devil  and  his  angels,  in  regard  to 
which  the  account  of  the  judgment  in  Matt,  xxv., 
as  far  as  the  end  is  concerned,  harmonizes  en- 
tirely with  Kcv.  xx.  15 

24.  On  iv.  o,  G.  "The  pillar  of  fire  and  cloud 
belongs  to  the  miraculous  graces  by  which  the 
founding  of  the  Old  Testament  kingdom  of 
God  was  glorified  just  as  the  New  Testament 
kingdom  was  by  the  signs  that  Jesus  did,  and  by 
the  charismata  of  the  Apostolic  time.  But  that 
appearance  was  quite  appropriate  to  the  state  of 
develop;;:!  revelation  of  that  time.  Tins  had  not 
reached  the  New  Testament  level,  and  not  even 
the  prophetic  elevation  that  was  possible  under 
the  Old  Testament,  but  only  the  legal  in  which 
the  divine  stands  outwardly  oppose:!  to  the  hu- 
man. God  is  present  among  His  people,  but  still 
in  the  most  outward  way  ;  He  does  not  walk  in 
a  human  way  among  men  ;  there  is,  too,  no  in- 
ward loading  of  the  congregation  by  the  Holv 
Spirit,  but  an  outward  conducting  by  a  visible 
heavenly  appearance.  And,  for  these  revelations 
to  the  whole  people,  God  makes  u=e  entirely  of 
nature,  and,  when  it  concerns  His  personal  mani- 
festation, of  the  elements.  He  does  so,  not  mere- 
ly in  distinction  from  the  patriarchal  (heophanics, 
.  .  .  ,  but,  particularly  in  contrast  with  heathen- 
ism, in  order  to  accustom  the  Israelitish  con- 
sciousness from  the  first  not  to  deify  the  visible 
world,  but  to  penetrate  through  it  to  the  living, 
holy  Go;!,  who  has  all  the  elements  of  nature  at 
command  as  the  medium  of  His  revelation." — 
AUBERLEX. 

Aa  at  the  close  of  John's  Kevelation  (chaps, 
xxi.,  xxii.)  we  see  the  manifestation  of  the  God- 
head|  to  humanity  return  to  its  beginning  (Gen. 
ii.,  iii.,  iv.),  in  as  much  as  that  end  restores  just 
that  with  which  the  beginning  began,  i.  e.  the 
dwelling  of  God  with  men,  so,  too,  we  see  in  Isa. 
iv.  5,  6,  a  special  manifestation  of  the  (relative) 
beginning  lime  recur  again  in  the  end  time  ;  the 
pillar  of  fire  and  cloud.  But  what  in  the  begin- 
ning was  an  ^outward  and  therefore  enigmatical 
and  unenduring  appearance,  shall  at  last  be  a 


necessary  and  aliding  factor  of  the  mutual  rela- 
tion between  God  and  mankind,  that  shall  be 
established  for  ever  in  its  full  glory.  There  shall 
come  a  time  wherein  Israel  shall  expand  to  human- 
ity and  humanity  receive  power  to  become  Israel, 
wherein,  therefore,  the  entire  humanity  shall  be 
Israel.  Then  is  the  tabernacle  of  God  with  men 
no  more  a  pitiful  tent,  made  of  mats,  but  the  holy 
congregation  is  itself  the  living  abode  of  God  ; 
and  the  gracious  presence  of  Almighty  God, 
whose  glory  compares  with  the  o!d  pillar  of  fire 
and  cloud,  like  the  new,  eternal  house  of  God, 
with  the  old  perishable  tabernacle,  is  then  itself 
the  light  and  defence  of  His  house. 

25.  On  iv.  5,  6.     "  But  give  diligence  to  learn 
this,  that  the  Prophet  calls  to  mind,  that  Christ 
alone  is  destined  to  be  the  defence  and  shade  of 
those  that  suffer  from  heat  and  rain.  Fasten  your 
eyes  upon  Him,  hang  upon  Him  as  ye  are  ex- 
horted to  do  by  the  divine  voice,  'Him  shall  ye 
hear !'     Whoever  hearkens  to  another,  whoever 
looks  to  any  other  flesh  than  this,  it  is  all  over 
with  him.     For  He  alone  shelters  us  from   the 
heat,  that  comes  from  contemplating  the  majesty 
(i.e.  from   the   terror   that  God's   holiness  and 
righteousness  inspire),  He  alone  covers  us  from 
the  rain  and  the  power  of  Sa:an.     This  shade 
affords  us  a  coolness,  so  that  the  dread  of  wrath 
gives  way.     For  wrath  cannot  be  there  where 
thou  secst  the  Son  of  God  given  to  death  for  thee, 
that  thou  mightest  live.     Therefore  I  commend 
to  you  that  name  of  Christ,  wherewith  the  Pro- 
phet adorns   Him,  that  He   is  a  tabernacle  for 
shade  against  the  heat,  a  refuge  and  place  of  con- 
cealment from  rain  and  tempest." — LUTHER. — 
With  some  modification,  we  may  apply  here  the 
comprehensive  turn  FOERSTER  gives  to  our  pass- 
age :      1)  The  dwelling  of   Mount  Zion  is  the 
church  ;  2)  the  heat  is  the  flaming  wrath  of  God, 
and  the  heat  of  temptation  (1  Pet.  iv.  12;  Ecclus. 
ii.  4,  5) ;  3)   tempest  and  rain  are  the  punish- 
ments of  sins,  or  rather  the  inward  and  outward 
trials  (Ps.  ii. ;  Isa.   Ivii.  20)  ;  4)  the  defence  or 
the  pillar  of  cloud  and  fire  is  Jesus  Christ  (1 
Cor.  x.). 

26.  On  v.  1-7.     This  parable  has  a  brother  in 
the  New  Testament  that  looks  very  much  like  it. 
I  might  Fay :  the  head  is  almost  the  same.     For 
the  beginning  of  that  New  Testament  parable 
(\Intth.  xxi.  33;  Mar.  xii.  1),  "A  man  planted 
a  vineyard,  and  set  an  hedge  about  it,  and  digged 
a  wine-fat  and  built  a  tower,''  is  manifestly  imi- 
tated after  our  passage.     But  here  it  is  the  vine- 
yard that  is  bad,  while  there,  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment,  the   husbandmen   are   good    for  nothing. 
Here  the  Lord  appears  as  at  once  owner  and  cul- 
tivator of  the  vineyard  ;  there  the  owner  and  cul- 
tivators are  distinguished.     This  arises  from  the 
fact  that  the  Lord  Jesus  apparently  had  in  His 
mind  the  chiefs  of  the  people,  "  the  high-priests 
and  elders"  (Matth.xxi.  23,  24).     From  this  it 
is  manifest  that  here  as  there  the  vineyard  is  the 
nation.     In  Isaiah,  however,  the  vineyard,  that 
is  to  say  the  vine  itself  is  accused.     The  whole 
people  is  represented  as  having  equally  gone  to 
destruction.      In    the   Synoptists,    on   the   other 
hand,  it  is  the  chiefs  and  leaders  that  come  be- 
tween the  Lord  and  His  vineyard,  and  would  ex- 
clude Him  from  Ilia  property,  in  order  to  be  able 
to  obtain  it  wholly  for  themselves,  and  divide  it 


CHAP.  V.  8-30. 


101 


amongst  them.  Therefore  there  it  is  more  the 
wicked  greed  of  power  and  gain  in  the  great  that 
is  reproved  ;  here  the  common  falling  away  of 
the  whole  nation. 

27.  V.  8.    Here  the   Prophet   denounces   the 
rich,  the  aristocracy,  and  capital.     Thus  he  takes 
the  part  of  the  poor  and  lowly.     That  grasping 
of  the  rich  and  noble,  which  they  display  some- 
times like  beasts  of  prey,  at  other  times  gratify  in 
a  more  crafty  and  legal  fashion,  the  Prophet  re- 
bukes here  in  the  sharpest  manner.     God's  work 
is  opposed  to  every  sin,  and  ever  stands  on  the 
side  of  those  that  sutler  oppression,  no  matter  what 
may  be  their  rank.     God  is  no  respecter  of  persons 
(Deut.  x.  17  sq.). 

28.  V.  11-17.    The  morning  hour,  the   hour 
when  light  triumphs  over  darkness,  ought  to  be 
consecrated  to  works  of  light,  as  it  is  said:  Aurora 
Musis  arnica,  yu<;  rot  irpotyepei  [lev  ofiov,  TrpoQepsi  Je 
Kal  spyov  (HESIOD.  kpy.  K.  im.  540,  Morgenstund 
hat  Gold  im  Hand.    "  It  was,"  says  FOEKSTER,  "  a 
laudable   custom   among  the    Persians,   that   the 
chamberlains  entering  in  to  their  kings  early  in 
the  morning,  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice:  'Arise, 
O  king,  attend  to  business,  as  Mesoromastes  com- 
mands.'"   On   the  other  hand,   "they   that  be 
drunken  are  drunken  in  the  night,"  1  Thess.  v. 
7  sq.     So  much  the  worse,  then,  when  men  do  the 
works  of  night  even  in  the  early  hour,  and  dare 
to  abuse   the  light.     "Plcnus  venter  despumat  in 
libidines,"  says  AUGUSTINE.    In  vino  aauria  (Eph. 
V.  18).     Corpus,  opes,  an  imam  luxu  Germania  per- 
dlt.  MELANCTHON.     On  ver.  15  FOERSTER  cites 
the  expression  of  AUGUSTIN:  "God  would   not 
suffer  any  evil  to  be  done  in  the  world  unless 
some  good  might  thence  be  elicited." 

29.  V-  18.    "Cords  of  vanity  are  false  preju- 
dices and  erroneous  conclusions.     For  example: 
no  one  is  without  sin,  not  even  the  holiest;  God 
does  not  take  notice  of  small  sins;  he  that  is  among 
wolves  must  howl  with  them  ;  a  man  cannot  get 
along  in  the  world  with  a  scrupulous,  tender  con- 
science; the  Lord  is  merciful,  the  flesh  is  weak, 
etc.     By  such  like  a  man  draws  sin  to  him,  binds 
his  conscience  fast,  and  resists  the  good  motions 
of  preventing  grace.     Thick  cart-ropes  signify  a 
high  degree  of  wickedness,  the  coarsest  and  most 
revolting  prejudices.     For  example:  God  lias  no 
concern  about  human  affairs;  godliness  delivers 
no  one  from  misery  and  makes  no  one  blessed ; 
the  threatcnings  of  the  prophets  are  not  to  be 
feared  ;  there  is  no  divine  providence,  no  heaven, 
no  hell  (Dcut.  xxix.  17,  18,  19).     Out  of  such  a 
man  twists  and  knots  a  stout  rope,  with  which 
he  draws  to  him  manifest  blasphemy,  entangles 
himself  in  it,  so  that  often  he  cannot  get  loose,  but 
is  sold  as  a  servant  under  sin   (Rom.  vi.  16;   1 
Kings  xxi.  20,  25)."  STARKE. 

30.  V.  19.    "The  wicked  mock  at  the  patience 
and  long-suffering  of  God,  as  if  He  did  not  see  or 
care  for  their  godless  existence,  but  forgot  them, 
and  cast  them  out  of  mind  (Ps.  x.  11 ),  so  that  the 
threatened  punishment  would  be  omitted.     They 
would  say:  there  has  been  much  threatening,  but 
nothing  will  come  of  it;  if  God  is  in  earnest,  let 
Him,  etc.;  we  don't  mind  threats;  let  God  come 
on  if  lie  will!     Comp.  xxii.  12,  13;  xxviii.  21, 
22;    Am.  v.  18;    Jer.  v.  12;    viii.  11 ;    xvii.  15; 
Ezek.  xii.  21  sqq."  STARKE. 

31.  V.  20.  "To  make  darkness  of  light,  means 


to  smother  in  oneself  the  fundamental  truths  that 
may  be  proved  from  the  light  of  nature,  and  the 
correct  conclusions  inferred  from  them,  but  espe- 
cially revealed  truths  that  concern  religion,  and 
to  pronounce  them  in  others  to  be  prejudices  and 
errors.  Bitter  and  sweet  have  reference  to  con- 
stitution, how  it  is  known  and  experienced.  To 
make  sweet  of  bitter  means,  to  recommend  as 
sweet,  pleasant  and  useful,  what  is  bad  and  be- 
longs to  darkness,  and  is  in  fact  bitter  and  dis- 
tasteful, after  one  himself  believes  he  possesses  in 
the  greatest  evil  the  highest  good."  STARKE.  • 

32.  V.  21.  ''Quotquot  mortalcs,"  etc.     As  many 
as,  taking  counsel  of  flesh,  pursue  salvation  with 
confidence  of  any  port  of  merit  of  their  own  or  ex- 
ternal privilege,  a  thing  to  which  human  nature 
is  much  inclined,  oppose  their  own  device  to  the 
wisdom  of  God,  and,  according  to  the  prophet,  are 
called  wise  in  their  own  eyes  (xxviii.  15  ;  xxx.  1, 
2 ;    Jcr.  viii.  8,  9  ;    ix.  23  sq.;    xviii.  18).    ViT- 
RINGA. 

33.  V.  26  sqq.   The  Prophet  here  expresses  in 
a  general  way  the  thought  that  the  Lord  will  call 
distant  nations  to  execute  judgment  on  Jerusa- 
lem, without   having  in  mind  any  particular  na- 
tion.     VITRINGA    quotes  a  remarkable  passage 
from  the  excerpts  of  JOHN  ANTIOCIIENUS  in  VA- 
LESIUS  (p.  816),  where  it  is  said,  that  immediately 
after   TITUS  had  taken  Jerusalem,  ambassadors 
from  all  the  neighboring  nations  came  to  him  to 
salute  him  as  victor  and  present  him  crowns  of 
honor.     TITUS  refused  these  crowns,  "saying  that 
it  was  not  he  that  had  effected  these  things,  but 
that  they  were  done  by  God  in  the  display  of  His 
wrath,  and  who  had  prospered  his  hands."    Comp, 
also  the  address  of  TITUS  to  his  soldiers  after  the 
taking  of  Jerusalem  in  JOSEPH.  B.  Jud.  VII.  19. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  ii.  6-11.     Idolatry.     1)    What    occasions  it 
(alienation  from  God,  ver.  6  a) ;    2)  The  different 
kinds:  a.  a  coarse  kind  (ver.  6  6,  ver.  8),  6.  a  more 
refined  kind  ^ver.  7) ;    3)   Its  present  appearance 
(great  honor  of  the  idols  and  of  their  worship- 
pers, ver.  9);  4)  Its  fate  at  last  (deepest  humilia- 
tion before  the  revelation  of  the  majesty  of  God 
of  all  that  do  not  give  glory  to  Him  (vers.  10, 18). 

2.  ii.  12-22.2'Ae  false  and  the  true  eminence.    1) 
False   eminence   is   that  which  at   first   appears 
high,  but  at  last  turns  out  to  be  low  (to  this  be- 
longs impersonal  as  well  as  snperscnsuous  crea- 
tures, which  at  present  appear  as  the  highest  in 
the  world,  but  at  last,  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  of 
Hosts,  shall  turn  out  to  be  nothing);  2)  The  real 
eminence  is  that  which  at  first  is  inconspicuous 
and  inferior,  but  which  at  last  turns  out  to  be  the 
highest,  in  fact  the  only  high  one. 

3.  iii.  1-9.  Sin  is  the  destruction  of  a  people.    1) 
What  is  sin?     Resisting  the  Lord:  a.  with  the 
tongue,  6.  with  deeds,  c.  with  the  interior  being 
(vers.  8,  9) ;  2)  In  what  does  the  destruction  con- 
sist (or  the  fall  according  to  ver.  8  a)?  a.  in  the 
loss  of  every  thing  that  constitutes  the  necessary 
and  sure  support  of  the  commonwealth  (vers.  1- 
3) ;  b.  in  insecure  and  weak  props  rising  up  (ver. 
4) ;  c.  in  the  condition  that  follows  of  being  with- 
out a  Master  (ver.  5) ;  d.  in  the  impossibility  of 
finding  any  person  that  will  take  the  governance 
of  such  a  ruinous  state  (vers.  6,  7). 


102 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


4.  iii.  4.  Insurrection  is  forbidden  by  God  in 
express  words,  who  says  to  Moses  "  that  which  is 
altogether  just  thou  shall  follow,"  Deut.  xvi.  20. 
Why  may  not   God   permit  an    intolerable  and 
often  unjust  authority  to  rule  a  land  for  the  same 
reason  that  He  suffers  children  to  have  bad  and 
unjust  parents,  and  the  wife  a  hard  and  intolera- 
ble husband,  whose  violence  they  cannot  resist? 
la  it  not  expressly  said  by  the  Prophet  "  I  will 
give  children  to  be  their  princes,  and  babes  shall 
rule  over  them?"     "I  gave  thee  a  king  in  mine 
ftnger,  and  took  him  away  in  my  wrath,"  Hos. 
xiii.  11.  TIIOLUCK. 

5.  iii.  10-13.    "Let   us  learn  to  distinguish  be- 
tween false  and  real,  comfort."     1)  False  comfort 
deals  in  illusion:  the  real  deals  in  truth;   2)  The 
false  produces  a  present  effect ;  the  real  a  lasting 


one;   3)  The  false  injures  the  one  comforted;  the 
real  is  health  to  him."  HARMS. 

6.  iv.  2-6.  The  holiness  of  God's  Church  on  earth 
that  is  to  be  looked  for  in  the  future.     1 )  Its  preli- 
minary: the  judgment  of  cleansing  and  purifying 
(ver.  4) ;  2)  What  is  requisite  to  becoming  a  par- 
taker?  a.  belonging  to  the  remnant  (vers.  2,  3) ; 
b.  being  written  in  the  book  of  life  (ver.  3) ;  3)  The 
surety  of  its  permanence:  the  gracious  presence  of 
the  Lord  (vers.  5,  G). 

7.  v.  21.   The  ruin  of  trusting   in  one's  oun  wis- 
dom.    1)  Those  that   have  such   confidence   set 
themselves  above  God,  which  is:  a.  the  greatest 
wickedness,  b.  the  greatest  folly;    2)  They  chal- 
lenge the  Divine  Majesty  to  maintain  its  right 
(ver.  24). 


C -THE  THIRD  PORTAL. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


We  have  already  shown  above,  in  the  general 
introduction  to  the  threefold  entranca,  that  Isaiah 
would  not  place  this  account  of  his  call  at  the 
head  because  he  felt  the  need  of  preparing  his 
readers  for  it.  At  the  same  time  ha  brings  it 
about  that  this,  not  merely  elevated,  but  holy, 
and  even  holiest  of  all  dramas,  is  put  in  the  place 
that  bacomci  a  holiest  of  all,  that  is  to  say,  not 
without,  but  within ;  not  in  aditu,  but  in  adyto. 
As  in  the  temple,  the  court  of  the  priests  and  the 
holy  place,  with  the  altar  of  incense,  constituted 
the  approach  to  the  holiest  of  all,  so,  too,  here 
Isaiah  puts  two  entrances  in  front  of  that  history 
that  really  transposes  us  into  the  inmost  sanctu- 
ary, that  explains  to  us  how  it  was  possible  that 
Isaiah,  the  son  of  Amoz,  should  be  admitted  to 
the  vision  of  God,  and  had  the  boldness  to  offer 
himself  as  God's  messenger.  If  one  were  not  go- 
verned by  the  illusion  that  only  chap.  i.  can  be 
an  introduction,  it  would  never  enter  his  mind 
that  chap.  vi.  is  the  account  of  a  second  call  to  a 
merely  special  mission.  DELITZSCH  remarks : 


"  What  UMBREIT  says,  that  chap.  vi.  makes  the 
impression  on  every  unprejudiced  mind  of  being 
the  inaugural  vision  of  the  Prophet  cannot  in  fact 
be  denied.  Only  the  position  that  chap.  vi.  has 
in  the  book  wields  a  contrary  influence  against 
this  impression  as  long  as  it  does  not  admit  of 
being  understood  in  some  other  way.  But  the 
impression  remains  (as  with  i.  7-9)  and  even  re- 
appears." Well,  then,  we  bring  the  impression 
that  chap.  vi.  makes  (of  being  the  account  of  the 
inauguration)  into  the  most  harmonious  relation 
to  the  place  it  holds  in  the  book,  by  explaining  it 
as  the  third,  the  most  elevated  and  holiest  en- 
trance to  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah.  Concerning 
the  time  of  its  composition  not  much  need  be 
said.  That  Isaiah  wrote  chapter  vi.  no  one  de- 
nies. Whether,  then,  he  wrote  it  immediately 
after  he  had  the  vision,  or  later,  is  indifferent. 
From  the  nature  of  things  the  former  is  more 
probable.  At  all  events  he  assigned  the  chap- 
ter its  present  position  when  he  made  up  hia 
book. 


THE  SOLEMN  INAUGURATION  OF  THE  PROPHET. 

CHAPTER  VI.  1-13. 

IN  the  year  that  king  Uzziah  died  I  saw  also  the  LORD  sitting  upon  a  throne, 
2  high  and  lifted  up,  and  'his  train  filled  the  the  temple.     Above  ait  stood  the  sera- 
phim :  each  one  had  six  wings ;  with  twain  he  covered  his  face,  and  with  twain 
d  he  covered  his  feet,  and  with  twain  he  did  fly.     And  2one  cried  unto  another,  and 
said, 


CHAP.  VI.  1-13.  103 


Holy  !  holy  !  holy  !  is  the  LORD  of  hosts  : 
3The  whole  earth  is  full  of  his  glory. 

4  And  the  "posts  of  the  Moor  moved  at  the  voice  of  "him  that  cried,  and  the  house 

5  was  filled  with  smoke.     Then  said  I,  Woe  is  me  !  for  I  am  5undone;  because  I  am 
a  man  of  unclean  lips,  and  I  dwell  in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  unclean  lips  :  for 
mine  eyes  have  seen  the  King,  the  LORD  of  hosts. 

6  Then  fiew  one  of  the  seraphim  unto  me,  6having  da  live  coal  in  his  hand,  which 

7  he  had  taken  with  the  tongs  from  off  the  altar:    and  he  Tlaid  it  upon  my  mouth, 
and  said,  Lo,  this  hath  touched  thy  lips  ;  and  thine  iniquity  is  taken  away,  and  thy 
sin  "purged. 

8  Also  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  LORD,  saying,  Whom  shall  I  send,  and  who  will  go 

9  for  us  ?    Then  said  1,  8Here  am  I  ;  send  me.     And  he  said,  Go,  and  tell  this  people, 
Hear  ye  9indeed,  but  understand  not  ; 

And  see  ye  10findeed,  but  perceive  not. 

10  Make  the  heart  of  this  people  fat, 

And  make  their  ears  heavy,  and  8shut  their  eyes  , 

Lest  they  see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear  with  their  ears, 

And  understand  with  their  heart,  and  convert,  and  be  healed. 

11  Then  said  I,  LORD,  how  long  ?     And  he  answered, 
Until  the  cities  be  wasted  without  inhabitant, 
And  the  houses  without  man, 

And  the  laud  be  nutterly  desolate  ; 

12  And  the  LORD  hhave  removed  men  far  away, 

'And  there  be  a  great  forsaking  in  the  midst  of  the  land. 

13  But  yet  in  it  shall  be  a  tenth, 

12jAnd  it  shall  return,  and  shall  be  eaten  : 

As  a  kteil  tree,  and  as  an  oak,  'whose  13oubstance  is  in  them,  when  tbey  cast  their 

leaves. 
So  the  holy  seed  shall  be  the  substance  thereof. 

1  Or,  the  skirts  thereof.  s  Heb.  this  cried  to  this.  8  Heb.  His  glory  is  the  fulness  of  the  whole  earth. 

4  Hcb.  threshold.  b  Heb.  cut  off.  6  Heb.  and  in  his  hand  a  live  coal. 

J  Hob.  caused  it  to  touch.  8  Hub  Behold  me.  '  Or,  without  ceasing,  tic.,  Heb.  in  hearing,  etc. 

10  Hcb.  in  seeing.  u  Heb.  desolate  with  desolation.  u  Or,  when  it  is  returned  and  hath  been  broused, 
13  Or,  stock  or  stem. 

•  him.  b  elbow  joints.  "  the  cry. 

d  a  glowing  stone.  '  is  covered  up.  *  always. 

c  planter  up.  >'  will  remove.  '  And  great  wiU  be  the  desolation. 

J  that  shall  again  burn  up.  k  terebinth.  '  of  which  in  falling  a  stump  remains, 

m  a  holy  need  is  their  stump. 

TEXTUAL    AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  1.  The  prophet  designates  the  Lord  as  'J"1X  (with  \  Ver.  10.  The  verb  JDl^,  pingucm  esss,  is  found  in  the 
the  sign  of  the  accusat,,  but  without  the  article  as  a  pro-  I  Ka]  only  Deut  xxx{{  ^  an(j  jen  v  28  ;  beside  the  pro- 
per noun).  Both  jitX  i-  24  ;  iii.  1  ;  x.  16,  33  ;  six.  4)  and  |  sent  the  H  jph.  OCCUrs  only  Neh.  ix.  25,  with  the  meaning 


'JIN  (iii.  17,  18  ;  iv.  4 ;  vi.  1,  8, 11 ;  vii.  U,  2"  ;  viii.  7  ;  ix. 
7.  16';  x.  12;  xi.  11;  xxi.  6,  8,  16;  xxix.  13;  xxx.  20; 
xxxvii.  24;  xxxviii.  16)  occur  only  in  the  first  part  of 
Isaiah. — K£'J1  D1  is  used  by  Isa.  ii  13,  14,  and  Ivii.  15, 
where  the  Lord  Himself  is  so  named. — Q1 7l2/  the  hem, 
the  broad  folded  train  of  which  the  hems  are  the  ends. 
The  word  (used  mostly  of  the  priestly  garments,  Exod. 
xxviii.  33,  34 ;  xxxix.  24,  25,  26 ;  comp.  Jer.  xiii.  22,  20 ; 
Nah.  iii.  5)  does  not  again  occur  in  Isaiah 


Ver.  3.  «?D  (is  not  infin.,  which  is  always  j"\X  /D,  but) 


is  substantive,  written  oftener  N'l/D-    Comp.  viii.  8  ; 
xxxi.  4  ;  xxxiv.  1  ;  xlii.  10. 


"  to  become  fat."    The  ears  shall  become  heavy,  hard 

of  hearing,  deaf.    133  (Kal)  is  used  in  this  sense  lix.  1. 

••  T 
Also  the  word  is  used  of  the  eyes  (Gen.  xlviii.  10)  and  of 

the  tongue  (Exod.  ix.  10  [T33  a'lj-];-  Comp.  Zech.  vii. 
11  (Hiph.).  The  Hiph.  occurs  more  frequently  of 
making  heavyt  i.  e.,  hardening  the  heart :  Exod.  viii.  11, 
28  ;  ix.  34 ;  x.  10.  J?K/n  is  the  Hiph.  imperat.  fr 
oblincre,  to  besmear,  plaster  over  (oomp.  xxix.  9:  xxxii. 
3).  ND"1  is  always  used  transitively.  It  must  therefore 

T  T 

be  thought  of  as  joined  to  the  general,  ideal  subject, 
which  the  notion  of  the  verb  of  itself  suggests.  As  is 
well  known,  especially  verbs  that  designate  a  trade  or 


Ver.  7.  Piel  1£)3  and  Pual  133  in  xxii.  14;  xxvii.  9;  |  an  occupation  in  some  art   are  wont  to  be  so   used. 

Therefore  may  a  verb  that  signifies  the  healing  art  be 
readily  so  construed.  Isaiah  resorts  to  this  mode  of 
speech  not  seldom;  vii.  24;  viii.  4:  xxi.  0;  xxxiv.  11. 
One  might  fall  on  the  conject'ire  by  comparison  of  liiL 


xxviii.  18;  xlvii.  11. 


Ver.  8.   }J7  after  Ir7\  is  grammatically  considered 
T  i..  •• 

Dat.  commodi.    Who  will  do  us  a  service  by  going  ?  is 


the  sense. 


5.  that  as  there  so  here  it  ought  to  read 


104 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


Ver.  11.  As  to  particulars,  it  is  to  be  noted  that  "\y_ 
DK  "lt?K  "  until"  (comp.  beside  Gen.  xxviii.  1J;  Num. 
xxxii.  17)  invol\  es  a  conditional  sentence ;  the  end  docs 

not  come,  except  that  before,  etc. In  the  root  PIKE? 

the  meaning  i:to  be  desert"  dcvelopes  out  of  the  mean- 
ing "  to  make  a  noise,  to  rage ;"  comp  xvii.  12  sq. ;  xxxvii. 
20.  and  substantive  JlXtfv.  14;  xiii.  4;  xxiv.  8;  xxv.  5; 

Ixvi.  o. 3tyr  j'XO  comp.  on  v.  9.  —  Hltf  f 'iO  comp. 

Jer.  xxxii.  43;  xxxiii.  10,  12.  The  expression  occurs 
beside  here  only  in  the  second  comforting  discourse 
of  Jeremiah. 

Ver.  12.  The  Piel  prp  is  used  by  Isaiah  again 
only  xxvi.  15;  xxix.  13.  On  the  contrary  Kal.  occurs  in 
the  second  part:  xlvi.  13;  xlix,  19;  liv.  14;  lix.  9,  11. 
Tho  Hiph.  does  not  occur  in  I?aiah  at  all. 

T\yjy  properly  the  forsaken  ono,  fern.  But  this 
feminine  here  must  be  taken  as  the  collective  gc- 
nns.  so  that  the  word  signifies  the  foifakcn  (the  for- 
eakenncss,  desolation).  Comp.  xvii.  2,  9. 


Ver.  13.   l^n?  comp.  iv.  4. nW  is  terebinth  (i. 

30)  and  J19K  oak  (ii.  13;  xliv.  14).  Both  are  extremely 
lasting  trees,  that  become  very  old  and  grow  steadily 

in  size.     Comp.  GESEN.  '1'hcs.  p.  51;  Jobxiv.  7-9. J~O;?L/ 

occurs  again  only  1  Chr.  xxvi.  10,  where  a  flDvBf  "i.£Ef 
is  spoken  of.  Is  thin  the  gate  of  casting  out  (probably 
only  an  opening  in  the  wall  through  which  things  were 
thrown  out)  then  the  word  here  is  dcjcctio,  prostratio 
(comp.  Jer.  ix.  13).  Instead  of  D3  we  look  for  DHO  ac- 
cording to  our  mode  of  expression.  But  the  Hebrew 
in  his  way  of  representation  .sees,  as  it  were,  the  idea 
of  the  whole  tree  before  him  utill,  and  ia  or  on  this  ideal 
tree  he  distinguishes  the  stump  still  present  :\:id  tho 
(in  reality  severed)  trunk.  This  ia  that  use  of  3  l^uit 

may  be  calk-.cl  partitive.    Comp.  at  x.  22. •"IC'X  r-nd 

Q3  belong  together. 171D    J^T?  (comp.  i.  4;  Ezr.  ix. 

2)  signifies  tho  still-existing  principle  of  holy  life.    The 
suffix  i:i  Plfip'j'iS  (J"l3i>rp  only  hero  in  Isaiah, 
xix.  19)  refers  to  rPV^>'- 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Isaiah  describes  in  plain  and  simple  lan- 
guage, by  which  the  grandeur  of  the  contents  is 
only  made  the  more  conspicuous,  how,  in  the  year 
that  King  Uzziah  died  he  saw  the  Lord  sitting 
on  a  high,  elevated  throne.  The  train  of  His  gar- 
ments iilled  the  temple  (ver.  1).  Seraphim  sur- 
rounded Him,  each  having  three  pairs  of  wings : 
one  covered  the  countenance,  one  the  feet,  and 
with  the  third  they  flew  (ver.  2).  One  cried  to 
the  other  the  thrice-holy  (ver.  3),  a  cry  whose 
power  shook  the  threshold.  But  the  house  was 
full  of  smoke  (ver.  4).  The  majestic  vision 
awakes  in  the  Prophet  the  feeling  of  his  sinful- 
ness,  and  the  fear  that  he  shall  be  destroyed,  be- 
cause he,  as  a  sinful  man,  has  seen  the  Lord  (ver. 
6).  But  one  of  the  Seraphs  reconciles  him  with  a 
glowing  coal  that  he  has  taken  from  the  altar 
(vein.  0,7).  Thereupon  the  Prophet  hears  the 
voice  of  the  Lord  himself,  who  asks:  whom  shall 

I  B3nrl  ?     Isaiah  offers  himself  as  messenger  (ver. 
8).     He  is  accepted  and  his  commission  is  im- 
parted to  him.     But  this  commission  is  of  an  ex- 
traordinary character.   For  it  is  not  so  much  told 
him    what  he    shall   announce,   but   what  shall 
be  the  immediate  consequence  of  his  announce- 
ment.    That  is  to  say,  he  shall  speak  to  the  peo- 
ple, but  with  the  (express)  consciousness  that  not 
only  will  it  be  of  no  use,  but  that  the  people  will 
become   only   the    more  hardened  (vers.  9,  ]0). 
The  Prophet,  without  regarding  the  difficulty  for 
himself  in  the  matter,  only  inquires,  because  the 
fate  of  his  people  distresses  him,  how  long  this 
anger  of  the  Lord  against  His  people  is  to  last  (ver. 

II  a.).     This   answer   is :  until  all  is  destroyed 
(ver.  11  6.),  the  land  devoid  of  men   (ver.  12), 
and  not  more  than  a  tenth  part  of  the  inhabitants 
remain  in  it,  tliat  shall  be  dealt  with  as  a  tree 
that  was  felled  for  burning.     For  such  becomes  a 
prey  to  the  flames  to  the  very  stump  that  remains 
in  the  ground.  So  there  will  remain  of  Israel  but 
the  remnant  of  a  remnant  (ver.  13).     The  struct- 
ure of  the  chapter  is  extremely  simple:  vcrs.  1-4 
describe  the  scene  of  the  transaction ;   vers.  5-7 
the  terror  of  the  Prophet  and  the  allaying  of  it; 


vcrs.  8-13  his  call  to  the  prophetic  functions  and 
the  commission  imparted  to  him. 

2.  In  the  year — filled  with  cmokc. — 
Vcrs.  1-4.  The  year  that  Uzziah  died  was  tho 
year  7-58  B.  C.  JEROME  (in  the  Epist.  18  ad 
Damas.)  remarks  that  this  was  the  same  year 
"  quo  Romulus,  Romani  imperil  conditor,  natus  cst," 
that  Romulus  was  born.  The  theocracy  declines: 
the  world-power  springs  up.  It  is  asked 
whether  the  event  took  place  before  or  after  the 
death  of  Uzziah.  Without  doubt  the  event  took 
place  before  the  death,  but  the  record  of  it  was 
made  after  it.  For  if  both  occurred  before  Uzziah's 
death  there  would  have  been  no  mention  made  of 
it.  If  both  occurred  after  the  death  of  the  king, 
then  the  event  would  belong  to  the  period  of  Jo- 
tham's  rule,  and  one  would  justly  look  for  the 
name  of  this  king.  Thus  what  has  been  just 
stated  remains  the  only  possible  answer  to  the 
above  question.  Our  passage  then  agrees  very 
well  with  i.  1,  for  then  Isaiah  had  prophesied 
already  under  Uzziah.  Moreover,  xiv.  23  (''in 
the  year  King  Uzziah  died  ")  supports  this  ex- 
planation, for  there  it  is  presumed  in  the  whole 
context  that  Uzziah  still  lives.  The  opinion  of 
those  Rabbis,  who,  following  the  lead  of  the 
Chaldee,  understand  the  passage  to  refer  lo  the 
civil  death  of  L^zziah,  i.  e.,  to  his  becoming  a 
leper,  is  justly  pronounced  by  GESENIUS  a  rabbi- 
nical caprice. 

How  did  Isaiah  see  the  Lord  ?  In  reality  ?  or 
only  in  the  idea,  i.  e.  in  fancy,  so  that,  then,  the 
grand  painting  were  only  the  poetic  clothing  of  a 
purely  subjective,  inward  transaction?  The  latter 
is  the  opinion  of  rationalistic  expositors.  For  ex- 
ample, KNOBEL  says  :  "At  all  events  there  hap- 
pened a  moment  in  Isaiah's  life,  when  the  seer, 
in  holy,  divine  enthusiasm,  soared  aloft  to  Jeho- 
vah and  heard  the  Lord's  call  to  the  prophetic 
office.  This  event  of  his  God-inspired  inward 
man  he  portrays  in  the  passage  before  us,  and 
amplifies  it  with  free,  poetic  art,  more  completely 
than  he  experienced  it."  But  one  must  be,  just 
a  rationalist,  to  hold  that  such  a  transaction  can- 


CHAP.  VI.  1-13. 


105 


not  possibly  be  an  historical  fact,  and  therefore 
that  it  must  be  declared  to  be  unreal.  At  the 
same  time  one  must  resolve  to  pronounce  what  the 
Prophet  professes  to  do  a  pious  fraud.  For  that 
he  would  only  give  a  poem  is  neither  inti- 
mated in  the  narrative  itself,  nor  does  the  charac- 
ter of  the  entire  book  suggest  it.  The  Prophets 
are  historians,  even  where  they  write  poetry. 
The  Prophet  speaks  here  as  an  historian.  Did 
he  represent  as  an  outward  calling  what  was  only 
inward,  he  would  have  arrogated  an  honor  that 
did  not  become  him,  and  this  very  arrogance 
would  have  deprived  him  of  all  claim  to  credi- 
bility. For  countless  ones  have  received  an  in- 
ward call.  But  precisely  this  outward  call,  just 
that  which  Isaiah  here  beheld,  heard  and  spoke, 
is  so  extraordinary,  that  only  privileged  men  can 
boast  that  they  have  experienced  the  like.  Of 
Jeremiah  (chap,  i.)  and  Ezekiel  (chaps,  i. -iii.) 
similar  things  are  told.  These  men,  as  Isaiah 
himself,  would  be  guilty  of  wicked  presumption 
did  they  invent  a  glorious,  outward  call.  We 
must  therefore  hold  the  narrative  of  Isaiah  to  be 
historical. 

But  if  real,  was  it  a  physical  or  spiritual  reali- 
ty? That  is  to  say,  did  Isaiah  behold  all  this 
with  the  eyes  of  the  body  or  the  eyes  of  the  spirit 
(fo  irv£vna-i)l  With  the  eyes  of  the  body  these 
things  arc  not  to  be  seen.  Spiritual  corporality 
can  only  be  taken  notice  of  by  the  opened  inward 
sense  (2  Kings  vi.  17).  Therefore  something,  real 
of  course,  but  only  inward,  can  be  meant  here,  a 
spiritual  beholding  of  spiritual  reality  (1  Kings 
xxii.  17  pqq. ;  Ezck.  viii.  sqq. ;  Dan.  vii.  13  sqq. ; 
licv.  i.  10  f-:qq.,  etc.). 

To  this  is  joined  the  inquiry :  In  which  tem- 
ple did  Isaiah  r,ec  the  Lord?  In  the  earthly,  at 
Jerusalem,  or  in  the  heavenly,  the  pattern  of  the 
former  ?  It  is  no  reason  against  the  former,  that 
Isaiah  was  no  priest,  and  therefore  dared  not  go 
into  the  temple.  Araos,  also,  was  no  priest,  and 
yet  saw  the  Lord  in  the  temple  (chap.  ix.  1). 
The  Prophet  did  not  need  to  be  in  the  temple  bodi- 
ly in  order  to  BCO  what  was  present  in  the  temple. 
Comp.  Ezck.  viii.  3 — But  in  the  earthly  temple 
the  throne  of  the  Lord  was  the  ark  of  the  cove- 
nant. On  this  account  it  is  expressly  called 
D^Sn  2BP  "  dwelling  between  the  cherubim  " 
(2  Sam.  vi.  2;  2  Kings  xix.  15 ;  Isa.  xxxvii.  16; 
Ps.  Ixxx.  2;  xcix.  1;  1  Chr.  xiii.  10).  Why 
should  Isaiah,  if  he  saw  the  Lord  in  the  earthly 
temple,  not  have  named  the  ark  of  the  covenant  ? 
The  expression  "throne  high  and  elevated"  docs 
not  appear  to  point  to  the  ark  of  the  covenant. 
For  it  cannot  be  said  that  it  is  high  and  lifted  up. 
We  shall  therefore  have  to  place  the  vision  in  the 
upper,  heavenly  sanctuary  (the  original  of  the 
Tabernacle  in  the  first  place,  Exod-.  xxv.  9,  40  ; 
xxvi.  30 ;  xxvii.  8,  and  afterwards  of  the  temple). 
Thither  Isaiah  was  transferred  in  spirit. 

The  Seraphim  are  not  mentioned  anywhere 
else  in  the  whole  Old  and  New  Testaments  ex- 
cept here.  The  word  D'£)°V#  is  found  Numbers 
xxi.  6,  but  as  qualifying  D^HJ  (God  sent  among 
the  people  burning,  fiery  serpents).  The  singu- 
lar ^ly  occurs,  too,  Num.  xxi.  8;  Deut.  viii. 
15 ;  Isa.  xiv.  29  ;  xxx.  6,  but  always  in  (he  sense 
of  "  serpent."  In  Num.  xxi.  8,  it  is  synonym  of 


#nj.  For  it  is  said  there;  make  thee  a  ^p^,  serpent, 
and  set  it  on  a  pole.  And  then  ver.  9,  it  proceeds : 
and  Moses  made  a  J~^nj  DHJ  and  set  it  on  a  pole. 
Again  Deut.  viii.  15  ^"1 2'  i^HJ  are  found  joined.  In 
both  places  in  Isaiah,  we  read  ^U'p  *]")&• 
Therefore,  ^V  evidently  means  the  serpent,  but 
only  by  an  originally  predicate  description  be- 
coming the  designation  of  the  chief  concep- 
tion. For  originally  "pfe?  moans  "the  burner," 
from  ^piP  "  to  burn,  burn  up."  The  burning 
smart  of  a  wound  occasioned  this  designation. 
It  is,  moreover,  not  impossible  that  the  burning 
fire  is  designated  by  the  word  ^fi?  because  it 
moves  itself  serpent  fashion.  And  in  so  far  the 
roots  tp.Teir,  serpere  and  ^"^  may  agree ;  and 
an  original  connection  between  ^p'^  and  scrpens 
might  exist,  only  the  meaning  "  to  crawl,"  would 
not  be  the  medium  of  this  connection.  For  only 
the  burning  fire  is  thought  of  as  crawling  ;  but  the 
serpent  is  called  ^U,  not  because  it  creeps,  but 
because  it  burns.  On  these  grounds  I  do  not  be- 
lieve (hat  the  angel  name  ^fr  has  anything  to 
do  with  the  serpent.  According  to  our  passage 
indeed,  the  Seraphim  have  human  form,  for  they 
have  a  countenance,  they  have  feet  (ver.  2)  and 
hands  (ver.  6).  But,  GESENITJS,  before  this  has 
shown  that  the  Seraph  has  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  the  Egyptian  Serapis,  by  the  proof  that 
this  name  has  sprung  from  the  name:;  Osiris  and 
Apis  (Osar-Api).  .  Comp.  Thesaur.  p.  1342.  GE- 
SENIUS,  with  whom  recently  HKRH._  SCHTJLTZ 
agrees,  takes  the  word  in  the  meaning  of  the 
Arabic  scharaph  (nobilitas),  schariph  (sheriff, 
princeps),  comp.  Dan.  x.  13 ;  viii.  25 ;  which, 
however,  hardly  agrees  with  the  use  of  the  Pie- 
brew  *pty  given  above.  That  the  Seraphim  be- 
long to  the  highest  rank  of  the  angel  world,  ap- 
pears from  their  relation  to  God  and  His  throne 
as  it  is  described  in  our  chapter.  For  they  ap- 
pear here  in  immediate  nearness  to  the  divine 
throne,  and  beside  them  no  others  are  named. 
That  the  Seraphim  are  essentially  identical  with 
the  Cherubim,  has  been  maintained  already  by 
MAIMONIDES  (in  the  DOttjn  mV3  iii.  6). 
HENDEWERK,  has  tried  to  prove  the  identity  in 
the  dissertation  DC  Seraphim  a  Chcrubiinin  Bibliia 
non  divcrsis,  K!'nigsberc/,  1836.  So,  too,  STICKEL 
in  the  Stud.  u.  Knt.  1840  Ilcj't.  II.  BOEHMER  also 
takes  this  view  (HERZOG'S  R.  Encycl.  IV.  p.  24). 
Of  course  the  passage  Eev.  iv.  8  seems  to  favor 
this  view  strongly.  For  there  we  find  ascribed 
to  Cherubim  on  the  one  hand  the  animal  forms 
of  Ezekiel,  (i.  and  x.),  and  on  the  other  the  six 
wings  and  the  Trishagion  (thrice  holy)  of  the 
Seraphim.  It  appears  to  me  that  thc_  forms  of 
John  combine  in  themselves  the  traits  _of  the 
Cherubim  and  Seraphim,  and  if  it  is  said  that 
the  Seraphim  of  Isaiah  differ  from  the  Cherubim 
of  Ezekiel  so,  too,  do  the  Johannic  Cherubim 
differ  from  those  of  Ezekiel,  and  the  Seraphim 
of  Isaiah  are  the  mediating  member.  After  all 
the  question  is  an  open  one.  If  it  is  asked  ;  why 
are  the  Seraphim  called  "the  burning  ones?" 
PIIILO  answers :  ''  because  they  devour  the  un- 
formedness  of  matter,  bring  it  into  form  and  or- 
der, and  thereby  render  it  a  Cosmos."  BOEHMER, 


106 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


among  others,  calls  them  "fire  beings,  that  burn 
up  everything  unholy."  LANGE  (in  the  Art. 
Zorn  Goltes,  HERZOG'S  R.  Encycl.  XVIII.  p.  662 
sq.),  distinguishes  the  revelation  of  wrath  against 
universal  human  sinfulness  and  sin,  and  the  re- 
velation of  wrath  against  the  conscious  revolt 
against  the  revelation  of  salvation  in  law  and 
gospel.  The  first  degree  seems  to  him  sym- 
bolized by  God's  dominion  over  His  Cherubim 
(Gen.  iii.  24;  Ps.  xviii.  11-15;  civ.  4),  the  second 
by  His  appearance  between  the  Seraphim  (Isa. 
vi.).  ''That  the  Seraphim  represent  a  vision  of 
the  judgment  of  lire,  in  which,  with  the  hardening 
of  the  people,  the  temple  must  burn  up,  is  ex- 
pressed also  in  the  meaning  of  the  word  "the 
consumers."  When  Isaiah  received  the  call  to 
preach  the  hardening  of  the  people,  he  saw,  also, 
in  spirit  the  temple  occupied  by  the  fire  angels 
of  God,  and  filled  with  smoke."  Apart  from  the 
distinction  between  Seraphim  and  Cherubim, 
which  I  do  not  think  has  sufficient  motive,  it 
only  seems  to  me  that  their  meaning  is  too  nar- 
rowly construed  in  the  above.  They  do  not 
merely  serve  as  a  revelation  of  the  wrath  of  God. 
They  belong,  since  there  was  a  world,  to  the  im- 
mediate organs  of  the  divine  revelation  in  the 
world  generally  They  are  ever  with  God,  and 
"  rest  neither  day  nor  night,"  and  when  they 
ceaselessly  offer  praise,  honoi-,  and  thanksgiving 
to  Him  that  lives  from  everlasting  to  everlasting, 
and  when  they  thereby  give  the  tone,  as  it  were, 
to  the  song  of  praise  of  the  four  and  twenty  elders 
(Rav.  iv.  8  sqq.),  so  it  is  seen  plainly,  that  they 
have  not  only  a  mission  in  relation  to  the  wicked, 
but  also  in  relation  to  the  pious,  even  to  God 
Himself.  It  does  not  decide  the  matter  of  their 
significance  in  general,  that  they  appear  just  here 
in  a  moment  when  wrath  is  revealed,  and  that  a 
Seraph  burns  away  the  sin  of  the  Prophet.  How- 
ever, this  is  not  the  place  to  penetrate  deeper 
into  these  mysteries  (nva-i]pLa). 

The  Seraphim  stood  V7  7.^00,  "  above  him. 
By  a  very  frequent  usage  "VSjj  is  joined  with 
1$  so  that  by  this  preposition  the  one  standing 
is  represented,  so  to  speak,  as  covering  up  the 
one  before  whom  he  stands,  from  the  eyes  of  the 
spectator  standing  opposite  ;  Gen.  xviii.  8  ;  xxiv. 
33;  Exod.  xviii.  13;  Jud.  iii.  19;  vi.  31;  2 
Kings  xxiii.  3;  Jer.  xxxvi.  21;  2Chr.  xxiii.  13. 
Even  standing  before  Jehovah  is  designated  by 
this  preposition  Job  i.  6 ;  1  Kings  xxii.  19 ; 
Zech.  iv.  14 ;  vi.  5. — But  in  our  passage  it  is  not 

merely  said  vSy,  but  11?  Sj;DD-  This  expression 
is  so  strong  that  we  can  do  nothing  else  than 
represent  the  Seraphim  to  ourselves  as  hovering 
about  the  LORD,  "  and  with  two  he  flew,"  so  that 
they  stood,  not  indeed  above  his  head,  but  rela- 
tively above  him.  Each  Seraph  had  six  wings. 
The  imperfects  manifestly  serve  to  indicate  a 
continuous  circumstance  that  is  an  essential  part 
of  the  scene,  whereas  the  perfects  XI  pi  and  ID XI, 
"and  cried  and  said,"  express  an  incident  that 
forms  part  of  the  transaction.  For  what  the  Sera- 
phim did  with  their  wings  went  on  continuously 
and  does  not  belong  to  the  transaction.  But  the 
crying  out  belongs  to  the  transaction,  yet  does 
not  go  on  continuously,  but  is  only  an  incident 


that  serves  to  finish  the  picture.  We  cannot  sup- 
pose that  the  crying  out  continued  while  the  Pro- 
phet, and  the  Seraph  and  the  LORD  talked. 
TARG.  JONATHAN  happily  translates  ver.  2  b., 
"duabus  velabat,"  etc.  •'  With  two  (wings)  each 
one  veiled  his  face  that  he  might  not  see,  and  with 
two  he  veiled  his  body,  that  he  might  not  be  seen." 

It  must  not  be  concluded  from  HI  /X  HT  that 
there  were  only  two  Seraphim,  but-  that  there 
were  two  choirs,  say  one  on  either  side.  Alter- 
native song  is  founded  in  the  essence  of  com- 
munion. It  is  the  musical  expression  of  the 
oiaAoyiaftoi  that  move  the  congregation.  There- 
fore it  is  found  in  the  heavenly  congregation 
as  well  as  in  the  earthly.  But  the  Seraphim  sing 
"  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  Jehovah  Sabaoth  ;  fullness 
of  the  whole  earth  is  His  glory."  Thus  they 
praise  Him  here  as  the  Holy  One,  because  in 
what  follows  (ver.  9  sq.),  He  makes  known  in 
what  degree  His  holiness  shall  react  against  unholy 
Israel.  DELITZSCH  calls  attention  to  the  fact 
that  Isaiah  cherished  his  whole  life  through,  a 
deep,  indelible  impression  of  that  holiness  of  the 
LORD  that  confronted  him  here  so  mightily  in 
word  and  aspect.  Fourteen  times  in  the  first  part 

does  he  use  the  expression  vKIBP  t^np,  "  Holy 
One  of  Israel,"  which  is,  as  it  were,  the  concen- 
trated expression  of  that  impression  ;  fifteen  times 
in  the  second  (comp.  at  i.  4),  whereas  the  expres- 
sion occurs  beside  only  thrice  in  the  Psalms, 
(Ixxi.  22;  Ixxviii.  41;  Ixxxix.  19),  twice  in  Jer. 
(1.  29  ;  li.  5),  and  once  in  2  Kings  xix.  22  parallel 
with  Isa.  xxxvii.  23. 


But  why  this  thrice  repeated  B^Tp?  There 
are,  to  be  sure,  examples  of  such  repetition  that 
only  aim  at  rhetorical  emphasis  (Jer.  vii.  4  ; 
Ezck.  xxi.  32;  Nah.  i.  2).  In  fact  CALVIN  and 
VITRINGA  construe  the  thrice  holy  in  this  sense, 
while,  yet,  they  expressly  say  that  they  would 
not  exclude  a  deeper  significance.  HERM. 
SCHULTZ,  (Alttest.  Theol.  I.  p.  345)  says  :  "  the 
choir  rests  on  a  song  and  counter  song,  combined 
in  the  double  choir,  therefore  the  threeness  of  the 
Holy."  But  here  we  stand  before  the  holiest  of 
all  of  the  Godhead,  that  is  opened  up  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  receive  a  glimpse  into  the  fiaQr)  TOV  OEOV 
(  1  Cor.  ii.  10,  "  the  deep  things  of  God  ").  The 
Christian  consciousness,  from  the  remotest  period, 
has  not  been  able  to  resist  the  impression  that  this 
thrice-holy  is  a  reflex  of  the  triune  being  of  the 
Godhead.  And  in  the  New  Testament  sphere 
this  impression  is  the  more  justified  because  the 
evangelist  John  (xii.  41)  says  expressly  Isaiah 
saw  the  glory  of  Jesus  when  he  heard  the  words 
of  ver.  10.  In  that  John  says  nothing  extraor- 
dinary. Rather  he  quite  accords  with  Peter  who 
says  (1  Pet.  i.  11)  that  the  Spirit  that  swayed  in 
the  Prophets  of  the  Old  Testament  was  the  Spirit 
of  Christ;  and  with  Paul,  who  says  (1  Cor.  x.  4) 
it  was  Christ  that  as  a  spiritual  rock  led  Israel 
through  the  wilderness.  This  is  only  the  con- 
firmation of  what  we  have  long  known  as  the 
significance  of  the  Son,  viz.  :  that  He  is  the 
medium,  and  therefore  also  the  mediator  of  all 
and  every  revelation. 

In  regard  to  the  second  clause  of  ver.  3,  the 
question  arises,  first  of  all,  what  is  subject  ?  IB 


CHAP.  VI.  1-13. 


107 


/p  subject,  then  earth  is  the  principal  notion^ 
and  it  is  said  here  what  fills  it.  Is  H133  subject, 
then  the  glory  of  God  is  the  principal  notion  and 
it  is  declared  here  how  comprehensive  it  is.  The 
latter  alone  corresponds  with  the  context.  But 
the  further  inquiry  arises:  whether  "IU3,  ''glory," 
is  to  be  taken  in  an  active  or  a  passive  sense,  ?'.  e., 
as  praise,  or  as  majesty,  glory.  The  two  cannot 
be  essentially  disconnected.  For  as  God's  glory 
is  everywhere,  so  in  a  certain  sense  also  it  is 
everywhere  praised.  For  its  very  enemies  even 
must  involuntarily  do  it  honor  (Ps.  viii.  2,  3). 
And  I  do  not  see  why  in  our  passage  one  should 
separate  the  two.  Does  it  not  then  become  those 
who  sing  unceasingly  the  praise  of  God  in  His 
immediate  presence  to  declare  that,  not  only  they, 
but  the  entire  creation  continually  proclaims  the 
praise  of  the  Lord?  But  it  says  only  "all  the 
earth."  Of  course :  for  this  song  of  praise  sounds 
here  primarily  for  one  man  and  for  men.  il  is  just 
in  respect  to  these  that  the  truth  is  declared,  on 
the  one  hand  comforting,  on  the  other  appalling, 
that  the  glory  of  the  LORD  is  everywhere,  and 
everywhere  it  makes  itself  known  and  felt. 
Comp.  xl.  5;  Hab.  iii.  3;  Num.  xiv.  21;  Ps. 
Ixxii.  19. 

Ver.  4.  HEX  signifies  in  Hebrew  primarily  the 
elbow-socket  (Armr/elenk- Mutter],  i.  e.,  the  de- 
pression resembling  the  box  screw  (Schrauben- 
mutter),  in  which  the  arm  turns  itself,  the  elbow. 
The  word  lias  this  meaning,  too,  in  the  noted  pas- 
sage 2  Sam.  viii.  1,  where  it  is  said  that  David 
took  from  the  Philistines  nSKn  JiTO-flX.  The 
bridle  of  the  elbow  is  the  contrast  of  D'flbt?  JHD 
Isa.  xxxvii.  29,  "the  bridle  of  the  lips,"  a  bridle 
attached  to  the  elbows.  The  meaning  of  2  Sam. 
viii.  1  is  that  the  Israelites  had  the  bridle  of  the 
Philistines,  no  longer  in  their  mouths  indeed,  yet 
still  on  their  arms,  so  that  they  were  hindered 
from  the  free  use  of  them.  Therefore  i~IDX  is  the 
elbow,  from  which  the  meaning  "ell  "  is  derived. 
Accordingly  D'-JDH  JYIDX  are  the  elbows  of  the 
sills.  The  sills  are  compared  to  the  arms  and 
the  joints  in  the  angle  are  the  arm  joints  or 
elbows.  Because  the  sills,  and  in  fact  both  the 
upper  and  lower,  and  as  well  as  the  side  beams, 
are  joined  together  in  these,  therefore  they  are 
the  centre  of  motion,  and  every  shock  felt  in  such 
a  centre  must  be  communicated  to  all  the  radii. 
DDK  occurs  only  here  in  this  meaning.  D^p 

(only  here  in  Isaiah)  are  the  sills,  and  primarily 
the  under  sills.  For  the  upper  sill  is  called 
"lipKTO  and  the  side  posts  ni'HTO  (Exod.  xii.  7,  22, 
23).  But  in  our  passage  D'3p  as  denominatio  a 
potion  stands  for  all  parts  of  the  door-way.  The 
verb  yW  occurs  only  in  the  first  part  of  Isa.  vii. 
2  ;  xix.  1 ;  xxiv.  20 ;  xxix.  9  ;  xxxvii.  22. — 
fcOlpn  vip  (comp.  xl.  3)  is  primarily  "the  voice 
of  the  caller."  But  in  what  precedes  it  speaks, 
not  of  one,  but  of  many  criers.  Thus  we  know 
that  fcOlp  is  to  be  taken  collectively  and  as  concr. 

pro  abst. 

The  house  filled  with  smoke. — It  was  then 
not  full  of  smoke  from  the  commencement,  and 
still  less  did  a  cloud  of  smoke  conceal  the  Lord 
as  Exod.  xl.  34;  1  Kings  viii.  10.  For  (ver.  1) 


Isaiah  saw  the  Lord.  It  has  been  said,  the  smoke 
came  from  the  altar  of  incense  (ver.  G)  and  sym- 
bolized the  seraphic  praise.  There  may  appear 
some  truth  in  that  from  a  comparison  of  Rev.  v. 
8  ;  viii.  3  sq.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  the  smoke 
has  still  another  meaning.  In  so  far  as  it  con- 
titutes  an  antithesis  to  the  light  in  which  the 
Lord  dwells,  it  seems  to  me,  wherever  it  occurs 
in  connection  with  the  appearance  of  the  divine 
glory,  to  signify  the  reverse  side  of  the  same,  the 
everity,  the  wrath  of  God.  Thus  here,  too,  the 
smoke,  with  whose  appearance  is  connected  im- 
mediately in  ver.  5  the  Prophet's  confession  of 
sin  and  mortal  fear,  introduces  the  words  of  con- 
demnation which  the  Lord  afterward  speaks  to 
the  Prophet  as  the  manifestation  of  His  holy  in- 
dignation. Comp.  iv.  5  ;  ix.  17  ;  xiv.  31 ;  xxxiv. 
10;  li.  0;  Ixv.  5. 

3.  Then  said  I  —  —  is  purged. — Vers. 
5-7.  After  the  Prophet  had  heard  the  Seraphim 
praise  the  holiness  of  the  Lord,  after  he  had  be- 
held them  themselves  in  the  splendor  of  their 
holiness,  and  also  had  seen  its  consequence,  the 
wrath,  imaged  in  the  smoke,  he  is  seized  with 
the  feeling  of  his  own  sinfulness.  Every  creature 
that  beholds  or  comes  in  contact  with  an  imme- 
diate trace  of  the  divine  Being,  has  a  sense  of  not 
being  able  to  exist  under  the  burden  of  the  absolute 
majesty  (Gen.  xvi.  13 ;  xxxii  31 ;  Exod.  xxxiii.  20 ; 
Jud.  vi.  22  sq. ;  xiii.  22  ;  1  Sam.  vi.  19  sq. ;  2  Sam. 
vi.  7).  This  sense  must  have  tuade  itself  felt  in  the 
Prophet  in  the  highest  degree,  seeing  he  beheld 
the  divine  Being  in  a  greater  proximity  and  clear- 
ness, than,  since  Moses  at  least,  ever  a  man  did. 
He  cries,  therefore  :  woe  is  me  (comp.  i.  4),  I  am 
lost  (xv.  1  ;  Hos.  iv.  6 ;  x.  7,  15),  for  a  man  of 
unclean  lips  am  I,  and  among  a  people  of  unclean 
lips  do  I  dwell !  That  he  emphasizes  just  the  un- 
clean lips  comes  from  the  fact  that  he  had  just 
heard  the  Seraphim  bring  an  ofler  of  praise  with 
clean  lips.  In  contrast  with  these  circumcised 
lips  he  becomes  conscious  how  his  are  uncircum- 
cised  (Exod.  vi.  12)  ;  in  contrast  with  these 
calves  of  the  lips  (Hos.  xiv.  3)  and  with  this  fruit 
of  the  lips  (Prov-  xviii.  20  ;  Isa.  Ivii.  19  ;  Heb. 
xiii.  15)  he  feels  that  he  is  quite  unfit  for  such  an 
offering,  both  in  respect  to  his  own  person,  and 
in  respect  to  that  totality  to  which  he  belongs;  in 
fact  that  this  unfitness",  when  he  has  gone  with 
it  into  the  jurisdiction  of  the  highest  King  (xxxiii. 
22;  xli.  21 ;  xliii.  15  ;  xliv.  6)  must  bring  upon 
him  the  sentence  of  death.  "  Such  is  the  confes- 
sion which  the  contrite  Prophet  makes ;  on  this 
confession  follows  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  which 
is  confirmed  by  a  heavenly  sacrament,  and  is  ex- 
tended to  him  by  a  seraphic  absolution." — DE- 
UTZSCH. 

The  altar,  which  is  mentioned,  we  must  think 
of  as  an  altar  of  incense,  since  any  other  kind  of 
offering  than  incense  in  the  heavenly  sanctuary 
is  inconceivable,  and  the  glowing  coals  also  indi- 
cate an  altar  of  incense.  From  this  altar  one  of 
the  Seraphim  took  with  the  tongs  a  i"l32p  "hot 
coal."  That  he  took  it  with  the  tongs,  not  only 
corresponds  to  the  usage  of  the  earthly  sanctuary 
(Exod.  xxv.  38  ;  Num.  iy.  9  ;  1  Kings  vii.  49), 
but  has  in  any  case  also  its  internal  rea«ons,  as 
that  even  in  the  sphere  of  heavenly  corporal  ex- 
istence such  distinctions  occur  or  that  the  touch- 
ing with  the  tongs  has  a  symbolical  meaning. 


108 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


(comp.  ^ty^  Hub.  iii.  5  ;  Song  of  Solo- 
mon viii.  G)  is  something  aglow,  whether  coal  or 
Btone.  The  word  occurs  only  here  [in  Isaiah.  — 
TR.]  In  the  earthly  sanctuary  the  burning  of 
incense  was  performed  by  taking  coals  from  the 
altar  of  burnt-offering  and  pouring  them  on  the  j 
altar  of  incense,  and  then  upon  these  was  scattered  ' 
the  incense  (Lev.  xvi.  12;  comp.  x.  1).  In  the 
heavenly  sanctuary  there  was  no  altar  of  burnt- 
offering.  At  all  events  HSi'T  designates  the  glow- 
ing body  on  which  the  incense  was  cast  in  order 
to  burn  it.  With  such  a  glowing  body,  therefore, 
the  Ssraph  touched  the  lips  of  the  Prophet  in 
order  to  reconcile  him.  The  Prophet's  lips  are 
touched  with  fire  therefore,  and  that  with  the  same 
holy  fire  out  of  which  proceels  the  cloud  of 
smoke.  Thus  from  the  place  that  occasioned  in 
him  before  the  painful  feeling  of  his  uncleanness, 
must  the  holy  fir-3  penetrate  and  burn  out  the  en- 
tire man.  It  must  burn  up  all  uncleanness.  The 
Seraph  shows  himself  here  right  properly  as 
*pfr,  as  burner.  As  water  has  primarily  gener- 
ating and  fructifying  power,  but  secondarily  also 
a  judging  and  destroying  power  (comp.  creation, 
the  flood,  and  Baptism),  so  fire  has  primarily  de- 
vouring, and  thereby  judging,  purifying,  and 
secondarily  warming  and  illuminating  power. 
Omnia  purrjat  edax  iynis,  vitiumqiie  metallis  exco- 
.it,  says  OVID  Fait.  iv.  785.  To  xvp  Ka&aipei, 


qu.it,   says 

TO  v6up  dyvl&t  (PLUT.  tjucest.  ram.  1).  Comp. 
Num.  xxxi.  23  ;  UERZOG'S  R.  Encycl.  IX.  p. 
717  sq.  —  As  here  the  touching  takes  place  for  the 
purpose  of  atonement,  so  Jcr.  i.  9  it  is  for  the 
purpose  of  inspiration  ;  in  Dan.  viii.  17  sq.  ;  x.  8 
Bqq.  ;  Rev.  i.  17,  it  is  for  the  purpose  of  imparting 
strength. 

4.  Also  I  heard  —  and  be  healed.  —  Vers. 
8-10.  The  Lord  Himself  now  begins  to  speak. 
Having  seen  Him  (ver.  1),  Isaiah  now  hears  Him. 
"  I  heard"  corresponds  to  the  "  and  I  saw"  (ver. 
1).  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  Lord  asks: 
whom  shall  I  send  ?  that  He,  therefore,  as  it 
were,  calls  for  volunteers.  So  we  read,  too,  1 
Kings  xxii.  20,  that  the  Lord  in  an  assembly  of 
heaven,  portrayed  very  much  as  the  one  here, 
asks:  "  Who  shall  persuade  Ahab,  that  he  may 
go  up  and  fall  at  Ramoth-Gilead  ?"  There  it 
appears,  ver.  ,  23  (from  the  circumstance  that 
Micaiah  would  have  been  a  deceiver,  if  a  real 
transaction  were  reported  in  vers.  19-22)  that 
this  prophet  only  narrates  a  fictitious  vision. 
But  anyway  the  representation  remains  that  the 
Lord  not  only  gives  His  servants  and  messengers 
command  and  commission  according  to  His  own 
election,  but  al-o  proposes  the  undertaking  of  a 
commhsion  to  the  voluntary  determination.  Now 
when  the  Lord  in  our  passage,  as  was  said,  calls 
for  volunteers,  a«  it  were,  this  is  not  to  be  ex- 
plained by  the  greater  difficulty  or  danger  of  the 
mission.  For  Isaiah's  mission  was  not  as  difficult 
and  dangerous  as  that  of  Moses  or  Jeremiah. 
Now  Moses  resists  the  commission  all  he  can 

(Exod.  iii.),  though  he  was  an  Vn  tf'K,  "able 
man,"  as  few  were.  LUTHER  says  of  him  (on  the 
call  of  Closes,  Exod.  iii.)  :  "  Moses  begins,  as  it 
were,  a  wrangling  and  disputing  with  God,  and 
will  not  accept  this  olFice."  Jeremiah  refuses  be- 
cause he  feels  himself  really  too  young  and  made 


of  too  tender  stuff.  Ezekiel,  too,  appears  in- 
wardly at  least  to  have  had  no  relish  for  under- 
taking the  commission.  For  he  is  exhorted  not 
to  be  disobedient  (Ezek.  ii.  8),  and,  though  he 
does  not  express  them,  his  doubts  and  fears  are 
disarmed  (Ezck.  ii.  G — iii.  9).  Jonah,  the  most 
rebellious  and  self-willed  of  all  Prophets,  actually 
flees  from  the  Lord.  All  these,  who  would  not,  are 
not  even  asked  if  they  will,  but  they  must.  Isaiah, 
who  will,  is  asked.  It  appears,  therefore,  that 
the  manner  of  the  calling  is  regulated  according 
to  the  individuals.  Where  the  Lord  in  His 
chosen  and  prepared  instruments  (Jcr.  i.  5)  ob- 
serves also  the  subjective  readiness  of  mind,  He 
affords  it  the  opportunity  to  manifest  itself  by  the 
question :  "  who  will."  That  the  Lord,  by  this 
question,  would  not  draw  out  something  concealed 
from  Himself  is  manifest.  For  how  can  a  thing 
be  unknown  to  the  Lord?  There  was,  in  fact,  no 
one  there  but  Isaiah  that  could  have  replied  to 
His  question.  For,  it  could  only  be  a  man  that 
could  be  in  question  for  the  undertaking  of  the 
prophetic  office  in  Israel.  No  such  person  ex- 
cept Isaiah  was  present.  The  question  is  there- 
fore a  form  by  which  the  Lord  honors  the 
^"U  ™1,  "free  spirit"  (Ps.  Ii.  14  (12)  ),  that 
He  knew  was  present  in  the  Prophet,  in  that  He 
gave  it  opportunity  to  manifest  itself. 

Who  are  the  many  for  whom  the  service  is  to 
be  done  ?  The  plural  is  here  as  little  as  Gen.  i. 
26  ;  iii.  22 ;  xi.  7  mere  form  (Plur.-majest).  It  is 
rather,  as  DELITZSCII  expresses  it,  communica- 
tively intended.  Jehovah  includes  the  whole 
assembly.  He  honors  thereby  the  assembled 
ones,  by  taking  for  granted  that  His  interest  is 
theirs  and  their  interest  His.  Isaiah  at  once  re- 
plies: "Behold,  here  am  I;  send  me."  This 
prompt  oiler  quite  corresponds  with  the  strong 
and  bold  spirit  of  Isaiah.  There  is  no  need  of 
assuming  that  he  had  already  been  called,  and 
had  already  been  in  office  for  a  time.  He,  the 
mighty  man,  is  at  once  conscious  that  this  is  his 
aflair.  He  feels  that  he  can  do  it,  and  he  will  do 
it,  too.  We  find  here  not  a  trace  of  fear  or  other 
consideration.  It  was,  however,  no  proud  self- 
sufficiency  that  led  the  Prophet.  He  has  just  been 
reconciled  in  fact  as  a  sinner.  The  flame  that 
blazes  in  him  and  impels  him  must  have  been  a 
pure  flame.  He  feels  himself  strong  in  Him  that 
makes  him  mighty  (Phil.  iv.  13  ;  Isa  xl.  29  sq.). 
This  "  here  am  I ;  send  me "  is,  however,  so 
grand,  in  fact,  when  one  reflects  on  the  examples 
of  other  prophets  mentioned  already,  it  is  so 
unique  in  its  way,  that  one  understands  where- 
fore Isaiah  would  not  put  this  history  of  his  call- 
ing quite  in  the  beginning  of  his  book,  but  rather 
makes  ii  the  third  portal  of  his  prophetic  build- 
ing. He  feared  this  intrepid  ready-mindedness 
would  be  found  incomprehensible.  He  puts  in 
advance  of  it  therefore  two  other  entrances, 
that  the  reader  may  learn  thereby  to  know  him 
and  thus  come  prepared  to  this  scene  of  his  call- 
ing. And,  in  fact,  he  that  has  read  chapters  i. — 
v.  must  confess  that  here  "  is  a  Prophet"  (Ezek. 
ii.  5;  xxxiii.  33),  a  man  that  had  the  stuff  in 
him,  and  the  right  to  say,  "Here  am  I;  send 
me." 

In  vers.  9,  10  follows  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord  Himself  the  commission  that  the  Prophet 


CHAP.  VI.  1-13. 


1C9 


must  discharge.  The  manner  of  imparting  this 
commission  is  directly  the  opposite  of  what  is 
usual  among  men  in  like  circumstances.  One 
seeks,  namely,  in  giving  a  servant  or  messenger 
a  hard  commission,  to  represent  it,  at  least,  at 
first,  in  the  most  advantageous  light.  This  the 
Lord  does  not  do.  On  the  contrary,  lie  plainly 
emphasizes  just  the  hardest  part.  He  acts  as  if 
the  Prophet  were  to  have  nothing  joyous  to  an- 
nounce, but  only  judgment  and  hopeless  harden- 
ing. Isaiah  is  called  the  evangelist  of  the  Old 
Testament.  But  there  is  not  a  trace  of  it  found 
here.  It  is  not  once  said  even  that  he  shall  warn, 
exhort,  threaten.  But,  overleaping  all  interme- 
diate members,  only  the  sorrowful  effect  is  em- 
phasized, and  that  with  such  pointedness,  that, 
what  in  truth  can  be  only  an  unintended  effect, 
appears  as  directly  designed.  It  is  as  if  the  Lord 
would  give  the  intrepid  man  that  had  said  ''here 
am  I,  send  me,"  to  understand  at  once,  that  he 
would  require  all  his  boldness  in  order  to  carry 
through  the  commission  he  undertook.  Gram- 
matically the  words  offer  almost  no  difficulty. 
The  inff.  abwl.  in  ver.  9  cannot  have  an  intensive 
meaning,  as  though  the  Lord  had  said:  hear  and 
see  well,  with  effort,  zeal  and  diligence.  For  then 
must  they  even  attain  to  understanding.  But  the 
Lord  would  say  :  spite  of  the  much,  and  ceasele-s 
hearing  they  shall  still  understand  nothing.  This 
ceaseless  but  still  fruitless  hearing  is  only  the 
correlative  of  that  ceaseless  but  fruitless  preach- 
ing, of  which  especially  Jeremiah  so  often  speaks 
(Jer.  vii.  13,  25;  xi.  7,  etc.).  Let  it  be  noticed, 
too,  that  Jeremiah  every  where  points,  as  the 

cause  of  this  fruitless  hearing,  to  the  3/  rHWi^ 
"  the  hardness  of  heart,"  and  the  stiffening  of  the 
neck  (npV-ns  -ytfpn  Jcr.  vii.  26).  The  Prophet 
never  spoke  to  the  people  such  words  as  we  read 
in  ver.  9.  Therefore  it  cannot  be  the  meaning 
of  the  Lord  that  He  should  so  speak.  But  the 
Lord  would  say :  Whatever  thou  mayest  say  to 
this  people,  say  it  not  in  the  hope  of  being  under- 
stood and  regarded,  but  say  it  with  the  conscious- 
ness that  thy  words  shall  remain  not  understood 
and  not  regarded,  although  they  might  be  under- 
stood and  regarded,  and  that  consequently  they 
must  serve  to  bring  out  the  complete  unfolding  of 
that  hardness  of  heart  that  exists  in  this  people, 
and  thereby  be  a  testimony  against  this  people 
and  a  basis  of  judgment.  Thus  ver.  10  it  is  not 
meant  that  the  Prophet  shall  do  what  is  the 
devil's  affair,  that  is,  positively  and  directly  lead 
men  off  to  badness  and  godlessness.  Rather  the 
Lord  can  ever  want  only  the  reverse  of  this.  If, 
then,  it  says :  *'  harden  the  heart,  deafen  the  ear, 
plaster  up  the  eyes,  that  they  may  not  see,  nor  | 
hear,  nor  take  notice  and  be  converted  to  their 
salvation,"  still  this  form  of  speech  seems  to  me 
to  be  chosen  for  the  sake  of  the  Prophet.  There 
is,  namely,  a  great  comfort  for  him  in  it.  For 
what  is  sadder  for  a  man  of  God  than  to  see  day 
after  day  and  year  after  year  pass  away  without 
any  fruit  of  his  labor,  in  fact  with  evidence  that 
things  grow  rather  worse  than  better  ?  Is  it  not 
for  such  a  case  a  mighty  comfort  to  be  able  to 
say:  that  is  precisely  what  the  Lord  predicted, 
yea,  expressly  indicated  as  His  relative  and  pre- 
vious intention.  Thus  one  sees  that  He  has 
not  labored  in  vain,  but  that  He  has  performed 


his  task.  And  inasmuch  as  that  judgment  ia 
still  only  a  transition  point,  and  by  the  wonder- 
ful wisdom  of  the  Lord,  shall  become  a  forerun- 
ner of  higher  development  of  salvation,  so  the 
servant  of  God  can  say  this  for  comfort,  that  even 
out  of  the  judgment  of  burdening,  that  it  is  His 
part  to  provoke,  salvation  shall  grow.  God's 
wrath,  in  fact,  is  never  without  love.  The  pre- 
liminary earthly  judgments,  as  is  well  recognized, 
are  to  be  regarded  as  chastening*,  that  have  a  be- 
coming-better as  their  aim.  And  if  a  people  like 
Israel  suffers  one  judgment  after  another  through 
thousands  of  years,  and  still  never  becomes  better, 
until  at  last  the  Lord  breaks  in  pieces  the  econo- 
my of  the  Old  Testament,  like  one  shivers  an 
earthen  vessel  by  throwing  it  on  the  ground,  so 
just  this  destroying  of  the  old  covenant  is  the  pre- 
vious condition  to  the  arising  of  a  new  one,  that 
attains  to  what  the  old  one  could  not.  But  the 
individuals  themselves  whose  hardening  and  judg- 
ment is  nn  example  and  beacon  for  the  after- 
world?  Here  we  touch  on  a  difficult  point.  Will 
those  whose  fall  was  the  riches  of  the  world 
(Rom.  xi.  12)  be  eternally  damned,  or  will  their 
fall  here  below  also  for  them  become  some  time  a 
means  to  their  conversion  and  raising  them  up 
again?  The  answer  to  this  appears  to  me  to  lie 
in  Rom.  ix.-xi  But  here  is  not  the  place  to  go 
into  it  more  particularly. — Heart,  ear,  eye  (comp. 
xxxii.  3,  4)  are  named  as  the  representatives  of 
the  inward  sense ;  the  heart  represents  the  will, 
eye  and  car  the  knowing.  The  heart  shall  be- 
come fat  and  covered  with  grease,  and  thereby  be 
made  incapable  of  emotion. 

After  it  is  said  what  shall  be  done  in  regard  to 
the  three  organs,  it  is  said  what  shall  be  guarded 
against  by  such  doing ;  and  here  a  reversed  order 
is  observed  in  respect  to  the  positive  phrases. 
What  must  be  guarded  against  is  something  imme- 
d.'ate  and  something  mediate.  Immediately  must 
seeing,  hearing  and  observing  be  hindered;  me- 
diately the  penitent  conversion  and  being  saved. 

In  the  N.  T.  our  passage  is  cited  five  times. 
In  Matth.  xiii.  14;  Mark  iv.  12;  Luke  viii.  10 
it  is  applied  to  the  fact  that  Jesus  always  spoke 
to  the  people  in  parables.  Thereby  was  the  pro- 
phecy of  our  passage  fulfilled.  Jesus  would  ma- 
nifestly say:  Were  I  not  to  speak  in  parables, 
then  they  would  understand  nothing  at  all ;  my 
discourse  would  outwardly  rebound,  and  not  pe- 
netrate at  all,  and  consequently  effect  no  condition 
of  responsibility  on  their  part.  But  as  I  speak  by 
parable?,  my  discourse  at  least  penetrates  so  far 
that  a  certain  relative  understanding,  and  conse- 
quently, too,  a  responsibility,  is  possible.  But  in 
as  much  as  they  oppose  themselves  to  the  reali- 
zation of  this  possibility  of  understanding,  they 
let  it  be  known  that  evil  has  the  upper  hand  in 
them:  thus  they  pronounce  in  a  measure  their 
own  judgment.  Our  passage  is  cited  in  John  xii. 
40  as  explaining  why  the  Jews  could  not  believe 
in  Jesus  spite  of  the  signs  He  did.  To  this  end 
our  passage  is  construed  in  the  same  sense  in' 
which  the  Synoptists  take  it:  even  the  signs  of 
Jesus,  no  matter  how  near  they  come,  still  do  not 
bring  about  faith,  because  the  susceptibility  is 
wanting.  Finally  in  Acts  xxviii.  25sqq.  Paul 
makes  use  of  our  passage  in  order  to  prove  ^gene- 
rally the  unsusceptibility  of  the  Jewish  nation  to 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel. 


110 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


5.  Then  said  I substance  thereof  — 

Vers.  11-13.  The  announcement  of  the  judgment 
of  hardening  in  vcrs.  9, 10  sounds  quite  absolute. 
Yet  the  Prophet  hears  underneath  all  that  it  is 
not  so  intended.  It  is  impossible  that  the  Lord 
should  quite  and  forever  reject  His  people,  and 
abrogate  the  promises  given  to  the  fathers.  He 
asks,  therefore,  "How  long,  Lord?"  (comp.  Ps. 
vi.  4;  xc.  13;  Hab.  ii.  G).  He  would  say:  What 
are  to  be  quantitively  and  qualitatively  the  limits 
of  that  judgment  of  "hardening?  The  answer  is : 
First  there  must  be  an  entire  desolation  and  de- 
populating of  the  land;  and  when  at  last  still  a 
tenth  of  the  inhabitants  is  in  the  land,  that  tenth 
part  also  must  be  decimated  till  nothing  is  left 
but  the  stump  of  a  root  or  stem.  That  shall  then 
be  the  seed  of  a  holy  future.  The  meaning  of  the 
words  is  perfectly  clear. 

The  construction  is  as  follows :  and  still  there 
is  in  it  (the  land)  a  tenth  part,  and  this  is  again 
decimated — after  the  manner  of  or  in  resemblance 
to  the  terebinth  and  o:ik,  in  which,  when  felled,  a 
Btump  remains,  its  stump  (of  the  tenth)  isholyseed. 
Therefore  a  stump  always  remains,  and  that  suf- 
fices to  guarantee  a  new  life  and  a  new  glorious 
future.  This  has  been  steadily  verified  in  the 
people  Israel,  both  in  a  corporeal  and  spiritual 
respact.  After  every  overthrow,  yea,  after  the 
most  fearful  visitations,  that  aimed  at  the  very 
extinction  of  the  people,  a  stump  or  stem  was  still 
always  left,  in  the  ground.  This  people  is  even 
not  to  be  destroyed.  There  is  nothing  tougher 
than  the  life  of  this  everlasting  Jew.  And  in 
spiritual  respects  it  is  just  the  same.  Though 
every  knee  seem-?  to  bow  to  the  old  or  the  new 
Baal,  yet  the  Lord  has  preserved  always  a  frag- 
ment '(7,003  it  is  called,  1  Kings  xix.  18)  in 
faithfulness. 

DOCTRINAL  AND   ETHICAL,. 

Onver.  1.  The  question:  why  this  vision  in  the 
year  of  Uzziah's  death  ?  coincides  evidently  with 
the  question :  why  an  Isaiah  any  way,  and  why  was 
he  needed  just  at  this  time?  If  prophets  were  to 
be,  then  must  prophecy  at  some  time  culminate; 
and  that  happened  in  Isaiah,  the  greatest  of  all 
the  prophets  that  have  written.  Thence  Isaiah 
can  stand  neither  at  the  beginning,  nor  at  the 
close.  Not  at  the  beginning,  for  he  is  far  in  ad- 
vance of  the  elementary  stadium;  he  represents 
the  summit.  Not  at  the  close,  for  in  the  days  of 
decline  art  cannot  flourish.  It  needs  quiet  times 
for  its  development.  Such  a  quiet  time  (rela- 
tively) was  that  of  the  four  kings  under  whom 
Isaiah  labored.  CASPARI  (Beitr.  p.  218)  says  of 
the  Uzziah-Jotham  period,  that  for  the  kingdom 
of  Judah  it  was  1)  a  time  of  great  power  and 
prosperity,  2)  beside  the  time  of  Jehoshaphat  (2 
Chr.  xvii.  18,  20),  it  was  the  greatest  period  since 
its  existence  by  the  rending  away  of  the  Ten 
Tribes  from  the  house  of  David,  3)  the  longest 
continued  prosperity  during  its  existence,  4)  the 
last  that  it  had  till' it  fell,  5)  the  only  period  of 
prosperity  during  Isaiah's  prophetic  ministry. 
But  this  period  of  prosperity  was,  so  to  speak, 
only  the  spring-time,  the  youth  and  formative  pe- 
riod of  the  Isaiah  prophecy.  It  was  under  Ahaz 
especially  that  it  had  to  make  trial  of  itself.  The 
league  with  Assyria  fastened  the  gaze  of  the  Pro- 


phet on  the  Assyrian  dominion,  the  Babylonian 
embassy  in  Hezekiah's  time  (chap,  xxxix.)  on 
that  of  Babylon.  Although,  even  under  Ahaz 
and  Hezekiah,  there  were  wars  and  great  distress 
by  means  of  the  Syrians  and  the  Ephraimites,  as 
also  by  the  Assyrians,  still  the  destruction  was 
graciously  postponed. 

In  that  time,  therefore,  when  the  theocracy  be- 
gan to  show  its  relations  to  the  worldly  powers  in 
a  decisive  way,  there  appeared  a  prophet,  who, 
thoroughly  cultivated  under  the  prosperous  pe- 
riod of  Uzziah  and  Jotharn,  could  recognize  the 
portentous  characteristics  of  the  time  of  Ahaz  and 
Hezekiah,  and  see  deep  into  the  signs  pregnant 
with  the  future ;  and  who  could  reveal  their 
meaning  with  such  wisdom,  power  and  art  as  are 
seen  in  the  book  of  Isaiah.  When  Uzziah  died, 
Isaiah  was  just  old  enough  and  far  enough  ad- 
vanced in  training  to  begin  the  prophetic  career; 
under  Ahaz  he  had  attained  manly  maturity;  and 
under  Hezekiah,  with  glorified  vision,  like  one 
near  his  death,  he  beheld  the  glories  of  re- 
demption. 

2.  On  ver.  1.  Jerome  inquires:  how  could  Isaiah 
have  seen  the  Lord,  seeing  John  says  (John  i.  20) 
"  No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time,"  and  God 
Himself  said  to  Moses:   "  Thou  canst  not  see  my 
face;  for  there  shall  no   man  see  me  and  live," 
Exod.  xxxiii.  20?     He  replies  to  the  question: 
that  not  only  the  Godhead  of  the  Father,  but  also 
that  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  are  invi- 
sible to  bodily  eyes,  because  one  essence  is  in  the 
Trinity.     But  the  eyes  of  the  spirit  are  able  to 
behold   the   Godhead    according  to   the  saying: 
"blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see 
God,"  Matt.  v.  8.    And  Augustine  cites  this  say- 
ing of  Jerome  approvingly,  and  comments  on  it 
(EpisL   ad    Fortunatianum)    Addenda    ergo,    etc.: 
"Therefore  by  saying  in  addition,  '  but  the  eyes 
of  the  spirit,'  he  makes  vision  of  this  sort  totally 
different  from  every  kind  of  bodily  vision.     But 
lest   any  might   think    he  spoke  of  the  present 
time,  he  subjoins  the  testimony  of  the  Lord,  wish- 
ing to  show  what  he  had  called  eyes  of  the  spi- 
rit: by  which  testimony  the  promise  is  declared, 
not  of  a  present,  but  of  a  future  vision." 

3.  On  ver.  2.    FOERSTER  explains  the  fact  of 
the  Seraphim  covering  their  feet  with  their  wings 
as  proof  that  they  would  confess  that  their  holi- 
ness was  imperfect  and   impure  in  comparison 
with  the  absolute  holiness  of  God.     For  this  he 
cites  Job  iv.  18,  "  Behold,  He  put  no  trust  in  His 
servants;  and  His  angels  He  charged  with  folly," 
and  xv.  15,  "  Behold,  He  putteth  no  trust  in  His 
saints ;  yea,  the  heavens  are  not  clean   in  Hie 
sight." 

4.  It  was  even  the  opinion  of  many  Rabbis 
that  a  truce  of  threeness  of  the  divine  essence  was 
contained  in  the  three  times  holy  of  the  Seraphim. 
PETER  GALATINUS  (Italian,  baptized  Jew,  Fran- 
ciscan monk)  in  his  Arcanis  cathoticae  vritatis  II. 
1,  has  proved   this  especially  of  RABBI  SIMON 
JOCHAI  and  JONATAN  BEN  UFIEL  (the  Targu- 
mist).      Comp.   RAYMUNDUS    MARTINI   in   the 
pugio  fidei,  and  especially  Jon.  MEYER  in  the 

JDissertatio  tfieoloyica  de  mysterio  sacrosanctae  trinita- 
tis  ex  solius  V.  Ti.  libris  demonstrate.  Ilarderwich, 
1712. 

On  the  ground  of  this  recognized  reference  to 
the  Trinity,  this  song  of  the  Seraphim  has  ob- 


CHAP.  VI.  1-13. 


Ill 


tained  great  significance  in  Christian  liturgies  to 
the  present  time.  "  Its  introduction  into  them  has 
been  ascribed  to  IGNATIUS,  Bishop  of  Antiqch 
(f  116),  and  already  in  a  letter  of  CLEMENT,  Bi- 
shop of  Koine  (f  100),  there  is  found  a  hint  of  it. 
Pope  SIXTUS  I.  ,  f  130)  is  said  to  have  adopted 
it  into  the  Romish  mass."  SCIIOEBERLEIX,  Schatz 
des  liturg.  C/ior.  mid  Gemeindegesangs  I.  p.  333. 
[On  the  Trishagion ,  comp.  a  Bib.  Encycl.  or 
BINGHAM'S  Antiquity  of  the  Christian  Church,  Book 
XIV.  ii.  \  3,  4,  and  Book  XV.  iii.  \  10]. 

5.  On  ver.  4.     If  a  typical  meaning  of  the  shak- 
ing of  the  door-posts  is  insisted  on,  it  must  be 
sought  in  that  power  of  the  revelation  of  divine 
glory  that  affects  and  moves  everything,  impress- 
ing both  personal  and  impersonal  creatures;  and 
an  example  must  be  found  in  the  events  attend- 
ing the  death  of  Christ  (Matth.  xxvii.  50  sq.). 

6.  On  ver.  5.      "  God  does  not  put  angels  into 
the  pulpit,  but  poor,  weak  men.     The  angels  do 
not  know  how  sinful  men  are  alfected ;  but  minis- 
ters of  the  Church,  chosen  from  men,  know  that 
well . " — FOERSTER  . 

7.  On  ver.  8.     VITRINGA  remarks  here  that 
Christian  expositors,  GROTIUS  excepted,  explain 
the  change  from  the  singular  to  the  plural  num- 
ber, in  "  whom  shall  I  send,  and  who  will  go  for 
us"  as  implying  the  Trinity.  "CALVIN,  too,"  he 
says,"  and  PISCATOR,  usually  more  cautious  than 
others  in   observations  of  this  sort,  here  plainly 
utter  this  sentiment."    ["  This  explanation  is  the 
only  one  that  accounts  for  the  difference  of  num- 
ber in  the  verb  and  pronoun." — J.  A.  ALEXAN- 
DER.— TR  ].     The  opinion  of  the  Jews,  however, 
is  that  God  is  represented  metaphorically  here,  as 
taking  counsel  with  His  family,  i.  e.  the  angels. 
VITRINGA  remarks  also  that  SANCTIUS  attributes 
to  THOMAS  and  HUGO  the  important  emphasis  laid 
on  the  plural  "for  us,"  which  involves  the  mean- 
ing ''  who  will  go  for  us  and  not  for  himself." 

8.  On  vers.  9  and  10.    What  God  says  to  the 
Prophet  here  rests  on  a  law  that  may  be  called 
the  law  of  the  polarity  of  the  will.     For  every 
thing   here   concerns  the  will,  i.  e.,  that  will-do 
that  is  conditioned  by  the  will-be  (comp.  my  book, 

Dcr  Gottmensch,  p.  46sqq. ).  As  in  electricity  si- 
milar poles  repel  one  another,  and  dissimilar  at- 
tract, which  depends  on  the  principle  of  deep  in- 
ward relationship  and  mutual  completion,  so  in 
like  manner  it  happens  in  spiritual  life.  The 
Lord  says,  John  viii.  37:  "My  word  hath  no 
place  in  you,"  and  again,  ver.  43:  "Why  do  ye 
not  understand  my  speech  ?  even  because  ye  can- 
not hear  my  words ;"  which  question  he  proceeds  to 
answer  himself  (ver.  44) :  "ye  are  of  your  father 
the  devil,  and  the  lusts  of  your  father  ye  will  do;" 
and  immediately  after  He  says,  ver.  47 :  "He  that 


is  of  God  heareth  God's  words:  ye  therefore  hear 
them  not  because  ye  are  not  of  God." 

Therefore  where  the  word  of  God  comes  in 
contact  with  a  heterogeneous  pole,  it  is  repelled. 
And  not  only  that,  but  that  negative  pole  becomes 
more  intensely  negative  by  the  exercise  of  its  ne- 
gative power.  And  the  stronger  the  power  that 
provokes  its  ^energetic  reaction,  and  the  oftener 
this  provocation  occurs,  so  much  the  more  is  it 
strengthened  in  that  negation  till  it  becomes  quite 
hardened.  The  magnet  loses  its  power  by  disuse, 
whereas  frequent  use  strengthens  it.  Thus  we 
find  that  every  where  the  most  glorious,  clearest, 
loveliest  testimonies  to  divine  truth  are  not  re- 
ceived where  the  will  is  wanting  to  receive  them, 
i.e.,  where,  to  speak  biblically,  the  flesh  is  stronger 
than  the  spirit.  Therefore  must  all  prophets  of 
the  Lord-  be  hated  and  persecuted  in  proportion 
as  they  announced  the  truth  mightily  and  pene- 
tratingly; and  that  hate  must  attain  its  climax  in 
opposing  Him  who  was  Himself  the  truth. 

8.  On  ver.  13.  "  Paul,  also,  when  he  represents 
the  rejection  of  the  Jews  in  Rom.  xi.,  calls  the 
race,  ver.  16,  a  holy  root,  and,  vers.  23-25,  se- 
vered branches  that  God  will  again  graft  in." 
STARKE. 

HOMILETTCAL  HINTS. 

1.  On  ver.  3.  The  thrice  holy  of  the  Seraphim 
a  revelation.     1.  Of  the  holiness  of  God.     2.  Of 
His  glory.     3.  Of  the  Trinity. 

2.  On  vers.  5-8.   The  way  of  reconciliation  to 
God  prefigured  by  the  example  of  the  Prophet 
Isaiah.       1.  The   beginning   of  this  way  is   the 
knowledge  of  sin :  a.  occasioned  by  the  knowledge 
of  the  holiness  of  God,  b.  manifesting  itself  by  the 
confession  of  sin,  c.  constraining  one  co  cry  for 
deliverance  (woe  is  me).     2.  The  end  of  this  way 
is  the  forgiveness  of  sins:  a.  made  possible  by  the 
sacrifices  to  which  the  altar  points,  b.  applied  by 
the  word  and  sacrament  (the  address  of  the  angel 
and  the  live  coal),  c.  appropriated  by  faith  (the 
Prophet  yields  himself  to  the  action  of  the  an- 
gel). 

3.  On  ver.  8.     Installation   address.      Whom 
shall   I  send?  etc.      Herein  lies:    1.  The  divine 
call   to  office.      2.  The   high  importance  of  the 
office.     3.  The  joyful  inspiration  for  the  office. 
HAHN. 

4.  On  vers.  9-13.   The  fruit  of  preaching.     1. 
It  is  gratifying  only  in  a  small  portion  of  the 
hearers  (ver.  13<&;   Matt.  xxii.  14).     2.  In  most 
hearers  it  is  rather  mournful,  because  by  preach- 
ing: a.  they  are  only  moved  to  the  full  unfolding 
of  their  enmity;  b.  they  are  made  ripe  for  judg- 
ment (vers.  11-13  a). 


112 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


II.-THE  FIRST  GRAND  DIVISION. 


CHAPTERS  VII. — XXXIX. 


FIRST    SUBDIVISION. 


CHAPS.  VII.— XII. 

Israel's   Relation  to  Assyria  as  Representative  of  the  World-Power  generally  In 
its  Destructive  Beginning  and  Prosperous  Ending. 


Chapters  vii. — xii.  deal  wholly  with  the  rela-  j 
tion  of  Israel  to  Assyria.      They  show  how  the  ! 
way  was  opened  for  this  relation  by  the  unhappy 
league  that  Ahaz  concluded  with  the  king  of  As- 
syria for  protection  against  Syria  and  Ephraim. 
The  Prophet  announces  first  that  the  fear  of  the 
Syrians  and  of  Ephraim  is  groundless:  but  Assy- 
ria is  to  be  feared.     Taking  with  Assyria  a  com-  i 
prehensive  view  of  all  later  developments  of  the 
world-power,  he  announces  to  Israel  a  second  ex- 
ile, corresponding  to  that  of  Egypt  as  the  first,  but 
also  a  second  return,  corresponding  to  that  glo- 
rious return  in  which  Moses  led  them.     This  de-  | 
liverance  will  be  brought  about  by  a  Branch  that 
is  to  be  expected  from  the  house  of  David,  that 
shall  spring  as  son  of  a  virgin  from  the  apparently  i 
dried  up  root  of  this  house,  and,  in  the  might  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  will  found  a  kingdom  of  peace  that 
shall  embrace  and  have  dominion  over  all  nature. 

This  prophetic  cycle  divides  in  three  parts.     In 
the  first  part  (chap.  vii.  I — ix.  6)  the  Prophet  op-  ! 
poses  to  the  false  reliance  on  the  aid  of  Assyria  i 


against  the  apparent  danger  that  threatened  from 
Syria  and  Ephraim,  the  ideal  figure  of  a  child, 
that  finds  its  type  in  the  half-frightful,  half-com- 
forting phenomenon  of  the  virgin's  son  Immanuel, 
partly  in  the  form  of  a  son  born  to  the  Prophet 
himself:  types  that  at  the  f;ame  time  are  earnest 
of  a  preliminary  deliverance. 

In  the  second  part  (chap.  ix.  7 — x.  4)  the  Pro- 
phet turns  to  the  Israel  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  with  a 
short,  as  it  were,  passing  word.  Prompted  by 
their  proud  words,  as  if  it  were  a  little  thing  for 
them  to  make  good  the  loss  so  far  sustained  from 
Assyria,  the  Prophet  announces  to  Ephraim  that 
what  they  regarded  as  the  end  was  only  the  first 
of  many  degrees  of  ruin  that  they  were  to  suffer 
from  Assyria. 

In  the  third  part  (chap.  x.  5 — xii.  6)  the  Pro- 
phet turns  against  Assyria  itself.  Because  it 
would  not  be  the  instrument  of  the  Lord  in  the 
Lord's  sense,  to  it  is  announced  its  own  destruc- 
tion, but  to  Israel  deliverance  and  return  by  the 
Messiah  the  Prince  of  Peace. 


A.— THE  PROPHETIC  PERSPECTIVE  OF  THE  TIME  OF  AHAZ. 
CHAP.  VII.  1— IX.  6. 


In  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Ahaz  Judah 
was  seriously  threatened  by  the  league  between 
Syria  and  Ephraim.  Thereupon  Isaiah  received 
the  commission  from  Jehovah  to  say  to  Ahaz  that 
there  was  nothing  to  fear  from  Syria'and  Ephraim. 
Ahaz  being  summoned  to  ask  for  a  sign  as  pledge 
of  the  truth  of  this  announcement,  refused  to  do 
BO.  In  punishment  a  sign  is  given  to  him.  He 
must  hear  that  a  virgin  of  the  royal  house,  proba- 
bly his  daughter,  is  pregnant,  and  will  bear  a 
son.  But  this  son  of  a  virgin  shall  receive  the 
exceeding  comforting  name,  "Immanuel."  Be- 
fore he  will  be  able  to  distinguish  between  good 
and  evil,  the  lands  of  Syria  and  Ephraim  shall  be 
forsaken  and  desert.  But  danger  threatens  from 
that  side  from  which  Ahaz  hopes  for  help  and  de- 
liverance—that is,  from  Assyria.  For  Assyria 
will  turn  the  holy  land  into  a'desert.  Shortly  af- 
ter, the  Prophet  announces  that  a  son  will  be  born 
to  himself.  He  does  not  do  this  publicly,  how- 
ever, but  to  two  reliable  men.  At  the  same  time 


I  the  Prophet  must  set  up  a  public  tablet  with  the 
i  inscription,  Mahcr-shalal-hash-baz.  When  the 
boy  was  born,  he  received  these  words  as  his 
name.  And  it  was  revealed  as  the  meaning  of  the 
words,  that  before  the  boy  could  say  father  and 
mother,  the  spoil  of  Damascus  and  Samaria  would 
be  carried  away  by  the  king  of  Assyria.  By  this 
second  child,  then,  substantially  the  same  thing 
was  predicted  as  by  the  first,  the  son  of  the  vir- 
gin. Both  prophecies  must  in  general  have  oc- 
curred in  the  same  period,  in  the  beginning  of  the 
reign  of  Ahaz  (743  B.  C.).  Only  the  announce- 
ment of  Immnnuel  precedes  somewhat  that  of 
Maher-shalal-hash-baz.  Wherefore  this  double 
prediction  of  the  same  thing?  It  seems  to  me 
that  the  announcement  of  Immanuel  was  intended 
|  immediately  for  the  royal  family.  For  it  was  a 
i  sign  involving  punishment  (comp.  comment  on 
vii.  14).  But  the  people,  too,  were  mightily  con- 
cerned in  this  affair.  Therefore  there  was  given 
to  them  a  special  sign  by  Maher-shalal.  Such  is 


CHAP.  VII.  1-9. 


113 


the  extent  of  the  two  prophecies  at  the  beginning 
of  Ahaz's  time.  It  is  seen  that  each  has  for  its 
central  point  the  future  birth  of  a  child.  From 
viii.  5  on  follows  a  series  of  short  utterances,  all 
of  which  relate  to  the  same  subjects.  The  words 
viii.  5-8  are  a  warning  directed  primarily  to 
Ephraim,  not  to  despise  the  kingdom  of  Judah, 
nor  to  over-estimate  the  power  of  Syria  and 
Ephraim,  for  Assyria  will  overflow  the  latter  like 
a  stream,  and  then,  of  course,  Judah  too.  Chap, 
viii.  9-15  contains  a  threatening  proclamation  to 
the  nations  of  that  time  that  conspired  against 
Judah,  and  a  warning  to  Judah  not  to  fear  these 
conspiracies,  but  rather  to  let  the  Lord  be  the 
only  subject  of  fear.  Finally  a  conclusion  follows 
(viii.  16 — ix.  6)  which  sounds  almost  like  the 
testament  of  the  Prophet  to  his  disciples.  For, 
after  a  brief  prayer  to  Jehovah  to  seal  the  law  and 
testimony  in  the  hearts  of  his  disciples,  he  sets 
forth  himself  and  his  disciples  as  living  signs  and 
wonders  that  exhort  men  to  have  faith  in  Jeho- 
vah, warns  against  the  temptation  to  superstitious 
divination,  and  exhorts  to  cleave  to  the  law  and 
testimony.  For  only  therein,  in  the  troublous  days 
to  come,  may  be  found  comfort  and  restoration. 

And  now  that  the  prophet's  testament  may  be 
also  a  prophetic  testament,  prayer  and  exhortation 
merge  into  a  prophetic  vision.  The  gaze  of  the 
Prophet  is  directed  to  the  remote  future.  Dark 
lies  the  future  before  him.  But  just  in  the  quar- 
ter that  the  darkness  is  deepest,  in  the  least  re- 
garded northern  border  of  the  holy  land,  he  sees 
a  bright  light  arise,  which  marvellously  (one  in- 
voluntarily calls  to  mind  CORREGGIO'S  painting  of 
the  Nativity)  has  its  origin  in  the  person  of  a 
child,  that  proves  to  be  the  promised  Branch  of 
David,  and  restorer  of  David's  kingdom  to  ever- 
lasting power  and  glory.  If  our  conjecture  is 
correct,  that  we  have  here  the  Prophet's  testament 


to  his  disciples,  then  we  may  well  conceive  why 
it  is  introduced  just  here.  First,  it  has  the  same 
obscure  prophetic  background  that  was  given  by 
the  perspective  of  the  abandonment  of  Israel  to 
the  power  of  Assyria ;  and  then,  like  both  the 
chief  prophecies  described  above,  it  makes  the 
dispersion  of  that  obscurity  by  the  clear  light  of 
salvation  proceed  from  the"  person  of  a  child  that 
is  to  be  looked  for. 

We  may  accordingly  sketch  out  the  division 
of  our  section  as  follows : 

I.  The  two  chief  prophecies  concerning  the  birth 
of  the  virgin's  son  and  the  Prophet's  son.    vii. 
1 — viii.  4. 

1.  The  prophecy  of  the  virgin's  son  Immanuel. 
vii.  1-25. 

o)  Isaiah  and  Ahaz  at  the  conduit  of  the 

upper  pool.    vii.  1-9. 
6)  Isaiah  in  the  bosom  of  the  royal  family 

announcing   a  sign :    the  Virgin's  Son 

Immanuel.    vii.  10-25. 

2.  Isaiah  giving  the  whole  nation  a  sign  by  the 
birth  of  his  son  Maher-shalal-hash-baz.  viii. 
1-4. 

II.  Supplements. 

1.  Those  that  despise  Shiloah  shall  be  punished 
by  the  waters  of  the  Euphrates,    viii.  5-8. 

2.  Threatening    against    those    that    conspire 
against  Judah,  and  against  those  that  fear 
these  conspiracies,    viii.  9-15. 

3.  The  testament  of  the  Prophet  to  his  disci- 
ples,   viii.  16 — ix.  6. 

a)  Prayer   and   exhortation    merging  into 
prophetic  vision,    viii.  16-23  (ix.  1). 

b)  The  light  of  the  future  proceeding  from 
a  child,  that  is  to  be  born  of  the  race  of 
David,    ix.  1-16  (2-7). 


I— THE    TWO   CHIEF   PEOPHECIES   CONCERNING   THE   BIRTH 
THE  VIRGIN'S  SON  AND  OF  THE  PROPHET'S  SON. 

CHAPTER  VII.  1— VIII.  4. 
1.  THE  PROPHECY  OF  THE  VIRGIN'S  SON  IMMANUEL. 

CHAP.  VII.  1-25. 
a)  Isaiah  and  Ahaz  at  the  conduit  of  the  upper  pool. 


OF 


CHAP.  VII.  1-9. 


1  AND  it  came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  Ahaz  the  son  of  Jotham,  the  son  of  Uzziah, 
king  of  Judah,  that  Rezin  the  king  of  Syria,  and  Pekah  the  son  of  Remaliah,  king 
of  Israel,   went  up  toward   Jerusalem  to  war  against  it,  but  could  not  "prevail 
against  it. 

2  And  it  was  told  the  house  of  David,  saying.  Syria  Jis  confederate  with  Ephraim. 
And  his  heart  was  moved,  and  the  heart  of  his  people,  as  the  trees  of  the  wood  are 

3  moved  with  the  wind.     Then  said  the  LORD  unto  Isaiah,  Go  forth  now  to  meet  Ahaz, 

8 


114 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


thou,  and  2Shear-jashub  thy  son,  at  the  end  of  the  conduit  of  the  upper  pool  in  the 

4  "highway  of  the  fuller's  field ;  and  say  unto  him, 
Take  heed,  and  be  quiet ; 

Fear  not,  4neither  be  faint-hearted 

"For  the  two  tails  of  these  smoking  fire-brands, 

For  the  fierce  anger  of  Rezin  with  Syria,  and  of  the  son  of  Remaliah. 

5  Because  Syria,  Ephraim,  and  the  son  of  Remaliah, 
Have  "taken  evil  counsel  against  thee,  saying, 

6  Let  us  go  up  against  Judah,  and  Mvex  it, 
And  let  us  make  a  breach  therein  for  us, 

And  set  a  king  in  the  midst  of  it,  even  the  son  of  Tabeal : 

7  Thus  saith  the  eLord    God, 

It  shall  not  stand,  neither  shall  it  come  to  pass. 

8  For  the  head  of  Syria  is  Damascus, 
And  the  head  of  Damascus  is  Rezin  ; 

And  within  threescore  and  five  years  shall  Ephraim  be  broken,  "that  it  be  not  a 
people. 

9  And  the  head  of  Ephraim  is  Samaria. 
And  the  head  of  Samaria  is  Remaliah's  son. 

"If  ye  will  not  believe,  surely,  ye  shall  not  be  established. 


1  Heb.  resteth  on  Ephraim. 
8  Or,  causeway. 

*  Or,  waken. 

i  Or,  Do  ye  not  believe  1  it  is  because  ye  are  not  stable. 

»  make  war  on  it. 
«  devised  evil. 

*  the  Lord  Jehovah. 


TEXTUAL   AND 
CHAP.  VII.  Ver.  1.  nSy  is  used  not  only  of  motion 

T> 

towards  a  place  that  is  conceived  of  as  higher  (e.  g.,  1 
Kings  xii.  27  sqq. ;  2  Kings  xxiv.  1,  and  TV  of  the  oppo- 

—  T 

site,  e.  g.  1  Kings  xxii.  2 ;  2  Kings  viii.  29)  but  also  of  any 
hostile  proceeding,  entering  on  a  plan  (1  Sam.  xvii.  23, 
25 ;  Mich.  ii.  13 ;  Neh.  ii.  2,  etc). 73'  changed  2  Kings 

xvi.  6  to  \~I3*  comes  from  the  preceding  PI  fV,  and  from 

:  T  T  T 

the  additional  idea,  perhaps,  that  Rezin  was  the  chief 
person. 

Ver.  2.  PPJ  is  never  used  in  the  sense  of  niti,  confidere. 
But  it  is  used  of  swarms  of  birds,  grasshoppers  and  flies, 
that  settle  down  somewhere  (ver.  19;  Exod.  x.  14;  2 
Sam.  xxi.  10).  Such  is  its  meaning  here  :  the  army  of 
Syria  has  settled  down  like  a  swarm  of  grasshoppers  on 
the  spot  where  the  army  of  Ephraim  was  encamped. 
Comp.  2  Sam.  xvii.  12.  On  the  fern.  Dnj  after  D"!X 
comp.  2  Sam.  viii.  5 ;  x.  10 ;  coll.  xiv.  15,  18. 

Ver.  3.  rPJ?r\  occurs  again  in  Isaiah  only  xxxvi.  2. 
rPDD  Isauili  used  often  beside  here:  xxxvi.  2;  xi.  16- 

T  :    • 

xix.  23;  xxxiii.  8;  xl.  3;  xlix.  11;  lix.  7;  Ixii.  10.  0313 
only  here  and  xxxvi.  2,  in  Isaiah. 

Ver.  4.  After  1pl?n  should  follow  properly  a  nega- 
tive notion,  whence  the  word  always  has  after  it  the 
conjunctions  |3  or  78  or  the  preposition  m  (as  soli- 
tary exceptions,  comp.  Exod.  xix.  12;  xxiii.  13).  There- 
fore a  negation  must  be  supplied  out  of  the  following 
ttpl^n,  "take  heed  of  (unbelieving,  thus  sinful)  dis- 
quietude, but  rather  be  quiet."  The  direct  causative 
Hiphil  DpE/PI  has  evidently  the  meaning  that  Ahaz 
must  control  his  anxiety,  quiet  himself.  The  word  oc- 
curs in  I«aiah  again  xxx.15;  xxxii.  17;  Ivii.  20,  whereas 


2  That  is,  The  remnant  shall  return. 
4  Heb.  let  not  thy  heart  be  tender. 
6  Heb.  from  a  people. 

b  Before  these  two  smoking  torch-ends. 

d  shake  it. 

*  If  ye  believe  not,  then  ye  continue  not. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

the  Niph.  1DZ9J  occurs  in  Isaiah  only  here.  TJ*V  Niph. 
of  33"! ;  with  the  exceptionofPs.lv.  22,  it  always  occurs 

in  connection  with  337    or    37  in  the  sense  of  be- 
T  .. 

coming  weak,  timorous  (Deut.  xx.  3;  Jer.  Ii.  46;  2  Ki. 
xxii.  19  ;  Job  xxxiii.  1G) ;  it  does  not  occur  again  in  Isa. 
Only  once  he  uses  the  Pual  i.  6.  3JT  (according  to  Isa. 

TT 

ix.  13, 14;  xix.  15)  "  the  tail,  the  end  piece."  TIK  (found 
beside  only  Am.  iv.  11 ;  Zech.  iii.  2)  is  the  charred  stick 
of  wood  that  may  have  been  used  to  stir  the  fire.  Wy 
"smoking,"  only  here  in  Isaiah,  and  Exodus  xx.  18. 
1J1  HK  'HnD,  to  understand  the  prefix  3  to  be  of 
time  =  "  while  glowing  "  (DRECHSLER,  DELITZSCH,  KNO- 
BEL,  GESENIXJS)  seems  to  me  unsuitable.  JO  marks  the 
object  of  fear.  3  following  rather  distributes  the  com- 
mon notion  "  smoking  firebrands  "  to  the  two  so-named, 
as  3  often  stands  after  general  expressions  of  number, 
(especially  after  7  j)).  Comp.  Exod.  xii.  19,  "  whosoever 
eateth  leaven  shall  be  cut  off  VIKH  n*VK3<  "U3-" 

I  v  |TT  -IV  I 

Gen.  vii.  21 ;  ix.  2, 10.  Comp.  EWALD,  §  217  sq.  The  LXX. 
translates  singularly  orav  yd.p  opyrj  TOV  dv^ov  pov  yevTf 
rai,  nd\iv  iaaofi.a.i.  Kal  6  vi'bs  roO  'Apa.fi,  KCU  6  vtbs  roO 
'Po/i'eAt'ov,  etc.  GESENIUS  correctly  conjectures  that  the 
translator  instead  of  T2n3K  reads  tOIK,  or  rather 


Ver.  6.  t"Pn  is  Hiph.  from   VH.    The  fundamental 

I   |. ..  i  |  T 

meaning  is  :  "to  experience  a  shaking,  a  shock."  From 
this  are  derived  the  meanings  a)  timere,  "  trembling, 
quaking,"  (ver.  16,  Exod.  i.  12;  Num.  xxii.  3);  b)  taedere, 
fastidire.  Disgust  brings  about  a  shock  (comp.  "  e» 
schuttelt  mich")  which,  when  it  is  powerful,  occasions 
vomiting  (KID)  (comp.  e.g.  Gen.  xxvii.  46;  Num.  «i. 


CHAP.  VII.  1-9. 


115 


6);  c)  in  the  Hiphil :  "to  wake  up;"  for  waking  up  is 
the  effect  of  a  shock  that  the  sleeper  experiences  from 
without  or  within.  In  this  sense,  however,  the  Hiphil  is 
evidently  a  direct  causative,  since  it  properly  means  "  to 
make  a  shaking,  a  shaker."  Wherever  else  this  Hiph. 
V'pn  occurs,  except  our  verse,  it  means  "  to  awake." 
Our  verse  is  therefore  the  only  one  where  the  word  oc- 
curs as  the  causative  of  the  notion  Vp  =  timere  (verse 
16).  Many  expositors  therefore  have  hesitated  to  take 
the  word  in  this  sense.  Thus  FUEEST  (Concord.,  p.  988) 
would  give  our  V'pn  the  meaning  incUlere,  impungere, 
or'abscindere,  in  that  he  combines  it  with  V'lp  "  thorn," 
or  with  l"p  tempus  abscissionis,  "harvest."  GESENIUS, 
(Thes.  p.  1208)  proposes  to  read  Hip'^J  coarctemus,  ur- 
geamus,  (xxix.  2,  7).  However,  as  this  Hiphil  is  in  any 
case  unusual,  it  seems  better  to  take  it  in  a  sense  that 
is  suggested  by  something  near  at  hand,  ver.  16.  The 
feminine  suffix  here  and  afterwards  in  i~U.J7p3J  and 
nDlj"Q  relates  plainly  to  Judah  as  land.  The  meaning 
of  the  Hiph.  JTpSn  is  not  quite  clear.  The  fundamen- 
tal meaning  of  the  word  is  :  "  to  split."  It  is  used  of 
splitting  wood  (Eccl.  x.  9,  coll.  Gen.  xxii.  3)  of  eggshells 
(Isa.  lix.  5)  of  the  earth  from  which  springs  forth  the 
fountain  (Ps.  Ixxiv.  15)  of  the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea  (Ps. 
Ixxviii.  13) ;  it  is  said  that  a  besieged  city  is  split  when 
it  is  taken,  that  is,  a  breach  is  made  in  its  walls  (2  Ki. 
xxv.  4;  Jer.  xxxix.  2;  lii.  7  ;  Ezek.  xxvi.  10).  In  the  last- 
named  sense  it  is  used  2  Chr.  xxxii.  1,  where  it  is  said 
of  Sennacherib:  "  He  encamped  against  the  fenced  ci- 
ties and  thought  V  /#  Dyp2  S"  where  the  construct™ 

T"  T  I:  •    : 

praegnans  is  important  to  the  exposition  of  our  passage. 
The  word  however  is  also  used  of  a  land.  2  Chron.  xxi. 
17  we  read  of  the  Philistines  and  Arabians  :  "  they  came 
up  into  Judah,  rNtfpTl.  and  carried  away  all  the  sub- 

T         ITI-- 

stance,"  etc.  Beside  the  present  place,  the  Hiph.  occurs 
only  2  Kings  iii.  26,  where  it  is  used  of  an  intended 
breaking  forth  on  the.  part  of  an  enclosed  army.  Ac- 
cording to  all  this,  the  use  of  the  word  for  breaking 
through,  forcing  a  fortified  city,  seems  to  me  to  settle 
the.  meaning.  A  land  is  forced,  broken  through,  as  well 
as  a  city,  when  the  living  wall  that  defends  it,  the  de- 
fensive army  is  broken  through.  Thus  the  sense  of 
our  passage  will  be  :  let  us  break  through  it  (the  land 
of  Judah)  t.  e.,  take  it  by  breaking  through  the  protect- 
ing army,  and  thereby  take  it  to  ourselves.  There  lies 
in  the  expression,  beside  the  pregnant  construction,  at 
the  same  time  a  metonomy. 


It  is  not  known  who  "  the  son  of  Tabeal  "  was.  3Q  is 
the  Hebrew  210  (comp.  J1D"|3D  1  Kings  xv.  18);lhe 
ending  7X  is  changed  in  the  pause  from  *7X,  whereby, 
perhaps  intentionally,  arises  the  meaning  "not  good" 
(good  for  nothing).  If  the  name  was  of  Israelitish  ori- 
gin (comp.  rP31£3)  then  likely  that  Tabeal  or  his  son 

•  T 

was  a  fugitive  of  Judea  of  note.  The  name  is  found 
again  Ezra  iv.  7.  On  the  Assyrian  monuments  of 
the  time  of  Tiglath-Pileser  is  mentioned  however  an 
I-ti-bi'-i-lu,  or  Ti-bi'-i-lu,  with  the  addition  "  mat  A-ru-mu  " 
t.  e.,  from  the  land  of  Aram. 

Ver.  8  b.  The  position  of  these  words  is  surprising. 
Why  do  they  not  stand  after  ver.  9  a  ?  And  how  is  the 
1  at  the  beginning  of  ver.  8  to  be  construed  ?  Is  it  that 
paratactic  Vav,  that  is  determined  only  by  the  connec- 
tion? And  what  is  it  that  so  determines  it?  Shall  we 
regard  it  as  causal,  which  were  quite  grammatical? 
(Comp.  Gen.  xxiv.  56;  Deut.  xvii.  16;  Ps.  vii.  10,  etc. 
EWALD'S  Gram.,  \  353  a  ;  GESEN.  \  155,  1  c).  Or  shall  we, 
like  CiiEYSOSTOM  and  CALVIN,  with  whom  TUOLUCK  agrees, 
take  it  in  the  sense  of  vvv  or  interea  t  Take  one  or  the 
other  and  it  is  not  satisfactory.  It  seems  to  me  to  an- 
swer best,  to  assume  that  the  words  are  a  sample  of  the 
oracle-like,  lapidary  style  (Lapidarstils)  and  thence  no 
grammatically  correct  construction  is  to  be  looked  for. 
Did  the  words  in  question  stand  after  9  6,  whither  LOWTH 
has  transposed  them,  then  indeed  the  disposition  of 
the  sentence  would  be  more  correct,  but  the  construc- 
tion would  be  monotonous.  I2/JO  occurring  four  times 
in  succession  would  sound  bad.  By  the  interposition 
of  ver.  8  b,  this  evil  is  avoided.  Thus  manifoldness  is 
combined  with  equilibrium.  And  thus,  without  ig- 
noring the  difficulties,  we  will  still  recognize  the  pos- 
sibility of  the  passage  being  genuine  as  it  is,  against 
which  there  is  grammatically  nothing  to  oppose  (comp. 
THOI.UCK,  Die  Propheten  und  ihre  Wcissagungen,  and  Ew- 
ALD).  Examples  of  the  construction  '1  D'jyjy  "11^31 
Gen.  xl.  13, 19;  Josh.  i.  11 ;  2  Sam.  xii.  22  ;  Isa.  xxi.  1C ; 
Jer.  xxviii.  3, 11;  Am.  iv.  7.  HIT  is  imp.  Kal.  from  j~\nn 
fractus  est.  xxx.  31 ;  xxxi.  4;  li.  6,  etc.— D^p=D^  fl'THD, 
comp.  xvii.  1 ;  xxiii.  1 ;  Ixii.  10. 

Ver.  9.  Niph.  JDXJ  is  firmum,  stabilem,  perennem  esse 
(xxii.  23,  25;  xxxii'i.  'l6;  xlix.  7;  Iv.  3;  Ix.  4).  '2  is  ple- 
onastic, but  very  expressive,  and  is  to  be  treated  as  de- 
pendent on  an  ideal  uerbum  dicendi  (Num.  xxii.  29,  33 ; 
Ps.  cxxviii.  4). 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.   And  it  came  to   pass- 


-with  the 


wind. — Vers.  1,  2.  This  war  expedition  of  the 
united  Syrians  and  Ephraimites  is  mentioned  2 
Kings  xv.  37;  xvi.  5  sq.  and  2  Chr.  xxviii.  5  sq. 
Were  one  to  follow  the  statement  of  2  Kings  xv. 
30,  then  Pekah  did  not  at  all  live  to  see  Ahaz. 
For  there  it  reads :  "And  Hoshea  the  son  of  Elah 
made  a  conspiracy  against  Pekah,  and  smote  him 
and  slew  him,  and  reigned  in  his  stead  in  the 
twentieth  year  of  Jotham  the  son  of  Uzziah."  If 
Pekah  was  killed  after  Jotham's  death  under 
Ahaz,  it  must  any  way  read  "in  the  first  year  of 
Ahaz."  But  according  to  all  other  data,  Pekah 
must  undoubtedly  have  lived  to  see  Ahaz.  For 
2  Kings  xv.  1  it  reads  that  Ahaz  became  king  in 
the  seventeenth  year  of  Pekah,  who,  according  to 


xv.  27,  reigned  twenty  years.  How  otherwise 
could  Pekah,  according  to  Isa.  vii.  1,  wage  war 
against  Ahaz?  How  could  Tiglath-Pileser,  ac- 
cording to  2  Kings  xv.  29,  whom  Ahaz  summoned 
(2  Kings  xvi.  7),  in  Pekah's  day,  Rtill  occupy  the 
region  of  Ephraim  and  carry  the  people  away  ? 
But  the  statement  of  2  Kings  xv.  30  6  proves  it- 
self false  in  other  ways.  For,  vers.  32,  33,  we 
read  that  Jotham  became  king  in  the  second  year 
of  Pekah,  and  reigned  sixteen  years.  Accord- 
ingly Jotham  must  have  died  in  the  eighteenth 
year  of  Pekah.  Therefore  Pekah  survived  Jo- 
tham, and  not  Jotham  Pekah,  as  ver.  30  gives  the 
impression.  HITZIG  (Gesch.  d.  Volkes  Isr.  I.  p. 
212)  makes  the  original  form  of  the  statement  to 
be:  "And  he  killed  him  in  the  twentieth  year 


116 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


of  his  reign,  and  became  king  i  i  his  stead ;"  but 
the  following  "of  Jotham  the  son  of  Uzziah,"  etc,- 
are  the  superscription  of  ver.  32  sqq. 

However  this  may  be,  the  statement  of  ver.  30  b 
is  in  any  case  incorrect.  Therefore  we  have  here 
a  plain  example  of  the  corruption  of  the  text,  un- 
less we  assume  an  inexact  or  erroneous  use  of  ori- 
ginal sources. 

Pekah  not  only  survived  Jotham,  but  he  lived 
daring  three  years  of  Ahaz,  because,  according  to 
ver.  27,  Pekah  reigned  twenty  years,  and  in  his 
seventeenth  year  Ahaz  became  king.  Therefore 
in  these  three  years  must  occur  the  events  related 
in  Isa.  vii.  and  viii.  DRECHSLER  says  correctly, 
the  spoiling  of  Ephraim,  spoken  of  2  Kings  xv. 
29,  presupposes  the  conception,  birth,  and  learn- 
ing to  talk  of  "Hasten-spoil,  Quick-prey"  (Isa. 
viii.  3  sqq.) ;  consequently  one  must  say  that  the 
attack  of  Rezin  and  Pekah  must  be  located  in  the 
first  half  of  the  three  years  that  the  latter  live'd  in 
common  with  Ahaz. 

Rezin  was  the  last  king  of  independent  Syria — 
for  by  his  overthrow  it  became  an  Assyrian  pro- 
vince. The  founder  of  the  kingdom  of  Syria  of 
Damascus  was  Rezin  (fin),  who,  Shaving  run  away 
from  his  lord  Hadadeser,  king  of  Syria  of  Zobah, 
gathered  a  horde  of  fighting  men,  and  settled  with 
them  in  Damascus  (i  Kings  xi.  23 sqq.).  From 
that  period  we  find  the  Syrian  power,  hitherto  di- 
vided into  many  small  kingdoms,  concentrated 
under  the  king  of  Damascus.  Rezin  is  followed 
by  Hezion  (fi'fn,  if  he  is  not  identical  with  fin 
as  EWALD,  Gesch.  d.  Y.  Isr.  III.  151,  and  THE- 
NIUS,  on  1  Kings  xv.  19,  conjecture) ;  he  by  his 
flon  Tabrimon,  who,  according  to  1  Kings  xv.  19, 
appears  to  have  made  a  league  With  Abijam  the 
king  of  Judah,  which  Benhadad,  son  and  succes- 
sor of  Tabrirnon,  renewed  with  king  Asa;  an  un- 
theocratic  proceeding,  which,  according  to  2  Chr. 
xvi.  7,  provoked  the  sharp  censure  of  the  prophet 
Hanani.  We  have,  then,  here  the  example  of  a 
league  that  a  king  of  Judah  made  with  the  heathen 
king  of  Syria  in  order  to  war  upon  Baasha,  king 
of  Israel,  to  which  in  addition  must  be  observed 
the  grave  fact  that  Benhadad  at  the  verv  time  was 
in  league  with  Baasha,  and  consequently  must 
have  been  solicited  to  break  an  existing  alliance. 
Thus  the  league  between  Pekah  and  Rezin 
against  Ahaz  appears  as  a  retribution  for  the 
league  that  Asa  had  made  with  Benhadad  against 
Baasha.  That  Benhadad,  whom  we  may  call 
Benhadad  I.,  was  succeeded  by  Benhadad  II.,  of 
whom  we  read  that  he  combined  thirty-two  kings 
under  his  supreme  command  against  Israel  (1 
Kings  xx.  1  sqq.).  Benhadad  II.  was  succeeded 
by  Hazael,  who  murdered  his  master  (1  Kings 
xix.  15;  2  Kings  viii.  7  sqq.).  Hazael  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Benhadad  III.,  his  son  (2  Kings  xiii. 
2.4);  finally  Rezin  succeeded  him;  his  name  pos- 
sibly is  identical  with  that  of  Rezin,  the  founder 
of  the  dynasty,  as  GESENITJS  (Thegaur.  p.  1307) 
and  BAIHIXGER  (IlEnzoo's  Rea2-Encydop.  VII 
p.  44)  conjecture.  The  sounds  I  and  ^  as  is  well 
known,  being  nearly  related  (ds  and  ts;  comp. 
pjtt  and  p£T,  in*  and  1HT,  }'Sj>  and  6j?,  i£j 
and  Aram.  1£T,  etc.).  But  if  {in,  and  fin  (Prov.T 
xiv.  28,  where  the  word  is  parallel  with  ^D)  and 


fT1!  ( Judg.  v.  3 ;  Ps.  ii.  2,  grams,  augustus,  princeps, 
stand  related  in  root  and  meaning,  we  would  then 
see  this  kingdom  of  Damascus  also  begin  and  end 
with  an  Augustus. 

Pekah,  son  of  Remaliah,  an  otherwise  unknown 
name,  was  VJ^W  of  the  king  Pekahiah.  LUTHER 
translates  the  word  by  Ritter  =  "  knight,"  but  it 
means  properly  "chariot  warrior,"  because  three 
always  stood  on  a  chariot  (comp.  P^xod.  xiv.  7 : 
xv.  4).  It  signifies  a  follower  generally  (2  Kings 
x.  25),  as  well  as  particularly  a  favored  follower, 
on  whose  hand  the  king  Cleaned  (2  Kings  vii.  2, 
17,  19).  Pekah  killed  his  master  after  a  reign 
of  two  years  (2  Kings  xv.  23  sqq.).  Like  all  other 
rulers  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  "he  did  that 
which  was  evil  in  the  sight  of  the  LORD,"  ver. 
28.  Our  passage  is  explained  by  the  parallel 
passages,  2  Kings  xvi.  5  sqq.  and  2  Chron.  xxviii. 
5  sqq. 

The  words  of  2  Kings  xvi.  5  sqq.  correspond 
almost  verbatim  with  Isa.  vii.  1.  Such  difference 
as  there  is  indicates  that  the  author  of  2  Kings 
meant,  not  that  Jerusalem  itself,  but  only  the  king, 
was  hard  pressed, — meaning,  of  course,  the  king 
as  representative  of  the  land.  Moreover  that  the 
author  of  2  Kings  drew  from  Isaiah,  and  not  the 
reverse,  appears  to  me  beyond  doubt.  For  2 
Kings  is  without  doubt  a  much  more  recent  book 
than  Isaiah.  At  most,  Isaiah  could  only  have 
used  one  of  the  sources  used  by  the  writer  of  2 
Kings.  But  why  need  the  Prophet  look  into  the 
archives  of  the  kingdom  for  a  summary  notice  of 
an  event  of  his  own  times,  and  known  to  all  his 
contemporaries?  Combining  then  the  accounts 
of  2  Kings  and  2  Chron.  we  obtain  the  following 
facts:  1,  the  hostile  incursion  of  Rezin  and  Pekah 
into  Judah;  2,  a  defeat  of  Ahaz  by  Rezin  (2  Chr. 
xxviii.  5) ;  3,  a  defeat  of  Ahaz  by  Pekah  (vers. 
6-15);  4,  the  taking  of  Elath  by  "the  Syrians  (2 
Kings  xvi.  6) ;  5,  an  expedition  of  Rezin  and  Pe- 
kah against  Jerusalem  (Isa.  vii.  1),  with  which 
also  the  notice  Isa.  vii.  2  of  the  fact  that  '*  Syria 
has  settled  upon  Ephraim"  has  more  or  less  con- 
nection. 

The  question  arises :  Is  the  expedition  referred 
to  in  our  passage  identical  with  that  related  2 
Kings  and  2  Chron.?  or  if  not,  did  it  occur  be- 
fore or  after  the  latter?  At  the  first  glance,  in- 
deed, one  is  liable  to  regard  Isa.  vi.  1  as  a  brief, 
summary  notice  of  all  the  transactions  of  ihat 
war.  But  then  it  is  surprising  that  this  notice — 
with  the  promises  that  follow  it  in  close  con- 
nection— gives  the  impression  that  the  war  pro- 
gressed in  a  way  wholly  favorable  for  Judah  ; 
whereas  we  know  from  the  parallel  passages 
that  Judah  suffered  severe  defeats  and  prodi- 
gious loss.  Therefore  we  cannot  take  our  verse 
as  such  a  parallel  and  summary  account.  But 
it  is  impossible  also  that  what  our  passage  re- 
counts preceded  the  defeats  of  which  we  have  ac- 
count in  the  parallel  passage.  For  then  the  state- 
ments of  our  passages  would  equally  disagree  with 
the  event.  They  would  announce  only  good, 
whereas  in  reality  great  misfortunes  occurred. 
We  must  therefore  assume  that  our  passage  refers 
to  an  expedition  that  occurred  after  the  events  of 
2  Kings  xvi.  5  sqq.,  and  2  Ch.  xxviii.  5  sqq. ; 
and  we  must  conceive  of  the  matter  as  follows: 
Rezin  and  Pekah  operated  at  first  separately,  aa 


CHAP.  VII.  1-9. 


117 


is  expressly  indicated,  2  Chr.  xxviii.  5.  The 
former,  likely,  traversed  the  East  of  Judah's  ter- 
ritory and  proceeded  at  once  south  toward  Elatli. 
But  Pekah  engaged  in  battle  with  Ahaz  to  the 
north  of  Jerusalem,  with  the  bad  result  for  Ahaz, 
related  2  Chr.  xxviii.  5  6  sqq.  After  these  pre- 
liminary successes,  Rezin  and  Pekah  united  their 
armies  and  marched  against  Jerusalem  itself. 
This  is  the  expedition  of  which  our  passage  in- 
forms us,  and  this  is  the  meaning  of  HDJ  ver.  2. 
The  expedition,  however,  did  not  succeed.  For 
Ahaz  had  applied  to  the  King  of  Assyria,  and 
the  news  that  the  latter  was  in  motion  in  response 
to  the  request  of  Ahaz,  moved  the  allied  kings  to 
hasten  home  into  their  countries.  Thus  is  ex- 
plained why  Isaiah  vii.  1  speaks  only  of  an  in- 
tended war  against  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  and 
why  the  author  of  2  Kings  who  mistook  our  pass- 
age for  a  general  notice,  and  used  it  as  such,  re- 
sorted to  the  alterations  we  have  noticed  (viz.,  the 
omission  of  "against  it,"  and  "they  besieged 
Ahaz,  but  could  not  overcome  him "  2  Kings 
xvi.  5).  This  is  essentially  the  view  of  CASPARI 
too  ( in  the  Universitats-Programm  iiber  den  sy- 
risch-ephraimitibchen  Krieg,  Christiani,  1849),  with 
which  DELITZSCII  agrees  (in  his  review  of  the 
foregoing  writing  in  REUTER'S  Repert.,  April, 
1851,  reprinted  in  his  commentary). 

In  regard  to  ver.  1  b,  a  double  matter  is  to  be 
noticed  :  1.  that  it  does  not  say  "  he  could  not 
take  it,  or  make  a  conquest  of  it "  or  the  like ; 
but  he  could  not  make  war  upon  it.  That  must 
plainly  mean  that  Rezin  and  Pekah  could  not 
hnd  even  time  to  begin  the  siege.  2.  The  clause 
''he  could  not,"  etc.,  must  be  construed  as  antici- 
pation of  the  result,  which  the  Prophet,  after  the 
well-known  Hebrew  manner  of  writing  history, 
joins  on  to  the  account  of  the  beginning.  "What 
follows  then  ver.  2,  and  after,  is  thus,  as  to  time, 
to  be  thought  of  as  coming  between  ver.  1  a 
and  6. 

To  the  house  of  David.  -Ver.  2.  This  ex- 
pression (found  again  in  Isaiah  only,  ver.  13  and 
xxii.  22)  can,  indeed,  mean  the  race  of  David, 
(cornp.  1  Sam.  xx.  16 ;  1  Kings  xii.  16,  20,  26, 
etc.);  and  ver.  13  the  plural  lj??$,  ''hear  ye," 
seems  really  to  commend  this  meaning.  But  the 
singular  suffix  in  133  7  and  'my  "  his  heart,"  '*  his 
people,"  proves  that  the  meaning  is  not  just  the 
same.  Therefore  it  seems  to  me  that  "  house  of 
David "  here  means  the  palace,  the  royal  resi- 
dence. There  was  the  seat  of  government,  the 
king's  cabinet;  thither  was  the  intelligence 
brought.  It  is  as  when  one  says  :  it  was  told  the 
cabinet  of  St.  James,  or  the  Sublime  Porte.  Of 
course  the  expression  involves  reference  to  the 
living  possessor  of  the  government  building,  and 
the  governing  power,  the  king.  Hence  the  lan- 
guage proceeds  with  pronouns  (suffixes)  in  the 
singular. 

2.  Then  said  the  Lord the  son  of  Re- 

maliah. — Vers.  3  and  4.  The  Prophet  receives 
command  to  go  and  meet  the  king,  who  had 
gone  out,  and  thus  whose  return  was  to  be  looked 
for.  But  he  must  not  go  alone,  but  in  company 
with  his  son,  Shear-jashub.  The  son  is  no  where 
else  mentioned.  The  name  signifies  the  chief 
contents  of  all  prophecy,  according  to  its  two  as- 
pects. In  the  notion  "1X$  Shear,  is  indicated  the 


entire  fulness  of  the  divine  judgments,  that  the 
Propliets  had  to  announce :  whereas  31$'  Jashub 
opens  up  the  glorious  prospect  of  the  final  deliv- 
erance. [The  name  means  a  remnant  may  return. 
— TR.]  Cornp.  i.  8,  9  ;  iv.  3  ;  vi.  13  ;  x.  20  sqq. 
(especially  ver.  21  where  the  words  31$'  1K$  ex- 
pressly recur).  We  have  shown  in  commenting 
on  Jer.  iii.  sqq.;  xxxi.  16-22  what  an  important 
part  the  notion  31$  "to  return,"  plays  in  Jer- 
emiah's prophecy.  The  significance  of  Shear- 
jashub's  name,  however,  makes  us  notice,  too, 
that  the  Prophet  himself  bears  a  significant  name. 
^T^?  means  "  salvation  of  Jehovah."  And  that 
the  proclamation  of  salvation,  comfort  is  the  chief 
contents  of  His  prophecies  Israel  has  long  known, 
and  acknowledged.  An  old  rabbinical  saying, 
quoted  by  ABARB.  reads  NnDHJ  1*73  irrj.'K'  133 
comp.  Introduction.  Threatening  and  consola- 
tion therefore  go  to  meet  Ahaz  embodied  in  the 
persons  of  Isaiah  and  his  son,  yet  so  that  con- 
solation predominates,  as  also  the  words  that 
Isaiah  has  to  speak  are  for  the  most  part  consola- 
tory. Had  Israel  only  been  susceptible  of  this 
consolation ! 

The  locality  where  Isaiah  was  to  meet  the  king 
is  mentioned  xxxvi.  2,  and  in  the  same  words. 
There,  Rabshakeh,  the  envoy  of  Sennacherib,  ac- 
cording to  that  passage,  held  his  interview  with 
the  men  that  Hezekiah  sent  out  to  him.  It  must, 
therefore,  have  been  an  open,  roomy  spot,  suited 
for  conferences.  According  to  the  researches  ol 
ROBINSON,  against  which  the  results  of  KRAFFT, 
WILLIAMS  and  HITZIG  prove  not  to  be  tenable, 
(comp.  ARNOLD  in  HERZOG'S  R.  Encyd.  XVIII. 
p.  632  sq. ),  the  upper- pool  is  identical  with  the 
Birket-el  Mamilla,  which  in  the  west  of  Jerusalem 
lies  in  the  basin  that  forms  the  beginning  of  the 
Vale  of  Hinnom,  about  2100  feet  from  the  Jaffa 
Gate.  Moreover  this  pool  is  identical  with  "  the 
old  pool  "  mentionedxxii.il.  Hezekiah,  when 
he  saw  that  Sennacherib  was  coming  (2  Chr. 
xxxii.  2  sqq.),  stopped  up  the  fountains  outside 
of  the  city,  and  conducted  the  water  of  the  foun- 
tain of  Gihon  and  that  of  the  upper-pool  in  a  new 
conduit  between  the  two  walls  (xxii.  11  coll.  2 
Kings  xx.  20  ;  2  Chr.  xxxii.  30),  in  contrast  with 
which  it  was  that  the  upper-pool  was  called  the 
older.  The  fuller's  field,  the  place  where  the 
fullers  washed,  fulled  and  dried  their  stuff's,  must 
have  been  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  pool.  Now 
JOSEPHUS  (Bell.  Jud.  V.  4,  2)  speaks  of  a  fiv^pa 
yva<t>cuf,  "  fuller's  monument,"  that  must  have 
had  its  position  north  of  the  city.  For  this  rea- 
son many  (  WILLIAMS,  KRAFFT,  HITZIG)  look 
for  the  fuller's  field  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
fuller's  monument.  But  fuller's  field  and  fuller's 
monument  need  not  necessarily  be  near  one  an- 
other. For  the  latter  does  not  necessarily  con- 
cern the  place  of  the.  fullers  as  such,  but  may 
have  been  erected  on  that  spot  to  a  fuller  or  by  a 
fuller  for  any  particular  reason  unknown  to  us. 
And  anyway  the  existence  of  a  pool  in  ancient 
times  north  of  Jerusalem  cannot  be  proved. 
Therefore  the  fuller's  field  lay  probably  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  upper-pool  west  of  the  city. 

Ahaz  had  probably  a  similar  end  in  view  at 
the  upper  pool  to  Hezehiah's,  according  to  2  Chr. 
xxxii.  2  sqq.  It  was  to  deprive  the  enemy  of  all 
fountains,  brooks  and  pools,  and  yet  preserve 


118 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


them  for  the  use  of  the  city.  The  end  was  ob- 
tained by  covering  them  over  above  and  conduct- 
ing them  into  the  city.  Perhaps  in  this  respect 
Ahaz  did  preparatory  work  for  Hezekiah  (comp. 
ARNOLD,  /.  c.).  The  Prophet  warned  the  king 
against  sinning  through  unbelieving  despondency. 
The  expression  ''  fear  not,  neither  be  faint- 
hearted," is  here  and  Jer.  li.  46,  borrowed  from 
Deut.  xx.  3,  where  it  is  said  to  the  people  how 
they  must  conduct  themselves  when  they  stand 
opposed  in  fight  to  superior  forces  of  the  enemy. 
The  expression  occurs  only  in  the  three  places 
named.  Why  Ahaz  should  not  fear  is  expressed 
in  this,  that  the  enemy  that  threatened  him  are 
compared  to  quenched  firebrands  and  stumps  of 
torches.  Two  firebrands  are  mentioned  in  the 
first  clause,  and  yet  the  idea  is  distributed  over 
three  bearers,  Rezin,  Syria  and  the  son  of  Rema- 
liah.  We  see  that  the  Prophet  takes  prince  and 
people  as  one  ;  and  here  he  names  the  two  halves 
of  the  whole,  as  instantly  afterwards  ver.  5, 
Ephrairn  and  the  son  of  Remaliah,  but  the  second 
time  he  does  not  mention  Rezin  at  all,  but  only 
opposes  Syria  to  Ephraim  and  its  king.  There 
appears  to  me  to  lie  in  this  an  expression  of  con- 
tempt for  Rezin,  who  first  is  named  in  connection 
with  his  nation  and  the  second  time,  not  at  all, 
so  that  he  plainly  appears  as  a  secondary  person. 
On  the  other  hand  contempt  was  expressed  for 
Pekah  by  calling  him  only  the  son  of  Remaliah. 
But  what  is  the  son  of  Remaliah,  a  man  utterly 
unknown,  opposed  to  the  son  of  David  ! 

3.  Because  Syria  -  shall  not  be  estab- 
lished. —  Vers.  5-9.  The  conclusion  of  the  pre- 
mise "  because  Syria,  etc.,  have  taken  evil  coun- 
sel," etc.,  begins  ver.  7,  *'  thus  saith  the  LORD." 
The  evil  counsel  is  set  forth  ver.  6.  ''  It  shall  not 
come  to  pass,"  says  literally,  what  is  expressed 
figuratively  by  Dlpn  X1?  =  it  shall  not  stand. 
For  there  underlies  the  latter  expression  the  figure 
of  a  prostrate  body  that  attains  to  standing,  there- 
fore gets  to  its  feet  and  to  life.  Comp.  xiv.  24  ; 
xxviii.  18;  xlvi.  10;  Prov.  xix.  21.  Had  this 
promise  been  given  at  the  first  beginning  of  the 
Syro-Ephraimite  war,  it  would  have  found 
no  complete,  corresponding  fulfilment.  For,  as 
shown  above,  the  counsel  did  not  remain  quite 
unaccomplished.  Precisely  the  ^P^H  (ver.  6), 


"the  forcing  a  breach,"  succeeded,  according  to 
2  Chr.  xxviii.  5.  Hence  we  must,  in  accordance 
too  with  nm  ver.  2,  assume,  that  Isaiah  ad- 
dressed this  prophecy  to  Ahaz  after  the  beginning 
of  the  second  act  of  that  war. 

For  the  head  of  Syria,  etc.—  Ver.  8.  These 
words  are  very  difficult.  Especially  has  the 
second  clause  of  ver.  8,  given  great  offense  both 
by  its  contents  and  by  its  position.  Many  expo- 
sitors therefore  attempt,  either  to  alter  the  text, 
or  to  reject  the  words  1\jm  to  D#0  as  a  gloss. 
These,  in  some  instances  very  ingenious,  at- 
tempts may  be  found  recapitulated  in  GESEKIUS 
The  Prophet  had  said,  ver.  6,  that  Syria  and 
Kphraira  had  the  purpose  of  making  the  son  of 
Tabeal  king  in  Judah.  That  shall  not  come  to 
pass  says  yer.  7.  This  assertion  is  established 
by  the  double  statement  vers.  8  and  9  The  latter 
consist  of  two  members  each,  of  which  the  first 
coupon  Is  to  the  third,  and  the  second  to  the 
lo:irth.  The  first  and  third  member  are  con- 


structed in  pyramidal  form :  Syria,  Damascus, 
Rezin, — Ephraim,  Samaria,  Pekah.  But  the 
third  member  is  quite  conformed  to  the  first  in 
reference  to  what  is  affirmed  of  the  subjects. 
Thus  it  says :  the  head  of  Syria  is  Damascus,  and 
the  head  of  Damascus  is  Rezin.  And  likewise; 
the  head  of  Ephraim  is  Samaria,  and  the  head 
of  Samaria  is  Pekah.  Saying  that  Damascus 
had  dominion  over  Syria  and  Rezin  over  Da- 
mascus, accurately  designates  the  limits  of 
the  power  of  Rezin  and  Damascus.  They  may 
command  within  these  limits  and  no  more. 
Ther3fore  they  have  not  the  power  to  set  a  king 
over  Judah  according  to  their  pleasure.  More- 
over, if  Damascus  is  head  of  Syria  and  Rezin 
the  head  of  Damascus,  the  question  arises,  too : 
what  sort  of  a  head  is  it?  Is  it  a  strong,  mighty 
head  to  which  no  other  is  equal,  that  is  therefore 
safe  in  its  sphere  of  power,  and  unassailable 
in  it  ?  This  question  must  be  negatived.  For 
how  can  it  be  said  of  Damascus,  the  great,  beau- 
tiful, and  rich  city,  but  still  the  profane  and 
heathen  city,  that  she  enjoys  the  privilege  of 
being  unassailable ;  that  she  is  able  under  all 
circumstances  to  protect  and  maintain  her  do- 
minion? And  what  of  Rezin  ?  Is  he  an  elect? 
Can  his  name  give  a  guaranty  of  the  permanence 
of  the  region  he  rules  ?  Not  at  all.  Quite  other- 
wise is  it  in  Judah,  where  Jerusalem,  the  city  of 
God,  stands  opposed  to  the  city  of  Damascus,  and 
the  theocratic  king  of  David's  line  to  the  pro- 
fane, heathen  ruler.  Behind  Jerusalem  and  the 
house  of  David,  stands  the  Lord  as  the  true  head 
in  chief  of  Israel.  What  is  then  the  head  of 
Syria,  and  Damascus  compared  with  the  head  of 
Judah  and  Jerusalem  ?  Thus  is  explained  why 
Judah  has  nothing  to  fear  from  Rezin  and  Syria. 
But  of  Ephraim  ver.  9,  the  same  thing  is  af- 
firmed. Plainly  the  Prophet  would  intimate  that 
Pekah  and  Samaria,  too,  have  only  a  sphere  of 
power  limited  to  Ephraim,  and  that  Samaria  is 
not  to  be  brought  into  comparison  with  Jeru- 
salem, nor  the  son  of  Remaliah  with  the  son  of 
David,  that  consequently,  Ephraim  is  essentially 
the  same  as  the  heathen  nation  Syria,  and  just  as 
little  to  be  dreaded  by  Judah.  Thus  the  meaning 
of  ver.  8  a,  and  9  a,  as  also  their  relation  to 
one  another  is  perfectly  clear.  But  what  of  the 
two  other  members  ver.  8  b,  9  6?  If  we  had  only 
to  do  with  9  b,  it  would  be  an  easy  affair  ;  for  it 
contains  a  very  appropriate  conclusion  to  8  o, 
9-  a.  It  is,  if  I  may  so  speak,  double-edged. 
Judah  is  not  to  appropriate  unconditionally  the 
comfort  of  the  promise  given  to  it.  Only  if  it 
believes  and  obeys  its  Lord,  need  it  have  nothing 
to  fear  from  Syria  and  Ephraim.  But  if  it  does 
not  believe  in  the  Lord,  it  shall  itself  fall  to 
pieces  as  the  others.  It  cannot  be  said  that 
anything  essential  would  be  wanting  if  ver.  8  6 
were  not  there.  Neither  can  it  be  said,  that  in 
that  case  an  essential  member  would  be  abstracted 
from  the  outward  structure.  For  8  a  and  9  a 
correspond  ;  but  9  b  is  the  one  conclusion  that 
corresponds  to  both  these  members  in  common. 
Only  if  9  b,  were  wanting,  would  there  be  an  es- 
sential member  missing.  For  then  it  would  ap- 
pear strange  that  9  a,  should  have  no  conclusion 
like  8  a,  and  an  appropriate  termination  to  the 
whole  address  would  be  wanting.  But  even  if 
8  b  appear  unnecessary  in  the  context,  that  is 


CHAP.  VII.  1-9. 


119 


not  saying  that  it  is  generally  out  of  place.  Many 
have  affirmed  this,  because  it  contradicts  ver.  16, 
because  it  does  not  suit  the  cheering  character 
of  the  address,  and  because  the  Prophets  anyway 
never  have  sucli  exact  figures.  As  regards  the 
relation  to  ver.  16,  it  was  long  ago  pointed  out 
that  to  the  desertion  of  the  land,  that  was  the 
consequence  of  the  Syro - Ephraimite  war  (2 
Kings  xv.  29),  in  fact  to  the  deportation  by 
Salmanassar,  not  sixty-five  years,  but  a  much  less 
number  of  years  elapsed.  Hence,  after  the  ex 
ample  of  PISCATOR,  JACOB  CAPPELLUS  and  others, 
USHER  (Ann.  V.  T.,  at  the  year  3,327)  proposed 
to  take  as  the  concluding  point  of  the  sixty-five 
years,  the  planting  of  Assyrian  subjects  in  the 
deserted  region  of  Ephraim  (2  Kings  xvii.  24) 
which,  according  to  Ezr.  iv.  2,  took  place  under 
Esar-haddon.  This  fact,  which  indeed  may  be 
regarded  as  the  sealing  of  the  doom  of  Ephraim 
in  regard  to  its  existence  as  a  state,  must  coin- 
cide with  the  time  of  Manasseh,  and  can  with  the 
carrying  away  this  king,  which  according  to  the 
assumption  of  the  Jewish  chronology  in  Seder 
Olam.  p.  67,  took  place  in  the  twenty-second 
year  of  his  reign.  This  would  of  course  bring 
out  the  sixty-five  years. 

14  years  of  Ahaz. 
29    "      "  Hezekiah. 
22     "       "    Manasseh. 

65  years. 

This  reckoning,  indeed,  rests  on  no  sure  data, 
but  it  is  still  possible,  and  we  can  meanwhile 
quiet  ourselves  and  say:  if  the  Prophet  meant 
the  sixty-five  years  so,  there  exists  no  contradic- 
tion of  ver.  16,  and  3Ij?n.  shall  be  forsaken,  is  not 
to  be  taken  in  an  absolute  sense.  And  the  com- 
fort that  Ahaz  was  to  find  in  the  ruin  of  Ephraim 
that  was  to  happen  only  after  sixty-five  years, 
was  this,  that  he  could  say :  a  city  devoted  to 
remediless  ruin,  even  though  not  in  a  very  short 
time,  is  not  to  be  feared.  But  as  for  the  exact 
data  of  figures,  THOLUCK  (D.  Proph.  u.  ihre 
Weiss.,  1861,  p.  116  sqq.),  has  proved  the  ex- 
istence of  such  in  the  Old  Testament  (xvi.  14; 


xx.  3;  xxi.  16;  xxxviii.  5  ;  comp.  Ezk.  iv.  5 
sqq. ;  etc.).  Whatever  may  be  thought  of  the 
reason  of  the  matter,  the  fact  itself  cannot  be  de- 
nied ;  and  1  do  not  comprehend  how  DIESTEL 
(in  KNOBEL'S  Komm.  4  Aufl.  p.  66)  can  contend 
against  this  reality,  on  which  everything  here  de- 
pends. 

In  order  that  Judah  may  partake  of  the  bless- 
ing of  this  promise,  it  must  itself  fulfil  a  condi- 
tion ;  the  condition  especially  on  which  depends 
the  blessed  fulfilment  of  all  promises :  it  must 
believe.  If  it  believes  not,  which,  alas,  was  the 
actual  case,  then  it  will  not  continue  to  exist 
itself. 

[J.  A.  ALEXANDER  on  ver.  4.  The  compari- 
son of  Rezin  and  Pekah  to  the  tails  or  ends  of 
firebrands,  instead  of  firebrands  themselves,  is  not 
a  mere  expression  of  contempt,  nor  a  mere  inti- 
mation of  their  approaching  fate,  as  BARNES  and 
HENDERSON  explain  it,  but  a  distinct  allusion  to 
the  evil  which  they  had  already  done,  and  which 
should  never  be  repeated.  If  the  emphasis  were 
only  on  the  use  of  the  word  tails,  the  tail  of  any- 
thing else  would  have  been  qually  appropriate. 
The,  smoking  remnant  of  a  firebrand  implies  a 
previous  flame,  if  not  a  conflagration.  This  con- 
firms the  conclusion  before  drawn,  that  Judah 
had  already  been  ravaged. 

Pekah  being  termed  simply  the  son  of  Re- 
maliah,  is  supposed  by  some  to  be  intended  to 
express  contempt  for  him,  though  the  difference 
may  after  all,  be  accidental,  or  have  only  a  rhy- 
thmical design.  The  patronymic,  like  our  Eng- 
lish surname,  can  be  used  contemptuously  only 
when  it  indicates  ignoble  origin,  in  which  sense 
it  may  be  applied  to  Pekah,  who  was  a  usurper 

On  ver.  5.  The  suppression  of  Pekah's  proper 
name  in  this  clause,  and  of  Rezin's  altogether  in 
the  first,  has  given  rise  to  various  far-fetched  ex- 
planations, though  it  seems  in  fact,  to  show  that 
the  use  of  names  in  the  whole  passage  is  rather 
euphonic  or  rhythmical  than  significant. 

On  ver.  9.  Another  rendering  equally  natural 
to  that  of  Luther  (viz. :  if  ye  believe  not,  then  ye 
abide  not)  is;  "if  ye  do  not  believe  (it  is)  be- 
cause ye  are  not  to  be  established."] 


b)  Isaiah  in  the  bosom  of  the  royal  family  giving  a  sign  by  announcing 
the  Virgin's  Son  Immanuel. 

CHAP.  VII.  10-25. 

10  MOREOVER  the  LORD  spake  again  unto  Ahaz,  saying, 

11  Ask  thee  a  sign  of  the  LORD  thy  God ; 

2Ask  it  either  in  the  depth,  or  in  the  height  above. 

12, 13  But  Ahaz  said,  I  will  not  ask,  neither  will  I  tempt  the  LORD  ;  And  he  said, 
Hear  ye  now,  O  house  of  David  ; 
Is  it  a  small  thing  for  you  to  weary  men, 
But  will  ye  weary  my  God  also  ? 


120  THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


14  Therefore  the  LORD  himself  shall  give  you  a  sign  ; 
Behold,  a  virgin  "shall  conceive,  and  bear  a  son, 
And  3shall  call  his  name  Immanuel. 

15  Butter  and  honey  shall  he  cat, 

"That  he  may  know  to  refuse  the  evil,  and  choose  the  good. 

16  For  before  the  child  shall  know 

To  refuse  the  evil,  and  choose  the  good, 

The  land  that  thou  abhorrest 

Shall  be  forsaken  of  both  her  kings." 

17  The  LORD  shall  bring  upon  thee, 

And  upon  thy  people,  and  upon  thy  father's  house, 
Days  that  have  not  come, 

From  the  day  that  Ephraim  departed  from  Judah  ; 
Even  the  king  of  Assyria. 

18  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 
That  the  LORD  shall  hiss 

For  the  fly  that  is  in  the  uttermost  part  of  the  rivers  of  Egypt, 
And  for  the  bee  that  is  in  the  land  of  Assyria. 

19  And  they  shall  come,  and  shall  rest  all  of  them 

In  the  Mesolate  valleys,  and  in  the  holes  of  the  rocks, 
And  upon  all  thorns,  and  upon  all  4ebushes. 

20  In  the  same  day  shall  the  LORD  shave  'with  a  razor  that  is  hired, 
Namely,  by  them  beyond  the  river,  by  the  king  of  Assyria, 

The  head,  and  the  hair  of  the  feet : 
And  it  shall  also  consume  the  beard. 

21  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 

That  a  man  shall  gnourish  a  young  cow,  and  two  sheep ; 

22  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 

For  the  abundance  of  milk  that  hthey  shall  give  he  shall  eat  butter: 
For  butter  and  honey  shall  every  one  eat 
That  is  left  5in  the  laud. 

23  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 
That  every  place  'shall  be, 

Where  then  were  a  thousand  vines  at  a  thousand  silverlings, 
It  shall  even  be  for  briers  and  thorns. 

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

25  And  on  all  hills  that  shall  be  digged  with  the  mattock, 
Then  shall  not  come  thither  jthe  fear  of  briers  and  thorns  : 
But  it  shall  be  for  the  sending  forth  of  oxen, 

And  for  the  treading  of  lesser  cattle. 

Heb.  and  the  LORD  added  to  speak.      «  Or,  make  thy  petition  deep. 

Or,  thou,  O  Virgin,  shall  call.  4  Or,  commendable  trees.  6  Heb.  in  the  midst  of  the  land. 

&£!2Drf5L  ,.„  •  b  when  he  shatt  know>  etc-  '  kir>9s  that  thou  fearest. 

lhalhn  J  f     »/"*"•     »  '  P™^™.  t  witi  the  hired  razor  beyond  the  river, 

for  fear  of.  f  °      f'  he  9ets'  '  where  are  a  thousand,  etc.,  shall  be  etc. 

TEXTUAL  AND  GRAMMATICAL. 


On  ver.  10.  '1  t)p'n  occurs  again  in  Isaiah  only  viii.  5. 

On  ver.  11.  The  words  'U1  poyn  admit  of  several 

explanations.    But  that  must  be  excluded  at  once  which 


reading  nSxty  (with  the  tone  on  the  ultima)  takes  the 
word  as  substantive.    For  "request"  is  nSxt^,  and 


there  ia  no  reason    for  assuming   that  theTMasorets 
punctuated  falsely.    The  explanation  is   very  old  that 


takes  nSxtf  as  a  pausal  form  for  rpfctf  (Gen.  xxxvii. 


35  ;  xlii.  38;  xliv.  29,  31;  Num.  xvi.  30,  33;  Ezek.  xxxi. 


15  sqq.).  The  LXX.  VUI.G.,  PESCH.,  AKAB.  have  it,  and  it 
commends  itself  in  point  of  sense  very  much.  For 
when  it  says .  "  Descending  deep  into  hell,  or  mounting 
up  to  the  height,"  both  members  correspond  admirably 
both  in  respect  to  senso  and  to  sound.  But  this  con- 
struction is  dubious.  For  the  examples  cited  by  EWALD 
\  93,  a,  3,  rest  all  of  them  on  this,  that  an  existing  or  pos- 
sible form  with  a  may  be  chosen  in  pause  for  the  form 
with  o  in  accordance  with  the  law  of  variation.  For 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  an  o  changed  into  a  in  pause. 


CHAP.  VII.  10-25. 


121 


We  must  therefore  take  H^Xi?  as  imperative  (comp. 

L  T  'T  • 

nrjn  xxxii.  ii;  nrno,  r\yvvt  Dan.  ix.  19;  m;,'D  i 

TIT:  T|T:          T|T:  TIT: 

Kings  xiii.  7.  Then  pDJ/n  ixxix.  15;  xxx.  33;  xxxi.  6) 
n3Jn  (Ps.  cxiii.  5;  are  inff.abs.  with  a  gerund  sense  : 
"going  deep  ask  or  mounting  up  high." 

On  ver.  12.  ilDJX^Sl  a  paratactie  construction. 

On  ver.  13.  The  construction  D30  CO^OH  means  ori- 
ginally "  is  it  from  you  out  (from  your  point  of  view)  a 
little  ?"  The  '3  has  a  causal  sense  :  because  ye  insult 
my  God.  One  sees  that  to  insult  men  is  a  small  matter, 
an  unsatisfying  indulgence  to  your  haughtiness.  Comp. 
Num.  xvi.  9 ;  Job  xv.  11 ;  Ezek.  xxxiv.  18. 

On  ver.  14.  Regarding  HO1?^  it  may  be  yonsidered 
settled  that  directly  and  properly  it  can  never  signify  a 
married  woman.  It  may,  perchance,  be  used  of  a  young 
married  woman,  whose  youth  or  youthful  looks  one 
would  especially  emphasize,  like  Ruth  (ii.  5,  6)  as  a 
young  wife  is  called  I"pyj.  But  in  point  of  fact  no 

T-:|- 

such  form  of  expression  occurs  in  the  Old  Testament. 
On  the  other  hand  a  virgin,  as  such,  (as  virgo  illibata)  is 
never  called  DTD  7.J?.  For  the  proper  term  for  virgin  is 
nVlHS  (Gen.  xxiv.  16;  Lev.  xxi.  3,13, 14;  Deut.  xxii.  14, 

T          : 

19,  20;  Jud.  xix.  24;  2  Sam.  xiii.  2,  18)  and  virginity  is 
D'S^nS  (Deut.  xxii.  15, 17  ;  Judg.  xi.  37  sq. ;  Ezek.  xxiii. 
3,8).  r\d~>y  is  fern,  of  chp  (1  Sam.  xvii.  5G;  xx.  22) 
and  has  nothing  to  do  with  D7^'  "to  conceal."  D7^, 
however,  is  from  a  root  D/J7,  kindred  to  /ty  (trans,  su- 
gere,  potnre,  intr.  redundare,  succulentum,  vegctum  esse). 
The  latter  Cntf  occurs  in  Hebrew  only  in  the  words 
D 7J.',  n?D7.1?,  D'p./i?  ((etas  juvenilis  of  women  Isa.  liv. 
4,  of  men  Ps.  Ixxxix.  46;  Job  xx.  11;  xxxiii.  25)  more 
common  in  the  dialects,  where  it  has  the  meaning  of 
"  becoming  fat,  thick,  strong,  mature,  manly."  TTjiy 
occurs  (not  to  count  the  musical  term  TYloSy 

T*: 

Ps.  xlvi.  1 ;  1  Chron.  xv.  20)  six  times  :  Gen.  xxiv.  43  : 
Exod.  ii.  8;  Prov.  xxx.  19;  Ps.  Ixviii.  26;  Song  of  Sol.  i.  3: 
vi.  8.  In  none  of  these  passages  can  it  be  proved  to 
have  the  sense  of  virgo  illibata  or  conjux.  Especially 
from  Song  of  Sol.  it  appears  that  the  third  class  of  the 
occupants  of  Solomon's  harem  comprised  the  nioSj'- 
Was  virginity  characteristic  of  them?  Prov.  xxx.  19  is 
difficult.  According  to  all  the  foregoing  it  seems  to  me 
certain  that  every  nVlfG  is  indeed  a  Tl^htf,  but  not 
every  HO1?^  a  H^HS.  As  D'O^SjJ  is  the  time  of  youth 
generally,  and  may  be  used  of  men  as  well  as  of  women, 
(D'/^fi^  could  not  be  said  of  men)  then  HoS^  is  the 
young  woman,  still  fresh,  young  and  unmarried,  without 

regard  to  whether  still  a  virgin  in  the  exact  sense. 

!"nn  'yr\  run,  that  these  words  may  be  read:  "be- 
hold, the  virgin  is  pregnant,"  is  owned  by  every  one. 
The  expression  occurs  twice  beside.  Gen.  xvi.  11  the 
angel  says  to  Hagar,  who  was  already  pregnant: 

Sxyotf11  totf  r«opi  13  rnVi  mn  i-n.  This 

••  T  :    •  :  T|T:     I  ••       I  I—  I  TT        'T  • 

passage  has,  moreover,  so  much  resemblance  to  ours 
that  we  must  suppose  that  it  was  in  the  Prophet's  mind. 
Judg.  xiii.  5,  7,  it  is  at  least  very  probable,  considering 
ver.  12,  that  the  wife  of  Manoah  was  already  pregnant. 
The  form  flJOp  in  the  original  passage,  Gen.  xvi.  16,  is 

T|  T 

2  pers.  fern.    In  our  passage  it  may  also  be  3  pers.  fern. 


For  this  lorm  is  still  to  be  found  Gen.  xxxiii.  11  ;  Exod- 
V.  16(7);  Lev  xxv.  21  ;.xxvi.  34  ;  Deut.  xxxi.  29  ;  Jer.  xiii. 
19  ;  xliv.  23;  2  Kings  ix.  37  (K'thib)  ;  Ps.  cxviii.  23.  It  is 
seen  that  the  form  occurs  most  frequently  in  the  Penta- 
teuch, while  Jer.  xliv.  23  is  a  verbatim  quotation  from 
Deut.  xxxi.  29;  and  2  Kings  ix.  37,  there  exists  likely  an 
error  of  the  pen,  thus  leaving  only  two  instances  not  in 
the  Pentateuch  beside  our  verse.  The  form  occurs  no- 
where else  in  Isaiah. 


i 

I  V     - 

14;  xlix.  27,  etc. 


On  ver.  15.  That  Ifljn  is  not:  "  until  his  knowing," 
appears  from  this,  that  the  Prophet  would  in  that  case 
say  that  from  his  birth  on  to  the  years  of  discretion  the 
boy  would  be  nourished  with  butter  and  honey,  and 
then  no  longer.  Thereby,  too,  the  prospect  of  a  brief  pe- 
riod of  desolation  for  the  land  would  be  held  out,  which 
plainly  is  not  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet.  For  Isaiah 
had  in  mind  the  periods  of  exile,  both  the  Assyrian  and 
the  Babylonian,  and  neither  comprises  in  itself  and  in 
the  Prophet's  representation  so  short  a  period.  That 
the  latter  is  so  is  seen  in  the  way  he  expresses  himself 
(ver.  17  sq.)  on  the  occasion  and  extent  of  the  desola- 
tion. Therefore  IHJH  7  means  :  "  toward  the  time  of  his 
knowing;  or  about  the  time."  Comp.  3"^7,  3^,JJ  HJ?; 
i  "HX1?,  Ps.  xxx.  6  :  Job  xxiv.  14;  Gen.  iii.  3  ;  viii. 
DD  is  "thick  milk,"  lac  spissum, 
(comp.  Gen.  xviii.  8  ;  Judg.  v.  25  ;  Prov.  xxx.  33). 

On  ver.  16.  That  the  Prophet  says  niDIXH  and  not 
v*mn,  has  for  its  reason  doubtless  that  he  would  desig- 
nate Syria  and  the  territory  of  the  Ten  Tribes  by  one 
word.  But  the  two  together  did  not  constitute  an  VTN, 
but  a  land  complex  in  a  physical  sense.  —  On  vp  comp. 
at  ver.  6. 

On  ver  17.  The  form  of  expression  1X3  tfS  ")tJJX  is 
like  Exod.  x.  G;  xxxiv.  10;  Dan.ix.  12.  The  construction 
Ul  DTD1?  is  like  Jer-  vii.  7,  25;  xxv.  11.  All  that  follows 
depends  as  one  notion  on  the  distributive  7.  Without 
S  Exod.  x.  6. 

'  On  ver.  18.  KinH  DV3  JTi"P,  this  formula  occurs 
vers.  21,23;  x.  20,  27;  xi.  10,11;  xvii.4;  xxii.  20;  xxiii. 
15  ;  xxiv.  21  ;  xxvii.  13,  and  not  again.  In  this  formula 
DV  does  not  designate  only  a  day  in  the  ordinary  sense, 
but,  according  to  circumstances,  an  undetermined  pe- 
riod, like  we  use  the  word  "  period."  -  313T  only  here 
in  Isaiah.  -  lit',  is  an  Egyptian  word  (comp.  on  xix.  6) 
which,  however,'  has  become  naturalized  in  Hebrew. 
It  is  partly  appellative,  and  as  such  means  "  ditches  " 
(Exod.  v  ii.  1;  Isa.  xxxiii.  21)  and  rivers  (Nah.  iii.  8; 
Dan.  ::ii.  5);  partly  a  proper  name,  and  as  such  means 
the  Nile  (xix.  7,  8  ;  xxiii.  10).  The  Q"~\yO  '"IX'  (comp. 
xix.  G  ;  xxxvii.  25  ;  2  Kings  xix.  24;  are  the  canals  of  the 
Nile  (Exod.  viii.  1). 

On  ver.  19.  f>W3  ia  5jr-  AeV-  If  H  is  klndred  to 
riHS  (v.  6)  which  is  most  probable,  it  means  abscissum 
p-meruptum,  the  steep  side  of  a  wady.  -  p'pj  (found 
beside  only  Jer.  xiii.  4  ;  xvi.  16)  is,  as  appears  plain  from 
Jer.  xiii.  4,  "  the  cleft."  -  }'1¥#J.  (again  only  Iv.  13)  is 
"  the  thornbush  ;  SSnJ_(from  ^HJ  Exod.  xv.  13;  Isa. 
xl.  11  ;  xlix.  10  ;  Ii.  18,  "  to  lead  to  pasture  ")  pascuum,  the 
pasture,  grazing  ground. 

On  ver.  20.nSji  and  lyft  only  here  in  Isaiah.  rTV33P 
subs,  abstractum  (conduct™),  but  may  be  also  fem.  of 
T3fc'  (conductm,  "  hired  ")  occurs  nowhere  else.  This 
razor  is  to  be  had  1HJ  '"Oy3.  "IHJ  without  article, 


122 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


like  Mich.  vii.  12,  and  Jcr.  ii.  18  (which  passage,  more- 
over, looks  back  to  ours),  is  the  Euphrates.  The  '-ftp 
1HJ  are  the  two  sides  of  the  Euphrates  ;  for  "O£  alone 
may  meau  the  territory  on  the  hither  side  as  well  as  the 
further  side  (comp.  Jo*h.  xxiv.  2,  3, 14,  15;  2  Sam.  x.  16  ; 
1  Chr.  xix.  16,  with  2  Kings  v.  4;  Ezra  viii.  36  ;  Neh.  ii. 
7,  9';  iii.  7),  and  D'"O.P  are  the  sides  generally  :  Exod. 

xxxii.  15;  1  Kings  V  4;  Jer.  Iviii.  28;  xlix.  32. 

Q'Sjp  ~\y\y  is  euphemistic,  like  Deut.  xxviii.  57;  Isa. 
xxxvi.  12  K'ri.  Comp.  Jud.  iii.  24 ;  1  Sam.  xxiv. 4.  nflDfi 
proves  that  the  Prophet  uses  "IJ?n  as  fern.,  which  usu- 
ally is  masc.  Thereby  the  adjective  construction  of 
n°V3iy  is  confirmed  as  the  correct  one.  Regarding  the 
ttsus  loquendi,  comp.  xiii.  15 ;  xxix.  1 ;  xxx.  1. 


On  vcr.  21.  fXV  Tl$.  because  female  sheep,  yielding 
milk  are  meant.  He  does  not  kill  them,  but  lets  them 
live,  raises  them.  DTI  is  "to  make  live."  This  does 
not  occur  only  when  something  dead,  or  non-existent, 
is  called  into  life  :  but  also  when  something  living,  but 
on  the  point  of  dying,  is  let  live  ;  therefore  "preserves 
alive."  Comp.  xxxviii.  1 ;  Gen.  vii.  3  ;  ii  Sam.  xh.  3 ;  1 
Kings  xviii.  5,  etc. 

On  ver.  23.  On  JVKfl  VD$  see  on  v.  6. 

On  ver.  25.  Both  the_verb  "n#J  arid  the  substantive 

occur    only  in    Isaiah,  viz.,  here  and  v.  6. 

is  a  place  where  cattle  are  allowed  to  roam  free 

(comp.  xxxii.  20).  The  expression  belongs  to  Deutero- 
nomy, where  only,  except  here,  it  is  found;  Deut.  xii. 
7  ;  xv.  10;  xiii.  21 ;  xxviii.  8,  20.— DO~1D  see  on  v.  5. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Moreover    the    Lord- 


-tempt   the 


Lord,  vers.  10-12.  When  Isaiah  says  :  "  More- 
over the  LORD  spake,"  he  puts  himself  quite  in 
the  background.  He  gives  prominence  only  to 
the  proper  author  of  the  address,  as  ver.  3,  he  re- 
ports only  the  words  of  Jehovah  to  himself,  and 
passes  over  the  performance  that  was  his,  a  man's 
work,  as  a  matter  of  course.  Though  Ahaz  was 
a  backslider,  the  divine  love  on  its  part  does  not 
let  him  go.  The  LORD  says  still  to  him:  I  am 
thy  God.  Dejure  He  is  so,  though  de  facto  so  no 
longer.  Because  Jehovah  still  loves  Ahaz,  He 
seeks  to  reclaim  him,  coming  to  him  half  way, 
and  holding  out  His  hand  in  order  to  make  re- 
turn as  easy  for  him  as  possible.  That  is,  the 
LORD  demands  no  unconditional  faith  from  Ahaz, 
but  He  permits  him  to  attach  his  faith  to  any 
condition  that  he  will.  If  Jehovah  fulfils  the 
condition,  then  that  is  security,  or  the  sign,  that 
Jehovah  deserves  to  be  believed,  that  He  is  there- 
fore the  God  He  gives  Himself  out  to  be. 

There  is  no  other  instance  of  submitting  to  a 
man's  choice  what  the  sign  shall  be.  It  may  be 
fearlessly  said  that  for  Isaiah  to  propose  to  Ahaz 
the  choice  of  a  miraculous  sign  is  itself  a  sign. 
It  is  a  pledge  that  he  serves  the  true,  living,  and 
almighty  God  ;  that  therefore  there  is  such  a  God, 
who  not  only  can  do  miracles,  but  who,  under 
circumstances,  will  do  them.  Had  Isaiah  offered 
Ahaz  this  choice  without  possessing  the  power 
to  perform  what  he  promised,  he  would  have 
been  either  a  deceiver  or  a  crazed  enthusiast.  In 
the  name  of  science,  rationalistic  expositors  may 
be  challenged  to  prove  that  Isaiah  was  a  deceiver 
or  an  enthusiast.  In  any  case  the  Prophet  leaves 
it  to  Ahaz,  from  what  part  of  the  universe  he  will 
have  a  miracle. 

The  reply  of  Ahaz  is  hypocritical.  He  acts 
as  if  he  still  believed  in  Jehovah,  and  as  if  he 
declined  the  proposal  only  through  fear,  lest  he 
should  have  the  appearance  of  tempting  God 
(Deut.  v.  16).  But  he  had  already  his  own  plans. 
He  had  already  resolved  to  oppose  to  the  gods 
and  kings  of  Syria  and  Ephraim,  not  Jehovah, 
the  God  of  Judah,  but  the  gods  and  the  kin"  of 
Assyria. 

[Ver.  11.  "Ask  it  in  the  depth,"  etc.  There 
may  be  an  historical  relation  between  this  ex- 
pression and  Deut.  xxx.  11-14,  and  Jno.  iv.  11- 
13,  and  Rom.  x.  6-8,  and  comp.  Ps.  cxxxix.  6-10, 
that  makes  them  useful  for  mutual  interpretation! 


Tr}i>  afivaaov,  Rom.  x.  7,  seems  to  show  that  Paul 
combines  the  language  of  Deuteronomy  and  Isaiah, 
and  also  to  favor  the  LXX.  and  VULG.  in  reading 


our  passage  as  if 


were  meant.  —  TR.]. 


2.  And  he  said  --  Immanuel,  vers.  13,  14. 
It  seems  to  me  that  this  form  of  address,  joined 
to  the  "moreover  the  LORD  spake,"  ver.  10,  inti- 
mates that  the  Prophet  spoke  these  words,  not  on 
the  spot  mentioned  ver.  3,  but  in  the  house  of 
David,  i.  e.,  in  the  royal  palace,  and  before  the 
royal  family,  and  that  the  contents  of  his  address 
concerned  very  nearly  the  house  of  David  as  a 
family,  (not  merely  as  representative  of  the  go- 

vernment). nton,  "to  weary,"  corresponds  ex- 
actly to  the  French  ennuyer,  which  means  prima- 
rily the  discomfort  one  experiences  from  anything 
that  lasts  too  long,  and  then  any  sort  of  discom- 
fort. Without  doubt  Ahaz  had  often  enough  made 
trial  of  human  patience.  But  "to  weary  men" 
seems  to  point  to  the  fact  that  in  Ahaz's  refusal 
lay  an  insult  to  the  Prophet.  For  this  refusal 
might  be  regarded  as  indirectly  repelling  an  in- 
sane presumption  on  the  part  of  Isaiah.  Still, 
doubtless,  the  insult  to  his  God  is  the  chief  matter 
to  the  Prophet.  Notice  that  by  "my  God  "  here, 
he  in  a  measure  retracts  the  "  thy  God  "  of  ver. 
10.  By  this  one  word  he  lets  Ahaz  know  that  by 
his  unbelief  he  has  excluded  himself  from  a  part 
in  the  LORD.  Full  of  this  displeasure,  the  Pro- 
phet declares  to  the  house  of  David  :  Because  ye 
will  have  no  sign,  one  shall  be  given  to  you.  The 
sign  must  therefore  be  one  that  Ahaz  could  ob- 
serve, and  every  meaning  that  ignores  this,  must 
from  the  outstart  be  regarded  as  mistaken.  It  is 
further  clear  that  the  sign  which  Ahaz  must  ac- 
cept against  his  will  must  be  of  a  character  un- 
pleasant to  him.  The  whole  connection  shows 
this  clearly.  The  unbelief,  the  desertion,  the  hy- 
pocrisy of  Ahaz  must  be  punished.  Had  he  ac- 
cepted the  offer  of  the  LORD,  he  might  at  will 
have  chosen  a  sign  from  any  sphere.  But  be- 
cause he  insolently  declined  the  offer,  he  must 
put  up  with  a  sign  that  will  appear  in  a  very  deli- 
cate quarter,  and  consist  in  a  fact  very  unplea- 
sant for  him.  Consider  in  addition  that  the 
Prophet,  as  we  learned  above,  spoke  these  words 
in  the  royal  palace,  and  before  the.  royal  family, 
and  we  obtain  an  important  threefold  canon  for 
the  exposition  of  the  passage  :  the  sign  must  have 


CHAP.  VII.  10-25. 


123 


been  for  Ahaz,    1)    recognized;    2)    unpleasant, 
punishing  ;  3)  of  concern  to  his  whole  family. 

Behold  the  virgin,  etc.—  "  Behold  "  has 
great  emphasis.  "  It  stands  here  as  if  the  Pro- 
phet raised  his  hand,  signed  to  all  the  world  that 
they  should  be  still  and  give  heed  to  this  the 
chiefest  miracle  of  which  he  would  now  preach." 


(FOERSTER).—  On  noyn  see  Text,  and  Gr.  Who 
is  ''  the  virgin  "  here  ?  To  whom  does  the  defi- 
nite article  point  ?  We  must  at  the  outset  ex- 
clude all  those  exposisions  according  to  which 
the  Alma  =  "  virgin  "  is  a  purely  ideal  person, 
whether  belonging  to  the  present  or  the  future. 
What  sort  of  a  sign  for  Ahaz  could  it  be,  if  the 
Prophet  in  spirit  saw  in  the  remote  future  a  virgin 
that  bore  the  Messiah  ;  even  if,  by  means  of  an 
ideal  anticipation,  the  wonderful  child,  which 
formed,  as  it  were,  the  soul  of  the  people's  life, 
is  construed  as  representative  of  the  contempo- 
raries of  Ahaz  (HENGSTENBERG)  ?  It  is  no  better 
when,  by  a  figurative  construction  the  Alma  is 
made  to  mean  Israel,  out  of  which  a  people  of 
salvation  shall  arise,  which,  after  it  has  endured 
the  consequences  of  the  present  ignorance,  shall 
know  to  prefer  the  good  to  the  bad  (  v.  HOFMANN). 
It  is  the  same  with  the  explanation  of  W.  SCHIIXTZ 
Prof,  in  Breslau,Stud.  and  Krit.,  1861,  Heft.  IV.) 
who  by  comprehending  under  the  Alma  or  virgin 
the  Messiah  and  His  mother,  and  all  their  typical 
forerunners,  understands  by  this  person  "  the  quiet 
ones  of  the  land,  who  needed  not  the  king  nor  his 
co-operation."  The  canon  we  have  set  up  as  impe- 
rative, is  equally  violated  by  KiTEPER(/>iePropA. 
d.  A.  B.  ubersichtle  daryestellt,  Leipzig,  1870,  p. 
216)  :  he  admits  that  Alma  does  not  necessarily 
mean  a  pure  virgin,  yet  he  lays  especial  empha- 
sis on  the  virginity  of  the  mother,  because  it  may 
be  inferred  from  the  name  Immanuel,  which 
proves  the  piety  of  the  mother;  and  he  sees  pre- 
cisely in  this  virginity  the  threat  against  Ahaz,  be- 
cause it  follows  that  Immanuel  is  to  be  born  without 
co-operation  of  a  man  of  the  race  of  David.  Foritis 
impossible  that  Ahaz  could  infer  this  virginity  thus 
from  the  words  of  the  Prophet.  Beside,  there  is 
nothing  threatening  in  the  promise  that  the  Mes- 
siah shall  be  born  as  the  Son  of  God  in  the  sense 
of  Luke  i.  35,  without  co-operation  of  a  man,  of 
the  race  of  David  ;  it  is  rather  the  highest  honor. 
The  latest  attempt  at  exposition,  too,  by  ED.  EN- 
GELHARDT  (Zeitschr.  f.  Luth.  Theol.  and  K.  1872 
Heft.  IV.),  does  not  satisfy.  "  The  house  of 
David  cannot  be  destroyed  before  the  promised 
deliver  comes  forth  from  it.  The  mother  is  there- 
fore, yet  to  appear  that  bears  Him,  and  this 
mother,  determined  by  the  word  of  the  Prophecy,  it 
is  that  the  Prophet  means  here  "  (/.  c.  page 

627)."  How  is  it  to  be  proved  that  noHjrn  was 
a  standing  expression  for  the  mother  of  the  Mes- 
siah ?  What,  moreover,  was  there  punitive  in 
this?  What  in  the  text  says  that  the  house  of  Da- 
vid would  be  destroyed  after  the  birth  of  the  Mes- 
siah's mother  ?  Moreover,  how  is  this  conceiva- 
ble? To  express  what  ENGELHARDT  fancies  is  the 
meaning  of  the  Prophet,  the  words  must  read  : 
the  Alma  has  not  yet  borne.  What  sort  of  a  sign, 
would  that  be? 

Others  adopt  an  ideal  construction  in  the  sense 
that  they  regard  the  birth  of  a  son  from  the 
Alma,  at  the  time  indicated,  as  an  idea,  a  possi- 


bility, ^without  reference  to  its  realization  ("were 
a  virgin  to  conceive  this  instant  a  boy  as  an  em- 
blem of  his  native  land,  the  mother  would  name 
her  babe  like  the  land  at  that  time  must  say  : 
God  was  with  us,"  EICHHORN,  comp.  J.  D. 
MicHAELis,  PAULUS,  STAEHELIN,  etc.).  The  ar- 
bitrariness of  this  exposition  is  manifest  ;  the 
Prophet  does  not  speak  hypothetically,  but  quite 
categorically.  This  sign,"  too,  would  be  neither 
observable,  nor  threatening. 

Others  find  the  key  to  the  exposition  (EosEN- 
MUELLER,  EWALD.  BERTiiEAu),  in  the  snpposi- 
tion  that  Isaiah  saw  the  Messiah  Himself  in  the 
child  to  be  born,  and  that  consequently  we  have 
before  us,  an  erroneous  hope  and  an  unfulfilled 
Prophecy.  But  it  is  incredible  that  the  Prophet, 
accompanied  as  he  was  by  his  son  Shearjashub, 
could  have  expected  in  so  short  a  period  the  ful- 
filment of  the  Prophecy  contained  in  his  name. 
The  people  must  first  become  a  remnant.  Comp., 
the  Prophet's  inquiry  vi.  10  and  the  reply  ver. 
11.  If  the  Alma  does  call  her  son  Immanuel, 
he  is  not  necessarily  therefore  really  Immanuel. 
It  may  mean  only  that  he  signifies  the  Im- 
manuel. And  so,  too,  viii.  8,  the  land  of  Im- 
manuel is  not  the  land  of  the  present,  but  of  the 
future  Immanuel,  who  only  is  the  true  LORD  and 

Master  of  the  land.  In  viii.  10  where  /K  W®y 
is  written  separately  as  two  words,  can  at  most 
only  a  play  on  the  name  Immanuel  be  recog- 
nized. Moreover  if  Isaiah  saw  in  the  boy  Im- 
manuel the  Messiah  himself,  then  must  certainly 
his  mother  be  the  legitimate  wife  of  a  member 
of  the  family  of  David.  But  it  is  incredible  that 
nD7j?  alone  without  any  qualification,  can  mean 

married  women. 

The  ancient  Jewish  explanation,  according  to 
which  the  Alma  was  the  mother  of  Hezekiah, 
that  Abi,  daughter  of  Zachariah  (2  Kings  xviii. 
2),  was  shown  by  JEROME  even  to  be  impossible, 
inasmuch  as  Hezekiah  at  the  time  Isaiah  spoke 
these  words  was  already  12  years  old.  The  later 
Jewish  explanation  ranks  among  its  supporters 
FATTSTUS  SOCINUS,  JOH.  CRELLIUS,  (Socinian), 
GROTIUS,  (who  in  hisZteter.  reliyionis  Christ,  still 
presented  the  orthodox  view,  but  afterwards  went 
over  to  CRELLIUS'  views),  JOH.  LUDWIG  VON 
WOLZOGEN  (Socinian),  JOHN  ERNST.  FABER 
(in  the  Anm.  zu  Harmar's  Beobachtunyen  iiber  den 
Orient,  etc.,  I.  S.  281),  [Put  DR.  BARNES  here  : 
only  that  he  includes  a  reference  to  Messiah,  ac- 
cording to  Matth.  i.  22.  —  TR.]  GESENITJS,  HIT- 
ZIG,  HEUDEWERK,  K  NOBEL,  etc-  According  to 
this  view  the  Alma  is  the  wife  of  the  Prophet 
liimself,  either  the  mother  of  Shear-jashub,  or  a 
vounger  one,  at  that  time  only  betrothed  to  him. 
But  this  is  wrecked  on  the  impossibility  of  refer- 


rng    o  to  the  wife  or  the  betrothed  of  the 

Prophet  without  any  nearer  designation  and 
without  the  faintest  hint  of  her  being  present. 
Beside,  how  should  the  family  of  the  Prophet 
liappen  to  have  the  Immanuel  born  in  it?  Were 
the  promises  to  David  to  be  transferred  to  Isaiah? 
KIMCHI  and  ABARBANEL  modify  this  view  by 
saying  that  by  the  ALMA  must  be  understood  the 
wife  of  Ahaz.  But  then,  instead  of  something 
bad,  the  Prophet  would  rather  have  announced 
omething  joyful.  Others  again  understand  by 


124 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  Alma  any  virgin,  not  more  particularly  spe 
cified,  that  was  present  at  the  place  of  interview 
and  to  whom  the  Prophet  pointed  with  the 
finger. 

For  my  part  I  helieve,  that  in  expounding  our 
passage,  it  is  an   exegete's  duty  to  leave  out  of 
view  at  first  Matt.  i.  23.     We  have  only  to  ask 
What,  according  to  the  words  and  context,  die 
Isaiah  in  that  moment  wish  to  say,  and  actually 
say  ?     How  far  his  word  spoken  then  was  a  pro- 
phecy, and  with  what  justice  Matt.  i.  18  regards 
the  fact  recounted  there  as  the  fulfilment  of  this 
prophecy  will  appear  from  inquiry  that  must  be 
made  afterwards.     Bearing  in  mind  then  the  ca- 
non proposed  above,  and  we  obtain  the  meaning: 
BehoM  the  (i.e.  this)  virgin  (i.e.  this  yet  unmar- 
ried daughter  of  the  royal  house)  is  pregnant,  etc. 
After  the  indignant  words  of  the  Prophet,  ver.  14  a, 
that  roll  up  like  dark  clouds,  we  must  look  for  a 
sign   that     strikes  the  house  of  David  like  thun- 
der and  lightning.     Doubtless  Ahaz  was  not  the 
only  guilty  person.     While  Joshua  (xxiv.  15)  had 
Baid:    "I  and    my  house  will   serve  the  Lord," 
Ahaz  had  said  the  contrary.     If  not,  why  did  the 
Prophet,  instead  of  addressing  himself  to  the  king 
with   such  emphasis,  address   the  whole  house? 
And  did  what  was  said  iii.  16  sq.  about  the  lux- 
ury of  the  daugliiers  of  Zion  have  no  application 
to  the  women  in  the  household  of  Ahaz  ?     There- 
fore the  whole  house  must  with  terror  endure  the 
shame  of  one  of  the  princesses  who  was  present 
being  pointed  out  as  pregnant.     That  is  the  bold 
manner  of  the   prophets  of   Jehovah — a   man- 
ner that  is  no  respecter  of  persons— the  "sackcloth 
roughness"  of  men  that  know  that  they  have  Al- 
mighty God  for  their  support.     Thus,  for  exam- 
ple, Jeremiah  said   to   king  Jehoiakim  that  he 
should  be  buried  with  the  burial  of  an  ass,  drawn 
and  cast  forth  beyond  the  gates  of  Jerusalem,  Jer. 
xxii.  19. 

As  regards  the  sense,  it  remains  essentially  the 
same  whether  Km p  is  translated  "  thou  wilt  call " 
or  "she  will  call."  For  in  any  case  the  word  is 
spoken  in  presence  of  the  Alma.  She  herself  takes 
note  of  what  the  Prophet  announces  in  regard  to 
the  name  to  be  given.  Whether  she  is  spoken  to 
or  spoken  of,  remains  immaterial.  If  God,  with 
no  expression  of  disapproval,  says  "she  will  call 
him  Immanuel,"  is  not  that  as  much  as  to  say: 
"she  shall  so  call  him?"  She  would  hardly  have 
thought  of  that  name  herself.  It  was  not  a  usual 
name.  It  is  found  only  here  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. It  was  a  beautiful  name,  rich  in  consola- 
tion. _The  Lord  would  have  spoken  quite  differ- 
ently if  the  name  had  given  Him  displeasure. 
Inat  such  was  not  the  case,  we  see  from  viii  8  10 
very  decidedly.  If  often  occurs  in  Scripture  that 
mothers  give  names  to  their  children:  Gen  iv 
2o;  xix.  37  sq  ;  xxix.  32;  xxx.  6,  8,  11,  13,  18, 
20  24;  xxxv.  18  ;  1  Sam.  i.  20.  Often  the  name 
is  determined  by  divine  command  •  Gen  xvi  11- 

"oj"  19rJ  HOS>  L  4'  6'  9;  l  Chron-  xxii"  9;  Matt! 

l'  •     u,      ,e'  ^ow'  grave  donbts  ari*e-     Is  it  con- 

ivable  that  God  has  made  a  fallen  woman  the 

>  of  the  J«mW  an,i  an  iiiegitimate  child  the 

t>  pe  of  the  Son  of  God  become  man  ?    The  obiec 

tions  to  our  view,  founded  on  the  piety  of  the  Alma 

(see  above)    disappear  when  we  refer  back  the 

giving  of  the  name  to  the  announcement  of  the 


divine  will.  For  if  the  Alma  does  not  name  the 
child  Immanuel  self-prompted,  she  gives  no  proof 
of  fearing  God  and  faith  in  God.  She  did  only 
what  she  could  not  have  omitted  to  do  without 
defying  the  divine  will.  But  how  is  it  conceiva- 
ble that  God  should  make  such  a  child  the  bearer 
and  symbol  of  His  holy  purpose  of  salvation,  a 
child  to  which  clung  the  reproach  of  illegitimate 
birth,  that  was  therefore  the  fruit  and  the  conti- 
nual monument  of  sin,  whose  mother,  in  fact,  in 
some  circumstances,  might  have  incurred  the  pe- 
nalty of  stoning,  according  to  Dent.  xxii.  21? 
How  can  this  fruit  of  sin  bear  the  holy  name  of 
Immanuel  ?  Does  this  not  involve  the  dangerous 
inference  that  God  does  not  take  strict  account  of 
sin?  that  in  some  cases  He  does  not  mind  using 
it  as  means  and  instrument  for  His  plans?  To 
this  I  would  reply  as  follows.  The  Prophet  is 
extremely  sparing  in  portraying  the  historical 
background  of  his  prophecies.  He  indicates  only 
what  is  indispensable.  It  is  just  this  scantiness 
that  makes  our  passage  so  difficult,  and  all  efforts 
at  expounding  it  suffer  alike  from  this.  For 
there  is  not  a  single  one  against  which  it  may  not 
be  objected  that  one  explanatory  statement  or 
other  is  necessary  to  its  complete  establishment. 
It  seems  to  me  that  the  presence  of  the  article  in 
"the  Alma"  is  easiest  explained  if,  in  the  circle 
to  which  the  Prophet  addressed,  there  was  only 
one  person  present  that  could  be  designated  as 
Alma.  In  every  language  in  such  a  case  a  more 
exact  pronominal  definition  may  be  dispensed 
with.  Besides,  in  Hebrew,  the  article  in  some 
cases  has  decidedly  a  demonstrative  meaning,  and 
can  be  used  6eiK.TiK.ug  (comp. 


T; 

The  Prophet,  as  the  servant  of  Jehovah,  might 
come  to  the  king  unannounced.  Though  hated 
by  the  king,  the  king  still  dreaded  him,  and,  ac- 
cording to  ver.  12,  Ahaz  did  not  venture  to  ex- 
press his  unbelief  openly,  but  only  under  the 
mask  of  reverence.  Assuredly  Nathan  did  not 
first  request  an  audience  and  permission  to  deli- 
ver a  message  of  Jehovah's  to  the  king  (2  Sam. 
xxiv.  11  sq.).  And  thus  we  may  assume  that  the 
Prophet  came  to  the  palace  at" a  time  when  the 
king  was  not  surrounded  by  officers  of  state — at 
least  _not  by  these  alone,  but  also  by  his  family. 
And  in  the  circle  into  which  Isaiah  stepped  in  the 
discharge  of  his  prophetic  disciplinary  office  there 
must  have  been  one— but  only  one— daughter  of 
the  royal  house  who  was  indeed  unmarried,  but 
no  longer  a  virgin.  More  than  this  we  do  not 
know.  The  Prophet  writes  no  more  than  he  said, 
perhaps  out  of  compassion,  or  perhaps  to  avoid 
making  the  person  in  question  the  object  of  ho- 
nors she_did  not  deserve  (possibly  of 'idolatrous 
worship  in  after  days).  By  revealing  this  secret 
to  the  dismay  of  the  family,  the  Prophet  had 
of  course  given  a  sign,  a  pledge  of  the  credibility 
of  what  was  promised  ver.  7.  For  whoever  knew 
that  secret  of  the  past  and  present  could  know 
also  the  secret  things  of  the  future.  And  the  king 
could  _at  once  ascertain  the  verity  of  the  sign  that 
was  given.  Of  course  he  might'take  measures  to 
defeat  the  prophecy  and  render  its  accomplish- 
ment impossible.  But  what  good  would  that  do? 
I  he  chief  thing,  that  there  was  a  boy  in  the  body 
of  the  (supposed)  virgin,  he  could  not  undo,  and 


CHAP.  VII.  10-25. 


125 


this  boy  was  called,  and  was  de  jure,  and  indeed 
de  jure  divino,  Immannel,  even  though  the  king 
(or  his  mother)  gave  him  no  name  at  all,  or  ano- 
ther name.  [See  addenda  of  TR.  pp.  127,  128.] 

But  how  shall  we  account  for  so  unholy  a  trans- 
action being  made  the  type  of  the  holiest  transac- 
tion of  history?  Here  we  must  consider  the  re- 
lation of  our  passage  to  Matt.  i.  23.  The  sacred 
history  narrates  that  Mary,  before  Joseph  took 
her  home,  was  found  with  child,  and  that  Joseph 
had  resolved  not  to  denounce  her,  but  to  leave 
her  privately  (Matt.  i.  18  sq.).  Ought  it  to  sur- 
prise us  if  this  part  of  the  history  of  the  fulfilment 
should  be  prefigured,  too,  in  the  period  of  the  pro- 
phecy ?  But  why  just  so  and  then  ?  If  that  event, 
that  the  mother  of  the  Lord  was  to  be  found  preg- 
nant before  marriage,  was  to  be  prefigured,  could 
it  be  done  otherwise  than  that  there  should  hap- 
pen to  a  virgin  in  a  natural  way  and  in  sinful  fa- 
shion what  happened  to  Mary  in  a  supernatural 
way  and  without  sin?  Sinful  generation  occurs 
in  the  list  of  the  ancestors  of  Jesus  more  than 
once.  Compare  only  the  genealogy  in  Matthew 
that  calls  especial  attention  to  these  cases  by 
naming  the  mother  concerned.  Remember  Ju- 
dah  and  Tamar.  And  not  to  mention  Rahab  and 
Ruth,  there  is  Solomon,  born  of  David  and  the 
wife  of  Uriah.  "Behold,  I  was  shapen  in  ini- 
quity and  in  sin  did  my  mother  conceive  me,"  Ps. 
li.  7,  applies  to  the  whole  genealogy,  and,  apart 
from  the  birth,  we  must  apply  to  every  individual 
of  it  the  words:  "there  is  none  that  doeth  good, 
no,  not  one"  (Ps.  xiv.  3;  Rom.  iii.  10  sq.).  Let 
one  call  to  mind  the  sins  of  a  Jacob,  a  David,  a 
Solomon,  and  one  must  say  it  depends  on  circum- 
stances which  was  the  more  unworthy  vessel,  they 
or  this  unfortunate  virgin.  In  short,  we  here 
stumble  on  secrets  of  divine  sovereignty  that  we 
cannot  fathom.  The  day  shall  declare  it  (1  Cor. 
iii.  13). 

Moreover  Immanuel  is  only  a  transitory  appa- 
rition. He  is  named  only  here  and  chap.  viii. 
It  is  a  single  though  significant  point,  that  is  visible 
above  the  horizon  once  and  then  disappears  again. 
Therefore  it  is  also  to  be  noted  that  spite  of  Matt,  i. 
23,  and  that  the  words  of  the  angel  Luke  i.  31  re- 
mind us  of  our  text  and  of  Gen.  xvi.  11,  Mary  still 
did  not  receive  command  to  call  her  son  Immauel. 
Had  our  passage  the  significance  that  is  attributed 
to  it;  were  it  a  direct  prophecy  of  the  birth  of 
Jesus  from  a  virgin,  then  properly  the  name  that 
the  son  of  Mary  was  to  bear  was  already  settled, 
and  one  can't  comprehend  why  the  angel  (Luke 
i.  31)  gives  another  name.  But  Immanuel  is  not 
Himself  and  immediately  Jesus.  He  is  only  a 
type,  like  many  others.  And,  indeed,  as  a  son  of 
a  virgin,  He  is  a  type  of  that  reproach  of  antenup- 
tial conception  which  the  Saviour  of  the  world 
had  to  bear  as  a  part  of  the  general  reproach  that 
was  meted  out  to  Him,  and  which  He  has  now-a- 
days  to  bear  still.  This  is  a  point  that  prophecy 
might  not  pass  in  silence,  and  yet  could  touch 
only  lightly. 

But  by  his  name  he  points  to  the  faithfulness 
of  God  that  will  not  forsake  His  people,  even 
when  they  have  become  a  D'3OT-j3,  and  have 
signalized  their  desertion  of  Him  by  the  alliance 
with  the  secular  power.  And  this  faithfulness  is 
itself  a  pledge  in  turn  of  that  which  had  deter- 


mined on  the  most  glorious  visitation  of  the  peo- 
ple (Luke  i.  78)  in  the  person  of  the  God-man, 
precisely  for  that  time  when  the  nation  would  lose 
the  last  remnant  of  its  independence  in  the  em- 
brace of  the  secular  power.  All  the  features  must 
not  be  pressed  ;  which  is  the  case  with  ver.  15 
sqq.  especially.  The  prophetic  word  hovers  free- 
ly over  present  and  future,  combining  both,  yet 
leaving  both  their  peculiarities.  It  was  God's 
providence  that  Isaiah  should  select  these  words 
that  at  the  same  time  fitted  so  wonderfully  the 
event  narrated  Matth.  i.  18  sqq.,  to  whom  the 
tongue  of  an  Isaiah  was  just  as  subservient  as  that 
of  a  Caiaphas  (Jno.  xi.  51). 

3.  Butter  and  honey the  King  of  As- 
syria.— Vers.  15-17.  Butter  and  honey  is  by  no 
means  a  mean  food.  That  appears  from  Deut. 
xxxii.  13,  14;  Job  xx.  17,  where  the  words  rather 
mean  a  very  noble  food.  Comp.  2  Sam.  xvii.  29. 
Nor  do  they  appear  in  any  passage  of  the  Old 
Testament,  as  cliildren's  food.  Rather  from  ver. 
21  sqq.  it  appears  that  butter  and  honey  repre- 
sent natural  food  in  contrast  with  that  procured 
by  art.  For  butter  comes  immediately  from  milk, 
and  honey,  too,  may  be  had  ready  from  bees  in  a 
form  that  men  can  enjoy.  And  as  Palestine  had 
and  still  has  many  wild  bees,  on  account  of 
which  it  is  called  a  land  "flowing  with  milk 
and  honey"  (comp.  Exod.  iii.  8,  17,  sqq.  and  the 
characteristic  passage  1  Sam.  xiv.  25  sqq. ;  Jud. 
xiv.  8),  therefore  we  may  suppose  that  wild 
honey  (Matth.  iii.  4)  is  especially  meant  here. 
Therefore  the  boy  shall  eat  butter  and  honey  on 
to  the  time  when  he  shall  know  evil  and  good 
(anni  discretionis).  If  the  ability  to  distinguish 
good  and  evil  is  employed  as  marking  a  period  of 
time,  it  can  only  be  in  a  moral  sense.  For  even 
the  smallest  child  distinguishes  in  a  physical 
sense  what  tastes  bad  and  what  good.  Moreover 
the  expression  reminds  one  of  Gen.  ii.  9,  17  ;  iii. 
5,  22 ;  comp.  Deut.  i.  39.  Naturally  the  land 
must  be  deserted  before  the  boy  knows  how  to  dis- 
tinguish between  good  and  evil,  in  order  that  at 
the  time  when  this  happens,  his  food  may  be  re- 
duced to  butter  and  honey. 

The  two  kings  of  the  land  are  Rezin  and  Pe- 
kah.  It  may  be  seen  from  ver.  2  how  great  was 
the  dread  of  these  experienced  by  Ahaz. 

The  Lord  shall  bring,  etc.  —  It  is  to  be 
noticed  here,  first  of  all,  that  the  Prophet  adds 
these  words  roughly  and  directly,  without  any 
particle  connecting  them  with  what  goes  before. 
This  mode  of  expression  is  explained  by  the  fact 
that  the  Prophet  contemplates  the  transactions  of 
ver.  17  as  immediately  behind  those  of  ver.  16. 
From  his  point  of  view  he  sees  no  interval  be- 
tween them.  That  is  not  the  same  as  saying  that 
there  is  no  interval  between.  Prophecy  sees  all 
as  if  in  one  plane,  that  in  the  fulfilment  is  drawn 
apart  in  successive  planes.  Hence  one  may  say: 
Isaiah  prophesies  here  the  Assyrian  and  Babylo- 
nish exile.  For  the  desolation  that  (ver.  16)  is  to 
befall  Ephraim  happened  by  the  carrying  away 
of  the  Ten  Tribes  (comp.  2  Kings  xvii.  6,  23 
sqq.).  But  what  the  Prophet  predicts  ver.  17  sqq. 
was  fulfilled  by  the  captivity  of  Judah  more  than 
120  years  later.  Accordingly,  the  relation  of  the 
prophecy  to  the  fulfilment  takes  the  following 
shape.  Our  prophecy  must  have  happened  in 
the  beginning  of  the  reign  of  Ahaz,  consequently 


126 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


about  the  year  B.  C.  743.     The  first  devastation 
and  partial  desolation  of  the  territory  of  Ephraim 
by  the  Assyrians,  i.  e.,  by  Tiglatli-Pileser,  hap- 
pened already  in  the  time  of  Pekah  (2  Kings  xv. 
29),  who  died  B.  C.  739.     The  boy,  that  was  to  be 
born  according  to  ver.  14,  in  fact  did  not  live  to 
see  any  period  of  the  desolation  of  his  native 
land,  nor  did  he  use  butter  and  honey  in  the  man- 
ner designated.    This  form  of  expression  is  trace- 
able solely  to  contemplation  of  events  together 
that  in  reality  are  far  apart.     For  Judah  suc- 
cumbed to  such  a  devastation  not  till  130  years 
later.     But  if  we  may  assume  that  a  child  awakes 
to  moral  consciousness  in  its  third  or  fourth  year, 
and  is  consequently  to  be  regarded  as  a  personal- 
ity, capable  of  distinguishing  between  good  and 
evil,  then  that  child  was  alive  to  see  the  first  in- 
road   of   the   Assyrians    into   the    territory   of 
Ephraim  (and  Syria  according  to  2  Kings  xvi.  9) 
and  consequently  the  beginning  of  the  fulfilment 
of  our  prophecy.   But  did  it  live  to  see  the  begin- 
ning, then  the  Prophet  might  regard  it  as  one 
that  had  lived  through  the  entire  fulfilment,  be- 
cause, as  remarked  before,  he  does  not  distinguish 
successive  plains  of  fulfilment.     And  he  has  good 
reason  for  this.     For  as  all  consequences  are  con- 
tained in  the  principle,  so  in  the  first-fruits  of 
fulfilment  are  contained  the  rest  of  the  degrees  of 
fulfilment.      For  him,  who   has  an  eye  open  to 
divine  realities,  all  these  degrees  are  ideally  con- 
tained,  but  just  on  that   account   divinely  and 
really  contained  in  the  degree  that  is  the  first- 
fruits.     For  divine  ideas  bear  the  pledge  of  their 
reality  in  themselves.     Therefore  where  a  com- 
plex of  divine  ideas  is  realized  even  in  its  begin- 
nings, there  the  whole  is  become  real  for  Him  who 
contemplates  things  with  an  eye  divinely  illumi- 
nated.   Thus  Jeremiah  regards  the  world-domin- 
ion of  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  subjection  of  all  na- 
tions under  his  power,  and  the  seventy  years  of 
Ju  lab's    exile   as    realized    practically    by   the 
battle  at  Carchemish,  although,  to  human  eyes, 
Nebuchadnezzar  during  several  years  did  nothing 
to  extend  his   kingdom  on  one  side  or   other. 
Comp.  my  remarks  on  Jer.  xxv.  11.     So,  too,  the 
Lor.l  says  Matth.  xxiv.  34;  Luke  xxi.  32,  "This 
generation  shall  not  pass  away  till  all  this  be  ful- 
He  could,  with  entire  justice,  say  that 


filled.' 


the  generation  then  living  would  live  to  see  the 
last  judgment  because  they  would  witness  the  be- 
ginning of  it,  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  Comp. 
VAN  OOSTERZEE  on  Luke  xxi.  32. 

It  is  seen  from  the  foregoing  that,  regarding 
the  passage  in  the  light  of  ita  fulfilment,  we  un° 
derstand  "  the  king  of  Assyria"  ver.  17,  to  include 
the  king  of  Babylon.  But  Isaiah  could  speak 
here  only  of  the  king  of  Assyria.  For  in  the  fore- 
ground of  his  tableau  of  the  future  he  saw  only 
the  king  of  Assyria.  He  did  not  know,  or  did  not 
need  to  intimate  that  the  king  of  Babylon  stood 
behind  the  former  as  continuer  and  accomplishes 
The  Assyrian  king,  this  would-be-helper  and  pro- 
tector, for  whose  sake  Ahnz  has  so  impiously  con- 
temned the  support  of  Jehovah  (see  on  ver.  12), 
just  he  must  be  designated  as  the  instrument  of 
the  judgment  that  was  to  burst  in  on  unbelieving 
Judah  and  its  equally  unbelieving  royal  house. 
Thus  it  appears  how  impossible  it  is  to  treat  the 
words  the  king  of  Assyria"  as  a  gloss,  like 
KNOBEL  and  DIESTEL  do.  If  the  words  were 


not  there,  there  would  be  no  hint  as  to  who  was 
to  be  the  instrument  of  the  judgment  predicted 
vers.  16,  17.  The  words  connect  very  well  with 
"  days  "  in  apposition  as  being  explanatory — for 
it  is  just  as  easy  to  say  "bring  days  on  a  people" 
as  "  bring  a  king  upon  any  one." 

4.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass tread- 

ing  lesser  cattle. — Vers.  18-25.  These  verses 
connect  very  closely  with  ver.  17,  as  its  amplifi- 
cation. This  happens  as  follows :  that  in  a  section 
underlying  which  is  a  duality,  there  is  described 
first,  the  means  and  instruments  of  the  desolation, 
second  the  consequences  of  the  desolation.  The 
means  and  instruments  are  characterized  in  a  two- 
fold image.  First,  the  destroyer  is  compared  to 
flies  and  bees,  second,  to  a  razor.  The  flies  mean 
Egypt,  the  bees  Assyria.  But  both  images  merge 
into  one,  into  that  of  the  razor,  and  Assyria  ap- 
pears as  the  razor,  by  which  we  are  to  understand 
not  Assyria  alone,  but  also  Babylon.  The  con- 
sequences of  the  desolation,  again,  are  portrayed 
under  a  double  figure,  or  rather  by  the  presenta- 
tion of  two  examples.  The  fir.st  example :  a  man 
has  nothing  of  his  cattle  left  but  a  little  cow 
(young  cow).  But  he  feeds  on  thick  milk,  for,  in 
consequence  of  the  superabundance  of  food  for 
stock,  the  remnant  of  the  inhabitants  will  feed  on 
butter  and  honey.  The  second  example  is  itself 
again  divided  in  two:  a.)  a  vineyard  once  well 
cultivated,  planted  with  noble  vines,  is  so  over- 
grown with  thorns  and  thistles,  that  no  one  ven- 
tures into  it  without  bow  and  arrow  ;  b.)  all  the 
once  cultivated  heights  are  so  overgrown  with 
thorns  and  thistles,  that  they  are  only  fit  for  the 
pasture  of  cattle. 

Will  hiss,  etc. — Jehovah's  might  and  sove- 
reignty will  reveal  itself  here  in  the  most  glori- 
ous manner.  He  only  needs  to  whistle  (comp.  on 
v.  26;  Zech.  x.  8),  and  the  flies  of  Egypt  and  the 
bees  of  Assyria  come  obedient  to  His  call.  That 
Egypt  was  a  land  abounding  in  flies  may  be  sup- 
posed from  the  warmth  of  its  climate  and  the  fre- 
quent overflows  with  their  slimy  sediment.  Comp. 
Exod.  viii.  12  sqq.  If  the  flics  at  the  extreme 
ends  of  the  canals  (see  crit.  note  on  ~^')  are  called, 
those  that  are  nearer  would  not  stay  away.  The 
expression  then  means  that  all  the  Egyptian  flies, 
even  the  farthest  off,  shall  come  on. — The  Assyr- 
ians are  compared  to  the  bee  as  noble,  martial, 
strong,  dangerous.  Assyria  had  many  bees. 
Comp.  KXOBEL  in  loc.  Therefore  the  entire  land, 
to  the  steep,  rocky  ravines  and  cliffs  of  the 
brooks,  and  to  the  prickly  thorn  hedges  and  the 
trampled  cattle  pastures  will  be  covered  (^HJ 
comp.  a  ver.  2)  with  the  swarms  of  flies  and  bees. 
Thus,  extensively  and  intensively,  an  entire  devas- 
tation of  the  land  is  predicted.  The  same  appears 
by  the  second  figure  ver.  20.  Ahaz,  at  a  great 
price,  had  hired  the  Assyrian  king  as  an  ally 
against  Syria  and  Ephraim.  For  this  purpose 
he  had  not  only  sacrificed  great  treasures  but  also 
the  independence  of  his  land.  For  he  had  caused 
it  to  be  said  to  Tiglath-Pileser :  ''I  am  thy  ser- 
vant and  thy  son,  come  up  and  save  me  out  of 
the  hand  of  {he  king  of  Syria  and  out  of  the  hand 
of  the  king  of  Israel."  2'Kings  xvi.  7.  For  this 
purpose  he  sent  the  Assyrian  the  gold  and  silver 
that  was  in  the  house  of  Jehovah  and  in  the 
house  of  the  king.  The  definite  article  in 


CHAP.  VII.  10-25. 


127 


,  "the  hired  razor,"  was  both  historically 
justified  and  comprehensible  to  Aliaz,  who  must 
have  i'elt  the  reproach  that  lay  in  the  expression. 
Thou  hast  hired  a  razor  to  shave  others,  says 
Isaiah  to  him,  but  this  razor  will  shave  thee.  In 
Lev.  xiv.  8  sq.  the  shaving  off  all  the  hair  on  the 
body  is  prescribed  as  a  part  of  the  purification  to 
be  observed  by  one  recovered  from  leprosy.  Per- 
haps the  Prophet  would  intimate  that  this  devas- 
tation was  also  an  act  of  purification,  by  which 
the  nation  was  to  be  purified  from  the  leprosy  of 
sin,  that  therefore  the  punishment  is  intended  for 
the  improvement  of  those  that  would  accept  the 
chastisement  (Prov.  viii.  10;  xix.  20).  The 
shaving  bald  evidently  signifies  the  entire  devas- 
tation and  emptying  of  the  land  in  every  quarter 
and  with  regard  to  men,  cattle  and  every  other 
possession. 

In  vers.  21-25,  the  degree  and  extent  of  the 
devastation  is  portrayed  by  two  illustrative  figures. 
The  first  example  shows  that  instead  of  skilful 
cultivation,  the  grass  shall  grow  rank.  A  man 
rescues  from  his  stock  a  heifer,  the  Prophet  sup- 
poses, (comp.  xv.  5;  Jer.  xlviii.  34;  Dent.  xxi. 
3;  1  Sam.  xvi.  2)  and  two  sheep.  Because  there 
is  no  regular  cultivation,  grass  grows  in  every 
field.  Therefore  there  is  abundant  pasture  for 
the  few  cattle.  Beside,  the  wild  bees  produce 
honey  in  abundance.  Thus  honey  and  butter  are 
the  food  of  that  man  and  of  all  the  remnant  of 
the  inhabitants  still  in  the  land.  The  second  ex- 
ample presents  a  still  greater  degree  of  unculti- 
vated wildness ;  the  whole  land  growing  rank  with 
thorns  and  thistles.  And  this  greatest  wildness 
appears  in  a  double  gradation  :  first,  every  place 
for  growing  wine  appears  covered  with  thorns 
and  thistles  (vers.  23,  24),  and  then  the  same  is 
affirmed  of  all  the  hills.  It  is  hard  to  find  a  dis- 
tinction here,  because  wine  grows  on  the  hills, 
or  mountains,  too.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  Pro- 
phet carries  out  completely  in  this  last  member 
the  duality  which,  as  was  remarked,  rules  in  the 
whole  section.  Everything  is  double.  Already 
in  ver.  18  we  have  flies  and  bees,  meaning  Egypt 
and  Assyria ;  ravines  and  clefts  of  the  rock ; 
thorn-hedges  and  pastures.  Only  ver.  20  neglects 
the  rule,  because  the  Prophet  would  designate 
the  two  enemies  in  an  unity.  But  ver.  21  and 
on,  this  rule  of  duality  is  carried  out,  and  at  the 
close  becomes  emphatic.  We  observe  two  degrees 
of  growing  wild.  In  the  first  appear:  one  man 
and  the  entire  remnant  of  the  inhabitants,  cattle 
and  sheep,  butter  and  honey.  The  second  degree, 
subdivides  in  two  again,  in  which  appears  to  me 
to  lie  the  emphasis,  and  both  are  characterized 
by  the  double  notions  of  thorn  and  thistle,  arrow 
and  bow,  a  seeding  place  for  cattle,  and  a  tramp- 
ling place  for  sheep.  The  thousand  vines  and 
thousand  shekels  recall  Song  of  Sol.  viii.  11.  In 
Syria  at  the  present  time  the  vineyards  are  still 
taxed  according  to  the  number  of  the  vines;  a 
good  vine  at  one  Piaster  =  about  four  cents. 
Therefore,  the  price  of  one  shekel  =  to  about  25 
cents  is  high.  The  construction  of  ver.  23  betrays 
a  certain  luxuriance  and  rankness.  The  first  or 
the  last  iTIT  ''shall  be"  is  certainly  an  excess. 
Perhaps  the  Prophet  would  thereby  express  by 
word  painting  the  rank  growth  of  the  weeds. 
Will  one  go  into  the  property  with  bow  and  ar- 


row iii  order  to  hunt,  or  to  protect  himself?  I 
believe,  with  GESENIUS,  both.  He  that  goes  in 
will  need  his  weapons  for  protection ;  he  that 
would  hunt  needs  only  to  go  into  the  nearest 
vineyard.  The  protecting  fence  is  gone;  beasts 
wild  and  tame,  penetrate  into  it.  The  vineyards 
of  Israel  are  now  a  copy  of  what  Israel  itself  as 
the  vineyard  of  Jehovah  had  become  (ver.  5). 

[J.  A.  ALEXANDER  on  vii.  14-16.  "  The  two 
interpretations  that  appear  to  me  the  most  plausi- 
ble, and  the  least  beset  with  difficulties  are  those 
of  LOWTH  and  VITEINGA,  with  which  last 
HENGSTENBERG'S  is  essentially  identical.  Either 
the  Prophet,  while  he  foretells  the  birth  of 
Christ,  foretells  that  of  another  child,  during 
whose  infancy  the  promised  deliverance  shall  be 
experienced ;  or  else  he  makes  the  infancy  of 
Christ  Himself,  whether  seen  as  still  remote  or 
not,  the  sign  and  measure  of  that  same  deliver- 
ance. WThile  some  diversity  of  judgment  ought 
to  be  expected  and  allowed  in  relation  to  this 
secondary  question,  there  is  no  ground,  gram- 
matical, historical  or  logical,  for  doubt  as  to  the 
main  point,  that  the  church  in  all  ages  has  been 
right  in  regarding  this  passage  as  a  signal,  and 
explicit  prediction  of  the  miraculous  conception 

and  nativity  of  Christ."  On  HoS^n,  « the  Alma." 
"  It  is  enough  for  us  to  know  that  a  virgin  or  un- 
married woman  is  designated  here  as  distinctly 
as  she  could  be  by  a  single  word.  That  the  word 
means  simply  a  young  woman,  whether  married 
or  unmarried,  a  virgin  or  a  mother,  is  a  subter- 
fuge invented  by  the  later  Greek  translators,  who, 
as  Justin  Martyr  tells  us,  read  vedivc,  instead  of 
the  old  version  Trop^rof,  which  had  its  rise  before 
the  prophecy  became  a  subject  of  dispute  be- 
tween Jews  and  Christians.  The  use  of  the  word 
in  this  connection  makes  it,  to  say  the  least,  ex- 
tremely probable  that  the  event  foretold  is  some- 
thing more  than  a  birth  in  the  ordinary  course 
of  nature." 

''  To  account  for  the  Alma  by  a  second  mar- 
riage of  Ahaz,  or  of  Isaiah,  or  by  the  presence 
of  a  pregnant  woman,  or  the  Prophet's  pointing 
at  her,"  ''may  be  justly  charged  with  gratuitously 
assuming  facts  of  which  we  have  no  evidence, 
and  which  are  not  necessary  to  the  interpretation 
of  the  passage."  "A  further  objection  is,  that 
though  they  may  afford  a  sign  in  one  of  the 
senses  of  the  word,  viz. :  that  of  an  emblem  or 
symbol,  they  do  not  afford  such  a  sign  as  the  con- 
text would  lead  us  to  expect.  It  seems  very  im- 
probable, after  the  offer  to  Ahaz,  which  he  re- 
jected, that  the  sign  bestowed  (unasked)  would 
be  merely  a  thing  of  every-day  occurrence,  or  at 
most  the  application  of  a  symbolical  name.  This 
presumption  is  strengthened  by  the  solemnity 
with  which  the  Prophet  speaks  of  the  predicted 
birth,  not  as  a  usual  and  natural  event,  but  as 
something  which  excites  his  own  astonishment, 
as  he  beholds  it  in  prophetic  vision." 

This  last  objection  applies  equally  to  the 
Author's  theory  of  the  Alma  being  an  unmarried 
princess  detected  in  pregnancy.  In  addition  to 
all  the  other  assumptions  of  this  theory,  which 
are  greater  than  those  of  any  other,  it  must  be 
assumed  that  the  pregnancy  was  at  a  stage  that 
could  be  kept  secret  from  the  scrutiny  that  ever 
characterized  the  regime  of  the  women's  apart- 


128 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


ments  in  an  oriental  family.     Otherwise  it  would 
be  no  sign  in  the  Author's  sense. 

The  Author's  threefold  canon  has  its  founda- 
tion in  what  are  obviously  conjectures.  Whether 
the  sign  was  to  be  such  as  Ahaz  was  to  test, 
because  he  would  see  it  accomplished,  depended 
precisely  on  the  sign  itself.  It  might  be  a  sign 
like  that  to  Moses  Exod.  iii.  12,  which  could  only 
be  fulfilled  after  other  events  predicted,  with 
which  it  was  associated  as  a  sign,  had  come  to 
pass.  Comp.  Isa.  xxxvii.  30.  It  may  have 
been  like  those  signs  given  by  Christ  to  unbe- 
lievers in  His  day,  that  were  not  meant  to  induce 
belief  in  those  that  asked,  but  were  the  refusal 
of  a  sign  to  them.  (vid.  Jno.  ii.  18-22;  Mat. 
xii.  38-40).  If  it  was  such  a  sign,  then  the 
Author's  first  canon  is  an  error.  Whether  the 
sign  was  meant  for  the  whole  royal  family,  ac- 
cording to  this  third  canon,  depends  wholly 
on  the  "  house  of  David  "  having  the  meaning 
he  gives  it.  Yet  that  meaning  has  no  other 
foundation  than  the  conjecture  that  Isaiah  had 
intruded  on  the  private,  domestic  retirement  of 
Ahaz.  The  second  canon,  viz.:  that  the  sign  in 
its  form  must  be  punitive,  is  only  an  assumption. 
The  contrary  is  as  easily  assumed. 

The  connection  of  the  words  vers.  10-16  with 
the  ver.  9  6  is  very  close.  The  belief  there  chal- 
lenged is,  by  a  second  message,  brought  to  the  test. 
Ahaz  does  not  stand  the  test.  He  does  not  believe, 
or  he  would  joyfully  avail  himself  of  the  offered 
sign,  as  Hezekiah  did  later  2  Kings,  xx.  8  sq. 
Thereupon  Isaiah  proceeds  to  denounce  the  con- 
sequences already  threatened  ver.  9  b,  that  must 
follow  unbelief.  But  first,  as  to  unbelieving 
Saul  was  announced  the  man  after  God's  own 
heart  that  was  to  be  raised  up  in  his  place,  so  to 
Ahaz  is  announced,  in  a  clearer  light  than  ever 
before,  the  promised  "  seed  of  the  woman  "  who 
would  deliver  Israel.  But  before  that  would 
come  to  pass,  the  two  kingdoms  of  which  Israel 
was  composed,  Judah  as  well  as  Ephraim  must 
suffer  desolation.  Thus  the  prophecy  of  Im- 
manuel  relates  to  Christ  alone,  as  J.  H.  Mi- 


CHAELIS  and  others  suppose  (vid.  J.  A.  ALEX,  in 
loc.);  and  ver.  16  is  (with  HENDERSON)  to  be 
understood  of  Canaan  and  its  two  kingdoms, 
Ephraim  and  Judah.  This  view  encounters 
fewer  difficulties  than  any  other,  while  such  as  it 
does  encounter  are  felt  as  much  by  any  other. 
On  the  other  hand  it  is  much  in  favor  of  this 
view,  that  there  is  then  in  ver.  17  simply  a  con- 
tinuation and  amplification  of  the  theme  begun  in 
ver.  16,  and  no  such  abruptness  as  the  Author,  with 
most  expositors,  finds  in  what  ver.  17  announces. 

The  chief  difficulty  is  that  in  1£jn  JJT  D^oa  '3 
the  '3  must  be  given  the  force  of  ''but"  (UM- 
BREIT).  Yet  ^3  may  have  its  usual  sense  "for," 
and  assign  the  reason  why  an  Immanuel,  that 
knows  good  and  evil,  shall  be  needed.  For  before 
such  a  one  comes,  those  that  call  good  evil  and 
evil  good  (vid.  v.  20),  etc.,  shall  have  brought  the 
inheritance  of  Jehovah  to  that  extremity,  by 
their  unbelief,  where  only  such  a  deliverer  can 
save. — TR. 

On  ver.  18.  ''Assyria  and  Egypt  are  named 
as  the  two  great  rival  powers,  who  disturbed  the 
peace  of  Western  Asia,  and  to  whom  the  land  of 
Israel  was  both  a  place,  and  a  subject  of  conten- 
tion. The  bee  cannot  of  itself  denote  an  army,  nor  is 
the  reference  exclusively  to  actual  invasion,  but  to 
annoying  and  oppressive  occupation  of  the  country 
by  civil  and  military  agents  of  these  foreign  pow- 
ers. It  was  not  merely  attacked,  but  infested  by 
flies  and  bees  of  Egypt  and  Assyria.  Fly  is  under- 
stood as  a  generic  term,  including  gnats,  mosqui- 
toes, etc.,  by  HENDERSON,  and  bee  as  including 
wasps  and  hornets,  by  HITZIG  and  UMBREIT." 

On  ver.  20.  "  The  rabbinical  interpretation 
of  D'/Jn  "Ij?t9  is  a  poor  conceit,  the  adoption  of 
which  by  GESENITJS  [and  NAEGELSBACII — TR.], 
if  nothing  worse,  says  but  little  for  the  taste  and 
the  ''aesthetic  feeling"  which  so  often  sits  in 
judgment  on  the  language  of  the  Prophet.  The 
true  sense  is  no  doubt  the  one  expressed  by 
EWALD  (von  oben  bis  unten]  [from  head  to  foot] 
and  before  him  by  CLERICUS,"  J.  A.  ALEX.] 


2.  ISAIAH  GIVING  THE  WHOLE  NATION  A  SIGN  BY  THE  BIETH  OF  HIS  SON 

MAHER  -  SH AL  AL  -  HASH  -  BAZ. 

CHAPTER  VIII.  1-4. 

MOREOVER  the  LORD  said  unto  me,  Take  thee  a  great  *roll,  and  write  in  it  with 
2  a  man's  bpen  concerning  'Maher-shalal-hash-baz.     And  °I  took  unto  me  faithful  wit- 
jsses  to  record,  Uriah  the  priest,  and  Zechariah  the  son  of  Jeberechiah.     And  I 
Vent  unto  the  prophetess ;  and  she  conceived  and  bare  a  son.     Then  said  the  LORD 
to  me,  Call  his  name  Maher-shalal-hash-baz.     For  before  the  child  shall  have  know- 
ledge to  cry,  My  father,  and  my  mother,  'the  riches  of  Damascus  and  the  spoil  of 
feamana  shall  be  taken  away  before  the  king  of  Assyria 


i  Heb.  in  making  speed  to  the  spoil,  he  hastencth  the  prey,  or,  make  speed,  etc. 
1  Or,  he  that  is  before  the  king  of  Assyria  shall  take  away  the  riches. 


tablet. 


stylus. 


Heb.  approached  unto. 
'  I  will  take. 


CHAP.  VIII.  1-4. 


129 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


On  ver.  1.  tOlfl  (found  only  here  and  Exod.  xxxii.  4), 
is  an  instrument  for  cutting  in,  engraving  in  wood, 
metal,  wax,  etc.,  the  chisel,  style.  It  stands  here  as  sty- 
lus, rnetonymically  as  efficient  pro  cffecto,  i.e.,  the  writing 
instrument  stands  for  the  writing.  UMJK  COIH  seems 
to  me  not  to  mean  writing  of  the  common  man  in  dis- 
tinction from  that  of  men  of  higher  degree,  say,  a  popu- 
lar as  distinguished  from  priestly  writing.  [In  an  or- 
dinary and  familiar  hand,  J.  A.  ALEXANDER,  BARNES.] 
For  in  the  first  place  it  is  very  doubtful  if  U/1JN 
has  this  meaning.  The  word  is  distinguished  from 
DIN  'com p.  Ps.  Ixxiii.  5)  but  only  by  its  poetic  use.  It 

TT 

occurs  in  Isaiah  six  times,  here,  and  xiii.  7, 12 ;  xxiv.  6 ; 
xxxiii.  8 ;  li.  7 ;  Ivi.  2.  In  the  second  place  we  have  no 
trace  of  there  being  two  sorts  of  writing  in  use  among 
the  Hebrews  before  the  exile.  The  passages  Hab.  ii. 
2;  Ps.  xlv.  2,  cited  by  some  in  support  of  the  notion, 
prove  nothing.  I  much  rather  believe  that  a  contrast 
of  human  an(f  superhuman  writing  is  meant.  For  as 
Paul  distinguishes  between  human  and  angel  tongues 
(1  Cor.  xiii.  1)  so  we  may  distinguish  between  human 
and  angel  writing.  Of  the  latter,  Dan.  v.  5  sqq.  offers  us 
an  example.  Comp.  Exod.  xxxii.  32 ;  P*.  Ixix.  2!) ; 
oxxxix.  1C;  Dan.  xii.  1 ;  Rev.  xix.  12;  xx.  12,  15;  xxi. 
12,27.  For  the  prophets  were  not  merely  "  hearers  of 
the  words  of  God."  but  also  "  men  whose  eyes  were 
open,"  "  who  saw  the  vision  of  the  Almighty  "  (Numb. 

xxiv.  3,  4).  The  S  is  variously  explained.  It  is  taken 
as  construct™  periphrastica  (acceleratura  sunt  spolia  or  ac- 
celeratiom  spolia,  comp.  Gen.  xv.  12 ;  Jos.  ii.  5  ;  Isa.  x.  32 ; 
xxxvii.  26;  xxxviii.  20,  etc.),  as  depending  on  3H3  in  the 
sense  of  commanding  (1  Chr.  xxi.  17),  as  sign  of  dedica- 
tion, or  as  stating  the  object.  The  first  two  explana- 
tions are  inadmissible,  because  *7  would  then  fit  only 
the  first  member  O7T3  as  infinitive),  not  the  second 


(ETl  particip.).  S  can  thus  be  taken  only  as  a  dedica- 
tion or  as  stating  the  aim.  Both  these  ways  of  explain- 
ing it  agree  in  not  taking  -.HO  as  infin.,  but  as  a  verbal 
adjective  like  Zeph.  i.  14  (comj..  SpO,  ?XO).  But  they 

|  •    —         I  ••  T 

differ  in  sense.  This  can  be  no  dedication  in  the  com- 
mon sense.  For  there  is  no  gift  to  be  presented  to 
Maher-shalal,  only  the  attention  of  the  nation  is  directed 
to  him.  The  7  can  define  therefore  only  the  reference 

or  the  destiny,  the  aim.  It  is  thereby  said  that  this 
tablet  with  its  inscription  concerns  a  Maher  shalal- 
hash-baz,  but  of  whom  absolutely  nothing  is  known, 
not  even  whether  a  person  or  a  thing.  Comp.  Ezek. 
xxxvii.  16.  The  cas-  is  different  with  Jeremiah  xlvi.  2; 
xlviii.  1;  xlix.  1.  Comp.  on  Jer.  xlvi.  sqq. 

On  ver.  2.  "Ul  nT>»X1  tho  LXX.  translates  ndprvpaa- 
ftot  iroc'ijo-of,  as  if  nTyni  stood  in  the  text.    So,  too. 


the  SYB.,  CHALD.  and  ARAB,  in  the  London  Polyglot 
which  HITZIO  follows.  The  VUI.G.  translates  :  '•  et  adhi- 
bui ;"  it  therefore  read  nTi'&O ;  and  so,  too,  would 

r  T-TT 

EICHHOBN,  DE  WETTE,  ROOBDA,  K NOBEL,  and  others  read. 
Bat,  after  mai ore  consideration,  I  find  there  is  no  ground 
for  departing  from  the  reading  of  the  text.  It  is  per- 
fectly supported  by  testimony.  PMrst  of  all  it  is  t*ie 
more  difficult  reading,  and  bbth  the  others  give  evi- 
dence of  being  attempts  to  relieve  the  difficulty  by  cor- 
rection. Then,  too,  Isaiah  never  uses  the  cohortative 
form  with  the  weakened  sense,  as  it  occurs  elsewhere 
with  the  Vav  consec.  irnperf.  in  the  first  pers.,  especially 
in  Dan.,  Ezra,  and  Neh.  Thus  the  form  nTl'Xl  espe- 

T        \-TT 

cially  occurs  Neh.  xiii.  21  (along  with  Tl'JO  ibid.  ver. 

•  TT 

15).    Why  did  not  Isaiah  write  Tl'Kl  as  Jeremiah  did 

••  TT 

in  precisely  the  same  sense,  chap,  xxxii.  10?  Comp.  1 
Kings  ii.  42.  The  form  rn'l'Xl  is  found  Deut.xxxi.  28; 

-r        •   T  : 

Ps.  1.  7;  Ixxxi.  9:  Jer.  vi.  10,  everywhere  as  cohortative. 

D'TJ,'    "T>'n  'ike  Jer.  xxxii.  10,  25,  44. 

On  ver.  4.  J$t2T  =  "  one  will  bear." Vfl  in  the  sense 

T     '  '  — 

of  possession,  riches,  treasures  is  found  beside  here  x. 
14 ;  Ix.  5,  11 ;  Ixi.  6. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Moreover  the  Lord  said the  king 

of  Assyria.— Vers  1-4.  A  compound  token  ! 
First,  Isaiah  is  to  take  a  large  tablet  (only  found 
beside  iii.  23;  here  is  meant  certainly  a  tablet 
coated  with  smooth  wax),  and  write  on  it  with 
human  handwriting  some  words.  It  is  therefore 
•warned  here  that  there  is  a  superhuman  hand- 
writing (see  Text,  and  Gram.)  and  that  the  Prophet 
cuuld  understand  and  make  use  of  it  (comp. 
Dan.  v.  5  sqq.).  But  Isaiah  must  not  employ 
this  superhuman,  but  common,  human  writing. 
Isaiah  must  write  on  the  tablet  "Maher-shalal- 
hash-baz."  It  is  clear  that  when  he  wrote  these 
words  they  were  not  designated  as  the  name  of  a 
son  to  be  expected.  For,  first,  there  is  nothing 
of  this  in  the  text.  Second,  there  is  a  two-fold 
gradation  of  the  prophecy  wherein  the  first  stage 
gives  a  pledge  of  the  second.  The  words  on  the 
tablet  nre  the  prophecy  of  a  Maher-shalal-hash- 
baz  to  be  looked  for;  the  appearance  of  the 
latter  is  therefore  the  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy, 
and  so  the  guaranty  that  the  event,  to  whicn  the 
significant  name  itself  in  turn  refers,  shall  cer- 
tainly come  to  pass. 

The  Lord  commands  the  Prophet  therefore  to 
set  up  a  tablet  with  the  inscription  mentioned, 
and  at  the  same  time  makes  known  his  will,  that 
9 


Uriah   and    Zechariah    shall    act  as   witnesses. 
What  they  are  to  witness  is  as  little  stated  as 
that  Isaiah  shall  accomplish  the  will  of  the  LORD 
in  regard  to  the  witnesses  and  that  he  actually 
did  this.    The  latter  is  assumed  as  being  a  matter 
of  course.     This  scantiness  is  too  common  in  the 
i  prophetic  manner  of  narrating  to  cause  us  any 
surprise.     The  former  is  to  be  obtained  from  the 
!  context.     For  when  we  read  immediately  after: 
!  "  And    I  went   unto  the  Prophetess,"  etc.,  it  is 
plain  that  the  witnesses  should  testify  that  Isaiah, 
j  at  the  time  he  set  up  the  tablet,  had  communi- 
'  cated  to  them  that  he  would  approach  his  wife, 
|  and    that   she,    in    consequence,    would    become 
pregnant  and  bear  a  son.     But  why,  it  may  be 
asked,  did  not  the  Prophet  declare  this  publicly? 
j  Not  out  of  regard  for  propriety  certainly ;  for 
i  there  would  not  have  been  anything  the  least  of- 
|  fensive  in  doing  so.    But  why  must  then  the  wit- 
nesses receive  this  announcement  ?     I  can  think 
of  no  other  reason  than  the  enmity  and  vindic- 
tiveness  of  Ahaz.     He  was,  we  may  be  sure,  only 
half  rejoiced  at  the  quieting  of  his  fears  in  re- 
gard to  the  impending  danger  from  Eezin  and 
Pekah.     The  way  in  which  he,  according  to  vii. 
10  sqq-,  received  that  reassuring  announcement, 
and  what  was  connected  with  it  as  a  further 


130 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


finger-board  for  the  remote  future  (vii.  17  sqq.), 
all  this  was  calculated  to  embitter  him  and  his 
against  the  Prophet.  Had,  therefore,  the  Pro- 
phet announced  publicly  the  pregnancy  of  his 
wife,  the  mother  and  child  might  have  incurred 
danger.  This  was  easiest  avoided  by  imparting 
the  announcement  only  to  witnesses,  who,  how- 
ever, were  in  such  esteem  with  the  nation,  that 
their  assurance  that  they  had  at  the  proper  time 
received  such  a  communication  from  the  Prophet 
was  universally  credited.  Then  we  obtain  the 
following  chain  of  events  First,  the  tablet. 
This,  makes  known  in  general  that  the  LORD 
purposes  a  great  crisis  of  war,  and  that  it  is  to 
be  looked  for  shortly.  Immediately  thereupon 
the  witnesses  receive  the  announcement  of  the 
pregnancy  of  the  Prophetess,  The  son  is  born, 
and  thereby,  on  the  authority  of  the  witnesses,  is 
given  to  all,  the  pledge  that  the  event  to  which 
the  inscription  of  the  tablet  and  the  correspond- 
ing name  of  the  child  pointed,  shall  really  come 
to  pass. 

Whether  Uriah  is  the  priest  mentioned,  2 
Kings  xvi.  10  sqq.  [BARNES,  J.  A.  ALEX- 
ANDER], who,  out  of  regard  for  Ahaz,  placed  in 
the  temple  the  altar  made  after  the  heathen  pat- 
tern, is  just  as  doubtful  as  whether  Zechariah  is 
identical  with  the  one  said  to  be  the  author  of 
Zech.  ix-xi.,or  with  the  son  ofAsaph  (2  Chr. 
xxix.  13). 

Isaiah's  wife  is  hardly  called  Prophetess,  be- 
cause she  was  the  wife  of  a  Prophet,  but  because 
she  herself  was  a  prophetic  woman.  We  do  not 


indeed  know  of  prophecies  of  which  she  was  the 
authoress,  but  she,  along  with  other  things  of  the 
Prophet's  family,  was  set  for  a  sign  and  wonder 
(ver.  18). 

Our  exposition  of  vii.  14  of  itself  shows  that 
the  present  history  is  not  coincident  with  vii.  10 
sqq.,  and  therefore  that  Maher-shalal  is  not 
identical  with  Immanuel.  Yet  the  present  nar- 
rative is  nearly  related  to  vii.  10  sqq.  In  both, 
pregnancy  and  the  birth  of  a  son  are  pledges  of 
deliverance.  In  both,  a  stage  of  development  in 
the  child  is  made  the  measure  that  defines  the 
period  of  the  deliverance.  But  a  child  can  sav 
father  and  mother,  sooner  than  it  can  distinguish 
between  good  and  evil.  If  then,  as  also  the  place 
of  the  passage  in  the  book,  indicates,  what  is 
now  narrated,  took  place  somewhat  later  than  the 
events  vii.  10  sqq.,  it  agrees  very  well.  Both  have 
the  same  objective  end,  viz.,  the  rendering  harm- 
less Syria  and  Ephraim.  Therefore  the  later  one 
must  use ^the^shorter  time  measure.  As  Pekah 
and  Rezin  lived  during  the  events  prophesied 
here,  yet  the  former  died  B.  c.  739,  so  the  trans- 
actions related  here  must  fall  between  B.  c.  743 
and  739.  The  king  of  Assyria  did  not  at  that 
time  destroy  Samaria.  He  only  desolated  a  few 
border  regions  (2  Kings  xv.  29).  But  as  we 
showed  at  vii.  17,  that  the  prophecy  contemplated 
two  events,  inwardly  related,  but  separated  as  to 
time,  so  it  is  here.  That  first,  preliminary  de- 
vastation of  the  region  of  Ephraim  bears  the 
later  one  (2  Kings  xvii.  6)  so  really  in  it,  that 
the  Prophet  is  justified  in  comprehending  both 
together. 


H.— THE  SUPPLEMENTS. 
1.    THOSE  THAT  DESPISE  SmLOAH  SHALLR  BE^PUNiSHED  BY  THE  WATERS 

CHAP.  VIII.  5-8. 

THE  LORD  spake  also  unto  me  again,  saying 
b  *or  as  much  as  this  people  arefuseth 
The  waters  of  Shiloah  that  go  softy, 
And  rejoice  "in  Rezin  and  Remaliah's  son  • 
7  Now  therefore  behold,  the  LORD  bringeth  up  upon  them 

arsfii^^ 

And  go  over  all  his  banks  • 

' he  sha" OVOTflow 

m 


contemns. 


out  of  his  wings. 
'  WtT  into-  4  the  flapping  of  hit,  ttc. 


CHAP.  VIII.  5-8. 


131 


TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  6.  "Ol  flOM  comp.  at  vii.  10. £3X7  is  com- 
pounded of  £3X  (1  Kings  xxi.  27)  lenitas  and  the  prefix. 
The  prefix  is  used  like  in  ntp^S,  3^  (EWALD,  ?  217  d); 

comp.  Gen.  xxxiii.  14;  2  Sam.  xviii.  5;  Job  xv.  11. 

Corrections  of  the  reading  like  DIDO  (MEIEB  =  "  faint- 
ing away  before  Rezin,"  x.  18)  and  tJWDI  ("and  blind 

T 

groping  seized,"  BOETTCHER  Aehrenl.  p.  30,  comp.  Job  v. 
14  are  unnecessary.  Isaiah  often  uses  the  verb  bNtJP 
(xxxv.  1;  Ixi.  10;  Ixii.  5;  Ixiv.  4;  Ixv.  18  sq  ;  Ixvi.  10, 
14)  and  the  substantive  T1KNP  (xii.  3 ;  xxii.  13 ;  xxxv.  10  ; 
li.3, 11;  Ixi.  3)  and  feMttfO  (xxiv.  8, 11 ;  xxxii.  13  sq.;  Ix. 
15;  Ixii.  5;  Ixv.  18;  Ixvi.  10).  Here  jyit!?D  seems  chosen 

T 

for  the  sake  of  a  paranomasia  with  DND-    The  follow- 

—   T 

ing  r\K  cannot  be  the  sign  of  the  accusative,  because 
the  subject  of  joy  is  never  so  designated.  It  resembles 
the  proposition  like  Ixvi.  10  (fr'l&O  nfltf  )&&)•  Joy 
with  Rezin  and  Pekah  is  the  rejoicing  that  is  felt  in  com 
munion,  in  connection  with  these  rulers.  Moreover  the 
substantive  ti'ltyo  is  dependent  on  jj;%  which  accord- 
ingly governs  two  clauses,  a  verbal  and  a  nominal 
clause.  Thus,  too,  DKECHSLEB.  There  is  then  no  need 
for  regarding  i*MtZ?0  as  the  status  absol.  according  to 
EWALD,  §  3">1,  6.  According  to  a  usage  especially  common 
with  Isaiah,  the  status  constr.  stands  before  the  preposi- 
tion. 
On  ver.  7.  311  D1¥j?  combined  like  Exod.  i.  9 ;  Deut. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

vii.  1;  ix.14;  xxvi.  5;  Joel  ii.  2, 5;  Mic.  iv.  3;  Zech.viii 
22;  D1VJ?  signifying  rather  the  intensive,  31  the  ex- 
tensive greatness. 1133  here  involves  the  secondary 

T 

notion  of  "might,"  as  elsewhere  that  of  riches  (x.  3 ; 
Ixi.  0;  Ixvi.  12,  the  last  citation  seeming  to  stand  in  in- 
tentional contrast  with  our  passage.  Comp.  the  Latin 
opes).  KVOBEL  regards  1 70~j"\K  to  m33  as  a  gloss,  be- 
cause ''good  poets  do  not  add  explanatory  notes  to  their 
metaphors."  As  if  Isaiah  were  only  a  poet,  and  had  not, 
too.  a  very  practical  interest !  Comp.  vii.  17,  20. p'SN 

I         •  T 

(notagain  in  Isaiah)  is  the  bed  of  a  torrens,  synonymous 
with  If!  J  (Josh.  i.  20  ;  iv.  18) ;  f\HJ-  plur.  tantum,  in  Isa 
only  here ;  besides  Joel  iii.  15  ;  iv.  18 ;  1  Chr.  xii.  15  K'ri 
(beside  K'thib  nnjj,  is  from  mj,  kindred  to  11}  in- 

:  •  T  T  ~T 

cidit,    secuit,  is  "the  indentation,  the  shore-line,   the 
!  shore." 

On  ver.  8.  rpn  (comp.  on  ii.  18)  is  originally  "to 
change"  thence  transire  (to  change  place,  whence  "to 
change  "  in  hunters'  language  said  of  wild  game).  Comp. 
xxi.  1 ;  xxiv.  5.  ntDU?  means  the  spreading  out,  "OJ? 
the  pressing  forward  (both  notions  joined  as  in  xxviii. 

15, 18),  yy  ~\WX~iy  the  height  of  the  water. r\1£3D 

from  HC3J  "  to  spread  out,"  are  the  out-spreadings,  ex- 

T  T 

pamiones;  an.  Aey. The  sing.  DTP  is  in  consequence 

of  the  verb  coming  first. 8*70  is  to  be  construed  in 

an  active  sense  (comp.  vi.  3;  xxxi.4;  xxxiv.  1 ;  xlii.  10). 
3m  not  again  in  Isaiah. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  This  section  has  the  external  mark  of  a  sup- 
plement  in  the   transition  formula  ''  the  LORD 
spake  also  again,"   which  occurs  again  only  vii. 
10,  and  which  here  as  well  as  there  intimates 
that  an  interval  occurred  between  these  words 
and  what  goes  before.      But  the  contents,   too, 
show  that  we  have  no  immediate  and  necessary 
amplification  of  the  foregoing  words  and  deeds 
before  us.  Nothing  more  is  said  of  the  son  of  the 
Prophet.     Rather  the   language  turns  suddenly 
against  the  Ephraimites  who  contemned  the  quiet 
fountain  of  Shiloah,  t.  e.   David's  kingdom,  and 
rejoiced  in  communion  with  Rezin  and  the  son 
of  Remaliah  (ver.  6).     Therefore  the  floods  of 
the  Euphrates,  which  the  Prophet  himself  ex- 
plains as  meaning  the  king  of  Assyria,  shall  over- 
flow Ephraim  (ver.  7),  but  of  course  Judah  also, 
the  land  of  Immanuel  (ver.  8).     The  mention  of 
Rezin  and  Pekah,  the  calling  Judah  land  of  Im- 
manuel, and  the  threatening  of  overflow  by  As- 
syria, prove  that  these  words  belong  to  the  same 
period  as  the  preceding  chief  prophecies.  And  as 
the   expression    *'  Immanuel  "    presupposes    the 
transactions  narrated  vii.  10,  the  insertion  of  this 
section  at  this  place  is  completely  explained. 

2.  The    Lord  -  Remaliah's  son.  —  Vers. 
5,  6.     Most  authorities  agree  that  the  fountain  of 
Shiloah  or  Siloam  is  on  the  south  side  of  Jerusa- 
lem ;  vid.  ROBINSON'S  Palestine,  Vol.  I.  p.  501-505. 

The  name  (written  ITTBfi  rjW  and  riVt?)  means 


emissio,  or  emissus  (comp. 


He 


sendeth  the  springs,"  Ps.  civ.  10  ;  hence  a 
nkvos  "sent"  Jno-  ix.  7  ;  comp.  EWALD  \  156  a). 
It  occurs  only  here,  John  ix.  7  and  Luke  xiii. 
4,  in  which  last  place  is  told  of  the  tower  of  S5- 
loam  (so  LXX  and  New  Testament,  AQU.  and 
SYMM.,  THEOD.  spell  the  name  2>/.wd  :  VULG.  : 

Siloe).  Yet  the  name  rhtf  which  the  rhvtr\  rm3 
"  pool  of  Siloah,"  Neh.  iii.  15,  bears  is  very  pro- 
bably identical  with  our  Shiloah.  The  descent 
between  the  fountain  of  Mary  above  and  the  foun- 
tain of  Siloam  is  very  little,'  therefore  the  flow  is 
very  gentle  and  soft. 

The  weak  brooklet,  welling  up  at  the  foot  of 
Moriah  and  Zion,  represents  the  unobservable 
nature  of  the  kingdom  of  God  in  the  period  of  its 
earthly  humility.  It  recalls  the  form  of  ^  a  ser- 
vant which  the  Lord  assumed,  and  the  "I  am 
meek  and  lowly  in  heart"  (Matth.  xi.  29).  This 
feature  is  prominent  in  all  the  stages  of  the  his- 
torv  of  salvation.  Outwardly  Israel  was  the  least 
of  all  nations  (Deut.  vii.  7) ;  Bethlehem  was  the 
least  of  the  cities  of  Judah  (Mic.  v.  1)  ;  David 
was  the  voungest  among  his  brothers,  and  his  fa- 
ther supposed  he  must  be  of  no  account  at  the 
election  of  a  king  (1  Sam.  xvi.  11  sqq.).  So,  too, 
at  the  time  of  our  present  history,  the  kingdom 
of  David  was  very  small  and  weak  amid  the 
world-powers.  If  now  and  then  it  arose  to  great- 
er power,  that  makes  but  one  resemblance  more  to 
the  intermittent  fountain  of  Shiloah. 

And  rejoice,  etc.     The  passage  is  easily  ex- 


132 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


plained  if  one  only  notices  that  the  Prophet  does 
not  till  ver.  8  represent  the  swelling  stream  as 
overflowing  also  the  territory  of  Judah.  Then 
"  upon  them  "  ver.  7  means  those  whom  the  As- 
syrian stream,  that  comes  in  from  the  north,  over- 
flows first.  That  is  evidently  the  Ephraimites. 
Therefore  by  the  people  ver.  6,  to  whom  ''  upon 
them  "  refers  back,  must,  at  least  primarily,  be 
understood  the  nation  of  the  Ten  Tribes.  The 
nation  Israel,  then,  i.  e.  Ephraim  looks  down  con- 
temptuously on  the  kingdom  of  Judah  as  on  a 
weak  flowing  brooklet,  and  meanwhile  with  proud 
self-complacency  rejoices  in  its  own  king  and  in 
the  alliance  with  the  Syrian  king  that  added  to 
his  strength.  This  haughtiness  shall  not  escape 
the  avenging  Nemesis.  From  the  Euphrates 
shall  mighty  floods  of  water  overflow  first  Eph- 
raim and  then  Judah.  [''  To  understand  this  it 
is  necessary  to  remark  that  the  Euphrates  annual- 
ly overflows  its  banks." — BARXES].  That  by 
this  is  meant  the  king  of  Assyria  with  all  his 
glorious  army,  Isaiah  himself  proceeds  to  explain. 
It  is  a  proof  that  the  Prophet  before  this  had  the 
territory  of  Israel  in  mind,  that  here  he  makes 
so  prominent  the  trespassing  of  the  waters  into 
Judah's  territory,  the  spreading  beyond  its  bor- 
ders, lu  ver.  8  6,  the  Prophet  by  a  glorious 
figure  compares  the  volumes  of  water  to  a  bird 


spreading  out  its  wings,  to  which  he  is  evidently 
moved  by  the  fact  that  the  floods  of  water  mean 
army  hordes.  Accordingly  he  designates  the 
wings  of  the  army  as  the  wings  of  the  extended 
flood.  Because  the  space  covered  by  the  ex- 
panded wings  coincides  with  the  breadth  of  the 
land,  so  it  may  be  said  that  the  stretching  out  of 
the  wings  is  at  the  same  time  the  filling  up  of  the 
land.  It  is  very  significant  that  the  Prophet 
closes  his  address  so  emphatically  with  the  word 
"Immanuel."  He  signifies  thus  that  the  land  is 
Immanuel's,  and  that  consequently  the  violence 
is  done  to  Immanuel.  It  is  plain  that  Immanuel 
is  written  as  a  proper  name,  from  the  suffix  in 
"]V"1K-  Yet  most  editions  separate  the  words, 
and  several  versions  too,  as  LXX.  and  ARAM., 
translate  accordingly.  The  occasion  for  this  is  the, 
of  course,  correct  notion  that  in  the  word  there  is  an 
intimation  of  comfort  that  is  to  be  the  stay  of  Israel 
in  that  great  tribulation.  But  evidently  the  Pro- 
phet has  immediately  in  mind  a  person,  whom  he 
addresses.  He  turns  to  Him  who  is  predicted  in 
the  birth  of  that  child  vii.  14.  Although  He  is  a 
person  of  the  future,  still  the  Prophet  knows  Him 
as  one  already  present.  How  else  could  he  turn 
to  Him  with  this  lamentation?  Herein,  then, 
lies  a  preparation  for  what  the  Prophet  says  of 
the  promised  one  in  the  predicates  of  ix.  5  (6). 


2.    THREATENING  AGAINST    THOSE    THAT  CONSPIRE  AGAINST  JUDAH,   AND 
AGAINST  THOSE  TPIAT  FEAR  THESE  CONSPIRACIES. 

CHAPTER  VIII.  9-15. 

9      "ASSOCIATE  yourselves,  O  ye  people,  *and  ye  shall  be  broken  in  pieces  ; 
And  give  ear,  all  ye  of  far  countries  : 
Gird  yourselves,  band  ye  shall  be  broken  in  pieces : 
Gird  yourselves,  and  ye  shall  be  broken  in  pieces. 

10  Take  counsel  together,  and  it  shall  come  to  nought ; 
Speak  the  word,  and  it  shall  not  stand : 

For  God  is  with  us. 

11  For  the  LORD  spake  thus  to  me  ""with  a  strong  hand, 

dAud  instructed  me  that  I  should  not  walk  in  the  way  of  this  people,  saying, 

12  Say  ye  not,  A  confederacy, 

•To  all  them  to  whom  this  people  shall  say,  A  confederacy ; 
Neither  fear  ye  their  fear,  nor  be  afraid. 

13  Sanctify  the  LORD  of  Hosts  himself; 

And  let  him  be  your  fear,  and  let  him  be  your  dread. 

14  And  he  shall  be  for  a  sanctuary  ; 

But  for  a  stone  of  stumbling  and  for  a  rock  of  offence 

To  both  the  houses  of  Israel, 

For  a  gin  and  for  a  snare  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem. 

15  And  many  among  them  shall  stumble, 
And  fall,  and  be  broken, 

And  be  snared,  and  be  taken. 


1  Or,  yet. 

•  Break  ye  nations,  break  to  pieces 
a  To  warn  me  not  to  walk. 


and  break  in  pier.es. 

as  often  as  this  people,  etc. 


9  Heb.  in  the  strength  of  hand. 
v;ith  pressure  of  the  hand. 


On  ver.  9.  \y\  The  forms  and  meanings  of  the  roots' 
n  and  yT  cross  each  other  in  a  peculiar  man- 
1! can  only  come  from  the  root  ;»jn ;  but  to 


TEXTUAL    AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


this  root  has  been  transferred  the  meaning,  too,  of  JN 


Although  originally  £V1  has  the  meaning  malumesse,  as 
^  appears  from  the  imperf.  Niph.y'lT  (Prov.  xi.  15;  xiiL 


CHAP.  VIII.  9-15. 


133 


20)  which  can  only  be  derived  from  a  root  '}y,  yet  this 
root  never  occurs  in  Kal.,  but  all  Kal  forms  that  mean 
"  to  be  evil  "  are  to  be  derived  from  a  root  yy*\  (comp. 
J»1  Num.  xi.  10,  then  the  adjective  y~\,  and  perhaps,  too, 
the  forms  HJH  Dent.  xv.  9;  2  Sam.  xix.  8  and  infin.  y*~\ 

Eccl.  vii.  3).  On  the  other  hand  yy~\  has  undoubtedly 
the  meaning  "to  break"  (Ps.  ii.  9;  Jer.  xi.  16;  xv.  12, 
etc.).  We  must  therefore  choose  here  between  the  mean- 
ings •'  be  evil  "  and  "  break."  With  DRECHSLEB  and 
others,  I  prefer  the  latter,  because  "  be  wicked  "  and 
"  break  in  pieces  "  involve  no  contradiction  ;  for  where- 
fore may  not  what  is  wicked  also  break  in  pieces  ?  ["  GE- 
SENIUS  in  his  latest  lexicons  gives  this  verb  its  usual 
sense  of  being  evil,  malignant,  which  is  also  expressed 
by  LUTHEB  (seid  base,  ihr  Volker).  It  is  here  equiva- 
lent to  da  your  worst."  3.  A.  ALEXANDER.].  -  pmp 

frequent  in  Isaiah  (x.  3;  xiii.5;  xvii.  13;  xxx.  27;  xlvi. 
11;  plural  D'prPD  xxxiii.  17).  --  The  double  impera- 

tives ir\ni  1"HK.nn  sustain  an  adverbial  relation  to  one 
another  :  break  up  yet  break  in  pieces  yourselves  ;  gird 
ye  yourselves,  and  spite  of  it  break  in  pieces.  Comp. 
GESEX.,  fj  130,  2.  The  former  word  seems  to  me  not  to 
mean  bellum  parare,  for  the  war  is  far  progressed  ;  but 
in  accord  with  the  proper  vis  vocabuh,  the  girding  the 
loins,  bracing  oneself  up  as  men  are  wont  to  do  in  the 
midst  of  an  attack. 

On  ver.  10.  My  only  here  and  Judg.  xix.  30.  On  T\1!y 
comp.'on  v.  19.  -  Pual  "12ri  only  here  in  Isaiah  (Jer. 
xxxiii.  21;  Zech.  xi.  11).  -  Other  forms  of  1^2  ;  xiv. 
27;  xxiv.  5,  19;  xxxiii.  8;  xliv.  25. 

On  ver.  11.  Hptn  wherever  else  it  occurs  (2  Chr.  xii. 

|T:V 

1;  xxvi.  16;  Dan.  xi.  2)  means  "the  being  strong,"  and 
is  used  everywhere  of  the  fortified  power  of  a  potentate. 
TH  r\Din  is  therefore  "  the  hand  being  strong.'1  It  is 
the  hand  of  God  that  comes  over  the  prophets  (Ezek.  i. 
3;  iii.  22;  viii.  1  ;  xxxiii.  22;  xxxvii.  1;  xi.  1)  and  in  fact 
our  expression  signifies  the  condition  that  Ezekiel  de- 

"Sj?   "    T1  iii.  14.  - 
'-    But 

the  imperf.  stands  as  jussive  with  the  Vac.  eonsec.  (Comp. 
EWALD,  $  347  a).  'JTD1!  i*S  then,  not  co-ordinate  with 
"1DN  riD  as  KNOBEL  and  even  EWALD  would  have  it  ;  but 
it  continues  and  declares  the  object  of  TH  r\ptn3, 
co-ordinate  with  the  latter,  subordinate  to  the  former 
(DELITZSCH  .  As  regards  the  form,  the  imperf.  ID'  un- 
derlies it,  which  Hos.  x.  10  is  used  in  the  first  person.  — 


scribes  with  the  words    HpTH 

D'l  cannot  be  the  perf,  or  it  must  read 


The  preposition  JQ  is  to  be  treated  as  dependent  on  the 
notion  of  "  holding  back,  restraining,"  contained  in 
'JTD11  (conslructio  praegnans). 

On  ver.  12.  1J1  ^'^h  does  not  designate  the  object  that 
is  given  a  name.  For  then  the  second  member  must 
read:  1{?p  iS  n?H  Dj?n  ION'.  But,  as  DBECHSLER 
justly  remarks,  S  before  73  =  da.ra.uf  hin,  bei,  "at," 
"  with,"  and  73  has  the  meaning  cunque  (compare 
"IE/{<~72-  7N  Prov.  xvii.  8,  "  whither-so-ever  ").  Not  so 
often  as  those,  not  incessantly  shall  they  say  "l{J?p,  as 
if  there  were  nothing  in  the  world  to  fear  but  this.  K11D 

only  here  in  Isaiah. T"1j?n  Hiph.  in  Isaiah  also  ver. 

13  and  xxix.  23.  Kal.  ii.  19,  21;  xlvii.  12.  From  xxix. 
23  it  is  seen  that  Isaiah  uses  the  word  in  the  sense  of 
"  timere  aliquid ;"  in  our  passage  it  means  "  to  fear  "  and 
ver.  13  "  to  affright."  Thus  it  appears  that  Isaiah  uses 
the  Hiph.  sometimes  as  indirect,  sometimes  as  direct 
causative,  and  then  uses  the  latter  in  a  transitive  sense. 

On  ver.  13.  in  D3X10  Isaiah  has  evidently  in  mind 
Gen.  ix.  2;  Deut.  xi.  25. 

On  ver.  U.  t>HpD  (again  in  Isa.  xvi.  12;  Ix.  13;  Ixiii.  18) 
means  sanctuary  generally,  here  evidently  with  the  ad- 
ditional notion  of  asylum  (comp.  1  Kings  i  50  sq.  > 

ii.  28  sqq.).  }  before  J3X  7  is  adversative. njj  only 

here  in  Isaiah  and  moreover  «1  jj  pN  an-.  Aey. 7UOD 

"  that  over  which  one  stumbles,"  (again  Ivii.  14 ;  "NJ 

71JOD  only  here). n£)  ("'ay's,  "cord,"  vid.  xxiv.  17 

sq.).  UfplD  "loop-snare"  of  the  bird-catcher,  only  here 
in  Isaiah. 

On  ver.  15.  The  operation  of  71COD  and  H2  are  in 
ver.  15  represented  by  five  verbs,  of  which  the  first 
three  relate  to  enj  and  btZOD,  and  the  last  to  F13  and 

Jj;'p1!3. Many,  e.  g.,  GESENIUS,  HITZIG,  UMBREIT,  refer 

D3  to  the  two  notions  of  stone  and  snare.  But  as  KNO- 
BIL  justly  remarks,  it  is  a  "chief  thought  of  Isaiah  that 
the  judgments  overtake  the  sinners;  the  pious  ar«  left 
as  a  remnant:  i.  25,28;  vi.  13;  xxviii.  18  sq. ;  xxix.  20 

sq. ;  xxxiii.  14." hv?3  comp.  iii.  8      Niph.  "Otyj  xiv. 

29;  xxiv.  10;  xxvii.  U;  xxviii.  13;  xli.  1. t^p11  xxix. 

21 ;  xxviii.  13,  in  which  last  cited  passage  the  verbs  here 

employed  are  repeated  excepting  172J- "O7  again 

in  Isaiah  only  xx.  1 ;  xxiv.  18. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Having  reproved  the  perverse  policy  of  the 
earthly-minded  Israel,  the  Prophet  proclaims  to 
the  nations  conspiring  against  Judah  that  they, 
the  break ers-in- pieces,  shall  themselves  be  broken 
in  pieces  (vers.  9,  10).     Then  he  says — turning  to 
the  spiritually-minded  Israel — the  LORD  has  em- 
phatically warned  them  against  the  ways  of  the 
fleshly-minded  (ver.  11)  and  forbidden  them  to 
regard  the  conspiracy  of  the  enemies  as  most  to 
be  dreaded  (ver.  12).  Jehovah  ought  to  be  feared 
(ver.  13).     He  is  to  the  one  a  sanctuary  (asylum), 
to  the  others,  a  stone  of  stumbling  and  a  snare 
(ver.  14,  15). 

2.  Associate God  is   with   us. — Vers. 

9,  10.     These  words  are  addressed  to  the  D'?^ 

"peoples;"    vere.  5-8  were  addressed  to    "this 
people,"  ver.  6.     Evidently  then  "peoples/'  ver. 


9,  is  contrasted  with  "this  people,"  ver.  6.  The 
Prophet  plainly  addresses  nations,  that  arm 
themselves  against  the  land  of  Immanuel,  de- 
vise plans,  issue  commands.  Nothing  shall  come 
of  all  this.  Comparing  vii.  7,  it  is  seen  that 
Syria  and  Ephraim  must  be  meant  here.  A  re- 
markable contrast  is  put,  when  he  that  has  broken 
others  to  pieces  himself  breaks  to  pieces.  Syria 
and  Ephraim  had  already  done  Judah  considera- 
ble harm  (comp.  on  vii.  1,  2) ;  ver.  9,  they  are 
challenged  to  prepare  still  more,  but  spite  of  the 
breaking  already  accomplished,  and  these  first 
attempts,  they  shall  themselves  be  broken  to 
pieces.  The  Prophet  moreover  summons  distant 
nations  to  take  notice  of  this  for  their  own  warn- 
ing. The  clause:  "give  ear — countries"  is  a 
parenthesis.  As  the  Prophet  repeats  the  words 
of  vii.  7  "and  it  shall  not  stand,*"  with  little  al- 


134 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


teration,  he  intimates  that  he  has  the  same  matter 
in  his  mind.  And  in  fact  vii.  5  sq.,  speaks  of 
"  evil  counsel "  on  the  part  of  Syria  and  Ephraim 
against  Judah,  the  land  of  Immanuel,  as  here  of 
"taking  counsel  together,"  and  "speaking  a 
word."  By  this  arises  the  conspiracy  P!?p.) 
spoken  of  ver.  12,  which  can  mean  nothing  but 
the  alliance  of  the  two  states  named.  7N  UOj?  'D- 
For  the  third  and  last  time  we  have  the  words 
Immanuel.  They  must  certainly  be  read  sepa- 
rate here  as  a  clause.  They  express  the  idea  of 
the  name  as  an  independent  judgment.  The 
world-power  must  shiver  on  the  rock  Israel, 
for  it  is  thereby  the  strong  rock  in  that  God  is 
with  it.  But  this  strong  rock  is  not  the  'lapafj'k  aap- 
Ktx6r,  but  the  'lapatj^  Trvfv/ua-iKdc  [not  the  fleshly 
Israel,  but  the  spiritual  Israel].  Comp.  Ps.  ii. 

3.  For  the    Lord your    dread. — Vers. 

11-13.     Judah  is  safe  from  the  breaker-in-pieces, 
for  God  is  with  it  (ver.  10).     That  is,  in  a  cer- 
tain sense,  not  unconditionally.     For  the  LORD 
will  be  an  asylum  only  to  those  who  fear  and 
sanctify  Him ;  but  to  others,  who  fear  men  more 
than  Him,   He  will   be    their  fall.      ''  For  the 
LORD   spake  thus,"  etc. :    "  for,"   relates  to  the 
thought  contained  in  the  words  Immanuel,  "  God 
is  with  us."     This  thought  is  both  established 
and  limited  by  what  follows.     For  God  is  with 
that   part  of  the    people  only    that  fears  Him 
above  all  things,   loves  and   trusts  Him  alone. 
Therefore    the  Prophet   says  that  this  word  of 
the  LORD  was   directed   to  him.     But  he  is  re- 
presentative of  the  believing  Israel.     Therefore 
ver.  12  continues  with  "say  ye  not,"  and  those 
addressed  are  expressly  distinguished  from  "  this 
people,"  ver.  11. 

"  Ye  shall  not  say  conspiracy." — Ver. 
12.  It  is  impossible  that  the  Prophet  can  mean 
to  say:  "Ye  shall  not  call  everything  conspiracy 
that  people  call  conspiracy!"  For  what  sort  of 
confederations  did  they  incorrectly  call  conspira- 
cies? May,  perhaps,  Pekah's  alliance  with 
Rezin  be  justified  here?  Or  is  some  conspiracy 
of  the  Prophet  and  his  followers  against  Ahaz 
(RooRD.v)  approved  of?  Or,  are  the  believing 
Israelites  warned  against  taking  part  in  conspira- 
cies (HoFMANN,  DRECHSLER),  which  does  not 
the  least  lie  in  the  words  ?  According  to  vii.  2, 
the  heart  of  Ahaz,  and  his  people  quaked  like 
trees  before  the  wind,  when  intelligence  came  to 
Jerusalem  of  the  union  of  Syria  with  Ephraim. 
At  that  time,  assuredly,  the  political  wiseacres 
might  be  seen  in  every  corner  putting  their  heads 
together,  and  anxiously  whispering :  "lEfp  lE/fp, 
"  conspiracy,  conspiracy."  They  called  the  alli- 
ance of  Pekali  with  Rezin  a  "Wp  and  saw  therein, 
of  course  with  some  justice,  the  chief  danger  of 
Judah.  Thus,  the  Prophet  adds,  "  and  what 
they  fear  shall  not  ye  fear."  It  must  therefore 
have  been  a  conspiracy  that  was  the  subject  of 
fear  to  the  mass  of  the  nation  of  Judah.  The 
meaning  then  is  that  men  ought  not  to  sav  "con- 
spiracy so  often,  not  so  incessantly  to  have  this 
word  in  their  months,  and  make  the  conspiracy 
the  matter  of  greatest  concern 

4.  Sanctify be    taken.-Vers.    13-15. 

Here  begins  the  antithesis,  that  says  what  ought 
to  be.     They  ought  to  sanctify  Jehovah,  (comp. 


xxix.  23,  the  only  other  instance  of  this  IL'ph.); 
He  ought  to  be  the  object  of  fear,  the  terror-maker. 
In  such  a  case  He  will  be  for  man  a  safe,  sheltering, 
holy  asylum  (comp.  Ps.  xv.  1;  xviii.  3;  xxiii.  0; 
Ixxxiv.  5).  But  He  will  be  a  stone  of  stumbling 
to  those  that  fear  Him  not.  Therefore  the 
two  houses  of  Israel,  Judah  and  Ephraim,  shall 
be  destroyed  just  by  the  LORD.  It  would  have 
been  better  for  this  fleshly  Israel,  had  it  never 
known  the  LORD.  Jerusalem  is  mentioned  ex- 
pressly, because,  as  capital  city,  its  example  had 
great  influence.  To  it  the  LORD  will  be  a  snare. 

[J.  A.  ALEXANDER  on  vers.  12-14.  •'  "^p.  ac- 
cording to  etymology  and  usage,  is  a  treasonable 
combination  or  conspiracy.  It  is  elsewhere  com- 
monly applied  to  such  a  combination  on  the  part 
of  subjects  against  their  rulers  (2  Kings  xi.  14; 
xii.  21 ;  xiv.  19 ;  xv.  30).  It  is  not  strictly  ap- 
plicable, therefore,  to  the  confederacy  of  Syria 
and  Israel  against  Judah  (GESENIUS,  EOSEN- 
MULLER,  HENDERSON,  etc.),  nor  to  that  of  Ahaz 
with  the  king  of  Assyria  (BARNES,  etc.).  It 
would  be  more  appropriate  to  the  factious  com- 
binations among  the  Jews  themselves  (AEEN 
EZRA,  KIMCHI),  if  there  were  any  trace  of  these 
in  history.  The  correct  view  seems  to  be :  that 
the  opposition  of  the  Prophet  and  his  followers 
to  seeking  foreign  aid,  viz. :  Assyrian,  as  a  viola- 
tion of  duty  to  Jehovah,  like  the  conduct  of  Jere- 
miah during  the  Babylonian  siege,  was  regarded 
by  the  king  and  his  adherents  as  a  treasonable 
combination  to  betray  them  to  their  enemies. 
But  God  commands  not  to  regard  the  cry  of  trea- 
son or  conspiracy,  nor  to  share  the  real  or  pre- 
tended terrors  of  the  unbelievers." 

On  ver.  14.  EHp?-  "  Although  the  temples 
of  the  gods  were  regarded  as  asylums  by  the 
Greeks  and  Eornans,  no  nuch  usage  seems  to  have 
prevailed  among  the  Christians  till  the  time  of 
Constantine  (BiNGHAM's,  Orig.  Eccles.  viii.  11, 
1).  As  to  the  Jews,  the  only  case  which  has 
been  cited  to  establish  such  a  practice  seems  to 
prove  the  contrary.  So  far  was  the  altar  from 
protecting  Joab,  that  he  was  not  even  dragged 
away,  but  killed  on  the  spot.  [The  same  obtains 
with  1  Kings  i.  50  sq.,  cited  by  NAEGELSBACH. 
— TR.].  The  word  was  meant  to  bear  the  same 
relation  to  VtfHpn  (in  ver.  13)  that  N~>1D  bears 
to  1JOTI  and  }"ij»0  to  Mt^yn.  God  was  the 
only  proper  object  to  be  dreaded,  feared  and 
sanctified,  i.  e.,  regarded  as  a  holy  being  in  the 
widest  and  the  most  emphatic  sense.  Thus  ex- 
plained KHDO  corresponds  almost  exactly  to  the 
Greek  TO  aytov,  the  term  applied  to  Christ  by  the 
angel  who  announced  His  birth  (Luke  i.  35).  In 
1  Pet.  ii.  7,  where  this  very  passage  is  applied  to 
Christ,  fj  rifir/  seems  to  be  employed  as  an  equiva- 
lent to  EHpD  as  here  used.  To  others  he  is  a 
stone  of  stumbling,  but  to  you  who  believe  He  is 
r)  rifiTj,  something  precious,  something  honored, 
something  looked  upon  as  holy.  The  same  ap- 
plication of  the  words  is  made  by  Paul,  Eom.  ix. 
33.  These  quotations  seem  to  show  that  the 
Prophet's  words  have  an  extensive  import,  and 
are  not  to  be  restricted  either  to  his  own  times 
or  to  the  times  of  Christ.  The  doctrine  of  the 
text  is,  that  even  the  most  glorious  exhibitions 
of  God's  holiness,  i.  e.,  of  His  infinite  perfection, 
may  occasion  the  destruction  of  the  unbeliever."] 


CHAP.  VIII.  16-23. 


135 


3.    THE  TESTAMENT  OF  THE  PROPHET  TO  HIS  DISCIPLES. 

CHAPTER  VIII.  16— IX.  6. 

a)  Prayer  and  Exhortation  merging  into  prophetic  vision. 
CHAPTER  VIII.  16-23.    (IX.  U 

16  aBiND  up  the  testimony, 

Seal  the  law  among  my  disciples. 

17  And  I  will  wait  upon  the  LORD, 

That  hideth  his  face  from  the  house  of  Jacob, 
And  I  will  look  for  him. 

18  Behold,  I  and  the  children  whom  the  LORD  hath  given  me 
Are  for  signs  arid  for  wonders  in  Israel 

From  the  LORD  of  hosts,  which  dwelleth  in  Mount  Zion. 

19  And  when  they  shall  say  unto  you, 

bSeek  unto  them  that  have  familiar  spirits,  and  unto  wizards 

That  °peep,  and  that  mutter : 

Should  not  a  people  seek  unto  their  God? 

For  the  living*1  to  the  dead  ? 

20  To  the  law  and  to  the  testimony : 

If  they  speak  not  according  to  this  word, 
*Ii  is  because  there  is  ]no  light  in  them, 

21  fAnd  they  shall  pass  through  it,  hardly  bestead  and  hungry : 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  when  they  shall  be  hungry,  they  shall  fret  them- 
selves, 

And  curse  their  king  and  their  God, 
And  look  upward. 

22  And  they  shall  look  unto  the  earth ; 

And  behold  trouble  and  darkness,  dimness  of  anguish  ; 
*And  they  shall  be  driven  to  darkness. 

CHAP.  IX.  1  (23).  ""Nevertheless  the  dimness  shall  not  be  such  as  was  in  her  vexation, 
'When  at  the  first  he  lightly  afflicted 
The  land  of  Zebulon  and  the  land  of  ISTaphtali, 
jAnd  afterward  did  more  grievously  afflict 
Her  by  the  way  of  the  sea,  beyond  Jordan,  in2  kGalilee  of  the  nations. 


1  Hob.  no  morning. 

»  Bind  up  testimony,  seal  law  in  my. 

d  Supply  (ought  one  to  enquire)  of 

f  Then  the  distressed  and  hungry  wander  away 

h  For  not-darkness  is  there  where  is  distress. 

i  But  afterward  brings  to  honor  the  way,  etc. 


2  Or,  Galilee  the  papulous. 


1  whir. 


b  Enquire  of  the  dead  spirits. 

•  who  have  no  dawn. 

i  And  obscure  night  wide-spread. 

1  About  the  former  time  he  brought  disgrace  on  the,  etc. 

k  the  circuit  of  the  heathen. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


On  ver.  16.  miJ/'H  beside  here  and  ver.  20  occurs  only 
Ruth  iv.  7.  The  meaning  is  "testifying;"  in  the  pas- 
sive sense,  "  that  which  is  testified,"  which  then  may  be 
taken  in  various  senses.  The  divine  will  which  the 
prophets  testify  to  men  (Exod.  xix.  21,  23;  Dent.  viii. 
19;  ISam.  viii.  9;  Jer.  xi.  7;  xlii.  19;  Am.  iii.  13,  etc.) 
has  for  contents  both  what  men  ought  to  do  and  what 
God  has  resolved  to  do.  "^  imper.  from  "OY  con- 
stringere,  colligare  (xi  13) ;  Dm  (in  Isaiah  again  only 

xxix.  11)  is  "  to  seal." IJpS  occurs  only  Isn.  1.  4  ;  liv 

13  and  Jer.  ii.  24 ;  xiii.  23.  It  means  doctus,  ernditus ;  and 
is  used  both  of  spiritual  and  of  physical  relations. 

On  vers.  17, 18.  According  to  our  construction  it  mifrht 
be  expected  that  there  would  be.  'JfcO  before  'jT3n. 
But  this  •'Jtfl  follows  in  ver.  18  ;  for  'JJX  HJil  does  not 


mean  "behold,  I  am  here,"  but,  "behold  I."  I  do  not 
deny  that  in  itself  it  may  mean  the  former.  But  I  be- 
lieve that  were  this  the  Prophet's  meaning  he  would 
have  expressed  it  in  a  less  mistakable  form  by  writing 
'JJH  before  OJK  or  (Gen.  xlix.  16)  1J3H.  I  think  HJH 
OJN,  then,  is  epexegetical  of  the  subject  of  TPDrV 
Then  is  explained  why  this  subject  is  not  more  dis- 
tinctly marked  by  'JKV  The  Prophet  obtains  a  more 

emphatic  prominence  for  it  in  the  "OJN  DiPI. fVltf 

and  ri31O  are  combined  as  in  Deuteronomy  (Deut. 
iv.  34;  vi.  22;  vii.  19;  xiii.  3;  xxvi.  8;  xxviii.4fi;  xxix  2; 

xxxiv,  11.     Comp.  Isa,  xx.  3. 1J1  DJL'O  depends  on 

r\lHK-      This   addition    is,    in    relation   to 
i  not  superfluous. 


136 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


On  ver.  19.  31N  means  an  inflated  leather  bottle  (oc- 
curs only  Job  xxxii.  19,  and  as  a  proper  name  Num.  xxi. 
10;  xxxiii.  43).  then  the  distended  body  of  the  ventrilo- 
quist, and  then,  not  only  the  ventriloquist  himself,  (1 
Sam.  xxviii.  3,  9;  2  Kings  xxiii.  24;  Isa.  xix.  3;  and  the 
passage  previously  cited)  but  the  pretended  spirit  of  the 
dead  that  spoke  by  him  (1  Sam.  xxviii.  7,  8;  Is.  xxix.  4 ;  I 
Chr.  x.  13  j.  In  many  of  these  passages  it  is  indeed  doubt- 
ful which  of  these  two  meanings  the  word  may  have ;  or 
if  it  does  not  have  both.  Elsewhere  the  word  seems  to 
mean  the  secret  art,  necromancy,  divination  itself  (2 
Kings  xxi.  6;  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  6).  The  plural  is  always 
JTOK-  Because  this  plural  occurs  also  Job  xxxii.  19,  it 
cannot  for  that  reason  be  concluded  that  only  women 
were  possessed  of  this  necromancy  Qlfct  H/^O,  1  Sam. 
xxviii.  7,  the  witch  of  Endor).  Still  it  is  surprising  that 
31N  hp3  (masc.)  is  found  only  in  the  Talmud  (vid.  GE- 
SEN.  Thes.  p.  35).  'JJJT  never  occurs  alone,  but  always 
joined  with  3"ltf.  It  means  "the  knowing  one,  wise 
one,  or  wizard."  DELITZSCH,  very  much  to  the  point, 
compares  Saifnav  according  to  Plato  =  Sarifiutv,  "the 

much  knowing  being." 'llfpi'  PUpel,  found  only  in 

Isaiah.  The  word  primarily  is  used  of  the  chirping  of 
birds  (x.  14;  xxxviii.  14),  then  of  the  voice  proceeding 
out  of  the  eround  (xxix.  4). njil  is  likewise  a  word 

TT 

that  imitates  a  sound  (comp.  ach.  achseri).  As  *!¥£)¥ 
represents  a  high,  shrill  sound,  so  rUTI  does  a  low  one ; 
for  it  is  used  for  the  growling  of  a  lion  (xxxi.  4),  of  the 
rolling  of  the  thunder  (Job  xxxvii.  2),  of  the  low  mur- 
muring of  the  dove  (xxxviii.  14;  lix.  11;.  It  occurs 
again  in  Isa.  xvi.  7 ;  xxxiii.  18  ;  lix.  3,  13.  In  classic  an- 
tiquity, too,  we  find  a  gentle,  chirping,  whispering  voice 
ascribed  to  the  dead.  Comp.  Iliad  XXIII.  101,  where  it 
is  said  of  the  soul  of  Patroclos  "<ux<:TOTeTpiyi>Ia;"Odys.s. 
xxiv.  5-9,  where  rpifeiv  stridere  is  equally  ascribed  to  the 
souls  of  the  dead  suitors  and  to  the  whirring  of  the  bats 
in  the  dark  caves.  Other  examples  see  in  GESENIUS,  in 
loc.  In  our  passage  the  necromancers  are  said  to  hiss 
and  mutter,  because  they  imitated  the  voice  of  the 
dead  in  this  fashion. tjrn  with  Sx  (elsewhere  it  is 

~-  T 

construed  with  7  Ezok.  xiv.  7,  or  with  3  1  Sam.  xxviii. 
7,  2  Kings  i.  2)  by  reason  of  Deut.  xii.  30;  xviii.  11,  oc- 
curs in  Isaiah  three  times;  here,  xi.  10;  xix.  3;  comp. 
Job  v.  8.  The  preposition  is  perhaps  to  be  treated  as 
depending  on  the  notion  of  "  penetrating  "  that  is  con- 
tained in  that  of  investigation. 

On  ver.  20.  0  mifV?  is  an  exclamation,  a  sort  of  shout 
of  command.  But  if  one  must  have  a  grammatical  con- 
struction, the  7  may  b-j  taken  as  dependent  on  1K/TT 
or  U3H  (comp.  Lev  xix.  31:  xx.  6),  whereby  the  re- 
mark of  GESENITJS  (Thes.  p.  728;  obtains,  that  "  7N  prae- 
mittitur  homini,  ~f  rel  locoque."  DEI.ITSZCH  compares  Jud. 
vii.  18.  njn:1?}  mrv'~>,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether 

l*  :  T      :  ~ 

31H  is  not  to  be  supplied  there  according  to  ver.  20. 

Expositors  differ  extraordinarily  about  K7~DX.  Tlle 
explanation  is  grammatically  quite  incorrect  that  makes 
Ti?N  begin  the  apodosis,  and  construes  it  as  a  par- 
ticle of  asseveration  or  of  the  apodosis  (=  "3)  VITEINGA, 
ROSEUMTTELLEB,  GESENius,  etc.).  Others  (DE  WETTE,  MAU- 
KER,  Ew.,  HITZIG,  DEECHSLBR)  take  N7~DN  as  a  form  of 
adjuration:  "they  will  say  truly."  But  this  involves  an 
evident  contradiction.  For  how  can  he  who  turns  to 
the  law  and  testimony  curse  his  king  and  God  in  time 


of  need?  Others  (KNOBEL,  DELITZSCH)  take  it  as  an  in- 
terrogative particle,  referring  it  back  to  fcOH  ver.  19 : 
"  Or  will  not  they  accord  in  this  word  that  are  without 
dawn  ?"  But  from  the  context  it  appears  that  this  is 
just  what  they  will  not  do.  I  construe  fcO~DN  simply 
=  nisi,  and  begin  the  apodosis  with  "13JM  ver.  21  (so, 

too,  DIESTEL). "ini?  (comp.  xix.  12;  occurs  xlvii.  11; 

Iviii.  8,  as  figure  of  the  dawning  revelation  of  salvation. 
On  ver.  21.  H3  is  referred  by  VITRINGA,  MAUHEU,  DE- 

T 

LITZSCH,  etc.,  to  V"1X  understood  as  a  matter  of  course, 
ver.  22.  But  this  VHN  is  not  so  a  matter  of  course,  be- 
cause it  first  appears  after;  and  "OJJ  cannot  be  said  only 
in  relation  to  the  notion  "  land."  ROORDA,  DRECHSLER 
refer  it  more  correctly  to  the  condition  intimated  by 

Tlttf  Vh  {'«. Htypj  is  the  arr.  Ae7.    If  ri^p  means 

V  If  T  IT 

durum  esse,  "  to  be  hard,  heavy,"  then  DE'pJ  is  "  treated 

hard,   grievi-d.  oppressed." 3jn    (ix.  19;   xxix.  8; 

xxxii.  6;  xliv.  12;  Iviii.  7, 10)  adds  to  the  notion  of  out- 
ward pressure  that  of  incapacity  to  bear,  that  is  occa- 
sioned by  hunger.  The  full  (Deut.  xxxii.  15 ;  Ps.  Ixxviii. 
29;  Prov.  xxx.  9)  has  easily  too  much,  the  hungry  too 

little  strength. Hithp.  FpfpJVl  only  here    Kal.  xlvii. 

6;  liv.  9  ;  Ivii.  16, 17;  Ixiv.  4,  8. SSp  I  construe  with 

3  in  the  sense  of  "curse  against  one."  Elsewhere  it  is 
construed  with  the  accusative,  and  the  following  3  sig- 
nifies the  higher  power  by  which  one  swears,  i.  e.,  by 
whose  mediation  one  imprecates  evil  on  'the  object  of 
his  wrath  (1  Sam.  xvii.  43;  2  Kings  ii.  24).  But  with  that 
construction  there  would  be  wanting  here  an  object  of 
the  cursing  (DIESTEL).  And  it  is  much  more  natural  that 
one  enraged  should  curse  the  cause  of  his  sufferings 
than  the  sufferings  themselves.  77p  may  be  construed 
with  3  after  the  analogy  of  verbs  that  mean  striving  (xix. 
2;  xxx. 32, etc.)  and  being  angry  (Pout. iii.26;  Ps.lxxviii. 

62;  Gen.  xxx.  2;  xliv.  18,  etc.). On  ver.  22.  B'SH  Hiph. 

xviii.  4;  xxii.  11;  xlii.  IS;  li.  1,  2,  6,  etc.    rOE^T  mY, 

"•  distress  and  darkness,"  vid.  comment,  on  ver.  30. 

TD  cahgo  "obscurity,"  OJT.  Aey. HplX  found  again 

xxx.  6;  Prov.  i.  27. PlSsX  (again  Iviii.  10;  lix    9)  is 

T : 

used  for  thick  darkness,  e.  g.,  Exod    x.  22. n~OO 

some  take  in  the  sense  of  "  scared  away,"  so  that  the 
transition  would  begin  here.  "  As  to  this  time  the  na- 
tion will  have  been  rejected,  so  from  now  on  shall  mis- 
fortune, as  it  were,  be  exiled  "  (DBECHSLER).  But  the 
words  'Q  '3X  are  so  completely  co-ordinate  with  both 
the  foregoing  members  of  the  sentence,  and  on  the 
other  hand  the  transition  is  so  utterly  without  anything 
to  indicate  it,  that  this  meaning  cannot  be  satisfactory. 
Others  (KNOBEL,  DELITZSCH)  explain  after  the  analogy  of 
Jer.  Miii.  12,  as  if  it  read  rn.JD  N1H  nSssOl,  or 
'3  '3N3  'Uni.  But  this  also  seems  too  artificial.  The 
omission  of  the  subject,  when  it  is  especially  looked  for 
on  account  of  its  generic  difference  from  the  subjects 
of  both  the  foregoing  members,  must  raise  a  doubt. 
But  mj  has  by  no  means  only  the  signification  "to 

-T 

scatter,  disperse."  In  Deut.  xx  19  it  means  impellere  (se- 
curim),  2  Sam.  xv.  14,  propettere,  immittere  (miscriam) 
Prov.  vii.  21  depeltere,  "drive  away;  seduce."  Why  then 

may  not  mjD  ri73tt  rnean  tenebrae  immissae,  whereby, 
because  the  notion  dispellere  undoubtedly  lies  in  the 
word,  it  may  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  ab  omm  parte  immis- 
sae, longe  lateque  diffusae  ?  So  substantially  SAADIA,  Ko- 


CHAP.  VIII.  16-23. 


137 


CHER.  As  regards  the  incongruity  of  gender,  it  need  give 
no  surprise.  The  predicate  is  to  be  construed  as  neuter : 
tenebraeimmissum,  expansum  aliquid.  It  is  apparent  that 
in  the  three  members  of  vcr.  22  6  reigns  the  law  of  unity 
in  manifoldne^s.  For  evidently  these  three  members  are 
so  far  alike  that  in  all  of  them  the  words  are  in  pairs, 
and  the  notion  of  darkness  recurs  as  the  chief  one.  But 
in  the  first  member  occurs  hendiadjs  (distress  and 
darkness=obscuring  distress,  or  distressing  obscurity), 
in  the  second  both  are  merged  into  one  notion,  dimness 
of  anguish ;  in  the  third  the  predicate  is  added  in  an 
adjective,  i.  e.,  participial  form. 

On  ver.  23.  I  construe  the  words  X  7  DX  ver.  20  on  to 
mjO  ver.  22  as  a  parenthesis,  and  refer  '1 J1  ^U'lD  K1?  O 
to  rnU?n  n  i"Pir\7  ver.  29.  Where  law  and  testimony 
live  in  men's  souls,  there,  spite  of  distress  (pVIO  only 
here  in  Isaiah;  comp.  Job  xxxvi.  16;  xxxvii.  10),  is  no 
darkness.  "IJNO  N1?  on-.  Aey.  notice  in  Mu-aph  a  re- 
verse vowel  pointing  from  Ma-uph,  ver.  22,  a  play  of 
words  that  reflects  the  contrast  of  thought . H  /  anti- 

T 

cipates  the  idea  of  "  land  "  contained  in  next  clause. 


1J1  Ay .3.— 2  is  not  a  conjunction  "  as,"  but  a  preposi- 
tion, and  signifies  the  coincidence  (ix.  2;  Gen.  xviii.  1, 
10, 14 ;  xxxix.  18 ;  Jud.  ii.  4,  etc.)  =  '•  about  the  first  time." 
This  "  first  time  "  evidently  extends  to  the  dawn  of  the 
new  time  that  begins  with  the  Messiah ;  and  f  nnNH  JTJJ 
"last  time"  coincides  therefore  with  D'DTl  TVinN 

(ii.  2). 7p  means  levem,  tenuem,  exilem  esse  (Gen.  viii. 

11 ;  Job  vii.  6;  Nah.  i.  14 ;  Jer.  iv.  13,  etc.),  therefore  the 
Hiph.  (again  in  Isaiah  only,  xxiii.  9)  levem,  exilem  reddere. 
—  n¥"1K  a  poetic  form  of  yix  (comp.  Job  xxxiv.  13; 

xxxvii.  12). jnnxm  is  best  construed  as  accusative 

of  time.  It  might,  indeed,  be  taken  as  nominative,  but 
elegance  is  against  it.  The  same  regions,  that  in  the  first 
clause  of  the  verse  are  described  as  the  object  of  the 
IpH  "degrading,"  are  now,  in  the  second  clause,  by 

other  divisions  and  names,  said  to  be  the  object  of 
T33n,  "  glorifying."  ["The  English  version  supposes 

a  contrast  that  requires  7pH  to  be  taken  in  the  sense 
of  lightly  afflicting,  as  distinguished  from  T33H  to  af- 
flict more  grievously.  But  this  distinction  is  unautho- 
rized by  usage." — J.  A.  ALEXANDER]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  in  this  section 
we  have  a  farewell  address  of  the  Prophet ;  as  it 
were,  his  spiritual  will.     That  it  speaks  of  "  dis- 
ciples," whereas  there  is  no  mention  of  them  else- 
where, is  a  hint  that  here  lies  before  us  a  written 
archive  specially  meant  for  them.     What,  then, 
could  the  Prophet  have  given  his  disciples  in  this 
written  form,  but  something  that  must  be  valua- 
ble to  them  for  the  time,  when  he  could  no  longer 
communicate  with  them  by  word  of  mouth  as  he 
could  at  that  moment  ?     Then,  too,  the  prayer  to 
the  LORD,  to  seal  in  the  disciples   law  and  testi- 
mony, the  emphatic  reference  to  the  pledges  of 
faith  given  in  the  persons   of   himself  and  his 
sons,  the  warning  against  future  seductions,  and 
the  reference  to  that  which  could  give  light  and 
comfort  in  the  troublous  days  to  be  expected, — 
all  this  brings  me  to  the  conviction  that  here  we 
have  actually  the  spiritual  testament  of  Isaiah  to 
his  disciples. 

2.  Bind  up my  disciples. — Ver.   16. 

The  opening  words  of  this  will  connect  appro- 
priately with  the  LORD'S  words  of  exhortation 
ver.  13.     I  have  no  doubt  that  the  words  ver.  16, 
are  addressed  to  Jehovah.     For  only  the  LORD 
can  do  this  binding  up  and  sealing.     The  pro- 
phets might  seal  a  book  roll,  or  declare  that  the 
meaning  of  a  prophecy  is  to  be  shut  up  till  a  cer- 
tain time  (vid.  Dan.  viii.  26 ;  xii.  4,  9 ;  Rev.  x. 
4  ;  xxii.  10 ;  Isa.  xxix.  11  ;   Jer.  Ii.  60  sqq.  and 
my  comment) ;  but  they  cannot  seal  the  divine 
revelation  in  the  hearts  of  men.     Moreover,  in  all 
the  following  verses  the  Prophet  is  the  speaker, 
and  the  change  from  the  words  of  God  to  the 
words  of  the  Prophet  must  certainly  have  been 
more  distinctly  marked   than   by  the  simple  \ 
before  TVDn.     The  mention  of  binding  up  and 
sealing  in  a  spiritual    sense  was  perhaps  occa- 
sioned by  the  actions  appropriate  to  the  real  docu- 
ments (vid.  Jer.  xxxii.  9  sqq.).     Having  so  dis- 
posed  of   the  writing   that  contained   his   own 
will,  the  Prophet  prayed  the  LORD  to  do  still 
better,  and   enclose   and  seal  up   his   testament 


in  the  hearts  of  his  disciples.  For  the  propriety 
of  the  metaphor,  vid.  Prov.  iii.  3;  vii.  3;  Jer.  xxxi. 
33.  They  are  the  same  as  "  are  written  to  life,"  Isa. 
iv.  3.  As  primarily  "the  law"  means  the  Mosaic 
law,  which  was  the  basis  and  norm  of  all  pro- 
phetic announcements  (Deut.  xiii.  1  sqq. ;  xviii. 
18  sqq.  >,  and  which  the  Prophets  ever  and  again 
had  to  reimpress  (Jer.  xxix.  19),  so  Isaiah 
must  mean  by  "  the  testimony "  all  additional 
prophetic  testimony,  especially  all  threatenings 
and  promises  that  referred  to  the  future.  In  the 
prayer  he  makes  for  his  disciples,  he  does  not 
intend  the  preservation  of  the  divine  testimony 
unto  the  proper  time  for  its  revelation,  but. he 
would  thereby  give  to  themselves  the  only  true 
support  and  comfort  for  the  evil  days  to  come. 
As,  according  to  ver.  17,  his  faith  in  the  word  of 
God  was  his  own  sole  comfort,  so  (ver.  20)  he 
directs  his  disciples  to  the  law  and  testimony, 
warning  them  against  every  false  comfort  (ver. 
19).  Though  Isaiah  had  primarily  disciples  and 
scholars  in  mind,  we  need  not  suppose  he 
was  at  the  head  of  a  school  of  prophets.  What 
he  would  teach  them  was  religious  truth,  not  to 
prophesy.  And  thus  about  this  group  of  scholars, 
as  about  a  nucleus,  would  gather  all  in  Jeru- 
salem and  Judah  that  had  any  heart  for  the 
spiritual  jewels  of  Israel. 

3.  I  •will  wait in  mount  Zion. — Vers. 

17,  18.  This  affords  a  touching  insight  into  the 
personal  life  of  the  Prophet.  He  enforces  the 
prayer  just  made  by  confessing  that  he  holds  fast 
to  the  LORD,  and  waits  (vid.  v.  4 ;  xxv.  9  ;  xxvi. 
8;  xxxiii.  2 ;  Ii.  5 ;  lix.  9,  11;  Ix.  9;  Ixiv.  2), 
notwithstanding  the  LORD  seems  to  have  for- 
saken the  house  of  Jacob  (he  evidently  means 
"  this  people,"  the  fleshly  Israel)  and  hidden  His 
face  (comp.  1.  6  ;  liii.  3;  liv.  8  ;  lix.  2;  Ixiv.  6). 
But  he  does  not  hope  alone.  His  children  hope 
with  him.  This  is  significant.  We  know,  in- 
deed, nothing  about  the  age  of  the  children. 
That  our  passage  follows  close  on  viii.  1-4,  is  no 
proof  that  it  originated  in  that  period.  Isaiah 


138 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


w  >uld  hardly  at  that  time  have  designated  his 
children  (plural)  as  companions  of  his  faith. 
For  Maher-sh-ilal  was  hardly  yet  born,  and  this 
circumstance  speaks  rather  for  later  composition. 
Isaiah  knows  that  his  children  are  not  only  chil- 
dren of  his  body,  but  of  his  spirit  too.  They 
are  miraculous  children,  products,  not  only  of 
nature,  but  of  the  divine  effective  power.  (Rom. 
ix  7  sqq.  :  Gal.  iv.  28  sq.).  Therefore,  not  only 
are  his  an  1  their  names  prophetic,  but  their  birth, 
too,  is  such  ;  at  least  that  of  Maher-shalal.  Thus 
they  are  by  their  existence  as  by  their  names 
fiinx,  siyna,  rv-xot  TOV  fif^ovroc  (Rom.  v.  14) 
"  nng?r  boards,"  and  DTIiJIO,  miraculous  pledges 
of  miracles.  "  Which  Jehovah  has  given  me;"  by 
these  words  Isaiah  points  to  the  support  of  his 
hope.  For  why  should  not  we  hope  in  God  who 
has  done  such  wonders?  Our  passage,  moreover, 
recalls  the  words  of  Joshua  xxiv.  15 :  "I  and 
my  house  will  serve  the  LORD  " 

4.  And  when  they  shall  say to  the 

dead.— Ver.  19.  The  Prophet  now  adds  a 
warning  ag.iinst  seduction  to  idolatrous  necro- 
mancy. And  do3s  not  this  warning  give  the  im- 
pression of  proceeding  from  a  man  who  is  on  the 
point  of  leaving  his  own,  and  who,  before  his  de- 
parture, seeks  to  protect  them  against  impending 
danger?  "And  when  they  shall  say,"  presents 
the  superstition  as  at  hand  and  to  be  dreaded. 
From  ii.  6 ;  iii.  2  sq.,  we  see  that  various  sorts 
of  superstitious  divination  were  practised  among 
the  Jews  at  that  time.  Such  were  expressly  for- 
bidden in  the  law.  Comp.  Lev.  xix  31  ;  xx.  6, 
27  ;  D^iit.  xviii.  10,  11.  In  all  these  passages 
HUX  "familiar  spirits''  and  D'J^T  "wizards" 
are  named  together,  and  Deut.  xviii.  11  the  words 
D"n3n~7t<  Bh^  "necromancer"  are  expressly 
added  :  so  that  Isaiah  seems  to  have  had  this 
passage  in  mind. 

The  second  clause  of.  the  verse,  "  should  not," 
etc.,  is  usually  regarded  as  the  reply  of  the  be- 
lieving disciples  to  those  who  tempted  them  [J. 
A.  ALEXANDER].  But  this  seems  to  me  unne- 
cessary. It  is  primarily  the  answer  that  Isaiah 
himself  gives,  and  it  is  to  be  understood  that  the 
disciples  are  to  reply  to  the  same  effect.  Accord- 
ing to  the  Prophet,  those  seductive  temptations 
are  to  be  met  by  two  arguments.  First,  he  urges 
that  every  nation  must  inquire  of  its  god  as  the 
chief  disposer  of  its  destiny.  Therefore  Israel 
ought  to  turn  to  Jehovah.  It  appears  from  this 
that  the  Prophet  assumes  the  position  that  Je- 
hovah is  the  national  god  of  Israel,  without  chal- 
lenging the  existence  of  other  gods,  and  that  he 
assumes  that  those  tempters  recognize  Jehovah 
as  the  proper  national  god.  (God  of  the  fathers). 
The  second  argument  Isaiah  takes  from  the  re- 
presentation of  the  ancients  of  the  relation  of  the 
dead  to  the  living.  Only  he  that  lives  in  the 
body  lives  really.  By  death  he  sinks  deep  down. 
Comp.  FRIEDR.,  NAGELSBACH,  Homer.  Theol.  VII. 
\  14  8*77.  Nachhomer.  Theol.  VII.  \  14  sqq.  But 
how  nearly  Hebrew  representations  approach 
those  of  classic  antiquity,  may  be  seen  from 
passages  like  xiv.  9  sqq  ;  Ezek.  xxvi.  20  sq. ; 
xxxi.  14  sqq.  ;  xxxii.  17  sqq.  ;  Isa.  xxxviii.  18 
sq. ;  Ps.  vi.  6 :  Ixxxviii.  4  sqq. ;  Job  xiv.  10 
eqq.  It  is  therefore  folly,  nonsense,  to  seek  any 
help  for  the  living  among  those  gone  down  deep. 


Thus  the  words  Ul  "I.J73  are  to  be  construed  in- 
terrogatively :  "  For  the  living  (shall  one  in- 
quire of)  the  dead  ?" 

4.  To  the  law Galilee  of  the  nations. 

— Vers.  20-23  (ix.  1).  Now  Isaiah  refers  his 
disciples  to  the  divine  source  of  light  and  com- 
fort, which  alone  can  keep  them  upright  in  the 
impending  evil  days.  Whoever  does  not  find 
these  his  support,  will  undoubtedly  be  destroyed. 
Who  shall  say :  ''  To  the  law  and  the  testi- 
mony?" All  that  have  no  dawn.  They  are  such 
as  nowhere  see  in  any  outward  relations  a  ray  of 
light,  that  announces  the  day  of  salvation.  When 
such  see  no  inward  comfort  and  support  by  means 
of  God's  word,  they  wander  oppressed  and  hun- 
gry, etc.  As  hunger  smarts,  it  readily  happens 
that  such  fall  into  a  bitter  rage  and  curse  their 
king  and  God,  thus  both  the  heavenly  and  earthly 
government,  as  being  to  blame  for  their  suffer- 
ings. Most  expositors  understand  by  ID /D  " his 
king"  that  a  divinity  is  meant;  and  only  differ 
as  to  whether,  according  to  Ps.  v.  3  ;  Ixviii.  25, 
Jehovah  is  meant,  [so  J.  A.  ALEXANDER  and 
BARNES]  or,  according  to  Am.  v.  26  ;  Zeph.  i.  5, 
the  idols  ;  agreeing  that  "  king  "  and  "  God  " 
mean  the  same  person.  But  against  this  speaks  : 
1.  2  occurring  twice;  2.  the  following  ''he 
looks  upward  and  to  the  earth  he  looks."  Simi- 
lar blasphemy  is  described  as  a  symptom  of  the 
anti-Christian  time  Rev.  xvi.  9,  11,  21. 

Wherever  the  wretched  look,  above  or  to  earth, 
everywhere  presents  itself  only  the  mournful 
sight  of  dark  distress. 

About  the  first  time.  etc. — Ver.  23  (ix.  1). 
The  Prophet  now  intimates  what  sort  of  light 
shall  arise  to  the  believing  from  the  law  and  testi- 
mony. He  shall  know  from  the  prophecy,  which 
the  Prophet  with  these  very  words  gives  to  his 
own  (to  which  however,  others  still  are  added 
later),  that  the  North  of  Palestine,  which  hereto- 
fore was  little  regarded  compared  with  the  South, 
shall  attain  to  great  honor,  and  become  a  place 
of  great  blessing  to  the  whole  land.  He  evi- 
dently refers  to  the  Messianic  time,  and  intimates 
that  the  glory  of  it  will  illuminate  in  an  eminent 
way  that  northern  region  of  Palestine.  More 
particularly  as  to  the  how  ?  and  when  ?  the  Pro- 
phet does  not  know.  If  it  is  asked  why  he  pre- 
dicts this  just  here,  we  may  see  the  ground  for  it 
in  the  fact  that  at  that  time,  it  was  just  from  that 
northern  quarter  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  that  great 
danger  threatened  Judah.  The  war  with  Syria 
and  Ephraim  was  the  occasion  of  this  whole  se- 
ries of  prophecies.  The  gaze  of  the  Prophet  is  em- 
phatically fastened  on  the  North.  What  wonder 
if  on  this  occasion  he  not  only  predicts  the  im- 
pending judgment  of  this  northern  land,  but  also 
the  glory  in  store  for  it ! 

Zebulon  was  bounded  on  the  North  by  Naph- 
tali,  eastward  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,  westward 
by  Asher  and  Phoenicia  (comp.  Josh.  xix.  10 
sqq.).  Naphtali  possessed  the  north-east  of 
Canaan  west  of  Jordan,  for  it  touched  the  base 
of  Antilebanon,  was  bounded  on  the  east  by  the 
sea  of  Galilee,  on  the  south  by  Zebulon,  and  on 
the  west  by  Asher.  (Josh.  xix.  32  sqq.).  As 
"the  way  of  the  sea,"  according  to  the  context, 
must  be  a  land  inhabited  by  Israelites,  it  cannot 
be  the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean,  as  some  have 


CHAP.  IX.  1-6. 


139 


supposed ;  for  Phoenicians  dwelt  there.  It  can 
only  be  the  coast  of  the  rro.3  D^  "  the  sea  of 
Chinnereth"(Num.  xxxiv.  11  ;  Josh.  xii.  3;  xiii. 
27)— TITH  ~\3y  "  bank  of  Jordan,"  is  East  Jor- 
dan land.  The  expression,  with  and  without 
"the  sun-rising,"  is  extremely  common  (Gen.  1. 
10  sq. ;  Num.  xxxv.  14  ;  Deut.  i.  1,  5  ;  Josh.  i. 
14  sq. ;  ii-  10,  etc.).  The  region  named  here 

D'Un  V^J  "  Galilee  of  the  nations,"  (air.  ?.ey.), 
was  originally  called  '^0'  ''  the  Galilee,"  (the 
bent,  the  circuit,  circulus,  annulus,  comp.  133) 
and  was  a  part  of  Naphtali.  Comp.  Josh.  xx. 
7;  xxi.  32;  1  Chr.  vi.  61;  1  Mace.  ii.  63.  The 

region  is  called  also  r  /-I'D  j*?.K  (1  Kings  ix.  11), 
and  nVSjH  (2  Kings  xv.  29). 

In  Jud.  i.  30-33  we  are  told  that,  as  elsewhere, 
the  Canaanites  were  not  exterminated  from  this 
region.  From  the  nature  of  things,  in  a  region 
so  distant  from  the  national  sanctuary,  the 
heathen  element  would  increase  more  than  else- 
where. The  continual  intercourse  with  neigh- 
boring heathen  in  war  and  peace,  moreover,  the 
depriving  the  land  of  its  Israelite  inhabitants  by 
Tiglath-Pileser  (2  Kings  xv.  29)  may  have  grad- 
ually given  the  heathen  element  a  preponderance. 
From  the  New  Testament,  we  know  that  the 
Jews  looked  down  on  the  Galileans  with  a  cer- 
tain contempt  (Jno.  i.  46;  vii.  41,  52;  Acts  ii. 
7).  When,  Jno.  vii.  41  the  Jews  questioned 
whether  the  Messiah  would  come  out  of  Galilee, 
when  they,  ver.  52,  asserted,  too,  that  not  even  a 
Prophet  was  to  come  out  of  Galilee,  it  is  the 
more  remarkable  that,  as  DELITZSCH  quotes, 
Talmud  and  Midrasch  say  :  that  "  the  Messiah 


shall  be  revealed  in  Galilee,  and  from  out  Tibe- 
rias shall  the  redemption  dawn."  But  Matthew 
sees  in  the  fact  that  Jesus  "  came  and  dwelt  in 
Capernaum,  which  is  upon  the  sea  coast  in  the 
borders  of  Zabulon  and  Nephthalim''  a  fulfil- 
ment of  our  prophecy,  and  justly  (vid-  Matt.  iv. 
13  sqq.).  For  that  the  Prophet  notices  such  spe- 
cial traits  of  the  Messianic  picture  of  the  future 
as  the  ante-nuptial  conception,  and  the  going  forth 
from  Galilee  will  not  surprise  those  who  reflect 
that  these  special  matters  are  no  trifles,  but  of 
greatest  importance,  and  thus  in  a  high  degree 
worthy  of  prophetic  notice  For  they  belong  es- 
sentially to  that  fundamental  character  of  the 
plan  of  redemption,  whereby  the  Eedeemer  and 
His  kingdom  snail  rise  out  of  the  depth  of  hu- 
mility and  ignominy  to  honor  and  glory. 

[J.  A.  ALEXANDER  with  HENDERSON,  Coc- 
CEIUS  and  others  regard  the  words  ver.  16  as 
spoken  to  the  Prophet  •'  by  God,  or,  as  some  sup- 
pose, by  the  Messiah,  the  E^PP  mentioned  in 
the  foregoing  verse ;  and  likewise  vers.  17  and  18, 
because  there  is  no  intimation  of  a  change  in  the 
speaker,  and  because  Heb.  ii.  13,  v.  17  is  quoted 
as  the  words  of  the  Messiah,  not  as  an  illustra- 
tion, but  as  a  proof  that  Christ  partook  of  the 
same  nature  with  the  persons  called  His  children. 
DELITZSCH  and  v.  HOFMANN  (vid.  their  comment 
on  Heb.  ii.  13),  who  agree  in  treating  these  words 
of  vers.  16-18  as  the  Prophet's,  and  yet  recog- 
nize a  typical  and  prophetic  reference  to  Christ, 
explain  the  use  made  of  this  in  Heb.  I.  c.  by  the 
canon:  "it  admits  of  no  doubt  that  the  writers 
of  the  New  Testament,  allow  themselves  to  quote 
utterances  of  typical  Old  Testament  personages 
concerning  themselves  as  utterances,  and  words 
of  Christ."  DELITZSCH. — TB.]. 


b)  The  light  of  the  future  proceeding  from  a  child  that  is  to  be  born  of  the 

race  of  David. 

CHAPTER  IX.  1-6.     (2-7). 

2  (1)       THE  people  that  walked  in  darkness,  have  seen  a  great  light: 

They  that  dwell  in  the  land  of  the  shadow  of  death,  upon  them  hath  the  light 
shined. 

3  (2)  Thou  hast  multiplied  the  nation, 

And  'not  increased  the  joy  : 

They  joy  before  thee  according  to  the  joy  in  harvest, 

And  as  men  rejoice  when  they  divide  the  spoil. 

4  (3)  2For  thou  hast  broken  the  yoke  of  his  burden, 

And  the  staff  of  his  shoulder, 
The  rod  of  his  oppressor, 
As  in  the  day  of  Midian. 

5  (4)  8Fora  every  battle  of  the  warrior  is  with  confused  noise, 

And  garments  rolled  in  blood ; 

4bBut  this  shall  be  with  burning  and  "fuel  of  fire. 

6  (5)  For  unto  us  a  child  is  born, 

Unto  us  a  son  is  given  : 

And  the  government  shall  be  upon  his  shoulder : 

And  his  name  shall  be  called 

Wonderful,  Counsellor,  The  mighty  God, 

The  everlasting  Father,  The  Prince  of  Peace. 


140 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


(6)  C0f  the  increase  of  his  government  and  peace  there  shatt  be  no  end, 
Upon  the  throne  of  David,  and  upon  his  kingdom  ; 
dTo  order  it,  and  to  establish  it 

With  judgment  and  with  justice,  from  henceforth  even  for  ever. 
The  zeal  of  the  LORD  of  hosts  will  perform  this. 


>  Or,  to  him. 

'  And  it  teas,  etc. 


*  Or,  When  thou  breakest. 
6  Heb.  meat. 


•  For  every  boot  of  him  that  steps  with  noisy  tramp,  etc. 

•  For  increase,— for  peace  without  end,  etc. 


*  Or,  When  the  whole  battle  of  the  warrior  was,  etc. 

b  That  will  be  burned,  a  food  for  fire 
d  Because  he  orders  and  ettabtishes,  etc. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  1.  H1D/V  Is  regarded  by  almost  all  later  au- 
thorities as  modified  from  fMD /¥  (root  D7¥  "to  be 
dark  ").  But  I  rather  side  with  BOETTCHER  (De  inferis, 
g  190  sq.,  285,  and  Ntue  exeg.  Krit.  Aehrenl.  II.,  p.  124),  who, 
referring  to  filDTJJ  (name  of  a  person,  2  Sam.  xxiii.  31 ; 
1  Chron.  xxvii.  25,  and  of  a  place,  Neh.  vii.  28 ;  xii.  29 ; 
Ezra  ii.  24;  comp.  Song  of  Sol.  viii.  6)  explains  it  as  a 
superlative  expression.  The  word  often  stands  parallel 
with  ^JC?n  and  other  kindred  expressions  (Job  iii.  5  ; 
x.  21 ;  xxviii.  3 ;  Ps.  cvii.  10, 14,  etc.).  It  is  a  poetic  term 
and  intensive  of  "Jl^n,  being  related  to  it  as  the  night 
of  death  to  common  night.  The  word  does  not  again  oc- 
cur in  Isaiah. HJJ  Kal.  only  here  in  Isaiah;  Hiph. 

xiii.  10. 

On  ver.  2.  Had  the  Prophet  meant  the  heathen,  he 
would  have  written  D'lJ.  'liH  is  evidently  a  distinct 
and  single  people. — In  what  follows,  the  most  important 
inquiry  is  whether  K'thibh  or  K'ri  presents  the  correct 
reading.  Of  the  old  versions  TABQ.,  JON.  arid  SYRUS  de- 
cidedly read  iS ;  the  LXX.,  too,  so  expresses  itself 
that  this  reading  is  detected.  But  JEROME  and  SYMMA- 
cuus  read  fcO.  But  many  as  have  been  the  attempts,  no 
one  has  yet  been  able  to  obtain  a  satisfactory  sense  from 
the  latter.  I  therefore  take  l'S  for  the  correct  reading 
(as  do  K  NOBEL,  DBECHSLER,  DELITZSCH  [J.  A.  ALEXANDER] 
among  the  later  authorities).  It  stands  in  front  as  in 
Jer.  vii.  7,  8,  9, 14,  33  ;  Prov.  xxiv.  8,  because  an  emphasis 
rests  on  it. 

On  ver.  3.  lS3D  S#,  "the  yoke  of  his  burden."  Of 
the  noun  ^30  only  this  form  occurs,  and  that,  in  this 
verse,  x.  27;  xiv.25.  How  the  primary  form  is  to  be 
pointed  is  thus  undecided.  But  we  are  justified  in  as- 
suming Saj)  (=  S3D  1  Kings  xi.  28)  after  analogy  of 
iS"U  (Ps.  cl.  2)  from  Vlj  (ix.  8;  x.  12,  etc.)  as  with  O3p 
(Jer.  iv.  7),  lypp  (Lev.  ii.  2;  v.  12;  vi.  8).  nOC?j  Ezek! 

xxii.  24.    Comp.  "EWALD,  \  255  5. The  goad  oVth'e  neck 

is  explained  by  "the  goad  of  the  driver"  ntSD  and 
tOptf  occur  not  seldom  together  in  Isa.  x.  5, 15,  34;  xiv. 

fi;  xxviii.  27;  xxx.  31  sq. 13  jy^n  is  evidently  an 

allusion  to  Exod.  v.  6,  where  Pharaoh's  task-masters  are 
called  DJT3  D'tm  Only  in  these  two  passages  does 
t?JJ  occur  with  3  (after  analogy  of  verbs  that  mean  a 
physical  holding  to,  holding  fast,  penetrating  into: 

?l™.  P\Tr?f!}'  VQ   p^.  ete';  comP'  D3  I?!  xi-  6)- 

On  ver.  4.  The  "3  at  the  beginning  seems  to  me  to  be 
not  co-ordinate  with,  but  subordinated  to  the  '3  that 
begins  ver  3. The  words  '3  JKD  TIXD  are  very  dif- 
ficult. The  ancient  versions  all  vary,  and  it  is  evident 


GRAMMATICAL. 

the  word  was  unknown  to  all.  JOSEPH  KIMCHI  first  cited 
the  Syriac  pxp,  Xjbp,  JOD,  KJINp  =  calccus,  ocrea, 
caliga,  as  also  to  the  like  meaning  Chaldaic  HJ'D  and 
NJDD  (comp.  Aetheop.  TKDK).  To  this  explanation  as- 

T  T  :  IT-: 

sent,  among  modern  authorities,  ROSENMUEI.LER,  GESE- 
Niug,  HENOSTENBERG,  EWAXD,  DBECHSLER,  BOETTCHER,  DE- 
LITZSCH, DIESTEL.  I  side  with  these,  and  give  to  p'XO 
the  meaning  "boot,"  and  JKD,  as  particip.  of  the  verbi 

dcnom.    JKD  "to  boot,  to  stride  in  boots." VJy~\  is 

understood  by  many  of  the  noise  of  battle,  according  to 
Jer.  x.  22  (GESENIUS,  DELITZSCH  [J.  A.  ALEXANDER]  etc.). 
But  the  expression  is  not  too  strong  for  the  heavy  tramp 
of  the  booted  foot,  as  DELITZSCH  says  it  is,  since,  Ps.  Ixxii. 
16.  it  is  even  used  of  the  rustling  of  the  standing  grain. 
Besides,  the  Prophet  would  depict  here  the  wild  noise 
of  the  impetuous  advance,  as  afterwards  the  shocking 
look  of  the  blood-stained  garments.  HOHEISEL  has 
shown  from  PLIX.  Hist.  Nat.  IX.  18,  that  soldiers'  boots 
were  stuck  with  nails  (clavi  caligarcs).  He  also  cites 
JOSEP.  De  beUojtid.  VI.  1,  8,  where  it  is  told  of  a  centu- 
rion who  had  TO.  VTroSrjtiara.  TrfirapiJ.iva  irvicvols  xai  bj-ecriv 
rjAoi?,  and  JUVEN.  Sat.  III.  247  sq.,  where  one  cast  down 
in  the  tumult  says  :  "Planta  mox  undique  magna  calcor  et 
in digito  clavus  mihi  militis  haerit."  H77JO  part.  Pual, 
from  7/J,  which  Isaiah  uses  again  only  in  the  Niph. 
(xxxiv.  4).— The  Vav  before  TliTH  is  that  paratactic  1 
which  we  must  render  by  a  relative  pronoun  "that, 
this."— The  phrase  HiJ^tyS  HTI  is  found  only  here 

and  Ixiv.  10. nSuKD  only  here  and  ver.  18. 

On  ver.  5.  TV  means  both  the  new-born  child  (Exod. 
i.  17;  ii.  3,  6),  and  also  the  grown  boy  (Gen.  xlii.  22,  etc.). 
Isaiah  uses  the  word  pretty  often  :  ii.  6;  viii.  18;  xi.  7; 
xxix.  23;  Ivii.  4,  5.  The  following  j3  defines  the  sex. 
In  1  Chron.  xxii.  9,  where  the  birth  of  Solomon  is  pro- 
mised to  David,  it  is  said:  7lS  iVlJ  n  HiH.  It  is  not 

IT        T         I 

impossible  that  the  source  whence  the  chronicler  drew 

suggested  the  Prophet's  words  here Tim  is  praeter. 

propheticum.    For  the  Prophet  sees  the  entire  life  of  the 

Messiah  child  as  actually  before  him. TJhe  noun 

mti'Tp,  principatus,  principatum,  is  found  only  here  and 
ver.  6.  The  root  mt?,  kindred  to  "life;,  whence  Ife;. 
rpJ9  is  not  used  in  Hebrew  in  the  sense  of  dominari, 

principatum  tenere. lODE?  Sjf,    "The  shoulders  are 

mentioned  here  as  ver.  3,  x.  27.  in  as  much  as  they  bear 
and  carry  (Gen.  xlix.  15;  Ps.  Ixxxi.  7),  the  office  bearer 
having  the  office,  as  it  were,  on  his  shoulders,"  HENGST. 
Kip'  must  be  taken  impersonally,  as  often :  Gen.  xi.  9; 
xvi.  14;  Num.  xi.  34;  Jos.  vii.  26;  Jud.  xv.  19  The 
TABOUM  JONATHAN,  translates  on  the  assumption 
that  only  DlS^-lb?  is  the  name  of  the  child,  and  that 


CHAP.  IX.  1-6. 


141 


all  that  precedes  is  the  name  of  him  that  bestows  the 
name,  for  it  renders  thus  :  "  et  appellabitur  nomen  ab  ad- 
mirabili  consilii,  Deo  forti,  qui  manet  in  aeternum,  Messias, 
cujus  dtcbus  pax  super  nobis  multiplicabitur.  The  most 
Rabbis  follow  this  view,  referring  the  predicates,  "  ever- 
lasting Father,  Prince  of  peace,"  to  Hezekiah.  Even 
the  Masorets  would  have  only  these  predicates  just 
named  regarded  as  the  name  of  the  child,  as  may  be 
seen  from  the  Sukephover  "Vl3J.  But  every  one  looks 
for  the  name  of  the  one  to  he  named  after  IDE?,  and  not 
for  that  of  the  one  giving  the  name.  As  the  expressions 
017EMJP,  Tp-'3X,  -113:1  7X  form  pairs,  symmetry 
requires  that  VJJV  X73  be  regarded  as  a  pair.  If  we 
construe  it  as  two  words,  we  have  five  names,  which 
does  not  harmonize  with  the  duality  underlying  the 
passage.  Beside  it  has  an  analogy  in  mx  X"13  (Gen. 

TT  VV 

xvi.  12)  which  is  predicated  of  Ishmael.  In  this  the 
man  is  properly  subject  and  the  notion  "wild  ass  "  is 
attribute.  It  might  read  5O3  DIN  :  but  the  expression 
would  not  be  so  strong.  Ishmael  is  not  said  to  be  a  man 
that  might  be  called  a  wild  ass;  but  he  is  called  directly 
a  wild  ass,  that  is  at  the  same  time  a  man  accordingly,  a 
human  (two-logged)  wild  ass.  So  too  is  VJ7V  X73  stronger 
than  X73  "J^V;  for  the  latter  would  be  the  counsellor 
of  a  wonderful  thing,  or,  that  is  a  wonder,  whereas  the 
former  presents  the  subject  as  a  personal  wonder,  i.e., 
a  wonderful  one  that  gives  counsel.  Comp.  the  expres- 
sions £3r"D  D'tyjX,  "I3DD  D'O',  which  are  stronger 

•  T  -:         T  :     •  •  T          i 

than  if  the  words  were  reversed.  X73  may  be  either 
st.  constructtis  or  absolutus,  but  the  latter  gives  the  more 

intensive  sense. 113J  7K  cannot  be  "strong  hero" 

(GESEN.,  DE  W.,  MATJB.)  because  (as  KNOB,  says)  7X  does 
not  occur  as  an  adjective  and  because  it  does  not  read 
7X  "V12J-  Like  most  words  of  this  formation,  "113J  is  a 
substantive,  but  it  is  no  abstract  noun,  and  the  boundary 
of  nornina  concreta  substantiva  and  adjectiva  is  fluctuating 
(comp.  'P7''  2  Sam.  v.  U).  So  "nSiiri  stands  as  attri- 
bute of  7X  in  the  midst  of  adjectives,  Deut.  x.  17;  Jer. 
xxxii.  18:  and  Isaiah  x.  21  V3J  7X  is  undoubted  predi- 
cate of  the  absolute  Godhead. ~\y  '3X-  Names  com- 


pounded of '2X  are  frequent.  In  many  it  mea  >s  pater 
meus  (thus  is  properly  pointed  ^X1,  e.  g.  in  tHrP3K 
7X'3X,  !"T3X  :  for  pater  Dei,  Jehovae  is  a  dogmatic,  and 
pater  iUius  (for  X17T3X;  is  a  grammatical  impossibility. 
In  the  names  where  OX  is  st.  constructs,  e.  g.,  "UjOK, 
JNBP3K,  D'172^3X,  S;rr3X,  etc.,  it  may  be  doubtful 
whether  it  is  geniticus  auctoris  or  attributivus.  But  in 
iy  '3X  the  genitive  of  the  author  is  inconceivable: 
eternity  has  no  author.  We  must  take  it  then  as  geni- 
tive of  the  attribute  =  Father  whose  predicate  is  eter- 
nity. 


On  ver.  6.  n3~O  (formed  like  HX^TO,  P 
means  multiplicatio,  "increase,"  and  occurs  again  only 
xxxiii.  '^3.  ELIAS  LEVITA  conjectures  that  originally  the 
text  read  D3*l  D7  (eis  multiplicatur  imperium),  which 
is  little  probable.  We  might,  rather  conjecture  that  it 
originally  read  n3"in(7,  to  which  also  the  LXX.  would 
agree,  which  ends  ver.  5  with  aiiria  and  begins  ver.  6 
with  /^eyaATj  r)  dp^  avrov  ;  from  which  it  may  be  inferred 
they  read  mttf?3n  ^31  07  =)  717-  The  unusual  eon- 

T  :     •    -          T  -  . 

struction  would  facilitate  the  change  to  H31  D7-    [On 

the  Q  clausum  see  J.  A.  ALEXANDER  in  toe.]. ]*p    TX 

vid.  ii  7.  HENGSTENBERO  would  have  U1  n3TO7  depend 
on  yp  TX-  Grammatically  this  is  admissible.  But 
then  rm?D7  would  be  superfluous.  One  would  only 
expect  mt?D7.  Evidently  H310  corresponds  to 
1'p  TX  and  stands  in  the  same  relation  to  PHl^O  as 

yp  pX  to  D17$. XD3  7^  and  in37DO  htf  relate 

to  the  subject  and  not  to  the  object  of  the  increase  and 

peace-making. The  infinitives  TDnS  and   m^D7 

I  hold  to  be  gerundive  infinitives:  thus  is  avoided  the 
tautological  relation  to  MJ1  ri3"T37,  i.  e.,  the  repetition 

of  the  aim. DXJp  is  a  two-edged  word.    It  involves 

both  the  notion  of  the  negative  zeal  consuming  all  that 
is  opposed  to  it,  and  the  notion  of  the  positive  zeal  that 
provides  and  furthers  all  that  serves  the  purpose.  The 
same  words  occur  again  xxxvii.  32.  Beside  that,  HXJp 
is  found  xi.  13;  xxvi.  11;  xlii.  13;  lix.  17;  Ixiii.  15. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  progress  at  the  close  of  chap.  viii.  to 
this  first  part  of  chap.  ix.  is  like  that  from  early 
dawn  to  sunrise.     ''  No  dawn,"  viii.  20,  ''  No  dark- 
ness," viii.  23  (ix.  1 ),  ''  Light  is  risen  upon  them," 
ix.  1,  represent  the  stages  in  which  the  successive 
unfolding  of  the  light  contained  in  the  Law  and 
Testimony  takes  place.     The  light  becomes  not 
only  clearer   and  brighter,  but  wider   extended 
vers.  1-4  (2-5).     All  this  blessing  proceeds  from 
a  child,  a  son  that  is  born  to  the  people.     It  is  a 
wonderful  child ;    that  is  proved   by  his  might 
and  his  names,  that  point  to  an  origin  above  the 
earth.     The  child  is  a  son   of  David,  and  will 
raise  up  the  kingdom  of  David  on  the  foundation 
of  justice  and  righteousness.     All  this  shall  ap- 
pear as  accomplished  by  the  zeal  of  Jehovah 
ver.  6  (7). 

2.  The  people divide  the  spoil. — Vers. 

1,  2.  The  people  that  walk  in  darkness  is  certainly 
the  same  as  viii.  23.     So  Matt.  iv.  16  understands 
the  passage.     But  if  the  great  light  first  rises  on 
this  part  of  the  Israelitish  nation,  it  will  still  not  be 


confined  to  them.  How  could  such  great  salva- 
tion be  the  portion  of  one  member  and  not  of  the 
whole  organism?  The  imagery  is  like  1.  10;  Ix. 
1  sq.  The  distresses  referred  to  viii.  21  must  ne- 
cessarily have  had  a  hurtful  effect  on  the  popula- 
tion numerically.  Hence  increase  of  the  nation 
necessarily  belongs  to  the  new  dawning  day  of 
happiness  and  prosperity.  This  benedictio  vere 
tkeocratica  is  elsewhere,  too,  promised  as  the  phy- 
sical basis  of  the  period  of  Messianic  prosperity. 
Comp.  xlix.  18-21;  liv.  1-3;  Jer.iii.  16  (and  my 
comment  in  loc.);  xxiii.  3  sq.  We  assume  that 
"the  people"  means  Israel,  not  the  heathen  (see 
above,  Text,  and  Gram.). 

The  nation,  dwindled  down  to  a  remnant,  is 
without  joy ;  but,  as  no  blessing  comes  singly,  the 
nation,  again  become  numerous,  has  great  joy. 
This  joy  is  so  great  because  it  is  a  joy  before  the 
Lord  (Ps.  xlii.  3;  xcv.  2;  c.  2).  For  substance 
comp.  Jud.  v.  30;  Ps.  iv.  8;  Ixviii.  13;  cxxvi.  5 
sq.;  Isa.  xxxiii.  23. 

3.  For  thou  hast  broken fuel  of  fire. 


142 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


—  Vers.  3,  4.  These  verses  mention  a  twofold  ne- 
gative cause  of  joy  :  1,  the  deliverance  from  the 
burden  of  oppression  ;  2,  the  cessation  of  war. 
The  deliverance  from  oppression  is  mentioned 
first.  But  in  order  to  give  assurance  that  its  re- 
currence is  not  to  be  apprehended,  it  is  added 
that  all  arming  for  war,  with  its  consequences,  is 
for  ever  done  away.  Israel  does  not  free  itself  by 
its  own  power  from  the  yoke  and  goad  of  the 
driver.  The  Lord  has  done  it  like  once  He  de- 
stroyed Midian  by  a  little  band  that  was  not  even 
armed  (  Jud.  vii.,  especially  ver.  2).  The  overthrow 
of  the  Midianites  is  mentioned  x.  26  in  the  same 
sense  as  here.  The  deliverance  from  bondage  is 
especially  described  as  everlasting,  in  that,  ver.  4, 
the  absolute  end  of  all  warlike  occupation  is  an- 
nounced. For  as  long  as  there  is  war,  there  are 
the  conquered  and  slaves.  Only  when  there  is 
no  more  war  does  slavery  cease,  to  which  no  one 
submits  except  by  compulsion.  Comp.  for  sub- 
stance Ps.  xlvi.9,  10;  Ezak.  xxxix.  9,  10;  Zech. 
ix.  10.  ROSEXMUELLER  recalls  the  fact  that 
there  exist  coins  of  Vespasian  and  Domitian  on 
which  Peace  is  represented  as  kindling  with  a 
torch  a  heap  of  the  implements  of  war. 

4.  For  unto  us  a  child  -  will  perform 
this.—  Vers.  5,6.  A  third  '3  "for"  refers  the 
totality  of  all  the  blessings  before  named  to  a  per- 
sonal cause,  to  a  child  that  is  bestowed  as  a  gift  to 
Israel  and  all  mankind.  Herein  lies  the  reason 
why  the  prophetic  testament  of  Isaiah  is  inserted 
at  this  place.  For,  from  chap.  vii.  on,  the  Pro- 
phet has  represented  the  Messianic  salvation  as 
proceeding  from  the  race  of  David  in  a  genuine 
human  way  by  means  of  conception,  pregnancy 
and  birth.  Thus  the  statement  fits  this  place  very 
well,  that  one  day  there  will  be  a  birth,  the  fruit 
of  which  will  be  a  child,  which,  fashioned  won- 
derfully and  infinitely  higher  than  all  other  hu- 
man children,  will  establish  the  kingdom  of  Da- 
vid, his  ancestor,  not  only  on  the  firmest  founda- 
tions, but  shall  raise  it  up  to  the  point  of  eternal 
power  and  peace. 

There  is  no  need  of  a  definite  subject  for  fcOpM 
''and  one  shall  call,"  as  the  present  has  nothing 
to  do  with  an  actual  name  for  use  and  calling. 
The  name-giving  is  only  ideal,  not  real,  i.  e.,  it  is 
not  the  end,  but  means  to  the  end,  viz.,  the  cha- 
racteristic. The  Prophet  invents  the  names  only 
in  order  by  this  means  to  characterize  the  child 
briefly,  thus  to  say  what  he  is,  not  how  he  shall 
actually  be  called  by  name.  It  is  in  this  respect 
like  U."W  rnrr  "Jehovah  our  righteousness" 


(  Jer.  xxiii.  6)  and  many  other  similar  designa- 
tions^ (comp.  i.  26;  Ix.  14;  Jer.  xi.  16;  Ezek. 
xlviii.  35,  etc,.).  A  wonder-counsellor  is  one 


"73H  xxviii.  29)  "wonderful  in  coun- 
sel," who  forms  wonderful,  unfathomably  deep 
purposes,  into  which  •'  the  angels  desire  to  look" 
(1  Pet.  i.  12).  "Mighty  God"  being  added,  in- 
timates that  He  has  the  power  to  accomplish  His 
purposes.  In  this  expression  "  God  "  is  the  chief 
word,  and  "migh'y"  is  the  attribute  (see  above. 
Text,  and  Gram.*.  Therefore  the  child  is  ex- 
pressly called  ^K,  "  God,"  and  that,  too,  God,  who 
is  at  the  same  time  Hero. 

The  question  arises:  can  this  name  ^H  "God" 


be  applied  to  a  creature,  and  in  what  sense?  Ps. 
Ixxxii.  1,  6,  comp.  John  x.  34  sq.,  are  cited,  where 
princes  are  called  DTI^K  "gods."  When  the 
Jews  would  have  stoned  Jesus  "for  blasphemy 
and  because,  being  a  man,  be  made  himself  God," 
Jesus  replied  by  referring  to  the  Psalm:  "Is  it 
not  written  in  your  law,  I  said,  Ye  are  gods?" 
Evidently  He  would  say  that  it  is  not  under  all 
circumstances  blasphemy  to  predicate  divinity  of 
a  man,  because  otherwise  the  Psalm  could  not 
possibly  have  spoken  so  of  men.  He  therefore 
does  not  deny  that  he  had  called  Himself  God,  but 
He  challenged  the  right  of  the  Jews  to  charge  Him 
on  that  account  with  blasphemy,  because  it  was 
possible  He  may  have  called  Himself  God  in  that 
sense  that  was  allowable  from  their  standpoint. 

It  appears  therefore  that  the  notion  D'H  X  cer- 
tainly can  be  used  in  various  senses,  and  in  some 
circumstances  may  be  said  of  a  creature,  and  with- 
out blasphemy.  But  there  is  a  difference  between 


^X  and  D'ri/N.  For  the  former  is  never  used  in 
the  wide  sense  in  which  we  see  the  latter  used. 
7K  always  means  the  Godhead  in  a  specific  or 
absolute  sense,  even  in  passages  like  Gen.  xxxi. 
29;  Deut.  xxviii.  32;  Mich.  ii.  1  ;  Prov.  iii.  27. 
In  Ezek.  xxxi.  1  1  7K=TN,  comp.  HAEVERNICK 
in  loc.  and  Ezek.  xxxii.  21.  We  must,  of  course, 
admit  that  for  the  Prophet  himself  there  hovered 
a  certain  obscurity  about  this  expression.  For  it 
is  impossible  for  us  to  ascribe  to  him  the  full,  clear 
insight  into  the  being  of  the  person  of  Christ  and 
of  His  Homoousia  with  the  Father.  It  was  the 
New  Testament  fulfilment,  and  especially  the  Re- 
surrection of  the  Lord,  that  first  brought  full  light 
in  this  respect.  The  term  "  mighty  God  "  must 
be  contemplated  from  a  double  standpoint.  From 
that  of  the  Old  Testament  the  expression  appears 
to  be  a  term  of  indefinite  extent.  It  is  possible 
that  it  designates  the  absolute  Godhead,  but  it  is 
far  from  clear  in  what  sense.  But  if  we  contemplate 
the  expression  from  the  New  Testament  point  of 
view,  and  in  the  light  of  its  fulfilment,  i.  e.,  in  the 
light  of  the  Resurrection  and  Ascension,  then  it  is 
plain  not  only  that  it  may  be  taken  as  the  predi- 
cate of  the  absolute  Godhead,  but  that  it  must  be 
so  taken.  For  there  is  no  son  of  David  that  can 
be  regarded  as  the  fulfiller  of  this  prophecy  ex- 
cept Jesus  of  Nazareth.  But  He  is  "declared  to 
be  the  Son  of  God  with  power,  according  to  the 
Spirit  of  holiness,  by  the  resurrection  from  the 
dead,"  Rom.  i.  4. 

But  in  what  sense  is  eternal  fatherhood  (TJ?  "3K) 

ascribed  to  the  child  (TT)  in  our  passage  ?  From 
the  fact  that  the  Son  is  called  "Everlasting  Fa- 
ther," we  know  at  once  that  it  does  not  mean  the 
Father  that  from  eternity  begot  the  Son.  But  we 
must  here,  too,  distinguish  between  the  Old  Tes- 
tament and  the  New  Testament  points  of  view, 
and  must  say  that  from  the  former  the  entire  com- 
prehensiveness of  the  expression  is  not  apprecia- 
ble. When  Isaiah  Ixiii.  16  and  Ixiv.  7  calls  Je- 
hovah the  true  Father  of  Israel,  this  passage  may 
be  taken  as  paying  that  the  Son  is  the  eternal  Me- 
diator of  this  love.  But  from  1  Corinth,  xv.  we 
learn  that  the  Son  will  be  the  Second  Adam,  Me- 
diator of  incorruptibility  and  immortality  (ver. 


CHAP.  IX.  1-6. 


143 


53)  for  His  own.  Finally  the  child  is  called 
"Prince  of  Peace,"  because,  according  to  ver.  6, 
He  stands  at  the  head  of  a  kingdom  to  which  is 
assured  eternal  peace.  This  assurance  is  founded 
on  the  fact  that  this  King  will  be  David  and  So- 
lomon in  one  person :  David  in  so  far  as  He  casts 
down  every  enemy  ;  Solomon  in  so  far  as  he  reaps 
peace  from  this  sowing  of  war  (Ps.  Ixxii.  3,  7; 
Jer.  xxxiii.  6 ;  Mic.  v.  4,  etc.}.— Of  the  increase, 
etc.  The  Prophet  sees  the  promised  Son  enthroned 
with  high'v  significant  titles  that  He  may  be  a 
true  semper  Augustus,  ever  an  augmenter  of  the 
kingdom  and  institutor  of  eternal  peace.  To  this 
end  the  child  is  set  on  David's  throne  and  over 
David's  kingdom.  The  expected  Son  is  Davidic. 
It  is  the  Son  that  is  promised  to  David  2  Sam. 
vii.,  the  real  Solomon  ;  for  his  kingdom  of  peace 
shall  have  no  end.  That  quantitative  and  quali- 
tative influence  of  the  augmentatio  and  pacijicalio 
is  only  possible  by  founding  the  kingdom  on 
judgment  and  justice  (comp.  on  i.  21),  and  by  car- 
rying out  every  single  act  of  administration  in  this 
spirit.  And  upon  his  kingdom  to  order  it 
is  taken  from  2  Sam.  vii.  12,  where  it  is  said ;  "  I 
will  set  up  thy  seed  after  thee,  which  shall  pro 
ceed  out  of  thv  bowels,  and  I  will  establish  His 


kingdom"  (iroan-nK  VUOnn).      Comp.  vers. 

13,  16;    1  Chron.  xvii.  11;   xxii.  10;   xxviii.  7; 
Prov.  xx.  28. 

[  J.  A.  ALEXANDER  on  ver.  6-  "  The  word 
!"INJp,  "zeal,"  expresses  the  complex  idea  of 
strong  affection  comprehending  or  attended  by  a 
jealous  preference  of  one  above  another.  It  is 
used  to  signify  God's  disposition  to  protect  and 
favor  His  people  at  the  expense  of  others.  Some- 
times, moreover,  it  includes  the  idea  of  a  jealous 
care  of  His  own  honor,  or  a  readiness  to  take 
offence  at  anything  opposed  to  it,  and  a  determi- 
nation to  avenge  it  when  insulted.  The  express- 
ions are  derived  from  the  dialect  of  human  pas- 
sion, but  describe  something  absolutely  right  on 
God's  part  for  the  very  reasons  which  demon- 
strate its  absurdity  and  wickedness  on  man's. 
These  two  ideas  of  God's  jealous  partiality  for  His 
own  people  and  His  jealous  sensibility  respect- 
ing His  own  honour  are  promiscuously  blended 
in  the  usage  of  the  word,  and  are  perhaps  both 


included  in  the  case  before  us,  or  rather  the  two 
motives  are  identical ;  that  is  to  say,  the  one  in- 
cludes the  other.  The  mention  of  God's  jealousy 
or  zeal  as  the  procuring  cause  of  this  result  affords 
a  sure  foundation  for  the  hopes  of  all  believers. 
His  zeal  is  not  a  passion,  but  a  principle  of  power- 
ful  and  certain  operation.  The  astonishing  effects 
j  produced  by  feeble  means  in  the  promotion,  pre- 
servation, and  extension  of  Christ's  kingdom  can 
only  be  explained  upon  the  principle  that  the 
zeal  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  effected  it." 

''  Is  not  this  the  reign  of  Christ?  Does  it  not 
answer  all  the  requisite  conditions  ?  The  Evan- 
gelists take  pains  to  prove  by  formal  genealogies 
His  lineal  descent  from  David ;  and  His  reign, 
unlike  all  others,  still  continues  and  is  constantly 
enlarging.  HENDEWERK  and  other  modern  Ger- 
man writers  have  objected  that  this  prophecy  is 
not  applied  to  Christ  in  the  New  Testament.  But 
we  have  seen  already  that  the  first  verse  of  the 
chapter  and  the  one  before  it  are  interpreted  by 
Matthew  as  a  prophecy  of  Christ's  appearing  as  a 
public  teacher  first  in  Galilee,  and  no  one  has 
denied  that  this  is  part  of  the  same  context.  Nor 
is  this  all.  The  expressions  of  the  verse  before 
us  were  applied  to  Christ,  before  His  birth,  by 
Gabriel,  when  he  said  to  Mary  ^Luke  i.  32-34), 
"He  shall  be  great,  and  shall  be  called  the  Son  of 
the  Highest,  and  the  Lord  God  shall  give  unto  Him 
the  throne  of  His  father  David,  and  He  shall  reign 
over  the  house  of  Jacob  forever,  and  of  His  kingdom 
there  shall  be  no  end."  The  historical  allusions  in 
these  words  show  clearly  that  the  person  spoken 
of  was  expected,  or,  in  other  words,  a  subject  of 
prophecy  ;  and  though  the  terms  are  not  precise- 
ly those  used  by  Isaiah,  they  agree  with  them 
more  closely  than  with  any  other  passage.  In- 
deed the  variations  may  be  perfectly  accounted 
for  upon  the  supposition  that  the  angel's  message 
was  intended  to  describe  the  birth  of  Christ  as  a 
fulfilment,  not  of  this  passage  only,  but  of  several 
others  also  which  are  parallel  with  this,  and  that 
the  language  was  so  framed  as  to  suggest  them 
all,  but  none  of  them  so  prominently  as  the  one 
before  us,  and  the  earlier  promise  upon  which  it 
was  founded.  Comp.  2  Sam.  vii.  11,  12;  Dan. 
vii.  14,  27 ;  Mic.  iv.  7,  etc."] 


B.-THREATENING  OF  JUDGMENT  TO  BE  ACCOMPLISHED  BY   MEANS  OF 
ASSYRIA,  ADDRESSED  TO  ISRAEL  OF  THE  TEN  TRIBES. 


CHAP.  IX. 

To  the  prophecies  that  denounce  impending 
judgment  against  Judah,  of  which  Assyria  was  to 
be  the  agent,  is  joined  a  prophecy,  that  announces 
the  same  fate  for  the  kingdom  of  the  Ten  Tribes. 
For,  that  the  latter  are  the  subject  of  this  prophe- 
cy appears,  1)  because,  in  the  whole  passage,  only 
Israel  or  Jacob  (ix.  7,  11,  13),  the  "Ephraimites 
and  inhabitants  of  Samaria"  (ver.  8)  appear  as 
those  addressed  ;  never  Judah.  For  ver.  8  shows 
plainly  that  we  must  so  understand  Jacob  and 
Israel  (ver.  7),  because  those  receiving  the  word 
Bpoken  of  in  ver.  7  are  designated  as  ''the  whole 


8  (7).-X.  4. 

people,"  and  they  in  turn  in  the  second  clause  of 
ver.  8  are  specified,  not  as  Judah  and  Israel,  but 
as  Ephraim  and  the  inhabitants  of  Samaria :  2) 
because  ver.  20  we  notice  that  the  totality  who  are 
there  reproached  with  ruinous  dissensions  are  di- 
vided into  Ephraim  and  Manasseh.  These  are 
opposed  to  one  another ;  if  they  unite  it  is  for  the 
purpose  of  attacking  Judah.  If  Judah  were  in- 
cluded in  the  totality  addressed  there,  it  must 
read  :  "Ephraim  Judah,  Judah  Ephraim."  But 
Ephraim  and  Manasseh  are  designated  as  the 
mutually  contending  members;  Judah  as  one 


144 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


outside  of  the  community  and  the  common  object 
of  their  hatred.  We  will  show  below  that  ver. 
11  a  does  not  conflict  with  this  interpretation. 

As  to  the  period  to  which  this  prophecy  be- 
longs, we  may  ascertain  it  from  ix.  9.  It  appears 
there  that  at  this  time  pieces  must  have  been  rent 
away  from  the  kingdom  of  the  Ten  Tribes.  We 
know  of  only  one  such  diminution  of  their  terri- 
tory occurring  in  that  period.  It  is  that  related 
2  Kings  xv.  29.  According  to  that  account  Tig- 
lath-Pileser,  who  had  been  invoked  by  Ahaz,  de- 
populated a  great  part  of  the  eastern  and  northern 
region  of  that  kingdom.  At  that  time  the  Eph- 
raimites  must  have  boasted  that  it  would  be  easy 
to  repair  the  damage  they  had  suffered.  Isaiah 
felt  that  he  must  meet  this  foolish  notion,  which 
took  the  damage  done  by  Tiglath-Pileser  for  the 
conclusion  of  their  visitation,  with  the  announce- 
ment that  that  visitation  was  only  the  beginning, 
only  the  first  of  many  following  degrees.  If,  then, 
the  foregoing  prophecies  (vii. — ix.  6)  fall  in  the 
time  before  the  introduction  of  the  Assyrians, 
then  our  present  passage  belongs  to  the  period 
immediately  after.  And  if  chapters  vii. — ix.  6, 
are  attributed  to  the  beginning  of  the  three  years, 
when  both  Pekah  and  Ahaz  were  living,  say 
about  743  B.  C.,  then  the  present  prophecy  be- 
longs to  the  close  of  this  period,  say  about  740 
-39  B.  C.  (Comp.  on  vii.  15-17.) 

The  form  of  our  passage  is  artistic,  yet  simple. 
Proceeding  from  the  underlying  thought  that 
what  the  Epbraimites  took  for  the  end,  was  only 
the  first  stage,  the  Prophet  builds  up  his  prophe- 
cy in  three  stages,  each  of  which  points  to  the 
succeeding  one  with  the  refrain:  "for  all  this 
His  anger  is  not  turned  away,  but  His  hand  is 
stretched  out  still."  Even  the  last  concludes  with 
these  words  to  show  that  the  judgment  on  Israel 
continues  still  beyond  the  immediate  horizon  of 


the  prophetic  view.  This  extreme  visible  hori- 
zon is  the  exile  (x.  4).  Beyond  that  the  Israel 
of  the  Ten  Tribes  has  disappeared  to  the  present 
day.  They  experienced  no  restoration  like  Ju- 
dah  did.  But  to  "  the  day  of  visitation  and  deso- 
lation "  (x.  3)  the  punishments  increase  as  the 
inward  corruption  grows.  After  that  visitation  to 
which  the  audacious  words  ix.  9  refer,  Israel,  in- 
stead of  recovering  and  growing  strong,  is  renevr- 
edly  hard  pressed  on  the  East  and  the  West.  But 
still  more  comes  (ix.  11  6).  Still  the  people  are 
not  converted  to  Him  that  smites  them.  There- 
fore the  punishment  falls  first  of  all  on  the  lead- 
ers of  the  people,  who  have  proved  themselves 
betrayers,  whose  sins  must  be  expiated  by  the  be- 
trayed down  to  the  young  men,  the  widows  and 
the  orphans  (vers.  13-16).  But  still  more  comes. 
For  the  people  are  as  a  forest  on  fire :  for  the 
flames  of  discord  spread  on  all  sides  with  devour- 
ing and  desolation  (vers.  17-20).  Injustice  and 
violence,  according  to  the  constant  Old  Testament 
sentiment,  the  chief  cause  of  the  ruin  of  states, 
bring  the  people  to  the  verge  of  the  abyss.  Then 
no  seeking  for  aid  from  foreign  nations  will  avail. 
Nothing  remains  but  to  submit  to  the  horrors  of 
exile.  But  still  more  comes.  For  even  the  carry- 
ing away  into  exile  is  not  yet  the  end  of  God's 
judgments  on  Israel  (x.  1-4"). 

Thus  we  have  four  sections,  of  which  the  first 
two  have  each  five  verses,  the  last  two  four  verses. 
They  may  be  set  forth  as  follows  : 

1.  The  supposed  end  is  the  beginning  of  the 
judgment  (ix.  7-11). 

2.  The  deceivers  the  bane  of  the  deceived  (ix. 
12-16). 

3.  Israel  devouring  itself  by  the  flames  of  dis- 
cord (ix.  17-20). 

4.  Injustice  and  violence  fill  up  the  measure  and 
precipitate  Israel  into  the  horrors  of  exile  (x.  1-4). 


1.  THE  SUPPOSED  END  IS  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  JUDGMENT. 
CHAPTER  IX.  8-12.     (7-11). 

8  (7)       THE  LORD  sent  a  word  into  Jacob, 
And  it  hath  lighted  upon  Israel. 

9  (8)  And  all  the  people  shall  know, 

Even  Ephraim  and  the  inhabitant  of  Samaria, 

That  say  in  the  pride  and  stoutness  of  heart, 
10  (9)  The  bricks  are  fallen  down,  but  we  will  build  with  hewn  stones: 

The  sycamores  are  cut  down,  but  we  will  change  them,  into  cedars. 
1  (10)  Therefore  the  LORD  shall  set  up  the  adversaries  of  Rezin  against  him, 

And  lajoin  his  enemies  together ; 
12  (11)  The  Syrians  before,  and  the  Philistines  behind; 

And  they  shall  devour  Israel  2with  bopen  mouth. 

For  all  this  his  anger  is  not  turned  away, 

But  his  hand  is  stretched  out  still. 


1  Heb.  mingle. 

»  seta  on  his  enemies. 


Heb.  with  whole  mouth, 
a  full  mouth. 


On  ver.  8.  H1KJ  according  to  xiii.  3,  11  ;  xvi.  6  ;  xxv. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


•  -  "U  aS«''n  only  x.  12.  - 


oes  not  de- 


pend on  ijm,  but  on  H1KJ  and  33*?  S"U  to  which  it 


relates  as  quotation  marks,  in  as  much  as  it  introduces 
the  speech  that  manifests  that  haughtiness. 
On  ver.  9.  JVIJ,  properly  JVT  J   '  J3N,  1  Kings  T.  31 ; 


CHAP.  IX.  8-12. 


145 


Ezek.  xl.  42;  lapides  caesurae,  i.  e.,  eaesi,  on\y  here  in  Isa. 
That  MJ2  means  not  simply  exstruere,  construere, 

T  T 

"  build  up,"  "  construct,"  but  also  simply  struere  "  to 
pile,"  "  pile  up,"  appears  from  passages  like  1  Kings 

xviii.  32;  Exod.  xx.  25. D'Opt^  only  here.    JHJ  x. 

33;  xiv.  12;  xxii.  25;  xlv.  2  (from  these  examples  it  ap- 
pears that  it  is  wont  to  be  joined  with  7±JJ);  but  the 
context  shows  that  not  cutting  down  trees  is  meant,  as 
DKECHSLEB  supposes,  but  breaking  down  wooden  build- 
ings, rnn  (see  on  viii.  8)  is  "  to  exchange."  Hiph.  is 
=  ';  let  come  in  as  exchange,  reparation ;"  comp.  xl.  31 ; 
xli.  1. 

On  ver.  10.  3Jtyi  and  also  ibu^'l,  ver.  11,  are praeter. 
prophcticum.  The  1  involves  at  the  same  time  adver- 
bial meaning.  DKECHSLER  remarks  that  3ji^  Pi-  has 
always  the  meaning  "to  make  high,  unattainable,  place 
higher,  defenders,  munire."  But  then  it  is  construed  with 

|O  (Ps.  lix.  2;  cvii.  41).  That  vS#  stands  here  proves 
that  the  word  is  taken  in  an  offensive  sense,  which  it 
may  very  well  have.  Moreover  it  is  to  be  noticed  that 
3X&  stands  in  contrast  with  the  high  structures  which 


the  Israelites  purpose  in  ver.  9. It  is  incomprehen- 
sible how  EWALD  can  prefer  '^{y,  the  reading  of  some 

MSS.  to  '"l)f  of  the  text ;  or  how  CHEYNE  can  construe 

••  T 

f~\  "HX  as  genitive  of  the  subject,  seeing  that  the  same 
power  that  slew  Rezin  and  conquered  his  land,  not 
twenty  years  later  actually  made  an  end  to  the  kingdom 

of  Ephraim. "^33 p  is  found  only  here  and  xix.  2. 

The  verb  ^30,  with  all  its  derivatives  (H3p,  fi-13p,  7JOO, 
1JO)  has  the  sense  of  "covering."  Now  there  is  a  woi-d 
"^&,  spina  (Num.  xxxiii.  65)  and  r\3Uf  telum  acutum  (Job 
xl.  31).  As  regards  the  exchange  of  0  for  {£'  compare- 
IJDty  Exod.  xxxiii.  22.  Seeing  the  meaning  "  to  COTCF" 
in  the  sense  usual  with  the  Hebrews,  i.  e.,  "  to  proteefr," 
does  not  at  all  suit  here  (comp.  ver.  11),  and  "tocover,** 
=  "to  cover  with  arms,  to  arm,"  cannot  be  supported, 
I  prefer,  with  TARO.,  SYB.,  SAAD.,  GESENIUS  (Tkcs^)^  Dtr 
LITZSCH,  [J.  A.  ALEXANDER],  to  take  3DDD  iathe  sense  of 
"  to  set  on,"  stlmulare,  concitare. 

On  ver.  11.   The  formula  "IJ1    flN?-1?^  beside  here 
and  vers.  16,  20  ;  x.  4,  is  found  only  ver.  25. 


EXEGETICAL,   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.    The  Lord  sent 


cedars. — Vers.  8- 


10  (7-9).  It  seems  to  me  that  the  words,  "A 
word  lias  the  LORD  sent,"  etc.,  "  in  fallen,"  etc., 
must  be  judged  of  according  to  passages  like  Job 
iv.  12;  xxxv.  4;  Ps.  Ixii.  12.  As  in  those,  a 
single  little  word,  tossed  to  them,  as  it  were,  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Lord  as  from  a  judging  and  de- 
stroying power,  is  opposed  to  human  pride  and 
haughtiness,  so  the  Prophet  here  opposes  a  single, 
brief  word  of  the  LORD  to  the  Ephraimites 
which,  as  it  were,  falls  by  the  way,  but  which 
suffices  to  humble  that  foolish  pride.  "The 
word"  ("\^)  therefore,  stands  first  with  em- 
phasis, as  if  the  Prophet  would  say :  only  a  word, 
nothing  more  has  the  LORD  sent.  And  this  word 
has,  as  it  were,  fallen  in  Israel  by  accident.  I 
prefer  to  compare  Ruth  iii.  18,  for  the  meaning 

of  SflJ  "  to  fall,"  rather  than  Dan.  iv.  28,  be- 
cause there,  too,  is  the  underlying  idea  of  (at 
least  seeming)  accident.  This  mode  of  expres- 
sion, by  which  the  Prophet  represents  the  follow- 
ing language  as  something  accidental  and  by  the 
way,  has  its  reason,  likely,  in  this,  that  Isaiah  is 
a  Prophet  primarily  for  Judah,  and  not  for 
Israel.  He  therefore  steps  beyond  the  sphere  of 
his  own  proper  activity  with  these  words,  which 
fall  like  a  morsel  from  the  table  prepared  for  the 
children. 

Jacob  stands  only  poetically  for  Israel.  It  can 
mean  the  whole  nation,  and  the  people  of  the 
Ten  Tribes  just  as  well  as  the  name  Israel  (comp. 
ii.  3,  5,  6 ;  viii.  17).  Only  the  context  decides 
in  what  sense  the  name  is  to  be  taken  where  it 
occurs.  In  the  introduction  to  this  section,  we 
have  showed  that  both  Jacob  and  Israel  mean 
the  kingdom  of  the  Ten  Tribes.  This  antithesis 
of  Jacob  and  Israel  in  parallelism  occurs  here 
for  the  first  time.  It  is  found  again  as  designa- 
tion of  the  entire  Israel,  x.  20 ;  xiv.  1 ;  xxvii. 
6 ;  xxix.  23 ;  xl.  27  ;  xli.  8,  14 ;  xlii.  24 ;  xliii. 
1,  22,  28;  xliv.  1,  (2),  5,  21,  23;  xlv.  4;  xlvi.  3; 
xlviii.  1,  12 ;  xlix.  5,  6.  This  antithesis  is  found 
10 


first  in  Hos.  xii.  13  (of  the  Patriarch):  then  in 
Micah,  and  relatively  the  oftenest  in  him  :  Mic. 
i.  5  ;  ii.  12 ;  iii.  1,  8,  9.  In  Nahum  ii.  3.  In 
Jeremiah  ii.  4;  xxx.  10;  xxxi.  7;  xlvi.  27. 
Ezek.  xxxix.  25.  From  this  it  appears  that  the 
form  of  expression  is  pre-eminently  characteristic 
of  Isaiah.  If  it  is  asked:  what  kind  of  word  the 
LORD  sent?  I  would  refer  for  answer  neither  to 
v.  25  nor  to  vii.  14  sqq.  For  both  are  remote. 
Those  are  right  that  take  ver.  8,  or  say  ver. 
10  sq.,  as  the  word  referred  to  in  ver.  7.  Nothing 
is  more  natural ;  any  word  more  remote  must  be 
more  exactly  designated.  The  word  "  they  shall 
know  it,"  ver.  8,  favors  this.  For  what  should 
the  Ephraimites  know?  Certainly,  the  very 
word  of  which  ver.  7  speaks.  At.  the  same  time 
the  context  makes  it  clear,  that  they  should  learn 
how  ill  the  plan  of  Jehovah  (according  to  ver. 
10)  will  suit  their  proud  plans.  Therefore,  "the 
word,"  ver.  7,  is  identical  with  the  object  of 
"  they  shall  know,"  ver.  8,  and  we  are  justified 
in  translating  "  and  shall  know  it." 

''  Ephraim  and  the  inhabitants  of  Samaria  " 
are  contrasted  here  just  as  ''the  men  of  Judah 
and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,"  v.  3,  comp. 
i.  1 :  ii.  1.  The  Ephraimites  and  Samaritans,  then, 
shall  come  to  a  certain  knowledge,  as  persons  that 
are  in  a  state  of  pride  and  height  of  courage,  for 
which  just  that  knowledge  commends  itself  as 
the  best  remedy.  Wherein  the  pride  consists  is 
said  ver.  9. 

The  haughty  language  consists  of  two  simple, 
easily  understood  contrasts.  Wood  and  stone 
are  the  chief  materials  for  building.  Bricks  are 
poorer  than  hewn  stones,  and  sycamores  than  ce- 
dars. ''Sycamore  trees  are  common  in  Palestine," 
as  THEODORET  in  loc.  says.  Flourishing  in  low 
places,  (siynum  camporum  sunt  si/camon,)says  the 
JERUS.  GEMARA,  comp.  1  Chron.  xxvii.  28) ;  they 
are  prized  as  wood  for  building,  but  not  compared 
with  the  cedar.  (Comp.  under  Text,  and  Gram.) 
The  sense  of  the  figurative  language  is  plain.  They 
acknowledge  that  Ephraim  has  suffered,  but  they 
hope  abundantly  to  repair  all  these  damages. 


146 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


2.  Therefore  the  Lord stretched  out 

still.— Vers.  11,  12  (10,  11).  Jehovah's  doing 
ver.  10  sq.  brings  to  nought  the  proud  hopes 
of  ver.  9,  and  is  announced  here  us  the  con- 
tents of  "  the  word  "  of  ver.  7.  They  would  rise 
high,  but  the  LOUD  raises  above  even  their  high 
house,  the  oppressors  of  Kezin.  These  oppres- 
sors are  the  Assyrians.  They  had  proved  them- 
selves such  even  at  that  time.  They  are  called 
oppressors  of  Rezin,  because  Israel's  strength  at 
that  time,  lay  in  the  alliance  with  Rezin.  The 
same  power  that  killed  Rezin,  and  conquered  his 
kingdom,  actually  made  an  end  of  Ephraim  not 
twenty  years  later.  Syria  itself,  compelled  by 
Assyria,  is  represented  as  marching  against 
Ephraim.  Because  of  the  words,  "the  Philis- 
tines behind,"  DELITZSCH  supposes  that  the  Pro- 
phet, from  ver.  11  on,  extends  his  view  and  has 
in  mind  all  Israel,  since  the  northern  kingdom 
never  had  to  suffer  from  the  Philistines,  whereas 
(ace.  to  2  Chr.  xxviii.  16-19)  an  invasion  by  the 
Philistines  in  Judah  is  expressly  mentioned  as 
belonging  to  the  judgments  of  Ahaz's  time.  But  ' 


if  this  were  BO,  ver.  12  (11)  would  need  to  be 
more  distinctly  disconnected  from  ver.  11  (10). 
For,  as  they  stand,  the  words  "  the  Syrians— be- 
hind" must  be  taken  as  dependent  on  ^DUD' 
*'  will  set  on,"  and  the  nations  named  here  as 
specifications  of  ''the  enemies"  ver.  11  (10). 
But  then  those  attacked  by  Syria  and  the  Philis* 
tines  are  identical  with  Ephraim  to  whom  "him" 
and  "his"  (the  suffixes  in  V3'K  and  r?j7  (ver. 
10)  refer.  But  ver.  12  a  (11)  is  not  to  be  taken 
in  a  literal  sense.  Syria  and  the  Philistines  re- 
present East  and  West.  Isa.  ii.  6 ;  xi.  14  puts 
the  Philistines  as  representatives  of  the  West  as 
opposed  to  (E.^P)  the  East.  Moreover  we  must 
not  take  "  eating  with  a  full  mouth  "  as  meaning 
a  complete  destruction.  On  the  contrary,  we  see 
from  ver.  126  (11),  that  recurs  afterwards  three 
times,  that  the  Prophet  would  say  :  ye  hold  the 
damage  that  ye  hope  easily  to  repair,  to  be  the 
end  of  your  calamity.  But  I  say  to  you  :  you 
are  destined  to  have  your  oppressors  come  on  you 
from  every  side  in  superior  power,  and  yet  even 
this  will  be  but  the  beginning  of  the  end. 


2.    THE  DECEIVERS  THE  BANE  OF  THE  DECEIVED. 
CHAP.  IX.  13-17  (12-16). 

13  (12)       FOR  the  people  turneth  not  unto  him  that  smiteth  them, 
Neither  do  they  seek  the  LORD  of  hosts. 

14  (13)  Therefore  the  LORD  will  cut  off  from  Israel  head  and  tail, 
'Branch  and  rush,  in  one  day. 

15  (14)  The  ancient  and  honourable,  he  ts  the  head  ; 
And  the  prophet  that  teacheth  lies,  he  is  the  tail. 

16  (15)  For  'the  leaders  of  this  people  cause  them  to  err: 
And  they  that  are  2led  of  them  are  'destroyed. 

17  (16^)  Therefore  the  LORD  shall  have  no  joy  in  their  young  men, 
Neither  shall  have  mercy  on  their  fatherless  and  widows  : 

For  every  one  is  an  'hypocrite  and  an  evil-doer, 
And  every  mouth  speaketh  4folly. 
For  all  this  his  anger  is  not  turned  away, 
But  his  hand  is  stretched  out  still. 


1  Or,  the;/  that  call  them  blessed. 

*  Heb.  swallowed  up. 

•  Palm  top. 

TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  12.  By  1  before  Qpr\  the  thought  of  this  verse 
is  paratactieally  co-ordinated  with  the  foregoing,  where- 
as it  ought  properly  to  be  subordinated  in  the  form  of 
assigning  a  reason.  For  had  the  people  been  converted 
by  the  chastisement,  then  had  the  wrath  of  Jehovah 
been  turned  away.  We  have  here  therefore  one  of  those 
frequent  instances  where  the  1  demands  definition, 
which  however  the  reader  must  supply.—  3V?-yh  sounds 
like  an  echo  of  the  same  words  in  the  foregoing  verse. 
—~\$,  especially  after  2W,  not  seldom  stands  for  S«  : 
Dent  iv.  30  ;  xxx.  2  ;  Joel  ii.  12  ;  Amos  iv.  6-11  ;  Isa.  xlx. 
22,  etc.  It  appears  that  all  these  prophetic  passages  just 
c&ed  rest  on  the  original  passage  in  Deuteronomy  also 
ted.  The  expression  JKhl  recalls  Deut.  iv.29.  _  The 
article  before  ipSp  is  aglinstthe  rule.  The  exception 


8  Or,  called  blessed  of  them. 
4  Or,  villainy. 
b  unclean  and  abominable. 

GRAMMATICAL. 

is  to  be  explained  by  the  pronominal  force  of  the  article 
according  to  which  it  refers  back  to  ver.  11  b. 

On  ver.  13.  rHITl  and  ViTl,  ver.  15,  must  be  taken  as 
praet.  propheticum,  with  which  accord  the  fut.  imperf. 

not!"  and  DnV  ver.  16. H23  found  only  here,  xix. 

15  and  Job  xv.  32. JIOJIX  found  again  only  xix.  15  j 

lviii.5,  what  grows  in  DJX,  "the  swamp." D'J3  KJt^J 

comp.  on  iii  3. J"P1!D  in  Isaiah  again  only  xxx.  20. 

On  rer.  15.  ""lEWD  comp.  on  iii.  12.  Notice  the  paro- 
nomasia of  the  last  two  words. 

On  ver.  16.  cnn  properly,  "unclean,  spotted,"  pollu- 

tus,  immundus:  x.  8;  xxiv.  5  ;  xxxiii.  14. jH*3pausal 

form  of  J^D,  unless  it  is  —  etc  rov  vovypov  aa  KNOBBI 
translates. 


CHAP.  IX.  12-16. 


147 


EXEGETICA.L   AND    CRITICAL. 


For  the  people he  is  the  tail. — Vers.. 

12  (13)-14  (15).  The  four  expressions,  head  and 
tail,  palm-branch  and  rush,  are  to  be  found  in 
the  same  order  xix.  15.  Many  expositors  (since 
KOPPB'S  Anmm.  zum  Lowthschen  lesaias,  1799, 
sqq.  the  most  of  them)  have  misunderstood  the 
figures.  They  have  taken  head  and  tail,  as  well 
as  palm-branch  and  rush,  as  a  figurative  express- 
ion for  "honorable  and  insignilicant,"  and,  be- 
cause ver.  14  does  not  suit  this  construction,  they 
have  declared  it  to  be  not  genuine.  But  just  that 
ver.  14  ought  to  have  convinced  the  expositors 
that  head  and  tail  did  not  mean  superior  and  in- 
ferior, but  two  sorts  of  leaders,  the  genuine  and 
the  bad,  i.  e.  those  who  as  the  elders  and  as  men 
of  high  standing  had  a  natural  right  to  be  leaders, 
and  those  that  by  lying  prophecies  presumed  to 
leadership.  KNOBEL,  says :  "  making  the  tail  to 
mean  a  prophet  that  teaches  lies  is  false,  because 
the  false  prophets,  too,  were  leaders  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  therefore  belonged  to  the  head."  But 
that  is  what  the  prophet  means.  Only  the  irony 
has  not  been  understood,  with  which  Isaiah  de- 
clares the  false  prophets  to  be  such  as  have  their 
place  where  the  tail  is.  Thus  he  mocks  them. 
He  intimates  thereby  that  the  lying  prophets  are 
only  seeming  heads,  but  in  fact  representatives  of 
the  region  of  the  tail,  and  that  if  men  take  them 
for  heads  and  follow  in  the  direction  of  their 
would  be  heads,  then  Israel  will  go  directly  back- 
ward instead  of  forward.  Such  is  essentially  the 
exposition  of  DRECHSLER  and  UMBREIT.  [''  The 
false  Prophets  are  called  the  tail,  because  they 
were  morally  the  basest  of  the  people,  and  be- 
cause they  were  the  servile  adherents  and  sup- 
porters of  wicked  rulers.  With  respect  both 
to  the  head  which  they  followed  and  the  body  of 
which  they  were  the  vilest  part,  they  might  just- 
ly be  called  the  tail.  The  Prophet  does  not 
make  a  like  explanation  of  the  palm-leaf  and  the 
rush,  because  they  are  not  equally  suited  to  ex- 
press his  contempt  for  the  false  Prophets." — J. 
A.  ALEXANDER].  The  palm-branch  growing 
high  up  on  the  trunk,  so  named  because  of  its  re- 


semblance to  a  hand  (^3,  Latin  palma)  means  of 
course  the  elevated  ones,  the  rush  the  lowly. 
Thus  three  of  the  figures  represent  the  leaders, 
and  only  one,  those  that  are  led,  the  humble  ones. 
"  One  day "  (comp.  x.  17  ;  xlvii.  9)  expresses 
that  the  destruction  comes  with  such  might  as  to 
take  off' its  victim  with  one  blow. 

2.  For   the    leaders destroyed.— Ver. 

16  (15).     As  Isaiah  intimates  here  the  final  des- 
tiny of  leaders  and  led,  the  verse  corresponds  to 
"will  cut  off,"  ver.  14  (13)  being,  as  it  were,  the 
specification  of  the  notion.     The  leaders  are  mis- 
leaders  of  the  people,  and  are  themselves  given 
over  to  error  and  its  peril ;  but  those  led  astray 
are  swallowed  up  (iii.  12),  a  figure  that  recalls  the 
position  of  the  rush  in  the  water.     For,  if  it  is 
long  submerged,  it  perishes. 

3.  Therefore stretched   out   still. — 

Ver.  17  (16).     It  might  be  objected  to  the  Pro- 
phet that  among  the  led  were  many  that  were  ir- 
responsible ;  thus  without  their  fault  they  were 
led  astray.      Does  the  Lord  make  no  exception 
in  their  favor  ?     The  Prophet  denies  this,  saying 
that  inasmuch  as  all  those  led  astray  are  swallowed 
up,  it  is  to  be  understood  that  none  are  spared, 
not  even  the  young  men,  children  and  widows. 
But  are  not  the  children  required  to  follow  their 
elders  ?     Are  they  not  innocent  then  if  led  into 
error's  ways  by  them  ?     Ought  they  not,  spite  of 
this,  to  remain  the  ornament,  the  bloom  of  the 
nation,  and  consequently  the  delight  of  the  Lord? 
But  it  shall  not  be  thus.    The  wish  expressed  Ps. 
cxliv.  12  shall  not  be  fulfilled.      If  the  Lord, 
therefore,  takes  no  more  pleasure  in  the  young, 
He  leaves  them  indifferently  to  their  fate.     What 
it  is  may  be  imagined.     Widows  and  orphans, 
without  the  guidance  of  husband  and  father  seem, 
too,  to  be  innocent  and  thus  deserving  of  compas- 
sion.    But  no.     They  are  all  contaminated  and 
thoroughly  penetrated  with  evil.     They  are  cor- 
rupt, atrociously  bad,  and  what  they  say  is  insane 
wickedness.     Therefore  there  can  be  no  sparing. 
In  fact  the  last  degree  of  their  judgment  is  far 
from  being  attained. 


3.    ISRAEL  DEVOURING  ITSELF  BY  THE  FLAMES  OF  DISCORD. 
CHAPTER  IX.  18-21  (17-20). 

18  (17)       FOR  wickedness  burneth  as  the  fire : 
It  shall  devour  the  briers  and  thorns, 

And  shall  kindle  in  the  thickets  of  the  forest, 

And  they  shall  mount  up  like  the  lifting  up  of  smoke. 

19  (18)  Through  the  wrath  of  the  LORD  of  hosts  is  the  land  'darkened, 
And  the  people  shall  be  as  the  'fuel  of  the  fire : 

No  man  shall  spare  his  brother. 

20  (19)  And  he  shall  "snatch  on  the  right  hand,  and  be  hungry ; 
And  he  shall  eat  on  the  left  hand,  and  they  shall  not  be  satisfied : 
They  shall  eat  every  man  the  flesh  of  his  own  arm : 

21  (20)  Manasseh,  Ephraim  ;  and  Ephraim,  Manasseh  ; 
And  they  together  shall  be  against  Judah. 

For  all  this  his  anger  is  not  turned  away, 
But  his  hand  is  stretched  out  still. 


1  Heb.  meat. 
•  charred. 


*  Heb.  cut 


148 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  17.  H^'CH,  in  the  older  writings  found  only 
in  Dent.  ix.  4,  6;  xxv.  2;  in  Isaiah  only  here;  beside 
this  only  in  post  Isaiah  writings;  so  that  the  expres- 
sion seems  to  be  a  reminiscence  of  Deuteronomy. 

{j?j<D  rP>3  perhaps  a  reminiscence  of  Num.  xi.  3. 

The  form  r\¥'  occurs  only  once  more  in  Isa.  xxxiii.  12, 
and  there  it  is  undoubtedly  passive.  Consider  in  addi- 
tion that  here  the  preposition  3  occasions  surprise  if 
thereby  the  object  of  the  kindling  is  expressed  (GESEN. 
would  take  this  3  in  a  partitive  sense,  Thes.,  p.  172,  sub. 

A.  2),  whereas  3  &#  '"^P  occurs  often  (Ara°s  i-  14; 
Jer.  xvii.  27;  xxi.  14;  xliii.  13,  etc.)  thus  it  seems  to  me 
more  probable  that  r\i'f<  is  to  be  taken  as  passive  of 

Efa  rvXiT    As  to  the  form,  see  EWALD,  \  197,  a. 

"pKnn  is  an-.  \ey.  The  root  "pK  seems  related  to  "ISH 
whereby  the  meaning  is  approximated  "to  turn  one's- 
self,  to  roll,  whirl  "  (comp.  Judg.  vii.  13) :  "  they  whirled 


GRAMMATICAL. 

.up  in  height  of  the  smoke."    The  construction  is  analo- 
gous to  jViyi  TDEf   fhy  v.  6;  xxxiv.  13;    Prov.  xxiv. 

•-T  '    T  T     T 

31. J"HNJ  must  be  regarded  as  accusative,  and  of  that 

species  that  follows  verbs  of  fulness.    The  expression 
\WV  filKJ  recalls  DTI  7HKJ  Ps.  Ixxxix.  10. 

T~  , 

On  ver.  18.  rjj"\^'  J  air.  Aey.  "  burnt  up,  charred."    ;0n 

often  with  *~?y  ;  Exod.  ii.  6 ;  1  Sam.  xv.  3,  9,  15 ;  xxiii.  21, 
etc.    Here  b#  stands  for  ^X  as  Jer.  1. 14  ;  li.  3. 
On  ver.  19.  TIj  means  secuit,  and  is  used  of  cutting 

-T 

through  the  middle  a  living  body  (1  Kings  iii.  25  sq.)  or 

a  dead  one  (2  Kings  vi.  4),  comp.  i~PU3  "  a  cutting  im- 

T"  :  - 

plement,"  2  Sam.  xii.  31.    It  is  better  then  to  translate 
it,  "  to  hew,"  than  "  to  bite." 

On  ver.  20.  The  accusatives  D^BX-nK,  n#JD~.nK 
depend  on  iS.DX'1,  whereas  mi!T~ /J,'  depends  on  the 
notion  of  the  hostile  onslaught  that  lies  in  ver.  19  a. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  This  strophe  plainly  divides  into  two  parts. 
In  the  first  (vers.  17-18  a.),  the  dissension  is  de- 
scribed figuratively.     In  the  following,  the  Pro- 
phet himself  explains  the  figure. 

2.  For  wickedness fuel  of  the  fire. 

—Vers.  18  (17)-19  (18).     The  "3  "for"  appears 
to  introduce  the  proof  not  .only  for  ver.  (16  b], 
but  also  for  (16  a).     For  the  impregnation  with 
badne&s,  that  is  declared  of  the  whole  people,  ver. 
(16),  displays  itself  as  real,  if  its  condition  may  be 
compared   to    an    all -devouring     conflagration. 
The  badness  burns  like  fire;  not  as  a  fire  that 
devours  only  thorns  and  thistles  (comp.,  on  ver. 
6)  the  lowlier  products  of  the  open  field,  but  also 
the  thickets  (the  standing  timber,  x.  34),  of  the 
forests,  consequently  seiees  on  the  entire  vegeta- 
tion of  the  land,  high  and  low.     The  fire  of  ver. 
17  is  the  fire  of  sin,  consequently  a  fire  hateful 
to  God,  and  which  therefore  bears  no  blessing  in 
it,  but  a  curse.     The  Prophet  therefore  can  say 
that  the  effect  of  this  fire  is  at  the  same  time  an 
effect  of  divine  wrath.     This  effect  is  that  the 
land  looks  burnt  up,  charred,  while  the  people 
dwelling  in  it  are  become  food  of  the  fire.      So 
far  the  figure. 

4.  No  man  shall  spare --stretched  out 

still.  —  Ver.  19  6  (18) -21  (2J).  With  these 
words  the  Prophet  explains  the  figure.  It 
is  plain  that  he  means  the  fire  of  dissension. 
This  he  first  characterizes  negatively  by  saying, 
that  one  behaves  himself  pitilessly,  unsparingly 
against  the  other;  then  positively  by  describing 
how  the  rough,  selfish  men  direct  their  attacks 
now  on  the  right,  now  on  the  left.  But  these  at- 


tacks do  no  good :  for  those  attacking  get  no 
blessing  thereby ;  they  remain  hungry  after  as 
well  as  before.  They  do  harm  in  fact.  For  it 
appears  that  those  men  of  violence  have  raged 
against  themselves,  and  (comp.  Jer.  xix.  9)  have, 
so  to  speak,  devoured  their  own  flesh.  In  what 
sense  he  means  this,  the  Prophet  explains  ver. 
21  (20)  a:  The  tribes  of  the  northern  kingdom 
were  divided  among  themselves,  but  united  for 
hostility  against  Judah.  It  is  to  be  noticed  that 
he  does  not  say ;  Israel  and  Judah  were  mutually 
hostile;  but  names  only  Ephraim  and  Manasseh 
as  embroiled  in  mutual  strife.  Judah,  however, 
appears  outside  of  their  communion  and  the  ob- 
ject of  their  common  hatred,  while,  moreover, 
there  is  no  reference  to  a  hostility  of  Judah 
against  Israel.  Thus  it  appears  that  the  Prophet 
represents  the  flames  of  discord  as  raging  only 
in  the  bounds  of  the  Ten  Tribes.  This  is  another 
proof  that  the  entire  passage,  ix.  7 — x.  4  is  di- 
rected only  against  the  northern  kingdom.  Ma- 
nasseh and  Ephraim  are  mentioned  because  these 
two  tribes  were  descendants  of  uterine  brothers, 
the  sons  of  Joseph.  From  of  old  there  was 
jealousy  between  these  tribes  (comp.  1  Sam.  x. 
27  ;  2  Sam.  xx.  1 ;  1  Kings  xii.  16 ;  xv.  27  sqq. ; 
xvi.  21  sqq.  ;  2  Kings  ix.  14,  etc.).  From  the 
first  the  Ten  Tribes  were  little  inclined  to  David's 
dynasty  (2  Sam.  ii.  8  sqq.)  ;  but  their  own  his- 
tory is  a  continued  alternation  of  conspiracy  and 
murder.  It  may  be  said  that  the  Israelites  did 
themselves  more  harm  than  all  foreign  foes  could 
ever  have  done.  Thus  dissension  was  the  de- 
struction of  Israel.  And  still  even  this  is  not 
the  last  stage  of  the  divine  judgment. 


4.   INJUSTICE  AND  VIOLENCE  FILL  UP  THE  MEASURE  AND  PRECIPITATE 
ISRAEL  INTO  THE  HORRORS  OF  EXILE. 

CHAPTER  X.  1-4. 

WOE  unto  them  that  decree  unrighteous  decrees, 
•And  that  write  grievousness  which  they  have  prescribed ; 
2  lo  turn  aside  the  needy  from  judgment, 

And  to  take  away  the  right  from  the  poor  of  my  people, 


CHAP.  X.  1-4. 


149 


That  widows  may  be  their  prey, 
And  that  they  may  rob  the  fatherless ! 

3  And  what  will  ye  do  in  the  day  of  visitation, 
And  in  the  desolation  which  shall  come  from  far  ? 
To  whom  will  ye  flee  for  help? 

And  where  will  ye  leave  your  glory  ? 

4  Without1"  me  they  shall  bow  down  "under  the  prisoners, 
And  they  shall  fall  "under  the  slain. 

For  all  this  his  auger  is  not  turned  away, 
'But  his  hand  -is  stretched  out  still. 


1  Or,  to  the  writers  that  write  grievousness. 
»  And  writing  evil  they  write. 


(Nothing)  except  to  bow  among. 


among. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  1.  '1H  comp.  on  i.  4.    Because  of  this  ''in, 
which  seems  to  correspond  to  that  in  ver.  5,  this  last 

section  has  been  incorporated  in  the  chap.  x. ppH 

is  "to  hoe,  hoe  into,  hew  into,  dig  into"  (xxx.  8;  xlix. 
16),  then  (mediately,  through  the  notion  of  digging  or 
graving  in  decrees  into  the  tables  of  the  laws)  "  to  es- 
tablish, decree  "  (xxxiii.  22).  The  participle  pph  oc- 
curs again  xxii.  16  and  Judg.  v.  9. D'PPH  (again  only 

I -IT-: 
Judg.  v.  15)  means  the  same  as  D'pn.    As  to  the  form, 

see  EWALD,  2  186  sq. J1X  frequent'  in  Isa.  i.  13  ;  xxix. 

IVI 

20;  xxxi.  2;  Iviii.  9;  lix.  G,  7,  etc. The  second  clause 

of  ver.  1  can  be  variously  construed:  Either,  "And 
writing  harm  they  write,"  or:  "Andiwoeto)  the  writers 
that  write  harm."  I  prefer  the  former  [which  ABEX 
EZHA  and  J.  A.  ALEXANDER  adopt  because  the  accents  re- 
quire Soj?  to  be  governed  by  DOrOO-— TE.]  l)Because 
the  quick  return  to  the  temp,  finitum  is  a  peculiarity 
of  Hebrew  (comp.  the  second  clause  of  ver.  26);  2)  be- 
cause, otherwise,  one  might  expect  DOFODni-  More- 
over, according  to  this  explanation,  'in  relates  equally 
to  the  second  clause  of  the  verse:  only  it  is  to  be  sub- 
ordinated to  the  first.  3P3  Piel,  which  is  found  only 
here,  is  evidently  intensive,  meaning  an  occupation  of 
writing  significant  for  quality  as  well  as  quantity.  We 
might  conjecture  that  we  have  here  a  trace  of  mis- 
chievous, bureaucratic  clerical  administration. 

On  ver.  2.    TT3   HltDn  only  here;    it  is  commoner 
to  say  t33K/p  fil^n  Exod.  xxiii.  6 ;  Deut.  xvi.  19,  etc., 

'D  rnrnN  'tan  P«>V.  xvn.  23  m  pny  'DH 


GRAMMATICAL. 

xviii.  5,  or  simply  pH¥  '£3n  Amos  v.  12;  comp.   Isa. 

xxix.  21. *7TJ  only  .here  in  Isaiah. Qp   "jy  again 

xiv.  32. 

On  ver.  3.  The  1  before  n?D  has  evidently  an  adver- 
sative sense :  ye  are  shrewd  and  busy  in  violence  and 
robbery  (comp.  Piel  3.H3  above)  but  what  will  ye  do, 

etc. 7  before  QV  has  more  than  a  temporal  sense. 

The  inquiry  is  evidently  what  sort  of  action  will  they 
develop  to  ward  off  the  day  of  visitation  and  impending 
ruin.  mp2  found  again  xv.  7  ;  Ix.  17. nJOiy  is  pro- 

T 

cella,  tempestas,  and  is  found  again  xlvii.  11.  The  word 
is  usually  joined  with  &O3,  Prov.  i.  26;  iii.  25;  Ezek. 

xxxviii.  9. *13~/y  for  ^"/K,  a  usage  very  frequent 

in  Jeremiah  (comp.  x.  1)  and  not  unusual  in  Isa.  (comp. 
ver.  25  ;  xi.  8 ;  xxii.  15  ;  xxiv.  22 ;  xxix.  11,  12  ;  xxxvi.  12). 
On  ver.  4.  TT7D  (found  again  xiv.  6 ;  xlviii.  9)  after  a 
foregoing  negation,  which  must  be  supplied  here  as  a 
negative  reply  to  lt^J,'il  no  ver.  3,  is  equivalent  to 
praeter,  nisi,  "except"  (Gen.  xxi.  26;  xlvii.  18  Exod. 

xxii.  19,  etc.,  EWALD,  g  356. jH.3  impersonal,  "one 

bows  himself"  (eomp.  vi.  10). The  phrase  nn/"\  S3J 

Hn  cannot  mean  either:  "lie  among  the  fallen,"  nor, 
"  fall  under  one  slain,"  for  the  latter  is  hardly  conceiv- 
able. It  must  mean  "fall  among  the  slain."  One  knocked 
dead  may  precipitate  himself  on  one  still  living,  and, 
when  this  happens  wholesale,  the  situation  of  those 
alive  under  the  slain  is  frightful.  In  this  trait,  too, 
there  seems  to  me  presented  a  contrast  with  the  former 
glory  (ver.  3)  and  power  (vers.  1  and  2)  of  those  ad- 
dressed. 


EXEGETIOAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  "Woe  unto  them the  fatherless. — 

Vers.  1,  2.  We  might  suppose  that  we  have  here 
a  trace  of  mischievous,  bureaucratic  clerical  ad- 
ministration. See  above  in  Text,  and  Gramm. — 
Ver.  2.  names  the  object  that  bureaucratic  admi- 
nistration pursues.  It  is  a  negative  and  a  posi- 
tive. First  they  aim  at  excluding  the  lowly  from 
justice  as  much  as  possible,  or  to  rob  them  of  the 
benefits  of  justice  that  are  their  rights.  This  ne- 
gative proceeding  has  the  further  aim  of  making 
themselves  possessors  of  the  property  of  widows 
and  orphans.  For  substance  comp.  i.  21  sq.;  iii. 
13  sq. 

2.  And  what  will  ye  do stretched  out 

still. — Vers.  3,  4.    The    storm   is  described    as 
coming  from  a  distance,  because  the  Prophet,  as 
ver.  4  shows,  means  by  this  figure  the  exile,  whose 
agent  will  be  a  people  that  comes  from  far  (v.  26; 


vi.  11  sq.;  Jer.  v.  15,  etc.).  "To  whom  will  ye 
flee,"  is  an  allusion  to  the  disposition  so  often  re- 
proved by  the  Prophet  to  seek  aid  from  foreign 
nations.  "N3D,  according  to  the  context,  can  only 
mean  what  those  addressed,  i.  e.,  the  powerful 
among  the  people,  regard  as  their  "glory,"  i.e., 
the  ornament  and  adornment  of  their  life,  viz., 
their  treasures,  valuables,  etc.  The  description  is 
drastic:  the  hostile  storm  bursts,  the  panic-stricken 
flee,  their  valuables  they  seek  to  leave  behind  in 
a  secure  place.  The  reply  to  the  question  ''what 
will  ye  do?"  etc.  is  given  ironically  in  ver.  4.  Ye 
can  do  nothing,  says  the  Prophet,  except,  etc. 
The  lot  of  those  addressed  here  will  be  worse  than 
that  of  the  other  captives  and  slain.  Whether  in 
prison  or  in  the  train  of  those  led  away,  the  other 
captives  will  tread  them  under  foot.  Once  they 
were  honorable  and  powerful.  Then  they  were 


150 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


dreaded  (vers.  1,  2).  Now  the  first  that  comes,  in 
whose  way  they  stand,  treads  them  under  foot. 
Others  of  them  fall  in  war,  and  the  slain  fall  on 
them  and  cover  them  with  their  bodies.  Though 
in  some  sense  the  exile  is  the  greatest  theocratic 


punishment,  still  that  catastrophe  is  in  itself  not 
the  extreme.  For  the  question  arises:  how  long 
will  the  exile  last?  To  Judah  restoration  is  pro- 
mised after  70  years  (Jer.  xxv.  11).  In  the  case 
of  Israel  there  is  no  certain  mention  of  the  sort. 


C.-ASSYKIA'S  DESTRUCTION  THE  SALVATION  OF  ISRAEL. 


CHAP.  X. 

This  address  is  related  to  the  two  that  precede 
as  bright  day  to  dark  night.  After  Israel  is  com- 
pelled to  hear  that  the  same  Assyria  to  which  Ju- 
dah's  king  had  appealed  for  help  shall  be  the  in- 
strument of  his  severe  chastisement,  now  Assyria 
must  hear  that  the  Lord  will  destroy  His  instru- 
ment, because  it  fulfilled  its  mission,  not  in  the 
mind  of  God,  but  in  the  sense  of  its  own  bru- 
tal lusts,  and  with  proud  boasting  about  its  own 
might.  Out  of  the  toils  of  the  world-power, 
whose  totality  Assyria  represents  here,  shall  re- 
deemed Israel  return  home.  Out  of  the  almost 
dried  up  root  of  the  race  of  David  shall  a  sprout 
grow  up  that  shall  set  up  a  kingdom  which  shall 
pervade  and  rule  all  nations  with  the  spirit  of 
peace. 

As  regards  the  time  of  the  composition  of  this 
prophecy,  it  must  be  noticed,  first  of  all,  that  x. 
5-34  did  not  originate  at  the  same  time  with 
chapters  xi.  and  xii.  Concerning  x.  5-34,  every 
thing  depends  on  whether  the  passage  x.  9-11  is 
understood  in  the  sense  of  an  ideal  or  an  actual 
time  past.  VITRINGA,  CASPARI,  DRECHSLER, 
DELITZSCH  take  the  view  that  the  destruction  of 
Samaria,  that  took  place  in  the  sixth  year  of  He- 
zekiah,  appears  as  a  past  event  in  our  passage 
only  in  the  contemplation  of  the  Prophet.  I  can- 
not join  in  this  view.  The  reasoning  of  the  Pro- 
phet must  have  been  without  meaning  and  effect 
to  his  hearers  if  the  conquest  of  the  cities  Carche- 
mish,  Calno,  Arpad,  Hamath,  Damascus  and  Sa- 
maria were  not  at  that  time  an  accomplished  fact 
and  well  known  to  all  contemporaries.  In  addi- 
tion, the  messengers  of  Sennacherib,  according  to 
xxxvi.  18  sq.;  xxxvii.  11  sq.,  really  boasted  thus. 
Nowhere  in  chap.  x.  is  Ephraim  spoken  of  as  one 
that  is  to  be  conquered.  Only  the  conquest  of  Je- 
rusalem is  lacking  in  order  to  let  the  destroying 
work  of  Jehovah  on  the  people  of  His  choice  ap- 
pear complete  (x.  12).  Of  course  one  may  say 
that  our  passage  then  belongs  in  the  neighborhood 
of  chapters  xxxvi.  and  xxxvii.  But  those  chap- 
ters, as  they  stand,  are  a  historical  report  com- 
plete in  themselves;  whereas  an  essential  piece, 
forming  a  consolatory  conclusion,  is  lacking  to 
the  cycle  of  prophecies  affecting  Assyria,  which 
begins  chap,  vii.,  if  x.  5  sq.  does  not  belong  to  it. 
As  long  as  we  have  no  proof  that  the  passage  x. 
9-11  is  not  to  be  understood  of  things  historically 
past,  I  can  only  assume  that  the  Prophet  com- 
bined the  later  address  with  the  earlier,  in  order 
to  give  to  that  earlier  the  suitable  conclusion. 
Concerning  chap.  xi.  we  have  a  datum  for  deter- 
mining the  period  of  its  composition  in  the  short 
prophecy  against  Philistia,  xiv.  28-32.  This 
short  passage  lives  in  the  sphere  of  ideas  of  chap, 
xi.  In  fact,  without  chap.  xi.  it  is  not  at  all  in- 
telligible. On  the  contrary,  we  learn  from  xiv. 


5— XII.  1. 

28  that  Isaiah  recognized  in  Hezekiah  in  a  cer- 
tain sense  "the  root"  (Bhtf)  or  "branch"  pW)— 
through  which  the  kingdom  of  David  was  to 
spring  up  with  new  life.  The  passage  xiv.  28-32 
was  written  in  the  year  of  Ahaz's  death  (728). 
The  young  king  Hezekiah  is  described  there  as 
"the  basilisk"  (#J?>')  that  shall  proceed  from  "the 
root  of  the  serpent"  (ZZ'rU  VJ~W}.  It  is  known 
that  Messianic  hopes  were  connected  with  Heze- 
kiah (comp.  DELITZSCH  on  vii.  14  sq.  and  ix.  6) ; 
how  far  Isaiah  shared  them  we  know  not.  At  all 
events  chap.  xi.  was  written  after  the  death  of 
Ahaz,  and  just  as  the  hopeful  Hezekiah  ascended 
the  throne  (728  B.  C.).  Chap.  xii.  is  a  doxology 
that  certainly  belongs  to  that  period  in  which  the 
whole  prophetic  cycle,  chaps,  vii. -xii.  were  put 
together. 

In  accordance  with  this  combination,  the  dis- 
course plainly  subdivides  into  three  principal 
parts,  and  each  principal  part  again  into  three 
subdivisions,  so  that  three  forms  the  underlying 
number.  In  the  first  part  is  Assyria,  in  the  se- 
cond Israel,  in  the  third  the  Messiah,  the  chief 
subject.  The  chief  traits  of  the  discourse  may  be 
represented  in  the  following  scheme : — 

ASSYRIA'S     DESTRUCTION     THE     SALVATION     OF 
ISRAEL  (chap.  x.  5-xii.  6). 

I.  Woe  against  Assyria  (x.  5-19). 

1.  Woe  to  the  instrument  that  does  not  exe- 
cute the  will  of  God  according  to  the  mind 
of  God    (x.  5-11). 

2.  Woe  to  the  instrument  that  knew  not  that 
it  was  an  instrument   (x.  12-15). 

3.  The  execution  of  the  woe  (x.  16-19). 

II.  Israel's  redemption  in  general  (x.  20-34). 

1.  The  believing  remnant  of  Israel  returns  out 
of  the  shattered  world-power  (x.  20-23). 

2.  The  condemned  world-power  is  also  not  to 
be  feared  in  the  present  (x.  24-27). 

3.  The   impetuous   onset   of   the   condemned 
world-power  in  the  light  of  its  final  ruin 
(x.  28-34). 

III.  Israel's  redemption  in  relation  to  the  Mes- 
siah (xi.  1-xii.  6). 

1.  From  the  apparently  dried  up  root  of  the 
house  of  David  shall  go  forth  a  sprout  that 
shall   found  a  kingdom   of  most  glorious 
peace  (xi.  1-9). 

2.  The  return  of  Israel  takes  place  only  when 
the  Messiah  has  appeared  and  the  heathen 
have  gathered  to  Him  (xi.  10-16^. 

3.  Israel's  song  of  praise  for  the  wrath  and  the 
grace  of  his  God  (xii.  1-6). 


CHAP.  X.  5-11. 


151 


I.  WOE  AGAINST  ASSYRIA. 
CHAPTER  X.  5-19. 

1.    WOE  TO  THE  INSTRUMENT  THAT  DOES  NOT  EXECUTE  THE  WILL 
OF  GOD  ACCOEDING  TO  THE  MIND  OF  GOD. 

CHAPTER  X.  5-11. 

5  1O  "Assyrian,  the  rod  of  mine  anger, 

3aAud  the  staff  in  their  hand  is  mine  indignation. 

6  I  will  send  him  against  an  bhypocritical  nation, 

And  against  the  people  of  my  wrath  will  I  give  him  a  charge, 

GTo  take  the  spoil,  and  to  take  the  prey, 

And  Ho  tread  them  down  like  the  mire  of  the  streets. 

7  Howbeit  he  meaneth  not  so, 
Neither  doth  his  heart  think  so  ; 
But  it  is  in  his  heart  to  destroy 
And  cut  off  nations  not  a  few. 

8  For  he  saith, 

Are  not  my  princes  altogether  kings? 

9  Is  not  Calno  as  Carchemish  ? 
Is  not  Hamath  as  Arpad  ? 

Is  not  Samaria  as  Damascus  ? 

10  As  my  hand  hath  found  the  kingdoms  of  the  idols, 

dAnd  whose  graven  images  did  excel  them  of  Jerusalem  and  of  Samaria ; 

11  Shall  I  not,  as  I  have  done  unto  Samaria  and  her  idols, 
So  do  to  Jerusalem  and  her  "idols  ? 


1  Or,  Woe  to  the  Assyrian. 

8  Or,  though. 

»  And  in  whose  hand  my  fury  in  a  staff. 

«  To  plunder  plunder,  and  to  prey  prey. 

•  carved  images. 

TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  5.  As  remarked  at  ver.  1,  this  'in  occasioned 
the  existing  arrangement  of  the  chapter.  What  we 
have  said  concerning  the  origin  of  ix.  7 — x.  4,  and  x.  5- 
xii.,  shows  that  this  coincidence  of  the  'in  is  acci- 
dental. The  expression  1£)K  133W  is  clear.  It  is  found 
only  here.  Analogous  is  1,TPpJ7  £03^  Prov.  xxii.  8; 

Lam.  iii.  1 ;  comp.  Prov.  xxii.  15  ;  Job  ix.  34;  xxi.  9. 

The  second  clause  is  difficult.  The  translation:  "The 
staff  which  in  their  hand,  is  the  staff  of  my  anger  "  (Gs- 
SENIUS)  is  grammatically  incorrect.  For  then  TtJ/K  must 
not  be  wanting  before  Xin«  Quite  as  grammatically 
impossible  is  that  of  HENDEWEUK  and  KNOBEI,  who 
point  nt3O  and  connect  it,  across  DT2  Kin  as  *  pa- 
renthesis, with  'DJ7T :  "  and  the  staff  of  my  arger,  it  is 
in  their  hand."  To  treat  DT3  Kin  as  a  gloss,  like  HIT- 
ZIG,  EWALD,  I.  Edit,  and  DIESTEL  do,  is  violence.  Only 
that  rendering  is  grammatically  possible  that  takes 
'O^T  as  subject,  and  what  precedes  as  predicate.  Then 
Kin  only  serves  to  mark  ni3O  as  predicate.  For,  were 
it  not  there,  it  would  not  be  known  which  of  the  two 
words  ntOD  and  'DVT  is  subject,  and  which  predicate. 


*  Heb.  Asshur. 

*  Heb.  to  lay  them  a  treading. 
b  unclean. 

4  And  yet  their  graven  images  excelled  them,  etc. 

GRAMMATICAL. 

Comp.  e.g.  t^33n  fc^n  D"in  Deut.  xii. 23. D.J7T  beside 

here,  is  found  ver.  25  ;  xiii.  5  ;  xxvi.  20  ;  xxx.  27. 

On  ver.  G.  f|jn  comp.  on  ix.  16. ni¥  like  Jer.  xiv. 

14 ;  xxiii.  32,  with  bx  xxvii.  4. 

On  ver.  7.  Piel  nrST  is  found  also  xiv.  24;  xl.  18,  25  ; 

T      ' 

xlvi.  25 ;  but  is  used  in  the  last  three  texts  in  the  sense 
of  "  to  make  like,  compare,"  in  which  sense  Hithp.  ("  to 
make  one's-self  like  ")  is  used  xiv.  14. 
On  ver.  10.  K¥3  with  S  like  ver.  14;  Ps.  xxi.  9;  comp. 

T  T       t  : 

1  Sam.  xxiii.  17.  D^TDS  are  "carved  images;"  comp. 
xxi.  9;  xxx.  22;  xii.  8.  Before  D'btJ'I'V  is  to  be  sup- 
plied 'S'p3D  comp.  v.  29  ;  xiii.  4. 

On  ver.  11.  The  D'3¥.V  (>n  Isaiah  again  only  xlvi.  1) 
are  not  essentially  different  from  D^Tpi)-  For  as  the 
underlying  meaning  of  ^03  is  caedere,  caedendo  fingere 
(Exod.  xxxiv.  1,  4;  Deut.  x.  1,  2  ;  1  Kings  v.  32),  so,  too, 

3yy,  (kindred  to  3¥fl,  DXp)  originally  meant  caedere, 

~~  T        ~ IT 
secare,  "  to  cut  out,  to  shape  by  hewing  "  (Job  x.  8  ;  Jer. 

xliv.  19). 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  LORD  denounces  woe  against  Assyria 
that  is  to  be  the  instrument  of  His  judgments 
(ver.  5).  For  He  sent  him  against  Israel  (ver. 
6),  but  Assyria  did  not  execute  the  mission  in 


the  spirit  in  which  he  was  commissioned,  but  in 
the  spirit  of  his  brutal  and  insatiable  greed  of 
conquest  (ver.  7).  This  his  sentiment  appears 
in  the  grounds  he  assigns  for  his  confidence  that 


152 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


he  will  make  conquest  of  Jerusalem:  1)  his 
princes  are  all  of  them  kings,  which  gives  a  mea- 
sure of  the  extent  of  his  might  ;  2)  a  row  of  con- 
quests of  great  cities  proves  his  invincibility 
Having  conquered  kingdoms  whose  idols  excel 
those  of  Samaria  and  Jerusalem,  he  will  be  able 
to  treat  Jerusalem  as  Samaria  (8-11). 

2.  "Woe  unto  Assyria  -  not  a  few.  — 
Vers.  5-7.  The  pivot  on  which  the  whole  of 
the  following  announcement  turns,  is  that  the 
LORD  denounces  woe  against  the  instrument  of 
His  wrath.  In  ver.  5  (see  Text,  and  Gram.),  the 
Prophet  expresses  the  thought  that  not  only  is 
Aa»yria  the  rod  of  God's  anger,  but  that  the 
anger  of  God  is  also  the  staff,  as  it  were,  the 
magician's  staff  (comp.  vers.  24,  26,  where  allusion 
ia  evidently  to  the  rod  of  Moses)  in  the  hand  of 
Assyria.  This  turn  of  the  image  need  give  no 
surprise  in  our  artistic  Prophet.  How  far  Assy- 
ria is  used  as  a  rod  is  explained,  ver.  6.  He  is 
to  be  commissioned  against  the  impure  people, 
that  on  account  of  this  impurity  are  objects  of 
divine  wrath,  as  it  were  on  an  official  mission,  to 
rob  and  trample  down  Israel,  that  they  may  be- 
come as  the  mire  of  the  streets  (vii.  25),  comp. 
Jer.  li.  20  sqq.  Assyria  will  indeed  trample 
down  Israel,  and  as  many  other  nations  as  possi- 
ble, but  not  in  order  to  execute  the  purpose  of 
Jehovah  on  them,  but  only  to  gratify  his  own 
lust  for  world-conquest. 

3.  For  he  said  --  her  idols.  —  Vers.  8-11. 
Assyria  confides  only  in  his  own  strength.  He 
has  no  suspicion  that  he  is  Jehovah's  instrument, 
the  rod  of  His  anger.  Hence  he  enumerates  the 
facts  that  justify  his  hope  of  easily  subduing 
Israel.  First,  his  princes  are  kings  (comp.  2  Kings 
xxv.  28).  When  such  have  only  second  rank  in 
the  army  of  the  great  king  of  Assyria  (xxxvi. 
4)  how  wide  must  be  his  dominion.  His  second 
ground  of  confidence  is  past  great  successes. 
Three  pairs  of  conquered  cities  are  named.  The 
conquest  of  one  is  premised  as  an  event  that  made 
sure  that  the  next  one  named  must  in  turn  suc- 
cumb. "  Is  not  Calno  like  Carchemish  ?"  Car- 
chemish  was  a  city  on  an  island  in  the  Euphrates 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Chaboras,  called  by  the 
Komans  Circesium,  Circessum,  Circusium,  Jer. 
xlvi.  2-12  ;  2  Chr.  xxxv.  20,  and  appears  from 
the  text  to  have  been  subdued  earlier  than  Calno. 
The  latter  is  calle 


uj)  Gen.  x.  10;  and 
Amos.  vi.  2  :  perhaps  the  J133  of  Ezek.  xxvii. 
23  is  the  same  city.  It  lay  North-east  twenty 
hours  from  Babylon  on  the  East  bank  of  the  Tigris 
opposite  Seleucia,  and  belonged'  to  Babylon. 
Rebuilt  at  a  later  day  by  the  Persian  king  Pa- 
corus  (90  B.  c.),  it  received  the  name  Ctesiphon. 
Thus  Carchemish  and  Calno  were  two  cities  of 
Mesopotamia.  Did  Calno  become  as  Carchemish, 
it  appears  that  the  conquest  of  the  latter  was  not 
merely  a  happy  chance,  but  the  proof  of  the  ex- 
istence of  a  real  power,  which  in  every  like  case 
will  conquer  in  like  manner.  Arpad  is  men- 
tioned xxxvi.  19;  xxxvii.  13;  Jer.  xlix.  23;  2 
Kings  xvm.  34  ;  xix.  13.  The  classics  do  not 
mention  the  city.  According  to  the  Arabian  geo- 
grapher MARARSID,  (comp.  KNOBEL  in  foe.),  an 


NoHh        ,  ^,  ePP° 

North-west  from  the  latter  place.     According  to 

KIEPKRT  (D.  M.  0.  XXV.  p.  655)  Arpad  ky  3 


German  miles  north  of  Haleb  on  the  spot  where 
is  found  at  present  the  ruins  of  Tel  Erfad.  In 
every  passage  where  Arpad  is  mentioned,  Hamath 
is  found  too.  But,  beside  thai,  Hamath  is  often 
mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament.  According  to 
Num.  xxxiv.  8  the  northern  border  of  the  land  to 
be  possessed  by  the  Israelites,  was  to  extend  to 
Hamath,  which,  according  to  2  Kings  xiv.  25, 
28 ;  comp.  2  Chr.  viii.  4,  was  actually  the  case  at 
limes.  Comp.,  beside  Amos,  vi.  2,  14.  The  city 
lay  on  the  Orontes  and  was  called  later  Epi- 
phania.  Arpad  and  Hamath  were  thus  Syrian 
cities  lying  nearer  the  Holy  Land. 

Damascus  and  Samaria  lay  still  nearer  Judah. 
After  naming  three  pairs  of  names  of  conquered 
cities  as  proof  of  the  irresistibleness  of  Assyria, 
the  Prophet  could  simply  proceed  ;  so  will  Jeru- 
salem, too,  be  unable  to  resist.  But  three 
thoughts  suggest  themselves,  which  he  would  ex- 
press before  that  conclusion.  First,  that  the  idols 
of  the  conquered  heathen  cities  surpassed  the 
(supposed)  idols  of  Jerusalem  and  Samaria. 
Second,  the  point  that  Samaria  is  already  con- 
quered ;  and  third,  the  thought  that  Samaria  and 
Jerusalem,  may  just  as  well  be  set  in  a  pair  as 
Carchemish  and  Calno,  Arpad  and  Hamath, 
Damascus  and  Samaria.  Now  the  Prophet  might, 
of  course,  have  said:  as  I  have  conquered  the 
heathen  kingdoms,  whose  idols  surpass  those  of 
Samaria  and  Jerusalem,  and  as  I  have  subdued 
Samaria  itself,  shall  I  not  be  able  just  so  to  sub- 
due Jerusalem  ?  But  then  Samaria  would  belong 
to  the  premise,  and  Jerusalem  would  alone  form 
the  apodosis,  and  there  would  be  lacking  con- 
formity to  the  pairs  before  named.  Hence  he 
combines  Samaria  and  Jerusalem  together  in  the 

apodosis,  beginning  with  fcOjl  '' shall  I  not,"  ver. 
11,  but  forms  again  within  this  apodosis,  another 
protasis  and  apodosis,  whereby,  of  course,  the 
construction  becomes  abnormal ;  but  still  the 
thought  is  expressed  that  Samaria  and  Jerusalem 
should  join  as  a  fourth  comparison,  to  the  fore- 
going three.  It  is  to  be  noticed  that  our  passage 
assumes  the  conquest  of  Samaria,,  by  the  Assy- 
rians (722  B.  c.).  According  to  2  Kings  xvi.  9, 
Tiglath-Pileser  subdued  Damascus.  Samaria  fell 
by  Shalmaneser,  according  to  2  Kings  xvii.  5 
cq.,  but  according  to  the  Assyrian  monuments  by 
Sargon,  in  the  third  year  of  the  siege.  It  was 
long  after,  that  Rabshakeh  actually  used  the  lan- 
guage against  Judah  (xxxvi.  18  sqq. ;  xxxvii. 
10  sqq.),  that  Isaiah  here  prophetically  puts  into 
;he  mouth  of  the  Assyrian.  Perhaps  Isaiah  had 
liere  in  mind,  what  Amos  (vi.  1  sqq.),  at  an 
earlier  period  held  up  to  the  people,  though  it 
must  remain  in  doubt,  whether  Isaiah  means  the 
same  conquest  of  Hamath  and  Arpad,  that  Amos 
refers  to.  Moreover,  nothing  more  is  known  of 
he  conquest  of  the  cities  Carchemish,  Calno, 
tlamath  and  Arpad,  by  the  Assyrians.  But 
comp.  on  xxx vi.  19.  That  the  Assyrian  speaks  of 

r7KPI  fnaSptJ  6'Sn  as  collective  in  the  singu- 
ar)  "  the  kingdoms  of  the  idols  ''  is  a  Judaism. 
The  Prophet  presents  the  Assyrian  as  making  a 
distinction  between  idolatrous  kingdoms  and 
.srael,  the  monotheistic:  whereas,  the  Assyrian 
tnows  nothing  of  monotheism,  and  afterwards 
speaks  of  the  idols  and  images  of  Samaria  and  J«- 


CHAP.  X.  12-15. 


153 


rusalem.  Moreover  the  Prophet  describes  them 
as  "nothings"  (comp.  ii.  8,  18,20;  xix.  3;  xxxi. 
7)  whereas  the  Assyrian  by  no  means  regarded 
them  80 ;  for  he  held  them  all  to  be  superter- 


restrial  powers  ;  only  he  maintained  a  distinction 
among  them  in  respect  to  power.  Thus  we  see 
how  Isaiah  suffered  here  some  mixing  of  his 
point  of  view  with  that  of  the  Assyrian. 


2.   WOE  TO  THE  INSTRUMENT  THAT  KNEW  NOT  THAT  IT  WAS  AN  INSTRU- 
MENT.    CHAPTER  X.  12-15. 

12  WHEREFORE  it  shall  come  to  pass, 

That  when  the  LORD  hath  performed  his  whole  work 

Upon  Mount  Zion  and  on  Jerusalem, 

I  will  'punish  the  fruit  of  the  stout  heart  of  the  king  of  Assyria, 

And  the  glory  of  his  high  looks. 

13  For  he  saith, 

By  the  strength  of  my  hand  I  have  done  it, 

And  by  my  wisdom  ;  for  I  am  prudent : 

And  I  have  removed  the  bounds  of  the  people, 

And  have  robbed  their  treasures, 

And  I  have  aput  down  the  inhabitants  2like  a  valiant  man : 

14  And  my  hand  hath  found  as  a  nest  the  riches  of  the  people : 
And  as  one  gathereth  eggs  that  are  left, 

Have  I  gathered  all  the  earth ; 

And  there  is  none  that  moved  the  wing,  or  opened  the  mouth,  or  peeped. 

15  Shall  the  ax  boast  itself  against  him  that  heweth  therewith  ? 
Or  shall  the  saw  magnify  itself  against  him  that  shaketh  it  ? 
3As  if  the  rod  should  shake  itself  against  them  that  lift  it  up, 
Or  as  if  the  staff  should  lift  up  4itself,  as  if  it  were  no  wood. 


1  Heb.  visit  upon  the  fruit  of  the  greatness  of  the  heart. 
8  Or,  As  if  a  rod  should  shake  them  that  lift  it  up. 
»  Have  felled  those  enthroned  as  a  bull. 


2  Or,  like  mami  people. 

*  Or,  that  which  is  not  wood. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


On  ver.  12. 


is  scindere,  abscindere  ;  hence  "  to 


make  an  end,  complete."  It  is  found  once  more  in  Isa. 
xxxviii.  12,  and  in  the  sense  abscindere.  There  is  ground 
for  rendering  y¥y  as  fut.  exactum:  for  Tp2X,  etc.  will 
take  place  only  when  Assyria  shall  have  executed  his 
task.  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  Hebrew  imperfect 
can  have  the  meaning  of  the/«<.  exact.  ;  comp.  e.  g.  Gon. 
xliv.  10,  23;  1  Kings  viii.  35.  But  it  makes  a  difference 
whether  the  fut.  exact,  is  expressed  by  the  perfect  or 
imperfect.  In  the  latter  case  the  original  imperfect 
meaning  will  still  cling  to  it.  The  transaction  spoken 
of  will  not  be  represented  as  real  and  accomplished,  but 
only  as  possibly  and  ideally  present.  So,  too,  here. 
There  lies  therefore  in  the  imperfect  a  certain  element 
of  comfort,  as  well  becomes  this  comforting  passage. 
01*1,  comp.  ii.  11,  17. 


On  ver.  13.  The  imperfects  *VKV 


belong  to 


those  isolated  cases  where  the  simple  Vav.  copul.  is  used 
with  the  verbal  ending  unabbreviated  (according  to  cir- 
cumstances) as  a  weakening  (of  course  not  normally)  of 
the  Vav.  conscc.  with  the  abbreviated  verbal  ending. 
These  cases  occur  especially  in  poetry,  in  the  1st  pers. 
ping.,  and  in  periods  comprising  several  clauses.  Comp. 
xliii.  28;  xliv.  19;  xlviii.  3;  Ii.  2;  Ivii.  17;  Ixiii.  3-6;  Ps. 
civ.  32  ;  EWALD,  233  a.  -  K'thibh  "11HJ?  paratum,  opes 
paratae,  only  here  ;  K'ri  T.HJ?  Deut.  xxxii.  35;  Job  iii. 
8.  -  T(iyit>j  is  the  sole  example  of  Poel  of  a  verb  Tl  7  ; 


as  regards  meaning 


xvii.14;  xlii.22.  -  T3fcO 


is  "V3X3,  K'ri  must  be  pronounced  V.3.3.  V3K  ia 
secondary  form  of  T2X  "the  strong  one"  (i.  24;  xlix. 

•    T 

20;  Ix.  16)  ;  "V33  also  means  validus,  poteas,  xvi.  14; 
xvii.  12;  xxviii.  2.  There  exists  here  no  reason  for  de- 
parting from  K'thibh.  To  construe  "V3iO  as  adjunct  of 
the  subject  is  flat,  and  3  then  seems  strange.  To  take 
it  as  adverbial  definition  of  D'3tyV  (bull-like  sitting  on 
thrones,  stiergleich  Thronende,  DELITZSCH)  gives  an  extra- 
ordinary and  displeasing  figure.  If,  with  DUECHSLER, 
we  render  D'3CT  simply  "  inhabitants,"  then  Til  JO 
seems  strangely  used.  It  seems  to  me  best,  therefore, 
to  take  V3JO  as  adjunct  to  the  object:  "I  cast  down 
the  enthroned  as  the  strong  one"  (i.  e.,  the  bull,  comp. 
xxxiv.  7;  Ps.  xxii.  13;  1.  13).  Because  they  are  to  be 
cast  down  they  must  be  sitting  high.  But  they  shall 
be  cast  down  like  the  bull,  i.  e.,  like  one  lays  low  a  bull 
by  a  blow  on  the  forehead.  [J.  A.  ALEXANDER  retains  the 
K'thibh,  and  connects  "V3JO  with  the  subject  meaning 
"  mighty  man  "  =  "like  a  mighty  man  or  hero  that  I 
am,"  and  adds:  "there  is  no  necessity  for  departing 
from  the  less  poetical  but  more  familiar  sense,  inhabi- 
tants, and  bringing  down,  i.  e.,  subduing  "]. 


On  ver.  14. 

familiar  usage. 

On  ver.  15. 


comp.  ver.  10.  -  JpJD  for 

see  viii.  19. 
Hithp.  only  here  in  Isa.  - 


"a'  saw"  is  an-.  Aey.    The  plural  in 


explained 


by  the  collective  construction  of  B3JZ7-  -  ^JH  comp. 
xi.  15  ;  xiii.  2  ;  xix.  16  ;  xxx.  23,  and  x.  32.  -  ]'y~ 
(comp.  xxxi.  8;  Deut.  xxxii.  21)  is  a  bold  antiphrase. 


154 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


1.  "Wherefore  it  shall 
Ver.  12.  In  the  foregoing  strophe  the  Prophet's 
view-point  was  before  the  execution  of  judgment 
on  Jerusalem.  In  this  he  takes  his  view-point 
after  it.  As  before  Assyria  boasted  what  he 
would  do,  here  he  boasts  what  he  lias  done.  For 
what  he  boastfully  promised  to  do  (vers.  8-11) 
lie  actually  accomplished.  But  when  he  has 
done,  then  comes  hi*  hour.  For  then  will  the 
Lord  bring  about  that  fall  that  is  wont  to  attend 
a  haughty  spirit.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  what  As- 
syria is  to  execute  on  Zion  is  called  the  work  of 
Jehovah.  But  as  only  that  work  of  which  Assy- 
ria is  the  instrument  is  rneanl,  "  all  his  work  " 
cannot  be  intended  in  an  absolute  sense,  as  com- 
prehending the  work  of  salvation. — "  The  fruit  of 
haughtiness  of  heart"  is  not  so  much  the  boasting 
and  blasphemy,  but  the  works  that  haughtiness 
has  done.  Coinp.  Dan.  iv.  27  (30),  "Is  not  this 
great  Babylon  that  I  have  built  for  the  house  of 
the  kingdom  ?"  etc.  The  destruction  of  city  and 
kingdom  is  the  destruction  of  the  fruit  of  the 
haughtiness  of  the  ruler. 

The  massing  of  the  nouns  admirably  paints  the 
spouting,  puffed-up  nature  of  haughtiness  (comp. 
xxviii.  1 ;  xxi.  17).  ''  The  loftiness  of  the  eyes," 
i.e.,  self-complacency,  reflected  in  the  eyes,  lends  a 
cortain  refulgence  (mXDH)  to  the  manner  of  a  man. 
But  even  this  illusive  gleam  will  the  Lord  strip  off. 

2.  For  he  saith peeped. — Vers.  13,  14. 

The  Prophet  cannot  reproduce  to  his  hearers  and 
readers  the  actual  fruits  and  that  proud  gleam  of 
haughtiness.  But  he  can  let  that  haughtiness 
express  itself  in  words  by  which  it  may  be  esti- 
mated. These  words  state  that  Assyria  now  main- 
tains that,  as  he  purposed,  so  he  had  also  actually 
accomplished  all  by  his  own  might.  He  boasts 
his  strength  and  his  prudence.  The  power  of 
this  world  is  wise.  According  to  Dan.  vii.  8,  20; 
viii.  25  the  horn  of  the  fourth  beast  has  eyes  like 
the  eyes  of  a  man,  the  symbol  of  prudence  (Comp. 
AUBERLEX,  Der  Prophet  Daniel,  2  Aufl.  p.  50). 
The  children  of  this  world  are  wiser  in  their  wav 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


-high  looks.— 


than  the  children  of  light  (Luke  xvi.  8).  The 
borders  of  the  nations  he  abolished  by  incorporat- 
ing all  in  his  kingdom ;  he  robbed  their  trea- 
sures. Ver.  14  portrays  the  facility  with  which 
Assyria  does  his  work.  The  unskilful  and  inex- 
perienced find  a  bird's  nest  at  best  by  chance. 
The  knowing  and  experienced,  however,  find 
them  as  easily  as  surely.  But  the  Assyrian  com- 
pares his  conquests  not  to  the  easy  work  of  seek- 
ing nests,  but  to  the  much  easier  one  of  gathering 
eggs  from  forsaken  nests.  He  has  so  gathered 
everything  that  came  under  hLs  hand  as  he  went 
through  the  land  (Hab.  ii.  5).  In  a  nest  not  for- 
saken, the  little  owner  makes  a  defence ;  he 
strikes  with  his  wings,  he  opens  his  beak  and 
hisses  at  his  assailant.  But  his  enemies  had  not 
dared  even  to  make  a  bird's  defence. 

3.  Shall  the  axe no  wood. — Ver.  15. 

To  this  senseless  boasting  the  Lord  replies  in 
words  that  set  the  matter  in  a  just  light.  The 
answer  presents  two  pairs  of  parallels  that  repre- 
sent a  gradation.  Without  men  axe  and  saw  can 
do  nothing.  Yet  they  are  indispensable  to  men, 
and  that  may  give  their  self-praise  some  apparent 
justification.  But  that  rod  or  staff  should  lift 
those  that  have  hold  of  them  presents  the  extreme 
of  absurd  presumption.  Yet  this  is  the  extent  of 
Assyria's  blind  presumption,  that  he  not  only 
conceives  that  he  executed  judgment  on  the  na- 
tions without  the  Lord,  but  that  divinity  was 
constrained  to  serve  him.  There  lies  thus  in  the 
second  pair  of  comparisons  a  climax,  and  3  before 
^'JH  does  not  compare  this  second  pair  with  the 
first,  but  with  the  higher  degree  of  stupid  blind- 
ness intimated  in  ver.  14.  The  staff  can  lift  no- 
thing, neither  wood  nor  not- wood.  Of  not-wood 
it  cannot  even  lift  what  is  not  man,  e.  g.  a  stone. 
If  Isaiah,  as  the  context  shows,  by  not-wood 
means  men,  it  is  on  the  supposition  that  the  read- 
er of  himself  will  recognize  the  true  contrast 
(not-wood  but  much  greater)  and  the  (even  pho- 
netic) allusion  to  /X~fcO. 


3.    THE  EXECUTION  OF  THE  WOE. 
CHAPTER  X.  16-19. 

16  THEREFORE  shall  the  LORD,  the  LORD  of  hosts,  send 
Among  his  fat  ones  leanness ; 

And  under  his  glory  he  shall  kindle  a  burning 
Like  the  burning  of  a  fire. 

17  And  the  light  Israel  shall  be  for  a  fire, 
And  his  Holy  One  for  a  flame  : 

And  it  shall  burn  and  devour  his  thorns 
And  his  briers  in  one  day  ; 

18  And  shall  consume  the  glory  of  his  forest,  and  of  his  fruitful  field, 

Both  soul  and  body  : 

And  they  shall  be  as  when"  a  standard-bearer  fainteth. 
9  And  the  rest  of  the  trees  of  his  forest  shall  be  2few, 
That  a  child  may  write  them. 


1  Heb.  from  the  soul,  and  even  to  the  flesh. 
»  a  weakly  person  pines  away. 


2  Heb.  number. 


CHAP.  X.  20-23. 


155 


TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  16.  f  11X71  comp.  ver.  33;  i.  24;  iii.  1  ;  xix.  4. — 
rOfcOV  'JTX  are  found  thus  combined  only  here.  Else- 
where it  is  always  rnjQjf  i~|liT  'J1X,  vers.  23,  24;  iii. 
15;  xxii.  5,  12,  14,  15;  xxviii.  22;  Jer.  ii.  19;  xlvi.  10; 

xlix.  5;    1.  23,  bl. D'^t^TD    are    properly  "the  fat 

parts"  (comp.  Gen.  xxvii.  28,39),  then  (abstr. pro  concr. 
Ps.  Ixxviii.  31);  "  the  fat  men,"  by  whom  Isaiah  under- 
stands all  that  have  a  share  in  Assyria's  greatness. 
Comp.  xxvii.  4,  where  alone  the  word  occurs  again  in 

Isaiah. ?m>  from  HIT  attenuare,  maciare,  Niph.  con- 

tabcsccre  (xvii.  4;  occurs  only  here  in  Isaiah  (comp.  'n 

•  T 

xxiv.  1C).  It  means  maeics,  tables,  "  consumption,  phthi- 
sis."  lp'  verb,  comp.  xxx.  14;  Ixv.  5,  ~jp'1  only  here. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Note  the  paronomasia  which  evidently  aims  at  an  ar- 
tistic sound  imitation. 

On  ver.  17.  1HK  DV3  comp.  on  ix.  13. SoiJ,  "the 

fruitful,  cultivated  garden  and  field,"  is  also  elsewhere 
opposed  to  forest  (xxix.  17),  while  again  in  other  places 
"IJV  is  mentioned  as  part  of  the  SlD^D  (xxxvii.  24  ;  a 
Kings  xix.  23).  This  is  no  contradiction,  the  notions 
of  the  two  words  occurring  sometimes  in  a  broader, 
sometimes  in  a  narrower  sense. 

Oil  ver.  18.  Dpi  an-.  Aey.  Comp.  #J,  Syr.  ncsiso,  voaeiv, 

"to  be  sick." DDO  infin.  from  ODD  xiii.  7;  xix.  1 ; 

xxxiv.  3,  "to  pine  away."— ^2DD  like  Jer.  xliv.  28; 
Ezek.  xii.  16,  etc. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


2.  Therefore -write  them. — Vers.  16- 

19.  "Therefore"  introduces  the  consequences 
that  follow  the  double  guilt  of  Assyria  portrayed 
above.  That  necessary  consequence  is  punish- 
ment. The,  hot  personal,  glory  of  Assyria  shall 
be  burnt  so  as  if  the  LORD  kindled  a  fire  under 
it.  The  comparison  of  the  consumption  which 
is  not  meant  literally,  and  the  3  before  Tip"  show 
that  no  real  fire  is  meant.  It  is  the  fire  of  God's 
holy  wrath  that  is  the  correlative  of  His  love. 
The  latter  is  the  light  of  Israel  in  whom  God  takes 
pleasure  (2  Sam.  xxii.  29  ;  Ps.  xxvii.  1  ;  Mic. 
vii-  8),  but  a  consuming  fire  for  all  that  is  against 
God  and  His  kingdom  (Deut.  iv.  24 ;  ix.  3  ;  Isa. 
xxx.  33 ;  xxxiii.  14).  Like  ix.  17,  thorns  and 
thistles  are  contrasted  with  the  nobler  representa- 
tives of  vegetation.  The  comparison  does  not 
refer  to  the  army  of  Assyria  with  its  various 
grades  of  rank  and  file,  but  to  the  nation  with  all 
its  glory.  Thorns  and  thistles  mean  all  lowly 
and  inferior  persons,  forest  and  fruitful  field  those 
of  elevation  and  splendor. 

The  expression  "from  soul  to  body"  ("TJM  #330 
"ViiO  is  found  only  here).  It  is  to  be  compared 
with  i.  6,  "from  the  sole  of  the  foot  to  the  head." 
As  the  latter  signifies  the  entire  outward,  visible 
surface  of  the  body,  so  the  latter  the  entire  or- 
ganism generally.  Not  only  the  outward,  but 
the  inward  shall  be  anihilated.  '*  For  body  and 


soul  are  the  entire  man  (Ps.  xvi.  9;  Ixxviii.  26; 
Ixxxiv.  3.") — KNOBEL.  I  except  to  this  only 
that  the  expression  is  restricted  to  men.  Have 
not  the  beast  and  the  plant  a  soul  too?  Comp. 
Gen.  ii.  19.  And  is  it  not  said  in  our  very 
passage  that  forest  and  field  shall  be  nnihilated 
from  the  soul  to  the  flesh  ?  Thus  in  some  sense 
soul  and  flesh,  i.  e.,  body  are  attributed  to  plants. 
From  his  exhaustless  Ftore  the  Prophet  produces 
another  figure,  and  calls  Assyria  a  weakling,  who 
pining  dies  away. 

Yet  a  remnant  shall  remain,  but  a  very  feeble 
one.  Of  the  lordly  forest  there  shall  be  left  only 
a  clump  that  may  be  counted  ;  so  far  from  nume- 
rous that  a  boy  can  count  and  write  a  list  of 
them.  And  truly,  what  was  left  of  Assyria  after 
its  destruction  may  be  compared  to  the  little 
forest  or  grove  of  cedars  that  the  traveller  now 
finds  on  Lebanon.  But  I  mean  not  merely  the 
overthrow  of  Sennacherib,  but  Nineveh's  de- 
struction by  the  Babylonians  and  Medes.  For 
the  Prophet's  vision  comprehends  the  whole 
future  both  of  Israel  and  of  Assyria. 

The  figure  of  the  boy  writing  down  the  trees, 
seems  to  me  remarkable  in  respect  to  the  history 
of  culture.  We  hear  in  this  place  of  a  boy  that 
can  write,  the  like  of  which  we  find  even  Judg. 
viii.  14,  and  that  counts  the  trunks  of  the  trees. 
Is  the  figure  pure  invention  of  the  Prophet  ?  or 
was  he  brought  to  use  it  from  observation  ? 


II.    ISRAEL'S  REDEMPTION  IN  GENERAL. 
CHAPTER  X.  20-24. 

1.  THE  BELIEVING  REMNANT  OF  ISRAEL  RETURNS  OUT  OF  THE  SHATTERED 
WORLD-POWER.    CHAP.  X.  20-23. 

20  AND  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 
TJiat  the  remnant  of  Israel, 

And  such  as  are  escaped  of  the  house  of  Jacob, 
Shall  no  more  again  stay  upon  him  that  smote  them; 
But  shall  stay  upon  the  LORD, 
The  Holy  One  of  Israel  in  truth. 

21  The  remnant  shall  return,  even  the  remnant  of  Jacob, 
Unto  the  mighty  God. 


156 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


22  For  though  thy  people  Israel  be  as  the  sand  of  the  sea, 
Yet  a  remnant  'of  them  shall  return  : 

"The  consumption  decreed  shall  overflow  2\vith  righteousness. 

23  For  the  Lord  God  of  hosts  shall  make  a  consumption,  even  determined, 
In  the  midst  of  all  the  land. 


1  Heb.  in,  or  among. 

»  Destruction  is  determined,  extending  wide  righteousness. 

TEXTUAL    AND 

On  vers.  22,  23.  13  after  31£T  is  partitive,  as  is  often 
the  ease.  Comp.  vi.  13 ;  Deut.  i.  35 ;  Ps.  cxxxix.  16,  and 
especially  passages  where  this  2  stands  after  words 
meaning  "  to  remain  over,"  Exod.  xiv.  28  ;  Lev.  xxvi. 
36;  1  Sam.  xi.  11.  [Like  the  Engl.  "  one  iw  ten  "]. 

Ijl  ?vS3-    These  words  are  difficult.    JV73  is  found 

I  •  L 

again  only  Dt.  xxviii.  65,  in  the  expression  D'J'J^  JV 73, 

which,  after  'J'Jp  >h3  (Ps.  Ixix.  4;  cxix.  82,  123;  Lam. 
ii.  11)  must  be  rendered  oculorum  consumtio,  "  consump- 
tion, failure  of  the  power  of  vision."  So  we  must  take 
it  here  in  the  sense  of  "wearing  off,  consuming,  deso- 
lating."  VOn  is  part.  pass,  from  V1H,  incidere,  deci- 

\  T  I     -  T 

dere,  definere,  dccerne.re  (comp.  1  Kings  xx.  40).  In  Isa. 
it  is  found  again  only  as  a  qualifying  adjective  to  the 
threshing  roller  (xli.  15)  or  as  name  for  the  roller  itself, 
(xxviii.  27).  It  is  so  named  because  an  implement  fur- 
nished with  sharp  corners  and  edges.  Vl~in  JV/3  can 
only  mean,  therefore :  "  destruction  is  limited,  deter- 
mined, concluded." In  flftt!'  is  easily  discerned  an 

antithesis  to  f'lin  :  for  as  in  the  latter  there  is  the  no- 
tion of  something  sharply  marked  off,  so  in  the  former 
there  is  the  notion  of  flooding  over  (viii.  8;'xxviii.  2,15, 
17, 18;  xxx.  28;  xliii.  2;  xlvi.  12).  We  thus  obtain  the 
figure  of  something  determined,  sharply  defined,  but 
which  in  a  certain  sense  extends  itself,  and  withal,  too, 
overflowing  with  a  certain  effect,  as  it  were,  settling  it 
(t\Q13  with  the  accusat.  of  abundance).  That  which  is 
fixed,  determined,  is  called  JV73,  what  is  widespread 
is  said  to  be  np"1¥-  According  to  the  foregoing  JV  73 


2  Or,  in. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

can  only  designate  the  fate  of  those  Israelites  that  do 

not  belong  to  "the  remnant." But  what  is  Dp^? 

Many  suppose  it  signifies  the  righteous  state  of  the 
whole  community,  which  they  have  attained  to  by  rea- 
son of  the  judgments  (DRECHSLER  according  to  xlviii.  18  ; 
Amos  v.  24).  But  the  following  verse  seems  to  me  to 
conflict  with  this,  which  seems  to  be  wholly  an  expla- 
nation of  the  words  'Jf  <VJ  'H  JV^D-  PlSs  evidently 
corresponds  to  JV^D,  HYinj  to  ynn.  Therefore  "3 
is  expletive.  The  obscure  expression  ver.  22  6,  which  is 
probably  a  citation,  for  it  contrasts  strangely  with  its 
surroundings,  is  used  in  a  form  suited  to  common  un- 
derstanding. Thus  the  word  H  ?3  (in  Isa.  only  again 

T  T 

xxviii.22,  where  the  whole  style  of  address  recurs  ;  fre- 
quent beside  in  the  combination  rPD  Plt^y,  especially 

T  T  T   T 

in  Jer.  iv.  27;  v.  10,  18,  etc.}  =  "  utter  ruin  "  stands  for 
JV1?^;  runnj  for  pin,  the  fem.  ending  being  used 
out  of  regard  for  the  word-pair.  This  latter  word,  too, 
is  found  only  xxviii.  22,  and  also  in  Dan.  ix.  27;  xi.  36, 
where  the  words  are  repeated  out  of  Isaiah. But  we 

must  take  'flJl  nh>3  as  object  of  TV&y  ;  for  3*lp3  H'^JT 
I'm-1}  3  is  explanation  of  1  fjCOty.  Precisely  thereby 
we  see  that  flCOC/  states  nothing  more  than  that  wide 
over  all  the  earth  shall  be  known  and  manifest  what 
I'lin  jvSn  is,  viz..  a  proof  of  the  righteousness  of 
God.  Were  np1¥  to  mean  the  conformity  of  human 
condition  to  God's  righteousness,  then  this  thought 
could  not  be  rendered  by  the  simple  'KH  733  "\ 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


And   it  shall  come  to  pass all  the 

land. — Vers.  20-23.  The  Prophet  turns  again 
to  his  own  nation.  Assyria's  fall  is  Israel's  salva- 
tion. ''  In  that  clay,"  i.  e.,  when  the  destruction 
of  Assyria  shall  have  taken  place  (vers.  16-19), 
Israel  will  indeed  still  exist,  but  only  as  a  rem- 
nant pN$  vii.  3;  xi.  11,  1G ;  xxviii.  5),  and  as 
those  escaped  (^£373  comp.  on  iv.  2).  But  this 
remnant  will  at  last  have  learned  what  ministers 
to  their  peace.  It  will  no  more  lean  on  Assyria 
as  Ahaz  has  done.  It  is  plainly  seen  from  this, 
that  the  present  passage  was  composed  at  a 
period  when  the  Assyrian  alliance  (2  Kings  xvi. 
7  sqq.),  was  already  an  historical  fact.  By  the 
single  word  *n3O,  which  points  back  to  ver.  5, 
the  Prophet  indicates  how  foolish  and  ruinous 
that  alliance  was.  Israel's  remnant  will  rather 
lean  on  Jehovah,  the  holy  God  (comp.  on  i.  4), 
who  is  Israel's  EHp?p>  rock  and  refuge  (viii.  4)- 
What  is  meant  by  J"O&O  "in  truth"  may  be  best 
seen  from  Jer.  iv.  1-4,  who  speaks  of  sincere,  and 


entire  return  to  Jehovah,  of  swearing  in  His 
name,  "  in  truth,  judgment  and  righteousness," 
of  reformation  that  ''  breaks  up  the  fallow  ground 
and  does  not  sow  among  thorns,"  of  circumci- 
sion of  the  heart,  and  not  of  the  flesh.  So  here, 
leaning  on  the  LORD  ''  in  truth,"  is  such  wherein 
the  heart  is  no  longer  divided  between  Jehovah 
and  the  creature,  but  belongs  to  Him  wholly  and 
alone.  The  expression  is  found  again  in  Isaiah 
xvi.  5  ;  xxxviii.  3;  xlviii.  1 ;  Ixi.  8  ;  comp.  Jer. 
xxxii.  40  sq. 

That  it  may  not  be  thought  that  he  has  used 
the  expression  "  remnant  of  Israel "  with  no  spe- 
cial significance,  the  Prophet  repeats  it  in  ver. 
21,  with  great  emphasis,  at  the  same  time  defin- 
ing it  more  exactly.  No  false  support  is  offered 
in  these  words,  which  would  ill-agree  with  the 
promise  that  Israel  shall  lean  on  the  LORD  ''  in 
truth."  True,  the  Israel  ''  according  to  the  flesh" 
fancied  that  where  Abraham's  seed  was,  there 
salvation  and  life  were  guaranteed.  But  to  them 
apply  the  words  of  John  Baptist :  "  Begin  not  to 
say  within  yourselves,  we  have  Abraham  to  our 


CHAP.  X.  24-27. 


157 


father ;  for  I  say  unto  you,  That  God  is  able  of 
these  stones  to  raise  up  children  unto  Abraham. 
And  now  also  the  axe  is  laid  unto  the  root  of  the 
trees :  every  tree,  therefore,  which  bringeth  not 
forth  good  fruit,  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the 
fire."  Luke  iii.  8,  9.  From  this  we  see  that  not 
all  that  remain  after  the  great  judgments  belong 
to  *'  the  remnant,"  but  only  those  that  bear 
genuine  fruits  of  repentance.  Paul  confirms  this 
Kom.  xi.  4  sq.,  when,  to  the  question  "  hath  God 
cast  away  his  people  ?"  he  replies  by  referring 
to  the  seven  thousand  that  did  not  bow  the  knee 
to  Baal  (1  Kings  xix.  18),  and  then  continues: 
"  even  so  then  at  this  present  time  also,  there  is 
a  remnant  according  to  the  election  of  grace." 
We  mav  say,  therefore ;  Isaiah's  remnant  is  the 
"election"  (kiAopi)  of  Paul.  "The  election  hath 
obtained  it,  and  the  rest  were  blinded."  Rom. 
xi.  7.  This  is  confirmed,  too,  by  the  way  that 
Isaiah  defines  the  aim  of  the  return.  Jer.  says 
iv.  1 :  ''If  thou  wilt  return,  O  Israel,  return  to 
me."  A  false  returning,  therefore,  is  possible 
(vid.  my  com.  on  Jer.  iv.  1  sqq.).  Precisely  on 
this  account  Isaiah  says  in  our  passage  the  rem- 
nant will  return  to  ^SJ  <N>  "God  Almighty." 
It  is  not  the  fleshly  descent  from  Abraham  that 
is  the  criterion  of  belonging  to  "  the  remnant," 
but  the  return  to  God  Almighty.  It  is  plain  that 
Jehovah  the  God  of  Israel  is  meant.  But  that 
Isaiah  should  call  Him  here  just  by  this  name, 


arises  from  this,  that  the  Prophet  has' in  mind  his 
words  in  ix.  5.  The  return  to  El-gibbor- Jehovah 
will,  in  its  time,  be  possible  only  in  the  form  of 
the  return  to  El-gibbor-Messiah.  Therefore 
Isaiah  does  not  promise  an  unconditional,  uni- 
versal return  of  all  that  may  be  called  Israelite, 
and  that  descends  from  Abraham,  but  he  makes 
a  most  displeasing  and  threatening  restriction. 
And  if  in  the  time  to  which  he  points,  the  time 
when  the  world-power  will  be  judged,  Israel  were 
numerous  as  the  sand  by  the  sea — a  condition 
which  is  even  a  fulfilment  of  promise  and  a  theo- 
cratic state  of  blessedness  (comp.,  on  ix.  2;  Gen. 
xxii.  17)— Jehovah  still  can  bring  Himself  not 
to  make  all  these  Israelites  according  to  the  flesh 
partakers  of  the  promised  blessing.  This  is  the 
thought  that  Paul  carries  out  in  Horn,  ix.,  and  in 
this  sense  he  cites  our  passage  in  vers.  27,  28. 
"They  are  not  all  Israel,  which  are  of  Israel," 
he  says  ver.  6.  "  Neither,  because  they  are  the 
seed  of  A'braham,  are  they  all  children  :  but  in 
Isaac  shall  thy  seed  be  called.  That  is :  They 
which  are  the  children  of  the  flesh,  these  are  not 
the  children  of  God,  but  the  children  of  the 
promise  are  counted  for  the  seed,"  vers.  7,  8. 
Therefore  the  LORD  prepares  an  election  of  which 
the  criterion  is  birth  from  God,  regeneration, 
faith.  As  proof  the  Apostle  cites,  as  already 
said,  our  passage  among  other  Old  Testament 
statements. 


2.  THE  CONDEMNED  WORLD-POWER  IS  NOT  TO  BE  FEARED  EVEN  IN  THE 

PRESENT.     CHAPTER  X.  24-27. 

24  THEREFORE  thus  saith  the  "Lord  God  of  hosts, 

O  rny  people  that  dwellest  in  Zion,  be  not  afraid  of  the  Assyrian  : 

He  shall  smite  thee  with  a  rod, 

JAnd  shall  lift  up  his  staff  against  thee,  after  the  manner  of  Egypt. 

25  For  yet  a  very  little  while,  and  the  indignation  shall  cease, 
And  mine  anger  bin  their  destruction. 

26  And  the  LORD  of  hosts  shall  stir  up  a  scourge  for  him 
According  to  the  slaughter  of  Midian  at  the  rock  of  Oreb  : 
And  as  his  rod  was  upon  the  sea, 

So  shall  he  lift  it  up  after  the  manner  of  Egypt. 

27  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 

That  his  burden  2shall  be  taken  away  from  off  thy  shoulder, 

And  his  yoke  from  off  thy  neck, 

And  the  yoke  shall  be  "destroyed  because  of  the  anointing. 


Or,  But  he  shall  lift  up  his  staff  for  thee. 
Lord  Jehovah  of  hosts. 


b  (turns)  to. 


*  Heb.  shall  remove. 
«  unlaced  because  of  fat. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  25.  I^TD  another  form  for  ly^D  (Gen.  xix. 
20;.  Isa.  Ixiii.  18,  etc.)  =- parvitas,paucitas,  beside  here  is 
found  only  xxix.  17 ;  xvi.  14  ;  xxiv.  6.  It  is  thus  a  word 

peculiar  to  the  first  part  of  Isaiah. The  expression 

D^T  n^O  occurs  only  here  and  Dan.  xi.  36,  which  is 
taken  from  our  passage.  Comp.  Q^f  "i^y'  xxvi.  20.  It 
is  needless  to  change  the  reading  MJ1  'JDKI.  Supply 
5Tn  after  '2X1  (eomp.  e.  g.  ix.  20)  and  construe  in  a  preg- 

TT 


GRAMMATICAL. 

nant  sense="  directs,  turns  itself." ;y  is  employed 

then  just  as  ver.  3. fV73fl  (from  ri73  tritium,  con- 

sumtum  csse)  is  an-.  \ey.  It  menns  consumtio,  i.  e.,  of  the 
Assyrians.  Thus  the  words  form  a  fitting  transition  to 
ver.  26. 

On  ver.  20.  "Hty  used  of  "wielding"  a  scourge  only 
here:  it  is  used  2  Sam.  xxiii.  18:  1  Chr.  xi.  11,  20  of 
brandishing  0  spear.  Notice  the  paronomasia 


158 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


and  3lty. DIE'  again  in  Isaiah  only  xxviii.  15,  K'ri 

1HD01  must  be  conceived  as  dependent  on  "H1J?. 

On  ver.  27.  The  last  clause  is  obscure.  It  defines  the 
manner  of  releasing  from  the  yoke.  7311  Pual  occurs 
only  here  and  Job  xvii.  1.  The  original  meaning  of 
S^n  is  "to  twist"  (thence  SpH  "a  rope")  "to  bind" 
ligare,  piynore  obligare.  Piel,  cum  tormentis  eniti,  parere, 
but  also  "  to  twist  round  and  round,  to  turn  the  bottom- 
most to  the  topmost  "  (French  bouleverser) ;  xiii.  5 ;  liv. 
16;  Mic.  ii.  10  ;  Song  of  Sol.  ii.  15:  Eccl.  v.  5.  In  Isa. 
xxxii.  7  there  seems  beside  to  lie  in  the  word  the  mean- 
ing of  "ensnaring."  So  there  seems  here,  beside  the 
notion  of  destruction,  to  be  that  of  a  reference  to  a  rope 


or  cord.  DELITZSCH  represents,  on  the  authority  of 
statements  of  SCIIEGO,  that  to  this  day  in  the  Orient  the 
yoke  is  fastened  to  the  pole  by  a  cord  about  the  neck. 
Thus  the  Prophet  would  evidently  say  that,  because  of 
the  fat  C1  J£)0  causal  as  it  often  is,  ii.  10 ;  vii.  2,  etc.)  which 
grows  on  the  well-fed  Israel,  the  rope  breaks,  and  thus 
the  yoke  apparatus  falls  off.  On  this  account  it  seems 

to  me  probable  that  737"!,  (though  otherwise  73H 
comes  from  S^H  and  not  the  reverse),  is  still  here  to 

-  T 

be  regarded  as  a  Pual  dcnominativum  and  priratitum 
coined  ad  hoc  (comp.  on  HJJD  ver-  33,)- The  figure  in 

1;3D  "*1D'  is  drawn  from  beasts  of  burden.  In  ix.  3, 
l/3p  i'y  the  two  words  are  combined;  but  separated 
here  as  xiv.  25. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


Therefore  thus  aaitb of  the  anoint- 
ing (fat).— Vers.  24-27.  If  all  that  is  true  that 
the  Prophet,  from  ver.  5  on,  has  said  of  Assyria 
as  the  momentary  instrument  of  God's  chasten- 
ing,— and  how  shall  God's  word  not  be  sure? — 
then  Israel  need  not  fear  Assyria  even  in  present 
impending  danger.  Assyria  will,  indeed,  execute 
chastisement  on  Israel,  but  only  a  discipline  with 
a  staff  and  rods  (ver.  5),  not  with  the  sword,  i.  e. 
only  a  transitory  one,  not  such  as  ends  in  destruc- 
tion. The  Prophet  intimates  that  the  captivity 
by  the  northern  world-pow^r  will  be,  as  it  were, 
a  continuation  of  that  suffered  from  the  southern. 
Assyria  therefore  will  tread  in  the  footsteps  of 
E^ypt.  He  will  raise  the  staff  over  Israel  in  the 
way  (ver.  26,  Amos  iv.  10),  i.  e.  in  the  manner 
of  Egypt.  For  as  Egypt  could  not  attain  his 
object  of  extirpating  the  Israelite  by  killing  the 
male  children  that  were  born  and  by  hard  labor, 
just  as  little  should  Assyria  succeed.  For  only  a 
very  little,  and  the  wrath  would  cease.  The 
Prophet,  therefore,  conceives  of  the  wrath  as  in 
progress,  but  presents  its  speedy  end  in  prospect. 
_  The  Lord  will  brandish  the  scourge  over  Assy- 
ria as  He  smote  Midian  at  the  rock  of  Oreb 
(comp.  ix.  3).  That  was  one  of  the  most  glorious 
victories  of  the  Israelites-;  but  the  glory  of  it  be- 
longed neither  to  Gideon  nor  to  his  army,  but  to 
the  Lord  (Jud.  vii.  2  sqq.,  25).  The  second 


clause  of  ver.  26  contains  a  magnificent  figure  full 
of  art.  First  from  Assyria's  hand  is  taken  the 
staff  that  he  is  to  raise  over  Israel  and  put  into 
the  hand  of  Jehovah.  This  appears  from  the  re- 
lation of  ver.  26  b.  to  the  last  clause  of  ver.  24. 
Then  this  staff  in  the  hand  of  Jehovah  is  trans- 
formed to  the  likeness  of  the  rod  with  which 
Moses  in  Egypt  prepared  the  Red  Sea  for  a  way 
of  escape  for  Israel  (xi.  16).  The  sea  here  is  that 
which  spreads  out  before  Israel  in  the  distress 
occasioned  by  Assyria.  The  raising  up  of  the  rod 
here  (INt^J)  corresponds  to  that  raising  it  over 
Israel  (NBf  ver.  24)  for  which  Assyria  used  it.  A 
twofold  raising  of  the  rod  took  place  in  Egypt: 
one  over  Israel,  the  other  over  the  sea.  Both 
are  repeated  now.  Neither  the  rod  flourished 
over  Israel  for  chastisement  shall  be  wanting, 
nor  the  rod  of  God,  which,  as  there,  shall  open  a 
way  through  the  deep  sea  of  trouble.  As  is 
familiarly  known,  the  passage  through  the  Red 
Sea  is  often  mentioned  and  turned  to  account  in 
a  variety  of  ways:  comp.  xliii.  16;  1.  2 ;  Ii.  10; 
Ixiii.  11;  Ps.  Ixvi.  6;  Ixxiv.  13;  Ixxvii.  20: 
Ixxvii.  13 ;  cxiv.  3,  etc. 

At  the  time  referred  to  Israel  shall  be  freed 
from  the  yoke  of  Assyria  (ix.  3 ;  xiv.  25),  which 
is  signified  first  by  the  figure  of  the  load  of  a  beast 
of  burden,  second  by  that  of  the  yoke. 


3.  THE  IMPETUOUS  ONSET  OF  THE  CONDEMNED  WORLD-POWER  IN  THE 
LIGHT  OF  ITS  FINAL  RUIN.    CHAP.  X.  28-34. 

28  HE  is  come  to  Aiath,  he  is  passed  to  Migron  ; 
At  Michmash  he  hath  laid  up  his  "carriages : 

29  They  are  gone  over  the  passage : 

They  have  taken  up  their  lodging  at  Geba ; 
Ramah  is  afraid ; 
Gibeah  of  Saul  is  fled. 

30  'Lift  up  thy  voice,  O  daughter  of  Gallim : 
bCause  it  to  be  heard  unto  Laish, 

O  poor  Anathoth. 

31  Mad  men  ah  "is  removed  ; 

oo  ??3  inhabitants  of  Gebim  gather  themselves  to  flee. 
62    As  yet  shall  he  remain  at  Nob  that  day : 

He  shall  shake  his  hand  against  the  mount  of  the  daughter  of  Zion, 


CHAP.  X.  28-34. 


159 


The  hill  of  Jerusalem. 

33  Behold,  the  Lord,   the  LORD  of  hosts, 
Shall  lop  the  ebough  with  terror  : 

And  the  fhigh  ones  of  stature  shall  be  hewn  down, 
And  the  haughty  shall  be  humbled. 

34  And  he  shall  cut  down  the  thickets  of  the  forest  with  iron, 
And  Lebanon  gshall  fall  2by  a  mighty  one. 


1  Ileb.  Cry  shrill  with  thy  voice. 

»  baggage. 

•  leafy  coronal. 


b  Hark  Laish.  c  takes  Jlinht. 

the  giants  of  the  standing  wood  are  felltd. 


9  Or,  mightily. 

d  yet  to-day  in  Nob  to  halt. 
«  he  fells. 


TEXTUAL   AND 
Onver.  28.  {<3  with  71*  like  Jud.  xviii.  27,  it  means 

T 

"the  falling  over  on." Tp3i~l,  commmt,  mandavit,  de- 

posuit,  Jer.  xxxvi.  20 ;  xl.  7  ;  xl.  10. 

On  ver.  32.  C|3J'  Pilel,  only  here  ;  Hiph.  with  similar 
meaning,  xi.  15  ;  xiii.  2;  xix.  16:  2  Kings  v.  11.  The 
swinging  of  the  hand  is  the  gesture  of  one  threatening. 
— /U)  "in  stands  in  accus.  localis ;  K'thibh  has  Tr2f-;V3, 
which  is  found  nowhere  else,  and  probably  results  from 
a  confounding  with  HIIT  JV3  1H- 

Onver.  33.  njyp  (oomp.  STJJD  xvii.  6;  xxvli.  10),  Pi. 
denominatirum  and  privativum  like  the  German  aesten 
from  Ast,  Koepfcn  from  A'op/ (comp.  331  "  to  cut  off  the 


GRAMMATICAL. 

tail,"  Josh.  x.  19;  ZJHE/  "to  eradicate,"  Ps.  lii.  7;  bpD 

"  to  remove   stones,"   v.  2.     [As  in  English   one  says 
"  to  stone,"  i.  e.,  take  the  stones  out].    This  ^po  is  a-*. 

Aey. 7"PNp  aw.  Aey.,  as  regards  meaning  is  certainly 

identical  with  rpN3,  Ezek.  xvii.  6;  xxxi.  5.  6,8, 12, 13. 

T 

It  appears  to  be  a  poetic  expression  for  the  grand,  lux- 
urious branch  and  leafy  growth  of  the  tree  ON3  origi- 
nal meaning  splendere,  nitere,  comp.  "1X3,  fnXSH. — 
n^^D,  an-.  \ey.  is  "terror"  in  an  active  sense  -=per- 
terrefactio.—mii)  "  that  which  is  standing,  the  trunks, 

T     I 

the  standing  timber  "  (comp.  xxxvii.  24). 

On  ver.  S4.  FjpJ   only  here  in  Isaiah  may  be  either 
Niph.  or  Piel. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  foregoing  disposes  the  reader  to  look 
for  an  immediate  portrayal  of  the  destruction  of 
Assyria.     But  to  his  surprise  the  Prophet  trans- 
lates him  back  into  the  commencement  of  the 
hostilities  of  Assyria,  against  Israel  (vers.  28-32). 
This  first  onslaught  of  Assyria  was  so  impetuous, 
that  it  seemed  as  if  Jerusalem  could  not  resist. 
But  it  only  appeared  so.     How  little  dangerous 
that  onslaught  was  appears  from  the  brief  de- 
scription of  the  inevitable,  impending  ruin  of 
the  world-power,  that  immediately  follows  (vers. 
33,  34).     A  contrast    is  hereby  presented   that 
gives  a  most  striking  effect,  which  is  still  more 
enhanced  by  the  masterly,  dramatic  representa- 
tion of  the  march  of  the  Assyrians  against  Jeru- 
salem.    So  that  this  little  passage  proves  to  be  a 
master-piece  of  Art,  both  by  its  arrangement  as 
a  whole  and  its  execution  in  detail. 

2.  He  comes the  hill  of  Jerusalem. — 

Vers.  28-32.     These  verses  describe  the  last  part 
of  the  march  to  Jerusalem.  For,  no  doubt,  Aiath 
is  the  same  as  Ai  that  lay  North-east  of  Jeru- 
salem (M?  or  ^'H  "the  stone  heap,"  Josh.  vii.  2 
8qq->  N'#  Neh.  xi.  31,  JT£  [false  reading  n-T£]  ; 
1  Chr.  vii.  28),  which  is  probably  identical  with 
D'^  (Josh,  xviii.  23)  comp.  FAY  in  loc.).  FINN, 
VAN    DE    VELDE,  ARNOLD,  KNOBEL,  identify 
Aiath  in  Tdl-el-Jfadschar  that  lies  less  than  an 
hour  South-east  of  BeMn  (Bethel).    On  the  other 
hand   DELITZSCH,  following  SCHEGG  who  per- 
sonally investigated  the  spot,  locates  Aiath  about 
six  hours  north  of  Jerusalem  in  Tejjibe,  that  is 
situated  on  a  hill  with  an  extended  prospect,  in 
whose  neighborhood  there  is  still  found  a  small 
village,  Churbet  Ai.     It  will  perhaps  depend  on 
whether  the  locality  of  Tejjibe  corresponds  with 
Josh.  viii.  11,  13,  according  to  which  there  was 


a  valley  North  of  the  city.  [Concerning  the  lo- 
cation of  all  the  places  named  in  the  text  con- 
sult "  ROBINSON  and  SMITH'S  JBib.  Res.  in  Pa- 
lestine, Vol.  II.]. 

Migron,  which  is  mentioned  beside  only  1 
Sam.  xiv.  2*but  in  all  probability  this  passage 
is  corrupt :  ARNOLD  in  HERZ.  R.  Enajd.  XIV. 
p.  755)  appears  to  have  been  quite  insignificant. 
DELITZSCH  regards  it  as  identical  with  Burg- 
Magran,  a  cluster  of  ruins  eight  minutes  from 
Bethel.  But,  then,  would  they  not  have  marched 
backwards  ?  Michmash,  a  city  of  Benjamin  as 
all  the  rest  named  here,  plays  an  important  part 
in  the  history  of  Saul  and  Jonathan,  1  Sam.  xiii., 
xiv.  It  still  exists  as  a  small  deserted  village 
with  the  name  Muchmas  one  hour  North  of 
Geba  (now  Dscheba),  three  hours  and  a  half 
North  of  Jerusalem  (ROBINSON  and  S.  II.  comp. 
BUETSCHI,  HERZ.  R.  Encyd.  IX.  p.  526).  There 
the  Assyrians  left  their  baggage  in  order  to  press 
on  quicker.  ''The  passage  of  Michmash"  is 
mentioned  1  Sam.  xiii.  and  xiv.  It  is  the  Wady- 
es-Suweinit  (according  to  others  es-Suweikeh — 
comp.  RUETSCHI,  I.  c.)— a  deep,  rough  ravine, 
forty-eight  minutes  wide,  immediately  below 
Michmash.  As  it  runs  from  East  to  West,  they 
must  cross  it  obliquely  to  approach  Jerusalem. 
The  ravine  is  difficult  to  traverse.  It  is  hardly 
credible  that  the  proper  highway  from  Shechem 
or  Nabulus  (comp.  ARNOLD  in  HERZ.  R.  Encyd. 
XV.  p.  163  sq.  Art.  ''  Strassen  in  Palacstina," ) 
passed  through  it.  The  Prophet's  description  is 
ideal.  He  depicts  not  what  is  past  but  what  is 
future,  and  that,  not  in  the  manner  of  historical 
accuracy,  but  as  became  his  prophetic  interests. 
He  would  depict  how  the  enemy  presses  forward 
with  utmost  speed,  by  the  shortest  way,  deterred 
by  no  obstacles.  On  the  arduous  way  they 


160 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


cheer  one  another  with  the  cry:  "Geba  give  us 
lodging."  Thus  they  promise  themselves  good 
quarters  in  Geba,  that  lay  so  charmingly  on  an 
elevated  plateau  (comp.  SCHEGG  in  DELITZSCH). 
Geba  cannot  be  the  same  as  Gebea  of  Saul,  as 
appears  evident  from  our  text.  For  if  it  were 
the  same,  why  is  it  mentioned  twice  with  a  dif- 
ference in  the  form  of  the  name,  and  with  the 
name  of  another  city  coming  between  ?  Rama, 
now  er-Ram,  the  city  of  Benjaniin,  made  no- 
torious by  Saul  (1  Sam.  i.  19;  ii.  11,  etc.),  seems 
to  have  lain  aside  from  their  route  though  near 
by.  For  it  looks  with  trembling  on  the  passers 
by ;  but  Gebea  of  Saul  opposite,  lying  perhaps 
still  nearer,  fled  outright,  It  lay  on  the  summit 
of  TtdeU-d-Tul  (the  Bean  mountain,  see  AR- 
NOLD, HERZ.  Real.  Encycl.  p.  744)  which  com- 
mands a  view  of  the  whole  neighborhood.  In 
a  direct  line  the  expedition  encounters  Gallim, 
(1  Sam.  xxv.  44)  which  VALENTINER  (Ztschr.  d. 
D.  M.  G.  XII.  p.  169)  thinks  he  has  discovered 
in  the  hill  Chirbet  el-Dschisr  that  lies  South 
of  the  Bean  mountain.  Because  immediately 
threatened,  Gallim  shall  shriek  out  ("]  /lp  accus.). 
Laishah,  by  no  means  identical  with  2T_7  Judg. 
xviii.  29,  cannot  be  located.  But  KNOBEL  is 
likely  correct  in  finding  evidence  of  its  being  a 
place  near  Gallim  in  1  Sam.  xxv.  44,  where  is 
mentioned  Phaltiel  son  of  Laish  from  Gallim 
(comp.  2  Sam.  iii.  15).  mnjj;  m>>,  "O  poor 
Anathoth,"  is  evidently  a  play  on  words.  By 
this  and  the  emotion  of  the  orator  is  to  be  ex- 
plained the  order  of  the  words,  which  is  not  quite 
normal  (comp.  liv.  11).  Anathoth,  now  Anata, 
is  only  three-fourths  of  an  hour  distant  from  Jeru- 
salem —  Madmenah  (Dung-heaps)  and  Gebim 
(fountains,  Jer.  xiv.  3)  are  not  mentioned  else- 
where, nor  are  any  traces  of  the  places  discovered 


as  yet.  Both  are  directly  threatened ;  so  nothing 
remains  but  to  flee  and  save  their  goods.  "Saving 
their  goods "  seems  to  be  indicated  by  lrj7H 
(comp.  Exod.  ix.  19);  yet  it  may  very  well  be 
construed  as  synonymous  with  iTHJ  according  to 
Jer.  iv.  6;  vi.  1.  ''To-day  still  in  Nob,  to  make 
a  halt,"  is  likewise  the  enemies'  shout  to  one 
another.  The  thing  is  to  pass  on  to  Nob  to-day, 
but  there  make  a  preliminary  halt  in  order  to 
make  the  necessary  dispositions  for  the  attack  on 
Jerusalem.  Nob  (comp.  2  Sam.  xxi.  16,  28 ; 
Neh.  xi.  32)  without  doubt  quite  near  Jerusalem, 
is  to  the  present  not  certainly  identified.  SCHEGG 
contends  very  decidedly  that  it  may  be  Isawije 
that  lies  South-west  of  Anata,  fifty-five  minutes 
North  of  Jerusalem. 

3.   Behold  the  Lord a  mighty  one. — 

Vers.  33, 34.  The  proud  expedition  of  the  Assyrian 
falls  like  trees  felled  by  the  axe.  Like  the  tempest 
tears  away  the  branches,  so  the  terror  that  goes 
forth  from  Jehovah  breaks  the  power  of  the  Assy- 
rian. "The  high  ones  of  stature  (of  the  standing 
wood)"  shall  be  cut  down  (ix.  9)  the  lofty  ones  must 
bow.  The  entire  forest  thicket  (ix.  17)  shall  be 
cut  down  with  the  iron ;  but  Lebanon  (notice  how 
the  Prophet  before  distinguished  branches,  trunks 
and  thicket,  but  at  last  combines  all  in  the  com- 
mon, all  comprehending  name  Lebanon)  shall 
fall  by  a  Mighty  One.  Who  this  Mighty  One 
will  be  the  Prophet  does  not  say.  That  it  is  the 
Lord  Himself  as  the  remote  cause,  who  xxxiii. 
21,  comp.  Ps.  xciii.  4,  is  called  I'^X  "  glorious, 

mighty,"  is  of  course.  But  it  may  convey  also  an 
allusion  at  the  same  time  to  that  one  among  the 
LORD'S  ministers,  that  was  the  principal  instru- 
ment in  annihilating  the  Assyrian  army  before 
Jerusalem  (xxxvii.  36).  For  the  ministers  of 
the  LORD,  too,  are  called  D'T^N  "the  excellent 

or  mighty,"   (Ps.  xvi.  3). 


III.    ISRAEL'S  REDEMPTION  IN  RELATION  TO  THE  MESSIAH. 

CHAPTER  XI.  1— XII.  6. 

1.  FROM  THE  APPARENTLY  DRIED  UP  ROOT  OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  DAVID  SHALL 

GO  FORTH  A  SPROUT  THAT  SHALL  FOUND  A  KINGDOM  OF  MOST 

GLORIOUS  PEACE.    CHAPTER  XI.  1-9. 

1  AND  there  shall  come  forth  a  rod  out  of  the  "stem  of  Jesse, 
And  a  bBranch  ".shall  grow  out  of  his  roots : 

2  And  the  spirit  of  the  LORD  shall  rest  upon  him, 
The  spirit  of  wisdom  and  understanding, 

The  spirit  of  counsel  and  might, 

The  spirit  of  knowledge  and  of  the  fear  of  the  LORD  ; 

3  "And  shall  make  him  of  'quick  understanding  in  the  fear  of  the  LORD  : 
And  he  shall  not  judge  after  the  sight  of  his  eyes, 

Neither  'reprove  after  the  hearing  of  his  ears  : 

4  But  with  righteousness  shall  he  judge  the  poor, 
And  "'reprove  with  equity  for  the  meek  of  earth  : 

And  he  shall  smite  the  earth  with  the  rod  of  his  mouth, 
And  with  the  breath  of  his  lips  shall  he  slay  the  wicked. 

5  And  righteousness  shall  be  the  girdle  of  his  loins, 
And  faithfulness  the  girdle  of  his  reins. 


CHAP.  XI.  1-9. 


161 


6  The  wolf  also  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb, 
And  the  ^leopard  shall  lie  down  with  the  kid  ; 

And  the  call"  and  the  young  lion  and  the  fatliug  together ; 
And  a  little  child  shall  lead  them. 

7  And  the  cow  and  the  bear  shall  teed  ; 
Their  young  ones  shall  lie  down  together : 
And  the  lion  shall  eat  hstraw  like  the  ox. 

8  And  the  sucking  child  shall  play  on  the  hole  of  the  asp, 

And  the  weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand  on  the  3cockatrice'  den. 

9  They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain : 
For  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  LORD, 
As  the  waters  cover  the  sea. 


1  Heb.  scent,  or  smell. 

»  stump.  b  shoot. 

•  administer  judgment.    f  rirjhtcn. 


a  Or,  argue.  3  Or,  adder's. 

e  bear  fruit.  d  And  his  breathing  will  be  done  in  the  fear  of  the  LORD. 

f  panther.  h  grass. 


TEXTUAL    AND 

On  ver  1.  ^TJ  occurs  again  only  xl.  24 ;  Job  xiv.  8. 
The  root  ^»fj  is  not  found.  The  meaning  is  that  of  JTU 
(x.  33).  caedere  "  to  cut  down."  In  the  three  places  that 
it  occurs,  J?fj  is  "  the  hewn,  cut  up  stem  that  still  sticks 
in  the  ground."  Hence  'BP  ^tj  and  not  "in  #TJ- — 
1£0n  again  only  Prov.  xiv.  3,  meaning:  "rod,  pliant 
twig." 1i' J,  xiv.  19 ;  Ix.  21 ;  Dan.  xi.  7  (from  1i' J  un- 
used root,  splendere,  nitere),  "a  hardy,  fresh  young 

branch." VKn2/D,  though  the  accents  are  against  it. 

must  be  connected  with  "l¥J.  For  what  does  it  mean 
that  the  shoot  right  from  the  root  on  shall  bear  fruit? 
Is  something  unnatural  and  impossible  said  of  this 
shoot  ?  Or  was  not  Christ  a  Tree  when  He  bore  fruit  ? 
The  thought  is  rather  that  from  the  extinct  trunk  and 
shoot  a  sprout  shall  proceed  that  shall  give  evidence  of 
adequate  vital  power,  and  grow  up  to  be  a  fruit-bearing 
tree.  Hence  it  is  quite  unjustifiable  to  impose  upon  the 
verb  ("PS11  the  meaning  of  rPiT  (Hiizio,  UMBREIT). 

On  ver.  3.  It  is  natural  to  regard  irT^n  as  antithesis 
of  the  objective  communication  of  the  Spirit  spoken  of, 
ver.  2.  For  first,  fl'in  means  "smell  anything  with 
pleasure  "  (Lev.  xxvi.  31 ;  Amos  v.  21).  But  if  '">  j~lKT3 
should  be  the  object  of  IPT^n,  then  it  ceases  to  be  pre- 
dicate, and  then  the  sentence  is  without  predicate ;  or 
if  it  is  construed  as  predicate,  then  the  emphatic  use 
of  3  after  verbs  of  sensation  cannot  be.  appealed  to,  be- 
cause then  2  no  longer  depends  on  the  notion  of  smell- 
ing, but  on  a  modification  of  the  notion  of  being  (hap- 
pens in  the  fear  of  Jehovah,  is  directed  to  the  fear  of 
Jehovah),  which  must  be  supplied  to  accommodate  the 
subject  to  the  predicate.  Second  :  What  means  the  one- 
sided emphasis  of  smelling?  If  smelling  may  be  con- 
strued in  the  wider  sense  as  inhaling  and  exhaling  air 
through  the  nose,  so  that  it  coincides  with  breathing, 
that  would  suit.  I  construe  it  in  this  wider  sense  as  do 
others  (.CLERICUS,  HENDEWERK,  EWALD,  MEIEB).  [See 
Comment  of  J.  A.  ALEXANDER,  added,  p.  162,  top.]  Then 
rVin  is  to  be  construed  as  direct  causative  Hiphil,  in 
the  sense  of  "to  make  nil,"  as  one  says  j'JXn  "to 
make  ears  "  =  to  "  hear,"  rKOn  "  to  make  a  tongue," 
zungcln,  "  to  blaspheme."  Hli  then  ="  breath,  life's 
breath,''  Gen.  vi.  17;  vii.  15,  22,  etc.  But  still  much  de- 
pends on  whether  bodily  or  spiritual  breath  is  meant. 
The  context  decides  for  the  latter.  For  our  HT^H 
n  r\KV3  stands  in  evident  antithesis  to  "  J1NT  TTH, 
ver.  2.  The  latter  designates  the  objective  communi- 
cation of  the  Spirit,  the  former  the  subjective  reception. 
11 


etc. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

--  1  secundum,  comp.  p"li*7  xxxii.  1: 

rVjin  with  h  like  ii.  4. 
On  ver.  4.  "iltJTp  comp.  xl.  4;  xlii.  16. 
On  ver.  5.  GESENIUS  makes  the  remark  here  that  ihe 

repetition  of  "YlTX  (instead  of  using  once  "lljn)  can 

give  no  surprise  in  Isaiah,  because  he  often  uses  the 

same  word  in  parallel  clauses:  xiv.  4;  xv.  1,  8  ;  xvi.  7  ; 

xvii.  12,  13  ;  xix.  7  ;  xxxi.  8;  xxxii.  17;  xlii.  19;  xliv.  3; 
I  liv.  13;  Iv.  4,  13;  lix.  10.  But  in  saying  this  GESENIUS,  as 
I  DRECHSLEK  remarks,  forgot  that  he  denies  Isaiah's  au- 

thorship of  chaps,  xl.—  Ixvi. 

On  ver.  6.  3NI  is  found  in  Isaiah  only  here  and  Ixv. 
25,  that  resembles  this.  -  BOS  is  "the  lamb;"  comp. 
i.  11  ;  v.  17.  10  J  =  "  the  striped  "  is  "  the  panther  " 

"  T 

(Jer.  v.  6  ;  xiii.  23).    Isniah  ha?  it  only  here.  -  JHJ  with 

3  like  1  Chr.  xiii.  7  ;  comp.  on  }$  t^jj  ix.  3. 

'  On  ver.  7.  mX  xxxv.  9.  -  J3JF1  again  only  Ixv.  25. 

On  ver.  8.  y  \yyyj  Pilpel  trom'yyvf  delimre,  mulcere, 
comp.  the  pass.  Ixvi.  12.  -  in  xlii.  22—  JH3  only  here 
in  Isaiah.  -  miXD  is  STT.  Aey.  lixo  is  "light,"  i.  «., 
"an  illuminating  body"  (Gen.  i.16);  n"UH*D  would  then 

T          : 

be  a  "  light  opening,"  and  \ve  might  understand  under 
that  term  both  the  entrance  of  the  cave  and  the  spark- 
ling eye  of  the  animal  gleaming  like  a  precious  stone 
(so  the  TARG..  ABEN  EZRA,  KIMCHI,  eic.\  But  the  paral- 
lelism with  in  prompts  the  conjecture,  that  originally 
rP1>O,  which'  otherwise  never  occurs,=rP.J?p  "cave," 
stood  in  the  text  (GESENIUS).  What  is  correct  is  hard 
to  make  out.  --  mn  doubtless  kindred  toHT,  immit- 
tcre  is  aTr.  Aey.  --  The  'J1>'3S  (lix.  5;  is  likelyYdentical 
with  pQI!  (xiv.  23).  The  root  y|)¥  means  iialare,  sibi- 
lare.  Doubtless  a  very  poisonous  serpent  is  meant,  per- 
haps the  basilisk,  which  is  said  to  have  been  called  sib- 
Uus.  Comp.  GESENIUS,  Tlies.  p.  1182. 

On  ver.  9.  That  the  beasts  are  subject  of  tyT  (comp. 
Ixv.  25)  the  context  puts  beyond  doubt.  -  D'  is  here 
manifestly  the  sea-bed,  the  bottom  of  the  sea;  (comp. 
Ps.  civ.  6).  The  prefix  S  before  D"1  is  explained  by  the 
causative  sense  in  which  Piel  is  used  here,  as  it  is  often. 
—  HD3  means  "  covering,"  make  covering,"  like  TXH 
"provide  rescue,"  rVDin  "provide  justice,"  1p"\«n 
"make  length,"  etc.,  and  is  accordingly,  like  the  verbs 


162 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


named,  construed  with  the  dative.    So,  too,  is  Stf  HD3 

*          T    • 

"  to  make  a  cover,  to  spread  as  a  cover  over  some- 
thing "  (Num  xvi.  33  ;  Job  xxxvi.  32  ;  Hab.  ii.  14,  where 

o-ir  text  is  reproduced. [J.  A.  ALEXANDER  on  verse  3. 

"  And  his  sense  of  smelling  (i.  e. ,  his  power  of  perception, 
with  a  .seeming  reference  to  the  pleasure  it  affords  him) 
shall  be  exercised  in  (or  upon)  the  fear  of  Jehovah  (as  an 
attribute  of  others").  The  only  sense  of  irVTn  con- 
firmed by  usage  is  to  smell.  This,  as  a  figure,  compre- 
hends discernment  or  discrimination  between  false  and 
true  religion,  and  the  act  of  taking  pleasure  as  the  sense 


does  in  a  grateful  odor.  In  ^  fiXV3  the  3  is  a  con- 
nective which  the  verb  mil  commonly  takes  after  it, 
and  adds  no  more  to  the  meaning  of  the  phrase  than 
the  English  prepositions  when  we  speak  of  smelling  to 
or  of  a  thing,  instead  of  simply  smelling  it." 

Ibid.  On  ver.  9.  "They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy"  etc.  The 
absence  of  the  copulative  shows  that  this  is  not  so  much 
a  direct  continuation  of  the  previous  description  as  a 
summary  explanation  of  it.  The  true  construction, 
therefore,  is  indefinite,  and  the  verbs  do  not  agree  with 
the  nouns  (animals)  of  ver.  8."] 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  destruction  of  the  proud,  towering  for- 
est, which,  meaning  primarily  Assyria,  compre- 
hends also  the  world-powers  generally,  is  followed 
by  a  contrasted  picture  in  the  renewed  flourishing 
of  the  house  of  David  and  of  his  kingdom.    That 
house  of  David  will  be  reduced  to  a  stunted  and 
inconsiderable  root-stock,  when  the  world-power 
shall  be  at  the  summit  of  its  prosperity.     But 
from  this  root-stock,  that  is  regarded  as  dead,  a 
sprout  shall  still  go  forth  (ver.  1).     On  it  the 
Spirit  of  ths  Lord  shall  rest  in  the  fulness  of  His 
manifold  powers  (ver.  2).     This  sprout  will  take 
delight,  in  the  fear  of  Jehovah  ;  He  will  practise 
justice  not  after  the  deceptive  sight  of  the  eyes 
(ver.  3);  on  the  contrary  He  will  so  do  it  that 
the  poor  and  humble  shall   be  helped,  but  the 
wicked  not  merely  outwardly,  but  also  inwardly 
subdued  (ver.  4).      For  He  shall  stand  firm  in 
righteousness   and    truth   (ver.    5).      Thus   His 
kingdom  shall  ba  one  of  peaca  in  such  a  degree 
that  even  the  impsrsonal  creatures  shall  be  filled 
with  this  spirit  of  peace  (vers.  6   7),  8.    For  even 
the  wildest  beasts  shall  be  no  more  wild,  and  no 
longer  do    harm   on  Jehovah's   holy  mountain. 
Th3  whole  shall  be  full  of  the  liveliest  and  deep- 
est knowledge  of  Jehovah,  like  the  bottom  of  the 
sea  is  covered  with  water  (ver.  9). 

2.  And  there  shall  come his  roots. — 

Ver.  1.    Without  a  hint  as  to  the  time  when,  the 
Prophet  announced  that  a  revirescence  of  David's 
housi  shall  be  the  correlative  of  destruction  of  the 
world-power  that   was  compared  to  the  forest  of 
Lebanon.     He  says  stock  of  Jesse,  not  stock  of 
David,  for  he  would  intimate  that  David's  stock 
will  be  reduced  to  its  rank  previous  to  David, 
when  it  was  only  the  stock  of  the  obscure  citizen 
of  Bethlehem.      This  explanation  seems  to  me 
more  correct  than  the  other  that  understands  that 
by  this  term  is  intimate;!  that  the  Messiah  shall 
be  the  second  David,  for  He  is  such  not  alongside 
of,   but  after  and  out  of  the  first  David.     The 
Messiah  is  in  fact  the  Son  of  David  (2  Sam.  vii.). 
If  this  stock,  dead  and  mutilated,  only  exists  as  a 
stump,  (but  we  know  when  and  how  that  hap- 
p_>nel,)  then  shall  a  slender  twig  emerge  from 
His  roots,  thus  out  of  that  part  concealed  under 
ground  and  still  fresh,  a  hardy  shoot  that  shall 
not  porish,  but  bear  fruit,  and  therefore  (as  in- 
cluded in  the  statement)  develop  to  a  new  tree. 

He  is  called  "branch"  iv.   2;  Jer    xxiii    5- 
xxxiii    15;  Zech.  iii.  8 ;  vi.  12.     At  the  begin-' 

n.mgw      "I'  ^Ver*  2)  is  found  a  representation  of 
3  Messiah  closely  resembling  our  verse  :    "  and  | 
He  raised   Himself  before  Him   like  the  tender 
plant  and  like  the  root  out  of  dry  ground"  Ezek 
too,   (xvii.   22-24)  speaks   of  the  shoot  of  the ! 


cedar  (pJV)  that  the  Lord  will  plant  on  the  high 
mountain  of  Israel  (Isa.  ii.)  to  show  how  He  is 
able  "  to  bring  down  the  high  tree,  exalt  the  low 
tree,  dry  up  the  green  tree,  and  make  flourish  the 
dry  tree." 

3.  And  the  spirit fear  of  the  Lord  — 

Ver.  2.  The  Prophet  immediately  forsakes  the 
figurative  language.  He  speaks  of  the  sprout  as 
of  a  person.  For  on  Him  shall  settle  down  (vii. 
2,  19  ;  Num.  xi.  25;  2  Kings  ii.  15)  the  spirit  of 
Jehovah.  This  is  a  generic  designation.  For  in 
what  follows  a  threefold  species  of  this  genus  is 
named,  each  of  which  is  represented  in  two  modi- 
fications. The  candlestick  of  the  sanctuary  has 
rightly  been  regarded  as  symbol  of  the  spirit  of 
Jehovah.  The  stem  corresponds  to  what  we  have 
called  the  genus,  the  six  branches  to  what  we 
have  called  the  species  (Exod.  xxv.  31  sqq. ; 
xxxvii.  17  sqq.).  The  first  species  comprehends 
(Hpjn  and  nj'3)  "  wisdom  and  understanding." 
It  is  not  easy  to  determine  wherein  consists  the 
difference  between  these.  In  not  a  few  passages 
they  are  placed  opposite  to  one  another  in  the 
parallelism  of  the  clauses  :  Prov.  ii.  2  sqq. ;  iv. 
5,  7;  ix.  10;  Job  xxviii.  12,  20,  28;  2  Chr.  ii. 
12,  etc.  In  all  these  passages  is  observed,  first  of 
all,  a  formal  distinction,  a  certain  distinction  of 
rank.  "Wisdom"  is  the  great  all-comprehending 
chief  name  of  all  right  knowledge.  As  the  notion 
wisdom  rises  to  personality,  in  fact  to  the  dignity 
of  divine  personality  (Prov.  viii.  32  sqq.)  the 
word  becomes  almost  a  proper  name.  "  Under- 
standing "  (  nys  with  ruian,  njn,  etc.]  takes  up 

a  subordinate  position.  It  signifies  always  only 
an  element,  although  a  very  essential  one  of 
"  wisdom"  (comp.  Prov.  viii.  14).  Many  find  in 
nrDDH  the  fundamental  meaning  offirmitas  solida, 
of  irvKfrtfrWi  though  the  word  is  rather  allied  to 
=jn plaatum,  and  thus,  as  in  sapientia,  cofyia  "sapor* 
"  taste"  (comp.  Dj'B  )  is  the  fundamental  notion. 
In  any  case  H  DDFI  "  wisdom  "  has  more  a  positive 
meaning,  whereas  ru'll  "understanding"  (comp. 
{'3  and  the  meaning  of  the  root-words  in  the  dia- 
lects) carries  more  the  negative  notion  of  didxpiffif, 
the  art  of  distinguishing  between  true  and  false, 
good  and  bad.— r\?y  and  mUJ  «  counsel  "  and 
"might"  (xxxvi.  5)  are  easily  distinguished  as 
proofs  of  practical  wisdom  in  forming  and  execut- 
ing good  counsel.  A  third  pair  is  (AJ.H,  slot, 
const,  and  '"  ^KT)  "knowledge  and  fear  of  the 
LORD  :"  for  the  first  two  pairs  comprise  those 
effects  of  the  spirit  that  relate  to  the  earthly 
life.  The  third  pair  appear  to  reach  out  beyond 
this  earthly  life.  It  names  a  knowledge  and  a 


CHAP.  XI.  1-9. 


163 


fear  whose  object  is  Jehovah  Himself.  If  the 
fear  of  God  is  named  last  here,  whereas  accord- 
ing to  Prov.  i.  7  ;  ix.  10  ;  Ps.  cxi.  10  it  is  the  be- 
ginning of  all  wisdom,  that  has  its  reason  herein, 
that  what  is  the  deepest  foundation  may  at  the 
same  time  be  designated  as  the  loftiest  height, 
like  the  great  mountains  form  the  inmost  nucleus 
and  the  highest  summits  of  the  earth's  body.  The 
entire  enumeration  progresses  therefore  from  the 
bottom  upwards.  Moreover  the  view  of  the  seven 
spirits  of  God,  that  is  found  Rev.  i.  4 ;  iii.  1 ;  iv. 
5 ;  v.  6,  rests  on  our  text.  On  the  anointing  of 
the  Messiah  with  the  Spirit  of  God,  comp.  xlii. 
1;  Ixi.  1;  Mattli.  xii.  18;  Luke  iv.  18;  Jno. 
iii'.  34. 

4.  And  shall  make his  reins. — Vers. 

3-5.  On  imn  see  Text,  and  Gram.  He  has  not 
only  received  the  spirit  from  without ;  He  re- 
ceives it  also  within  Him,  so  that  He  continually 
breathes  in  this  spiritual  air  of  life — this  alone 
and  no  other.  He  has  received  (objectively)  the 
spirit  in  absolute  fulness.  There  appears  to  me 
to  lie  in  these  words,  too,  an  allusion  to  Gen.  ii. 
7.  There  it  is  said  that  God  breathed  in  men 
His  spirit  as  the  principle  of  life.  But  this  prin- 
ciple of  life  performs  its  functions  no  matter  in 
what  element  the  man  may  find  himself.  Even 
in  the  godless  it  is  constantly  active.  Yet  how 
unsatisfying,  how  mournful  is  that  breathing  of 
the  spirit  in  a  sphere  infected  by  sin.  The 
Messiah  lives  wholly  in  "the  fear  of  God."  He 
therefore  breathes  in  an  atmosphere  homogeneous 
to  Him.  He  therefore  brings  into  use  for  man- 
kind the  right  breathing  by  bringing  them  back 
into  the  pure  element  of  spirit.  He  is  the 
second  Adam. 

As  king,  the  Messiah  must  display  the  divinity 
of  His  disposition  pre-eminently  in  the  perfectly 
adequate  administration  of  justice.  He  will  there- 
fore never  let  His  judgment  depend  on  outward 
appearance,  never  on  that  which  pleases  the  out- 
ward sense,  but  Pie  will  only  suffer  that  to  pass 
for  right  that  is  right.  He  will  not,  therefore, 
look  on  the  person,  but  help  the  poor  and  lowly 
to  their  rights  (comp.  i.  26  sqq.;  iii.  13  sqq.). 
But  the  unjust  He  will  punish.  This  is  the  mean- 
ing of  ver.  4  b.  For  the  earth  (}'^N)  that  He 
smites  with  the  rod  of  His  mouth,  (Rev.  i.  16) 
and  that  is  put  parallel  with  yV}~\  "  the  wicked" 
can  only  be  regarded  as  the  territory  of  the  world 
that  is  hostile  to  God.  "  The  wicked  "  #t?~*  is 
by  the  CIIALDEE,  and  since  that  by  many  expo- 
sitors, construed  not  only  as  a  collective  = 
D^i^l,  but  at  the  same  time,  (or  even  exclu- 
sively e.  g.  DELITZSCH)  in  the  sense  of  2  Thess. 
ii.  8,  as  designation  of  an  eschatological  person, 
in  whom  enmity  against  God  shall  reach  its 
climax.  The  staff  of  His  mouth  is  the  word  that 
goes  forth  out  of  His  mouth,  and  the  breath  of 
His  lips  is  the  same.  For  His  word  is  in  fact 
what  His  lips  (spiritually)  breathe  out.  Thus 
He  proves  Himself  to  be  the  one  that  can  de- 
stroy in  the  same  way  as  He  created.  By  His 
word  were  things  made  ;  by  His  word  they  pass 
away.  Comp.  Ps.  civ.  29.  In  this  righteous- 
ness, however,  consists  His  proper  strength,  and 
the  guaranty  for  the  eternal  continuance  of  His 
kingdom.  The  powers  of  the  world  must  pass  away 
on  account  of  unrighteousness  (Prov.  xiv.  34). 


The  girdle  is  the  symbol  of  vigorous,  unim- 
peded development  of  strength,  because  the  an- 
cients could  run,  wrestle,  and  work  only  when  the 
girdle  confined  their  wide  garments  (comp.  Job 
xii.  18;  xxxviii.  3;  xl.  2;  Jer.  i.  17;  Eph.  vi. 
14 ;  1  Pet.  i.  13).  Let  the  loins  be  girt  with 
righteousness  and  truth,  and  the  girded  man 
stands  strong  and  firm  in  righteousness  and  truth. 
He  is  strong  by  both.  Therefore  He  does  not 
further  His  cause  by  unrighteousness  and  lies, 
but  by  the  contrary. 

5.  The  wolf  also the  sea.— Vers.  6-9. 

The  Prophet's  vision  penetrates  to  the  remotest 
time :  he  comprises  the  near  and  far  in  one  look. 
The  Assyria  of  the  present,  with  its  destruction 
in  the  near  future,  the  Messiah  in  the  inception 
of  His  appearance,  and  the  latest  fruits  of  His 
work  of  peace — all  this  he  sees  at  once  in  a  grand 
picture  before  him.  When  the  Redeemer,  as 
Prince  of  Peace  (ix.  5)  shall  have  done  away 
with  all  violence,  and  put  justice  on  the  throne, 
then  will  peace  be  in  the  earth,  and  that,  not  only 
among  men,  but  also  among  beasts.  The  Pro- 
phet, it  is  true,  does  not  explain  how  the  beasts 
are  to  be  made  accessible  to  this  peaceful  dispo- 
sition. But  it  seems  to  me  certain  that  only  stu- 
pendous changes  in  nature,  violent  revolutions, 
world-ruin  and  resurrection,  thus  the  slaying  of 
the  old  Adam,  and  the  regeneration  of  nature  can 
bring  forth  these  effects,  (Rev.  xx.  sq.).  "Be- 
hold I  make  all  things  new,"  (Rev.  xxi.  5)  says 
He,  that  sits  upon  the  throne.  But  we  see  from 
passages  like  xxxv. ;  xliii.  18  sqq.,  that  Isaiah 
himself  had  a  presentiment  of  this  grand,  and 
all-comprehending  world-renewal.  I  do  not  mean 
by  this  to  defend  a  literal  fulfilment  of  the  word 
which  the  church  fathers  rejected  as  Judaizing, 
but  only  themselves  to  fall  into  the  opposite  ex- 
treme of  spiritualizing  and  allegorizing.  (Jerome 
appeals  to  Eph.  i.  3).  The  point  is  to  find  the 
happy  medium.  That,  however,  is  not  found  by 
saying  that  Isaiah  meant  what  he  said  in  a  real 
sense,  only  he  deceived  himself,  but  by  recog- 
nizing that  Isaiah,  as  organ  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  beheld  stupendous,  Bpirit-corporeal  reality, 
but  paints  this  reality  witli  human,  earthly,  even 
national  and  temporal  colors.  In  short  there  will 
be  "a  new  creation,"  (2  Cor.  v.  17)  and  this  new 
creation  will  be  at  the  same  time  a  restitution  of 
that  oldest  creation,  that  original  one  of  Paradise, 
but  on  a  higher  plane.  But  how  in  the  picture 
of  the  Prophet,  to  draw  the  boundary  between 
absolute  and  relative  reality,  i.  e.,  whether  to  ex- 
clude only  single  traits  as  not  literal,  or  whether 
to  divest  the  whole  of  its  local  and  temporal 
construction,  is  difficult  to  say.  Yet  I  decide  for 
the  latter.  For  all  the  traits  of  the  picture 
painted  by  Isaiah  bear  the  stamp  of  the  existing 
earthly  corporality.  But  in  this  sphere  the  pro- 
phecy cannot  be  realized.  We  must  suppose  a 
new  basis  of  spiritual,  glorified  corporality  made 
for  this  fulfilment.  On  this  basis  then  the  Pro- 
phet's word  will,  mutatis  mutandis,  certainly  be 
fulfilled. 

The  young  lion  (ViD  v.  29)  will  lie  quietly 
between  the  calf  and  the  fattened  ox,  hitherto  his 
favorite  food  ;  and  a  small  boy  will  suffice  to  keep 
this  entire,  extraordinary,  mixed  up  herd.  Cow 
and  bear  graze,  and  their  young  rest  by  one 


164 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


another,  while  the  old  male-lion  will  devour 
chopped  straw.  Poisonous  serpents  will  change 
their  nature ;  the  sucking  child  will  play  at  the 
hole  (vid.  Text,  and  Gram.)  of  the  adder.  The 
holy  mountain  of  Jehovah  (cornp.  on  ii.  2  sqq.), 
will  not  indeed  physically  comprise  the  earth, 
but  it  will  rule  the  earth,  and  so  far  the  Prophet 
can  say,  there  shall  no  more  harm  be  done,  nor 
destruction  devised  on  the  holy  mountain.  The 
whole  earth,  in  fact,  is  only  the  slope  of  the 
mount  of  God.  But  the  reason  why  there  is  no 
more  harm,  is  that  the  whole  earth  (notice  how 
in  the  second  clause  ''earth"  is  substituted  for 


''  holy  mountain  ")  will  be  full  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  LORD.  No  doubt  the  Prophet  means  here, 
not  merely  a  dead  knowing,  which  even  the 
devils  have  (Jas.  ii.  17)  ;  he  means  a  living,  ex- 
perimental, practical  knowledge  of  God,  as  is 
possible  also  to  the  impersonal  creature.  There- 
fore the  whole  earth,  not,  merely  man,  shall  know 
God  living,  and  thus  on  the  holy  mountain  shall 
no  harm  or  destruction  be  devised.  By  the  glori- 
ous picture  of  that  knowledge  filling  the  earth 
like  the  water  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  the  Prophet 
signifies  that  he  conceives  of  all  creatures  as 
filled  with  this  living  knowledge  of  God. 


2     THE  KETURN  OF  ISEAEL  TAKES  PLACE  ONLY  WHEN  THE  MESSIAH  HAS 
APPEARED  AND  THE  HEATHEN  HAVE  GATHERED  TO  HIM. 

CHAPTER  XI.  10-16. 

10  AND  in  that  clay  there  shall  be  a  root  of  Jesse, 
Which  shall  stand  for  an  ensign  of  the  people  ; 
To  it  shall  the  Gentiles  seek  : 

And  his  rest  shall  be  'glorious. 

11  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 

That  the  LORD  shall  set  his  hand  again  the  second  time 

To  "recover  the  remnant  of  his  people, 

"Which  shall  be  left,  from  Assyria,  and  from  Egypt, 

And  from  Pathros,  and  from  Gush,  and  from  Elam, 

And  from  Shinar,  and  from  Hamath,  and  from  the  islands  of  the  sea. 

12  And  lie  shall  set  up  an  ensign  for  the  nations, 
And  shall  assemble  the  outcasts  of  Israel, 
And  gather  together  the  dispersed  of  Judah 
From  the  four  2bcorners  of  the  earth. 

13  The  envy  also  cof  Ephraim  shall  depart, 
And  the  adversaries  of  Judah  shall  be  cut  off: 
Ephraim  shall  not  envy  Judah, 

And  Judah  shall  not  vex  Ephraim. 

14  But  they  shall  fly  upon  the  shoulders  dof  the  Philistines  toward  the  west ; 
They  shall  spoil  'them  of  the  east  together  : 

4They  shall  lay  their  hand  upon  Edom  and  Moab ; 
8And  the  children  of  Ammon  eshall  obey  them. 

15  And  the  LORD  'shall  utterly  destroy  the  tongue  of  the  Egyptian  sea  ; 
And  g\vith  his  mighty  wind  shall  he  shake  his  hand  over  the  river, 
And  shall  smite  it  hin  the  seven  streams, 

And  make  men  go  over  6dry-shod. 

16  And  there  shall  be  an  highway  for  the  remnant  of  his  people, 
Which,  shall  be  left,  from  Assyria  ; 

Like  as  it  was  to  Israel 

In  the  day  that  he  came  up  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 


1  Heb.  fflory. 

1  Heb.  the  children  of  the  east. 

•  Heb.  The  children  of  Ammon  their  obedience. 

»  acquire.  b  borders 

*  Vi?i:  i'ie  PMistiMS,  Seaward.  .  (heir  subiertt. 

i  with  the  glowing  puff  of  his  breath.  h  mto  sevcn  brooklet*. 


*  Heb.  wings. 

*  Heb.  Edom  and  Moab  shall  be  (he  laying  on  of  thtlr  hand. 
8  Heb.  in  shoes. 


c  against. 
*  banish. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


On  ver.  10.  7N  Jjn^  comp.  on  viii.  19,  but  it  has  more 
emphasis  than  there. 
On  ver.  11.  T  *]'Din  is  only  found  here.  Many  would 


connect  IT  with  what  follows  as  accus.  instr.    But  the 

position  conflicts  with  that.    Others  supply 

that  is  not  something  that  may  b*  left  to  be  understood. 


CHAP.  XT.  10-16. 


165 


It  is  better  with  DKECHSLER  to  take  T  'VDin  as  an  ex- 
pression equivalent  to  T  J.H J  (Exod.  vii.  4) :  manum  ad- 
dere  corresponding  to  manum  dare.  If  the  latter  means 
"to  lay  the  hand  on  one,'1  then  our  expression  means 
"  repeatedly  to  lay  hands  on  one." 

On  ver.  l:i.  DTHJ  and  JTO13J,  by  this  simple  means 
the  Prophet  expresses  the  thought  that  the  promised 
gathering  shn.ll  extend  to  both  sexes,  men  and  women. 
.01333  >'3~1K  is  only  found  here  in  Isaiah.  The  words 
are  taken  from  Deut.  xxii.  12,  and  are  found  beside 
Ezek.  vii.  2. 

Onver.14.  '1J1  f]n33  13JH-  ^3  is  without  doubt  here 
used  in  a  double  sense.  Every  shoulder-shaped  eleva- 
tion is  called  *ir\3-  Thus  we  find  rpJ3~D'>  HrQ  Num. 
xxxiv.  11 ;  'D13TI  nfO  Joshua  xv.  8 ;  xviii.  16 ; 
D''V~>'in  ^  ibid.  ver.  10.  UTT  V3  xviii.  12;  nil1?  O 
xviii.  13.  So,  too,  Josh.  xv.  11  speaks  of  a  |1"lpJ7  !\^: 
Therefore  the  shoulder-like  watershed  of  the  coast  of 
Philistia  toward  the  sea  may  be  called  FifO-  But  from 
the  verb  13j?  it  is  seen  that  the  Prophet  has  in  mind  at 
the  same  time  the  figure  of  a  bird  of  prey  that  flies  on  a 
man's  shoulder  in  order  to  belabor  his  head.  But  is 
rjp.S  st.  const,  or  absolutus.  DELITZSCH  is  of  the  opinion 
that,  on  account  of  the  following  3  in  DTIt^S,  the  stat. 
absol  is  used  in  the  sense  of  stat.  constructus.  It  were 
possible  that  the  Masorets  might  have  punctuated  in 
this  way  for  the  reason  assigned,  yet  this  kind  of  punc- 
tuation ought  to  occur  oftener.  But  DELITZSCH  can  only 
appeal  to  the  accent  not  being  drawn  backwards  in 


13  3VPI  v.  2,  and  13  3¥H  x.  15,  where  no  st.  constructus 

I-T  I- 

exists.    I  agree,  therefore,  with  DBECHSLER  who  takes 


to  be  in  apposition  with  flfO  :  "  they  fly  on  to 
the  shoulder,  the  (so  named)  Philistine  land  ;"  H?3\ 
however,  refers  to  the  whole,  and  is  contrasted,  not  with 
an  eastern  F|fO  (1IW  '3  Josh,  xviii.  12),  but  with 
mp  ^3-  -  113'  comp.x.2.—  T  niVtfD.  PI  h  2fa  oc- 
curs again  only  Esth.  ix.  19,  22  in  the  sense  of  missio  (do- 
norum).  On  the  other  hand  T  nSl^D  occurs  five  times 

T         ~  :     • 

in  Deut.  (xii.  7;  xv.  10;  xxiii.  21;  xxviii.  8,  20)  in  the 
sense  of  "  something  coming  under  the  hand,"  which  is 
said  of  food,  business,  etc.  Here  it  is  what  the  master, 
the  conqueror,  the  oppressor  lays  his  hand  on  in  order 
to  hold  it  down  ;  Ps.  xxxii.  4  ;  xxxviii.  3  ;  Iv.  21  ;  cvi.  26. 
42  ;  cxxxviii.  7,  etc.  In  this  the  abstract  stands  for  the 
concrete  as  in  n^DK/D,  which  means  audientia  (audi- 
ence) both  in  the  sense  of  confidential  hearing,  as  a 
title  of  honor  (1  Sam.  xxii.  14;  2  Sam.  xxiii.  23)  and  in 
the  sense  of  obcdientia  (=  obedientes,  subditi). 

On  ver.  15.  U1  D'THi"!-  There  exists  no  necessity  for 
reading  3'Tnri-  For,  as  DELITZSCH  remarks,  D'THH  is 
only  a  strengthened  "l^J  "  to  reproach,"  P^.cvi.  9;  Nah. 
i.  4.  -  IT  *]'  JH  comp.  on  x.  32.  -  D'.!'  is  aff-  ^«y-  Ex- 
positors differ  about  it  very  much.  To  me  it  seems  best 
with  DELITZSCH  to  derive  the  word  from  D1>'=D^n,  DDH 
(from  which  DIP  niger,  "  the.  burned  black,"  Gen.  xxx. 
32  sqq.). 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  now  declares  the  relation  of  the 
last,  glorious  return  of  Israel  to  the  appearance 
of  the  Messiah.     In  ver.  10,  he  puts  in  front  the 
fact  that  the  heathen  will  inquire  after  the  root 
of  Jesse,  and  that  in  this  respect  the  place  where 
the  Messiah  rests  shall  partake  of  great  glory. 
By  this  he  intimates  plainly  that  the  heathen 
shall  turn  to  the  Messiah  be/ore   Israel,  and  that 
therefore  the  promised  return  of  Israel  shall  only 
be  afterwards.     Then  he  speaks  of   this  return 
very  fully.      As  underlying  thought,  he  repre- 
sents that,  as  the  LORD  after  the  Egyptian  bond- 
age  would  reject  His  people  by  a  more  extended 
captivity,  so  He  would  cause  a  second  return  out  of 
this  captivity.     With  this  thought    begins,  and 
closes  the  section  vers.  11-16.     The  remnant  of 
the  nation  shall  be    gathered  out  of  all    lands 
(vers.   11,  12).     The  inward  dissension  between 
Ephraim,  and  Judah  shall  cease  (ver.  13).   They 
shall  unitedly  conquer,  and  subjugate  their  ene- 
mies of  the  past,  both  East  and  West  (ver.  14). 
The  Eed  sea  shall  be  dried  up,  the  Euphrates 
shall  be  divided  into  seven  channels,  so  that  both 
bodies  of  water  that  separated  the  holy  land  from 
the  scenes  of  the  first  and  second  captivities  may 
be  easily  crossed  over.  (ver.  15).     Thus  from  the 
second  captivity  there  shall  be  prepared  as  glori- 
ous a  road  for  the  remnant,  as  there  was  for  the 
nation  to  return  out  of  the  first  bondage.  (16). 

2.  And  in  that  day glorious. — Ver.  10. 

We  must  conceive  of  the  subject  matter  of  this  de- 
scription and  of  vers.  11-16  as  falling  between  the 
sections  vers.  1-5  and  6-9.     For  doubtless  the  hu- 
man world  must  be  first  penetrated  by  the  peace  of 
God.    Only  after  that  can  peace  extend  to  the  in- 
ferior creatures  (comp.  Gen.  i.  26  sqq.).     But  the 


Prophet  has  here  combined  the  beginning  and  the 
end,  because  he  thought  lie  could  characterize  the 
Messianic  dominion  most  clearly,  by  its  conse- 
quences. In  a  similar  way  Jeremiah  (iii.  and 
iv.),  proceeds  from  the  description  of  the  (31BP) 
return  in  the  past  to  the  description  of  the  return 
in  the  far  future,  in  order  finally  to  join  on  after 
that  the  summons  to  return  in  the  present.  The 
Prophet's  naming  the  Messiah  Himself  ''root 
of  Jesse"  after  calling  him,  ver.  1,  "a  shoot  out 
of  the  root  of  Jesse,"  has  a  double  reason.  The 
first  seems  to  me  to  be  the  mere  formal  one,  viz. : 
that  for  brevity's  sake  the  Prophet  would  avoid 
repeating  {?  "\>'J  "  a  shoot  from."  But  he  could 
justly  omit  this  because  the  Messiah  formed  the 
most  prominent  ingredient  of  the  root  of  Jesse. 
He  was  in  this  root  like  He  was  in  the  loins  of 
Abraham  (Heb.  vii.  10).  But  for  Him,  the  root 
of  Jesse  had  been  a  common  root  as  any  other. 
We  have  here  therefore,  not  only  a  formal-rhe- 
torical synecdoche,  but  also  one  justified  in  its 
substance.  For  the  expression  is  in  any  case  a 
synecdoche  (comp.  the  so  frequent  synecdochical 
use  of  the  word  "  seed  ").  As  root  he  could  not 
be  a  standard  of  the  heathen.  He  could  be  so 
only  as  a  trunk  or  stem  that  has  grown  out  of  the 
root.  In  this  sense  he  is  called  "  root  of  David," 
Kev.  v.  5 ;  but  with  omission  of  the  synecdoche, 
he  is  called  "root  and  offspring  of  David,"  Rev. 
xxii.  16.  Paul  cites  our  passage  Koui.  xv.  12 
according  to  the  LXX.  The  Messiah  is  a  standard 
to  the  heathen  so  far  as  He  will  be  an  appearance 
that  will  be  observable  to  all,  and  mightily  draw 
the  attention  of  all  to  Himself.  On  the  subject 
matter  comp.  ii.  2;  Ixvi.  18  sqq.;  Hag.  ii.  7; 


166 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


Zech.  ii.  15.  The  standard  "stands"  (comp.  iii. 
13)  for  it  is  fastened  to  an  upright  pole  (Num. 
xxi.  8,  where  the  pole  itself  is  called  DJ-  Comp. 
Isa.  v.  26).  But  it  is  not  said  who  has  planted 
the  standard.  It  just  stands  there  (comp.  Kslrai, 
Luke  ii.  34).  It  sets  itself  by  its  own  inward, 
divine  power.  KH2/  "  a  root "  stands  first  with 

empha«is.  V?K  ''unto  Him"  resumes  the  sub- 
ject. "  Unto  Him  shall  seek,"  conveys  the  no- 
tion of  longing  desire.  It  is  clear  that  by  "  na- 
tions" (D'U)  are  meant  the  heathen.  For  though 
'U  "  nation,"  in  the  singular,  is  used  for  Israel 
(comp.  i.  4),  it  is  never  so  in  the  plural. 

Israel  did  not  receive  the  LORD  when  He  came 
to  His  own  (Jno.  i.  11).  It  is  the  same  thought 
that  Paul  expresses  Rom.  x.  20,  in  words  taken 
from  Isa.  Ixv.  1,  2  {according  to  LXX.).  "I  was 
found  of  them,  that  nought  me  not;  I  was  mani- 
fest ('HEn1!})  unto  them  that  asked  not  after 
me."  Paul  ascribes  to  partial  blindness  the  ex- 
ceeding remarkable  fact,  that  after  the  appearance 
of  the  Messiah  the  heathen  entered  into  the  king- 
dom of  God  before  Israel,  (Rom.  xi.  25)— HTUJD 
"  a  rest,"  the  place  of  rest  where  moving  herds 
or  caravans  settle  down,  (xxviii.  12;  xxxii.  18; 
Ixvi.  1,  and  Num.  x.  33).  The  place  where  the 
Messiah  sits  down  to  rest  is  identical  with  the 
place  where  He  reveals  the  fulness  of  His  might 
and  glory,  it  is  His  body,  the  church  (Eph.  i. 
23).  Still  at  the  present  time  the  church  is  a 
gentile  church,  and  yet  it  is  a  glory  (1133  abstr. 
pro  concr.),  i.  e.,  a  realization  of  the  idea  of  glory, 
(comp.  Ps.  xlv.  14)  even  though  only  a  prelimi- 
nary and  relative  glory. 

3.  And  it  shall  coma  to  pass of  the 

earth. — Vers.  11,  12.  The  Prophet  now  turns 
to  Israel.  Israel  must  first  be  broken  up,  and  its 
separate  parts  be  scattered  into  all  lands,  if  it  is 
to  accept  Him  that  is  promised  to  Israel  for  sal- 
vation. Only  out  of  a  state  of  banishment  and 
dispersion,  and  only  after  the  heathen  have  pra- 
viously  joined  themselves  to  Him,  does  Israel 
know  and  lay  hold  on  its  Redeemer.  But  when 
it  shall  have  known  Him,  then  will  the  disper- 
sion cease,  then  shall  Israel  be  gathered  and  be 
brought  back  into  its  land.  The  first  exile  was 
the  Egyptian.  Wonderfully  was  Israel  redeemed 
out  of  it.  A  second  exile  is  in  prospect.  The  Pro- 
phet assumes  it.  He  has  already  announced  it  vi. 
llsqq.;  x.  5sqq.  What  had  already  occurred  at 
that  time  under  Tiglath-Pileser  (2  Kings  xv.  29) 
was  as  much  only  a  faint  beginning  of  the  exile, 
as  the  return  under  Zerubbabel  and  Ezra,  was 
only  a  faint  beginning  of  the  redemption.  The 
Roman  exile,  which  is  but  a  part  of  the  second 
exile,  though  the  completion  of  it,  must  first 
have  accomplished  itself,  before  the  second  re- 
demption can  accomplish  itself. 

The  LORD  has  acquired  Israel  (flljp),  He  let 
it  cost  Him  something,  He  expended  great  care 
upon  it,  therefore  the  nation  is  His  property 

(His  rn.JD  "  peculiar  treasure,"  Exod.   xix.  5, 
etc.).  rn£    "purchased,"   is  found  in   this  sense 
even  in  Exod.  xv.  16,  the  song  of  triumph  of 
Moses,  to  which  Isaiah  seems  here  to  allude. 
The  Prophet  does  not  say  "I12/N3,  etc.,  "  in  As- 


syria," but  "from  A,"  etc.,  (vid.  Exod.  x.  5),  for 
he  would  not  so  much  intimate  the  locality  where 
the  banished  are  found,  as  ra'her  designate  a 
remnant,  not  yet  quite  exterminated  by  the  nation 
in  the  midst  of  which  they  are  found.  He  then 
names  eight  nations,  Assyria  in  advance,  for  that 
is  the  world  power  that  he  sees  immediately 
before  him,  and  that  represents  all  following 
powers,  i.  e.,  the  world-power  in  general.  Next 
he  names  Egypt,  for  this  is  not  only  to  be  the 
actual  scene  of  future  exile,  but  is  also  a  proto- 
type of  such  exile.  Then  follow  two  names  that 
belong  to  Egypt,  then  three  that  belong  to  As- 
syria, finally  a  name  belonging  to  a  region  more 
distant  still, 

Pathros  (Egyptian  Pather-res,  i.  e.,  the  southern 
Father  in  distinction  from  other  places  sacred  to 
Hathor,  of  this  name,  vid.  EBER'S,  Egypt,  und  die 
Bucher  Mose's,  I.  p.  115  sqq.  On  its  relatic  n  to 
D'^^P  comp.  the  remarks  at  chap.  xix.  1),  is 
Upper-Egypt  (Jer.  xliv.  15);  "Cush"  (Ethio- 
pia) is  a  name  "  that  acquired  an  extension  from 
the  south  of  India  to  the  interior  of  Africa" 
(PRESSEL).  Elam  (Elymais  xxi.  2;  xxii.  6)  is 
southern  Media ;  Shinar,  southern  Mesopotamia 
(Gen.  x.  10);  on  Hamath  comp.  on  x.  9;  the 
islands  of  the  sea  are  the  western  islands  and 
coasts  of  the  Mediterranean  sea  (xxiv.  15;  xl.  15; 
xli.  1,  5,  etc.).  When  it  is  said  that  the  LORD  will 
raise  a  standard  to  the  nations,  it  is  not  meant 
that  this  signal  shall  concern  the  heathen  nations, 
for  ver.  10  spoke,  of  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles; 
but  in  the  direction  of  these  various  abodes  of  the 
nations,  the  sign  shall  be  given  to  the  Israelites. 

4.  The  envy  also land  of  Egypt. — 

Vers.  13-16.  It  might  be  supposed  that,  having 
told  of  the  gathering  of  the  remnant,  the  Pro- 
phet would  proceed  at  once  to  describe  the  re- 
turn. But  he  does  this  only  at  vers.  15,  16.  First, 
the  idea  of  gathering  and  re-union  brings  up  that 
of  inward  unity.  He  announces  that  the  old 
enmity  between  Judah  and  Ephraim  will  cease, 
and  that  henceforth,  both,  strong  from  unity, 
shall  conquer  their  outward  foes.  Are  "  the  ene- 
mies of  Judah"  the  Ephraimites  (the  Prophet 
would  say,  did  the  oppressors  of  Judah  appear 
even  among  Ephraim,  they  would  be  exter- 
minated) then  the  ''envy  of  Ephraim,"  is  not 
the  jealousy  that  Ephraim  has,  but  that  of  which 
it  is  the  object.  But  as  the  Prophet  ascribes  to 
Judah  oppression  in  the  second  half,  after  re- 
ferring to  him  in  the  first  half  as  the  one  op- 
pressed, so  in  the  second  half  he  ascribes  envy  to 
Ephraim,  after  having  in  the  first  part  described 
him  as  the  object  of  envy.  There  is  therefore, 
an  artistic  crossing  of  notions.  Israel,  harmoni- 
ous at  last,  shall  at  once  be  superior  in  strength 
to  all  its  neighbors.  It  is  very  evident  here,  how 
the  Prophet  paints  the  remotest  future  with  the 
colors  of  the  present.  Still  in  the  period  of  the 
reign  of  peace  (comp.  too,  ii.  4)  he  makes  Israel 
take  vengeance  on  his  enemies,  and  subdue  them 
quite  in  the  fashion  that,  in  the  Prophet's  time, 
would  be  the  heart's  desire  of  a  true  Theocrat. 

The  "  tongue  of  the  Egyptian  sea,"  is  the  Ara- 
bian gulf  or  Reed-gulf,  ^D~D^  (Exod.x.  19,  etc.). 

"  Tongue  "  J1BO  of  an  arm  of  the  sea,  like  Josh. 
xv.  2,  5 ;  xviii.  19.  The  Euphrates  in  the  second 
return  is  to  correspond  to  the  Jordan  which  was 


CHAP.  XII.  1-6. 


167 


so  miraculously  crossed  in  the  journey  out  of  ]  of  an  unhallowed  feeling,  to  which,  in  the  other 
Egypt  (Josh.  Hi.).  The  LORD  shall  wave  His  case  was  superadded  open  rebellion  and  apostacy 
hand  against  it,  as  it  were,  adjuring  it,  and  at  the  from  God.  Hence,  the  first  three  members  of 
same  time  smite  it  with  the  breath  of  His  mouth  the  verse  before  us  speak  of  Ephraim's  enmity  to 
as  with  a  glowing  hot  wind,  that  will  dry  it  up,  Judah,  and  only  the  fourth  of  Judah's  enmity  to 
so  that  it  will  separate  into  seven  shallow  brook-  Ephraim;  as  if  it  occurred  to  the  Prophet  that, 
lets,  which  Israel  may  walk  through  in  sandals,  although  it  was  Ephraim  whose  disposition 
Thereby,  a  "fenced  way,"  (via  munita  ""l^pp  xix.  \  needed  chiefly  to  be  changed,  yet  Judah  also  had 
23  ;  xl.'s ;  Ixii.  10,  etc.,  comp.  vii.  3)  wiH  be  pre-  a  change  to  undergo,  which  is  therefore  intimated 
pared  for  the  remnant  of  Israel  out  of  the  Assy-  ™  the  MS*  clause,  as  a  kind  of  after-thought. 

•i     ^i    i     -11  u  i     •  *u    -^n-\    The  envy  of  Ephraim  against  Judah  shall  depart 

nan  exile  that  will  be  as  glorious  as  the  rttOO    _the  ^.^  £f  ,  B  Q  k          m  Q{^ 

on  which  Israe   returned  out  of  Egypt.     As  for  tribeg)    h  R  b     cutVoff_Ephraim  shall  no 

"the  remnant,"  it  must  be  understood  with  the  I  ^  Judah_yes,  and  Judah  in  its  turn 

same  restriction  explained  x.  21  sqq  ;  ^  ^      yex  £ ^ 

[J.  A.  ALEXANDER,  on  ver.  13.     A  considera- 

tion  of  the  history  of  the  enmity  of  Ephraim  I  Ibid.  On  ver.  16.  HvDO  is  a  highway  as  ex- 
against  Judah,  of  the  nature  of  the  schism  they  plained  by  JUNIUS  (agger)  and  HEND.  (causey), 
wrought  and  maintained  in  Israel,  "explains  why  .  an  artificial  road  formed  by  casting  up  the  earth, 
the  Prophet  lays  so  much  more  stress  upon  the  (fn  y,D  ^[SQ)  and  ^  disti  uUhed  from 
envy  of  Ephraim  than  upon  the  enmity  ot  Judah,  v  -  T 

viz.:  because  the  latter  was  oqly  the  indulgence  I  a  Path  worn  by  the  feet 


3.  ISRAEL'S  SONG  OF  PEAISE  FOR  THE  WRATH  AND  GRACE  OF  HIS  GOD. 

CHAPTER  XII.  1-6. 

1  AND  in  that  day  thou  shalt  say, 

0  LORD,  I  will  praise  thee : 

"Though  thou  was  angry  with  me,  bthine  anger  is  turned  away, 
And  thou  comfortedst  me. 

2  Behold,  God  is  my  salvation  ; 

1  will  trust,  and  not  be  afraid :  *> 

For  the  LORD  JEHOVAH  is  my  strength  and  my  song  ; 
He  also  is  become  my  salvation. 
3,  4  Therefore  with  joy  shall  ye  draw  water  out  of  the  wells  of  salvation.    And  in  that 

day  shall  ye  say, 
Praise  the  LORD, 
'Call  upon  his  name, 
Declare  his  doings  among  the  people, 
Make  mention  that  his  name  is  exalted. 

5  Sing  unto  the  LORD  ;  for  he  hath  done  excellent  things  : 
This  is  known  in  all  the  earth. 

6  Cry  out  and  shout,  thou  inhabitant  of  Zion  : 

For  great  is  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  in  the  midst  of  thee. 


1  Or,  Proclaim  hia  name. 
»  That. 

TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  1.  1J1  3t£".  I  do  not  think  that  this  period 
can  be  construed  paratactically ;  for  then  it  must  read 
"UDPJfll  3jyni. Isaiah  never  uses  rntf.  This  word 

•  "  -:|-:~        T  |T-  I-T 

is  probably  an  .allusion  to  1  Kings  viii.  46,  where  Solo- 
mon in  his  prayer  of  dedication  says :  "  If  they  sin 
against  thee,  and  thou  be  angry  with  them,  D2  J13  JKV" 

T     T     -T: 

Comp.  Ps.  Ix.  3. 

On  ver.  2.  *r\j»lEP  is  very  frequent  both  in  Isa.  (xxv. 
9;  xxvi.  1;  xxxiii.  2;  xlix.  6;  li.  6,  8 ;  Ivi.  1,  etc.),  and  in 
the  Psalms  (Ixii.  2;  Ixxxviii.  2;  Ixxxix.  27,  etc.  It  oc- 
curs three  times  in  our  chapter,  ver.  2,  bis,  and  ver.  3. — 
and  in3N  form  a  paronomasia. in2X  JO 


8  Heb.  inhabitress. 
b  let  thine  anger,  etc. 

GRAMMATICAL. 

recalls  Ps.  xxvii.  1  OP3K  "SO  'TTTtyn  . '")•  The 
entire  second  clause  of  ver.  2  is  borrowed  from  the  tri- 
umphal song  of  Moses,  of  which  we  were  reminded  be- 
fore by  ryijp  xi.  1.  Comp.  Ps.  cxviii.  14.  Only  it  may 
be  noticed  that  in  our  passage,  as  if  to  excel  the  origi- 
nal (DELITZSCH),  the  two  divine  names  miT  iT  stand 
in  the  form  of  a  climax  ascendens. TV  is  an  abbrevia- 
tion of  HUT  peculiar  to  poetry.  It  occurs  first  Exod. 
xv.  2 ;  xvii.  16.  Beside  the  text,  it  occurs  Isa.  xxvi.  4,  as 
here  joined  with  rUTT  andxxxviii.  11,  where  TV  i*1  Pl't 
double.  Beside  these  instances  the  word  is  found  only 
in  the  Psalms  and  in  Song  of  Sol.  viii.  R. rHOt  ab- 


168 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


brevi.ated  instead  of  TOST  would  not  be  Hebrew.  The 
suffix  in  *iy  applies  also  to  JTO? ;  both  appear  thereby 
as  one  notion.  Comp.  EWALD,  g  339  6. 

On  ver.  3.  \V2Ul  xxii.  13;  xxxv.  10;  li.  3,  11 ;  Ixi.  1.— 
mr^O  xli.  18. 

On  ver.  4.   The  words  Ilin  to  VflS'Sj?  occur  word 

for  word,  Ps.  cv.  1 ;  1  Chr.  xvi.  8. lot?  3jt?J.    Comp. 

Ps.  cxlviii.13:  HnS  'TDZ2  3-lt^J  '3  which  words  appear 

-i  :         T  :    • 

to  have  arisen  from  a  combination  of  our  passage  and 
ii.  11, 17. 
On  ver.  5. 110J,  too,  is  an  expression  borrowed  from  the 


poetry  of  the  Pss.  where  alone  it  occurs  sometimes  with  *7 
sometimes  as  here  with  the  accus.;  Ps.  xlvii.  7 ;  Ixviii.  5. 33. 

an  expression  of  Isaiah ;  comp.  ix.  17. K'thibh 

,  K'ri  JTjniO-  The  Pual  participle  is  found 
only  i'u  the  plural  with  suffixes,  meaning:  "acquaint- 
ance," amicus  (Ps.  Iv.  14;  Ixxxviii.  9,  19  ;  xxxi.  12;  Job 
xix.  14 ;  2  Kings  x.  11).  As  our  chapter  evinces  so  much 
borrowing  from  the  language  of  the  Psalms,  I  prefer 
K'thibh.  In  respect  to  sense,  there  is  no  difference. 
Tin  is  a  verb  easily  supplied  after  .n^TO.  The  femi 
nine  may  refer  to  J11KJ  or  be  construed  neuter,  and  so 
more  generally.  The  latter  i&  perhaps  the  better. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  concludes  his  grand  prophecy 
against  Assyria  with  a  short  doxology.     It  has 
two  subdivisions,  both  of  which  begin  with  the 
words:  "and  thou  shalt  (ver.  4:  ye  shall)  say  in 
that  day."     Both  are  joined  by  a  brief  prophetic 
middle  term  (ver.  3).     The  first  comprises  six,  the 
second  seven  members.     In  the  first  part  Israel 
speaks  in  the  singular  (corresponding  to   "  thou 
wilt  say"),  "I  will  thank  the  Lord,"  etc.  (ver.  12). 
After  this  expression  of  a  proper  sentiment,  and, 
as  it  were,  in  response  to  the  hope  expressed  in 
ver.  2,  the  promise  of  ver.  3  is  given.     After  this 
interpretation   comes   the   second   summons,  ex- 
pressed in  the  plural.     Corresponding  to  this  Is- 
rael speaks  in  the  plural,  manifesting  not  merely 
its  subjective  disposition,  but  summoning  to  a  ge- 
neral participation  in  it.     Hence  follow  only  im- 
peratives, seven  members,  in  elevated  strain.    And 
this  little  passage,  so  full  of  sentiment  and  art,  ac- 
cording to   EVVALD,  cannot  be  Isaiah's  genuine 
writing!     Fortunately  he   is  quite  alone  in  the 
opinion. 

2.  And  in  that  day my  salvation.— 

Vers.  1,  2.    "In  that  day"  points  to  the  future — 
when  all  that  has  been  foretold  shall  have  been 
fulfilled  (comp.  xi.  10, 11).     Then  shall  Israel  say 
"I  will  praise  thee"  ('"  "plN)  that  is  an  original 
expression  of  David's,  and  thereafter  of  frequent 
occurrence  in  the  Psalms ;   2  Sam.  xxii.  50 ;   Ps. 
xviii.  50;   xxx.  13;   xxxv.  18;   xliii.  4;   lii.  11, 
etc.     But  the  first  thing  for  which  Israel  is  to  re- 
turn thanks  is  that  the  Lord  was  angry  with  him 
— that  He  has  punished  him. — [See  on  the  con- 
struction Text,  and  Gram.     J.  A.  ALEXANDER  re- 
marks here:  "The  apparent  incongruity  of  thank- 
ing God  because  He  was  angry  is  removed  by 
considering  that  the  subject  of  the  thanksgiving 
is  the  whole  complex  idea  expressed  in  the  re- 
mainder of  the  verse,  of  which  God's  being  angry 
is  only  one  element.     It  was  not  simply  because 
God  was  angry  that  the  people  praise  Him,  but 
because   He  was   angry  and    His   anger  ceased. 
The  same  mode  of  expression  is  used  by  Paul  in 
Greek,  when  he  says  (Rom.  v.  17) :  "But  God  be 
thanked  that  ye  were  the  servants  of  sin,  but  ye 
have  from  the  heart  obeyed,"  etc.     The  particle 
but  seems  to  be  necessary  to  rendering  our  text 
into  English.— Tu.]     The  holy  anger  of  God  is 
but  a  manifestation   of  His  love,  and   he  is  as 
much  to  be  thanked  for  His   anger  as  for  His 
love. 

When,  too,  the  turning  of  this  wrath  takes 
place,  Israel  may  pray  for  the  lasting  continuance 
of  favor  and  grace.  That  the  Masorets  also  con- 


strued as  we  do  (vid  Text,  and  Gram.)  appears 
from  the  Athnach. 

3.  Therefore  ye  shall of  salvation. — 

Ver.  3.  These  words  appear  to  be  a  response  to 
the  expression  of  believing  trust  that  we  find  in 
ver.  2.      That  is,  richly  and  endlessly  ye  shall 
partake  of  salvation.     At  the  Feast  of  the  Taber- 
nacles water  was  drawn  from  the  fountain  of  Si- 
loam  for  a  drink-offering.     From  the  priest  that 
so  brought  it  with  solemnity  into  the  temple,  ano- 
ther took  it,  and,  while  doing  so,  used  the  words 
of  our  text.     Comp.  in  a  Sib.  Diet.  art.  Feast  of  Ta- 
bernacles.    [This  ceremony  originated  at  a  period 
long  after  Isaiah's  time. — TR.] 

4.  And  in  that  day midst  of  thee. — 

Vers.  4-6.     The  second  stage  of  the  song.     "  Ye 
shall  draw"  leads  the  Prophet  to  proceed  in  the 
plural  number.     Excepting  the  change  of  num- 
ber the  words  are  the  same  as  ver.  1.     Thus,  too, 
the  verbs  of  the  following  two  verses  are  in  the 
plural.     Notice,  at  the  same  time,  that  they  are 
imperatives.     From  this  it  is  seen  that  Israel  no 
longer  makes  a  subjective  confession  like  ver.  1, 
but  demands  a  participation  in  his  faith :  Jeho- 
vah shall  be  proclaimed  to  all  the  world. 

The  last  ver.  (6)  is  distinguished  from  the  fore- 
going by  the  verbs  being  no  longer  in  the  plural, 
but  "the  returned"  of  Israel  are  addressed  in  the 
singular.  This,  too,  doubtless,  is  no  accident.  In 
vers.  4  and  5  the  word  goes  out  to  the  wide 
world  :  all  nations  must  be  taught ;  the  majestic 
deeds  of  Jehovah  must  be  made  known  to  the 
whole  earth.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  Prophet 
would  wish  not  to  conclude  with  this  look  into 
the  measureless  expanse,  but  would  rather  fix  Jus 
eyes,  to  conclude,  on  the  beloved  form  of  the  in- 
habitant [fern.  Germ.  Biirgerin]  of  Zion  (the  ex- 
pression only  here  in  Isaiah). 

All  honor  and  all  salvation  of  Zion  rest  in 
this,  that  it  has  the  Lord  in  the  midst  of  it  as  its 
living  and  personal  shield  and  fountain  of  life. 


DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  vii.  1.     ''  Hierosolyma    oppugnatur,    etc. 
Jerusalem   is  assaulted  but  not  conquered.     The 
church  is  pressed  but  not  oppressed." — FOERSTER. 

2.  On  vii.  2.     "  Quando   ecclesia,  etc.     When 
the  Churcli  is  assaulted  and  Christ  crucified  over 
again  in  His  elect,  Eezin  and  Pekah,  Herod  and 
Pilate  are  wont  to  form  alliance  and  enter  into 
friendly  relations.      There  are,  so  to  speak,  the 
foxes  of  Samson,  joined  indeed  by  the  tails,  but 
their    heads    are    disconnected."— FOERSTER. — 


CHAP.  XII.  1-6. 


169 


''He  that  believes  flees  not  (Isa.  xxviii.  16).  'The 
righteous  is  bold  as  a  lion'  (Prov.  xxviii.  1). 
Hypocrites  and  those  that  trust  in  works  (work- 
saints)  have  neither  reason  nor  faith.  Therefore 
they  cannot  by  any  means  quiet  their  heart.  In 
prosperity  they  are,  indeed,  overweening,  but  in 
adversity  they  fall  away  ( Jer.  xvii.  9)."  CRAMER. 

3.  On  vii.  9.     ("If  ye  will  not  believe,  surely 
ye  shall  not  be  established.")    "Insiynis  sententia, 
etc.     A  striking  sentiment  that  may  be  adapted 
generally  to  all  temptation,  because  all  earnest 
endeavor  after  anything,  as  you  know,  beguiles 
us  in  temptation.     But  only  faith  in  the  word  of 
promise  makes  us  abide  and  makes  sure  whatever 
we  would  execute.    He  warns  Ahaz,  therefore,  as 
if  he  said :    I  now  promise  you  by  the  word,  it 
shall  be  that  those  two  kings  shall  not  hurt  you. 
Believe  this  word !     For  if  you  do  not,  whatever 
you  afterwards  devise  will  deceive  you  :    because 
all  confidence  is  vain  which  is  not  supported  by 
the  word  of  God." — LUTHER. 

4.  On  vii.  10-12.     "  Wicked    Ahaz   pretends 
to  great  sanctity  in  abstaining  from  asking  a  sign 
through  fear  of  God.     Thus  hypocrites  are  most 
conscientious  where  there  is  no  need  for  it :  on 
the  other  hand,  when  they  ought  to  be  humble, 
they  are  the  most  insolent.     But  where  God  com- 
mands to  be  bold,  one  must  be  bold.     For  to  be 
obedient  to  the  word  is  not  tempting  God.     That 
is  rather  tempting  God  when  one  proposes  some- 
thing without  having  the  word  for  it.     It  is,  in- 
deed, the  greatest  virtue  to  rest  only  in  the  word, 
and  desire  nothing  more.    But  where  God  would 
add  something  more  than  the  word,  then  it  must 
not  be  thought  a  virtue  to  reject  it  as  superfluous. 
We  must  therefore  exercise  such  a  faith  in  the 
word  of  God  that  we  will  not  despise  the  helps 
that  are  given  in  addition  to  it  as  aids  to  faith. 
For  example  the  Lord  offers  us  in  the  gospel  all 
that  is  necessary  to  salvation.    Why  then  Baptism 
and  the  LORD'S  Supper  ?     Are  they  to  be  treated 
as  superfluous  ?     By  no  means.     For  if  one  be- 
lieves the  word  lie  will  at  the  same  time  exhibit 
an   entire   obedience   toward  God.      WTe    ought 
therefore  to  learn  to  join  the  sign  with  the  word, 
for  no  man  has  the  power  to  sever  the  two. 

But  do  you  ask  :  is  it  permitted  to  ask  God  for 
a  sign  ?  We  have  an  example  of  this  in  Gideon. 
Answer :  Although  Gideon  was  not  told  of  Got!  to 
ask  a  sign,  yet  he  did  it  by  the  impulse  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  and  not  according  to  his  own  fancy. 
We  must  not  therefore  abuse  his  example,  and 
must  be  content  with  the  sign  that  is  offered  by 
the  LORD.  But  there  are  extraordinary  signs  or 
miracles,  like  that  of  the  text,  and  ordinary  ones 
like  Baptism  and  the  LORD'S  Supper.  Yet  botli 
have  the  same  object  and  use.  For  as  Gideon 
was  strengthened  by  that  miraculous  event,  so, 
too,  are  we  strengthened  by  Baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper,  although  no  miracle  appears 
before  our  eyes."  HEIM  and  HOFFAIANN  after 
LUTHER.  Eliezer,  the  servant  of  Abraham,  also 
asked  the  Lord  to  show  him  the  right  wife  for 
Isaac  by  means  of  a  sign  of  His  own  choosing, 
(Gen.  xxiv.  14). 

It  ought  to  be  said  that  this  asking  a  sign 
(opening  the  Bible  at  a  venture,  or  anv  other 
book)  does  not  suit  Christian  perfection  (Heb.  vi. 
1).  A  Christian  ought  to  be  inwardly  sensible 
of  the  divine  will.  He  ought  to  content  himself 


with  the  guarantees  that  God  Himself  offers. 
Only  one  must  have  open  eyes  and  ears  for  them. 
This  thing  of  demanding  a  sign,  if  it  is  not  di- 
rectly an  effect  of  superstition  (Matt.  xii.  39; 
xvi.  4 ;  1  Cor.  i.  22),  is  certainly  childish,  and, 
because  it  easily  leads  to  superstitious  abuses,  it 
is  dangerous. 

5.  On  vii.  13.      "  Non  caret,    etc.      That  the 
Prophet  calls  God  his  God  is  not  without  a  pe- 
culiar emphasis.     In  Zech.  ii.  12  it  is  said,  that 
whoever  touches  the  servants  of  God  touches  the 
pupil  of  God's  eye.     Whoever  opposes  teacher 
and  preacher  will  have  to  deal  with  God  in  hea- 
ven or  with  the  Lord  who  has  put  them  into 

Office." — FOERSTER. 

6.  On  vii.  14.     "  The  name  Immanuel  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  and  richest  in  contents  of  all 
the  Holy  Scripture.      'God  with  us'  comprises 
God's  entire  plan  of  salvation  with  sinful  human- 
ity.    In  a  narrower  sense  it  means  '  God-man  ' 
(Matth.  i.  23),  and  points  to  the  personal  union 
of  divinity  and  humanity,  in  the  double  nature  of 
the  Son  of  God  become  man.   Jesus  Christ  was  a 
God-with-us,  however,  in  this,  that  for  about  33 
years  He  dwelt  among  us  sinners  (Jno.  i.  11, 14). 
In  a  deeper  and  wider  sense  still  He  was  such  by 
the  Immanuel's  work  of  the  atonement  (2  Cor.  v. 
19  ;  1  Tim.  ii.  3).     He  will  also  be  such  to  every 
one  that  believes  on  Him  by  the  work  of  regene- 
ration and  sanctification  and  the  daily  renewal  of 
His  holy  and  divine  communion  of  the  Spirit 
(Jno.  xvii.  23,  26;  xiv.  19,  20,  21,  23).     He  is 
such  now  by  His  high-priestly  and  royal  admin- 
istration and  government  for  His  whole  Church 
(Matth.   xxviii.  20;  Heb.  vii.  25).     He  will   be 
snch  in  the  present  time  of  the  Church  in  a  still 
more  glorious  fashion  (Jno.  x.  16).     The  entire 
and  complete  meaning  of  the  name  Immanuel, 
however,  will   only   come   to  light  in   the  new 
earth,  and  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  (Kev.  xxi. 
3,  23  ;  xxii.  5)."— WILH.  FRIED.  Koos. 

CHAP.  VIII. — 7.  On  ver.  5  sqq.  ''  Like  boast- 
ful swimmers  despise  small  and  quiet  waters,  and 
on  the  other  hand,  for  the  better  display  of  their 
skill,  boast  of  the  great  sea  and  master  it,  but 
often  are  lost  in  it, — thus,  too,  did  the  hypocrites 
that  despised  the  small  kingdom  of  Judah,  and 
bragged  much  and  great  things  of  the  power  and 
splendor  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel  and  of  the 
Syrians;  such  hypocrites  are  still  to  be  found 
now-a-days — such  that  bear  in  their  eye  the  ad- 
miranda  Romae,  the  splendor,  riches,  power, 
ceremonies  and  pomp  of  the  Romish  church,  and 
thereupon  '  set  their  bushel  by  the  bigger-heap.' 
It  is  but  the  devil's  temptation  over  again  :  '  I 
will  give  all  this  to  thee.'  "—CRAMER.— "  Fons 
Siloa,"  etc.  "  The  fountain  of  Siloam,  near  the 
temple,  daily  reminded  the  Jews  that  Christ  was 
coming." — CALVIN  on  Jno.  ix.  7. 

8.  On  viii.  10.  "  When  the  great  Superlatives 
sit  in  their  council  chambers  and  have  deter- 
mined everything,  how  it  ought  to  be,  and  espe- 
cially how  they  will  extinguish  the  gospel,  then 
God  sends  the  angel  Gabriel  to  them,  who  must 
look  through  the  window  and  say  :  nothing  will 
come  of  it." — LUTHER. — "Christ,  who  is  our  Im- 
manuel, is  with  us  by  His  becoming  man,  for  us 
by  His  office  of  Mediator,  ^i  us  by  the  work  of 
His  sanctification,  by  us  by  His  personal,  gracious 
presence." — CRAMER. 


170 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


9.  On   viii.    14,  15.     Christ  alone  is   set  by 
God  to  be  a  stone  by  which  we  are  raised  up. 
That  He  is,  however,  an  occasion  of  offence  to 
many  is  because  of  their  purpose,  petulance  and 
contempt  (1   Pet.  ii.  8).     Therefore  we  ought  to 
fear  lest  we  take  offence  at  Him.     For  whoever 
falls  on  this  stone  will  shatter  to  pieces  (Matth. 
xxi.  44)."  CRAMER. 

10.  On  viii.  16  sqq.     He  warns  His  disciples 
against  heathenish  superstition,  and  exhorts  them 
to  show  respect  themselves  always  to  law  and 
testimony.  ''  They  must  not  think  that  God  must 
answer  them  by  visions  and  signs,  therefore  He 
refers  them  to  the  written  word,  that  they  may 
not  become  altogether  too  spiritual,  like  those 
now-a-days  who  cry :  spirit  1  spirit!  .  .  .    Christ 
says,   Luke   xvi. :      They  have  Moses   and  the 
prophets,  and  again  Jno.  v.  39:  Search  the  Scrip- 
tures.    So  Paul  says,  2  Tim.  iii.  16  :     The  Scrip- 
ture is  profitable  for  doctrine.     So  says  Peter,  2 
Pet.  i.  9 :  We  have  a  sure  word  of  prophecy.    It 
is  the  word  that  changes  hearts  and  moves  them. 
But  revelations  puff  people  up  and  make  them  in- 
solent." HEIM  and  HOFFMANN  after  LUTHER. 

CHAP.  IX.— 11.  On  ver.  1  sqq.  (2).  "  Postre- 
ma  pars,  etc.  The  latter  part  of  chap.  viii.  was 
vofiiKT/  Kdl  a7rm.Ar)Ti.K.f]  (legal  and  threatening)  so, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  first  and  best  part  of  chap. 
ix.  is  evay/fAt/cr]  n'tl  Trapauvdr/TiKq,  (evangelical 
and  comforting).  Thus  must  ever  law  and  gos- 
pel, preaching  wrath  and  grace,  words  of  reproof 
and  words  of  comfort,  a  voice  of  alarm  and  a 
voice  of  peace  follow  one  another  in  the  church.'' 
FOERSTER. 

12.  On  ix.  1  (2).     Both  in  the  Old  Testament 
and  New  Testament  Christ  is  often  called  light. 
Thus  Isaiah  calls  Him  "  a  light  to  the  gentiles," 
xlii.  6 ;  xlix.  6.  The  same  Prophet  says :  "  Arise, 
shine  (make  thyself  light),  for  thy  light  is  come," 
Ix.  1.     And  again  ver.  19:  "The  Lord  shall  be 
unto  thee  an  everlasting  light.''      In  the  New 
Testament  it  is  principally  John   that  makes  use 
of  this  expression:  ''The  life  was  the  light  of 
men,"  i.  4,  "  and  the  light  shined  in  the  dark- 
ness,"   ver.    5.      John   was   not   that    light,    but 
bore  testimony  to  the  light,  ver.  8.     "  That  was 
the  true  light  that  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh 
into  the  world,"  ver.  9.  And  further:  "And  this 
is  the  condemnation  that  light  is  come  into  the 
world,  and  men  loved  darkness  rather  than  light," 
iii.  19.     "  1  am  the  light  of  the  world,"   (viii.  12  ; 
ix.  5;  comp.  xii.  35;  xxxvi.  46). 

13.  On    ix.    1  (2).      The   people  that  sit  in 
darkness  may  be  understood  to  comprise  three 
grades.      First,  the  inhabitants  of  Zebulon  and 
Naphtali  are  (tailed  so  (viii.  23),  for  the  Prophet's 
gaze  is  fixed  first  on  that  region  lying  in  the  ex- 
treme end  of  Palestine,  which  was  neighbor  to 
the  heathen  and  mixed  with  them,  and  on  this  ac- 
count was  held  in  low  esteem  by  the  dwellers  in 
Judah.     The  night  that  spreads  over  Israel  in 
general  is  darkest  there.     But  all  Israel  partakes 
of  this  night,  therefore  all  Israel,  too,  may  be  un- 
derstood as  among  the  people  sitting  in  darkness. 
Finally,  no  one  can  deny  that  this  night  extends 
over  the  borders  of  Israel  to  the  whole  human 
race.     For  far  as  men  dwell  extends  the  night 
which  Christ,  as  light  of  the  world,  came  to  dis- 
pel, Luke  i.  76  sqq. 

14.  On  ix.  5  (6).    Many  lay  stress  on  the  no- 


tion  "  child,"  inasmuch  as  they  see  in  that  the 
reason  for  the  reign  of  peace  spoken  of  after- 
wards. It  is  not  said  a  man,  a  king,  a  giant  is 
given  to  us.  But  this  is  erroneous.  For  the 
child  does  not  remain  a  child.  He  becomes  a 
man :  and  the  six  names  that  are  ascribed  to  Him 
and  also  the  things  predicted  of  His  kingdom 
apply  to  Him,  not  as  a  child,  but  as  a  man.  That 
His  birth  as  a  child  is  made  prominent,  has  its 
reason  in  this,  that  thereby  His  relation  to  hu- 
man kind  should  be  designated  as  an  organic  one. 
He  does  not  enter  into  humanity  as  a  man,  i.  e. 
as  one  whose  origin  was  outside  of  it,  but  He  was 
born  from  it,  and  especially  from  the  race  of 
David.  He  is  Son  of  man  and  Son  of  David.  He 
is  a  natural  offshoot,  but  also  the  crowning  bloom 
of  both.  Precisely  because  He  was  to  be  con- 
ceived, carried  and  born  of  a  human  mother, 
and  indeed  of  a  virgin,  this  prophecy  belongs 
here  as  the  completion  and  definition  of  the  two 
prophetic  pictures  vii.  10  sqq. ;  viii.  1  sqq. — "He 
came  down  from  heaven  for  the  sake  of  us  men, 
and  for  our  bliss  (1  Tim.  i.  15 ;  Luke  ii.  7).  For  our 
advantage:  for  He  undertook  not  for  the  seed  of  an- 
gels, but  for  the  seed  of  Abraham  (Heb.  ii.  16). 
Not  sold  lo  us  by  God  out  of  great  love,  but  given 
(Rom.  v.  15;  Jno.  iii.  16).  Therefore  every  one 
ought  to  make  an  application  of  the  word  '  to 
us'  to  himself,  and  to  learn  to  say:  this  child  was 
given  to  me,  conceived  for  me,  born  to  me." — 
CRAMER. — "  Cur  oportuit,  etc.  "Why  did  it  be- 
come the  Redeemer  of  human  kind  to  be  not 
merely  man.  nor  merely  God,  but  God  and  man 
conjoined  or  \2sdvdpu7rov?  Anselm  replies  brief- 
ly, indeed,  but  pithily  :  Deum  qui  posset,  hominem, 
qui  deberct."  FOERSTER. 

15.  On   ix.    5   (6).     ''You  must  not  suppose 
here  that  He  is  to  be  named  and  called  accord- 
ing  to  His   person,    as    one   usually  calls   ano- 
ther by  his  name;  but  these  are  names  that  one 
must  preach,  praise  and  celebrate  on  account  of 
His  act,  works  and  office."  LUTHER. 

16.  On    ix.    6.      ''  Verba  pauca,  etc.     A   few 
words,  but  to  be  esteemed   great,  not  for  their 
number  but  for  their  weight."    Augustine.   "  Ad- 
mirabilis  in,  etc.     Wonderful  in  birth,  counsellor 
in  what  He  preaches,  God  in  working,  strong  in 
suffering,  father  of  the  world  to  come  in  resurrec- 
tion, Prince  of  peace  in  bliss  perpetual."  BER- 
NARD OF  CLAIRVAUX.     In  reference  to  "  a  child 
is  born,"  and  ''  a  son  is  given,"  JOH.  COCCEIUS 

remarks  in  his  Heb.  Lex.  s.  v.  iTj  ''respectu, 
etc.,  in  respect  to  His  human  nature  He  is  said  to 
be  born,  and  in  respect  to  His  divine  nature  and 
eternal  generation  not  indeed  born,  but  given,  as, 
Joh.  iii.  16,  it  reads  God  gave  His  only  begotten 
Son." 

''  In  the  application  of  this  language  all  de- 
pends on  the  words  is  born  to  us,  is  given  to  its." 
The  angels  are,  in  this  matter,  far  from  being  as 
blessed  as  we  are.  They  do  not  say  :  To  us  a 
Saviour  is  born  this  day,  but ;  to  you.  As  long 
as  we  do  not  regard  Christ  as  ours,  so  long  we 
shall  have  little  joy  in  Him.  But  when  we  know 
Him  as  our  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification 
and  redemption,  as  a  gift  that  our  heavenly 
Father  designed  for  us,  we  will  appropriate  Him 
to  ourselves  in  humble  faith,  and  take  possession 


CHAP.  XII.  1-6. 


171 


of  all  His  redeeming  effects  that  He  has  acquired. 
For  giving  and  taking  go  together.  The  Son  is 
given  to  us;  we  must  in  faith  receive  Him."  J.  J. 
RAMBACII,  Betracht.  iiber  das  Ev.  Esaj.,  Halle, 
1724. 

On  ix.  6  (7).  "The  government  is  on  His 
shoulders."  "  It  is  further  shown  how  Christ 
differs  in  this  respect  from  worldly  kings.  They 
remove  from  themselves  the  burden  of  govern- 
ment and  lay  it  on  the  shoulders  of  the  privy 
counsellors.  Hut  He  does  not  lay  His  dominion 
as  a  burden  on  any  other;  He  needs  no  prime 
minister  and  vicegerent  to  help  Him  bear  the 
burden  of  administration,  but  He  bears  all  by  the 
word  of  His  power  as  He  to  whom  all  things  are 
given  of  the  Father.  Therefore  He  says  to  the 
house  of  Jacob  (xlvi.  3  sq.) :  Hearken  unto  me  ye 
who  were  laid  on  my  shoulders  from  your 
mothers'  womb.  I  will  carry  you  to  old  age.  .  I 
will  do  it,  I  will  lift,  and  carry  and  deliver, — on 
the  contrary  the  heathen  must  bear  and  lift  up 
their  idols,  (xlvi.  1,  7)." — RAMBACH.  "In  the 
first  place  we  must  keep  in  mind  His  first  name : 
He  is  called  Wonderful.  This  name  affects  all 
the  following."  "  All  is  wonderful  that  belongs 
to  this  king :  wonderfully  does  He  counsel  and 
comfort ;  wonderfully  He  helps  to  acquire  and 
conquer,  and  all  this  in  suffering  and  want  of 
strength.  ( LUTHER,  Jen.  germ.  Tom.  III.  Fol. 
184  6.)"  "  He  uses  weakness  as  a  means  of  sub- 
duing all  things  to  Himself.  A  wretched  reed, 
a  crown  of  thorns  and  an  infamous  cross,  are  the 
weapons  of  this  almighty  God,  by  means  of  which 
He  achieves  such  great  things.  In  the  second 
place,  He  was  a  hero  and  conqueror  in  that  just 
by  death,  He  robbed  him  of  his  might  who  had 
the  power  of  death,  i.  e.,  the  devil  (Heb.  ii.  14) ; 
in  that  He,  like  Samson,  buried  His  enemies 
with  Himself,  yea,  became  poison  to  death  itself, 
and  a  plague  to  hell  (IIos.  xiii.  14)  and  more 
gloriously  resumed  His  life  so  freely  laid  down, 
which  none  of  the  greatest  heroes  can  emulate." 
— RAMBACH. 

17.  On  ix.  18  (19)  sqq.  True  friendship  can 
never  exist  among  the  wicked.  For  every  one 
loves  only  himself.  Therefore  they  are  enemies 
one  of  another ;  and  they  are  in  any  case  friends 
to  each  other,  only  as  long  as  it  concerns  making 
war  on  a  third  party. 

CHAP.  X. — 18.  On  ver.  4.  (Comp.  the  same 
expression  in  chap.  ix.).  God's  quiver  is  well 
filled.  If  one  arrow  does  not  attain  His  object, 
He  takes  another,  and  so  on,  until  the  rights  of 
God,  and  justice  have  conquered. 

19.  On    x.    5-7.      ''  God  works  through  men 
in  a  threefold  way.     First,  we  all  live,  move  and 
have  our  being  in  Him,  in  that  all  activity  is  an 
outflow  of  His  power.     Then,  He  uses  the  ser- 
vices of  the  wicked  so  that  they  mutually  destroy 
each  other,  or  He  chastises  His  people  by  their 
hand.     Of  this  sort  the  Prophet  speaks  here.    In 
the  third  place,  by  governing  His  people  by  the 
Spirit  of  sanctification  :  and  this  takes  place  only 
in  the  elect." — HEIM  AND  HOFFMANN. 

20.  On    x.       5   sqq.     '*  Ad   hunc,  etc.      Such 
places  are  to  be  turned  to  uses  of  comfort.     Al- 
though the  objects  of  temptation  vary  and  ene- 
mies differ,  yet  the  effects  are  the  same,  and  the 
same  spirit  wo1  ks  in  the  pious.     We  are  there- 


fore to  learn  not  to  regard  the  power  of  the  enemy 
nor  our  own  weakness,  but  to  look  steadily  and 
simply  into  the  word,  that  will  assuredly  es- 
tablish our  minds  that  they  despair  not,  but  ex- 
pect help  of  God.  For  God  will  not  subdue  our 
enemies,  either  spiritual  or  corporal,  by  might 
and  power,  but  by  weakness,  as  says  the  text : 
my  strength  is  made  perfect  in  weakness."  (2  Cor. 
xii.  9). — LUTHER. 

21.  On   x.    15.    "Efficacia  agendi  penes  Deum 
est,  homines  ministerium  tantum  praebent.     Quare 
nunc  sibilo  suo  se  illos  evocaturum  minabatur  (cap. 
v.  26;  vii.  18) ;  nunc  instar  sayenae  sibi  fore  ad  ir- 
retiendos,  nunc  mallei  instar  ad  feriendos  Israelilas. 
Sed  praccipue  turn  declaravit,  quod  non  sit  oiiosus  in 
illis,  dum  /Sennacherib  securim  vocat,  quae  ad  secan- 
dum  manu  sua  et  destinata  fuit  et  impacta.     Non 
male  alicubi  Augustinus   ita  dejinit,  quod  ipsi  pec- 
cant, eorum  esse;  quod  peccando  hoc  vel  illud  agant, 
ex  virtute  Dei  esse.  tenebras  prout  visum  est  dividen- 
tis  (Depraedest  Sanctt.)." — CALVIN  Inst.  II.  4,  4. 

22.  On     x.      20-27.     "  In  time  of  need  one 
ought  to  look  back  to  the  earlier  great  deliver- 
ances of  the  children  of  God,  as  to  the  deliver- 
ance of  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  or  later,  from  the 
hand  of  the  Midianites.     Israel  shall  again  grow 
out  of  the  yoke." — DIEDRICH. 

CHAP.  XL— 23.  On  ver.  4.  "The  staff  of 
His  mouth."  "  Evidence  that  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  will  not  be  like  an  earthly  kingdom,  but 
consist  in  the  power  of  the  word  and  of  the  sacra- 
ments ;  not  in  leathern,  golden  or  silver  girdles, 
but  in  girdles  of  righteousness  and  faith." — 
CRAMER. 

24.  On    xi.    10  sqq.     If  the  Prophet  honors 
the  heathen   in  saying  that  they  will  come  _  to 
Christ  before  Israel,  he  may  be  the  more  readily 
believed,  when  ver.  11   sqq.,  he  gives  the  assu- 
rance that  the  return  out  of  the  first,  the  Egyptian 
exile,  shall  be  succeeded  by  a  return  out  of  the 
second,  the   Assyrian    exile,  (taking    this  word 
in  the  wider  sense  of  Isaiah).    It  is  manifest  that 
the  return  that  took  place  under  Zerubbabel  and 
Ezra  was  only  an  imperfect  beginning  of  that 
promised  return.     For  according  to  our  passage 
this  second  return  can  only  take  place  after  the 
Messiah  has  appeared.     Farthermore,  all  Israel- 
ites that  belong  to  ''  the  remnant  of  Israel,"  in 
whatever  land  they  may  dwell,  shall  take  part  in 
it.     It  will  be,  therefore,  a  universal,  not  a  par- 
tial return.     If  now  the  Prophet  paints  this  re- 
turn too  with  the  colors  of  the  present  (ver.  13 
sqq.),  still  that  is  no  reason  for  questioning  the 
reality  of  the  matter.     Israel  will  certainly  not 
disappear,  but  arise  to  view  in  the  church  of  the 
new  covenant.     But  if  the  nation  is  to  be  known 
among  the  nations  as  a  whole,  though  no  more  as 
a  hostile  contrast,  but  in  fraternal  harmony,  why 
then  shall  not  the  land,  too,  assume  a  like  posi- 
tion  among  the   lands?      But    the   nation    can 
neither  assume  its  place  among  nations,  nor  the 
land   its  place  amcfng  lands,  if  they  are  not  both 
united :   the  people  Israel  in  the  land  of  their 
fathers. 

25.  On   Chap.  XI.     ''We    may    here  recall 
briefly  the   older,  so-called  spiritual   interpreta- 
tion.    Vers.  1-5  were  understood  of  Christ's  pro- 
phetic oflice  that  He  exercised  in  the  days  of 


172 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


His  flesh,  then  of  the  overthrow  of  the  Koman 
Empire  and  of  Antichrist,  who  was  taken  to  be 
the  Pope.  But  the  most  thorough-going  of  those 
old  expositors  must  acknowledge,  at  ver.  4,  that 
the  Antichrist  is  not  yet  enough  overthrown, 
and  must  be  yet  more  overthrown.  If  such  is 
the  state  of  the  case,  then  this  interpretation  is 
certainly  false,  for  ver.  4  describes  not  a  gradual 
judgment,  but  one  accomplished  at  once.  There 
have  been  many  Antichrists,  and  among  the 
Popes  too,  but  the  genuine  Antichrist  described 
2  Thess.  ii.,  is  yet  to  be  expected,  and  also  the 
fulfillment  of  ver.  4  of  our  chapter.  Thereby 
is  proved  at  the  same  time  that  the  peaceful  state 
of  things  in  the  brute  world  aud  the  return  of 
the  Jews  to  their  native  land  are  still  things  of 
the  future,  for  they  must  happen  in  that  period 
when  the  Antichristian  world,  and  its  head  shall 
be  judged  by  Christ.  But  then,  too,  the  dwelling 
together  of  tame  and  wild  beasts  is  not  the  en- 
trance of  the  heathen  into  the  church,  to  which 
they  were  heretofore  hostile,  and  the  return  of  I 
the  Jews  is  not  the  conversion  of  a  small  part  of 
Israel  that  took  place  at  Pentecost  and  after. 
The  miracles  and  signs  too,  contained  in  vers.  15, 
16  did  not  take  place  then.  We  see  just  here 
how  one  must  do  violence  to  the  word  if  he  will 
not  take  it  as  it  stands.  But  if  we  take  it  as  we 
have  done,  then  the  whole  chapter  belongs  to  the 
doctrine  of  hope  (Hoffnungslehre)  of  the  Scrip- 
ture, and  constitutes  an  important  member  of  it. 
The  LORD  procures  right  and  room  for  His 
church.  He  overthrows  the  world-kingdom  to- 
gether with  Antichrist.  He  makes  of  the  rem- 
nant of  Israel  a  congregation  of  believers  filled 
with  the  Spirit,  to  whom  He  is  near  in  an  un- 
usual way,  and  from  it  causes  His  knowledge  to  i 


go  out  into  all  the  world.  He  creates  peace  in 
the  restless  creatures,  and  shows  us  here  in  ad- 
vance what  more  glorious  things  we  may  look 
for  in  the  new  earth.  He  presents  to  the  world 
a  church  which,  united  in  itself,  unmolested  by 
neighbors,  stands  under  God's  mighty  protection. 
All  these  facts  are  parts  of  a  chain  of  hope  that 
must  be  valuable  and  dear  to  our  hearts.  The 
light  of  this  future  illumines  the  obscurity  of  the 
present ;  the  comfort  of  that  day  makes  the  heart 
fresh."  WEBER,  der  Prophet  Jescrja,  1875. 

CHAP.  XII. — 26.  On  ver.  4  sq.  "  These  will 
not  be  the  works  of  the  New  Testament :  sacri- 
ficing and  slaying,  and  make  pilgrimage  to  Jeru- 
salem and  to  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  but  praising 
God  and  giving  thanks,  preaching  and  hearing, 
believing  with  the  heart  and  confessing  with  the 
mouth.  For  to  praise  our  God  is  good ;  such 
praise  is  pleasant  and  lovely"  (Psalm  cxlvii.  1). 
CRAMER. 

27.  On  Chap.  XII.  «  With  these  words  con- 
clude the  prophetic  discourses  on  Immanuel. 
Through  what  obscurity  of  history  have  we  not 
had  to  go,  until  we  came  to  the  bright  light  of  the 
kingdom  of  Christ !  How  Israel  and  the  nations 
had  to  pass  through  the  fire  of  judgment  before 
the  sun  arises  in  Israel  and  the  entire  gentile 
world  is  illumined  1  It  is  the  same  way  that 
every  Christian  has  to  travel.  In  and  through 
the  fire  we  become  blessed.  Much  must  be  burnt 
up  in  us,  before  we  press  to  the  full  knowledge 
of  God  and  of  His  Son,  before  we  become  en- 
tirely one  with  Him,  entirely  glad  and  joyful  in 
Him.  Israel  was  brought  up  and  is  still  brought 
up  for  glory,  and  we  too.  O  that  our  end  too  were 
such  a  psalm  of  praise  as  this  psalm !"  WEBKB, 
Der  Pi:  Jes.  1875. 


SECOND  SUBDIVISION. 
THE  PROPHECIES  AGAINST  FOREIGN  NATIONS. 

CHAPTERS  XIII.— XXVII. 

A.— THE  DISCOURSES  AGAINST  INDIVIDUAL  NATIONS. 
CHAP.  XIII.— XXIII. 


The  people  of  God  do  not  stand  insulated  and 
historically  severed  from  i,he  rest  of  the  human 
race,  but  form  an  integral  part  of  it,  and  contri- 
bute to  the  great  web  of  the  history  of  humanity. 
Therefore  the  Prophet  of  the  LORD  must  necessa- 
rily direct  his  gaze  to  the  Gentile  world,  and,  as 
Justoriographer,  set  forth  their  relations  to  the 
Kingdom  of  God,  whether  hostile  or  friendly.  It 
is  true  that,  in  those  prophecies  that  deal  with  the 
theocracy  as  a  whole,  or  with  individual  theocra- 
tic relations  or  persons,  the  prophet  has  always  to 
set  their  relations  to  the  outward  world  in  the 
light  of  God's  word.  But  he  has  often  occasion 
to  make  some  heathen  nation  or  other  the  primary 
subject  of  direct  prophecy.  Isaiah,  too,  has  such 
occasion :  and  his  prophecies  that  come  under  this 
category  we  now  find  collected  here. 


Amos,  also,  put  together  his  utterances  against 
foreign  nations  (chap.  i.).  But  this  grouping  is 
so  interwoven  in  the  plan  of  his  work,  that,  like 
an  eagle  first  circles  around  his  prey,  and  then 
swoops  down  on  it,  so  he  first  passes  through  the 
nations  dwelling  around  the  Holy  Land,  then  set- 
tles down  on  the  chief  nation,  Israel,  dwelling  in 
the  middle.  Isaiah  has  brought  the  independent 
prophecies  against  foreign  nations  into  a  less  in- 
timate connection  with  his  utterances  that  relate 
directly  to  the  theocracy,  by  incorporating  them 
into  his  book  as  a  special  "*3D  (or  volume).  Ze- 
phaniah  has  joined  Isaiah  in  this  as  to  material 
and  form;  except  that  the  latter  appears  less 
marked  because  of  the  smallness  of  hi*  book  (ch. 
ii.).  But  Jeremiah  (chap,  xlvi.-li.)  and  Ezekiel 


CHAP.  XIII.  1-13. 


173 


(chap,  xxv.-xxxii.)  have,  just  like  Isaiah,  de- 
voted independent  divisions  of  their  books  to  the 
utterances  against  foreign  nations.  The  order  in 
which  Isaiah  gives  his  prophecies  against  the 
heathen  nations  is  not  arbitrary.  It  makes  four 
subdivisions.  First,  in  chaps,  xiii.,  xiv.,  comes 
a  prophecy  against  Babylon.  It  stands  here  for 
a  double  reason:  1)  because  it  begins  with  a  ge- 
neral contemplation  of  the  day  of  Jehovah,  which 
evidently  is  meant  for  a  foundation  for  all  the  fol- 
lowing denunciations  of  judgment;  2)  because 
Isaiah,  after  he  had  lived  to  see  the  judgment  of 
God  on  Assyria  under  the  walls  of  Jerusalem, 
knows  well  that  the  world-power  culminates,  not 
in  Assyria,  but  in  Babylon,  and  that  not  Assyria 
but  Babylon  is  to  execute  the  judgment  of  God  on 
the  centre  of  the  theocracy. 

But  it  is  quite  natural  that  Assyria  should  not 
be  unrepresented  in  the  list  of  the  nations  against 
which  the  Prophet  turns  his  direct  utterances. 
This  is  the  less  allowable  because  the  following 
utterances  have  ail  of  them  for  subject  the  rela- 
tions to  Assyria  of  the  nations  mentioned.  For 
all  that  the  Prophet  has  to  say  from  chap.  xiv. 
28-xx.  6,  and  then  again  in  chap.  xxi.  (from  ver. 
11  on),  xxii.  and  xxiii.  stands  in  relations  more  or 
less  near  to  the  great  Assyrian  deluge  that  Isaiah 
pa\r  was  breaking  in  on  Palestine  and  the  neigh- 
boring lands.  Thus  the  second  division  begins 
with  the  brief  word  against  Assyria,  chap.  xiv. 
24-27.  To  this  are  joined  prophecies  against 
Philistia,  Moab,  Syria,  Ephraim,  Cush  and  Egypt. 
The  third  division  forms  a  singular  little  "13D — 
It  might  be  named  libellus  emblematicus.  For  it 
contains  a  second  prophecy  against  Babylon,  then 


i  a  similar  one  against  Syria,  against  the  Arabians, 
and  against  Jerusalem,  the  last  with  a  supplement 

!  directed  against  the  steward  Shebna.  These 
four  prophecies  in  chap.  xxi.  and  xxii.  stand  to- 
gether because  they  alt  of  them  have  emblematical 
superscriptions.  Out  of  regard  to  this  the  prophecy 
against  Babylon  (chap.  xxi.  1-10)  stands  here,  al- 
though in  respect  to  its  contents  it  belongs  rather 
to  xiii.  and  xiv.  Even  the  prophecy  against  ''the 
valley  of  vision"  with  its  supplement  stands  here 
out  of  regard  to  its  superscription,  although  it  is 
directed  against  no  heathen  nation,  but  against 
Jerusalem;  so  that  we  must  say  that  chaps,  xiii.- 
xxiii.  contain  prophecies  against  the  heathen 
nations,  not  exclusively,  but  with  one  exception 
that  has  its  special  reasons. 

Chap,  xxiii.  forms  the  fourth  division.  It  con- 
tains a  prophecy  against  Tyre,  which,  indeed,  pre- 
supposes the  Assyrian  invasion,  but  expressly 
names  the  Chaldeans  as  executors  of  the  judgment 
on  Tyre.  On  account  of  this  remarkable,  and,  in 
a  certain  respect,  solitary  instance  of  such  a  sight 
of  things  distant,  this  prophecy  is  put  alone  and 
at  the  end. 

Thus  the  chapters  xiii. — xxiii.  are  divided  as 
follows: — 

I.  The  first  prophecy  against  Babylon,  xiii.  1 
—xiv.  23. 

II.  Prophecies  relating  to  Assyria,  and  the  na- 
tions threatened  by  Assyria,  Philistia,  Moab,  Sy- 
ria, Ephraim,  Cush,  Egypt,    xiv.  24 — xx.  26. 

III.  The  libellus  emblematicus,  containing  pro- 
phecies against  Babylon,  Edom,  Arabia  and  Je- 
rusalem,  the   last  with    a   supplement   directed 
against  the  steward  Shebnah.    xxi.,  xxii. 

IV.  Prophecy  against  Tyre,    xxiii. 


I.— THE  FIRST  PROPHECY  AGAINST  BABYLON. 
CHAPTER  XIII.  1— XIV.  23. 


There  yawns  a  tremendous  chasm  between  the 
preceding  prophecies  that  originated  in  the  time 
of  Ahaz  an.l  the  present.  We  at  once  recognize 
Isaiah  again  in  xiii.,  xiv.  It  is  his  spirit,  his 
power,  his  poetry,  his  wit.  They  are  his  funda- 
mental views,  but  it  is  no  longer  the  old  form. 
His  way  of  speaking  is  quieter,  softer,  clearer ;  he 
no  longer  bursts  on  us  like  a  roaring  mountain 
stream.  He  is  grown  older.  But  he  has  pro- 
gressed, too,  in  his  prophetic  knowledge.  Now 
he  knows  that  it  is  not  Assyria  that  is  the  the- 
ocracy's most  dangerous  enemy.  For  him  As- 
syria is  a  thing  of  the  past.  In  proportion  as  it 
came  to  the  front  before,  it  now  and  henceforth 
retires.  Isaiah  had  seen  Assyria's  humiliating 
overthrow  before  the  gates  of  Jerusalem.  Now 
he  knows  that  another  power,  that  Babylon  shall 
destroy  the  theocracy  find  stand  as  the  sole  gov- 
erning work1-  tower.  But  he  knows,  too,  that 
Babylon's  day  will  come  as  well  as  Nineveh's. 
For  how  could  Jehovah's  Prophet  ever  doubt 
thathis  LORD  and  hisnationwill  triumph,  and  that 
the  world-power  will  be  overthrown?  But  the 
judgment  of  Babylon  is  for  him  only  a  part  of 
the  great  judgment  of  the  world,  of  that  "  day  of 


the  LORD,"  that  does  not  come  on  one  day,  but 
realizes  itself  in  many  successive  stages.  He  sees 
in  Babylon  the  summit  of  the  world-power,  by 
whose  disintegration  Israel  rnast  be  made  free. 
Therefore  he  makes  the  great  day  of  Jehovah's 
judgment  break  before  our  eyes  (xiii.  1-13),  but 
describes  immediately  only  the  judgment  upon 
Babylon.  On  both  these  accounts  this  prophecy 
stands  at  the  head  of  all  Isaiah's  prophecies 
against  the  nations.  For  it  seemed  fitting  to  put 
in  the  front  a  general  and  comprehensive  -word 
about  the  great  judgment  day  which  immediate- 
ly introduced  the  denunciation  of  judgment 
against  the  head  of  all  the  nations  of  the  world- 
power.  Some  have  maintained  that  it  was  im- 
possible that  Isaiah  could  have  recognized  Babv- 
lon  as  the  enemy  of  the  theocracy  :  and  that  it 
was  still  more  impossible  that  he  could  have  pre- 
dicted the  deliverance  of  Israel  out  of  the  cap- 
tivity of  Babylon.  But  both  these  chapters  are 
Isaiah's,  both  in  form  and  contents,  as  we  have 
declared  above  and  shall  prove  in  detail  below. 
Beside,  there  is  the  consideration  that  our  chapter 
has  undoubtedly  been  used  by  Jeremiah  (1.,  li.), 
by  Ezekiel  in  various  passages  (vii.  17,  comp. 


174 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Isa.  xiii.  7  ; — vii.  29,  comp.  Isa.  xiii.  11 ; — xix. 
11,  comp.  Isa.  xiv.  5 ; — xxxviii.  6,  15 — xxxix.  2, 
comp.  Isa.  xiv.  13),  and  by  Zephaniah  (iii.  11, 
comp.  Isa.  xiii.  3),  as  shall  be  shown  when  deal- 
ing with  the  passages  concerned.  Therefore  it 
B3ems  to  me  to  be  beyond  doubt  that  Isaiah  wrote 
our  chapters.  But  how  Isaiah  could  know  all 
that  is  here  given  to  the  world  under  his  name 
(xiii.  1}  af»  prophecy,  that  is  certainly  a  problem. 
That  is  the  problem  that  science  should  propose 
to  itself  for  solution.  It  ought  not  to  deny  ac- 
credited facts  in  order  not  to  be  compelled  to 
recognize  prophecy  as  a  problem,  i.  e.  as  possi- 


ble. For  to  deny  premises  in  order  to  avoid  a 
conclusion  that  one  will  not  draw,  is  just  as  un- 
scientific as  it  is  to  invent  premises  in  order  to 
gain  a  conclusion  that  one  wants  to  draw. 

The  discourse  divides  into  a  general  part  and  a 
particular.  The  former  (xiii.  1-13)  is,  as  has 
been  said,  at  the  same  time  the  introduction  to 
the  totality  of  the  prophecies  against  the  heathen 
nations.  The  particular  part  again  presents  two 
halves:  the  first  (xiii.  14-22)  portrays  the  judg- 
ment on  Babylon,  the  second,  after  a  short  refer- 
ence to  the  redemption  and  return  home  of  Israel 
(xiv.  1,  2)  contains  a  satirical  song  on  the  ruler 
of  Babylon  conceived  in  abstracto  (xiv.  3-23). 


a)    The  preface:  introduction  in  general  to  the  prophecies  of  the  day  of  the  Lord. 

CHAPTER  XIII.  1-13. 

1  THE  "BURDEN  OF  BABYLON,  WHICH  ISAIAH  THE  SON  OF  AMOZ  DID  SEE. 

2  Lift  ye  up  a  banner  upon  bthe  high  mountain, 
Exalt  the  voice  unto  them,  shake  the  hand, 
That  they  may  go  into  the  gates  of  the  nobles. 

3  I  have  commanded  my  sanctified  ones, 

I  have  also  called  my  mighty  ones  for  mine  anger, 
Even  them  that  rejoice  in  my  highness. 

4  The  noise  of  a  multitude  in  the  mountains,  'like  as  of  a  great  people : 
A  tumultuous  noise  of  the  kingdoms  of  nations  gathered  together : 
The  LORD  of  hosts  mustereth  the  host  of  the  battle. 

5  They  come  from  a  far  country, 
From  the  end  of  heaven, 

Even  the  LORD,  and  the  weapons  of  his  indignation, 
To  destroy  the  whole  land. 

6  Howl  ye  ;  for  the  day  of  the  LORD  is  at  hand  ; 

It  shall  come  as  a  destruction  from  the  Almighty. 

7  Therefore  shall  all  hands  2be  faint, 
And  every  man's  heart  shall  melt : 

8  And  they  shall  be  afraid  : 

Pangs  and  sorrows  shall  take  hold  of  them  ; 
They  "shall  be  in  pain  as  a  woman  that  travaileth : 
They  shall  'be  amazed  one  at  another  ; 
Their  faces  shall  be  as  'flames. 

9  Bahold,  the  day  of  the  LORD  cometh, 
Cruel  both  with  wrath  and  fierce  anger, 
To  lay  the  land  desolate  : 

And  he  shall  destroy  the  sinners  thereof  out  of  it. 
10  For  the  stars  of  heaven  and  dthe  constellations  thereof 

Shall  not  give  their  light : 

The  sun  shall  be  darkened  in  his  going  forth, 

And  the  moon  shall  not  cause  her  light  to  shine. 
I  And  I  'will  punish  the  world  for  their  evil, 

And  the  wicked  for  their  iniquity  ; 

And  I  will  cause  the  arrogaricy  of  the  proud  to  cease, 
10  r     MI  7  low  the  haughtiness  of  the  terrible. 

121  will  make  a  man  more  precious  than  fine  gold  ; 

,  o  S,Vea  a  man  than  the  S°lden  wedge  of  Ophir. 
13  Therefore  I  will  shake  the  heavens, 

And  the  earth  shall  'remove  out  of  her  place, 


CHAP.  XIII.  1-13. 


175 


In  the  wrath  of  the  LORD  of  hosts, 
And  in  the  day  of  his  fierce  anger. 


1  Heb.  the  likeness  of. 

3  Heh.  wonder  every  man  at  his  neighbor. 

»  Sentence.  k  a  bald  mountain.  °  shall  writhe. 

•  wilt  visit  on  the  world  its  wickedness,  and  on  the  wicked  their  iniquity. 


2  Or,  fall  down. 

4  Heb.  faces  of  the  flames. 

d  their  Orions. 

*  shake. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  1.  JOD   from  Kt^J   is  elatitm,  "  something 

T    ~  T  T 

borne,  that  which  is  proposed,"  therefore  as  much  onus 
as  effatum.  On  account  of  this  ambiguity  it  is  almost 
exclusively  used  of  such  divine  utterances  as  impose 
on  men  the  burden  of  judicial  visitation.  From  Jer. 
xxiii.  33  sqq.,  we  learn  that  the  word,  being  abused  by 
mockers  on  account  of  this  ambiguity,  was  prohibited 
by  Jehovah  as  designation  of  prophetic  utterances.  In 
Isaiah  the  word  occurs  twelve  times  in  the  sense  of 
"judicial  sentence;"  and,  excepting  xxxvi.  G,  it  so  oc- 
curs only  in  chapters  xiii.  —  xxiii.,  and  here  again,  with 
the  exception  of  xxii.  1  (for  the  particular  reasons  see 
the  comment  in  toe.),  solely  in  utterances  against  foreign 
nations.  This  last  circumstance  is  easily  to  be  ex- 
plained by  the  unfavorable  moaning  that  underlies  the 
word,  which  was  pressed  by  the  mockers,  Jer.  xxiii.  33 
sqq.  A  JOO  simplv  and  only  is  never  directed  against 
the  theocracy.  But  it  cannot  be  inferred  from  the  ab- 
sence of  this  in  passages  that  relate  to  the  theocracy 
that  the  word  is  foreign  to  Isaiah  (KNOBEL). 

On  ver.  '2,.  HSt^J  occurs  only  here  ;  comp.  '£)$  xli. 
18  ;  Jer.  iii.  2,  etc.  -  QJ  Xt^J  is  an  expression  peculiar' 
to  Isaiah.  Comp.  v.  26;  xi.  12;  xviii.  3.  -  DH1?  after 

I     .  V  T 

71D  is  to  be  referred  to  the  nations  called.  --  'TIDS 
D'lnj  designates  the  goal  of  the  movement  to  which 
the  nations  ure  summoned.  Both  words  belong  to  Isa.: 

iii.  26  ;  xxxii.  5,  8.  -  3"l  J  is  ''  the  free,  the  noble"  (comp. 

•T 
at  xxxii.  5;  and  Prov.  xix.  6;  xxv.  7,  etc.). 

On  ver.  3.  TOKJ  T  7j?  are  "Those  rejoicing  at  my 
highness  "  (gen.  obj.).  Both  words  are  entirely  charac- 
teristic of  Isaiah.  The  V/J7  is  found  only  xxii.  2; 
xxiii.  7;  xxiv.  8;  xxxii.  13,  and  in  the  borrowed  passage 
Zeph.  iii.  11.  Hence  it  is  incomprehensible  how  the 
passage  last  named  can  be  explained  to  be  the  original. 
Moreover  Isaiah  is  almost  the  only  one  of  the  prophets 
that  uses  HIXJ.  For  beside  ix.  8;  xiii.  II  ;  xvi.  G;  xxv. 
11,  and  the  borrowed  passage  Zeph.  iii.  11,  it  occurs  only 
Jer.  xlviii.  29,  where  Jeremiah,  for  the  sake  of  a  play  on 
words,  heaps  together  all  substantive  derivatives  from 


On  ver.  4.  fnDl  occurs  again  in  I«aiah  only  xl.  18. 
I'  is  found  oftenest  in  Ezekiel,  and  in  an  Adverbial 
sense  as  here  _  filDTD  (Ezek.  xxiii.  15).  Also  fltfE/ 

:  •  IT 

is  a  word  of  Isaiah's.  It  occurs  only  seventeen  times  in 
the  Old  Testament  ;  of  these,  eight  times  in  Isaiah  :  v. 
14;  xiii.  4;  xvii.  12;  (bis),  13;  xxiv.  8;  xxv.  5;  Ixvi.  6. 
The  expression  DDTI  7D  fcOi".  beside  the  present,  oc- 
curs only  Num.  xxxi.  14,  and  1  Chr.  vii.  4  ;  xii.  37.  There 
is  evidently  a  contrast  intended  between  JO¥  and 
fViOy  :  the  LOKD  of  the  heavenly  hosts  now  musters  His 
a  'iny  hordes  on  earth. 

On  ver.  5.  Shall  we  regard  D'K3  at  the  beginning  of 

•  T 
the  verse  as  dependent  on  lp£3O,  ver.  4,  and  as  apposi- 

tion with  mnSo  »O¥  ?  It  is  against  this  that  the 
second  half  of  ver.  5  must  then  be  construed  as  a  rheto- 
rical exclamation,  which  in  this  connection  and  form 
seems  strange.  It  is  in  favor  of  this  that  otherwise 


GRAMMATICAL. 

D'XS  must  be  construed  as  predicate.  But  then  it  would 

•    T 

be  said  of  Jehovah  that  He  comes  from  a  far  country. 
But  may  not  this  be  said  in  the  present  connection  ?  It 
has  just  been  said  that  Jehovah  summons  the  war 
hordes  and  musters  them.  He  is  therefore  their  leader. 
Need  it  seem  strange  then  that  He  is  described  as  ap- 
proaching at  their  head  ?  Therefore  D'N3  is  the  predi- 

•  T 

cate  of  ver.  5  6,  placed  at  the  beginning.  prPD  T'lKO 
occurs  again  only  xlvi.  11 ;  other  turns  of  expression 
viii.  9;  x.  3;  xvii.  13;xxx.  27;  xxxiii.  17.  10j?T  'Sj  oc- 
curs again  only  Jer.  1.  25 ;  on  Qy\  comp.  on  x.  5.  73PI 
comp.  on  x.  27  ;  xxxii.  7;  liv.  16. 

On  ver.  6.  "l£O,  note  the  play  on  words ;  3  is  the  so- 
called  Kaph  veritatis.  Isaiah  often  uses  "ijy,  xvi.  4; 
xxii.  4;  li.  19,  etc.  ;  "HE?  he  uses  only  this  once. 

On  ver.  7.  nj'SIP  D'T"?^,  the  expression  occurs 
in  Isaiah  only  here,  and  is  borrowed  by  Ezek.  vii.  17 
from  this  place. 

On  ver.  8.  7TOJ  in  Isaiah  again  only  xxi.  3  in  a  simi- 
lar connection. D'Vi*  occurs  again  only  xxi.  3  (bis) 

in  the  sense  of  constrictiones,  cruciatus,  cramps. — D^T^H 
Isaiah  uses  (v.  18 ;  xxxiii.  20,  23)  in  the  sense  of  "  cords," 
and  in  the  kindred  "  cries  of  a  woman  in  travail  "  (xxvi. 
17;  Ixv'.  7). 7in  used  not  seldom  of  a  travailing  wo- 
man, and  as  a  figure  of  feeling  terror  ;  xxiii.  4,  5 ;  xxvi. 

17, 18 ;  xlv.  10;  liv.  1  ;  Ixvi.  7,  8. PIOH  stupere  occurs 

again  only  xxix.  9.  Note  the  constructio  pracynans, 

On  ver.  9.  "1IDX  only  here  in  Isaiah:  it  is  adjective. 
The  two  substantives  are,  co-ordinate  with  "TON,  appo- 
sition with  DV,  doubtless  because  adjectives  cannot 
be  formed  from  these  substantive  notions,  as  can  be 
done  from  "UDK.  Therefore,  according  to  frequent 
usage,  we  are  to  construe  PPS^  and  fjK  jlin  as  ab- 
stract nouns  used  in  a  concrete  sense.  rP3j?  frequent 
in  Isa.  ix.  18;  x.  6;  xiii.  13;  xiv.  6;  xvi.  6.  ^  jnn 
excepting  ver.  13  does  not  occur  again  in  Isaiah.  The 
expression  is  frequent  in  the  Pentateuch:  Exod.  xxxii. 

12;  Num.  xxv  4;  xxxii.  14;  Deut.  xiii.  18. By  the 

words  MJ1  Dlt^S  the  Prophet  designates  the  object  of 

the  day  of  judgment. The  expression  HDly?  Dlt? 

only  here  in  Isaiah.  Perhaps  it  is  borrowed  from  Joel 

i  7.  not^b  PIT!  Isa.  v.  9.  nSEf  alone  xxiv.  12. 

That  rnKH  means  "  the  earth,"  see  "Exeget.  and  Crit." 

on  ver.  5. TO^Pl  x.  7;  xiv-  23!  xxvi-  14- D'XBD 

i.  28 ;  xxxiii.  14. 

On  ver.  10.  '3  is  not  causative,  but  explicative.  That 
the  day  of  the  LORD  is  dreadful,  and  nothing  but  burn- 
ing wrath  will  be  evident  in  that  the  stars  become  dark. 
If  D'DDID  and  D'S^DD  are  distinguished,  the  ex- 
planation cannot  be  that  the  latter  are  not  also  DODO, 
but  that  they  are  only  a  pre-eminent  species  of  stars. 
The  Vav,  is  therefore  the  Vav  augmentative:  "the 
stars  of  heaven  and  even  its  Orions."  The  latter  are  the 
most  luminous  stars,  whose  brightness,  because  of  the 
first  magnitude,  more  easily  than  all  others  penetrates 


176 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


whatever  hinderances  there  may  be.  The  plural  of  S'DD 
is,  any  way,  a  generalizing  one,  i.  e.,  that  elevates  the  in- 
dividual to  the  rank  of  a  species.  Otherwise  we  know 
of  only  one  *TD3  as  a  star.  But  as  1  Sam.  xvii.  43,  Go- 
liath says  to  David:  "  thou  comest  to  me  with  the 
staves,"  although  David  had  only  one  staff;  or  as  Jer. 
xJtviii.  12,  after  telling  of  the  breaking  of  one  yoke,  con- 
tinues :  "  wooden  yokes  hast  thou  broken,"  therefore 
here  as  elsewhere  the  plural  of  the  individual  is  con- 
ceived as  equivalent  to  the  genus.  Compare  Cicerones, 
Scipiones,  les  Voltaire,  les  Mirabeau ;  and  perhaps  '3313 

Tp3  Job  xxxviii.  7  belongs  to  the  same  category. 

Srin,  Hiph.  from  SSn,  a  verb  that  elsewhere  expresses 
clearness  of  sound,  occurs  only  Job  xxxi.  26;  xli.  10, 

and    in    both  places    in    connection  with  "YlN- On 

tyOl^n  "lE/n  comp.  v.  30. Of  71JJ  there  is  only  one 

other  form  in  Isaiah,  and  that  Kal.  in  just  one  passage, 
ix.  1. 

On  ver.  11.  V^NH  is  more  expressly  defined  as  72fl 
This  word  is  very  frequent  in  the  first  part  of  Isa.  xiv. 
17,21;  xviii.  3;  xxiv.  4;  xxvi.  9,18;  xxvii.  G;  xxxiv  1. 
It  never  means  a  single  land,  but  is  always  either  the 
olitovnevri  as  terra  fertilis  contrasted  with  tha  desert 
(xiv.  17)  or  the  oiKovjueVr)  as  a  whole  contrasted  witli  the 
single  parts.  DELITZSCH  well  remarks  that  it  never  has 
the  article,  and  thus  in  a  measure  appears  as  a  proper 

noun. Tp3    with  7j?  of  the  person  and  accusative 

of  the  thing  like  Jer.  xxiii.  2;  xxv.  12;  Hos.  i.  4.  MJO 
a  frequent  word  in  Isa.  ii.  10,  19,  21 ;  iv.  2,  etc.;  Ix.  15; 
Ezek.  vii.  24  seerns  to  have  had  in  mind  our  passage. 

D'"V  only  here  in  Isaiah,  whereas  mXJ  (comp.  at 

ver.  3)  and  V'lJ?  (xxv.  3, 4, 5 ;  xxix.  5,  20 ;  xlix.  25)  occur 
not  seldom. 

On  ver.  12.  "VplN  which  makes  a  paronomasia  with 
"V31X  (a  genuine  Isaianic  word)  occurs  only  here  (Kal. 


xliii.  4). On  tJMJK  and  DIN  comp.  on  viii.  1. 13 

(only  here  in  Isaiah ;  comp.  Ps.  xix.  11 ;  xxi.  4)  is  puri- 
fied gold  ;  QfO  is  absconditum,  jewel,  ornament  gener- 
ally :  not  found  again  in  Isaiah. "V21X  DJ"D  is  found 

again  Ps.  xiv.  10;  Job  xxviii.  16. 

On  ver.  13.  J3~7j7  cannot  be  construed  "  for  this  rea- 
son." For  it  cannot  be  said  that  the  LORD  will  shake 
heaven  and  earth  because  He  punishes  the  earth  and 
makes  men  scarce  on  it.  Rather  the  reverse  ot  this 
must  be  assumed:  God  shakes  heaven  and  earth  in  or- 
der to  punish  men.  Thus  JD~7j?  =  "  therefore,  hence," 
but  in  the  sense  of  intention  (to  this  end,  Job  xxxiv. 
27).  Here,  too,  there  evidently  floats  before  the  mind 
of  the  Prophet  a  passage  from  Job  ix.  6,  where  it  reads  : 
rra'lpDD  VI N  riPQn.  The  thought  that  the  earth 

T    I     :  •         I  V  V          '    : 

shall  be  crowded  out  of  its  place,  which  is  peculiar  to 
both  of  these  passages,  is  something  so  specific,  added 
to  which  the  juxtaposition  of  rjnn  and  HOpDID  V^XD 
is  so  striking,  that  it  is  impossible  to  regard  this  rela- 
tion of  the  two  passages  as  accidental.  If  we  ask  where 
the  words  are  original,  we  must  decide  in  favor  of  Job, 
because  there  the  thought  is  founded  in  the  context. 
For  in  ver.  5  it  is  said :  "  which  removeth  the  mountains, 
and  they  know  not;  which  overturneth  them  in  his 
anger."  On  this  follows  naturally:  "Which  shaketh 
the  earth  out  of  her  place,  and  the  pillars  thereof  trem- 
ble."  VJy~\  in  Isaiah  again  xxiv.  18 ;  xiv.  16.  Comp. 

moreover  2  Sam.  xxii.  8  (Ps.  xviii.  8);  Joel  iv.  16. The 

words  j"P3_y3  to  1DX  are  the  Prophet's.  3  is  taken 
by  some  as  determining  the  time  (KxoBEt),  by  others 
as  assigning  a  reason  (DELITZSCH).  But  both  may  be 
combined:  the  revelation  of  the  divine  wrath  coin- 
cides with  the  day  of  His  anger,  and  so  much  so  that 
DV,  the  day,  may  be  taken  as  concrete  for  the  abstract 
notion  of  the  manifestation,  coming  to  the  light.  Comp. 
x.  3;  xvii.  6. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  opens  his  prophecy  against  the 
nations  with  a  denunciation  of  judgment  against 
Babylon.  This  prophecy  must  have  originated 
at  a  period  when  the  Prophet  had  come  to  the 
knowledge  that  Babylon  was  the  real  centre  of 
the  world-power,  and  Assyria  only  a  front  step. 
But  Isaiah  opens  his  prophecy  against  Babylon 
with  an  introduction  from  which  we  learn 
that  he  regards  the  judgment  against  Babylon 
as  the  germ-like  beginning  of  "  the  day  of  the 
LORD"  in  general.  First,  by  means  of  a  banner 
planted  on  a  high  mountain,  visible  far  and 
wide,  there  goes  forth  a  summons  to  order  men  of 
war  to  an  expedition  against  a  city  (ver.  2).  Then 
(ver.  3)  the  LORD  says,  more  plainly,  Himself 
taking  up  the  word,  that  it  is  He  that  assembles 
the  men  of  war  and  that  lie  assembles  them  for  a 
holy  war.  The  command  gathers  in  vast  num- 
bsrs  and  Jehovah  musters  them  (ver.  4).  They 
come  then  from  the  ends  of  the  earth,  as  it  were 
led  by  Jehovah,  brought  together  in  order  to  ac- 
complish the  work  of  destruction  (ver.  5).  Now 
those  threatened  hear  proclaimed:  the  day  of  the 
LORD  is  here  (ver.  G).  Thereupon  all  are  in  fear 
and  terror  (vers.  7,  8).  And  in  fact  the  day  of 
the  LORD  draws  near  (ver.  9).  The  stars  turn 
dark  (ver.  10).  The  Lord  Himself  declares  that 
the  object  of  His  coming  is  to  lay  low  everything 


in  the  world  that  lifts  itself  up  proudly  (ver.  11), 
so  that  men  shall  become  scarce  as  fine  gold  (ver. 
]  2).  By  this  manifestation  of  divine  wrath,  how- 
ever, heaven  and  earth  must  be  shaken  (ver.  13). 

2.  The  burden — did  see. — Ver.  1.  One  sees  a 
sentence  of  judgment  when,  by  means  of  prophetic 
gaze,  one  learns  to  know  its  contents,  which  may 
be  presented  to  the  spiritual  eye  by  visible  images 
(comp.  on  i.  1).    That  Isaiah  is  named  here,  and 
by  his  entire  name,  son  of  Amoz,  is  doubtless  to 
be  explained  in  that  this  superscription,  which 
corresponds  to  the  prophecy  xiii.  1-xiv.  23,  was 
at  the  same  time  regarded  as  superscription  of 
the  entire  cycle  xiii.  to  xxiii.  and  that  this  cycle, 
as  an  independent  whole,  was  incorporated  in  the 
entire  collection. 

3.  Lift  ye  up  a  banner my  highness. 

— Vers.  2,  3. — Verse  2  speaks  in  general.     With- 
out saying  to  whom  the  summons  is  directed  or 
from  whom  it  proceeds;  there  is  only  a  summons 
to  raise  the  standard  of  war  for  the  purpose  of 
assembling  warriors.     On  a  bare  mountain,  de- 
void of  forest,  shall  the  signal  be  raised,  that  it 
may  be  clearly  seen  on  all  sides.     But  with  the 
voice,  too,  (xxxvii.  23,  xl.  9,  Iviii.  1)  and  with 
hand-beckoning   (x.  32,  xi.  15)  shall  the  nations 
be    called   to   march  forth.      The   gates  of  the 
nobles  can  only  mean  the  main  gates  of  the  lios- 


CHAP.  XIII.  1-13. 


177 


tile  city,  which  alone  (in  contrast  with  the  small 
side  gates,  figuratively  called  "  needle-eyes'"  Matt. 
xix.  24)  serve  for  the  entree  of  princes  in  pomp, 
in  the  present  case  for  the  victors.  Still  the  ex- 
pression occasions  surprise.  Ought  we  perhaps 
to  read  ^nnp  ;  "  that  they  come  willingly  into 
my  gates?"  I  do  not  venture  to  decide. 

Ver.  3  makes  us  know  who  is  the  origin  of  the 
summons.  It  is  the  LOUD  who  calls  His  warriors 
who  are  consecrated  to  Him  and  joyfully  obey 
Him.  The  warriors  are  culled  consecrated,  holy, 
because  the  war  is  a  holy  one.  Comp.  Joel  iv.  9, 
Jer.  vi.  4,  xxii.  7,  li.  27.  Precisely  for  this  the 
Prophet  immediately  after  uses  the  bold  expres- 
sion: "1  have  called  them  for  mine  anger,"  i.  e- 
that  they  may  be  executors  of  nay  purpose  of 
wrath  (comp.  x.  5). 

4.  The  noise  of  a  multitude  -  the 
whole  land.  —  Vers.  4,  5.  Those  summoned 
heard  the  call.  They  are  heard  approaching  in 

troops.  TheinterjectionVlp  ["hark"  NAEGELSB.] 
is  frequent  in  the  second  half  of  Isaiah  :  xl.  3,  6> 
lii.  3,  Ixvi.  6.  Jeremiah,  too,  imitates  the  lan- 
guage :  xlviii.  8,  1.  22,  28,  li.  54.  The  expression 

jion  7ip  ["  Hark,  a  tumultuous  noise,"  NAE- 
GELSB.] ''noise  of  a  multitude,"  occurs  1  Sam.  iv. 
14,  1  Kings  xviii.  41,  xx.  13,  28.  In  Isaiah 
again  xxxiii.  3.  Then  in  Ezek.  xxiii.  42,  Dan. 
x.  6.  I  do  not  believe  that  by  ''the  mountains" 
is  meant  the  Zagros  mountains  that  separated 
Media  from  Babylon.  [Zagrus  mons,  now  repre- 
sented by  the  middle  and  southern  portion  of  the 
mountains  of  Kurdistan.  —  TR.].  For  here  the 
prophecy  bears  still  quite  a  general  character. 
Only  by  degrees  does  the  special  judgment  upon 
Babylon  appear  out  of  the  cloud  of  the  universal 
judgment.  The  enemies,  according  to  ver.  5, 
come  "  from  a  far  country,  from  the  end  of  hea- 
ven." Did  the  Prophet  mean  particularly  the 
Zagros,  why  did  he  not  designate  it  more  distinct- 
ly ?  The  mountains  are,  doubtless,  no  certain, 
concrete  mountains,  but  ideal  mountains,  a  poetic- 
embellishment.  Added  to  this,  it  is  likely  Joel 
ii.  is  in  the  Prophet's  mind.  There,  too,  as  here 
(  vers.  6,  9)  the  day  of  the  LORD  is  at  hand.  But 
there  the  grasshoppers  are  the  enemies  to  be  ex- 
pected. These,  too,  come  like  chariots,  that  leap 
upon  the  mountains  like  the  blush  of  dawn 
spread  upon  the  mountains.  Especially  the  order 
of  the  words  ^~D£  HOn  D'~*rj3(  -'in'the  moun- 
tains like  as  of  a  great  people,"  seems  to  me  to 


recall  Joel  ii.  2  3T  D£  D'lnrrji;  "  upon  the 
mountains  a  great  people,"  a  form  of  expression 
that  in  Joel,  too,  belongs  to  the  poetic  drapery. 
That  Isaiah  had  in  mind  the  words  of  Joel  is  the 
more  probable,  in  as  much  as  the  expression 
31  Uy  is  used  by  him  only  here,  and  beside  Joel 
ii.  2,  is  found  only  in  Ezek.  xvii.  9,  15,  xxvi.  7. 

The  army,  then,  which  Jehovah  musters,  con- 
sists of  people  that  have  come  from  a  far  land, 
and  from  the  end  of  heaven,  i.  e.  from  the  place 
where  the  heavenly  expanse  is  bounded  by  the 
earth.  The  expression  "from  the  end  of  heaven" 
is  characteristic  of  Deuteronomy.  For,  except 
the  present  passage,  it  occurs  only  Dent.  iv.  32 
(bis),  xxx.  4  (with  the  borrowed  expression  Neh. 
i.  9),  and  Ps.  xix.  7.  That  Isaiah  by  these  ex- 
12 


pressions  would  designate  the  Medes  is  quite  im- 
probable. As  in  their  cities,  according  to  2  Kings 
xvii.  6,  Israelite  exiles  dwelt  at  that  time,  how 
could  he  locate  them  in  the  uttermost  borders  of 
the  earth's  surface,  where  otherwise  he  locates, 
say,  Ophir  (ver.  12)  or  Sinim  (xlix.  12)  ?  The 
undefined,  universal,  and  if  I  may  so  say,  the  su- 
perlative mode  of  expression,  proves  that  it  is  to 
be  taken  in  an  ideal  sense.  The  end  that  the 
LORD  will  accomplish  by  means  of  "the  weapons 
of  His  indignation"  is:  to  overturn  the  whole 
earth.  ''  The  whole  earth  !"  For  this  judgment 
on  Babylon  belongs  to  "  the  day  of  the  Lord."  It 
is  thus  an  integral  part  of  the  world's  judgment. 
Just  as  Isaiah,  so  Ezekiel  uses  traits  of  Joel's  pro- 
phecy of  the  world's  judgment  in  order  to  let  the 
judgment  that  he  had  to  announce  to  Egypt,  ap- 
pear asapartoftheworld'sjudgment  (xxx.  2  sqq.). 

5.  Howl    ye their  faces  as  flames. — 

Vers.  6-8.  Here  it  is  seen  plainly  how  the  Prophet 
would  represent  the  judgment  on  Babylon  as  a 
part  of  the  world's  judgment.     For  the  traits  that 
now  follow  are  entirely  taken  from  the  descriptions 
of  the  world's  judgments  as  we  meet  them  already 
in  the  older  Prophets,  and  as,  on  the  other  hand, 
the  later  New  Testament  descriptions  of  the  great 
day  of  judgment  connect  with  our  present  .one. 
Especially  Isaiah  has  Joel  in  his  mind.     "  Howl 

ye,"  is  taken  from  iWn  Joel  i.  5,  11,  13.  Ezek. 
too,  uses  the  word  xxx.  2,  and  Matt.  xxiv.  30,  in 
the  eschatological  discourse  of  Christ.  The 
words:  ''for  the  day  of  the  LORD  is  at  hand," 
are  taken  word  for  word  from  Joel  i.  15.  From 
31~ip  "at  hand,"  it  is  seen  that  the  Prophet 
would  portray  here  the  impression  that  the  ap- 
proach of  the  day  will  make  on  men  ;  for,  as  is 
known,  the  moments  that  precede  any  great  ca- 
tastrophe have  terrors  quite  peculiarly  their  own. 
In  ver.  9,  he  describes  the  judgment  as  taking 
place.  When  men  notice  that  the  destruction 
comes  from  God  Almighty,  they  abandon  all  op- 
position as  useless.  The  sign  of  this  is  that  they 
let  their  hands  fall  limp,  and  that  their  hearts 
become  like  water  (comp.  Deut.  xx.  8;  Josh.  vii. 
5  ;  Isa.  xix.  1). 

For  the  image  of  the  travailing  woman,  and  of 
the  terror  depicted  in  the  countenances,  the  Pro- 
phet is  indebted  to  Joel  ii.  6.  That  terror  and 
anguish  not  only  make  one  pale,  but  also  agitate 
the  blood,  and  "thereby  produce  heat  and  sweat 
is  well  known.  Only  the  latter  does  the  Prophet 
make  prominent.  He  was  likely  moved  to  this  be- 
cause in  Joel  (i.  1 9,  ii.  3, 5),  which  is  in  his  thought, 
the  expression  3H7,  "  a  flame,"  occurs  thrice. 

6.  Behold  the  day light  to  shine.— 

Vers.  9,   10.     The  day  is  not  only  near;   it  is 
here.      (Comp.   under  Text,  and  Gram,  above). 
What  constellation  is  meant  by  the  name  T03  is 
not  settled.     The  LXX.,  here  and  Job  xxxviii. 
31   translate    6   'Qpiuv.      Likewise    the    VTJLG. 
Amos   v.  8    and  Job  ix.  9.     Others    (SAADIA, 
ABULWALID,  etc.],  take   it  to   be  Canopus,  the 
Antarctic  Polar  star  in  the  southern  steering-oar 
of  Argo-    NIEBUIIR  (Beschr.  v.  Arabien,  p.  113), 
following  the  Jews  of  Sana,  supposes  it  is  Sirius. 
But  the  passage  in   Job   xxxviii.  31   ("or  wilt 
thou  loose  the  bands''   [DiLLMANN :    traces]    of 

VoD  ?)  corresponds  very  well  to  the  representa- 


178 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


tion  that  Orion  (Syr.  gaboro,  Arab,  c/ebbar)  is  the 
giant  chained  to  the  sky.  Comp.  HERZOG,  Real- 
Encycl.  Art.  Gestirnkunde,  von  LEYRER,  XIX.  p. 
565.  [According  to  HITZIG  and  KNOBEL,  the 
darkening  of  the  stars  is  mentioned  first,  because 
the  Hebrews  reckoned  the  day  from  sunset. — 
J.  A.  A.]. 

When  the  rising  sun  is  without  rays,  and  moon 
and  stars  lose  (heir  shining,  then  both  day  and 
night  are  robbed  of  their  lights.  The  language 
of  the  Prophet  seems  not  only  to  be  drawn  from 
Job,  but  also  from  Joel  iii.  4,  and  Amos  v.  8,  as 
on  the  other  hand  Christ's  discourse,  Matt.  xxiv. 
29,  borrows  from  our  passage. 

7.  And  I    will   punish   his   fierce 

anger.— Vers.  11-13.  The  Prophet  lets  the 
LORD  speak  here,  partly,  to  confirm  what  the 
Prophet  had  said,  partly  to  set  it  forth  more  ex- 
actly. But  unmarked,  the  subject  of  the  dis- 
course changes  again  (ver.  13  6)  by  the  Prophet 
resuming  and  continuing  the  discourse  of  the 
LORD.  What  was  said,  ver.  9,  in  brief  words  ; 
"  and  He  shall  destroy  the  sinners  thereof  out  of 
it,"  is  in  ver.  11,  more  distinctly  expressed  by 
the  LORD.  The  LORD  says,  then,  that  He  will 
punish  the  whole  earth  for  their  wickedness,  and 
the  wicked  (according  to  his  righteousness)  for 
their  guilt.  The  means  by  which  men  incur  guilt  is 
their  injustice  in  the  sense  of  violent  oppression, 
according  to  the  view  common  to  the  Old  Testa- 
ment in  general,  and  to  Isaiah  in  particular 
(comp.  on  i.  17,  21  sqq.).  Therefore  the  Almighty 
Judge  announces  here  that  a  time  shall  come 


1  when  He  will  take  in  hand  the  mighty  of  the 
earth  who  abuse  their  power,  and  will  humble 
them.  The  thought  of  this  verse  recalls  ii.  ]  0  sqq. 
In  consequence  of  this  visitation,  human  kind 
shall  become  rare  in  the  eartli  as  the  noblest  gold. 
From  this  passage  it  appears  that  the  Prophet, 
though  he  speaks  of  a  judgment  on  the  whole 


habitable  world  (okoiy/ew?,  '2^),  has  still  by  no 
means  the  idea  of  its  total  destruction,  say,  by 
fire  (2  Pet.  iii.  7,  10).  The  locality  of  Ophir  is 
still  an  open  question.  The  other  instances  of 
its  occurrence  in  Scripture  are  Gen.  x.  29  (1  Chr. 
i.  23),  1  Kings  ix.  28  ;  x.  11  ;  xxii.  49  ;  1  Chr. 
xxix.  4;  2  Chr.  viii.  18,  ix.  10;  Job  xxii.  24. 
Four  places  are  proposed  ;  South  Arabia,  East 
Africa,  Abhira  between  the  Indus  Delta  and  the 
Gulf  of  Cambay,  and  southern  lands  in  general, 
for  which  Ophir  may  be  only  a  collective  name. 
The  best  authorities,  as  LASSEN,  HITTER  (Erd- 
kunde  XIV.  p.  348  sqq.),  DELITZSCH,  decide  in 
favor  of  East  India.  But  CRAWFORD,  "hardly 
less  learned  regarding  India  than  LASSEN,"  in 
his  "Descriptive  Dictionary  of  the  Indian  Islands," 
asserts,  on  the  contrary,  ''  that  there  is  not  a 
shadow  of  possibility  for  locating  Ophir  in  any 
part  of  India." 

The  African  traveller  CARL  MAUCH  gives  con- 
siderable weight  to  the  scale  in  favor  of  East 
Africa  ;  he  thinks  that  he  has  discovered  the  an- 
cient Ophir  in  the  port  Sofala  or  Sofara  on  the 
East  coast  of  South  Africa  in  latitude  20°  14'. 

Ver.  13.  See  under  Text,  and  Gram,  above. 


b)  The  particular  part :  The  prophecy  against  Babylon. 

CHAPTER  XIII.  14— XIV.  23. 

1.   THE  JUDGMENT  ON  THE  CITY  AND  STATE  OF  BABYLON. 
CHAPTER  XIII.  14-22. 

14  And  it  shall  be  as  the  chased  roe, 
And  as  "a  sheep  that  no  man  taketh  up  : 
They  shall  every  man  turn  to  his  own  people, 
And  flee  every  one  into  his  own  laud. 

15  Every  one  that  is  found  shall  be  thrust  through  ; 

^  And  every  one  that  is  bjoined  unto  them  shall  fall  by  the  sword 

16  Their  children  also  shall  be  dashed  to  pieces  before  their  eyes; 
Their  houses  shall  be  spoiled  and  their  wives  ravished. 

17  Behold,  I  will  stir  up  the  Medes  against  them, 
Which  shall  not  regard  silver  ; 

And  as  for  gold,  they  shall  not  delight  in  it. 

18  Their  bows  also  shall  dash  the  young  men  to  pieces ; 
And  they  shall  have  no  pity  on  the  fruit  of  the  womb; 
I  heir  eye  shall  not  spare  children, 

19  And  Babylon,  the  glory  of  kingdoms, 
The  beauty  of  the  Chaldees'  excellency, 

Shall  be  as  'when  God  overthrew  Sodom  and  Gomorrah. 

20  It  shall  never  be  inhabited, 

Neither  shall  it  be  dwelt  in  from  generation  to  generation: 
Neither  shall  the  Arabian  pitch  tent  there; 
Neither  .shall  the  shepherds  make  their  fold  there. 


CHAP.  XIII.  14-22. 


179 


21  But  2wild  beasts  of  the  desert  shall  lie  there  ; 

And  their  houses  shall  be  full  of  3  "doleful  creatures  ; 
And  4  5owls  shall  dwell  there, 
And  satyrs  shall  dance  there. 

22  And  6the  wild  beasts  of  the  islands  shall  cry  in  their  Tdesolate  houses, 
And  dragons  in  their  pleasant  palaces  : 

And  her  time  is  near  to  come, 

And  her  days  shall  not  be  prolonged. 


Heb.  the  overthrowing. 
Or,  ostriches. 
Or,  palaces. 

a  flock  that  no  one  collects, 
horned  owls,  or,  yells. 


2  Heb.  Ziim. 

5  Heb.  daughters  of  the  owl. 

b  is  caught. 


*  Heb.  Ochim. 
«  Heb.  Urn. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  14.  fTm  is  to  be  construed  neuter  =  "  it  shall 
be,  it  turns  out,  such  are  the  circumstances."  The 
Hoph.  particip.  D10  only  here  ;  beside  this  in  Isaiah 

the  Is'iph.  and  Pual  participles,  viii.  22 ;  xvi.  3,  4. '3¥ 

with  the,  meaning  "  gazelle,"  occurs  only  here  in  Isaiah. 
It  seems  that  the  Prophet  by  '3]O  ITDl  here  and 
Ul  O¥  bin  njvni  ver.  19,  intended  a  contrast.  Ba 
by  Ion  ""3X  in  the  sense  of  decus,  is  at  the  same  time 

O¥  in  the  sense  of  dorcas. 1'^pO  TNI  occurs  again 

Nah.  Hi.  18 ;  Jer.  xlix.  5. 

On  ver.  15.  tfyDJ   comp.  xxii.  3;   xxxvii.  4.        -|pt 

only  here  in  Isaiah.  HiJDi  from  HDD  "  to  snatch, 
seize."  Ver.  16.  $O~]  that  occurs  only  in  Piel  and  Pual, 
is  used  exclusively  of  dashing  to  pieces  humanbodies : 
Hos.  x.  14;  xiv.  1  ;  Nah.  iii.  10;  2  Kings  viii.  12;  in  Isa. 
the  word  occurs  only  here  and  ver.  18.  DQjy  (kindred 
to  nDty,  TWW  x.  13;  xvii.  14;  xlii.  22)  only  here  in  Isa. 

Comp.  Zech.  xiv.  2. Niph.  ^Jtyj  (Kal.  Deut.  xxviii. 

30;  Pual  Jer.  iii.  2)  occurs  only  here  and  Zeeh.  xiv. 

On  ver.  19.  '3V  comp.  on  iv.  2,  where  also  Isaiah  has 
J1KJ  and  rPKDH  though  not  in  a  genitive  relation,  a 

combination  that  occurs  in  no  other  place. rO3riD3 

comp.  on  i.  7.  The  original  passage  is  Deut.  xxix.  22. 
The  substantive  like  infinitives  has  retained  the  verbal 
force. 

On  ver.  20.  The  intransitive  use  of  3VJ'*  and  J3£?  (  = 
"  to  be  a  habitation  ")  occurs  first  in  Joel  iv.  20.  It  does 
not  occur  later  in  Isaiah ;  whereas  in  Jeremiah  it  is 
frequent  (xvii.  6,  25;  xxx.  18;  xlvi.  26;  1.13,  39):  in 
Ezek.  xxix.  11  also,  and  in  Zech.  ii.  8;  ix.  5.  The  ex- 
pression "nil  "\n  ~\y,  occurs  only  here  in  Isaiah.  "VH 
occurs  in  various  connections,  xxxiv.  10, 17;  li.  8;  Iviii- 

12;  Ix.  15;  Ixi.  4. '31J7.  So  still  Jer.  iii.  2;  comp.  xxv. 

24,  otherwise  in  later  books  '3"^  2  Chr.  xxi.  16;  xxii. 
1 ;  Neh.  ii.  19 ;  iv.  1 ;  vi.  1.  Because  of  the  following 
D^1"!,  this  cannot  be  understood  to  mean  nomadic 
shepherds  in  general.  But  the  word  signifies  the  Ara- 
bian proper,  because  in  fact  "  Babylon  lay  near  enough 
to  Arabia  for  Arabians  proper  to  come  thither  with  their 
flocks  "  (GESENIUS). SiT  for  SpltO,  like  US^D  Job 


GRAMMATICAL. 

xxxv.   11,  for  *JD7J<Q.    The  form    occurs  only  here 

The  verb  ^HX  (Kal.  Gen.  xiii.  12,  18)  is  denommativum. 

-   T 

— — T"3^n  is  to  make  T>3^  :  thus  it  is  direct  causative. 
Hiph.  (li'v.ll). 
On  ver.  21.  Q"'¥  (from  ^  unused,  from  which  rp¥ 

•   •  T' 

terra  arida)  are  dwellers  in  the  desert;  whether  men  or 
beasts  is  undetermined.  Yet  analogy  favors  the  latter; 
for  in  what  follows  only  beasts  are  mentioned.  The 
word  occurs  in  Isaiah  again  xxiii.  13;  xxxiv.  14;  comp. 
Jer.  1.  39.  EWALD,  (Lehrb.  \  146,  g.  Anm.)  derives  Q"i', 
and  D"K  with  the  meaning  "criers,  howlers,"  from 

Arabic  roots,  as  it  seems  to  me,  without  necessity. 

DT1K  an-af  Aey.  The  LXX.,  evidently  following  a  kin- 
dred sound,  translate  KO.\  n-Aijo-Orjiroi'Tat  oiia'ai  ijxov.  But 
the  parallelism  demands  lather  some  species  of  beast. 
JEROME  translates  dracones.  AUUIVILLIUS  proposed  first 

ulula,  "  owls,"  "horn  owls." njjT  J13  (Lev.  xi.  16; 

Deut.  xiv.  15)  is  "the  ostrich."  The  masculine  form 
D'J^?'  found  only  Lam.  iv.  3.  According  to  some,  the 
name  means  "  the  mourning  daughter  of  the  desert," 
(MEIER,  Wurzelw.  p.  49; ;  according  to  others,  the  word 
is  related  to  the  Syr.  jaeno,  "greedy,  ravenous."  The 
feminine  designation  has  essentially  a  poetic  reason, 
comp.  IHJ  j~>3  Mic.  iv.  14  with  1HJ  'J3  2  Chr.  xxv.  13. 
ry~r\3,  DOW^rO  (Ezek.  xxvn.  6).  The  word  oc- 
curs in  Isaiah  again  xxxiv.  13 ;  xliii.  20 ;  comp.  Jer.  1. 

89  ;  Mic.  i.  8;  Job  xxx.  2r D'TJ^  are  hirsuti,  pilasi, 

"goats,"  i.  e.,  goat-shaped  demons. "lp~l   Piel  only 

here  in  Isaiah ;  comp.  Job  xxi.  11 ;  Joel  ii.  5 ;  Nah.  iii. 
2.  Ver.  22.3"fc$  are  "jackals."  The  singular  'X  seems 
abbreviated  from  ''IX  from  an  unused  H1X,  ululavit.  In 

•V:  T  T 

Arabic  the  jackal  still  is  called  ibn-awa.    The  word  is 

found  only  here  and  xxxiv.  14,  and  Jer.  1.  39. PI  JD  ;K 

only  here  for  PUOTX  (perhaps  with  reference  to  their 
widowhood).  Comp.  xxiii.  13;  xxv.  2;  xxxii.  14;  xxxiv. 

13. D'JFl  are  also  "jackals"  (comp.  GESEN.  Thesaur. 

p.  39, 1407;  1511).    The  word  in  Isaiah  again  xxxiv.  13; 
i  xxxv.  7  ;  xliii.  20. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  turns  from  the  universal  judg- 
ment that  comprehends  all  the  several  acts  of 
judgment  against  the  world-power  from  first  to 
last,  to  portray  the  special  judgment  to  be  accom- 
plished on  Babylon  as  the  climax  of  the  world- 
power  in  its  first  stage,  or  as  the  head  of  the  first 


world-monarchy.  He  begins  by  describing  the 
flight  out  of  the  world's  metropolis  of  men  that 
had  flowed  thither  out  of  all  lands  (ver.  14).  This 
flight  lias  sufficient  cause— for  whoever  is  taken 
perishes  (ver.  15).  Children  are  dashed  in  pieces, 
houses  plundered,  women  ravished  (ver.  16).  The 


180 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH 


LORD  particularly  names  the  people  charged  with 
executing  the  judgment:  they  are  the  Medes,  a 
people  that  do  not  regard  silver  and  gold  (ver. 
17),  but  also  as  little  the  children,  and  even  the 
fruit  of  the  womb  (ver.  18).  Then  shall  Babylon, 
hitherto  the  ornament  and  crown  of  the  Chaldean 
kingdom,  be  overthrown  like  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah (ver.  19).  It  will  come  to  be  a  dwelling- 
place  for  men  (ver.  20).  Only  beasts  of  the  de- 
sert and  dismal  hobgoblins  shall  revel  in  the  spot's 
where  once  luxury  reigned, — and  in  fact  the  time 
of  the  judgment  is  near,  and  a  respite  not  to  be 
hoped  for. 

2.  And  it  shall  be— ravished. — Vers.  14-16. 
It  is  said  thai  rats  forsake  a  vessel  that  is  going 
to  be  shipwrecked.  When  ruin  impends  over  a 
community,  whoever  is  not  bound  to  it  by  ties  of 
piety  or  of  possession  flees  out  of  it.  Thus  first 
of  all  the  foreigners  flee.  The  crowd  of  such  in 
Babylon  will  scatter  like  scared  gazelles,  like  a 
herd  panic-stricken.  Babylon  was  the  world's 
capital,  and  consequently  a  resort  for  people  of 
all  nations.  All  these,  therefore,  will  seek  safety 
inflight.  The  words:  "every  man — own  land" 
are  found  word  for  word  in  Jer.  1.  16  (comp.  Jer. 
xlvi.  16;  li.  9,  44).  A  comparison  with  the  con- 
text proves  that  these  words  are  original  with 
Isaiah.  With  Isaiah  the  thought  is  the  natural 
consequence  of  the  preceding  image  of  the  fright- 
ened gazelles  and  sheep.  In  Jeremiah  we  read  : 
"Cut  off  the  sower  from  Babylon,  and  him  that 
handleth  the  sickle  in  the  time  of  harvest."  To 
these  words  the  thought :  "  they  shall  turn  every 
one  to  his  people,"  would  be  joined  on  without 
natural  connection,  did  not  the  inserted:  "for 
fear  of  the  oppressing  sword,"  (artfully)  bridge 
over  the  gap. 

3.  Behold,  I  will  stir  up— not  spare  chil- 
dren.— Vers.  17, 18.  The  Prophet  proceeds  artis- 
tically from  the  general  to  the  particular.  First 
he  describes  quite  in  general  the  vast,  I  might  say 
the  cosmical,  apparatus  of  war  that  the  LORD  sets 
in  motion.  To  ver.  14  the  earth  in  general  seems 
to  be  the  objective  point  of  this  military  expedi- 
tion. And  it  is,  too,  only  not  all  at  once.  For, 
from  the  description  immediately  following,  taken 
with  the  totality  of  eschatological  imagery  that 
prophecy  offers,  it  appears  that  that  general  pro- 
phecy is  realized  only  by  degrees.  From  vtr.  14 
on  we  notice  that  a  great  centre  of  the  world- 
power  is  the  object  of  the  execution.  At  ver.  17 
we  are  made  aware  who  are  to  be  the  executors, 
but  still  are  in  ignorance  against  whom  they  are 
to  turn.  Not  till  yer.  19  is  Babylon  named.  Of 
course  the  superscription,  ver.  1,  is  not  to  be  urged 
against  this  statement  of  the  order  of  thought. 

The  Medes  are  first  named  Gen.  x.  2;  but  after 
that  the  present  is  the  next  mention;  afterwards 
xxi.  2  ;  Jer.  xxv.  25 ;  li.  11,  28  ;  2  Kings  xvii.  6; 
xviii.  11.  Not  till  the  books  of  Daniel  and  Ezra 
are  they  mentioned  often.  In  Gen.  x.  2  they  are 
named  as  descendants  of  Japheth.  This  corre- 
sponds accurately  with  their  Arian  derivation. 
HERODOTUS  (vii.  62),  who  unhistorically  derives 
the  name  Mfrfoi.  from  Medea,  says  that 'from  an- 
cient times  they  were  named  generally  Arians. 
Medea  was  bounded  on  the  East  by  Partliia  and 
Hyrcania,  on  the  South  by  Susiana  and  Persis, 
on  the  West  by  Armenia  and  Assyria,  and  on  the 
North  by  the  Caspian  Sea.  Comp.  LASSEN  and 


SPIEGEL,  Keilinschriften;  ARNOLD  in  HERZOG'S 
Real-Encyd.  IX.  231  sq.  It  must  be  particularly 
noted  here  that  Isaiah  makes  the  Medes  and  not 
the  Persians  the  executors  of  judgment  on  Baby- 
lon. Jeremiah  also,  who  relies  on  Isaiah's  pro- 
phecies against  Babylon,  does  this  (li.  11,  28). 
In  my  work :  "  The  Prophet  Jeremiah  and  Baby- 
lon "  I  have  pointed  out  what  a  strong  proof  lies 
in  this  fact  against  the  view  that  the  prophecies 
of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  against  Babylon  were 
composed  during  the  exile.  Verily,  in  the  time 
of  the  exile,  and  after  the  event,  no  one  forging  a 
prophecy  against  Babylon  that  would  pretend  to 
credibility,  would  have  named  the  Medes  as  its 
destroyer.  Any  forger  must  have  named  the 
Persians.  But  if,  about  the  time  when  the  Medes 
in  a  mighty  uprising  freed  themselves  from  the 
bondage  of  five  centuries  to  the  Assyrians,  the 
Prophet  of  Jehovah  sees  in  this  nation  instantly 
the  future  conquerors  of  Babylon,  there  is  a  pro- 
phetic look  which,  justified  by  the  present,  loses 
none  of  its  correctness,  because,  in  fact,  not  the 
Medes  alone,  but  the  Medo-Persians,  accom- 
plished the  deed  that  was  predicted.  When  Isa. 
xxi.  2  names  the  Elamites  along  with  the  Medes, 
it  does  not  militate  against  what  has  just  been 
said.  For  the  Elamites  are  not  identical  with  the 
Persians.  See  on  xxi.  2.  And  when,  too,  in 
Greek  writers,  the  Persians  often  appear  under 
the  name  "Medes"  (comp.  Tro/le/zof  [tr/diKOf,  crpa- 
revfta  /iTj6iK6v,  [iritii&Lv,  VITRINGA  in  loc.),  still  it 
does  not  happen  exclusively,  but  so  that  the  Per- 
sians are  named  along  with  them,  and  for  a  spe- 
cial reason,  viz.,  because  the  Medes  were  recog- 
nized as  the  apxriytrai  by  the  Greeks.  In  short, 
with  the  Greeks  that  designation  proceeds  from 
exact  knowledge.  In  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah,  the 
way  in  which  the  Medes  are  mentioned  makes 
the  impression  that  of  the  Persians  they  knew  no- 
thing, and  of  the  Medes  not  much. 

By  saying  that  the  Medes  regard  not  silver  and 
gold,  the  Prophet  would  intimate  that  they  are 
impelled  by  higher  motives  than  common  love 
of  booty.  What  those  higher  motives  may  be,  he 
does  not  say.  They  might  have  their  reason  in 
a  thirst  for  revenge  (  DELITZSCH)  ;  but  they  might 
also  have  their  source  in  an  impulse  to  fulfil  some 
mission  of  which  they  were  unconscious.  At  all 
events,  it  is  strange  that  Jer.  li.  11,  28  sq.,  where 
he  mentions  the  Medes,  gives  prominence  both 
times  to  this  thought.  For  he  says  there:  "The 
LORD  hath  raised  up  ("VJPn  as  in  our  ver.  T^P) 
the  spirits  of  the  kings  of  the  Medes ;  for  his  de- 
vice is  against.  Babylon  to  destroy  it ;  because  it 
is  the  vengeance  of  the  LORD,  the  vengeance  of 
His  temple."  And  thus,  too,  ver.  29 :  "  for  every 
purpose  of  the  LORD  shall  be  performed  against  Ba- 
bylon." Bows  shall  dash  the  young  men  to 
pieces  (ver.  18) ! — An  extraordinary  expression. 
One  might  suppose  that  I^B"!  means  here  simply 
to  cast  down,  to  strike  to  the  ground,  were  it  not 
(comp.  on  ver.  16  Text,  and  Gram.)  that  Piel  and 
Pual  of  Eto'l  are  constantly  used  of  dashing  to 
pieces  human  bodies.  But  in  view  of  this,  and 
moreover  that  bows  and  not  the  bowmen  are 
named,  one  must  understand  an  effect  of  crowds 
is  meant,  and  an  indirect  dashing  to  pieces  by 
precipitating  those  struck,  say  from  the  walls. 
Besides  the  Medes,  Elamites,  Persians,  and  later 


CHAP.  xrrr.  14-22. 


181 


the  Parthians,  were  celebrated  in  all  antiquity  as 
bowmen.  Corap.  xxii.  6 ;  Jer.  xlix.  35 ;  HEROD. 
7,  61  sq;  Cyrop.  II.  1,  6  sq.  The  fruit  of  the 
womb  being  named  along  with  children,  makes 
it  likely  that  children  unborn  are  meant.  Comp. 
2  Kings  viii.  12;  xv.  16;  Hos.  xiv.  1 ;  Amos  i.  13. 
Their  eye  shall  not  spare. — By  synecdoche 
the  eye  that  expresses  pity  is  taken  for  the  effi- 
cient source.  The  expression  is  from  the  Penta- 
teuch (Gen.  xlv.  20 ;  Deut.  vii.  16 ;  xix.  13,  21 
and  often;  Ezra  v.  11  and  often). 

4.  And  Babylon— not  be  prolonged. — 
Vers.  19-22.  The  entire  first  half  of  ver.  20  occurs 
as  a  quotation,  Jer.  1.  39.  Babylon  shall  be  un- 
inhabited forever.  It  shall  not  even  be  used  as  a 
temporary  stopping  place.  Not  even  the  nomadic 
Arabian,  nor  a  wandering  shepherd  of  another 
race,  shall  camp  there  and  rest  his  flocks.  Goats 
="  satyrs."  Perhaps  here  is  the  source  of  that 
representation  of  the  devil  as  a  being  furnished 
with  horns  and  goat's  feet.  Comp.  GESENIUS 
in  loc. 

When  the  Prophet  at  the  last  declares  the 
judgment  on  Babylon  to  be  near,  that  is  only  in 
consequence  of  his  having  said  generally  (vers.  6, 
9)  that  the  day  of  the  LORD  is  at  hand.  More- 
over the  notion  "near"  is  a  relative  one.  Plere 
also  from  the  Prophetic  view-point  that  is  repre- 
sented as  near,  which,  according  to  common  hu- 
man reckoning,  is  still  far  off.  As  regards  the 
fulfilment  of  this  prophecy,  it  is  sufficiently 
proved  that  it  has  been  accomplished,  not  at  once, 
but  gradually  in  the  course  of  the  centuries.  We 
have  thus  here  again  an  example  of  that  prophetic 
gaze  which,  as  it  were,  sees  in  one  plain  what  in 
reality  is  extended  through  many  successive  stages 
of  time.  Comp.  what  VITRINGA  has  compiled  on 
this  subject  with  great  learning,  under  the  title, 
"Jmplementum  prophetiae  literate;"  GESENIUS  and 
DELITZSCH  in  their  commentaries;  my  work: 
"Der  Prophet  Jeremia  und  Babylon"  p.  135 sq.; 
and  especially  RITTER,  Erdkii7id,e  XI.  p.  865  pq.; 
"Die  Ruinengruppe  des  alien  Babylon."  HITTER 
describes  the  impression  made  by  the  vast  extent 
of  Babylon's  ruins :  "  When  one  mounts  one  of 
these  elevations,  he  beholds  in  the  external,  so- 
lemn stillness  of  this  world  of  ruins  the  bright 
mirror  of  the  Euphrates  flowing  far  away,  that 
wanders  full  of  majesty  through  that  solitude  like 
a  royal  pilgrim  roaming  amid  the  silent  ruins  of 
his  desolated  kingdom." 

[J.  A.  ALEXANDER  on  vers.  20,  21.  "The  end- 
less discussions  as  to  the  identity  of  the  species 
of  animals  here  named,  however  laudable  as  tend- 
ing to  promote  exact  lexicography  and  natural 
history,  have  little  or  no  bearing  on  the  interpre- 
tation of  the  passage.  Nothing  more  will  be  here 
attempted  than  to  settle  one  or  two  points  of  com- 
parative importance.  Many  interpreters  regard 
the  whole  verse  as  an  enumeration  of  particular 
animals.  This  has  arisen  from  the  assumption 
of  a  perfect  parallelism  in  the  clause.  It  is  alto- 
gether natural,  however,  to  suppose  that  the 
writer  would  first  make  use  of  general  expres- 
sions, and  afterwards  descend  to  particulars. 
This  supposition  is  confirmed  by  the  etymology 
and  usage  of  D"¥,  both  which  determine  it  to 
mean  those  belonging  to  or  dwelling  in  the  de- 
sert. In  this  sense  it  is  sometimes  applied  to  men 
(Ps.  Ixxii.  9;  Ixxiv.  14),  but  as  these  are  here 


excluded  by  the  preceding  verse,  nothing  more 
was  needed  to  restrict  it  to  wild  animals,  to  which 
it  is   also   applied  in    xxxiv.  14  and  Jer.  1.  39. 
This  is  now  commonly  agreed  to  be  the  meaning, 
even  by  those  who  give  to  DTIK  a  specific  sense. 
The  same  writers  admit  that  D'HK  properly  de- 
notes the  howls  or  cries  of  certain  animals,*  and 
only  make  it  mean  the  animals  themselves,  be- 
cause such  are  mentioned  in  the  other  clauses, 
But  if  D"3f  has  the  generic  sense  which  all  now 
give  it,  the  very  parallelism  of  the  clauses  favors 
the  explanation  of  D'HN  in  its  original  and  pro- 
per sense  of  howls  or  yelk,  viz.,  those  uttered  by 
the   D"i'.  —  The    history   of   the    interpretation 
D'T>'ty  is  so  curious  as  to  justify  more  fulness 
of  detail  than  usual.     It  has  never  been  disputed 
that  its  original  and  proper  sense  is  hairy,  and  its 
usual  specific  sense  he-goats.     In  two  places  (Lev. 
xvii.  7  ;  2  Chron.  xi.  15)  it  is  used  to  denote  ob- 
jects of  idolatrous  worship,  probably  images  of 
goats,  which,  according  to  HERODOTUS,  were  wor- 
shipped in  Egypt.      In  these  places  the  LXX. 
render   it   [J.araioic.,   vain   things,  i.e.,  false  gods. 
But  the  TARGUM  on  Leviticus  explains  it  to  mean 
demons    (plt^j,   and   the   same  interpretation  is 
given  in  the  case  before  us  by  the  LXX.  (6a>u6 
via),  TARGUM  and  PESHITO.    The  VULG.  in  Lev. 
translates  the  word  daemonibus,  but  here  pilosi. 
The  interpretation  given  by  the  other  three  ver- 
sions is  adopted  also  by  the  Rabbins,  ABEN  EZRA, 
JARCHI,  KIMCIII,  etc.     It  appears  likewise  in  the 
TALMUD  and  early  Jewish  books.     From  this  tra- 
ditional interpretation  of  D'Vj'jy  here  and  xxxiv. 
14  appears  to  have  arisen,  at  an  early  period,  a 
popular  belief  among   the  Jews  that  demons  or 
evil  spirits  were  accustomed  to  haunt  desert  places 
in  the  shape  of  goats  or  other  animals.     And  this 
belief  is  said  to  be  actually  cherished  by  the  na- 
tives near  the  site  of  Babylon  at  the  present  day. 
Let  us  now  compare  this  Jewish  exposition  of  the 
passage  with  its  treatment  among  Christians.     To 
JEROME  the  combination  of  the  two  meanings — 
(/oats  and  demons — seems  to  have  suggested  the 
Pans,  Fauns  and  Satyrs  of  the  classical  mytho- 
logy, imaginary  beings  represented  as  a  mixture 
of  the  human  form  with  that  of  goats,  and  sup- 
posed to  frequent  forests  and  other  lonely  places. 
This  idea  is  carried  out  by  CALVIN,  who  adopts 
the  word  satyri  in  his  version,  and  explains  the 
passage  as  relating  to  actual  appearances  of  Satan 
under  such  disguises.     LUTHER,  in  like  manner, 
renders  it  Feldyeister.     VITRINGA  takes  another 
step,  and  understands  the  language  as  a  mere  con- 
cession or  allusion  to  the  popular  belief,  equiva- 
lent to  saying,  the  solitude  of  Babylon  shall  be  as 
awful  as  'if  occupied  by  Fauns  and  Satyrs — there 
i/  anywhere  such  beings  may  be  looked  for.     Fo- 
RERIUS   and   J.  D.  MICHAELIS  understand   the 
animals  themselves  to  be  here  meant,     The  latter 
uses  in  his  version  the  word  Waldtevfel  (wood- 
devils,  forest- demons),  but  is  careful  to  apprise 
the  reader  in  a  note  that  it  is  the  German  name 
for  a  species  of  ape  or  monkey,  and  that  the  He- 
br^w  contains  no  allusion  to  the  devil.     The  pame 
word  is  used  by  GESENIUS  and  others  in  its  pro- 
per sense.     SAADIAS,  COCCEIUS,  CLERICUS  and 
HENDERSON  return  to  the  original  meaning  of  the 
Hebrew  word— viz. :  wild  goats.      But  the   great 
majority  of  modern  writers  tenaciously  adhere  to 
the  old  "tradition.     This  is  done,  not  only  by  the 


182 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


German  neologists,  who  lose  no  opportunity  of 
finding  a  mythology  in  Scripture,  but  by  LOWTH, 
BARNES,  and  STUART  in  his  exposition  of  Rev. 
xi.  12  and  his  Excursus  on  the  Angelology  of 
Scripture  (Apocal.  II.  403). 

The  result  apppears  to  be,  that  if  the  question 
is  determined  by  tradition  and  authority,  D'VyJy 
denotes  demons;  if  by  the  context  and  the  usage 
of  the  word,  it  signifies  wild  goats,  or  more  gene- 
rically  hairy,  shaggy  animals.  According  to  the 
principles  of  modern  exegesis,  the  latter  is  clearly 
entitled  to  the  preference.  But  even  if  the  former 


be  adopted,  the  language  of  the  text  should  be  re- 
garded, not  as  '  a  touch  from  the  popular  pneu- 
matology'  (as  Rev.  xviii.  2  is  described  by  STU- 
ART in  toe.),  but  as  the  prediction  of  a  real  fact, 
which,  though  it  should  not  be  assumed  without 
necessity,  is  altogether  possible,  and  therefore,  if 
alleged  in  Scripture,  altogether  credible." 

Ib.  Ver.  22.  As  D^N,  according  to  its  etymology, 
denotes  an  animal  remarkable  for  its  cry,  it  might 
be  rendered  hyenas,  thereby  avoiding  the  impro- 
bable assumption  that  precisely  the  same  animal 
is  mentioned  in  both  clauses.] 


2.    THE  DELIVERANCE  OF  ISRAEL. 
CHAPTER  XIV.  1,  2. 

1  FOE  the  LORD  will  have  mercy  on  Jacob, 
And  will  yet  choose  Israel, 

And  set  them  in  their  own  land : 

And  the  strangers  shall  be  joined  with  them, 

And  they  shall  cleave  to  the  house  of  Jacob. 

2  And  "the  people  shall  take  them,  and  bring  them  to  their  place : 
And  the  house  of  Israel  shall  possess  them  in  the  land  of  the  LORD 
For  servants  and  handmaids: 

And  "they  shall  take  them  captives,  'whose  captives  they  were; 
And  they  shall  rule  over  their  oppressors. 


1  Heb.  that  had  taken  them  captives. 
•  Or,  nations. 


Or,  they  shall  be  captors  of  their  captors. 


GRAMMATICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


Ver.  1.  rVHri.  comp.  xxviii.  2;  xlvi.  7.  Hl/J  as  to 
sense  and  construction  like  Ivi.  3,  6,  where  alone  the 
word  occurs  again  in  this  sense. — Niph.  DDDJ  only 
here.  Comp.  Hithp.  1  Sam.  xxvi.  19  and  on  Isa.  xxxvii.  30. 

— Ver.  2.  Hithp.  Sfljnn  in  Isa.  only  here. — The  accu- 
sative depends  on  the  transitive  notion  that  is  latent  in 


the  reflexive  form.  Comp.  Num.  xxxiii.  54  and  often' 
The  expression  "  J"I?D1X  occurs  only  here.  But  oomp. 
ver.  25;  Joel  i.  6;  iv.  2;  Jer.  ii.  7,  etc. — Q^Cf.  Comp.  1 
Kings  viii.  46-50. — mi  in  Isa.  only  here,  ver.  0,  and  xli. 
2  (Hiph.).— D'KMJ-  Comp.  iii.  12;  ix.  3;  lx.  17. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  reason  for  the  destruction  of  Babylon 
described  in  xiii.  14-22  is  here  indicated  by  the 
Prophet  to  be  the  intention  of  Jehovah  to  have 
mercy  again  on  His  people,  and  bring  them  back 
into  their  land.     That  shall  take  place  by  the  glad 
consentand  even  active  co-operation  of  the  heathen 
nations.     These  will  join  themselves  to  Israel— in 
fact  lead  Israel  into  their  own  land  (ver.  1).     Is- 
rael will  then  have  them  for  servants  and  maids, 
and  will  hold  those  in  prison  who  before  devoted 
them  to  such  a  fate  (ver.  2). 

2.  For  the  Lord their  oppressors. — 

Vers.  1,  2.  Though  Israel's  deliverance  is  not  the 
sole  motive  of  the  Lord  in  destroying  Babylon,  it 
is  yet  a  chief  motive.     Isaiah  in  the  second  part, 
and  Jeremiah  in  the  denunciations  of  judgments 
(Jer.  1.,  li.)  that  connect  so  closely  with  the  pre- 
sent and  the  later  prophecies  of  Isaiah  on  this 
subject,  frequently  declare  that  Babylon's  fall  is 
to  be  Israel's  deliverance  (e.  g.,  Jer.  1.  4  sqq.,  8  sqq., 
28 ;  li.  6, 36  sqq.,  45 sqq.,  49  sqq.).    The  adhesion  of 
strangers,  who  would  be  witnesses  of  the  mighty 


deeds  of  Jehovah  in  judging  and  delivering,  is  a 
trait  that  the  second  return  from  bondage  will 
have  in  common  with  the  first  (Exod.  xii.  19,  38; 
Num.xi.  4,  efc.).  And  the  people  shall  take 
them,  etc. — It  is  more  exactly  explained  that  this 
adhesion  of  strangers  will  not  be  to  seek  protec- 
tion, but  to  form  an  honorable  and  serviceable  at- 
tendance as  friends  and  admirers.  This  is  a 
thought  that  often  recurs  in  the  second  part  of 
Isaiah:  xliv.  5;  xlix.  22 sq.;  Iv.  5;  lx.  4-9  sq., 
This  notion  that  strangers  should  amicably  at- 
tend Israel  and  then  be  enslaved  for  it  occasions 
offence.  But  the  heathen  will  only  display  this 
friendliness  constrained  thereto  by  the  mighty 
deeds  of  Jehovah.  And  even  if  the  Old  Testa- 
ment knows  of  a  conversion  of  the  heathen  to  Je- 
hovah (Hos.  ii.  23 ;  Isa.  Ixv.  1 ;  comp.  Rom.  ix. 
24 sqq.;  x.  18 sqq.) — yet,  from  the  Old  Testament 
view-point,  there  remains  ever  such  a  chasm  be- 
tween Israel  and  even  the  converted  heathen  that 
for  the  latter  no  other  position  was  conceivable 
than  that  of  those  strangers  who  went  along  to  Ca- 


CHAP.  XIV.  3-23. 


naan  out  of  Egypt  or  the  desert,  or  of  the  Canaan-  restoration  of  the  Jews  from  exile ;  but  its  full  ao 
ites  that  remained  (1  Kings  ix.  20  sq).  This  is  a  ,  complishment  is  yet  to  come,  not  with  respect  to 
consequence  of  that  fleshly  consciousness  of  nobi-  j  the  Jews  as  a  people,  for  their  pre-eminence  has 
lity  of  which  Israel  was  full.  Only  by  Christ  could  ;  ceased  forever,  but  with  respect  to  the  church,  in- 
that  chasm  be  bridged  over,  in  whom  there  is  nei-  eluding  Jews  and  Gentiles,  which  has  succeeded  to 
ther  circumcision  nor  uncircumcision  (Gal.  v.  6;  the  rights  and  privileges,  promises  and  actual  pos- 
iii.  28;  Rom.  x.  12).  ["The  simple  meaning  of  j  sessions  of  God's  ancient  people.  The  true  prin- 
this  promise  seems  to  be  that  the  church  or  chosen  ciple  of  exposition  is  adopted  even  by  the  Rabbins, 
people  and  the  other  nations  should  change  places,  '  JARCHI  refers  the  promise  to  the  future,  to  the  pe- 
the  oppressed  becoming  the  oppressor,  and  the  :  riod  of  complete  redemption.  KIMCHI  more  expli- 
slave  the  master.  This  of  course  admits  both  an  citly  declares  that  its  fulfilment  is  to  be  sought 


external  and  internal  fulfilment.    In  a  lower  sense 
and  on  a  smaller  scale  it  was  accomplished  in  the 


partly  in  the  restoration  from  Babylon,  and  partly 
in  the  days  of  the  Messiah."  J.  A.  ALEX,  in  loc,} 


3.   THE  JUDGMENT  ON  THE  KING  OF  BABYLON. 
CHAPTEK  XIV.  3-23. 

3  AND  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  day  that  the  LORD  shall  give  thee  rest 
From  thy  "sorrow,  and  from  thy  bfear, 

And  from  the  hard  bondage 
"Wherein  thou  wast  made  to  serve, 

4  That  thou  shalt  dtake  up  this  'proverb  "against  the  king  of  Babylon,  and  say, 

How  hath  the  oppressor  ceased ! 
The  2fgoldeu  city  ceased  ! 

5  The  LORD  hath  broken  the  staff  of  the  wicked, 
And  the  sceptre  of  the  rulers. 

6  He  who  smote  the  people  in  wrath 
With  3a  continual  stroke, 

He  that  gruled  the  nations  in  anger, 
hls  persecuted,  and  none  hindereth. 

7  The  whole  earth  is  at  rest,  and  is  quiet : 
They  break  forth  into  singing. 

8  Yea,  the  fir  trees  rejoice  at  thee, 
And  the  cedars  of  Lebanon,  saying, 

Since  thou  art  laid  down, 

No  feller  is  come  up  against  us. 

9  *Hell  from  beneath  is  moved  for  thee 

To  meet  thee  at  thy  coming : 
It  stirreth  up  the  'dead  for  thee, 
Even  all5  6the  chief  ones  of  the  earth ; 

It  hath  raised  up  from  their  thrones 

All  the  kings  of  the  nations. 

10  All  they  shall  jspeak  and  say  unto  thee, 

kArt  thou  also  become  weak  as  we? 
kArt  thou  become  like  unto  us? 

11  Thy  pomp  is  brought  down  to  the  grave, 
And  the  noise  of  thy  viols: 

The  worm  is  spread  under  thee,  and  the  worms  'cover  thee. 

12  How  art  thou  fallen  from  heaven, 
7O  Lucifer,  son  of  the  morning ! 
Hoiv  art  thou  cut  down  to  the  ground, 
Which  didst  mweaken  the  nations ! 

13  flFor  thou  °hast  said  in  thine  heart, 

I  will  ascend  into  heaven, 
I  will  exalt  my  throne  above  the  stars  of  God. 

I  will  sit  also  upon  the  mount  of  the  congregation,  in  the  sides  of  the 
north : 


184 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


14 


I  will  ascend  above  the  heights  of  the  clouds ; 

I  will  be  like  the  Most  High. 
pYet  thou  "shalt  be  brought  down  to  hell, 
To  the  "sides  of  the  pit. 
They  that  see  thee  shall  narrowly  look  upon  thee,  and  consider  thee,  saying, 

Is  this  the  man  that  made  the  earth  to  tremble, 

That  did  shake  kingdoms; 

That  made  the  world  as  a  wilderness, 

And  destroyed  the  cities  thereof; 

That  8opened  not  the  house  of  his  prisoners? 
All  the  kings  of  the  nations,  even  all  of  them, 
Lie  in  "glory,  every  one  in  his  own  house. 
But  thou  art  cast  out  of  thy  grave 
Like  an  'abominable  branch, 

And  as  the  raiment  of  those  that  are  slain,  thrust  through  with  a  sword, 
That  go  down  to  the  stones  of  the  pit; 
As  a  carcase  trodden  under  feet. 
Thou  shalt  not  be  joined  with  them  in  burial, 
Because  thou  hast  destroyed  thy  land, 
And  slain  thy  people: 

The  seed  of  evil  doers  shall  never  be  "renowned. 
Prepare  slaughter  for  his  children 
For  the  iniquity  of  their  fathers; 
That  they  do  not  rise,  nor  possess  the  land, 
Nor  fill  the  face  of  the  world  with  cities. 

22  TFor  I  will  rise  up  against  them, 
Saith  the  LORD  of  hosts, 

And  cut  off  from  Babylon  the  name  and  remnant, 
And  wson,  and  nephew,  saith  the  LORD. 

23  I  will  also  make  it  a  possession  for  the  "bittern,  and  pools  of  water: 

And  I  will  sweep  it  with  the  besom  of  destruction,  saith  the  LORD  of  hosts. 


16 


17 


is 
1!) 


•20 


21 


1  Or,  taunting  speech. 
4  Or,  The  grave. 
1  Or,  O  day  star. 


2  Or,  exactress  of  gold.  s  Heb.  a  stroke  without  removing. 

B  Heb.  leaders.  *  Or,  great  goats. 

8  Or,  did  not  let  his  prisoners  loose  homewards. 


»  labor.  b  unrest.            «  which  was  wrought  by  thee.            d  raise.            e  upon.            f  oppression. 

t  trod  down.  h  by  persecution  without  sparing.             '  spectres,  or  giants.          i  answer.           k  T/iou  art. 

1  thy  covers.  m  subdue.              ">  And  yet.            °  saidst.           P  OnZy.            <!  art.            »  remotest  corners. 

*  instate.  *  despised.           n  named.           T  ^.nd.           »  issue  and  offspring.           *  porcupine. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  3.  Ul  TVjn  DV3  calls  to  mind  Deut.  xxv.  19.— 
3¥ y  in  the  sense  of  dolor,  labor,  only  here  in  Isaiah.  It 

is  not  to  be  confounded  with  y$'y  idolum  (xlviii.  5>. 

Also  I  Jh,  which  often  occurs  in  Job,  does  not  again  oc- 
cur in  Isaiah. ~\iy  -|tfK  does  not  stand  for  'K 

m3#  as  GESENIUS  supposes.  And  It^X  is  not  to  be 
rendered  by  the  ablative,  but  it  is  accusative  according 
to  the  well-known  construction  of  the  Passive  with  the 
accusative  of  the  nearer  object  (comp.  xxi.  2;  Gen. 

xxxv.  26). Ver.  4.  Whatever  may  be  the  fundamental 

meaning  of  Styrj,  and  whether  ^D,  to  rule,  and  Sl!fo, 

T  —  y  ~  T 

to  compare,  come  from  one  or  from  two  roots  (GESEN. 
WINEB,  DEHTZSCH  assume  constitit  erectus  as  the  com- 
mon radical  meaning;  comp.  DEL.  Commentary  and 
Zur  Oeschichte  d.  jud.  Poesie,  p  196),  the  word  any  way 
signifies  a  dictum  in  terse  language,  distinguished  from 
a  merely  prosaic  statement,  let  thedictum'be  fable,  para- 
ble, allegory,  aphorism,  proverb,  riddle,  didactic  poem, 
or  satire.  It  is  here  used  in  the  last  named  sense,  i.  e., 
sarcastic  address,  as  in  Hab.  ji.  6 ;  Mic.  ii.  4 ;  comp. 
Peat,  xxviii.  37 ;  Jer.  xxiv.  9 ;  Ps.  Ixix.  12 ;  1  Kings  ix.  7. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

["  Its  most  general  sense  seerrys  to  be  that  of  tropical  or 
figurative  language.  Here  it  may  have  a  special  refer- 
ence to  the  bold  poetic  fiction  following." — J.  A.  A.]. 

The  word  does  not  again  occur  in  Isaiah. H^mO  is 

air.  A«y.  The  LXX.,  translates  eirKrirovSa<rr>)s,  which 
means  the  driver,  inciter.  It  is  thus  synonymous  with 

ti?jj.  VULQ.  tributum,  according  to  which  the  word  is 
derived  either  from  2ni  ==  3HT,  gold,  or  from  DTP 
insistere,  opprimere,  so  that  the  notion  oppress  would  be 
taken  in  the  sense  of  collecting  tribute.  In  the  latter 
sense  the  meaning  as  regards  etymology  would  coin- 
cide with  the  Greek  en-io-TrovSaorijs.  For,  according  to 
the  sense,  the  Greek  translation  seems  to  signify  rather 
the  driver  who  urges  prisoners  or  slaves  to  make  haste. 
The  PESCHITO  also,  which  translates  opcris  exactor,  and 
ihe  TARG.  JONATHAN  which  translates  fortitudo peccatoris 
appear  to  have  read  rnrPO-  So,  too,  perhaps  SAADIA 

T  "     :  — 

(timiditas).  As  AQUILA  translates  At/ads,  he  must  either 
have  taken  mmrD  =n3^1O,  or  mr!TD  =  H3NT3, 

T"    :-  r'-    :  .  T  "  :  -  T  "  :- 

from  3KT  languere.  DELITZSCH  sides  with  the  last  mean- 

—  T 

ing,  construing  ft  as  Mem  foci,  and  translates,  place  of 


CHAP.  XIV.  3-23. 


185 


torture.  Yet  it  seems  to  me  that  loctis  languendi.  even  if 
one  overlooks  the  permutation  of  J<  and  n,  is  still  a 
vocabu/um  satis  languidum  for  place  of  torture.  I  would 
like  therefore,  with  J.  D.  MICHAELIS,  GESENIUS,  KNOBEL, 
MEIER  and  others,  to  assume  that  n3i"nD  is  an  error 
of  transcribing  for  rGiTlD,  as  also  an  old  edition 
( Tlicssalon,  l.GOO)  actually  reads.  It  favors  this,  too,  that 
3PP  (superbire,  opprimire)  and  t^JJ  also  correspond  in 

parallelism,  iii.  6. Ver.  5.  D"1 7tyr3  £33ty  (comp.  Ezek. 

xix.  11),  as  epexegesis  of  0^7  EM  HOO  is  any  way  to 
be  understood  as  a  tyrant's  sceptre.  This  is  confirmed 

by  the  statement  of  ver.  6. Ver.  6.  The  expression 

PHD  Tn3  occurs  only  here :  rPD  in  Isa.  i.  5;  xxxi. 
G;  lix.  13,  in  the  sense  of  revolt.  On  T\73  see  at  x.  4. 
The  conjecture  of  DOEDEELF.IN,  that  instead  of  HIIIO 
we  should  read  HTIO  has,  according  to  the  analogy 
of  j"OO,  much  plausibility.  The  confounding  of  *\  and 
F\  might  easily  happen  in  the  unpointed  text.  Neither 
rniD  nor  tlTTD  occur  elsewhere,  PHIC  is  nom.  pas- 

T  :  •  'T    :\ 

sivum:  the  being  pursued,  being  hounded  on,  likelJO  being 

T\ 

scared  off,  cast  away,  2  Sam.  xxiii.  6.    32fp  stations,  Isa. 

xxix.  3.  rO31D,  stirred  in,  Lev.  vi.  14,  e& "It^n  oc- 

'•"*'  *  *'•  L  L_ 

curs  again  liv.    2;    Iviii.  1. ""IS    kindred    to  TO3 

(comp.  EWALD,  322,  a.),  is  poetic  negation.  It  occurs  in 
Isaiah,  again  only  xxxii.  10.  See  on  73  ver.  21. 

Ver.  7.  njl  HV3  is  an  expression peculiartothesecond 
part  of  Isa.  (xliv.  23;  xlix.  13;  Iii.  9  ;  liv.  1 ;  Iv.  12)  and 

does  not  occur  elsewhere. Ver.  8.  POt^  with  7  in- 

~  T  : 

volves  the  notion  of  rejoicing  at  misfortune  :  Ps.  xxx. 

2;  xxxv.  19,  24;  xxxviii.  17;    Mic.  vii.  8;    Obad.  12. — 

Ver.  9.  ^J7    after  HTJI   is  constructio  praegnans    (comp. 

Mic.  vii.  14),  -1X13     PfcOpS    however  is  the  nearer 

i        I 
qualification  of  the  ?p  :  hell  gets  into  uproar  toward 

thee,  that  is  in  order  to  welcome  thee  as  an  arrival. 

"H'lj;  x.  26;  xxiii.  13. Sl'tttf  is,  in  the  first  half  of 

the  verse,  like  v.  14,  construed  as  feminine.  But  when 
the  discourse  continues  with  the  masculine  form  111J?, 
the  reason  can  hardly  be  because  7li<ty  elsewhere 
(Job  xxvi.  6)  is  used  as  masculine.  For  the  question 
still  arises,  why  does  the  Prophet  vary  the  gender  ?  I 
think  the  Prophet  in  the  first  clause  has  the  totality  in 
mind,  whereas  in  '1J1  "ITfjJ  he  means  that  sp.ecial 
dominant  will  that  he  ascribes  to  Sheol  as  to  a  person. 
The  former,  as  with  all  collectives,  he  conceives  as  femi- 
nine :  but  this  person,  as  a  ruler  he  conceives  of  as 
masculine.  ["  HITZIG  explains  this  on  the  ground  that 
in  the  first  clause  Sheol  is  passive,  in  the  second  active : 
MAUEEK,  with  more  success,  upon  the  ground  that  the 
nearest  verb  takes  the  feminine  or  proper  gender  of  the 
noun,  while  the  more  remote  one,  by  a  common 
license,  retains  the  masculine  or  radical  form,  as  in 
xxxiii.  9,  (see  GESENIUS,  ?  141,  Rem.  1)."— J.  A.  A.] 

Ver.  10.  IJJV  is  employed  according  to  well-known 
usage,  whereby,  not  only  the  discourse  responsive  to 
other  discourse,  but  discourse  responsive  to  action  is 
designated  as  answer  (xxi.  9 ;  Deut.  xxi.  7 ;  xxvi.  5  ;  Job 

iii.  2;  Mat.  xi.  25  ;  xxii.  1,  etc.). The  Punl  Jl'^p  only 

here.  Comp.  passages  like  liii.  10;  Ivii.  10;  Gen.'xlviii. 
1,  etc.;  Deut.  xxix.  21,  etc.,  and  the  meaning  cannot  be 
ambiguous  :  tu  quoque  dcbUitatus  es.  Also  rwC/DJ  iy /K 
is  a  pregnant  phrase  :  thou  art  made  like  us  and  brought 
to  us.  [Of  this  constr.  praegn.  J.  A.  A., says:  "this  sup- 
position is  entirely  gratuitous."] 


Ver.  11.  7TOn  from  rtOH  strepere,  synonymous  with 

T.:  V  T  T  , 

(xiii.  4),  is  air.  Aey.    Concerning    733    comp.  at 

v  '.•     * 
v.  12. ,~|!31   only  here   in    Isaiah. Hlr?tfl»  *1L 

T "  LL  T " 

14;   Ixvi.  24. Ver.  12.  77'n   is    by  some  expositors 

(JEROME,  AQUILA,  ROSENMUELLER,  GESENIUS)  taken  as  im- 
perative from  Wn  =  howl,  in  which  sense,  in  fact, 
the  word  occurs  Ezek.  xxi.  17;  Zech.  xi.  2.  But  this 
meaning  is  forced  and  mars  the  context.  Only  that 
meaning  will  correspond  with  the  context  which  takes 
this  word  in  the  sense  of  bright  star,  from  SSn,  to  shine 

Ll_  ~" T 

(Job  xxix.  3,  etc.).  The  form  77TI  can  be  formed  after 
analogy  of  TVH,  bVtf  (Mic.  i.  8  K'thibh).  It  is,  how- 
ever, possible,  too,  that  SS'TI  is  derived  from  SSn, 
although  there  is  no  analogy  for  this,  forTfcW,  i"\D;N  are 
not  analogous,  and  t  before  strong  consonants  always 
lengthens  to  I  as  substitute  for  doubling  (EWALII,  §  84  a.-. 
It  must  only  be  that  at  the  same  time  a  sort  of  attrac- 
tion took  place,  and  thus  the  Tsere  of  the  final  syllable 
conformed  to  the  vowel  of  the  preceding  syllable. 
Then  helel  could  be  identical  with  the  name  Hillel  (Jud. 
xii.  13,15);  to  which  the  remark  maybe  added,  that 
Rabbi  HILLEL  the  younger  (in  the  4th  Cent.,  after 
Christ)  is  named  'EAA>j\  by  EPIPHANIUS  (Adv.  Ilaer.  II.  p. 
127.  Ed.' Paris.).  Also  BUXTORF  (Lex.  Chald.  talm.  et  Rabb. 
p.  617)  writes:  77TI  Hillel,  olim Hellcl  lit  Emmanuel  et 
Immanuel,  de  qua  scriptione  vide  Drus.  Obscrv.  L.  IX.  c. 
1."  That  this  bright  star  is  the  morning  star  appears 

from  the  addition  ini^~P- t^Sn  with  Accus.  Exod. 

,  -  T 

xvii.  13:  with  7j;  only  in  this  place,  which  seems  to 

depend   on  the  latent  notion  of  lording  it,  like    H-p 

L 
K31,  1^31"),  are  construed  with  the  Accus.,  and  ~. 

T  T  ~  T  : 

Ver.  15.  The  adversative  thought  is  introduced  by  ^X. 
The  restrictive  fundamental  meaning  ("only,"  which 
receives  adversative  force  in  such  a  connection  =  nisi 
rectius  dixcris  i.  e.  sed.  comp.  Jer.  v.  5)  seems  to  involve 
here  a  certain  irony  :  but  pity,  that  thou  must  down  to 

Orkus. 113  TOT  stands  opposed  to  J13V  '"'•    The 

deepest  corner  of  the  deep  grave.  113  properly,  pit, 
grave,  but  the  underworld,  is,  so  to  speak,  the  deepen- 
ing and  extending  of  the  grave  xxxviii.  18  and  often. — 
The  imperf.  Ilin,  according  to  DELITZSCH,  comes  un- 
suitably both  from  the  mouth  of  the  dwellers  in  Hades, 
and  from  Israel  that  sings  this  Maschal ;  it  is  therefore 
to  be  construed  as  resumption  of  the  discourse  by  the 
Prophet,  who  has  before  his  mind  as  future,  what  the 
Maschal  recites  as  past  (comp.  TNTl  ver.  11).  But  this 
departure  from  the  role  is  improbable.  Moreover  it  is 
grammatically  unnecessary  to  take  Tllfl  as  future. 
It  is  present.  It  describes  the  descent  into  Hades  as 
something  now  taking  place,  a  movement  not  yet  con- 
cluded. Thus  Joshua  (ix.  8)  questions  the  emissaries 

of  the  Gibeonites  1N3P  ]'KD  ;  but  Joseph  his  brethren 
(Gen.  xlii.7)  DriK3  j'NO.  The  former  regarded  those 
questioned  as  arrivals,  as  it  were  still  in  the  act  of 

coming ;  the  latter  as  ones  who  had  arrived. Ver.  16. 

pjjy  (only  here  in  Isaiah;  beside  this  in  Ps.  xxxiii. 
14;TSong  of  S.  ii.  9),  with  Sx  in  connection  with  D^fcO 
evidently  means  attentively  gazing.  The  same  thought 
is  still  more  strongly  emphasized  by  1JJ13JV-  The  word 
occurs  in  Isaiah  again  i.  3;  xliii.  18;  Hi.  !">.  With  7K 
or  Sj?  it  signifies  an  eager,  scrutinizing  contemplation 
(1  Kings  iii.  M;  Ps.  xxxvii.  10;  Job  xxxi.  1). TJID 


186 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


comp.  on  xiii.  13,  where  it  is  associated  with 
17.  The  masculine  suffixes  in  }"~\y  and  WDX  refer 
to  a  latent  masculine  notion  in  73J\  probably  to  j'ltf, 
which  Isaiah  is  wont  to  use  as  parallel  with  73n  (xviii. 
3;  xxvi.  18),  and  uses  as  masculine  oftener  than  all 
other  Old  Testament  writers  (ix.  18;  xviii.  2;  xxvi.  18; 
Ixvi.  8,  beside  these  only  Gen.  xiii.  6).  This  is  favored, 
also,  by  VTDS,  for  there  is  no  73fl  ''TDK,  but  'VOX 
V1K  occurs  (Lam.  iii  34).  ["The  anomaly  of  gender 
may  be  done  away  by  referring  both  the  pronouns  to  the 
King  himself,  who  might  just  as  well  be  said  to  have 
destroyed  his  own  cities,  as  his  own  land  and  his  own 
people  (ver.  20),  the  rather  as  his  sway  is  supposed  to 
have  been  universal.— J.  A  A.]. Concerning  the  preg- 
nant construction  n.TV3  PIPD  comp.  Jer.  1.  33. Ver. 

19-  1XJ  is  an  exclusively  Isaianic  word.  It  occurs,  be- 
side the  present,  only  xi.  1,  Ix.  21,  except  where  Dan.  xi. 

7  quotes  xi.  1. 3j?nj,  in  Isaiah  only  here,  is  probably 

chosen  for    the    sake    of  the   alliteration. — — 15N37  in 

Isa;ah  again  Ixiii.    12. H'tOO    only  here.— 3    in 

"U3D   i?  Kaph  veritatis  (comp.  on  xiii.  6)  and  what  has 

been  said  figuratively  is  now  said  without  figure. 

"U3  occurs  again  xxxiv.  3;  xxxvii.  3G;  Ixvi.  24.  Part. 
D31D  only  here  ;  other  forms  from  DO  ver.  25  ;  Ixiii.  6, 
18. Ver.  20.  "inn  from  1JT  only  here  in  Isaiah. 


Comp.  Gen.  xix.  6.  Ver.  21.  73  poetic  =  Stf ;  occurs 
again  xxvi.  10,  11,  14, 18;  xxxiii.  20,  21,  23,  24;  xxxv.  9; 

xl. 24;  xliii.  17  ;  xliv.  8,  9;  comp.  on  xxvi.  8. Ver.  22. 

Of  the  pairs  of  alliterated  words  "l#\y  is  a  current  word 
with  Isaiah  (comp.  at  vii.  13;  x.  19),  HDJ1  fj  stand  to- 
gether in  the  three  passages  where  they  recur :  Gen. 
xxi.  23  ;  Job  xviii.  19  and  here. 

["  The  specific  meaning  son  and  nephew  (i.  c.,  nepos, 
grandson),  given  in  the  Engl.  Version,  and  most  of  the 
early  writers,  and  retained  by  UMBEEIT,  is  derived  from 
theChaldee  Paraphrase  O3  "131  13)-  ABEN  EZRA  makes 
the  language  still  more  definite  by  explaining  DC'  to 
be  a  man  himself,  "IXU?  a  father,  TJ  a  son,  and  "OJ  a 

grandson. But  the   more  general   meaning  of  the 

terms  now  held  to  be  correct,  is  given  in  the  LXX. 

^oro/ia  (cal  KaTaAei(i/u.a  Kal   OTre'pjiia)  and  the   VuLGATE  (ttO- 

men  et  reliquias  et  r/ermen  etprogeniem.)" — J.  A.  A.] 

Ver.  23.  T\NC3XD  is  Pilp.,  of  a  root  XO  (KID)  pellere, 
....  f 

protrudere,  that  occurs  only  here,  from  which  also  the 
substantive  XtONtJD  is  formed.  Some  have  justly 
found  in  this  word  a  reference  to  t3'£3  clay,  out  of  which 
the  brick-builded  Babylon  emerged.  But  the  broom, 
of  which  Jehovah  makes  use,  is  H?3tJ?n  (infin.  nomin.), 
destruction. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  In  that  day  wherein  the  LORD  will  grant  Is- 
rael the  deliverance  described  in  vers.  1,  2,  Israel 
shall  sing  a  song  of  derision  about  the  king  of 
Babylon  (vers.  3,  4  a).  The  Prophet  has  no  par- 
ticular king  in  mind,  but  the  king  of  Babylon  in 
abstracto.  With  wonderful  poetic  vigor  and  beauty 
he  shows  how  the  proud  possessor  of  the  world- 
power,  who  in  titanic  arrogance  would  mount  to 
equality  with  the  very  Godhead,  shall  be  cast 
down  to  the  lowest  degradation  and  wretchedness 
by  the  omnipotence  of  the  true  God.  He  begins 
with  a  joyful  exclamation  that  the  scourge  of  the 
nations  is  broken  (vers.  46-6).  The  earth  now  has 
rest;  the  very  cypresses  and  cedars  rejoice  that 
they  are  no  more  felled  (vers.  7,  8).  On  the  other 
hand,  the  under-world,  the  kingdom  of  the  dead, 
rises  in  commotion  at  the  new  arrival.  Spectres 
hurry  to  meet  him — the  princes  under  them  rise 
off  their  seats  (ver.  9).  "Thou,  too,  comest  to 
us,"  they  call  to  him  (ver.  10).  Then  the  Pro- 
phet takes  up  the  discourse  again,  personating 
Israel,  into  whose  mouth  he  puts  the  words,  and 
brings  out  the  contrast  in  the  history  of  the  Ba- 
bylonian :  Thy  pomp  is  cast  down  to  hell,  the 
sound  of  revel  in  thy  palaces  is  hushed,  and  thy 
body  moulders  in  the  grave,  a  star  cast  down  from 
heaven  (vers.  10-12).  Thou  wouldst  raise  thyself 
to  the  level  of  the  Godhead,  and  now  descendest 
into  the  deepest  depth  of  the  lower  world  (vers. 
13-15).  Also  the  subjects  of  the  dead  king  ex- 
press their  thoughts  at  the  spectacle  of  the  unbu- 
ned,  cast-away  corpse,  seeing  in  this  present 
wretchedness  the  punishment  of  past  wrong-do- 
ing: Is  this  the  man  that  shook  and  desolated  the 
earth  (vers.  16,  17)?  While  the  bodies  of  other 
kings  he  quiet  in  their  graves,  his  corpse,  with- 
out a  grave,  is  cast  away  as  a  despised  and  tram- 
pled carcase  (vers.  18,  19).  This  is  the  punish- 
ment for  his  having  ruined  land  and  nation. 
Therefore  shall  his  generation  be  exterminated 


(vers.  20,  21).  Finally  Jehovah  Himself  confirms 
the  announcement  of  destruction,  extending  the 
warning  of  punishment  to  Babylon  entire,  and 
presents  to  it  the  prospect  of  desolation  in  the 
same  manner  as  occurs  chap.  xiii.  ver.  21  sq.  (vers. 
22,  23). 

2.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass hiiicler- 

eth. — Vers.  3,  6.    A  song  of  derision  about  the 
repie  tentative   of   the    Babylonish   world-power 
cannot  be  appropriate  while  one  is  in  its  power. 
When  one  is  out  of  reach  of  his  arm,  then  the 
long  pent-up   resentment   may   find   expression. 
The  service   (i~n3#,  comp.  xxviii.  21 ;   xxxii. 
17)  is  also  called  "\ar'd"  (H^J5,  Exod.  i.  6;  vi.  9; 
Deut.  xxvi.  6)  in  the  description  of  the  Egyptian 
bondage.     Thus  we  have  a  reminder  of  the  re- 
semblance between  the  first  and  the  second  exile. 

3.  The  •whole  earth against  us. — Vers. 

7,  8.  But  not  merely  the  world  of  mankind,  the 
impersonal    creatures   were   disquieted    by   this 
world-despot,  who  knew  no  law  but  his  own  pas- 
sions, and  they,  too,  rejoice,  jubilant  at  the  re- 
pose.    Representative  of  all  others,  the  elevated 
giants  of  the  forest  high  up  on  Lebanon  speak,  to 
utter  their  joy  that,  since  the  end  of  the  tyrant, 
they  are  no  more  felled.     Cypress   (xxxvii.  24; 
xli.  19;  lv.  13;  Ix.  13),  a  hard  and  lasting  wood, 
was  used,  not  only  for  house  and  ship-building 
(1  Kings  v.  8,  10;  "Ezek.  xxvii.  5),  but  also  in  the 
manufacture  of  lances  (Nah.  ii.  4)  and  musical 
instruments  (2  Sam.  vi.  5;    comp.  Isn.  xiv.  11). 
["According  to  J.  D.  MICHAELTP,  Antilibanus  is 
clothed  with  firs  as  Libanus  or  Lebanon  proper 
is  with  cedars,  and  both  are  here  introduced  as 
joining  in  the  general  triumph.   J.  A.  A.] 

4.  Hell  from  beneath like   unto  us. 

—Vers.  9, 10.  On  Rheol  see  ver.  14.     ["The  Eng- 
lish word  Hell,  though  now  appropriated  to  the 
condition  or  place  of  future  torments,  corresponds 


CHAP.  XIV.  3-23. 


187 


in  etymology  and  early  usage  to  the  Hebrew  word 
in  question.  GESENIUS  derives  it,  with  the  Ger- 
man Hb'lle,  from  Hb'hle,  "hollow;"  but  the  Eng- 
lish etymologists  from  the  Anglo-Saxon  helan,  "  to 
cover,"  which  amounts  to  the  same  thing, — the 
ideas  of  a  hollow  and  a  covered  place  being  equally 
appropriate.  As  Sheol,  retained  by  HENDERSON, 
and  the  Greek  word  Hades,  introduced  by  LOWTH 
and  BARNES,  require  explanation  also,  the  strong 
and  homely  Saxon  form  will  be  preferred  by 
every  unsophisticated  taste.  EWALD  and  UM- 
BREIT  [and  NAEGELSBACII]  have  the  good  taste 
to  restore  the  old  word  Hb'Ue  in  their  versions. 
J.  A.  A.]  As  the  Prophet  has  before  personified 
the  trees  of  Lebanon,  so  here  he  personifies  the 
world  of  the  dead.  He  presents  it  as  governed  by 
a  common  will.  This  will,  so  to  speak,  the  will 
of  the  ruler,  roused  by  the  appearance  of  the  king 
of  Babylon,  electrifies  the  entire  kingdom,  so  that 
it  gets  into  unusual  commotion  and  turns  to  the 
approaching  king  in  wonder  (com p.  ver.  16). 
Especially  the  kings  already  there  in  the  king- 
dom of  the  dead,  the  colleagues  of  the  Babylonian, 
are  in  commotion.  D'X3"1  (xxvi.  14,  19)  are  the 
lax,  nerveless,  powerless,  who  have  no  body,  and 
thus  no  life-power  more,  who  are  only  outlines, 
shades.  The  word  is  without  article,  likely  be- 
cause not  all  D'fcO"!,  but  only  a  part  of  them,  i.  e., 
all  DHiny  (the  strong  ones,  or  he-goats)  shall  be 
made  to  rise.  These  are  called  he-goats  (i.  11; 
xxxiv.  6),  not  only  because  on  earth  they  were 
the  leader-goats  of  the  nation-flocks  (Zech.  x.  3; 
Ps.  Ixviii.  31 ;  Jer.  1.  8),  but  because  they  are  still 
such.  It  seems  to  me  that  there  underlies  here 
the  representation  of  Ps.  xlix.  (14)  15:  "Like 
sheep  they  are  laid  in  the  grave ;  death  shall  pas- 
ture them"  [feed  on  them,  Eng.  Version.'].  There- 
fore, perhaps  it  reads  ]"1N,  earth,  and  not  the  earth, 
for  the  latter  would  be  the  earth  as  abode  of  the 
living.  In  the  kingdom  of  the  dead  the  dead  are 
like  a  great  flock — death  pastures  them :  but  those 
that  were  he-goats  on  earth  are  such  also  in  the 
under-world.  For  the  latter  has  no  independent 
life.  It  only  reflects  in  outline  what  life  accom- 
plished in  complete,  corporeal  existence.  Only  to 
the  end  of  ver.  10  do  the  words  of  the  shades  ex- 
tend. For,  on  the  one  hand,  much  discourse  does 
not  become  them  (KNOBEL*,  and,  on  the  other, 
much  of  what  follows  does  not  become  the  mouths 
of  shades,  viz. :  the  derision  of  the  Babylonian  that 
would  retort  on  themselves,  and  because  vers.  16  a 
and  20  a  they  would  speak  of  themselves  in  the  third 
pe/son.  Therefore  from  ver.  1 1  on  the  author  of  the 
Maschal  again  speaks.  [''The  ancient  versions 
and  all  the  early  writers  understand  D'KDl  to 
mean  giants.  Its  application  to  the  dead  admits 
of  several  explanations  equally  plausible  with 
that  of  GESENIUS  (who  in  the  earlier  editions  of 
his  Lexicon  and  in  his  Commentary  on  Isaiah  de- 
rives it  from  N3"\  but  in  the  last  edition  of  his 
Lexicon  derives  it  from  HDI,  to  be  still  or  quiet,  a 
supposititious  meaning  founded  on  an  Arabic  ana- 
logy), and  entitled  to  the  preference  according  to 
the  modern  laws  of  lexicography,  because  instead 
of  multiplying,  they  reduce  the  number  of  dis- 
tinct significations.  The  shades  or  spectres  of  the 
dead  might  naturally  be  conceived  as  actually 
larger  than  the  living  man,  since  that  which  is 
shadowy  and  indistinct  is  commonly  exaggerated 
by  the  fancy.  Or  there  may  be  an  allusion  to  the 


Canaanitish  giants  who  were  exterminated  by  di- 
vine command,  and  might  be  chosen  to  represent 
the  whole  class  of  departed  sinners.  Or,  in  this 
case,  we  may  suppose  the  kings  and  great  ones  of 
the  earth  to  be  distinguished  from  the  vulgar  dead 
as  giants  or  gigantic  forms.  Either  of  these  hy- 
potheses precludes  the  necessity  of  finding  a  new 
root  for  a  common  word,  or  of  denying  its  plain 
use  elsewhere.  As  to  mere  poetical  effect,  so 
often  made  a  test  of  truth,  there  can  be  no  com- 
parison between  the  description  of  the  dead  as 
weak  or  quiet  ones,  and  the  sublime  conception  of 
gigantic  shades  or  phantoms."  Some  comment 
on  the  text  as  if  it  were  ''not  a  mere  prosopopoeia 
or  poetical  creation  of  the  highest  order,  but  a 
chapter  from  the  popular  belief  of  the  Jews  as  to 
the  locality,  contents  and  transactions  of  the  un- 
seen world.  Thus  GESENIUS,  in  his  Lexicon  and 
Commentary,  gives  a  minute  topographical  de- 
scription of  Sheol,  as  the  Hebrews  believed  it  to 
exist.  With  equal  truth  a  diligent  compiler  might 
construct  a  map  of  hell,  as  conceived  by  the  Eng- 
lish Puritans,  from  the  descriptive  portions  of 
Paradise  Lost.  This  kind  of  exposition  is  charge- 
able with  a  rhetorical  incongruity  in  lauding  the 
creative  genius  of  the  poet,  and  yet  making  all  his 
grand  creations  commonplace  articles  of  popular 
belief.  The  true  view  of  the  matter,  as  determined 
both  by  piety  and  taste,  appears  to  be  that  the  pas- 
sage now  before  us  comprehends  two  elements,  and 
only  two  :  religious  verities  or  certain  facts,  and 
poetical  embellishments.  It  may  not  be  easy  to 
distinguish  clearly  between  these  —  but  it  is  only 
between  these  that  we  are  able  or  have  any  occa- 
sion to  distinguish.  The  admission  of  a  terlium 
quid  in  the  shape  of  superstitious  fables  is  as  false 
in  rhetoric  as  in  theology."  J.  A.  A.] 

5.  Thy  pomp  --  of  the  pit.  —  Vers.  11-15. 
The  contrasts  oetween  what  the  Babylonian  would 
be  and  what  he  now  is  are  here  set  forth.  The 
pomp  he  prepared  for  his  eyes  to  see,  and  the 
glorious  sounds  he  let  his  ears  hear  are  swallowed 
up  by  hell.  His  body,  once  so  dearly  cared  for 
and  couched,  has  now  maggots  for  a  couch  and 
worms  for  a  covering.  Passages  from  Job  (vii. 
5  ;  xxi.  26)  seem  here  to  present  themselves  to  the 
Prophet's  mind.  Shining  and  high  was  he  once, 
like  the  morning  star  ;  now  lie  is  fallen  from  hea- 

ven. //  ;?,  shining  star,  is  called  "son  of  the 
morning,"  because  it  seems  to  emerge  out  of  the 
morning  dawn  (comes  et  alumnus  aurorae).  ''In 
the  southern  heavens,  when  mirrored  in  the  waves 
of  the  sea,  this  planet  has  a  brighter  gleam  than 
with  us"  (LEYRER  in  HERZ.  R.  Encycl.  XIX.  p. 
563).  TERTULLJAN,  GREGORY  THE  GREAT,  and 
latterly  STIER,  with  reference  to  Luke  x.  18,  have 
taken  the  star  fallen  from  heaven  for  Satan. 
Hence  originates  the  name  Lucifer  (VULGATE  — 
although  JVI"VTD,  Job  xxxviii.  32,  is  also  so  ren- 
dered), fwf  <f>6/jof  (LXX.).  Once  he  was  mighty 
over  the  nations  —  but  now  he  is  himself  broken 
and  cast  to  the  earth  ixxii.  25). 

The  following  And  thou  hast  said,  etc.  (ver. 
13)  seems  at  first  sight  to  stand  in  antithesis  to 
what  precedes  (ver.  12).  But  examination  shows 
that  vers.  13-15  belong  together.  For  the  "P1J\ 
"thou  art  brought  down,"  ver.  15,  corresponds  to 


the  ry$,  "I  will  ascend,"  of  vers.  13  and  14,  and 


188 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


ver.  12  is  complete  in  itself,  each  clause  of  it  con- 
taining a  complete  antithesis ;  the  lofty  star  is 
fallen,  the  conqueror  lies  prostrate  on  the  ground. 
Thus  the  1  before  HflX  is  not  adversative,  but 
simply  the  copulative:  and  thou  who  thoughtst  to 
mount  to  the  heavens  must  go  down  to  hell.  The 
world-power  is  by  its  very  nature  inimical  to  God : 
its  aim  is  to  supplant  God  and  put  itself  in  His 
place.  This  tendency  is  indwelling  in  the  world- 
power  derived  from  its  transcendental  author,  Sa- 
tan, and  is  realized  in  every  particular  represen- 
tative. Thus,  then,  here  the  Babylonian  expresses 
his  purpose  of  assuming  the  highest  place,  not 
simply  on  earth  among  the  lords  of  the  world,  but 
in  heaven  itself,  and  that  above  the  stars,  which 
seem  here  to  be  conceived  of  as  the  residences  of 
the  spirits  of  God,  the  /VX3V,  Job  xxxviii.  7,  and 
the  spheres  of  their  manifestation,  according  to 
heathen  notions,  which  very  well  suit  in  the  mouth 
of  the  Babylonian.  Let  him  be  enthroned  above 
the  stars,  and  he,  too,  is  "god  of  hosts."  Let  the 
throne  of  the  potentate  be  above  the  stars ;  then 
he  shall  stand  on  the  pinnacle  of  the  sacred 
mountain  of  the  gods,  about  which  the  constella- 
tions circle,  and  which  the  heathen  notions  of  the 
Orient  represent  as  in  the  North.  This  mountain 
is  variously  named  by  the  different  nations.  It 
is  called  Meru  (Kailasa,  in  the  direction  beyond 
the  Himalaia)  by  those  in  India,  Alburg  by  the 
others;  nor  does  the  Olympus  of  the  Greeks 
stand  wholly  disconnected  herewith.  Comp. 
RHODE,  He'd.  Saga  des  Zendvolkes,  p.  229  sq.;  GE- 
SENIUS,  Jes.  II.  p.  516  sqq.;  LASSEN,  Ind.  Alter- 
thumskunde  [.  p.  34  sq.;  MOVERS,  Phon.  II.  1,  p. 
414;  KOHDT,  Jiid.  Angelol.  u.  Daemonol.  in  den 
Abhh.f.  d.  Kunde  des  Morgenl.,  1866,  p.  57. 

Many  expositors  down  to  FUERST  (Cone.  p.  501) 
and  SHEOG  [  J.  A.  A.  states  both  views  without 
deciding;  so  also  substantially  BIRKS^  have  been 
led  by  the  expression  "lj/1'3  "^H  to  hold  that  the 
mountain  meant  in  the  text  is  Zion,  as  the  gather- 
ing place  of  the  Israelites,  for  which  they  appeal 
especially  to  Ps.  xlviii.  3.  But  Zion  lay  neither 
to  the  north  of  Palestine  nor  to  the  north  of  Jeru- 
salem ,  nor  does  the  mention  of  Zion  in  this  sense 
become  the  lips  of  the  possessor  of  the  world- 
power.  D]j\3T  (remotest  corners,  ENG.  VERS. 
sides],  are  the  thighs,  which  (considered  from 
within  outwardly),  form  the  extremest boundaries, 
as  well  as^  (regarded  in  their  junction),  the  ex- 
tremest  points.  Thus  the  word  stands  for  the  in- 
most corner  (e.g.,  of  a  cave,  1  Sam.  xxiv.  4)  as 
well  as  for  the  extremest  boundary  of  a  land. 
Thus  Jer.  vi.  22 ;  xxv.  32  says  ]'1N  TOT  (sides, 
coasts  of  the  earth)  ;  and  here  Isa.  (and  after  him 
Ezek.  xxxviii.  6,  15;  xxxix.  2)  says  |'33f  "  (ex- 
tremest, highest  North).  The  expressions  "  above 
the  stars  of  God  "  and  "  mount  of  the  congrega- 
tion" signify  the  loftiest  height  intensively,  "the 
heights  of  the  clouds  "  (3#  T11O3— an  expression 
found  only  here),  in  an  extensive  sense.  For  as 
far  as_the  clouds  extend  (Ps.  xxxv.  6;  Ivii.  11 ; 
cviii.  5)  the  dominion  of  the  true  God  reaches, 
and  everywhere  the  clouds  are  His  air  chariots  and 
air  thrones  (xix.  1 ;  Ps.  xcvii.  2;  civ.  3;  Dan.  vii. 
13).  If,  then,  the  Babylonian  reigns  in  the  loftiest 
heights  and  every  where,  he  has  become  like  the 
highest  God.  But  thereby  he  has  supplanted  the 
highest  God :  for  two  cannot  at  once  occupy  the 


highest  place.  And  this,  as  remarked  above,  is 
the  aim  of  Satan  and  of  his  earthly  sphere  of 
power,  the  world-power,  which  culminates  in  An- 
tichrist (Dan.  xi.  36;  2  Thess.  ii.  3sq.).  This 
tendency  of  the  world-power  explains  how,  not 
only  heathen,  but  now  and  then  also  Jewish  and 
Christian  princes,  have  laid  claim  to  divine  ho- 
nors, or  at  least  have  suffered  such  to  be  paid 
them.  CURTIUS  (VIII.  5)  praises  the  Persians 
because :  non  pie  solum,  sed  etiam  prudenter  reges  suos 
inter  Deos  colunt.  In  inscriptions  Persian  kings 
are  explicitly  called  EKyovot  -&EUV,  in  -yevov^  dew, 
and  even  foot.  Comp.  HENGSTENBERG,  Introd. 
to  the  0.  Test,  I.  [p.  124  sqq.  of  the  German  Ed.]. 
This  is  well  known  in  regard  to  the  Roman  Em- 
perors. Such  deification  had  its  extremest  illus- 
tration in  the  case  of  Diocletian,  who  made  him- 
self an  object  of  divine  worship  as  a  representative 
of  the  highest  God.  Comp.  ALB.  VOGEL,  Prof., 
Der  Kaiser  Diocletian,  ein  Vortrag,  Gotha,  1857. 
Herod  let  himself  be  called  God,  and  had  to  suf- 
fer dearly  for  that  assumption  of  honor  such  as 
belongs  to  God  alone  (Acts  xii.  21  sqq.).  In 
Christian  Europe,  too,  there  have  not  been  want- 
ing instances  of  such  heathenish  adulation  of 
princes.  See  under  Doctrinal  and  Ethical  remarks 
below-. 

Ver.  15  expresses,  in  contrast  with  the  preten- 
sions of  the  Babylonian,  what  his  actual  fate  shall 
be.  [See  above  in  Text,  and  Gram.~\ 

6.  They  that  see with  cities. — Vers. 

16-21.  "They  that  see"  are  not  the  denizens  of 
hell,  for  they  have  before  them  the  dead  as  an  un- 
buried  corpse.  The  underlying  thought  of  the 
passage  is,  however,  that  the  sins  of  the  deceased 
are  enumerated  (vers.  16,  17),  and  his  fate  is  des- 
ignated as  their  merited  punishment.  Thus  it 
says,  "  they  that  see  thee,"  i.  e.  they  that  see  thee 
lying  an  unburied  corpse  look  upon  thee.  Be- 
cause he  destroyed  the  rest  of  countries,  he  him- 
self now  finds  no  rest  in  the  grave.  Because  he 
made  a  desert  of  the  fruitful  land  (/3fl  to  be  taken 
in  this  sense  here  in  contrast  with  "G~IO,  cornp. 
on  xiii.  11),  he  lies  himself  a  deserted  carcase; 
because  he  showed  no  pity  to  prisoners,  he  is 
himself  pitilessly  dealt  with. 

I  do  not  think  it  probable  that  the  following 
words  are  to  be  ascribed  to  others  than  the  D'fcO, 
those  seeing  thee,  ver.  16,  e.  g.  to  the  Prophet.  The 
internal  connection  with  vers.  16,  17  is  too  close. 
"  Is  this  the  man,"  says  ver.  16?  What  kind  of 
man  ?  Why  just  that  one  who,  according  to  ver. 
19,  lies  as  a  trampled  carcase.  Then  ver.  22, 
what  the  Prophet  says  in  the  name  of  the  LORD, 
comes  in  all  the  more  emphatically  as  confirming 
this.  It  is  then  the  subjects  of  the  king  that  re- 
mark, that  whereas  all  other  kings  lie  in  state  in 
the  tombs  of  their  ancestors  (com p.  2  Kings  xxi. 
18,  2  Chr.  xxxiii.  20)  their  king  is  Qjist  away  far 
from  his  grave  (]^=procid,  Jer.  xlviii.  45  ;  Lam. 

iv.  9). 

But  he  is  cast  away  as  a  despised  branch. 
When  trees  are  felled,  or  pruned,  many  a  small 
branch,  which  compared  to  the  whole  tree  is 
worthless,  is  cast  aside  and  trampled  in  the 
mud. 

Most  expositors  in  explaining  the  following 
words  take  2O 7  as  part.  pass.  But  it  seems  to 
me  that  then  the  two  following  participles  appear 


CHAP.  XIV.  3-23. 


189 


very  superfluous.  For  what  does  it  amount  to  to 
describe  the  Chaldean  as  covered  with  the  slain 
that  are  thrust  through  and  carried  down  to  the 
pit?  It  is  otherwise  if,  with  AQU.,  THEOD.,  LU- 
THER, FUERST  (cone.),  and  others,  we  take  &!;  as 
substantive.  Then  it  is  said  that  the  corpse  of 
the  Chaldean  is  cast  away,  not  only  as  a  despised 
branch,  but  also  as  the  garment  of  the  slain 
who  were  thrust  through  with  the  sword  and 
buried.  For  were  they  thrust  through  with  a 
sword,  then,  too,  the  garment  would  be  cut  into 
holes,  and  at  least  spotted  with  blood,  and  if  they 
are  buried,  it  is  explained  how  their  garment 
comes  into  the  hands  of  others.  When  the  dead 
are  buried  on  the  field  of  battle,  their  clothes  are 
taken  off  them,  but  those  that  are  torn  and  cut 
in  holes  and  smeared  with  blood,  are  cast  away, 
while  tho-ie  unharmed  are  retained  as  valuable 
booty.  "  The  stones  of  the  pit "  cannot  be  the 
stones  of  a  grave  on  the  top  of  the  earth.  For 
neither  the  rock-hewn  grave,  nor  a  walled-up 
tomb,  n;>r  a  grave  covered  with  stones  to  avoid 
the  trouble  of  shoveling  up  a  mound,  has  any 
meaning  in  this  connection ;  though  it  may  be 
said  by  tlia  way,  that  heaping  up  stones  is  no  less 
trouble-some  than  shoveling  up  a  mound.  Buried 
in  general  is  the  chief  thing.  But  there  is  only 
one  "HS,  pit,  that  has  stones  under  all  circum- 
stances. It  is  the  widening  and  deepening  of  the 
grave  ( VlNty  see  ver.  15),  that  is  on  the  surface. 
This  is  in  the  interior  of  the  earth.  This  interior 
is  any  way  closed  about  by  the  D"11SJ£,  pillars, 
(Job  ix.  6),  D'^DO  foundations,  (Ps.  civ.  5)  of  the 
earth;  but  these  are  the  mountains  (comp.  Prov. 
vii.  2o)  which  are  thence  called  "strong  foundations 
of  the  earth  "  Mic.  vi.  2.  But  that  the  founda- 
tions or  the  roots  of  the  earth  consist  of  rock  was 
known  to  the  ancients  as  well  as  to  us.  The  king, 
as  an  unburied,  thrown  away  corpse,  shall  not  be 
reunited  in  the  grave  with  those  other  dead  which, 
according  to  ver.  19,  are  buried. — The  king  de- 
stroyed his  land  by  despotism  and  wars,  and  sac- 
rificed his  subjects  in  masses.  Thus,  not  only 
himself,  but  his  entire  dynasty  shall  be  destroyed. 
The  name  of  his  race  shall  become  extinct  as 
godless.  To  this  end  his  seed  must  be  slain.  The 
people  themselves  demand  it.  They  resolve  that 
this  generation  shall  not  be  raised  up  to  possess 
the  land  and  fill  it  with  cities.  Building  cities 
contributes  to  security,  the  establishment  of  do- 
minion, the  interests  of  trade,  and  the  cultivation 
of  the  ground.  A  builder  of  cities  must  ever  be 
a  mighty  man.  There  is  no  need,  therefore,  to 
change  W~}V,  as  some  would  do,  to  D'3n>' 
(E\TALD),  D'V  (HITZIG),  D"!^  (MEIER).  On  the 
other  hand  one  must  be  careful  not  to  press  all 
the  particular  traits  of  this  prophecy.  What  we 
said  above  concerning  the  ideal  coloring  of  pro- 
phecy is  appropriate  also  here. 

7.    For    I    will saith    the    LORD    of 

hosts. — Vers.  22,  23.  These  are  words  of  the 
Prophet  which  he  speaks  in  the  name  of  Jeho- 
vah. Therefore  the  word  of  God  constitutes  the 
formal  conclusion  of  the  prophecy,  the  Prophet 
resuming  the  thread  of  discourse  and  keeping  it 
to  the  end.  He  confirms  thereby  the  words  of 
the  people  by  giving  them  a  general  and  more 
comprehensive  direction.  What  they  had  said 


only  against  the  royal  race  is  changed  to  a  de- 
nunciation of  punishment  against  the  kingdom  of 
Babylon  in  general.  Its  cities  shall  become  the 
possession  (Job  xvii.  11 ;  Obad.  17)  of  the  porcu- 
pine (xxxiv.  11  ;  Zeph.  ii.  14),  and,  (in  conse- 
quence of  the  ruin  of  the  embankments  of  the 
Euphrates),  swampy  marshes  (xxxv.  7  ;  xli.  18  ; 
xlii.  15).  By  the  porcupine  appears  to  be  meant 
the  echinus  aquatica,  which  was  found  of  unusual 
size  (according  to  STRABO,  xvi.  1)  on  the  islands 
of  the  Euphrates.  Comp.  BOCHART,  Hieroz.  II., 
p.  454  sqq. 

DOCTRINAL    AND    ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xiii.  2-13.     The  prophecy  concerning 
the  day  of  the  LORD  has  its  history.     It  appears 
first  in  the  form  of  the  announcement  of  a  scourge 
of  locusts  (Joel) ;  then  it  becomes  an  announce- 
ment of  human  war-expeditions  and  sieges  of  ci- 
ties. Finally  it  becomes  a  message  that  proclaims 
the  destruction  of  the  earth  and  of  its  companions 
in  space.     But  from  the  first  onward,  the  last  par- 
ticular is  not  wanting:  only  at  first  it  appears 
faintly.  In  Joel  ii.  10,  one  does  not  know  whether 
the  discourse  is  concerning  an  obscuration  of  the 
heavenly  bodies  occasioned  only  by  the  grasshop- 
pers or  by  higher  powers.     But  soon  (Joel  iii.  4, 
20)  this  particular  comes  out  more  definitely.   In 
the  present  passage  of  Isaiah  it  presses  to  the 
foreground.      In   the    New   Testament    (Matth. 
xxiv.  29 ;  Mar.  xiii.  24  sq. ;  Luke  xxi.  25)   it 
takes  the  first  and  central  place.     We  observe 
clearly  that  the  judgment  on  the  world  is  accom- 
plished in  many  acts,  and  is  yet  one  whole ;  and 
as  on  the  other  hand  nature,  too,  is  itself  one 
whole,  so,  according  to  the  saying:  ''whether  one 
member  suffer,  all  the  members  suffer  with  it " 
(1   Cor.  xii.  26),  the  catastrophes  on  earth  have 
their  echo  in  the  regions  above  earth. 

2.  On  xiii.  4  sqq.     ''God  cannot  do  otherwise 
than  punish  accumulated  wickedness.     But  He 
overthrows  violence  and  crime,  and  metes  out  to 
tyrants  the  measure  they  have  given  to  others,  for 
He  gives  to  them  a  master  that  the  heathen  shall 
know  that  they  too  are  men  (Ps.  ix.  21 ;  xi.  5)." 
—CRAMER. 

[On  xiii.  ver.  3.  "It  cannot  be  supposed  that 
the  Medes  and  Persians  really  exulted,  or  re- 
joiced in  God  or  in  His  plans. — But  they  would 
exult  as  if  it  were  their  ou-n  plan,  though  it  would 
be  really  the  glorious  plan  of  God.  Wicked  men 
often  exult  in  their  success :  they  glory  in  the 
execution  of  their  purposes  ;  but  they  are  really 
accomplishing  the  plans  of  God,  and  executing 
His  great  designs." — BARNES.] 

[On  ver.  9.  "The  moral  causes  of  the  ruin 
threatened  are  significantly  intimated  by  the  Pro- 
phet's calling  the  people  of  the  earth  or  land  its 
sinners.  As  the  national  offences  here  referred  to, 
VITRINGA  enumerates  pride  (ver.  11 :  xiv.  11, 
xlvii.  7,  8),  idolatry  (Jer.  1.  38),  tyranny  in  gen- 
eral (xiv.  12,  17),  and  oppression  of  God's  people 
in  particular  (xlvii.  6)."— J.  A.  ALEXANDER.] 

3.  On  xiii.  19  sqq.     Imperiti  animi,  etc.    "  Un- 
learned minds  when  they  happen  on  allegories, 
can  hold  no  certain  sense  of  Scripture.     And  un- 
less this  Papal  busipess  had  kept  me  to  the  sim- 
ple text  of  the  Bible,  I  had  become  an  idle  trifler 
in  allegories  like  Jerome  and  Origen.     For  that 


190 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


figurative  speecli  has  certain  allurements  by  which 
minds  seek  to  dispose  of  difficulties.  .  .  .  The 
true  allegory  of  this  passage  is  concerning  the 
victory  of  conscience  over  death.  For,  the  law  is 
Cyrus,  the  Turk,  the  cruel  and  mighty  enemy 
that  rises  up  against  the  proud  conscience  of  jus- 
titiaries  who  confide  in  their  own  merits.  These 
are  the  real  Babylon,  and  this  is  the  glory  of 
Babylon,  that  it  walks  in  the  confidence  of  its 
own  works.  When,  therefore,  the  law  comes  and 
occupies  the  heart  with  its  terrors,  it  condemns  all 
our  works  in  which  we  have  trusted,  as  polluted 
and  very  dung.  Once  the  law  has  laid  bare  this 
filthiness  of  our  hearts  and  works,  there  follows 
confusion,  writhing,  and  pains  of  parturition ; 
men  become  ashamed,  and  that  confidence  of 
works  ceases  and  they  do  those  things  which  we 
see  now-a-days:  he  that  heretofore  has  lived  by 
confidence  of  righteousnesss  in  a  monastery,  de- 
serts the  monkish  life,  casts  away  to  ashes  all 
glory  of  works,  and  looks  to  the  gratuitous  right- 
eousness and  merit  of  Christ,  and  that  is  the  deso- 
lation of  Babylon.  The  ostriches  and  hairy  crea- 
tures that  remain  are  Ecic,  COCHLEUS  and  others, 
who  do  not  pertain  to  that  part  of  law.  They 
screech,  they  do  not  speak  with  human  voice, 
they  are  unable  to  arouse  and  console  any  afflicted 
conscience  with  their  doctrine.  My  allegories, 
which  I  approve,  are  of  this  sort,  viz.,  which  shadow 
forth  the  nature  of  law  and  gospel."  LUTHER. 

4.  On  xiii.  21  sqq.     "  There  the  Holy  Spirit 
paints  for  thee  the  house  of  ihy  heart  as  a  de- 
serted, desolate  Babylon,  as  a  loathsome  cesspool, 
and  devil's  hole,  full  of  thorns,  nettles,  thistles, 
dragons,  spukes,  kobolds,  maggots,  owls,  porcu- 
pines, etc.,  all  of  which  is  nothing  else  than  the 
thousandfold   devastation   of    thy  nature,  in  as 
much  as  into  every  heart  the  kingdom  of  Satan, 
and  all  his  properties  have  pressed  in,  and  all 
and  every  sin,  as  a  fascinating  serpent-brood,  have 
been  sown  and  sunk  into  each  one,  although  not 
all  sins  together  become  evident  and  actual  in 
every  one's  outward  life." — JOH.  ARNDT'S  Infor- 
matoriiim  biblicum,  \  7. 

5.  On  xiv.  1,2.     "  Although  it  seems  to  me  to 
be  just  impossible  that  I  could  be  delivered  from 
death  or  sin,  yet  it  will  come  to  pass  through 
Christ.     For  God  here  gives  us  an  example ;  lie 
will  not  forsake  His  saints  fhough  they  were  in 
the  midst  of  Babylon." — HEIM  and  HOFFMANN 
after  LUTHER. 

6.  On  xiv.  4  sqq.     ''  Magna  impen'a  fere  nihil 
eunt  quam  magnae  injuriae. 

Ad  gonerum  Cereris  sine  eaede  et  sanguine  pauci 
Dcscendunt  reges  et  sicca  mente  tyranni. — LUTHEE. 


Impune  quidvis  facere  id  est  regem  esse."  —  SAL- 
LUST. 

Among  the  Dialogi  mortuorwm  of  LUCIAN  OF 
SAMOSATA  the  thirteenth  is  between  Diogenes 
and  Alexander  the  Great.  This  dialogue  begins 
with  the  words:  "  1i  TOVTO,  u  ' A/iff av6'pE)  Tedvynus 
KOI  crv,  uairep  i]uelo  airavres  /"  thereupon  the  con- 
trast is  ironically  set  forth  between  what  Alexan- 
der was,  as  one  given  out  to  be  a  son  of  the  gods, 
and  so  recognized  by  men,  and  possessor  of  all 
highest  human  glories,  and  what  he  is  at  present. 
It  is,  as  is  well  known,  doubtful  whether  LUCIAN 
really  was  acquainted  with  the  Scriptures.  See 
PLANCK,  Lucian  and  Christianity  in  Stud.  u. 
Krit.,  1851,  IV.  p.  826  sqq.  Cornp.  also  SCHRA- 
DER,  die  Holleiifahrt  der  Istar.,  1874. 

7.  On    xiv.  4   sqq.      "  Omni  genera  figurarum 
utitur  ad  confirmandos  et  consolandos  suos,  ut  simul 
sit  conjuncta  summa  theologia  cum  summa  rhetorica." 
— LUTHER. 

8.  On  xiv.  12  sqq.   As  early  as  the  LXX.  this 
passage  seems  to  have  been  understood  of  Satan. 
It  points  that  way  that  they  change  the  second 
person  into  the  third ;  Twf  E^EJ-SCSV,  etc.     At  least 
they   were   so   understood.      See   JEROME,   who 
thereby  makes  the  fine  remark:  ''Unde  ille  ceci- 
dit  per  superbiam,  ws  ascendatis  per  humilitatem." 
But  LUTHER  says :  "Debet  nobis  insignis  error  to- 
tins  papatus,  qui  hunc  textum  de  casu  angelorum  ac- 
cepit,  studia  literarum  et  artium  decendi  commendare 
tamquam  res  theoloyo  maxime  necessarias  ad  tracta- 
tionem  sacrarum  literarum." 

9.  On    xiv.  13,  14.    "The  Assyrian   monarch 
was  a  thorough  Eastern  despot  .  .  .  rather  adored 
as  a  god  than  feared  as  a  man."    LAYARD'S  Disco- 
veries amongst  the  ruins  of  Nineveh  and  Babylon, 
1853,  New  York,  p.  632.     "In  the  heathen  period 
the  pre-eminence  of  the  German  kings  depended 
on  their  descent  from  the  gods1,  as  among  the 
Greeks  "    (GERVINUS,  Einleit.  in  d.  Gesch.  d.  19 
lahrh.,  1853,  p.  14).  CHRISTIAN  THOMASIUS,  in  his 
Instil,  jurispr.  divinae,  dissert,  procemialis,  p.  16,  calls 
the  princes  "  the  Gods  on  earth."     In  a  letter  from 
Luxemburg,  after  the  departure  of  the  Emperor 
Joseph  II.,  it  is  said  (in  a  description  of  the  jour- 
ney, of  which  a  sheet  lies  before  me) :  "we  have 
had  the  good  fortune  to  see  our  earthly  god."     BE- 
LANI,  Russian  Court  Narratives,  New  Series,  HI. 
Vol.,  p.  125:  "The  Russian  historian  KORAMPZIN 
says  in  the  section  where  he  describes  the  Russian 
self-rule:   "The  Autocrat  became  an  earthly  god 
for  the  Russians,  who  set  the  whole  world  in  as- 
tonishment by  a  submissi  veness  to  the  will  of  their 
monarch  which  transcends  all  bounds." 


II.  PROPHECIES  RELATING  TO  ASSYRIA  AND  TO  THE  NATIONS 
THREATENED  BY  ASSYRIA,  PHILISTIA,  MOAB,  SYRIA,  AND 
ARAM-EPHRAIM,  ETHIOPIA  AND  EGYPT. 

CHAPTER  XIV.  24— XX.  6. 
a)  Prophecy  against  Assyria.     CHAPTER  XIV.  24-27. 


We  have  explained  above  why  the  prophecy 
against  Assyria  occupies  the  second  place  and  af- 
ter the  one  against  Babylon.  A  prophecy  against 
Assyria  could  not  be  omitted.  It  was  necessary 


as  a  background  to  the  prophecies  that  follow. 
But  it  needed  only  to  be  a  short  one.  For  the 
Prophet  is  sensible  that  the  power  of  Assyria  is 
shattered  by  the  overthrow  of  Sennacherib  *' 


'—there- 


CHAP.  XIV.  24-27. 


191 


fore  that,  in  a  prophetic  sense,  it  is  in  principle  a 
thing  done  away.  But  to  Assyria  and  the  other 
nations  named  in  the  superscription  above,  the 
Prophet  does  not  proclaim  merely  temporal  de- 


struction. He  sets  before  all  more  or  less  plainly 
the  prospect  of  partaking  of  the  Messianic  salva- 
tion of  the  future. 


24  THE  LORD  of  hosts  hath  sworn,  saying, 
Surely  as  I  have  thought,  so  ashall  it  come  to  pass; 
And  as  I  have  purposed,  so  shall  it  stand : 

25  bThat  I  will  break  the  Assyrian  in  my  land, 
And  upon  my  mountains  tread  him  under  foot : 
Then  shall  his  yoke  depart  from  off  them, 
And  his  burden  depart  from  off  their  shoulders. 

26  This  is  the  purpose  that  is  purposed  upon  the  whole  earth : 
And  this  is  the  hand  that  is  stretched  out  upon  all  the  nations. 

27  For  the  LORD  of  hosts  hath  purposed,  and  who  shall  disannul  it  f 
"And  his  hand  is  stretched  out,  and  who  shall  turn  it  back  ? 


it  has  come  to  pass. 


t>  To  break. 


And  his  is  the  hand  that  is  stretched  out. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  24.  HEn  in  the  sense  of  animo  componere,  "to 
dispose  in  thought,"  only  again  x.  7;   moreover  the 


Prophet  seems  to  have  had  iu  mind  in  this  place,  Num. 
xxxiii.  66. The  Perfect  nr\TI  expresses  the  coinci- 
dence of  the  realization  with  the  thought.  No  sooner 
said  than  done,  i.  c.,  as  God  conceives  a  thought,  it  is 
also  (as  to  principle)  realized.  The  following  imperf. 
Dlpfi  has  then  the  meaning  that  what  is,  as  to  princi- 
ple, realized,  must  arise,  set  up  as  actual,  outward  cir- 
cumstance. Before  DIpH  the  JJ  is  not  repeated,  but 
XT!  is  used,  evidently  for  the  sake  of  variety.  The 
thought  is  essentially  the  same.  It  is  a  sort  of  Anacolu- 

thon nTI  and  Dip  are  used  as  in  vii.  7  ;  viii.  10. 

Ver.  25.  Tha  infin.  imfa  depends  on  the  oath-clause 
ver.  24  b;  what  is  determined  shall  be  fulfilled  frangendo 
Assyrios,  etc.  131^7  is  therefore  inf.  modalis  or  gerun- 
dives.  With  1JD12K  (comp.  ver.  19;  Ixiii.  6,  18)  the 

language  returns  from  the  infinitive  construction  to  the 

verbumfin.,  according  to  a  frequent   Hebrew  usage. 

The  suffixes  in  DJvSjJQ  and  lOUiy  have  nothing  to 
which  they  can  relate  in  the  words  of  vers.  24,  25.— 
Moreover  from  ver.  4  onwards,  Israel  is*  not  referred  to. 
True,  in  vers.  1,2,  Israelis  likewise  spoken  of  in  the 
third  person,  and  with  quite  similar  suffixes  (DIV1? 


ver.  1,  DiTfrjJ,  D!T3t?  ver.  2);  but  then  ver.  3  inter- 
venes, in  which  Israel  is  spoken  of  in  the  second 
person.  It  must,  therefore,  be  assumed  that  the  suf- 
fixes ver.  25  refer  back,  not  only  over  the  entire  Mas- 
chal  (4-23),  but  also  away  over  ver.  3  to  vers.  1,  2,  and 
that  these  verses  originated,  not  at  the  same  time  with 
the  rest  of  the  prophecy  against  Babylon,  but  much 
earlier.  All  this  is  very  improbable.  I  cunnot  there- 
fore agree  with  VITKINGA  and  DBECHSLEU,  but  must  side 
with  the  view,  that  the  present  verses  are  a  fragment 
of  a  greater  prophecy  for  Israel  of  a  comforting  nature, 
which,  however,  cannot  be  identical  with  vii.--xii.  be- 
cause in  these  Assyria  is  regarded  in  a  totally  different 
light  from  that  which  appears  in  the  present  verses. 

Ver.  27.  *1£)*  comp.  viii.  10.  ["This  has  been  vari- 
ously translated  "scatter"  (LXX.),  "  weaken  "  iVui.o.), 
"avert"  (LuiH.),  "dissolve"  (CALVIN),  "change"  (J.  D. 
MICHAELIS),  "hinder"  (GESEN.),  break  (EWAI.D  [NAE- 
GELSB.]);  but  its  true  sense  is  that  given  in  the  Eng. 
Version  and  by  DE  WETTE  (vereitcln)  [see  FUEEST  LEX.]. 
TJie  meaning  of  the  last  clause  is  not  simply  that  his 
hand  is  stretched  out,  as  most  writers  give  it,  but  that 
the  hand  stretched  out  is  his,  as  appears  from  the  article 
prefixed  to  the  participle  mDJ.  (See  GESEN.  j»  108,  3. 
EWALD,  §  oGO.— J.  A.  A.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Whoever  reads  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah 
against  the  heathen  nations  with  attention,  must 
feel  surprise  that  in  them,  there  is  relatively  little 
more  said  about  Assyria.  After  occupying  in 
vii. — xii.  the  foreground,  it  retreats  in  xiii.  and 
onward  into  the  background.  On  the  other 
hand  Babylon  now  stands  front  and  the  Prophet 
recognizes  in  it  the  representative  of  the  per- 
fectly developed  world-power  that  has  attained  to 
the  exclusive  possession  of  dominion.  Now  the 
question  arises:  how  are  Assyria  and  Babylon  re- 
lated ?  What  becomes  of  Assyria  if  now  Baby- 
lon is  called  the  world-power  ?  How  is  it  to  be 
explained  that  according  to  x.  24-27  Israel  at  the 
end  of  days  is  delivered  out  of  bondage  to  Assyria, 
if  at  that  end-period  not  Assyria  but  Babylon 


stands  at  the  summit  of  the  world-power?  These 
questions  are  solved  by  the  short  section  before 
us,  vers.  24-27.  It  appears  therein  that  in  the 
immediate  future  Assyria  must  be  destroyed,  that, 
therefore,  Israel  may  expect  deliverance  from  the 
yoke  of  Assyria  in  a  brief  season,  but  that  there- 
with Israel  is  neither  delivered  forever,  nor  is  the 
world-power  for  ever  broken  up.  But  Babylon 
walks  in  the  footsteps  of  Assyria;  and  if  in  vii.— 
xii.  the  world-power  appeared  solely  under  the 
name  of  Assyria,  it  happened  only  because  the 
Prophet  could  not  then  distinguish  that  which 
followed  Assyria  from  Assyria  itself,  and  there- 
fore comprehended  it  under  one  name. 

2.  The  Lord  of  hosts turn  it  back. — 

Vers.  24-27.    DRECHSLER  attaches  great  weight 


192 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


to  the  fact  that  the  phrase  "  the  LORD  of  hosts 
hath  sworn,"  is  preceded  by  a  thrice  repeated 
"  saith  the  LOUD  of  hosts,"  vers.  22,  23.  He  says 
the  former  is  only  a  climax  of  these  latter.  He 
lays  stress,  too,  on  the  fact  that  the  thrice  re- 
peated "LoRD  of  hosts"  of  vers.  22,  23  has  its 
correlative  in  the  double  use  of  the  same  in  vers. 
24,  27,  and  that  the  same  words  which  in  ver.  23 
"  conclude  the  proper  body  of  the  discourse,  in 
ver.  24  begin  the  appendix."  He,  therefore,  re- 
gards vers.  24-27  as  an  integral  part  of  the  discourse 
that  extends  through  xiii.  1— xiv.  27,  and  there- 
fore as  having  originated  at  the  same  time.  But 
that  i.s  impossible.  The  words  vers.  24-27  must 
be  older  than  the  catastrophe  of  Sennacherib 
before  Jerusalem,  for  they  foretell  it.  But  the  pro- 
phecy against  Babylon  xiii.  1 — xiv.  23  must  be 
much  more  recent,  for  it  is  the  product  of  a  much 
higher  and,  therefore,  of  a  much  later  prophetic 
knowledge  [?  TR.].  If,  too,  in  the  points  named 
there  appears  a  certain  correspondence,  yet  it  re- 
mains very  much  a  question  whether  that  is  in- 
tentional. The  expressions  in  question,  so  far  as 
they  correspond,  occur  exceedingly  often  in  all 
sorts  of  connections. 

The  expression  "  the  LORD  hath  sworn "  is 
especially  frequent  in  Deuteronomy,  but  always 
with  the  Dative  of  the  person  whom  the  oath 
concerns  (Deut.  i.  8;  ii.  14;  iv.  31,  etc.).  In 
Isaiah  it  occurs  again,  xiv.  23 ;  liv.  9;  Ixii.  8. — 
The  contents  of  the -oath  is  :  "as  I  have  thought 
...  so  shall  it  stand." 

["  From  the  distant  view  of  the  destruction  of 
Babylon,  the  Prophet  suddenly  reverts  to  that  of 
the  Assyrian  host,  either  for  the  purpose  of  mak- 
ing one  of  these  events  accredit  the  prediction  of 
the  other,  or  for  the  purpose  of  assuring  true  be- 
lievers, that  while  God  had  decreed  the  deliver- 
ance of  the  people  from  remoter  dangers,  He 
would  also  protect  them  from  those  at  hand. — On 
the  formula  of  swearing  vide  supra,  v.  9. — KIM- 
CHI  explains  n/vn  to  be  a  preterite  used  for  a 
future,  and  this  construction  is  adopted  in  most 
versions,  ancient  and  modern.  It  is,  however, 
altogether  arbitrary  and  in  violation  of  the  only 
safe  rule  as  to  the  use  of  tenses,  viz.,  that  they 
should  have  their  proper  and  distinctive  force, 
unless  forbidden  by  the  context,  or  the  nature  of 
the  subject;  which  is  very  far  from  being  the  case 
here.  —  The  true  force  of  the  preterite  and  fu- 
ture forms,  as  here  employed,  is  recognized  by 
ABEX  EZRA,  who  explains  the  clause  to  mean 
that  according  to  God's  purpose,  it  lias  come  to 
pass  and  will  come  to  pass  hereafter.  The  anti- 
thesis is  rendered  still  more  prominent  by  JAR- 
CHI,  by  whom  this  verse  is  paraphrased  as  follows 
— '  Thou  hast  seen,  oh  Nebuchadnezzar,  how  the 
words  of  the  prophets  of  Israel  have  been  fulfilled 
in  Sennacherib,  to  break  Assyria  in  my  land,  and 
by  this  thou  mayest  know  that  what  I  have  pur- 
posed against  thee  shall  also  come  to  pass'  (comp. 
Ezek.^xxxi.  3-18). — The  only  objection  to  this 
view  is  that  the  next  verse  goes  on  to  speak  of 
the  Assyrian  overthrow,  which  would  seem  to 
imply  that  the  last  clause  of  this  verse  (24)  as 
well  as  the  first  relates  to  that  event.  Another 
method  of  expounding  the  verse,  therefore,  is  to 
apply  nn'H  and  DlpH  to  the  same  events,  but  in 
a  somewhat  different  sense, — 'As  I  intended  it 


has  come  to  pass,  and  as  I  purposed,  it  shall  con- 
tinue.' The  Assyrian  power  is  already  broken, 
and  shall  never  be  restored.  This  strict  interpre- 
tation of  the  preterite  does  not  necessarily  imply 
that  the  prophecy  was  actually  uttered  after  the 
destruction  of  Sennacherib's  army.  Such  would 
indeed  be  the  natural  inference  from  this  verse 
alone :  but  for  reasons  which  will  be  explained 
below,  [viz.,  in  comment  on  ver.  26. — TR.]  it  is 
more  probable  that  the  Prophet  merely  takes  his 
stand  in  vision  at  a  point  of  time  between  the  two 
events  of  which  he  speaks,  so  that  both  verbs  are 
really  prophetic,  the  one  of  a  remote  the  other  of 
a  proximate  futurity,  but  for  that  very  reason 
their  distinctive  forms  should  be  retained  and 
recognized.  Yet  the  only  modern  writers  who 
appear  to  do  so  in  translation  are  CALVIN  and 
COCCEIUS,  who  have  factum  est,  and  J.  D.  Mi- 
CHAELIS,  who  has  ist  geschehen. — J.  J.  A.  So 
also  substantially  BARNES.] 

In  my  land  and  on  my  mountain  the 
LORD  says.  Therefore  not  in  his  own  land  or  some 
other  land,  but  in  Palestine  the  annihilating  blow 
shall  fall  on  Assyria.  This  evidently  points  to 
the  overthrow  of  Sennacherib  before  Jerusalem  (2 
Kings  xix.  35  ;  Isa.  xxxvii.  36).  Though  even 
after  this  overthrow  Assyria's  power  did  not  at 
once  appear  broken,  still  it  was  such  inwardly 
and  in  principle.  As  much  as  Nebuchadnezzar 
after  his  victory  at  Carchemish  was  ruler  of  the 
world,  though  outwardly  he  had  not  that  appear- 
ance ( Jcr.  xxv.),  so  Assyria,  after  the  LORD  had 
smitten  him  in  his  territory,  from  the  view-point 
of  God,  and  according  to  inward  and  divine  reali- 
ty, was  broken  to  pieces  and  trodden  down. — 
The  consequence  of  that  overthrow  of  Assyria  in 
that  Israel  shall  be  freed  from  his  dominion. 

The  -words  his  yoke  shall  depart,  etc.  sound 
essentially  the  same  as  x.  27.  Other  resemblances 
are  of  ver.  24  to  vii.  5,  7  ;  viii.  10 ;  y.  7  ;  ver.  25  to 
ix.  3  ;  x.  27  ;  ver.  26  to  ix.  11,  16,  20  ;  x.  4  ;  xi. 
11  ;  ver.  27  to  viii  10.  But  much  as  vers.  24—27 
remind  one  of  chapts.  vii. — xii.,  there  is  still  this 
essential  difference,  that  in  the  last  named  chap- 
ters there  is  no  where  a  prophecy  of  an  overthrow 
of  Assyria  in  the  holy  land  itself.  In  general  the 
gaze  of  the  Prophet  in  those  chapters  is  directed 
to  a  much  more  remote  distance.  There  he  looks 
on  Assyria  still  as  representative  of  the  world- 
power  generally,  and  thus,  too,  Assyria's  over- 
throw coincides  for  him  with  the  overthrow  of  the 
world-power  in  general  by  the  Messiah.  Here 
we  encounter  a  look  into  the  immediate  future. 
It  must  belong  to  the  time  before  the  defeat  of 
Sennacherib.  Therefore  our  verses  cannot  belong 
originally  to  the  prophecy  against  Babylon. 
[See  above  in  Tejt.  and  Gram.]. 

When  the  Prophet  (ver.  2G)  declares  that  the 
catastrophe  predicted  for  Assyria  is  significant 
for  the  whole  earth,  and  for  all  nations,  he  does 
it  by  reason  of  the  connection  that  exists  between 
all  acts  of  the  Godhead.  That  defeat  of  Senna- 
cherib, too,  is  an  integral  moment  of  the  decree 
that  the  LORD  has  determined  concerning  the 
whole  earth,  and  all  nations.  This  counsel  of 
God  stands  so  firm  that  no  power  of  the  world 
can  hinder  its  execution ;  the  hand  which  the 
LORD  has  stretched  out  to  do  this  execution 
nothing  can  turn  aside  from  its  doing. 


CHAP.  XIV.  28-32. 


193 


DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  How  grand  is  the  Prophet's  contemplation 
of  history  !  How  the  mighty  Assyria  shrivels  up, 
which  in  chapters  vii.-xii.,  played  so  great  a 
part !  Only  a  line  or  so  is  devoted  to  it  here, 
"  Das  mac/it,  es  ist  gericht,  eir  Wortlein  kann  es 
fallen."  The  Prophet  knows  that  Sennacherib's 
defeat  before  Jerusalem  is  at  once  the  overthrow 
of  the  Assyrian  world-power,  and  the  deliver- 
ance of  Israel  from  his  yoke,  although  Assyria 
stood  yet  a  hundred  years  and  did  harm  enough 
to  Judah  still  (2  Chr.  xxxiii.  11).  But  God 
always  sees  the  essence  of  things.  What  He 
wills,  comes  to  pass  ;  and  when  it  has  happened, 
perhaps  no  one  knows  what  that  which  has  come 
to  pass  means :  only  the  future  makes  it  plain. 


The  fruit  germ  frosted  in  the  blossom,  may  re- 
main green  for  days.  Only  by  degrees  it  becomes 
yellow,  then  black;  and  evidently  dead. 

["By  this  assurance  (vers.  24-27)  God  de- 
signed to  comfort  His  people,  when  they  should 
be  in  Babylon  in  a  long  and  dreary  captivity. 
Comp.  Ps.  cxxxvii.  And  by  the  same  considera- 
tion His  people  may  be  comforted  in  all  times. 
His  plans  shall  stand.  None  can  disannul  them. 
No  arm  has  power  to  resist  Him.  None  of  the 
schemes  formed  against  Him  shall  ever  prosper. 
Whatever  ills,  therefore,  may  befall  His  people; 
however  thick,  gloomy,  and  sad  their  calamities 
may  be ;  and  however  dark  His  dispensations 
may  appear,  yet  they  may  have  the  assurance 
that  all  His  plans  are  wise,  and  that  they  all 
shall  stand." — BARNES]. 


b)    Prophecies    relating   to   the    nations    threatened    by  Assyria,    viz.: 
Moab,  Syria  and  Ephraim.  Ethiopia  and  Egypt. 

CHAPTER  XIV.  28— XX.  6. 
1.  AGAINST  PHILISTIA.    CHAP.  XIV.  28-32. 


Fuilistia, 


This  short  piece  was  occasioned  by  an  em- 
bassy that  the  Philistines  sent  to  Jerusalem  in 
hypocritical  courtesy,  after  the  death  of  king 
Ahaz.  It  contains  the  most  manifold  correspond- 
ences to  chap,  xi.,  so  that  there  can  be  no  doubt 
about  its  having  a  contemporaneous  origin.  Yet 
chap,  xi.,  originated  before  this  piece,  for  the 
latter  evidently  leans  on  the  former.  It  is  seen 
that  the  young  king  Hezekiah,  immediately  on 
ascending  the  throne  awakened  great  expecta- 


tions. That  the  present  piece  comes  just  here, 
has,  may  be,  its  explanation  in  this,  that  Isaiah 
would  begin  with  these  western  neighbors  as  the 
least  dangerous.  He  then  passes  on  to  the  East 
to  the  mightier  Moabites,  from  them  he  ascends 
north  to  the  still  mightier  Syro-Ephraimites, 
to  conclude  with  the  mightiest  of  all,  the  Egyp- 
tians and  Ethiopians  of  the  South.  Jeremiah, 
chap,  xlvii.,  goes  from  the  Philistines  to  the 
Moabites,  and  then  by  a  round-about  to  Damascus. 


28  IN   THE   YEAR   THAT   KING   AHAZ    DIED   WAS   THIS   BURDEN. 

29  Rejoice  not  thou,  "whole  Palestina, 

Because  bthe  rod  of  him  that  smote  thee  is  broken  : 

For  out  of  the  serpent's  root  shall  come  forth  a  locockatrice, 

And  his  fruit  shall  be  a  fiery  flying  serpent. 

30  And  the  first  born  of  the  poor  shall  feed, 
And  the  needy  shall  lie  down  in  safety  : 
And  I  will  kill  thy  root  with  famine, 
And  he  shall  slay  thy  remnant. 

31  Howl,  O  gate  ;  cry,  O  city  ; 

Thou,  awhole  Palestina,  art  dissolved  : 

For  there  dshall  come  from  the  north  a  smoke, 

And  2enone  shall  be  alone  in  his  'appointed  times. 

What  shall  one  then  answer  the  messengers  of  the  nation  7 

That  the  LORD  hath  founded  Zion, 

And  the  poor  of  His  people  shall  4trust  in  it. 


32 


1  Or,  adder. 

4  Or,  betake  themselves  unto  it. 

•  all  Philistia. 

d  comes. 


*Or,  he  shall  not  be  alone. 

b  the  rod  that  smote. 

•  no  straggler  in  his  armies. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


8  Or,  assemblies. 
«  basilisk. 


Ver.  28.  N&D  see  xiii.  1. 


Ver.  30. 


is,  so  to  speak,  a  superlative  of 


'T  '  J3  =•=  those  on  whom  the  essence  of  poverty  and  low- 

liness is  Impressed  in  full,  unmitigated  power.—  To  take 
13 


the  basilisk  as  the  subject  of  J^TT  (DELITZSCH)  does  too 
much  violence.    I  [thus,  too,  J.  A.  A.]  take  simply  SJJT, 
which  is  gen.  masc.,  as  subject. 
Ver.  31.  "}yw  metonymy  for  those  assembled  in  the 


194 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


gutos,  the  "|£i?  OKf1  Ps.  Ixix-  13;  hence  the  feminine 
construction :  comp.  "ftp  "IgV-^D  pi)"1  Ruth  iii.  11.— 
Niph.  J1DJ  occurs  in  Isaiah  only  here.  The  form  is  to 
be  regarded  hero  .is  Inf.  absol.  Regarding  the  form 

comp.  lix.  13;  EWALD,  $  240,  c. IIMD,  (the  hordes 

united  at  their  rendezvous,  "I^'IO  Joel  viii  14)  is  an-. 

A«y. TV3  in  Isaiah  only  here ;  comp.  Hos.  viii  8  ; 

Ps.  cii.  8. 


Ver.  32.  r\ty  is  according  to  rule  construed  with  a 
double  Accusative  (comp.  Is-am.  xx.  10;  Mic.  vi.  5;  Jer. 
xxiii.  37,  etc.).  The  third  pers.  sing,  stands  impersonally 
as  Is  often  the  case  (comp.  vi.  10;  vii.  24;  yiii.  4;  x.  4, 

etc.). nOPI  stands  often  with  3  of  the  place  whither 

one  flees  for  refuge  (xxx.  2;  Ps.  xxxvi.  8;  Jud.  ix.  15, 
etc.). 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Pliilistia  is  warned  against  rejoicing  at  the 
death  of  Ahaz.     If  Aliaz  was  a  serpent,  then  out 
of  bis  root  (xi.  1  —  notice  the  Messianic  reference  \) 
shall  proceed  a  basilisk  and  flying  dragon  (ver. 
29).    Israel  shall  pasture  in  peace;  Pliilistia  perish 
by  poverty  and  care  (  ver.  30).     From  the  northern 
quarter  the  enemy  shall  invade  the  land,  scathing 
and  burning  (ver.  31).     But  to  the  embassy,  in 
regard  to  the  matters  they  sought  to  spy  out,  the 
short,  haughty  answer  shall  be  given  :  Zion  is 
Jehovah's  foundation,  and  in  this  the  needy  of  His 
people  h'nd  a  sure  refuge  (ver.  32). 

2.  In  the  year  -  —  -thy  remnant.  —  Vers.  28 
-30.  The  year  of  Ahaz's  death  is  728  B.  C.     The 
Philistines,  according  to  2  Chron.  xxviii.  18,  had 
possessed  themselves  of  territory  belonging  to  Is- 
rael.    They  had  made  a  conquest  in  the  low  coun- 


try (n?!?)  and  in  the  south-land  (3J3  )  of  the  ci- 
ties Bethshemesh,  Ajalon,  Gcderoth,  Shocho, 
Timna  and  Gimzo,  and  dwelt  in  them.  But  of 
Hezekiah  it  is  related  (2  Kings  xviii.  8):  "He 
smote  the  Philistines,  even  unto  Gaza,  and  the 
borders  thereof,  from  the  tower  of  the  watchmen 
to  the  fenced  city."  He  had,  therefore,  at  last 
conquered  back  the  lost  territory.  This  is  all 
that  the  historical  books  offer  to  us  concerning  the 
times  of  Ahaz  and  Hezekiah. 

From  ver.  32  it  is  seen  that  after  the  death  of 
Ahaz  the  Philistines  sent  ambassadors  to  Jerusa- 
lem. Perhaps  the  ostensible  object  of  this  em- 
bassage  was  neighborly  consideration  :  thev  would 
offer  condolence.  But  in  reality  they  were  to 
sound  the  state  of  affairs.  [See  below  comment 
of  J.  A.  A.,  etc.,  at  ver.  32.  —  TR.]  Isaiah  knows 
this  very  well,  and  gives  them  an  answer  that,  on 
the  one  hand,  befitted  their  perfidy,  and,  on  the 
other,  the  standpoint  of  a  genuine  representative 
of  the  Theocracy.  That  is  not  saying  that  Isaiah 
pave  this  answer  in  the  name  of  the  government. 
He  gave  it  as  Prophet,  i.e.,  he  uttered  it  like  he 
published  his  other  prophecies  ;  whether  publicly 
or  to  the  ears  of  the  embassy,  or  before  a  few  wit- 
nesses, is  a  matter  of  indifference.  His  words 
concern  primarily  the  rulers  themselves.  He 
Bays  to  them  how,  as  the  representatives  of  the 
people  of  God,  they  ought  to  reply.  At  any  rate, 
he  knew  that  his  words  would  go  to  the  right  ad- 
dress, i.  e.,  as^yell  to  the  government  in  Jerusalem 
as  to  the  Philistine  ambassadors. 

The  introductory  words  (ver.  28)  are  the  same 
as  vi.  1.  In  our  passage  they  have  evidently  the 
sense  that  Ahaz  had  already'died.  This  appears 
from  what  follows.  Rejoice  not  etc.  —  These 
words  recall  2  Sam.  i.  20,  the  lament  of  David 
over  the  death  bf  Saul  and  his  sons.  For  there  it 
reads:  "Tell  it  not  in  Gath,  publish  it  not  in  the 
streets  of  Askelon  ;  lest  the  daughters  of  the  Phi- 
listines rejoice,  lest  the  daughters  of  the  uncir- 


cumcised  triumph"  (comp.  Mic.  i.  10).  Ahaz 
was  as  little  as  Saul  a  king  after  God's  heart. 
That  did  not  hinder  the  Philistines  from  rejoicing 
at  the  death  of  either  of  their  kings.  To  either  event 
that  occasioned  sorrow  to  Israel  (here  was  at- 
tached joyful  hope  for  them.  Though  so  far  as 
we  know,  Ahaz  did  them  no  harm,  but  was  ra- 
ther conquered  by  them  ;  yet  they  might  hope 
that  under  his  young  successor  their  interests 
would  be  still  more  fostered.  Therefore  Isaiah 
warns  them  against  overflowing  with  too  much 
joy  —  joy  that  would  fill  all  Philistia.  He  de- 
scribes the  subject  of  the  joy  to  be  :  because  the 
rod  of  him  that  smote  thee  is  broken.  —  As 
Ahaz  did  not  smite  the  Philistines,  but  was  much 
more  smitten  by  them,  we  must  not  regard  him  as 
the  rod  thatsmote,  but  the  kingdom  of  Judah  in  ge- 
neral. David  broke  their  power  (  2  Sam.  v.  17  sqq.; 
viii.  1;  xxi.  15  sqq.).  Although  from  that  pe- 
riod they  were  still  dangerous  enemies,  yet  the 
time  of  their  superiority  was  past.  It  is  related 
of  Solomon  (1  Kings  iv.  21)  and  of  Jehoshaphat 
(2  Chron.  xvii.  11)  that  the  Philistines  were  tri- 
butary to  them.  Uzziah  leveled  the  walls  of  Gath, 
Jabneh  and  Ashdod  (2  Chron.  xxvi.  6).  The 
government  of  Ahaz  was  weak  even  toward  the 
Philistines.  Might  they  not  hope  that  one  still 
weaker  would  succeed  Ahaz,  and  that  thus  the 
staff  that  had  once  smitten  them  would  be  entirely 
broken?  For  this  reason  we  take  "pD  £031?  (comp. 
jx.  12;  x.  20)  to  be  rather:  "the  staff  that  smote 
thee"  than  "the  staff  of  him  that  smote  thee." 
Ahaz,  though  having  no  staff  that  smote,  was,  as 
king  of  Judah,  a  part  of  that  staff  that  had  smit- 
ten them. 

But  the  Prophet  destroys  the  hope  of  the 
Philistines.  He  says  in  advance,  that  out  of  the 
rooe  of  the  serpent  shall  proceed  a  basilisk  and  a 
conquering  dragon.  The  expression  EHE',  root, 
applied  to  the  serpent  is  strange.  But  it  is  to  be 
explained  as  an  allusion  to  the  "  root  of  Jesse  " 
(xi.  1,  10).  Perhaps  there  lies  in  the  ETU  even 
an  allusion  to  the  name  TP1K,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  reminder  of  the  serpent  that  Dan  was  to 
be,  according  to  Gen.  xlix.  17,  and  whose  reali- 
zation we  find  in  Samson.  #3^,  basi/ink  (which 
occurs  only  here)  evidently  means  the  same  as 
-which  Isa.  xi.  8,  uses  in  the  same  dis- 


course of  which  the  expression  "  root  "  has  re- 
minded us.  The  expression  must  any  way  be 
meant  as  something  stronger  compared  with 
"  serpent,"  as,  on  the  other  hand,  ^31^0  *]">& 
"  flying  dragon  "  (found  again  only  xxx.  6  ; 
comp.  HEROD,  ii.  75;  iii.  109  and  GESEN.  inloc.) 
is  meant  to  express  something  stronger  than  i'3¥- 
By  the  "  basilisk,"  the  Prophet  any  way  means 


CHAP.  XIV.  28-32. 


195 


Hezekiah  ;  very  likely  by  the  "  flying  dragon," 
he  means  the  Messiah.  For  what  is  said  ver.  30 
of  the  happy  circumstances  of  Israel,  plainly  re- 
calls the  representation  of  the  Messianic  salva- 
tion xi.  4  sqq. But  if  the  Prophet  compares 

the  typical  and  anti-typical  king  of  Judah  to  ser- 
pents, we  must  consider  that  they  must  be  ser- 
pents only  for  the  hated  enemies.  God  says  of 
Himself  that  He  will  be  the  plague  and  destruc- 
tion of  death  (Hos.  xiii.  14). 

First-born  of  the  lowly  it  says  ver.  30;  not 
the  first-born."  I  do  not  think  that  the  *~D3 

D'/T  here  are  the  Jews.  The  Prophet  lives  quite 
in  the  sphere  of  the  ideas  of  chap.  xi.  There 
it  is  said  (ver.  4  sqq.),  that  the  Messiah  shall 

judge  the  lowly  (O'Tl)  with  righteousness,  and 
that  wild  and  tame  beasts  shall  pasture  peace- 
fully together.  In  our  passage  the  Prophet  unites 
both  these  thoughts,  in  that  he  draws  from  the 
one  his  subject  and  from  the  other  his  predicate. 
But,  according  to  xi.  4,  he  means  the  lowly  and 
poor  in  an  individual  sense.  He  is  not  thinking 
of  political  lowliness  of  the  nation.  It  shall  be 
a  sign  of  the  glory  and  blessedness  of  His  king- 
dom, that  people,  that  otherwise  were  poor  and 
wretched,  shall  move  in  rich  pasture  and  rest 
there  securely.  Ho  means  of  course  Jewish 
poor,  but  not  the  Jews  as  the  poorest  people.  It 
appears  to  me,  moreover,  that  Isaiah  has  before 
his  mind  a  passage  from  Job  (xviii.  12,  13) 
where  it  says :  "  Be  hunger  his  power,  and  de- 
struction stand  ready  at  his  side ;  devour  the 
members  of  his  skin,  devour  his  members  the 
first-lorn  of  death." 

In  contrast  with  the  rich  pasture  that  the  poor 
of  Israel  shall  find  under  their  king,  the  Mes- 
siah, and  in  contrast  with  the  glorious  fruit  that 
the  root  of  the  royal  house  of  David  shall  pro- 
duce, the  Philistines  shall  be  destroyed  to  the 
root  of  their  existence  by  hunger  and  want,  yea, 
the  last  remnant  of  them  shall  be  strangled  by 
this  grim  enemy. 

3.  Howl,  O  gate trust  in  it.— Vers.  31, 

32.  The  Prophet  describes  in  ver.  31,  how 
Philistia  will  suffer  and  feel  the  destruction, 
which,  according  to  29  b  and  30  6,  is  in  pros- 
pect. The  gates  shall  howl  (comp.  xiii.  6  ;  Jer. 
xlviii.  20)  and  the  entire  population  of  the  cities 
shall  cry  (comp.  Ezek.  xxl.  17)  the  whole  land 
shall  dissolve  in  anguish  and  fear,  i.  e.,  shall  be 
without  courage,  counsel,  defence  (comp.  Exod. 
xv.  15;  Josh.  ii.  9,  24,  and  DDO  x.  18  ;  xiii.  7). 
The  reason  for  these  utterances  is  assigned :  for 
there  shall  come  from  the  north  a  smoke. 
— It  is  plain  enough  that  neither  clouds  of  dust  nor 
fire  borne  in  advance  of  troops  can  be  intended  here. 
For  neither  of  these  would  occasion  terror  like 
the  smoke  of  towns  already  set  on  fire.  Most  ex- 
positors understand  the  Assyrian  to  be  meant  by 
the  approaching  enemy.  Bui  that  is  much  too 
narrow  a  construction.  According  to  ver.  29  b. 
and  30  6.  the  LORD  announces  Himself,  and  His 
anointed  as  the  enemy  that  will  destroy  Philistia. 
And  if  ver.  30  a  Messianic  salvation  is  pro- 
claimed to  Israel,  then  the  reverse  of  this  for  the 
Philistines  is  naturally  Messianic  destruction. 
But  Philistia  will  have,  too,  its  part  to  endure  in 
the  great  judgments  that  the  LORD  will  bring  on 
the  world  of  nations,  and  by  which  He  will  re- 


deem His  people.  In  chap.  xi.  14,  which  is  so 
nearly  allied  to  our  passage,  the  Philistines  are, 
in  fact,  expressly  named  among  the  nations  out 
of  whose  power  the  LORD  will  deliver  His 
people.  Therefore,  the  Prophet  means  here  the 
final  judgment  on  Philistia,  though,  of  course, 
this  does  not  exclude  that  this  final  judgment 
has  its  preliminary  stages,  and  that  one  of  these, 
too,  may  be  an  Assyrian  invasion,  to  which,  in 
fact,  "from  the  north"  refers.  The  army  of 
the  enemy  will  be  a  compact  and  powerful  bo- 
dy— no  one  runs  away,  no  one  strays  off  (comp. 
v.  27). 

The  Prophet  having  said  to  the  Philistines  in 
general,  what  the  reality  of  the  future  will  be  in 
contrast  with  the  hopes  of  their  malicious  re- 
joicing, comes  at  last  (ver.  32)  to  speak  of  the 
special  fact  that  prompted  him  to  this  prophetic 
declaration.  Ambassadors  had  come  who  osten- 
sibly would  manifest  friendly  sympathy,  but,  in 
fact,  spy  out  how  matters  stood  in  Jerusalem, 
The  Prophet  knows  that.  It  is  important  to 
give  them  an  answer  that  is  worthy  of  the  Theo- 
cracy. Whether  or  not  the  powers  that  were 
were  competent  and  willing  to  do  this  we  know 
not.  Any  way  the  Prophet  of  Jehovah  con- 
sidered it  as  belonging  to  his  office  to  express 
what,  from  the  genuine  theocratic  point  of  view, 

ought  to  be  said  to  these  ambassadors. —  OK^D 
'Ui  messengers  of  a  nation,  stands  significantly 
without  article.  'Ui  nation,  designates  here  very 
expressly  a  heathen  people.  He  says  therefore : 
what  sort  of  answer  have  messengers  of  a  heathen 
people  to  get,  who  come  with  such  a  purpose  as 
these  Philistines  now  do?  None  other  than  the 
curt:  Jehovah  founded  Zion,  (xxviii.  16)  and 
therefore  the  wretched  of  His  people  (x.  2)  can 
hide  themselves  with  confidence  in  this  divine 
foundation.  ["  The  very  absence  of  the  article 
(i.  e.,  with  '1J)  implies  that  the  expression  (''mes- 
sengers of  a  nation")  is  indefinite,  and  that  the 
whole  sense  meant  to  be  conveyed  is  this,  that 
such  may  be  the  answer  given  to  the  inquiries 
made  from  any  quarter." — J.  A.  A.  This  judi- 
cious remark  may  suffice  to  call  attention  to  the 
very  slender  foundation  there  is  for  the  conjec- 
ture which  yet  gives  much  of  the  coloring  to  the 
foregoing  comment.  If  no  special  Philistine 
delegation  is  meant  by  Isaiah,  then  all  that  is 
said  about  pretended  condolence,  malicious  satis- 
faction, spying,  etc.,  is  misplaced  fancy.  Much 
as  we  may  desire  to  detect  the  historic  facts  con- 
nected with  prophecy,  we  must  be  content  without 
them  if  they  are  not  supplied.  The  tendency  of 
modern  exposition  is  as  much  to  license  in  con- 
jecturing the  historical  basis  of  prophecy,  as 
formerly  it  was  to  license  in  detecting  the  fulfil- 
ment of  it.  On  ver.  29,  J.  A.  A.,  comments: 
"  All  interpreters  agree  that  the  Philistines  are 
here  spoken  of,  as  having  recently  escaped  from 
the  ascendancy  of  some  superior  power,  but  at 
the  same  time  threatened  with  a  more  complete 
subjection."  Everything  historically  specific,  be- 
yond this  obviously  sure  statement,  is  conjecture 
with  no  broader  foundation  than  that  pointed  out 
above.  Another  commentater  (DR.  B.  NETELER, 
Das  Buck  Isaias — mit  Herucksichtigung — der  auf 
seinen  Inhalt  sich  bezieenden  assyrischen  Inschri/ten 
erklart,  Miinster,  1876),  who  reads  the  text  in  the 
light  of  recent  interpretations  of  Assyrian  in- 


196 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


scriptions  identifies  the  reference  of  the  symbols 
as  follows :  "  The  staff  that  repeatedly  smote  the 
Philistines  very  seriously  was  Sargon.  The  ba- 
silisk proceeding  out  of  the  root  of  the  serpent  is 
Sennacherib,  who,  in  his  third  expedition,  con- 
quered various  Philistine  cities.  The  flying  dra- 
gon is  Esarhaddon,  who,  in  the  beginning  of  his 
reign,  undertook  an  expedition  toward  the  sea 
coasts,  and  whose  war  against  Egypt  was  doubt- 
less a  considerable  burden  for  Philistia."  "  The 
messengers  of  the  nation  (ver.  32)  that  came  on 
like  a  devastating  fire,  and  overcame  the  nation 
of  Philistines  with  little  trouble,  must  acknow- 


ledge that  worldly-power  comes  to  grief  against 
Zion.  Sargon  and  Sennacherib  had  that  experi- 
ence." BIRKS  makes  the  rod  =  the  serpent  = 
Tiglath-Pileser,  etc.— Tu.]. 

DOCTRINAL    AND    ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xiv.  32.  It  is  to  be  remarked  here  that 
Isaiah  holds  out  as  a  shield,  the  truth  that  the 
LORD  has  founded  Zion.  But  when  the  Jews 
founded  on  this  truth  a  wicked  hope,  in  that  they 
saw  therein  a  passport  for  every  sort  of  godless- 
ness,  then  it  is  said :  "  Trust  ye  not  in  lying 
words,  saying,  The  temple  of  the  LORD,  are 
these."  Jer.  vii.  4. 


2.  AGAINST  MOAB.    CHAPTERS  XV.,  XVI. 


,  Concerning  the  relation  of  Moab  to  the  Israel- 
ites, comp.  the  remarks  prefixed  to  Jer.  xlviii. 
The  present  prophecy  is  a  double  address.  For 
it  consists  of  an  older  discourse  (xv.  1 — xvi.  12), 
which,  as  appears,  was  not  published  immediate- 
ly on  its  origination,  but  was  given  publicity  by 
Isaiah  only  when  he  could  announce  definitely 
that  the  beginning  of  its  fulfilment  would  occur 
after  three  years.  Some  have  therefore  conceived 
the  notion  that  the  older  address  is  not  Isaianic. 
KOPPE,  AUGUSTI,  BAUER,  BERTHOLD,  have  re- 
garded Jeremiah  as  the  Author,  which  is  quite 
impossible.  HITZIG  (comp.  his  Des  Propheten 
Jonas  Orakel  iiber  Moab,  Heidelberg,  1831,)  even 
holds  that  Jonah  is  the  author,  and  has  found 
followers  (KNOBEL.  MAURER,  etc.,)  in  this  singu- 
lar view,  whereas  HENDEWERK  decidedly  con- 
troverts him.  It  is  regarded  as  decisive  for  the 
view  that  this  is  not  Isaianic,  that  it  betrays  a 
tender-hearted  sympathy  for  an  otherwise  hated 
foreign  nation.  But  this  sympathy  is  not  as  ten- 
der-hearted as  it  appears.  It  rather  serves  as  a 
measure  by  which  to  estimate  the  fearfulness  of 
the  judgment.  Further  appeal  is  made  to  a  num- 
ber of  "  peculiar,  and  in  a  measure,  singular 
thoughts  and  turns."  Some  of  these  are  that 
mourning  garments  are  put  on  in  the  street  (xv. 
3-) — yet  Hezekiah  went  into  the  temple  clothed 
in  sackcloth,  and  a  deputation  from  him  to 
Isaiah  went  in  sackcloth  (2  Kings  xix.  1,  2) — ; 
further  that  crying  encircled  the  land  (comp.  my 
comment),  Sibma's  vine  spread  itself  over  whole 
regions — only  a  bold  figure  worthy  of  Isaiah  (see 
the  comment) — ;  its  branches  make  drunk, 
(which  the  Prophet  does  not  say,  see  the  com- 
ment on  xvi.  8),  the  heart  cries  for  Moab  and 
sounds  like  a  harp,  the  tears  of  the  writer  bedew 
Heshbon  (also  figures  quite  agreeing  with  Isaiah's 
style).  Moreover  a  number  of  unexampled 
phrases  are  pointed  to  with  doubtful  suspicion : 
'323  TV, '« to  weep  bitterly  "  (but  the  expression 
means  something  quite  different),  filD'tfD  D'D, 
''waters  are  deserts,"  (it  means  rather:  places  of 

springs  are  loca  arida),  Stf  rrtf  "  to  set  shadows," 
(it  means  rather  to  make  the  shadow  like  the 
night),  etc. ;  further  appeal  is  made  to  words, 
forms,  meanings,  and  references  that  are  peculiar 
to  the  author  of  this  passage. 

All  these  things  rest  on  misunderstandings; 
partly  they  are  cnra^  fcydfieva,  the  like  of  which 
are  to  be  found  in  nearly  every  chapter  of  Isaiah ; 


partly  the  Prophet  intentionally  imitates  Moabite 
forms  of  speech.  At  all  events,  the  little  peculi- 
arities, which  in  no  case  witness  directly  against 
Isaiah,  and  which  are  natural  to  such  originality 
as  his,  are  not  to  be  considered  in  comparison 
with  the  great  mass  of  decidedly  Isaianic  modes 
of  expression  which  we  shall  prove  in  particular 
below.  I  therefore  hold  decidedly  that  Isaiah  is 
the  author. 

As  regards  the  time  of  the  composition  of  xv.  1 
— xvi.  12,  the  text  seems  to  me  to  present  two 
points  of  limitation.  According  to  these  chapters 
not  only  Dibon,  but  also  Jahas,  Heshbon,  Elealeh, 
Sibmali,  Medeba  are  in  the  hand  of  the  Moabites. 
But  according  to  2  Kings  xv.  29 ;  1  Chr.  v.  26, 
these  regions  were  only  depopulated  by  Tiglath- 
Pileser,  and  thus  only  afterward  occupied  by  the 
Moabites.  That  expedition  of  Tiglath-Pileser, 
according  to  universal  opinion,  occurred  in  the 
year  741,  thus  in  the  third  year  of  the  reign  of 
Ahaz.  From  xvi.  1  it  further  appears  that  at 
that  time  the  Edomites  were  still  subject  to  the 
Jews.  This  relation  was  changed  under  Ahaz. 
For,  according  to  2  Chr.  xxviii.  17,  the  Edomites 
during  his  reign  made  an  incursion  into  Judah. 
It  is  not  conceivable  that  after  this  time  Isaiah 
gave  the  Moabites  counsel  to  send  tribute  from 
Seba  to  Jerusalem.  For  the  Edomites  would  not 
allow  that,  and  the  Moabites  who  looked  for  re- 
fuge to  Edom  would  never  have  dared  to  do  so. 
Unfortunately  we  are  not  informed  as  to  the  time 
when  that  incursion  of  the  Edomites  took  place. 
But  it  occurred  in  the  time  of  Ahaz,  and  thus  this 
prophecy  xv.  1 — xvi.  12  must  be  referred  to  the 
period  of  this  king's  reign,  and  that  between  the 
two  events  2  Kings  xv.  29  (1  Chr.  v.  26)  and  2 
Chr.  xxviii.  17.  Unfortunately  we  do  not  know 
which  Assyrian  king  accomplished  (or  began  to 
accomplish)  Isaiah's  prophecy  to  the  Moabites. 
Therefore  we  cannot  know  when  he  subjoined  the 
two  concluding  verses  and  published  the  entire 
oracle. 

The  prophecy  evidently  subdivides  into  four 
parts.  Thus  the  old,  first  prophecy  easily  sub- 
divides into  three  sections,  of  which  the  first 
(xv.  1-9)  announces  Moab's  terror  and  flight,  the 
second  (xvi.  1-5)  the  condition  of  deliverance, 
the  third  (xvi.  6-12)  Moab's  haughty  refusal  to 
fulfil  these  conditions  and  his  consequent  entire 
ruin.  Finally,  the  later  supplement  determines 
definitely  the  beginning  period  of  the  fulfilment 
(xvi.  13,  14). 


CHAP.  XV.  1-9. 


197 


a)    THE  OLDER  PROPHECY.    CHAPTER  XV.  1— XVI.  12. 
a)    Moab's  Terror  and  Flight. 

CHAPTER  XV.  1-9. 

1  THE  BURDEN  OF  MOAB. 

Because  in  the  night  Ar  of  Moab  is  laid  waste,  and  brought  to  silence ; 
Because  in  the  night  Kir  of  Moab  is  laid  waste,  and  brought  to  silence ; 

2  "He  is  gone  up  to  Bajith,  and  to  Dibon,  the  high  places,  to  weep . 
bMoab  shall  howl  over  Nebo,  and  over  Medeba : 

On  all  their  heads  shall  be  baldness, 
And  every  beard  cut  off. 

3  °In  their  streets  they  shall  gird  themselves  with  sackcloth  : 

On  the  tops  of  their  houses,  and  din  their  streets,  every  one  shall  howl, 
2Weeping  abundantly. 

4  And  Heshbon  eshall  cry,  and  Elealeh: 
Their  voice  shall  be  heard  even  unto  Jahaz : 
Therefore  the  armed  soldiers  of  Moab  shall  cry  out ; 
His  rlife  shall  be  grievous  iinto  him. 

5  My  heart  "shall  cry  out  for  Moab  ; 

3His  fugitives  shall  flee  unto  Zoar,  an  heifer  of  three  years  old  : 

For  by  the  mounting  up  of  Luhith  with  weeping  shall  they  go  it  up  ; 

For  in  the  way  of  Horonaim  they  gshall  raise  up  a  cry  of  destruction. 

6  For  the  waters  of  Nimrim  shall  be  5desolate  : 
For  the  hhay  is  withered  away,  the  'grass  faileth, 
There  is  no  green  thing. 

7  Therefore  the  abundance  they  have  gotten,  and  that  which  they  have  laid  up, 
jShall  they  carry  away  to  the  6brook  of  the  willows. 

8  For  the  cry  is  gone  around  about  the  borders  of  Moab  ; 
The  howling  thereof  unto  Eglaim, 

And  the  howling  thereof  unto  Beer-elim. 

9  For  the  waters  of  Dimon  shall  be  full  of  blood  : 
For  I  will  bring  'more  upon  Dimon, 

Lions  upon  him  that  escapeth  of  Moab, 
kAnd  upon  the  remnant  of  the  land. 

1  Or,  cut  off.  2  Heh.  Descending  into  weeping,  or,  coming  down  with  weeping. 

8  Or,  To  the  borders  thereof,  even  as  an  heifer.  *  Heb.  breaking. 

6  Heb.  desolations.  «  Or,  valley  of  the  Arabians.  :  Heb.  additions. 


•  They  go  up  to  the  house. 
d  their  (public)  squares, 
f  raise. 
J  omit  shall. 


b  they  howl  on  Nebo  and  Medeba-Moab. 

•  cries. 

h  grass. 

k  And  to  the  remnant  the  ground. 


0  In  his  streets  they  gird. 
f  soul. 

1  the  sward  gone. 


TEXTUAL    AND 

Ver.  1.  '3  rnay  of  course  be  made  to  relate  to  'D  Kt#D, 
and  one  may  find  in  the  latter  phrase  the  sense  that  is 
elsewhere  expressed  by  vin  or  'itf  (comp.  vi.  6).  But 
this  does  not  suffice.  For  '0  Xt^O  is  everywhere  else 
nothing  but  superscription,  and  is  nowhere  connected 
with  the  beginning  of  the  discourse.  As  in  chaps,  xv., 
xvi.  there  is  made  a  surprisingly  frequent  use  of  the 
particle  *3 — it  occurs  nine  times  in  xv.,  and  five  times 
in  xvi.— so,  too,  the  *2  of  ver.  1  is  surely  to  be  inter- 
preted according  to  this  usage.  No  where  else  is  Isa. 
wont  to  multiply  this  particle  in  a  surprising  way.  It 
seems  to  me  that  he  had  here  a  particular  aim.  Perhaps 
he  imitates  Moabite  language.  The  same  is  the  case 
with  rj.  It  must  occasion  surprise  that  of  the  five 
times  that  Isaiah  uses  VS  (except  these  he  uses  rTV/) 
three  belong  to  the  chapters  on  Moab  (comp.  xvi.  3).  In 


GRAMMATICAL. 

xxi.  11  VS  occurs,  and  probably  for  the  sake  of  variety 
in  the  parallelism,  perhaps,  too,  as  mimicking  the  dia- 
lect of  Edotn  and  as  reminiscence  of  Exod.  xii.  42.  But 
xxx.  29,  the  form  S"1?  occurs  as  st.  constr.,a.nd  also  with 
allusion  to  Exod.  xii.  42.  On  the  monument  of  king 
Mesa,  in  line  15,  the  night  is  actually  called  H77  (comp. 
SCHLOTTM.  in  Stud,  and  Krit.  1871,  Heft.  IV...  p.  596)  from 
which  it  appears  that  the  pronunciation  with  e  is  Moab- 
itic.  It  is  needless,  with  DRECHSLEE  and  others,  to  take 
71/  here  as  st.  constr.  This,  as  DELITZSCH  says,  would 
give  an  illogical  thought,  "in  as  much  as  "P1EJ  and 
!"!73"1J,  comp.  Jer.  xlvii.  5,  nearly  coincide  as  to  mean- 
ing."  TTO,  Pual,  occurs  again  xxiii.  1, 14  (comp.  xvi. 

4;  xxi.  2;  xxxiii.  1). "1JJ  is  without  doubt  the  Moab- 


198 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


itic  word  for  Tj?  (comp.  SCHLOTTMANN,  1.  c.,  p.  607).  For 
it  is  used  only  of  the  capital  of  Moab  and  of  the  terri- 
tory immediately  belonging  to  it.  It  is,  indeed,  used  in 
the  latter  sense  alone  (Num.  xxi.  15 ;  Deut.  ii.  9, 18,  29, 
eomp.  SCHI.OTT.,  p.  608) ;  but  in  the  former  sense  in  the 
connection  3X13  ~\V  (Num.  xxi.  8  and  here). HOtJ 

T  T  T    :• 

is  subjoined  a^vvSeTtai,  with  an  emphasis  that  makes 
an  impression  of  shuddering,  (comp.  xxxiii.  9;  Jer.  ix. 
9;  1.  3).  The  word  occurs  in  Isaiah  again  vi.  5.  The  re- 
petition, too,  of  the  phrase  in  the  second  clause  (anadi- 
plosis)  is  a  rhetorical  device  that  serves  to  make  the 
impression  stronger.  Isaiah  often  resorts  to  this  :  ver. 

8;  viii.9;  xvii.  12  sq.;  xxi.  11.    Comp.  on  xl.  1. *Vp 

means  in  Hebrew  "  the  wall  "  (xxii.  5;  Ps.  Ixii.  4;  Ezek. 

xiii.!2sqq.,  and  oft).   But  in  Moabitic  it  stands  forrVlp- 

T  il- 
ia the  inscription  of  Mesa  "Ip  occurs  four  times  in  the 

sense  of  "city":  Line  11. 12,  24  bis.— '0  ~\V  and  'D  Vp 

T  I" 

although  names  of  cities,  are  construed  as  masculines. 
The  reason  of  this  appears  to  me  to  be,  that  in  the  Pro- 
phet's representation  the  notion  Moab  predominated, 
and  the  names  of  nations  are  prevalently  used  as  mas- 
culine. 
Ver.  2.  Triy  is  used  impersonally,  "  there  goes  up,"  or 

"one  goes  up"  (eomp.  xiv.  30.  32). 3N13  after  JOTD 

is  genitive  to  the  latter,  and  not  nom.  to  T7".  Medba- 
Moab  is  a  combination  that  does  not  occur  elsewhere, 
but  which  the  Prophet  perhaps  made  because  he  thought 
he  saw  in  X3TD,  Moabitic  {OIDO,  a  kindred  notion 

T  :     ••  T  : 

to  3N10  (3X  '0)  and  an  allusion  to  the  origin  of  the 

T  T  ,       , 

nation  (Gen.  xix.  30  sqq.). — —  7^7",  comp.  ver.  3;  Hi.  5; 

Ixv.  14. The  words  nrpp  VEfRVS33  are  quoted 

from  Amosviii.  10,  where  we  read  HfPp  BfttVbS"1?!? 

T     :|T  T         - 

(comp.  Jer.  xlviii.  37;  Ezek.  vii.  18;  xxix.  18).  The 
pointing  Vt?X^  instead  of  V^JO,  for  which  some  Co- 
dices read  EttO,  Itf&O,  QETCO,  is  found  only  here.  It 

T 

is  possible  that  in  the  mind  of  the  Prophet,  citing  from 
memory,  the  o  sound,  which  the  word  has  in  the  origi- 
nal passage,  had  its  effect. ni"Pp,  does  not  elsewhere 

T  :  IT 

occur  as  the  name  of  a  city.  Isaiah  uses  it  again  as 
appellative,  iii.  24;  xxii.  12.  There  lies  in  it  an  allusion 
which  the  inscription  of  Mesa  suggests  to  us.  For,  ac- 
cording to  lines  21— 26,  this  one  built  Korcha  (ni~Pp) 
i.e.,  "a  cleared  place  at  or  in  Dibon  (according  to  line 
24)  that  had  as  yet  no  wall  "  (DIESEL,  Die  Moabitische  Ge- 
denktafcl,  lahrb.  f.  deutsche  Theol.,  1871,  Heft.  II.  p. 
237),  and  transferred  thither  the  royal  residence  (line  23).— 
By  quoting  the  words-  of  Amos,  the  Prophet  seems  to 
intend  derision:  if  all  heads  are  bald,  then,  of  course, 

baldness  (rimp)  reigns  over  Moab. PI>M~U  comp. 

ix.  9;  x.  33;  xiv!  12;  xxii.  25;    xlv.  2. Jer.  xlviii   37 

has  iTpnj,  as,  according  to  GESENIUS  and  DELITZSCH,  the 
MASOEA  and  many  Codd.  and  older  editions  read  in  the 
present  passage,  whereas  in  Jeremiah  only  10  Codd. 

have  Hj?nj. JPJ  designates  regular  shearing, .JHJ 

irregular  hewing  or  cutting  off  in  haste  (clipping).  The 
difference  in  the  reading  corresponds  to  the  character 
of  both  prophets,  whence  in  neither  of  the  two  passages 
perhaps,  is  the  received  reading  to  be  altered. 

Ver.  3.  Noti-e  here  the  interchange  of  gender  and 
number  according  as  Moab  comes  before  the  Prophet's 
mind  as  a  nation  or  land,  as  a  whole,  or  as  a  totality  of 

individuals. 7173,  which  occurs  again  in  Isa.  only 

XT!.  7,  seems  likewise  to  be  a  mimicry  of  Moabitic  form 


of  speech.  For  in  the  inscription  of  Mesa  is  found  the 
suffix  form  n~  exclusively  (about  12  times).  The  name 
Nebo  also  is  written  ri3J,  not  as  in  Hebrew  13J.  - 
'333  TV  in  the  sense  of  "flowing  down,  dissolving  in 
tears"  would  be,  as  KNOBEL,  too,  confesses,  without  ex- 
ample in  the  Old  Testament.  The  simple  Accusative 
would  be  required  for  that  as  Jer.  ix.  17  ;  xiii.  17  ;  Lam. 
i.  16  ;  iii.  48,  and  often. 

Ver.  4.  l^TV  comp.  xlii.  13;  xliv.  23  --  The  Praet. 
J7V  occurs  only  here.  Many  expositors  (GESEN.,  KNO- 
BEL, DELITZSCH),  on  account  of  the  word  njW,  tremulum, 
"  curtain,"  take  this  word  to  mean  "  to  tremble,  sh'ake." 
But  it  is  not  to  be  overlooked  why  the  Perfect  should 
not  be  taken  here  in  the  same  sense  in  which  otherwise 
the  Imperfect  is  used,  i.  e.,  in  the  sense  ofmalum.,  mise- 
rum.,  afflictum  esse.  The  Prophet  intends  a  play  on  the 
word  1JTV,  therefore  he  employs  the  otherwise  un- 
used perfect,  without  meaning  to  use  it  in  any  other 
sense  than  that  in  which  imperfect  occurs,  which  has 
besides  passed  over  to  the  service  of  the  kindred  root 
yy~\.  Therefore  V?  njH'  1E?3J  has  the  same  mean- 
ing as  1337  y~V.  1  Sam.  i.  8;  Deut.  xv.  10;  compare 
-n  Ps.  cvi.  32. 


Ver.S.rVl?'?!?  rty  is  construed  like  jVJTinn 
Jer.  xlvi.  2;  li.  59,  {.  e.,  annus  quarti  sell,  numeri; 

tnX  Lev.  xxiv.  22,  "IPX  TlIX  2  Kings  xii.  10.     But  is  it 
T  v  T  •:    I       -: 

designative  of  a  locality  or  appositive  to  such?  MAU- 
EER,  EWALD,  KNOBEL,  DBECHSLEE,  DIETRICH  (Zur  bibl. 
Geogr.  in  Merx'  Archiv  I.,  p.  342  sqq.)  see  in  it  a  "  third 
Egla,"  in  proof  of  whose  existence  they  appeal  to  JOSE- 
PHUS  Ant.  XIV.  1,  4,  where,  beside  Zoar,  Oronai  and 
other  places,  an  'A^aAAa  is  mentioned.  But  how  uncer- 
tain is  this  assumption  of  a  "third  Egla,"  since  we  do 
not  otherwise  hear  of  a  single  one,  not  to  speak  of 
three,  for  that  'AyaAAa  of  JOSEPHUS  can  just  as  well  be 
D'7JX  (ver.  8)!  DOEDERLEIN  and  KOSTEK  (Stud,  and  Krit. 
18G2  I.,  p.  113  sqq.)  take  Zoar,  Horonaim  and  Egla  to 
have  been  a  Tripolis  whose  chief  name  was  Egla.  But 
of  such  a  city,  which  must,  too,  have  had  a  considerable 
circumference,  there  is  to  be  found  no  trace.  We  must 
therefore  take  '$  'iy  as  appositive.  It  cannot  be  re- 
ferred to  Moab  on  account  of  its  position  in  the  sen- 
tence. It  must  then  be  referred  to  "IWi*,  and  that  in  a 
sense  in  which  it  may  be  joined  also  to  the  city  Horo- 
naim as  predicate,  as  is  done  Jer.  xlviii.  31.  But  we 
must  take  'VJ  '}y  as  having  the  same  meaning  with 
Gen.  xv.  9,  along  with  which  are  named 
and  a  tpWo  S'K-  Now  these,  as  is  ac- 
knowledged, are  three  years  old,  as  it  were  beasts  raised 
to  the  third  degree,  viz.,  degree  of  years.  -  "jIT  is  ace. 
loci  =  "  on  the  road."  —  ^yy  is  Pilpel  contracted  from 
,  like  3D13  from  '3333.  The  expression 
pjtt  only  here. 

Ver.  6.  niSEfo  only  here  in  Isaiah.  The  '3  here,  as 
in  ver.  8  sq.  (comp.  on  ver.  1),  makes  the  impression  of 
being  an  intentional  redundancy. 

Ver.  7.  nt?  V  represents  an  impersonal  relative  phrase 

T    T 

=  "  what  are  made,  acquired,"  unless  we  assume,  a  very 

brupt  change  of  person  in  the  following  Dmp3,  IKE?'- 

The  impersonal  construction  is  comparatively  frequent 

in  our  passage  (vers.  2,  6).  -  D'3^J^  can  mean  only 


CHAP.  XV.  1-9. 


199 


"Arabians"  or  "willows."  It  cannot  mean  "deserts," 
which  is  JYI3"\J7  ( Jer.  v.  6).  As  only  the  situation  of  the 
brook,  not  the  meaning  of  its  name,  is  of  importance 
here,  it  is  no  matter  which  one  prefers.  Still,  as  in  the 
Old  Testament,  the  word  in  the  plural,  DO1J,',  never 
occurs  meaning  Arabians,  whereas  it  is  often  used  to 
mean  "  willows  "  (xliv.  4;  Lev.  xxiii.  40 ;  Job  xl.  22 ;  Ps. 
cxxxvii.  2),  I  prefer  the  meaning  "  willow-brook," 
leaving  undetermined  whether  or  not  njl^n  7PU, 
Amos  vi.  14  is  identical  with  this.  Comp.  HEEZOG'S  It. 
Encyd.  XI  p.  14. 

Ver.  8.  n£Tpn  does  not  mean  here  "outwardly  en- 
circled ;"  but  it  is  =  "  make  the  round,"  as  in  Lev.  xix. 
27;  Job  i.  5,  where  there  is  a  difference  as  to  form,  but 


an  essential  analogy. 717  r  occurs  only  here  in  Isa. : 

TT  : 

elsewhere  Jer.  xxv.  36;  Zeph.  i.  10  ;  Zech.  xi.  3. 

Vpr.  9.  In  the  first  clause  of  this  verse  the  Prophet 
accumulates  the  sound  of  m ;  hence  Dimon  for  Dibon, 
which  change  might  happen  the  more  easily  as  JEBOME 
informs  us  that  "  usque  hodie  indifferenter  et  Dimon  et  Di- 
bon hoc  oppidum  dicitur." So  far  as  I  can  see,  all  expo- 
sitors refer  'Ul  IVifX  '3  to  what  follows,  which  they 
think  justified  especially  by  r\13DU  additamenta.  But 
in  that  case  1  and  not  '3  must  stand  before  IV^X-  By 
''3  the  phrase  is  connected  with  the  foregoing.  JVltf 
with  hy  like  Ruth  iii.  15  ;  Exod.  xxi.  22 ;  Num.  xii.  11. 
r\13DU  occurs  only  here  in  this  sense. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  portrays  the  desolation  of  the 
territory  of  Moab,  pointing  out  the  fate  of  many 
particular   localities,   and  what    the  inhabitants 
experience,  say  and  do  (vers.  1-4).     Therewith 
he  does  not  concsal  his  own  sympathy  (ver.  5  a), 
and  signifies  that  the  Moabites  shall   be  driven 
out  of  their  land,  and  be  crowded  out  over  their 
borders  on  every  side  (vers.  5  6-8).     But  alas, 
flight  will  not  help  them  much,  for  a  mournful 
fate  will  overtake  also  those  that  escape,  who  will 
either  become  a  prey  to  wild  beasts,  or  lie  un- 
buried  on  the  bare  ground  (ver.  X9). 

2.  The     burden silence. — Ver.    1. 

The   superscription   is   like   xiii.    1,  which   see. 
In  the  night :  i.  e.,  at  an  unfavorable  hour.     For 
night  adds  increased  terrors  to  the  storming  of  a 
city.     The  city  Ar-Moab,  according  to  most  re- 
cent investigations  (comp.  SCHLOTTMANN,  1.  c.  p. 
008  and  DIETRICH  in  MERX'     Archiv.    III.  320 
sqq.),  lay  close  by,  indeed  (according  to  Num.xxii. 
36;  Jos.  xiii.   9,  16)   partly  in  Arnon.     In   the 
last   named   passages  it  is  also  by  the  Hebrew 
writers  called  "1^.  "  a  city."    From  the  Moabitic 
Ar  comes  the  Greek  name  '\pe6-o7as  (JEROME, 
in  loc.,  in  the  L.  V.  p.  184  sq.  Ed.  Vallars.).    The 
name   Rabbat-Moab  does  not  occur  in  the  Old 
Testament.      It   may  be    that   this   designation, 
which  was  not  a  name  but  an   official   title,  was 
transferred  to  the  later  Rabbah,  which  lies  several 
[German]    miles   south    of   Arnon,   and    was    a 
bishop's  residence  in  the  5th  and   6th  centuries 
(comp.  BITTER,  Erdk.  XIV.  p.  115  sq. ;   XV.  p. 

1210  sqq.) Kir-Moab  (to  distinguish  it  from 

the  Assyrian  Kir,  xxii.  6)  is  mentioned  bv  Isaiah 
under  this  name  only  here.     Yet  Kir-Haresh  or 
Kir-Haresheth  (xvi.  11,  7)  are  identical  with  it. 
The  place  was  a  strong  fortress,  on  a  high,  steep 
mountain,  visible  from  Jerusalem.     It  lay  about 
three  hours  south  of  Rabbat-Moab,  and  about  the 
same  distance  from  the  Dead  sea.     In  the  Chal- 
dee  it  is  called  3K1DT  NJH3.  i.  e.,  "  castle,  wall 
of  Moab."     The  Greeks  calle  1  the  city  Xmpd£  (so 
probably  2  Mace.  xii.  17),  Xopa«w//a   (PTOL.  v. 
17,  5),  Xap««,u<j/?a,  Xapaxfidifia  (STEPH.,  BY/.,  and 
THEODORET   in   loc.>  who   moreover   appears  to 
identify  Ar-Moab  and  Kir-Moab).      The  name 
is  preserved  in  the  form  Kerek  until  the  present 
day. 

3.  He  is  gone  up grievous  unto  him. 

— Vers.  2-4.     In  ver.  1  Moab  entire  is  indicated 
in  its  two  halves,  represented  by  a  northern  and 
a  southern  city.     From  ver.  2  on  follow  specifi- 


cations. For  on  the  desolation  of  Moab,  the 
great  theme,  are  rung  manifold  changes  :  by  most 
numerous  facts  the  truth  of  it  is  exhibited.  In 

Jos.  xiii.  17  Dibon  and  Bamoth-Baal  (S^2  niD3, 
the  high  places  of  Baal)  are  mentioned  together, 
and  the  latter  is  mentioned  Num.  xxii.  41.  Jer. 
xlviii.  35  speaks  of  H33  n7J??3,  "the  ascent  of 
the  elevation  ;"  and  in  the  inscription,  of  Mesa, 
line  27,  it  reads:  ND  Din  '3  JVD3  T\l  T.33  '3JX- 

••  T  T  '  '    T  T 

[I  built  Beth-Bamath  (a  house  on  high)  because 
it  was  elevated.].  Therefore  Dibon  and  another 
locality,  which  in  full  was  called  Beth-Bamoth- 
Baal,  appear  to  have  been  elevated  places  of  wor- 
ship. Dibon  lay  to  the  north  of  Arnon  and  not 
very  far  distant.  It  was  king  Mesa's  birth-place, 

for  he  calls  himself  in  his  inscription  'lJ3'<rin,  the 
Dibonite.  The  city  is  elsewhere  mentioned 
Num.  xxi.  30  ;  xxxii.  2,  34  ;  Jos.  xiii.  9,  17  ; 

Jer.  xlviii.  18,  22  ;  Neh.  xi.  25.  -  '33^  "  for  to 
weep,"  in  order  to  lament  to  the  gods  with  tears 

the  distress  of  the  land  (xxii.  12). 


%  before 

Nebo  and  Medeba  is  to  be  construed  locally,  for 
before  and  after  there  is  only  the  description  how 
each  place  gives  expression  to  its  grief.  More- 
over Nebo  and  Medeba  are  elevated  spots.  Of 
Nebo  this  is  in  itself  probable.  For  if  it  even 
does  not  mean  the  mountain,  it  does  the  city  that 
was  situated  on  top  of,  or  on  that  mountain  :  as 
in  Num.  xxxii.  3,  38;  Jer.  xlviii.  1,  and  in  the 
inscription  of  Mesa  line  14.  That  Medeba  was 
situated  on  a  hill  is  testified  by  the  site  of  ruins 
which  BTJRKIIARDT  (ii.  625)  found  a  little  dis- 
tance southeast  of  Heshbon.  Medeba  is  also 
mentioned  in  the  inscription  of  Mesa,  line  8, 

under  the   name  83*1  T"!D,  Mo-Debah,  as  a  city 

conquered  by  Omri. 

Ver.  3.  Wearing  sacks  or  sackcloth  as  a  badge 
of  mourning  and  distress  is  often  mentioned  by 
Isa.  iii.  24;  xx.  2  ;  xxii.  12;  xxxvii.  1  sq.;  1.  3; 
Iviii.  5.  It  has  been  overlooked  that  '333  "P\ 
descending  with  weeping  [see  in  Text,  and 

GramJ]  should  form  an  antithesis  to  1337  H/y, 
"  goeth  up  to  weep,"  ver.  2.  They  went  iip  on 
the  high  places  at  Dibon  and  Beth-Bamoth  to 
weep  ;  they  howled  on  the  high  places  of  Nebo 
and  Medebah  ;  but  they  came  down  also  from 
these  high  places  with  weeping  ;  they  weep  be- 


200 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


cause  imploring  the  gods  with  tears  availed 
nothing.  [See  Margin  of  Eng.  Bib.  :  Also  J. 
A.  A.,  has  the  same  rendering  as  DR.  N.].  This 
construction  is  the  more  necessary  because  im- 
mediately after,  ver.  5,  ""^P?,"  is  undoubtedly 
used  in  the  sense  :  "  with  weeping." 

Ver.  4.  And  Heshbon,  etc.  Ar-Moab  and 
Kir-Moab  are  chief  city,  and  chief  fortress  ;  Di- 
bon  and  Beth-Bamoth  are  especially  holy  places 
of  worship,  Nebo  and  Medebah,  too,  belong  to 
the  latter,  for  there  also  the  weeping  was  meant 
to  propitiate  the  gods.  Now  that  the  centres  of 
the  power  and  of  the  national  religion  are  shaken 
to  pieces,  and  men  flee  from  these  in  despair,  so, 
naturally,  dreadful  terror  seizes  on  the  cities  of 
inferior  rank.  Thus  Heshbon  (Num.  xxi.  23 
sqq.),  cries,  and  Elealeh  (Num.  xxxii.  37;  Jer. 
xlviii.  34),  the  two  sister  cities,  the  second  of 
which  is  never  mentioned  without  the  first.  They 
lay  only  a  Eoman  mile  distant  from  one  another 
on  limestone  elevations  in  a  fruitful  plain.  Their 
united  cry  of  woe  is  heard  as  far  as  Jahaz.  This 
fact  is  not  opposed  to  the  assumption  that  Jahaz 
is  identical  with  DiTT  (Num.  xxi.  23:  Deut. 

T  :IT    v 

ii.  32;  Jud.  xi.  2  inpausa),  Hi'lT  (Josh.  xiii.  18 
.out  of  pause),  (HiTzra,  KEIL,).  For  Jahaz  need 
not  on  this  account,  like  Elealeh,  have  lain  in 
the  closest  neighborhood.  But  the  ancient  ram- 
part that  lay  on  the  east  border  toward  the  de- 
sert, where  of  old  Sihon,  king  of  the  Amorites, 
opposed  Israel,  is  named  for  this  reason  because 
the  Prophet  would  indicate  that  the  terrific  in- 
telligepce  shook  the  very  bulwarks  of  the  king- 
dom. If  now  all  the  strong  cities  of  Moab  so 
raise  the  cry  of  despair,  how  shall  the  men  at 
arms  of  the  nation  not  chime  in  ?  The  choice 


of  the  expression  'D  ^vP,  "armed  men  of 
Moab,"  seems  to  me  to  be  explained  by  the  idea 
that  the  information  concerning  the  occupation 
of  the  land  east  of  Jordan  (Num.  xxxii.  and 
Deut.  iii.  16  sqq.),  comes  before  the  Prophet. 
For  in  these  chapters  just  cited,  the  expression 

}'l  /PI  occurs  relatively  the  oftenest  in  the  entire 
Old  Testament,  i.  e.,  six  times  :  Num.  xxxii.  21, 
27,  29,  30,  32  ;  Deut.  iii.  18. 

4.  My  heart  -  no  green  thing.  —  Vers. 
4-6.  The  Prophet  hitherto  had  in  mind  northern 
Moab,  the  territory  that  the  Amorites  took  from 
the  Moabites,  then  the  Israelites  from  the  Moab- 
ites, and  finally  the  Moabites  from  the  Israelites, 
after  the  inhabitants  had  been  carried  into  Assy- 
rian captivity  (2  Kings  xv.  29).  Almost  all  the 
cities  that  have  been  named  in  the  foregoing 
passages  were,  according  to  Num.  xxxii.  34  sqq., 
built  by  the  Gadites  and  Reubenites,  or  at  least 
rebuilt  with  a  change  of  name  (ver.  38).  In 
what  follows  the  Prophet  turns  his  regards  chiefly 
to  the  south.  But  in  making  this  turn,  he  feels 
the  need  of  giving  expression  to  the  impression 
made.  The  cry  he  has  heard,  though  that  of  an 
enemy,  has  found  in  his  heart  an  echo  of  compas- 
sion. Therefore  he  cries  out  from  his  innermost 

bosom  ('37)  and  turning  himself  toward  Moab 
(xvi.  11;  xiv.  8,  9).  Thus  "shall  cry"  of  ver. 
5,  corresponds  to  ''shall  cry"  ver.  4.  But  his 
ery  of  terror  is  at  the  same  time  a  watchman's 
alarm  to  southern  Moab.  We  see  this  in  the 


anxious  flight  in  which  southern  Moab  is  repre- 
sented to  be  by  the  following  context.  nrVU  is 
taken  by  most  expositors  to  be  the  same  as  HIT'IS 
"fugitives'"  (xliii.  14,  comp.  xxvii.  1  ;  Job  xxvi. 
13).  DEUTZSCH  alone  decides  in  favor  of  vecles, 
bars.  But  the  thought  that  the  bars,  i.  e.,  the 
fortresses  of  the  land  extend  to  Zoar  finds  nothing 
in  the  context  to  suggest  it  :  whereas  the  thought 
that  the  Moabites  flee  from  the  enemy  advancing 
from  the  north  till  they  find  shelter  in  a  strong 
fortress,  corresponds  very  well  with  the  context. 
A  heifer  of  three  years,  (see  in  Text,  and 
Gram.),  is  one  not  yet  brought  under  the  yoke, 
whose  strength  is  still  entirely  intact.  GESENIUS 
cites  PLINY,  viii.  4,  5  :  damitura  bonum  in  trimatu, 
postea  sera,  antea  •praematura.  Columella  de  re 
rest.  vii.  2.  It  is  therefore  "  a  bullock  unaccus- 

tomed to  the  yoke."     "I?1?  K'b  ^J?  Jer.  xxxi.  18, 


the  contrary  of  which  is  ms  ?O  n/JJ?  ''  a  heifer 
that  is  taught  "  Hos.  x.  11.  Comp.  Isa.  x.  11; 
Jer.  xlvi.  20  ;  1.  11.  Now  Zoar  was  a  fortified 
place.  JEROME  says:  "praesidium  in  ea  positum 
est  militum  romanprum."  EUSEBITJS  calls  it  a 
typovpiov  oTpartuTur,  STEPH.  BYZANTINUS  a  Kufirj 
/j.eyd%rj  f/  <}>povpiov.  It  was  perhaps,  in  Isaiah's 
lime  a  city  that  had  never  been  captured,  what 
we  call  eine  jungfrauliche  Festuny  (a  virgin 

fortress),  and  if  in  iTt#''7K?  the  notion  of  indomi- 
tum,  jugo  non  assuetum  esse  prevails,  then  this 
would  explain  why  Zoar  is  so  named,  and  why 
the  flight  of  the  Moabites  tends  thither.  They 
thought  themselves  secure  in  the  strong  fortress 
that  had  never  been  taken.  [For  an  extensive 
comparison  of  views  on  the  foregoing  point  see 
J.  A.  A.,  in  loc.~].  That  Zoar  is  the  point  to 
which  men  flee  is  evident  because  the  ways  lead- 
ing thither  are  full  of  fugitives.  Eegarding  the 
site  of  Zoar  opinions  differ,  varying  between  the 
southern  point  of  the  Dead  sea  to  the  mouthing 
of  the  Wadi  Kerek  on  the  east  side.  But 
wherever  it  was,  Luhith  and  Horonaim  were 
certainly  localities  that  lay  in  the  road  that  led 

from  the  north  thither.  Luhith  (from  HlS  "  tab- 
let, board")  which  according  to  EUSEBIUS  and 
JEROME,  lay  between  Ar-Moab  and  Zoar,  is  men- 
tioned only  here,  and  Jei.  xlviii.  5.  "~l;7^0,  "a 
stair,  declivity  of  a  mountain  which  the  road  tra- 
verses," is  found  in  connection  with  many  names  : 
Num.  xxxiv.  4;  Josh.  x.  10;  xviii.  7;  Judg.  i. 
36  ;  2  Sam.  xv.  30,  etc.  --  Horonaim  is  men- 
tioned only  here  and  Jer.  xlviii.  3,  5,  34.  In 
Josh.  x.  10,  we  read  "the  LORD  —  chased  them 
along  the  way  that  goeth  up  to  Bethhoron."  Did 
this  passage  perhaps  come  into  the  Prophet's 
mind?  A  third  matter  that  explains  the  flight 
of  the  Moabites,  the  Prophet  makes  to  be  the 
stopping  up  and  drying  up  of  the  waters  of 
Nimri.  It  is  to  be  noticed  that  stopping  up  the 
fountains  is  described  (2  Kings  iii.  19,  25)  as 
a  form  of  hostility  practised  by  the  Israelites 
against  Moab.  If  by  "  the  waters  of  Nimrim  " 
we  understand  that  Bet-Nimra,  that  is  mentioned 
(Num.  xxxii.  3,  36  ;  Josh.  xiii.  27)  as  a  Gadite 
locality  with  a  brook  emptying  into  the  Jordan, 
then  the  Prophet  would  suddenly  transport  us 
out  of  the  south  into  the  extremest  north. 


CHAP.  XVI.  1-5. 


201 


Therefore  KNOBEL  very  fittingly  has  called  at- 
tention to  the  fact  that  the  more  recent  travelers, 
BTJRKHARDT,  DE  SAULCY,  SEETZEN,  mention  a 
Wadi  Nemeyra,  and  a  spring  brook  Mojet  Nim- 
mery  (i.  e.  little  waters  of  Nimri)  near  the  south- 
ern border  of  Moab,  and  that  the  ONOMASTICON 
names  under  JHepqpip  a  place  B^vvafjiap^,  Bena- 
meriurn,  north  of  Zoar.  This  locality  suits  our 
context  very  well.  In  three  short  sentences  the 
Prophet  sets  forth  why  he  calls  the  waters  of 
Nirnrim  desolations.  ^-flj),  ig  grass  proper; 
NI2H  sward  in  general ;  pT  all  green  things.  The 
discourse  thus  contains  a  climax,  it  proceeds  from 
what  withers  most  easily  (Ps.  xc.  5;  ciii.  15)  to 
the  totality  of  all  vegetation. 

5.  Therefore of  the  land.— Vers.  7-9. 

The  fugitives  of  Moab  have  concentrated  in  the 
Bout'.i  of  ths  land.  But  there,  too,  they  do  not 
feel  saf  j :  for  the  enemy  presses  incontinently 
after.  Therefore  they  flee  with  their  valuables 
across  the  Willow-brook  that  formed  the  boundary 
between  Moab  and  Edom  into  the  latter  country, 
rnrv,  which  occurs  only  here  and  in  Jer.  xlviii. 
36  that  borrows  from  this,  is  ''  provision  on  hand 
not  yet  used  up"  (Ps.  xvii.  14).  ""Hp.?  is  more: 
it  is  the  costly  possession  that  is  cherished  as  the 
treasure  of  the  house :  the  word  occurs  only  here 
in  this  sense.  The  thought  of  the  Prophet  is  evi- 
dently, that  Moab,  when  no  longer  safe  in  its  ex- 
treme southern  strongholds,  flees  across  the  border. 
It  is  therefore  certainly  more  agreeable  to  the 
context  to  understand  the  stream  referred  to  by 

D83"\yn  mj  to  mean  the  southernmost  boundary 
brook  of  Moab,  rather  than  some  stream  farther 
north.  DELITZSCH  understands  the  Willow-brook 
to  be  the  northern  branch  of  the  Seil-el-Kerek, 
that  actually  bears  the  name  of  Wadi  Safsdf,  i.  e. 
Willow-brook  But  that  does  not  hinder  that  in 
Isaiah's  time  the  southern  boundary  brook  was 
also  called  Willow-brook,  especially  since  among 
its  various  names  ( Wadi  el-Kardhi,  el-Achri,  el- 
Hossa,  d-Hossun,  likely  Sared  too),  is  found  the 
name  es-Sdfijeh.  (See  under  Text,  and  Gram.). 

In  ver.  8  the  need  of  fleeing  over  the  border  is 
renewedly  set  forth  by  the  statement  that  the  cry 
(ver.  4  sqq.)  has  gone  about  on  the  entire  border 
of  Moab.  Eglaim  is  likely  identical  with  the  En- 
eglaim,  Eze.  xlvii.  10,  which  according  to  JEROME, 
lay  "in  principio  maris  mortui,"  i.  e.  at  the  south 
end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  It  is  doubtful  if  it  be  the 
same  with  'AyaAAey*  (AtyaAet»  which  EUSEBIUS 
describes  as  irpof  Ndrov  'ApeoTrd/leuf  diaaruaa 


T]> ',  i.  e.  eight  Roman  miles,  somewhat 
more  than  three  hours.  Comp.  HERZ.  R.  Encycl. 
XIV.,  p.  741. — If  Beerelim  is  the  same  fountain 
mentioned,  Num.  xxi.  16-18,  that  the  princes 
opened  up,  and  that  thereafter  was  called  Heroes' 
fountain  (for  so,  or  Terebinth  fountain  the  word 
may  be  translated),  then  the  locality  lay  in  the 
northeast  of  Moab,  and  thus  directly  opposite  to 
the  southwestern  Eglaim  (comp.  Num.  xxi.  13 
sqq.).  Accordingly  the  cry  is  gone  around, 
etc.,  would  express  that  the  cry  went  out  on  all 
sides  along  the  borders  of  Moab,  because  the  in- 
habitants fled  on  all  sides.  If  they  dispersed  on 
every  side  to  the  periphery  of  their  land,  that 
sufficiently  indicates  that  the  centre  had  suffered 
a  heavy  blow.  Such  a  centre  was  Dibon,  more- 
over, it  is  represented  as  a  city  in  ver.  2  and  in  the 
inscription  of  Mesa,  as  being  at  that  time  a  city 
of  importance.  The  waters  of  Dibon  are  full  of 
blood,  therefore  there  is  fearful,  murderous  work 
there. — As  Dibon  lies  not  far  from  Arnon,  "  the 
waters  of  Dibon  "  can,  of  course,  indirectly  mean 
the  Arnon,  like  '*  the  waters  of  Megiddo,"  Judg. 
v.  19,  mean  the  Kishon  (KOSENMUELLER,  HEN- 
DEWERK),  but  directly  must  still  be  meant  the 
tributaries  that  lead  out  from  Dibon  to  Arnon  ; 
for  otherwise  the  latter  could  not  receive  blood 
shed  in  Dibon.  The  fearful  blood-bath  at  Dibon 
shows  that  it  is  fated  to  receive  full  measure, 
poured,  shaken  down  and  running  over.  Perhaps 
the  Prophet  has  in  mind  God's  threat  in  Lev. 
xxvi.  18,  21,  that  if  the  first  chastisement  failed 
of  its  effect  on  Israel  He  would  add  to  it  "  seven 
times  more  for  their  sins."  Moab's  great  and  re- 
peated transgression  had  also  such  additions  as 
its  consequence.  If  we  are  not  referred  by  the 
second  clause  of  ver.  9  a  to  what  follows,  then  we 
are  not  necessitated  to  regard  what  is  contained 
in  9  b,  as  the  aggravation  indicated  by  rn2DU= 
additamenta,  "things  superadded"  (See  Text,  and 
Gram.).  Then  ver.  9  b  has  reference  to  a  part  of 
Moab  not  coincident  with  that  before  mentioned. 
It  is  fugitives  that  succeeded  in  escaping  the 
sword  of  the  enemy.  Shall  these  be  rescued? 
No.  These  escaped  ones  shall  become  a  prey  to 
lions,  and  as  many  as  escape  these  shall  at  last 
have  nothing  more  than  the  bare  ground,  where- 
on to  leave  their  unburied  bodies.  The  thought 
is  therefore  similar  to  xxiv.  18,  comp.  Amos  v. 
19.  And  how  should  the  remnant  of  the  nation 
be  called  HD1K  fVTOtf?  The  expression  is  un- 
exampled. We  would  look  for  D.J?n  tVWtfj  or 
at  least  ^n. 


j3)   THE  CONDITIONS  OF  DELIVERANCE. 
CHAPTER  XVI.  1-5. 


1  SEND  ye  'the  lamb  to  the  ruler  of  the  land 
From1  2Sela  to  the  wilderness, 

Unto  the  mount  of  the  daughter  of  Zion. 

2  For  it  shall  be,  that,  as  a  wandering  bird 
'Cast  out  of  the  nest, 

So  the  daughters  of  Moab  shall  be 
At  bthe  fords  of  Arnon. 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


3  4Take  counsel,  execute  judgment ; 

Make  thy  shadow  as  the  night  in  the  midst  of  the  noon  day ; 

Hide  the  outcasts  ; 

Bewray  not  him  that  wandereth. 

4  Let  mine  outcasts  dwell  with  thee,  Moab  ; 

Be  thou  a  covert  to  them  from  the  face  of  the  spoiler ; 

For  the  Extortioner  is  at  an  end, 

"The  spoiler  ceaseth, 

6The  oppressors  are  consumed  out  of  the  land. 

5  And  in  mercy  shall  bthe  throne  be  Established : 

And  dhe  shall  sit  upon  it  in  truth  in  the  tabernacle  of  David, 
Judging,  and  seeking  judgment,  and  "hasting  righteousness. 


i  Or,  Petra. 
6  Heb.  wringer. 

•  tribute  lamb. 


3  Heb.  a  rock. 

*  Heb.  the  treaders  down. 


3  Or,  a  nest  forsaken. 
7  Or,  prepared. 


omit  the. 


Oppression. 


d  one  sits. 


*  Heb.  Bring. 
•  prompt  in  equity. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  1.  13  is  "  the  fat  lamb."    It  never  occurs  in  the 

T 

stat.  absol.  sing.  ;  it  is  found  only  here  in  the  stat.constr. 
sing.;  and  occurs  again  in  Isaiah  in  the  plural  only 
xxxiv.  6.  Comp.  Deut.  xxxii.  14.  -  The  expression 
'¥  j"\3  ~\n  occurs  again  only  x.  32  K'ri. 

Ver.  2.  On  TIIJ"*]^  comp.  x.  14;  Prov.  xxvii.  8.  - 
rni^Q  comp'.  xxvii.  'O.  -  ni~13)?0,  wherever  the  word 
occurs  (Josh.  ii.  7  ;  1  Sam.  xiv.  4  ;  Judg.  iii.  28  ;  xii.  5  sq.  ; 
Jer.  li.  32)  are  "  the  fords."  The  word  stands  here  as 
the  accus.  localis.  Moreover,  according  to  rule  the  ex- 
pression means  "  fords  of  the  Arnon,"  not,  the  ''  fords  of 
the  Arnon." 


Vers.  3  and  4  a.  The  expression  TVXy  X"3il  occurs 
only  here.  It  reminds  one  of  ni'#  OH  2  Sam.  xvi.  20. 
The  alteration  of  IK^H  and  Wy  to  'H'3H  and  ""fe^ 
which  the  K'ri  offers  for  the  sake  of  conformity  with 
the  following  verbal  forms,  is  unnecessary.  Hr/iD, 
jvdicium,  occurs  only  here  :  fVT  ?3  xxviii.  7.  -  DTTIJ 
(xxvii.  13),  TflJ  (*.  14;  xxi/14),  '-\1j  (xi.  6;  xxiii/7; 
xxxiii.  14),  "Hit?  (xxi.  2;  xxxili.  1),  ir\D  (xxviii.  17; 
xxxii.  2)  are  Isaianic  expressions.  -  bN13,  ver.  4  a, 
ought,  according  to  the  accents,  to  be  connected  with 
what  follows.  And  nothing  stands  in  the  way  of  this. 


DELITZSCH,  who  construes  ver.  3  sq.  as  the  language  of 
Moab  to  Israel  must  take  2JOD  ver.  4ascasus  absolutus, 
which  is  harsh.  The  form  'in  (comp.  "71  Gen.  xxiv. 
60)  occurs  only  here.  It,  too,  is  perhaps  Moabitic.  But 

the  inscription  of  Mesa  offers  no  analogy  for  it. j'O 

"the  presser"  (from  T^O  like  rip,  V*S,  1? ;  comp.  V'O 
Prov.  xxx.  33,  "the  pressing  out")  is  an-.  Aey.  D2X  is 

•'  T 

an  Isaianic  word,  as  the  entire  thought  is  also  Isaianic  . 

comp.  xxix.   20. ~\'$  comp.  on  xiii.  6. DO1!  only 

here ;  but  other  forms  of  the  verb  are  frequent  in  Isa. : 
i.  12;  xxvi.  6;  xxviii.  3;  xli.  25  ;  Ixiii.  3. 
Ver.  5.  pop  "  to  make  firm,"  stabihre,  1  Sam.  xiii.  53; 

2  Sam.  v.  12 ;  Isa.  xxx.  33. TDP  is  not  "  grace,''  which 

is  not  the  opposite  of  V'Q,  1$  and  DO10  (x.  6)  but 

I      •  JT     :  • 

"gentleness,"  dementia.  Comp.  IDT")  'O/D  1  Kings  xx. 

31,  and  Prov.  xx.  28. in   brig,   comp.  TH   P3p 

Amos  ix.  11,  and  as  contrast  npV  /HH  Ps.  Ixxviii.  67.— 
It  is  an  expression  of  modesty,  comp.  the  contrast  be- 
tween JV3  and  Snfc  2  Sam.  vii.  6. The  expression 

tSSVJft  CHT  is  wholly  Isaianic.  It  occurs  only  i.  17 
and  here,  p-tf  VHD  (comp.  Ps.  xlv.  2 ;  Prov.  xxii.  29) 
occurs  only  here. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  These  words  connect  closely  with  what  pre- 
cedes, in  that  they  assume  that  the  fugitives  of 
Moab  that  fled  over  the  border  (xv.  7)  have  ar- 
rived in  Sela,  the  chief  city  of  Edom  ("from  Se- 
la,"  ver.  1).     The  chief  thought  is  that  Moab  is 
counselled  to  seek  help  and  protection  from  Judah 
(vers.  1,  2),  and  therefore  eventually  itself  to  af- 
ford protection  and  help  to  Judah  (vers.  3,  4  a). 
When  then  the  time  comes  wherein  all  unright- 
eousness on  earth  shall  have  an  end  (ver.  4  6),  and 
the  righteous  ruler  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  Da- 
vid  (ver.  5),  then — this  is  the  necessary  conse- 
quence— Moab,  too,  shall  share  this  salvation. 

2.  Send  ye Arnon.— Vers.  1,2.  No  one 

but  the  Prophet  can  speak  these  words,  as  well  as 
all  that  follows,  because  he  only  was  able  to  give 
the   prophecy  contained  in  vers.  4  b,  5.     In  the 
summons  to  send  lambs  to  Jerusalem  there  is  evi- 
dently an  allusion   to  the  fact  that  the  Moabite 
king  Mesa,  according  to  2  Kings  iii.  4,  was  obliged 


to  send  the  wool  of  100,000  lambs  (0^3)  and  of 
100,000  rams  (D^'K)  as  tribute  to  the  king  of  Is- 
rael. "The  lambs  of  the  ruler"  is  evidently  the 
tribute  of  lambs  that  belongs  to  the  ruler  of  the 
land.  But  the  king  of  Judah  is  called  pN  ^D 
"ruler  of  the  land,"  in  distinction  from  the  "pD 
3N1D,  "  the  king  of  Moab,"  who  was  tributary  to 
the  former.  They  are  to  send  the  tribute  to  Je- 
rusalem from  Sela,  the  capital  city  of  Edom 
(called  Petra  by  the  Romans ;  its  ruins  were  dis- 
covered by  BURKHARDT  in  Wadi  Musa,  comp. 
xlii.  11).  We  account  for  this  by  representing  to 
ourselves  that  according  to  xv.  7  the  Moabites 
have  arrived  in  Sela  as  fugitives.  Unto  the 
wilderness — which  is  more  exactly  defined  by 
''unto  the  mount  of  the  daughter  of  Zion" — cor- 
responds exactly  to  the  description  that  STRABO 
gives  of  the  region  of  Petra.  He  says :  X'->Pa 
fju>$  ij  nfaiorT)  nai  ftaAiara  fj  upbq  'lovdaiav 


CHAP.  XVI.  6-12. 


203 


BEL).  On  the  subject  matter  comp.  xviii.  7.  But 
the  fugitives  are  not  in  Sela  only.  According  to 
xv.  8,  they  dispersed  on  every  side.  Therefore 
fleeing  crowds  appear  also  at  Arnon,  the  northern 
border  river  of  Moab.  These  are  called  "  daugh- 
ters of  Moab."  Does  not  the  feminine  stamp  the  ti- 
mid fugitives  as  those  that  have  turned  into  women 
and  lost  all  masculine  courage?  Comp.  e.g.  iii.  1. 

3.  Take  counsel the  spoiler. — Vers.  3, 

4  a.  These  are  n^t  the  words  of  the  Moabites,  but 
of  the  Prophet,  who  directs  this  petition  to  the 
Moabites  in  the  name  of  his  people.  They  are 
not  only  to  put  themselves  in  subjection  to  Judah, 
and  purchase  protection  for  themselves  by  tribute, 
but  they  are  also  on  their  part  to  afford  protec- 
tion. By  the  likeness  of  their  contents,  vers.  3, 
4  a  belong  together.  The  Prophet  hereby  assumes 
that  there  shall  come  upon  Judah  also  such  a  vi- 
sitation as  xv.,  xvi.  he  proclaims  to  Moab.  This 
was  fulfilled  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  in  Jer.  xl. 
1 1  Moab  is  expressly  named  among  the  lands  into 
which  scattered  Judah  (irnj,  Jer.  xl.  12)  had  fled. 
— The  Prophet  cannot  mean  that  the  Moabites 
shall  bring  about  justice  between  the  Israelites 
and  their  oppressors,  for  they  lack  power  and 
force  to  do  this.  But  they  are  to  do  what  is  right 
in  that  they  receive  to  their  protection  those  op- 
pressed and  driven  out.  This  demand  for  pro- 
tecting shelter  is  expressed  by  means  of  an  admi- 
rable figure  of  speech.  Moab  shall  make  its  sha- 
dow at  clear  midday  dark  as  at  midnight,  so  that 
he  who  is  concealed  in  this  shadow  shall  be  hid 
as  completely  as  if  the  darkness  of  night  enclosed 
him. 

4.  For  the  extortioner — righteousness. 
— Vers.  4  6,  5.  The  Prophet  now  gives  the  reasons 


why  Moab  should-  seek  shelter  from  Judah  and 
likewise  afford  shelter  to  the  fugitives  of  Judea. 
This  reason  is  one  eminently  prophetic.  That  is 
to  say,  Isaiah  sees  in  spirit  the  end  of  the  world- 
power,  therefore  the  cessation  of  all  violent  op- 
pression and  the  dominion  of  the  kingdom  of  God 
under  a  great  one  of  the  line  of  David.  Would 
Moab  share  in  this  glory  of  the  people  of  God, 
then  it  must  now  display  such  conduct  as  the  Pro- 
phet imputes  to  it,  vers.  1-4  a.  This  is  the  same 
thought,  the  correlative  of  which  is  expressed 
Ix.  12  (comp.  Zech.  xiv.  16  sqq.)  in  the  words: 
"  For  the  nation  and  kingdom  that  will  not  serve 
thee  shall  perish." — f"1^^,  "the  land,"  according 
to  the  context,  signifies  the  whole  earth.  For  the 
world-power  that  is  characterized  in  the  preceding 
words  dominates  not  a  single  land,  but  the  whole 
earth.  In  contrast  with  the  violent,  unjust  world- 
power  another  throne  shall  be  set  up  by  mildness 
(IDn,  see  Text,  and  Gram.}.  On  this  throne, 
which  stands  in  the  tabernacle  of  David  (an  ex- 
pression of  modesty,  see  Text,  and  Gram.),  shall 
one  sit  in  truth,  i.  e.,  one  who  is  truthful  and  re- 
liable, and  he  will  do  nothing  arbitrarily ;  but  he 
will  keep  to  the  forms  of  law  (L33!i').  But  not 
only  this — he  will  also  interest  himself  to  find  out 
the  (substantial)  right  (BDtra  W~)^)— and  when 
he  has  found  it,  he  will  promptly  execute  it 
(pl¥  Tri!p)-  That  the  Prophet  has  in  mind  here 
the  great  Son  of  David,  whose  friendliness  and 
righteousness  he  had  already  celebrated,  ix.  5  sq.; 
xi.  1  sq.,  cannot  be  doubted.  Where  ceasing  from 
violence  and  injustice  and  a  kingdom  of  right- 
eousness and  of  loving  mildness  are  spoken  of,  the 
Messianic  kingdom  is  meant. 


y)  MOAB'S  PR  WE  AND  RUIN. 
CHAPTER  XVI.  6-12. 

6  We  have  heard  of  the  pride  of  Moab  ;  *he  is  very  proud  : 
*Even  of  his  haughtiness,  and  his  pride,  and  his  wrath  ; 
"But  his  lies  shall  not  be  so. 

7  Therefore  shall  Moab  howl  dfor  Moab, 
Every  one  shall  howl ; 

For  the  foundations  of  Kir-hareseth  shall  ye  "mourn ; 
8Surely  they  are  stricken. 

8  For  the  fields  of  Heshbon  languish, 

And  the  vine  of  Sibmah  :  'the  lords  of  the  heathen  have  broken  down  the  Jprinci- 

pal  plants  thereof, 

They  kare  come  even  unto  Jazer,  they  wandered  Hhrough  the  wilderness : 
Her  branches  are  'stretched  out,  they  are  gone  over  the  sea. 

9  Therefore  I  will  bewail  with  the  weeping  of  Jazer  the  vine  of  Sibmah  : 
I  will  mwater  thee  with  my  tears,  O,  Heshbon,  and  Elealeh  : 

For  3the  "shouting  for  thy  summer  fruits  and  for  thy  harvest  is  fallen. 

10  And  gladness  is  taken  away,  and  joy  out  of  the  plentiful  field ; 

And  in  the  vineyards  there  shall  be  no  singing,  neither  shall  there  be  shouting : 
The  treaders  "shall  tread  out  no  wine  in  their  presses  ; 
I  have  made  their  vintage  shouting  to  cease. 

11  Wherefore  my  bowels  shall  sound  like  an  harp  for  Moab, 
And  mine  inward  parts  for  Kir-haresh. 


204 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


12  Aud  it  shall  come  to  pass,  when  pit  is  seen 
That  Moab  is  weary  on  the  high  place, 
That  he  shall  come  to  his  sanctuary  to  pray  ; 
qBut  he  shall  not  prevail. 


1  Or,  mutter. 


aOr,pluc.kedup. 


aOr,  the  alarm  is  fallen  upon,  etc. 


•  as  very  proud.  *  omit  even  of. 

•  grape  cakes.  'sigh. 

1  omit  the.  i  choice. 

•  vintage  shout  is  fallen  on,  etc.  °  shall  not  tread  wine. 

•  moisten.  i  so  he  shall  not. 


'  the  vanity  of  his  pretension.  *  to. 

t  wholly  stricken.  >>  are  withered. 

k  reached.  l  to. 

fwhen  Moab  appears,  when  it  afflicts  itself  on,  etc.,  when 
it  comes  to,  etc; 


Ver.  6.  The  plural  IjyOE'  intimates  that  this  haugh- 
tiness of  Moab  is  generally  known.  -  KJ,  contracted 
from  riJO  (ii-  12)  occurs  only  here;  (comp.  Ew.  §155  e). 
Regarding  the  construction,  it  belongs  to  |1XJ|  and  not 
to  3&OO,  for  the  Prophet  had  not  experienced  that  the 
very  proud  Moab  is  proud,  but  that  the  pride  of  Moab 
is  very  intense,  or  that  his  pride  mounts  up  very  high. 
-  P'JO  (comp.  ii.  10;  iv.  2;  xiii.  11,  19;  and  often)  and 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 

speaks  of  |"  T3lSn. The  plural  of  i)'"\&,  meaning 

!•-••-:  |T 

the  same  as      T2f,  V.  2,  occurs  only  here. J^£3J 


i"PtOCix.8;xiii.3,ll;  xxv.  11)  are  Isaianic  words. 

T-:|-  T  :  v 

is  "  excess,"  and  in  this  sense  is  more  frequently  used 
of  wrath,  but  is  used  also  of  overweening  pride  (comp. 
p"U  rn3j?  Prov.  xxi.  24).  In  Isaiah  the  word  occurs 
in  the  latter  sense  only  here  ;  in  the  former  he  uses  it 
often:  ix.  18;  x.  6;  xiii.  9,  13;  xiv.  6.  -  In  the  expres- 
sion JD-N1?  —  "  the  not  right,  incorrect,  wrong,"  the 
two  elements  are  fused  into  a  unity  of  notion  (comp. 
VJ?~Nb  x-  15)-  It  is  u?ed  adverbially  (2  Sam.  xvhi.  14) 
as  well  as  substantively  (2  Kings  vii.  9;  xvii.  9;  Prov. 
xv.  7  ;  Jer.  viii.  6  ;  xxiii.  10;  xlviii.  30,  bis).  —  D"13  from 
T13  =  N13  (comp.  XC33  and  71D3  "  inconsiderate 

"T  TT  TT  TT 

speaking,"  Lev.  v.  4;  Num.  xxx.  7,  9)  ''to  invent,  think 
out"  ==  commenticia,  ficticia,  "  conceited,  vain  babbling" 
(Job  xi.  3;  Jer.  xlviii.  30);  personally  "  a  braggart,  fop  " 
(xliv.  25;  Jer.  1.36). 

Ver.  7.  nty't^K  "  cakes,"  2  Sam.  vi.  19  ;  1  Chron.  xvL 
3;  plural  fllty'tyX  Song  of  Sol.  ii.  5,  and  D't^'l^K  Hos. 
iii.  1,  where  it  speaks  of  D'DJj?  ""tJTDN  -  D*>OJ-!JN 
is  in  apposition  with  the  subject  of  1J71JT  --  'jJX  »— 
"only;"  "  who  is  only  troubled,  nothing  but  troubled." 
-  &OJ  is  air.  Aey.  ;  comp.  71DJ  Ixvi.  2  and  NDJ  Prov. 

TT  VT  -T 

TV.  13. 

Ver.  8.  mTttf  xxxvii.  27,  plural  fl'lOliy  Hab.  iii.  17, 
st.  constr.,  rVloity  Deut.  xxxii.  32;  2  Kings  xxiii.  4.-  — 
Isaiah  uses  not  unfrequently  forms  of  ;S*3X,  xix.  8  ; 
xxiv.  4,  7  ;  xxxiii.  9.  -  0  771  is  tundcre,  pcrciltere,  "  to 

—  T 

smite."    It  occurs  again  xxviii.  1,  where,  to  be  sure,  it 


Niph.  xxxiii.  23,  "spread  themselves. "- 
Aey.,  "  the  sprouts  "  of  the  vine. 
Ver.  9.  "1V1N  Piel  of  nil,  with  the  second  and  third 

TT 

radicals  transposed,  xxxiv.  5,  7. TV71  is  the  shout 

T   •  • 

with  which  the  torcularii  cheered  their  labor,  and  pro- 
bably beat  time,  ver.  10 ;  Jer.  xxv.  30 ;  Ii.  14;  x'S  "IT71 

T    " 

TV!!  Jer.  xlviii.  33. It  is  certain  that  the  Prophet  for 

T      " 

the  sake  of  similarity  in  sound  wrote  TTJfp  instead  of 
"|Ty3i  the  latter  means  the  grape  harvest.  But  T3fp 
must  not  be  taken  as  -=  T]f  J3.  For  why  should  not  the 
grain  harvest  also  have  suffered  under  the  trampling 
feet  of  the  warrior  wine  treaders? 

Ver.  10.  TJ1  nnDt<7  from  Joel  i.  16. ^DID  a  very 

frequent  word  with  Isaiah,  x.  18;  xxix.  17;  xxxii.  15  sq.; 
xxxv.  2;  xxxvii.  24.  Here,  too,  70"^J  and  D'fD"O  are 
distinguished,  a  proof  that  we  may  take  T¥p  in  its 

•  IT 

proper  sense. — TJ1  and  yy^  are  also  associated  on  ac- 
count of  the  similarity  of  sound.  The  former  occurs, 
beside  passages  like  xxiv.  14;  xxvi.  19;  xxxv.  2;  xiii. 
11,  etc.,  also  in  xii.  6 ;  the  latter  xv.  4.  Neither  occurs 
again  in  the  Passive  conjugation  used  here. 

Ver.  11.  Mark  the  assonance  in  ^"Ip  and  jjnn  Tp. 
•  :!•  v  IT       I- 

Likely  it  is  purely  out  of  regard  for  such  assonance  that 
the  name  of  this  single  city  is  here  repeated.  This 
passage  generally,  especially  from  ver.  6  on,  is  extra- 
ordinarily rich  in  such  assonances. 

Ver.  12.  On  710271  comp.  on  JV271  xv.  2,  and 
H03  Jer.  xlviii.  35. nxSji-14;  xlvii.  13. l, 

T  T  T    :  • 

occurs  not  seldom  in  Isaiah  :  xxxvii.  15,  21 ;  xxxviii.  2; 
xliv.  17 ;  xlv.  14,  20. 7  j'  without  expressed  object, 

T 

with  the  meaning  "to  put  through,  accomplish,"  occurs 
only  here  in  Isaiah.  Of  another  sort  are  the  instances 
i.  13;  vii.  1;  xxix.  11,  and  often.  On  the  contrary  this 
usage  is  frequent  in  Jer.:  iii.  5;  v.  22;  xx.  7.  Comp.  1 
Kings  xxii.  22. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  By  the  words  vers.  1-5  the  Prophet  had  in- 
dicated to  Moab  the  way  by  which  it  might  escape 
destruction.  Unhappily"  he  must  verify  that 
Moab  has  no  mind  to  follow  this  way  of  deliver- 
ance. It  is  much  too  proud  for  that:  its  old 
haughtiness  is  exhibited  in  a  ruinous  manner 
(ver.  6/.  Therefore  the  judgments  rim  their 
course:  lamentation  fills  the  whole  land.  But 
three  localities  become  especially  prominent  in 
the  general  chorus  of  those  that  lament,  which 
hitherto  had  been  just  the  places  of  most  joyous 


pleasure:  Kir-hareseth  with  its  grape  confections 
(ver.  7),  Heshbon  with  its  fruitful  meadows,  Sib- 
ma  with  its  vine  culture  (ver.  8).  The  misery  is 
so  great  that  the  Prophet,  as  feeling  the  conta- 
gion, must  not  only  outwardly  join  in  the  lament 
of  the  places  named  (vers.  9,  10),  but  also  feels 
himself  moved  in  his  inmost  by  the  universal  dis- 
tress (ver.  11).  And  though  now  Moab  turns  to 
his  idols  with  fervent  entreaty,  yet,  of  course, 
that  is  of  no  avail  (ver.  12). 

2.  We  have  heard not  be  so. — Ver.  6. 


CHAP.  XVI.  6-12. 


20-3 


What  the  Prophet  urged  vers.  1-5,  is  made  nuga- 
tory by  the  pride  of  Moab.  Jer.  xlviii.  11  com- 
pares Moab  to  wine  not  drawn  off  from  vessel  to 
vessel,  but  ever  settled  on  its  lees.  That  means : 
Moab  has  always  remained  in  his  land :  never 
gone  into  exile.  Thereby  has  been  developed  in 
him  a  strong  sense  of  strength  and  security  (comp. 
xxv.  11;  Jer.  xlviii.  14,  17,  18,  25,  26,  29;  ZepJi. 
ii.  8,  10). 

3.  Therefore the  sea.— Vers.  7,  8.     The 

Prophet  now  describes  the  consequences  of  this 
haughtiness.  Moab  must  then  howl  for  it.  Moab 
howls  to  Moab,  i.  e.  as  the  Prophet  (xv.  3,  "all 
of  it  shall  howl,")  himself  declares  every  thing 
howls,  and  thus  the  cry  of  lament  from  one  local- 
ity meets  that  of  the  next.  For  not  for  its  neigh- 
bor does  each  locality  lament,  but  for  itself;  but 
this  howling  is  heard  from  one  place  to  the  other. 
["It  is  better  to  adhere  to  the  common  interpre- 
tation of  3K1D;  as  denoting  the  subject  or  occa- 
sion of  the  lamentation : — the  simplest  supposition 
is  that  Moab  for  Moab  means  Moab  for  itself.  — J. 
A.  A.]. 

In  what  follows,  several  localities  present  them- 
selves to  the  view  of  the  Prophet  elevated  above 
the  general  level  of  universal  lament,  and  these 
are  such  localities  that  hitherto  had  produced  the 
most  precious  gifts  of  field  or  vineyard,  and  thus 
had  been  the  places  of  most  joyous  pleasures. 
Kir-hareseth,  (comp.  ver.  11,  Jer.  xlviii.  11,  31, 
36 ;  2  Kings  iii.  25),  since  VITRINGA,  has  been 
recognized  as  identical  with  Kir-Moab  xvi.  1, 
and  perhaps  so  named  on  account  of  its  brick 
walls.  It  sighs  for  its  grape  cakes;  and  as  a 
further  reason  for  the  mourning  it  is  said  that  the 
meadows  of  Heshbon  (xv.  4)  are  withered  and 
dry.  The  Essebonitis  (JOSEPHUS  Antiq.  xii.  4, 
11)  was  very  fruitful.  Thence  came  the  cele- 
brated grain  of  Minnith,  Ezek.  xxvii.  17.  "The 
traveller  LEGH  brought  so-called  Heshbon  wheat 
to  England  with  stalks  5'  \"  long  and  having 
84  grains  in  the  ear,  which  weighed  four  times  as 
much  as  an  English  ear  of  wheat  (LEYKER  in 
HERZ.  R.  Encycl.  VI.,  p.  21). — Sibmah  (Num. 
xxxii.  3  03'?,  comp.  ver.  38 ;  Josh.  xiii.  19)  ac- 
cording to  JEROME  on  Jer.  xlviii.  32,  say  only 
500  paces  from  Heshbon.  The  vines  of  Sibmah 
are  cut  down  by  the  lords  of  the  nations,  i.  e.  the 
leaders  of  the  heathen  host.  If  these  words  were 
understood  to  mean  that  the  vines  by  the  power 
of  their  wine  overcame  the  lords  of  the  nations 
then  nothing  would  be  said  of  the  calamity  that 
overtook  the  vines  themselves.  [Of  the  exposi- 
tion here  objected  to,  J.  A.  A.  says:  "This  in- 
genious exposition  (sett,  of  COCCEIUS  i  is  adopted 
by  VITRINGA,  LOWTH,  HITZIG,  MAURER,  HEN- 
DEWERK,  DE  WETTE,  KNOBEL,  on  the  ground 
of  its  agreement  with  the  subsequent  praises  of 
the  vine  of  Sibmah.  GESENIUS  objects  that  there 
is  then  no  mention  of  the  wasting  of  the  vine- 
yards by  the  enemy  unless  this  can  be  supposed  to  be 

included  in ^"^OX  "languish."  Besides  GESENITJS, 
ROSENMTJELLER,  EwALD.UsrBREiT,  and  most  of 
the  older  writers  make  JTpn£'  the  object  of  the 

verb  D^n  instead  of  its  subject."  See.  Text,  and 
Gram.].  In  order  to  make  a  due  impression  of 
the  damage  done  by  cutting  down  the  vines  of 
Sibmah,  the  Prophet  presents  a  picture  of  the  ex- 


tent of  their  culture.  It  reached  to  Jazer  north- 
ward, and  eastward  to  the  desert  they  wandered, 
i.  e.  the  vines  extended  in  wild  growth.  Jazer 
(Num.  xxxii.  1,  3,  35;  Josh.  xiii.  25,  and  often) 
now  a  cluster  of  ruins  of  Siev,  according  to  the 
ONOMASTICON,  lay  15  Roman  miles  north  of  Hesh- 
bon. The  vigorous  growth  of  the  vine  is,  even  in 
our  colder  climate,  something  extraordinary.  It 
is  quite  possible  that  in  that  warm  and  fruitful 
land  the  vine,  by  root-sprouts,  spread  itself, 
extending  beyond  the  limits  of  cultivation,  till 
it  was  stopped  by  the  sand  of  the  deserr.  But  to 
the  sea  also  it  spread.  What  sea  is  this?  Jer. 
(xlviii.  32)  understands  thereby  '  the  st-a  of  Ja- 
zer." That  can  be  nothing  but  a  pool  or  basin 
(comp.  "the  sea,"  in  the  temple,  1  Kings  vii.  23 
sqq.).  But  our  context  demands  that  we  look 
rather  for  a  sea  lying  to  the  south  or  west ;  for 
the  extension  of  the  vines  northward  and  east- 
ward has  already  been  mentioned.  If  it  is  to  be 
described  as  an  extension  on  every  side,  there  is 
only  wanting  the  southern  and  western  direction, 
or,  as  combining  both,  the  south-western.  South- 
west of  Sibmah  lay  the  Dead  Sea.  This  the  Pro- 
phet means  (comp.  2  Chr.  xx.  2).  But  I  would 
not,  with  DELITZSCH,  take  n3J7,  "  they  passed 
over,"  as  a  hyperbolical  expression  for  "  extended 
close  to  it."  We  may  without  ado  understand 
the  expression  in  its  full  and  proper  sense.  Did 
not  Engedi,  celebrated  for  its  vine  culture  (Song 
of  Solomon  i.  14),  lie  on  the  west  shore  of  the 
Dead  Sea  in  a  corner,  splendidly  watered  by  a 
spring  ?  And  there,  only  a  few  hours  further 
westward,  lay  Hebron,  also  renowned  for  its  wine 
(Num.  xiii.  24,  HERZ.  E.  Encycl.  XVII.,  p.  611). 
It  is  only  a  bold  poetic  view  when  the  Prophet 
treats  the  vines  that  grow  on  the  western  shore  of 
the  Dead  Sea  as  runners  from  those  that  grow  so 
gloriously  on  the  ea  =t  shore  in  Moab. 

4.  Therefore  I  will shouting  to  cease. 

— Vers.  9,  10.  The  Prophet  cannot  restrain  him- 
self from  joining  in  the  heart-rending  lament  that' 
he  hears  proceeding  from  Moab.  One  may  know 
by  that  how  fearful  it  must  be.  For  if  even  the 
enemy  feels  compassion  the  misery  must  have 
reached  the  acme.  ["  The  emphasis  does _not  lie 
merely  in  the  Prophet's  feeling  for  a  foreign  na- 
tion, but  in  his  feeling  for  a  guilty  race,  on  whom 
he  was  inspired  to  denounce  the  wrath  of  God." 
— J.  A.  A.].  '333  is  not  =  '333  ;  and  therefore 
the  Prophet  does  not  say  that  he  weeps  "as  bitter- 
ly as  Jazer,"  but  that  among  the  voices  of  the 
people  of  Jazer,  his  too  is  to  be  heard.  He  min- 
gles with  those  who  are  most  troubled  a.bout  the 
ruin  of  the  vines  of  Sibmah  because  they  are 
most  particularly  affected  by  it.  For  neither  the 
desert,  whither  the  vines  "  wander,"  nor  the  re- 
gion west  of  the  Dead  Sea  can  be  so  concerned 
about  the  destruction  of  the  grape  culture  in  the 
central  point  Sibmah,  as  the  neighboring  Jazer. 
The  Prophet  will  moisten  with  his  tears  the  fields 
of  Heshbon  and  Elealeh  (xv.  4).  These  withered 
fields  (ver.  8)  may  well  stand  in  need  of  such 
moistening,  for  on  the  fruit  and  grain  harvests 
there  has  fallen  the  shout  (see  Text,  and  Gram.) 
of  the  harvesters  or  rather  of  the  wine-treaders, 
an  expression  that  can  only  be  chosen  in  bitter 
irony.  For  it  is  the  devastating  feet  of  the  enemy 
that  have  BO  trampled  the  fruitful  meadows  and 


206 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


pressed  the  sap  out  of  every  living  plant,  so  that 
they  now  lie  there  withered.  In  consequence  of 
this  wine  treading,  joy  and  jubilee  are  (thus  and 
together)  wrested  away  from  the  cultivated  fields. 

5.  Wherefore not  prevail. — Vers.   11, 

12.  The  ''therefore  "  of  ver.  11,  stands  parallel 
with  the  ''  therefore  "  of  ver.  9.  Moab's  misery 
described  vers.  7,  8,  has  a  double  effect  on  the 
Prophet:  first  it  constrains  him  to  outward  ex- 
pression of  sympathy,  to  weep  along  with  them : 
he  feels,  so  to  speak,  the  contagion  of  the  univer- 
sal weeping:  second,  he  feels  himself  really 
moved  inwardly.  He  feels  this  emotion  in  his 
bowels,  for  the  motions  of  the  affection  find  their 
echo  in  the  noble  organs  of  the  body.  The  ex- 
pression non  l'to  sound,"  is  often  used  of  the 


bowels;  indeed  in  relation  to  God  Himself:  Ixiii. 
15;  Jer.  xxxi.  20;  comp.  Lam.  i.  20;  ii.  11; 
Jer.  iv.  19.  But  the  greatest  misfortune  of  all  in 
the  whole  affair  is  that  Moab  does  not  know  the 
true  source  of  all  consolation.  Would  it  only 
know  that,  then  would  its  sorrow  and  the  sorrow 
on  account  of  Moab  not  be  so  great.  But  Moab 
appears  on  the  high  place  consecrated  to  his 
god  Chemosh,  and  torments  himself  to  weariness. 
Examples  of  such  self-tormenting,  and  sore  sac- 
rifices for  the  sake  of  obtaining  what  is  prayed 
for,  are  presented  by  every  sort  of  false  religion, 
comp.  1  Kings  xviii.  28,  and  by  Moabite  history 
itself  in  the  offering  of  his  own  son  by  Mesa 
(Mesha)  2  Kings  iii.  27.— But  all  that  shall  be 
of  nc  avail. 


b)    The  later  prophecy :  more  exact  determination  of  the  period  of  its  fulfilment. 

CHAPTER  XVI.  13,  14. 

13  This  is  the  word  that  the  LORD  hath  spoken  concerning  Moab  "since  that  time. 

14  bBut  now  the  LORD  hath  spoken,  saying, 
Within  three  years,  as  the  years  of  an  hireling, 
And  the  glory  of  Moab  shall  be  contemned, 
With  all  that  great  multitude  ; 

And  the  remnant  shall  be  very  small  and  feeble. 

1  Or,  not  many. 

»  at  one  time.  "  Ana. 

TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  14.  3  before  3°^n  pDH  /D  is  construed  by  some 
as  designative  of  the  part  in  which  Moab  suffers  dimi- 
nution, by  others  as  the  2  of  association.  The  former 
construction  does  not  answer  because  it  restricts  the 
diminution  of  Moab  to  a  falling  off  of  the  dense  popula- 
tion solely.  Therefore  I  prefer  with  DELITZSCH  the  se- 
cond explanation  according  to  which  it  is  affirmed  that 
Moab's  glory,  t.  «.,  power  and  riches  tog  ther  with  the 


crowded  population  shall  be  destroyed. j'tDH,  comp. 

xiii.  4;  xvii.12;  xxix.  5,and  often. TpTD  tD^O  stand 

together  as  in  x.  25.  The  expression  T33  occurs  only 
in  Job  and  Isaiah,  comp.  x.  13;  xvii.  12;  xxviii.  2.  It 
seems  as  if  in  this  place  the  Prophet  has  in  mind  Job 
xxxvi.  5,  where  it  reads  :  DXD11  K'S  T3JI  "H- 


TEXTUAL    AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


1.  Isaiah  felt  himself  moved  to  repeat  a  pro- 
phecy against  Moab,  which  was  imparted  to  him 
at  an  earlier  period,  and   to  fix  accurately  the 
term  of  its  fulfilment.     For  in  precisely  three 
years  it  will  be  all  over  with  the  glory  of  Moab, 
and  only  an  inferior  remnant  of  it  will  be  left. 

2.  This  is  the  word feeble.— Vers.  13, 

14.     There  are  instances  elsewhere  of  a  Prophet, 
receiving  command  not  to  publish  a  prophecy  at 
once,  but  to  treasure  it  up  with  a  view  to  later 
publication  (comp.  viii.  1  sqq.,  xxx.  8;  li.  60sqq.) 
Here  we  have  the  reverse  of  this  procedure.  Isa., 
receives  command  now  to  publish  a  revelation  that 
was  imparted  to  him  at  an  earlier  date,  with  more 
particular  designation  of  the   terra  of  its  fulfil- 
ment that  was  before  left  undetermined.     If  the 
prophecy  was  not  imparted  to  him  but  to  another, 
why  should    he  not  name  this  other?      Would 
Isaiah  deck  himself  in  the  plumage  of  another? 
No  one  needed  this  less  than  he.     Nor  was  it  un- 
necessary to  mention  the  name.     For  a  nameless 


I  prophecy  lacks  all  authority.  At  most  it  could 
be  said  Isaiah  recognized  the  word  as  genuine 
word  of  prophecy,  and  published  it  under  the 
seal  of  his  name  and  authority,  like  ii.  2-4,  he 
takes  a  prophecy  of  Micah  for  a  foundation. 
But  against  this  is  the  fact  that  this  passage  bears 
on  the  face  of  it  too  undeniably  the  stamp  of  the 
spirit,  and  language  of  Isaiah.  Therefore,  TXO, 
"  aforetime,"  must  only  mean  that  some  time 
before  he  had  received  this  revelation.  By  ?ND 
is  not  indicated  a  definite  measure  of  time.  It 
is  also  elsewhere  found  opposed  to  the  nfl£, 

"now:"    xlviii.  7. Why  the  Prophet    chose 

just  that  season  for  publishing  designated  by 
'*  now,"  and  what  season  this  might  be,  we  have 
not  the  means  of  knowing.  In  no  case  was  the 
prophecy  fulfilled  in  one  act.  Here  too,  as  so 
often,  the  fulfilment  is  dispersed  through  many 
stages,  which  the  Prophet  himself  does  not  dis- 
tinguish. The  end  of  the  three  years  needed 


CHAP.  XVI.  13,  14. 


207 


only  to  coincide  with  a  fact  which  bore  with  it  in 
principle  the  fall  of  Moab,  to  assure  the  relative 
fulfilment  of  the  prophecy,  for  to  the  absolute 
fulfilment  belongs  of  course  the  entire  time  fol- 
lowing. It  is  quite  possible  that  the  Prophet 
received  the  prompting  to  the  first  prophecy 
against  Moab  (xv.  1-xvi.  12)  from  the  event  of 
the  Moabites  occupying  the  east  Jordan  territory 
of  Gad  and  Reuben  which  was  depopulated  by 
Pul  and  Tiglath-Fileser  (1  Chr.  v.  6,  26  ;  2  Kings 
xv.  29),  although  in  our  chapters  there  occurs  no 
express  reference  to  such  an  act  of  enmity 
against  Israel  (comp.  VAIHINGER  in  HERZ.  R. 
Encyd-  IX.  p.  662).  Isaiah  published  this  pro- 
phecy later  when  the  first  act  of  the  judgment 
was  in  prospect,  that  was  to  make  a  definitive 
end  of  the  state  of  Moab.  But  we  are  not  able 
to  say  wherein  this  first  act  consisted.  Yet  that 
it  was  only  a  first  act,  appears  from  the  fact  that 
more  than  a  hundred  years  later,  Jeremiah  once 
again  prophesied  the  judgment  of  destruction 
against  Moab  (Jer.  xlviii.). — —In  three  years, 
that  should  be  reckoned  like  the  years  of  an  hire- 
ling,^', e.,  close,  without  abbreviation  to  his  ad- 
vantage, and  without  extension  to  his  hurt  ((he 
expression  occurs  again  xxi.  16),  in  three  years, 
therefore,  Moab's  glory  was  to  be  made  insignifi- 
cant (iii.  5). 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAI,. 

1.  On  xv.    1.      "Although    the    Prophets  be- 
longed to  the  Jewish  people,  and  were  sent  espe- 
cially for  the  sake  of  the  Jewish  people,  yet  as 
God  would  that  all  men  should  come  to  repentance 
and  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  therefore  at  times 
also  the  Prophets  were  called  on  to  go  out  of  these 
limits,  and   preach  to  other  nations  for  a  sign 
against    them,  that    they  might    have    nothing 
whereby  to  excuse  themselves." — CRAMER.  I 

2.  On  xv.  2  sqq.     "  Against  the  wrath  of  God,  j 
neither  much  money  and  land,  nor  a  well  equip- 
ped nation,  nor  great  and  strong  cities,  nor  flight 
from  one  place  to  another  avail   anything,  but 
true  repentance  (Ps.  xxxiii.  16  sq.).     Whoever 
forsakes  God  in  good  days,  He  will  forsake  again 
in  misfortune,  and  then  they  can  find   nowhere 
rest  or  refuge  (Prov.  i.  24  sqq.). — STARKE. 

3.  On  xv.  7.     "  What  a  man  unjustly  makes, 
that  another  unjustly  takes." — STARKE. 

4.  On  xv.  8  sq.     "  God  is  wont,  in  His  judg- 
ments, to  proceed  by  degree's,  to  begin  with  lesser 
punishment-?,  and   proceed   to   the    sorer   (Lev. 
xxvi.  18,  21,  24,  28).     Although  the  godless  es- 
cape  one    misfortune    yet    they  soon    fall    into 
another." — STARKE. 

5.  On  xvi.  1  sqq.     ''God  can  quickly  bring  it 
about  that  the  people  that  once  gave  us  shelter- 
ing entertainment  must  in   turn,  look  to  us   for 
entertainment  and  a  lurking  place.     For  in  the 
famine,  Naomi  and  her  husband  and  sons  were 
pilgrims  in  the  land  of  Moab  (Ruth  i.  1).    David 
procured   ?,  refuge   for   his    parents   among  the 
Moabites  (1  Sam.  xxii.  3).    Now  their  affairs  are 
in  so  bad  a  case  that  they,  who  were  able  to  af 
ford  shelter  to  others,  must  themselves  go  wan- 
dering among  others ;  for  human  fortune  is  un- 
stable."—CRAMER. 

6.  On  xvi.  4.     "God  therefore  threatens  the 
Moabites,  at  the  same  time  winning  them  to  re- 


pentance, for  He  seeks  not  the  death  of  the  sinner 
(Ezek.  xviii.  32).  Thus  it  was  still  a  season  for 
repentance.  For  had  the  Moabites  once  again 
used  hospitality,  then  again  had  inercy  been  ex- 
tended to  them." — CRAMER. 

7.  On  xvi.  5.     "  Light  arises  to  the  pious  in 
the   darkness  from  the  Gracious,  Merciful  and 
Just  One.     His  heart  is   of  good   courage  and 
fears  not,  till  he  sees  his  desire  on  his  enemies 
(Ps.  cxii.  4,  8).     And  as  it  went  well  with  Jeru- 
salem, while  it  went  ill  with  the  Moabites,  thus 
shall  Christ's  kingdom  stand,  and  the  enemies  go 
down.     For  it  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and 
the  set  up  tabernacle  of  David  shall  surely  re- 
main (Am.  ix.  11.)" — CRAMER. 

8.  On    xvi.    6   sqq.      "  Moab  was  a   haughty 
nation,  for  it  was  rich  and  had  everything  abund"- 
ant.     For  it  commonly  goes  thus,  that  where  one 
is  full,  there  the  heart  is  lifted  up,  and  the  legs 
must    be  strong   that  can    bear   good   days." — 
CRAMER. 

9.  On  xvi.  9  sqq.     "  Such  must  be  the  disposi- 
tion of  teachers  and  preachers,  that  for  the  sake 
of  their  office,  they  should  and  must  castigate  in- 
justice for  God's  sake,  but  with  those  that  suffer 
the   punishment   they  must  be  pitiful   in  heart. 
And  therefore  they  must  be  the  sin's  enemy,  and 
the  persons'  friend.   Example :  Micah  announces 
the  punishment  to  Jerusalem  yet  howls  over  it, 
testifies  also  his  innermost  condolence  by  change 
of  clothing   (Mic.  i.  8).     Samuel  announces  de- 
struction to  Saul  and  has  sorrow  for  him  (1  Sam. 
xv.  26;  xvi.    1).      Likewise    Christ    announces 
every  sort  of  evil  to  the  Jews,  and  yet  weeps 
bitterly  ( Luke  xix.  41 ).   Paul  preaches  the  fright- 
ful rejection  of  the  Jews,  and  yet  wishes  it  were 
possible  to  purchase  their  salvation  by  His  eternal 
hurt  (Rom.  ix.  3)." — CRAMER. 

10.  On  xvi.  14.     "  Exceeding,  and  very  great 
is  the  grace  and  friendliness  of  God,  that  in  the 
midst  of  the  punishments  that  He  directs  against 
the  Moabites,  He  yet  thinks  on  His  mercy.     For 
the  LORD  is  good  unto  all  and  has  compassion  on 
all  His  works  (Ps.  cxlv.  9)."— CRAMER. 

11.  On  xvi.  12.     Hypocritae,  ubi,  etc.    "Hypo- 
crites, whose  souls  are  filled  with  impious  notions 
of  God,  are  much  more  vehement  in  their  ex- 
ercises than  the  truly  pious  in  the  true%  worship  of 
God.     And  this  is  the  first   retribution  of   the 
impious,  that  they  are  wasted  by  their  own  labor 
which  they  undertake  of  their  own  accord.     An- 
other is  that  those  exercises  are  vain  in  time  of 
need  and  profit  nothing.     Therefore  their  evils 
are  born  with  the  greatest  uneasiness,  nor  do  they 
see  any  hope  of  aid.    On  the  contrary  true  piety, 
because  it  knows  that  it  is  the  servant  of  Christ, 
suffers  indeed  externally,  yet  conquers  the  cross 
by  the   confidence  which   it    has   in   Christ." — 
LUTHER. 

12.  On  xvi.  GENUINENESS.     [BARNES  in  loe. 
forcibly  presents  the  argument  for  the  genuine- 
ness of  these  prophecies  afforded  by  the  numer- 
ous mention  of  localities  and  the  prediction  of  the 
desolations  that  would  overtake  them.     In  doing 
so  he  quotes  also  the  language  of  Prof.  SHEDD 
(Bib.  Repos.   Vol.  VII.,  pp.  108  sq.).     BARNES 
says  :  "That  evidence  is  found  in  the  particulari- 
ty with  which  places  are  mentioned  ;  and  in  the 
fact  that  impostors  would  not  sperify  places,  any 
further  than  was  unavoidable.     Mistakes,  we  all 


208 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


know,  are  liable  to  be  made  by  those  who  attempt 
to  describe  the  geography  of  places  which  they 
have  not  seen.  Yet  here  is  a  description  of  a 
land  and  its  numerous  towns,  made  nearly  three 
thousand  years  ago,  and  in  its  particulars  it  is 
sustained  by  all  the  travellers  of  modern  times. 
The  ruins  of  the  same  towns  are  still  seen  ;  their 
places  in  general  can  be  designated;  and  there  is 
a  moral  certainty,  therefore,  that  this  prophecy 
was  made  by  one  who  knew  the  locality  of  those 
places,  and  that,  therefore,  the  prophecy  is  ancient 
and  genuine." — "  Every  successive  traveller  who 
visits  Moab,  Idumea  or  Palestine,  does  something 
to  confirm  the  accuracy  of  Isaiah.  Towns  bear- 
ing the  same  name,  or  the  ruins  of  towns,  are 
located  in  the  same  relative  position  in  which  he 
said  they  were,  and  the  ruins  of  once  splendid 
cities,  broken  columns,  dilapidated  walls,  trodden 
down  vineyards,  and  half  demolished  temples 
proclaim  to  the  world  that  those  cities  are  what 
he  said  they  would  be,  and  that  he  was  under  the 
inspiration  of  God."  See  KEITH  on  Prophecy, 
whose  whole  book  is  but  the  amplification  of  this 
argument.  The  modern  traveller,  who  explores 
those  regions  with  Isaiah  in  one  hand  and  RO- 
BINSON'S Researches  or  MURRAY'S  Guide  in  the 
other,  has  a,  demonstration  that  Isaiah  was  as 
surely  written  with  the  accurate  knowledge  of 


those  regions  in  their  day  of  prosperity  and  po- 
pulous cities,  as  that  the  accounts  of  ROBINSON, 
TRISTRAM  or  MURRAY'S  Guide  were  written  by 
those  who  only  had  a  knowledge  of  their  ruins 
and  desolations. — TB.]. 


HOMTLETICAL  HINTS. 

1.  On  xvi.  5.     This  text  can  be  used  on  the 
Reformation  Feast,  at  Synods,  Missionary  Anni- 
versaries and  similar  occasions.     THE  THRONE 
OP  THE  LORD  JESUS   CHRIST.     I.  Its  Founda- 
tion :  Grace.     II.  The  Substance  of  which  it  is 
made  :  Truth.     III.  The  Place  where  it  stands : 
The  Tabernacle  of  David.     IV.  The  Object,  for 
whose  attainment  it  is  set  up  :  Justice  and  Right- 
eousness. 

2.  On  xvi.  6-14.     Righteousness  exalts  a  na- 
tion, but  sin  is  the  people's  destruction   (Prov. 
xiv.  34).     Therefore  the  salvation  of  a  people 
rests  on  their  knowing  and  serving  the  LORD. 
The  example  of  Moab  proves  this.     We  learn 
from  it :     WHAT  A  PEOPLE  MUST  SHUN  AND  DO 

THAT    SALVATION    MAY  BE    ITS    PORTION.      I.    It 

must  shun,  a)  pride  (ver.  6)  ;  6)  false  and"  ex- 
ternal worship  (ver.  12).  II.  It  must  serve  the 
LORD,  who  is  a)  a  true,  6)  an  almighty,  c)  a  holy 
and  just  God. 


3.   AGAINST  SYRIA-EPHRAIM  AND  ETHIOPIA-EGYPT. 
CHAPTERS  XVII— XX. 


The  prophecies  contained  in  xvii. — xx.  have 
this  much  in  common,  that  they  are  directed 
against  two  double  nations.  For  as  here  Syria 
and  Ephraim  belong  together,  so  there  Ethiopia 
and  Egypt.  Thus  in  the  north  and  south  the  gaze 
of  the  Prophet  falls  on  a  double  nation,  and  in 
each  case  the  remoter  nation  is  the  more  hetero- 
geneous. Then  all  these  prophecies  point  to  the 
future  of  Assyria.  But  they  do  so  in  a  very  dif- 
ferent sense.  In  xvii.  Assyria  appears  as  instru- 
ment for  accomplishing  the  judgment  on  the 
neighboring  enemy  of  Judah,  Syria  and  Israel. 
But  immediately  thereafter  (xvii.  12-14)  destruc- 
tion is  announced  against  Assyria  itself,  so  that 
xvii.  can  conclude  with  the  words:  "This  is  the 
portion  of  them  that  spoil  us  and  the  lot  of  them 
that  rob  us."  But  Assyria  threatened  not  merely 
Judah  and  its  next  neighbors.  The  terror  of  it 
went  further:  it  extended  into  distant  lands.  To 
these  belonged  also  Ethiopia.  Therefore  on  this 
account  the  Prophet  announces  to  Ethiopia,  too, 
the  impending  danger  proceeding  from  Assyria. 
And  this  announcement  could  so  much  the  more 
find  a  place  here  as  the  Prophet  at  the  same  time 
had  to  announce  the  putting  aside  of  this  danger 
by  the  same  overthrow  of  the  Assyrians  that 
(xvii.  12-14)  he  holds  up  to  view  as  the  deliver- 
ing event  for  Judah.  Thus  the  Prophet  in  so  far 
points  away  to  a  future  of  Assyria  which  is  to  it 
fatal,  and  on  that  account  for  Judah  full  of  com- 
fort. Hence  these  chapters  involve  the  warning 
to  fear  neither  Syria-Ephraim  nor  Assyria.  We 
can  say,  therefore,  that  the  contents  of  xvii.  cor- 
respond to  the  contents  of  the  first  and  third  part 
of  the  prophetic-cycle  vii. — xii.  For  we  find 


here  everything  that  is  set  forth  in  extenso  vii.  1 
— ix.  6,  and  then  again  x.  5 — xi.  16,  given  com- 
pactly in  the  brief  space  of  one  chapter.  Re- 
garding the  period  of  their  composition,  we 
must  ascribe  xvii.  and  xviii.  to  the  same  time. 
For  in  both  Assyria  is  spoken  of  in  the  same 
sense,  i.  e.,  the  overthrow  of  Assyria  is  held  up 
to  view  in  both,  and  not  the  victory  as  in  xix. 
and  xx.  But  then  in  both  passages  this  over- 
throw is  spoken  of  in  such  a  way  that  one  sees 
the  lines  of  perspective  of  both  pictures  of  the 
future  meet  in  the  historical  event  that  is  de- 
scribed xxxvii.  36  sqq.  To  this  is  added  what 
DRECHSLER  calls  attention  to,  that  chapter  xviii. 
has  no  superscription,  but  appears  with  its  'in. 
''woe,"  to  join  on  to  the  "woe"  of  xvii.  12. 
DRECHSLER,  indeed,  urges  the  unity  too  strongly. 
(in  his  Commentary,  and  Stud.  u.  Krit.,  1847,  p. 
857  sqq.).  Yet  one  don't  see  why  the  Prophet 
should  have  set  just  Ethiopia  parallel  with  Ju- 
dah. This  is  only  conceivable  if  chapter  xviii. 
was  not  conceived  ad  hoc,  but  was  put  here  only 
as  a  parallel  actually  existing  and,  according  to 
the  reference  of  vers.  5,  6,  a  fitting  parallel.  But, 
as  already  said,  the  two  passages,  as  regards  their 
origin,  belong  to  one  period.  And  inasmuch  as, 
according  to  xvii.  1-3,  Damascus  and  Ephraim 
still  stood  intact,  we  must  ascribe  both  chapters 
xvii.  xviii.,  to  the  beginning  of  the  reign  of 
Ahaz,  the  time  to  which  chapters  vii.  1— ix.  6 
owe  their  origin.  We  would  then  have  in  our 
chapters  a  proof  that  Isaiah,  at  that  time  not  only 
foresaw  the  significance  of  Assyria  as  an  instru- 
ment of  punishment,  but  also  its  destruction. 
Chapters  xix.  and  xx.,  also  treat  of  the  future 


CHAP.  XVII.  1-3. 


209 


of  Assyria,  but  in  the  opposite  sense :  for  chapter 
xix.,  holds  up  to  the  view  of  Egypt  its  destruc- 
tion. Who  will  be  the  instrument  of  this  de- 
struction is  not  said.  It  is  known  only  from  vers. 
16,  17  that  it  is  the  God  of  Israel  that  causes  the 
ruin  to  fall  on  Egypt.  But  when,  now,  ver.  23 
sqq.,  the  view  is  displayed  in  the  still  more  re- 
mote future  of  the  most  intimate  friendship  be- 
tween Egypt  and  Assyria,  and  great  salvation  for 
both,  so  it  results,  by  force  of  the  contrast  im- 
plied, that  Assyria  must  previously  have  been 
the  enemy  and  destroyer  of  Egypt.  And  this, 
then,  is  said  in  express  words  in  chapter  xx., 
which  is  related  to  chapter  xix.,  as  an  explana- 
tory sequel.  Evidently,  therefore,  chapters  xix. 
xx.,  involve  for  Judah  the  warning  that  con- 
federacy with  Egypt  is  of  no  avail  against  As- 
syria. The  LORD  has  given  Egypt  inevitably 
into  the  hand  of  Assyria  in  the  immediate  future. 
From  this  we  recognize  that  these  chapters 
must  have  been  written  at  a  time  when  Judah 
needed  such  a  warning  against  false  reliance  on 
the  protection  of  Egypt  against  the  danger  that 
threatened  on  the  side  of  Assyria.  Such  was  the 
case  in  the  time  of  Hezekiah.  We  learn  from 
xxviii. — xxxii.,  that  an  "  Egyptian  policy  "  was 
the  great  theocratic  error  of  the  reign  of  Heze- 
kiah. Moreover  the  date  given  xx.  1  (see  com- 
ment in  loc.),  according  to  the  Assyrian  monu- 
ments, refers  us  to  the  year  711,  the  17th  year 
of  Hezekiah,  for  the  beginning,  and  xx.  3  to  the 
year  708,  as  the  period  of  the  conclusion,  and  of 
the  prophetic  indication  of  that  typical  transac- 
tion. According  to  that,  chapter  xx.  cannot 
have  been  written  before  the  year  708  B.  c.,  and 
the  words,  "  and  fought  against  Ashdod  and  took 
it,"  ver.  1  b  are,  relatively,  indeed,  but  not  abso- 
lutely considered,  an  historical  anticipation. 

But  our  chapters  have  still  a  further  pecu- 
liarity in  common.  That  is  to  say,  with  excep- 
tion of  chapter  xx.,  they  are  all  of  them  compre- 
hensive surveys,  while  chapter  xx.,  as  already 
said,  only  more  nearly  determines  a  chief  point 
left  indistinct  in  chapter  xix.  For  the  Prophet 
comprehends  here,  as  in  one  look,  the  entire 
future  of  all  the  nations  mentioned  in  these 
chapters,  down  into  the  remotest  Messianic  time, 


where  all  shall  belong  to  the  kingdom  of  peace 
that  the  Messiah  shall  found.  Israel  (and  by 
implication  Syria,  comp.  on  "  as  the  glory,"  etc. 
xvii.  3,  and  "  a  man,"  ver.  7),  Judah,  Ethiopia, 
Egypt,  Assyria,  all  of  them  shall  with  one  ac- 
cord serve  the  LORD,  and  in  equal  measure  enjoy 
His  blessing.  Connected  therewith  is  the  fact 
that  these  chapters  (xx.  excepted,  for  the  reason 
given)  form  a  total  by  themselves,  in  that  they 
sketch,  prophetic  fashion,  in  grand  brevity,  a 
panorama  of  the  future  history  of  the  nations  in 
question.  But  as  regards  the  relation  of  this 
second  element,  the  Messianic  to  the  first,  the  As- 
syrian, it  must  be  observed  that  the  formei  in 
chapters  xviii.  xix.,  forms  quite  normally  the 
conclusion.  But  in  xvii.,  the  Assyrian  element 
forms  the  conclusion,  and  indeed  it  is  joined  on 
in  a  loose  and  unconnected  way.  In  xvii.  9-11, 
the  cause  of  the  fall  described  vers.  4-6  is  assigned 
in  only  an  incidental  way,  so  that  the  Messianic 
element  (vers.  7,  8)  has,  so  to  speak,  a  subsequent 
endorser  in  this  reason  assigned.  Yet  this  style 
of  adding  the  reason  after  describing  the  event 
has  many  examples.  But  the  words  xvii.  12-14 
certainly  give  the  impression  of  being  a  later 
addition,  yet  one  that  in  any  case  proceeds  from 
the  Prophet  himself.  Without  this  addition 
there  would  be  wanting  to  xvii.,  one  of  the  two 
elements  that  characterize  chapters  xvii. — xx. 
With  it,  chapter  xvii.  not  only  becomes  homo- 
geneous with  the  following  chapters,  but  also  it 
becomes  complete  in  itself  (comp.  ver.  14  b),  and 
receives  a  bridge  that  unites  it  with  chap,  xviii. 

We  may  group  the  four  chapters  in  the  follow- 
ing fashion : — 

a)  Prophecies  that  give  warning  not  to  be  afraid 
either  of  Syria-Ephraim,  or  Assyria  (xvii., 
xviii.). 

a.  Damascus  and  Ephraim  now  and  in  time 

to  come  (xviii.). 
P.  Ethiopia  now  and  in  time  to  come  (xviii.). 

b)  Prophecies  that  give  warning  not  to  trust  to 
false  help  against  Assyria  (xix.,  xx.). 

a.  Egypt  now  and  in  time  to  come  (xix.). 
P.  The  Assyrian  captivity  of  Egypt  (xx.). 


a)  Prophecies  that  give  warning  not  to  be  afraid  either  of  Syria-Fphraim  or  Assyria. 

CHAPTERS  XVII.,  XVIII. 

a )   DAMASCUS  AND  EPHRAIM  NO  W  AND  IN  TIME  TO  COME. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

K )   The  destruction  of  Damascus  and  Ephraim. 
CHAPTER  XVII.  1-3. 

1  THE  BURDEN  OF  DAMASCUS. 

Behold,  Damascus  is  taken  away  from  being  a  city, 
And  it  shall  be  a  ruinous  heap. 

2  The  cities  of  Aroer  are  forsaken : 
They  shall  be  for  flocks, 

'Which  shall  lie  down  and  none  shall  make  them  afraid. 
14 


210 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


3  The  fortress  also  shall  cease  from  Ephraim, 

And  the  kingdom  from  Damascus,  and  the  remnant  of  Syria ; 
They  shall  be  as  the  glory  of  the  children  of  Israel, 
Saith  the  LORD  of  hosts. 

•  And  they  shall  lie  down  and  there  shall  be  no  one  making  them  afraid. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  In  this  verse  the  m  sound  predominates  in  a 
way  not  to  be  mistaken. The  participle  1D1D  occurs 

I  T 

again  1  Sam.  xxi.  7. The  construction  with  jlp  as  e.  g. 

'nSQO  -"TDKO'I  1  Sam.  xv.  23. 'j;o  is  chosen  for  the 

sake  of  the  paronomasia  with  "VJ?I3.  It  stands  only 
here  for  the  elsewhere  usual  *y.  [Imitated  in  NAEGELS- 
BACH'S  translation  by:  " verworfen  als  Stadt  wnd  wird 

eine  Trammers  tat  t-TE.]. Also  PI  730  (of  the  same 

meaning  as  n^SD  xxiii.  13;  xxv.  2;  and  partly  D7DD 
Ezek.  xxvi.  15, 18,  and  often)  occurs  only  here. 

Ver.  2.  In  this  verse  there  occurs  no  m  sound  except- 
ing D  in  the  last  word.  On  the  other  hand  the  r,  hiss- 
ing and  dental  sounds  predominate. It  is  debatable 


GRAMMATICAL. 

whether  <y  ^y  is  equivalent  to  'y  D1J3  (compare 
fl3iyn  "^ y  Josh.  xiu.  17)  or  is  to  be  construed  as  appo- 
sitional  genitive.  I  would  not  against  the  former  of 
these  explanations  oppose  what  GESENIUS  (Thes.  pag. 
1074,  comp.  1005;  cites  against  himself,  that  Aroer  was 
no  metropolis.  For  even  if  it  were  not  the  capital  of  a 
land,  it  might  still  be  the  central  point  of  a  number  of 

smaller  cities  or  villages. HIDTJ?  is  _>  derelictae,  de- 

sertae  (ver.  9;  vi.  12;  Jer.  iv.  29). T"inO    TfcO    V31 

is  a  form  of  speech  borrowed  from  Job  (xi.  19)  and  re- 
produced later  by  Zephaniah  (iii.  13). 

Ver.  3.  Notice  the  alliteration  of  the  first  half  of  the 
verse.    As  IKE/  is  not  ceteri,  but  reliqui,  I  regard  it  as 

T  : 

more  accurate  to  connect  DTK  "IKttfl  with  what  follows 
than  with  what  precedes. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1 .  The  Prophet  makes  the  Syrian  capital  his 
starting  point,  announcing  to  it  first  that  it  will 
be  reduced  to  a  place  of  ruin  (ver.  1).     From 
there  he  turns  to  the  territory  of  Israel,  and  tra- 
verses first  east  Jordan  Israel  to  its  extremes! 
point  (ver.  2),  then  passes  over  to  west  Jordan, 
and  thence  returns  back  to  Damascus  (ver.  3). 
Tims  he  describes  a  circuit,  carries  the  destruc- 
tion over  Gilead  to  Ephraim  and  thence  back  to 
Damascus,  so  that  thus  Ephraim  becomes  as  Da- 
mascus and  Damascus  as  Ephraim  ;  thus  both,  as 
they  are  politically  closely  united,  appear  joined 
in  a  common  ruin. 

2.  The  burden  of  Damascus heap. — 

Ver.  1.     DtyOT  KtJO,  "Burden  of  Damascus,"  is 
in  so  far  an  inexact  expression  as  chap.  xvii.  does 
not  merely  treat  of  a  judgment  against  Damascus, 
but  of  a  judgment  upon  Ephraim  and  Assyria. 
But  the  expression  seems  to  be  chosen  for  the  pake 
of  conformity  with  the  other  sections  of  the  col- 
lection, chapters  xiii. — xxiii.     But  it  must  not 
here  be  construed  in  the  sense  of  giving  the  con- 
tents ;  it  is  a  simple  nota,  a  mere  designation  to 
distinguish  and  mark  a  beginning.     As  regards 
the  fulfilment,  we  see  from  viii.  4  that  Isaiah  sees 
the  time  near  at  hand  when  the  plunder  of  Da- 
mascus shall  be  carried  before  the  king  of  Assyria, 
and  according  to  x.  9  this  capture  has  already 
resulted.     SCHRADER  (Die  Keilinschrifte.n  und  das 
A.  T.,  p.  150  sq.  u.  152  sq.)  imparts  from  LAY- 
ARD'S  inscriptions   (London,  1851,  Fol.),  an  in- 
scription that  is  unfortunately  somewhat  obliter- 
ated, but  is  still  plain  enough  to  make  known 
that  Tiglath-Pileser,  by  means  of  an  expedition 
lasting  two  years  (according  to  SCHRADER,  they 
were  the  years  733  and  732  B.  C.  ;  according  to 
the  list  of  regents,  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth 
year  of  this  king),  destroyed  the  kingdom  of  Da- 
mascus.    The  inscription  reads :  "   ....  whose 
number  cannot  be  numbered  ....  I  caused  to 
be  beheaded;  ....  of  (Bin)  hadar,  the  palace 


of  the  father  of  Rezin  (Ra-sun-ni,  Ra-sun-nu)  of 
Damascus,  (situated  on)  inaccessible  mountains 
.  .  .  .  I  besieged,  captured  ;  8000  inhabitants  to- 
gether with  their  property ;  Mitinti  of  Ascalon 
.  .  .  .  I  led  forth  into  captivity  ;  five  hundred 
(and  eighteen,  according  to  SMITH)  cities  from  six- 
teen districts  of  the  Damascus  land  I  desolated 
like  a  heap  of  rubbish."  But  it  is  of  course  to  be 
noticed  that  this  catastrophe  was  only  a  tempora- 
ry one.  For  Jer.  xlix.  23-27  and  Ezek.  xxvii. 
18  knew  Damascus  again  as  a  city  existing  in 
their  time.  On  the  whole  Damascus  is  almost  the 
only  one  of  all  the  cities  of  biblical  antiquity  that 
flourishes  still  down  to  the  present  day. 

3.  The  cities  of  Aroer afraid. — Ver.  2. 

Three  cities  of  Old  Testament  mention  are  called 
by  the  name  Aroer :  1)  a  city  in  Judah  (1  Sam. 
xxx.  28)  which  cannot  by  any  means  be  meant 
here;  2)  a  city  in  the  tribe  of  Gad,  which  accord- 
ing to  Josh.  xiii.  25  (comp.  Jud.  xi.  33)  lay 
" before  Rabbah ;  3)  a  city  in  the  tribe  of  Reuben, 
situated  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Arnon  (Deut. 
ii.  36 ;  Josh.  xii.  2 ;  xiii.  9,  16  ;  Judg.  xi.  20 ;  2 
Kings  x.  33,  and  often).  But  if  the  Prophet 
meant  only  one  of  the  two  Aroers,  then  we  miss 
an  element  that  is  of  importance  in  the  connection 
of  thought  of  our  passage.  Are  both  Aroers 
meant,  then  the  Southern  one,  on  the  bank  of 
Arnon,  must  be  one  of  them.  But  in  that  case 
the  words  "cities  of  Arnon"  involve  the  sense: 
the  entire  east  Jordan  territory.  But  also  the 
etymological  primary  sense  (^y^£=nudus,  "bare," 
'T"/l?.  inops,  "poor")  recommended  the  mention 
of  the  name  of  these  cities.  So  that  it  thus  seems 
to  have  been  chosen  for  a  threefold  reason  (see 
Text,  and  Gram.).  From  Damascus  the  judg- 
ment of  God  moves  southward  like  a  tempest  or 
a  hail  cloud  through  Gilead  to  rebound  from  the 
mountain  chain  of  Abarim  and  be  deflected  there- 
by westward  across  the  Jordan  into  the  territory 


CHAP.  XVII.  4-8. 


211 


of  Ephraim.  Thus  all  Gilead  becomes  unfitted 
for  human  habitation.  Only  herds  of  animals 
stop  there,  that  can  repose  without  fear  of  disturb- 
ance.— The  occupation  of  a  region  by  herds  is 
also  in  other  places  named  as  the  sign  of  a  desert 
condition  :  xvii.  10  ;  Zeph.  ii.  14,  and  often. 

[In  regard  to  "cities  of  Aroer,"  J.  A.  A.  says: 
"It  is  now  commonly  agreed  that  the  place  meant 
is  the  northern  Aroer,  east  of  Jordan,  and  that 
its  cities  are  the  towns  around  it,  and  perhaps  de- 
pendent on  it."] 

4.  The  fortress of  hosts.— Ver.  3.  The 

Prophet  now  takes  Ephraim  and  Syria  together. 
Of  the  former  shall  be  done  away  all  1-pp  (col- 
lective, ''all  defense").  Thereby  the  cities  of 
Ephraim  also  cease  to  be  cities  (ver.  1).  For  in 
that  no  longer  patriarchal  but  warlike  time  and 
region,  whatever  was  without  wall  was  a  village. 
Cornp.  "^Drp  YJJ  "fenced  cities,"  opposed  to 

"133  or  "I3i>  "  hamlet,  village,"  1  Sam.  ?i.  18,  and 
often.  As,  therefore,  "  The  fortress  ceases  from 
Ephraim,"  (W3  '0  rotfj,  recalls  Vjrn  1D1D  "re- 
jected as  city,"  ver.  1),  the  end  returns  to  the  be- 
ginning, and  with  the  following  words  "the  king- 
dom of  Damascus,"  the  Prophet  actually  arrives 
back  in  Damascus,  whence  he  started  out,  so  that 
he  has  thus  described  a  circuit.  With  what  art 


the  Prophet  intimates  that  not  only  Ephraim  be- 
comes as  Damascus  (by  the  1i'20  rOKO),  but  also 
Damascus  as  Ephraim !  Are  the  cities  of  Ephraim 
and  Damascus  become  villages,  then  Damascus 
can  neither  maintain  its  ancient  rank  as  a  royal 
city,  nor  the  cities  of  Ephraim  their  ancient  glory. 
Both  must  fall  and  go  to  ruin.  "  As  the  glory  of 
the  children  of  Israel "  must,  of  course,  be  in- 
tended in  the  first  place  ironically.  Ephraim 
had  joined  itself  closely  with  Syria  to  the  great 
terror  of  Judah  (vii.  2;  viii.  12).  Isaiah  shows 
here  how  this  close  political  coalition  will  turn 
to  their  destruction,  engulfing  them  in  one  com- 
mon ruin.  But  when  ver.  4  sqq.  it  is  seen  what  will 
be  the  fate  of  the  glory  of  Jacob,  viz.:  that  it  will 
return  from  the  fallen  estate  of  remoteness  from 
God  to  the  glory  of  nearness  to  God,  then  it  will 
not  appear  an  error  if  in  "the  remnant  of  Syria" 
is  seen  an  allusion  to  "  the  remnant  of  Israel," 
and  in  the  likeness  of  name  an  intimation  of  a 
likeness  of  destiny  that  is  to  be  hoped  for :  Comp. 
on  D1K  "  a  man,"  ver.  7. 

r  ^ 

[In  regard  to  the  ironical  and  sarcastic  mean- 
ing attached  to  the  expression  "the  glory  of 
Israel,"  a  notion  as  old  as  JEROME,  J.  A.  A.  says 
"  it  seems  to  mean  simply  what  is  left  of  their 
former  glory."] 


3)  Ephraim  (and  Damascus)  small  and  again  great. 
CHAPTER  XVII.  4-8. 

4  AND  in  that  day  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  the  glory  of  Jacob  shall  "be  made  thin, 
And  the  fatness  of  his  flesh  shall  wax  lean. 

5  And  it  shall  be  bas  when  the  harvestman  gathereth  the  corn, 
And  reapsth  the  ears  with  his  arm  ; 

And  it  shall  be  cas  he  that  gathereth  ears  in  the  valley  of  Rephaim. 

6  d  Yet  gleaning  grapes  shall  be  left  in  it,  as  the  shaking  of  an  olive  tree, 
Two  or  three  berries  in  the  top  of  the  uppermost  bough, 

Four  or  five  ein  the  outmost  fruitful  branches  thereof, 
Saith  the  LORD  God  of  Israel. 

7  At  that  day  shall  fa  man  look  to  his  Maker, 

And  his  eyes  shall  ghave  respect  to  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. 

8  And  he  shall  not  hlook  to  the  altars,  the  work  of  his  hands, 
Neither  shall  'respect  that  which  his  fingers  have  made, 
Either  the  jgroves,  or  the  images. 


1  Or,  sun  images. 

»  be  reduced. 

«  as  one  gleaning  ears. 

*  the  man  turn. 

*  look  to  what  his. 


*  as  one  in  harvest  gathereth  corn,  and  his  arm  reapcth  the  ears. 

d  And  gleanings  shall,  etc.  *  in  its,  the  fruit  tree's  boughs. 

t  look  to.  h  turn  to. 

i  Ashtaroth. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  4.  jOt^D  again  only  x.  16. PIP  Niph.  emaciari 

only  here  :  comp.  x.  18. 
Ver.  5.  HOp    xxxvii.  27. PITH    "and  it  goes," 

TIT  IT: 

comp.  xiii.  14. "V¥p    is  difficult.    The  connection 

leads  us  first  to  expect  the  meaning  "  reaper,"  and  many 
take  it  so,  letting  V¥p  be  said  metonymically  for  1¥ lp 

or  V¥p  '#JK  (GssEN.T).    Others  take  HDP  in  app'osi- 
I      "   :-  T|T 


GRAMMATICAL. 

tion  with  Y¥p,  or  YXp  =  "harvest  time  "  (when  the 

•IT  •  IT 

harvest  time  takes  away  the  stalks.  EWALD).  TVpnaay 

also  be  treated  as  accusative  of  time  :  "As  one  gathers 
stalks  of  grain  in  the  harvest."  All  of  these  explana- 
tions have  a  certain  harshness.  Against  DELITZSCH,  who 
makes  T^p=^ip  it  may  be  objected:  whydoes  Isaiah 
use  this  very  common  word  in  a  sense  that  it  never  has 
elsewhere,  and  for  which  sense  there  offered  another 


212 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Ps.  xxix.  7;  Amos  ix.  13;  Jer.  ix.  21,  and 
often)  equally  current  ?  The  same  may  bo  objected  also 
to  GESKNTUS  and  EWALD.  To  take  HDp  as  apposition  is 
harsh  for  the  reason  that  then  one  of  tl.e  two  words 
would  be  superfluous.  I  therefore  prefer  to  take  V¥p 
as  accusative  of  time,  and  to  regard  the  word  as  a  sub- 
stantive treated  adverbially  like  other  marks  of  time 

np3.  nS'S,  DV,  etc.,,  comp.  EWALD,  ?  204  6). Then 

the  suffix  of  1J,'Tf  relates  to  the  notion  of  reaper  ideally 
present  in  T¥p. 
Ver  6.  fj  again  only  xiv.  13. ~U"U  is  on-.  A«y. 


T3X  only  here  and  ver.  9. TJ-'D  "branch,"  again 

only  xxvii.  10.  The  suffix  in  iT3',J7D  relates  to  JVT ; 
rVT£3  is  in  apposition  with  the  suffix  (in  ramis  ejus  fe- 
cundae)  with  the  signification  of  an  adversative  clause. 
Ver.  8.  The  D'lE'N  (TYniPK  only  in  Judg.  iii.  7;  2 
Chron.  xix.  3  ;  xxxiii.  3)  are  in  any  case  the  images  or 
symbols  of  Astarte.  of  the  female  principle,  which  had 
the  form  of  arijAai,  pillars  set  upright  (from  ItJ'N  rec- 

-   r 

turn,  erectum  esse,  according  to  MOVEBS  ;  perhaps,  accord- 
ing to  a  statement  of  HERODOTUS  II.  106,  ywaiicbs  aiSoia 
were  visible). 


EXEGETICAI,   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Like  one  ties  two  threads  into  one  knot,  so 
the  Prophet,  ver.  3,  has  entwined  in  one  another 
the  destiny  of   Damascus   and  Ephraim.     It  is 
true  that  in  what  follows  there  is  nothing  more 
said  of  Syria.     But  when  it  was  said,  ver.  3,  that 
"the  remnant  of  Syria"  shall  be  like  "the  glory 
of  Jacob,"  and  if  now,  vers.  4-8,  the  course  of  de- 
velopment of  "  the  glory  of  Jacob  "  is  portrayed 
as  a  prospective  sinking  to  a  minimum  and  then 
again  as  a  mounting  up  to  the  most  glorious  near- 
ness to  God,  is  not  the   same  course  of  life  by 
implication    prophesied    of  Syria  ?     Therefore, 
Ephraim   shall  be  reduced  to    almost   nothing. 
The  Prophet  declares  this  in  a  threefold  image. 
First  he  compares  the  destruction  of  Israel  to  the 
growing  leanness  of  a  fat  man  (ver.  4),  second  to 
the  grain  harvest,  where    the   reaper  with  full 
arm,  cuts  and  gathers  the  ears  (ver.  5);  third  to 
the  olive  harvest  where  the  fruits  are  beaten  off 
the  trees.     But  with  this  third  figure  he  lets  ap- 
pear already  in  perspective  a  better  time.     The 
Prophet  only  indirectly  intimates  that  the  tree 
will  be  robbed  of  the  chief  part  of  its  fruits.    He 
lays  the  chief  stress  here  on  the  gleaning :  there 
remain  hanging  in  the  top  and  on  the  boughs 
some  scattered  fruit,  that  shall  be  beaten   off  by 
subsequent  effort  (ver.  6).     Thus  a  remnant  is  left 
to  Israel,  and  this  rernna-nt  shall  be  converted  : 
Shear- Jashub  (x.  20  sqq.).    Notice  with  what  art 
this  address  also  is  arranged.  There  is  a.  crescendo 
and  dfcrescendo  of  shadow,  which  gradually  merges 
into  light.  In  the  first  figure  (ver.  4)  the  shadow 
still   appears   faint;    in   the  second    (ver.  5)   it 
reaches  its  full  extent;  in  the  third  (ver.  6)  it 
yields   unnoticed   to  the  light.     This  light  the 
Prophet  depicts  here  in  the  first  place  from  its 
subjective  side,  as  a  turning  of  the  heart  to  God 
(ver.  7)  and  a  turning  away  from  idols  (ver.  8). 
The  objective  salvation  first  appears  in  the  fourth 
turn  of  his  discourse  (vera.  12-14). 

2.  And  in  that  day Ood  of  Israel.— 

Vers.  4-6.     "  In  that  day  "  ver.  4,  here  refers  to 
the  time  of  judgment  announced  in  vers.  2,  3. 
"  The  glory  of  Jacob,"  also  refers  back  to  ver.  3, 
where  the  same  expression  is  employed  with  only 
the  difference  of  Israel  for  Jacob,  which  seems 
to  have  a  rhetorical  reason  (comp.  ix.  7).     More- 
over the  Prophet  speaks  here  of  Israel-Ephraim 
in  a  sense  that  declares  what  it  has  in  common 
with  Judah.     For  the  grand  outlines  of  that  pic- 
ture of  the  future  that  Isaiah  draws  here,  compre- 
hend equally  the  history  of  Judah  and  Ephraim. 
Moreover  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  Isaiah  has 
in  mind  only  the  political  ruin  that  ensued,  say 


after  the  shining  reign  of  Jeroboam  II.  This 
growing  lean  embraces  the  entire  time  in  which 
the  Ten  Tribes  exist  as  a  remnant.  It  therefore 
lasts  still  at  the  present  time. 

The  second  figure  describes  the  same  matter 
only  in  greater  extent.  It  is  presented  in  a  mea- 
sure as  having  three  degrees.  First,  is  called  to 
mind  how  the  reaper  gathers  the  standing  grain 
stalks  ;  second,  how  then  the  other  arm  cuts  off 
the  ears ;  third,  how  the  ears  are  gathered,  and 
that  in  the  valley  of  Rephaim,  the  fruitful  plain 
that  extends  in  a  south-west  direction  from  Jeru- 
salem. Such  a  rich  harvest  shall  the  enemies 
hold  in  Ephraim  ;  so  thoroughly,  therefore,  shall 
Ephraim  be  emptied  out,  plundered.  The  "  gath- 
ering of  ears  "  mentioned  in  the  second  half  of 
ver.  5,  may  mean  the  gathering  proper  for  bind- 
ing into  sheaves  (Gen.  xxxvii.  7) ;  but  it  could 
mean,  too,  the  gleaning  of  the  ears  left  lying, 
as  by  the  poor  (Ruth  ii.  2  sqq.).  The  former 
better  suits  the  context,  in  as  much  &&  the  latter 
notion  appears  in  the  following  verse.  In  ver.  5 
the  whole  work  of  the  enemies  is  described,  and 
that  in  two  stages,  that  are  indicated  by  the 
"and  it  shall  be"  prefixed,  just  as  the  battle  and 
the  booty  form  the  two  sharply  distinguished  oc- 
cupations of  the  warrior. The  valley  of  Re- 
phaim is  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament,  Josh. 
xv.  8  ;  xviii.  16  ;  2  Sam.  xv.  18,  22 ;  xxiii.  13. 
Most  persons  conclude  from  our  present  passage 
that  it  was  fruitful.  Only  EWALD  [and  ABEN 
EZRA,  J.  A.  A.],  finds  in  the  passage  the  notion 
of  a  ''dry  valley,"  as  he  also  takes  t3p  ?0  in  the 
sense  of  gleaning.  At  present,  indeed,  the  valley 
is  desert  (comp.  KNOBEL  in  he.).  Further  state- 
ments see  in  ARNOLD'S  article  "Thaler  in  Pala- 
stina,"  HERZ.  R.  Encyd.  XV-  p.  614.  ["Robin- 
son speaks  of  it  en  passant,  as  the  cultivated  val- 
ley or  plain  of  Rephaim  (Palestine  I.  323)."  J. 
A.  A.]. — But  (ver.  6)  thereas  left  on  him,  7'.  e.,  on 
Jacob  (we  would  say  "of  him,"  comp.  x.  22)  a 
gleaning  secundum  percussionem  or  ad  similitudi- 
nem  percussionis  oleae,  that  is  two  or  three  berries 
in  the  highest  top.  Four  or  five  are  beaten  off 
with  a  stick  from  the  branches,  because  they  had 
not  been  brought  down  by  the  shaking.  In  the 
boughs,  of  course,  more  remain  hanging,  because 
they  have  greater  extent  than  the  tree-top.  That 
is,  it  is  declared,  that  although  the  tree  is  _fruit- 
ful,  yet  only  a  few  berries  hang  on  it.  Spite  of 
its  fruitfulness,  it  is  now  so  empty  that  only  a 
little  is  left  for  the  gleaner.  Thus,  too,  Israel, 


CHAP.  XVH.  9-11. 


213 


though  now  richly  blessed,  will  be  reduced  to  a 
minimum. 

3.  At  that  day the  images. — Vers.  7, 

8).  The  little  gleaning  is  the  small  remnant  of 
Israel  that  plays  so  great  a  part  in  the  divine 
economy  of  salvation,  vi.  13 ;  x.  21 ;  Rom.  ix. 
27  ;  xi.  4  sq.  In  that  day,  i.  e.,  when  Israel  shall 
be  reduced  to  the  small  remnant,  will  the  man 
look  (xxii.  4;  xxxi.  1)  to  his  Maker,  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel  (comp.  on  i.  4),  but  he  will  cast 
not  one  more  look  of  fear  and  trust  toward  the 
idols.  At  last  he  sees  that  they  are  only  the 
work  of  his  own,  of  human  hands  (xliv.  9  sqq.). 

DTXn  "  the  man,"  is  never  anywhere  else 

specially  used  of  Israel.  The  general  expression 
is  doubtless  chosen  because  the  Prophet  declares 
what  concerns  not  Israel  alone,  but  essentially  all 
mankind,  and  what  especially  is  applicable  to 
Syria,  too,  which  all  along  is  conceived  of  as 
united  with  Israel. 

Two  idols  are  mentioned  by  name,  as  those 
that  were  particularly  worshipped  by  the  idola- 
trous Israelites:  D'lU/K  and  D'JDH.  (xxvii.  9). 


["groves"  and  "images"  ENG.  BIB.  TR.].— Re- 
garding the  latter  it  has  been  ascertained,  that 

thereby  are  meant  the  images  of  j^H  7^3  Baal- 
Hamon  Song  of  S.  viii.  11,  the  Sun-god,  the  su- 
perior male  god  of  the  Phoenicians.  The  word, 
beside  the  present  text,  and  xxvii.  9,  occurs  Lev. 
xxvi.  30;  Ezek.  vi.,4,  6;  2  Chr.  xiv.  4;  xxxiv. 

4,  7.     See  further  under   Text,  and   Gram. It 

is  only  doubtful  whether  mi^X  signifies  only  the 
Astarte  pillars,  or  the  goddess  herself,  and  the 
groves  consecrated  to  her  (Deut.  xvi.  21,  comp. 
GESEXIUS,  Thes.  pag.  162  with  OTTO  STRAUSS, 
Nahumi  de  Nin.  vat.  Prolegg.  pag.  XXIV.). 
Moreover  it  is  undecided  whether  Astarte  (fnFUZ'N 
kindred  to  "^???,  aarj/p,  "star")  signifies  only 
the  moon,  or  Vinus,  the  star  of  good  fortune,  or 
the  entire  heaven  of  night  as  distinguished  from 
the  domain  of  Baal,  the  heaven  of  day  (comp. 
P.  CASSEL  on  Judg.  ii.  13 ;  "  Moon  and  stars,  the 
luminaries  of  the  heavens  by  night,  are  mingled 
in  Astaroth  ;  they  are  the  sum  total  of  the  entire 
host  of  heaven.") 


J  :    The  Cause  of  Ephraim's  Destruction. 
CHAPTER  XVII.  9-11. 

9       In  that  day  shall  his  strong  cities  be  "as  a  forsaken  bough, 
And  an  uppermost  branch, 

Which  they  left  because  of  the  children  of  Israel  : 
And  there  shall  be  desolation. 

10  Because  th*ou  hast  forgotten  the  God  of  thy  salvation, 
And  hast  not  been  mindful  of  the  rock  of  thy  strength, 
Therefore  bshalt  thou  plant  pleasant  plants, 

And  shalt  set  it  with  strange  slips  : 

11  °In  the  day  shalt  thou  make  thy  plant  to  grow, 

And  in  the  morning  shalt  thou  make  thy  seed  to  flourish  : 
*But  the  harvest  shall  be  'a  heap  in  the  day  of  grief 
And  of  desperate  sorrow. 

1  Or,  removed  in  the  day  of  inheritance,  and  there  shall  be  deadly  sorrow. 

1  like  forsaken  places  in  the  forests  and  summits.     b  thou  ptantest  pleasant  gardens  and  sowest  them  with  foreign  seed. 
«  In  the  day  of  thy  planting  thou  sottest  a  fence.      d  But  there  is  a  hcaped-up  harvest  in  the  day,  etc. 


TEXTUAL   AND 


Ver.  9.  rGITj?  comp.  vi.  12.— tfn'n  is  saltus,  "  forest." 

David  dwelt  ncKn3  1  Sara,  xxiii.  15,  16,  18.    Jotham, 

T    :     - 
according  to  2  Chr.  xxvii.  4,  built  castles  and  towers 

D'Uhna.    Comp.  Ezek.  xxxi.  3. TOX,  beside  the 

•  T  T:  IV  •    T 

present  and  ver.  6,  does  not  occur  again.  The  employ- 
ment of  this  rare  and  ancient  word  here  must  be  ex- 
plained partly  by  the  fact  of  its  previous  use,  ver.  6, 
partly  by  the  fact  that  in  old  times  not  only  the  tops  of 
trees,  but  probably  also  the  tops  of  mountains  were  so 
called.  For  the  conjecture  of  SIMON,  sanctioned  by  GE- 
SENIUS,  that  the  Amorites  were  named  the  montani,  from 
an  old  lOX  mons  (comp.  "IftXfiri  Se  efferre  Ps.  xciv.  4) 
has  certainly  much  in  its  favor.  The  LXX.  also  found 
in  "VOX  the  name  of  that  ancient  race,  and  hence  trans- 
lated ot  'AjKOppaiot  «ai  ol  Etratot. — The  subject  of  rifTD! 


GRAMMATICAL. 

is  any  way  the  ideal  notion  V1X  contained  in  what  pre- 
cedes. This  notion  is  likely  the  occasion  also  of  the 
change  in  gender  that  we  observe  in  what  follows 
(comp.  r\r\3l&,  "ly^t  etc-,  with  )iyO,  ver.  9).  That  a 
land  may  be  personified,  i.  e.,  identified  with  the  nation 
is  proved  by  passages  like  Jer.  vi.  19;  xxii.  29,  etc. 

Ver.  10.  J»KT  occurs  only  here  in  the  first  part  of  Isa.; 
on  the  other  hand  four  times  in  the  second  part:  xlv. 
8;  li.  5;  Ixi.  10;  Ixii.  11.  The  expression  ""JJUT  TI^X 
"  God  of  my  salvation,"  is  frequent  in  the  Psalms  :  xviii. 
47  ;  xxv.  5;  xxvii.  9  ;  Ixii.  8;  Ixv.  6,  etc.,  comp.  Mic.  vii. 

7;  Hab.  iii.  18. TlJ?0  "11¥  Ps.  xxxi.  3,  comp.  Ps.  Ixii. 

8. |0>'J  —  D'J^J   occurs  only  here. mOT  only 

here  in  Isaiah.  The  suffix  \^y~  relates  to  the  ideal 
unity  ascribed  in  thought  to  the  garden  arrangements. 


214 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Ver.  11.  Jtyjty,  Pilp,  from  }W  (comp.  JUD, 
....  i 

v.  6)  sepire,  "to  fence  in,"  occurs  only  here. 


Hiph. 


ofrP£)  occurs  in  Isaiah  only  here  ;  Kal.  often:  xxvii. 
6;  xxxv.  1,  2;  Ixvi.  14.  -  The  words  1J1  T¥p  13  are 
difficult.  True,  it  is  clear  in  general  that  the  Prophet 
contrasts  the  notions  of  planting,  sowing,  fencing  round, 
bringing  to  bloom  and  thatof  the  harvest.  But  the  ques- 
tion is,  does  he  speak  of  a  disappearance  of  the  hoped- 
for  harvest,  or  of  the  approach  of  a  harvest  not  hoped 
for,  and  unwelcome.  The  former  is  maintained  by 
those  that  take  "|J  =  "IJ  in  the  sense  of  effugit.  But 

T 

the  verb  "VU  no  where  in  its  Inflection  has  Zere  as 
vowel  of  the  second  root  syllable.  Moreover  "JJ  would 

T 

not  be  the  right  word  for  the  notion  of  vanishing.  One 
would  expect  "13X  °r  a  similar  word.  For  "PJ  is  mo- 

-  T 

veri,  agitari,  vagari,  errare  ;  it  designates,  therefore,  the 


state  of  instability,  fluctuation,  but  not  that  of  non-ex- 
istence. We  stand,  therefore,  by  the  usual  meaning  of 
"U,  acervus,  cumulus:  "  as  a  heap,  heaped  up  is  the  har- 
vest in  the  day  of  grief." H /T1J  cannot  bo  under- 

T-:r 

stood  of  taking  possession,  for  the  word  means  posses- 
sion. Moreover,  since  several  Codices  and  ancient 

translations  read  n/HJ  the  latter  is  to  be  retained. 

,  T  :  - 

rnnj,  indeed,  occurs  elsewhere  only  in  connection 

with  H3D  (Jer.  x.  19 ;  xiv.  17;  xxx.  12;  Neh.  iii.  19)  or 
in  the  sense  of  aegrotus  (Ezek.  xxxiv.  4,  21) ;  but  the  day 
of  the  sick  (Fem.  to  correspond  to  the  preceding  suf- 
fixes) is  the  day  of  being  sick,  as  e.g.,  the  time  of  the 

one  leading  is  the  time  of  leading  (Jer.  ii.  17). 3&O. 

"  pain,"  again  only  Ixv.  14. ti'lJX  occurs  in  Isaiah 

only  here  :  often  in  Jer. :  xvii.  16 ;  xxx.  12,  15,  etc. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  This  strophe  is  distinguished  from  the  pre- 
ceding in  this,  that  it  assigns  the  reason  for  the 
destruction  threatened  against  Ephraim.  There- 
fore, after  words  that  refer  to  both  the  strophes 
that  precede,  and  that  describe  the  impending 
ruin  (ver.  9),  the  cause  of  the  same  is  now  named. 
It  consists  in  this,  that  Israel  has  forsaken  the 
God  of  its  salvation.  This  has  its  consequence 
that  it  cherishes  with  delight  untheocratic,  idola- 
trous existence,  like  one  lays  out  a  pleasure  gar- 
den and  adorns  it  with  exotics  (ver.  10).  Mea- 
sures are  not  wanting  which  should  surround  that 
garden  as  a  protecting  hedge,  and  speedily  bring 
it  to  a  certain  bloom ;  but  the  harvest  ?  True 
enough  there  will  be  harvest  in  heaps ;  but  not  a 
day  of  joy.  This  harvest  will  be  a  day  of  deepest 
sorrow  (ver.  11). 

2.  In    that   day desolation. — Ver.   9. 

"  In  that  day  "  refers  back  to  ver.  4  ;  "  his  strong 
cities'"  to  '' the  cities  Aroer,"   ver.  2,  and  "the 
fortress,"  ver.  3  ;  roi^D,  «  like  forsaken  places," 
to  ''  forsaken,"  ver.  2;  TDNM,  "the  summits,"  to 
TDK  "  the  summits  (of  the  olive  trees),"  ver.  6. 
By  these  correspondences  the  Prophet  gives  us  to 
understand  that  he  speaks  of  the  same  subject  as 
above.     But  he  modifies  his  manner  in  two  re- 
spects.    First,  he  does  not  speak  of  the  subject  in 
figurative   language   as   vers.   4-6,   but  boldly ; 
second,  he  proves  that  the  judgment  was  made 
necessary  by  the  conduct  of  Israel.     In  as  much 
as,  therefore,  "in  that  day  "  refers  to  ver.  4  (not  to 
ver.  7,  as  the  contents  plainly  show),  the  Prophet 
explains  the  figures  used  there  by  a  reference  to 
a  fact  well  known  to  all  Israel.     In  the  forests 
and  on  elevated  spots  they  had  all  seen  the  ruins 
of  very  ancient  strong  buildings  that  were  evi- 
dence of  the  presence  of  a  power  long  since  over- 
come and  vanished  away.     They  were  the  ruins 
of  castles  which  the  Canaanites  forsook,  voluntarily 
or  by  compulsion,  when  the  Israelites  conquered 
the  land  (comp.  KNOBEL,  in  loc.}.     A  time  will 
come  when  "  the  strong  cities  "  of  Israel  shall  lie 
like  these^castles.     It  is  plain  that  this  reference 
to  that  evidence  of  fact,  besides  the  figurative  lan- 
guage of  vers.  4-6,  was  fitted  to  produce  a  deep 
impression. 

3.  Because  thou  hast sorrow. —Vers. 

10, 1 1.    The  evil  conduct  of  Israel  that  was  the  cause 
of  that  judgment  was  twofold:  1)  the  negative 
reason  was  the  not  regarding,  forgetting  Jehovah : 


2)  the  positive  reason  \vas  the  inclination  to  an 
idolatrous  existence.  In  regard  to  the  positive 
reason,  I  understand  the  Prophet  to  mean  not 
merely  the  worship  of  strange  gods,  but  also  the 
political  union  with  foreign  powers  that  was  most 
intimately  connected  with  it,  and  the  inclination 
to  foreign  ways  in  general  (comp.  ii.  6  sqq.). 
This  culture  of  idolatry  is  compared  to  the  culture 
of  charming  gardens  (literally,  plantations  of 
lovely  things).  Israel  itself,  according  to  v.  1 
sqq.  7,  was  for  Jehovah  "?%*&£&  J?OJ,  "  his  plea- 
sant plant."  But  the  recreant  nation,  instead  of 
cultivating  the  service  of  Jehovah,  set  up  other 
enclosures  that  appealed  more  to  their  fleshly  in- 
clinations, which  they  sowed  with  foreign  grape 
vines  (properly  grape  vines  of  the  foreigner),  i.  e. 
in  which  they  cultivated  foreign  grape  vines 
(comp.  Jer.  ii.  12)  from  seed.  By  these  foreign 
vines  must  be  understood  everything  untheocratic, 
all  that  was  connected  with  heathen  life  to  whose 
culture  Israel  devoted  itself.  The  Imperfects  ex- 
press the  continuance  of  the  present.  For  at  the 
time  that  the  Prophet  wrote  this  under  Ahaz,  this 
tendency  to  idolatrous  living  continued  opera- 
tive. The  people  provided  also  a  protecting 
fence  (comp.  v.  5).  By  the  fencing  the  Prophet 
seems  to  me  to  understand  everything  that  was 
undertaken  for  the  purpose  of  giving  security  to 
the  idolatrous  efforts.  That  may  have  been  part- 
ly positive  measures  (efforts  in  favor  of  idolatry 
of  every  sort),  and  partly  negative  protection 
against  whatever  was  done  on  the  part  of  true 
Israelites  against  the  worship  of  idols,  persecution 
of  such,  comp.  e.  g.  1  Kings  xviii.  4,  19.  The 
pains  of  planting  and  fencing  were  quickly  re- 
warded :  the  heathen  life  bloomed  only  too  soon. 
The  whole  history  preceding  the  exile  furnishes 
the  proof  of  this.  "In  the  morning"  means  the 
very  next  morning  after  the  planting ;  therefore 
very  quickly.  We  adhere  to  the  usual  meaning 
of  13  acervus,  cumulus :  "  as  a  heap,  heaped  up  is 
a  harvest  in  the  day  of  grief."  See  Text,  and 
Gram.  For  I  would  not  construe  it,  with  DE- 
UTZSCH,  in  the  sense  :  "  a  harvest  heap  unto  the 
day  of  judgment,"  after  Rom.  ii.  5.  For  it  does 

not  read  D'vS,  "to  the  day,"  and  in  fact  the  day 
of  the  harvest  is  not  distinguished  from  the  day 
of  judgment,  which  must  be  assumed  by  those 


CHAP.  XVII.  12-14. 


215 


that  explain  that  the  product  of  the  harvesting 
heaps  up  for  the  day  of  judgment.  But  the  Pro- 
phet says  :  in  the  day  of  judgment  (DV3  ''  in  the 
day,"  refers  back  to  Dl'3  in  the  first  member  of 
the  verse),  which  is  itself  just  at  the  same  time 
the  day  of  harvest,  the  produce  of  harvest  is  there 
in  heaps.  But  this  harvest  day  is  ''  a  day  of 


grief  and  of  desperate  sorrow."  Being  such,  the 
harvest  is  a  bad  one,  and  the  heaps  signify  heaped 
up  misfortune.  Therefore  the  Prophet  says  that 
the  fruit  of  that  planting  shall  be  a  harvest  that 
shall  come  in  on  the  day  of  grief  and  incurable 
pain,  thus  itself  shall  have  the  form  of  grief  and 
incurable  pain. 


1)   The  World-Power  (Assyria)  Rises  and  Falls. 
CHAPTER  XVII.  12-14. 

12  aWoE  to  the  Multitude  of  many  people, 
Which  make  a  noise  like  the  noise  of  the  seas ; 
bAnd  to  the  rushing  of  nations, 

That  make  a  rushing  like  the  rushing  of  2mighty  waters ! 

13  °The  nations  shall  rush  like  the  rushing  of  mighty  waters: 
dBut  God  shall  rebuke  them,  and  they  shall  flee  far  off, 

And  shall  be  chased  as  the  chaff  of  the  mountains  before  the  wind, 
And  like  sae  rolling  thing  before  the  whirlwind. 

14  rAnd  behold  at  eveningtide  trouble ; 
And  before  the  morning  he  is  not. 
This  is  the  portion  of  them  that  spoil  us, 
And  the  lot  of  them  that  rob  us. 


Or,  noise. 


2  Or,  many. 


*  Woe!  a  tumult  of  many  nations !  they  make,  etc. 
«  Peoples  are  rushing  like,  etc. 

•  whirling  dust  before  the  storm. 

TEXTUAL   AND 

All  expositors  notice  how  suitably  the  Prophet  here 
fits  the  sound  to  the  subject.  "And  it  waves  and  seethes 
and  roars  and  hisses," — one  not  only  sees,  one  hears, 
too,  the  nation-waves  rolling  in. 

Ver.  12.  non,  comp.  xvi.  11 ;  li.  15. fl^H,  comp. 

xiii.  4 ;  xxxiii/S  ;  Ix.  5. PINE?  Niph.  only  here.  ?i«^ 

T  T  IT 

comp.  on  xiii.  4;  xxiv.  8;  xxv.5;  lxvi.6. "V32  comp. 

x.  13;  xvi.  H;  xxviii.  '2. 
Ver.  13.   On  13   lyj  comp.  v.  26.    "I^J  in  Isa.  again 

only  liv.  9. The  construction  with  3  (as  of  a  verb,  di- 

micandl)  like  Gen.  xxxvii.  10 ;  Nan.  i.  4,  and  often. 


8  Or,  thistle-down. 

*  And  a  rushing  of  peoples!  they  are  rushing  like,  etc. 

a  But  he  rebukes  it,  and  it  flees,  etc  ,  and  is  chased,  etc.       } 

*  At  evening  time  behold  horror. 

GRAMMATICAL. 

pn^DD  "faraway;"  like  mpO  "eastward,"  Gen.  xi. 
2. — Pual  f|Tl  occurs  only  here,  as  also  the  noun  f|T10 

I  -  \  IT:  '•. 

derived  from  the  Hophal  is  found  only  in  xiv.  6. 

Ver.  14.  1  before  njn,  ["  nothing  is  more  common  in 
Hebrew  idiom  than  the  use  of  and  after  specifications 
of  time  (see  GESEN.,  g  152  a)— J.  A.  A.,  GREEN,  §  287,  3].— 
nnSll  in  Isaiah  only  here.— DDE/,  x.13;  xlii.22.  D'Dfr, 

T  T 

as  DRECHSLER  remarks,  is,  so  to  speak,  term,  technicus  for 
the  oppressors  of  the  Theocracy:  Jud.  ii.  14;  Jer.  1. 11; 

2  Kings  xvii.  20,  and  often. S"MJ  with  S  is  the  lot 

assigned  to  the  D'TT13  (xiii-  22,  24). 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  sees  and  hears  in  spirit  the 
tumult  of  approaching  nations,  which  he  com- 
pares to  the  roar  of  mighty  waters.  But  at  the 
chiding  of  the  LORD  they  vanish  like  chaff  or 
whirlwinds  of  dust  before  the  wind  (vers.  12, 
13).  The  evening  when  that  tumult  approaches 
is  one  of  terror  ;  but  only  the  next  morning  and 
all  has  vanished  without  a  trace  left.  This,  he 
says,  shall  be  the  lot  of  those  that  come  to  rob 
us  (ver.  14). 

g.  Woe  rob  us.— Vers.  12-14.  "in 

(comp.  on  i.  4),  "woe,"  need  not  be  taken  in  any 
other  sense  than  the  usual  one.  For  the  crowd- 
ing on  of  countless  hordes  of  nations  might  well, 
in  the  first  moment,  occasion  a  cry  of  woe,  even 
if  it  is  afterwards  changed  into  a  cry  of  joy.  It 
is  evident  that  the  Prophet  by  this  swelling  bil- 
low of  nations  means  the  nations  led  by  the  As- 
syrian world-power. The  expression  "  the 


chaff  before  the  wind  "  recalls  Ps.  xxxv.  5. 

But  the  phrase  "  chaff  of  the  mountains,"  is  not 
found  elsewhere.  The  charF  which  is  blown  away 
from  an  elevation  exposed  to  the  wind  (threshing 
floors  were  made  on  elevations  for  the  sake  of 
the  stronger  breeze :  comp.  HERZ.  R.  Encyd.  Ill 

p.  504  sq.).  7J7J  is  not  merely  a  wheel  (ver.  28), 
or  the  whirlwind,  but  also  that  which  is  whirled 
upwards  by  the  wind  (Ps.  Ixxxiii.  14).  At  even- 
ing time,  as  night  comes  on,  the  invasion  of  the 
enemy  is  more  dangerous  and  terrible  than  by 
day.  But  the  evening  of  terror  is  quickly  changed 
into  a  morning  of  joy.  That  became  literally 
true  by  the  sudden  destruction  of  the  power  of 
Sennacherib  in  one  night,  2  Kings  xix.  35. 

In  conclusion  the  Prophet  generalizes  the 
thought  just  expressed:  finally  it  evcr_ happens 
so  to  the  enemies  of  the  LORD  and  of  His  people. 


216 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


It  cannot  be  doubted  that  "  our  plunderers  "  and 
"  our  spoilers "  include  also  the  Syrians  and 
Ephraimites.  We  learn  from  this,  from  what 
point  of  view  we  must  contemplate  the  connec- 
tion of  vcrs.  12-14  with  what  precedes.  The 
Prophet  would  show  that  all  enemies  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  must  finally  succumb,  that  there 
is  therefore  no  reason  to  fear  them. 

The  verses  12-14  stand  in  no  clearly  marked 
connection  with  what  precedes,  and  the  verses 
1-11  form  in  themselves  a  disconnected  whole, 
like  the  following  prophecies,  xviii.  1-7  and  xix. 
1-25.  Thus  the  conjecture  presents  itself  that 
these  verses,  12-14,  are  a  supplement  added  later 


that  has  the  double  object :  1)  to  make  chapter 
xvii.  conform  to  the  two  following  by  the  men- 
tion of  Assyria;  2)  to  restore  a  closer  connection 
with  chapter  xviii.  and  to  prepare  for  the  un- 
derstanding of  the  passage  xviii.  5,  6.  For 
without  these  verses  xviii.  6  would  apparently 
connect  with  nothing.  At  the  same  time — and 
this  is  an  additional  gain,  accompanying  the  two 
main  objects — chapter  xvii.  is  completed  by  the 
mention  of  Assyria.  For  Syria,  Ephraim,  Assy- 
ria were  then  the  chief  enemies  of  Judah.  Only 
the  mention  of  Assyria  made  it  possible  for  the 
Prophet  to  conclude  with  the  generalization  of 
ver.  14  b. 


P)    ETHIOPIA  NOW  AND  IN  TIME  TO  COME. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
K)  The  danger  that  threatens  in  the  present. 

CHAPTER  XVIII.  1-3. 
Woe  to  the  land  "shadowing  with  wings, 
Which  is  beyond  the  rivers  of  Ethiopia  : 
That  sendeth  ambassadors  by  the  sea, 
bEven  in  vessels  of  bulrushes  upon  the  waters, 
Saying,  Go,  ye  swift  messengers,  to  a  nation  '"scattered  and  peeled, 
To  a  people  dterrible  from  their  beginning  hitherto  ; 
eA  nation2  3meted  out  and  trodden  down, 
*Whose  land  the  rivers  have  spoiled  ! 

All  ye  inhabitants  of  the  world,  and  dwellers  on  the  fearth, 
See  ye,  when  ghe  lifteth  up  an  ensign  on  the  mountains  ; 
And  when  hhe  bloweth  a  trumpet,  hear  ye. 

1  Or,  out  spread  and  polished. 

*Heb.  of  line,  line,  and  treading  underfoot. 


5  Or,  that  meteth  out,  and  treadeth  down. 
4  Or.  Whose  land  the  rivers  despise. 


•of  whirring  wings. 
&  feared far  away, 
tone  lifts  up. 


b And  in  boats  of  papyrus  on  the  face  of  the  waters. 
"A  nation  of  stern  command  and  rough  tread. 
hone  blows. 


'grown  high  and  gleaming, 
'land. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  •'in  like  xvii.  12. StfStf  occurs  only  here  in 

Isaiah.  Beside  this  :  in  Deut.  xxviii.  42,  with  the  mean- 
ing "  cricket,  cicada ;"  Jobxl.  31  meaning  "harpoon" 
(so  called  from  the  clinking) ;  2  Sam.  vi.  5  and  Ps.  el.  5, 
we  find  the  plural  meaning  "  cymbals."  Older  exposi- 
tors have  taken  the  word  in  the  sense  of  the  simple  ^V 
"shadow,"  or  also,  because  of  the  reduplication  =. 
"double  shadow,"  with  supposed  reference  to  the  dou- 
ble shadow  of  the  tropics  (ap$i'oxio$,  STBABO).  Both  are 
impossible.  The  word  can  only  mean  "  stridor,  clink- 
ing, whizzing,  buzz,"  because  this  is  the  underlying 

sense  of  every  shade  of  its  use. But  what  are  the 

D'3 33  ?  Some  have  thought  of  the  wings  of  an  army, 
referring  for  proof  to  viii.  8.  But  what  would  this  af- 
ford as  a  characteristic  ?  The  same  objection  lies  against 
the  construction  "  grasshopper  wings,"  or  "  sails " 
(LXX.).  It  is  a  hardy  conjecture  to  refer  this  to  the 
wings  of  the  sun,  Mai.  hi.  20  (iv.  2)  comp.  TAC.  Germ.  45; 
JUVEN.  Sat.  14,  279 ;  the  Egyptian  Sistrum  [a  kind  of 
cymbal]  with  two  rims  or  wings,  is  too  insignificant  as 
a  characteristic,  and  cannot  be  shown  to  belong  to  Ethi- 
opia. On  the  other  hand  it  is  quite  suitable  to  call  a 
land  that  is  warm  and  that  abounds  with  water  and 
rushes,  and  hence  also  with  winged  insects,  the  land 


GRAMMATICAL. 

"  of  the  whirring  wings."  The  conjecture  Is  very  en- 
ticing, that  the  expression  D'233  b^Sx  is  chosen  with 
reference  to  the  Tzaltzala,  or  Tsetse-fly,  which  was  first 
described  by  the  Englishman  Francis  Gallon  ("Ex- 
ploring expedition  in  tropical  South-Africa,  London,  Mur- 
ray, 1854).  It  is  "  a  little  fly,  in  size  and  form  nearly  like 
our  house  fly,  but  somewhat  lighter  colored,  of  which 
the  natives  say  that  a  single  bite  is  sufficient  to  kill  a 
horse,  an  ox  or  a  dog;  whereas  asses  and  goats  suffer  no 
harm  from  it."  But  it  is  not  satisfactorily  made  out 
whether  this  resemblance  is  to  be  traced  to  a  radical 
relation  or  whether  it  is  only  an  accidental  similarity 
in  sound.  Comp.  in  the  Ausland  1868,  No.  8,  p.  192. 

Ver.  2.  nS$n  is  to  be  referred  to  tnjt-  The  mascu- 
line is  explained  in  that  while  ver.  1  V"1X  means  the 
land  proper,  in  ver.  2  it  represents  more  particularly  the 
notion  of  people  :  for  the  messengers  are  sent  by  men. 

Comp.  on  xv.  1. D"1  like  xix.  5 ;  xxvii.  1 ;  Nah.  iii.  8. — 

"PXi  in  the  sense  of  "messenger,"  again  in  Isa.  Mi.  9. 
TOOD  part.  Pual  from  WT3  trahere,  protrahere,  ex- 

I T  '-.    :  '-   T  i       . 

trahere,  used  again  only  Prov.  xiii.  12,  of  the  fl/^in 
nDtStofD,  "the  long-drawn  out  expectation."  Therefore 

T  T    '*  :  * 

the  word  here,  too,  can  mean  nothing  but  "long-drawn, 


CHAP.  XVIII.  1-3. 


217 


long-stretched,  procerus,  etancfr."  The  Sabeans,  too,  are 
called,  xlv.  14,  mrp  \$JX  ["  men  of  extension."  Eng. 
Bib.  "men  of  stature"]. J3"1D  is  "  to  make  smooth, 

-T 

bright."  It  is  used  of  the  sword  that  is  not  only  sharp- 
ened, but  polished  till  it  flashes  (Ezek.  xxi.  14-1(5,  33,  ; 
also  of  pulling  out  the  hair  till  the  crown  is  smooth  and 
shining  (Lev.  xiii.  40  sq.).  Comp.  moreover  1  Kings  vii. 
45 ;  Ezek.  xxix.  18.  In  Isaiah  the  word  occurs  only 
once  more,  1.  6,  of  the  pulling  out  of  the  hair.  The  form 

stands  for  CO'llDDi  comp.  Ezek.  xxi.  15  sq. 

n-fO  JOU;  the  construction  is  the  same  as 

nxSm  nso  i  sam.  xx.22;  x.  3,  and  oS'iy  u>i  nfiyo, 

,   .T  :  ITT    I  :  •  T  -:         t  -  " 

7nj~"iyi   i  ii3prD-    Only  we  are  surprised  that  it  does 

^        -  :    >        IT- 

not  read  1333-  But  the  pfon.  sep.  is  used  for  the  sake 
of  emphasis  (comp.  Gen.  xxvii.  34;  1  Sam  xix.  23,  etc.). 
And  wherefore  may  it  not  stand  instead  of  the  suffix  ? 
The  Prophet  wishes  to  mark  the  point  of  departure  and 
support  of  the  Ethiopian  power,  thus  he  does  not  write 
I^EO-  Analogous  is  XT1  'D'D  Nah.  ii.  9  (8)  (r,  closed  up 
water  pool  was  Nineveh  since  Us  existence;  but  now  the 
pool  runs  out,  the  people  of  Nineveh  flee  on  all  sides). 
There,  too,  TTD^O  might  have  been  used.  When  STADE 

T     V  T  ' 

remarks  that  it  must  properly  read  here  X1H  Tt^XO.he 
is  correct.  But  fcOn  ?p  can  be  used  also.  On  the  other 
hand,  according  to  his  explanation,  i.  e.,  if  N1H  should 
be  referred  to  Israel,  it  must  of  necessity  read  H-TO-  Or 
if  KID  ?p  is  to  be  understood  of  time,  who  in  the  world 
would  know  that  X1H  should  point  to  the  period  of 
time,  "quo  Aethiopes  Aegyptiorum  jugo  excusso  aliis  po- 


pulis  et  imprimis  Aegyptiis  bella  infcrre,  cocperuntf 

X1H  j?p,  in  a  temporal  sense,  could  only  mean:  ex  quo 
est.  But  in  order  to  express  this  Isaiah  would  likely 
have  written  X1H  ''D'D,  not  to  mention  that  it  is  not 
credible  that  the  Ethiopians  were  a  widely  feared  peo- 
ple from  the  moment  of  their  existence  onwards.  It  is 
my  opinion  therefore  that  Kin  JO  stands  in  a  local 
sense,  brief  and  pregnant  for  &OH  1E/X  JD  or  IttfX  J!D 

Dty  KIP- The  meaning  of  1p~1p  must  be  measured 

by  xxviii.  10, 13,  for  no  other  passage  exists  so  nearly 
like  this  text.  There,  too,  the  word  appears  repeated, 

Ip7  lp.  It  means  originally  "  measuring  line,"  and  oc- 
curs in  Isaiah,  beside  the  above  mentioned  places, 
xxviii.  17;  xxxiv.  11,17;  xliv.  13.  From  the  meaning 
"measuring  line"  is  developed  "norm,  prescription 
rule,"  xxviii.  10, 13.  So  we  must  take  it  here ;  and  the 
choice  of  the  short,  abruptly  spoken  word,  which  more- 
over is  repeated,  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  accidental  and 
undesigned.  For  this  reason  (see  also  Exeget.  Comm. 
below)  we  take  lp~1p  =  "command,  command."  There 
was  much  commanding,  but  short  and  sharp. — HD13D 
(again  only  ver.  7,  and  xxii.  5)  is  "  conculcatio,  treading 
down,"  comp.  r\in31O  UTX  Prov.  xxix.  1 ; 
Deut.  xxv.  2.— XT3=T?3,  like  nD$  =  DD 
(EwALD,  §  112  g  /114  bj  151  5). 

Ver.  3.  V~)N    ""JD^   only  here. 3  designates    the 

coincidence,  as  in  cases  of  time  when.  We  have  here 
the  Inf.  Constr.  after  a  Prepos.  forming  a  phrase  with 
the  subject  latent. D^H  is  accusative  of  place. 


EXEGETICAL  AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  sends  a  cry  of  alarm  to  the  re- 
mote Ethiopians,  because  they  too  are  threatened 
by  the  Assyrians.     He  characterizes  the  land  by 
the  use  of  predicates  suggested  by  the  abundance 
of  its  insects,  and  its  situation-  on  great  rivers 
(ver.  1).     In  this  land   the  messengers  fly  away 
in  swift  skiffs  over  the  waters.     Therefore  the 
Prophet  summons  these  swift  messengers  to  com- 
mand the  people,  at  the  same  time  describing 
them  as  a  people  of  lofty  stature,  and  shining 
color  of  skin,  as  a  nation  dreaded  far  beyond  its 
borders,  as  a  nation  among  whom  reigns  strict 
command  and  ruthless  use  of  power,  that  is  yet 
exposed  to   the  power  of  mighty  streams  that 
carry  off  its  land  (ver.  2).     This  nation  is  com- 
manded :  it  will  arm  itself  for  this  strife.  Between 
it  and  the  Assyrian  there  shall  come  to  pass  a 
terrible   collision.      When   it   is   announced   by 
visible  and  audible  signals,  all  nations  must  give 
good  heed  :  for  all  are  in  the  highest  degree  in- 
terested in  it. 

2.  "Woe hear  ye.—  Vers.   1-3.      Cush  is 

Ethiopia,  _  the  land  that   bounds   Egypt  on  the 
south,  which  began  at  Syene  below  the  first  cata- 
ract of  the  Nile  (comp.  Ezek  xxix.  10 ;  xxx.  6), 
and  had  Meroe  for  its  caprtal  (HEROD,  ii.  29). 
The  Egyptians,  also,  call  Ethiopia  Kus'  or  Ke*' 
(comp.  EBER'S  Egypten  und  die  Bucher  Mosis,  I. 
p.  57  ;  LEPSIUS  in  HERZ.  R.  Encyd.  I.,  p.  148). 
I  do  not  believe,  as  STADE  maintains  (Dels.  vatt. 
aeth.,  p.  16),  that  the  assumption  of  Mesopotamian 
Cushites  rests  merely  on  the  erroneous  identifying 
of  the  Kiaaioi.  (HER.  III.  91)  or  Koaaalot.  (STRABO 
XI.  p.  524,  XIV.  744)  with  the  biblical  Cushites. 
The   streams  of  Ethiopia  are  the   White  Nile 


(Bahr-el-Abjad)  and  its  tributaries,  the  Atbara, 
the  Blue  Nile  (Bahr-el-Asrak),  the  Sobat,  the 
Bahr-el-Ghasal,  etc.  In  describing  the  land  of 
whirring-wings  as  beyond  the  rivers  of  Ethiopia 
(comp.  Zeph.  iii.  10),  this  form  of  expression 
arises  from  the  mighty  waters  occupying  the  fore- 
ground in  the  mental  vision  of  the  Prophet,  thus 
the  land  lies  for  him  beyond  them. — N0.3  (xxxv. 
7  ;  Exod.  ii.  3)  is  the  papyrus-reed.  Light  and 
ileet  boats  were  made  of  it,  as  is  abundantly  testi- 
fied by  the  ancients  and  by  the  monuments  (comp. 
GESEN.  in  loc.,  WILKINSON,  The  ancient  Egyp- 
tians, V.,  p.  119).  Papyrus,  once  very  abundant 
in  Egypt,  is  no  longer  found  there  ;  but  is  found 
in  Abyssinia  (comp.  CHAMPOLLION  -  FIGEAC, 
L'Egypte  ancienne,  p.  24,  sq.  195)  and  Sicily 
(HERZ.  R.  Encyd.  I.,  p.  140  sq.). 

Go  ye  swift  messengers,  to  a  nation, 
e'c.,  is  understood  by  most  expositors  as  if  the 
Prophet  sent  the  messengers  home,  because  Je- 
hovah Himself  would  undertake  Himself  the  de- 
struction of  the  enemy.  But  then  the  Prophet 

would  not  have  used  w?,  but  rather  131$.  Besides 
one  can't  understand  why,  if  the  Ethiopians  were 
not  to  fight,  their  warlike  qualities  are  depicted 

in  such  strong  colors.  I  therefore  take  ID  /  in  its 
proper  sense  ;  ''  go  ye."  The  Ethiopians  are  to 
be  bidden  to  the  contest,  and  actually  to  fight ; 
but  they  must  know  that  it  is  the  LORD  that 
gives  them  the  victory. 

To  a  nation  grown  high :  see  under  Text, 
and  Gram.  It  is,  moreover,  not  impossible  that, 
as  Jos.  FRIEDR.  SCHELLINO  conjectured,  there 


218 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


lies  in  the  expression  an  allusion  to  the  longevity 
of  the  Ethiopians  which  was  an  accepted  notion  of 
the  ancients.  The  Ethiopians  are  called  smooth 
and  shining,  not,  we  may  suppose,  because  they 
deprived  the  hody  of  hair,  but  because  they  had 
a  way  of  making  the  skin  smooth  and  shining. 
This  is  known  from  what  HERODOTUS  relates  of 
the  scouts  of  Cambyses  (chap.  iii.  23).  When 
these  wondered  at  the  long  life  of  the  Ethiopians, 
they  were  led  to  a  spring :  "  by  washing  in  which 
they  became  very  shining  as  if  it  were  of  oil."  By 
the  constant  use  of  this  spring,  the  Ethiopians  be- 
came, it  was  said,  na.K.pofii.oi,  ''  long-lived."  It  is 
seen  from  this  that  to  the  Ethiopians  was  ascribed 
a  skin  shining  as  if  oiled.  In  general  the  Ethio- 
pians, according  to  HERODOTUS,  were  accounted 
"  the  largest  and  comeliest  of  all  men."  On  the 
upper  Nile  there  yet  live  men  whom  this  descrip- 
tion suits.  For  example  the  Schilluks,  that  were 
reached  by  the  British  Consul,  JOHN  PETHER- 
ICK,  after  eight  days' journey  on  the  White  Nile, 
from  Chartum,  are  described  by  him  as  ''  a  large, 
powerful,  finely  formed  race,  with  countenances 
of  noble  mould  "  (Ausland,  1861,  No.  24).  Comp. 
ERNST  MORNO  (in  PETERMAN'S  Geoc/r.  Mithei- 
lungen,  1872,  12  Heft.,  p.  452  sqq.)  on  the  ethno- 
logical relations  in  Upper-Sennar,  and  especially 
on  the  Hammedach  and  their  neighbors.  That 
is  dreaded  far  away ;  so  the  Prophet  names 
the  people  because  they  are  feared  from  their 
borders  and  far  away.  See  Text,  and  Gram.  We 
know  with  certainty,  at  least  with  reference  to 
Egypt,  that  Ethiopia  at  that  time  had  dominion 
beyond  its  own  territory.  The  Ethiopian  dynasty 
seems  to  have  put  an  end  to  a  condition  of  great 
disorder  in  Egypt.  The  first  king  of  it,  Sabakon, 
must  have  been  a  powerful  and  wise  regent. 
CHAMPOLLION-FIGEAC,  I.  c.,  p.  363,  says  of  him  : 


''  The  internal  disorders  involved  the  ruin  of  the 
public  establishments,  and  when  order  was  re- 
vived by  the  presence  of  a  wise  and  prudent 
monarch,  his  first  thought  ought  to  be  to  repair 
them.  After  his  invasion  of  Egypt  this  duty  de- 
volved on  the  conqueror,  and  Sabakon  did  not 
neglect  it."  To  the  third  king,  Tirhaka,  are 
ascribed  great  military  expeditions — as  far  as  the 
Pillars  of  Hercules, —  and  conquests  (ibid.,  p. 
364).  One  may  well  suppose  that  the  strict  dis- 
cipline and  order,  which  naturally  at  times  ran 
to  the  excess  of  ruthless  oppression,  was  a  charac- 
teristic peculiarity  of  those  Ethiopic  princes.  We 
therefore  take  lp~1pr=  "command,  command :" 
there  was  much  commanding,  but  short  and  sharp. 
The  meaning  "power,  strength,"  which  some 
assume  only  for  our  text,  after  Arabian  analogy, 
is  not  satisfactorily  established.  We  do  perfect- 
ly well  with  the  meaning  nearest  at  hand.  Egypt, 
as  is  well  known,  is  a  gift  of  the  Nile  (comp. 
EBER'S  Egypten  n.  d.  Bilcher  Mosis,  I.  p.  21. 
FRAAS,  Aus  dem  Orient,  c/eologische  Reobachtungen 
am  Nil,  avf  der  Sinai-Halbinsel  u.  in  Syrien,  1867. 
p.  207).  But  what  the  Nile  gives  to  Egypt  it  has 
stolen  in  Ethiopia.  Therefore  the  expression 
"  whose  land  rivers  carry  away "  corresponds 
exactly  with  the  fact.  It  appears  in  a  measure 
as  a  Nemesis  accomplished  by  nature  that  Ethio- 
pia, in  return  for  "  the  down  treading  "  practised 
by  it,  should  succumb  to  the  spoiling  done  by  the 
rivers  flowing  through  it.  The  nation  of  Ethio- 
pia therefore  is  summoned  to  the  strife.  A  colli- 
sion impends.  It  must  be  attended  with  import- 
ant consequences.  All  inhabitants  of  the  world 
(comp.  xxvi.  9,  18),  especially  the  dwellers  of  the 
territory  concerned,  must  be  on  the  look-out  when 
the  signals  for  the  combat  are  given  ;  for  some- 
thing of  moment  will  happen. 


3)  The  Deliverance  of  Ethiopia  in  the  near  Future. 

CHAPTER  XVIII.  4-6. 

4  FOR  so  the  LORD  said  unto  me,  al  will  take  my  rest, 
And  I  will  ""consider  in  my  dwelling-place 

Like  a  clear  heat  2oupon  herbs, 

And  like  a  cloud  of  dew  in  the  heat  of  harvest. 

5  For  afore  the  harvest,  when  the  dbud  is  perfect, 
*Aud  the  sour  grape  is  ripening  in  the  flower, 

fHe  shall  both  cut  off  the  sprigs  with  pruning  hooks, 
And  take  away  and  cut  down  the  branches. 

6  They  shall  be  left  together  unto  the  fowls  of  the  mountains, 
And  to  the  beasts  of  the  earth  , 

And  the  fowls  shall  summer  upon  them, 

And  all  the  beasts  of  the  earth  shall  winter  upon  them. 


1  Or,  regard  my  set  dwelling. 

»  /  will  rest  or  be  quiet. 
d  the  bloom. 


2  Or,  after  rain. 

•>  look  on.  c  6;/  daylight. 

•  And  the  flower  becomes  a  ripening  grape.     {  One. 


TEXTUAL  AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  4.  According  to  K'thibh 
according  to  K'ri  HED^X  (comp. 


Is  to  be  read; 


Ezra  viii. 


25.  EwAU>,§406;  41  c;  68  6).    The  form'  written  plcne 


with  the  accent  drawn  back,  is  of  course  not  normal. 
Precisely  for  this  reason  the  Masorets  chose  the  other. 
But  HITZIG  may  not  be  wrong  when  ho  says,  that  the 


CHAP.  XVIII.  7. 


219 


double  checking  of  the  voice  with  twice  raising  it  be- 
tween depressions  fittingly  depicts  the  agreeable  re- 
pose in  equipoise.  Dpt^  xiv.  7;  Ixii.  1. {'"GO  prin- 

I-T  I      v 

cipally  used  of  the  divine  throne,  eomp.  on  iv.  5;  Ps. 

xxxiii.  13. 1  take  3  before  DPI  in  the  sense  of  com- 
parison, and  not  in  that  of  coincidence  as  in  vers.  3,  5  ; 
see  under  Exegetical.  For  what  "  clear  heat,"  etc.,  and 
"a dew-cloud"  is  for  harvest,  such  is  Jehovah's  quiet 
waiting  for  the  Assyrian. — Qn  is  "warmth,  heat;"  only 

here  in  Isaiah. n^  (comp.  xxxii.  4)  is  "bright,  clear." 

"!1X  '7j?  is  =  "by  daylight"  (comp.  Am.  viii.  9;  Hab. 
iii.  4,  etc.).  7^'  is  taken  here  in  the  cumulative  sense, 
which  it  often  has  (Gen.  xxxii.  12;  Exod.  xxxv.  22;  1 
Sam.  xiv.  32,  etc.).  Thus  it  is  properly  :  "  heat  added  to 
daylight;"  for  it  can  be  cold  during  daylight. — 7ft  3j? 
"dew-cloud,"  is  the  light  cloud  that  at  night  dissolves 
in  dew  (comp.  EHpvD  iy  Prov  xvi.  15,  whereas  3_J7 
Exod.  xix.  9  •=•  '3.1'). 

Ver.  5.  rP3~Dn3  (3  like   ver.  3,  rP3  v.  24)  is  fol- 

-  v       T  :       : 

lowed  by  a  phrase  in  which,  Hebrew  fashion,  the  dis- 
course relapses  into  the  verb.finit. 1D3  (only  here  in 

Isaiah  ;  comp.  Jer.  xxxi.  29  sq. ;  Kzek.  xviii.  2)  is  the 
unripe  grape. /DJ,  which  elsewhere  means  "disae- 

-  T 

custom,  wean,"  (xi.  8 ;  xxviii.  9)  is  used  here  in  a  sense 
derived  from  that.  The  mother,  that  weans  her  child, 


has  brought  it  to  a  certain  degree  of  maturity.  But,  be- 
side the  present,  the  word  occurs  in  the  sense  of  "  ripe- 
ness "  only  Num.  xvii.  23;  it  must  be  noted  beside  that 
7DJ  is  to  be  taken  in  a  transitive  sense.  For  in  Num. 
xvii.  23  this  is  undoubtedly  the  case,  and  Gen.  xl.  10  it 
reads  in  the  same  sense  D'Djy  D'hS^X  lVl93n, 

.  •  T -:      TV.::-  •    :    • 

"  their  grape-stalks  cooked  grapes;"  "103  is  accordingly 
meant  for  a  degree  of  development  of  the  vine  that  pro- 
duces ripe  grapes.- It  appears  as  if  the  Prophet  had 

in  mind  Gen.  xl.  10;  for  both  nrP£33  and  fl¥J  and  the 
words  already  quoted  recall  our  passage. D2fJ  "the 

T  * 

flower,  blossom,"  occurs  only  here  in  Isaiah ;  beside 

this,  Job  xv.  33.    7120,  moreover,  is  subject ;  thus  the 

T  • 
predicate  is  put  emphatically  in  advance. — With  rP31 

begins  the  apodosis.  Jehovah  need  not  be  taken  as 
subject,  and  therewith  the  substitution  of  the  Prophet 
as  speaker.  The  subject  is  indefinite.  We  express  it 

by  "  one  "  (vi.  10 ;  x.  4 ;  xiv.  32). -D'St1?!  («T-  *«Y.)  are 

"the  branches"  of  the  vine;  niET£OJ  "the  shoots, 
sprouts "  that  develop  from  it  (only  here  in  Isaiah, 

Jer.  v.  10 ;  xlviii.  32). THPI,  air.  Aey. 

Yer.  6.  tOMJ,  beside  here,  only  xlvi.  11. T'p,  "  sum- 

'  IT 

mering,"  and  fpTV,  "wintering,"  are  both  denomina- 

I-V:IV 

tives  from  j"p  and  rprii  and  are  aira£  Aeydjueya. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  has  intimated  that  something 
great  impends  (ver.  3) — he  now  declares  wherein 
it  consists.     He  can  say  it  because  Jehovah  re- 
vealed it  to  him.     That  is  the  LORD   has  an- 
nounced to  him,  that  He  would  keep  altogether  ! 
quiet  as  a  more    observer.      Like  warmth   and  \ 
dew  ripen  the  harvest,  so,  by  the  favor  of  His 
non-intervention,  the  power  of  the  Assyrians  will 
be  brought  almost  to  the  greatest  prosperity  (ver. 
4).     Almost/    For  before  this  highest  point  is  at- 
tained, the   Assyrian  power  shall  be  destroyed, 
like  one    destroys  a    vine,  by  cutting   off,  not 
merely  the  grapes,  but  the  grape  branches  and  the 
sprouts  (ve     5).     So  terrible  will  this  overthrow 
be,  that  the  beasts  of  prey  shall  all  through  sum- 
mer and  winter  find  abundant  to  devour  on  the 
field  of  battle  (ver.  6). 

2.  For  so -winter  upon    them. — Vers. 

4-6.     The  LORD  purposely  abstains  from  inter- 
fering.    He  quietly  allows  matters  to  take  their 
own   course,  He   waits    patiently  till  His   time 
comes.     This  quiet,  observant  waiting  the  Pro- 
phet  compares   to    that  weather  which  is  most 
favorable  for  maturing  the  harvest :  warm  days  and 
dewy  nights.     The  ancients  conceived  of  the  dew 
as  originating  like  the  rain.     This  appears,  e.  g.y 

from  Job  xxxviii.  28,  where  the  /(?  ^ JX  "  drops 
of  dew,"  are  the  receptacula  roris  (CoD.  ALEX. 


Sp6aov.  The  summer  heat,  the  nightly 
dew,  is  an  extraordinary  benefit  to  vegetation. 
Therefore  dew  is  so  often  used  as  the  figure  for 
blessing:  Gen.  xxvii.  28;  Deut.  xxxiii.  13,  28; 
Hos.  xiv.  6;  Mic.  v.  6;  Prov.  xix.  12.  The 
causal  '3 ,  "  for,"  at  the  beginning  of  ver.  5  con- 
nects two  thoughts  that  are  impliedly  contained 
in  vers.  4  and  5 :  the  LORD  observes  this  ex- 
pectant conduct,  because  only  immediately  before 
maturity  of  events  will  He  interfere.  "  Harvest" 
is  evidently  to  be  taken  in  the  wide  sense  that  in- 
cludes also  the  wine  harvest.  By  an  emphatic 
asyndeton  wherein  the  second  word  (irin,  "to 
cut  down")  explains  the  first  ("VD71,  "to  take 
away"),  it  is  now  affirmed  that  the  enemy,  that 
is,  Assyria,  shall  be  thoroughly  destroyed.  For 
there  will  not  be  merely  a  gleaning  of  grapes 
(comp.  Ixiii.  1  sqq.),  but  from  the  vine  shall  be 
cut  off  the  very  branches  that  yield  fruit.  The 
meaning  of  what  has  been  said,  becomes  evident 
from  the  literal  language  of  ver.  6.  It  means  a 
terrible  overthrow  of  the  Assyrian  army.  Its 
dead  bodies  lie  in  such  vast  numbers  that  birds 
and  beasts  of  prey  for  a  summer  and  a  winter, 
shall  find  abundance  of  food  on  the  field  of  battle. 
"Beasts  of  the  earth,"  comp.  Deut.  xxviii.  26, 
of  which  passage,  moreover,  our  whole  verso 
serves  to  remind  one. 


J)  THE  SALVATION  THAT  ETHIOPIA   EXPECTS  IN  THE  DISTANT  FUTURE. 

CHAPTER  XVIII.  7. 

7  In  that  time  shall  athe  present  be  brought  unto  the  LORD  of  hosts 
bOf  a  people  '"scattered  and  peeled, 
And  from  a  people  terrible  Trom  their  beginning  hitherto  ; 


220 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


A  nation  "meted  out  and  trodden  under  foot, 

Whose  land  the  rivers  have  spoiled. 

To  the  place  of  the  name  of  the  LORD  of  hosts,  the  mount  Zion. 


1  Or,  outspread  and  polished. 

»  a  gift. 

A from  far  away. 


b  omit  of. 
of  stern  command  and  rough  tread. 


grown  high  and  shining. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 

Only  Q£  and  DJ70    present   difficulty. It    is  |  12. '&,  of  uncertain  derivation,  is  found  again  only 

ungrammatical  to  supply  the  preposition  before  DJ7     Ps.  Ixviii.  30 ;  Ixxvi.  12.-The  expression  "  Dtf   DfO 


from 


To  amend  the  text  by  prefixing  the  Q  is 


needless  violence.  -  731H  in  Isaiah  again  liii.  7;  Iv. 


occurs  only  here  :  yet  comp.  Lev.  xiv.  13 ;  Isa.  Ix.  13 ; 
Ixvi.  1. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  gaze  of  the  Prophet  embraces  the  im- 
mediate  and  the  most  remote  future,  while  he 
overleaps  all  time  spaces  that  lie  between  as  un- 
essential.    The  consequence  of  that  mighty  over- 
throw will  be  this,  that  Ethiopia  presents  itself 
as  a  sacrificial  gift  to  the  LORD,  and  that  out  of 
this  people  will  be  sent  sacrificial  gifts  to  the  spot 
where  men  call  on  the  name  of  the  LORD. 

2.  In  that  time— — mount  Zion. — Ver.  7. 
By  the  "in  that  time"  the  Prophet  joins  what 
follows   close   on   to  what   precedes.     Although 
what  ver.  7  affirms  belongs  to  the  remote  future, 
yet  the  Prophet  sees  it  as  the  great  chief  effect 

immediately  after  the  cause,  vers.  5  and  6. By 

Qy  and    Dj)D    the  Prophet  would  say  that  the 
entire  nation  shall  be  brought  to  the  LORD  as 


present,  tribute,  or  sacrificial  gift;  that  is  it  will 
bring  itself — a  thought,  that  is  familiar:  Ixvi. 
20;  Ps.  Ixviii.  32, — that  also,  in  consequence 
thereof,  presents  out  of  the  nation  will  be  brought 
to  the  place  of  the  worship  of  Jehovah.  For 
that  is  two  different  things ;  in  order  to  bring 
itself,  the  nation  does  not  need  to  leave  its  own 
place ;  but  in  order  to  bring  presents  to  the  sanc- 
tuary of  the  LORD,  there  must  be  a  motion  from 
one  place  to  another.  Therefore  a  double  defini- 
tion appears,  for  "  there  shall  be  brought  a  pre- 
sent:"  1)  "to  the  LORD  of  hosts  a  people,"  2) 
"  from  the  people  dreaded,"  etc.  "  to  the  place," 
etc. The  passage  Zeph.  iii.  10  is  a  remini- 
scence of  our  text. 


b)  Prophecies  that  give  warning  not  to  trust  in  false  help  against  Assyria. 

CHAPTER  XIX.  XX. 

a)  EGYPT  NOW  AND  IN  TIME  TO  COME. 
CHAPTER  XIX. 


Various  expositors  from  EICHHORST  to  HITZIO 
have  attacked  the  genuineness  of  this  chapter  in 
whole  or  in  part.  But  one  may  judge  in  advance 
how  little  valid  the  alleged  reasons  for  this  are, 
by  the  fact  that  KNOBEL  rejects  them  all,  and  is 
decided  in  his  recognition  of  Isaiah,  as  its  author. 
We  may  therefore  spare  ourselves  the  investiga- 
tion of  these  doubts,  and  so  much  the  more  as  in 
our  exposition  of  particulars,  it  will  appear  how 
very  much  the  thoughts  and  expressions  corres- 


pond to  Isaiah's  way  of  thinking  and  speaking. 
The  chapter  is  very  artistically  arranged.  It 
evidently  divides  into  three  parts  of  which  the 
first  (vers.  1-15)  shows  how  the  LORD  by  His 
judgments  reveals  His  arm  to  the  Egyptians  (Iii. 
10;  liii.  1)  ;  thesecond  (vers.  16-17),  as  a  transi- 
tion, sets  forth  how  Egypt  fears  before  Jehovah ; 
finally  the  third  (vers.  "18-25)  presents  the  pros- 
pect that  Egypt  will  fear  the  LORD  as  third  in 
the  confederation  with  Assyria  and  Israel. 


K)  How  the  LORD  reveals  His  arm  to  the  Egyptians  by  severe  judgments. 

CHAPTERS  XIX.  1-15. 
THE  BURDEN  OF  EGYPT. 
Behold,  the  LORD  rideth  upon  a  swift  cloud, 
And  "shall  come  into  Egypt : 

And  the  idols  of  Egypt  sshall  be  moved  at  his  presence, 
And  the  heart  of  Egypt  "shall  melt  in  the  midst  of  it. 
And  I  will  1  set  dthe  Egyptians  against  the  Egyptians : 
And  they  shall  fight  every  one  against  his  brother, 
And  every  one  against  his  'neighbor ; 


CHAP.  XIX.  1-15. 


221 


City  against  city, 

And  kingdom  against  kingdom. 

3  And  the  spirit  of  Egypt  "shall  fail  in  the  midst  thereof; 
And  I  will  Mestroy  the  counsel  thereof: 

And  they  shall  seek  to  the  idols,  and  to  the  fcharmers, 

And  to  gthem  that  have  familiar  spirits,  and  to  the  wizzards. 

4  And  hthe  Egyptians  will  I  4give  over  into  the  hand  of  a  'cruel  lord; 
And  a  j  fierce  king  shall  rule  over  them, 

Saith  the  Lord,  the  LORD  of  hosts. 

5  And  the  waters  shall  fail  from  the  sea, 
And  the  river  shall  be  wasted  and  dried  up. 

6  And  kthey  shall  turn  the  rivers  far  away  ; 

And  the  brooks  of  'defence  shall  be  emptied  and  dried  up  : 
mThe  reeds  and  flags  shall  wither. 

7  The  "paper  reeds  by  the  brooks,  °by  the  mouth  of  the  brooks, 
And  Everything  sown  by  the  brooks, 

Shall  wither,  be  driven  away,  6and  be  no  more. 

8  The  fishers  also  shall  mourn, 

And  all  they  that  cast  angle  into  the  brooks  shall  lament, 
And  they  that  spread  nets  upon  the  waters  shall  languish. 

9  Moreover  they  that  work  in  fine  flax, 

And  they  that  weave  6networks,  shall  be  confounded. 

10  And  qthey  shall  be  broken  in  the  'purposes  thereof : 
All  that  make  sluices  and  ponds  8for  fish. 

11  'Surely  the  princes  of  Zoan  are  fools, 

"The  counsel  of  the  wise  counsellors  of  Pharaoh  is  become  brutish : 
How  say  ye  unto  Pharaoh, 

I  am  the  son  of  the  wise, 

The  son  of  ancient  kings? 

12  Where  are  they  ?  where  are  thy  wise  men  ? 
And  let  them  tell  thee  now,  and  let  them  know 
What  the  LORD  of  hosts  hath  purposed  upon  Egypt. 

13  The  princes  of  Zoan  are  'become  fools, 
The  princes  of   Noph  are  deceived  ; 

"They  have  also  seduced  Egypt,  even  they  that  are9 10the  stay  of  the  tribes  thereof. 

14  The  LORD  hath  mingled  ua  perverse  spirit  in  the  midst  thereof: 
And  they  have  caused  Egypt  to  err  in  every  work  thereof, 

As  a  drunken  man  staggereth  in  his  vomit. 

15  Neither  shall  there  be  any  work  for  Egypt, 
Which  the  head  or  tail,  branch  or  rush  may  do. 


1  Heb.  mingle. 
4  Or,  shut  up. 
1 1leb.  foundations. 
10  Heb.  corners. 

•  cometh. 

d  Egypt  against  Egypt. 

« the  necromancers. 

J  stern. 

m  Heed  and  rush. 

Pall  the  sown  ground  of. 

1  Onl>/ fools  are  the. 

'  infatuated. 


8  Heb.  shall  be  emptied. 

6  Heb.  and  shall  not  be. 

8Or,  of  living  things. 

11  Heb.  o  spirit  of  perverseness. 

*  move,  or  flee. 

'fellow. 

h  Egypt. 

k  the  rivers  shali  stink. 

1  meadows. 


8  Heb.  swallow  up. 
6  Or,  white  works. 
*  Or,  governors. 

"melts. 

lmutterers. 

1  harsh  dominion. 

1  of  Egypt. 

"on  the  bank  of  the. 


Ver.  1.  y\}  is  one  of  the  words  that  occur  only  in  the 
first  part  of  Isaiah:  vi.  4;  vii.  2  ;  xxiv.  20;  xxxvii.  22. — 
3TI5,  in  some  sense  as  the  enclosure  that  contains  the 

37  or  nil,   frequent:    xxvi.  9;  Ixiii.  11;  Ps.  xxxix.  4 ; 

li.  12  ;  Iv.  5,  etc. D'VSx,  see  on  ii.  8. DO"1  'D  uSl, 

see  on  xiii.  7. 
Ver.  2.  On  "}COp  comp.  at  ix.  10. 


1  her  pillars  shall  be  ruins,  aH  laborers  for  hire  soul-swamps. 
'  The  wise  among  the  counsellors  of  Pharaoh,  their  counsel  is. 
*And  the  corner-stone  of  its  castes  has  led  Egypt  astray. 

TEXTUAL,   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  3.  HD3J  comp.  GEEEN  Gr.,  ?141, 1;  Isa.  xxiv.  1, 


3. D'tSK,  aw.  Ae-y.,  probably  kindred  to  £3X7,  whioh  is 

used  of  the  soft  murmuring  of  a  brook,  viii.  6,  and  of 
soft,  slow,  gentle  stepping  or  acting,  Gen.  xxxiii.  14; 

2  Sam.  xviii.  5,  etc. DUN  and    D^JJ-'T,   compare  on 

viii.  19. 
Ver.  4.  D'j'tN,  Plural,  with  the  abstract  notion  of  do- 


222 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


minion,  corap.  Gen.  xxxix.  20;  xlii.  30,  33;  in  Isa.  again  i 

only  xxvi.  13. T#  xxv.  3;  xliii.  16;  Ivi.  11. -QD, 

properly  "  to  shut  up,"  only  here  in  Isaiah. 
Ver.  6.  The  form  1JWJ,  as  also  HPtf  J  xli.  17,  and 

T  ITT    . 

rtPt^J  Jer-  'i-  3°  can  be  referred  to  nfltJ?  (comp.  Ps. 
Ixxiii^;  Ixxxviii.  7),  as  is  done  by  HITZIG,  if  the  mean- 
ing "  to  seat  oneself,"  desidere  suited  our  passage  and 
xli.  17.  But  in  both  places  (also  xix.  5  on  account  of  the 
«J3  before  DTI)  it 's  to°  evident  that  the  meaning  "exa- 
ruit,  to  become  dry,"  is  demanded  by  the  context. 
Moreover  the  whole  of  verse  5  is  with  little  altera- 
tion taken  from  Job  xiv.  11.  For  there  it  reads:— 
Ett'1  SirV  injl  D'-'SO  D'O  ^TX.  It  is  seen  that 

"T:  — ,':iV        T  T:          T       •   '  •"  .'IT 

the  expressions  differ  somewhat  in  the  first  clause, 
while  in  the  second  clause  they  are  literally  alike.  Job 
employs  the  language  as  the  figure  for  growing  old  and 
dying  off,  without  any  reference  to  the  Nile.  Isaiah  ap- 
plies it  to  the  Nile  particularly,  and  hence  exchanges 

l^TX  (diffluunt)  for  m^J. 

Ver.fi.    There  is  no  substantive   rUIX;  so  JTJiNn 

-:•:  -    •  :  viv 

may  not  be  taken  as  denominatirum,  though  even  EWALD 
(\  126  V)  adopts  the  view.  OLSHAUSEN  (§  255  6)  explains 
the  form  as  simply  a  blunder ;  ?n"  Jin  is  to  be  restored. 
The  meaning  must  be"' to  produce,  to  spread  a  stench." 

The  plural  nilDJ  occurs  only  here  in  the  first  part 

of  Isaiah ;  in  the  second  part :  xli.  18 ;  xlii.  15  ;  xliii.  2, 
19,  20;  xliv.  27;  xlvii.  2;  1.  2.  D'irU  xviii.  1,  2,  7  ; 
xxxiii.  21. SSl  comp.  xxxviii.  H;  xvii.  4. On  "Vl^D 

~  T  .  T 

see  Exeg.  Com.  on  ver.  1. T1X"1  is  an  Egyptian  word. 

According  to  EBERS  (1.  c.  I.  p.  338)  the  sacred  name  of 
the  Nile  in  the  hieroglyphic  text  is  Hapi,  the  profane 
name,  on  the  other  hand,  Aur,  Along  with  the  latter 
name  often  stands  aa,  t,  e.,  "  great,"  therefore,  Aur-aa— 
great  river.  The  ancient  hieratic  form  Aur  became,  in 
the  mouth  of  the  people,  iar  or  ial(r  and  I  are  exchanged 
according  to  fancy  in  Egyptian,  EBERS,  p.  96).  From 
Aur-aa  came  iaro.  So  the  word  sounds  also  in  Koptie. 
The  plural  D'HX'1  occurs  xxxiii.  21,  of  water  ditches, 
used  for  defence ;  Job  xxviii.  1  of  the  shafts  that  the 
miner  digs.  Otherwise  the  word  is  used  only  of  the 
canals  of  the  Nile:  Exod.  vii.  19;  viii.  1,  etc.  Comp.  vii. 

18;  xxxvii.  25;  2  Kings  xix.  24. PUD  "cane,"  hence 

vlr 
Kavtav,  canalis,  xxxv  7;  xxxvi.  6;  xlii.  3;  xliii.  24;  xlvi. 

6. CUQ  "a  reed,"  Exod.  ii.  3,  5;  only  here  in  Isaiah. 

;Dp  (70p  kindred  to  7?3K;  "marcescere,  to  languish," 
••  IT     -  IT  -  T 

occurs  again  only  xxxiii.  9. 

Ver.  7.  JYn.J,*  (from  i"Pj?,  nudum  esse,  loco,  nuda),  oc- 
cura  only  in  this  place.  These  J"\11J?  evidently  corres- 
pond to  the  Egyptian  ^nK  (Gen.  xli.  2;  Job  viii.  11),  the 

IT 

Nile,  or  reed,  or  rush-meadow  on  the  bank  of  the  Nile. 

Comp.  EBERS  1.  c.  p.  338. 1W  'S  can  hardly  signify 

"  the  mouthing."  For  wherefore  should  only  the  mea- 
dows at  the  mouthing  of  the  Nile  wither?  Rather 
(comp.  Ps.  cxxxiii.  2)  the  mouth  of  the  Nile  here  is  the 
same  as  the  lips  of  the  Nile  elsewhere  O^TI  DSt^  Gen. 

xli.  3,  hieroglyphic  sept.,  EBEBS,  /.  c.  p.  339.- jnTO,  «T. 

Aey.  can  mean  here  only  "the  place  of  sowing,  the  sowed 

field"  (comp.  intf  JTH  xxiii.  3). epj,  dispcllere,  dis- 

eipare,  occurs  again  only  xli.  2. IjyKl  a  form  of  ex- 


pression that  occurs  relatively  the  oftenest  in  Job:  iii. 
21;  xxiii.  8;  xxiv.  21;  xxvii.  19.  Comp.  beside  Psalms 
xxxvii.  10 ;  ciii.  16 ;  Prov.  xxiii.  5,  etc. 

Ver.  8.  UK  comp.  iii.  26. H3H   and  mDDD   are 

T  ~ 

found  only  here  in  Isaiah  ;  on  the  former  compare  Job 

xl.  25;  on  the  latter,  Hab.  i.  15. }SS?3X  comp.  on  xvi.  8. 

T  :  '•. 
Ver.  9.  rttp'llt'  DTI123  are  Una  pectinata,  i.  e.,  linen 

stuff  made  of  hackeled.  pure,  fine  flax,  fllp^ty  is  air. 
Aey. ;  so  also  is  •HirV  The  root  of  the  latter  Tin  (xxix. 
22)  means  candidum,  then  nobilem,  tplendidum  esse.  We 
encounter  this  meaning  again  in  "in  nobilis,  ''ih  "  fine, 
white  bread,"  (Gen.  xl.  16),  probably,  too,  in  the  proper 
names  D"Hn  (ingenuus)  HVn  (nobiiitas).  Accordingly 

T  T      • 

*Th  would  be  "a  fine  white  garment."  Whether  the 
stuff  was  linen  or  cotton  is  not  to  be  determined  from 
the  word  itself.  The  distinction  from  DTIl^S  rather 
favors  the  opinion  that  it  was  cotton.  The  ending  aj  is 
an  old  singular  ending;  comp.  EWALD,  {>  164,  c ;  177  a. 

Ver.  10.  The  word  r\ir\U?  occurs  again  only  Ps.  xi.  3; 

T 

and  there  means  undoubtedly  "pillars,  posts."  This 
meaning  suits  perfectly  in  this  place  also.  Only  verse 
10  is  not  to  be  connected  with  what  precedes,  but  is  to 
be  construed  as  the  theme  for  what  follows,  yet  in  the 
sense  that  the  following  verses  specify  exclusively  the 
notion  nint^-  Only  at  the  end  of  ver.  15  the  underlying 
thought  of  ver.  10  recurs.  For  "  head  and  tail,  palm 
branch  and  rush"  is  only  another  expression  for  that 
which  is  called  "  foundation  pillars  and  hired  laborers." 
"]DW  (compare  "T3t2P,  mercenarius)  means  "merces, 

V  V  '  T 

pay,"  and  occurs  again  only  Prov.  xi.  18.  They  are, 
therefore,  "qucestum  facient#s,  hired  laborers;"  a  comr 

prehensive  designation  of  the  lower  classes. The 

expression  l^DJ  "OJX  recalls  D'D  'pj«  xiv.  23.  The 
meaning  "troubled,"  which  some  give  to  'OJK  in  our 
text,  would  form  a  solitary  instance.  Everywhere  else 
the  word  means  "stagnum,palus"  (xxxv.  7  ;  xli. 18;  xlii. 
15),  or  "  arundinetum  "  (Jer.  li.  32).  The  word  is  used  for 
the  pools,  puddles,  swamps  made  by  the  Nile  (Exod.  vii. 
19;  viii.  1). 

Ver.  11.  "IJ.'S  is  verb,  denom.  from  T_J»3,  brutus,  stolidus. 

The  Niph.  only  here  in  Isaiah  ;  comp.  Jer.  x.  14,  21. 

11 JK,  this  is  said  because  the  prophet  has  in  mind  a  sin- 
gle priest :  he  thinks,  perhaps,  of  the  'apx«pe us,  "  the 
chief  of  the  entire  priesthood,"  (EBERS,  I.  c.  p.  344). 

Ver.  13.  I^XIJ,  "infatuated,"  only  here  in  Isa;  comp. 
Num.  xii.  11;  Jer.v.4;  1.36. tftyj,  "betrayed;"  Niph. 

T  ' 

only  here;  Hiph.  xxxvi.  14;  xxxvii.  10. tlj  is  =  rp. 

Memphis  (comp.  DELITZSCH  and  BRUGgcnJ3"i«t  d'Egypte). 

n33  "  the  corner ;"  then  by  metonymy  for  ^3  pK 

x  .  I  v  v 

"  the  corner-stone,"  Job  xxxviii.  G ;  comp.  Isa.  xxviii. 

15;  Jer.  li.  26;  Ps.  cxviii.  22. 

Ver.  14.  D'^IJ?,  "  perverseness,"  air.  Aey.,  compare 

Tpty  nO  1  Kings  xxii.  22  sq. t"linp3  see  on  ver.  1. 

}pb",  v.  22. 

Ver.  15.  1  before  3JT  and  jirDJX  is  here  equivalent  to 
"  or  "  (comp.  EwiiD,  \  352,  a ;  Jer.  xliv.  28.) 


CHAP.  XIX.  1-15. 


223 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Jehovah  draws  near  to  the  judgment  against 
Egypt:    the  idols  flee,  the  nation  is  dispirited 
(ver.  1).     This  is  the  theme  of  the  discourse.    In 
what  follows  the  Prophet  lets  the  LORD  Himself 
set  forth  how  He  means  to  carry  out  in  detail 
what  is  announced  in  ver.   1.      The  Egyptians 
shall  war  on  one  another  (ver.  2) ;  bereft  of  all 
prudent  deliberation,  they  shall  seek  counsel  from 
the  idols  and  wizards  (ver.  3).     But  it  is  of  no 
use.     Egypt  is  subjected  to  a  harsh  rule  (ver.  4). 
The  Nile  dries  up ;  its  rushes  and  canes  wither 
(vers.  5,  6),  and  also  the  meadows  and  fields  on 
its  banks  (ver.  7)  ;  its  fisheries  come  to  a  misera- 
ble end  (ver.  8);  the  preparation  of  linen  and 
cotlon  stuff  ceases  (ver.  9).     The  highest  as  well 
as  the  lowest  classes  are  ruined   (ver.  10) ;  the 
priests  and  the  wise  men  that  boast  an  ancient 
royal  descent  are  at  an  end  with  their  wisdom; 
they  know  not  what  the  LORD  has  determined  con- 
cerning Egypt  (vers.  11,  12);  they  are  altogether 
perplexed  in  their  thoughts,  so  that  they  only 
lead   Egypt    about   in   a    maze    (vers.    13,    14). 
Neither  for  the  highest  nor  the  lowest  does  labor 
for  the   general  benefit  succeed  any  more  (ver. 
15). 

2.  The  burden midst  of  it.— Ver.   1. 

Mizraim,  is  not  the  native  name  for  the  land  of 
Egypt.  The  ancient  Egyptians  never  used  it.  It  is 
neither  to  be  found  in  the  hieroglyphic  inscrip- 
tions, nor  can  it  be  explained   from  the  Koptic 
language.     The  Egyptians  called  their  land  (the 
Nile  valley)  Cham ;  Koptic,  Kerne,  Kemi,  Chemi 
(i.  e.  "  black").     Mizraim  is  the  name  given  to 
the    land    by    its    eastern,    Semitic    neighbors. 
EBERS    (I.  c.,  p.  71  sqq.)   proceeds  from   itafO 
which  means  coarctatio,   and   then  munimentum, 
"fortification"  (Ps.  xxxi.  22;  Ix.  11;    Mic.  vii. 
12;  Hab.  ii.   1,  etc.).     Egypt  is  so  named,   Isa. 
xix.  6  ;  xxxvii.  25 ;  2  Kings  xix.  24;  Mic.  vii. 
12.     EBERS  maintains  that  the  eastern  neighbors 
so  named  Lower  Egypt  primarily,  from  the  cir- 
cumvallation  that  extended   through  the  entire 
Isthmus,  from  Sues  of  Pelusium  to  the  Red  Sea, 
and  thus  completely  shut  off  Lower  Egypt  from 
the  East;  so  that  it  was   an  "TOD  V"1K,  "  a  land 

7  T       I    V   Y' 

shut  off  by  fortification  "  for  those  eastern  neigh- 
bors. But  when  the  Hyksos  had  forced  an 
entrance  into  the  land,  they  learned  for  the  first 
that  it  was  far  larger  than  they  had  supposed,  viz., 
that  it  extended  beyond  the  southern  extremity 
of  the  fortification  far  up  the  Nile  to  the  cata- 
racts: in  other  words  they  learned  that  there  was 
a  Lower  and  an  Upper  Egyp'.  Hence  the  dual 
Dn¥D.  Although  the  normal  dual  of  "TOD 
would  sound  differently,  yet  EBERS  is  right  in 
saying  that  the  inflection  of  proper  names  often 
takes  its  own  peculiar  form  (/.  c.,  p.  86).  It  is 
debatable  whether  the  original  distinction  between 
"TOD  and  D^¥D  was  afterwards  strictly  adhered 
to.  In  Isa.  xi.  11,  D'ltfD  is  evidently  used  in 
the  narrower  sense  in  which  "TOD  was  originally 
used.  ["  CT^XD  is  here  the  name  of  the  ancestor 
(Gsn.  x_  6),  put  for  his  descendants."  J.  A.  A. — 
"  Mizraim^  or  Misrim,  the  name  given  to  Egypt 
in  the  Scriptures,  is  in  the  plural  form,  and  is 
the  Hebrew  mode  of  expressing  the  '  two  regions 


;  of  Egypt'  (so  commonly  met  with  in  the  hierogly- 

i  phics),  or  the  '  two  Miser,'  a  name  still  used  by 

|  the  Arabs,  who  call   Egypt,  as  well   as  Cairo, 

i  Musk,  or  Misr."     WILKINSON'S  Mann,  and  Cunt. 

of  Anc.  Egypt,  I.  2,  quoted  by  BARNES  in  loc., 

who  adds  :  "  The  origin  of  the  name  '  Egypt '  is 

unknown.    Egyptus  is  said  by  some  to  have  been 

an  ancient  king  of  the  country  "]. 

Jehovah  sets  out  for  Egypt  to  hold  an  assize 
there.     He  rides  swiftly  thither  on  light  clouds 
(Ps.  xviii.  11;  Ixviii.  34).     Egypt's  idols  flee  be- 
fore Him.     They  recognize  in  Him  their  lord  and 
I  master,  Luke  iv.  34.     The  people  are  dispirited; 
j  their  courage  sinks.    One  is  involuntarily  remind- 
|  ed  of  the  visitation  Egypt  once  before  experienced 
j  on  the  part  of  Jehovah  (Exod.  xii.  12).     Idols 
i  and  people  of  Egypt  have  once  before  felt  the 
j  power  of  Jehovah :  just  for  this  reason  they  flee 
i  and  tremble  before  Him  (comp.   Jer.  xlvi.  25 ; 
Ezek.  xxx.  13 ;  1  Sam.  v.  3). 

3.  And  I  will  set Lord   of  hosts. — 

Vers.  2-4.  DUNCKER  (Gesch.  ties  Alterth.,  I.  p. 
602)  says:  "It  cannot  be  determined  whether 
this  passage  refers  to  the  anarchy  that  followed 
the  expulsion  of  the  Ethiopians  (DionoR.,  I.  66) 
about  the  year  695,  or  the  contests  that  preceded 
Psammetichus'  ascending  the  throne  (between 
678-670)."  But  it  appears  that  the  anarchy  after 
the  withdrawal  of  the  Ethiopians  was  not  con- 
siderable. HERODOTUS  (II.  147)  especially  praises 
the  beautiful  harmony  of  the  Dodecarche.  And 
if  misunderstandings  did  arise,  they  might  be 
taken  into  the  Prophet's  comprehensive  glance  as 
essentially  of  the  same  sort  with  those  that  soon 
after  preceded  the  sole  dominion  of  Psammetichus. 
Such  periods  of  internal  discord,  any  way,  oc- 
curred often  in  Egypt.  Thus  a  papyrus  discovered 
by  HARRIS  in  1855,  and  belonging  to  the  time  of 
Ramses  III.,  leaf  75  sqq.  informs  us:  "The  land 
of  Egypt  fell  into  a  decline  :  every  one  did  as  he 
pleased,  long  years  there  was  no  sovereign  for 
them,  that  had  the  supreme  power  over  the  rest 
of  things.  The  land  of  Egypt  belonged  to  the 
princes  in  the  districts.  One  killed  another  in 
jealousy."  Comp.  P^ISENLOHR,  The  great  HARRIS 
Papyrus ;  a  lecture,  Leipzig,  1872.  Thus  even  the 
disturbances  witli  which  Egypt  was  visited  in 
consequence  of  the  irruption  of  the  Ethiopian 
king  Pianchi  Meramen  may  be  included,  which 
STADE  (Dels,  va.it.  aeth.,  p.  30  sqq.)  holds  to  be 
intended  by  the  cruel  lord  and  fierce  king  ver.  4. 
For  when  Isaiah  wrote,  if  the  date  given  above 
is  correct,  the  events  under  Pianchi  Meramen  be- 
longed to  the  past  and  not  to  the  future.  By  the 
aid  of  Ionian  and  Karian  pirates  (HEROD.  II. 
152)  Psammetichus  subdued  his  opponents,  after 
an  eight  years'  contest,  in  the  decisive  battle 
of  Momemphis. 

What  the  Prophet  says  (ver.  3)  of  the  empty- 
ing out  of  the  spirit  of  Egypt  and  swallowing  up 
its  counsel  (comp.  iii.  12)  indicates  the  impotence 
of  the  rulers  to  help  the  situation  with  such  means 
as  shall  be  at  their  command.  In  their  extremity 
they  will  apply  to  their  idols,  their  interpreters, 
i.  e.  "the  mutterers."  But  in  vain.  Egypt  is 
handed  over  to  a  harsh  rule  and  a  stern  king.  It 
cannot  be  denied  that  these  terms  apply  very 


224 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


well  to  Psammetichus  and  the  subsequent  kings 
of  his  race,  Necho  and  Hophra,  for  they  called 
in  foreign  help  to  the  support  of  their  dominion, 
and  gave  thereby  a  blow  to  the  old  Egyptian 
existence  from  which  it  never  recovered.  We 
are  told  by  DIODORUS  (I.  67)  and  HERODOTUS 
(II.  30)  that,  in  consequence  of  the  favor  that 
Psammetichus  showed  to  foreigners,  more  than 
200,000  Egyptians  of  the  military  caste  emigrated 
to  Ethiopia  during  the  reign  of  that  king. 
Under  Necho,  of  the  laborers  on  the  canal  that 
was  to  connect  the  Nile  with  the  Ked  Sea,  120,000 
perished  (HER.  II.  158).  Hophra  or  Aprieswas 
dethroned  because  an  expedition  against  Cyrene, 
for  which  lie  had  employed  an  army  composed 
only  of  Egyptians,  ended  in  severe  defeat.  For 
his  conduct  was  construed  to  be  an  intentional 
devotion  of  the  Egvptians  to  destruction  (HEROD. 
II.  161-169;  IV.  159).  These  and  other  histori- 
cal events  may  be  regarded  as  belonging  to  the 
fulfilment  of  our  prophecy.  But  they  do  not  ex- 
haust it.  Nothing  was  less  in  Isaiah's  mind  than 
to  make  those  transactions  the  subject  of  special 
prediction.  How  would  we  in  that  case  apply 
what  follows,  where  he  speaks  of  the  Nile  drying 
up  and  vegetation  ceasing  ?  Can  this,  too,  be 
meant  literally  ?  By  both  declarations  the  Pro- 
phet means  only  to  announce  to  Egypt  a  judg- 
ment by  which,  on  both  sides  of  its  life,  the  his- 
torical and  the  natural,  it  shall  be  reduced  to  ex- 
tremities. This  judgment  has  not  been  realized 
by  only  one  or  a  few  definite  events.  It  is  realized 
by  every  thing  that  precedes  the  conversion  of 
Egypt  to  Jehovah  (ver.  21  sqq.)  and  contributes 
to  it ;  and  to  that  belongs,  above  all,  its  oppres- 
sion by  a  foe  from  without,  that  is  by  Assyria. 
This  moment,  it  is  true,  does  not  appear  espe'cial- 
ly  in  chapt.  xix.,  but  to  the  presentation  of  this 
the  complementary  chapt.  xx.  is  exclusively  de- 
voted. 

4.   And   the  waters confounded.— 

Vers.  5-9.  The  Nile  is  called  a  sea  (comp.  xviii. 
2;  xxvii.  1;  Nah.  iii.  8;  Mic.  vii.  12?),  not 
merely  because  of  its  normal  breadth  within  its 
own  banks,  but  also  because  it  really  spreads  out 
like  a  sea  at  the  time  of  overflow,  which  to  suit 
the  context,  must  be  regarded  as  the  special  allu- 
sion here.  Hence  HERODOTUS  (II.  97)  calls  it 
"  the  sea  of  Egypt."  Comp.  PLIN.  Hist,  nat.,  35, 
11.  "  The  water  of  the  Nile  resembles  a  sea." 
SENECA  Quaest.  nat.  IV.  2.  "  At  first  it  abates, 
then  by  continued  accession  of  waters  it  spreads 
out  inlo  the  appearance  of  a  broad  and  turbid 
sea,"  GESEN.  in  loc.  If  D^,  "  sea"  designates  the 
Nile  in  its  overflow,  then  "1HJ  means  the  stream 
within  its  normal  bed,  and  the  fllinj,  "  streams  " 
and  D'lK11  "  ditches,"  mean  the  arms  and  canals 
of  the  Nile.  With  the  drying  up  of  the  Nile  and 
its  branches  perishes,  of  course,  the  vegetation 
that  depends  on  them,  and  thus  also  the  fisheries 
and  the  important  manufacture  of  linen  and 
cotton.  On  the  extraordinary,  productive  fisher- 
ies of  the  Nile,  comp.  WILKINSON,  /.  c.  I.  and  II. 
Linen  garments  were  especially  worn  by  the 
priests.  In  the  temples  they  were  allowed  to 
wear  only  linen  garments.  All  mummy  bandages 
also  were  required  to  be  of  linen.  On  the  manu- 
facture of  linen  and  cotton  in  Egypt,  see  WIL- 
KINSON II. 


5.  And  they  shall  be  broken rush, 

may  do. — Vers.  10-15.  In  these  verses  the 
Prophet  portrays  the  ruin  of  Egypt  in  another 
aspect  of  its  national  life,  viz. :  the  division  into 
castes,  in  which  he  especially  sets  forth  the 
highest  class  as  overtaken  by  the  rnin.  By 
fnniy  (see  under  Text,  and  Gram.),  is  not  to  be 
understood  the  lower  classes  (HENDEWERK  and 
EWALD)  nor  weaving  (with  a  reference  to  rTB', 
n't?,  ROORDA,  ROSENMUELLER  and  others). 
They  are  the  upper  classes,  the  highest  castes 
(comp.  iii.  1).  These  shall  be  D'NDID  i.  e., 
"cast  down,  crumbled  to  ruins"  (comp.  liii.  5, 
10;  iii.  15;  Ivii.  15),  what  is  thus  predicated  cor- 
responding to  the  figurative  meaning  of  the  sub- 
ject, in  which  I  see  an  allusion  to  the  ruins.  For 
already  in  Isaiah's  time  there  were  buildings  in 
Egypt  whose  origin  dated  back  more  (ban  a 
thousand  years. 

Is  it  not  fitting  that  the  Prophet  compares  the 
humiliation  of  the  grandees  of  Egypt  to  the 
ruins  of  its  ancient  buildings,  and  the  sorely 
visited  lower  classes  to  swamps  of  its  Nile  ?  (See 
Text,  and  Gram,  on  ver.  10). 

In  what  follows  he  depicts  further  the  ccming 
to  nought  of  the  grandees,  setting  forth  (specially 
the  bankruptcy  of  their  wisdom,  so  celebrated  of 
old  (Acts  vii.  22;  HEROD.  IV.  6,  77,  1GO).  The 
princes  of  Zoan  are  only  fools.  (Zoan  =  Tanis, 
the  royal  residence  of  Lower  Egypt,  situated  in 
the  Delta  of  the  Nile,  comp.  EBERS,  /.  c.,  I.  p. 
272  sqq.  ;  identical  with  Ramses,  according  to 
BRUGSCH,  address  before  the  Oriental  Congress, 
London,  1874).  "  The  sages  among  the  coun- 
sellors of  Pharaoh,"  are  properly  those  of  the 
counsellors  who  alone  deserve  the  predicate 
"  wise."  The  expression  recalls  FTf^'TO  m'OZin 

'*  her  wise  ladies"  in  the  song  of  Deborah  (Jud. 
v.  29)  which  must  also  be  translated:  "the wisest 
among  her  princesses."  On  the  D'ODn,  the 
priestly  counsellors  of  Pharaoh,  see  EBERS,  I-  c. 
I.  p.  341  sqq. 

As  to  the  name  Pharaoh,  it  reads  in  the  hiero- 
glyphic and  hieratic  writing  "Peraa"  or  "Peru," 
which  means  literally  "great  house"  (comp.  sub- 
lime Porte).  Comp.  EBERS,  p.  263  sqq.  The 
word  designates  also  simply  the  king's  palace 
(EBERS,  ibid.). 

The  Prophet  assumes  that  the  Egyptian  priests 
base  their  claim  to  wisdom  on  two  circumstances: 
1)  on  their  antiquity,  2)  on  their  high,  royal 
origin.  If  the  ancient  kings  were  of  a  priestly 
race,  which  is  correctly  assumed,  and  if  the  wis- 
dom of  the  priests  was  traditional,  then  the 
counsel  which  they  gave  the  king  originated 
from  a  source  which  must  enjoy  the  highest  con- 
sideration in  his  eyes.  How  lamentably,  says 
Isaiah,  must  this  counsel,  proceeding  from  such 
high  authority,  come  to  confusion.  Did  they 
know  what  God  had  determined  against  Egypt, 
they  could  then  take  measures  against  it  ^ver. 
12).  As  it  is  they  are  in  a  maze.  They  are 
themselves  infatuated,  and  deceived  ;  hence  the 
"  corner-stone  of  its  tribes  "  (i.  e.,  the  tribe,  viz.  : 
the  class  on  which  the  whole  Egyptian  body 
politic  rests ;  the  priestly  class)  leads  the  whole 
land  astray  (ver.  13).  The  LORD  has,  in  fact,  as 
it  were,  mingled  a  spirit  of  perverseness  in  the  in- 
ward part  of  Egypt,  so  that  by  the  very  ones  in 


CHAP.  XIX.  18-25. 


225 


whom,  so  to  speak,  the  understanding  of  the  land 
concentrated,  the  land  is  led  astray  in  the  most 
shameful  manner.  This  shameful  leading  astray 
he  expresses  by  a  very  revolting  figure:  he  com- 
pares Egypt  to  a  drunken  man  rolling  about 
hither  and  thither  in  his  own  vomitings  (ver. 
14).  Comp.  xxviii.  8 ;  Jer.  xlviii.  26  uses  the 


same  figure  of  Moab.  --  Thus  Egypt  becomes 
poor  in  deeds.  All  it  does  is  nothing  done. 
Neither  head  nor  tail  ;  neither  palm-branch  nor 


rush, 


neither   the   highest  nor  the  lowest 


com  p.  on  ix.  13)  will  accomplish  anything. 
With  this  the  Prophet  returns  back  to  the  thought 
from  which  (ver.  9)  he  started  out. 


3)  The  Transition:  Egypt  fears  the  LORD. 
CHAPTER  XIX.  16,  17. 

16  In  that  day  shall  Egypt  be  like  unto  women : 
And  it  shall  be  afraid  and  fear 

"Because  of  the  shaking  of  the  hand  of  the  LORD  of  hosts, 
Which  he  shaketh  over  it. 

17  And  the  laud  of  Judah  shall  be  a  terror  unto  Egypt, 

Every  one  that  bmaketh  mention  thereof  shall  be  afraid  in  himself, 
Because  of  the  counsel  of  the  LORD  of  hosts, 
Which  he  hath  determined  against  it. 


»  From  before  the  lifting  of  the  hand,  etc.,  which  He  liftcth  against  it. 


b  recalls  it. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  16.  Tin  eomp.  x.  29;  xxxii.  16;  xii.  5. "in3 

xii.  2  ;  xxxiii.  14;  xliv.  8, 11;  Ix.  5. The  verb  ?Tjn  we 

have  already  read  of  the  hand  lifted  up  in  threatening: 


xi.  15,  comp.  x.  15,  02;  xiii.  2;  xxx.  28. n£)1Jf\,  fre- 
quent in  the  Pentateuch,  occurs  in  Isaiah  only  here  and 

xxx.  32. Regarding  the  expression    PHUT   fiDtK 

it  is  to  be  remarked  that,  apart  from   the  frequent 
.HD"1N  in  Ezekiel,  HOIK  never  occurs  in  con- 


nection with  the  name  of  a  nation  except  here  and  Gen. 
xlvii.  20,  26,  in  the  expression  D'"1¥D  HOIK' NJH 

T  T 

(from  Jjn,  circulare,  tnpudiare),  "the  revolving  move- 

—  T  I    . 

merit  of  dizziness,"  is  air.  A«y. The  expression  7.3 

'Ul  "WX,  is  a  resolving  of  the  otherwise  usual  parti- 
cipial construction,  on  which  comp.  EWALI>,  §  337,  c,  sq. 
— The  Hiph.  "V3?n  is  frequent  in  Isaiah:  xii.  4;  xxvi. 
13;  xxxvi.  iii.  22,  xliii.  26;  xlviii.  1;  Ixii.  6,  etc. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  discourse  is  artistically  arranged :  ac- 
cording to  the   foregoing,   Egypt  still  thinks  it 
may  be  saved  by  its  own  wisdom.     Now  it  has 
surrendered   this   hope.     It  trembles  before  the 
threatening  gesture  of  Jehovah's  hand  (ver.  16). 
In  fact,  whenever  the  land  of  Judah  is  thought 
of,.  E<jypt  quakes  with  fear  lest  the  decree  of  Je- 
hovah may  be  accomplished  (ver.  17). 

2.  The  expression  of  Isaiah    "  in  that  day  " 
which  is  peculiar  to  the  first  part  (in  the  second 


it  occurs  only  Hi.  6)  appears  with  more  frequency 
in  the  present  chapter,  than  in  any  other  passage: 
viz.:  vers.  16,  18,  19,  21,  23,  24.  Comp.  the  re- 
mark at  ii.  12.  As  often  as  one  utters  the  name 
Judah,  men  turn  affrighted  to  him,  for  they  know- 
but  too  well  the  power  of  the  God  of  Judah. 
The  counsel  of  Jehovah,  then,  of  which  ver.  12 
speaks,  must  have  been  partly  accomplished. 
Men  fear  its  further  and  complete  fulfilment. 


J)   EGYPT  BY  DEGREES  CONVERTED    WHOLLY  TO    THE   LORD,  AND    THE 
THIRD  IN  THE  CONFEDERATION  WITH  ASSYRIA  AND  ISRAEL. 

CHAPTER  XIX.  18-25. 

18  In  that  day  "shall  five  cities  in  the  land  of  Egypt 
bSpeak  'the  language  of  Canaan, 

And  cswear  to  the  LORD  of  hosts  ; 

One  shall  be  called,  dThe  city  of  destruction. 

19  In  that  day  shall  there  be  an  altar  to  the  LORD 
In  the  midst  of  the  land  of  Egypt, 

And  a  pillar  at  the  border  thereof  to  the  LORD. 

20  And  it  shall  be  for  a  sign  and  for  a  witness 
Unto  the  LORD  of  hosts  in  the  land  of  Egypt : 

15 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


For  they  shall  cry  unto  the  LORD  because  of  the  oppressors, 
And  he  shall  send  them  a  Saviour,  and  ea  great  one, 
fAnd  he  shall  deliver  them. 

21  And  the  LORD  shall  be  known  to  Egypt, 

And  gthe  Egyptians  shall  know  the  LORD  in  that  day, 

And  shall  do  sacrifice  and  oblation  ; 

"Yea,  they  shall  vow  a  vow  unto  the  LORD,  and  perform  it. 

22  And  the  LORD  shall  smite  Egypt :  he  shall  smite  and  heal  it : 
And  they  shall  return  even  to  the  LORD, 

And  he  shall  be  iutreated  of  them,  and  shall  heal  them. 

23  In  that  day  shall  there  be  a  highway  out  of  Egypt  to  Assyria, 
And  'the  Assyrian  shall  come  into  Egypt, 

And j  the  Egyptian  into  Assyria, 

And  kthe  Egyptians  shall  serve  with  'the  Assyrians. 

24  In  that  clay  shall  Israel  be  the  third 
With  Egypt  and  Assyria. 

25  Even  a  blessing  in  the  midst  of  the  mland  :  "whom  the  LORD  of  hosts  "shall  bless, 

saying  : 

Blessed  be  Egypt  my  people, 
And  Assyria  the  work  of  my  hands, 
And  Israel  mine  inheritance. 


1  Heb.  the  lip. 

»  shall  be. 
•  champion. 
1  Assyria. 
m  earth. 


b  Speaking. 
{ And  shall,  etc. 
3  Egypt. 
n  since. 


aOr,  Here.?,  or  the  sun. 

'  swearing 
sEgvpt. 
k  Egypt. 
"blesses  them. 


d  Ir  Ha-herei. 

*And. 

1  Assyria. 


EXEQETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


Ver.  18.  The  expression  '3 


occurs  only  here.— 


7  must  be  distinguished  from  its  use  with 
3.  The  latter  is  "to  swear  by  one"  (Ixii.  8;  Amos  vi. 
8  ;  viii.  7,  etc.)  ;  the  former  is  "  to  swear,  to  oblige  one's- 
self  to  another  by  oath,"  (Zeph.  i.  5;  Gen.  xxiv.  7;  1.24; 
Exod.  xiii.  5;  Ps.  cxxxii.  2,  etc.\  DTID  or 


Sixteen  CODD.  have  the  latter  reading,  also  several  edi- 
tions. The  LXX.  indeed  reads  avf&eK,  which  is  evi- 
dently a  designed  alteration  resulting  from  the  applica- 
tion of  i.  26  to  the  Egyptian  city.  But  SYMM.,  the  VULO. 
(civitas  solis),  SAADIA,  the  TALMUD  (Menachot  Fol.  110,  A), 
also  translate  "  city  of  the  sun."  On  the  other  hand  the 
majority  of  codices  and  editions  have  D~li"l,  and  among 
the  ancient  versions  at  least  the  SYRIAC  decidedly  so 
reads  (for  'Ape's,  which  AQU.  and  THEOD.  read,  could 
stand  also  for  D^n).  Thus  critically  the  reading  Q1H 
is  the  best  supported.  The  authority  of  the  Masora  is 
for  it.  But  the  reading  D~*H  is,  any  way,  very  ancient 
SYMMACHUS,  JEROME,  the  TAROTTMIST  met  with  it.  And  it 
must  have  enjo3'ed  equal  authority  with  the  other  read- 
ing. Else  the  TARGUMIST  would  not  have  combined  both 
readings  when  he  writes:  XTHtn 

'  tf    - 


:   - 

,  t.  e.,  the  city  "Beth-Shemes  quaefutura  est  ad 
evertcndum,  i.  e.,  quae  evertetur."  And  the  fact  that  the 
treatise  Menachot  reads  D^PI  is  certainly  proof  that 
weighty  authorities  supported  this  reading.  Add  to 
this  that  D^n  by  no  means  affords  a  satisfactory  sense. 


For  the  meaning  "lion,"  which  some  assume  from  the 
Arabic  (haris  '  the  render  ")  is  very  doubtful,  first  from 
the  fact  that  it  rests  only  on  Arabic  etymology.  Yet 
more  uncertain  is  the  meaning  liberatio,  salui,  amor,  be 
it  derived  from  the  Syriac  (which,  as  GESEN.  in  loc.  de- 
monstrates, rests  on  pure  misunderstanding)  or,  with 


MAUBEB,  from  the  Hebrew,  by  taking  0^n="  tearing 
loose,"  whereas  it  can  only  mean  "rending  in  pieces, 
destroying."  And  in  this  latter  sense  many  expositors 
take  the  word.  But  how  can  a  word  of  such  mischiev- 
ous import  suit  in  a  context  so  full  of  joy  and  comfort? 
CASPARI  (Zeitschr.  fur  Luth.  Theol.  1841,  III.),  whom 
DRECHSLER  and  DELITZSCH  follow,  is  therefore  of  the  opi- 
nion that  the  Prophet,  by  a  slight  change  wrote  D^H 
instead  of  DIPI,  but  will  have  this  word  0^71  under- 
stood in  the  sense  of  "  destroying  the  idolatry."  like 
Jer.  xliii.  13  prophesies  the  "  breaking  in  pieces  of  the 
obelisks  in  the  temple  of  the  sun  in  the  land  of  Egypt." 
But  against  this  view  is  the  fact  that  such  twisting  of 
words  occurs  always  only  in  a  bad  sense.  Thus  Ezek. 
xxx.  17  calls  the  city  pjj  by  the  name  fix  ;  Hos.  iv.  15  ; 

v.  8  (comp.  Amos  v.  5)  calls  ^K-JVS  by  the  name  J1X-.TV3 

PVT 

(for  which  moreover  an  actual  and  neighboring  ?1X~.TV3 

IVT 

Josh.  vii.  2  gave  the  handle)  ;  Isa.  vii.  6  chaniros  the 

name  7$OtD  into  7N3L3-  although  he  uses  it  in  pausa; 
and  xxi.  11  he  introduces  Edom  under  the  name  of 
rtO^T  ("silenceof  the  dead  '')  and,  finally  the  TAIMUD  in 

T 

the  treatise  Aboda  sara  (Fol.  46  a,  in  the  German  transla- 
tion of  EWALD,  Nuremberg,  1856.  p.  324)  gives  the  follow- 
ing examples  as  prescribing  the  rule  for  changing  the 
names  of  cities  that  have  an  idolatrous  meaning  :  "  Has 


JV3,  "  house  of  revela- 
J"V3  "house  of  conceal- 


such  a  city  had  the  name  X' 
T 

tion,"  it  should  be  called  N'~ 

T  :  —        .. 

ment  "  for  fossae,  latrinae)  ;    has  the  city  been  called 
1]  >D  .TV3,  "house  of  the  king,"  it  should  be  called 

3^3  rV3  "  house  of  the  dog  ;"  instead  of  Vb  r#  "  the 
all-seeing  eye,"  call  it  rip  j\J,'  "  the  eye  of  thorns."  — 


CHAP.  XIX.  18-25. 


227 


Further  examples  of  the  kind  see  in  BUXTORPF,  Lex., 
Chald.,  Talmud,  et  rabb.,   p.  1036   sq.,  n.   v.,  W\3.  - 

T    :  ~ 

Thus  we  see  that  Din  as  a  twisting  of  D^H  must  either 


be  opposed  to  the  context  or  to  the  usus  loquendi.  I 
therefore  hold  D1H  to  be  the  original  correct  reading. 
But  Din  means  "  the  sun  "  (Jud.  i.  35,  where  it  is  re- 
markable that  a  little  before,  ver.  23,  a  C/piy~iT'3  is 
mentioned  -  ,  viii.  13;  xiv.  18;  Job  ix.  7.'.  I  think,  as 
older  expositors  (comp.  GESEN.  in  foe.)  and  latterly  PKES- 
SEL  (HERZ.  E.  Encycl.  X.,  p.  612)  have  conjectured,  that 
it  is  not  impossible  that  this  name  D"inn~"V_y  in  our 
verse  was  the  occasion  for  seeking  a  locality  near  He- 
liopolis  for  the  temple  of  Onias.  The  reason  why  it  was 
not  built  immediately  in  or  at  Hcliopolis  was  that  a 
suitable  site  (eTrinjSeioTaToi'  TOJTOV)  for  building  was 
found  at  Leontopolis,  which  was  yet  in  the  Nome  of  He- 
liopolis.  That  Onias  in  his  petition  to  Philometor  and 
Cleopatra  evidently  appealed  in  a  special  way  to  verso 
l!(  proves  nothing  against  the  assumption  that  ver.  18 
also  had  a  significance  for  him.  He  even  says  expressly, 
niter  having  quoted  the  contents  of  ver.  19:  "icai  iroAAa 
Se  Trpoe<t>rJTev<rev  aAAa  Toiaura  SiA.  TOV  TOTTOV."  But  if  th  e 
Egyptian  temple,  which,  according  to  JOSEPHUS  (Bell. 
jud.  7,  10,  4),  stood  343  years  (it  ought  rather  lo  say  243), 
was  a  great  offence  to  the  Hebrew  Jews,  it  could  easily 
happen  that  Din  of  our  verse  was  changed  by  them  to 
Din.  There  are  in  fact  six  MSS.  that  read  expressly 
Dinn  "VJ7  "  city  of  the  curse  ;"  and  the  'A<r«S«'<c  of  the 
LXX.  is  manifestly  an  intentional  alteration  in  the  op- 
posite sense.  -  Therefore  intentional  changes  pro  et 
contra  have  undeniably  been  perpetrated.  Thus  is  ex- 
plained not  only  the  duplicate  reading  in  general,  but 
especially,  too,  the  tradition  of  Din  as  the  orthodox 
reading,  and  the  fixing  of  the  same  by  the  Masorets.  — 
Cornp.  moreover,  REiNKEin  the  'Tub.  theol.  Quart.  Schrift. 


1870,  Heft  I.,  on  the  imputed  changes  of  the  Masoretic 
text  in  isa.  xix.  18,  and  the  remarks  of  the  same  writer 
in  his  Beitriigen  zur  Eklr.  des  A.  T.  Giesen  1872,  Band 
VIII.,  p.  87  sqq. 

Ver.  20.  The  combination  1^'Sl  filS1?  occurs  only 
here.  Of  more  frequent  occurrence  is  flDl'Dl  fil'N, 

Deut.  xiii.  2;  xxviii.  46;  Isa.  xx.  S. 31  particip. — 

"contestant,  champion,"  comp.  xlv.  9;  Jer.  li.  36;  not 
an  uncommon  use  of  the  word  in  Judges  :  vi.  31 ;  xi.  25; 
xxi.  22. 

Ver.  21.  T2j?  with  latent  transitive  notion  ;  Exod.  x. 
26;  comp.  Gen.  xxx.  20. 

Ver.  22.  The  reason  why  Isaiah  uses  th>)  word  HJJ  is 
probably  because  this  word  is  repeatedly  used  of  the 
plagues  of  Egypt  :  Exod.  vii.  27;  xii.  13,  23,  27;  Josh. 

xxiv.  5 IHJ'J,  audientem  se  pracstitit  alicui ;  only 

here  in  Isaiah  ;  comp.  Gen.  xxv.  21 ;  2  Sam.  xxi.  14 ; 
xxiv.  25. 

Ver.  23.  nvDD  see  vii.  3. H3>?  can  only  be  under- 
stood as  the  abbreviation  of  the  statement  that  occurs 
entire  immediately  before  with  application  there  to 
Egypt  alone.  The  same  service  (Hy)  shall  Egypt  per- 
form in  union  with  Assyria.  The  Prophet  could  so 
much  the  more  readily  express  himself  thus,  in  as 
much  as  13^7  is  used  also  elsewhere  (Job  xxxvi.  11)  in 

-  T 

the  same  absolute  way. 

Ver.  24.  n^E^/ty  is  in  itself  tertia;  yet  not  merely 
pars,  but  size,  degree  .generally,  designated  by  "three." 

Compare  n'CT1?^  Phiy  xv.  5.  Here  it  is  the  third 
element,  the  third  factor  that  must  be  added  in  order 
to  make  the  harmony  complete. 

Ver.  25.  1E?X  cannot  be  construed  as  simple  relative 
pronoun.  For  then  the  suffix  in  O13  must  be  referred 
to  Vixn  which  will  hardly  do.  It  is  therefore  con- 
strued =  "  so  that,"  or  "since,"  and  the  suffix  named 
is  referred  to  the  individual  that  each  of  the  three  forms 
by  itself  (comp.  xvii.  10, 13).  Therefore  11>/X  here  is  a 
conjunction  (GEEEN  Or.,  \  239,  1). 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Egypt  will  gradually  be  altogether  converted 
to  the  LORD.  At  first,  indeed,  only  five  cities  will 
serve  Him  (ver.  18),  but  soon  the  LORD  will  have 
an  altar  in  Egypt,  and  a  pillar  dedicated  to  Him 
on  the  border  (ver.  19)  will  at  once  announce  to 
the  approaching  traveller  that  Egypt  is  a  land 
that  pays  worship  to  Jehovah.  Then,  when  they 
cry  to  the  Lord,  He  will  deliver  them  from  op- 
pression as  He  did  Israel  of  old  in  the  days  of  the 
judges  (ver.  20).  He  will  reveal  Himself  to 
them,  and  they  will  know  Him  and  offer  Him  di- 
vine service  in  due  form  (ver.  21).  He  will,  in- 
deed, smita  them  like  His  own  people,  but  then 
He  will  haal  them  again :  but  they  will  turn  to 
Him,  and  He  will  let  Himself  be  entreated  of 
them  (ver.  22).  But  not  only  Egypt— Assyria 
too  will  then  be  converted  to  the  Lord.  And  be- 
tween Egypt  and  Assyria  there  will  be  busv  inter- 
course, and  they  will  no  more  be  enemies  of  one 
another,  but,  serve  the  Lord  in  common  (ver.  23). 
And  Israel  will  be  the  third  in  the  confederation, 
and  that  will  be  a  great  blessing  from  the  LORD 
for  the  whole  earth  (ver.  24),  who  then  will  call 
Egypt  His  people,  Assyria  the  work  of  His  hand, 
but  Israel  always  still  His  special  inheritance. 


2.   In  that  day destruction.— Ver.  18. 

The  fifth  is  the  half  of  ten.  It  appears  to  me  to 
be  neither  a  small  nor  a  great,  number  (CoRN.  A 
LAPIDE).  But  if  in  the  ten  there  lies  the  idea 
of  completeness,  wholeness,  then  five  is  not  any 
sort  of  fraction  of  the  whole,  but  the  half,  which 
added  to  itself  forms  the  whole.  By  the  five  the 
ten  is  assured.  There  does  not,  therefore,  lie  in 
the  five  the  idea  of  the  mustard  seed,  but  rather 
the  idea  of  being  already  half  attained.  From 
passages  like  Gen.  xlv.  22;  Exod.  xxii.  1;  Num. 
vii.  17,  23;  Matt.  xxv.  2,  20;  1  Cor.  xiv.  19,  it  is 
not  erroneously  concluded  that  the  five  has  a  cer- 
tain symbolical  meaning.  Besides  this,  in  respect 
to  the  division  of  the  year  into  seven  months  (of 
freedom  from  water)  and  five  months  (of  the  over- 
flow) the  five  was  a  sacred  number  to  the  Egypt- 
ians. Comp.  EBERS,  I.e.,  p.  359:  "Seven  and 
five  present  themselves  as  especially  sacred  num- 
bers.'' To  think,  as  HITZIO  does,  of  five  parti- 
cular cities  (Heliopolis,  Leontopolis,  Migdol, 
Daphne,  Memphis),  is  opposed  to  the  character 
of  the  prophecy.  Five  cities,  therefore,  shall 
speak  the  language  of  Canaan,  the  sacred  lan- 
guage, the  language  of  the  law.  That  is,  they 


228 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


shall  found  a  place  in  the  midst  of  them  for  the 
worship  of  Jehovah. 

["The  construction  of  CALVIN  (who  under- 
stands five  out  of  six  to  be  intended)  is  to  be  pre- 
ferred, because  the  others  arbitrarily  assume  a 
standard  of  comparison  (twenty  thousand,  ten 
thousand,  ten,  etc.);  whereas  this  hypothesis  finds 
it  in  the  verse  itself,  five  professing  the  true  reli- 
gion to  one  rejecting  it.  Most  of  the  other  inter- 
pretations understand  the  one  to  be  included  in 


the  five,  as  if  he  had  said  one  of  them.  As 
admits  either'of  these  senses,  or  rather  applica- 
tions, the  question  must  depend  upon  the  mean- 
ing given  to  the  rest  of  the  clause.  Even  on 
CALVIN'S  hypothesis,  however,  the  proportion 
indicated  need  not  be  taken  with  mathematical 
precision.  What  appears  to  be  meant  is  that  five- 
sixths,  i.  e.,  a  very  large  proportion,  shall  profess 
the  true  religion,  while  the  remaining  sixth  per- 
sists in  unbelief."  "It  shall  be  said  to  one,  i.  e.,  one 
shall  be  addressed  as  follows,  or  called  by  the  fol- 
lowing name.  This  periphrasis  is  common  in 
Isaiah,  but  is  never  applied,  as  GESENIUS  ob- 
serves, to  the  actual  appellation,  but  always  to  a 
description  or  symbolical  title  (see  iv.  3;  Ixi.  6; 
Ixii.  4).  This  may  be  urged  as  an  argument 
against  the  explanation  of  Cnnn  as  a  proper 
name."  "All  the  interpretations  which  have  now 
been  mentioned  [the  one  Dr.  NAEGELSBACH  fa- 
vors being  included  in  the  number  —  TR.]  either 
depart  from  the  common  text  or  explain  it  by 
some  forced  or  foreign  analogy.  If,  however,  -we 
proceed  upon  the  only  safe  principle  of  adhering 
to  the  common  text,  and  to  Hebrew  usage,  with- 
out the  strongest  reasons  for  abandoning  either  or 
both,  no  explanation  of  the  name  can  be  so  satis- 
factory as  that  given  by  CALVIN  (civitas  desola- 
tionis)  and  the  ENG.  VEKSION  ('city  of  destruc- 
tion')." J.  A.A.] 

The  city  of  destruction.—  Isaiah  often  ex- 
presses the  future  existence  of  a  person  or  matter 
by  a  name,  of  which  he  says  it  shall  be  applied 
to  the  person  in  question  (i.  26;  iv.  3;  Ixi.  G  ; 
Ixii.  4).  Here  there  seems  to  be  intended,  not  so 
much  a  characteristic  of  the  nature,  as  a  mark 
that  shall  serve  as  a  means  for  recognizing  the 
fulfilment.  For  why  docs  the  Prophet  give  the 
name  of  only  one  city?  Why  does  he  not  give  the 
five  cities  a  name  in  common  ?  It  seems  to  me 
that  the  Prophet  saw  five  points  that  phone  forth 
out  of  the  obscurity  that  concealed  the  future  of 
Egypt  from  his  eyes.  They  are  the  five  cities  in 
which  the  worship  of  Jehovah  shall  find  a  place. 
But  only  one  of  these  cities,  doubtless  the  greatest 
and  most  considerable,  does  he  see  so  clearly  that 
he  even  knows  its  name.  This  name  he  gives  — 
and  thus  is  given  a  mark  whereby  to  identify  the 
time  of  the  fulfilment.  For  if  in  the  future  there 
comes  about  a  condition  of  things  in  Egypt  corre- 
sponding to  our  prophecy,  and  if  a  city  under 
those  circumstances  bears  the  name  the  Prophet 
gives  here,  then  it  is  a  sure  sign  that  said  condi- 
tion is  the  fulfilment  of  the  present  prophecy. 
Now,  from  the  dispersion  of  Jerusalem  by  Nebu- 
chadnezzar on,  Egypt  became,  to  a  great  part  of 
the  Israelites,  a  second  home;  in  fact  it  became 
the  place  of  a  second  Jehovah-Temple;  later  it 
even  became  a  wholly  Christian  land. 


That  Jehovah-Temple  was  built  by  Onias  IV. 
(according  to  another  calculation  II.)  under  Pto- 
loma^us  Philometor  (180-145)  at  Leontopolis  in 
the  Nome  of  Heliopolis  (  JOSEPHUS  Anliq.  12,  9, 
7;  13,  3,  1-3;  20,  10 ;  ^Bell.  Jud.  7,  10,  2-4),  or 
rather  was  a  ruined  Egyptian  temple  restored. 
Built  upon  a  foundation  sixty  feet  high,  and  con- 
structed like  a  tower,  this  temple,  of  course,  did 
not  in  its  outward  form  resemble  that  at  Jerusa- 
lem. But  the  altar  was  accurately  patterned  after 
the  one  in  Jerusalem.  Onias  (and  probably  in 
opposition  to  his  fellow-countrymen)  appealed  to 
our  passage.  For  the  building,  strictly  interpre- 
ted, was  of  course  unlawful.  And  it  was  steadily 
opposed  by  the  Hebrew  Jews  with  greater  or  less 
determination.  But  the  Egyptian  Jews,  as  said, 
thought  themselves  authorized  in  the  undertaking 
by  our  passage,  especially  ver.  19.  It  is  not  im- 
possible that  the  choice  of  the  locality  was  condi- 
tioned by  the  fact  that  our  passage  originally  read 
D^nn  TJ7  (see  under  Text,  and  Gram.)  which  was 
translated  ''  city  of  the  sun"  and  was  referred  to 
Heliopolis,  the  ancient  On,  the  celebrated  priestly 
city  (Gen.  xli.  45,  50;  xlvi.  20).  [Would  it  not 
be  a  juster  interpretation  of  the  fulfilment  of  this 
prophecy  in  regard  to  the  foregoing  application  to 
repeat,  mutatis  mutandis,  Dr.  NAEGELSBACH'S 
own  remark  in  the  exegetical  comment  on  vers. 
2-4  above,  p.  224.  ''Nothing  was  less  in  Isaiah's 
mind  than  to  make  those  transactions  the  subject 
of  a  special  prediction.  Else  how  then  is  what 
follows  to  be  applied,  where  it  speaks  of  a  Jehovah- 
altar  in  the  midst  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  a  pil- 
lar or  obelisk  dedicated  to  the  LOUD  on  the  bor- 
der of  it?  Can  this  be  meant  literally?  Knot, 
then  neither  can  ver.  18  be  understood  literally." 
Dr.  NAEGELSBACH  admits  above  that,  "strictly 
interpreted,"  the  building  of  such  a  temple  "  was 
of  course  unlawful ;"  and  the  altar  must  be  included 
in  this  statement.  But  in  a  matter  appertaining 
to  a  legal  and  ceremonial  worship  a  "  strict  inter- 
pretation," which  must  mean  "strictly  legal,"  is 
the  only  admissible  interpretation.  Deeds  of  for- 
mal worship  that  are  unlawful  by  that  interpre- 
tation cannot  be  right  by  any  other  interpreta- 
tion, seeing  that  no  other  applies  to  them.  How 
could  Isaiah  refer  prophetically  to  such  a  matter 
as  the  mimic  temple  of  Jehovah  at  Leontopolis  in 
such  language  as  we  have  in  our  verses  18,  19? — 
TE.] 

3.  In  that  day heal  them. — Vers.  19- 

22.  What  was  only  hinted  in  ver.  18,  is  in  ver. 
19  expressly  affirmed:  The  LORD  shall  have  an 
altar  in  Egypt.  How  this  was  fulfilled  we  have 
indicated  already  above.  Egypt  became  not  only 
a  second  home  to  the  people  of  Israel.  [But  it 
must  be  remembered  that  this  never  received  the 
token  of  God's  approval,  who  paid  Hos.  xi.  5, 
"  He  shall  not  return  into  the  land  of  Egypt." — 
TR.].  It  became  also  the  birth-place  of  a  most 
significant  form  of  development  of  the  Jewish 
spirit.  It  became  moreover  a  Christian  land, 
and  as  such  had  played  a  prominent  part  in  the 
history  of  the  Christian  church.  Call  to  mind 
only  ORIGEN  and  ATIIANASIUS.  If  thus  the  pro- 
phecy of  the  altar  of  Jehovah  in  Egypt  was  lit- 
erally fulfilled,  so  the  prophecy  of  the  H3-W, 
"pillar,"  was  fulfilled  in  a  way  not  so  literally, 
but  not  therefore  in  a  less  real  sense.  The  word 


CHAP.  XIX.  18-25. 


229 


means  statua,  "  standing  image,"  cippus,  "  monu- 
ment." Jer.  xliii.  14  so  designates  the  numerous 
obelisks  that  were  in  Heliopolis.  Often  idol 
pillars  are  so  designated  (1  Kings  xiv.  23;  2 
King-!  iii.  2;  x.  27,  etc.},  the  raising  of  which 
was  expressly  forbidden  in  the  law  (Lev.  xxvi. 
1;  Deut.  xvi.  22).  When  it  is  announced  here 
that  a  rDtfO  dedicated  to  Jehovah  would  be 
raised  up,  it  is  not  meant  that  this  would  be  for 
the  purpose  of  divine  service.  Bather  we  see 
from  "  at  the  border  "  and  also  from  ver.  20  that 
the  pillar  (the  obelisk)  should  serve  merely  for  a 
sign  and  mark  by  which  any  one  crossing  the 
border  could  know  at  once  that  he  treads  a  land 
that  is  exclusively  consecrated  to  the  service  of 
Jehovah.  Altar  and  pillar,  each  in  its  place,  — 
the  pillar  first  and  preparatory,  the  altar  after- 
wards in  the  midst  of  the  land  and  definitive  — 
shall  be  sign  and  witness  of  it. 

When  we  said  above  that  this  word  was  ful- 
filled not  literally,  yet  not  therefore  less  really, 
we  mean  it  thus  :  that  Egypt,  when  it  ceased  to 
be  a  heathen  land  certainly  presented  just  as 
plainly  to  the  eye  of  every  one  entering  it  the 
traces  of  its  confession  to  the  true  religion,  as  we 
now  a  days  observe  more  or  less  distinctly  on  en- 
tering a  land,  how  it  is  with  religion  and  reli- 
giousness there.  [J.  A.  A.,  on  verse  19.  "A  just 
view  of  this  passage  is  that  it  predicts  the  pre- 
valence of  the  true  religion,  and  the  practice  of 
its  rites  in  language  borrowed  from  the  Mosaic 
or  rather  from  the  patriarchal  institutions.  As 
we  might  now  speak  of  a  missionary  pitching  his 
tent  at  Hebron  —  without  intending  to  describe 
the  precise  form  of  his  habitation,  so  the  Prophet 
represents  the  converts  to  the  true  faith  as  erect- 
ing an  altar  and  a  pillar  to  the  LORD  in  Egypt, 
as  Abraham  and  Jacob  did  of  old  in  Canaan.  [So 
for  substance  also  BARNES.-TR.].  Those  explana- 
tions of  the  verse  which  suppose  the  altar  and  the 
pillar,  or  the  centre  and  the  border  of  the  land 
to  be  contrasted,  are  equally  at  variance  with 
good  taste  and  the  usage  of  the  language,  which 
continually  separates  in  parallel  clauses,  words 
and  things  which  the  reader  is  expected  to  com- 
bine. See  an  example  of  this  usage  xviii.  6. 
As  the  wintering  of  the  beasts,  and  the  summer- 
ing of  the  birds  are  there  intended  to  denote  the 
presence  of  'both  beasts  and  birds  throughout  the 
year,  so  here  the  altar  in  the  midst  of  the  land, 
and  the  pillar  at  its  border  denote  altars  and 
pillars  through  its  whole  extent."]. 

In  what  follows  we  observe  the  effort  to  show 
that  the  LORD  will  treat  Egypt  just  like  Israel. 
There  will  be  therefore  a  certain  reciprocity  : 
Egypt  conducts  itself  toward  the  LORD  like 
Israel,  therefore  will  the  LORD  conduct  Himself 
toward  E^ypt  as  He  has  done  toward  Israel. 
Thus  the  second  half  of  ver.  20  reminds  one  of 
that  ''  crying  of  the  children  of  Israel  to  Je- 
hovah "  that  is  so  often  mentioned  in  the  book  of 
Judges  (iii.  9,  15;  iv.  3;  vi.  6,  etc.).  In  that 
survey  of  the  times  of  the  judges  contained  in 
Jud.  ii.  11  sqq.  (at  ver.  18  comp.  Jud.  i.  34;  vi. 


9)  the  oppressors  of  Israel  are  called  Q'^n?  just 
as  here,  and  Jud.  ii.  16,  18  the  performance  of 
the  judges  whom  God  sent  to  the  people,  is  de- 
signated j^^n,  and  the  judges  are  on  that  ac- 
count expressly  called  jTEHD  *'  deliverers,  sa- 


viours," (Jud.  iii.  9,  15 ;  vi.  36 ;  xii.  3).  Vsn, 
too,  occurs  in  this  sense  in  Judges  vi.  9 ;  viii. 
34  ;  ix.  17,  etc. — In  consequence  of  these  mani- 
fold mutual  relations  Jehovah  shall  become 
known  to  the  Egyptians.  The  expression  ''shall 
be  known,"  etc.,  recalls  the  celebrated  passage 
Exod.  vi.  3.  "  But  by  my  name  Jehovah,  was  I 
not  known  to  them."  There  the  LORD  reveals 
Himself  to  those  that  were  held  in  bondage  by 
the  Egyptians ;  here  is  seen  the  remarkable  ad- 
vance that  the  LORD  reveals  Himself  to  the 
Egyptians  themselves  as  Jehovah,  .that  they,  too, 
really  know  Him  as  such  ;  serving  Him  in  ac- 
cordance with  His  law,  they  pre.-ent  sacrifice  and 
oblation,  i.  e.,  bloody  and  unbloody  offerings,  and 
make  vows  to  Him  which  they  scrupulously  per- 
form as  recognition  of  His  divine  majesty  and 
grace  (comp.  Lev.  xxvii. ;  Num.  xxx. ;  Deut. 
xii.  6  ;  xxiii.  21  sqq. ;  Jer.  .xliv.  25  ;  Ps.  Ixi.  9; 
Ixvi.  13  ;  cxvi.  14,  18,  etc.).  Egypt  is  like  Israel 
moreover  in  this,  that  the  LORD  now  and  then 
chastises  it  as  not  yet  sinless,  but  still  heals  again. 
The  second  half  of  ver.  22  is  related  to  the  first 
as  particularizing  the  latter.  In  the  first  half  it 
is  merely  said:  Jehovah  will  smite  and  heal 
Egypt.  But  in  the  second  half  it  is  put  as  the 
condition  of  healing  after  the  smiting  that  ''  they 
shall  return,"  etc.  Thereby  is  affirmed  that  the 
Egyptians  shall  find  grace  only  on  this  condi- 
tion; and  also  that  they  will  fulfil  this  condition. 
The  contrast  of  smiting  and  healing  reminds  one 
of  Deut.  xxxii.  39,  comp.  Job  v.  18 ;  Hos.  vi. 
1  sqq. 

4.  In  that   day mine    inheritance. — 

Vers.  23-25.  It  is  observed  in  verses  19-22, 
that  the  climax  of  the  discourse  is  not  quite  at- 
tained, for  Egypt  alone  is  spoken  of,  and  an 
Egypt  that  needed  to  be  disciplined.  But  now 
the  Prophet  rises  to  the  contemplation  of  a  glori- 
ous picture  of  the  future  that  is  extensively  and 
intensively  complete.  Israel's  situation  between 
the  northern  and  southern  world-powers  had  ever 
been  to  it  the  source  of  the  greatest  distress  in- 
wardly and  outwardly.  But  precisely  this  mid- 
dle position  had  also  its  advantage.  Israel  breaks 
forth  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left.  The 
spirit  of  Israel  penetrates  gradually  Egypt  and 
Assyria,  and  thus  binds  together  these  two  op- 
ponents into  one,  and  that  something  higher. 
This  the  Prophet  expresses  by  saying  there  will 
be  a  laid  out  road,  a  highway,  leading  from  Egypt 
to  Assyria  and  from  Assyria  to  Egypt.  Such  a 
road  must,  naturally,  traverse  the  land  of  Israel, 
in  fact,  according  to  all  that  precedes,  we  must 
assume  that  this  road  properly  goes  out  from  Is- 
rael in  both  directions.  For  it  is  the  LORD  that 
makes  Himself  known  to  Assyria  as  well  as  to 
Egypt  (ver.  21),  and  both  these  unite  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  LORD.  For  it  is  clear  that  the  con- 
cluding clause  of  ver.  23,  does  not  mean  that 
Egypt  shall  be  subject  to  Assyria  (see  H3.1?  in 
Text,  and  Gram.).  Then  Israel  will  no  longer  be 
the  unfortunate  sacrifice  to  the  enmity  of  its  two 
mighty  neighbors,  but  their  peer  and  the  third 
member  of  their  union.  Thus  a  harmony  will 
be  established,  and  the  threefold  accord  will  be  a 
blessing  in  the  midst  of  the  whole  earth  and  for 
them,  because  the  LORD  will  bless  them.  For 
Israel  as  the  earthly  home  of  the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  Assyria  and  Egypt  as  the  natural 


230 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


world  powers  represent  the  entire  earth.  From 
them  the  blessing  must  come  forth  upon  all. 
But  they  must  be  so  blest  that  the  predicates, 
that  hitherto  Israel  had  alone,  will  be  applied  to 
all  three.  Egypt  is  called  'E>^  "my  people" 


(comp.    iii.   12;   x.    2,  24,  and   often),  Assyria    and  head  of  the  family. 


"T  nfrjfO  "  work  of  my  hands,"  (comp.  lx.  21 ; 
Ixiv.  7  and  often),  but  Israel  retains  the  name  of 
honor  TI/DJ,  ''mine  inheritance,"  for  thereby 
it  is  characterized  as  the  actual  son  of  the  house 


/?)    THE  ASSYRIAN  CAPTIVITY  OF  EGYPT. 
CHAPTEK  XX. 


This  chapter,  whose  date  is  exactly  determined 
by  the  historical  notices  of  ver.  1  in  connection 
with  ver.  3  (comp.  the  introduction  to  chapters 
xvii.-xx.),  is  related  to  chap,  xix.,  with  which  it 
is  manifestly  contemporaneous,  as  a  completion. 
Thus  chap.  xix.  speaks  chiefly  of  the  visitations 
that  shall  overtake  Egypt,  by  means  of  catastro- 
phes of  its  inward  political  and  natural  life. 


But  to  that  conversion   of  Egypt  gpoken  of  xix. 

18  sqq.,  outward  distresses  also  must  contribute. 

These,  according  to  the  political  relations  that 
!  prevailed  in  the  period  when  chapters  xix.  xx. 
!  originated,  can  proceed  only  from  Assyria.  At 
j  the  same  time  this  weighty  lesson  resulted  from 

these  things,  that  Judah  in  its  then  relation  to 

Assyria  and  Egypt  must  not  rely  on   Egypt  for 

protection  against  Assyria. 


1  In  the  year  that  'Tartan  came  unto  Ashdod,  ("when  Sargon  the  king  of  Assyria 

2  sent  him),  and  "fought  against  Ashdod,  and  took  it ;  at  the  same  time  spake  the 
LORD  by  'Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz,  saying,  Go  and  loose  the  sackcloth  from   off 
thy  loins,  and  put  off  thy  shoe  from  thy  foot,  And  he  did  so,  walking  naked  and 

3  barefoot.     And   the  LORD  said,  Like  as  my  servant  Isaiah  hath  walked  naked 
and  barefoot  three  years  for  a  sign  and  wonder  dupon  Egypt  and  dupon  Ethiopia ; 

4  so  shall  the  king  of  Assyria  lead  away  2the  Egyptians  prisoners,  and  ethe  Ethio- 
pians captives,  young  and  old,  naked  and  barefoot,  even  with  their  buttocks  un- 

5  covered,  fto  the  sshame  of  Egypt.    And  they  shall  be  afraid  and  ashamed  of  Ethio- 

6  pia  their  expectation,  and  of  Egypt  their  glory.      And  the  inhabitant  of   this 
4gisle  shall  say  in  that  day,  Behold,  such  is  our  expectation,  whither  we  flee  for  help 
to  be  delivered  from  the  king  of  Assyria :  and  how  shall  we  escape  ? 


1  Heh/6v  the  hand  of  Isaiah. 

•  Heb.  nakedness. 

•  of  the  Tartan's  coming. 

•  the  exiles  of  Ethiopia. 


2  Heb.  the  captivity  of  Egypt. 
*  Or,  country. 

b  in  Sargon's,  etc*,  sending  him.  '  he  fought.  d  concerning. 

f  omit  to.  *  coast  or  sea  board. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  2.  One  must  carefully  note  that  what  follows  im- 
mediately on  the  formula  of  announcement,  "  "OH 
"10K?  'CT~T2  is  not  something  that  Jehovah  spake  by 
Isaiah,  but  something  that  He  spake  to  him  (1J1  T7). 
For  T3  never  has  the  meaning  "  in  conspectu,"  as  some 
would  assume  in  order  to  obviate  the  incongruity  be- 
tween T2  and  1]  7 ;  it  has  not  this  meaning  even  in  1 
Sam.  xxi.  14,  and  Job  xv.  23.  "1T3X7,  therefore,  as  to 
form  connects  primarily  with  the  "?h  immediately  fol- 
lowing, but  in  regard  to  matter  it  relates  to  all  that  fol- 
lows. <">  13X'1  in  the  beginning  of  ver.  3  like  tOX1?,  is 
subordinate  to  the  more  intensive  "131,  and  introduces 
the  second  stage  of  the  revelation  announced  by  1J1  "^"1- 
The  expression  T3  for  the  human  organ  of  the  divine 
revelation  occurs  in  Isaiah  only  here.  In  Jeremiah, 

too,  it  occurs  only  xxxvii.  2;  1.  1. Note  the  constr. 

praegn.  in  '1  'jjjflg      frn  nnr\2  where  the  preposition 


GRAMMATICAL. 

must  be  connected  with  a  verb  understood.    Compare 
GBEEX.,  ?  273,  3. 

Ver.  3.  D^ty  vhtf  occasions  difficulty.  The  inter- 
pretation is  altogether  ungrammatical  that  takes  these 
words  in  the  sense  :  "in  three  years  shall  be  fulfilled 
what  this  symbolical  act  signifies."  The  words  can  only 
be  made  to  relate  to  "]  7i"l,  or,  according  to  the  accents, 
to  what  follows  ;  but  in  either  case  must  be  taken  in  the 
sense  "  for  three  years."  Regarding  the  words  only 
grammatically,  the  nearest  meaning  that  offers  is  :  ''  like 
my  servant  Isaiah  has  gone  three  years,"  etc.  For  were 
it  said:  "like  my  servant  goes  for  three  years,"  why 
then  does  it  not  read  T?i"l?  Or  if  the  meaning  were: 
"  like  my  servant  will  go,"  why  then  does  it  not  read 
^V  ?  Although  the  Hebrew  perfect  indicates  directly 
only  that  something  actually  occurs  objectively  with- 
out reference  to  the  time,  still  the  fact  must  belong  to 
some  time  ;  and  if  neither  an  internal  nor  external  sign 
points  to  the  present  nor  future,  then  we  are  obliged  to 


231 


take  the  verbal  form  that  designates  /ac/ajust  in  the 
sense  offactum,  i.  e.,  in  the  sense  of  come  to  pass,  done, 
in  respect  to  time.  However  some  construe  ^  /n  as 
perfect,  but  refer  D'Jty  &'")&  to  n331  J11K,  so  that  the 
sense  is:  "like  my  servant  has  gone  naked  and  bare- 
foot for  a  type  of  three  years  long  "  (tribus  annis  comple- 
tis  in  exilium  ducta  erit  Acgyptus  atque  Acthiopia ;  usque  ad 
Mud  tctnpus,  quod  Isajas  semelnudus  et  discalceatus  inces- 
sit,  typus  cst,"  STADE,  I.  c.  p.  67;  thus,  too,  the  MASOBETS, 
JEROME,  HITZIG,  HENDEWERK,  K NOBEL).  But  to  this  there 
is  a  twofold  objection  [for  the  second  see  under  the  fol- 
lowing Exeg.  and  Crit.  in  loc.).  First :  If  it  were  to  be 
expressly  said  that  Isaiah  did  not  for  three  years  go 
naked,  but  only  that  he  was  to  be  a  sign  for  three  years 
by  once  (STADE)  or  several  times  repeated  going  naked, 
or  more  exactly,  if  the  typical  transaction  itself  did  not 
last  through  three  years,  but  was  only  to  obtain  as  the 
sign  for  the  continuance  of  three  years,  if  therefore 

D'  Jiy  vhw  is  to  depend  not  on  iSn  but  on  J131D1  fllX, 
then  must  the  dependence  be  indicated  corresponding 
to  the  sense.  The  mere  Accusative  then  durst  not  be 
used.  If  Isaiah  was  for  three  years  long  a  type,  then 
must  he  three  years  long  go  naked.  But  did  he  go 
naked  only  once  or  a  few  times,  and  were  only  the 
typical  significance  of  this  going  naked  to  extend  to 
three  years,  then  it  must  read  D'Jty  COCO  or  jVlX 
D'Jty  tfSiy  P31D1-  The  latter  construction  would  not 
be  incorrect,  as  STADE  (p.  68)  seems  to  assume,  in  as 
much  as  f\31D1  HIK,  as  to  sense,  form  only  one  notion 
(comp.  Ezek.  xxxi.  16). 


Ver.  4.  '3?t?n  is"  held  by  EWALB  (?  211,  c,  Anm.  2: 
[comp.  GREEN,  §  199  cj  to  be  a  change  from  '3$iyn  fixed 
by  the  Masorets.  Thus,  too,  '1t£r  Judg.  v.  15.  Others 

-T 

(DELITZSCH,  DIETRICH)  hold  this  form,  like  ('Tin  xix.  8), 
'JlSn  (Jer.  xxii.  14),  ^IJ  (Amos  vi-..  1;  Nab.  i;i.  17),  '1& 
(Exod.  vi.  3),  for  a  singular  form  with  a  collective  signi- 
fication. HITZIO  and  STADE  regard  our  word  as  an  ar- 
chaic ending  of  the  Construct  State,  of  which  the  punc- 
tuators had  availed  themselves  "  in  order  to  avoid  the 
disagreeable  sound  that  would  be  occasioned  by  the 
following  7\$."  But  then  they  would  often  have  had 
to  resort  to  this  change.  It  appears  to  me  of  course 
probable  that  the  pointing  *_  is  to  be  charged  to  the 
Masorets.  But  nii?  did  not  prompt  them  to  this  ;  it 

was   the  foregoing  singulars  C||T1  D1117-    They  sup- 

I"T:  T 

posed  they  must  punctuate  'Slt^n  as  singular  to  cor- 

respond with  these.  Therefore  I  boliev  •  that  '3ltyn  is 
to  be  regarded  as  a  singular  like  the  'in,  etc.,  named 
above,  but  that  it  is  set  in  the  place  of  the  original 
'£)^n  by  tradition  only.  But  c\n'l  D"\J7  is  partly  con- 
ditioned by  ver.  3,  partly  it  is  to  be  treated  as  an  ideal 
number  (xxiv.  22).  -  'D  I\\*\y  is  in  apposition  with 


Vers.  5  and  6.  03D,  that  to  which  one  looks  (hoping 

T   - 

and  trusting)  occurs  in  Isaiah  only  in  these  two  verses. 
Beside  this  inZech.  ix.  5.  -  n"Uj?7  comp.  x.  3;  xxxi.l. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  In  the  year  when  the  Tartan,  i.  e.  commnn- 
der-in-chief  of  king   Sargon    of  Assyria,    came 
against  Ashdod    to  besiege  the  city  —  which  he 
also  took   after  a   comparatively  short   siege, — 
Isaiah  received  commandment  from  the  LORD  to 
take  off  his  garment  made  of  bad  sack  linen  and 
his  sandals,  and  to  go  about  naked  and  barefoot 
(vers.    1,    2).      For   the    incredible    thing   shall 
happen  that  the  Egyptians  and  Ethiopians,  shall 
be  compelled  to  go  into  captivity  naked  and  bare- 
foot, like  Isaiah  goes  about,  (vers.  3,4).     There- 
upon all  inhabitants  of  the  sea-board  of  Palestine, 
will,   with  terror   and    shame,    be   sensible   how 
wrong   they  were  to   confide  in  the   power  and 
glory  of  Ethiopia  and  Egypt  (ver.  5).     They  will 
s:iy :  Thus  it  has  gone  with  the  power  from  whom 
we  expected  protection  ;  how  now  shall  it  go  with 
us  ?  (ver.  6*. 

2.  In   the   year barefoot.— Vers.    1,   2. 

According  to  the  testimony  of  Assyrian  monu- 
ments,   Tartan    is   not    a   proper    name,  but   an 
appellative.      It  is  the  "  Assyrian  official  name 
for  the  commander-in-chief."      In  Assyrian  the 
word  sounds  tur-ta-nu,  and  is,  to  the  present,  of 
unknown   derivation.     On   the  Assyrian  list  of 
regents  that  is  communicated  by  ScHRADER(/>ie 
Keilinschriften  u.   das   A.    T.,    ijKrsscn,    1872,    p. 
.323   sqq.)   it   reads    (obvers.  9):  ''  Mardnkiluya, 
Tartan,   to  the  city   Gozan   (obv.  3S }  ;   Samsulu, 
Tartan,  to  Armenia  (obv.  48) ;  Samsulu.  Tartan,  to 
the  city  Surat  (Reverse  19)  ;  Samsuln,  Tartnn,  in 
the  land  (Rev.  32)  ;  Nabudaninanni,  Tartan,  to 
the  city   Arpad."      Thus  the  ordering  of  these 
high  officers  to  their  various  posts  of  administra- 
tion is  designated.     The  word  "  Tartan  "  occurs 
agnin  in  the  Old  Testament,  only  2  Kings  xviii. 


17. As  regards  Sargon,  it  is  now  settled  by 

documentary  proof  that  Salrnanassar  and  Sargon 
are  not  one  person.  The  Assyrian  canon  of  re- 
gents, which  the  great  work  of  inscriptions  by 
RAWLIN'SON,  Vol.  III.,  communicates  in  amended 
form  (comp.  SCHRADER,  I.  c.,  p.  317)  contains 
as  fifth  Eponyme  of  that  administration  that  fol- 
lowed Tuklat-habal-asar,  i.  e.,  Tiglath-Pileser,  the 
name  Sal-ma-nu-asir  (another  form  Sal-man- 
asir) :  and  RAWLINSON  (Athenaeum,  1867,  No. 
20SO,  p.  304,  comp.  SCHRADER  in  Slud.  and 
Krit.,  1872,  IV.  p.  737)  remarks  on  this:  "  Sal- 
manassar  IV.,  (for  there  were  three  older  Salma- 
nassars)  ascended  the  throne  in  the  year  727  B. 
C.,  for  which  year  there  was  already  an  Eponyme 
established,  so  that  he  could  only  enter  on  his 
Arohonship  in  723."  But  Sargon  came  to  the 
administration  in  the  course  of  the  year  722  B. 
C.  He  is  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament  only 
in  our  passage — whereas  the  monuments  offer 
just  about  his  reign  the  richest  results.  His  name  in 
Assvrian  is  Sarrukin,  which  by  the  Assyrians 
themselves,  is  construed  partly  as  Sarrukin,  i.  e. 
''  mighty  the  king,"  or  ''  the  right  king,"  partly 
as  Sarruakin,  i.  e.  ''He  (God)  appointed  the 

king"  (comp.  p3*frP).  Sargon  is  the  builder 
of  North  Nineveh  or  Dur-Sarrukin,  now  Khorsa- 
bad,  whose  monuments,  with  their  inscriptions 
of  the  most  various  sorts,  are  a  most  valuable 
source  of  historical  information  (comp.  SCHRA- 
DER, Keilinschriften,  p.  256  sqq.).  The  following 
is  the  account  of  the  conquest  of  Ashdorl  as  the 
Khorsabad  inscription  gives  it  according  to 
SCHRADER'S  (I.  c.,  p.  259  sqq  )  translation.  ''  Azu- 
ri,  king  of  Ashdod,  hardened  his  heart  to  pay  no 


232 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


tribute  and  pent  demands  to  the  princes  of  his 
neighborhood  to  revolt  from  Assyria.  Accord- 
ingly I  did  vengeance  and  changed  his  govern- 
ment over  the  inhabitants  of  his  territory.  Achi- 
mit,  his  brother,  I  set  over  them  in  the  government 
in  his  place.  The  Syrians,  that  meditated  revolt, 
despised  his  dominion  and  raised  up  laman  over 
themselves,  who  had  no  claiiji  to  the  throne,  and 
who,  like  those,  refused  to  own  the  dominion.  In 
the  burning  wrath  of  my  heart  I  did  not  assemble 
my  whole  power,  took  no  concern  for  baggage. 
With  my  men  of  war,  who  separated  not  them- 
selves from  me  behind  the  raising  of  my  arms,  I 
advanced  on  Ashdod.  That  laman,  when  he 
perceived  the  approach  of  my  army  from  far, 
fled  to  a  region  (?)  of  Egypt,  which  lay  on  the 
borders  of  Meroe  ;  not  a  trace  of  him  was  to  be 
Been.  Ashdod,  Gimt-Asdudim  (?)  I  besieged, 
took  it;  his  gods,  his  wife,  his  sons,  the  treasures, 
possessions,  valuables  of  his  palace,  along  with 
the  inhabitants  of  his  land  1  appointed  to  captivi- 
ty. Those  cities  I  restored;  I  colonized  th^re  the 
inhabitants  of  the  lands  that  my  hands  had  con- 
quered, that  are  in  the  midst  of  the  East ;  I  made 
them  like  the  Assyrians  ;  they  rendered  obedi- 
ence. The  king  of  Meroe,  who  in  the  midst 
....  of  a  desert  region,  on  a  patli  ....  whose 
fathers  since  remote  times  down  to  (this  time) 
had  not  sent  their  ambassadors  to  my  royal  an- 
cestors, to  entreat  peace  for  himself:  the  might 
of  Merodach  (overpowered  him),  a  mighty  fear 
came  over  him,  fear  seized  him.  In  bonds  .  .  . 
iron  chains  he  laid  him  (laman) ;  he  directed 
his  steps  toward  Assyria  and  appeared  before 
me."  If  we  compare  the  annals  of  Sargon,  which 
register  year  by  year  the  deeds  of  this  king,  we 
find  that  in  the  year  of  his  beginning  to  reign 
(722),  which  is  not  reckoned  as  his  first  year,  he 
conquered  Samaria  ;  in  the  second  year  (720)  he 
conquered  king  Sevech  of  Egypt  in  the  battle  of 
Raphia  and  took  prisoner  king  Hanno  of  Gaza  ; 
in  the  eleventh  year  (711)  he  made  war  on  Azuri 
of  Ashdod  a-nd  conquered  the  city,  after  which 
the  king  of  Ethiopia  sued  for  peace  (ScHEADER, 
1.  c.,  p.  204  sq.).  In  all,  Sargon  reigned  seventeen 
years  (until  705).  The  monuments  and  the  Pro- 
phet mutually  complete  one  another.  If  from  the 
former  we  sec  the  occasion,  the  nearer  circumstances 
and  the  time  of  the  expedition  against  Ashdod, 
the  Prophet,  on  the  other  hand,  informs  us  that 
it  was  not  Sargon  himself  that  conducted  the 
undertaking,  as  might  appear  from  the  monu- 
ments. It  was  the  constant  usage  of  those  Asiatic 
potentates,  to  which  there  are  only  a  few  excep- 
tions, to  register  the  deeds  of  the  leaders  of  their 
armies  as  their  own  on  the  monuments.  Comp. 
SCHRADER,  Stud.,  u.  Krit.,  1872,  IV.  p.  743. 
Moreover  from  the  contents  of  the  Khorsabad 
inscription  it  is  seen  that  Ashdod  was  not  at  that 
time  visited  for  the  first  by  the  Assyrians,  as  also  on 
the  other  hand  it  appears  that  Egypt  had  already 
experienced  emphatically  the  might  of  the  Assy- 
rian arm.  For  without  any  campaign,  merely  out 
of  fear  of  that  arm,  the  Egyptian-Ethiopian'king 
surrendered  the  fugitive  laman.  As  regards  the 
time,  our  prophecy,  according  to  the  inscription, 
falls  in  the  year  711,  thus  in  the  eleventh  year  of 
king  Sargon's  reign.  The  siege  of  Ashdod,  for 
which  later  Psammetichus  required  twenty-five 
years  (HEROD.  2,  157),  appears  not  to  have  lasted 


long  at  that  time.  The  capture  followed,  accord- 
ing to  the  inscriptions  (see  above),  in  the  same 
year.  Perhaps  the  divided  state  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Ashdod  was  to  blame  for  this  speedy  cap- 
ture. That  there  was  an  Assyrian  party  among 
them  appears  from  the  inscription  communicated 
above. 

The  phrase  Ul  DT"I T],  and  he  fought  against, 
etc.,  is  parenthetical.  As  to  the  sense,  it  is  in  so 
far  an  historical  anticipation  that  the  taking  did 
not  follow  after  what  is  related  in  ver.  2.  But  in 
relation  to  ver.  3,  that  phrase  is  no  anticipation. 
For  the  meaning  of  the  typical  action,  if  my  in- 
terpretation of"  three  years"  is  correct,  can  only 
have  been  signified  three  years  later.  Conse- 
quently the  entire  chapter  can  not  have  been 
written  earlier  than  three  years  after  the  "coming 
of  the  Tartan  "  mentioned"  in  ver.  1.  In  as  much 
as  this  "  coming  of  the  Tartan  "  is  taken  as  the 
point  of  departure  for  the  course  of  events,  while 
the  conquest  is  only  mentioned  in  parenthesis,  as 
a  side  affair,  the  Prophet  likely  received  the  com- 
mand of  ver.  2,  about  the  time  of  that  "  coming," 
therefore  before  the  capture.  By  implication, 
therefore,  there  lay  in  the  command  at  the  same 
time  a  prediction  of  that  conquest  of  Ashdod. 
For  the  conquest  of  Egypt  presupposes  the  taking 
of  the  outworks.  Therefore  the  point  of  the  pro- 
phecy also  is  directed  against  Egypt. 

At  the  same  time  is  related  to  "  In  the  year 
that  the  Tartan  came  "  as  a  wider  sphere,  as  cer- 
tainly as  the  notion  nj?  is  more  comprehensive 
than  the  notion  njE?.  The  following  contains 
indeed,  information  concerning  two  facts :  first 
concerning  the  command  to  go  naked,  and  second, 
concerning  the  interpretation  that  followed  after 
three  years.  To  these  refer  those  two  dates,  the 
narrower  and  the  broader,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
the  first  date  corresponding  to  the  first  fact  and 
the  second  to  the  second  fact.  Therewith  is 
closely  connected  that  the  sentence  ''spake  the 
LORD  .  .  .  saying,"  introduces  the  entire  revela- 
tion contained  in  what  follows.  (See  under  Text, 
and  Gram.). 

It  is  not  accidental  that  Isaiah  is  called  here  by 
hiscomplete  name,  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz. 
For  this  happens,  beside  the  present,  only  i.  1  and 
ii.  1,  therefore  only  in  the  first  and  second  introduc- 
tion ;  then  xiii.  1  (in  the  beginning  of  the  prophe- 
cies against  the  nations)  and  xxxvii.  21,  where  is 
related  the  comforting  reply  that  Isaiah  was  the 
means  of  giving  to  Hezekiah  after  the  threaten- 
ing of  Sennacherib.  By  the  designation  of  the 
Prophet  as  ''the  son  of  Amoz"  is  signified,  as 
appears  to  nr\  that  there  exists  a  contrast  between 
this  name  and  what  is  related  of  Isaiah  in  this 
chapter.  It  is  likely  no  error  to  assume  that  a 
"  son  of  Amoz  "  was  a  man  of  importance.  And 
this  man  of  noble  descent  must  for  three  years, 
when  he  let  himself  be  seen  publicly,  go  about 
like  a  wretched  prisoner  in  the  utmost  scanty 
clothing.  For  that  Isaiah  went  whfolly  naked  is 
not  conceivable.  Anciently,  indeed,  one  was  re- 
garded as  naked  who  took  off  the  upper  garment 
(comp.  nudus  ara,  sere  midusvn  VIRGIL,  Geory.  I. 
299  ;  PETRON.  92  ;  Joh.  xxi.  7  ;  HERZ.  E.  Ency. 
VII.,  p.  725).  We  observe  from  this  passage  that 
Isaiah  constantly  wore  a  sack,  as  chief  and  upper 
garment,  i.  e.  a  sack-like  garment  and  made  of 


CHAP.  XX.  1-6. 


233 


sackcloth.  The  sack-garment  was  sign  of  deep 
mourning  and  repentance  generally  (iii.  24  ;  xv. 
3;  Gen.  xxxvii.  34;  Dan.  ix.  3;  Matth.  xi.  21, 
and  often  .  It  was  variously  worn  :  partly  next 
to  the  skin  (I  Kings  xxi.  27),  partly  over  the 
nnder-garment,  the  J\J/t3  "  tunic,"  as  was  the 
case,  e.  g.  with  Isaiah,  and  as  appears  generally 
to  have  been  a  prophet's  costume.  For,  accord- 
ing to  2  Kings  i.  8,  Elijah  wore  a  hairy  garment 
with  a  leather  girdle,  which  clothing,  Zech.  xiii. 
4,  is  described  as  a  prophet's  costume  generally. 
John  the  Baptist,  too,  wore  it,  certainly  in  special 
imitation  of  Elijah  (Matth.  iii.  4;  comp.  Heb.  xi. 
37 ;  Rev.  xi.  3).  Now  when  Isaiah  received 
command  to  take  off  the  sack  garment  and  his 
sandals,  it  was  that  he  should  make  himself  a 
living  symbol  of  the  extremest  ignominy,  and  of 
the  deepest  misery.  Not  to  Judah,  however,  but 
to  Egypt  is  this  sorrowful  fate  announced.  Judah 
is  only  to  draw  from  it  the  lesson  that  it  must  not 
lean  on  Egypt  for  support.  For  this  was  the 
great  and  ruinous  error  of  the  time  of  Hezekiah, 
that  men  supposed  they  could  only  find  protection 
against  Assyria  in  Egypt.  Against  this  the  Pro- 
phet strives  earnestly  in  chapters  xxviii. — xxxii. 

3.  And  the  LORD  said we  escape. — 

Vers. 3-0.  [On  the  construction  of  "three  years,'' 
see  under  Text,  and  Gram. ;  also  for  a  grammatical 
objection  to  the  sense:  "like  my  servant  has  gone 
naked  and  barefoot  as  a  three  years  sign,"  etc.  A 
further  objection  is  as  follows.-TR.]  If  the  typical 
meaning  of  the  sign  was  to  remain  in  force  only 
three  years,  then,  too,  the  fulfilment  must  actually 
follow  after  three  years,  or  the  prophecy  prove  to 
be  false.  For  what  can  this  mean  :  the  going  naked 
of  the  Prophet  shall  be  three  years  long  a  sign  ? 
Only  this  :  after  three  years  the  type  ceases  to  be 
type,  and  becomes  fulfilment.  If  that  does  not 
come  to  pass,  then  the  sign  was  an  erroneous  one 
and  misleading.  It  is  no  use  here  to  regard  the 
number  three  as  a  round  number  that  is  only  to 
be  understood  "  summatim"  (STADE,  p.  67). 
For  the  measures  of  time  of  fulfilment,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  imperfection  of  our  human  know- 
ledge about  the  real  length  of  historical  periods, 
or  because  of  the  difficulty  of  knowing  the  points 
of  beginning  and  ending,  may  very  well  be  re- 
presented as  only  an  approximation.  But  a  mea- 
sure of  time  which  is  named  as  an  earnest  pledge 
of  a  future  transaction,  must  not  prove  to  be  in- 
correct, if  the  earnest  itself  is  not  to  be  found 
treacherous.  But  Egypt  was  not  conquered  by 
the  Assyrians  three  years  after  the  siege  of  Ash- 
dod,  but  much  later,  as  will  be  seen  immediately. 
Therefore  the  Prophet  cannot  have  proposed  a 
three  years'  validity  of  that  sign.  But  he  went 
three  years  naked  and  barefoot,  in  order  to  set 
before  the  eyes  of  his  people  very  emphatically 
and  impressively  the  image  of  how  wretched 
Egypt  had  become.  And  only  after  three  years 
followed  the  interpretation  for  the  same  reason. 
For  three  years  the  men  of  Judah  and  Jerusalem 
were  to  meditate  and  inquire:  why  does  the 
Prophet  go  about  in  scanty  and  wretched  garb  ? 
When  at  length  after  three  years  they  learned  : 
this  happened  for  the  purpose  of  parading  before 
your  eyes  the  misery  of  Egypt  conquered  by  As- 
svria, — then  they  could  measure  the  worth  and 
importance  of  the  warning  that  the  Prophet  gave 


them  by  what  it  cost  him  to  give  it.  For  the 
Egyptian  policy  was  the  fundamental  error  of 
the  reign  of  Hezekiah  through  its  whole  extent 
(comp.  the  Introduction  to  chapters  xxviii. — 
xxxiii).  The  siege  of  Ashdod,  that  key  to  the 
land  of  Egypt,  was  assuredly  a  fitting  event,  for 
letting  this  warning  sign  begin.  And  if  about 
the  year  708  the  interpretation  followed,  that  was 
the  time,  too,  when  Sargon's  rule  drew  near  its 
end  and  that  of  Sennacherib  drew  near.  It  was 
the  time  when  the  alliance  with  Egypt  more  and 
more  ripened,  and  when  the  warning  of  the  Pro- 
phet must  become  ever  more  pressing. 

Sign  and  wonder  is  a  sort  of  Hendiadys,  in 
as  much  as  to  the  first  notion  a  second  is  co-ordi- 
nated, that  properly  is  only  something  subordi- 
nate to  that  first :  sign  and  portent  for  portentous 
sign.  In  as  far  as  the  nakedness  of  the  Prophet 
represented  the  misery  of  the  Egyptians  gen- 
erally, it  is  a  sign  of  it ;  but  in  as  far  as  it  repre- 
sented this  misery  in  advance  as  something  fu- 
ture it  is  a  portentous  sign. 

To  the  present,  nothing  definite  is  known  of 
any  invasion  of  Egypt  by  the  Assyrians.  The 
Assyrian  monuments,  however,  tell  us  that  the 
kings  Esarhaddon  and  Asurbanipal  (Sardana- 
palus)  conquered  Egypt.  The  first  on  a  brick 
inscription  (SCHRADER,  /.  c.  p.  210)  calls  him- 
self: "  king  of  the  kings"  of  Egypt;  and  his  son 
Asurbanipal  says  in  his  cylinder  inscription 
(SciiRADER  /.  c.  212)  "Esarhaddon — my  progeni- 
tor went  down  and  penetrated  into  the  midst  of 
Egypt.  He  gave  Tirhaka  king  of  Ethiopia  a 
defeat,  destroyed  his  military  power.  Egypt  and 
Ethiopia  he  conquered  ;  cnuntlest  prisoners  he  led 
forth," etc.  Asurbanipal  himself  seems  to  have 
prepared  a  still  worse  fate  for  the  Egyptians 
under  Tirhaka's  successor,  Bud-Amon.  For  he 
relates  the  following  in  one  of  his  inscriptions 
( SCIIRADER, /.  c.  288):  "Trusting  in  Asur,  Sin 
and  the  great  gods,  my  lords,  they  (my  troops) 
brought  on  him  in  a  broad  plain  a  defeat  and 
smote  his  troop  forces.  Undamana  (Rud-Amon) 
fled  alone,  and  went  to  No,  his  royal  city  (Thebes). 
In  a  march  of  a  month  and  ten  days  they  moved 
after  him  over  pathless  ways,  took  that  city  in  its 
entire  circuit,  purged  it  away  like  chaff.  Gold, 
silver,  the  dust  of  their  land,  drawn  off  metal, 
precious  stones,  the  treasure  of  his  palace,  gar- 
ments of  Berom  (?)  and  Kum,  great  horses,  men 
and  women,  .  .  .  par/i  and  ukupi  the  yield  of  their 
mountains  in  countless  quantity,  they  bore  forth 
out  of  it,  appointed  them  to  captivity ;  to  Nineveh, 
my  seat  of  dominion  they  brought  them  in  peace,  and 
they  kissed  my  feet."  Comp.  too,  ibid.  p.  290.  As, 
according  to  the  Apisstelen  Tirhakadied  in  theyear 
664,  SCHRADER  fixes  the  date  of  this  conquest  of 
Thebes  about  the  year  663  B.  c.  This  monu- 
mental notice  is  of  great  importance  for  the  un- 
derstanding of  Nah.  iii.  8-11,  and  partly,  too, 
for  Isa.  xix.  and  for  our  passage.  From  this,  as 
also  from  the  other  Assyrian  communications 
cited  above,  we  learn  that  our  prophecy,  given  in 
the  year  708  received  a  double  fulfilment :  one  in 
the  time  of  Asarhaddon,  who  reigned  from  681 
to  668,  the  other  by  means  of  Asurbanipal  about 
the  year  663.  Therefore,  not  after  three  years, 
but  in  the  course  of  the  fourth  and  fifth  decade 
after  its  publication  was  it,  fulfilled 

Egypt's  shame  [see  under  Text,  and  Gram.}. 


234 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


Did  not  the  Prophet,  who  for  his  own  person  as- 
suredly wore  only  the  lightest  Israelitish  costume, 
have  here  in  mind,  perhaps,  those  costumes  of 
the  common  Egyptians,  that  allowed  the  form  to 
appear  prominent,  which,  seen  in  foreign  lands, 
were  well  fitted  to  provoke  scorn  for  Egypt  ? 
Comp.  e.  g.  the  illustrations  in  WILKINSON'S,  The 
ancient  Egyptians. 

It  is  plain  that  in  ver.  6  the  Prophet  means 
the  Israelites  and  their  neighbors.  It  is  a  sign 
of  displeasure  and  discontent  when  one  addresses 
a  person  that  is  present  in  the  third  person.  The 
expression  'KH  "  the  isle "  in  ver.  6  is  to  be 
noted.  The  expression  (comp.  the  singular  xxiii. 
2,  6)  is  nowhere  else  used  of  the  Holy  land. 
But  the  Prophet  also  means,  not  merely  this,  but 
the  entire  coast  of  Palestine,  which,  because  'K 
is  not  a  proper  name,  but  appellative,  he  can  very 
well  call  'K-  For,  as  the  conquest  of  Ashdod 
itself  and  the  preceding  events  (comp.  the  Sargon 
Inscription,  SCIIRADER,  p.  76)  testify,  the  Phoeni- 
cians also,  and  the  Philistines,  who  shared  with 
Israel  in  the  possession  of  the  coast,  were  become 
a  prey  to  the  Assyrian  power. 

When  the  strong  power  of  Egypt  and  Ethiopia 
had  proved  too  weak  to  bear  the  onset  of  Assy- 
ria, then,  indeed,  might  the  anxious  thought  arise 
in  the  hearts  of  the  smaller  nations  that  had 
joined  themselves  to  Egypt:  how  is  it  now  possi- 
ble that  we  can  be  saved  ?  STADE  is  of  the  opi- 
nion that  'X,  ''  the  isle,  or  coast"  means  merely 
the  city  Ashdod,  and  that  ver.  6  contains  the 
words  of  the  fugitive  inhabitants  of  Ashdod,  es- 
pecially of  Iam;tn.  After  the  overthrow  of  Egypt 
the  exclamation  is  put  in  the  mouth  of  these: 
"  yuomodo  nos  e/ugere  poteramus,''  (p.  43).  But 
the  assumption  that  the  conquered  inhabitants 
of  the  "X  could  not  say:  "how  shall  we  be  saved  " 
is  erroneous.  They  were  indeed  conquered  ;  but 
a?  long  as,  still  dwelling  in  their  land,  they  saw 
trains  of  captives  led  past  them,  they  are  still  in 
possession  of  their  land,  and  can  hope  for  a 
favorable  turn  of  fortune,  and  the  shaking  off 
of  the  foreign  yoke.  Only  the  captive  carried 
into  exile  is  finally  without  hope.  Only  this 
final  and  greatest  degree  of  misfortune  do  the 
inhabitants  of  the  ""K  have  in  mind  when  they 
exclaim,  "  how  shall  we  escape  ?" 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xvii.  1-3.     "There  are  no   makers  of 
breaches  in  city  and  wall  stronger  than  the  sins 
of  the  inhabitants.     When  these  strengthen  and 
multiply    themselves,    then    entire    cities,    well 
built  fall  over  them,  and  become  heaps  of  stones; 
as  is  to  be  seen  in  the  case  of  Jericho,  Nineveh, 
Babylon  and  Jerusalem  itself.     Therefore  let  no 
one  put  his  trust  in  fortifications." — CRAMER. 

2.  On  xvii.  7,  8.    "Potuit  hie,"  etc.  "  It  may  be 
objected  here,  are  not  the  ark  of  the  covenant  and 
the  temple  in  Jerusalem  also  work  of  men's  hands  ? 
But  the  theological  canon   here  is,  that  in  everv 
work  regard  must  be  had  whether  there  is  a  word 
of  God  for  it  or  not.    Therefore  such  works  as  are 
done   by  God's   command,  those   God    does   by 
means  of  us  as  by  instruments.     Thus  those  are 
called   works  of  the  law  that   are  done  by  the 
law's  command.     But  such  works  as  are  done  by 


no  command  of  God  are  works  of  our  own  hands, 
and  because  they  are  without  the  word  of  God, 
they  are  impious  and  condemned,  especially  if 
the  notion  of  righteousness  attaches  to  them,  on 
which  account,  also,  they  are  reproved  here." — 
LUTHER. 

3.  On  xvii.  8  (D'T^ND)  ;  VITRINGA  proposes 
the  conjecture  that  Osiris  is  to  be  derived  from 
TDK,  which  the  Egyptians  may  have  pronounced 
Oser  or  Osir.  And  indeed  he  would  have  us  take 
as  the  fundamental  meaning  of  the  word,  either 
"beatus,"    (1&**),  or  combine  it  with  1U?    "to 
look,"  so  that  Osiris  would  be  as  Sun-god,  the 
all  seeing,  sharp  looking  (.ToAwtytfafyzof).    rPD'N 
then,  as  feminine  of  1KW,  would  be  Isis ! 

4.  On  xvii.  10.     "  Si  hanc,"  etc.     "If  so  fearful 
a  punishment  followed  this  fault,  thou  seest  what 
we  have  to  hope  for  Germany,  which  not  only 
forgets  God,   but   despises,  provokes,  persecutes 
and  abominates  Him." — -LuxiiER. 

5.  On  xvii.   14.     "  Although  the  evening  is 
long  for  us,  we  must  still  have  patience,  and  be- 
lieve assuredly,  sorrow  is  a  forerunner  of  joy,  dis- 
gust a  forerunner  of  delight,  death  a  forerunner 
of  life."  CRAMER. 

6.  On   xviii.      BOETTCHER  (Neue   exegetische 
kritische  Aehrenl.  II.,  p.  129)  calls  this  chapter, 
"  exceeding  difficult,  perhaps  the  most  difficult  in 
the  entire  Old  Testament."    And  in  fact  from  the 
earliest  to  the  most  recent  times  expositors  go 
asunder  in  the  most  remarkable  manner  in  re- 
gard to  the  object  and  sense  of  the  prophecy. 
JEROME  and  CYRIL  referred   the   prophecy   to 
Egypt.     Others,  but  in  different  senses,  referred 
it  to  Judea.     EUSEBIUS  of  Cesarea  held  the  view 
that,  as  JEROME  says  on  our  passage,  ''  prophecy 
in  the  present  chapter  is  directed  against  the  Jews 
and    Jerusalem,    because   in    the   beginning   of 
Christian  faith  they  sent'letters  to  all  nations  lest 
they  might  accept  the  sufferings  of  Christ."  "  Coc- 
CEIUS  teaches  that  Judah  is  that  land  shadowed 
with  wings,  which  (for  he  refers  T&X  to  wings) 
are  beyond  the  rivers  of  Ethiopia"  (VlTRiNGA). 
RASCIII  and  KIMCHI,  likewise,  refer  the  prophe- 
cy to  the  Jews,  but   they  see  in  yer.  6  the  over- 
throw of  Gog  and  Magog?  and  understand  the 
promised  deliverance  to  refer  to  that  greatest  of 
all  that  would  take  place  by  means  of  the  Messiah. 
Also  VON  HOFMANN  (Schriftbew.  II.,  2  p.  215  sqq.) 
explains  the  passage  to  refer  to  "  the  return  of  the 
departed  Israel  from  the  remotest  regions  and  by 
the  service  of  nations  of  the  world  themselves, 
after  that  they  shall  have  learned  that  great  act 
of  Jehovah  and  therewith  the  worth  of  His  people 
and  of  His  holy  places."     Others  like  PELLICAN 
think  of  the  Roman  Empire.    ARIUS  MONTANUS 
even  casts  his  eyes  over  "to  the  new  world  con- 
verted to  Christ  by  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
and  by  the  arms  of  Spain"  ( VITRINGA). 

7.  On  xix.  1  b.  "  The  passage  recalls  the  myth 
concerning  Typhon,  which  represents  the  Ilyksos, 
who  formerly  coming  from  Asia  subdued  Egypt. 
The  Egyptian  gods  were  afraid  (accordingto  a  la- 
terGreek  tradition,  which  explained  the  Egyptian 
heads  of  beasts  as  masks,  comp.  DIESTEL  in  the 
Zeitschriftf.  histor.  TheoL,  1860,  2,  p.  178)  of  Ty- 
phon and  hid  themselves  (PLUT.  Dehid.  et  Osir., 
cap.  72);  they  resigned  the  wreaths  when  Typhon 
had  received  the  kingdom  (ATHEN.  xv.  25,  p 


CHAP.  XXI.  1-10. 


235 


680) ;  they  assumed  animal  forms  (APOLLOS  I.  6, 
3;  OviDJl/etam.  V.  325  sqq.;  HYGIN.  Fab.  196). 
According  to  MANETHO  in  JOSEPHUS  (c.  Apion 
I.  26)  king  Amenophis,  who  was  threatened  by 
Palestinians,  carefully  concealed  the  gods. 

Other  prophets,  just  as  Isaiah  does,  announce 
destruction  against  the  Egyptian  idols  from  Jahve 
(Jer.  xliii.  13;  xivi.  25;  Ezek.  xxx.  13;  comp. 
Exod.  xii.  12;  Num.  xxxiii.  4)"  KNOBEL. 

8.  On  xix.  5  sqq.     If  nature  and  history  have 
one  LORD,  who  turns  hearts  like  water  courses 
(Prov.  xxi.  Ij  and  the  water  courses  like  hearts 
(Ps.  xxxiii.),  then  we  need  not  wonder  if  both 
act  in  harmony,  if,  therefore,  nature  accompanies 
history  as,  so  to  speak,  a  musical  instrument  ac- 
companies a  song. 

9.  On  xix.  11.    "This  was  the  first  argument 
of  the  impious  in  the  world  against  the  pious,  and 
will  be  also  the  last:  for  the  minds  of  the  ungodly 
are  inflated  with   these  two  things,  the  notion  of 
wisdom  and  the  glory  of  antiquity.     So  the  dia- 
tribe of  Erasmus  is  nothing  else  than  what  is 
written  here:  I  am  the  son  of  the  ancients.     For 
he  names  the  authority  of  the  Fathers.     The  pro- 
phets contended  against  this  pride,  and  we  to-day 
protest  against  it."  LUTHER. 

10.  On  xix.  13 sqq.   "Where  one  will  not  let 
the  outward  judgments  of  God   tend  to  his  im- 
provement, there  is  added  the  judgment  of  repro- 
bation, in  such  a  way  that  even  natural  prudence 
and  boldness  are  taken  away  from  those  that  are 
the  most  prudent  and  courageous.     All  this  does 
the  anger  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts  bring  about." — 
Tubingen  Bibd  bci  STARKE. 


11.  On  xix.  16,  17.    The  servile  fear  of  those 
that  have  hitherto  not  at  all  known  God  may  be- 
come a  bridge  to  that  fear  which  is  child-like. 
"The  fear  of  the  LORD  is  the  beginning  of  wis- 
dom," Ps.  cxi.  10. 

12.  On  xix.  19-22.    The  Prophet  here  casts  a 
penetrating   and   clear   look   into   the  future  of 
Egypt.     Although  the  several  forms  that  he  de- 
picts make  the  impression  of  those  forms  which, 
standing  in  the  midst  of  a  sea  of  mist,  rise  on  an 
elevated  site  above  the  mist,  whose  absolute  dis- 
tance cannot  be  exactly  made  out,  still  particular 
traits  are  remarkably  fitting  and  exact. 

13.  On  xix.  23-25.  One  sees  here  plainly  that 
the  Prophet  regards  Egypt,  Israel  and  Assyria  as 
the  chief  lands  of  the  earth,  whose  precedence  is 
so  unconditionally  the  measure  of  all  the  rest  that 
they  do  not  even  need  to  be  mentioned.     Such  is 
in  general  the  prophetic  manner  of  contemplating 
history.     It  sees  only  the  prominent  and  decisive 
points,  so  as  to  overleap  great  regions  of  territory 
and  periods  of  time.    Comp.  DANIEL'S  Weltreiche 
ii.  31  sqq.;  vii.  3  sqq. 

14.  On  xx.  The  office  of  prophet  was  hard  and 
severe.     Such  a  servant  of  God  must  renounce 
every  thing,  yield  himself  to  every  thing,  put  up 
with  every  thing,  let  any  thing  be  done  with  him. 
He  must  spare  himself  no  indignity,  no  pain,  no 
trouble.     He  must  fear   nothing,  hope   nothing, 
have  and  enjoy  nothing.     With  all  that  he  was 
and  had  he  must  be  at  the  service  of  the  LORD, 
unconcerned  as  to  what  men  might  think  or  ap- 
prove.   Comp.  Jer.  xv.  19  sqq.;  xvi.  2;  xx.  7  sqq.; 
Ezek.  iv.  24,  15  sqq. 


III.  LIBELLUS  EMBLEMATICUS:  CONTAINING  PROPHECIES  AGAINST  BABY- 
LON, EDOM,  ARABIA  AND  JERUSALEM.  TO  THIS  LAST  PROPHECY  THERE 
IS  ADDED  A  SUPPLEMENTAL  ONE  DIRECTED  AGAINST  SHEBNA  THE 
STEWARD  OF  THE  PALACE. 

CHAPTERS  XXI.  AND  XXII. 


These  two  chapters  contain  prophecies  against 
Babylon,  Edom,  the  Arabians,  Jerusalem.  The 
last  of  them  has  an  appendix  relating  to  an  in- 
dividual, namely,  Shebna,  the  steward  of  the 
palace.  The  reason  of  the  juxtaposition  of  these 
prophecies  is  seen  in  their  peculiar  inscriptions, 
which  are  all  of  an  emblematic  character.  The 
countries  spoken  of  are  not  designated  by  their 
real  names,  but  Babylon  is  called  the  desert  of 
the  sea  ;  Edom,  Durnah,  i.  e.  silence  ;  Jerusalem, 
valley  of  vision.  Arabia  retains  its  own  name, 
but  that  name  is  seen  to  be  used  in  a  double  signi- 
fication. For  the  context  shows  that  3^.J7  is  in- 
tended to  stand  not  only  for  Arabia,  but  also  for 
evening.  We  have,  moreover,  to  remark,  that  in 
three  of  these  prophecies  (xxi.  1,  13;  xxii.  1) 
the  inscription  is  an  expression  taken  from  the 
prophecy  over  which  it  is  placed.  In  arranging 
these  prophecies  so  much  weight  was  attached  to 
the  analogous  character  of  their  inscriptions,  that 
from  a  regard  to  it  even  chapter  xxii.  although 
directed  against  Jerusalem,  has  been  taken  into 
the  series  of  prophecies  against  heathen  nations 
(xiii. — xxiii.)  The  four  prophecies  here  placed 
together  have  yet  other  points  of  contact.  The 


first  and  second  exhibit  the  prophet  very  promi- 
nently in  his  character  as  a  watcher  on  his  high 
tower:  the  fourth  presents  the  antithesis  between 
false  and  true  seeing.  In  the  first  Elam  and 
Madai  appear  as  enemies  of  Babylon  ;  in  the 
fourth,  Elam  and  Kir  as  enemies  of  Jerusalem. 
Moreover,  the  mode  of  attack  is  twice  described 
in  the  same  manner.  (Comp.  xxi.  7  with  xxii.  6). 
Worthy  of  observation  too,  are  the  frequent  points 
of  agreement  with  the  book  of  Job  which  both 
these  chapters  contain.  Comp.  xxi.  3  b,  and  4  a 
with  Job  xxi.  6;  xviii.  11,  etc.;  Isa.  xxii.  2  with 
Job  xxxvi.  29  ;  xxxix.  7  ;  Isa.  xxii.  4  with  Job 
vii.  19  ;  xiv.  6  ;  Isa.  xxii.  22  with  Job  xii.  14 ; 
Isa.  xxii.  24  (D'JttKV)  with  Job  v.  25,  etc.  (See 
the  exposition). 

The  genuineness  of  xxi.  1-10  is  contested  by 
the  rationalistic  interpreters.  The  chief  reason 
is  that  they  hold  such  a  prophecy  to  be  an  im- 
possibility. But  as  the  form  and  contents  of  the 
piece  are  so  decidedly  after  Isaiah's  manner  that, 
as  DELITZSCH  says,  "  a  prophecy  constructed 
more  exactly  in  the  style  of  Isaiah  than  this,  is 
inconceivable,"  it  would  follow  that  we  have 
primarily  and  properly  only  to  consider  the  ques- 


236  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


tion  as  a  problem  which  is  presented  to  us  :  How  this  prophecy  against  Babylon.  The  only  thing 
is  it  possible  that  Isaiah  could  foreknow  the  fall  on  which  we  can  base  an  opinion  seems  to  be  the 
of  Babylon  by  nations  that  he  calls  Elam  and  i  identity  of  expressions  in  ver.  3  and  xiii.  8.  This 


Madai  ?  A  thing  is  here  held  to  be  impossible, 
whose  impossibility  is  by  no  means  scientifically 
established.  For  it  is  not  demonstrated  that 
there  is  not  a  personal  God. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  make  any  definite  state- 
ment respecting  the  time  of  the  composition  of 


suggests  the  inference  that  the  prophecy  xxi. 
1-10  and  the  related  chapters  xiii.  and  xiv.  were 
composed  at  the  same  time.  On  the  question  re- 
specting the  time  of  the  composition  of  the  three 
other  prophecies,  consult  the  introductions  to 
them  and  the  exposition  that  follow. 


A. — Against  Babylon. 
CHAP.  XXI.  1-10. 

1  THE   BURDEN   OF   THE   DESERT   OF   THE   SEA. 

As  whirlwinds  in  the  south  pass  through  ; 
/So  it  cometh  from  the  desert, 
From  a  terrible  land. 

2  A  grievous  vision  is  declared  unto  me : 

The  treacherous  dealer  dealeth  treacherously, 

And  the  spoiler  spoileth. 

Go  up,  O  Elam  ;  besiege  O  Media  ; 

All  the  sighing  thereof  have  I  made  to  cease. 

3  Therefore  are  my  loins  filled  with  pain  ; 
Pangs  have  taken  hold  upon  me, 

As  the  pangs  of  a  woman  that  travaileth  : 
I  was  bowed  down  at  the  hearing  of  it; 
I  was  dismayed  at  the  seeing  of  it. 

4  2My  heart  panted,  fearfulness  affrighted  me  ; 

"The  night  of  my  pleasure  hath  he  3turned  into  fear  unto  me. 

5  Prepare  the  table, 
AVatch  in  the  watch-tower, 
Eat,  drink  ; 

Arise,  ye  princes,  and  anoint  the  shield. 

6  For  thus  hath  the  LORD  said  unto  me, 

Go,  set  a  watchman,  let  him  declare  what  he  seeth. 

7  And  he  saw  ab  chariot  with  a  couple  of  horsemen, 
A  chariot  of  asses,  and  a  chariot  of  camels ; 
And  he  hearkened  diligently  with  much  heed  : 

8  And  4he  cried,  A  lion  ; 

My  lord,  I  stand  continually  upon  the  watch-tower  in  the  day  time, 
And  I  am  set  in  my  ward  5whole  nights. 

9  And,  behold,  here  cometh  °a  chariot  of  men,  with  a  couple  of  horsemen. 
And  he  answered  and  said, 

Babylon  is  fallen,  is  fallen  ; 

And  all  the  graven  images  of  her  gods  he  hath  broken  unto  the  ground. 

O  my  threshing,  and  the  6corn  of  my  floor  : 

That  which  I  have  heard  of  the  LORD  of  hosts,  the  God  of  Israel, 

Have  I  declared  unto  you. 

i  O^crf^a;  a  I™  I  Ol''  My  ™ind  wander^-  3  Heb.  put. 

•  Or,  every  night  *  Ueb.son. 

•  a* etrooplof  men,  Norsemen  in  pairs.  "  °  tT°°P  °f  horsemen  in  Pairs>  a  tro°P  °f  ame»'  °  tro°P  °f  camels' 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

7er.  1.  tprn  supply   rj-J,    eonjugatio   periphrastica,     chiefly  the  later  books  (2  Chron.  xxvi.  5;  Ezra  iii.  12)' 
comp.  GESKN..  ?  132,  Anm.  1 ;  EWA.LD,  \  237,  c.  The  design     The  construction  is  in  every  case  a  peculiar  one. 
of  this  periphrastic  construction  seems  to  be  to  denote        Ver"  2"  ""^P  ™fn  is  the  accusative  depending  on  the 
what  is  habitual :  ut  transire  solent—&  usage  which  marks     trausitive  notion  latent  in  the  passive  "I  JH-    The  H  in 


CHAP.  XXI.  1-10. 


237 


,  in  Isaiah  besides  only  xxxv.  10, 11)  is 

T  T  -: 

marked  by  the  Masorets  as  H31,  although  "  the  majo- 

T  T 

rity  of  the  most  correct  codd.  and  editt."  (see  GESEN. 
and  DE  Rossi  on  our  place)  have  the  Mappiq  in  the  H- 
The  sense  is  the  same;  for  even  the  form  with  the  qui- 
escent H  denotes  "  gemitus  ejus"  for  there  is  no  abso- 
lute form  nnnjX-  Respecting  the  feminine  suffix 
without  Mappiq,  comp.  EWALD,  $  247,  d. 

Ver.  6.  The  article  before  T\2% Q  (Micah  vii.  4)  is  the 
generic. 

Ver.  7.  The  primary  signification  of  3IH  is  vcctura. 
This  can  mean  1)  id  quo  vehitur,  and  that  is  a)  and  in- 
deed predominantly  the  chariot,  but  also  6)  the  horse. 
Here  however  we  have  to  remark  that  331  is  not  the 
riding  horse,  but  the  chariot  horse,  and  that  it  has  this 


signification  not  immediately  from  the  root  1331,  hut 
per  metonymiam  from  the  derivative  331  chariot,  which 
also  signifies  the  chariot  with  horses,  and  then  (pars 
•pro  toto)  the  horses  alone  (comp.  2  Sam.  viii.  4;  x.  18); 
2)  vectura  signifies  also  id  quod  vehitur,  i.  e.,  men  riding 
or  driving,  whether  singly  (Ezek.  xxxix.  20  3311  Q^u 

V  V  T 

cquus  el  vector),  or  in  numbers,  as  a  band,  a  train  (comp. 
in  Arabic  rakb  a  band  of  camel  riders).  In  this  latter 
signification  the  word  is  to  be  understood  here  and 
ver.  9,  and  xxii.  6.  3£fp  marks  everywhere  only  the 
activity  of  the  ear  and  not  attentiTe  observation  in  gen- 
eral. 3iyp  ia  the  simple  accusative  of  the  object  "  et 
attendit  altcntioncm  magnum"  (compare  Deut.  xiii.  2 
D7H,  also  Zech.  I.  15,  and  Ps.  xiv.  5  . 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


The  first  verse  contains  the  theme :  the  Pro- 
phet beholds  a  violent  tempest,  which  as  a  Si- 
moon in  the  South,  sweeps  from  a  terrible  land 
against  Babylon.  In  ver.  2  the  vision  is  more 
exactly  defined,  both  as  to  the  subjective  and  ob- 
jective side.  In  the  former  relation  it  i?  charac- 
terized as  a  hard  one,  i.  e.  one  which  makes  a 
deep  and  perturbing  impression  on  him  who 
sees  it.  Objectively  the  vision  is  seen  to  relate 
to  a  martial  expedition  against  the  perfidious 
and  devastating  Babylon.  This  expedition,  in 
which  Elam  and  Madai  are  the  actors,  will  at  the 
same  time  make  an  end  to  the  sighing,  i.  e.  to  the 
bondage  of  Israel.  In  vers.  3  and  4  the  feelings 
of  the  Prophet  at  the  "  hard  "  vision  are  more 
nearly  described.  Pain  seizes  him  as  a  travail- 
ing woman  ;  he  writhes  and  is  terrified  at  what 
he  hears  and  sees.  His  heart  beats  wildly  from 
the  horror  which  has  taken  hold  of  him  ;  the  twi- 
light, hitherto  so  pleasant,  as  a  time  of  rest,  has 
become  a  time  of  dread.  In  ver.  5  there  ia  a 
brief  description  of  the  way  in  which  Babylon, 
the  object  of  the  announced  invasion,  behaves  in 
view  of  it.  They  furnish  the  table  for  a  banquet 
without  thinking  of  any  other  defence  than  the 
appointment  of  watchmen  ;  they  eat  and  drink  till 
suddenly,  in  the  midst  of  the  feast,  the  cry  is 
heard  :  Arise,  ye  princes,  anoint  the  shield!  The 
following  verses  depict  the  issue.  In  order  to 
observe  it,  the  Prophet  had  been  ordered  by  the 
LORD  to  set  a  sentry  on  the  watch-tower  (ver.  6).  I 
The  sentry  beholds  a  mighty  train  of  horses,  asses  ! 
and  camels,  and  attends  sharply  to  what  it  will  i 
do  (ver.  7).  Many  days  and  nights  the  sentry  i 
keeps  watch  without  marking  anything  (ver.  8). 
At  last  he  calls  will]  a  loud  voice  ;  there  comes  a 
troop;  it  is  but  small,  but  it  announces  that  i 
Babylon  is  fallen,  that  its  idols  are  overthrown 
(ver.  9).  The  Prophet  in  the  words  of  the  last 
verse  (ver.  10)  declares  that  he  proclaims  this  as 
certain  truth  from  the  LOUD  to  comfort  his  people 
threshed  (crushed)  in  the  captivity. 

The  burden of  the  sea.— Ver.  1  a.  -The 

four  prophecies  which  are  placed  together  in 
chaps,  xxi.  and  xxii.,  have  inscriptions  of  an 
emblematical  character.  It  is  disputed  whether 
D1  "DID  is  a  title  derived  from  the  text  of  this 
passage,  or  is  an  independent  figurative  designa- 
tion of  the  country  of  Babylon.  It  is  well-known 
that  writings  were  denominated  after  their  initial 


word,  or,  indeed,  any  word  contained  in  them. 
Compare  the  Hebrew  names  of  the  Pentateuch, 
and  of  Proverbs  and  Lamentations  ;  also  HB^  2 


Sam.  i.  18.  [In  the  last  passage  the  E.  V.  has 
"  the  use  of  the  bow  ;"  but  the  ellipsis  is  best  sup- 
plied in  the  rendering  "the  song  of  the  bow."  D. 
M.].  On  such  titles  the  Commentary  of  GESE- 
NIUS  may  be  consulted.  The  3~!>'H  Ki'O  ver.  13 
(comp.  31^3  as  the  second  word  of  the  text)  and 
the  JVin  N'J  NtfD  xxii.  1  (comp.  the  same  ex- 
pression, xxii.  5)  seem  to  have  been  designated  on 
the  same  principle.  But  although  "Q13  occurs 
in  ver.  1,  D'  is  not  found  in  the  whole  prophecy. 
VITRINGA  in  a  juvenile  procliu:tion(06sera.'  Sacr. 
L.  I.,  diss.  2,  op.  4)  expressed  the  unwarranted 
opinion  which  he  retracted  in  his  commentary, 
that  D"  is  substituted  for  3JJ.  But  why  should 
not  3-JJ  "QHD  be  written  ?  And  Although  the  sea 
lay  to  the  south  of  Babylonia,  that  is  no  reason 
for  calling  the  country  "  the  desert  of  the  sea." 
There  is  just  as  little  ground  for  taking  D"1  in  the 
signification  ''  West,"  and  giving  this  explanation 
of  the  whole  expression,  that  Babylon  is-  called 
D'  "Q1D  because  it  lay  west  of  Media  and  Persia, 
and  a  desert  intervened  (KIMCHI).  I  see  no 
reason  why  we  should  not  explain  the  expression 
D"  ~»3"1D  after  the  analogy  of  the  expressions  3"U'3 
and  }Vin  K'J.  The  title  "Q10  is  therefore  taken 
from  ver.  1.  But  "Q1D  by  itself  would  be  too 
obscure.  Another  word  had  therefore  to  be  sup- 
plied for  nearer  specification.  Now  Babylon  was 
situated  on  the  Euphrates.  The  Euphrates,  with 
its  canals,  ponds  and  swamps,  might  as  well 
be  called  a  sea  as  the  Nile,  xix.  5,  In  Jeremiah 
li.  13  Babylon  is  thus  addressed  "  O  thou  that 
dwellest  on  great  waters."  See  also  Jer.  1.  38  ;  li. 
32,  36.  Interpreters  refer  to  HEROD.  1.  184  where 
speaking  of  the  Euphrates  he  says  :  "  Trpdrspnv 
tie  (namely,  previous  to  the  erection  of  the  dikes 
by  Semiramis)  fw'9f£  6  7ror«/iof  ava  TO  retf/ov  TTCIV 
7reA«}'/C«i'."  A  passage  from  ABYDENUS  is  also 
cited  (in  EUSEB.  Praep.  Evang.  IX.  41  ),  where  in 
reference  to  Mesopotamia  which  is  watered  by 
the  Euphrates  it  is  said  :  /.e.}£rat  <5«  navva  fiev  ff 
aPXW  vfiup  tivai,  daZaaaav  KaZeoiievqv.''  Finally, 
it  is  of  great  weight  that  Babylonia  is  on  the  As- 
syrian monuments  often  designated  simply  as 
""sea,  sea-country,"  (tihamtu  =  D'lfin,  in  Assy- 
rian the  common  word  for  "  sea,"  SCHRADER,  p. 


238 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


1  sq.)-     TIGL,ATH-PIL,ESER  says  in  the  pompous 
inscription  proceeding  from  the  last  year  of  his 
reign  (SCHRADER,  p.   129  sq.),  that  he  subduec 
Merodach-Baladan,  son  of  Jakin,  king  of  the  sea 
(Sar  titiamtiv).     The  same  Merodach-Baladan  is 
elsewhere    called    Sar  Kardunias,  i.  e.,  king  of 
Southern   Chaldaea    (ScHRADER,  p.   214    note) 
Further,  Asarhaddon  Plates  on  a  cylinder-inscrip- 
tion (SciiRADER,  p.  227)  that  he  made  over  ''the 
Sea-country,"    (mat  tihamtiv)  in  its  whole  extent, 
to  Nahid-.Vferodach,  son  of   Merodach-Baladan. 
It  is  clear,  therefore,  that  "sea,  sea-country"  was 
just  an   Assyro-Babylonian  designation  at  least 
of  Southern  Chaldaea.     If  now  we  take  into  con- 
sideration that  Babylon  with  its  many  and  great 
waters  was  formerly  a  sea-country,  and  till  the 
times  of  Asarhaddon  was  called  "  sea  "  (tihamtu) 
at  least  in   its   southern    part,  and    that  it  still 
"  swims  as  in  the  sea ;"  if,  on  the  other  hand,  we 
bear  in  mind  that  the  prophets  depict  the  future 
desolation  of    Babylon  with  all   possible  color.-, 
comparing  it  with  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  places 
now  covered  with  water,  and  speaking  of  its  being 
turned  into  a  lake  of  water,  we  might  say  that 
the  expression  "the  desert  of  the  sea"   compre- 
hends the  past,  present  and  future  of  the  country 
in  one  conception.     But  we  perceive  from  the 
book  of  the  Revelation  xvii.   1,  3.  15  that  our 
passage  was  understood  in  yet  another  sense  [?] 
There   Babylon,  the  great  whore,  sits  on  many 
waters  (ver.  1)  and  at  the  same  time  in  the  desert 
(ver.  3).     The  waters,  however,  are  (ver.  15)  in- 
terpreted "  peoples,  and  multitudes  and  nations 
and  tongues"  (comp.  Isa.  viii.  7;  Jer.  xlvii.  2). 
The  apostle  appears,  therefore,  to  have  in  his  mind 
a  wilderness  of  peoples,  and  the  expression  ^|"n 
D'Dy  (Ezek.  xx.  35;  comp.  Hos.  ii.  16)  might  also 
have  been  present  to  his  view.    We  see,  then,  that 
the  expression  "  the  desert  of  the  sea "  is  capa- 
ble of  a  manifold  interpretation.     Did  the  Pro- 
phet himself  use  it?     I,  for  my  part,  find  the 
choice  of  an  expression  capable  of  various  ex- 
planations, as  the  inscription  of  a  prophecy,  to 
be   quite   in   accordance  with     Isaiah's   manner 
(corap.  vers.  11,  13,  chap.  xxii.  1;  xxx.  6).   [The 
Seer  in  the  Apocalypse  does  not  put  the  alleged 
arbitrary  and  erroneous  construction  on  the  in- 
scription before  us.     The  prototype  of  the  figura- 
tive language  in  Rev.  xvii.  is  rather  to  be  sought 
in  Jer.  li.     This  chapter  of  Jeremiah  was  un- 
doubtedly before  the  mind  of  John  in  depicting 
the  mystic  Babylon,  and  in  it  we  have  Babylon 
represented  as  dwelling  on  many  waters  (ver.  13), 
and  as  destined  to  be  a  desert  (ver.  43).     The 
sitting  of  the  whore  in  the  wilderness  refers  to 
her  impending  desolation,  and  does  not  exclude 
her  sitting    before   that   time   on  many  waters. 
John  does  not  employ  the  expression  "  a  wilder- 
ness of  peoples."     In  the  whore  sitting  on  many 
waters  we  have  her  condition  at  the  time  John 
wrote.    Her  appearance  in  the  wilderness  denotes 
her  future  solitude.     It  is  plain,  then,  that  the 
Apocalyptic    Seer    does    not    misinterpret    the 
enigmatical  title  of  this  chapter  of  Isaiah,  "  the 
desert  of  the  sea."— D.  M.]. 

3.  As  whirlwinds land.— Ver.  1  b.  Ac- 
cording to  the  Masoretic  punctuation  this  part 
of  the  verse  consists  of  three  members,  of  which 
the  middle  one  is  formed  by  the  words  SO  "O103. 


But  against  this  division  the  objections  lie,  1) 
that  we  cannot  say  the  south  in  general,  or  for 
every  land  its  south  is  the  region  of  storms  ;  2) 
that  the  Prophet  does  not  indicate  by  a  single 
word  that  he  means  the  countries  situated  south 
of  Babylonia;  3)  that  it  is  not  said  "from  the 
south."  The  expression  3JJ3  taken  strictly  does 
not  involve  the  idea  of  a  storm  observed  in  the 
south  by  the  Babylonians,  but  only  the  idea  of  a 
storm  sweeping  south  of  them  :  4)  that  3J3H  has 
for  the  native  of  Palestine  a  quite  definite  signi- 
fication ;  it  is  the  south  of  Judah  (Gen.  xiii.  1  ; 
Num.  xxi.  1  ;  Deut.  xxxiv.  3;  Josh.  x.  40;  xi. 
16  et  saepe)  which  is  connected  with  the  desert  of 
Sinai  called  likewise  /car'  f^o^v  ~l3~IDn  (comp. 

HERZ.  R.  Encyd.  XIVII.  p.  304).  \;he  Prophet 
says  therefore  :  as  in  the  3JJ  of  Palestine  storms 
coming  from  Arabia  Petraea  (Hos.  xiii.  15  ;  Jer. 
iv.  11  ;  xiii.  24;  Job  i.  19;  Zech.  ix.  14)  sweep 

along  (*pn  properly  •'  change,"  thence  transire, 
viii.  8)  so  it  comes  upon  Babylonia  from  a  terri- 
ble land.  —  SO  is  neuter  and  impersonal,  a  form 
of  expression  which  we  have  already  found  fre- 
quently in  Isaiah:  vi.  10;  x.  4;  xiv.  32;  xv.  2; 
xviii.  5.  A  terrible  land  the  country  is  called, 
because  it  is  inhabited  by  a  terrible  people  (xviii. 
2,  7).  What  country  is  meant  by  the  Prophet 
we  learn  from  ver.  2  6. 

4.  A  grievous  vision  --  fear  unto  me.  — 
Vers.  2-4.  The  vision  (fWn  in  this  meaning  in 
I-aiah  only  here,  and  xxix.  11  ;  in  another  sense 
xxviii.  Ib  ;  it  is  found  besides  only  ia  Daniel 
viii.  5-8)  is  first  defined  as  to  its  subjective  side, 
and  in  general  as  hard,  i.  e.,  hard  to  bear,  causing 
perturbation  (comp.  similar  inward  experience 
of  the  Prophets  at  the  incalculable  greatness  and 
importance  of  what  they  beheld,  Dan.  vii.  15, 
28;  x.  IGsqq.  ;  Heb.  xii.  21).  To  this  general 
description  of  the  subjective  impression  is  added 
a  more  particular  account  of  the  objective  nature 
of  the  vision.  Here  the  first  question  is,  whether 
the  words  "U13n  to  TUBf  refer  to  the  Chaldeans 
or  to  the  Persians.  In  the  former  case  we  should 
be  told  how  the  oppressive  rule  of  the  Babylon- 
ians, while  in  full  swing,  was  rudely  checked. 
In  the  latter  case,  the  work  of  the  enemy  before 
approaching  the  city  itself,  would  be  described. 
Both  explanations  are  grammatically  possible. 
A  worldly  power  in  so  far  as  it  is  opposed  to  the 
kingdom  of  God,  can  be  reproached  with  acting 
perfidiously  (comp.  xxiv.  16  and  especially  xxxiii. 
1,  where  also  the  two  expressions  1J3  and  TIE? 
occur  together.  Comp.  xlviii.  8),  but  why  stress 
should  be  laid  on  this  point  as  a  prominent  cha- 
racteristic of  the  nation  serving  God  as  His  in- 


strument is  inconceivable.  113  or  Hpty  (xvii. 
14)  would  be  less  strange.  I  hold  therefore  with 
DRECHSLER  that  the  words  "U13H  to  TW  denote 
the  worldly  power  absolutely  hostile  to  God,  not 
that  one  which  serves  as  His  instrument.  This 
view  requires  that  we  do  not  attach  to  "U3  the 
sense  of  robbing.  This  signification  has  been  as- 
sumed, as  if  supported  by  the  places  xxi.  2  ; 
xxiv.  16  ;  xxxiii.  1.  And  indeed  no  other  sense 
than  that  of  robbing  suits  the  passage  before  us, 
if  it  be  applied  to  the  Persians.  But  this  appli- 


CHAP.  XXI.  1-10. 


239 


cation  is  untenable,  and  in  the  other  passages  the 
context  requires  no  other  signification  than  that 
of  acting  perfidiously.  While  we  refer  these 
words  to  the  Babylonians,  we  find  in  them  a 
reason  for  their  punishment.  With  dramatic 
liveliness  the  discourse  is  directed  to  those  com- 
missioned to  execute  the  judgment.  Elarn  (xi. 
11;  xxii.  6),  and  Media  (xiii.  17)  are  to  go  up 

(on  n?^'  comp.  on  vii.  1)  and  besiege  the  city  of 
Babylon  pli'  in  this  sense  only  here  in  Isaiah; 
besides  only  chap.  xxix.  3  where  the  significa- 
tion is  similar,  but  not  the  same).  That  the  Pro- 
phet makes  mention  not  of  the  Persians,  but  of 
the  Elamites,  a  nation  adjacent  to  the  Persians 
on  the  west,  is  assuredly  not  favorable  to  the  view 
that  this  part  of  Isaiah  was  composed  during  the 
exile  (comp.  on  xiii.  17).  An  author  living  in  the 
exile  would  certainly  have  named  the  Persians. 
That  the  Prophet  under  Elam  includes  Persia 
also,  is  in  a  certain  sense  possible.  Not  that  Ely- 
mais  formed  a  part  of  Persis.  It  was  at  a  later 
period  that  Elam  was  incorporated  in  the  Persian 
empire,  though  Susa,  one  of  the  three  residences 
of  the  Persian  kings,  was  (Dan.  viii.  2)  in  Elam. 
Elam  was  a  land  known  to  the  Hebrews  in  the 
times  of  Isaiah  (Gen.  xiv.  1,  9),  while  the  Per- 
sians were  then  still  quite  unknown.  We  might 
say  that  to  the  view  of  the  Prophet  Elam  con 
cealed  Persia,  and  so,  more  or  less  consciously  to 
him,  involved  it.  And  thus  this  discourse  has 
that  character  of  dimness  and  obscurity,  of  oscil- 
lating between  light  and  darkness,  which  befits 
the  prophetic  vision,  and  belongs  to  the  marks 
of  a  genuine  prophecy.  The  concluding  words 
of  ver.  2  are  for  those  who  were  oppressed  by 
Babylon,  for  those  who  were  the  victims  of  the 
TJ13  and  1111?.  The  genitive  in  nnnjK,  "her 
sighing,"  is  to  be  taken  as  the  objective,  the  sigh- 
ing over  her.  [We  prefer  to  understand  it  of  the 
sighing  which  she,  Babylon,  caused  by  her  op- 
pression.— D.  M.].  In  vers.  3  and  4  the  Prophet 
justifies  the  expression  HE'p  (ver.  2).  From 
the  variety  and  violence  of  the  painful  feelings 
which  the  Prophet  experienced  at  the  vision, 
we  can  infer  the  fearful  nature  of  the  things 
which  he  saw.  They  give  us,  moreover,  to 
know  that  the  Prophet  not  only  heard  the  com- 
mand "  Go  up,  Elam,"  etc.,  but  also  beheld  in 
spirit  its  execution.  What  he  then  saw  is  what 
was  terrible ;  and  therefore  his  loins  are  full  of 

Jim  ?n  (in  Isaiah  only  here ;  besides  Nah.  ii. 
11 ;  Ezek.  xxx.  4,  9),  i.  e.,  trepidatio,  spasm  in 
the  loins.  D"V¥  (with  D'7^11!  tne  rnost  common 
word  for  the  pains  of  parturition  xiii.  8  ;  it  occurs 
in  another  signification,  xlv.  16;  xviii.  2;  Ivii. 
9)  have  seized  him  as  a  travailing  woman  ;  he 
writhes  from  hearing  (H1J?3  the  bowing  down- 
wards; in  Isaiah  besides  only  in  Piel  xxiv.  1) 
and  trembles  (xiii.  8).  Many  interpreters  take 
jJIOt^O,  ni&OD  as  marking  a  negative  result:  so 
that  I  do  not  hear,  or  see.  But  why  should  the 
hearing  be  hindered  through  bending,  or  seeing 
through  terror?  On  the  contrary,  as  we  see  from 
n$p  HUD,  horror  which  seizes  the  inmost  soul, 
proceeds  from  a  seeing  and  hearing  only  too  ac- 
curate. It  is  certainly  not  a  matter  of  chance 
that  almost  all  the  expressions  here  employed 


occur  in  xiii.  8,  which  passage  also  treats  of  Ba- 
bylon, and  that  some  of  the  words  as  D'"V¥  and 


are  found  only  in  these  two  places  in  Isaiah. 
There  is  indeed  this  difference,  that  the  Prophet 
here  applies  to  himself  what  he  there  says  of  the 
Babylonians  ;  but  still  a  relation  of  the  one  place 
to  the  other  indicating  a  contemporaneous  origin 
is  indisputable.  r\yr\  is  more  frequently  used 
of  spiritual  going  astray,  of  aberration  of  heart, 
(Ps.  xcv.  10,  comp.  Isa.  xxix.  24,  et  saepe),  but 
stands  here  in  the  physical  sense  of  the  abnormal 


beating  of  the  heart  (palpitation).  Also 
(in  Isaiah  only  here  ;  besides  Job  xxi.  6  ;  Ps.  Iv. 
6  ;  Ezek.  vii.  18)  involves  the  notion  of  tottering, 
concussio  (Job  ix.  6).  n>'3  Piel,  a  woru  of  spe- 
cial frequency  in  Job,  is  used  by  Isaiah  only  here. 
This  passage,  then,  by  the  words  n^S,  HUHD  and 

/D3J  (comp.  especially  Job  xxi.  6)  reminds  one 
strongly  of  the  phraseology  of  the  book  of  Job. 
njk'2  signifies  in  every  place  (even  1  Sain.  xvi.  14) 
"  to  terrify,  affright,  disturb."  The  twilight  (  v.  11  ; 
lix.  10)  at  other  times  a  welcome  bringer  of  rest 
to  the  Prophet  after  his  exciting  work  during  the 
day  (P??n  desiderium,  deliciae,  in  Isaiah  only  here, 
comp.  1  Kings  ix.  1,  19),  is  to  him  now  a  source 
of  new  disquietude  (HTin  substantive  in  Isaiah 
only  here).  We  see  from  this  that  the  Prophet 
had  the  vision  in  the  night,  either  when  awake 
or  dreaming. 

Prepare  the  table  -  the  shield.  Ver.  5. 
The  Prophet  here  paints  the  judgment  falling  on 
Babylon  in  few,  quickly  thrown  off,  but  powerful 
strokes.  He  indicates  by  hints  couched  in  brief, 
mysterious  words,  wherein  that  terrible  thing 
consists,  which  according  to  vers.  2-4  he  must 
see,  and  in  what  way  Elam  and  Media  fulfil  their 
mission.  These  words,  too,  bear  that  character 
of  prophetic  indefiniteness  which  we  have  already 
noticed  in  ver.  2.  The  Prophet  speaks  as  in  a 
dream  ;  he  draws  nebulous  forms.  Only  when  we 
compare  the  fulfilment,  do  the  images  assume  a 
distinct  shape,  and  we  are  astonished  at  their  ac- 
curacy. This  is  neither  mantic  prediction,  nor 
vaticinium  post  eventum.  The  prophet  does  not 
understand  his  own  words  (comp.  1  Pet.  i.  11)  ; 
he  is  the  unconscious  organ  of  a  higher  being 
who  speaks  through  him.  Comp.  my  remarks 
on  Jer.  1.  24;  li.  31,  39.  It  is  well  known  that 
Cyrus  captured  Babylon  in  a  night  when  the  Ba- 
bylonians were  celebrating  a  festival  with  merry 
carousals  (Dan.  v.  ;  HEROD.  1.  191  ;  XENOPH.  Oy- 
rop.  VII.  5,  15  sqq.).  Isaiah  certainly  did  not 
know  this.  He  is,  therefore,  ignorant  as  to  what 

the  tnSiyn  "p.y  refers,  why  and  how  it  was  done. 
The  infinitives  absolute  leave  the  action  without 
indication  of  time  or  subject.  This  indefiniteness 
admirably  suits  the  prophetic  style.  The  expres- 

y is  found  also  in  Isaiah  Ixv.  11  ; 


Ps.  xxiii.  5;  Ixxviii.  19;  Prov.  ix.  2;  Ezek. 
xxiii.  41.  That  it  is  the  Babylonians  who  pre- 
pare the*table,  is  clear  from  the  context.  It  is 
they  who  are  surprised  during  the  carousal.  If 
we  'take  the  words  H'S^H  H£3V  in  their  obvious 
meaning  (watching,  to  look  out)  they  seem  inap- 
propriate. Other  meanings  have  therefore  been 


240 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


sought  out  from  all  quarters ;  they  kindle  the 
lamps — they  clarify  the  wine — they  set  the  ranks 
in  order— they  prepare  carpets,  etc.  But  ri3V 
means  in  Hebrew  nothing  else  than  speculari  ; 
and  rV3¥  (which  occurs  only  here,  but  with  which 
•ray,  Lam.  iv.  17,  and  H3VO,  ver.  8,  may  be  com- 
pared) must  accordingly  denote  specula,  "watch- 
tower,  watch,  looking  out."  It  seems  to  me  that 
the  Prophet  does  not  wish  us  to  suppose  that  in 
a  city  surrounded  by  the  enemy,  a  merry  carou- 
sal took  place  without  the  precaution  of  appoint- 
ing guards.  He  means  to  say  only  that  they  were 
so  reckless  as  to  enjoy  a  banquet  even  though 
watches  had  been  set.  How  dangerous  even  that 
could  be,  is  soon  apparent  when  the  cry  reaches 
the  revellers  in  the  midst  of  their  carousal:  the 
foe  is  come,  anoint  the  shield  !  So  foolhardy  are 
they  that  they  do  not  abandon  their  revelry 
(which  svas  proverbial  and  is  mentioned  in  Scrip- 
ture xiv.  11  ;  xlvii.  1 ;  Jer.  li.  7  ;  Dan.  v.  1,  and 
elsewhere,  e.  g.,  in  Guimus  V.  6) ;  but  in  the 
presence  of  the  beleaguering  foe  indulge  in  ban- 
queting, though  they  took  the  precaution  of  set- 
ting a  watch.  According  to  XENOPIIOX  as  quoted 
above,  \  25,  there  was  really  a  guard  in  the  castle, 
but  they  were  (\  27)  intoxicated.  The  princes 
who  are  said  only  now  to  arise  and  anoint  the 
shield,  are  the  surprised  Babylonians.  The  an- 
ointing of  the  leather  shield  (2  Sam.  i.  21)  was 
in  order  to  make  it  more  compact,  firm,  smooth 
and  shining  (comp.  HEKZOG  R.-Enc.,  and  WINER 
Real-Lex.  Art.  Schild).  [In  2  Sam.  i.  21  the 
Hebrew  text  must  be  consulted.  The  anointing 
which  in  the  E.  V.  is  made,  by  supplying  an  ima- 
ginary ellipsis,  to  refer  to  Saul,  refers  not  to  him, 
but  to  his  shield. — D.  M.].  It  is  a  sign  of  great 
negligence  that  the  Babylonians  have  not  an- 
ointed their  shields,  notwithstanding  the  enemy 
is  before  the  gates.  Now  they  must  either  fight 
with  unanointed  shields,  or  yield  without  a 
struggle. 

6.  For  thus  hath — broken  unto  the  ground. 
Vers.  6-9.  "3  in  the  beginning  of  ver.  6  seems  to 
be  explicative.  In  fact  the  vers.  6-9  are  related 
to  the  preceding  2-5  as  an  explanation  and  more 
particular  description.  If  we  could  already 
from  verses  2-5  know  in  general  that  the  ruin 
of  Babylon  through  Elam  and  Media  was  de- 
creed, and  that  it  would  be  effected  by  an  as- 
sault, we  see  (ver.  7)  the  army  of  the  Elamites  and 
Medians  in  march  before  our  eyes,  and  (ver.  9) 
the  complete  success  of  the  attack  is  announced. 
The  train  of  thought  is  the  following :  Babylon 
is  to  be  besieged  by  Elam  and  Media,  and  to  be 
cuptured  by  a  surprise.  For  the  Prophet  sees  a 
mighty  army  moving  against  Babylon,  and  soon 
after,  another  band  coming  from  Babylon,  which 
proclaims  the  downfall  of  the  city  and  of  its  idols. 
The  connecting  of  the  two  parts  by  the  formula: 
"  For  thus  said  Jehovah,"  reminds  one  of  chap 
viii.  11.  What  the  Prophet  now  beholds  in  vi- 
sion is  represented  in  what  follows,  as  if  a  watch- 
man appointed  by  the  command  of  God  had  seen 
it,  and  communicated  it  to  him.  This  style  of  cos- 
tume is  very  effective  (comp.  2  Sam.  xviii.  24 
sqq. ;  2  Kings  ix.  17  sqq.).  Elsewhere  the  Pro- 
phet himself  is  represented  as  a  watchman  on  the 
pinnacle  (Hab.  ii.  1 ;  Zech.  i.  8  sqq.).  And,  in- 
deed, here  too  Isaiah  himself  is  the  watchman, 


though  another  is  made  to  take  his  place.  This 
is  only  a  rhetorical  artifice  to  heighten  the  effect. 
The  very  words  "what  he  sees  he  will  declare," 
contain  a  praise  of  the  watchman.  For  it  is  not 
said  "U\  That  would  indicate  only  the  duty  of 
the  watchman.  But  TiP  gives  us  to  understand 
that  he  will  really  fulfil  this  duty.  The  perfects 
n&Ol  3't^pm  ver.  7.  cannot  mean,  "  and  he  shall 

T  T :  •  I :    '    : 

see,  hearken."  For  the  watchman  is  not  to  be 
dictated  to  in  regard  to  what  he  shall  see.  Neither 
is  it  allowable  with  DKECHSLEB  to  take  the 
words  as  a  conditional  sentence,  ''  and  if  he  sees 
....  he  shall  hearken "  That  the  Pro- 
phet actually  appointed  the  watchman,  would 
properly  be  told  immediately  after  issuing  the 
command.  But  this  point,  as  self-evident,  is  here 
passed  over,  as  in  other  cases  where  a  command 
given  by  the  LORD  to  the  Prophet  is  related  (vii. 
3  sqq. ;  viii.  1  sq.,  3  sqq.).  The  watchman  saw 
first  a  train  of  horsemen  (T?.X  is  a  collective,  be- 
sides in  Isaiah  only,  v.  10,  in  the  signification 
jugum;  1013  is  eques,  then  sometimes  eguus,  xxi. 
6,  7;  xxviii.  28;  xxxi.  1;  xxxvi.  9)  followed 
by  a  train  of  asses  and  camels.  Interpreters  have 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  Medes  were 
renowned  for  their  cavalry  (Cyrop.  1.  6,  10), 
which  Cyrus  was  the  first  to  introduce  among  the 
Persians  (Q/rop.  iv.  3,  4  sqq.;  vi.  1,  26  sqq.).  We 
learn  from  this  last  place  that  Cyrus  furnished  his 
army  with  numerous  and  improved  chariots  of 
war.  To  what  a  formidable  arm  Cyrus  ~aised  the 
Persian  cavalry  in  a  brief  period,  appears  from 
his  being  able  to  march  against  Babylon  with 
40,000  horsemen  (Cyrop.  Vii.  4,  16).  The  em- 
ployment of  asses  and  camels,  not  only  for  trans- 
port, but  also  in  battle,  is  an  established  fact.  In 
regard  to  asses,  STRABO  relates  of  the  Carama- 
nians,  a  nation  dwelling  next  the  Persians  to  the 
east,  and  subdued  by  them,  that  they  ''  \ptn>T<u 
ovoig  ol  ~o7J.oi  K.OL  irpbq  7r<We/«w  c-avei  ruv  ITTTTUV." 
And  HERODOTUS  relates  that  the  Scythians  in 
fighting  against  the  Persians  under  Darius  Hy- 
staspis,  found  no  worse  enemies  than  the  asses, 
at  whose  strange  appearance  and  braying  the 
horses  took  fright  (iv.  129).  That  Cyrus  himself 
employed  camels  in  battle  is  expressly  related  by 
XENOPHOX:  Cyrop.  vi.  1,30:  vii.  1,  22,  27.  The 
watchman  sees  then  an  army  in  march.  The 
Prophet  does  not  mention  that  he  saw  infantry. 
Prominence  is  evidently  given  only  to  what  is 
peculiar  and  characteristic.  And,  in  fact,  hardly 
another  army  could  have  been  then  found  which 
presented  such  a  diversity  of  animals  used  in  war 
as  the  Persian  host  with  its  wonderful  variety  of 
races.  The  watchman  not  only  saw,  he  also 
heard,  or  rather  tried  to  hear;  for  he  really  heard 
nothing  at  first.  The  strange,  long,  martial  train 
disappeared.  The  watchman  then  sees  and  hears 
nothing  for  a  long  time.  This  surprises  him.  He 
becomes  impatient.  He  is  not  aware  that  mean- 
while a  great  work  is  accomplishing  which  re- 
quires time:  the  capture  of  Babylon.  In  his  im- 
patience, which  does  not,  however,  lessen  his 
zeal,  he  calls  now  with  a  lion's  voice  (properly  as 
a  lion,  comp.  Ps.  xxii.  14;  Isa.  xlvi.  3,  etc. ;  Rev 
x.  3) :  I  stand  in  vain  night  and  day  on  the 
watch-tower.  We  see  from  this  that  that  army  in 
march,  ver.  7,  was  a  passing  appearance,  and 


CHAP.  XXL  11,  12. 


241 


that  after  it  had  vanished,  there  had  been  a  pause, 
which  the  watchman  could  not  explain.  He  ad- 
dresses his  call  to  "J^N,  that  is  to  Jehovah.  At 
the  same  time  the  Prophet  gives  up  the  assumed 
character,  and  lets  us  see  plainly  that  he  himself 
is  the  watchman.  HITZIG  and  MEIER  would 
read  'JHX  "my  lord."  This  would  suit  the  connec- 
tion better,  but  must  the  more  readily  be  rejected 
as  a  correction,  as  the  Prophet  could  quite  easily 
drop  the  character  which  he  personates.  The 
watchman  had  hardly  uttered  these  complaining 
words  when  that  for  which  he  had  waited  so  long 
took  place.  He  sees  again  something  which 
gives  information  :  a  little  band  of  men  who  ride 
in  pairs,  comes  from  Babylon.  The  ni~njm  is 
to  be  regarded  as  spoken  with  emphasis.  For  it 
stands  in  a  certain  contrast  to  what  precedes; 
hitherto  I  have  perceived  nothing,  but  now,  etc. 
We  must,  therefore,  translate,  "hut,  lo,  there 
comes,"  etc.  Who  is  the  subject  of  j^'lin  ver.  9? 
Obviously  the  watchman.  We  might  think  of 
the  troop  of  horsemen  coming  from  Babylon. 
This  would  be  possible.  But  this  alteration  of  the 
subject  would  need  to  be  indicated  in  some  way. 
The  want  of  any  indication  of  this  kind  is  in  fa- 
vor of  our  assuming  the  same  subject  that  had 
governed  the  whole  preceding  series  of  sentences. 
The  watchman  learned  by  inquiry  or  knew  it 
from  infallible  signs  :  Babylon  is  fallen  !  A  grand 

utterance!  Hence  the  repetition  ofn/3J.  In 
Jer.  li.  8  this  place  is  quoted.  Also  in  Rev.  xviii. 
2.  Jeremiah  likewise  emphatically  sets  forth  the 
downfall  of  Babylon  as  a  defeat  of  its  gods  (Jer. 
1.  2,  38  ;  li.  44,  47,  52).  The  subject  of  1|tf  can 
be  Jehovah.  It  can  also  be  he  who  was  Jeho- 
vah's instrument  for  this  work,  the  conqueror  of 
Babylon:  Cyrus.  This  "he"  who  afterwards 
comes  clearly  and  distinctly  under  his  proper 
name  into  the  Prophet's  field  of  vision,  appears 


here  still  veiled  as  it  were  : 


is  a  preg- 


nant construction,  comp.  viii.  11;  xiii.  8;  xiv.  9, 
10  ;  xx.  2.     DRECHSLER  makes  the  not  inappro- 


priate remark  that  Isaiah  has  perhaps  in  his  eye 
here  "  the  well-known  iconoclastic  zeal  of  the 
Persians." 
7.  O  my  threshing unto  you. — Ver.  10. 

These  words  intimate  the  proper  immediate  object 
of  the  prophecy.  Judah  is  to  be  comforted  by  the 
prediction  of  the  fall  of  the  Babylonian  fortress. 
The  words  seem  aimless,  if  what  precedes  them  is 
regarded  as  vaticinium  post  eventum.  We  have  in 
ver.  10  a  summary  of  chaps,  xl.— Ixvi.  ntrp 
(for  which  other  editions  read  HDTPp)  is  air.  \ey. 
It  means  what  is  crushed  by  threshing.  Israel  is 
so  called  as  the  object  of  the  divine  judgment 
which  was  executed  on  him  by  means  of  the  exile. 
pn  is  frequently  employed  in  the  sense  of  cleans- 
ing and  sifting  bv  divine  judgments,  xxv.  10; 
xxviii.  27  sq. ;  xli.  15  ;  Micah  iv.  13  ;  Hab.  iii. 
12.  The  expression  pJ  ~  |3  reminds  one  of  such 
expressions  as  "iniM_-f3,  rniirrf3.  A  son  of  the 
threshing-floor  is  one  who  lies  on  it,  and  is 
threshed,  and  that  not  merely  briefly  and  acci- 
dentally, but  for  a  long  time,  as  it  were  habitual- 
ly. For  he  belongs  to  the  floor  as  a  child  to  its 
mother.  Accordingly  |"U~j3  is  stionger  than 
ncns.  Israel  is  so  named  because  in  the  exile 
the  threshing  floor  had  become  his  home,  his 
mother-country.  It  is  the  Prophet  who  speaks, 
but  in  the  name,  and  as  it  were,  out  of  the  soul  of 
God.  Otherwise  the  second  half  of  this  verse 
would  contain  an  intolerable  transition.  This 
threshed  people,  to  whom  the  threshing-floor  had 
become  a  home,  is  still  the  Prophet's  own  beloved 
people.  With  sorrow  he  announces  to  them  that 
they  must  be  threshed  in  Babylon  ;  with  joy  he 
declares  that  they  will  be  delivered  from  the 
threshing-floor.  Both  events  are  certain.  And 
Israel  may  and  ought  to  believe  this.  It  is  in- 
deed inconceivable  that  the  Prophet  can  make 
such  an  announcement.  He  himself  does  not 
understand  even  the  connection.  He  therefore 
declares  emphatically  :  /  have  not  excogitated 
tli is ;  but  I  have  heard  it  from  Jehovah,  and 
therefore  declare  I  it  to  you  as  certain  truth. 


B.— AGAINST   EDOM.     CHAPTER  XXI.  11,  12. 


That  under  Dumah  we  are  to  understand  Edom 
is  conceded  by  almost  all  modern  interpreters. 
In  favor  of  this  view  there  are  the  following 
reasons  :  1)  All  other  localities,  which  actually 
bear  the  name  of  Dumah,  are  either  too  near  or 
too  remote,  and  do  not  furnish  any  hold  for  the 
assumption  that  Isaiah  made  them  the  objects  of 
a  Massa  (oracle).  What  would  such  a  Massa 
mean  as  directed  against  the  isolated  city  of  Du- 
mah, situated  in  the  mountains  of  Judah  (Josh. 
xv.  52),  or  against  that  Ishmaelitish  Dumah,  of 
which  mention  is  made  in  Gen.  xxv.  14 ;  1  Chr. 
i.  30,  or  against  the  three  still  more  distant  and 
insignificant  places  called  Dumah,  which  are  not 
once  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  which 
according  to  the  Arabian  geographers  are  situ- 
ated in  Irak,  Mesopotamia  and  Syria  (comp. 
GESENIUS,  DELITZSCH,  and  KNOBEZ,  on  our 
place)  ?  We  could  most  readily  think  of  the 
Ishmaelitish  Dumah  (Genesis  xxv.  14).  But  how 
16 


far-fetched  is  the  assumption  that  the  Simeon- 
ites,  who,  according  to  1  Chron.  iv.  42  sq.,  emi- 
grated to  Edom,  settled  just  in  Dumah !  And 
does  not  our  Massa  stand  among  prophecies  di- 
rected against  heathen  nations  ?  2)  The  Prophet 
declares  expressly  that  the  cry  came  to  him  from 
Seir.  But  would  he  have  uttered  the  taunting 
expression  of  ver.  12  against  Israelites  dwelling 
on  mount  Seir  ?  3)  All  the  four  prophecies  in 
chaps,  xxi.  and  xxii.  have,  as  was  already  re- 
marked, emblematic  inscriptions.  It  accords, 
j  therefore,  entirely  with  the  manner  of  forming  in- 
scriptions observed  in  these  chapters,  if  we  as- 
sume that  non  is  intentionally  formed  from 
DHK.  Consul  WETZSTEIN  indeed  affirms  in  his 
Excursus  on  Isa.  xxi.  in  DELITZSCH'S  Com- 
mentary, p.  692,  that  the  putting  of  Dumah  for 
Edom  by  a  play  upon  the  name,  would  neces- 
sarily be  misunderstood.  But  this  is  by  no  means 


242 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  case.  For  the  character  of  the  other  inscrip- 
tions gives  every  reader  an  obvious  hint  how  this 
one  too  is  to  be  taken.  And  then  we  have  the 
words  "out  of  Seir"  immediately  following. 

That   Isaiah   is  the   author  of   this  prophecy  ! 
is   disputed   by  some    rationalistic    interpreters 
(PAUL.US,  BAUR,  EICHHORN,  HOSENMUELLEK),  j 
but  is  maintained  by  even   GESENIUS,  HITZICJ,  i 
HEXDEWERK,  EWALD  and  KNOBEL.    It   most  : 
clearly  bears  the  stamp  of  Isaiah's  style,  which  ' 
only  the  most  obstinate  prejudice  can  fail  to  see.  I 
It  is  difficult  to  say  anything  respecting  the  time  I 
of  composition.  If  we  should  insist  with  KNOBEL,  ' 
that  the  question  put  by  the  Idumeans  to  the  ; 
Prophet  supposes  a  close  relation  between  them 
and  the  Jews,  and   that  such  a  relation  existed  I 
only  during  the  rule  of  Uzziah  and  Jotham  over 
Judah,  which  lasted  till  743,  we  should  arrive  at 
the  conclusion  that  the  prophecy  was  composed 
before  743.     But  the  night  here  spoken  of,  if  we 
have  respect  to  the  then  existing  state  of  affairs 
and   to   the  analogy  of   all   Isaiah's  prophecies, 
cannot   possibly  mean    anything    else  than  the 
misery  threatened  by  the  Assyrian  power.     If 


now  the  Edomites  are  represented  as  inquiring 
if  this  calamity  will  soon  end,  they  must  in  that 
case  have  had  some  experience  of  it.  During  the 
reign  of  Uzziah  and  Jotham,  however,  they  had 
not  yet  suffered  from  the  Assyrian  dominion. 
The  time  when  the  Assyrians  threatened  the  free- 
dom of  all  nations  as  far  as  Egypt  (  EWALD,  Gesch. 
des  V.  Isr.  III.  p.  670;  comp.  HITZIG,  Gesch.  des 
V.  Isr.  p.  221)  was  rather  the  period  after  the  cap- 
ture of  Samaria,  when  the  Assyrian  king  was  en- 
gaged in  war  against  Egypt,  and  was  obliged  to 
take  care  to  secure  his  left  flank,  and  his  line  of 
retreat  against  the  warlike  nations  that  occupied 
the  country  between  Palestine  and  Egypt.  This 
was  the  time  of  Hezekiah  (comp.  remarks  on  xx. 
1),  or  more  exactly,  the  time  between  the  capture 
of  Samaria  and  the  baffled  attempt  on  Jeru- 
salem by  the  army  of  Sennacherib  (xxxvi.  and 
xxxvii.).  At  that  time  the  Assyrians  frequently 
penetrated  into  the  South  of  Palestine.  Then, 
if  ever,  was  the  time  when  an  inquiry,  like  that 
contained  in  this  prophecy,  could  come  from 
Edom  to  the  Prophet  of  Jehovah  in  Jerusalem. 


CHAPTER  XXI.  11, 12. 

11  THE   BURDEN   OF    DUMAH. 

He  calleth  to  me  out  of  Scir, 
Watchman,  what  of  the  night? 
Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ? 

12  The  watchman  said, 

The  morning  cometh,  and  also  the  night ; 
If  ye  Avill  enquire,  enquire  ye ; 
Return,  come. 


TEXTUAL  AND 

Ver.  11.  The  participle  without  specification  of  sub- 
ject is  often  used  for  the  finite  verb  (Ex.  v.  16;  Gen. 
xxiv.  30;  xxxii.  7;  Isa.  xi.  6,  etc.,).  Fere  fcOp  stands 
for  fcOp  and  implies  the  impersonal  or  indefinite  sub- 

TIT 

ject  (ix.  5 ;  Jer.  xxiii.  6  ;  xxxiii.  !G,  et  saepe).  The  form 
V  7  in  the  second  question  may  have  been  chosen  for 
the  sake  of  variety,  as  nS'S  had  been  employed  in  the 
first  question.  Moreover,  it  is  not  improbable  that  VS 
is  the  Idumean  form  of  the  word,  as  we  have  already  in 
xv.  I  found  it  to  be  the  form  used  by  the  Moabites. 


GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  12.  Xnx  is  the  Aramaean  word  for  X^3,  but  oc- 
curs not  unfrequently  in  Hebrew  authors.  Isaiah,  in 
particular,  uses  the  word  often,  ver.  14;  xli.  5,23,25; 
xliv.  7;  xlv.  11 ;  Ivi.  9, 12  (in  the  two  last  the  imperative 
form  VJ"\X  also).  But  the  tfj"\X  (with  X  as  the  last  radi- 
cal letter)  Is  found  only  here  and  Deut.  xxxiii.  21. 

nj?3  occurs  in  the  Hebrew  parts  of  the  Old  Testament 
only  in  three  other  places,  viz.,  xxx.  13  ;  Ixiv.  1  in  the 
sense  of  tumescere,  ebullire,  and  Obad.  6  in  the  sense  of 
searching,  seeking  out,  studiose  quaerere.  In  this  latter 
signification  the  word  is  common  in  the  Aramaean 
(Dan.  ii.  13, 16,  23;  vi.  5,  8,  etc.). 


EXEGETICAL  AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  hears  a  cry  sounding  forth  from 
Seir  putting  to  him  as  watchman  the  question: 
How  much  of  the  night  is  past?     Thereupon  the 
watchman    answers:    Morning   comes,  and  also 
night  i.  e.,  first  a  ray  of  morning  light,  then  im- 
mediately dark  night  again.     And  when  it  will 
have  become  night  again,  you  can,  if  you  please, 
again  inquire.     Quaerere  licet.    Whether  you  will 
receive  a  favorable  answer  is  another  question. 

2.  The  burden— return,  come. — Vers.  11- 
12.     The  appellative  noun  HDIl  occurs  only  in 
two  places   of  the    Old    Testament:    Pa.    xrciv. 
17;  cxv.  17.     In  these  places  the  word  denotes 
that  world   of  death  where  everlasting  silence 


reigns.  In  the  passage  before  us  the  word  has 
manifestly  a  similar  meaning.  Dumah  has,  it  is 
true,  no  etymological  connection  with  Edom. 
For  the  latter  is  derived  from  the  root  D1K  rub- 
rum,  rufum  esse  in  Gen.  xxv.  30.  But  as  the  Pro- 
phet represents  Babylon  under  the  name  of  the 
"desert  of  the  sea,"  Jerusalem  (xxii.  1),  under 
the  name  of  "  the  valley  of  vision,"  and  further 
in  ver.  13  takes  3"u;  in  a  double  sense,  allud- 
ing to  its  radical  meaning  as  an  appellative,  »o 
here  by  a  plight  modification  of  the  name  he  calls 
Edom  _  Dumah  ;  and  hereby  he  intimates  that 
Edom  is  destined  to  become  Dumah,  i.  e.,  silence, 
to  sink  into  the  silence  of  nonentity. — Seir  is  the 


CHAP.  XXL  11,  12. 


243 


mountainous  region  which  extends  from  the  south 
of  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  Elanitic  gulf,  and  which 
became  the  abode  of  Esau,(Gen.  xxxii.  3;  xxxiii. 
14,  16;  xxxvi.  8)  and  of  his  descendants,  who 
are  thence  called  the  children  of  Seir  (2  Chron. 
xxv.  11,  14).  The  word  is  found  only  here  in 
Isaiah.  Elsewhere  the  Prophet  always  uses  Edom. 
It  is  natural  for  him  to  employ  the  name  Seir 
here.  For  if  the  call  is  to  sound  forth  from 
Edom  to  Jerusalem,  it  must  proceed  from  the 
mountain-height,  and  not  from  the  valley.  The 
Prophet  is  addressed  as  "O^,  because  he  is  re- 
garded as  standing  on  his  watch.  The  word  is 
of  like  import  with  n3Vp  ver.  6,  and  this  af- 
finity of  signification  is  one  reason  for  placing 
together  the  prophecies  against  Babylon  (vers. 
1-10)  and  Edom  (vers.  11  and  12).  jp  before 

JIT  7  is  partitive.  How  much  of  the  night  (the 
night  of  tribulation,  comp.  v.  30;  viii.  20  sqq. 
xlvii.  5 ;  Jer.  xv.  9 ;  MICAH,  iii.  6,  etc.),  is 
past?  As  a  sick  man  who  cannot  sleep  or  com- 
pose himself,  so  Edom  in  distress  inquires  if  the 
night  will  not  soon  come  to  an  end.  The  repeti- 
tion of  the  question  indicates  the  intensity  of  the 
wish  that  the  night  may  speedily  be  gone.  The 
answer  to  the  question  is  obscure,  and  seems  to  be 
designedly  oracular,  and  at  the  same  time  ironi- 
cal. The  first  part  of  the  answer  runs  (ver.  12) 
morning  is  come,  and  also  night.  What  does 
this  mean  ?  How  can  morning  and  night  come 
together?  Or,  how  can  it  be  yet  night  if  the 
morning  is  come?  If  we  compare  the  historical 
events  to  which  the  Prophet's  answer  refers,  we 
can  understand  these  words  which  must  have 
been  unintelligible  to  the  first  hearers  or  readers 
of  the  oracle.  For,  in  fact,  a  ray  of  morning 
light  was  then  very  soon  to  shine.  The  over- 
throw of  Sennacherib  before  Jerusalem  was  at 
hand.  That  was  morning  twilight,  the  dawn. 
But  the  glory  did  not  last  long.  For  after  the 
Assyrian  power,  the  Babylonian  quickly  arises, 
and  completes  what  the  former  began  (Jer.  xxv. 
21 ;  xxvii.  3 ;  xlix.  7  sqq  ).  This  change  is  fre- 
quently repeated:  the  ''  Chaldaean  time  of  judg- 
ment is  followed  by  the  Persian,  the  Persian  by 
the  Grecian,  the  Grecian  by  the  Roman  ;  ever 
for  a  brief  interval  a  gleam  of  morning  for 
Edom  (think  particularly  of  the  time  of  the 
Herods),  which  was  quickly  lost  in  the  returning 
night,  till  Edom  was  turned  entirely  into  non  si- 
lence, and  disappeared  from  history  (DELITZSCH). 
The  second  part  of  the  answer  is,  if  possible, 
still  more  enigmatical  than  the  first.  The  Pro- 
phet in  dismissing  those  who  question  him,  by 
telling  them  that  they  may  come  again,  mani- 
festly intends  to  mock  them.  For  of  what  ad- 
vantage is  it  to  be  allowed  to  come  again  ?  They 
knew  they  might  do  so.  But  what  will  they  hear 
if  they  come  again  ?  What  has  the  Prophet  to 
announce  to  them  as  the  final  doom  of  their  na- 


tion ?  The  answer  for  him  who  can  understand 
the  hint  is  given  by  the  word  Dumah.  The 
words  for  ''  come  "  and  ''  inquire  "  belong  rather 
to  the  Aramaean  than  to  the  Hebrew  dialect,  the 
word^for  "inquire"  occurs  farther  in  this  sense, 
only  in  Daniel,  and  in  the  prophecy  of  Obadiah, 
of  which  Edom  is  the  subject.  Further,  the  sin- 
gular verbal  ending,  which  Isaiah  here  multi- 
plies, making  a  sort  of  rhyme  out  of  it,  was  proba- 
bly current  in  the  Idumean  idiom.  He  mocks 
the  inquirers,  therefore,  with  Idumean  sounds. 
"  Return,  come,"  is  a  pleonasm  employed  for  the 
sake  of  the  rhyme  in  the  Hebrew.  If,  then,  in 
ver.  12  there  is  irony  both  in  the  style  and  sense, 
it  is  more  than  probable  that  an  actual  inquiry 
came  to  the  Prophet  from  Edom,  than  that  he  in- 
vented such  a  question  as  suitable  to  the  circum- 
stances. For  why  should  he  have  taunted  the 
Edomites  for  their  questioning,  if  they  had  not 
really  inquired  of  him  ?  That  would  have  been 
a  mockery  altogether  unjust  and  uncalled  for. 
But  it  is  quite  probable  that  such  a  question  was 
really  put  to  the  Prophet. 

The  Edomites  saw  in  Jehovah  the  national  God 
of  the  Israelites,  and  conceded  to  Him  the  same 
real  existence  which  they  ascribed  to  their  own 
false  gods.  From  their  point  of  view  Jehovah 
could  have  prophets  by  whom  He  revealed  His 
will  and  futurity  ;  as  their  gods  had  their  oracles 
and  their  organs  in  the  goetae.  Such  recognition 
on  the  part  of  the  heathen  of  a  divine  power  in  the 
prophets  of  Israel  is  oftentimes  met  with.  The  king 
of  Assyria,  for  example,  sent  Naainan  to  Samaria 
that  Elisha  might  heal  him  (2  Kings  v.  1  sqq.). 
The  Syrian  king  believed  that  the  same  Elisha 
betrayed  all  his  plans  to  the  king  of  Israel  (2 
Kings  vi.  12  sqq.).  The  Syrian  Benhadad  sent 
Hazael  to  Elisha  to  inquire  if  he  would  recover 
from  his  sickness  (2  Kings  viii.  7  sqq.).  The 
fame  too  of  Isaiah,  as  a  great  Prophet  of  Jehovah, 
could  have  extended  to  Edom,  and,  though  Edom 
was  no  longer  in  a  state  of  dependence  on  Judah, 
the  common  distress  could  have  occasioned  the 
inquiry.  But  this  question,  as  it  did  not  proceed 
from  the  right  believing  state  of  heart,  but  from 
an  essentially  heathen  way  of  thinking,  drew 
from  the  Prophet  an  ironical  rebuff!  [May  not 
those  closing  words,  "  if  ye  will  inquire,  inquire 
ye,"  be  intended  to  intimate  that  further  disclo- 
sures would  be  afterwards  made  in  regard  to  the 
future  of  Edom?  The  Prophet  in  the  34th  chap- 
ter actually  returns  to  this  subject,  and  gives  in 
plain  terms  the  information  which  he  here  with- 
holds. Other  prophets,  as  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel, 
Obadiah  and  Malachi  foretell  the  judgment  that 
would  come  upon  Edom,  and  the  solitude  and 
desolation  to  which  it  should  be  reduced.  All 
travellers  who  have  visited  the  country,  testify 
to  the  fulfilment  of  these  predictions,  and  report 
that  Edom  has  become  a  veritable  Dumah,  a  land 
of  silence.— D.  M.] 


244 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


C.— AGAINST  AKABIA.    CHAP.  XXI.  1S-17. 

13  THE  BURDEN  UPON  ARABIA. 

In  the  forest  "in  Arabia  shall  ye  lodge, 
O  ye  "travelling  companies  of  Dedanim. 

14  Trie  inhabitants  of  the  laud  of  Tema 
brought  water  to  him  that  was  thirsty, 
They  prevented  with  their  bread  him  that  fled. 

15  For  they  fled  'from  the  swords, 

From  the  drawn  sword,  and  from  the  bent  bow, 
And  from  the  grievousness  of  war. 

16  For  thus  hath  the  LORD  said  unto  me, 

Within  a  year,  according  to  the  years  of  an  hireling, 
Aud  all  the  glory  of  Kedar  shall  fail : 

17  And  the  residue  of  the  number  of  "archers, 
The  mighty  men  of  the  children  of  Kedar, 
Shall  be  diminished : 

For  the  LORD  God  of  Israel  hath  spoken  it. 


1  Or,  Bring  ye. 

»  in  the  evening. 


*  Heb.  from  the  face  of. 


TEXTUAL    AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


*  Heb.  bates. 


Ver.  13.  3*1^3  is  ambiguous.  Arabia  is  called  3"^; 
the  pansal  form  is  3*^7,  which,  except  in  pause,  occurs 
only2Chron.  ix.  H/The  second  31J73  is  clearly  the 
source  of  the  first.  In  the  same  way  "the  desert  of 
the  sea,"  ver.  1,  and  "the  valley  of  vision,"  xxii.  2 
(comp.  ver.  5)  have  arisen.  How  else  could  we  explain 
the  prefix  3  which  in  no  other  case  stands  after  Xb?D  ? 
It  is  doubtful  how  the  second  3~\^3  was  originally  vo-  i 
calized.  The  significations  "in  Arabia"  and  "in  the 
evening,"  are  both  suitable.  The  old  versions  give  the 
latter.  But  the  evening  is  never  denoted  by  3"lj?-  Still 
it  could  be.  The  form  would  then  come  from  3^,  "to  be 
dark,"  after  the  analogy  of  T3J  (once  for  "OJ  Ps.  xviii. 
26)  etc.  The  Prophet  can  have  designedly  employed 


the  uncommon  form  instead  of  the  usual  3~U?i  in  ordei 
to  give  the  double  sense  of  Arabia  and  evening,  and 
perhaps  to  intimate  that  Arabia  should  be  a  land  not  of 
the  rising,  but  of  the  setting  sun. 
Ver.  14.  vnn  can  be  either  perfect  or  imperative.  But 

T  " 

it -must  be  taken  here  as  perfect,  as  the  next  verb  ^DID 
,  is  certainly  perfect. 

Ver.  1C.  Mark  the  triple  alliteration  in  this  verse. 
First,  we  have  three  words  beginning  with  X,  then 
three  beginning  with  W,  then  three  (or  four)  whose  first 
letter  is  a  k  sound. 

Ver.  17.  Mark  the  accumulation  of  substantives  de- 
pendent on  a  noun  in  the  construct  state.  No  less  than 
five  words  in  the  construct  state  occur  together. 


EXEGETICAL   AND  CRITICAL. 


1.  Even  the  free  pastoral  and  martial  tribes  of 
the  Arabian  desert  must  succumb  to  a  power  that 
crushes  all  before  it.  The  Prophet  vividly  de- 
scribes the  fate  of  those  tribes  in  his  own  peculiar 
way  by  setting  before  our  eyeson-e  effect  of  the  pres- 
sure of  the  great  worldly  power.  The  caravans 
proceeding  to  the  various  chief  emporiums  of 
trade  in  ancient  times,  such  as  Tyre,  Sidon,  Baby- 
lon, were  wont  to  cross  the  desert  without  moles- 
tation from  mighty  foes.  But  now  a  force  assails 
them,  against  which  they  are  unable  to  defend 
themselves,  as  they  could  against  the  attacks  of 
the  separate  plundering  tribes  of  Bedouins  (comp. 


MOVERS,  Phcen.  II.,  p.  409). 
give  way,  and  are  scattered. 


They  are  forced  to 
The  fugitives  seek 


shelter  where  they  can  find  it.  They  are  fortu- 
nate if,  far  from  the  regular  route,  in  one  of  the 
oases,  or  on  a  mountain  slope,  they  can  reach  a 
wood  which  will  conceal  them  from  the  eyes  of 
tlieir  pursuers,  and  in  which  they  can  find  pasture 
and  shade  for  their  cattle.  Out  of  this  wood  they 


dare  not  -venture.  In  order,  therefore,  that  they 
may  obtain  subsistence,  the  inhabitants  of  the 
neighboring  places  must  bring  them  bread  and 
water  (vers.  13,  14).  From  this  single  circum- 
stance it  is  easy  to  infer  that  the  glory  of  the 
Arabians  who  bordered  on  Syria  and  Babylon,  as 
whose  representatives  the  Kedarenes  are  men- 
tioned, is  hastening  to  an  end.  Within  the  space 
of  a  year,  says  the  Prophet,  their  power  will  be 
reduced  to  a  minimum  (vers.  16,  17). 

2.  In  the  forest of  war.— Vers.  13-15.  I 

do  not  think  that  we  should,  as  WETZSTEIN  sup- 
poses, take  *V  in  the  sense  of  the  Arabic  war,  i. 
e.  a  place  covered  with  fragments  of  volcanic 
rock.  For  the  Hebrew  word  never  means  any- 
thing else  than  forest.  We  are  simply  informed 
here  that  the  caravans  driven  from  their  course 
sought  shelter  in  some  wood  ;  and  woods  there 
actually  are  there,  partly  in  the  oases,  partly  on 
the  slopes  of  the  western  mountains.  The  forest 
conceals  the  fugitives,  and  at  the  same  time  fur- 


CHAP.  XXI.  13-17. 


245 


nishes  shelter  and  pasture  for  the  cattle.  If  they 
lodge  (pass  the  night)  in  such  a  forest,  it  is  a 
matter  of  course  that  evening  has  arrived.  But 
the  remark  that  the  forest  was  situated  in  Arabia 
would  likewise  be  superfluous.  For  if  the  occur- 
rence happened  in  the  neighborhood  of  Tema, 
that  sufficiently  indicates  that  the  locality  is  in 
Arabia.  But  the  expression  3"^>'3,  as  having  the 
double  meaning  ''  in  Arabia  "  and  "  in  the  even- 
ing," is  not  superfluous.  Dedan  is  according  to 
Gen.  x.  7  (1  Chron.  i.  9)  a  descendant  of  Cush  ; 
according  to  Gen.  xxv.  3  (1  Chron.  i.  32)  a 
grandson  of  Keturah  also  bears  this  name.  In 
Jer.  xxv.  23  Dedan  is  named  along  with  Tema. 
In  Jer.  xlix.  8  they  appear  as  belonging  to 
Edorn.  And  so  in  Ezek.  xxv.  13.  They  are 
marked  as  a  commercial  people  in  Ezek.  xxvii. 
15,  20;  xxxviii.  13.  WETZSTEIX  (in  his  excur- 
sus in  DELITZSCH'S  Commentary)  finds  their 
abode  on  the  Red  Sea,  "  east  of  the  Nile,  includ- 
ing the  desert  to  the  brook  of  Egypt  or  the  bor- 
ders of  Edom."  He  calls  them  Cushite  tribes. 
However  this  may  be,  they  are  clearly  enough  de- 
noted in  the  Old  Testament  as  merchants,  a  peo- 
ple carrying  on  the  caravan  trade,  especially  with 
Tyre.  If  such  a  caravan  has  found  in  a  forest 
shelter  and  pasture  for  the  cattle,  only  bread  and 
water  for  the  men  would  be  needed.  At  the  dic- 
tate of  hospitality  the  inhabitants  of  Tema  bring 
these  requisites  to  the  fugitives  in  the  forest. 
WETZSTEIN  (as  above)  describes  the  situation  of 
Tema  (Jer.  xxv.  23  ;  Job  vi.  19)  after  careful 
personal  investigations.  It  lies,  according  to  i 
him,  two  days'  journey  by  dromedary  from  Du- 
mah.  north-east  of  Tebuk,  a  station  on  the  route  ! 
for  pilgrims  from  Damascus  to  Mecca.  Duiriah 
is  marked  by  him  as  lying  in  the  oasis  el-Gof, 
four  days'  journey  by  dromedary  to  the  south-  , 
west  of  Babylon.  He  maintains  against  HITTER 
that  there  are  not  two  places  called  Tema.  Ver.  j 
15  explains  why  the  Dedanians  must  flee.  War 
in  every  form,  and  with  all  its  terrors,  has  assailed 
them. 

3.  For  thus  hath spoken  it. — Vers.  16,  i 

17.  What  could  be  learned  inferentially  (vers.  t 
13-15)  from  a  single  fact  is  now  stated  directly  in  | 
general  terms.  Kedar' s  might  and  glory  must  be  | 
destroyed.  Kedar  is,  first  of  all,  according  to  j 


Gen.  xxv.  13,  a  son  of  Lshmacl.  But  the  name 
stands  here,  as  very  frequently  in  the  later  rabbini- 
cal usage,  for  the  Arabs,  i.  e.,  for  the  inhabitants 
of  Western  Arabia,  who  alone  were  known  to  the 
Jews.  In  one  year,  exactly  computed  (comp.  on 
xvi.  14),  the  glory  of  Kedar  shall  have  an  end. 
As  Isaiah  beyond  a  doubt  uttered  this  prediction, 
its  fulfil  men  t  must  have  taken  place  while  the 
might  of  Assyria  flourished.  We  know  generally 
that  the  Assyrians  subdued  the  Arabians,  for 
Sennacherib  is  called  by  HERODOTUS  (II.,  141) 
''  King  both  of  the  Arabians  and  Assyrians,"  and 
that  while  mention  is  made  of  his  expedition 
against  Egypt.  This  is  not  without  significance. 
For  when  HERODOTUS  states  that  Sennacherib  as 
"  King  of  the  Arabians  and  Assyrians  "  attacked 
Egypt,  he  thereby  gives  us  to  understand  that  he 
marched  against  Egypt  with  an  army  composed 
of  Arabians  and  Assyrians.  And  this  fact  tallies 
well  with  our  remark  on  vers.  11  and  12,  that  the 
Assyrian  in  invading  Egypt  must  have  cared  for 
the  covering  of  his  left  flank  and  line  of  retreat. 
This  object  could  be  secured  only  by  placing  him- 
self free  from  danger  from  the  inhabitants  of  Arabia 
Petraea  and  Deserta.  Our  prophecy  was  there- 
fore delivered  before  Sennacherib's  invasion  of 
Egypt,  which  according  to  the  Assyrian  monu- 
ments, must  have  occurred  in  the  year  700  B.  C. 
(comp.  SCHRADER,  The  Cuneiform  Inscriptions 
and  the  Old  Testament,  p.  196).  In  accordance 
with  what  we  have  before  observed  touching  the 
way  in  which  prophecy  advances  to  its  complete 
fulfilment,  it  is  not  at  all  needful  that  the  pre- 
dicted catastrophe  should  have  come  upon  the 
Arabians  as  a  single  stroke,  which  was  not  after- 
wards repeated.  It  would  be  sufficient  to  justify 
our  regarding  the  prophecy  as  fulfilled,  if  in  the 
specified  time  an  event  occurred,  which  was  a 
proper  beginning  of  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophe- 
cy, and  therefore  guaranteed  its  complete  realiza- 
tion. We  must  confess  that  we  cannot  furnish 
direct  evidence  of  such  a  particular  event  having 
taken  place.  The  Kedarenes  are  here  character- 
ized as  a  warlike  nation  distinguished  for  the  use 
of  the  bow.  In  this  latter  respect  they  walk  in  the 
footsteps  of  their  ancestor,  who  is  celebrated  as  an 
archer  (Gen.  xxi.  20). 


D.-AGAINST  THE  HAUGHTY  AND  DEFIANT  SPIRIT  OF  JERUSALEM  AND  ITS 

MAGNATES.    CHAPTER  XXII. 


This  chapter  interrupts  the  series  of  prophecies 
against  foreign  nations.  On  account  of  its  em- 
blematic superscription,  it  is  incorporated  in  the 
little  book  pS?)  that  is  distinguished  by  such 
superscriptions  (xxi.  and  xxii.).  Hence  its  pre- 
sent place.  It  contains  two  parts  of  almost  equal 
length.  In  both,  presumption  is  rebuked ;  in  vers. 
1-7,  the  presumption  of  the  secure  arid  reckless 
Jerusalem  ;  in  vers.  8-14,  its  incorrigible  obstina- 
cy, which  even  a  perception  of  danger  cannot 
overcome.  In  the  second  part  of  the  chapter 
(vers.  15-25)  the  Prophet  declares  the  punish- 
ment of  the  haughtiness  of  Shebna,  the  steward 
of  the  palace,  involving  his  deposition  and  the 
calling  of  a  worthier  successor,  who,  however, 


would  be  likewise  in  danger  of  abusing  his  high 
office.  Touching  the  time  of  the  composition  of 
the  first  part,  we  have  to  observe  that  it  forms  a 
whole.  But  in  vers.  8-14  the  Prophet  sets  the 
wicked  obstinacy  of  the  present  time  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  inconsideration  of  an  earlier.  The 
time  referred  to  (vers.  8-12)  is  ascertained  with- 
out difficulty  from  a  study  of  tliwe  verses.  It  was 
I  the  period  of  Hezekiah,  and  just  when  the  Assy- 
1  rians  were  threatening  the  city  (xxxvi.  and 
xxxvii.),  which  was  by  no  means  secured  against 
all  danger  by  the  measures  which  Hezekiah  took 
for  its  defence  (2  Chron.  xxxii.  2  sqq.  30).  There 
must  have  been  then  in  Jerusalem  persons,  who 
in  opposition  to  the  blind,  thoughtless  presump- 


246 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


tion  of  former  times  (vers.  1-7),  saw  clearly  the 
danger,  yet  in  their  wicked  obstinacy  would  not 
seek  the  LOBD,  but  desired  only  to  satisfy  their 
low  carnal  passions.  The  second  part  of  the 
chapter  belongs  to  the  same  time.  It  is  directed 
against  Shebna,  the  proud  steward  of  the  palace. 
In  consequence  of  the  divine  displeasure  here  de- 
clared, he  was  actually  deprived  of  his  high 
office,  and  Eliakim,  the  person  indicated  by 


Isaiah,  was  appointed  his  successor.  In  chapters 
xxxvi.  and  xxxvii.  we  find  Eliakim  acting  aa 
steward  of  the  palace  and  Shebna  only  a  scribe. 
The  latter  had,  it  is  clear,  repented  and  submitted 
to  the  judgment  of  God.  Therefore  the  punish- 
ment with  which  he  was  threatened  was  miti- 
gated. But  since  Eliakim  appears  in  xxxvi.  and 
xxxvii.  as  already  steward  of  the  palace,  this  pro- 
phecy must  belong  to  a  somewhat  earlier  time. 


1.    AGAINST   JERUSALEM'S  BLIND  PRESUMPTION  AND   DEFIANCE  IN   SIGHT 
OF  DANGER.     CHAPTER  XX.  1-14. 

a)  The  punishment  of  blind  presumption. 
CHAPTER  XXII.  1-7. 

1  THE   BURDEN   OF   THE   VALLEY    OF   VISION. 

What  aileth  thee  now, 

That  thou  art  wholly  gone  up  to  the  housetops  ? 

2  Thou  that  art  full  of  stirs, 
A  tumultuous  city, 

A  joyous  city ; 

Thy  slain  men  are  not  slain  with  the  sword, 

Nor  dead  in  battle. 

3  All  thy  rulers  are  fled  together, 
They  are  bound  laby  the  archers  ; 

All  that  are  found  in  thee  are  bound  together, 
Which  have  fled  "from  far. 

4  Therefore  said  I,  Look  away  from  me  ; 
2I  will  weep  bitterly, 

Labour  not  to  comfort  me, 

Because  of  the  spoiling  of  the  daughter  of  my  people. 

5  For  it  is  a  day  of  trouble,  and  of  treading  down,  and  of  perplexity 
By  the  LORD  God  of  hosts  in  the  valley  of  vision, 

Breaking  down  the  walls, 

And  of  crying  to  the  mountains. 

6  And  Elam  bare  the  quiver 

With  chariots  of  men  and  horsemen, 
And  Kir  "uncovered  the  shield. 

7  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 

That  4thy  choicest  valleys  shall  be  full  of  chariots, 

And  the  horsemen  shall  set  themselves  in  array  5at  the  gate. 


1  Heb.  of  the  b&w. 

4  Heb.  the  choice  of  thy  valleys. 

•  without  bow. 


a  Heb.  /  will,  be  bitter  in  weeping. 
8  Or,  toward. 

b  afar. 


3  Heb.  made  naked. 


TEXTUAL  AND 
(comp.  'ver.  16  and  on 
ix.  12). 


for 


Ver.  1.  The  question  "jS- 
lii.  15)  is  intensified  by  K^ 
comp.  Micah  ii.  12. 

Ver.  2.  In  nxSo  niKtfn  (apposition  to  -^3)  the  ac- 
cusative stands  first  for  the  sake  of  emphasis. 

Ver.  3.  On  pimo,  »•  e.,  far  off,  comp.  on  xvii.  13. 

Ver.  4.  '333  11  3  K  properly:  I  will  with  weeping 
bring  forth  what  is  bitter.  The  Piel  (in  Isaiah  only  here, 
comp.  Gen.  xlix.  23;  Exod.  i.  14)  is  here,  as  often,  em- 
ployed like  Hiphil  in  the  causative  sense.  In  this  sense 
the  Hiphil  actually  occurs  Zech.  xii.  10.  V'NH  (comp. 
Gen.  xix.  15)  insisfere  is  found  only  here  in  Isaiah. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  5.  HOiriD,  tumultus,  perturbatio,  Dent.  vii.  23; 
xxviii.  20  ;  in  Isaiah  only  here.  HDO'D,  conculcatio,  be- 
sides only  xviii.  2,  7.  71313*3  implicatio,  entangling, 
confusion,  besides  only  Micah  vii.  4.  Notice  the  asso- 
nance in  these  three  words.  -  "lp"lp*D  is  to  be  taken 
neither  as  verb,  denominativum,  nor  as  substantive  (de- 
molition) nor  as  apposition  to  Dl'.  It  is  the  participle 
Pilpel  from  11p/odere,  effodere,  of  which  the  Kal  occurs 
xxxvii.  25  and  the  perf.  Pilpel,  Numb.  xxiv.  17.  As  to 


its  construction  it  is  in  apposition  to  "  'Jlx-  Gram- 
mar does  not  require  the  repetition  of  the  preposition. 
Notice  here  how  the  sound  is  an  echo  to  the  sense.  - 


CHAP.  XXII.  1-7. 


241? 


yiW   is   clamor,  vociferatio,  especially  a  cry  for  help. 
The  word  occurs  only  here 

Ver.  G.  nSt^X  quiver,  in  Isaiah  besides  xlix.  2.  The 
3  before  33"!  is  the  2  of  concomitance  =  with.  2D~\ 
DIN  are  chariots  equipped  with  men — manned  chariots 
in  opposition  to  wagons  for  lading  (ni7J#).  D'EHS 


(comp.  on  xxi.  7)  stands  ao-uvSe'rioj,  but  yet  is  governed 
by  3.  The  meaning,  therefore,  is :  Elam  has  seized  the 
quiver  in  the  midst  of  chariots  and  horsemen,  i.  e.,  has 
furnished  an  army  of  bowmen  together  with  chariots 
and  horsemen. 

Ver.  7.  WW  without  object  =  aciem  struere,  Ps.  iii.  7. 
Comp.  Isa.  xlix.  15.    Notice,  too,  the  alliteration. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  In  this-first  half  of  the  discourse  directed  to 
the  whole  of  Jerusalem,  the  Prophet  assails  the 
presumption  with  which  the  inhabitants  formerly 
witnessed  the  approach  of  the  enemy  on  an  occa- 
sion  not   more   closely  specified.     He  asks   the 
meaning  of  their  going  up  to  the  roofs  of  the 
houses.     It  was  plainly  in  order  to  see  the  ap- 
proaching foe,  although  the  Prophet  does  not  ex- 
pressly say  this   (ver.  1).     But  the  noise  which 
prevailed  in  the  streets,  and  the  universal  gaiety 
prove  that  the  enemy  was  not  regarded  with  ap- 
prehension, but  with  proud  defiance  (ver.  2).    In 
contrast  with  this  presumption  stands  the  result 
which  the  Prophet  proceeds  to  depict.     He  sees 
the  slain  and  prisoners  of  all  ranks  who  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  enemy,  not  in  manly  conflict, 
but  in  cowardly  flight  (ver.  3).     A  second  con- 
trast to  that  insolent  gaiety,  is  formed  by  the  pro- 
found sorrow  which  the  Prophet  Himself  now 
feels  as  he  looks  upon  the  ruin  of  the  daughter 
of  his  people  (ver.  4).     For  the  LORD  Himself 
brings  the  day  of  destruction  on  Jerusalem,  while 
lie  employs  as  His  instruments  for  this  purpose 
distant  nations    terribly  equipped    for  war,   as 
whose   representatives  only  Elam  and    Kir  are 
named  (vers.  6  and  7). 

2.  The  burden— fled  from  far. — Vers.  1-3. 
The  expression  "  the  valley  of  vision  "  is  taken 
from  ver.  5.     Consult  the  Commentary  on  that 
verse  for  further  particulars.     That  the  title  is 
formed  after  the  analogy  of  the  superscriptions, 
xxi.  1,  11,  13,  and  that  the   prophecy  is  placed 
here  for  that  reason  is  self-evident.     A  hostile 
army  advances  against  Jerusalem.     But  the  in- 
habitants  of  Jerusalem  are   not   afraid   of  the 
enemy.     They  ascend  the  roofs  of  the  houses  to 
see  the  foe-     This  is  in  itself  quite  natural.    But 
yet  the  Prophet  asks  in  a  tone  of  displeasure, 
What  is  the  matter  with  thee  that  thou  in  a  body 
goest  upon  the  roofs?     The  party  addressed  is 
plainly  the  personified  Jerusalem.    It  is  no  good 
sign  that  all  Jerusalem  goes  up  on  the  house-tops. 
For  this  looks  as  if  the  coming  of  the  enemy  was 
regarded   in   Jerusalem  as   a   spectacle   for   the 
amusement  of  all  the  people.     It  is  yet  worse 
that  the  accustomed  noise  prevails  in  the  streets, 
and  this  noise  is  a  joyous  one.     The  city  is  called 

HP 7J7  which  epithet  includes  the  idea  of  haughti- 
ness as  well  as  joy,  as  we  see  from  xiii.  3 ;  Zeph. 
iii.  11.  (Coinp.  Isa.  xxiii.  12;  Ps.  xciv.  3;  Jer. 
1.  11 ;  li.  39;  2  Sam.  i.  20).  It  is  uncertain  to 
what  particular  occasion  the  Prophet  here  al- 
ludes. He  cannot  have  in  view  what  is  related 
2Kingsxvi.  5;  Isa.  vii.  1;  for  great  despondency 
then  reigned.  This  can  be  said  too  of  chapter 
xxxvi. ;  2  Chron.  xxviii.  20  is  too  doubtful. 
(Comp.  EWALD,  History  III.  p.  667  note).  It  was 
probably  some  event  of  less  importance,  perhaps 
the  appearance  of  a  predatory  troop.  The  in- 


dignation of  the  Prophet  would  befit  such  an  oc- 
currence. The  insolence  at  sight  of  a  seemingly 
slight  danger  annoyed  him,  inasmuch  as  the  ap- 
pearance before  Jerusalem  of  a  single  soldier  be- 
longing to  the  army  of  a  power  aiming  at  uni- 
versal sovereignty,  should  have  made  them  sensi- 
ble of  the  danger  threatening  them  from  that 
quarter.  This  danger  passes  into  fact  before  the 
Prophet's  eye.  He  sees  a  hostile  army  before  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem.  It  is  of  course  a  different 
one  from  that  whose  appearance  so  little  dis- 
composed the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem.  Now 
things  take  quite  another  turn.  Insolence  is 
changed  into  its  opposite,  into  base  cowardice; 
security,  into  the  greatest  distress.  The  Prophet 
sees  the  ground  covered  with  dead  bodies  of  his 
people.  They  have  perished  miserably,  have 
died  an  inglorious  death.  And  those  very  rulers 
(D'yi'p  comp.  i.  10;  iii.  6  sq.),  who,  on  the  occa- 
sion referred  to  in  vers.  1  and  2,  had  doubtless  set 
the  example  of  proud  defiance,  are  now  found  to 
be  the  most  cowardly.  They  flee  all  together, 
and  are,  without  the  drawing  of  a  bow  on  their 
part  or  on  that  of  the  enemy  (on  JO  in  the  signi- 
fication "without"  see  on  xiv.  19)  taken  and 
bound.  But  not  only  the  chief  men  behaved  with 
cowardice.  All  the  Jews  who  fell  into  the  power 
of  the  enemy  ("J'tfi'DJ  "thy  found  ones"  not 
"  those  found  in  thee)  were  taken  in  their  flight. 
They  fled  afar,  not  from  far  (comp.  xvii.  13). 
They  had  sought  in  their  timidity  to  flee  far 
away,  for  they  thought  themselves  safe  only  at 
the  farthest  possible  distance  from  their  en- 
dangered home.  We  here  readily  call  to  mind 
what  is  related  2  Kings  xxv.  4  sqq.  ;  Jer.  xxxix. 
4  sqq.  Comp.  Lam.  iv.  17-20  of  the  flight  of 
king  Zedekiah  and  all  his  soldiers. 

3.  Therefore  said  I — my  people. — Ver.  4. 
In  opposition  to  that  blind  presumption  (ver.  2) 
the  Prophet,  who  clearly  perceives  what  will  be 
hereafter,  experiences  profound  grief.  His  sor- 
row is  unintelligible  to  the  people.  They  seek 
to  comfort  him.  He  refuses  to  be  comforted,  and 
asks  only  to  be  permitted  to  give  vent  to  his  grief. 
''  Look  away  from  me,"  recalls  vividly  to  mind 
Job  vii.  19  ;  xiv.  6  ;  Ps.  xxxix.  14  ;  but  in  these 
places  the  LORD  is  entreated  to  turn  away  His 
holy,  and,  therefore,  judging  eye  from  sinful  men. 
The  expression,  "  the  daughter  of  my  people  " 
first  occurs  here.  It  is  not  to  be  taken  as  the 
partitive  genitive,  but  as  the  genitive  of  apposi- 
tion, or  more  accurately,  the  genitive  of  identity. 
The  daughter  of  my  people  is  a  daughter,  i.  e.,  a 
female  who  is  my  people  in  so  far  as  she  repre- 
sents, or  personifies  my  people.  The  expression, 
as  the  analogous  one  "  daughter  of  Zion,"  cor- 
responds to  our  expressions,  Germany,  Prussia, 
Bavaria,  etc.  These  expressions  with  us  like- 
wise denote  the  personified  unity  of  a  people 


248 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


under  the  representation  of  a  female.  Observe 
further  how  the  Prophet  depicts  the  punishment 
of  their  presumption  in  words  which  afterwards 
served  as  a  model  for  the  lamentation  over  Jeru- 
salem's destruction  by  the  Chaldaeans  (Lam.  ii. 
11;  iii.  48). 

4.  For  it  is  a  day  -  the  gate.  —  Vers.  5-7. 
The  conduct  of  the  Prophet  is  determined  by 
the  procedure  of  the  LORD.  As  He  has  decreed 
a  day  of  destruction  on  Jerusalem,  the  sorrow  of 
the  Prophet  is  not  without  a  cause.  The  expres- 


sion 'J^X7  DV  is  peculiar  to  Isaiah.  It  occurs 
ii.  12  (xxxiv.  8).  What  it  means  is  learnt  from 
Ixiii.  4  where  it  is  called  "  a  day  of  vengeance 
in  my  heart."  The  expression  in  a  somewhat 
modified  form  is  used  by  Jeremiah  (xlvi.  10)  and 
Ezekiel  (xxx.  3).  The  scene  of  this  act  of  judg- 
ment is  to  be  "  the  valley  of  vision."  That  Jeru- 
salem is  thus  denoted  is  most  clearly  determined 
by  the  context.  KXOBEL'S  view  that  the  expres- 
sion does  not  mark  the  city  itself,  but  only  one 
of  the  valleys  surrounding  it,  is  very  strange. 
Not  to  speak  of  other  things,  how  would  a  judg- 
ment falling  on  only  one  of  the  valleys  surround- 
ing Jerusalem,  correspond  to  the  words  of  ver. 
2  ?  I  believe  that  light  is  thrown  on  the  expres- 
sion "  the  valley  of  vision"  by  Joel.  iii.  12  sqq. 
The  expression  "the  day  of  the  LORD"  is  found 
first  in  Joel.  While  then  Isaiah  speaks  of  "  a 
day  of  trouble,  and  of  treading  down,  and  of  per- 
plexity" which  the  LORD  has,  he  is  led  to  think 
on  the  place  which,  according  to  Joel,  should  be 
the  scene  of  "  the  day  of  the  LORD."  This  place 
is  "the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat,"  or,  as  it  is 
termed  a  little  after,  (Joel.  iii.  14)  "the  valley 
of  decision."  The  place  of  judgment  is  thus  de- 
noted in  Joel  by  symbolical  names.  He  speaks 
of  the  judgment  on  the  heathen  which  does  not 
touch  Israel.  Isaiah  speaks  of  the  judgment  on 
Jerusalem  alone,  and  therefore  doas  'not  call  the 
place  of  judgment  "  the  valley  of  decision,"  but 
chooses  instead  of  it  another  symbolical  name. 
He  calls  it  "the  valley  of  vision."  Too  much 
stress  has  bean  laid  on  the  representation  of  a 
"  valley,'  both  here  and  in  Joel  iii.  12,  14.  The 
valley  of  J^hoshaphat  is  not  the  valley  of  Kid- 
ron,  which  from  this  passage  was  afterwa'rds  called 
the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat  ;  but  it  is  an  ideal 
plain  spread  out  at  the  foot  of  mount  Zion,  not 
called  a  valley  from  its  lying  between  two  moun- 
tains (compare  also  the  valley,  plain  of  Jezreel 
Josh.  xvii.  16;  Jud.  vi.  33;  Hos.  i.  5),  but  in 
opposition  to  the  lofty  height,  from  which  Je- 
hovah descends.  We  have  then  neither  to  think 
on  the  situation  of  Jerusalem  between  mountains 
(Ps.  cxxv.  2),  nor  on  the  low  street  in  a  valley 
in  which  the  Prophet  is  supposed  to  have  dwelt. 
But  Jerusalem  is  called  a  valley  as  being  on  this 
lower  earth  in  opposition  to  the  heavenly  height 
from  which  the  Judge  comes.  There  are,  be- 
sides, not  wanting  traces  of  the  use  of  K'J  in  the 
wider  signification  of  planities,  plain.  (Comp. 
2,Sam:  V11'  13;  Ps  lx.  2;  Num.  xxi.  2  .  But 
why  the  valley  of  vision?"  To  me  it  seems 
that  we  must  not  overlook  the  fact,  that  in  vers 
14  seeing  is  so  much  spoken  of.  The  inhabi- 
ants  of  Jerusalem  go  up  on  the  roofs  to  see 
(ver.  1).  But  they  do  not  see  as  they  ought. 
ihen  the  LORD  removes  partially  the  covering 


from  their  eyes,  and  they  look  to  their  armory 
(ver.  8).  They  look  also  to  the  breaches  in  their 
walls  (ver.  9),  and  to  the  lower  pool;  but  alas! 
they  do  not  look  to  Him  who  formed  all  this  long 
ago  (ver.  11).  The  Prophet,  on  the  other  hand, 
whose  eye  the  LORD  had  entirely  opened,  sees 
accurately  (ver.  14).  Might  not  then  Jerusalem 
be  called  the  valley  of  (prophetic)  vision,  because 
in  it  the  true  God-imparted  seeing  has  its  place, 
in  opposition  to  the  defective  and  often  quite  per- 
verse seeing?  The  Prophet  would  therefore 
mean :  In  the  place  where  the  divine  seeing  has 
indeed  its  home,  but  on  account  of  false  human 
seeing  is  not  regarded,  the  LORD  will  appear  to 
hold  judgment.  The  breaking  down  of  the 
wall  took  place  at  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
by  the  Chaldaeans  (Jer.  xxxix.  2).  Crying 
to  the  mountain. — It  seems  to  me  to  suit 
the  context  better,  if  we  (with  EWALD,  DRE- 
CHSLER)  under  "inn  understand  not  the  neigh- 
boring mountain  sides,  but  the  mountain  on 
which  the  LORD  dwells,  whence  He,  according  to 
Joel  iii.  16  sq.,  roars  and  utters  His  judgment, 
and  to  which  the  prayers  of  the  suppliants  are 
directed  (Ps.  ii.  6;  iii.  5;  xcix.  9;  cxxi.  1 ;  Isa. 
ii.  3;  viii.  18;  x.  12,  32;  xi.  9,  etc.).  Vers.  6 
and  7  explain  what  is  said  in  ver.  5.  The  gen- 
eral, indefinite  "  and  "  before  Elam  involves  in 
this  connection  the  notion  ''  and  truly,  namely." 
(Comp.  GESEX.  Thes.  p.  394  c).  Elam  (comp. 
xi.  11 ;  xxi.  2)  is  the  Persian  Uvaja,  i.  e.,  the 
Susiana  of  the  Greeks  (SCIIRADER,  Cuneif.  Inscr. 
p.  31).  That  the  Elamites  were  renowned  as 
archers  appears  from  Jer.  xlix.  30  (cornp.  HER- 
zoo,  R.  Encycl.  III.  p.  748).  Kir  is  described  by 
Amos  (ix.  7)  as  the  earlier  dwelling  of  the 
Syrians.  He  also  predicts  that  the  Syrians 
should  be  brought  back  thither  (i.  5),  a  pro- 
phecy whose  fulfilment  is  attested  2  Kings  xvi.  9. 
It  has  been  almost  universally  assumed  since  J. 
D.  Michaelis  (opposed  to  this  view  are  KNOBEL, 
Voelkertafd  (Ethnological  Table)  p.  151.  KEIL 
on  2  Kings  xvi.  9 ;  VAIHINGER  in  HERZOG, 
R.  Encycl.  XV.,  p.  394)  that  this  Kir  is  the  region 
near  the  river  Kf>pof,  a  tributary  of  the  Araxes, 
which  falls  into  the  Caspian  Sea  (comp.  EWALD, 
Hist.  III.,  p.  638).  DELITZSCH  properly  observes 
that  the  river  Kvpof  is  written  not  with  p  but  with 
D.  The  name  has  not  yet  been  found  in  the  As- 
syrian inscriptions.  That  the  Prophet  named 
Elam  and  Kir  as  representatives  of  the  Assyrian 
host  is  certainly  possible.  Only  we  must  under- 
stand the  matter  thus :  For  the  Prophet  who 
always  beheld  Assyria  in  the  foreground  of  his 
field  of  vision,  Assyria  signifies  the  worldly 
power  in  general,  for  which  reason  he  elsewhere 
includes  even  Babylon  under  the  name  of  Assyria 
(vii.  20;  viii.  7).  He  mentions  Elam  and  Kir, 
because  they  were  remote  and  unknown  nations. 
For  the  prophets  frequently  render  their  an- 
nouncements of  judgment  more  dreadful,  by  the 
threatening  that  distant  people,  entirely  unknown, 
and  therefore  quite  reckless  and  pitiless,  should 
be  the  instrument  of  the  judgment  (comp.  Deut. 
xxviii.  49;  Isa.  xxxiii.  19  ;  Jer.  v.  15).  The  un- 
covering of  the  shield  (comp.  Ccesar  Sell.  Gall., 
11,  21)  is  proper  for  infantry,  so  that  all  the  con- 
stituents of  an  army — archers,  chariots  of  war, 
cavalry,  infantry,  will  be  represented.  In  ver.  7 
the  exact  rendering  is  "  And  it  came  to  pass ;  thy 


CHAP.  XXII.  8-14. 


249 


best  valleys  were  full,"  etc.  But  the  past  tense  is 
not  to  be  understood  absolutely.  Tlie  Prophet 
does  not  pass  suddenly  from  the  description  of 
future  things  to  depict  what  had  already  taken 
place.  He  is  to  be  understood  relatively.  He 
marks  only  a  progress  in  the  picture  of  the  future 
which  he  beholds.  Pie  sees  the  chariots  and 
horsemen  (ver.  6)  not  merely  at  rest.  He  sees 
them  in  motion,  he  marks  how  they  fill  the  en- 
virons of  Jerusalem.  This  movement  which  be- 


longs to  the  future,  he  describes  as  if  it  took  place 
before  his  eyes.  Thy  choicest  valleys,  lit.,  the 
choice  of  thy  valleys,  thy  best,  most  fruitful  val- 
leys, chief  of  these  the  valley  of  Eephaim  (xvii. 
5.J,  are  filled  and  overrun  with  chariots  and  horse- 
men, they  are  so  numerous.  But  they  not  merely 
threaten  from  a  distance.  They  approach  close 
to  Jerusalem.  The  horsemen  have  taken  their 
stand  right  before  the  gate  in  order  to  make  a 
dash  the  moment  they  are  required. 


11 


b)  The  punishment  of  defiance  in  sight  of  danger. 
CHAPTER  XXII.  8-14. 

8  And  he  'discovered  the  covering  of  Judah, 
And  thou  didst  look  in  that  day 

To  the  armour  of  the  house  of  the  forest. 

9  Ye  have  seen  also  the  breaches  of  the  city  of  David, 
That  they  are  many  : 

And  ye  gathered  together  the  waters  of  the  lower  pool. 
10  And  ye  have  numbered  the  houses  of  Jerusalem, 

And  the  houses  have  ye  broken  down  to  fortify  the  wall. 

Ye  made  also  a  Mitch  between  the  two  walls 

For  the  water  of  the  old  pool : 

But  ye  have  not  looked  unto  the  maker  thereof, 

Neither  had  respect  unto  him  that  fashioned  it  long  ago. 

12  And  in  that  day  did  the  LORD  God  of  hosts  call 
To  weeping,  and  to  mourning, 

And  to  baldness,  and  to  girding  with  sackcloth ; 

13  And  behold,  joy  and  gladness, 
Slaying  oxen,  and  killing  sheep, 
Eating  flesh,  and  drinking  wine  ; 
Let  us  eat  and  drink, 

For  to-morrow  we  shall  die. 

14  And  it  was  revealed  in  mine  ears  by  the  LORD  of  hosts, 
Surely  this  iniquity  shall  not  be  purged  from  you  till  ye  die, 
Saith  the  LORD  God  of  hosts. 


uncovered,  took  away. 


TEXTUAL    AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  11.  The  feminine  suffixes  in  rVty^  (regarding 
the  form  comp.  EWALD,  ji  256  6)  and  rP^f '  are  to  be  re- 

T  : 

garded  as  neuters.    "iy  is  the  forming,  shaping  in  idea, 

—  T 

to  which  then  T\&V  comes  as  the  execution.    In  analo- 

T   T 

gous  places  "IV  stands  therefore  before  TVlfy  :  xliii.  7  ; 
xlv.  18  ;  xlvi.  11.     However  in  xxxvii.  20;  Jer.  xxxiii.  2, 


the  order  is  as  here.  We  could  say  that  the  succession 
of  ideas  is  conceived  in  the  one  case  analytically,  in  the 
other,  synthetically. 

Ver.  13.  On  these  infinitive  constructions  comp.  v.  5; 
xxj.  5. The  abnormal  form  Hlfl^  is  in  imitation  of 

T 

,  comp.  Hos.  x.  4. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  are  now  no  long- 
er inspired  by  thoughtless  presumption.  They 
see  themselves  compelled  by  this  new  emergency 
to  consider  seriously  their  means  of  defence. 
First,  they  inspect  the  store  of  weapons  in  the 
arsenal  (ver.  8).  They  examine  the  fortifications, 
and  collect  water  in  the  lower  pool  (ver.  9).  They 
pull  down  houses  in  order  to  repair  the  walls 
(ver.  10),  and  they  form  a  new  reservoir.  But  to 
Him  who  has  caused  this  distress,  and  who  alone 


can  remove  it,  they  QO  not  turn  their  eyes  ( ver- 
11).  And  when  He  brings  upon  them  bitter 
misery  (ver.  12),  the  only  effect  of  it  is  that,  with 
the  recklessness  of  despair,  they  give  themselves 
eagerly  to  pleasure,  because  all  will  soon  be  over 
(ver.  13).  But  this  defiant  spirit  exhibited  no 
longer  in  blindness,  but  in  sight  of  danger,  the 
LORD  will  not  pardon.  They  must  expiate  it 
with  their  life  (ver.  14). 

2.  And  he  discovered— long  ago.— Vers. 


250 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


8-11.  This  section  is  closely  connected  with  the 
preceding  one,  as  the  construction  shows. — And 
he  discovered.  The  subject  of  the  verb  is  the 
LORD  God  of  hosts  in  ver.  5.  But,  though  the 
connection  of  the  two  sections  is  so  intimate,  a 
considerable  interval  of  time  must  lie  between 
them,  as  the  transition  from  that  blind  presump- 
tion to  the  defiance  in  sight  of  danger  here  de- 
scribed, was  hardly  quite  sudden.  But  for  this 
c'ose  grammatical  connection  of  the  two  sections 
one  might  be  tempted  to  refer  the  first  part  (vers. 
1-7)  as  a  separate  prediction  to  an  earlier  time. 
It  would,  in  fact,  have  been  possible  for  the  Pro- 
phet to  have  combined  in  one  prophecy  this 
earlier  prediction  with  a  later  one  on  account  of  a 
correspondence  in  subject-matter  between  the  two. 
But  it  is  most  natural  to  regard  the  whole  piece, 
vers.  1-14,  as  a  single  composition,  and  to  sup- 
pose that  the  Prophet  in  the  first  part  (vers.  1-7) 
transported  himself  back  to  an  earlier  juncture, 
because  it  served  admirably  as  a  foil  to  the  later 
crisis  which  he  describes  (vers.  8-14).  This  later 
situation,  which  was  the  occasion  of  this  whole 
prophecy  before  us,  is  here  described  by  him  as 
a  basis  for  the  complaints  and  denunciations  of 
punishment  which  he  utters,  ver.  11  6  and  ver. 
13  sq.  We  have  therefore  to  understand  the 
aorists,  ver.  8  sqq.,  not  as  praeterita  prophetica, 
but  in  their  proper  signification.  We  perceive 
from  ver.  8  a,  that  the  LORD  at  last  took  from 
the  eyes  of  Judah  the  covering  that  caused  blind- 
ness, rnj  is  here  applied  not  to  that  which  is 
hidden,  but  to  that  which  hides,  as  frequently. 
Comp.  xlvii.  2 ;  Nah.  iii.  5 ;  Job  xli.  5.  Judah 
then  saw  the  necessity  of  preparing  for  war. 
They  proceed  therefore  to  the  armory  built  by 
Solomon,  of  cedars,  called  the  house  of  the  forest 
of  Lebanon  (1  Kings  vii.  2;  x.  17,  21),  which  is 

probably  identical  with  the  EV^  f  •?  xxxix.  2, 
in  order  to  see  how  it  stood  with  the  apparatus 
belhcus.  The  primary  meaning  of  Pt^J  is  tela. 
They  next  examine  .the  fortifications  of  the  city 
of  David,  and  discover  that  there  are  many 
breaches  in  them.  I  do  not  think  that  under 
"  the  city  of  David "  we  are  to  understand  the 
whole  of  Jerusalem,  as  Arnold  appealing  to  xxix. 
1  maintains  (IlERZOG  R.  Enc.  XVIII.,  p.  593). 
"  The  city  of  David  "  is  always  the  South-western 
elevated  part  of  Jerusalem ;  and  if  this  part  alone 
is  mentioned  here,  this  need  not  surprise  us,  as 
we  cannot  expect  that  the  Prophet  should  give  an 
enumeration  historically  complete.  We  learn, 
moreover,  from  2  Chron.  xxxii.  5,  that  Hezekiah 
fortified  especially  the  proper  city  of  David,  or 
Zion.  Another  matter,  which  must  be  particu- 
larly attended  to  by  those  who  defend  a  city,  is  to 
provide  themselves  with  water,  and  to  cut  off  the 
supply  of  it  from  the  enemy.  This  is  what  the 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  do.  They  collect,  draw 
inwards  the  waters  of  the  lower  pool.  In  the  val- 
ley of  Gihon  which  borders  Jerusalem  on  the 
west  there  are  still  two  old  pools  ;  the  upper  (now 
Birket-el-Mamilla)  and  the  lower  (now  Birket 
es-Sultan).  Compare  what  is  said  on  vii.  3.  The 
account  in  2  Chron.  xxxii.  3  sq.,  and  that  in  the 
place  before  us  supplement  one  another.  In  the 
former,  mention  is  made  only  of  the  stopping  of 
the  reservoirs.  Here,  prominence  is  given  to  the 


other  necessary  step,  the  turning  into  the  city  of 
the  water  cut  off  from  the  enemy.  j"3P  cannot 
here  denote  merely  collecting  in  the  pool  by  hin- 
dering it  from  flowing  away.  For,  first,  the  water, 
without  flowing  off,  would  have  risen  and  been 
soon  remarked  by  the  enemy.  Secondly,  the 
water  was  needed  in  the  city.  I  take,  therefore, 
)'3p  in  the  signification  in  which  it  is  employed 
Joel  ii.  6 ;  Nah.  ii.  11,  where  it  is  said  that  faces 
"1OX3  ^i'3p,  i.e.,  draw  in  their  brightness.  Here, 
then,  the  meaning  is  that  the  inhabitants  of  Jeru- 
salem drew  the  water  into  their  city.  In  refer- 
ence to  DELITZSCH'S  remark  that  this  must  rather 
be  expressed  by  ^DN,  I  call  attention  to  the  fact 
that  Joel  expresses,  ii.  10  and  iv.  15,  by  ^DK  the 
same  thought  which  he  had  in  ii.  6  expressed  by 
]'3p,  whence  it  follows  that  in  this  place,  too,  }*3P 

can  be  used  in  the  signification  ^DK.  It  may  oc- 
casion surprise  that  ver.  10  interrupts  the  account 
regarding  the  reservoirs.  But  the  Prophet  evi- 
dently proceeds  from  the  easier  to  the  more  diffi- 
cult. The  breaking  down  of  the  houses  for  the 
purpose  of  repairing  the  walls,  was  a  greater  work 
than  drawing  off  the  water  of  the  lower  pool  into 
the  wells  or  reservoirs  already  existing  in  the 
city.  And  the  formation  of  a  new  pool  between 
the  walls,  in  order  to  empty  the  old  one,  might 
well  appear  the  grandest  work  of  all.  The  opi- 
nion of  DRECHSLER,  that  the  numbering  of  the 
houses  was  with  a  view  to  quartering  the  soldiers, 
is  very  strange.  In  Jer.  xxxiii.  4  it  is  supposed 
that  houses  were  demolished  in  order  to  repair 
the  fortifications.  The  ""^Pp  (only  here,  else- 
where rnpD)  which  (ver.  11)  was  prepared  for  the 
waters  of  "  the  old  pool,"  is  very  probably  still  in 
existence  in  the  Birket-el-Batrak  (the  pool  of  the 
patriarchs)  which  the  Franks  after  this  passage 
and  2  Kings  xx.  20  ;  2  Chron.  xxxii.  30;  Sirach 
xlviii.  19,  call  the  pool  of  Ilezekiah.  It  lies 
within  the  present  wall  of  the  city  east  of  the  Yafa 
( Joppa)  gate.  It  still  receives  its  water  from  the 
Mamilla  pool  by  means  of  a  canal  which  enters 
the  city  south  of  the  Yafa  gate.  (Comp.  ARNOLD 
in  HERZ.,  R.  Enc.  XVIII.,  p.  619,  and  especially 
C.  W.  WILSON'S  Ordnance  Survey  of  Jerusalem, 
1865,  and  WARREN'S  Recovery  of  Jerusalem,  1872). 
In  opposition  to  the  new  pool,  the  pool  whose 
waters  it  received  was  called  "  the  old  pool."  The 
former  name  of  the  old  pool  was  "the  upper 
pool,''  which  is  twice  mentioned  by  Isaiah  (vii. 
3;  xxxvi.  2).  The  expression  D'JTOn  occurs 
besides  only  in  Jer.  xxxix.  4,  and  in  the  parallel 
passages  Jer.  Iii.  7 ;  2  Kings  xxv.  4.  In  these 
places  in  the  books  of  Jeremiah  and  Kings  a 
double  wall  seems  to  be  meant,  which  connected 
Zion  and  Ophel  at  the  end  of  the  Tyropceon. 
This  does  not  suit  well  the  situation  of  the  pool 
of  Hezekiah  as  before  mentioned.  It  is  uncer- 
tain whether  we  are  to  understand  in  the  place 
before  us  a  corner  of  a  wall  between  the  north 
wall  of  Zion  and  the  wall  going  north-eastwards 
round  Akra  (DELITZSCH  after  ROBINSON',  or  a 
second  double  wall  situated  near  the  Yafa  gate. 
This  precaution  was  certainly  not  in  itself  wrong. 
What  was  wrong  in  their  conduct  was  that  they 
fixed  their  eyes  only  on  these  measures  of  human 
prudence,  and  omitted  to  look  with  confidence  to 


CHAP.  XXII.  15-25. 


251 


Him  who  had  made  all  this,  i.  e.,  the  whole  situ- 
ation, and  had  arranged  it  long  ago.  [The  com- 
mon view,  which  supposes  God  to  be  here  des- 
cribed as  the  maker  and  fashioner  of  Jerusalem, 
has  against  it  the  analogy  of  xxxvii.  26. — D.  M.]. 
3.  And  in  that  day — of  hosts. — Vers.  12- 
14.  We  may  ask  how  the  LORD  then  called  the 
inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  to  weeping,  and  to 
mourning,  and  to  baldness  (iii.  24),  and  to  girding 
with  sackcloth  (xx.  2).  The  language  is  proba- 
bly taken  from  the  proclamations  by  which  a 
general  fast,  a  day  of  humiliation  and  prayer  was 
ordained  (1  Kings  xxi.  9,  12).  Such  proclama- 
tions proceed  proximately  from  the  rulers,  but 
ultimately  from  the  LORD,  who  by  the  course  of 
Plis  providence  renders  them  necessary.  It  is 
now  also  the  LORD  who  so  "  makes  and  forms " 
everything  that  Israel,  if  it  would  give  heed, 
would  be  called  thereby  to  repentance.  One 
thinks  here  very  naturally  of  xxxvii.  Isqq..  where 
it  is  related  that  Hezekiah,  in  consequence  of  the 
message  of  Rabshakeli,  rent  his  clothes,  covered 
himself  with  sackcloth,  and  sent  deputies  clothed 
with  sackcloth  to  Isaiah.  1  would  say  that  as 
vers.  8-11  recall  to  mind  the  defensive  measures 
taken  by  Hezekiah  (2  Chron.  xxxii.  2  sqq.),  so 
what  is  said  in  ver.  12  reminds  us  of  Isa.  xxxvii. 
1  sqq.  Hezekiah  was  better  than  the  majority 
of  his  people.  His  own  father  was  Ahaz,  and  his 
son  was  Manasseh.  He  formed  between  the  two 
only  a  short  episode,  which  stemmed  indeed  for 
a  short  time  the  flood  of  corruption,  but  which 
rendered  the  inundation  under  Manasseh  all  the 
more  impetuous.  We  can  therefore  reasonably 
assume  that  at  the  very  time  when  Hezekiah  and 
his  immediate  attendants  were  exhibiting  these 
signs  of  penitence  there  were  very  many  people 
in  Jerusalem  who  were  doing  that  wherewith  the 
Prophet  (ver.  13)  reproaches  the  Jews.  They 
saw  the  danger.  They  were  no  longer  blind  as 
in  vers.  1  sqq.  They  did  not,  however,  let  the 
perception  of  the  danger  move  them  to  lay  hold 
of  the  only  hand  that  could  save  them,  but  in  de- 


fiant resignation  they  refused  this  help.  They 
made  up  their  mind  to  go  to  destruction,  but  first 
they  would  enjoy  life  right  heartily  (ver.  13). 


The  words  int?1  lDX  I  prefer,  with  DRECHSLER, 
KNOBEL,  and  others,  to  take  as  words  of  the 
Jews,  rather  than  with  DELITZSCH  ascribe  them 
to  the  Prophet.  For,  as  words  of  the  Prophet 
they  are  superfluous,  while  as  words  of  the  J  ews 
they  round  off  their  speech.  Moreover  the  form 
171$  makes  the  impression  of  being  an  abbrevia- 
tion borrowed  from  popular  usage.  Ver.  14. 


The  perfect  rnjjl  cannot  be  taken  as  the  aorist. 
It  marks  rather,  as  DRECHSLER  correctly  ob- 
serves, the  revelation  as  an  abiding  one,  conti- 
nuing to  echo  in  the  inner  ear  of  the  Prophet. 
"123  (comp.  vi.  7;  xxvii.  9)  properly  to  cover. 
According  to  the  way  in  which  this  covering 
takes  place  the  word  denotes  forgive,  or  atone. 
Here  it  seems  to  me  to  signify  to  forgive,  for  the 
mode  of  threatening  excludes  the  thought  of 
atonement.  A  recompense  after  death  is  not  yet 
taught  in  the  Old  Testament.  Punishments  are 
inflicted  in  this  life.  If  a  man  has  to  suffer  pun- 
ishment for  guilt  unpardoned,  he  has  to  bear  the 
burden  till  it  has  destroyed  him,  till  he  is  dead. 
~\y  till,  declares,  therefore,  that  up  to  death,  all 
through  life,  they  will  have  to  bear  the  punish- 
ment of  that  sin.  After  death  follows  only  Sheol 
in  which  there  is  no  more  life.  [Isaiah  himself 
seems  clearly  to  teach  the  doctrine  of  a  punish- 
ment after  death,  xxxiiii.  14  ;  Ixvi.  24.  And  in 
chapter  xiv.  the  Prophet  represents  the  dwellers 
of  Sheol  as  meeting  the  king  of  Babylon  with 
taunts  on  his  appearance  among  them.  This 
supposes  that  there  is  life  there.  Though  the  in- 
habitants of  Sheol  are  prevented  from  taking  part 
in  the  affairs  of  the  present  life  on  earth,  as  Scrip- 
ture affectingly  testifies,  this  does  not  hinder  their 
possession  of  consciousness  and  activity  in  the 
invisible  world.  —  D.  M.]. 


1.    AGAINST  THE  PEIDE  OF  SHEBNA  THE  STEWAED  OF  THE  HOUSE. 

CHAPTER  XXII.  15-25. 

15  Thus  saith  the  LORD  God  of  hosts ; 
Go,  get  thee  unto  this  'treasurer, 

Even  unto  Shebna,  which  is  over  the  house,  and  say, 

16  What  hast  thou  here,  and  whom  hast  thou  here, 
That  thou  hast  hewed  thee  out  a  sepulchre  here, 
*As  he  that  heweth  him  out  a  sepulchre  on  high, 
And  that  graveth  an  habitation  for  himself  in  a  rock  ? 

17  Behold,  the  LORD  bwill  carry  thee  away  with  a  mighty  captivity, 
And  will  surely  cover  thee. 

18  He  will  surely  violently  turn, 

And  toss  thee  like  a  ball  into  a  'large  country ; 

There  shalt  thou  die, 

And  there  the  chariots  of  thy  glory 

Shall  be  the  shame  of  thy  lord's  house. 

19  And  I  will  drive  thee  from  thy  station, 
And  from  thy  state  shall  he  pull  thco  down. 


252 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


20  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 

That  I  will  call  my  servant  Eliakim,  the  son  of  Hilkiah  ; 

21  And  I  will  clothe  him  with  thy  robe, 
And  strengthen  him  with  thy  girdle, 

And  I  will  commit  thy  government  into  his  hand  ; 
And  ha  shall  be  a  father  to  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem, 
And  to  the  house  of  Judah. 

22  And  the  key  of  the  house  of  David  will  I  lay  upon  his  shoulder, 
So  he  shall  open,  and  none  shall  shut ; 

And  he  shall  shut,  and  none  shall  open. 

23  And  I  will  fasten  him  as  a  nail  in  a  sure  place  ; 

And  he  shall  be  for  a  glorious  throne  to  his  father's  house. 

24  And  they  shall  hang  upon  him  all  the  glory  of  his  father's  house, 
The  offspring  and  the  issue,  all  vessels  of  small  quantity, 

From  the  vessels  of  cups,  even  to  all  the  vessels  of  flagons. 

25  In  that  day,  saith  the  LORD  of  hosts, 

Shall  the  nail  that  is  fastened  in  the  sure  place  be  removed, 

And  be  cut  down,  and  fall ; 

And  the  burden  that  was  upon  it  shall  be  cut  off; 

For  the  LORD  hath  spoken  it. 


Or,  O  he. 

privy  counsellor. 


z  Heb.  large  of  spaces. 

b  will  whirl  thce  out  with  a  whirl  as  a  man. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  15.  tG-^S  comp.  xxvi.  20;  Ezek.  iii.  4,  11;  2  Ki. 
v.  5.  The  change  of  Stf  and  h})  without  any  percep- 
tible difference  of  meaning,  which  is  very  common  in 
Jeremiah  (oomp.  on  Jer.  x.  3)  occurs  also  in  Isaiah  not 
unfrequently  (comp.  on  x.  3). 

Ver.  16.  OHO  is  accusative  of  the  place. 


Ver.  17.  Grammar  forbids  our  considering  nS^So  (it 
and  Pilp.  70  /CD  only  here  in  Isaiah)  as  in  the  construct 
state.  For  in  all  cases  where  this  anomaly  appears  to 
occur,  the  second  word  is  in  apposition.  To  take  "OJ 
as  a  vocative  (as  after  the  Syriac  version  many  do,  also 
CHEYNE  and  DIESTEL),  is  still  harder  than  to  regard  it  as 
in  apposition  to  nirP.  For  though  a  tolerable  irony 
might  lie  in  13J,  yet  there  is  no  example  of  the  word 
so  standing  alone  as  vocative.  The  subst.  nStoSo 
stands  instead  of  the  customary  infinitive  absolute.  I 
do  not  understand  why  it  is  said  that  T\Qy  cannot 
have  the  signification  "wrap  up,"  "inwrap,"  for  it  signi- 
fies induere  in  1  Sam.  xxviii.  14;  Ps.  civ.  2;  Ps.  Ixxi.  13. 
Comp.  Ps.  pix.  19,  29;  Isa.  lix.  17;  Jer,  xliii.  12;  and  this 
induere  cannot  be  understood  in  many  of  these  places 
as  merely  covering,  but  must  denote  an  inwrapping  or 
enveloping  one's  self  tightly.  It  might  be  said  that 


GRAMMATICAL. 

r\l3V  then  signifies  "to  inwrap  one's  self,"  and  stands 
with  the  accusative  of  the  thing  which  is  put  on  or  in 
which  a  person  wraps  himself,  while  in  the  passage  be- 
fore us  r\!2y  is  joined  with  the  accusative  of  the  per- 
son. But  it  is  well  known  that  the  Hebrew  verbal  stems 
are  by  no  means  clearly  discriminated  in  respect  to 
transitive  and  intransitive  use,  and  besides,  Isaiah 
employs  here  only  rare  verbal  forms.  It  appears  to  me 
that  the  Prophet  by  ntOj?  indicates  the  laying  together 
of  the  coverings  on  the  person  of  Shebna.  H  jy  denotes 
the  rolling  together  into  a  ball,  ^CoVtD  the  casting  forth. 
fp¥  is  to  wrap  round,  obvolvere  (the  verb  only  here  and 
Lev.  xvi.  4).  Thence  comes  TI3M,  what  is  rolled  or 
wound  together  (arr.  Aey.).  inL  is  not  1H  with  the 
prefix,  but  3  belongs  to  the  stem.  Comp.  xxix.  3  and 
"lVV3  Job  xv.  24.  The  signification  is  pila,  sphaera,  glo- 
bus,  ball.  It  is  to  be  construed  in  apposition  to  P12JV- 
The  word  JlSp  is  found  only  here  in  Isaiah,  rpn,  3i'b 
and  TOV13  only  here  in  Isaiah;  Din  is  found  besides 

T*M-  -T 

xiv.  17  and  in  Piel  xlix.  17. 

Ver.  21.  p7n  (with  double  accusative  after  the  analogy 
of  verbs  of  clothing)  is  to  make  fast,  strengthen  (Nah. 
ii.  2). 


EXEQETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  prophecy,  which  chastises  the  haughty 
and  defiant  spirit  of  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem 
is  followed  by  another  which  has  for  its  subject  the 
pride  of  a  single  person.  Shebna,  the  steward  of 
the  palace,  and  first  minister  of  the  king,  was  a 
haughty,  insolent  man.  He  went  so  far  in  his 
arrogance  that  he  caused  a  sepulchre  to  be  hewn 
out  for  himself  in  a  rock  on  high  (probably  on 
the  height  of  Mount  Zion).  He  was  standing 
beside  his  new  sepulchre,  which  was  yet  in  course 
of  construction,  when  Isaiah,  by  God's  command, 
came  to  him  and  asked  him  by  what  right  and 


title  he  was  hewing  for  himself  here  a  sepulchre  in 
the  rock  on  the  height  (vers.  15  and  16)?     Jeho- 
vah will  cast  him  away  as  a  ball  into  a  distant, 
:  level  country.     There  shall  he  die,  and  the  dis- 
grace  of  the  house  of  David  will  be  there  his  fu- 
!  neral  pomp.     But  before  that,  the  Lord  will  re- 
I  move   him   from   his  office   (vers.  17-19).     The 
I  LORD  will  call  to  his  place  as  steward  of  the  pa- 
|  lace  Eliakim  the  son  of  Hilkiah,  who  will  prove 
'  a  father  to  Jerusalem  and  Judah,  and  the  key  of 
authority  over  the  realm  shall  be  put  into  his 
hand  (vers.  20-22).     Eliakim  will  thereby  raise 


CHAP.  XXII.  15-25. 


253 


his  family  also  to  high  honors.  As  one  hangs  on 
a  nail  all  vessels  of  the  house,  so  will  he  elevate 
and  bear  all  the  descendants  of  his  house;  but 
this  procedure  will  not  remain  unpunished  —  for 
the  nail  will  break,  and  the  vessels  hanging  on  it 
will  fall  down  and  be  dashed  to  pieces  (ver.  23 
-25). 

2.  Thus  saith—  over  the  house.  —  Vers.  15. 


p5  occurs  only  here.  The  feminine  F^DD  is  ap- 
plied as  a  predicate  to  th^  Shunarnmite  Abishag 
(1  Kings  i.  2,  4).  A  njJJ  [Margin  of  English 
Bible  :  a  cherisher]  is  there  sought  for  the  king 
and  also  found  in  the  person  of  Abishag.  That 
in  this  connection  the  signification:  "intimate 
friend,"  arnica  intima,  familiarissima,  suits,  is  ob- 
vious. The  signification  "intimate  friend"  is  fa- 
vored by  the  related  root,  jDi^,  to  dwell,  with  the 
additional  signification,  to  dwell  together  (a'v/itoi- 
rof.  Comp.  Prov.  viii.  12;  GES.  Thes.  p.  1408), 
and  the  Arabic  sakan,  friend,  and  the  Hiphil. 
p.3pn,  to  form  acquaintance  (Job  xxii.  21),  cog- 
nilum  habere  (Ps.  cxxxix.  3)  consuevisse  (Numb. 
xxii.  30).  That  this  was  in  the  East  a  title  of  of- 
fice is  well  known.  (Comp.  the  LEXICONS  and 
GESENIUS  on  this  place).  I  therefore  translate 
JDD  by  "privy  counsellor."  The  pronoun  Hin 
this,  involves,  like  the  Latin  iste,  the  idea  of  con- 
tempt. The  name  K)3W  (written  HJIJty,  2  Kings 
xviii.  18,  26;  comp.  ibid.  vers.  37  and  xix.  2; 
Isa.  xxxvi.  3,  11,  22;  xxxvii.  2)  is  in  the  O.  T. 
applied  only  to  this  one  individual.  From  the 
circumstance  that  his  genealogy  is  not  given,  some 
have  been  inclined  to  infer  that  he  was  a  novus 
homo,  an  upstart,  perhaps  not  even  an  Israelite. 
Neither  conclusion  seems  to  me  to  be  justified. 
For,  that  Isaiah  does  not  name  the  father  of  Sheb- 
na  because  he  was  a  homo  ignobilis,  or  quite  un- 
known, is  so  unlikely,  that  we  must  rather  on  the 
contrary  say,  if  the  father  of  Shebna  had  been  a 
man  of  base,  or  not  even  of  Israelitish  origin,  or 
a  person  quite  unknown,  Isaiah  would  have  given 
prominence  to  this  circumstance,  because  it  would 
serve  to  set  the  haughtiness  of  Shebna  in  the  more 
glaring  light.  It  is  therefore  more  probable  that 
Isaiah,  contrary  to  the  approved  custom  of  the 
East,  omitted  the  name  of  the  father,  because  he 
would  not  show  this  respect  to  the  son.  The  fact 
that  Shebna  is  further  described  as  placed  "  over 
the  house,"  indicates  that  |3D  was  only  a  general 
title.  He  belonged,  in  general,  to  the  friends  of 
the  king,  but  he  was,  in  particular,  the  highest 
among  them,  viz.:  major  domus,  maire  du  palnis. 
He  filled  at  the  same  time  the  first  office  at  court 
and  in  the  state.  Comp.  1  Kings  iv.  6;  xvi.  9; 
xviii.  3;  2  Kings  x.  5.  From  2  Kings  xv.  5  we 
learn  that  even  the  son  of  the  king  and  subse- 
quently his  successor  on  the  throne  filled  this 
office. 

3.  What  hast  thou  -  pull  thee  down.— 
Vers.  16-19.  The  question  "  What  hast  thou  here  ?" 
evidently  means:  What  entitles  thee  to  make  thy 
grave  here?  While  the  question  "Whom  hast 
thou  here?"  intimates  that  Shebna  will  not  suc- 
ceed in  burying  here  even  one  of  his  kindred. 
The  thrice-  repeated  H3,  here,  intimates  that  the 
place  was  a  select  one,  not  standing  open  to  every 
person.  The  following  words  8HO  '3VH  to  the 


end  of  the  verse,  make  on  one  the  impression  that 
they  are  a  quotation  from  some  poem  unknown 
to  us.  For  1)  the  third  person  does  not  suit  the 
connection  here ;  2)  the  parallelism,  consisting 
of  two  members,  and  the  forms  "^n  and  'PPn 
indicate  a  poetic  origin.  What  height  is  meant 
appears  from  the  statement  in  many  passages  (1 
Kings  ii.  10;  xi.  43,  etc. ;  2  Chron.  xvi.  14,  etc.) 
that  the  sepulchres  of  the  kings  were  in  the  city 
of  David,  i.  e.,  on  Zion,  and  according  to  2  Chr. 
xxxii.  33,  on  the  height  of  Zion.  [Eng.  Ver. 
there  runs  "  in  the  chiefest  of  the  sepulchres  of 
the  sons  of  David;"  but  "height"  should  be 
substituted  for  "chiefest."  —  D.  M.j.  In  this 
quarter,  although  not  in  the  proper  sepulchres 
of  the  kings,  those  kings  also  were  interred  who 
did  not  appear  worthy  of  the  full  honor  of  a  kingly 
burial  (2  Chron.  xxiv.  16).  Comp.  HEEZOG, 
R  -Enc.  I.,  p.  773  sqq.  In  the  neighborhood  of 
the  royal  sepulchres  on  the  height  of  Zion,  Shebna 
also  seems  to  haye  laid  out  for  himself  a  tomb 
hewn  in  a  rock.  An  honor  which  was  volunta- 
rily accorded  to  such  a  man  as  Jehoiada  he  arro- 
gates to  himself.  The  last  member  of  verse  16 
bears  evidently  the  character  of  poetic  parallel- 
ism, for  it  repeats  for  the  sake  of  rhetorical  effect 
the  thought  of  the  preceding  clause,  though  some- 
what modified  (the  grave  is  described  as  a  habi- 
tation for  the  dead).  Comp.  Obad.  3;  Hab.  ii. 
19.  Shebna  believes  that  he  is  able  to  secure  for 
himself  and  his  family,  even  after  death,  a  per- 
manent dwelling  for  all  times.  But  the  Prophet 
announces  to  him  that  the  LORD  will  cast  him 
forth,  will  whirl  him  out  Avith  a  whirl  as  a  man, 
i.  e.,  with  the  force  of  a  strong  man.  Ver.  18. 
WTe  have  here  a  pregnant  construction.  ^Ji'  be- 
sides meaning  to  roll  together,  must  have  latent 
in  it  the  idea  of  rolling  forth,  as  it  is  connected 

with  *7N.  n£Jjy  is  then  not  the  act  of  rolling,  but 
that  which  is  rolled  together.  The  expression 
D^T  rorn,  widely  extended  on  both  sides,  is 
found  further  only  in  Gen.  xxxiv.  21 ;  Judges 
xviii.  10;  1  Chron.  iv.  40;  Neh.  vii.  4.  The 
Prophet  evidently  means  by  this  large  country 
Mesopotamia,  which  then  still  belonged  to  the  As- 
syrian empire.  It  seems  to  me  that  there  is  also 
a'n  antithesis  in  this  expression.  As  being  cast 
forth  stands  in  opposition  to  the  peaceful  staying 
at  home  which  Shebna  hoped  for,  FO  the  broad 
country  is  in  contrast  to  the  elevated  rock  hewn 
sepulchre  above  the  narrow  valley.  There,  con- 
sequently, in  a  place  which  is  the  very  opposite 
of  the  place  where  Shebna  wished  to  build  his 
grave,  there  shall  he  die,  and  there  shall  he  be 
buried.  But  even  the  burial  ceremonies  will  con- 
trast strangely  with  those  which  Shebna  had  an- 
ticipated. Almost  all  interpreters  take  'N  '3  jl^p 
as  vocative.  But  then  the  sentence  "andUiere 
the  chariots,  etc.,"  would  be  without  a  predicate  ; 
or  we  must  supply  an  unmeaning  predicate  such 
as  erunt,  venient,  or  an  arbitrary  one  such  as  peri- 
bunt.  The  VULGATE  and  the  Peshito  have  taken 
the  words  HOtf!  to  "p"lK  together  as  subject  and 
predicate.  But  when  they  translate  "etibierit 
currus  yloriae  tuae  irjnominia  domus  domini  tui" 
we  must  not  think  that  they  take  currus  as  the 
subject;  for  this  construction  yields  no  tolerable 


254 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


sense.  But  ignominia,  etc.  ('N  '3  jl 7p)  is  the  sub- 
ject. We  have,  indeed,  so  far  as  I  know,  no  ex- 
press statements  respecting  the  use  of  chariots  at 
the  funerals  of  the  Hebrews.  Only  in  2  Kings 
xxiii.  30  we  read  that  the  dead  body  of  king  Jo- 
fiiah  was  brought  in  a  chariot  (comp.  2  Chron. 
xxxv.  24)  from  Megiddo  to  Jerusalem.  But  the 
thing  is  in  itself  probable,  and  in  the  passage  be- 
fore us  the  mention  of  chariots  would  be  well  ex- 
plained if  we  durst  assume  that  Isaiah  thought 
of  the  magnificent  funeral  with  chariots  which 
Shebna  might  expect.  In  this  supposition  I 
translate  "  and  there  will  thy  state-carriages  be 
— the  shame  of  the  house  of  thy  lord  ;"  that  is, 
the  shame  which  the  house  of  thy  lord  will  suffer, 
and  that,  too,  chiefly  through  thy  fault,  this  shame 
will  be  the  escort  of  thy  dead  body,  it  will  serve 
thee  instead  of  the  chariots  with  which  they  would 
have  furnished  thy  funeral  here,  suitably  to  thy 
dignity  as  placed  over  the  palace,  it  will  consti- 
tute thy  obsequies  and  accompany  thee  to  the 
grave.  That  in  the  expression  ''  shame  of  thy 
lord's  house,"  there  is  an  allusion  to  the  house  of 
the  king  ovar  which  Shebna  was  placed,  is  self- 
evident.  There  is  no  hysteron  proteron  when  the 
Prophet  announces  the  deposition  of  Shebna  from 
his  office.  For,  in  fact,  this  deposition  is  only  the 
consequence  of  the  judgment  which  was  to  come 
on  Shebna  on  account  of  his  presumption  in 
building  himself  a  vault.  How  can  a  man, 
against  whom  such  a  sentence  has  been  published, 
remain  steward  of  the  palace  ?  He  displeases  the 
King  of  kings.  How  can  the  earthly  king,  if  he 
will  not  draw  on  himself  the  wrath  of  the  hea- 
venly King,  retain  him?  He  must  dismiss  the 
man  to  whom  Jehovah  Himself  has  given  notice 
of  dismissal.  Ver.  19.  The  change  of  person  in 
the  two  verbs  is  best  explained,  after  what  has 
been  remarked,  in  this  way :  the  first  person  re- 
fers to  the  LORD  as  the  Supreme  Ruler ;  the  third 
person,  to  the  human  authority,  by  means  of 
which  the  divine  will  is  executed  on  Shebna. 
This  third  person  is  not  mentioned  by  name,  and 
is  to  be  rendered  by  "  he  "  or  "  one/'  Shebna's 
pride  was  certainly  only  one  symp'om  of  a  spirit 
displeasing  to  God.  He  was  assuredly  no  "  servant 
of  the  LORD  ;"  he  therefore  did  not  employ  his 
power  to  promote  the  cause  of  Jehovah,  and  he 
must  give  way  to  a  better  man. 

4.  And  it  shall  come — hath  spoken  it. — 
Vers.  20-25.  On  the  day  when  Shebna  must  quit 
his  post,  Eliakim  the  son  of  Hilkiah  will  occupy 
his  place.  We  know  of  this  Eliakim  nothing  ex- 
cept what  we  learn  from  the  present  passage 
and  from  xxxvi.  and  xxxvii.  He  was  in  all 
probability  of  the  priestly  race.  For  Hilkiah, 
as  his  father  was  called,  w'as  a  common  name  of 
priests.  At  all  event's,  all  persons  called  Hilkiah 
mentioned  in  the  O.  T.  are,  with  a  single  doubtful 


Neh.Viii.  4 ;  xi.  11 ;  xii.  7.  It  seems  to  follow 
from  ver.  21,  that  the  steward  of  the  house  had 
an  official  dress,  with  the  putting  on  of  which  his 
installation  was  connected.  The  AJfD,  tunic  was 
one  of  the  principal  parts  of  the  dress  of  the 
priests.  (Ex.  xxviii.  40;  xxix.  5,  8,  etc..}.  The 
girdle  (W3J*)  also  belonged  to  the  dress  of  the 


priests  (Ex.  xxviii.  29  ;  Lev.  viii.).  rP&?pp  in 
the  sense  of  sphere  of  rule,  jurisdiction,  in  Isaiah 
besides  only  xxxix.  2.  Where  the  paternal  au- 
thority stands  so  high  as  among  the  Jews  the  ex- 
pression, "  to  be  a  father  to  one  "  denotes  a  right 
to  rule,  which  has  no  other  limits  than  those 
which  nature  itself  imposes  on  a  father  in  rela- 
tion to  his  child  (Gen.  xlv.  8;  Judges  xvii.  10; 
xviii.  19).  The  expression  "the  house  of  Ju- 
dah  "  is  found  in  Isaiah  besides  only  xxxvii.  31. 
It  occurs  first  in  Hosea  (i.  7  ;  v.  12,  14) ;  and  is 
especially  frequent  in  the  older  parts  of  Jeremiah 
(iii.  18;  v.  11;  xi.  10,  17,  etc.),  and  in  Ezekiel 
(iv.  6;  viii.  17  ;  ix.  9,  etc.).  Respecting  the  dis- 
tinction between  Judah  and  Jerusalem  comp.  on 
ii.  1 ;  v.  3.  Ver.  22.  The  power  over  the  house 
is  essentially  a  power  of  the  keys.  For  the  key 
opens  the  entrance  to  the  house,  to  the  apartments 
and  to  all  that  is  in  them.  He,  therefore,  who 
alone  has  this  key,  has  alone  also  the  highest 
power.  The  expression  reminds  us  on  the  one 
hand  of  ix.  5  (''on  his  shoulder"  is  a  symbolical 
representation  of  the  office  as  a  burden  to  be  car- 
ried), on  the  other  hand  of  Job  xii.  14.  The 
LORD  Himself  is  in  Rev.  iii.  7  represented  after 
the  present  passage  as  He  who  has  "  the  key  of 
David."  Eliakim  is  not  only  to  possess  the 
highest  authority  at  court  and  in  the  State,  he  is 
also  to  use  his  position  for  advancing  all  his 
house  to  high  honor.  This  will  not  happen 
without  abuse  of  power  and  evil  consequences. 
A  double  image  is  used  to  express  what  Eliakim 
will  be  to  his  house.  First,  he  shall  be  fastened 
as  a  nail  ("VV  xxxiii.  20;  liv.  2)  in  a  sure  place 
(i.  e.,  in  a  place  where  it  sticks  fast).  I  do  not 
think  that  IfV  is  here  to  be  taken  as  a  tent-peg ; 
for  that  would  not  suit  ver.  25.  The  figure  is  in- 
tended first  of  all  to  convey  the  idea  that  Elia- 
kim's  influential  position  will  be  firmly  estab- 
lished and  secure.  The  word  of  the  LORD  has 
called  him  to  it.  In  this  secure  and  influential 
place  Eliakim  will  be  for  his  own  family  a  throne 
of  honor  (1  Sam.  ii.  8  ;  Jer.  xiv.  21 ;  xvii.  12), 
i.  e.,  he  will  bear  his  whole  family,  it  will  honora- 
bly rest  on  him,  as  upon  a  throne.  We  see  that 
the  two  figures  come  substantially  to  the  same 
thing.  But  the  figure  of  a  nail  is  in  itself  a  less 
honorable  one  than  that  of  a  throne.  For  the 
nail  is  only  a  common  article  serving  simply  for 
the  hanging  up  of  vessels.  It  happens  then  to 
Eliakim  that  he  is  a  nail  to  which  all  that  be- 
longs to  the  house  of  Hilkiah  attaches  itself,  in 
order  to  attain  to  honor  by  him  (ver.  24  a). 
They  hang  on  Eliakim  the  offspring  (D'Ni'NV 
an  expression  which  occurs  only  Job  v.  25;  xxi. 
8;  xxvii.  14;  xxxi.  Sand  Isa.  xxxiv.  1;  xlii. 
5;  xliv.  3;  xlviii.  19;  Ixi.  9;  Ixy.  23)  and  the 
issue ;  the  two  expressions,  denste  the  direct  and 
collateral  issue.  f\lPp2f  properly  parasite  plants, 
hangers-on.  njT2¥,  a~.  /ley.,  is  a  contemptuous 
expression,  as  we  can  see  from  JTStf  (Ezek.  iv. 
15).  All  vessels  of  small  quantity,  of  smallness 
(xxxvi.  9,  comp.  Ex.  xv.  16)  from  the  basins 
(Ex.  xxiv.  6)  to  the  skin  bottles,  or  vessels  like 
skin  bags  or  bottles.  Thus  his  entire  kindred 
will  fasten  themselves  on  him.  The  proper,  li- 
teral expressions  ''the  offspring  and  the  issue" 
are  illustrated  by  the  figurative  expressions  which 
follow.  Ver.  25.  In  that  day  (with  significant 


CHAP.  XXII.  15-25. 


255 


allusion  to  ver.  20)  i.  e.,  at  the  time  when  this 
nepotism  will  be  at  its  height,  and  be  ripe  for 
judgment,  the  nail  which  was  fastened  in  a  sure 
place  will  give  way,  break  and  fall,  and  the 
burden  hanging  on  it  will  be  dashed  to  pieces. 
Many  interpreters  take  oftence  at  this  turn  of  the 
prophecy,  which  unexpectedly  betokens  disaster, 
and  HITZIG  pronounces  ver.  24  sq.  a  later  addi- 
tion. But  as  the  prophecy  directed  against  Sheb- 
na  had  the  effect  that  he  actually  resigned  his 
post  in  favor  of  Eliakim,  and  was  ^content  with 
the  lower  office  of  a  scribe  (xxxvi.  3  sqq.),  in 
like  manner  the  unexpected  statement,  ver.  24 
sq.,  can  have  had  the  salutary  design,  and  effect 
of  warning  Eliakim.  If  this  result  followed, 
then  the  words  were  not,  in  fact,  pregnant  with 
disaster,  but  with  profit.  If  Eliakim  did  not  let 
himelf  be  admonished,  he  deserved  what  is 
threatened. 


DOCTRINAL  AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xxi.  2   "God  punishes  one  villain  by 
means  of  another,  and  a  man  is  punished  by  the 
very  sin   which  he  himself  commits   (Wisdom 
xi.  17).    Thus  God  punished  the  Babylonians  by 
the  Persians,  the    Persians   by  the  Greeks,  the 
Greeks  by  the  Romans,  the  Romans  by  the  Goths, 
Longobardi,  and    Saracens." — CRAMER.      [The 
Persians  shall  pay  the  Babylonians  in  their  own 
coin;  they  that  by  fraud  and  violence,  cheating 
and  plundering,  unrighteous  wars  and  deceitful 
treaties,  have  made  a  prey  of  their  neighbors, 
shall  meet  with  their  match,  and  by  the  same 
methods  shall  themselves  be   made  a   prey  of. 
HENRY.  D.  M.]. 

2.  On  xxi.  3.  "The  Prophets  do  not  rejoice  at 
the  loss  suffered  by  their  enemies ;  but  have  sym- 
pathy for  them  as  for  men  made  in  the  image  of 
God.     We  ought  not  to  cast  off  every  humane 
feeling    towards    our    foes    (Matt.    v.    34)."  — 
CRAMER. 

3.  On  xxi.  5.     "  Invadunt  urbem  vino  somnoque 
sepultam."    VIRGIL.     "  We  see  here  how  people 
commonly  feel  the  more  secure,  the  more  they 
indulge   their  fleshly  lusts,  although    they  are 
drawing   nearer    their   punishment.     So  was  it 
with  the  antediluvian  world,  so  is  it  now  also  in 
these  last  times  when  the  coming  of  Christ  is  ex- 
pected, as  He  says,  Matt.  xxiv.  38." — RENNER. 
The  Prophet  Isaiah  expounded,  etc. — STUTTGART, 
1865,  p.  73. 

4.  On  xxi.  6  sqq.     "  It  is  a  grand,  infallible 
evidence  of  the  prophetic  Scriptures,  and  of  their 
divine  inspiration,  that  they  do  not  speak  in  gen- 
eral uncertain  terms,  but  describe  future  things 
so  accurately,  and    exactly,  as  if  we  saw  them 
before  our  eyes.     This  serves  to  establish  the  au- 
thority of  the  Holy  Scriptures." — CRAMER. 

5.  On  xxi.  10.     Only  what  the  LORD  said  to 
him,  and  all  that  the  LORD  said  to  him,  the  Pro- 
phet declares.     Therefore  lie  is  sure  and  certain, 
even  when  he  has  incredible  tilings  to  announce. 
Therefore  is  he  firm  and  courageous,  though  what 
he  has  to  proclaim  does  not  please  the  world. 
He  conceals  and  keeps  back  nothing;    neither 
does  he  add  anything.     He  is  a  faithful  declarer 
of  the  mind  of  God,  and  does  not  spare  even 
himself.     The  proof,  fulfilment  and  accomplish- 
ment he  leaves  to  Him  who  spake  through  him. 


6.  On  xxi.  11.   "  He  who  sets  the  watch  without 
God,  watches  in  vain  (Ps.  cxxvii.  1).     And  when 
God  Himself  is  approaching,  then  no  care  of  the 
watchmen  is  of  any  use,  whether  it  be  day  or 
night.     For  when  the  day  of  the  LORD  begins  to 
burn,  even  the  stars  of  heaven  and  his  Orion,  do 
not  shine  brightly.    For  God  covers  the  heavens, 
and  makes  the  stars  thereof  dark,  and  covers  the 
sun  with  a  cloud  (Ezek.  xxxii.  7).     For  when 
God  the  Creator  of  all  things  frowns  on  us,  then 
all  creatures  also  frown  on  us,  and  are  terrible 
and  offensive  to  us." — CRAMER.   From  this  place 
CHRISTIAN  FRIEDR.  RICHTER,  has  composed  his 
fine  morning  hymn  : — 

Hiiter,  wird  die  Nacht  der  Siinden 
Nicht  verschwinden  f 

[Comp.   in    ENGLISH    BOWRING'S    well-known 
hymn  : — 

Watchman,  tell  us  of  the  night, 
What  its  signs  of  promise  are. — D.  M.] 

7.  On  xxi.  14.     ''  We  ought  not  to  forget  to  be 
hospitable  towards  the  needy  (Heb.  xiii.  1)." — 
CRAMER. 

8.  On  xxi.  16.     ''I  regard  as  a  true  Prophet 
him  who  does  not  declare  a  matter  upon  mere 
imagination    and    conjecture,  but   measures  the 
time  so  exactly  that  he  fixes  precisely  when  a 
thing  shall  happen." — CRAMER. 

9.  On  xxii.   2  sqq.     To  see  the  enemy  at  the 
gates,  and  at  the  same  time  to  regard  him  merely 
with    curiosity,  and    to   indulge    in    mirth    and 
jollity,  as  if  all  were  well,  and  this  too  at  a  time 
when  God's  servants  warn   men  with  tears,  as 
Isaiah  did  Jerusalem  (ver.  4),  this  is  blind  pre- 
sumption which  God  will  punish.     But  when  the 
calamity  has  burst  upon  them,  and  all  expedients 
by  which  they  try  to  avert  it  are  of  no  avail,  for 
men  to  despise   then  the  only  one  who  can  help 
them,  and  to  spend  the  brief  remaining  time  in 
sensual  pleasure,  this  is  open  eyed  defiance,  and 
will  lead  to  judicial  blindness,  and  that  sin  which 
will  not  be  forgiven  (Matt.  xii.  32). 

10.  On  xxii.  13.    This  is  the  language  of  swine 
of  the   herd   of  Epicurus,  comp.   Isa.   Ivi.    12 ; 
Wisdom  ii.  6  sqq.  ;  1  Cor.  xv.  32. 

11.  On  xxii.  14.  It  is  true,  as  AUGUSTINE  says, 
that  ''  no  one  should  despair  of  the  remission  of 
his  sin,  seeing  that  even  they  who  put,  Christ  to 
death  obtained   forgiveness,"  and  "  the  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ  was  so  shed  lor  the  forgiveness  of 
all  sins  that  it  could  wash  away  the  sins  of  those 
by  whom  it  was  shed" — but  that  obstinacy,  which 
refuses  to  see  the  needed  help,  excludes  itself 
from  grace  and  forgiveness. 

12.  On   xxii.    15   sqq.      The   mission   which 
Isaiah  here  receives,  reminds  us  strongly  of  that 
which  Jeremiah  had  to  discharge  towards  Je- 
hoiakim  (Jer.  xxii.  1  sqq.,  esp.  ver.  19),  and  also 
of  what  he  was  obliged  to  say  to  Pashur  (xx.  6). 
A  Prophet  of  the  LORD  must  show  no  respect  of 
persons.     Isaiah  indeed  seems  to  have  produced 
the  desired  effect ;  for  we  find  xxxvi.  and  xxxvii. 
Shebna  as  Scribe  and  Eliakim  as  steward  of  the 
house.      But  Jeremiah  received  as   recompense 
for  the  fulfilment  of  his  mission  bitter  hatred  and 
cruel  persecution. 

13.  On  xxii.  17.   The  Vulgate  translates  here: 
Ecce  Dominus  asportari  te  /octet,  sicut  asportatur 


256 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


gallus  gattinaceus.  And  JEROME  in  his  exposi- 
tion savs:  "Hebraeus,  qui  nos  in  lectione  veteris 
Testamenti  erudivit,  gallum  gallinaceum 
transtulit.  Sicut  inquit  gallus  gallinaceus  humero 
portatoris  de  cu'o  loco  transfertur  ad  alium,  sic  te 
Domin>ts  de  loco  tuo  leviter  asportabit."  The  cock 
which  is  never  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament, 
and  for  which  we  have  no  genuine  Hebrew  word, 
is  in  fact  called  "OJ  by  the  Talmudists.  "  Con- 
science, wanting  the  word  of  God,  is  as  a  ball  roll- 
ing on  the  ground,  and  cannot  rest." — LUTHER. 

14.  On  xxti.  19.      ''  Service  at  court  is  not  in 
itself  to   be   condemned,    and  a  good  ruler  and 
a  worthy  prime   minister   are   the  gift   of  God 
(SiRACH  iv.  8,  II;  Ch.  x.).     Let  him   therefore 
who  is  called  to  such  an  office  abide,  as  the  LORD 
has  called  him   (1  Cor.    vii.  17),  and  beware  of 
excessive  pomp.     For  God  can  quickly  depose 
the  proiirl." — CRAMER. 

15.  On  xxii.  21   sqq.      The  comparison   of  a 
magistrate  in  high  position  with  a  father  is  very 
appropriate.      The  whole  extent,  and  the  proper 
measure  of  a  ruler's  power  are  involved  in  this 
similitude.     The  authority  of  a  father  and  that 
of  a  ruler  have  a  common  root  in  love.    Eliakim 
in  having  the  keys  of  the   house  of  David  laid 
on  his  shoulder  that  he  might  open   and  no  one 
shut,  and  shut  and  no  one  open  is  (Rev.  iii.  7) 
viewed  as  a  type  of  Christ,  who  is  the  adminis- 
trator appointed  by  God  over  the  house  of  David 
in  the  highest  sense,  i.  e.,  over  the  kingdom  of 
God.     Christ  has  this  power  of  the  keys  in  un- 
restricted measure      The  ministers  of  the  LORD 
exercise  the  same  only  in  virtue  of  the  commis- 
sion which  they  have  from  Him  ;  and  their  exer- 
cise of  it  is  only  then  sanctioned  by  the  LORD, 
when  it  is  in  the  Spirit  which  the  XORD  breathed 
into  the  disciples  before  He  committed  to  them 
the  power  of  the  keys  (John  xx.  22  sq.).     ["The 
application  of  the  same  terms  to  Peter  (Matt.  xvi. 
19)  and  to  Christ  Himsslf  (Rev.  iii.  7)  does  not 
prove  that  they  here  refer  to  either,  or  that  Elia- 
kim was  a  type  of  Christ,  but  merely  that  the  same 
words  admit  of  different  applications."    ALEXAN- 
DER.     ''  It  is  God  that  clothes  rulers  with  their 
robas,  and,  therefore,  we  must  submit  ourselves  to 
tham  for  the  LORD'S  sake  and  with  an  eye  to 
Him  (1   Pet.   ii.  13).     And   since  it  is  He   that 
commits    the    government    into    their    land, — they 
must   administer   it   according    to   His    will,  for 
His  glory.     And  they  may  depend  on  Him  to 
furnish  them  for  what  He  calls  them  to ;   accord- 
ing to  the  promise  here.     /  will  clothe  him:  and 
then  there  follows,  1  will  strengthen  him."     After 
HENRY— D.  M.] 

16.  On  xxii.  25.     ''  No  one  ia  so  exalted  or 
raised  to  such  high  dignity  as  to  abide  therein. 
But  man's  prosperity,  office  and  honor,  and  what- 
ever else  is  esteemed  great  in  the  world  are,  like 
human  life,  on  account  of  sin  inconstant,  vain  and 


liable  to  pass  away.     This  serves  as  an  admoni* 
tion  against  pride  and  security."  CRAMER. 


HOMILETICAL   HINTS   ON   XXI. — XXII. 

1.  On  xxi.  1-4.     God's  judgments  are  terrible, 
1 )  for  him  on  whom  they  fall ;  2)  for  him  who 
has  to  announce  them. 

2.  On  xxi.  6-10.     The  faithful  watchman.     1) 
He  stands  upon  his  watch  day  and  night.     2)  He 
announces  only  what  he  has  seen  and  what  he 
has  heard  from  the  LORD  (vers.  9  and   10).     3) 
But  he  announces  this  as  a  lion,  i.  e.  aloud  and 
without  fear. 

3.  On   xxii.   11-12.     The   spiritual   night   on 
earth.  1)  It  is  a.  a  night  of  tribulation,  6.  a  night 
of  sin.     2)  It  awakens  a  longing  for  its  end.     3) 
It  does  not  entirely  cease  till  the  LORD  "  vouch- 
safes to  us  a  happy  end,  and  graciously  \akes  us 
from  this  valley  of  weeping  to  Himself  in  hea- 
ven." 

4.  On  xxi.  14  sq.     We  may  fitly  employ  this 
text  for  a  charity  sermon  on  any  occasion  when 
an  appeal  is  made  to  the  benevolence  of  the  con- 
gregation (especially  for  exiles,  as  those  banished 
from  the  Salzburg  territory  for  their  Evangelical 
faith).      What  we  ought  to  consider  when  our  contri- 
butions are  asked.    1)   Our  own  situation  (we  dwell 
in  the  land  of  Tema,  a  quite  fertile  oasis).   2)  The 
situation  of  those  who  come  to  us  in  their  distress. 
3)  What  we  have  to  give  them. 

5.  On  xxii.   1-7.     Warning  against  thought- 
lessness.    Pride  precedes  a  fall.     Blind  presump- 
tion is  often  changed  into  its  opposite. 

6.  On  xxii.  8-14.     Blind  presumption  is  bad, 
but  open-eyed  obstinacy  is  still  worse.  The  latter 
is  when  one  clearly  perceives  the  existing  dis- 
tress, and  the  insufficiency  of  our  own  powers  and 
of  the  means  at  our  command,  and  yet  refuses  to 
look  to  Him  who  alone  can  help,  or  to  consider 
the  fate  which  awaits  those  who  die  without  God, 
and  seeks  before  the  impending  catastrophe  hap- 
pens to  snatch  as  much  as  possible  of  the  enjoy- 
ments of  this  world. 

7.  On  xxii.  15-19.     He  who  will  fly  high  is  in 
danger  of  falling  low.    God  can  easily  cast  him 
down.  The  waxen  wings  of  Icarus.  Shebna  illus- 
trates, 1  Pet.  v.  5. 

8.  On   xxii.   20-25.     A   mirror  for  those   in 
office.     Every  one  who  has  an  office,  ought  1)  to 
be  conscious  that  he  has  come  into  the  office  le- 
gally, and  according  to  the  will  of  God;  2)  He 
ought  to  be  a  father  to  those  over  whom  he  is  set ; 
3)  He  ought  so  to  do  everything  which  hedoes  in 
his  office,  that  its  justice  is  apparent,  and  that  no 
one  can  impugn  it.    4)  He  ought  not  to  be  like  a 
nail  on    which   all  the   relations  of  his   family 
strive  to  fasten  their  hope  of  success;  for  that  is 
bad  for  himself  and  for  those  who  would  so  abuse 
his  influence. 


IV.   PROPHECY  AGAINST  TYRE.    CHAPTER  XXIII. 


All  the  nations  hitherto  mentioned,  bordering 
on  Judah,  come  under  the  power  of  Assyria.  But 
Tyre,  according  to  verse  13,  is  to  fall  a  prey  to 
the  Chnldaenns.  This  prophecy  is  placed  last  on 
account  of  its  fulfilment  belonging  to  a  time  sub- 


sequent to  the  supremacy  of  Assyria.  Tyre  was 
not  only  the  head  of  the  minor  Phoenician  states, 
but  was  also  the  mistress  of  the  sea,  both  for  com- 
merce and  war ;  and  for  these  two  reasons  was 
the  most  important  ally  of  Egypt.  He  who  would 


CHAP.  XXIII.  1-14. 


257 


attack  Egypt  from  the  north  must  first  seek  to 
possess  himself  of  Tyre,  which  was  the  bulwark 
of  Egypt.  Assyria  had  long  an  eye  on  Egypt.  They 
were,  in  fact,  natural  rivals.  Shalmaneser,  rightly 
perceiving  the  importance  which  Tyre  had  for 
his  plans  against  Egypt,  made  himself  master  of 
Phoenicia,  with  exception  of  insular  Tyre,  which  I 
he  blockaded  for  live  years,  and  sought,  by  cut- 
ting otf  its  supply  of  water,  to  force  to  surrender. 
Whether  he  succeeded  in  this  attempt  cannot  be 
definitely  ascertained.  In  any  case  Tyre  suffered 
no  great  loss.  Our  prophecy  must  have  had  its 
rise  at  this  time.  For  further  particulars  see  be- 
low in  remarks  on  xxxiii.  15-18.  Rationalistic 
interpreters  place  this  alternative  before  us  in  re- 
gard to  the  genuineness  of  the  prophecy.  Either 
the  prophecy  refers  to  a  conquest  of  Tyre  by  the 
Assyrians — in  that  case  it  is  genuine ;  or  it  is  in- 
tended to  announce  a  conquest  by  the  Chaldaeana 


— in  that  case  it  is  spurious.  It  is  admitted  that 
it  bears  the  marks  of  having  Isaiah  for  its  author. 
But  it  is  judged  impossible  for  Isaiah  to  have  an- 
nounced the  Chaldeans  as  the  conquerors  of 
Tyre.  I  believe  it  would  be  more  scientific  not  to 
regard  this  as  impossible,  but  to  treat  it  as  a 
problem.  Even  KNOBEL  defends  the  authenticity 
of  the  prophecy  against  the  shallow  objections 
drawn  from  language  and  history  by  HITZIO 
and  MOVERS  (Tubingen  Quarterly  Journal  III. 
p.  506  sqq.).  MOVERS  afterwards  modified  his 
view  so  as  to  allow  chapter  xxiii.  to  be  genu- 
ine, but  revised  and  altered  by  Jeremiah  (Phoen, 
II.  1,  p.  396,  Note).  KNOBEL  defends  also  its  in-' 
tegrity  against  EiciniORN,  EWALD  and  MEIER. 
The  vers.  15-18  stand  and  fall  with  the  expression 
"  the  land  of  the  Chaldseans,"  ver.  13.  The  piece 
consists  of  two  parts,  of  which  the  first  (verp.  1- 
14)  has  for  its  subject  the  fall  of  Tyre,  the  second 
(vers.15-18)  Tyre's  restoration. 


a)  The  fall  of  Tyre.     CHAPTER  XXIII.  1-14. 

1  THE  BURDEN  OF  TYRE. 
Howl,  ye  ships  of  Tarshish  ; 
For  it  is  laid  waste, 

So  that  there  is  no  house,  no  entering  in , 
From  the  laud  of  Chittim  it  is  revealed  to  them. 

2  Be  'still,  ye  inhabitants  of  the  isle  ; 

Thou  whom  the  merchants  of  Zidon,  that  pass  over  the  sea, 
Have  replenished. 

3  And  by  great  waters  the  seed  of  Sihor, 
The  harvest  of  the  river,  is  her  revenue  ; 
And  "she  is  a  mart  of  nations. 

4  Be  thou  ashamed,  O  Zidon  ;  for  the  sea  hath  spoken, 
Even  the  strength  of  the  sea,  saying, 

bl  travail  not,  nor  bring  forth  children, 
Neither  do  I  nourish  up  young  men, 
Nor  bring  up  young  virgins. 

5  °As  at  the  report  concerning  Egypt, 

So  shall  they  be  sorely  pained  at  the  report  of  Tyre. 

6  Pass  ye  over  to  Tarshish  ; 
Howl,  ye  inhabitants  of  the  isle. 

7  AIs  this  your  joyous  city, 

Whose  antiquity  is  of  ancient  days  ? 

eHer  own  feet  shall  carry  her  afar  off  to  sojourn. 

8  Who  hath  taken  this  counsel  against  Tyre,  fthe  crowning  city ; 
Whose  merchants  are  princes, 

Whose  traffickers  are  the  honourable  of  the  earth  ? 

9  The  LORD  of  hosts  hath  purposed  it, 
To  2stain  the  pride  of  all  glory,   • 

And  to  bring  into  contempt  all  the  honorable  of  the  earth. 

10  Pass  through  thy  land  as  a  river, 
O  daughter  of  Tarshish  : 

There  is  no  more  'strength. 

11  Pie  stretched  out  his  hand  over  the  sea  ; 
He  shook  the  kingdoms. 

The  LORD  hath  given  a  commandment  4against  6the  merchant  cdy 
To  destroy  the  "strongholds  thereof. 
17 


258 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


12  And  he  said, 

Thou  shalt  no  more  rejoice, 

O  thou  oppressed  virgin,  daughter  of  Zidon; 

Arise,  pass  over  to  Chittim, 

There  also  .shalt  thou  have  no  rest. 

13  Behold,  the  land  of  the  Chaldeans ; 
This  people  was  not : — 

"Till  the  Assyrian  founded  it 
For  them  that  dwell  in  the  wilderness: 
They  set  up  the  towers  thereof; 
They  raised  up  the  palaces  thereof; 
And  he  brought  it  to  ruin. 

14  Howl,  ye  ships  of  Tarshish  ; 
For  your  strength  is  laid  waste. 

i  Heb.  silent.  *  Heb.  to  pollute. 

*  Or,  concerning  a  merchantman.  5  Heb.  Canaan. 

»  And  it  became  merchandise  for  thenations.  b  this  and  the  fallowing  verbs  in  past  tense. 

"  When,  the  report  comes  to  Egypt,  they  are  forthwith  in  terror  at  the  report  concerning  Tyre. 

•»  Is  Urn  your  lot,  OjoyotU  city?  •  Her  feet  carried  her  afar  to  dwell. 

'  the  crown-giver.  t  See  Exegetical  Comment. 


8  Heb.  girdle. 
6  Or,  strengths. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  'S'Sri  which  is  first  found  in  Joel  (i.  5,  11, 
13),  occurs  besides  in  Isaiah  only  in  the  first  prophecy 
against  Babylon  (xiii.  6  here  evidently  borrowed  from 
Joel)  and  in  the  form  'T/'H  in  the  Massa  against  the 
Philistines  (xiv.  31). 

Ver.  3.  "iriD  never  means  emporium,  mart,   which  it 

-   T 

must  signify  if  TirO  should  be  referred  to  'X.  The 
form  inp  can  denote  only  what  is  traded,  or  gain  re- 
sulting from  merchandise  (xlv.  11  and  Prov.  iii.  14).  It 
is:  identical  in  meaning  with  "IflD,  ver.  18;  Prov.  iii.  14; 
xxxi.  18.  nnp  is  obviously  the  construct  state,  and  is 
referred  by  EWALD  to  "\nD,  by  GESENITJS  to  an  assumed 
form  inD-— D.  M.]. 

Ver.  4.  TiS-U  and  TIODn  as  i.  2.  [DELITZSCH  perti- 
nently asks,  "  Who  does  not  in  these  words  hear  Isaiah 
speak?"— D.  M.]. 


is  to  lead,  to  bring.    pirPD  afar  (comp.  on 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  5.  3  before  yiyy  marks  coincidence.  J7DE?  is 
the  accusative  of  time. 

Ver.  7.  nrvjf  (comp.  xxii.  2)  involves  perhaps  an  al- 
lusion to  the  Phoenician  female  name  Elissa.  7'DV 

xxii.  3). 

Ver.  11.  rVJTJJD  is  treated  by  some,  e.  g.,  OLSHAUSEN, 
as  an  anomaly  ;  by  others  it  is  supposed  capable  of  ex- 
planation. We  must  agree  with  those  who  regard  it  as 
an  anomalous  form  which  has  arisen  by  some  oversight. 

Ver.  13.  rn3,    Ken    Mf\3  from  ir\3  explorare  is  the 

specula,  turris  exploratoria.  The  word  occurs  only  here. 
1TUJ?  Pilel  from  Tty'  (=  mjj  nudumetsse, xxii. 6,  1)y 
Hab.  iii.  9)  nudare,  to  make  naked,  t.  e.,  to  uncover  by 
overturning.  The  conjugation  Pilel  only  here,  Pilpel 
Jer.  li.  58.  PlSsO  besides  only  xiv.  2.  Comp. 
xvii.  1. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  in  the  first  place  calls  upon  the 
Tyrian  mariners  sojourning  in  Tarshish  far  from 
their  home,  to  break  forth  into  loud  lamentation 
as  the  tidings  have  come  to  I  hem  across  the  land 
of  Chittim  that  their  home  is  destroyed,  and  are- 
turn  thither  is  no  longer  possible  (ver.  1).  Then 
in  a  brief  word  stillness,  eternal  silence  is  en- 
joined on  insular  Tyre,  that  had  been  hitherto  the 
noisy  centre  of  the  Phoenician  commerce,  the 
great  negotiator  between  Egypt  with  its  abund- 
ance of  products  and  the  other  nations  (verses  2 
and  3).  Then  Zidon  is  reminded  of  the  shame  it 
will  feel,  when,  on  coming  to  the  site  of  Tyre, 
it  will  find  no  children  there,  but  only  the  dead 
rock  and  unfruitful  sea  (verse  4^.  Egypt,  too, 
learns  the  report,  and  is  affrighted  (ver.  5).  No- 
thing remains  for  Tyre  but  to  flee  to  Tarshish,  as 
its  ships  can  no  more  return  to  Tvre  (ver.  6). 
Next,  the  Prophet  makes  a  comparison  between 
what  Tyre  was  and  what  it  is.  The  terrible  blow 
falls  on  a  joyous  city  having  a  wide  dominion 
from  ancient  time  (ver.  7).  But  from  whom  does 
this  whole  purpose  respecting  Tyre  proceed? 


From  Jehovah  who  humbles  all  pride  (vers.  8, 
9),  who  liberates  the  nations  hitherto  oppressed 
by  Tyre  (ver.  10),  who  rules  over  sea  and  na- 
tions, in  order  to  exercise  judgment  on  the 
haughty  Phosnicians,  who  now  must  flee  into  dis- 
tant countries,  to  find  even  there  no  rest  (vers.  11, 
i  12).  But  what  people  will  be  the  instrument  in 
Jehovah's  hand  to  execute  this  judgment  ?  It 
will  be  the  people  of  the  Chaldaeans,  hitherto  not 
a  nation,  but  who  will  one  day  make  Assyria  a 
habitation  for  the  beasts  of  the  desert.  This  peo- 
ple sets  up  its  siege  apparatus  against  Tyre, 
throws  down  the  high  buildings,  and  reduces  the 
city  to  ruins  (ver.  13).  With  the  cry,  "Howl,  ye 
ships  of  Tarshish,  for  your  strength  is  laid  waste," 
the  discourse  closes  as  it  began  (ver.  14). 

2.  The  burden  of  Tyre revealed  to 

them. — Ver.  1.  Attention  has  properly  been 
called  to  the  fact  that  the  first  Massa  (xiii.)  was 
directed  against  Babylon,  the  greatest  worldly 
power  possessing  supreme  dominion  on  the  land, 
the  rich  and  luxurious  consumer  of  all  precious  pro- 
ductions of  the  earth ;  and  that,  on  the  other  hand, 


CHAP.  XXIII.  1-14. 


259 


the  last  Massa  has  for  its  subject  the  first  power 
on  the  sea,  the  centre  of  the  world's  commerce, 
the  great  purveyor  of  all  things  that  are  costly,  or 
that  minister  to  enjoyment.  Here  too  we  can  add 
that  the  worldly  power  first  threatened  with  a 
Massa,  is  according  to  ver.  13  to  execute  the 
judgment  on  the  one  last  threatened.  The  ships 
of  Tarshish  (comp.  on  ii.  16)  are  addressed  by  me- 
tonymy instead  of  the  mariners  sailing  in  them. 
The  form  of  expression  is  singularly  brief  and 
concise.  They  are  to  howl  *H$  ""3,  i.  e.  that  it  has 
been  laid  waste,  that  a  destruction,  a  devastation 
has  taken  place  (xv.  1),  and  such  a  one  as  ex- 
cludes the  mariners  from  their  house  and  home, 
and  from  a  return  home  (N'l3  the  opposite  of  N¥^ 
e.  (/.,  in  designating  the  setting  of  the  sun).  JO 
has  a  negative  signification,  and  the  force  of  an 
ecbatic  conjunction,  marking  the  result.  That  the 
destruction  which  renders  it  impossible  for  the 
Tyrian  mariners  to  return  home  is  the  destruction 
of  Tyre  itself,  is  self-evident.  The  Prophet  is  too 
sparing  of  his  words  to  say  that.  This  sad  news 
has  come  from  the  land  of  the  Chittim  to  the 
Tyrian  mariners  far  away  from  their  home.  The 
report  readied  Chittim  first,  and  thence  was 
carried  to  Tarshish.  They  do  not  learn  the  news 
in  Chittim,  but  it  comes  from  it  ;  for  the  text  is 
"  from  the  land,"  not  ''  in  the  land."  The  name 
Chittim  is  found  in  Citium,  KITTIOV,  KITIOV,  Kf/rtov, 
the  name  of  a  considerable  port  in  the  island  of 
Cyprus.  The  Chittim  are  then,  in  the  first  place, 
the  inhabitants  of  the  island  of  Cyprus.  In  a 
wider  signification,  however,  the  word  denotes  the 
islands  and  maritime  countries  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean Sea  in  general  (ver.  12  ;  Gen.  x.  4  ;  Jer.  ii. 
10  ;  Ezek.  xxvii.  6;  Dan.  xi.  30),  comp.  on  Jer. 


ii.  10.  H7JJ  (comp.  xxii.  14;  xxxviii.  12;  xl. 
5;  liii.  1)  intimates  that  the  report,  received  from 
the  land  of  the  Chittim  was  a  sure  one.  There- 
fore they  are  summoned  to  howl. 

3.  Be  still  -  of  the  nations.-  Vers.  2,  3. 
The  Prophet  passes  from  the  extreme  west  to  the 
extreme  east  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  He  calls 
now  to  the  Tyrians  themselves  ;  IE)1!,  i.  e.  be  si- 
lent, be  still  (the  word  only  here  in  Isaiah).  He 
means  evidently  dumb,  speechless  amazement 
(comp.  Ex.  xv.  16).  ""K  is  terra  maritima,  includ- 
ing not  only  an  island  but  also  continental  terri- 
tory having  a  sea  coast  (comp.  on  xi.  11  ;  xx.  6). 
Old  Tyre  was  on  the  mainland  and  possessed  no 
harbor.  Insular  Tyre  lay  30  stadia  north  of 
Palae-Tyrus,  and  3  stadia  from  the  mainland.  It 
had  excellent  harbors,  the  best  on  the  whole 
coast  of  Palestine  (MOVERS,  Phoen.  II.,  I.,  p.  176). 
As  according  to  the  latter  part  of  ver.  2,  only 
that  Tyre  can  here  be  meant  which  the  mer- 
chants that  pass  over  the  sea  filled,  we  must  under- 
stand insular  Tyre  under  '**.  The  word  is  mas- 
culine, but  is  here  treated  as  feminine,  as  the 
feminine  suffix  in  IJW/IJ  refers  to  '&  The  mer- 
chants of  Zidon  (which  was  an  older  city,  comp. 
Justin  xviii.  3)  filled  Tyrus,  says  the  Prophet. 
Zidon  was  itself  a  seaport  town,  but  the  port  of 
Tyre  was  better.  The  Zidonians  had  in  the  13th 
century,  B.  C.,  laid  out  a  port  and  city  on  the 
rocky  islands  of  Tyre  (comp.  MOVERS,  Phoen.  II., 
313  ;  Justin  xviii.  3,  5).  Hiram  completed  this 


plan  by  building  the  suburb  Eurychoros  on  the 
east  side  of  the  smaller  island,  and  the  new  city 
on  this  smaller  island  ;  and  at  the  same  time  he 
connected  the  new  city  with  the  western  or  old 
city,  which  was  on  the  larger  island.  It  is  readi- 
ly conceivable  that  beside  the  Tyrians,  chiefly 
Zidonian  merchants  and  mariners  filled  the  port 
and  city  of  insular  Tyre.  How  could  old  Egypt, 
a  neighboring  country,  excelling  as  it  once  did, 
all  the  nations  of  the  East  in  agriculture  and  in- 
dustry, avoid  coming  into  the  liveliest  intercourse 
with  the  great  commercial  centre,  Tyre?  The 
one  was  necessary  to  the  other.  Of  late  years 
EBERS  in  particular  (Egypt  and  the  Books  of 
Moses  I.,  p.  127  sqq.)  has  shown  the  ancient  con- 
nection of  Phoenicia  with  Egypt.  The  Phoenician 
alphabet,  as  can  be  positively  demonstrated  in  re- 
gard at  least  to  the  greater  part  of  the  letters,  is 
derived  from  the  hieratic  written  characters  of 
the  Egyptians.  "In  the  third  millenium  B.  C.," 
says  EBERS,  ut  supra,  p.  149,  the  Phoenicians 
stood  in  close  intercourse  with  Egypt,  learned 
from  the  subjects  of  the  Pharaohs  the  cursive 
mode  of  writing,  and  communicated  the  same  to 
all  nations  of  Western  Asia  and  of  Europe.''  But 
the  Phoenicians  received  from  the  Egyptians,  not 
merely  intellectual,  but  also  material  goods  for 
their  own  use,  and  to  trade  with  distant  regions  : 
ver.  3,  By  great  •waters,  i.  e.,  by  the  Nile  and 
the  sea  came  the  seed  of  Sihor,  and  the  harvest 
of  the  river  (comp.  on  xix.  7,  where  a  like  ex- 
pression is  to  be  noted)  to  Tyre,  and  so  became 
the  income  of  this  city,  what  was  gathered  into 
it.  Sihor  "int?  Hebraized  from  2?p<f  the  vernacu- 
lar name  of  the  Upper  Nile,  but  as  a  Hebrew 
word  formed  from  the  root  "intf,  niger  fuit,  Job 
xxx.  30=the  black  river,  Mf  A«c.  The  name  Si- 
hor denotes  undoubtedly  the  Nile,  Jer.  ii.  18  ;  the 
places  (1  Chron.  xiii.  5;  Josh.  xiii.  3;  xix.  26) 
are  uncertain.  The  double  designation  seed  of 
the  Nile  and  harvest  of  the  river  is  a  poetic 
parallelism  which  resolves  one  conception  into 
two,  which,  it  is  true,  are  not  equivalent.  What 
was  sown  and  reaped  on  the  Nile  the  Tyrians 
gathered  in,  not  to  keep  it  wholly  for  themselves, 
but  only  in  order  to  secure  commercial  profit  by 
selling  it  again.  Translate  the  last  clause  of  ver. 
3,  "And  it  (the  income  of  Tyre,  what  was  gathered 
into  it)  became  the  merchandise  of  the  nations." 
What  the  Tyrians  brought  in  from  Egypt  goes 
out  from  them  as  profitable  merchandise  to  all 
nations. 

4.  Be  thou  ashamed of  the  isle.— Vers. 

4-6.  Who  should  be  more  affected  by  the  fate  of 
Tyre  than  its  mother  Zidon  in  the  north,  and  its 
neighbor  and  commercial  friend  Egypt  in  the 
south?  Zidon  is  accordingly  bidden  to  be 
ashamed  at  suffering  the  disgrace  of  seeing  her 
offspring  die  out  in  the  second  generation.  Early 
extinction  of  race  was  regarded  as  a  punishment 
inflicted  by  God,  and  awakened  the  suspicion  of 
either  open  or  secret  crime  on  the  part  of  the 
person  thus  visited  (comp.  the  Book  of  Job).  For 
this  reason  want  of  children  was  a  reproach  (Gen. 
xxx.  23;  Isa.  iv.  1;  Luke  i.  25).  By  "the  sea 
and  the  strength  (fortress)  of  the  sea,"  most  inter- 
preters understand  the  city  of  Tyre  itself,  and  the 
complaint  I  have  not  travailed  nor  brought 
forth,  etc.,  is  supposed  to  mean:  I  have  lost 


260 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


again  all  the  children  born  of  me.  But  it  must 
appear  strange  in  the  highest  degree  that  Tyre, 
because  it  is  situated  in  the  sea,  and  lives  from 
the  sea,  should  itself  be  called  "  sea."  And  "  I 
have  not  brought  forth,"  etc.,"  is  something  quite 
different  from  "I  have  lost  again  my  children.".  JE- 
ROME takes  the  words  "  I  have  not  travailed,"  etc., 
as  words  of  the  sea  used  metaphorically :  "Jrustra 
diiitiascomportavi,  ....  ilia  dives  ilia  luxuriosa,  et 
populorum  quondam  gaudens  multitudme,  in  quanas- 
cebatur  turba  mortalium,  caterva  puerorum,  juventutis 
examina,  cujus  plateae  virginum  ....  acjuvenum 
....  liisibiis  perstrepebant,  nunc  ad  solitudinem 
redacta  est."  But  even  according  to  this  view  a 
meaning  is  artificially  put  upon  the  figurative 
speech  which  is  not  necessarily  contained  in  its 
terms.  I  believe  that  a  literal,  and  not  meta- 
phorical interpretation  suits  better  both  the 
context  and  the  words  employed.  Zidon  comes  to 
Tyre,  her  daughter,  to  look  around  her.  But 
with  shame  must  the  mother  behold  the  place 
empty  where  her  daughter  with  her  many  children 
had  dwelt.  She  sees  nothing  but  the  sea,  and  the 
natural  bulwark  on  which  the  waves  of  the  sea 
break,  the  bare  rocks  of  insular  Tyre.  And  the  sea 
togsther  with  the  bulwark  calls  to  Zidon,  ashamed 
at  the  sight :  '•  I  have  not  travailed,"  etc.,  i.  e.  thou 
seekest  children,  but  findest  nothing  else  than 
rock  and  saa,  which  do  not  travail  nor  bring 
forth,  nor  nourish  children.  [ALEXANDER  seems 
to  me  to  set  forth  in  brief  terms  the  correct  view 
of  ver.  4 :  "  The  Prophet  hears  a  voice  from  the 
sea,  which  he  then  describes  more  exactly  as 
coming  from  the  stronghold  or  fortress  of  the 
sea,  i.  e.,  insular  Tyre  as  viewed  from  the  main- 
land. The  rest  of  the  verse  is  intended  to  ex- 
press the  idea,  that  the  city  thus  personified  was 
childless,  was  as  if  she  had  never  borne  chil- 
dren."— D.  M.].  Ver.  5.  As  Zidon  is  ashamed 
after  the  fall  of  Tyre  so  Egypt  is  terrified. 
Translate:  "when  the  report  comes  to  Egypt." 
The  concluding  words  of  the  verse  seem  to  con- 
tain an  empty  pleonasm.  But  this  is  not  the 
case.  The  Prophet  intends  to  say  :  Egypt  is  af- 
frighted, as  the  report  (reaches,  comes  to)  it, 
namely,  the  judgment  of  Tyre.  The  terror  will 
correspond  to  the  importance  which  the  fall  of 
Tyre  must  have  both  positively  and  negatively 
for  Egypt.  The  words  of  the  sixth  verse  I  take 
as  a  call  uttered  by  those  who  have  heard  the 
report  concerning  Tyre,  first  of  all,  by  the  Egyp- 
tians. These  are  forthwith  impressed  by  the 
thought  that  nothing  further  remains  for  the  sur- 
viving Tyrians  to  do  than  to  flee  with  howling 
as  far  away  as  possible  to  the  opposite  end  of  the 
earth,  to  Tarshish.  There  is  yet  another  reason 
why  Tarshish  is  the  place  to  which  Tyre  should 
flee.  There,  according  to  ver.  1,  its  ships  are 
staying,  which  cannot  return  home,  and  which 
are  now  the  only  property  and  refuge  of  the 
mother  country. 

5.  Is  this  your  joyous no  rest. — Vers. 

7-12.  These  verses  contain  words  of  the  Pro- 
phet. He  contrasts  what  Tyre  was  once  with 
what  it  is  now.  fitfrn,  etc.,  is  a  question.  Must 
it  so  happen  to  you  ?  Must  this  be  your  lot,  as 
it  were,  the  end  of  the  song  ?  And  must  such  a 
conclusion  follow  the  joyful  beginning?  We 
feel  the  antithesis  between  r\~\"hy  and  the  condi- 
tion to  which  H«l  points.  A  joyous,  because 


glorious  and  powerful  city  was  Tyre,  and  this 
foundation  of  its  joy  was  deep  and  broad.  For 
its  origin  (I~|3~'P  principium,  origo,  in  Isaiah 
only  here)  dates  from  ancient  time,  and  its  power 
extended  to  the  most  distant  countries.  HERO- 
DOTUS,  who  was  himself  in  Tyre,  relates  (IL  44) 
that  .the  priests  in  the  temple  of  Hercules  had  de- 
clared the  age  of  the  city  and  temple  to  be  2,300 
years.  As  HERODOTUS  was  in  Phoenicia  in  the 
year  450  B.  c.,  this  would  carry  back  the  found- 
ing of  Tyre  to  the  year  2,750  B.  C-,  and  MOVERS 
(11.  1,  p.  135J  finds  this  quite  credible.  More- 
over, this  age  in  comparison  with  that  of  the 
oldest  Egyptian  things  of  which  we  have  ac- 
counts, would  not  be  a  very  high  one.  Comp. 
STRABO  XVI.  2,  22  ;  CURT.  1  V.  4.  Her  feet  car- 
ried her  afar  (see  on  xxii.  3)  to  dwell.  It 
cannot  be  objected  to  our  explanation  that  Tyre 
reached  by  ship  those  distant  places,  and  that 
therefore  not  flight  into  regions  beyond  the  sea, 
but  carrying  away  into  captivity,  therefore  pain- 
ful migration  on  foot  is  held  out  in  prospect  to 
her.  For  it  is  unjustifiable  to  press  the  expres- 
sion ''  feet/'  and  we  dare  not  think  on  a  future 
migration  to  a  distance,  because  such  a  thought 
is  here  inept.  It  would  be  proper  in  ver.  C,  and 
also  in  ver.  12  it  suits  the  connection  ;  but  in  ver. 
7  it  makes  the  impression  of  tautology.  Ver.  8. 
But  who  is  he  who  had  the  power  to  decree  this 
concerning  the  rich  old  Tyre  of  far-reaching 
might  ?  The  Prophet  in  the  following  verses 
shows  a  great  interest  in  answering  this  question. 
Tyre  was  not  merely  the  wearer  of  crowns,  but 
also  the  bestower  of  crowns  p'D>'n).  This  can 
hardly  mean  that  she  herself  had  crowned  kings. 
(Comp.  Hiram,  2  Sam.  v.  11  ;  1  Kings  vi.  1  ; 
Jer.  xxvii.  3).  For  many  cities  had  these,  which 
are  not  for  this  reason  called  coronatrices.  We 
must,  therefore,  think  of  dependent  cities,  either 
Phosnician  (therefore  the  king  of  Tyre  is  called 
Great-king,  comp.  VAIHINGER  in  HERZOG'S,  It. 
Encycl.  XL  p.  617  sqq.),  or  colonial  cities.  Of 
Tartessus  (HEROD,  i.  103;  Ps.  Ixxii.  10)  Citium 
and  Carthage  (originally)  it  is  expressly  stated 
that  they  had  kings.  Comp.  GESEXIUS  on  this 
passage,  MOVERS,  Phcen.  II.  1,  p.  529  sqq.  ;  es- 
pecially p.  533,  535,  539.  Jeremiah  too  mentions 

besides  the  kings  of  Tyre  and  Zidon  also  '3/0 
""NH  Jer.  xxv.  22.  Moreover,  the  rich  and 
mighty  metropolis  had  also  in  her  midst  citizens, 
who,  though  only  merchants,  equalled  princes  in 
wealth,  pomp  and  power.  How  exactly  too  the 

Prophet  distinguishes  D'"}t2  and  DO/Ip.  can  be 
seen  from  x.  8.  The  Phoenicians  called  their 
country  j^J3  and  themselves  Canaanites.  But 
because  they  were  the  chief  representatives  of 
trade,  merchants  in  general  are  called  Canaanites; 
as  at  a  later  period  Chaldean  denoted  an  as- 
trologer; Lombard,  a  money  changer;  and  Swiss, 
a  porter  or  body  guard.  Observe  that  here  j>'J3 
stands  for  ""J^J^  fcomp.  Gen.  xv.  2,  Damascus  for 
Damascene).  Above  all  this  pomp  and  power 
the  might  of  Jehovah  is  highly  exalted.  He 
has  decreed  its  destruction  in  order  to  profane 


the  pride  of  all  glory.  —  This  is  to  hap- 
pen by  delivering  up  and  casting  down  into  the 
mire  of  the  earth.  From  the  use  of  the  expression 


CHAP.  XXIII.  1-14. 


261 


"profane"  the  conclusion  has  not  improperly 
been  drawn  that  the  Prophet  had  especially  in 
his  mind  the  i'amous,  magnificent  and  ancient 
temples  of  Tyre  (comp.  HERODOTUS  ut  supra). 
Jehovah  purposed  further  by  the  ruin  of  Tyre 
to  humble  all  the  proud  (proudest)  of  the  earth. 
An  essential  part  of  this  humiliation  is  that  the 
colonies  hitherto  drained  of  their  resources  for  j 
the  benefit  of  the  mother  country,  and  kept  under 
rigorous  restraint,  now  become  free.  This  is  il- 
lustrated by  the  instance  of  the  most  remote 
colony  Tartessus.  Tarshish  (ver.  10)  is  now  told 
that  she  may  be  independent,  and  may  dispose 
freely  of  her  own  territory  and  products.  This 
verse  has  been  explained  in  a  great  variety  of 
ways  by  the  old  interpreters.  (Comp.  BOSEN- 
MXJELLER).  Since  KOPPE  the  explanation  which 
we  have  given  is  commonly  adopted.  As  the  Nile 
overflows  Egypt  (comp.  Amos  viii-  8;  ix.  5)  so 
shall  Tarshish  (daughter  of  Tarshish,  comp. 
on  xxii.  4)  spread  herself  without  restraint  over 
her  own  land.  This  must  have  been  previously 
prevented  ;  and  the  phrase  "  there  is  no  more 
girdle"  must  have  a  meaning  that  refers  to  this. 
The  word  nro  is  found  besides  only  Ps.  cix.  19. 
Of  the  same  signification  is  rvpp  Job  xii.  21. 
Both  words  can  only  denote  in  these  places  the 
girdle.  This  meaning  does  not  well  suit  the 
passage  before  us.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  the 
Prophet  by  the  word  ''  girdle  "  intends  an  allu- 
sion which  is  unintelligible  to  us.  Possibly  an 
octroi-line  restricting  commerce  for  the  benefit 
of  the  lords  paramount,  a  cordon  or  something 
of  a  like  nature,  was  designated  by  a  Phoenician 
term  cognate  with  the  Hebrew  HTTp.  How,  and 
by  what  means  does  the  LORD  execute  His  pur- 
pose against  Tyre  ?  This  is  answered  in  ver.  11 
in  general  terms.  He  sets  the  sea  and  the  king- 
doms of  the  earth  for  this  purpose  in  motion. 
Here  as  little  as  in  ver.  4  would  I  understand 
under  "  Sea,"  Tyre  (Hrrzio),  or  all  Phoenicia 
(KNOIJEL)  ;  nor  do  I  take  the  expression  he 
stretched  out  his  hand,  etc.,  as  meaning  that 
He  simply  reached  His  hand  over  the  sea  (  DE- 
LITZSCII)  ;  for  does  the  Prophet  imagine  Jehovah 
to  be  dwelling  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea?  But 
the  expression  ''to  stretch  the  hand  over  the 
sea"  denotes  here,  as  in  Exod.  xiv.  21  (which 
place  the  Prophet  had  perhaps  before  his  eye), 
Fuch  an  outstretching  of  the  hand  as  sets  the  sea 
in  motion.  And  so  I'J^n  denotes  here  not  to 
put  in  terror,  trembling ;  but  to  put  in  commo- 
tion in  order  that  they  may  arise  to  execute  what 
the  LORD  commands  them  (xiv.  16).  The  sec- 
ond part  of  the  verse  tells  for  what  purpose  the 
eea  and  kingdoms  are  put  in  motion.  The  Lord 
has  given  them  a  commandment  (PP¥  as  x. 

6 :  the  pronominal  object  being  omitted,  as  often 
happens)  against  Canaan  (jj[)j3=Phoenicia,  as 
the  Phoenicians  themselves  gave  the  country  this 
designation,  comp.  on  ver.  8)  in  order  to  destroy 

(TSK/1?  comp.  on  iii.  8)  its  bulwarks.  The 
meaning  of  the  whole  verse  is:  Land  and  sea 
will  conspire  to  destroy  the  bulwarks  of  Tyre. 
Tyre  shall  be  successfully  assailed  both  by  land 
and  sea.  But  Tyre  shall  be  destroyed  not  merely 
for  the  moment,  but  permanently  (although  at 
first  not  forever,  vere.  15  sqq.).  This  is  the 


meaning  of  ver.  12.  Tyre  had  been  called  "joy- 
ous" ver.  7.  But  the  rejoicing  shall  depart  from 
her.  She  is  now  a  PIpt^'D  a  virgo  compressa, 
vitiata  (PuAL  only  here  comp.  Iii.  4),  and  such  a 
one  does  not  rejoice.  That  Tyre  is  here  called 
"  daughter  of  Zidon,"  i.  e.,  Zidonian,  is  perhaps 
not  merely  a  generalization  of  the  name  Zidon,  but 
possibly  at  the  same  time  a  blow  designedly  given 
to  the  pride  of  Tyre,  which  named  herself  on 
coins  "  the  mother  of  the  Zidonians"  (comp. 
MOVERS,  Phcen.  II.  1,  p.  94,  119  sq.),  and  per- 
haps called  herself  so  in  the  time  of  Isaiah. 
Tyre  must  be  punished,  must  be  destroyed. 
Therefore  the  remnant  are  summoned  to  emi- 
grate to  Cyprus,  into  the  hitherto  dependent 
colony  of  Chittim,  as  the  command  had  already 
been  given  (ver.  6)  to  pass  over  to  Tarshish. 
But  Tyre  arrives  in  Chittim,  not  as  mistress,  but 
as  an  exile  without  power;  a  situation  which 
excites  in  those  who  had  been  hitherto  oppressed 
by  her  the  desire  to  revenge  themselves  on  her. 
Hence  even  there  poor  Tyre  finds  no  rest. 

6.  Behold,  the  land is  laid  waste. — 

Vers.  13  and  14.  We  had  been  told  (vers.  11  and 
12)  in  general  terms  how  Tyre  should  be  de- 
stroyed, and  ver.  13  informs  us  regarding  the 
particular  instrument,  i.  e.,  regarding  the  people 
that  the  LORD  had  destined  to  execute  punish- 
ment. We  receive  from  ver.  13  the  impression 
that  the  prophetic  vision  is  turned  in  another 
direction.  It  is  as  if  his  look  were  suddenly  di- 
verted from  west  to  east.  .  He  sees  suddenly 
before  him  to  his  own  astonishment  the  land  of 
the  Chaldeans.  The  land  of  the  Chaldeans,  not 
the  people!  The  people  he  might  see  every- 
where marching,  fighting.  The  land  he  can  be- 
hold only  in  its  own  place.  The  very  part  of 
the  earth's  surface  where  the  country  of  the 
Chaldeans  lay,  apart  from  its  relation  to  Tyre, 
was  of  great  importance  for  the  Prophet  and  his 
people.  Thence  should  the  destroyer  of  Jeru- 
salem come ;  there  should  the  people  of  Judah 
pass  70  years  in  captivity.  And  because  the  look 
of  the  Prophet  is  here  for  the  first  time  directed 
to  the  Chaldeans,  he  is  prompted  to  characterize 
them  in  brief  terms.  He  does  this  with  two, 
but  with  two  very  significant  strokes.  The  first 
describes  the  past,  the  second  the  future  of  the 
people.  He  first  declares— This  is  the  people 
that  was  not.  He  certainly  does  not  mean  to 
say  thereby,  that  the  people  of  the  Chaldeans  was 
not  at  all,  or  was  not  in  the  physical  sense. 
Could  the  Prophet  have  known  nothing  of  Nim- 
rod  (Gen.  x.  10),  nothing  of  Ur  of  the  Chaldeans, 
the  original  home  of  Abraham  ?  But  prophecy, 
in  its  grand  style,  confines,  as  is  well  known,  the 
whole  history'of  the  world  to  a  few  kingdoms ; 
and  what  does  not  belong  to  them  is  regarded  as 
if  it  were  not.  But  it  was  after  the  Assyrians 
that  the  Chaldeans  first  came  upon  the  theatre 
of  the  world's  history.  Hence  from  the  pro- 
phetic view  of  history  the  Chaldeans  appear  to 
us  a  people  that  hitherto  was  not.  But  why  does 
he  say  D^n,  the  people?  If  he  had  said  "a 
people,"  this  would  not  have  been  at  all  singular. 
There  were  such  nations  without  number.  But 
the  Chaldeans  do  not  belong  to  the  common 
nations.  They  were  a  leading  nation.  There 
were  then  in  the  sense  of  prophecy  only  two 


262 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


leading  nations,  i.  e.,  representatives  of  the  worldly 
power.  The  one  was  Assyria;  the  other,  the 
Chaldeans,  had  not  yet  appeared.  With  the 
second  stroke  Tr?  "  "WX  he  describes  the  future 
of  the  Chaldeans.  I  decidedly  agree  here  with 
PAULUS  and  DEL.  who  regard  "WX  as  the  object 

of  70"  placed  absolutely  before  the  verb.  Ash- 
ur— this  has  it  (viz.:  the  Chaldean  nation)  set, 
founded  for  the  beasts  of  the  desert. — This 
view  alone  suits  the  context.  If  we  take  Ashur  as 

the  subject,  then  we  must  connect  it  with  HTI K?  as 
the  old  versions  and  some  modern  interpreters  do, 
but  contrary  to  the  Masoretic  punctuation.  "  This 
people,  which  is  not  Assyria,"  will  then  signify 
either ;  this  people  will  be  more  fortunate  than 
the  Assyrians  (were  under  Shalmaneser  against 
Tyre),  or:  this  people,  when  it  will  be  no  more 
Assyrian,  or:  which  is  not  civilized  as  the  Assy- 
rians. This  suffix  in  mO"1  is  then  referred  by 
all  to  Tyre.  It  is  manifest  that  all  these  expla- 
nations of  "HEW  rvn  N?  are  arbitrary.  But  if  we 
take  "^i^X  according  to  the  accents  as  subject  of 
mD'  then  this  will  mean  :  "  Ashur  has  appointed 
them  to  be  dwellers  of  the  desert,  i.  e.,  Ashur 
has  transplanted  them  to  the  Babylonian  plain, 
and  made  of  mountaineers  dwellers  of  the  desert." 
It  is  then  assumed  that  the  Chaldeans  after  their 
first  migration  from  the  Carduchian  mountains, 
which  event  belongs  to  a  very  early  time,  were 
subsequently  strengthened  by  additional  settlers 
sent  by  the  Assyrian  kings  (So  KNOBEL,  ARNOLD 
in  HERZOG'S  R.-Enc.  II.,  p.  623  sqq.).  It  is  cer- 
tain that  there  were  Chaldeans  in  Babylonia  and 
in  the  Armenian  mountains.  The  first  point 
needs  no  proof;  the  second  point  is  clear  from 
the  narrative  of  XENOPHON  (Oyrop.  III.  1,  34; 
Anab.  IV.  3,  4  sqq. ;  V.  5,  17;  VII.  8,  25)  and 
is  determined  by  the  statements  of  STRABO  (xii. 
3,  18  sqq.),  and  of  STEPHANOS  BYZANTINUS  (s. 
v.  XaAooioi),  and  is  also  generally  acknowledged. 
[t  is  also  quite  possible  that  the  Chaldeans  sepa- 
rated at  a  very  early  time,  and  that  one  part  re- 
mained in  the  old  seats,  i.  e.,  in  the  Karduchian 
mountains,  while  another  part,  pursuing  the  na- 
tural routes,  i.  e.,  the  river- valleys,  migrated  to 
the  south,  and  settled  on  the  lower  Euphrates. 
For  according  to  the  Assyro- Babylonian  monu- 
ments, here  lies  the  mat  Kaldi  or  Kaldu.  Ac- 
cording to  them  it  extended  to  the  Persian  Gulf 
(comp.  SCHRADER,  Cuneiform  Inscriptions,  p.  44). 
With  this  agree  the  classic  authors  who  (as 
STRABO  XVI.  1,  6,  8)  designate  this  border  of 
the  Gulf  and  the  swamps  in  which  the  Eu- 
phrates loses  itself  as  locus  Ofialdaici  (  PLINY  VI. 
31 ;  comp.  STRABO  XVI.  4, 1,  ra  &.rj  TO.  Kara  Xa?.- 
fJu'ouf).  That  these  regions  were  even  in  very 
remote  times  peopled  by  the  Chaldeans,  is  estab- 
lished by  the  fact  that  the  ancient  Ur  of  the 
Chaldeans,  the  home  of  Abraham,  has  been  lately 
discovered  in  Mugheir,  which  lies  south-east  of 
Babylon  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Euphrates. 
For  upon  all  the  clay  tablets  found  there  in  great 
number,  the  name  U-ru-u,  i.  e.,  "NX  occurs  (comp. 
SCHRADER  ut  supra,  p.  383  sq.).  SCHRADER  re- 
fers further  to  an  inscription  of  king  Hammurabi 
dating  from  the  second  millennium  B.  C.,  com- 
posed in  the  purest  Assyrian,  in  which  he  states 
that  ''  II  and  Bel,  the  inhabitants  of  Sumir  and 


Accad  (names  of  tribes  and  territories  in  South 
Babylonia)  surrendered  to  his  rule"  (ibid.  p.  42). 
From  the  language  of  this  inscription  it  is  clear 
that  a  Semitic  people  then  dwelt  in  those  regions. 
But  this  can  have  been  none  other  than  the  peo- 
ple of  the  Chaldeans.  In  the  tenth  century  B. 
C.  Asurnasirhabal  speaks  of  the  mat  Kaldu  as 
a  part  of  his  dominion  (ibid.  p.  44).  Resting  on 
all  these  grounds  SCHRADER  utters  the  following 
judgment :  We  can  assume  that  since  the  Chal- 
deans immigrated  in  the  second  or  third  millen- 
nium B.  C.  into  these  regions  on  the  lower  Eu- 
phrates and  Tigris,  they  were  uninterruptedly 
the  proper  ruling  nation,  the  dominant  one  under 
all  circumstances.  On  the  other  band,  they  were 
certainly  not  aboriginal  in  the  country.  They 
found  already  there  a  highly  cultivated  people 
of  Cushite  or  Turanian  extraction,  from  whom 
they  borrowed  the  complicated  cuneiform  mode 
of  writing.  If  the  Chaldeans  on  the  lower  Eu- 
phrates and  Tigris  were  not  aboriginal,  it  is  na- 
tural after  what  has  been  said  to  assume  that  they 
migrated  from  the  territories  at  the  source  of  the 
Euphrates  and  Tigris  into  the  region  at  the  mouth 
of  these  rivers  (comp.  EWALD,  Hist.  I.,  p.  404 
sq.).  But  it  is  a  mere  hypothesis  derived  from 
this  passage,  and  entirely  without  evidence,  to 
assume  a  transplantation  of  the  Chaldeans  in  later 
times  by  Shalmaneser.  It  is  also  very  question- 
able whether  D\'¥  can  denote  inhabitants  of  the 
desert;  for  the  only  place  which  is  adduced,  Ps. 
Ixxii.  9  ought  to  exclude  the  possibility  of  any 
other  interpretation,  in  order  to  be  able  to  coun- 
terpoise the  weight  of  all  other  places  where  the 
word  signifies  "  beasts  of  the  desert."  It  is  ques- 
tionable, too,  whether  the  very  fertile  country  of 
Babylon  could  be  described  as  rry  before  it  was 
visited  by  the  divine  judgments  (comp.  xiii. ;  Jer. 
1.).  Many  attempts  have  been  made  at  conjec- 
tural emendations  of  the  passage.  EWALD  would 
substitute  Canaanites,  and  MEIER,  Chittim  for 
Chaldeans.  OLSHAUSEN  (Emendations  of  the  Old 
Testament,  p.  34  sqq.)  would  make  much  greater 
changes.  But  all  these  attempts  are  capricious 
and  unwarranted.  I  have  already  remarked  that 
the  view  proposed  by  PATJLUS  and  DELITZSCH 
(taking  Ashur  as  the  object  of  TO'1  placed  abso- 
lutely before  it)  alone  corresponds  to  the  context. 
Only  in  this  way  is  something  said  of  the  Chal- 
deans that  briefly,  but  completely,  characterizes 
them.  For  they  are  then  described  as  the  people 
that  hitherto  had  not  appeared  as  the  great 
worldly  power,  but  that  will  now  supplant  the 
Assyrians  in  this  character.  There  is  yet  another 
proof  of  the  accuracy  of  our  view.  There  are  in 
this  paragraph  various  allusions  totheninth  chap- 
ter of  Amos.  Three  times  Amos  employs  in  that 
chapter  the  Piel  HIV  in  the  signification  of  "ap. 
point,  order,  command,"  in  which  meaning  the 
word  occurs  here  also  (ver.  11).  Amos  again 
(ver.  5)  twice  makes  use  of  the  comparison  with 
the  overflowing  Nile;  comp.  in  our  paragraph, 

ver.  10.  In  Amos  ix.  6,  as  in  D'^1?  mo'  'WX, 
the  object  of  the  sentence  is  placed  first  absolutely, 
and  then  repeated  by  means  of  a  feminine  suffix 
attached  to  ~\D\  In  the  word  Ashur  the  Prophet 
has  before  him  the  idea  of  the  country  and  of  the 
city  rather  than  that  of  the  people.  Hence  the  femi- 
nine suffix  to  nD\  Such  constructions  Kurd  a'we- 


CHAP.  XXIII.  15-18. 


263 


atv  occur  in  Hebrew  in  the  most  varied  forms. — 
ID'  is  constituere,  to  found,  to  establish  (Hab.  i. 
12;  Ps.  civ.  8).  The  Chaldeans,  says  Isaiah, 
make  of  Ashur,  i.  e.,  the  country  and  city,  but 
especially  the  city,  as  it  were  an  establishment 
for  beasts  of  the  desert,  i.  e.,  a  place  of  residence 
appointed  for  them  as  their  legitimate  possession 
and  permanent  property.  Finally  we  must  point 
to  Zeph.  ii.  13  sq.,  as  the  oldest  commentary  on 
this  passage.  For  not  only  does  Zephaniah  say 

clearly  what  D"3f  7  ID"1  means,  but  we  can  also 
regard  his  words  as  a  proof  of  the  accuracy  of  our 
view  in  general.  For  they  show  that  Zephaniah. 
too,  understood  this  passage  of  the  destruction  of 
Nineveh.  When  Zephaniah  (ii.  15)  says  of  Ni- 
neveh ''This  is  the  rejoicing  city,"  had.henot  ver. 
7  of  our  chapter  in  his  eye?  The  words  "  and  he 
will  stretch  out  his  hand  "  (Zeph.  ii  13)  recall 
"He  stretched  out  his  hand"  (Isa.  xxiii.  11). 
Comp.,  too,  in  Zeph.  ii.  13  "^IDD  PP?  with  the 
D"i'  before  us.  If  then  there  are  clear  traces  that 
Zephaniah,  when  he  wrote  the  second  chapter  of 
his  prophecy,  had  beside  other  passages  in  Isaiah 
(xiii.  21;  xiv.  23;  xxxiv.  11)  also  this  twenty- 
third  chapter  in  his  mind,  and  if  he  gives  in  his 
prophecy  a  description  of  the  ruined  Nineveh, 
which  by  the  word  '¥  connects  itself  with  our 
passage,  and  appears  as  a  more  detailed  descrip-  i 
tion  of  what  is  only  slightly  indicated  by  Isaiah,  ! 
may  we  not  in  such  circumstances  be  permitted  j 
to  affirm  that  Zephaniah  understood  the  place 
before  us  as  we  do  ?  Further,  there  is  contained  ' 
in  Zephaniah's  reference  to  this  passage  the  proof  ! 
that  it  must  have  been  already  in  existence  in  his 
time,  consequently  in  the  reign  of  king  Josiah 
(624  B.  C.).  If  now  Zephaniah  did  not  hesitate 
U>  understand  this  passage  of  the  destruction  of  i 
Nineveh,  we  will  not  allow  ourselves  to  be  pre- 
vented from  doing  the  same,  either  by  the  objec- 
.  tion  of  DELITZSCH  that  this  would  be  the  only 
place  in  which  Isaiah  prophesies  that  the  worldly 
supremacy  would  pass  from  the.  Assyrians  to  the 
Chaldeans,  or  by  the  objections  of  others  who  re- 
gard it  as  absolutely  irnpqssible  that  in  the  time 
of  Isaiah  a  destruction  of  Tyre  by  the  Chaldeans 
should  have  been  foretold.  In  regard  to  DEL- 
ITZSCII'S  objection,  I  would  wish  it  to  be  remarked 
that  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  is  related  to  that  of 
those  who  come  after  him,  as  a  nursery  is  to  the 
plantations  that  have  arisen  from  it.  Do  not  the 
germs  of  the  later  prophecies  originally  lie  to  a 
large  extent  in  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah  ?  Such 


a  germ   we  have  here.     The  words  DJ7H  Ht  to 

D"^1?  form  a  parenthesis  which  quite  inci- 
dentally, in  language  brief  and  enigmatical,  and 
probably  not  understood  by  the  Prophet  himself, 
deposit  a  germ  which  even  Nahum  and  Zepha- 
niah have  only  partially  developed.  Not  till  the 
time  of  Jeremiah  and  after  the  battle  of  Car- 
chemish,  which  determined  Nebuchadnezzar's 
supremacy  in  the  earth,  could  it  be  completely 
unfolded.  And  if  I  assume  that  Isaiah  could 
already  prophesy  the  destruction  of  Nineveh  by 
the  Chaldeans,  1  must  much  more  affirm  that  he 
could  also  predict  the  destruction  of  Tyre  by 
the  same  people.  The  Assyrian  invasion  un- 
doubtedly gave  occasion  to  this  prophecy.  The 
Assyrians  had  a  design  on  Egypt.  The  taking 
of  Samaria,  and  the  attacks  on  Judah  and  on  the 
countries  lying  east  and  west  of  it,  were  only 
means  to  that  end.  We  perceive  from  vers.  3 
and  5  that  Tyre  then  stood  in  close  relation  to 
Egypt.  The  power  of  the  Tyrians  on  the  sea  was 
naturally  of  the  greatest  importance  for  Egypt. 
The  Assyrians  had  therefore  all  the  more  occa- 
sion for  depriving  Egypt  of  this  valuable  ally. 
Let  us  add,  that  Isaiah  had  then  to  warn  Judah 
most  emphatically  against  forming  an  alliance 
with  Egypt.  Would  not  Tyre  also  have  been  an 
object  of  the  untheocratic  hopes  which  the  un- 
believing Jews  placed  in  Egypt  the  ally  of  Tyre? 
This  would  aptly  explain  to  us  the  reason  why 
Isaiah  lifted  his  voice  against  Tyre  also.  Israel 
should  trust  in  no  worldly  power,  therefore  not 
even  in' Tyre.  Tyre  too  is  doomed  to  destruc- 
tion ;  but  it  will  not  be  destroyed  by  the  Assy- 
rians. This  might  then  readily  have  been  con- 
jectured when  the  Assyrians  were  actually  en- 
gaged in  hostilities  with  Tyre.  But  it  was  a  part 
of  the  task  assigned  to  Isaiah  to  counteract  the 
dread  inspired  by  Assyria.  He  therefore  de- 
clares expressly  :  another  later  nation  that  is  not 
yet  a  people,  namely,  the  Chaldeans  will  destroy 
Tyre.  What  follows  (ver.  15  sqq.),  agrees  with 
this.  The  70  years  are  undoubtedly  the  years 
of  the  Chaldean  supremacy.  As  we  observed 
already,  the  words  Di'H  HI  to  D^'i'  (ver.  13)  are 
to  be  treated  as  parenthetical.  Writh  lO^DH  the 
Prophet  proceeds  to  describe  the  action  of  the 
people  of  the  Chaldeans,  as  the  appointed  instru- 
ment for  the  destruction  of  Tyre.  They  set  up 
his  •watch-towers,  i.  e.,  the  many  set  up  the 
watch-towers  belonging  to  the  whole  body  (comp. 
touching  this  change  of  number  i.  23  ;  ii.  8 ;  vere. 
23,  26;  viii.  20).  With  ver.  14  the  paragraph 
closes  as  it  began. 


b)  The  Restoration  of  Tyre. 
CHAP.  XXIII.  16-18. 


15  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 
That  Tyre  shall  be  forgotten  seventy  years, 
Aecording  to  the  days  of  one  king  : 
After  the  end  of  seventy  years 

'Shall  Tyre  sing  as  an  harlot ; 

16  Take  an  harp,  go  about  the  city, 


264 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Thou  harlot  that  hast  been  forgotten  : 
Make  sweet  melody,  sing  many  songs, 
That  thou  mayest  be  remembered. 

17  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  after  the  end  of  seventy  years, 
That  the  LORD  will  visit  Tyre, 

And  she  shall  turn  to  her  hire, 

And  shall  commit  fornication 

With  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 

18  And  her  "merchandise  and  her  hire 
Shall  be  holiness  to  the  LORD  ; 

It  shall  not  be  treasured  nor  laid  up  : 

For  her  merchandise  shall  be  for  them  that  dwell  before  the  LORD, 

To  eat  sufficiently,  and  for  2bdurable  clothing. 


1  Heb.  It  shall  be  unto  Tyre  as  the  song  of  an  harlot. 
•  gain. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


2  Heb.  old. 
b  splendid. 


Ver.  15.  On  the  form 


comp.  EWALD,  ?  194  6. 


Ver.  17.  The  Ho  of  the  suffix  is  without  Mappik. 
Comp.  EWALD,  §  217  d. 


Ver.  18.  T)T\y  is  a.w.  Aey.    [The  word  in  Arabic  means 
old  and  then  excellent. — D.  M.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  After  70  years,  which  will  have  a  character  of 
unity  as  the  period  of  the  reign  of  one  king,  the 
wish  will  be  fulfilled  in  Tyre  that  is  expressed  in 
a  well-known  song  which  advises  a  forgotten  har- 
lot, by  singing  and  playing  in  the  streets  of  the 
city,   to  cause  herself  to   be  again  remembered 
(vers.  15,  16).     The  LORD  will  again  assist  Tyre, 
she  will  renew  her  commercial  intercourse,  which 
is  compared  with  amorous  solicitation,  with  all 
the  countries  of  the  earth  (ver.  17).  But  the  gain 
of  her  harlotry  will  be  consecrated  to  the  LORD, 
and  be  assigned  by  Him  to  His  servants  for  their 
rich  enjoyment. 

2.  Vers.  15,  16.    Regarding  the  expression  In 
t  >  at  day  comp.  on  vii.  18.  Seventy  years  shall 
T/re  be  forgotten. — This  is  the  duration  of  the 
(Jhaldae  in  supremacy,  which  according  to  Jere- 
miah fcomp.  my  remarks  on  Jer.  xxv-  11),  lasted 
fro-n  the  battle  of  Carchemish  to  the  conquest  of 
Babylon  by  Cyrus,  consequently  according  to  the 
information  we  now  possess,  from  605  (4)  till  538 
B.  C.,  or  67  years.     This  period  of  67  years  may 
possibly,  when  we  have  more  exact  knowledge,  be 
extended  to  quite  70  years  or  thereabouts.  It  can, 
however,  be  taken  as  a  round  number  of  70  years, 
according  to  prophetic  reckoning.     Tyre  will  be 
so  far  forgotten,  as  it  will  be  lost  in  the  great  em- 
pire of  the  world.     This  period  of  its  being  for- 
gotten shall  last  70  years  according  to  the  days 
of  one  king  —The  expression  recalls  xvi.  14; 
xxi.  16  ;  but  the  meaning  is  different.     Here  the 
emphasis  lies  on  IflX.    The  Prophet  intends  to  de- 
clare that  this  period  will  have  for  Tyre  a  charac- 
ter of  unity.    It  will  happen  to  Tyre  under  the  suc- 
cessor as  under  the  predecessor.     The  change  of 
rulers  will  produce  no  alteration.     This  time  of 
seventy  years,  during   which  Tyre  will   be  for- 
gotten, will  bear  as  uniform  a  character  as  if  the 
whole  period  were  the  time  of  the  reign  of  only 
a  single  king.     These  words  make  the  judgment 
heavier  ;  there  will  be  no  alleviation  of 'its  severi- 
ty.   [This  interpretation  is  preferable  to  the  com- 
mon one  which  makes  king  stand  here  for  king- 
dom or  dynasty.— D.  M.].    After  70  years,  what 


in  a  well-known  song  often  sung  by  frivolous 
young  people,  is  under  a  certain  condition  set 
forth  in  prospect  to  a  courtesan  who  is  no  longer 
sought  after,  shall  be  fulfilled  in  the  case  of  Tyre. 
She  shall  regain  the  lost  favor.  But  the  Prophet 
intends  at  the  same  time  to  say  that  Tyre  must 
do  as  the  harlot  in  order  again  to  attain  favor. 
Tyre  shall,  after  70  years,  endeavor  to  recover 
the  favor  of  the  nations,  and  again  employ  her 
old  commercial  arts  in  order  to  form  business 
connections.  And  the  LORD  will  vouchsafe  suc- 
cess. [The  translation  of  the  latter  part  of  ver. 
15,  in  the  text  of  the  E.  V.,  cannot  be  fairly  made 
out  of  the  original  Hebrew.  The  rendering  in 
the  margin  is  the  right  one.  Ver.  16  is  a  snatch 
of  the  song  of  the  harlot,  and  might  have  the  • 
marks  of  a  quotation.  D.  M.]. 

3.  And  it  shall  come clothing. — Vers. 

17,  18.  That  commercial  intercourse  is  compared 
with  unchaste  intercourse  has  its  ground  herein 
that  the  former  serves  Mammon  and  the  belly 
(taken  in  the  widest  sense).  But  mammon  and 
the  belly  are  idols,  and  idolatry  is  fornication 
(comp.  Nah.  iii.  4).  Tyre  will  return  to  her  hire 
for  harlotry  (Micah  i.  7),  and  will  practise  forni- 
cation with  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth.  And 
her  gain  (ver.  3),  or  her  hire  as  a  harlot,  will  be 
holy  unto  the  Lord. — It  will  not  be  kept  by  the 
gainers  and  laid  up  in  the  treasury  (xxxix.  6),  or 
concealed,  hidden  in  the  ground  (jDH  as  a  verb 
only  here),  but  it  will  serve  those  'who  dwell  be- 
fore Jehovah  (not  stand,  for  to  stand  before  the 
LORD  marks  the  service  of  the  priests  in  the  tem- 
ple, Dent.  x.  8  ;  Jud.  xx.  28,  etc.),  i.  e.  the  Israel- 
ites in  general,  because  the  territory  in  which 
they  dwell  is  the  holy  land,  which  has  the  house 
of  Jehovah  for  its  all-dominating  centre.  We 
may  ask  here  how  it  is  conceivable  that  the  LORD 
can  restore  a  people  on  which  He  has  inflicted 
judgment,  in  order  that  it  may  begin  again  its 
old  business  of  fornication ;  and  how  the  wages 
of  prostitution  can  be  consecrated  to  the  LORD,  as 
in  Deut.  xxiii.  18  it  is  expressly  forbidden  to 


CHAP.  XXIII.  15-18. 


265 


bring  "  the  hire  of  a  whore  "  into  the  house  of 
God.  I  believe  that  the  passage  before  us,  which 
bears  in  this  point  a  great  resemblance  to  xix.  18 
eqq.,  belongs  to  those  uUerances  which  must  iiave 
been  obscure  to  the  Prophet  himself,  because  the 
key  to  their  interpretation  is  not  furnished  till 
they  are  fulfilled.  This  fulfilment,  however, 
seems  to  be  afforded  by  the  Christian  Tyre,  re- 
specting which  we  shall  say  more  immediately. 
["  Instead  of  a  queen  reinstated  on  the  throne, 
Tyre  appears  as  a  forgotten  harlot  suing  once 
more  for  admiration  and  reward.  This  metaphor 
necessarily  imparts  a  contemptuous  tone  to  the 
prediction.  The  restoration  here  predicted  was 
to  be  a*  restoration  to  commercial  prosperity  and 
wealth,  but  not  to  regal  dignity  or  national  im- 
portance   Notwithstanding  the  apparent 

import  of  the  figure,  the  conduct  of  Tyre  is  not  in 
itself  unlawful.  The  figure,  indeed,  is  now  com- 
monly agroed  to  denote  nothing  more  than  com- 
mercial intercourse,  without  necessarily  implying 
guilt.  In  ancient  times  when  international  com- 
merce was  a  strange  thing,  and  nearly  monopo- 
lized by  a  single  nation,  and  especially  among 
the  Jews,  whose  laws  discouraged  it  for  wise  but 
temporary  purposes,  there  were  probably  ideas 
attached  to  such  promiscuous  intercourse  entirely 
different  from  our  own.  Certain  it  is  that  the 
Scriptures  more  than  once  compare  the  mutual 
solicitations  of  commercial  enterprise  to  illicit 
love.  That  the  comparison  does  not  necessarily 
involve  the  idea  of  unlawful  or  dishonest  trade,  is 
sufficiently  apparent  from  ver.  18."  ALEXAN- 
DER. D.  M.]. 

4.  In  regard  to  the  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy  we 
can  get  at  the  right  view  only  when  we  attend 
carefully  to  the  peculiarity  of  the  prophetic  vi- 
sion. The  Prophet  does  not  see  every  thing,  but 
only  the  principal  matters,  and  he  sees  all  the 
chief  things  which  are  essentially  identical,  not 
one  after  the  other,  but  as  it  were  on  one  surface 
beside  each  other.  Hence  it  happens  that  that 
appears  to  him  an  immediate  effect,  which  in 
reality  is  the  result  of  a  long  course  of  develop- 
ment extending  over  thousands  of  years.  Hence 
frequently  the  appearance  is  as  if  fulfilment  did 
not  correspond  to  the  prophecy,  while  yet  the 
fulfilment  only  happens  in  another  way  than  it 
seemed  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  Prophet 
that  it  ought  to  happen.  I  have,  to  cite  an  ex- 
ample, shown  in  detail  in  my  Commentary  on  Jer- 
emiah, 1.  and  li.,  that  Babylon  was  never  de- 
stroyed by  the  hand  of  man.  It  has  been  various 
times  captured.  The  conquerors  injured  the  city, 
the  one  on  this,  the  other  on  that  part,  but  none 
of  them  at  once  so  entirely  destroyed  it,  as,  accord- 
ing to  Jeremiah  1.  and  li.,  apparently  should  have 
been  done.  And  yet  the  final  result  corresponds 
quite  to  the  picture  which  Jeremiah  draws  of 
Babylon's  destruction.  The  same  is  the  case 
here.  Isaiah  affirms  two  separate  things:  1) 
Tyre  shall  be  destroyed,  and  that  by  the  Chal- 
daeans;  2)  It  shall  be  restored  after  70  years, 
and  its  wealth  shall  be  serviceable  to  the  king- 
dom of  God.  And  these  announcements  have 
also  on  the  whole  been  fulfilled  ;  but  because  the 
separate  constituents  of  the  prophecy  were  accom- 
plished at  various  times,  widely  apart  from  one 
another,  the  fulfilment,  while  it  corresponds  to 
the  prophetic  picture  as  a  whole,  is  not  evident 


in  its  details.  Our  prophecy  does  not  refer  to  the 
siege  by  Shalmaneser,  because  the  Prophet  (ver. 
13)  expressly  declares  that  he  has  the  Chaldeans 
in  view  as  the  enemies  that  would  cause  the  ruin 
of  Tyre.  After  what  has  been  already  said  I 
cannot  acknowledge  that  there  is  anything  to 
justify  an  alteration  of  the  text.  But  the  con- 
flicts of  Shalmaneser  with  Tyre  can  have  fur- 
nished the  occasion  for  our  prophecy.  The  object 
at  which  the  Assyrian,  and  afterwards  the  Baby- 
lonian rulers  aimed  for  the  extension  and  securi- 
ty of  their  kingdom  towards  the  southwest,  was 
the  conquest  of  Egypt.  The  conquest  of  Syria, 
Phenicia,  Palestine,  Philistia  and  the  adjoining 
territories  of  Arabia  was  only  in  order  to'  the  at- 
tainment of  that  end.  The  possession  of  Pheni- 
cia, that  ruled  the  sea,  was  especially  of  the 
greatest  importance  for  the  war  with  Egypt,  be- 
cause Phenicia,  with  its  fleet  in  the  hands  of  the 
Assyrians,  could  be  just  as  useful  to  them  as,  in 
the  service  of  the  Egyptians,  it  could  be  hurtful  to 
them.  For  this  reason  the  Prophet  (ver.  5)  de- 
picts the  terror  which  the  capture  of  Tyre  would 
produce  in  Egypt.  For  that  party  in  Jerusalem 
that  was  disposed  to  rely  on  the  alliance  with 
Egypt  against  Assyria,  the  integrity  of  Tyre  must 
for  this  reason  be  a  matter  of  prime  moment. 
We  might  say  :  they  relied  on  Tyre  as  the  right 
arm  of  Egypt.  As  now  the  Prophet  combated 
the  reliance  on  Egypt,  he  must  also  be  concerned 
to  destroy  the  false  hopes  that  were  placed  on 
Tyre.  He  does  this  in  our  chapter,  while  he 
represents  Tyre  as  a  city  devoted  by  the  LORD  to 
destruction  (ver.  8  sqq.).  Why  should  Judah 
trust  in  such  a  power  and  not  rather  in  Him  who 
is  able  to  decree  such  a  doom  on  the  nations  ?  To 
set  this  before  his  people  for  due  consideration, 
was  certainly  the  practical  aim  of  Isaiah.  But 
we  must  now  inquire  more  precisely  :  Did  Isaiah 
see  himself  prompted  to  this  discourse  before  the 
campaign  of  Shalmaneser  against  Tyre,  during 
the  same,  or  after  it  ?  It  is  not  indeed  impossible 
for  the  Prophet  to  have  uttered  this  prediction 
before  the  conflicts  which  Shalmaneser,  according 
to  the  fragment  of  Menander  in  JOSEPHUS  (An- 
tiqq.  IX.  14,  2),  carried  on  with  the  Tyrians  ;  but 
any  ground  in  facts  for  making  this  assump- 
tion is  entirely  wanting.  It  is  also  in  itself  not 
impossible  for  Isaiah  to  have  composed  the  pro- 
phecy after  the  blockade  of  Tyre  had  been  raised, 
perhaps  at  the  same  time  with  those  prophecies 
against  Egypt  (xviii.,  xix.,  xx.,,  and  against  the 
nations  whose  subjugation  was  a  necessary  pre- 
liminary  to  attacking  Egypt  (xv.,  xvi.,  xxi.  11 
sqq.).  We  might  even  appeal  in  support  of  this 
view  to  xx.  6,  where  under  n:Tn  'NH  it  would  be 
proper  to  understand  Phenicia  and  specially  Tyre. 
But  this  prophecy  belongs  to  the  year  711  B.  C., 
consequently  to  a  time  when  the  blockade  of 
Tyre  by  Shalmaneser  was  long  past.  For  Shal- 
maneser was  in  the  year  722  already  dead.  But 
now  it  is  certainly  less  p/obable  that  a  Prophet 
should  make  a  matter  the  subject  of  a  prophecy 
at  a  time  when  this  matter  has  been  partially 
disposed  of  and  engages  less  the  general  interest, 
than  that  he  should  do  this  at  a  time  when  the 
matter  in  question  is  going  on,  and  is  attracting 
the  greatest  attention.  I  therefore  hold  it  to  be 
more  probable  that  our  prophecy  was  delivered 
before  the  year  722,  and  that  it  consequently  be- 


266 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


longs  to  a  time  when  the  conflict  with  Tyre  was 
still  lasting.  The  prophecy  published  at  this 
juncture  was,  moreover,  intended  to  tell  the  Is- 
raelites that  the  Assyrians  would  not  conquer 
Tyre,  as  then  seemed  likely,  but  that  the  Chal- 
deans would  do  so.  The  prophecy  then  belongs 
to  the  same  time  as  chapter  xxviii.  (comp.  the 
introduction  to  xxviii.-xxxiii.),  which  first  as- 
sails the  Egyptian  alliance,  and,  as  we  will  there 
show,  must  have  been  composed  before  the  cap- 
ture of  Samaria  (comp.  xxviii.  1),  and  therefore 
before  the  contemporaneous  blockade  of  Tyre 
(comp.  SCHRADER,  ut  supra,  p.  155).  The  block- 
ade by  Shalmaneser  and  his  successor  Sargon,  al- 
though the  expression  EKapreprjcav  in  Menander 
would  warrant  our  inferring  a  final  surrender,  does 
not  seem  to  have  been  attended  with  consequences 
particularly  hurtful  to  the  Tyrians.  The  Assy- 
rians were  themselves  interested  in  sparing  the 
resources  of  the  Tyrians,  that  they  might  use 
them  for  their  own  advantage.  From  this  time 
till  the  commencement  of  the  Chaldean  wars  there 
is  a  complete  gap  in  the  history  of  Phenicia 
(MOVERS,  II.,  I.,  p.  400).  That  Nebuchadnezzar 
besieged  Tyre  is  now  no  more  disputed  by  any 
one.  That  the  siege  lasted  thirteen  years  has  at, 
least  great  internal  probability.  JOSEPIIUS  states 
it  on  the  authority  of  Philostratus  (Antiqq.  X.  11, 
1)  and  of  the  Tyrian  Menander  (although,  without 
expressly  mentioning  his  name,  Contra  Avion,  1, 
21).  We  have,  besides,  the  authority  of  the  pro- 
phet Ezekiel  (xxvi.-xxviii.,  xxix.  16  sqq.).  But 
the  question  is :  Did  Nebuchadnezzar  also  destroy 
Tyre  ?  On  this  subject  many  needless  words  have 
been  used  by  those  who  thought  that  the  honor 
of  prophecy  absolutely  required  that  Tyre  should 
have  been  destroyed  at  once  and  directly  by  Ne- 
buchadnezzar. This  did  not  happen,  and  is  by 
no  means  necessary  to  save  the  credit  of  prophecy. 
We  know  from  HERODOTUS  (II.  161)  and  Dio- 
DORUS  (I.  68)  that  the  Egyptian  king  Apries,  who 
was  cotemporary  with  Nebuchadnezzar,  under- 
took a  successful  expedition  against  the  Pheni- 
cians  who  had  hitherto  been  his  allies.  How 
would  this  be  conceivable  if  Phenicia  (to  which 
doubtless  Tyre  is  to  be  reckoned)  had  not  been 
for  the  Egyptians  the  country  of  an  enemy,  i.  e., 
a  Babylonian  province?  According  to  the  ac- 
count already  mentioned,  which  JOSEPHUS  (Con- 
tra Apion  I.  21)  communicates  from  Tyrian 
sources,  there  arose  difficulties  in  regard  to  the 
succession  to  the  throne  of  Tyre  after  the  thirteen 
years'  siege.  A  king  Baal  ruled  for  ten  years  af- 
ter Itobaal,  in  whose  reign  the  siege  began.  But 
then  follow  two  judges,  one  high-priest,  then  again 
two  judges,  who  govern  in  conjunction  with  a 
king.  The  duration  of  these  governments  was,  in 
the  case  of  some  of  them,  very  brief.  At  last  the 
Tyrians  procure  for  themselves  a  king  from  Ba- 
bylon in  the  person  of  Merbaal,  and  after  his 
death  they  obtain  from  the  same  place  his  brother 
Hiram.  For,  according  to  2  Kings  xxv.  28,  there 
were,  beside  Zedekiah,  other  captive  kings  in 
Babylon.  If  now  Nebuchadnezzar  brought  the 
royal  family  with  him  to  Babylon,  is  not  that  a 
proof  of  his  having  conquered  Tyre?  (comp. 
MOVERS,  ut  supra,  p.  460  sqq.).  So  much  is  esta- 
blished, that  Tyre,  since  the  close  of  the  conflicts 
with  Nebuchadnezzar,  ceased  to  be  an  independ- 
ent state.  Although  it  was  not  destroyed,  which 


would  not  have  served  the  interests  of  the  Chal- 
deans, it  became  a  province  of  the  Babylonian 
empire,  whence  it  passed  over  into  the  hands  of 
the  Persians,  Grecians  and  Romans,  as  Jerome 
on  Ezek.  xxvii.  says:  "Quod  nequaquam  ultra  sit 
regina populorum  necproprium  liabeat  imperium,  uli 
habuit  sub  Hiram  et  ceteris  regibus,sed  vel  ChaldcKis 
vel  Macedonibus  vel  Ptolemceis  et  ad  postremum  Ro- 
manis  servitura  sit."  The  conquest  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar was  the  act  in  the  world's  history  which 
originated  the  complete  destruction  of  Ty  re,  though 
its  ruin  was  not  all  at  once  effected.  This  act  had 
involved  in  it  what  should  take  place  in  the  fu- 
ture, and  this  future  gradually  unfolded  the  sig- 
nificance of  that  act  which  was  such  a  beginning 
as  presaged  the  coming  end,  as  was  the  earnest 
of  the  final  doom  of  Tyre.  Its  capture  by  Alex- 
ander the  Great  (333  B.C.;  comp.  CURT.  iv.  7 
sqq.;  ARRIAN  II.  24)  was  one  of  the  chief  events 
in  the  accomplishment  of  its  predicted  ruin. 
But  Tyre  outlived  even  this  visitation.  CURTIUS 
says  expressly:  "Multis  ercjo  casibus  defuncta  et 
post  excid  ium  renata,  nunc  lamen  longa pace 
cuncta  refovente  sub  tufela  Romance  mansuetudinis 
acquiescit."  Who  can  help  thinking  here  on  the 
restoration  which  Isaiah,  ver.  15  sqq.,  promises 
to  the  city?  Isaiah  indeed  promises  this  resto- 
ration after  70  years.  But  these  70  years  denote 
only  the  duration  of  the  rule  of  the  Chaldeans. 
The  Prophet  sees  only  one  master  of  the  Pheni- 
cian  capital — the  Chaldeans  (ver.  13).  This  is 
the  relative  defect  in  his  vision.  He  sees  too  the 
restoration  immediately  after  the  disappearance 
of  this  one  enemy.  This  is  likewise  a  relative 
defect.  For,  as  in  reality  the  destruction  of  Tyre 
had  many  distinct  stages,  so  also  was  it  with  the 
restoration.  The  occasion  and  starting  point  of 
the  restoration  is  seen  by  the  Prophet  in  the  pass- 
ing away  of  this  one  arch-enemy.  But  to  Isaiah 
this  flourishing  anew  of  Tyre  was  only  a  revival 
of  its  commerce,  and  this  was  really  the  fact. 
Thus  JEROME  on  Ezekiel  xxvii.  states  that  Tyre 
"usque  hodie  perseverat  ut  omnium  propemodum 
gentium  in  ilia  exerceantur  commcrcia."  PLINY, 
however,  remarks  (Hist.  Nat.  V.  17) :  "Tyrus  olim 

clara nunc  omnis  ejus  nobilitas  conchylio  atque 

purpura  constat."  Tyre  became  afterwards  a 
Christian  city.  When  our  Lord  was  upon  earth, 
longing  souls  came  from  the  borders  of  Tyre  and 
Zidon  to  see  and  to  hear  Him ;  and  He,  on  His 
part,  did  not  disdain  to  honor  these  borders  with 
His  presence  (Mark  iii.  8 ;  Luke  vi.  17 ;  Matth. 
xv.  21).  Paul  found  there  (Acts  xxi.  3  sqq.)  a 
Christian  church.  In  the  beginning  of  the  fourth 
century  Methodius  was  bishop  of  Tyre.  In  315 
a  church  erected  there  at  great  expense  was  dedi- 
cated by  Eusebius  of  Cassarea.  In  3-35  a  Synod 
convoked  by  the  Eusebinns  against  Athanasius 
was  held  there.  In  1125  it  was  taken  by  the  cru- 
saders and  incorporated  in  the  kingdom  of  Jeru- 
salem. In  1127  it  became  the  seat  of  an  archbi- 
shop. William  of  Tyre,  the  celebrated  historian, 
occupied  the  see  of  Tyre  from  the  year  1174. 
Not  till  the  end  of  the  13th  century  did  the  Sara- 
cens destroy  the  fortifications.  After  Alexander 
the  Great  had  connected  Tyre  with  the  main  land 
by  means  of  a  mole,  it  ceased  to  be  an  island,  and 
it  is  now  a  village  of  fishermen's  huts,  with  about 
3,000  inhabitants  (Sur).  All  that  the  Prophet 
announced  has  thus  in  fact  been  fulfilled.  But  in 


CHAP.  XXIII.  15-18. 


267 


the  language  of  prophecy  and  in  the  language  of 
its  fulfilment,  divine  thoughts  clothe  themselves 
in  such  strangely  different  forms  that  only  he  can 
perceive  the  identity  who  understands  how  to 
combine  the  long-drawn  lines  of  history  into  one 
picture  in  perspective.  This  picture  will  exactly 
correspond  to  that  of  the  Prophet.  [The  remarks 
of  our  author,  when  carefully  studied,  vindicate 
the  Prophet  from  the  charge  of  even  a  relative 
error.  The  Prophet  does  not  say  that  the  pre- 
dicted restoration  of  Tyre  should  all  at  once  take 
place  on  the  expiration  of  seventy  years,  or  the 
close  of  the  rule  of  the  Chaldeans.  The  require- 
ment of  the  prophecy  is  satisfied  if  Tyre  should 
begin  to  flourish  after  its  deliverance  from  the 
Chaldean  oppression.  The  Spirit  of  God  again 
saw  in  the  capture  of  Tyre  by  Nebuchadnezzar 
the  germinant  force  which  would  issue  in  its  final 
complete  destruction,  and  accordingly  foretells 
that  the  ruin  of  Tyre  would  follow  that  event. 
But  whether  this  should  happen  at  once,  or  in  the 
course  of  time,  is  not  declared.  Nebuchadnezzar 
brought  Tyre  to  ruin  ;  for  his  capture  of  it  led 
to  its  entire  destruction,  though  there  intervened 
a  long  line  of  operations  and  issues  which  it  re- 
quired many  ages  to  develop.  The  remark  of 
Abarbanel,  that  has  been  often  quoted,  is  here  in 
point,  "  that  it  is  the  custom  of  the  prophets  in 
their  predictions  to  have  respect  at  once  to  a  near 
and  remote  period,  so  that  prophecies  pointing  to 
very  distant  times  are  found  among  others  which 
relate  to  the  immediate  future.  Whence  we  may 
the  more  certainly  conclude  that  God  might 
threaten  the  Tyrians  with  the  destruction  of  their 
city,  though  it  might  be  brought  on  at  different 
times  and  by  gradual  advances."  There  is  no 
mistake  made  by  Isaiah  in  the  picture  which  he 
drew.  It  fully  served  the  object  intended  by 
God.  The  relative  mistake  is  in  the  exponent 
of  the  prophecy. — D.  M.] 

• 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  ver.  1  sqq.  "Commerce  and  seaports  are 
not  in  themselves  evil — but  where  commerce 
prospers  and  is  in  full  bloom,  there  God's  gift  and 
ordinance  are  to  be  recognised.  Solomon  engaged 
in  commerce  (2  Kings  x.  28).  When  trade  de- 
clines, this  is  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  punishment 
from  the  hand  of  God  on  account  of  the  extortion 
practised  by  merchants.  For  a  merchant  shall 
hardly  keep  himself  from  doing  wrong,  and  a 
huckster  shall  not  be  freed  from  sin  (Ecclesiasti- 
cus  xxvii.  29).  Sin  is  committed  not  only  where 
merchants  deal  falsely,  but  also  where  they  are 
proud  of  their  riches  and  magnificence,  and  move 
along  as  princes  and  lords,  and  forget  the  poor, 
and  at  the  same  time  neglect  divine  service, 


God's  word  and  sacrament."  CRAMER.  [This  is 
quite  too  indiscriminate  a  censure  of  merchants 
and  traders.  CICERO  (De  Off.  Lib.  I)  expresses  a 
similar  opinion  as  to  the  necessity  for  hucksters 
to  practise  deceit  in  order  to  make  a  profit.  Hap- 
pily the  book  of  Ecclesiasticus  is  not  inspired 
Scripture,  and  Christianity  has  so  far  improved 
the  spirit  of  men  of  business  that  the  language  of 
the  Apocrypha  as  quoted  above  and  of  CICERO 
would  not  now  be  tolerated,  but  would  be  uni- 
versally regarded  as  most  unjust  and  calumnia- 
tory.—D.  M.] 

2.  On  vers.  8  and  9.    "This  place  affords  us 
consolation.     As  the  threatening  of  the  Prophet 
against  Tyre  was  not  vain,  so  also  the  tyranny  of 
our  adversaries  will  come  to  an  end.     Neither  the 
Pope  nor  the  Turk  believes  that  they  can  fall — 
but  they  shall  fall,  as  Tyre  fell."  LUTHER. 

3.  On  ver.  18.    "-fiV/o  intelligo  de  Juturo  reyno 
Chrisii,  quod  et  ipsa  Tyrun  convertenda  est  ad  l)o- 
minum.     Dicit  igitur,  postquam  reversa  fuerit  ad 
suas  negociationes,  imminebit  rcgnum  Christ!,  quod 
Tyrus  quoque  amplectetar,  sicut  testatur  Act.  xxi." 
LUTHER. 

On  ver.  18.  They  who  dwell  be/ore  the  Lord — 
i.  e.,  who  believe  on  Him,  will  have:  1)  their 
merchandise,  2)  will  eat  and  be  satisfied,  3) 
will  be  well  clothed.  Therefore  money  and 
property,  food  and  goodly  apparel,  are  not  to  be 
condemned  and  renounced.  This  admits  of  prac- 
tical application  against  monkery  and  the  Ana- 
baptists." CRAMER.  [The  original  Anabaptists 
of  Germany  maintained  a  community  of  goods. 
— D.  M.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  [On  vers.  1  -14.    Why  did  God  bring  these 
calamities   on  Tyre?     Not  to  show  an  arbitrary 
and  irresistible  power,  but  to  punish  the  Tyrians 
for  their  pride   (ver.  9).     Many  other  sins,  no 
doubt,  reigned  among  them :  idolatry,  sensuality 
and  oppression — but  the  sin  of  pride  is  fastened 
upon  as  that  which  was  the  particular  ground  of 
God's  controversy  with  Tyre.     Let  the  ruin  of 
Tyre  be  a  warning   to  all  places  and  persons  to 
take   heed  of  pride — for  it  proclaims  to  all  the 
world  that  he  who  exalts  himself  shall  be  abased. 
After  HENRY.— D.  M.] 

2.  [Vers.  8  and  9.   An  appropriate  text  for  a 
discourse  on  God's  moral  government  over  the 
nations,  Dan.  iv.  3. — D.  M.] 

3.  On  ver.  18.    Concerning  the  right   use  of 
worldly  goods :    1)  We  ought  not  to  gather  them 
as  a  treasure,  nor  to  hide  them.     2.  We  ought  to 
consecrate  them  to  the  Lord,  and  therefore  apply 
them :  a)  to  sacred  objects,  b)  for  the  wants  of  the 
body  according  to  the  will  of  the  Lord. 


B— THE  FINALE  TO  THE  DISCOURSES  AGAINST  THE  NATIONS:   THE  LIBEL- 
LUS  APOCALYPTICUS.     CHAPTERS  XXIV.— XXVII. 


If  there  is  a  living  God  who  concerns  Himself 
with  the  history  of  mankind  and  directs  the  same 
according  to  His  counsel,  without  detriment  to 
that  human  freedom  which  is  the  basis  of  the 


consequently  there  is  such  a  thing  as  prophecy 
which  demonstratesthe  divine  rule  in  history  for 
our  consolation  and  warning,  then  we  need  not  be 
surprised  if  prophecy  should  refer  even  to  the 


moral  responsibility  of  every  individual,— and  if    very  close  of  history.    Must  not  God,  who  directs 


268 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


history,  foreknow  what  is  most  remote  as  well  as 
what  is  near  at  hand  ?  And  can  He  have  no  rea- 
son for  causing  the  things  that  will  take  place  at 
the  end  of  the  world  to  be  predicted  by  the  inter- 
preters of  His  will,  the  prophets?  There  is  just 
the  same  reason  for  His  doing  this  which  there  is 
for  prophecy  at  all.  We  ought  to  know  that  the 
history  of  the  world  is  moving  toward  a  certain 
goal  fixed  by  God,  in  order  that  one  class  may 
fear,  and  that  the  other  may  have  a  firm  support 
in  every  temptation,  and  the  certain  hope  of  final 
victory.  And  we  ought  therefore  not  to  be  aston- 
ished if  Isaiah,  the  greatest  of  a.11  the  prophets, 
penetrates  by  the  spiritual  vision  given  to  him 
into  the  most  distant  future.  This  only  would 
with  reason  surprise  us, — if  Isaiah  should  de- 
scribe the  distant  future  as  one  who  had  ex- 
perienced it  and  passed  through  it.  But  this  is 
not  the  case.  For  we  clearly  perceive  that  the 
pictures  of  the  future  which  he  presents  to  us  are 
enigmatical  to  himself.  He  takes  his  stand  in 
the  present  time  ;  he  is  not  only  a  man,  but  also 
an  Israelite  of  his  own  age.  He  depicts  the 
destruction  of  the  earth  in  such  a  way  that  we  can 
see  that  it  appears  to  him  as  the  occurrence  on  a 
grand  scale  of  what  was  well  known  to  him,  ''the 
wasting  of  cities  and  countries."  From  his  point 
of  view  he  distinguishes  neither  the  exact  chrono- 
logical succession  of  the  different  objects,  nor  the 
real  distance  which  separates  him  from  the  last 
things.  And  he  is  so  much  an  Israelite  that  the 
judgment  of  the  world  appears  to  him  as  the 
closing  act  in  the  great  controversy  of  Israel 
against  the  .heathen  nations.  For  DELITZSCH  is 
perfectly  right  when  he  regards  our  chapters  as 
tlia  fitting  finale  to  chaps,  xiii — xxiii.  The  Pro- 

?het  is,  moreover,  an  Israelite  of  his  own  age. 
'or,  although  he  knows  that  the  judgment  will 
extend  to  all  the  nations  that  constitute  the 
worldly  power,  nevertheless  Assyria  and  Egypt 
stand  in  the  foreground  as  its  prominent  repre- 
sentatives (xxvii.  12,  13).  Only  once,  when  he 
places  the  countries  of  the  second  exile  over 
against  those  of  the  first,  do  the  former  appear  in 
their  natural  double  form  as  the  countries  of  the 
Euphrates  and  of  the  Tigris,  or,  as  it  is  there  ex- 
pressed (xxvii.  1),  the  straight  and  the  crooked 
Leviathan.  Under  the  latter  we  are  to  under- 
stand Babylon  (see  the  Exposition).  And  in 
another  place  (xxv.  lOsqq.)  Moab  appears  for 
a  particular  reason  (see  the  Exposition)  as  the 
representative  of  all  the  nations  hostile  to  the 
theocracy.  The  same  criticism,  which  would 
m  ike  the  Almighty  get  out  of  the  way  wherever 
Ha  makes  His  appearance  within  our  sphere,  has 
endeavored  in  various  ways  to  refer  this  prophecy 
to  particular  situations  in  the  world's  history. 
But  here  one  interpreter  is  arrayed  against  the 
other,  and  one  testimony  destroys  the  other. 
After  BERTHOLDT  (Einleil.,  p.  139'0),  KXOBEL  is 
of  the  opinion  (shared  by  UMBREIT)  that  the 
prophecy  points  to  the  time  when  Jerusalem, 
which  had  been  captured  by  the  Chaldeans,  was 
completely  destroyed  by  Nebuzaradan  (2  Kings 
.TXV.  8  sqq.).  EICHHORN  (Hebr.  Proph.  III.,  p. 
203  sqq.)  refers  the  piece  to  the  destruction  of  the 
empire  of  the  Chaldeans,  and  assumes  as  its 
antlior  a  Hebrew  dwelling  in  the  ruined  and 
desolate  Palestine.  EOSEXMUELLER  (Scholia  1 
Ed.),  GESENIUS  and  MAURER  represent  the  piece 


as  composed  during  the  exile,  at  a  time  when  the 
fall  of  Babylon  was  imminent  (xxiv.  16  sqq. ; 
xxvi.  20  sq. ;  xxvii.  1).  BOETTCHER  (de  inf.  \ 
435,  440)  attributes  the  discourse  to  a  merchant 
who,  resident  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  country 
of  the  Moabites,  journeyed  on  business  between 
Assyria  and  Egypt,  and  appended  his  poem  on 
the  fall  of  Babylon  (composed  in  the  year  533)  to 
that  of  another  merchant  on  the  fall  of  Tyre 
(xxiii.).  EWALD  refers  the  piece  to  the  time 
''  when  Cambyses  was  preparing  his  Egyptian 
campaign."  These  are  the  more  important  of 
the  views  of  those,  who  deny  that  Isaiah  wrote 
these  chapters.  Ila  who  wishes  to  learn  the 
other  opinions  may  consult  EOSENMUELLER,  GE- 
SENIUS,  HITZIG  and  KNOBEL. 

There  are  four  points  which  seem  to  me  to 
prove  to  a  demonstration  that  the  Prophet  has 
not  in  view  ordinary  events  of  history.  First,  the 
destruction  of  the  globe  of  the  earth  announced, 
xxiv.  18-20.  For,  when  it  is  affirmed  of  the 
earth  with  a  repetition  of  the  word  ]"1K  five  times, 
that  its  foundations  are  shaken,  that  it  is  utterly 
broken,  (jlean  dissolved,  moved  exceedingly,  and 
reels  to  and  fro  like  a  drunkard  or  a  hammock, 
more  is  certainly  intended  thereby  than  a  political 
revolution,  or  an  occurrence  in  nature  accompany- 
ing such  a  revolution.  It  is  the  shaking  of  the 
earth  in  a  superlative  sense — a  shaking  from 
which  it  will  not  rise  again  (ver.  20  b). 
Secondly,  it  is  declared  (ver.  21  sqq.)  that  the 
judgment  will  extend  to  the  stars  and  the  angelic 
powers,  and  that  sun  and  moon  will  cease  to  rule 
the  day  and  the  night  (Gen.  i.  16),  because  Je- 
hovah alone  will  be  the  source  of  light  and  glory 
(comp.  the  Exposition).  Thirdly,  xxv.  6-8,  we 
have  set  before  us  in  prospect  the  gathering  to- 
gether of  all  nations  on  Mount  Zion,  the  removal 
of  the  covering  from  their  eyes,  the  abolition  of 
death  and  of  every«evil.  This  is  no  picture  of 
earthly  happiness.  It  points  beyond  the  bounds 
of  this  world  and  of  this  dispensation. 

Fourthly,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  is  foretold 
(xxvi.  19  sqq.)  together  with  the  last  judgment 
which  brings  to  light  all  hidden  guilt.  Every 
restriction  of  this  prophecy  to  a  mere  wish  in- 
volves a  contradiction.  For  that  this  place  re- 
ally contains  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead  is  acknowledged  by  all.  But  no  one  will  af- 
firm, much  less  be  able  to  prove,  that  this  resurrec- 
tion was  expected  in  the  time  of  the  exile, 
and  in  order  to  the  re-peopling  of  Palestine ;  or, 
if  the  latter  is  the  case,  then  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead  is  not  the  subject  of  discourse.  For  it 
would  be  an  unheard-of  assertion  to  affirm  that 
the  Israelites  expected  that  their  return  to  Pales- 
tine and  the  resurrection  should  take  place  at  the 
same  time.  And  how  arbitrary  is  the  exegesis 
which  limits  " the  inhabitant  of  the  earth"  ver. 
21,  to  any  particular  people,  and  puts  into  the 
latter  part  of  the  verse  the  thought :  the  earth 
will  restore  the  blood  of  those  who  were  slain  in 
a  certain  time !  Passages  can  indeed  be  quoted 
in  which  we  read  of  innocent  blood  that  had  been 
shed  not  penetrating  into  the  earth  (Job  xvi.  18  ; 
Ezek.  xxiv.  7  sq).  But  the  bringing  forth  again 
of  all  shed  blood,  and  the  coining  forth  of  all 
that  had  been  killed  out  of  the  earth  belong 
naturally  to  eschatology.  For  these  are  pre- 


CHAP.  XXIII.  15-18. 


269 


liminaries  to  the  realization  of  the  final  judg- 
ment. If  the  view  which  refers  this  prophecy  to 
events  in  the  world's  history  were  correct,  must 
there  not  be  some  mention  of  Nebuchadnezzar 
and  of  the  Chaldeans,  in  order  to  justify  the 
interpretation  of  BERTHOLDT,  UMBREIT  and 
KXOBEL?  When  we  reflect  what  a  mighty  im- 
pression this  worldly  power  made  upon  Jeremiah, 
and  how,  after  the  battle  of  Carchemish,  he  never 
comes  forth  as  a  Prophet  without  mentioning 
Nebuchadnezzar  and  the  Chaldeans,  it  is  incon- 
ceivable how  a  Hebrew  who  was  among  those 
who  suffered  the  crushing  stroke  from  the  hand 
of  Nebuchadnezzar,  could  speak  only  of  Egypt 
and  Assyria,  and  at  most,  allusively  and  covertly, 
of  the  Chaldeans  (xxvii.  1)  as  enemies  of  the 
thco  -racy.  But  if  our  piece  refers  to  the  capture 
of  Babylon  by  Cyrus,  why  is  there  no  mention 
of  the  Persians?  And  the  same  objection  avails 
against  all  other  interpretations  which  apply  the 
passage  to  events  in  the  history  of  the  world. 
Against  all  of  them  the  want  of  any  specification 
of  such  events  may  be  justly  objected.  In  regard 
to  the  style,  and  to  the  range  of  thought  that  cha- 
racterize this  piece,  the  exact  and  minute  investi- 
gation which  lies  at  the  basis  of  our  exposition 
will  show  that  the  language  is  altogether  that  of 
Isaiah.  If  there  are  found  in  it  manifold  points 
of  connection  with  other  pieces  which  criticism 
has  pronounced  spurious,  we  have  simply  to  say : 
in  view  of  the  large  amount  of  words  and  expres- 
sions that  we  find  here,  undoubtedly  germane  to 
the  authentic  style  of  Isaiah,  we  are  entitled  to 
draw  the  reverse  conclusion,  and  to  affirm  that 
those  pieces  must  be  genuine,  because  they  resem- 
ble so  much  our  prophecy  which  undoubtedly 
lias  proceeded  from  Isaiah.  The  accumulation 
of  paronomasias,  which  are  pronounced  devoid 
of  taste,  has  been  made  a  cause  of  reproach  to 
our  piece.  But  it  must  be  shown  that  these  paro- 
nomasias are  more  tasteless  than  other  such  form* 
of  speech,  which  we  meet  with  in  the  acknow- 
ledged compositions  of  Isaiah,  and  that  they  are 
of  a  different  kind.  So  long  as  this  is  not  done, 
I  venture  to  affirm  that  this  ingenious  facility  in 
the  management  of  language  best  corresponds  to 
the  eminent  intellectual  gifts  of  Isaiah,  which 
we  know  sufficiently  from  other  sources.  Persons 
of  such  mental  power,  and  possessing  such  a 
command  of  language,  are  at  all  times  rare.  Ac- 
cording to  our  modern  criticism  there  must  have 
been  dozens  of  them  among  the  Israelites  at  the 
time  of  the  captivity.  But  I  fear  that  such  a 
judgment  is  only  possible  when  the  critics,  be- 
cause they  cannot,  or  will  not  perceive  the 
divinely  great  in  these  works  of  genius,  so  de- 
grade them  by  the  aid  of  their  intolerably  petty 
and  vulgar  standard,  that,  in  sooth,  any  bungler 
might  have  composed  them.  Further,  against 
regarding  Isaiah  as  the  author  of  these  chapters 
it  has  been  objected  that  they  contain  many  pe- 
culiar thoughts  and  expressions  which  occur 
only  here.  But  what  does  this  objection  amount 
to?  Do  these  thoughts  and  expressions  contra- 
dict Isaiah's  manner  of  thinking  and  speaking  ? 
No  one  has  yet  been  able  to  prove  this.  But  if 
this  is  not  the  case,  the  circumstance  that  they 
occur  only  here  is  of  no  significance  whatever. 
For  among  the  chapters  of  Isaiah  that  are  acknow- 
ledged genuine,  there  is  not  a  single  one  which 


does  not  contain  thoughts  and  words  that  are  new 
and  peculiar  to  it  alone.  This  is  not  surprising 
in  a  mind  so  inexhaustibly  fertile  as  that  of 
Isaiah.  The  objection  drawn  from  the  occurrence 
of  ideas  that  are  said  to  belong  to  a  later  age, 
might  be  of  more  weight.  To  this  class  of  ideas 
is  referred  the  curse  of  the  law  (xxiv.  G).  But 
apart  from  Deut.  xxviii.-xxx.  (comp.  espec.  xxix. 
19),  that  the  curse  should  fall  on  transgressors  of 
the  law  is  so  obvious  an  idea,  that  it  is  incon- 
ceivable that  it  should  be  regarded  as  the  sign  of 
a  later  time.  That  it  happens  not  to  occur  in 
writings  universally  admitted  to  precede  the  age 
of  Isaiah  may  appear  strange,  but  is  no  proof  of 
the  later  origin  of  these  chapters.  That  gods  are 
spoken  of  as  protecting  powers  of  kingdoms,  xxiv. 
21,  is  just  as  little  established  as  that  the  sun  and 
moon,  xxiv.  23,  are  named  as  objects  of  idolatrous 
homage  (comp.  our  Exposition).  The  cessation 
of  death  (xxv.  8),  and  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead  (xxvi.  19)  are  closely  connected.  Both  are 
confessedly  ideas  which  could  not  have  entered 
clearly  into  the  consciousness  of  the  Israelites  till 
they  had  attained  an  advanced  stage  of  religious 
culture.  But  that  the  Israelites  first  received 
this  doctrine  when,  in  exile,  from  Parseeism  is,  as 
KLOSTERMAXN  says,  "  an  unfounded,  unproved, 
modern  tradition."  Vox  HOFMAXX  is  certainly 
right  when  he  sees  in  the  first,  and  fundamental 
promise  [Gen.  ii;.  15]  the  basis  of  the  hope  that 
''finally  everything  will  have  an  end  that  has 
come  into  the  world  through  the  enemy  of  God — 
sin  and  death."  This  does  not  prevent  this 
passage  from  belonging  to  the  oldest  documents 
of  the  awakening  consciousness  of  this  hope  of 
faith.  As  we  cannot  see  in  this  a  proof  of  the  com- 
position of  this  piece  during  the  exile,  so  it  ap- 
pears to  us  equally  improbable  that  this  event, 
which  belongs  to  the  final  history  of  the  world, 
could  escape  the  eye  of  an  Isaiah. 

In  regard  to  the  time  of  composition,  it  is  very 
difficult  to  say  anything  definite.  More  particu- 
lar indications  fixing  the  date  are  entirely  want- 
ing. The  Prophet,  as  it  were,  soars  high  above 
his  time,  and  as  if  cut  loose  from  it,  lives  wholly 
in  the  future.  Nevertheless,  he  beholds  the  theoc- 
racy in  conflict  with  Assyria  and  Egypt ;  and 
even  Babylon  appears,  although  but  dimly  dis- 
closed, among  these  foes.  If  we  add  that  these 
chapters  follow  immediately  the  prophecies 
against  the  heathen  nations,  and  appear  as  the 
winding  up  of  the  same,  the  supposition  very 
readily  suggests  itself  that  they  were  composed  in 
the  time  of  Hezekiah,  and  as  DELITZSCII  says, 
as  finale  to  chapters  xiii. — xxiii.  The  manifold 
points  of  connection  with  later  pieces  by  Isaiah, 
which  we  will  particularly  point  out  in  the  course 
of  our  exposition,  favor  this  view. 

The  structure  of  the  piece  indicates  no  little  art. 
The  number  two  lies  at  its  basis.  There  are 
twice  two  chapters,  of  which  the  first  and  third 
have  the  final  judgment  of  the  world  for  their 
subject,  the  second  and  fourth  the  deliverance  of 
I?rae!.  Each  of  these  four  chapters  again  con- 
sists of  two  parts. 

We  make  out  the  following  plan  of  the  piece : 

1)  The  beginning  of  distress;  the  destruction 
of  the  surface  of  the  earth  (xxiv.  1-12). 

2)  The  destruction  of  the  globe  of  the  earth 
(xxiv.  13-23). 


270  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


3)  Israel's  song  of  praise  for  the  deliverance 
experienced  (xxv.  1—5). 

4)  Zion  as  the  place  of  the  feast  given  to  all 
nations  in  contrast  to  Moab  that  perishes  inglo- 
riously  (xxv.  6-12). 

5)  The  judgment  as  the  realization  of  the  idea 
of  justice  (xxvi.  1-10). 


6)  The  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  the  con- 
cluding act  in  the  judgment  of  the  world  (xxvi. 
11-21). 

7)  The  downfall  of  the  worldly  powers  and 
Zion's  joyful  hope  (xxvii.  1-9). 

8)  The  fall  of  the  city  of  the  world  and  Israel's 
glad  restoration  (xxvii.  10-13). 


1.    THE  BEGINNING  OF  DISTRESS:    THE   DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  SURFACE  OF 
THE  EARTH.     CHAPTER  XXIV.  1-12. 

1  BEHOLD  the  LORD  maketh  the  earth  empty, 
And  maketh  it  waste, 

And  'turneth  it  upside  down, 

And  scattereth  abroad  the  inhabitants  thereof. 

2  And  it  shall  be, 

As  with  the  people,  so  with  the  2priest ; 

As  with  the  servant,  so  with  his  master; 

As  with  the  maid,  so  with  her  mistress; 

As  with  the  buyer,  so  with  the  seller  ; 

As  with  the  lender,  so  with  the  borrower  ; 

As  with  the  taker  of  usury,  so  with  the  giver  of  usury  to  him. 

3  The  "land  shall  be  utterly  emptied,  and  utterly  spoiled : 
For  the  LORD  hath  spoken  this  word. 

4  The  earth  mourneth,  and  fadeth  away, 
The  world  languisheth  and  fadeth  away, 
The  3haughty  people  of  the  earth  do  languish. 

5  The  earth  also  is  defiled  under  the  inhabitants  thereof; 
Because  they  have  transgressed  the  laws, 

Changed  the  ordinance, 

Broken  the  everlasting  covenant. 

6  Therefore  hath  the  curse  devoured  the  earth, 
And  they  that  dwell  therein  are  desolate  : 
Therefore  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  are  burned, 
And  few  men  left. 

7  The  new  wine  mourneth, 
The  vine  languisheth, 

All  the  merry-hearted  do  sigh. 

8  The  mirth  of  tabrets  ceaseth, 

The  noise  of  them  that  rejoice  endeth, 
The  joy  of  the  harp  ceaseth. 

9  They  shall  not  drink  wine  with  a  song  ; 

Strong  drink  shall  be  bitter  to  them  that  drink  it. 

10  The  city  of  bconfusion  is  broken  down  : 

Every  house  is  shut  up,  that  no  man  may  come  in. 

11  There  -is  a  crying  for  wine  in  the  streets ; 
All  joy  is  darkened, 

The  mirth  of  the  land  is  gone. 

12  In  the  city  is  left  desolation, 

And  the  gate  is  smitten  with  destruction. 

1  Heb.  perverteth  the  face  thereof.  «  Or,  prince.  «  Heb.  the  height  of  the  people. 

'  earth.  b  emptiness. 

TEXTUAL    AND    GRAMMATICAL. 

also  Nah.  ii.  11,  where    only  the  word  occurs  again. 
T\\y  pervertere,  conturbare  (comp.  xxi.  3  Niph.,  Piel  be- 
empty,  forms  with  Hp^lS  (devastate)  a  paronomasia,  as    sides  only  Lam.  iii.  9)  is  here  applied  to  the  surface  of 


Ver.  1.  pnia  (comp.  xix.  3  and  ver.  3 ;  Hos.  x.  1 ;  Nah. 
xi.  3;  Jer.  xix.  7  ;  li.  2),  part,  from  pD2  to  pour  out,  to 


CHAP.  XXIV.  1-12. 


271 


the  earth  in  the  sense  of  throwing  confusedly  together 
everything  found  upon  it. 

Ver.  2.  On  3—2=  as,  so,  <u«  —  ois  comp.  EWAUJ,  $  360. 
The  abnormal  employment  of  the  article  in  n,m3;J3  is 
occasioned  by  the  endeavor  to  produce  an  assonance 
with  nnSCO-  ntyj  is  creditor,  and  of  like  meaning 
with  mSo,  but  the  idea  of  usury  seems  to  be  involved 


Ver.  3.  p'l3FV  T13f1  instead  of  p3n,  I3H  may  be  re- 
garded as  forms  borrowed  from  the  related  "\y—  stems, 
and  are  hero  ch"scn  for  the  sake  of  conformity  with 
the  infinitive  forms  plSH,  Tl^H- 

Ver.  4.  The  half  pause,  which  is  indicated  by  the 


punctuation  iSiDN,  has  the  force  of  a  dash  in  our  lan- 

T   :  \ 

guage.  The  application  to  personal  beings  of  this  pre- 
dicate, that  had  been  used  previously  of  lifeless  things, 
is  thereby  emphasized. 

Ver.  6.  "nn  in  Kal  only  here,  Niph.  xli.  11 ;  xlv.  24. 

Ver.  7.  n  JK  (current  only  in  Niph.)  is  found  only  here 
in  Isaiah,  probably  borrowed  from  Joel  i.  18. 

Ver.  10.  K'123  as  xxiii.  1. 

Ver.  12.  iVXE/  is  air.  Aey.  and  stands  in  apposition  to 
the  object,  or,  as  the  word  is  passive,  in  apposition  to 
the  subject  of  R3\,  to  express  what  should  be  made  of 
the  object  or  subje'ct.  Translate:  The  gate  is  smitten 
to  ruins.  Comp.  vi.  11;  xxxvii.  26.  On  the  form  Jl^11 
(Hoph.  from  HfG  contundere,  xi.  4;  xxx.  14)  comp.  OLS- 
HAUSEN,  Gran.,  §  261. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  transports  himself  in  spirit  to  the 
end  of  all  tilings.     He  describes  the  destruction 
of  the  world.     He   sees,  however,  that  this  de- 
struction will   ba   gradually  accomplished.     He 
here  depicts  the  first  scene  :  the  destruction  of  all 
that  exists  on  the  surface  of  the  earth.     This  de- 
struction bears  the  closest  resemblance  to  such 
desolations  of  countries  and  cities  as  even  now 
occur  in  consequence  of  wars.     Hence   the  Pro- 
phet borrows  the  colors  for  this  his  first  picture 
of  the  destruction  of  the  world  from  such  oc- 
currences  in   actual  history.     Jehovah  empties, 
devastates,  depopulates  the  surface  of  the  earth 
(ver.    1),  and  the   inhabitants    are  without  dis- 
tinction of  person  swept  away  (ver.  2) ;  and  this 
work  of  emptying  and  devastation  is  thoroughly 
accomplished   (ver.  3).     In  consequence,  inani- 
mate nature  appears  mourning,  and  every  height 
and  glory  of  creation  has  vanished  (ver.  4);  and 
this  too  is  quite  natural,  for  the  earth  has  been 
defiled  by  the  sins  of  men   (ver.  5).     Therefore 
the  curse  has,  as  it  were,  devoured  the    earth ; 
therefore    men,  with   the  exception    of  a  small 
remnant,  are  destroyed  from  the  earth  (ver.  6). 
Therefore  the  precious  productions  of  the  earth 
that  gladden  the  heart  of  man  have  vanished, 
and  with  them  all  joy  on  earth  (vers.  7-9).     The 
head  of  the  earth,  the  great  city  of  the  world  is  a 
chaos  of  ruins,  its  houses  no  man  enters  any  more 
(ver.  10).     In  the  streets  nothing  is  heard  save 
lamentations  over  tlie  loss  of  what  gladdens  the 
heart  of  man.     All  joy  has  departed  (ver.   11). 
Nothing  remains  in  the  city  but  solitude  and  de- 
solation. The  gates  are  broken  to  pieces  (ver.  12). 

2.  Behold  the  LORD  ...  do  languish. 
— Vers.  1-4.     ""ISr^   with  a  participle  following, 
frequently  introduces  in  Isaiah  the  prophetic  dis- 
course: iii.  1  ;  viii.  7  ;  x.  33;  xiii.  9,  17  ;  xvii. 
1 ;  xxii.  17  et  saepe.     In  general,  this  usage  oc- 
curs in  all  the  Prophets.     But  it  is  peculiar  to 
Isaiah,  quite    abruptly  and  without   any  intro- 
ductory formula  to  begin  the  prophetic  discourse 
with  Hin.     The  description  of    the  destruction 

of  the  earth  begins  with  its  surface  (comp.  ver. 
18  6  sqq.).  To  it  the  inhabitants  also  belong,  for 
they  can  exist  only  on  the  surface.  If  now  all 
things  on  the  surface  of  the  earth  are  thrown 
confusedly  together,  the  inhabitants,  too,  are  nat- 
urally scattered.  "fP;?>  an  expression  which 
seems  to  be  taken  from  the  threatening  words  of 


Deuteronomy  (comp.  iv.  27  ;  xxviii.  64 ;  xxx. 
3)  is  found  besides  in  Isaiah  only  xxviii.  25 ; 
xli.  16.  The  LORD  knows  no  respect  of  persons. 
When  the  great  forces  of  nature  by  God's  com- 
mand assail  our  race,  then  all  are  alike  affected. 
In  a  desolation  wrought  by  human  hands  the  case 
can  be  different.  Then  the  more  distinguished 
persons  are  often  treated  otherwise  than  the  poor, 
and  are  reserved  for  a  better  fate  (comp.  1  Sam. 
xv.  8  sq.  ;  2  Kings  xxv.  27  sqq.).  When  "peo- 
ple" and  "  priest"  are  put  in  contrast,  and  not 
"people"  and  "prince"  or '•  king,"  the  reason 
is  to  be  sought  in  the  fact  that  the  priests  in  the 
theocracy  form  properly  the  nobility.  The  place, 
moreover,  is  a  quotation  from  Hos.  iv.  9.  Any 
citizen  may  become  a  king ;  but  he  only  can  be 
a  priest  who  is  of  the  priestly  race.  Comp.  Lev. 
xxi. ;  Ezek.  xliv.  15  sqq. ;  JOSEPHUS  Cox.  Ap.  I, 
7  ;  Mishna  Kiddushin  iv.  4.  [The  rightful  King 
of  Israel  must  according  to  the  divine  appoint- 
ment Be  of  the  house  of  David. — D.  M.J  The 
sentence  ver.  2  contains  six  comparisons.  As  in 
the  first  half  of  the  verse,  the  second  and  third 
comparisons  are  not  specifically  distinct  from  one 
another,  so  is  it  too  in  the  second  half  of  the 
verse.  With  a  repetition  of  assonant  sounds, 
which  like  waves  or  shocks  succeed  one  another, 
the  Prophet  paints  the  emptying  and  plundering 
of  the  earth.  We  have  already  remarked  that 
he  depicts  the  devastation  of  the  surface  of  the 
earth  in  colors  which  are  borrowed  from  the 
devastation  of  a  single  country  by  an  earthly 
enemy.  For  that  the  subject  treated  of  is  the 
devastation  of  the  earth,  and  not  merely  of  the 
land  of  Palestine,  appears  from  the  whole  scope 
of  chapters  xxiv — xxvii.,  which  are  intended  to 
depict  the  judgment  of  the  world  ;  and  this  point 
comes  ever  more  clearly  to  light  in  the  course  of 
the  prophecy.  It  might  be  asked  :  if  JpR  is  the 
earth,  who  then  are  the  plunderers?  But  this  is 
an  idle  question.  For  the  Prophet  sees  in  spirit 
an  occurrence  which  appears  to  him  at  the  first 
sight  quite  like  the  devastation  of  a  country  in 
war  by  a  hostile  military  force.  He  sees  great 
confusion,  men  shouting  and  fleeing,  houses  burn- 
ing and  falling  down,  smoke  rising  to  heaven, 
etc.  He  pees  no  particular  country  ;  he  sees  no 
definite  persons  in  the  plundering  enemies.  _  It 
is  a  question  if  he  really  perceives  plundering 
persons.  For  the  whole  representation  is  at  first 
a  comparatively  indistinct  picture  which  gradu- 


272 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


ally  attains  greater  clearness  and  deflniteness. 
On  the  expression  ''For  the  LOUD  hath  spoken," 
which  occurs  more  frequently  in  Isaiah  than  in 
the  other  Prophets,  comp.  on  i.  2.  The  addition 
"  this  word "  is  found  only  here.  It  is  evi- 
dently used  in  order  to  continue  in  the  second 
half  of  the  verse  the  play  with  words  by  means 
of  lingual  and  labial  sounds.  The  effect  of  the 
devastation  is  that  the  land  appears  mourning 
and  exhausted  (ver.  4).  Here  too  the  Prophet 

heaps  together  assonant  words,  vJN  to  mourn, 
is  used  by  Isaiah  iii.  26 ;  xix.  ° ;  xxxiii.  9-  The 
description  in  Joel  i.  9  sq.  seems  to  have  been 

here  before  his  mind.  S^J,  to  .all  off,  from  being 
withered,  is  used  by  Isaiah  i.  30 ;  xxviii.  1,  4 ; 
xxxiv.  4;  Ixiv.  5.  Safl,  the  earth  (either  as 
terra  fcrtilis,  or  as  olKov/uevq,  never  as  designation 
of  a  single  country)  is  a  current  word  with  Isaiah. 
Comp.  on  xiii.  11.  'pNH  D^,  an  expression 
which  Isaiah  does  not  elsewhere  employ,  seems 
to  denote  here  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  in 
general.  This  is  the  rather  possible,  as  our  place 
is  the  first  and  oldest  in  which  the  expression  oc- 
curs. It  lias  not  here  the  specific  sense  of  "  com- 
mon people,"  plcbs,  in  opposition  to  people  of 
rank,  in  which  sense  it  afterwards  occurs.  Comp. 
my  remarks  on  Jcr.  i.  18.  D1~10  is  the  abstract 
for  the  concrete,  the  height  for  the  high  and 
eminent.  Not  only  inanimate  creation,  man  too 
presents  the  sad  look  of  decay.  What  among 
men  blooms  and  nourishes,  as  well  as  the  fresh 
green  vegetation,  becomes  withered  and  languid. 

3.  The  earth  also  is  defiled covenant. 

— Ver.  5.  This  verse  must  be  regarded  as  related 
to  what  precedes  as  the  statement  of  the  cause. 
For  here  the  sins  of  men  are  pointed  out.  But 
sin  has  punishment  for  its  necessary  consequence. 
We  must  say,  therefore,  that  there  lies  a  causal 
power  in  the  wav  with  which  this  verse  begins; 
as  is  not  unfrequently  the  case.  That  the  land 
is  denied  through  blood-guiltiness  and  other  sin 
is  declared  Numb.  xxxv.  33,  which  place  Isaiah 
has  probably  in  his  eye,  (comp.  Jer.  iii.  1,  2,  9). 
nnri  is  to  be  taken  in  the  local  sense.  The 
earth  lies  as  a  polluted  thing  under  the  feet  of  its 
inhabitants.  How  could  such  polluted  ground 
be  suffered  to  exist?  It  is  an  object  of  wrath,  it 
must  be  destroyed.  The  second  half  of  the  verse 
tells  by  what  the  earth  has  been  defiled ;  men 
have  transgressed  the  divine  laws,  have  wantonly 
slighted  the  ordinance,  and  broken  the  everlast- 
ing covenant  (xxx.  8 ;  Iv.  3).  flVrtfl  only  here 
in  Isaiah,  is  frequent  in  the  Pentateuch :  Gen. 
xxvi.  5 ;  Exod.  xvi.  28 ;  xviii.  16,  20  et  saepe. 

^bn  of  the  law  only  here.  Mark  the  assonance 
with  ^n.  The  radical  meaning  of  the  word  is 
"to  change,"  comp.  on  ii.  18;  viii.  8;  ix.  9; 
xxi.  1.  Not  only  to  the  people  of  Israel  has 
God  given  a  law,  not  merely  with  this  people  has 
God  made  a  covenant ;  the  Noachic  covenant  is 
for  all  men  ;  yea,  in  a  certain  sense  for  all  crea- 
tures on  the  earth  (Gen.  ix.  1  sqq.,  and  ver.  9 
sqq.).  God  has  given  witness  of  Himself  to  all 
men  (Acts  xiv.  17),  and  made  it  possible  for  all 
to  perceive  His  invisible  power  and  godhead 


(Rom.  i.  20).  The  Prophet  indicates  here  the 
deep  moral  reason  why  our  earth  cannot  forever 
continue  in  its  present  material  form. 

4.  Therefore  hath  the  curse— drink  it.— 
Vers.  6-9.  On  the  statement  of  the  cause,  ver.  5, 
follows  anew  with  "  therefore "  the  declaration 
of  the  consequences,  so  that  ver.  5  serves  as  a 
basis  both  for  what  precedes  and  what  follows. 
The  same  condition  is  described  in  the  main  by 
vers.  6-12  as  by  vers.  1-4.  Only  in  so  far  are 
vers.  6-12  of  a  different  import,  as  they  promi- 
nently set  forth  not  only  the  general,  but  the 
special  experiences  of  men  through  the  with- 
drawal of  the  noblest  fruit,  wine,  and  as  they 
from  verse  10  direct  the  look  to  the  great_  centre 
of  the  earth,  the  city  of  the  world.  Jeremiah  has 
our  place  in  general  before  his  eyes  (xxxiii.  10). 
The  curse  is  conceived  as  the  devouring  fire  of 
the  divine  wrath  (Exod.  xxiv.  17;  Deut.  iv.  24; 
ix.  3;  Isa.  x.  16  sq. ;  xxix.  6;  xxx.  27-30; 

xxxiii.  14).  The  expression  H7DX  H7N  (mark 
the  assonance  with  ver.  4)  occurs  only  here. 
Dt^X  (in  Isaiah  only  here)  denotes  in  this  con- 
nection, not  "to  be  guilty,  to  contract  guilt,"  but 
"  to  suffer  the  punishment  of  guilt."  Comp. 
Hos.  x.  2;  xiv.  1  et  saepe.  The  effect  of  that 
burning  wrath  which  devours  the  guilty,  extends 
first  to  men.  These  are  parched  by  it,  their  sap 
is  dried  up  (Ps.  xxxii.  4).  But  where  the  sap 
of  life  is  dried  up,  death  ensues,  and,  in  conse- 
quence, but  few  people  remain  on  the  earth. 
This  surviving  of  a  small  remnant  is  confessedly 
a  very  significant  point  in  Isaiah's  prophecy  (iv. 
3;  vi.  13;  x.  19  sqq.;  xi.  11,  16;  xvii.  6). 
Isaiah  uses  the  word  tfiJK  more  frequently  than 
the  other  Prophets.  He  employs  it  six  times  be- 
side the  case  before  us;  viii.  1 ;  xiii.  7-12;  xxxiii. 
8  ;  li.  7 ;  Ivi.  2.  Of  the  other  Prophets  only 
Jeremiah  uses  it,  and  but  once.  In  the  book  of 
Job  the  word  occurs  19  times,  "l^p  is  found 
only  in  Isaiah  ;  x.  25;  xxix.  17;  xvi.  14.  "V#T 
also  is  found  only  Isa.  xxviii.  10,  13,  and  Job 
xxxvi.  2.  27  'HP?'  occurs  only  here.  fcfMWJ 
occurs  17  times  in  the  Old  Testament ;  of  these 
10  times  in  Isaiah  ;  viii.  6  ;  xxiv.  8  (bis),  11 ; 
xxxii.  13,  14;  Ix.  15  ;  Ixii.  5;  Ixv.  18  ;  Ixvi.  10. 

Ver.  8  *]fl  the  tambourine  v.  12 ;  xxx.  32.  j'lNb 
eight  times  in  Isaiah  (v.  14 ;  xiii.  4  ;  xvii.  12 
(bis),  13;  xxiv.  8;  xxv.  5;  Ixvi.  6);  in  the  whole 

Old  Testament  17  times.  rty,  save  in  two  de- 
pendent places  in  Zeph.  (ii.  15;  iii.  11),  only  in 
Isaiah  xiii.  3;  xxii.  2;  xxiii.  7;  xxxii.  13  comp. 
v.  14.  The  only  Prophet  save  Ezekicl  (xxvi.  13) 
that  uses  "033  is  Isaiah;  he  has  it  five  times:  v. 
12;  xvi.  11;  xxiii.  16;  xxiv.  8;  xxx.  32.  In 
~Ti72  observe  the  3  marking  accompaniment. 
Viy  is  used  five  times  by  Isaiah  (xxiii.  16  ;  xxvi. 
1;  xxx.  29;  xiii.  10).  No  other  Prophet^  em- 
ploys the  word  so  frequently,  "\??.>  to  be  bitter, 
in  Isaiah  in  different  forms  three  times:  xxii.  4; 
xxiv.  9;  xxxviii.  17.  "Ot?  intoxicating  drink; 
with  the  exception  of  MICAH  who  uses  the  word 
once  (ii.  11),  it  is  used  by  no  other  Prophet  save 
Isaiah  v.  11,  22;  udv.  9;  xxviii.  7  ter;  Ivi.  12. 


CHAP.  XXIV.  13-22. 


273 


Isaiah,  after  having  foretold,  ver.  7,  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  vine,  the  noblest  fruit  of  the  ground, 
depicts  its  consequence,  the  cessation  of  joy 
which  wine  produces  (Ps.  civ.  15 j. 

5.  The  city  of  confusion— — destruction. 
— Vers.  10-12.  In  these  three  verses  the  Pro- 
phet proceeds  to  describe  the  destiny  of  the  great 
worldly  city,  the  head  and  centre  of  the  kingdom 
of  the  world.  It  is  not  surprising  that  he  gives 
particular  prominence  to  it,  when  we  consider 
how  largely  Babylon  figures  in  prophecy  (comp. 
my  remarks  on  Jeremiah  1.  andli.  introduction). 
I  would  not,  however,  be  understood  as  affirming 
that  our  Prophet  had  Babylon  specifically  before 
hia  mind.  Isaiah  intends  just  the  city  of  the 
world  KCIT'  k^ox^v,  whatever  name  it  might  bear. 
I  do  not  think  that  mp  is  to  be  taken  collec- 
tively as  xxv.  3.  (ARXDT  de  Jes.  xxiv — xxvii. 
Commentatio,  1826,  p.  10,  DRECHSLER,  etc.).  For 
it  is  unnecessary  to  emphasize  the  cities  beside 
the  level  country.  No  one  looks  for  their  speci- 
fication; for  every  one  includes  the  cities  in  all 

that  has  been  previously  said  of  the  f^K  or  72H. 
But  an  emphatic  mention  of  the  city  of  the  world, 
the  proper  focus  of  worldliness,  corresponds  to  its 
importance.  The  place  xxv.  3  cannot  be  com- 
pared; for  there  the  context  and  construction 
(plural  verbs)  are  decidedly  in  favor  of  our 
talcing  the  word  as  a  collective.  That  under  this 
city  we  do  not  understand  Jerusalem,  as  most  do,  is 
self-evident  from  our  view  of  this  passage.  The 
city  of  the  world  is  called  the  city  of  emptiness, 
[not  confusion]  because  worldliness  has  in  it  its  seat 

and  centre,  and  worldliness  is  essentially  inn  i.  e., 

vanifas,  inanity,  emptiness.  ^Hfl  is  used  in  this  sense 
(xxix.  21;  xxxiv.  11;  xl.  17,  23;  xli.  29;  xliv. 
9;  xlv.  18,  19;  xlix.  4;  lix.  4;  1  Sam.  xii.  21). 


The  Prophet  declares  that  the  inward  chaos  would 
also  be  outwardly  manifested.  Every  thing  here 
is  in  accordance  with  the  style  of  Isaiah.  "Oty 
is  used  very  often  by  Isaiah  (viii.  16;  xiv.  5; 
xvii.  25,  29;  xxvii.  11;  xxviii.  13;  xxx.  14,  et 
saepe).  H^p  is  found  sixteen  times  in  the  pro- 
phets ;  of  these,  ten  times  in  Isaiah  (i.  21,  2G ;  xxii. 
2 ;  xxiv.  10 ;  xxv.  2,  3 ;  xxvi.  5  ;  xxix.  1 ;  xxxii. 
13 ;  xxxiii.  20).  irin  occurs  twenty  times  in  the 
O.  T.;  of  these,  eleven  times  in  Isaiah  ;  one  of  the 
places  is  admitted  to  be  genuine  (xxix.  21) ;  the 
other  places  where  it  occurs  are  assailed  by  the 
critics.  We  might  wonder  how  one  could  speak 
of  closed  houses  in  a  destroyed  city.  We  may 
not  understand  this,  with  DRECHSLER,  of  some 
houses  that  remained  uninjured.  It  was  rather 
the  falling  of  the  houses  that  rendered  them  in- 
capable of  being  entered  into.  In  the  street  too 
(ver.  11)  the  lamentation  at  the  loss  of  wine  and 
the  departure  of  all  joy  is  repeated  (comp.  xvi.  7 
-10).  3"]^  occurs  only  twice  in  the  O.  T. ;  viz.: 
Judges  xix.  9  and  liere.  Its  meaning  is  nigrum 
esse,  obscurari,  occidere.  When  all  joy  and  life 
have  fled  from  the  city,  nothing  remains  in  it  but 
desolation  (ver.  12).  If  I  am  to  state  what  future 
events  will  correspond  to  this  prophecy  of  the  first 
act  of  the  judgment  of  the  world,  it  appears  to  me 
that  the  description  of  the  Prophet,  as  it  refers 
solely  to  occurrences  which  have  for  their  theatre 
the  surface  of  the  earth,  corresponds  to  what  our 
Lord  in  His  discourse  on  the  last  things  says  of 
the  signs  of  His  coming,  and  of  the  beginning  of 
sorrows  (Matt.  xxiv.  6-8  ;  Mark  xiii.  7-8 ;  Luke 
xxi.  9sqq.).  And  the  beginning  of  sorrows  cor- 
responds again  to  what  the  Revelation  of  John 
represents  under  the  image  of  seven  seals,  seven 
trumpets,  and  seven  vials  (chap.  vi.  sqq.). 


2.    THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  GLOBE. 
CHAP.  XXIV.  13-23. 

13  '"When  thus  it  shall  be  in  the  midst  of  the  land  among  the  people, 
There  shall  be  as  the  shaking  of  an  olive  tree, 

And  as  the  gleaning  grapes  when  the  vintage  is  done. 

14  They  shall  lift  up  their  voice, 

They  shall  sing  for  the  majesty  of  the  LORD, 
They  shall  cry  aloud  from  the  sea. 

15  Wherefore  glorify  ye  the  LORD  in  the  lbfires, 

Even  the  name  of  the  LORD  God  of  Israel  in  the  isles  of  the  sea. 

16  From  the  2uttermost  part  of  the  earth  have  we  heard  songs, 
Even  glory  to  the  righteous. 

But  I  said, 

3My  leanness,  my  leanness,  woe  unto  me  ! 

The  treacherous  dealers  have  dealt  treacherously ; 

Yea,  the  treacherous  dealers  have  dealt  very  treacherously. 

17  Fear,  and  the  pit,  and  the  snare  are  upon  thee, 
O  inhabitant  of  the  earth. 

18  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 

That  he  who  fieeth  from  the  noise  of  the  fear 
Shall  fall  into  the  pit ; 
18 


274 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


And  he  that  cometh  up  out  of  the  midst  of  the  pit 

Shall  be  taken  in  the  snare  : 

For  the  windows  from  on  high  are  open. 

And  the  foundations  of  the  earth  do  shake. 

19  The  earth  is  utterly  broken  down ; 
The  earth  is  clean  dissolved, 

The  earth  is  moved  exceedingly. 

20  The  earth  shall  reel  to  and  fro  like  a  drunkard, 
And  shall  cbe  removed  like  a  cottage  ; 

And  the  transgression  thereof  shall  be  heavy  upon  it; 
And  it  shall  fall, 
And  not  rise  again. 

21  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 

That  the  LORD  shall  4punish  the  host  of  the  high  ones  that  are  on  high, 
And  the  kings  of  the  earth  upon  the  earth. 

22  And  they  shall  be  gathered  together,  bas  prisoners  are  gathered  in  6the  pit, 
And  shall  be  shut  up  in  the  prison, 

And  after  many  days  shall  they  be  Visited. 

23  Then  the  moon  shall  be  confounded, 
And  the  sun  ashamed, 

When  the  LORD  of  hosts  shall  reign  in  mount  Zion,  and  in  Jerusalem, 
And  8before  his  ancients  gloriously. 

1  Or,  vallei/s.  a  Heb.  wing.  *  Heb.  leanness  to  me,  or,  my  secret  to  me. 

*  Heb.  visit  upon.         6  Heb.  with  the  gathering  of  prisoners.       6  Or,  dungeon. 

*  Or,  found  wanting.     8  Or,  There  shall  be  glory  before  his  ancients. 


•  For  thus  it  shall  be.    b  the  lands  of  light,  the  east. 

TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  13.  The  impersonal  expression  PITT1  DD  is  to  be 
understood  as  HTll  xvii.  5. 

Ver.  19.  nj?^  is  a  substantive  as  1JQ  in  ver.  16  and 
713DK  in  ver.  22;  three  examples  in  this  chapter  of  the 
infin.  abs.  being  represented  by  a  substantive  formed 
from  the  same  stem.  Ver.  22.  Many  would  connect  TDK 


«  shake  like  a  hammock. 

GRAMMATICAL. 

with    nDDX;  but  TDK  is  really  in  apposition  to  the 

T  •'  -: 

subject  involved  in  }£3DK.  The  singular  TDX  need  not 
cause  surprise  ;  comp.  x'x.  4.  The  case  before  us  comes 
under  the  category  of  the  ideal  number  treated  of,  NAB- 
GELSBACH  Qr..  \  61, 1  sq.  7^  stands  in  the  signification 
of  *7X.  Comp.  on  x.  3. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  depicts  here  the  second  stage  of 
the  world's  destruction.  This  consists  substan- 
tially in  the  shattering  of  the  globe  of  the  earth 
itself.  The  transition  is  formed  by  the  thought, 
ver.  13,  that  only  few  men,  a  gleaning,  as  it  were, 
will  survive  the  first  catastrophe.  But  these  saved 
ones  are  the  pious,  the  elect  of  God.  These  flee 
to  the  promised  land,  to  Jerusalem.  From  the 
sea,  i.  e.,  from  the  west,  the  prophet  hears  the  song 
of  praise  (ver.  14).  He  answers  by  calling  on 
east  and  west  to  praise  the  name  of  the  Lord  (ver. 
15).  This  summons  is  obeyed.  We  perceive 
from  this,  that  the  elect  of  God  are  hidden  in  a 
safe  place  (ver.  16  a).  But  that  is  just  the  occasion 
for  the  signal  to  be  given  for  the  occurrence  of  the 
last  and  most  frightful  catastrophe.  The  Prophet 
announces  it  with  an  exclamation  of  anxiety  and 
terror.  At  the  same  time  he  declares  why  it  must 
be  BO  ;  the  sin  of  men  provokes  the  judgment  of 
God  (ver.  16  b).  He  characterizes  beforehand  the 
catastrophe  as  one  which  shall  take  place  in  differ- 
ent successive  acts,  each  more  severe  than  the  pre- 
ceding, so  that  he  who  has  escaped  the  first  blow  will 
certainly  fall  under  the  second  or  the  third  ( vers. 
17,  18  a).  For,  as  at  the  deluge,  the  windows  of 
heaven  will  be  opened,  and  the  foundations  of  the 


earth  will  be  broken  up  (ver.  18  b).  The  globe 
of  the  earth  will  then  rend,  burst,  break  (ver. 
19),  reel  like  a  drunken  man.  The  earth  cannot 
bear  the  load  of  sin.  It  must,  therefore,  fall  to 
rise  again  no  more  (ver.  20).  But  the  judgment 
of  God  is  not  confined  to  the  earth  :  The  angelic 
powers  that  are  hostile  to  God  will,  as  well  as 
the  representatives  of  the  worldly  power  on  earth, 
be  cast  into  the  abyss,  and  there  shut  up  for  a 
time ;  but  after  a  certain  term  has  expired,  they 
will  again  be  liberated  (vers.  21,  22).  Sun  and 
moon,  too,  will  lose  their  brightness,  so  that  only 
in  one  place  of  the  world  can  safety  be  found, 
namely,  in  Zion.  For,  although  the  rest  of  the 
earth  be  shattered,  Zion,  the  holy  mount,  re- 
mains uninjured.  For  there  Jehovah  rules  as 
king,  and  through  the  heads  of  His  people  there 
gathered  round  Him  will  He  communicate  His 
glory  to  His  people  also  (ver.  23). 

2.  When  thus  it  shall  be— treacherous- 
ly.—Vers.  13-16.  In  the  olive  and  grape  har- 
vest the  great  mass  of  the  fruit  is  shaken  or 
plucked  off  and  cast  into  the  press.  Only  few 
berries  remain  on  the  olive  tree  or  vine.  The 
few  remaining  olives  are  struck  off  with  a  stick. 
The  few  grapes  remaining  on  the  vine  are  after- 


CHAP.  XXIV.  13-23. 


275 


wards  cut  off.  "When,  then,  at  the  close  of  the 
catastrophe  depicted  in  vers.  1-13,  only  few  per- 
sons survive,  that  is  a  proof  of  the  extent  of  the 
catastrophe,  and  a  measure  whereby  to  estimate 
it.  This  by  the  way  of  explaining  the  '3.  [Trans- 
late, "  For  thus  it  shall  be  ;"  not  as  in  the  E.  V. 
"  When  thus  it  shall  be,"  etc.'].  But  few  escape 
destruction.  These  are  the  elect.  To  these  few, 
who  are  by  implication  supposed  in  ver.  13  6, 
non,  ver.  14,  refers.  They  exult  at  their  deliv- 
erance, which  they  owe  to  the  majesty  of  Jeho- 


vah. p^  is  found  as  here  connected  with 
xii.  6  ;  liv.  1.  pi  occurs  frequently  in  the  first 
and  second  part  of  Isaiah.  J1XJ  is  an  expression 
very  common  in  Isaiah.  But  why  does  the  Pro- 
phet hear  from  the  sea,  i.  e.  from  the  west  the  ex- 
ulting shout  of  them  that  have  escaped  ?  We 
cannot,  with  DRECHSLER  and  some  older  inter- 
preters, take  D^9  in  the  comparative  sense  (they 

shall  cry  aloud  more  than  the  sea)  ;  for  /n¥,  an 
onomatopoetic  word,  denotes  a  clear  sound  (like 
the  neighing  of  a  horse)  which  cannot  be  com- 
pared with  the  thunder  of  the  sea.  Does  there 
lie  in  the  expression  D'D  something  like  a  fore- 
boding of  the  fact  that  the  Church  of  the  LORD 
would  spread  especially  in  the  lands  of  the  west, 
and  that,  therefore,  the  great  mass  of  the  re- 
deemed would  come  from  that  quarter?  From 
the  moment  when  the  Prophet  announced  the 
comforting  word  (vers.  13,  14),  all  the  godly 
dwelling  in  the  east  and  west  are  to  praise  the 
name  of  the  LORD  who  has  given  to  them,  in  place 
of  the  terrible  day  of  judgment,  the  promise  of 
deliverance.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the 
word  DPX  is  connected  with  "HX,  "NX  (ignis,  flam- 
ma,  a  word  peculiar  to  Isaiah  ;  for  beside  Isaiah 
xxxi.  9;  xliv.  16;  xlvii.  14;  1.  11,  it  is  found 
only  Ezek.  v.  2,  and  there  probably  as  a  reminis- 
cence from  Isaiah)  and  with  QP1X  (on  the  breast- 
plate of  the  high-priest).  As  the  light  rises  daily 
in  the  east  of  the  earth,  as  in  opposition  to  it  the 
north  is  conceived  as  p2^  (plaga  abscondiia,  cali- 
ginosa),  as  the  Greeks  too  designate  the  eastern 
region  of  the  heavens  by  npbq  T/U  r'  rj£M6v  re  (//. 
xii.  239  et  saepe),  we  are  justified  in  understand- 
ing by  OPX  the  countries  of  light,  or  the  sun,  i. 
e.  the  east.  The  meaning  "eastern  countries" 
answers  well  to  the  "  islands  of  the  sea  "  in  the 
parallel  clause.  There  is  no  need  for  altering  the 
text.  In  ver.  14  those  v.'ho  are  saved  are  de- 
scribed as  coming  with  jubilation,  and  in  ver.  15 
all  who  desire  deliverance  are  summoned  to  shout 
for  joy.  This  explains  how  the  Prophet,  ver.  16, 
actually  hears  songs  of  pn.ise  (comp.  xii.  2;  li. 
3;  xxv.  5)  from  the  end  of  the  earth  (^3  ala, 
ora,  extremity  ;  ^1X71  ^33  only  here,  yet  comp. 
xi.  12).  The  theme  of  the  songs  is  p'l*1?  '3*. 
If  it  were  said  '7  "1133,  1  would  unhestitatingly  re- 
fer p^ltf  to  God.  But,  as  DELITZSCH  well  re- 
marks, Jahve  bestows  ^V  iv.  2  ;  xxviii.  5  ;  but 
to  him  1133  is  given.  The  thought  is  like  that 
in  Rom.  ii.  6  sqq.  Every  one  is  rewarded  ac- 
cording to  his  works.  Therefore  praise  ('3V  or- 
natus,  deem,  splendor  iv.  2;  xiii.  19;  xxiii.  9; 


xxviii.  1,  4,  5)  is  to  the  righteous,  but  tribula- 
tion and  anguish  upon  every  soul  of  man  that 
doeth  evil.  The  fundamental  idea  of  the  divine 
judgment  is  thus  expressed.  The  Prophet  has 
seen  the  one  side  "  glory  to  the  righteous  "  ful- 
filled. These,  the  righteous,  have  arrived  at  their 
hiding  place.  They  are  gathered  on  the  holy 
mountain,  and  find  there  protection  (iv.  5  sq.). 
But  thereby  the  sign  is  given  that  now  the  judg- 
ment can  begin,  and  has  to  begin  on  the  ungodly. 
This  prospect  agitates  the  Prophet  exceedingly. 
He  sees  himself  in  that  fatal  moment  fear  and 
quake,  and  hears  himself  breaking  out  into  the 

words  OJ1  -h  'P.  This  he  introduces  with  10X1. 
'P  is  air.  Acy.  But  the  signification  is  clear.  The 
verb  HP  denotes  attenuare,  maciare  (xvii.  4).  The 
Prophet  feels  his  powers  wasting  away  as  the 
effect  of  the  extraordinary  terror  (comp.  Dan.  vii. 
28  ;  viii.  27  ;  x.  16  sqq.).  He  next  declares  that 
the  p'Htf  has  his  counterpart  on  earth  in  the  132- 
As  the  former  has  glory  for  his  portion  from  a 
just  God,  so  the  latter  receives  "  fear  and  the  pit 
and  the  snare."  It  will  have  been  seen  that  I  do 
not  take  "U3  in  the  sense  of  "  robber,"  but  retain 
its  proper  signification  of  perfidy,  faithlessness, 
falling  away  (xxi.  2;  xxxiii.  1  ;  xlviii.  8).  The 
Prophet  by  the  accumulation  and  repetition  of 
verbal  and  substantive  forms  of  "U3  indicates  that 
this  perfidy  and  faithlessness  were  exercised  in 
the  highest  degree,  and  in  all  forms. 

3.   Fear  and  the  pit rise  again. — Vers. 

17-20.  By  three  assonant  words  which  sound  in 
accord  not  only  with  one  another,  but  also  with 
the  immediately  preceding  symphony,  the  Pro- 
phet characterizes,  first  in  general  terms,  the  ter- 
rible catastrophe,  the  second  act  of  the  judgment 
of  the  world.  By  the  threefold  series  of  punish- 
ments the  impossibility  of  escaping  judgment  is 
effectively  set  before  the  eyes.  And  then,  in  par- 
ticular, the  all-embracing  character  of  the  judg- 
ment which  lets  nothing  escape,  is  exhibited  by 
showing  how  the  earth  is  affected  above,  below, 
and  in  the  midst,  and  shaken  till  it  is  broken 
down.  First,  the  windows  (i"u3lX  cancelli,/enes- 
trae,  Gen.  vii.  11 ;  viii.  2  comp.  Isa.  Ix.  8)  from 
on  high,  i.  e.,  from  heaven,  are  opened,  not  to  let 
rain  fall  in  order  to  produce  a  deluge ;  for  the 
earth  shall  not  be  destroyed  again  by  water  (Gen. 
ix.  11).  But  the  LORD  has  yet  other  weapons. 
Wind,  fire,  thunder  and  lightning,  drought,  pes- 
tilence, etc.,  are  also  God's  instruments  of  punish- 
ment, and  they  also  in  a  certain  sense  come  from  on 
high  (comp.  Ps.  Ixxviii.  49).  The  foundations 
of  the  earth  (Iviii.  12,  comp.  xl.  21)  are  the 
foundations  on  which  the  earth  rests.  These  shall 
be  shaken  (xiii.  13  ;  xiv.  16).  Then  the  globe  of 
the  earth,  assailed  from  above,  and  from  beneath 
deprived  of  its  supports,  must  feel  in  itself  the 
powerful  hand  of  Almhhty  God.  Four  times  in 
succession  is  the  word  "  the  earth  "  or  "  earth  " 
used  with  emphasis.  Terrible,  not  merely  local, 
but  universal  earthquakes  shake  the  earth.  It 
receives  rents,  becomes  full  of  breaks,  totters  (xl. 
20;  xii.  7;  liv.  10),  reels  (vi.  4;  vii.  2;  xix.  1  ; 
xxix.  9 ;  xxxvii.  22)  as  the  drunkard  (generic 
article)  and  oscillates  to  and  fro  as  the  hammock 
shaken  by  the  wind  (i.  8).  Who  could  deem  it 
possible  that  there  is  a  burden  which  the  earth 


276 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


that  sustains  everything,  cannot  bear,  by  which  it 
is  crushed  as  a  house  too  heavily  burdened  ? 
This  burden  is  sin  (i.  4;  Ps.  xxxviii.  5).  This 
is  the  destruction  of  men  and  of  things.  Where 
God's  creation  is  tainted  with  it,  it  must  come  to 
naught.  As  man,  the  lord  of  creation,  fell  by  sin, 
so  must  the  earth  also,  the  theatre  of  human  his- 
tory, fall  by  sin  never  again  to  rise  in  its  previous 
form.  The  words  It  shall  fall  and  not  rise 
again,  are  a  clear  proof  that  the  total  destruction 
of  the  globe  of  the  earth  in  its  present  form  is  the 
subject  treated  of.  In  its  present  form  !  For  the 
earth  shall  rise  again  in  a  higber,  holy  form  be- 
yond the  range  of  sin  and  its  consequence,  death. 
For  there  is  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth, 
wherein  dwelleth  righteousness  (Ixv-  17  ;  Ixvi. 
22  ;  2  Pet,  iii.  13;  Rev.  xxi.  1). 

4.  And  it  shall  come — gloriously. — Vers. 
21-23.  The  Prophet  now  lifts  up  his  eye  to  the 
super-terrestrial  sphere.  As  the  lot  of  the  eartb 
is  affected  by  the  influence  of  that  sphere,  so  the 
swoop  of  the  judgment  that  falls  upon  the  earth 
must  reach  even  to  it.  That  DnrDP  5O¥  are  not 
earthly  powers  (LuTHEE  "  hohe  Ritterschaft," 
TARGUM,  CALVIN,  HAVEJERNICK  and  others), 
may  be  inferred  even  from  the  expression  &O¥  • 
for  the  high  ones  of  the  earth  do  not  form  a  fcOX^ 
Moreover  DIIOPI  JOX  is  evidently  identical  with 
"the  host  of  heaven,"  xxxiv.  4,  and  by  the  addition 
DTI 03  this  D'HOn  5O¥  is  more  than  sufficiently 
distinguished  from  every  conceivable  DHOH  JO¥ 
upon  the  earth.  That  the  host  of  the  height 
are  only  the  stars,  as  HOFMANN  (Schriflbeweis  II. 
2,  p.  522)  would  have  it,  seems  to  be  rendered  by 
the  context  incredible..  For  how  could  the  irra- 
tional glories  of  heaven  be  put  in  conjunction  with 
the  rational  glories  of  the  earth  ?  The  former  cor- 
respond not  to  our  kings,  but  to  ,our  earth  itself. 
How,  too,  can  we  conceive  a  judgment  executed  on 
a  world,  without  its  .affecting  at  the  same  time 
those  intelligent  beings  that  stand  in  any  connec- 
tion with  that  world  ?  It  seems  to  me  to  be  like- 
wise one-sided  to  refer  Dl"On  JO3f  merely  to  the 
angels,  who  are  said  to  be  heads  and  guardians 
of  the  separate  kingdoms  (Dan.  x.  13,  20;  Ro- 
SENMTJEKLER,  IIixziG,  DELiTzscH,  and  others), 
or  to  the  heathen  gods  conceived  of  as  angels 
(KNOBEL).  The  judgment  of  God  falls  certainly 
on  every  thing  that  can  be  called  Dnon  &O¥,  so 
far  as  it  has  at  all  merited  the  judgment.  The 
expression  is  found  only  here;  but  the  nearly  re- 
lated expression,  "the  host  of  heaven,"  is  fre- 
quently used  to  designate,  sometimes,  the  host  of 
the  stars  (xl.  26;  xlv.  12;  Jer.  viii.  2;  xxxiii. 
22;  Dan.  viii.  10),  sometimes,  the  angelic  world 
(1  Kings  xxii.  1.9;  Ps.  ciii.  21;  Neh.  ix.  6,  and 
the  expression  f"K3¥),  sometimes,  perhaps,  both 
together  (Dent.  iv.  19 ;  xvii.  3  ;  2  Kings  xvii.  16; 
xxi.  3,  5  ;  Isa.  xxxiv.  4  ;  Zeph.  i.  5).  The  host 
of  the  height  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  are 
both  the  subject  of  ISDN,  ver.  22.  As  now  we  have 
shown  that  the  host  of  the  height  can  desig- 
nate the  world  of  angels,  and  as  the  Scripture 
clearly  testifies  that  the  angels  are  bound  as  a 


punishment  for  their  apostasy  (2  Pet.  ii.  4;  Jude 
6 ;  Rev.  xx.  1-3),  can  not  the  Prophet's  eye  have 
perceived  this  feature  of  the  picture  of  what  will 
take  place  at  the  end  of  the  world  ?  The  invisi- 
ble, extramundane  heads  of  the  worldly  power,  as 
well  as  their  earthly,  visible  organs,  will,  accord- 
ing to  the  statement  of  the  Prophet,  be  collected 
as  prisoners  in  the  pit,  and  shut  up  in  it,  The 
pit  is  here  used  for  Sheol  as  oftentimes  (xiv.  15, 
19;  xxxviii.  18).  But  not  merely  the  binding 
of  those  angelic  and  worldly  powers,  their  being 
set  loose  for  a  time  is  also  announced  by  the  Pi  o- 
phet.  Only  by  a  brief,  obscure  word,  probably 
not  seen  through  by  himself,  does  the  Prophet  in- 
timate this.  Even  we  should  not  understand  this 
word  if  the  revelation  of  the  New  Testament, 
which  is  nearer  the  time  of  the  fulfilment,  did 
not  throw  light  on  this  dark  point.  It  declares 
expressly  that  after  a  thousand  years  Satan  should 
be  loosed  out  of  his  prison  (Rev.  xx.  7).  Isaiah 
uses  here  an  indefinite  announcement  of  time — 
after  many  days  —  and  an  indefinite  verb. 

"tp3  stands  here  as  xxiii.  17  of  a  visiting  which 
consists  in  looking  again  after  some  one  who  has 
remained  for  a  time  neglected  (Jer.  xxvii.  22). 
This  £Tuc!KKTrr£ii>  can  be  a  gracious  visitation,  but 
it  can  also  be  a  new  stage  in  the  visitation  of  judg- 
ment. That  we  have  to  take  the  word  here  in  the 
latter  sense  is  seen  from  the  place  quoted  from  the 
Revelation  of  John.  The  setting  loose  of  Satan 
is  only  the  prelude  to  his  total  destruction,  Rev. 
xx.  10.  Then  follows  the  last,  highest  and  grand- 
est revelation  of  God.  The  earth  now  becomes 
what  it  ought  originally  to  have  been,  but  which 
it  was  hindered  from  being  by  sin,  viz.,  the  com- 
mon dwelling-place  of  God  and  of  men.  The 
heavenly  Jerusalem,  the  tabernacle  in  which  God 
dwells  with  men  (Rev.  xxi.  3)  descends  upon  the 
renovated  earth.  This  is  the  Jerusalem  in  which 
according  to  ver.  23,  Jehovah  Zebaoth  reigns  as 
King.  This  city  needs  no  sun  and  no  moon  any 
more — for  the  LORD  Himself  is  its  light  (Rev. 
xxi.  23;  xxii.  5).  Before  this  light  the  earthly 
sun  ("TSn,  xxx.  26)  and  the  earthly  moon  (ibid.) 
grow  pale  (comp.  i.  29) ;  they  which  were  created 
to  rule  the  day  and  to  rule  the  night,  resign  their 
dominion  to  Him  who  alone  and  everywhere  from 
this  time  on  will  from  mount  Zion  rule  the  earth. 
Here  too  is  the  place  where  the  redeemed  of  the 
Lord  (vers.  13-16)  find  everlasting  rest  and  pro- 
tection (iv.  5sq.).  The  Prophet  has  already  (1 
22  sqq.)  shown  the  importance  of  rulers  for  the 
moral  condition  of  the  people.  The  whole  history 
of  the  people  is  a  proof  of  their  importance.  In 
the  new  Jerusalem  the  new  Israel  will  have  new 
elders  also,  who  will  not  be  the  promoters  of  wick- 
edness and  misery  any  more,  but  of  all  that  is  good 
and  glorious  (iii.  14).  The  elders  of  the  Apoca- 
lypse, who  perhaps  bear  their  name  from  this 
place  before  us,  are,  therefore,  in  my  opinion,  not 
angels,  as  HOFMANN  will  have  them  to  be,  but 
representatives  of  the  people  of  God.  For  why 
should  there  not  be  order  and  organization  even 
in  the  kingdom  of  glory  ? 


CHAP.  XXV.  1-5. 


277 


3.    ISRAEL'S  SONG  OF  PRAISE  FOR  DELIVERANCE. 
CHAPTER  XXV.  1-5. 

1  O  LORD,  thou  art  my  God ; 

I  will  exalt  thee,  I  will  praise  thy  name ; 

For  thou  hast  done  wonderful  things ; 

Thy  counsels  of  old  are  faithfulness  and  truth. 

2  For  thou  hast  made  of  a  city  an  heap  ; 
Of  a  defenced  city  a  ruin  ; 

A  palace  of  strangers  to  be  no  city  ; 
It  shall  never  be  built. 

3  Therefore  shall  the  strong  people  glorify  thee, 
The  city  of  the  terrible  nations  shall  fear  thee. 

4  For  thou  hast  been  a  Strength  to  the  poor, 
A  "strength  to  the  needy  in  his  distress; 

A  refuge  from  the  storm,  a  shadow  from  the  heat ; 

"When  the  blast  of  the  terrible  ones  is  as  a  storm  against  the  wall. 

5  Thou  shalt  bring  down  the  noise  of  strangers, 
As  the  heat  in  a  dry  place ; 

Even  the  heat  with  the  shadow  of  a  cloud : 

The  dbranch  of  the  terrible  ones  shall  be  brought  low. 


stronghold. 


b  stronghold. 


'  for  the  blast  of  the  terrible  ones  was,  etc. 


A  triumphal  song. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  "I7DD11X  (comp.  Ps.  xxx.  2)  forms  an  intended 
rhyme  with  '"[3!^.  The  expression  &O3  r\\fly  first  oc- 
curs Ex.  xv.  11.  Comp.  Vj;v>  $hs  ix.  5.  Here 
follows  xb±)  as  there  VJJV.  Is  this  accidental  ? 
|DN  (J3K  is  «""•  A«y.).  The  two  words  are  dependent 
on  JYtt'j?.  God  has  shown  truth  which  is  faithfulness, 
i.  e.,  faithful,  certain.  The  two  substantives  of  the  same 
root  (comp.  iii.  1 ;  xvi.  6)  which  are  placed  together, 
stand  in  the  relation  of  apposition.  Similar  construc- 
tions occur  Prov.  xxii.  21;  Jer.  x.  10;  Gen.  i.  12;  Jer. 
xx.  1.  In  these  cases  the  substantive  standing  in  appo- 


GRAMMATICAL. 

sition  serves  the  place  of  an  adjective  that  is  wanting, 
or  intensities  the  notion  of  the  adjective. 

Ver.  2.  The  construction  bjS  VJ7D  HD^  is  a  confu- 
sio  duarum  constructionum.  For  it  must  be  either 
Sj1?  VJ?  fOC?  (comp.  Joel  i.  7;  Isa.  v.  20;  xiv.  23,  et 
sarpe)  or  "VJ?0  ^J  FIDfe?  (comp.  Hos.  xiii.  2;  Gen.  ii. 
19).  The  construction  here  employed  has  arisen  from 
the  blending  of  these  two  modes  of  expression.  Be- 
fore 3"in.  ver  56,  we  have  to  supply  3  from  the  first 
part  of  the  verse,  or  3Tn  is  to  be  regarded  as  in  appo- 
sition. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  contemplation  of  the  mighty  acts  of  God 
naturally  excites  to  praise  and  thanksgiving. 
We  are  here  reminded  of  Rom.  xi.  33  sqq.,  where 
Paul  cannot  avoid  praising  in  a  hymn  the  depth 
of  the  riches,  both  of  the  wisdom  and  knowledge 
of  God.  In  like  manner  the  Prophet  here  ex- 
tols the  LORD  for  having  executed  so  gloriously 
His  wonderful  purpose  embracing  the  most  re- 
mote times,  thus  having  proved  Himself  to  be 
true,  and  at  the  same  time  having  attested  the 
Prophet  as  a  faithful  interpreter  of  the  thoughts 
of  God  (ver.  1).  The  LORD  has  shown  how  He 
can  make  good  what  is  most  incredible.  He  an- 
nounced the  destruction  of  great  cities,  when 
they  were  in  the  height  of  their  power  and  glory; 
and  so  it  has  happened  (ver.  2).  He  has  thereby 
constrained  even  His  enemies  to  honor  and  fear 
Him  (ver.  3).  But  to  His  poor  oppressed  church 
He  has  been  a  shield  and  refuge ;  and  has  sub- 
dued the  raging  of  her  enemies  against  her 
(ver.  5). 


2.  O  LORD  .  .  .  truth.— Ver.  1.  The  Pro- 
phet here  sings  a  psalm  as  in  chapter  xii.  The 
very  commencement :  O  LORD,  thou  art  my 
God  recalls  places  of  the  Psalms  as  Ps.  xxxi. 
15  ;  xl.  6  ;  Ixxxvi.  12 ;  cxviii.  28  ;  cxliii.  10  ; 
cxlv.  1 ;  comp.  Jer.  xxxi.  18,  places  which  are 
related  to  the  one  before  us  partly  as  models,  but 
mostly  as  copies.  The  pHID  filtfy  are  in  my 
judgment  not  merely  the  counsels  conceived  from 
afar,  i.  e.,  from  eternity  (xxii.  11  ;  xxxvii.  26), 
but  also  the  counsels  reaching  to  a  remote  in- 
calculable distance.  pmo  can  grammatically 
bear  this  meaning  (xvii.  13 ;  xx.  3).  And  is  it 
not  a  quite  characteristic  mark  of  the  prophecy 
contained  in  chap.  xxiv.  to  which  this  hymn 
particularly  relates,  that  it  reaches  to  the  utmost 
end  of  the  present  aeon  of  the  world  ?  Could 
this  have  remained  unknown  to  the  Prophet? 
Although,  according  to  1  Pet.  i.  11,  Isaiah,  when 
reflecting  on  the  time  of  the  fulfilment,  could  not 


278 


THE.  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


attain  to  exact  knowledge,  yet  so  much  he  must 
have  been  aware  of,  that  his  look  was  fixed  on 
facts  which  follow  the  destruction  of  the  globe 
of  the  earth  in  its  present  form  (xxiv.  17  sqq.). 
The  Prophet  risked  something  when  he  gave  ex- 
pression to  these  strange  unintelligible  things 
•which  appeared  such  as  an  enthusiast  would 
utter.  But  he  could  not  do  otherwise,  and  he  did 
it  unhesitatingly,  confiding  in  the  omniscience 
and  veracity  of  the  LORD.  And  this  sure  con- 
fidence, that  he  with  his  bold  prophecy  would  not 
be  put  to  shame,  did  not  deceive  him.  He  sees 
all  the  marvels  which  he  predicted  realized. 
Therefore  he  praises  God's  truth,  faithfulness. 
3.  For  thou  hast  made — fear  thee. — Vers. 
2  and  3.  The  Prophet  now  goes  into  details. 
The  prophecy  contains  partly  threatening,  partly 
promise.  The  LORD  has  made  both  good.  This 
la  first  affirmed  of  the  threatening,  and  at  the 
same  time  the  salutary  effect  of  its  fulfilment  is 
shown  (ver.  3).  '3  in  the  beginning  of  ver.  2, 
and  "3  in  the  beginning  of  ver.  4  correspond 
to  one  another.  Both  serve  to  prove  the  truth 
of  what  was  said  in  ver.  1  :  For  thou  hast 
done,  etc.  The  general  expression  for  thou 
hast  made  of  a  city  a  stone-heap,  sets  at 
defiance  all  attempts  of  modern  criticism  to  ex- 
plain  the  prophecy  of  some  definite  historical 
fact.  Not  only  once,  but  as  often  as  it  was  pre- 
dicted, the  LORD  has  converted  into  a  stone- 
heap  a  city  which  at  the  time  of  the  threaten- 
ing was  mighty  and  flourishing.  City  and  de- 
fenced  city  are  used  collectively.  After  the 
all-including  Vjp  the  Prophet  makes  mention 
of  the  prominent  parts  of  the  city,  the  fortifi- 
cations and  the  high  buildings  (palaces).  J1D1X 
xxiii.  13;  xxxii.  14;  xxxiv.  13.  The  palaces 
of  the  foreigmers  (comp.  on  i.  7)  have  become 
"VJ?.?,  i.  e.,  without  city,  and  therefore  no  city. 
They  stand  desolated  and  solitary  in  the  midst 
of  the  destroyed  city,  still  capable  of  being 
recognized  as  palaces,  but  yet  in  the  way  of  be- 
cjming  what  all  around  them  is.  For  what  else 
than  a  ruin  can  a  palace  become,  which  no  city, 
no  wall  encompasses,  which  is  exposed  to  every 
attack?  The  ruins  of  the  palaces  of  Nineveh, 
Babylon,  etc.,  attest  this.  |p  in  T^3  is  there- 
fore to  be  taken  in  that  negative  sense  in  which 
it  can  denote  "without,"  and  also  "not."  (Comp. 
xvii.  1;  vii.  8;  xxiii.  1).  We  have  further  to 
observe  that  the  two  "VJP??  in  ver.  2  correspond 
to  one  another;  if  out  of  the  city  p\P5)>  there 
has  become  a  heap,  then  the  po^tf  is  also  "VJ'B, 
i.  e.,  the  palace  has  no  longer  a  city  around  it, 
and  is  also  no  more  a  city.  This  is  very  promi- 
nently set  forth  »by  the  last  clause  it  shall 
never  be  built  (from  Deut.  xiii.  7,  comp. 
Job  xii.  14).  The  conquered  must  own  the  might 
of  the  victor,  do  him  homage  and  fear  him. 
This  homage  and  fear  may  be  caused  by  sheer 
force,  and  so  be  merely  outward.  But  it  is  possi- 
ble that  the  conquered  have  been  inwardly  van- 
quished by  their  adversary,  i.  e.,  that  they  have 
perceived  that  there  is  error  and  injustice  on  their 
side,  and  on  the  side  of  their  conqueror,  truth 
and  right.  In  this  case  the  honor  and  fear  which 
they  render,  will  be  not  merely  constrained  and 


outward,  but  voluntary  and  sincere.  The  latter 
is  to  be  supposed  here.  Isaiah  has  frequently 
predicted  the  conversion  of  the  heathen  ii.  2  sqq.; 
xi.  10;  xix.  18  sqq.;  xxiii.  15  sqq.;  xxiv.  13 
sqq.  Mark  the  imperfects  (futures)  in  ver.  3. 
The  Prophet  sees  what  is  expressed  in  ver.  2  as 
absolutely  past;  but  the  honoring  and  fearing 
spoken  of  in  ver.  3,  will  continue  to  ail  eternity. 

4.  For  thou  hast  been brought  low. — 

Vers.  4  and  o.  The  leading  thought  of  these  two 
verses  is  that  the  Prophet  perceives  with  grati- 
tude and  joy  the  manner  in  which  the  LORD  has 
fulfilled  His  promises.  '3  in  ver.  4  corresponds 
therefore  to  '3  in  ver.  2.  That  the  LORD  will 
be  I\yo  (stronghold,  xvii.  9,  10;  xxiii.  4,  14; 
xxvii.  5;  xxx.  3)  to  the  vT  (x.  2;  xi.  4;  xiv. 
30 ;  xxvi.  6)  and  to  the  JV-3K  (xiv.  30 ;  xxix.  19 ; 
xxxii.  7;  xli.  17)  has  been  often  enough  declared 
by  the  Prophet  (comp.  the  passages  referred  to). 

7T  and  |V3X  are,  as  DELITZSCH  remarks,  de- 
signations, well-known  from  the  Psalms,  of  the 
"  ecclesia  pressa."  The  second  part  of  ver.  4  is 
almost  wholly  borrowed  from  iv.  6.  What  is 
there  promised  is  here  seen  by  the  Prophet  as 
fulfilled  (comp.  xxxii.  2).  But  this  fulfilment  has 
a  positive  and  a  negative  side.  The  positive,  i.  e., 
the  giving  of  safety  is  only  possible  on  the  ground 
of  the  negative,  i.  e.,  after  the  destruction  of  those 
who  would  deprive  the  poor  of  safety  and  bring 
them  to  ruin.  ^  (translate  for)  before  HIT  is 
therefore  not  co-ordinate  with  "*3  in  the  begin- 
ning of  vers.  2  and  4,  but  is  subordinate  to  the 
latter,  nn  is  here  the  blast,  the  storm,  the 
furious  snorting,  raging  of  the  violent  ones  (xxx. 
28  ;  xxxiii.  11).  "Vp  Dnt  is  a  wall-storm,  i.  e., 
a  storm  beating  against  a  strong  wall.  See  a 
parallel  expression  in  ix.  3  :  03^  •"'?•'!?,  the 
staff"  striking  the  shoulder.  Mark  how  the  hin- 
drances to  safety  previously  mentioned  arc  here 
represented  under  a  three-fold  gradation  ji^Kf, 
nn  and  I'fpT.  We  shall  not  err  if  we  regard 
the  first  word  as  marking  the  beginning,  the 
second  the  middle,  and  the  third  the  end  of  the 
hostile  action.  For  one  part  of  the  assaults  made 
by  the  wicked  on  the  servants  and  children  of 
God  is  warded  off'  at  the  very  commencement, 
when  it  is  yet  only  snorting.  It  rebounds  without 
doing  harm  aa  rain  from  the  stone  wall.  But 
another  part  readies  its  full  meridian  height.  It 
sends  forth  the  arrows  of  its  fury  as  the  sun  sends 
forth  the  arrows  of  its  flame  in  the  hot  land,  but 
the  LORD  bends  them  downwards.  After  a  vic- 
tory has  been  won,  songs  of  triumph  are  sung 
("VDT  means  triumphal  song,  not  branch,  eomp. 
Cant.  ii.  12).  The  enemies  of  the  people  of  God 
can  in  many  cases  have  their  victory  and  triumph. 
But  even  when  it  has  gone  so  far,  the  LORD  is 
still  able  to  afford  deliverance.  He  can  bow  to 
the  dust  the  enemy  already  triumphant,  and 
singing  songs  of  praise.  As  the  shadow  (xxx.  2, 
3;  xlix.  2;  Ii.  1G)  of  a  cloud  keeps  off  the  rays 
of  the  sun,  and  so  diminishes  the  heat,  so  will  a 
humiliating  termination  be  prepared  for  the 
enemies'  song  of  victory  by  the  hand  of  the  Most 
High,  which  He  holds  as  a  sheltering  shadow 
over  His  people  (xlix.  2 ;  Ii.  1C  ;  Job  viii.  9). 


CHAP.  XXV.  6-12. 


279 


4.    ZION  AS  THE  PLACE  OF  THE  FEAST  GIVEN  TO  ALL  NATIONS  IN  OPPOSI- 
TION TO  MOAB,  WHICH  PERISHES  INGLOEIOUSLY. 

CHAPTER  XXV.  6-12. 

6  And  in  this  mountain 

Shall  the  LORD  of  hosts  make  unto  all  people 

A  feast  of  fat  things, 

A  feast  of  wines  on  the  lees, 

Of  fat  things  full  of  marrow, 

Of  wines  on  the  lees  well  refined. 

7  And  he  will  'destroy  in  this  mountain 

The  face  of  the  covering  2cast  over  all  people, 
And  the  vail  that  is  spread  over  all  nations. 

8  He  will  swallow  up  death  ain  victory  ; 

And  the  LORD  God  will  wipe  away  tears  from  off  all  faces ; 

And  the  "rebuke  of  his  people  shall  he  take  away 

From  off  all  the  earth  ; 

For  the  LORD  hath  spoken  it. 

9  And  it  shall  be  said  in  that  day, 
Lo,  this  is  our  God ; 

We  have  waited  for  him,  and  he  will  save  us : 
This  is  the  LORD  ;  we  have  waited  for  him, 
We  will  be  glad  and  rejoice  in  his  salvation. 

10  For  in  this  mountain  shall  the  hand  of  the  LORD  rest, 
And  Moab  shall  be  ^trodden  down  under  him, 
Eveu  as  straw  is  "trodden  down  for  the  dunghill. 

11  And  he  shall  spread  forth  his  hands  in  the  midst  of  them, 
As  he  that  swimmeth  spreadeth  forth  his  hands  to  swim : 
And  he  shall  bring  down  their  pride 

Together  with  the  espoils  of  their  hands. 

12  And  the  fortress  of  the  high  fort  of  thy  walls  shall  he  bring  down, 
Lay  low,  and  bring  to  the  ground, 

Even  to  the  dust. 


1  Heb.  Swallow  up. 

»  for  ever. 
•  devices. 


Heb.  covered.       *  Or,  threshed.  *  Or,  threshed  in  Madmenah. 

reproach.  °  be  cast  down.  4  cast  down  into  the  waters  of  the  dunghole. 


TEXTUAL  AND 

Ver.  6.  DTID'D    D'JTDt!/   are  not  fat  pieces  unmar- 

•  T  '•    :  •  T    : 

rowed,  but,  on  the  contrary,  fat  pieces  marrowy,  yea 
provided  with  abundant  marrow.  If  the  stem  DPIO, 

T  T 

from  which  D'HOIO  comes,  is  to  be  regarded  as  not  dif- 
ferent from  riPO  to  wipe  away,  and  not  as  a  denomi- 

T  T 

native  from  n?D  marrow,  we  must  assume  as  common 
fundamental  signification  "to  rub,  to  spread  over,  to 
besmear."  But  as  then  HPOO  would  be  only  what  is 
covered  over  with  fat,  not  what  is  in  itself  fat,  the  deri- 
vation from  HO  is  in  my  opinion  more  probable.  This 
Pual  is  found  only  here,  and  no  other  of  the  forms  that 
occur  has  the  signification  "pinguem,  medullosum  csse." 

Instead  of  DTITDO  we  have  D'HOD,  a  verb  rh  (nflO) 

•    '•     :  .  •   T  '•   :  T  T 

being  formed  from  flO  and  its  third  radical  appearing 

-  ffi 

after  the  manner  of  verbs  T\?  (comp.  V.PX,   Vt'3  xxi. 

T  "  T    : 

12).  The  object  of  employing  this  form  is  to  increase 
the  concord  of  sounds  which  is  in  ver.  G  so  prominent. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  7.  In  £01/71  'JS  we  have  the  genitive  of  identity, 
the  covering  being  marked  as  that  which  forms  the 
front  view,  as  the  foreside.  The  substantive  £3lS  is 
found  only  here.  The  participle  £0'lS  is  evidently  chosen 
for  the  sake  of  assonance  (comp.  xxiv.  3).  It  is  formed 
after  the  analogy  of  Dip,  2  Kings  xvi.  7.  Comp.  GESEN. 
G*r.g72,notel.  HUDO  and  PID-IDJ  are  not  from  7|DJ  effun- 
dere,  libare,  but  from  another  71DJ  whose  radical  mean- 

'-T 

ing  seems  to  be  "to  weave."  HDDD  is  therefore  pro- 
perly a  texture,  a  woven  covering.  The  word  is  found 
besides  xxviii.  20. 

Ver.  10.  U?:nn  is  as  a  verbal  form  quite  abnormal  and 
unexampled.  It  appears  to  me  to  be  a  changing  of  the 
regular  infinitive  form  U?'nn  into  a  nominal  form,  and 
is  allied  to  forms  such  as  ^PH,  Ezek.  xxii.  22,  H^R 
Lev.  xii.  24.  ENir?  would  then  be  conculcatio,  detrusio. 


280 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  After  the  hymn  by  which  the  Prophet  had 
given  expression  to  his  subjective  emotions,  he 
returns  to  his  objective  representation  of  the  fu- 
ture.    He  resumes  the  discourse  broken  off  at 
xxiv.  23,  whilst  he  further  depicts  what  will  hap- 
pen on  Mount  Zion,  and — in  opposition  to  this — 
what   will  befall  the  wicked.     What  will  take 
place  on  Mount  Zion  is  of  a  twofold  character,  posi- 
tive and  negative.      Positively,  the  LORD  will 
prepare  for  all  nations  a  feast  consisting  of  the 
most  precious  articles  of  food  and  drink  (ver.  6). 
Negatively,  He  will  first  remove   the  covering 
which  was  hitherto  spread  over  all  nations  (ver. 
7)  ;  Secondly,  He  will  abolish  death,  wipe  off  all 
tears,  and  take  away  the  reproach  which  His  peo- 
ple had  hitherto  to  endure  on  the  whole  earth 
(ver.  8).  While  believers  rejoice  in  the  salvation 
prepared  for  them  by   Jehovah  their   God,  to 
whom  they  can  now  point  as  to-  one  who  is  not 
merely  to  be  believed  in,  but  to  be  seen  in  His 
manifested  presence   (ver.  9),  and  whose  hand 
bears  and  upholds  all  the  glory  of  Mount  Zion 
(ver.  10  a),  the  Moabites,  i.  e.,  those  who  are  rep- 
resented by  Moab,  are  cast  like  straw  into  the 
dung-hole  on  which  they  stand  (ver.  10  6).  They 
will  indeed  work  with  the  hands'  in  order  to  rescue 
themselves,  but  their  efforts  will  not  save  them 
from  the  most  ignominious  ruin,  and  their  proud, 
high  fortresses  will  be  levelled  to  the  ground,  and 
crushed  to  dust  (vers.  11,  12). 

2.  And  in   this  mountain refined.— 

Ver.  6.  ''  This  mountain"  points  back  to  "Mount 
Zion,"  xxiv.  23.  Not  only  Israel,  all  nations  will 
be  collected  on  the  mountain.     There  the  LORD 
will  prepare  a  feast  for  them.  That  it  is  a  spiritual 
feast,  and  that  it  is  not  simply  for  one  occasion,  but 
that  it  will  be  a  permanent,  everlasting  entertain- 
ment, is  implied  in  the'nature  of  the  thing.    For 
there  everything  will  be  spiritual ;  and  when  ac- 
cording to  ver.  8,  death  will  be  forever  abolished, 
there  must,  that  the  antithesis  may  be  maintained, 
reign  forever  life,  and  everything  which  is  the 
condition  of  life.     This  feast  meets  us  elsewhere, 
both  in  the  Old  and  in  the  New  Testament,  under 
various  forms.     In  Ex.  xxiv.  11  it  is  related  that 
Moses  and  the  elders  of  Israel,  after  they  had  seen 
(rod,  ate  and  drank  on  the  holy  mountain,  which 
transaction  we  are  by  all  means  justified  in  re- 
garding as  a  typical  one.     Comp.  Ps.  xxii.  27, 
30;   Isa.  Iv.  l";  Ixv.  11  sqq.     In  the  New  Tes- 
tament this  holy   feast   given   by  God   appears 
sometimes  as  the  Great  Supper  (Luke  xiv.  16 
sqq.),  sometimes  as  the  marriage  of  the  king's  son 
(Matt.  xxii.  1  sqq. ;  xxv.  1  sqq.), or  the  marriage 
of  the  Lamb  (Rev.  xix.  7,  9,  17  sqq.,  in  which 
latter  place  the  counterpart  of  this   feast   is  set 
forth).  _  It  is  remarkable  that  this  most  glorious, 
most  spiritual  feast  is  represented  in  so  homely  a 
way  by  the  Prophet.     This  is  a  clear  example  of 
that  law  of  prophecy  according  to  which  the  fu- 
ture  is  always  represented    from  the  materials 
furnished  by  the  present.     The  richest,  strongest, 
most  nutritious  thing  which  Isaiah  knew  to  be 
served  up  at  an  earthly  feast,  is  employed  as  an 
image  to  set  forth  the  "heavenly  banquet.     This 
richest  thing  was  the  fat.  Therefore  the  fat  of  the 
animals  offered  in  sacrifice  (flos  carnis)  was  the 


chief  constituent  of  the  bloody  offerings,  especial- 
ly of  the  Shelamim  [E.  V.,  peace  offerings]  (Ex. 
xxix.  13-22;  Lev.  iii.  3-5;  9-11;  14-16;  viii. 
16 ;  ix.  19  sqq.).  We  can  therefore  say  :  What 
God  Himself  formerly  required  of  men,  as  the 
noblest  part  of  the  victims  offered  to  Him,  He 
now  Himself  as  host  offers  to  His  redeemed  upon 
His  holy  mountain.  But  the  expression  "  fat  " 
or  "  marrow "  is  used  also  in  reference  to  the 
land  and  its  vegetable  products,  to  designate  the 
finest.  Thus  it  is  said,  Gen.  xlv.  18,  "  ye  shall 
eat  the  fat  of  the  land  ;"  Numb,  xviii.  12,  "  all  the 
fat  of  oil  and  all  the  fat  of  new  wine  and  corn  ;" 
Deut.  xxxii.  14,  "  the  fat  of  kidneys  of  wheat." 
That  {2??  can  stand  in  this  sense,  we  have  already 
seen  from  other  utterances  of  Isaiah,  v.  1  ;  x.  16  ; 
xvii.  4;  xxviii.  1-4.  The  most  excellent  drink 
accompanies  the  choicest  food.  That  Isaiah  des- 
ignates this  drink  by  D'HOi^  is  owing  to  the  en- 
deavor to  put  as  parallel  to  D'JOiy  a  word  resem- 
bling it  in  sound.  But  the  question  arises,  how 
can  Isaiah  call  the  most  excellent  wine  D'HOty? 
This  word  seems  primarily  to  denote  a  wine  con- 
taining dregs,  that  is,  turbid  with  dregs,  there- 
fore, a  bad  wine.  But  Isaiah  manifestly  under- 
stands by  D"HOty  wines  which  have  lain  a  suffi- 
cient time  on  their  lees.  For  the  lees  are  not  only 
the  product  of  a  process  of  purification,  but  also  a 
reacting  substance  which  contributes  to  heighten 
the  strength,  color  and  durability  of  the  wine.  A 
wine  poured  off  from  its  lees  too  soon  tastes  too 
sweet  and  does  not  keep  long.  CATO,  too,  (Dere 
rust.  cap.  154)  designates  a  wine  that  has  lain  long 
enough  on  its  lees  vinum  faecatum.  Comp.  GE- 
SENIUS,  Thes.,  p.  1444,  and  his  commentary  on 
this  place.  The  expression  B^'JttB?  (only  plural) 
comes  therefore  from  1?^,  and  "^VVJ  is  primarily 
conservatio,  the  letting  lie,  then  conservation,  that 
which  is  let  lie  (comp.  Jer.  xlviii.  11).  The 
plural  denotes  the  multiplicity  of  the  ingiedients 
contained  in  the  sediment.  D'lOttf  is  moreover 
used  here  metonymically  ;  for  it  plainly  signifies 
not  the  lees  alone,  but  also  the  wine  united  with 
the  lees.  But  we  can  not,  of  course,  drink  the 
lees  united  with  the  wine.  This  wine  poured  off 
from  the  lees  must  be  percolated  (PpfO  only  here 
in  Isaiah). 

3.  And  he  will  destroy spoken  it. — 

Vers.  7,  8.  The  covering  here  spoken  of  brings 
at  once  to  mind  the  vail  of  Moses,  Ex.  xxxiv.  30 
sqq.  To  the  visible  covering  there  corresponds 
an  invisible  one  also,  which  lies  on  the  heart. 
But  when  the  LORD  will  take  away  the  covering, 
He  will  first  of  all  remove  the  covering  of  the 
heart,  as  Paul  says,  2  Cor.  iii.  16,  "  trep/aipdTai 
TO  Ka'XvfifM."  Then  will  the  external  covering 
also  fall  off,  and  men  will  be  capable  of  seeing  the 
glory  of  the  LORD  face  to  face  (1  Cor.  xiii.  12  ;  1 
John  iii.  2).  [All  that  the  Prophet  here  says  of 
a  covering  and  vail  must  be  understood  meta- 
phorically. A  literal,  external  covering  cast  over 
the  nations,  distinct  from  a  spiritual  one,  is  not 
to  be  thought  of.  D.  M.].  Ver.  8.  The  second 
negative  blessing  is  that  the  LORD  swallows  up 


CHAP.  XXV.  6-12. 


281 


death  also.  #73  occurs  not  unfrequently  in 
Isaiah  :  iii.  12 ;  ix.  15 ;  xxix.  3 ;  xlix.  19.  I 
seems  here  and  ver.  7  to  denote  more  than  tha 
its  object  is  removed,  for  then  it  could  be  placet 
somewhere  else  ;  but  its  object  is  to  be  conceivec 
as  existing  no  more.  Paul  tells  us  (1  Cor.  xv 
26,  54)  that  death  shall  in  this  sense  be  swallowed 
up.  When  there  is  no  death,  there  are  no  more 
tears.  For  tears  flow,  either  in  the  case  of  the 
living,  over  that  which  leads  to  death  ;  or  in  the 
case  of  survivors,  over  those  who  have  suffered 
death.  The  Apostle  John  quotes  in  Rev.  vii.  17  ; 
xxi.  4,  our  place  to  prove  that  he  regards  the 
things  which  he  saw  as  a  fulfilment,  not  only  of 
his  own  prophecy,  but  also  of  that  spoken  by 
Isaiah.  He  thus  makes  his  own  prophecy  an 
echo  or  reproduction  of  the  prophetic  word  of 
the  Old  Testament.  Where  sin  and  death  have 
disappeared,  there  can  be  no  more  reproach,  but 
only  glory.  There  is  a  new  earth :  it  is  a  dwell- 
ing-place of  God  with  man  ;  it  has,  therefore, 
become  the  place  of  the  divine  glory.  Where 
then  could  there  be  upon  it  any  more  a  place  for 
the  reproach  of  those  who  belong  to  the  people 
of  God?  For  the  Loid  hath  spoken  it. 
Comp.  on  i.  2. 

4.  And  it  shall  be  said rest.— Vers.  9, 

10  a.  What  follows  is  not  a  hymn,  but  a  report 
of  one.  This  is  plain  from  the  use  of  the  imperso- 
nal "VD8  (xlv.  24 ;  Ixv.  8).  The  hymn  in  ver.  1 
sqq.  came  from  the  Prophet's  own  mouth  :  this 
one  is  heard  by  him,  and  related  with  a  brief  state- 
ment of  its  leading  thoughts.  The  redeemed  now  see 
the  LORD  in  whom  they  have  hitherto  only  believed 
(comp.  ver.  7  and  Uohn  iii.  2).  That  they  see  Him 
is  clear  from  the  expression  HI  n,3n  (comp.  xxi. 
9).  The  heathen,  who  believed  in  false  gods,  expe- 
rience the  very  opposite.  They  are  confounded 
when  they  must  mark  the  vanity  of  their  idols ;  but 
they  who  believe  in  Jehovah  will  after  faith  be  re- 
warded with  seeing  ;  for  they  can  point  with  the 
finger -to  their  God  as  one  who  is  really  existent 
and  present  before  the  eyes  of  all,  and  can  say : 
Our  God  is  no  illusion  as  your  false  gods;  we 
and  all  see  Him  as  truly  existing,  as  Him  who 
was  and  is  to  come,  niiT  (Ex.  iii.  14).  Herein  is 
their  joy  perfect  (John  xv.  11).  Ujnsh'l  is  not 
"  and  He  saves  us,"  b.ut  "  that  He  may  save  us  " 
(comp.  viii.  11  ;  Ew.  \  347  a)  :  That  the  joy  for 
the  experienced  salvation  is  not  transitory  and 
delusive;  but  will  be  everlasting  is  confirmed  by 
the  sentence,  For  in  this  mountain  shall  the 
hand  of  the  LORD  rest,  etc.,  ver.  10  a.  The 
hand  of  Jehovah  will  settle  upon  this  mountain, 
it  will  rest  upon  it  (vii.  2  ;  xi.  2).  But  what  the 
hand  of  Jehovah  holds,  stands  fast  for  ever. 

5.  Anfl  Moab — -to  the  dust.— Vers.  105- 
12.  In  opposition  to  the  high,  triumphant  joy  of 
believers,  the  Prophet  now  depicts  the  lot  of  un- 
believers. He  mentions  Moab  as  the  representa- 
tive of  the  latter.  He  cannot  mean  thereby  the 
whole  nation  of  Moab.  For  all  nations  partake 
of  the  great  feast  on  the  holy  mountain  (ver.  6), 
from  all  nations  the  covering  is  taken  off  (ver. 
I),  from  all  faces  the  tears  are  wiped  away  (ver. 
8).  Moab  consequently  cannot  be  excluded.  Even 
Jeremiah  (xlviii.  47)  lends  us  to  expect  the  turn- 
ing of  the  captivity  of  Moab  in  the  latter  days. 
It  can  therefore  be  only  the  Moab  that  hardens 


itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God  which  will 
suffer  the  doom  described  in  ver.  10  sqq.     But  if 
Moab,  so  far  as  it  is  hostile  to  God,  has  to  bear 
this  sentence,  why  not  likewise  the  God- opposing 
elements  from  all  other  nations  ?   Moab  therefore 
stands  for  all.     But  why  is  Moab  in  particular 
named  ?  The  Moabites  were  remarkable  for  their 
unbounded   arrogance.      Jeremiah    (xlviii.   11) 
specifies  as  the  cause  of  this  arrogance  the  fact 
that  they  had,  from  the  time  when  they  began  to 
be  a  people,  dwelt  undisturbed  in  their  own  land. 
Further,  we  must  assume  that  the  Prophet,  when 
lie  began  the  sentence  (ver.  10  b),  had  before  his 
mind  the  image  which  he  uses  (vers.  10  and  11), 
and  the  whole  series  of  thoughts  attached  to  it. 
It  is,  moreover,  probable  that  he  chose  the  name 
Moab  just  for  the  sake  of  the  image.     According 
to  Gen.  xix.  37  the  father  of  the  Moabites  owed 
his  birth  to  the  incestuous  intercourse  of  the  eldest 
daughter  of  Lot  with  her  father.     An  allusion  to 
this  fact  has  been  always  supposed  to  be  contained 
in  the  name  2N1D.   And  this  view  is  not  destitute 
of  philological  support,  comp.  GES.  Thes.,  p.  774, 
sub  voce  3X10.     The  K'ri  HJD1D  ID  lets  us  more 
clearly  perceive  why  Isaiah  made  mention  of 
Moab  as  the  representative  of  the  heathen  world, 
and  should,  therefore,  perhaps  be  preferred.  But, 
whether  we  read  "D  or  13,  it  is  manifest  that  the 
Prophet  wishes  to  express  the  idea  "  water  of  the 
dung-hole,"  and  that,  alluding  to  the  etymology 
of  Moab,  he  has  named  the  unbelievers  of  Moab 
a;s  representatives  of  the  unbelievers  of  all  na- 
tions.    Moab  is  therefore  cast  down  (xxviii.  27 
sq.  ;  xli.  15)  under  him  (i.  e.,  under  the  place 
on  which  he  stood,  comp.  Ex.  xvi.  29 ;  Josh.  v. 
8 ;  vi.  5 ;  Job  xl.  12 ;  Amos  ii.   13).     Straw  is 
cast  into  the  filthy  water  of  the  dung-hole,  in 
order  that  it  may  be  saturated  by  it,  and  rendered 
fitter  for  manure.     Our  interpretation  of  '0  ID  is 
confirmed  by  the  fact  that  njD"T3  obviously  con- 
tains an  intentional  allusion  to  the  Moabite  city 
j?7?  (Jer.  xlviii.  2).     The  person  cast  into  the 
dung-hole  seeks  to  save  himself.    We  have  there- 
fore to  suppose  the  hole  to  be  of  considerable  ex- 
tent.    He  spreads  forth  his  hands  as  if  to  swim. 
But  it  is  sorry  swimming.     The  desperate  strug- 
le  for  life  is  thus  depicted.      The  effort  is  un- 
availing.    Moab  must  find  an  ignominious  end 
in  the  impure  element.     The  LORD  presses  Him 
down.     Moab  is  elsewhere  blamed  for  two  evil 
qualities :     1)  his  pride,  2)  his  lying  disposition 
(xvi.  6  ;  Jer.  xlviii.  29).     A  corresponding  pun- 
ishment is  inflicted:  the  lies,  the  artifices  symbol- 
ized by  the  skilful  motions  of  the  hands  (JimM 
from  3^tf  nectere,  especially  insidias  struere)  are 
of  no  avail.     The  haughty  Moab  (comp.  nifrO 
here  and  xvi.  6)  must  perish  in  the  pool  of  filthy 
water.    The  LORD  humbles  the  proud  by  making 
disgrace  an  element  of  their  punishment.     That 
Djl?  signifies  ''  in  spite  of"  is  not  sufficiently  at- 
tested.    It  can  well  retain  here  its  proper  signifi- 
cation "  with  ;"  for,  in  fact,  Jehovah  presses  down 
not  only  the  proud,  but  also  the  cunning  and  artful. 
The  humbling  of  pride  is,   however,   the  main 
thing.     This  is  therefore  once  more  asserted,  ver. 
13,  without  a  figure  in  strong  expressions.     The 
phrase  "  the  defence  of  the  height  of  thy  walls  " 
for  "  the  defence  of  thy  high  walls  "  is  idiomatic 


282 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


Hebrew.  Compensation  for  the  adjective  is  sought 
in  substantive  forms  (comp.  xxii.  7  ;  xxx.  30). 
Three  verbs  are  used  corresponding  to  the  three 


substantives.  If  1Qy~~\y  is  not  equivalent  simply 
to  f"***?|  we  must  find  in  it  the  idea  of  being  re- 
duced to  dust. 


5.   THE  JUDGMENT  AS  REALIZATION  OF  THE  IDEA  OF  JUSTICE. 
CHAPTER  XXVI.  1-10. 

1  IN  that  day  shall  this  song  be  sung  in  the  land  of  Judah ; 
We  have  a  strong  city  : 

Salvation  will  God  appoint  for  walls  and  bulwarks. 

2  O pan  ye  the  gates, 

That  the  righteous  nation  which  keepeth  the  'truth  may  enter  in. 

3  "Thou  wilt  keep  him  2in  perfect  peace  whose  3mind  is  stayed  on  thee  ; 
Because  he  trusteth  in  thee. 

4  Trust  ye  in  the  LORD  for  ever  ; 

For  in  the  LORD  JEHOVAH  is  ^everlasting  strength. 

5  For  he  briugeth  down  them  that  dwell  on  high ; 
The  lofty  city,  he  layeth  it  low ; 

He  layeth  it  low,  even  to  the  ground ; 
He  bringeth  it  even  to  the  dust. 

6  The  foot  shall  tread  it  down, 

Even  the  feet  of  the  poor,  and  the  steps  of  the  needy. 

7  The  way  of  the  just  is  uprightness ; 

bThou,  most  upright,  dost  weigh  the  path  of  the  just. 

8  Yea,  in  the  way  of  thy  judgments,  O  LORD,  have  we  waited  for  thee ; 
The  desire  of  our  soul  is  to  thy  name,  and  to  the  remembrance  of  thee. 

9  With  my  soul  have  I  desired  thee  in  the  night ; 
Yea,  with  my  spirit  within  me  will  I  seek  thee  early ; 
For  when  thy  judgments  are  in  the  earth, 

The  inhabitants  of  the  world  will  learn  righteousness. 
10  Let  favor  be  shewed  to  the  wicked,  yet  will  he  not  learn  righteousness ; 
In  the  land  of  uprightness  will  he  deal  unjustly, 
And  will  not  behold  the  majesty  of  the  LORD. 


1  Heb.  truths.  *  Heb.  peace,  peace.  *  Or,  thought,  or,  imagination. 

»  As  firm  formation  wilt  thou  preserve  peace,  peace,  for  upon  thee  it  is  confided. 
t>  Thou  wilt  level  right  the  path  of  the  just. 


*  Heb.  the  rock  of  ages. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  Hophal  niyin  only  here.  According  to  the  | 
punctuation  fj»  ought  to  be  connected  with  137.  But 
most  interpreters  take  fj?  "VJ7  together  after  Prov. 
xviii.  19.  I  believe,  however,  that  the  Masoretes  indi- 
cate the  correct  sense,  and  the  one  which  corresponds 
to  the  context.  We  must  not  forget  that  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  "land"  of  Judah  speak  thus.  YjJ  stands 
consequently  in  opposition  to  t»TX-  The  redeemed  of 
the  LORD  do  not  all  dwell  in  the  city.  They  dwell  also 
in  the  country  round  about.  But  the  city  is  their  ty, 
their  strong  defence,  and  place  of  refuge.  It  is  there- 
fore as  if  they  said :  We  dwell  indeed  iu  the  country, 
but  yet  we  are  not  without  protection;  for  we  have  a 
city  into  which  we  can  hasten  and  find  shelter.  Comp. 
Ps.  xxviii.  8;  ^xxxiv.  6;  Isa.  xii!  2;  x:v.  24;  xlix.  5;  11. 
9;  ili.  1;  ixii.  8.  Observe  the  structure  of  the  second 
sentence  o!  this  verse.  The  sentence  consists  of  three 
members,  each  member  has  two  words ;  for  even  1  jS~t  V 
is  rendered  by  Maqqeph  one  word.  The  first  two  words 


GRAMMATICAL. 

begin  each  with  y ;  the  second  two  with  ^ ;  the  third 
two  with  T1- 
Ver.  i.  That  3  before   H*   is  not  the  so-called  Beth 

:  T 

essentine  was  already  perceived  by  DRECHSLER.  3  serves 
here  not  as  a  mere  periphrasis  of  the  predicate  (Ps. 
Ixviii.  5);  but  it  marks  the  idea  "Vy,  which  is  by  no 
means  coincident  with  Jehovah  (since  it  can  be  sought 
out  of  Jehovah),  as  one  which  believers  find  in  Jehovah 
(comp.  Ps.  xxxi.  3 ;  Ixxxix.  27 ;  xciv.  22 ;  xcv.  1  et  saepe). 
~\y  i~\y  comp.  Ixv.  18.  The  plural  D'Ollj,'  besides  here 

xlv.  17 ;  H.  9. 
Ver.  G.  DO1  (comp.  on  i.  12;  xxviii.  3),  *}y  (comp.  on 

ili.  14  pq.),  ST  (comp.  on  xxv.  4)  are  all  expressions  cha- 
racteristic of  Isaiah. 

Ver.  8.  PjX  is  an  antithetic  "yea."  Not  only  does  the 
righteous  man  wish  himself  to  do  right,  but  he  desires 
alyo  to  see  trie  righteousness  of  God.  The  word  belongs 
especially  to  poetry.  It  is  remarkable  that  it  is  fonnd 


CHAP.  XXVI.  1-10. 


283 


in  Isaiah  in  such  specifically  poetic  sections  in  which 
is  ace.  loci.    't^3J  and  Till,  ver. 
l^i  is  a  word  current 


3  also  occurs. 
9  a,  are  ace.  instrum. 

—  T 

chiefly  in  the  book  of  Job,  in  the  Psalms  and  Proverbs. 


To  •yjiTtf  D  a  verb  is  to  be  supplied  (say, 
CHI  and  UASHI  propose).    The  perfect 


as  KIM- 
does  not 


appear  to  me  to  be  used  in  its  paradigmatic  force  to  ex- 
press a  matter  of  experience  that  has  frequently  hap- 
pened (DELITZSCH),  for  the  Prophet  complains  of  a  want 
in  this  respect,— but  the  perfect  is  intended  to  mark 
this  learning  as  a  certain,  infallible  effect  of  the  desired 
j  judgments. 


EXEGETICAL  AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Here,  too,  the  Prophet  relates  a  hymn  which 
he  hears  coming  from  the  holy  mountain,  and  out 
of  the  holy  city.    Its  leading  thought  corresponds 
to  the  declaration   2  Peter  iii.  13  regarding  (he 
new  earth  in  which  righteousness  dwells.     This 
thought  is  here  carried  out  in  all  directions.    The 
redeemed,  who  sing  the  hymn,  begin  with  telling 
that  they  dwell  in  a  strong  city  well  provided 
with  walls  (ver.  1).     But  the  gates  of  the  city 
shall   be  open  only  to  a  righteous  people  that 
keepeth  truth  (ver.  2),  as  the  salvation  also  which 
this  city  affords,  the  peace  which  is  through  faith, 
rests  on  the  foundation  of  the  faithfulness  of  God, 
who  will  just  as  surely  never  disappoint  faith 
(vers.  3  and  4)  as  He  has  humbled  the  proud, 
unbelieving  worldly  power,   and  bowed  it  under 
the  feet  of  the  once  despised  believers  (vers.  5  and 
6).     The  righteous  people,  who  dwell  in  the  city, 
walk  in  righteous  ways  (ver.  7).     But  they  long 
exceedingly  to  see  the  righteousness  of  God  re- 
veal itself  free  and  unrestricted  in  all  directions. 
Therefore  they  wait  for  the  LORD  in  the  way  of 
His  judgments  (ver.  8).     Only  when  the  earth  is 
visit^  by  these  judgments,  do  men  learn  right- 
eousness (ver.  9).      The  wicked  man,  when  fa- 
vored, does  not  learn  righteousness  :  he  pursues 
his  sinful  course  even  in  the  land  of  virtue,  and 
never  comes  to  know  the  majesty  of  God  (ver.  10). 

2.  In  that  day enter  in.— Vers.  1  and  2. 

By  the  expression  in  that  day,  what  follows  is 
marked  as  contemporaneous   and    homogeneous 
with  xxv.  9-12.    (Comp. ''in  that  day,"   ver.  9). 
There  the  redeemed  praise  the  person  of  their 
God.     They  rejoice  that  they  have  this  LORD  for 
their  God.     Here  they  extol  the  righteousness  of 
their  God  and  of  His  kingdom.     The  expression 
land  of  Judah  is  plainly  employed  to  form  an 
antithesis  to  Moab,  xxv.  10  sqq.    For  not  Zion  or 
Jerusalem,  but  only  Judah  can  stand  contrasted 
with  Moab,  whether  this  name  denotes  country 
or  people,  or,  as  is  most  probable  (comp.  ver.  12), 
denotes  both.     At  the  same  time  it  is  self-evident 
that  they  who  dwell  in  the  land  of  Judah,  are  the 
same  as  those  who  according  to  xxiv.  23 ;  xxv.  6, 
7-10,  are  to  be  found  on  Mount  Zion  and  in  Je- 
rusalem, i.  e.,  not  merely  the  people  of  Judah  in 
the  ethnographical  sense,  but  all  those  who  ac- 
cording to  xxv.  6  sqq.,  are  called  and  entitled  to 
partake  of  the  great  feast  on  Mount  Zion,  i.  e.,  the 
entire    'Irrpa^/l    TrvfvnartK6^.      The   hymn    itself 
begins  with  a  brief  description  of  the  city  of  God. 
'1J|1  r\'iy*  n>n!!/\     Very  many  interpreters  under- 
stand that  the  Prophet  here  affirms  that  the  city 
has  no  walls,  but  has  instead  of  walls  n^ll^1.  Ap- 
peal is  made  to  Ix.  18  and  to  Zech.  ii.  9  [E.  V., 

11.  5].  Comp.  Ps.  cxxv.  2.  But  it  is  said.  Rev.  xxi. 

12,  of  the  city  of  God,  that  it  had  "  a  wall  great 
and  high,  and  had  twelve  gates,"  etc.  There  would 
therefore  exist  a  contradiction  between  the  Apo- 


calypse and  the  places  that  have  been  quoted  from 
the  Old  Testament.  But  this  contradiction  dis- 
appears when  we  understand  Isa.  Ix.  18  to  mean: 
thou  shalt  give  names  to  thy  walls  and  gates,  and 
designate  thy  walls  by  the  name  '•  Salvation," 
and  thy  gates  by  the  name  "  Praise,"  (as  e.  g.  the 
walls  of  Babylon  had  names  :  Imgur-Bel  and  Ni- 
vitti-bel.  See  Comment,  on  Jer.  Ii.  58).  The 
passage  Zech.  ii.  8  sq.  is  no  more  to  be  taken  liter- 
ally than  Ps.  cxxv.  2.  But  the  Jerusalem,  Rev. 
xxi.  and  xxii.,  is  a  quite  definite  locality,  not 
merely  ideal,  but  real,  though  spiritual,  (pnea- 
mattsch-real).  Therefore  this  kilter  Jerusalem 
has  walls,  while  Jerusalem,  as  the  spiritual  mother 
that  includes  all  nations  (Gal.  iv.  26;  Zech.  ii. 
8  sq.),  has  no  material,  outward,  visible  walls. 
But  in  our  place  where  the  Prophet,  as  has  been 
shown,  distinguishes  the  land  of  Judah  and 
the  city  belonging  to  it,  we  have  fir?t  of  all  to 
think  of  that  city  spoken  of  in  Rev.  xxi.  and  xxii. 
This  Jerusalem  has  a  real  wall.  If  this  wall,  ac- 
cording to  Ix.  18,  bears  the  name  Salvation,  this 
can  be  the  case  only  because  it  actually  affords 
safety,  deliverance.  And  therefore  I  take  n^lty1, 

as  placed  first,  in  apposition  to  /HI  fnon,  or  as 
the  accusative  predicate,  although  DELITZSCH 
rejects  this  construction.  [The  mode  of  constru- 
ing this  sentence  proposed  by  our  author  I  can- 
not assent  to.  He  renders  "  God  places  walls  and 
bulwark,  for  salvation  or  safety."  This  rendering 
is  not  so  well  recommended  as  that  given  in  the 
E.  V.,  and  the  thought  thus  expressed  is  incom- 
parably less  grand  and  exalted.  This  bald,  pro- 
saic translation  is  sought  out  in  order  to  avoid  a 
contradiction  with  the  Apocalypse  which  speaks 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  as  girt  with  a  wall.  But 
the  Apocalypse  is  pre-eminently  a  symbolical 
book  ;  and  "by  taking  its  imagery  in  the  literal 
eense,  it  could  be  easily  shown  not  only  to  contra- 
dict statements  of  the  "Old  Testament,  but  to  be 
self-contradictory.  E.  G.  According  to  Rev.  xxi. 
2  there  is  no  temple  in  the  New  Jerusalem  ;  but 
Ezekiel  describes  at  large  a  temple  that  will  be  in 
it,  and  according  to  Rev.  iii.  12  the  believer  will 
abide  perpetually  in  the  temple  of  the  city  of  God. 
Is  there  then  a"  contradiction  here  ?  No.  But 
when  in  symbolical  language  it  is  said  that  there 
will  be  a  temple  in  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  mean- 
ing is  that  what  will  answer  to  the  idea  of  a  tem- 
ple will  be  found  there.  God's  servants  will 
dwell  in  His  presence  and  continually  worship 
1  Him.  Symbolically  a  temple  can  be  spoken  of. 
1  But  a  ma'terial  temple  will  be  wanting  in  the  holy 
!  city.  So  it  can  be  said  to  have  a  sun  which  will 
i  never  go  down ;  and  again,  no  sun  will  be  seen 
i  there.  So,  too,  the  most  perfect  protection  can 
be  symbolized  under  the  figure  of  a  wall  great  and 
high  ;  but  the  essential  meaning  of  this  statement 
j  (not  a  contradiction  of  it),  is  given  when  it  is  do- 


284 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


ciared  "  Salvation  will  God  appoint  for  walls  and 
bulwark."  The  divine  help  is  a  better  defence 
of  the  city  than  artificial  fortifications.  Verse  2 
shows  that  the  whole  righteous  nation  will  dwell 
within  the  strong  city  whose  walls  and  bulwark 
are  Salvation.  The  city  is  thus  set  forth  as  the 
abode  of  more  than  a  portion  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  land  of  Judah.  "  The  nations  of  them  that 
are  saved  shall  walk  in  the  light  of  it,''  Rev.  xxi. 
24.  The  church,  too,  can  exult  in  a  strong  city 
which  she  has  even  now,  Ps.  xlvi.  4,  5. — D.  M.J. 
The  words  walls  and  bulwark  are  used  toge- 
ther as  here,  Lam.  ii.  8,  i^co^i^.  2  !Sam.  xx.  15). 

vfl  is  the  pomoerium,  the  outer  circumvallation 
before  the  chief  wall.  Comp.  Comment,  on  Lam. 
ii.  8  and  Jer.  li.  58. 

3.  Open  ye — everlasting  strength. — Vers. 
2-4.  These  gates,  according  to  Ix.  11  and  Rev. 
xxi.  25  are  never  shut.  In  Isa.  Ix.  11  it  is  said 
that  they  will  always,  night  and  day,  stand  open; 
but  in  Rev.  xxi.  it  is  said  they  will  not  be  shut 
by  day.  But  the  latter  statement  is  identical  with 
the  former ;  for  there  will  be  no  night  there,  as 
is  expressly  declared  in  the  Revelation.  I  do  not 
think  that  ver.  2  is  to  be  regarded  as  spoken  by 
angels'  voices,  and  that  the  city  is  to  be  supposed 
empty.  It  is  not  intended  merely  to  express  the 
first  opening  of  the  gates  in  order  to  admit  inha- 
bitants. The  same  persons  who  said  "  We  have 
a  city,"  say  also  "  Open  the  gates,"  and  they  at 
the  same  time  declare  that  they  know  what  their 
city  is  intended  to  be  according  to  the  will  of  God. 
They  know  that  there  shall  not  enter  into  it  any- 
thing that  is  common,  neither  whatsoever  work- 
eth  abomination  or  a  lie  (Rev.  xxi.  27  ;  xxii.  14 
sq.).  This  fundamental  law  of  their  city  they 
here  declare.  The  gates  shall  always  stand  open 
that  a  righteows  nation  that  keepeth  faith  may  go 
in  The  words  recall  to  mind  Ps.  xxiv.  7,  9  as 
they  are  reproduced  in  Ps.  cxviii.  19,  20.  ""U 
Rtands  here  not  in  an  ethnographical,  but  in  a 
rhetorical  signification.  It  denotes  a  multitude 
of  people,  as  e.  c/.,  Gen.  xx.  4 ;  Isa.  xlix.  7.  An 
essential  part  of  the  '"'j^?  of  this  righteous  peo- 
ple is  that  it  keeps  faith.  D'JOX  is  found  only 
here  in  Isaiah.  Not  a  superficial,  vacillating 
righteousness,  but  a  righteousness  having  a  firm 
foundation  is  required.  For  as  God  is  a  sure 

stronghold,  a  D'lpViy  "l«{  in  which  we  can  con- 
fide, so  He  requires  also  a  people  that  trusts  firmly 
in  Him,  and  cleaves  to  Him  with  a  fidelity  that 
cannot  be  shaken.  D'jrDX  therefore,  as  the  "Latin 
fides,  signifies  both  faith  and  fidelity.  Comp.  i. 
26.  The  LORD,  on  His  part,  offers  as  a  firm  for- 
mation, peace,  peace  (Ivii.  19  ;  xxvii.  5).  "TT 
is  a  formation,  frame.  When  it  denotes  a  thought 
that  is  framed,  then  "TT  is  almost  always  united 

with  nn^no  or  31?  (Gen.  vi.  5;  viii.  21 ;  1  Chr. 
xxviii.  9  ;  xxix.  18).  As  "tt;  stands  alone  in  our 
place,  it  signifies  here  what  it  means  elsewhere 
when  standing  alone ;  —a  thing  framed  of  any 
kind  (xxix.  16  ;  Ps.  ciii.  14  ;  Hab.  ii.  18).  ^30 
(Ps.  cxi.  8;  cxii.  8)  is  =  established,  firmly 
founded.  As  now  in  a  city  there  are  many  arti- 
ficial formations,  things  framed,  both  of  a  visible 
and  in-visible  nature,  as  pillars,  statues,  buildings, 
contrivances,  institutions,  and  such  like,  which 


serve  partly  for  ornament,  partly  for  use,  so  here 
peace  is  called  a  formation  or  thing  framed 
which  the  LORD  keeps  on  its  firm  foundation. 
The  participle  passive  niD3  is  found  further 
only  in  Ps.  cxii.  7,  where  it  is  used  as  synonymous 
with  JDJ.  We  may  take  it  in  our  place  also  as  = 
confiding,  confidently  established  (conylutinatum, 
copulatum  ac  tanquam  concretum  etc  coagmenlatum. 
FUERST).  Peace  is  a  structure  that  rests  on  a 
good  foundation,  because  it  is  founded  on  the 
LORD.  But  the  fact  that  peace  objectively  is 
founded  on  the  LORD  does  not  exclude  the  neces- 
sity for  individuals  subjectively  to  found  them- 
selves on  the  LORD,  i.  e.,  in  faith  to  rely  upon 
Him.  On  the  contrary,  he  who  does  not  subjec- 
tively yield  Himself  to  the  LORD  in  faith  will  not 
be  partaker  of  the  blessing  of  the  objective  salva- 
tion that  has  been  constituted,  established  (John 
iii.  14sqq.).  Hence  (ver.  4)  the  emphatic  exhor- 
tation :  "  trust  in  the  LORD,"  etc.  [1  cannot  accept 
the  interpretation  of  ver.  3  given  by  Dr.  NAE- 
GELSBACH.  The  best  modern  interpreters  are 
substantially  in  accord  with  the  E.  V.  The  most 
literal  translation  of  the  verse  that  can  be  given  i« : 
''The  mind  stayed  or  supported  (on  Thee)  Thou 
wilt  keep  (in)  peace,  peace,  because  it  trust eth  in 
Thee."  Peace  as  an  objective  formation  could 
not  be  said  to  trust  in  God,  for  it  is  not  a  living 
being  possessed  of  will.  This  objection  is  fatal  to 
the  view  wrought  out  so  ingeniously  and  elabo- 
rately by  our  author. — D.  M.J  The  abbreviation 
rr  standing  alone  is  found  in  Isaiah  besides  here, 
xxxviii.  11.  The  combination  forming  a  climax 
nitV  iT  occurs  in  Isaiah  besides  here  only  xii.  2. 
"N¥  in  the  spiritual  signification  is  found  in  Isaiah 
viii.  14 ;  xvii.  10 ;  xxx.  29  ;  xliv.  8  ;  li.  1.  [This 
hallowed  designation  of  the  LORD,  "Rock  of 
Ages,"  is  found  as  marginal  rendering  of  what  in 
the  text  of  the  E.  V.  is  translated  "everlasting 
strength."  The  rendering  of  the  margin  is  literal 
and  accurate.  The  expression  "Rock  of  Ages" 
is  found  in  the  Bible  in  this  place  only." — 
D.  M.] 

4.  For  he  bringeth the  needy. — Vers.  5 

and  6.  A  pledge  that  the  LORD  will  be  the  ever- 
lasting refuge  of  His  people  is  seen  by  the  Pro- 
phet in  this,  that  the  LORD  has  already  humbled, 
cast  down  the  worldly  power.     He  expresses  this 
partly  in  words  which  he  repeats  from  xxv.  12. 
Those  who  dwell  on  high  (xxxiii.  5, 16),  the 
lofty  city  (comp.  xi.  11, 17 :  xii.  4 ;  xxx.  13),  He 
has  brought  low  [instead  of  Ohe  first  verb  being 
in  the  present  tense,  as  in  the  E.  V.,  it  snould  be 
in  the  perfect].  The  following  imperfects  (futures) 
express  the  permanent  condition  of  humiliation 
in  consequence  of  the  overthrow.     The  Prophet 
depicts  the  endless  duration  of  the  humiliation  by 
the  repetition  of  the  verb  expressing  it   (Anadi- 
plosis).     The  different  forms  of  the  pronominal 
suffix  attached  to  the  verb  are  an  agreeable  varia- 
tion.    The  feet  of  those  who  had  before  been  trod- 
den in  the  dust  by  the  violent  foot  of  the  worldly 
power  now  pass  without  danger  over  the  city  of 
;he  world  which  has  been    laid  by  God  in  the 
dust. 

5.  The  way— majesty  of  the  Lord. — Vers. 
7-10.  In  vers.  3-6  the  Prophet,  in  connection  with 

DK  had  discussed  the  idea  of  the  reciprocal 


CHAP.  XXVI.  11-21. 


285 


fides  implied  in  the  life  of  the  redeemed  in  com- 
munion with  their  God  and  in  the  city  of  God. 
In  the  following  verses  he  discusses  the  idea  of 
p'ti*,  so  that  the  words  righteous  nation  that 
keepeth  faith,  ver.  2,  appear  as  the  theme  on 
which  the  Prophet  here  enlarges.  The  people 
of  God  must  before  all  be  themselves  righteous. 
They  are  such  when  their  path  is  D'1_UrD,  which 
is  here  the  subject,  and  means  rectitudo,  sinceritas. 
It  forms  the  ground  which  serves  tha  righteous  as 
substratum  of  His  walk,  as  the  pathway  of  life. 
But  the  glory  is  due  to  God.  For  He  it  is  who 
so  levels  (properly  rolls,  the  Prophet  had  here  in 

view  Prov.  iv.  26;  v.  6,  21)  the  path  (SjJJO  only 
here  in  Isaiah)  of  the  righteous  that  it  becomes 
"^\  The  structure  of  the  sentence  forms  a  pro- 
lepsis  similar  to  ver.  1.  But  in  order  that  the 
idea  of  righteousness  may  attain  its  full  realisa- 
tion in  the  world,  it  is  necessary  that  the  divine 
righteousness  also  should  unfold  itself  freely  and 
unconfined.  The  unrighteousness  which  reigns  in 
the  world  must  be  judged,  the  holy  nature  of  God 
must  become  manifest  in  its  full  splendor.  And 
this  manifestation  of  the  holiness  and  righteous- 
ness of  God  forms  an  object  of  the  most  intense 
desire  of  the  believers  of  the  Old  Testament. 
This  desire  finds  expression  in  many  Psalms,  and 
the  Prophet  here  again  adopts  quite  the  tone  of 
the  Psalms.  We  wait  for  thee  in  the  way 
of  thy  judgments,  means:  We  expect  to  see 
Thee  march  through  the  world  as  a  righteous 
judge  (comp.  xl.  14;  Prov.  ii.  8  ;  xvii.  23).  This 
manifestation  of  justice  is  hoped  for  by  the  right- 
eous, not  for  their  own  sake,  but  for  the  sake  of 
the  honor  of  God.  Their  desire,  therefore,  is  to 
the  name  and  remembrance  (comp.  Ex.  iii. 
15  and  Ps.  cxxxv.  13)  of  the  LORD,  i.  e.,  that  the 
LORD  may  so  manifest  Himself  that  men  may  be 
put  in  a  position  to  call  Him  by  the  right  name, 
and  to  spread  and  propagate  the  right  knowledge 
of  Him.  But  even  for  the  sake  of  the  world,  i.  e. 
of  unrighteous  men  themselves,  the  Prophet  most 
fervently  longs  for  the  full  manifestation  of  the 
divine  righteousness,  which  he  here  conceives  of 
not  exactly  as  that  which  destroys  the  ungodly, 
but  rather  as  that  which  punishes  them  for  their 
own  profit  (ver.  9).  After  having  hitherto  used 
the  plural,  the  Prophet  passes  over  into  the  sin- 
gular, I  desire,  I  seek.  This  can  be  explained 
only  on  the  supposition  that  he  here  gives  ex- 
pression to  a  wish  in  which  he  personally  was 
intensely  interested.  Was  he  not  himself  the 
object  and  perpetual  witness  of  human  injustice? 
He  whom  the  question  :  How  can  God  tolerate 
such  injustice?  and  the  wish  that  an  end  may 
soon  be  put  to  it,  does  not  suffer  to  rest  even  in 
the  night,  is  the  Prophet  himself  rather  than 
those  who,  dwelling  already  in  the  glorified  city  of 


God,  have  behind  them  the  chief  stages  of  the  judg- 
ment of  the  world  (xxiv. ;  xxv.  lOsqq.).  We  cannot 
ascribe  this  longing  to  carnal  vindictiveness.  In 
what  follows  the  Prophet  gives  reasons  for  his  de- 
sire in  such  a  way  as  to  show  clearly  to  what  an  ex- 
tent he  transfers  the  actual  necessities  of  the  present 
time  to  that  ideal  future  which  he  depicts.  We 
have  here  another  example  of  the  Prophet's  man- 
ner of  representing  the  future  with  the  materials 
which  the  present  time  supplies.  The  Prophet 
longs  for  the  judgments  of  God,  because  he  hopes 
that  in  proportion  as  the  earth  is  visited  by  them, 
men  will  learn  righteousness.  We  recognize  here 
the  teacher  and  preacher,  who  deeply  laments 
that  words  produce  but  little  impression,  that 
:  facts  which  make  themselves  profoundly  felt  are 
]  necessary  to  bring  men  to  the  knowledge  and 
practice  of  righteousness.  In  ver.  10  the  Prophet 
I  declares  that  if  judgments  do  not  take  place,  if  the 
wicked  has  favor  shown  him  he  does  not  learn 
j  righteousness  ([IT  Hoph  of  |Jn,  only  here  in 
j  Isaiah  ;  it  occurs,  Prov.  xxi.  10.  The  conditional 
i  sentence  is  without  the  hypothetical  particle,  as 
I  is  often  the  case).  The  wicked  is  not  improved 
'  when  favor  is  shown  to  him,  but  proceeds  even 
when  surrounded  by  the  righteous  (niPIJJ  xxx. 
.  10 ;  comp.  Ivii.  2 ;  lix.  14)  to  act  perversely 
i  (  /.y7,  Piel  in  the  causative  sense,  besides  only  Ps. 
!  Ixxi.  4),  and  will  never  perceive  the  nature  of 
God  in  all  its  glory  and  majesty  (fl'XJ  a  word 
characteristic  of  Isaiah's  writings,  ix.  17  ;  xii.  5  ; 
xxviii.  3:  it  occurs  besides  only  Ps.  xvii.  10; 
Ixxxix.  10  ;  xciii.  1).  We  must  indeed  acquit  the 
Prophet  of  a  low  carnal  desire  of  revenge,  but  I  am 
decidedly  of  opinion  that  the  passage,  neverthe- 
less, breathes  the  legal  spirit  of  the  Old  Testament 
(comp.  Matth.  iii.  7  ;  Luke  iii.  7),  and  is  not  born 
of  the  Spirit  whose  children  we  are  to  be.  [A  cor- 
rective to  this  last  observation  is  furnished  in  the 
Exposition,  which  well  sets  forth  the  moiives 
which  inspired  the  Prophet  to  desire  God's  judg- 
ments on  the  eartli.  Without  them  men  will  not 
learn  righteousness.  God's  goodness  is  despised 
or  made  the  occasion  of  licentiousness,  if  there  is 
no  clear  demonstration  by  terrible  things  in 
righteousness,  that  verily  there  is  a  God  that 
judgeth  in  the  earth.  If  John  the  Baptist's  words 
(Matth.  iii.  7  and  Luke  iii.  7)  are,  like  those  of 
Isaiah,  pronounced  inconsistent  with  the  Spirit 
of  the  New  Testament,  what  shall  be  said  of  the 
words  of  our  Saviour,  Matt,  xxiii.  33,  and  else- 
where ?  The  desire  that  evil-doers  should  be 
punished,  and  that  there  should  be  a  manifesta- 
tion of  the  retributive  justice  of  God,  is  not  at  va- 
riance with  the  Spirit  of  the  Gospel,  or  that  love 
of  our  enemies  which  Christ  enjoined  and  exem- 
plified, comp.  Kev.  vi.  10;  xv.  4;  xix.  1-2;  1 
Cor.  xvi.  22 ;  2  Thes.  i.  6-10,  etc.— D.  M.]. 


6.    THE   RESURRECTION  OF  THE  DEAD  AND  THE  CONCLUDING  ACTS  OF  THE 
JUDGMENT  OF  THE  WORLD.    CHAPTER  XXVI.  11-21. 

11       LORD,  when  thy  hand  is  lifted  up,  they  will  not  see ; 

But  "they  shall  see,  and  be  ashamed  for  their  envy  Jat  the  people; 
Yea,  bthe  fire  of  thine  enemies  shall  devour  them. 


286  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


12  LORD,  thou  wilt  ordain  peace  for  us  : 

For  thou  also  hast  wrought  all  our  works  "in  us. 

13  O  LORD  our  God  ! 

Other  lords  beside  thee  have  had  dominion  over  us  : 
But  by  thee  only  will  we  make  mention  of  thy  name. 

14  They  are  dead,  they  shall  not  live; 
They  are  "deceased,  they  shall  not  rise  : 
Therefore  hast  thou  visited  and  destroyed  them, 
And  made  all  their  memory  to  perish. 

15  Thou  hast  increased  the  nation,  O  LORD, 

Thou  hast  increased  the  nation  ;  thou  art  glorified  : 
dThou  hadst  removed  it  far  unto  all  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

16  LORD,  in  trouble  have  they  visited  thee  ; 

They  poured  out  a  'prayer  when  thy  chastening  was  upon  them. 

17  Like  as  a  woman  with  child,  that  draweth  near  the  time  of  her  delivery, 
Is  in  pain,  and  crieth  out  in  her  pangs  ; 

So  have  we  bsen  ein  thy  sight,  O  LORD. 

18  We  have  baen  with  child,  we  have  been  in  pain, 
We  have  as  it  were  brought  forth  wind  ; 

We  have  not  wrought  any  deliverance  in  the  earth  ; 
Neither  have  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  fallen. 

19  Thy  dead  men  shall  live: 

'Toysther  with  my  dead  body  shall  they  arise. 
Awake  and  sing,  ye  that  dwell  in  dust: 
For  thy  dew  is  o$  ths  dew  of  8herbs, 
And  the  earth  shall  cast  out  the  dead. 

20  Come,  my  people,  enter  thou  into  thy  chambers, 
And  shut  thy  doors  about  thee  : 

Hids  thyself  as  it  were  for  a  little  moment, 
Until  the  indignation  be  overpast. 

21  For,  behold,  the  LORD  cometh  out  of  his  place 

To  punish  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  for  their  iniquity  : 
The  earth  also  shall  disclose  her  4blood, 
And  shall  no  more  cover  her  slain. 

1  Or,  toward  thy  people.  *  Or.  for  tts.  »  Heb.  secret  speech.  *  Heb.  bloods. 

*  they  shall  see  to  their  shame  thy  zeal  for  the  people.  *  fire  shall  devour  them,  thy  enemies. 
'Shades.              *  thou  hast  removed  far  all  the  borders  of  the  land.       °  far  from  thy  sight. 

*  my  dead  body  shall  arise.  e  "ligh'ts. 

TEXTUAL    AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  12.  It  ia  not  inconceivable  that  DJJlto  stood  here  !  ^  =  e/imdurrt  (besides  here  Job  xxviii.2;  xxix.6;  xH. 

;  14;   Ps.  xli.  9).     Analogous  is  the  Latin  prcces  fundere 

originally,  and  was  changed  through   ignorance  into  '  .     . 

nStfn.  In  that  case  03V  would  include  idca'.ly  the  j  (VlBO-^n.  6,55)  and  WV  ]3VT  P».  cil.  1.-131?  -p010 
transitive  notion  of  awarding,  allotting  by  judicial  sen-  !  corresponds  to  1¥2  in  the  first  half  of  the  verse,  and  is 
tenee  ;  and  on  this  ideal  transitive  notion  137  Dlbty  !  best  taken  as  a  circumstantial  clause  with  a  verb  to  be 
would  depend.  We  are  struck  by  the  rare  word  r\3Ef,  j  supplied  (comp.  EWALD,  \  341  a,  p.  823).  loS  as  V1X1? 

while   DDty  is  suggested  l>y  the  context.    [The  correc-  ,     i..  .  ~     T      j    VT  T 

..         ,.„,  ver.  9.    Comp.  liil.  8.—  1Q3  is  here,  as  afterwards,  ver. 

tion  of  the  text  suggested  is  unnecessary.—  D.  M.].  7 

18  a,  conjunction  (comp.  xli.  25  ;  Gen.  xix.  15).  and  sig- 


nifies not  only  in  ver.  17,  but  also  in  ver.  18,  if  we  exam- 
ine thoroughly  the  construction,  tanquam,  like  as 
("IK'N.3).  In  ver.  17  this  is  quite  evident,  for  the  con- 
struction is  simple  :  As  a  woman  with  child  is  in  pain, 


Ver.  13.  137  stands  here  adverbially  as  Eccles.  vii. 
29.    The  normal  form  of  expression  would  be  " 
(Ps.  li.  G;  Prov.  v.  17). 

Ver.  15.  rp-  is  properly  "  to  add."    But  the  word  is 
not  rarely  employed  in  the  sense  of  "  to  increase,"  it     ~  ^  ™  *"  ^  Thee'    [Or  **?"'  S°  WC  Wf™  J1™1 
b3ing  left  to  the  reader  to  think  either  of  that  to  which  |  Se  1^ M.J.'  ''  °"  ^  °°  ^ 

lition  which  is  made,  j      yer.18.  The  particle  of  comparison  has  the  signifies- 

Su,2£  SSJSvRSUV  "'"  8'9i "°" "r^"11: 

Ver.  16.  J?py  (on  this  form  which  is  found  besides 
only  Deut.  viii.  3, 16,  comp.  OLSIIAUSES  O.,  J  226,  p.  449), 


.  . 

Ver.  20.  Instead  of  TrOI  the  K'eri  reads  HPO"!,  un- 

'  VT  i  <ir  i 

doubted'y  because  a  chamber  has  only  one  nTji  a°d 


CHAP.  XXVI.  11-21. 


287 


not  D'H1?!  (•"T.n'n,  moreover,  is  not  derived  from  j"n~T, 
•  -  T        I  :  IT  ; 

but  from  a,  form  rm  which  does  not  elsewhere  occur). 

T  T 

But  both  the  assonance  with  TTin  and  the  anomalous 
nature  of  the  form  Hf\ 7T  speak  in  favor  of  TrnT    '^PI 

llIT  I  '   VI    I 

is  a  singular  form.    It  caa  be  derived  only  from 


which  is  not  met  with  elsewhere  :  JOH  is  the  form  in 

T  r 

use  (in  Isa.  xlii.  22;  xlix.  2).  The  appearance  of  the  ra- 
dical Yod  is  also  strange  ('2FI  instead  of  H^H).  It"  this 
""3H  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  feminine  form,  this  too  would 
be  singular;  for  nil  the  parallel  verbal  and  nominal 
forms  are  masculine.  The  expression  _J,'jn~L3.J>OI)  is 
found  only  here  and  in  Ezra  ix.  8.  Comp.  Isa.  liv.  7. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  A  new  wonderful  scene  of  the  great  eschato- 
logical  drama  presents  itself  to  the  view  of  the 
Prophet :  the  resurrection  of  the  dead!  He  intro- 
duces this  revelation  witli  three  brief  sentences 
addressed  to  Jehovah,  each  of  them  beginning 
with  the  name  Jehovah.  In  the  first  sentence  he 
expresses  thethought  that  men  do  not  perceive  the 
hand  of  the  LORD  already  lifted  up  for  judgment. 
But  they  shall  one  day  perceive  it  when  God's 
zeal  will  display  itself.  But  then  they  will  be 
confounded,  and  fire  will  consume  the  adversa- 
ries (ver.  11).  On  the  other  hand,  the  Prophet 
expresses  the  assurance  that  the  judgment  of  God 
will  promote  the  peace  of  the  godly,  as  their 
works  are  wrought  by  God  Himself  (ver.  12). 
The  Prophet  in  the  third  place  introduces  us  into 
that  sphere  to  which  he  means  to  direct  especial- 
ly our  attention  in  what  follows.  For  even  this 
sphere  stands  in  the  closest  relation  to  the  mani- 
festation of  God  indicated  in  vers.  11  and  12.  He 
characterizes  this  region,  first  in  general,  as  one 
whose  inhabitants  in  a  certain  sense  are  not  under 
the  dominion  of  God,  but  are  in  the  power  of 
another  lord.  [Other  lords,  it  should  he  said. 
And  the  verb  is  in  the  past  tense. — D.  M.].  An 
abnormal  condition  !  The  persons  here  meant 
cannot  praise  God ;  for  this  can  be  done  only 
when  a  man  is  united  to  God,  when  he  is  in  Him 
(ver.  13).  It  is  at  once  apparent  from  ver.  14  that  j 
the  Prophet  means  the  dead.  According  to  the 
prevailing  opinion  the  dead  cannot  live  again. 
God  Himself  has  destroyed  and  blotted  out  for- 
ever their  remembrance  (ver.  14).  This  realm 
of  death  goes  on  increasing  ;  its  borders  are  ever 
further  removed  (ver.  15).  Yet  the  longing  for 
deliverance  is  by  no  means  extinct  even  in  the 
dead :  they  seek  the  LORD,  and  their  whispered 
prayer  ascends  to  God  from  their  place  of  trial  i 
(ver.  16).  Yea,  the  world  of  the  dead  even  make  i 
exertions  to  restore  themselves  to  life,  which 
efforts  can  be  compared  with  the  pangs  of  a  wo- 
man in  travail  (ver.  17).  But  the  result  is  use- 
less :  only  wind  is  brought  forth  (ver.  18).  Yet 
their  hope  is  not  disappointed.  But  only  the  dead 
who  are  the  LORD'S  will  rise  to  life.  These  are 
summoned  to  awake  and  rejoice.  As  a  dew  of 
luminous  substances  will  it  be,  when  the  earth 
brings  to  the  light  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  of 
Bhades  (ver.  19).  But  the  earth  will  restore  not 
merely  the  bodies  of  the  godly.  She  will  bring 
to  the  light  all  the  evil,  especially  all  the  blood- 
guiltiness  which  is  buried  in  her  bosom.  This 
will  be  a  terrible  element  of  wrath  and  judgment. 
While  this  takes  place,  those  who  have  risen  from 
the  dead  are  to  conceal  themselves.  After  a  mo- 
ment the  wrath  will  be  past,  and  then  salvation 
and  peace  will  reign  forever  (vers.  20,  21).  [It 
is  a  strange  and  unique  imagination  of  Dr.  NAE- 
GELSBACH,  that  the  Prophet  gives  us  in  ver.  13, 
the  language  of  the  dwellers  in  Sheol ;  as  it  is 


most  manifest  that  the  speakers  in  ver.  12,  con- ' 
tinue  in  what  follows  their  speech  addressed  to 
Jehovah.  See  how  verse  13  begins  like  the  two 
preceding  verses  with  the  name  Jehovah.  There 
is  nothing  to  indicate  the  assumed  change  of 
speakers,  or  to  make  us  suppose  that  the  occu- 
pants of  an  inframundane  region,  an  infernal 
limbus,  suddenly  and  without  a  pause,  take  up  the 
address  to  the  Almighty,  abruptly  dropped  by  the 
ecclesia  mililans.  The  perfect  tense,  too,  in  ver. 
13,  may  not  be  arbitrarily  treated  as  the  present, 
to  accommodate  the  language  to  the  author's 
theory.  This  earth,  and  not  Sheol,  is  unques- 
tionably the  theatre  of  what  is  described  in  vers. 
15-18.  The  prayer  spoken  of  in  ver.  1G  comes 
not  from  the  shades  of  the  departed,  but  from  the 
inhabitants  of  this  world  when  God's  judgments 
are  in  the  earth  (comp.  ver.  9).  It  is  a  purely 
gratuitous  assumption,  involving,  too,  an  anti- 
scriptural  error,  that  a  place  of  trial  under  the 
earth  is  the  scene  of  the  vain  endeavors  so  graphi- 
cally depicted  in  vers.  18  and  19.  I  append  Dr. 
J.  A.  ALEXANDER'S  brief  analysis  of  vers.  12-21. 
"  The  Church  abjures  the  service  of  all  other  so- 
vereigns, and  vows  perpetual  devotion  to  Him  by 
whom  it  has  been  delivered  and  restored  (vers. 
12-15).  Her  utter  incapacity  to  save  herself  is 
then  contrasted  with  God's  power  to  restore  His 
people  to  new  life,  with  a  joyful  anticipation  of 
which  the  song  concludes  (vers.  16-19).  The  ad- 
ditional sentences  contain  a  beautiful  and  tender 
intimation  of  the  trials  which  must  be  endured 
before  these  glorious  events  take  place,  with  a 
solemn  assurance  that  Jehovah  is  about  to  visit 
both  His  people  and  their  enemies  with  chastise- 
ments (vers.  20,  21)."— D.  M.]. 

2.  LORD thy  name.— Vers.  11-13.    The 

Prophet  perceives  the  approach  of  great  things, 
but  men  perceive  nothing  of  them.  He  com- 
plains of  this  to  the  LORD.  Thy  hand  is  lifted 
up,  says  he,  and  they  see  it  not.  [The  ad- 
verb "when  "  is  unnecessarily  supplied  in  the  E. 
V.  It  is  better  to  render  literally  "  Thy  hand  is 
lifted  up  ;  they  will  not  see"  or  ''  (but)  they  do 
not  see  it."— D.  M.].  The  uplifted  hand  is  ready, 
and  able  to  smite.  The  expression  HOT  T  is 
found  in  the  Pentateuch  in  more  senses  than  one. 
May  it  not  signify  here  the  menacing  high  hand? 
According  to  Scripture  great  signs  on  earth  and 
in  heaven  will  precede  the  coming  of  the  LORD 
(Matt.xxiv.  3,  8,  29),  but  the  wicked  will  not  give 
heed  to  these  signs  (Matt.  xxiv.  37-39).  They 
will  not  be  willing  to  see  the  hand  of  God  in 
them.  But  they  will  be  forced  to  their  confusion 
(IEG'1  is  a  parenthetical  clause  marking  a  circum- 
stance) to  recognize  the  hand  of  God  in  the 
signs  from  the  correspondence  between  them  and 
the  decisive  facts  following  on  them,  when  they 
shall  have  perceived  the  zeal,  i.  e.,  the  strict, 


288 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


judging,  and  avenging  righteousness  of  God 
(comp.  ix.  6;  xi.  13;  xxxviii.  32;  Ixiii.  15)  at- 
testing itself  on  the  people  (comp.  in  regard  to 
the  construction,  Ps.  Ixix.  10).  [The  expression 
By  i"\JOp  made  dependent  in  the  E.  V.  on  1EO', 
and  understood  of  the  envy  of  the  heathen  toward 
the  people  of  God,  is  rightly  made  dependent  by 
our  author  on  lirr,  and  is  also  rightly  understood 
of  the  zeal  of  the  LORD  of  hosts  (ix.  6:  xxxvii. 
32),  but  this  zeal  of  the  LORD  is  not  directed 
against  a  people  who  are  none  of  His,  as  DR. 
NAEGELSBACII  thinks,  but  is  the  zeal  of  the  LORD 
for  His  own  people. — D.  M.].  The  fire  of  this 
zeal  will  consume  those  men  who  could  see,  but 
would  not  see;  will  devour  thy  adversaries 
(T"^>  prefixed  apposition  to  the  suffix  in  DuKTl}. 
From  the  wicked,  who  to  their  dismay  are  sur- 
prised by  the  judgment  of  God,  the  Prophet  turns 
to  the  pious  who  wait  for  the  day  of  judgment  as 
the  day  of  their  redemption  (Luke  xxi.  28). 
These  express  the  confident  assurance  that  the 
LORD  will  assign,  prepare  them  peace  on  that 
great  day.  ^3$,  ponere,  statuere,  is  found  in 
Isaiah  only  here,  comp.  2  Kings  iv.  38;  Ezek. 
xxiv.  3  ;  Ps.  xxii.  16.  The  righteous  justly  ex- 
pect from  the  judgment  the  peace  of  God.  For 
how  could  the  righteous  Judge  award  them  aught 
else,  seeing  that  He  Himself  has  wrought  their 

works  ?  Instead  of  the  second  U  7  we  should  per- 
haps rather  expect  ^33  •  but  the  Prophet,  who  de- 
lights in  significant  accords  in  sound,  chose  un- 
doubtedly to  make  a  second  U?  correspond  to  the 
first,  in  order  to  indicate  thereby  that  the  fruit  of 
the  judgment  must  correspond  to  the  fruit  of  the 

life.  The  third  sentence  begins  with  1JTI7N  DID'. 
The  address  is  thus  more  forcible,  and  forms  an 
antithesis  to  the  subject  and  predicate  of  the  sen- 
tence. Is  it  not  a  contradiction  which  cannot  be 
maintained,  when  it  must  be  said  :  Thou  art  in- 
deed our  God,  but  others  rule  over  us  ?  [But  the 
B:rfect  tense  should  not  be  treated  as  a  present. — 
.  M.].  To  understand  D'JIN  of  the  worldly 
powers  alone,  which  is  the  common  view,  seems 
to  me  quite  too  restricted,  and  not  to  correspond 
to  the  context.  I  translate  '"|3  >fin  thee"  [''By 
thee,"  i.  e.,  by  thy  power  or  help,  is  the  common 
rendering. — D.  M  ].  The  aim  of  ver.  13  is  that 
of  a  general  introduction  into  the  region  which  is 
afterwards  to  be  particularly  spoken  of.  ["  As 
to  the  lords  who  are  mentioned  in  the  first  clause, 
there  are  two  opinions.  One  is,  that  they  are  the 
Chaldees?  or  Babylonians,  under  whom  the  Jews 
had  been  in  bondage.  This  is  now  the  current 
explanation.  The  other  is,  that  they  are  the  false 
gods  or  idols  whom  the  Jews  had  served  before 
the  exile.  Against  the  former  and  in  favor  of 
the  latter  supposition  it  may  be  suggested,  first, 
that  the  Babylonian  bondage  did  not  hinder  the 
Jews  from  mentioning  Jehovah's  name  or  prais- 
ing Him  ;  secondly,  that  the  whole  verse  looks 
like  a  confession  of  their  own  fault  and  a  promise 
of  amendment,  rather  than  a  reminiscence  of 
their  sufferings  ;  and  thirdly,  that  there  seems  to 
be  an  obvious  comparison  between  the  worship  of 
Jehovah  as  our,  with  some  other  worship  and 
some  other  deity An  additional  argu- 
ment in  favor  of  the  reference  of  the  verse  to 


spiritual  rulers,  is  its  exact  correspondence  with 
the  singular  fact  in  Jewish  history,  that  since  the 
Babylonish  exile  they  have  never  even  been  sus- 
pected of  idolatry."  ALEXANDER. — D.  M.]. 

3.  They  are  "dead ends  of  the  earth. 

— Vers.  14-15.  The  Prophet  proceeds  now  di- 
rectly to  the  thought  which  he  intends  afterwards, 
ver.  19,  to  bring  to  light :  the  resurrection  of  the 
dead.  But  that  the  light  of  this  wonderful  divine 
revelation  may  shine  more  conspicuously  he  pre- 
sents, as  a  foil  to  it,  the  opinion  which  had  not 
been  hitherto  disputed,  and  which  was  supposed 
to  be  indisputable,  viz.,  that  the  dead  do  not  come 
to  life  again.  [But  what  indication  is  given  that 
the  Prophet  in  the  14th  verse  means  to  relate  an 
opinion  said  to  prevail  universally  in  regard  to 
the  impossibility  of  a  resurrection  of  the  dead  ? 
Why  not  rather  understand  this  verse  as  a  decla- 
ration that  the  other  lords  just  spoken  of  should 
not  merely  cease  to  exist,  but  even  to  be  remem- 
bered ?  The  language  used  is  applicable  to  the 
deities  of  an  effete  mythology  once  worshipped  by 
Israel,  as  well  as  to  the  Babylonian  and  previous 
oppressors  of  Israel  In  regard  to  the  opinion 
which  "  hitherto  has  passed  and  even  now  passes 
in  the  whole  world  as  incontrovertible  truth,  that 
there  is  no  redemption  from  the  bands  of  death," 
docs  not  Hosea,  an  earlier  Prophet  than  Isaiah, 
announce  that  death  and  Sheol  should  be  de- 
prived of  their  prey?  IIos.  xiii.  14.  Isaiah  him- 
self, too,  does  not  here  for  the  first  time  make 
mention  of  the  vanquishing  of  death.  See  xxv. 
8  ;  comp.  Job.  xix.  25-27.— D.  M.].  For  this 

very  reason  (fl)7=witli  reference  to  this,  in  so 
far.  Comp.  on  Jer.  v-  2  ;  Isa.  xxvii.  9)  hast  thou 
visited  and  destroyed  them  and  made  their 
memory  to  perish.  Most  interpreters  under- 
stand verse  15  of  the  fall  and  resuscitation  of  the 
people  of  Israel.  [And  rightly  do  they  so  under- 
stand it.  Few  readers  will  assent  to  DR.  NAEGELS- 
BACH'S  singular  opinion  that  the  land  that  is  en- 
larged is  the  region  of  the  dead.  In  the  E.  V. 
the  last  clause  of  verse  15  is  rendered  ''  thou  had«t 
removed  it  far  vnto  all  the  ends  of  the  earth." 
But  the  words  "it"  and  "unto"  are  not  in  the 
original  text,  and  the  pluperfect  is  not  warranted. 
Omitting  these  additions  and  discarding  the  plu- 
perfect, we  have  the  rendering,  "  thou  hast  re- 
moved the  ends  of  the  land,"  i.  e.,  extended  the 
boundaries  of  the  country.  Thus  we  are  told  that 
extension  of  territory  had  been  granted  along  with 
increase  of  population. — D.  M.]. 

3.  LORD  in  trouble world  fallen. — 

Vers.  16-18.  But  even  in  the  realm  of  the  dead 
the  longing  for  life  and  the  hope  of  regaining  it 
are  not  extinguished.  Even  the  dead  in  their 
distress  seek  the  LORD,  the  fountain  of  all  hope. 
["  Visit  is  here  used  in  the  unusual  but  natural 
sense  of  seeking  God  in  supplication." — ALEXAN- 
DER]. The  prayer  of  the  dead  in  a  low  whisper 

(l?rn)  ascends  from  their  place  of  trial  to  the 
LORD.  [If  we  take  our  theology  from  the  book 
of  Isaiah,  there  is  no  "  place  of  trial"  for  the  god- 
ly after  this  life.  The  righteous  man  when  he 
dies  enters  into  peace,  Ivii.  2.  I  need  hardly  state 
here  that  a  purgatory,  according  to  Roman  Catho- 
lic doctrine,  is  not  intended  for  unbelievers. — D. 
M.].  Verse  17  obviously  supposes  that  a  deliv- 
erance from  Sheol  is  possible,  and  that  the  hope 


CHAP.  XXVI.  11-21. 


239 


of  this  deliverance  is  not  extinct  in  its  occupants. 
This  hope  produces  rather,  according  to  the  view 
of  the  Prophet,  in  the  dwellers  of  Hades,  a  strug- 
gle and  endeavor  after  liberation  from  prison  which 
can  be  compared  with  the  pains  of  child-bearing. 
But  this  impulse  of  hope  remains  unsatisfied  so 
long  as  it  is  a  merely  natural  one.  1  take  'TJ3? 
not  in  the  causal  but  in  the  local  signification=far 
from  (comp.  xiv.  19;  xxii.  3;  Judg.  ix.  21).  Far 
from  Jehovah,  without  vital  union  with  Him,  a 
dead  man  cannot  raise  himself  to  new  life.  [1  prefer 
taking  "TJ^p  in  the  causal  signification.  The 
text  runs  —  "So  have  we  been"  (^.^j,  not  "we 
are."  —  D.  M.].  All  convulsive  efforts  of  the  dead 
which  aim  at  a  new  life  are  ineffectual.  They 
are  like  bringing  forth  wind,  the  issue  of  an  ap- 
parent pregnancy  in  consequence  of  the  disease 
called  empneumatosis  (GESENIUS,  DELIZSCH).  The 
C^"}P.  must  learn  by  experience  that  without  Je- 
hovah they  cannot  bless  (comp.  on  njW_  ver.  1) 
the  land  of  their  habitation,  i.  e.,  here,  the  earth 


(comp.  afterwards  '•$),  because,  however  con- 
vulsive their  pangs  may  be,  through  them  no  in- 
habitants of  the  world  (Ps.  xxxiii.  8  ;  Isa. 
xviii.  3;  xxvi.  9;  Nah.  i.  5;  Lam.  iv.  12)  will 
drop,  i.  e.,  no  births  to  a  new  life  will  take  place. 

733  is  used  here  and  ver.  19  of  the  partus.  Comp. 
the  Greek  m-T£ivi  the  Latin  cadere,  the  German 
werfen  (GES.  Thes.  p.  897).  [This  meaning  of 

/3J  is  in  my  opinion  more  than  doubtful.  But 
what  are  we  to  think  of  the  Shades  in  Hades 
striving  to  give  birth  to  themselves,  fruitlessly 
laboring  to  get  back  into  the  world,  and  this,  not 
so  much  for  the  purpose  of  releasing  themselves 
from  their  gloomy  abode,  as  with  a  view  to  bless 
the  world  with  new  inhabitants,  and  to  work  de- 
liverance or  safety  for  it  ?  Generous  Shades  ! 
So  sell-forgetful  amid  their  sufferings  in  Hades  ! 
The  judicious  reader  may  be  left  to  make  his  own 
comments  on  this  strange  notion.  —  D-  M.]. 

5.  Thy  dead—  the  dead.—  Ver.  19.  ["This 
verse  is  in  the  strongest  contrast  with  the  one 
before  it.  To  the  ineffectual  efforts  of  the  people 
to  save  themselves,  he  now  opposes  their  actual 
deliverance  by  God."  —  ALEXANDER.].  The  suf- 

fix of  the  first  person  in  *fi?3J  corresponds  to 
the  suffix  of  the  second  person  in  "]'J"iO-  H/3J 
(ver.  25)  is  never  used  in  the  plural.  It  is  a 
collective  word  (comp.  Lev  xi.  8,  11  sqq.;  Jer. 
vii.  33;  xvi.  4  et  sacpe).  We  have  to  refer  the 
suffix  of  the  first  person  to  the  Prophet  who  here 
speaks  in  the  name  of  the  church.  It  is  he  who 
after  the  disconsolate  words  of  the  Shades  [?] 
speaks  as  the  interpreter  of  Jehovah  here  (and 
afterwards  vers.  20,  21)  words  of  consolation,  and 
in  the  spirit  of  prophecy  utters  the  triumphant 
call  to  awake,  which  will  one  day  be  pronounced 
by  a  mightier  voice  that  it  may  be  fulfilled. 
*&y  '3Dt?  only  here,  comp.  xviii.  3.  The  words 
Ojl  7C3  '3  graphically  depict  the  thought  ex- 
pressed in  what  goes  before.  On  the  morning  of 
the  resurrection  a  wonderful  dew  will  cover^the 
earth.  It  is  no  more  the  earthly  dew,  it  is  a 


heavenly,  a  divine  dew  (therefore  ^jB).    If  even 
now  the  earthly  dew,  when  the  rays  of  the  sun 
19 


mirror  themselves  in  it,  sparkles  like  pearls,  how 
resplendent  will  be  the  drops  of  that  heavenly 
dew,  every  one  of  which  will  be  a  glorified  lumi- 
nous body,  a  body  of  the  resurrection  I  The 
plural  miK  is  found  only  here;  for  n'nx  2 
Kings  iv.  39  is  a  quite  different  word  [?].  DplK 
also  occurs  only  once;  Ps.  cxxxvi.  7.  The  singu- 
lar rniX  is  found  Ps.  cxxxix.  12  ;  Est.  viii.  16. 
That  the  signification  "lights"  suits  the  connec- 
tion cannot  be  doubted.  For  the  new  resurrec- 
tion life  is  a  life  in  the  light  (John  i.  4 ;  viii.  12), 
and  the  66^a  of  which  our  body,  as  ni'/^op^ov 
with  the  body  of  Christ,  will  partake  (Phil.  iii. 
21)  is  in  its  nature  light  (Matt.  xvii.  2).  But 
whence  come  these  forms  of  light  which  as 
heavenly  dew-drops  will  on  the  morning  of  the 
resurrection  shine  on  the  surface  of  the  earth  ? 
They  have  arisen,  i.  e.,  they  come  out  of  the 
earth  in  which  they  hitherto  as  D"'N3~l,  as  gloomy 
shades  have  dwelt.  At  the  almighty  word  of  the 
LORD  the  earth  was  forced  to  give  up  (cast  out, 
ver.  18)  these  D"N3"l  that  had  been  hitherto  re- 
garded as  a  spoil  that  could  not  be  snatched  from 
it  (ver.  14). 

6.  Come  my  people her  slain.— Vers. 

20,  21.  If  we  receive  the  simple  natural  im- 
pression made  by  the  Prophet's  representation, 
we  must  say  that  we  are  transported  by  these  two 
verses  into  the  time  after  the  resurrection.  [?]  For 
what  people  can  be  addressed  except  that  which 
according  to  ver.  19  has  been  awakened  to  new 
life?  And  why  must  this  people  after  it  had  in 
Hades  pined  so  long  in  suspense  and  anxiety,  [?] 
conceal  itself  again  after  it  had  hardly  come  forth 
to  the  light?  And  why  is  it  set  forth  as  a  cha- 
racteristic mark  of  the  time  during  which  the 
people  shall  remain  hidden,  that  in  that  time  the 
earth  shall  disclose  all  the  shed  blood  it  had  ab- 
sorbed, and  all  corpses  of  the  slain  which  it  had 
concealed  and  kept  ?  Is  that  not  a  clear  refer- 
ence to  the  time  of  the  last  judgment  which 
brings  everything  to  light  and  finishes  every- 
thing? These  are  questions  the  answer  to  which 
was  not  known  by  the  Prophet  himself.  It  is 
the  Apocalypse  of  the  New  Testament  that  first 
solves  for  us  this  riddle.  It  distinguishes  a  first 
and  a  second  resurrection.  And  it  mnkes  the 
setting  loose  of  Satan  with  the  last  assault  on  the 
city  of  God  follow  the  first  resurrection,  after 
which  there  ensues  the  second  general  resurrec- 
tion with  the  great  universal  judgment  (Kev. 
xx.).  [According  to  this  exposition  they  who 
partake  of  the  first  resurrection  were  gloomy 
shades  in  misery  till  the  earth  cast  them  forth  ; 
and  after  having  been  raised  from  the  dead  they 
must  hide  themselves.  But  the  dead  in  Christ 
were  never  shades  in  misery,  and  when  they  are 
raised,  they  shall  be  at  once  caught  up  to  meet 
the  LORD  in  the  air  and  to  be  ever  with  Him. 
1  Thess.  iv.  16,  17.  The  ingenuity  displayed  by 
our  author  in  illustrating  this  passage  of  Isaiah 
from  the  Apocalypse  is  very  striking. — D.  M.]. 
What  those  chambers  are  into  which  the  people 
should  go  P.IP  only  here  in  Isaiah)  the  Prophet 
does  not  explain.  But  when  according  to  Kev. 
xx.  9  the  napK/iftohij  TUV  ayiuv  and  the  77<5A«c 
riyatrrinevTi  is  surrounded  by  enemies,  I  cannot 
doubt  that  the  saints  are  enjoined  during  the 
-short  tribulation  of  the  city 'to  withdraw,  and 


290 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


give  themselves  to  solitary  prayer  in  quiet  ex- 
pectation. At  the  same  time  this  does  not,  1 
think,  exclude  the  application  of  the  counsel  here 
given  by  the  Prophet  to  all  cases  related  to  that 
final  and  highest  storm  of  indignation  as  typical 
and  preparatory  events.  Ver.  21  DjN  a  storm, 
storm  of  wrath,  is  a  word  which  occurs  not  rarely 
in  Isaiah ;  x.  5,  25 ;  xiii.  5  ;  xxx.  27.  The  storm 
is  comparatively  short,  but  in  its  intensity  sur- 
passes all  others.  For  it  comprehends  according 
to  Rev.  xx.  9-15  nothing  less  than  the  overthrow 
of  Satan,  and  the  general  judgment.  Verse  21 
answers  to  this  exactly.  If  Jehovah  rises  from 
His  place  in  order  to  visit  the  guilt  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  earth  ('Xn  Ht^  collectively)  on  them, 
and  if  the  earth  then  discloses  all  hidden  blood- 
guiltiness,  this  plainly  enough  indicates  that  that 
storm  of  wrath  involves  a  work  of  judgment. 


The  words  "  for,  behold,  the  LORD  cometh  out 
of  his  place,"  are  taken  literally  from  Micah,  i. 
3  com  p.  Matt.  xxv.  31  ;  Rev.  xx.  11.  As  count- 
erpart to  the  blessed  fruits,  which  the  earth  ac- 
cording to  ver.  19  will  bring  forth,  and  at  the 
same  time  as  proof  of  the  all-comprehensive  cha- 
racter of  the  judgment,  the  slain  and  the  blood 
that  has  been  shed  are  specified  as  what  the  earth 
will  on  that  day  cause  to  come  to  light.  The 
earth  opened  its  mouth  to  receive  the  blood  of 
Abel  who  was  the  first  person  slain  (Gen.  iv.  11). 
And  since  that  time  it  has  taken  in  all  the  blood 
that  has  been  shed,  and  all  the  dead  bodies  of 
the  slain;  and  preserves  them  faithfully  for  the 
day  of  judgment,  when  they  shall  come  forth  as 
incontrovertible  witnesses  against  the  guilty.  In 
the  book  of  the  Revelation,  too,  it  is  expressly 
declared  that  the  sea,  and  death,  and  Hades  will 
disclose  all  their  dead  (Rev.  xx.  13). 


7. 


THE  DOWNFALL  OF  THE  WORLDLY  POWERS  AND  ZION'S  JOYFUL  RESUR- 
RECTION.    CHAPTER  XXVII.  1-9. 


1  IK  that  day  the  LORD  with  his  asore  and  great  and  strong  sword, 
Shall  punish  leviathan  the  lbpiercing  serpent, 

Even  leviathan,  that  crooked  serpent; 

And  he  shall  slay  the  dragon  that  is  in  the  sea. 

2  In  that  day  sing  ye  unto  her, 
A  vineyard  of  red  wine. 

3  I  the  LORD  do  keep  it ; 

I  will  water  it  every  moment. 

Lest  any  hurt  it, 

I  will  keep  it  night  and  day. 

4  Fury  is  not  in  me; 

Who  "would  set  the  briers  and  thorns  against  me  in  battle  ? 
I  would  2go  through  them, 
I  would  burn  them  together. 

5  Or  let  him  take  hold  of  my  strength, 
That  he  may  make  peace  with  me  ; 
And  he  shall  make  peace  with  me. 

6  dHe  shall  cause  them  that  come  of  Jacob  to  take  root : 
Israel  shall  blossom  and  bud, 

And  fill  the  face  of  the  world  with  fruit. 

7  Hath  he  smitten  him,  3as  he  smote  those  that  smote  him  ? 

Or  is  he  slain  according  to  the  slaughter  of  them  that  are  slain  by  him  ? 

8  In  measure,  Svhen  it  shooteth  forth,  thou  wilt  debate  with  it ; 
""He  stayeth  his  rough  wind  in  the  day  of  the  east  wind. 

9  By  this,  therefore,  shall  the  iniquity  of  Jacob  be  purged  ; 
And  this  is  all  the  fruit  to  take  away  his  sin; 

When  he  maketh  all  the  stones  of  the  altar 
As  fchalkstones  that  are  beaten  in  sunder, 
The  «groves  and  'images  shall  not  stand  up. 


1  Or,  crossing  like  a  bar. 

*  Or,  when  thou  scndest  it  forth. 


2  Or,  march  against. 

6  Or,  when  he  removeth  it. 


3  Heb.  according  to  the  stroke  of  thonc. 
6  Or,  sun-images. 


*  hard.  *  fleeing. 

*  In  coming  days  will  Jacob  take  root.   •  he  bloweth  with  his  rough  blast. 

*  images  of  Ashtoreth. 


'  will  set. 

*  stonet  of  mortar. 


CHAP.  XXVII.  1-9. 


291 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  2.  On  the  authority  of  the  Septuagint  (a/uireAwi/ 
icaAos  eTTtOufxTjuxa),  of  the  Targum  (vinea  plantata  in  terra 
bona),  and  of  many  codices  and  editions,  many  inter- 
preters read  Ton,  which  finds  support  in  non~'D"O, 
Amos  v.  11,  and  lOPI  ^.t^i  Iga-  xxxii.  12.  Comp.  v.  7; 
Jer.  iii.  19.  Although  "ion  is  the  more  difficult  read- 
ing, "ion  is  perhaps  to  be  preferred  here.  For  what 
does  "Von  D^D  mean?  [But  compare  TTI  JSJ.  Numb, 
vi.  4;  Jud.  xiii.  14,  and  such  phrases  as  a  mine  of 
wealth,  a  well  of  water.  Though  Dr.  NAEGELSBACU  follows 
most  modern  commentators  in  preferring  the  reading 
"I0n>  there  is  no  necessity  for  altering  here  the  com- 
mon text  of  the  Hebrew  Bible. — D.  M.I.  If  the  suppo- 
sition bo  made  that  D"13  denotes  a  plantation  in  gen- 
eral, and  jVf  D~G-  Judg.  xv.  5,  be  appealed  to,  still  D'lD 
alone  denotes  a  vineyard  in  so  many  places  that  the 
addition  "ion  appears  pleonastic.  [But  this  objection 


GRAMMATICAL. 

would  equally  avail  against  such  an  expression  as  a 
spring  of  water.  — D.  M.J.  It  cannot  be  proved  that 
"ipn  denotes  a  nobler  kind  of  wine.  I  prefer  therefore, 
with  DUECHSLER  and  DELITZSCH,  and  many  older  inter- 
preters, to  reac 


Ver.  5.  DRECHSLEB  is  in  error  in  thinking  that  H 
cannot  be  taken  as  jussive.    Comp.  NAEGELSBACH,  g  90, 
3,  c. 

Ver.  6.  ErV^n  radices  agere  (Job  v.  3;  Ps.  Ixxx.  10)  is 
denominative  from  W"\itf  (comp.  xlviii.  24). 

Ver.  8.  The  word  HXDND 3  is  best  derived  from 
mtnsura,  so  that   the   word  is  contracted   from 
T~!JO.    Dagesh  forte  in  the  second  Q  arises  from  the  as- 
similation of  the  n,  while  the  first  H  has  completely 
lost  its  power  as  a  consonant.    Compare  HiOp1?  for 

nsopS,  riNon  for 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  If  we  consider  that  vers.  1, 10  and  11  of  this 
chapter  are  directed  against  the  worldly  power, 
while  vers.  2-9,  and  12,  13,  contain  words  of  com- 
fort for  Israel,  we  ascertain  that  the  chapter  is 
divided  into  two  principal  parts,  each  of  which 
again  consists  of  two  subdivisions  which  corres- 
pond to  one  another.  The  Prophet  sees  here  also 
the  salvation  of  Israel  set  off  by  the  foil  of  the 
judgment  inflicted  on  the  heathen  worldly  power. 
If  we  connect,  as  many  do,  ver.  1  with  chap.  xxvi. 
we  destroy  the  beautiful  parallelism  of  chapter 
xxvii.,  violate  the  principle  of  the  number  two, 
which  dominates  chaps,  xxiv. — xxvii.,  and  bring 
ver.  1  into  a  connection  to  which  it  does  not  be- 
long. For  alter  the  words  in  xxvi.  21,  which  are 
of  so  general  a  character,  chap,  xxvii.  would  not 
follow  naturally ;  and  is  not  xxvii.  1,  by  the  for- 
mula in  that  day,  even  as  manifestly  separated 
from  xxvi.  21  as  it  is  connected  thereby  with 
xxvii.  2  ?  As  chapter  xxv.  is  related  to  chapter 
xxiv.,  so  is  chap,  xxvii.  related  to  chap.  xxvi. 
As  in  chap.  xxv.  Mount  Zion  emerges  from  the 
all-embracing  scenes  of  judgment  as  the  only  place 
of  salvation  and  peace,  so  the  leading  thought  in 
chap,  xxvii.  is  seen  to  be  Israel's  victory  over  its 
enemies,  the  worldly  powers,  and  its  deliverance 
from  their  grasp,  in  order,  as  a  united  people,  to 
partake  of  salvation  on  Mount  Zion.  The  Pro- 
phet in  xxv.  10  sqq.,  set  forth  the  worldly  pow- 
ers under  the  name  of  Moab,  and  he  now  gives  a 
different  emblematic  representation  of  them.  He 
exhibits  them  under  the  form  of  beasts  as  the 
straight  and  the  coiled  Leviathan,  and  as  the  cro- 
codile. Of  all  these  he  declares  that  they  will  be 
vanquished  by  the  mighty  sword  of  Jehovah  (ver. 
1).  A  call  is  at  the  same  time  made  by  him 
to  begin  a  hymn  regarding  Israel,  as  he  himself 
had  already  done,  xxv.  1  sqq.  (ver.  2).  In  this 
hymn  Jehovah  Himself  is  introduced  as  the 
Speaker.  He  declares  that  He  will  faithfully 
protect  and  tend  Israel  as  His  vineyard  (ver.  3). 
And  if  hostile  powers,  like  thorns  and  thistles, 
should  desire  again  to  injure  the  vineyard,  He 
will  terribly  intervene,  and  burn  them  up  (verse 
4) :  unless  they  make  peace  with  Him  by  humble 
and  believing  submission  under  His  might  (5). 


Israel  shall  accordingly  in  the  distant  future  take 
root,  blossom  and  bud,  and  fill  the  earth  with  its 
fruits  (ver.  6).  That  the  prospect  of  such  a  glo- 
rious future  is  disclosed  to  Israel  ought  not  to 
seem  strange.  Think  how  the  LORD  has  hith- 
erto treated  Israel.  It  has  never  been  exposed 
to  such  destructive  strokes  as  its  enemies  (ver.  7). 
The  LORD  metes  out  punishment  to  Israel  in 
spoonfuls,  not  by  the  bushel,  punishing  it  only  by 
temporary  rejection  when  He  makes  His  breath 
pass  over  the  land  like  a  blast  of  the  east  wind 
(ver.  8).  And  by  these  very  chastisements  Is- 
rael's guilt  is  purged,  and  Israel  reaps  then  the 
blessed  fruit,  that  the  stones  of  the  altars  of  its 
false  gods  are  become  as  lime-stones  that  are 
crushed  and  cast  away,  and  that  therefore  the 
images  of  Ashtoreth  and  of  the  sun  will  stand  up 
no  more  (ver.  9). 

2.  In  that  day in  the  sea.— Ver.  1.  The 

expression  in  that  day  indicates  here  too  that 
what  is  introduced  by  this  formula  belongs  to  the 
same  stage  of  the  world's  history  as  what  precedes. 
The  Prophet  freely  uses  the  verb  1p2  in  these 
chapters  of  punitive  visitation:  xxiv.  21;  xxvi. 
14,  21 ;  xxvii.  3.  That  IPS'  here  is  connected 

with  IPS  7,  xxvi.  21,  may  be  readily  admitted. 
For  truly  the  visitation  spoken  of  in  xxvii.  1  is  a 
part,  yea,  the  chief  part  of  that  universal  one 
which  has  for  its  object,  according  to  xxvi.  21, 
the  whole  population  of  the  earth.  But  I  cannot 
concede  that  the  visitation  xxvii.  1  is  absolutely 
identical  with  the  one  threatened  in  xxvi.  21. 
For,  as  has  been  shown  above,  chap,  xxvii.  is  not 
of  so  general  a  character  as  chap.  xxvi.  And  the 
formula  in  that  day  points  to  a  difference  as 
well  as  to  contemporaneousness.  In  xxvii.  1  that 
part  of  the  judgment  is  prominently  set  forth 
which  has  respect  to  the  great  worldly  powers  that 
are  the  immediate  oppressors  of  Israel,  as  chaps, 
xxv.  and  xxvii.  have  for  their  subject  the  singular 
position  of  Israel  in  the  general  judgment  indicated 

by  D'Stf  n'31  JV¥  im  (xxiv.  23  comp.  xxv.  6)  or 
D'SffTv:!!  Khpn  VO  (xxvii.  13).  The  sword  of 
Jehovah,  symbol  of  His  power  that  destroys  everv- 


292 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


thing  opposed  to  it,  is  after  the  original  passage, 
Deut.  xxxii.  41  sq.,  often  mentioned  ;  Ps.  vii.  13  ; 
xvii.13;  Isa.  xxxiv.  5,  6;  Ixvi.  16;  Jer.xii.  12; 
xlvii.  6.  This  sword  with  which  the  LORD  will 
annihilate  the  enemies  of  Israel  is  described  as 
hard  in  respect  to  its  material,  great  in  regard  to 
its  length,  and  strong  with  reference  to  its  irresis- 
tible action.  These  enemies  of  Israel  are  repre- 
sented under  the  image  of  monstrous  beasts.  This 
form  of  expression  is  based  on  views  which  per- 
vade the  divine  revelation  of  the  Old  and  New 
Testament.  Comp.  Ps.  Ixviii.  31  ;  Ixxiv.  13  ;  Dan. 
vii.  3  sqq.;  viii.  3  sqq.  ;  Rev.  xii.  3  sqq.  ;  xiii.  1 
sqq.  The  kingdom  of  God  is  human  (Dan.  vii- 
13  sqq.),  the  worldly  power  is  animal,  brutal, 
heartless,  cruel.  Here,  first  of  all,  the  question 
arises  whether  merely  earthly  powers  of  the  world 
are  meant,  and  not  rather  powers  of  heaven 
and  of  the  world  as  xxiv.  21.  In  support  of  the 
view  that  the  two  Leviathans  mentioned  in  this 
verse  are  powers  of  heaven,  appeal  is  made  to  Job 
xxvi.  13,  where  certainly  TVO  t^ru  is  mentioned 
as  a  constellation.  Hence  the  conclusion  is  drawn 


that  also  jlpy  KJriJ  is  a  constellation  (HiTZiG, 
HEXDEWERK,  DRECHSLER).  But  the  whole 
structure  of  these  four  chapters  proves  that  powers 
of  heaven  cannot  be  here  in  question.  For  our 
chapter  stands  parallel  to  chap,  xxv.,  and  treats 
of  the  peculiar  position  of  Israel  in  opposition  to 
the  worldly  power.  But  in  chap.  xxv.  the  worldly 
power  is  represented  by  what  is  of  the  earth,  by 
the  personified  Moab.  Here  there  is  a  climax, 
while  three  animal  forms,  placed  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  discourse,  take  the  part  of 
Moab,  which  is  there  placed  at  the  close.  More- 

and    r6y  K/HJ 


over,  in  this  passage,  TV 
are  not  the  leading  terms.  But  these  designations 
only  define  more  particularly  the  term  Levia- 
than. The  case  would  be  different  if  the  latter 
term  were  wanting,  and  the  Prophet  spoke  only 
of  '3  E/HJ  and  'y  C/I"1J.  As  our  text  runs,  we  can 
only  say  that  the  Prophet  has  in  view  two  powers 
that  in  their  nature  are  closely  related,  nay  essen- 
tially alike,  for  which  reason  he  designates  both 
of  them  by  the  name  Leviathan.  —  They  have, 
however,  their  individual  peculiarities,  wherefore 
he  more  particularly  defines  the  one  as  the  flee- 
ing serpent  and  the  other  as  the  coiled  ser- 
pent. The  predicate  "fleeing  serpent  '  is  mani- 
festly borrowed  from  Job  xxvi.  13,  as  we  have 
already  observed  manifold  traces  of  the  use  of  the 
book  of  Job  in  Isaiah  (comp.  on  xiv.  30;  xvii.  2; 
xxi.  4;  xxii.  2,  4,  22,  24;  xxiii.  12;  xxv.  2). 
The  expression  TT"O  JtTlJ  denotes  in  Job,  as  is  on 
all  hands  admitted,  a  constellation  or  appearance 
in  the  heavens,  although  the  learned  still  dispute 
whether  it  is  the  dragon,  or  the  milky  way,  or 
the  scorpion,  or  the  rainbow  (comp.  LEYRER  in 
HERZOG'S  R.  Ency.  XIX.,  p.  565).  Isaiah,  how- 
ever, found  the  expression  in  its  literal  significa- 
tion fit  to  be  appended  as  an  apposition  to  the 
term  Leviathan.  This  is  apparent,  because  Levia- 
than nowhere  else  denotes  a  constellation,  and 

the  second  apposition  pr\7p>?  E/nj  occurs  in  no 
other  place  as  the  name  of  a  constellation.  The 
question  then  is,  what  is  the  proper  meaning  of 
m2  #HJ  ?  That  tynj  denotes  a  serpent,  is  un- 
doubted. The  word  is  found  in  this  signification 


in  Isaiah  xiv.  29;  Ixv.  25.  But  TVO  which, 
besides  here  and  Job  xxvi.  13,  occurs  only  Isa. 
xliii.  14,  can  according  to  its  etymology  (I~P3/ii- 
gere)  have  only  the  meaning  ''  fleeing."  A  KT1J 
rr~O  is  therefore  a  serpent  which  at  full  stretch 
flees  away  in  haste.  In  opposition  to  it  t^ru 
jiri7p.y  is  a  crooked,  coiled  serpent.  The  word 
Jin  /py  is  CTT.  fay.  The  radix  <pV  occurs  besides 
only  in  'PJ??  (Hab.  i.  4  jus  perversum)  and  in 
JY)vp7p#  tortuosa,  crookednesses,  crooked  ways 

L    . 

(Judges  v.  6 ;  Ps.  cxxv.  5).  p!J)*l?  ig  a  poetic 
symbolical  generic  name  which  is  sometimes 
given  to  the  Crocodile  (Job  xl.  25 ;  Ps.  Ixxiv. 
14),  sometimes  toother  monsters  of  the  deep  (Job 
iii.  8;  Pt».  civ.  26).  With  sucli  a  bellaa  aquatica 
the  two  worldly  powers  are  here  compared  in 
such  a  wav  that  each  is  placed  in  parallel  with  a 
species  of  this  genus.  For  it  is  plain  that  two 
powers  are  compared  with  two  species  of  the  ge- 
nus Leviathan,  the  one  with  one  species,  and  the 
other  with  another  species;  and  that  a  third 
power  is  compared  with  the  j'3R  The  sword  is 
a  single  one.  It  is  only  once  mentioned,  and  is 
the  subject  common  to  three  predicates.  But  the 
Leviathan  is  twice  named,  each  time  with  a  differ- 
ent specifying  word.  And  that  the  Prophet  un- 
derstands under  the  j'jn  a  third  hostile  power  is 
evident  from  his  not  putting  this  term  in  apposi- 
tion to  the  term  Leviathan.  When  afterwards, 
vers.  12  and  13,  the  land  of  the  Euphrates,  Assy- 
ria and  Egypt  are  expressly  designated  as  the 
countries  from  which  redeemed  Israel  will  return 
home,  is  not  this  to  be  regarded  as  a  consequence 
of  the  LORD  having  according  to  ver.  1  crushed 
these  hostile  powers  and  so  compelled  them  to  let 
Israel  go  free  ?  It  has  been  further  observed  that 
\'Sr\  denotes  Egypt,  li.  9  (the  only  place  beside 
this  one  where  it  occurs  in  Isaiah) ;  Ezek.  xxix. 
3 ;  xxxii.  2 ;  Ps.  Ixxiv.  13.  The  word  is  in 
meaning,  though  not  in  etymology,  closely  con- 
nected with  the  term  Leviathan.  Now  if  these 
places  where  J'JH  is  used  in  reference  to  Egypt 
are  borrowed  from  the  one  before  us,  they  cer- 
tainly bear  witness  to  an  ancient  and  indisputa- 
ble interpretation.  We  are,  therefore,  fully  jus- 
tified in  understanding  Egypt  to  be  denoted  by  the 
dragon  that  is  in  the  sea  (regarding  D^  comp. 
xviii.  2;  xix.  5  ;  xxi.  1).  But  if  the  f'.2Fi  denotes 
Egypt,  then  the  Leviathan,  the  fleeing  ser- 
pent, must  be  the  land  of  the  Tigris,  i.  e.,  Assy- 
ria, for  the  serpent  shooting  quickly  along  is  an 
apt  emblem  of  the  rapid  Tigris,  which  name, 
according  to  the  testimony  of  the  ancients  (STRA- 
BO  XI.  p.  527  ;  CURT.  VI.  36),  means  an  arrow. 
In  the  Persian  and  Kurdish  Tir  denotes  both  an 
arrow  and  the  Tigris  (comp.  GESEN.,  Thes-,  p. 
448).  In  regard  to  the  windings  of  the  Euphrates 
HERODOTUS  speaks  (I.,  185)  and  relates  that  in 
sailing  down  the  river,  Arderikka,  a  place  situated 
on  it,  is  passed  by  three  times  in  three  days. 
Might  not  Jeremiah  (1. 17)  have  had  this  passage 
before  his  mind  in  writing:  ''first  the  king  of 
Assyria  ate  him,  and  last  this  Nebuchadrezzar, 
king  of  Babylon,  hath  crushed  his  bones?"  Assy- 
ria, the  power  that  rushed  straight  upon  Israel, 


CHAP.  XXVII.  1-9. 


293 


laid  hold  of  him  with  its  teeth.  But  it  tore  off  as 
it  were  only  pieces  of  his  flesh,  inflicted  flesh 
wounds.  But  Babylon  has  as  the  Boa  Constrictor 
enfolded  Israel  in  the  coils  of  his  powerful  body 
and  crushed  his  bones.  Comp.  NAEGELSBACH 
on  Jer.  1.  17.  That  Isaiah  had  Babylon  before 
his  mind  is  just  as  possible  here  as  xxi.  1-10. 
Botli  places  are  to  be  similarly  explained. 

3.  In  that  day wins:.— Ver.  2.  While  the 

worldly  powers  are  annihilated,  Israel  is  elevated 
to  high  joy  and  honor.     The  Prophet  announces 
this  for  the   comfort  of  his   people  in  a  hymn 
which  is  parallel  to  the  hymn  xxv.  1-5.     This 
hymn  is  peculiar  in  its  structure,  as  it  consists  of 
brief  members  formed  of  only  two  words.     It  is 
true  that  many  members  of  it  consist  of  three  or 
four  words.     But  two  constitute  always  the  lead- 
ing ideas ;  what  is  over  and  above,  may  be  said 
to  be  accessory  ideas  which  are  only  grammati- 
cally indispensable.    In  ver.  4  in  the  line  UJfV"^ 

Witf  "VDiy  the  first  two  and  the  last  two  words 
form  each  one  principal  notion.  The  two  chief 
sentences,  verses  3  and  4,  contain  each  four  such 
members  or  lines  consisting  of  two  ideas ;  the 
introduction  (ver.  2)  and  the  close  (ver.  5)  each 
contain  three  of  them.  The  principle  of  duality 
is  here  carried  out  in  such  a  way  that  the  whole 
consists  of  six  times  two,  and  eight  times  two, 
consequently,  of  28  members.  That  the  intro- 
duction and  close  have  each  only  three  times  two 
members,  imparts  to  the  whole  the  charm  of  a 
sort  of  crescendo  and  decrescendo.  Ver.  2  does  not 
properly  belong  to  the  song  itself.  For  it  con- 
tains only  the  theme  and  the  summons  to  cele- 
brate it  in  song.  But  it  is  rhythmically  con- 
structed as  the  song  itself,  and  rhythmically  re- 
garded, it  is  a  part  of  the  song.  The  words  D"O 
"on  form  the  title  prefixed  absolutely  (comp. 
D'X3n  ver.  6).  Israel  is  compared  with  a  vine- 
yard as  in  v.  1  sqq.  But  there  is  this  difference, 
that  in  v.  1  sqq  Israel  appears  as  a  vineyard  con- 
signed to  destruction  as  a  punishment;  here  it  is 
a  vineyard  faithfully  protected  and  tended.  "on 

is  found  only  here  and  Deut.  xxxii.  14.  That 
the  word  denotes  wine  is  certain  ;  but  it  is  doubt- 
ful how  this  meaning  is  reached  whether  ab  ef- 
fervescetido  (from  fermenting)  or  a  rubedine.  [The 
analogy  of  the  cognate  Arabic  and  Syriac  sup- 
ports the  former  of  these  derivations,  which  is 
the  one  commonly  adopted  by  modern  scholars. 

— D.  M.].  nS  1JJJ  is  not  to  be  joined  with  DT3 
Kinn.  For  this  date  plainly  refers  to  all  that 

follows,  and  M)  Uj?  are  not  words  of  the  Prophet, 
but  words  which  people  at  that  day  will  call  out 
to  one  another.  7  after  !"1JJ7  in  the  signification 
"in  reference  to"  as  Num.  xxi.  17  ;  1  Sam.  xxi. 
12;  xxix.  5;  Ps.  cxlvii.  7. 

4.  I  the  LORD peace  with  me. — Vers. 

3-5.     The  Prophet  by  putting  into  the  mouth  of 
the  people  a  song  in  which  Jehovah  Himself  as 
speaker  gives  glorious  promises  to  the  people,  in- 
timates that  the  people  may  regard  these  promises 
as  their  own  certain  possession.     For  they  belong 
to  them  as  those  who  publish  them,  and  they  are 
sure   to   them,  because   they  proclaim    them   as 
verba  ipsissima  of  Jehovah.     The  LORD  promises 
now  that  He  will  keep  His  vineyard  and  abund- 


antly water  it  (D'y^P  7  every  moment  as  D' 
which  two  expressions  stand  together  Job  vii.  18. 
Comp.  Isa.  xxxiii.  2  ;  Ps.  Ixxiii.  14  et  saepe)  yea 
watch  it  night  and  day,  that  it  may  not  be  visited 

by  an  enemy  (1p3  with  /y  which  elsewhere  de- 
notes a  visitatian  for  punishment,  comp.  Hos.  xii. 
3;  Jer.  ix.  24  sq.,  seems  to  stand  here  in  the 
sense  of,  >*J3,  l^J3.  The  fury  (HOn  here  for  the 
first  time  comp.  xxxiv.  2;  xlii.  25;  li.  13, 17,  20, 
22  et  saepe  in  the  second  part  of  Isaiah),  which  the 
LORD  formerly  felt  and  manifested  toward  His 
vineyard  Israel  (ver.  5  sqq.),  no  longer  exists. 
Nay  more,  thorns  and  thistles,  which  the  LORD 
according  to  ver.  6  would  for  a  punishment  let 
grow  up  in  the  old  vineyard,  He  wishes  now  to 
be  set  before  Him  in  order  to  show  by  destroying 
them  the  zeal  of  His  love  for  the  renewed  vine- 
yard. Thorns  and  thistles,  which  grow  from 
the  soil  of  the  vineyard  itself,  are,  in  opposition 
to  the  wild  beasts  which  break  in  from  without, 
symbols  of  internal  decay,  symptoms  of  the  germs 
of  evil  still  existing  in  the  vineyard  itself.  Here 
external  foes  are  not  expressly  mentioned  as  in 
chap,  v.,  and  we  have  therefore  to  understand  here 
under  thorns  and  thistles  everything  which  could 
set  itself  against  tlie  nature  and  purpose  of  the 
vineyard.  [But  does  not  the  expression  rrarn03 
point  rather  to  external  enemies  of  the  Church 
as  denoted  under  the  symbols  of  briers  and 
thorns?  D.  M.].  The  asyndeton  biieis,  thorns,  is 
explained  by  the  lively  emotion  of  the  Prophet 
(comp.  xxxii.  13).  'JJ»V  "0  (only  here  in  Isaiah, 
cornp.  Job  xxix.  2;  Jer.  ix.  1)  is  a  formula  ex- 
pressive of  a  wish.  The  suffix  has  here  a  dative 

sense.  non?03  is  connected  by  the  Masoretea 
with  what  precedes,  but  it  belongs  necessarily  to 
what  follows,  as  KNOBEL  and  DELITZSCH  have 
perceived.  With  war,  i.  e.,  with  martial -im- 
petuosity, would  the  LORD  stride  in  (y'VD  (^radiri, 
ingredi  only  here,  substantives  derived  from  it 
1  Sam.  xx.  3;  1  Chron.  xix.  4)  againsi  them 
(H3  the  feminine  suffix  refers  to  the  nouns  "*'?» 
rvt^,  and  is  to  be  taken  in  a  neuter  sense,  as  after- 
wards the  suffix  in  njrvi'K)  and  burn  up  the 
bushes  all  altogether  fV2fn  for  JV-l'n  only  here. 
When  in  ver.  5  the  LORD  speaks  of  people  before 
whom  the  alternative  is  placed,  either  to  be  over- 
come by  the  storm  of  war  just  mentioned,  or  (i« 
as  conjunction  with  omitted  "3  comp.  Exod.  xxi. 
36;  2  Sam.  xviii.  13  comp.  Lev.  xiii-  16,  24)_to 
lay  hold  of  the  protection  of  Jehovah  (3  pinn  iv. 
1 ;  1  Kings  i.  50  ;  TU'D  defence,  protection,  xvii.  9, 
10;  xxiii.  4,  11, 14;  xxv.  4;  xxx.  3,1  and  to  make 
peace  with  Him  (Josh.  ix.  15),  we  perceive  that 
He  thinks  of  such  among  the  people  for  whom 
there  is  a  possibility  of  repentance  and  salvation. 
From  this  possibility  even  the  external  enemies 
of  the  theocracy  are  not  excluded  (ii.  3  ;  xxv.  6 
sqq.),  but  to  Israel  it  appertains  pre-eminently. 
This  is  another  reason  for  supposing  that  under 
the  thorns  and  thistles  (ver.  4)  internal  ene- 
mies arising  out  of  Israel  are  to  be  understood. 
The  taking  hold  of  protection  is  a  subordinate 
matter,  involving  merely  passive  submission  and 
endeavor  after  safety.  But  in  the  making  of 
peace  with  God  there  is  something  higher,  posi- 


294 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


five  yielding  of  one's  self  to  him,   union  with 
Him. 
To  the  last  thought  peculiar  weight  and  em- 

phasis is  given  by  its  repetition  with  Dl7ty  the 
chief  term  placed  first.  The  close  of  the  song  is 
thus  at  the  same  time  fitly  intimated. 

5.  He  shall  cause  -  with  fruit.  —  Ver.  6. 
The  cessation  of  a  uniform  rhythm  shows  that  the 
language  of  prose  is  resumed.  But  what  is  now 
said  is  in  sense  closely  connected  with  the  song, 
the  thoughts  of  which  it  explains  and  completes. 
For  it  sounds  as  the  solution  of  a  riddle  (comp.  ver. 
7),  when  it  is  now  explicitly  stated  that  Israel 
is  the  vineyard  of  the  LORD  ;  at  the  same  time 
the  fruit  of  the  vineyard  is  described  as  glorious, 
and  spreading  far  and  wide.  [DR.  NAEGELS- 
BACII'S  translation  of  the  first  clause:  ''In  the 
coming  days  Jacob  shall  take  root"  is  adopted 
by  the  best  modern  scholars,  and  is  much  more 
natural  and  accurate  than  the  rendering  of  the 
Eng.  ver.:  "  He  shall  cause  them  that  come  of  Ja- 
cob to  take  root."  The  sense  of  causing  to  take 
root  is  foreign  to  the  form  of  the  verb  employed, 
and  the  order  of  the  words  will  not  admit  of  the 
translation  those  that  come  of  Israel.  —  D  M.] 
D'&on  supply  D'P^,  comp.  e.  g.,  D'N3  D'p'  Jer. 
vii.  32;  Eccles.  ii.  6  and  HrHK  resfuturae  chap. 
xli.  23;  xliv.  7.  The  accusative  marks  the  dura- 
tion of  time.  The  names  Jacob  and  Israel  de- 
signate sometimes  the  whole  people  (chaps.  2,  3, 
5,  6  and  seqq.),  sometimes  the  northern  king- 
dom in  particular  (ix.  7).  Here,  however,  it 
seems  as  if  the  Prophet  by  the  use  of  the  two 
names  intended  to  designate  the  entire  people 
by  its  two  halves.  In  favor  of  this  view  is  the 

plural  15OO,  as  only  the  singular  would  have 
been  requisite,  as  in  the  verbal  forms  PP3,  ]":T 


That  y^1  (only  here  in  Isaiah)  stands 
before  I~PD  (germinare,  sprout,  comp.  xvii.  11  ; 
xxxv.  1,  2  ;  Ixvi.  14)  is  not  to  be  pressed.  We 
too,  can  say  "  blossom  and  bud  "  or  "  bud  and 
blossom."  At  most  we  might  say  that  the  Pro- 
phet wished  to  put  the  blossom  first  as  the  higher 
of  the  two.  The  fruit  (H31JH  proventus,  produce 
of  fruit,  only  here  in  Isaiah)  will  be  in  such 
abundance  that  the  whole  earth  will  be  filled  with 
it  (xxxvii.  31).  Israel  will  then,  when  the  judg- 
ment shall  have  destroyed  the  worldly  powers 
and  the  heathen,  be  all  in  all.  For  mount  Zion 
and  Jerusalem  shall  stand,  even  if  heaven  and 
earth  should  perish. 

6.  Hath  he  smitten  —  stand  up.  —  Vers.  7-9. 
The  declaration  that  Israel  will  continue,  even  if 
all  the  rest  of  the  world  should  be  swallowed  up 
by  the  floods  of  judgment,  is  so  bold  as  to  require 
a  particular  justification.  This  is  given  by  the 
Prophet  while  he  shows  from  history  how  the 
LORD  always  distinguished  Israel,  and  even  when 
He  smote  him,  never  smote  him  as  his  enemies. 
(Comp.  x.  24  sqq.).  Therefore  he  asks,  verse  7  : 
has  Jehovah,  his  God,  smitten  him,  namely 
Israel,  with  the  stroke  of  his  smiter 


as  x.  26  ;  xiv.  7  ;  xxx.  26  ;  inSO  (comp.  ix.  12  ; 
x.  20  ;  xiv.  29)  i.  e.,  even  so  hard  as  He  smote 
those  who  smote  Israel  ?  Or  has  he  ever  been  so 
slain  as  the  enemies  of  the  theocracy  that  were 


slain  by  him  (Israel)?  JPH  in  Isaiah  besides 
xxx.  25.  Part.  D'jnn  in  Isaiah  only  here  and 
xxvi.  21.  J^n  Pual  only  here  and  Ps.  xliv.  23. 
The  meaning  is:  Israel  has  never  suffered  com- 
plete destruction.  Turning  to  address  the  LORD 
Himself  the  Prophet  continues :  In  small  mea- 
sure by  sending  her  away  thou  punishest 
her.  The  connection  requires  the  signification 
menKura.  Reference  is  rightly  made  to  Jer.  x. 

24;  xxx.  11  (xlvi.  28),  where  ZD3ETOS  is  used  in 
a  like  sense.  KNOBEL  objects  that  HND  does  not 
signify  measure  in  general,  but  a  definite  mea- 
sure, and  the  figurative  use  of  it  would  be  as  hard 
as  if  we  should  say  :  to  punish  one  by  the  quart. 
HND  is  by  all  means  a  definite  measure  of  grain, 
and  according  to  the  statements  of  the  ancients, 
the  third  part  of  an  ephah.  But  this  significa- 
tion suits  admirably,  The  translation  in  mea- 
sure is  of  course  not  literal.  It  should  be :  with 
the  measure  of  a  seah  by  putting  away  thou  pun- 
ishest her.  The  meaning  accordingly  is  that  the 
LORD  ordains  only  a  small  measureful  of  punish- 
ment for  Israel.  The  antithesis  to  this  is  then  a 
large  measure  which  causes  destruction.  The 
expression  "  small  measure  "  involves  necessarily 
the  idea  of  clemency.  HITZIG,  EWALD  and 
KXOBEL  propose  to  read  HNDNDS  Inf.  Pilp.  from 
KlD=>'1I=by  his  disquietude.  But  this  thought, 
apart  from  the  artificial  etymology,  does  not  suit 
the  context.  It  appears  to  me  that  this  HJOXD3 
was  a  popular  and  familiar  expression.  At  all 
events,  it  occurs  in  the  language  of  Scripture  only 
here.  The  feminine  suffix  in  the  last  two  words 
shows  that  the  Prophet,  in  accordance  with  the 
notion  of  "  putting  away,"  thinks  of  Israel  as  a 
wife.  3'"1  stands  here  with  accusative  of  the  per- 
son in  a  signification  in  which  it  is  commonly 

construed  with  one  of  the  prepositions  D^r.  /K  or 
3,  namely  =  altercari,  to  contend,  dispute  with, 
punish.  However,  this  construction  with  the  ac- 
cusative is  found  elsewhere :  xlix.  25 ;  Deut. 
xxxiii.  8 ;  Job  x.  2  ;  Hos.  iv.  4.  The  imperfect 
(future)  is  not  used  to  express  repetition  in  the 
past ;  for  the  Prophet  cannot  yet  say  that  Israel's 
exile  has  terminated.  Israel  is  to-day  still  in 
exile.  The  imperfect  rather  marks  the  still  un- 
completed, enduring  fact.  That  the  second  per- 
son imperfect  is  used,  while  before  and  afterwards 
Jehovah  is  spoken  of  in  the  third  person,  hr.s, 
apart  from  the  ease  with  which  in  Hebrew  the 
person  is  changed,  its  reason  perhaps  in  this,  that 
the  Prophet  wishes  to  make  the  three  words  of 
this  clause  which  are  like  one  another  in  respect 
to  the  ending  and  number  of  the  consonantal 
sounds,  as  conformable  to  one  another  as  possible 
in  their  initial  sounds  also.  For  Tau  is  certainly 
more  nearly  related  to  the  S-sounds  with  which 
the  preceding  words  begin,  than  Yod.  Lexicog- 
raphers and  interpreters  are  inclined  to  regard 
n.in  as  an  independent  verbal  stem,  to  which  they 
ascribe  the  meaning  "  amovere,  separare,  to  sift," 
which  is  supposed  to  occur  only  here  and  Prov. 
xxv.  4,  5.  I  believe  that  our  !"Un  is  identical 
with  the  i"Un  that  occurs  so  frequently.  The 
word  is  clearly  onomatopoetic,  and  its  radical 
meaning  is  "  to  breathe  ;"  and  it  means  that  kind 
of  breathing  which  consists  in  a  strong  ejection 


CHAP.  XXVII.  10-13. 


295 


of  air  through  the  throat.  The  sound  that  is  thus 
produced  corresponds  to  the  rough  guttural  sound 
of  the  roaring  lion  (xxxi.  4),  to  the  noise  of  thun- 
der (Job  xxxvii.  2),  to  the  moaning  of  a  dove 
(xxxviii.  14),  to  the  muttering  of  conjurers  (viii. 
19),  and  to  the  sighing  of  a  man  (xvi.  7),  and  is 
also  the  physical  basis  for  human  speech,  whether 
this  be  a  speaking  with  others  or  a  speaking  with 
one's  self  under  profound  emotion  (meditari). 
Even  in  Prov.  xxv.  4  sq.  this  signification  holds. 
"Breathe  (blow)  the  dross  from  the  silver"  is 
what  we  read  there.  This  means,  we  are  to  re- 
move by  blowing  the  impure  ingredients  that 
swim  on  the  surface  of  the  molten  silver.  And  so 
(Prov.  xxv.  5)  the  court  is  to  be  purified  from  the 
hurtful  presence  of  a  wicked  man,  he  is  to  be 
blown  away  as  scum  upon  molten  silver.  In  our 
place,  too,  Hjn  is  simply  "to  breathe."  He 
breathes -with  his  rough  breath  in  the  day 
of  the  east  -wind  means  nothing  else  than  : 
God  blows  Israel  away  out  of  his  land  by  send- 
ing, like  the  storm  of  an  east  wind,  His  breath 
with  great  force  over  the  land.  The  thought  in- 
volved in  nn  ?iy  is  once  more  expressed  by  an 
image.  The  Prophet  knows  that  exile  is  the  se- 
verest punishment  which  Jehovah  inflicts  on  His 
people.  Whether  it  was  the  case  that  Isaiah  had 
already  witnessed  the  carrying  away  of  the  ten 
tribes,  or  that  passages  of  the  Pentateuch  which 
threaten  the  punishment  of  exile  were  present  to 
him  (Deut.  iv.  27  sq. ;  xxviii.  36,  63  sqq. ;  xxix. 
28),  he  certainly  means  that  Jehovah  does  not 
exterminate  His  people  as  He,  e.  g.,  exterminated 
the  Canaanites,  but  that  He  inflicts  on  them  as 
the  maximum  of  punishment  only  temporary 
exile.  The  use  of  the  perfect  run  is  then  quite 
normal,  in  order  to  describe  further  a  matter  con- 
tained in  the  principal  sentence  (TWYIVt).  The 
expression  HE/p  D1T  does  not  elsewhere  occur. 
But  Isaiah  does  speak  of  a  ""^P  E'.pX  xix.  4,  of 

a  ntfp  nnn  xxi.  2,  of  ntfp  mbj?  xiv.  3,  of  a 

.  T  IT  T  T  IT         T      -: 

iVffp  3^)n  ver.  1.  A  mighty  political  catastrophe 
which  would  purify  the  land  is  here  compared 
with  a  stormy  wind,  or  east  wind,  the  most  vio- 
lent wind  known  in  Palestine  (Job  xxvii.  21 ; 
Hos.  xiii.  15,  which  place  was  perhaps  before  the 
mind  of  the  Prophet ;  Jon.  iv.  8  ;  Ezek.  xvii.  10  ; 
xix.  12)  ;  and  this  wind  is  marked  as  HliT  nn 
as  a  breath  proceeding  from  the  mouth  of  God  ; 
wind  being  frequently  in  the  O.  T.  described  as 


God's  breath,  or  God's  breath  being  described  as 
wind  (Ex.  xv.  8  ;  Job  iv.  9  ;  xv.  30  ;  Hos.  xiii.  15  ; 
Isaiah  xl.  7  ;  lix.  19).  As  a  violent  tempest 
causes  much  damage,  but  at  the  same  time  does 
much  good  by  its  purifying  influence,  so  this  pun- 
ishment of  expulsion  from  the  land  is  so  far  from 
being  intended  for  the  destruction  of  Israel,  that 
the  salvation  of  Israel  arises  from  it.  For  just 

thereby  (J37  as  xxvi.  14;  Jer.  v.  2)  the  guilt  of 
Jacob  is  expiated  (covered  comp.  xxii.  14).  The 
words  by  this,  therefore,,  are  to  be  taken  together,  and 
point  with  emphasis  backwards.  nXf3  cannot  be 
referred  to  the  following  1D1&3,  because  atone- 
ment is  not  made  for  Israel  by  this  'Ul  Dll?,  but 
on  the  contrary,  this  'U1  Dlt^'is  the  fruit  of  the 
expiation.  By  this  expiatory  punishment  Israel 
is  made  partaker  of  great  blessing.  The  LORD 
knows  how  to  make  good  come  out  of  evil  (Gen. 
1.  20).  The  expiation,  i.  e.,  the  removal  of  guilt 
lias  the  effect  that  Israel  thereby  becomes  free  also 
from  the  power  and  dominion  of  sin.  [~^IT 
though  it  strictly  means  shall  be  atoned  for,  is  here 
metonymically  used  to  denote  the  effect  and  not 
the  cause,  purification  and  not  expiation.  In  the 
very  same  way  it  is  applied  to  the  cleansing  of 
inanimate  objects.  ALEXANDER.  —  D.  M.].  HI 
refers  to  '"}&  and  what  follows.  All  fruit  of  the 
forgiveness  of  sin,  consequently  all  sanctification 
concentrates  itself  in  Israel's  keeping  now  the  first 
and  greatest  commandment,  and  in  definitivejy 
renouncing  idolatry.  HI  is  not,  however,  the  de- 
monstrative pronoun,  but  is  to  be  taken  adverbi- 
ally; this  word,  as  is  well  known,  possessing  the 
two  significations  this  and  there.  Hence  the  con- 
struction '101123  (not  lOISf)  can  follow.  Comp. 


3J33  ni  hy  Num.  xiii.  17.  Israel  by  so  dash- 
ing in  pieces  all  the  stones  of  their  idolatrous 
altais,  that  they  can  no  longer  serve  for  places  of 
worship  for  Ashtoreth  and  images  of  the  sun,  ex- 
hibits the  fruit  of  the  expiation  that  has  been  ren- 
dered and  of  the  forgiveness  that  has  been  re- 
ceived. T"J  (an-.  /ley.)  is  lime,  "VJ  ""J^X  are  not 
lime-stones,  in  the  mineralogical  sense,  but  stones 
in  a  wall  which  are  covered  with  lime,  mortar 
[?].  mi'3JO,  (comp.  xi.  12  ;  xxxiii.  3)  are  the 
same  stones,  when  they,  in  consequence  of  the  de- 
struction of  the  wall  which  they  formed,  lie  broken 
in  pieces.  This  shall  happen  to  the  stones  of  the 
idolatrous  altars,  and  they  will  in  consequence  no 
longer  serve  as  pedestals  on  which  images  of 
Ashtoreth  and  of  the  sun  (comp  on  xvii.  8) 
stand  up. 


8. 


THE  DESTRUCTION  OF   THE  WOELDLY  CITY  AND   ISRAEL'S  JOYFUL  RES- 
TORATION.    CHAPTER  XXVII.  10-13. 


10  aYet  the  defenced  city  shall  be  desolate, 

And  the  habitation  forsaken,  and  left  like  a  wilderness  : 
There  shall  the  calf  feed,  and  there  shall  he  lie  down, 
And  consume  the  branches  thereof. 

11  When  the  boughs  thereof  are  withered,  they  shall  be  broken  off: 
The  women  come  and  set  them  on  fire  : 

For  it  is  a  people  of  no  understanding  ; 


296 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Therefore  he  that  made  them  will  not  have  mercy  on  them, 
And  he  that  formed  them  will  show  them  no  favor. 

12  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 
That  the  LORD  shall  beat  off 

From  the  "channel  of  the  river  unto  the  stream  of  Egypt, 
And  ye  shall  be  gathered  one  by  one, 
0  ye  children  of  Israel. 

13  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day, 
That  the  great  trumpet  shall  be  blown, 

And  they  shall  come  which  were  ready  to  perish  in  the  land  of  Assyria, 

And  the  outcasts  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 

And  shall  worship  the  LORD  in  the  holy  mount  at  Jerusalem. 


For. 


b  ear  of  corn. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  10.  *113  (only  here  in  Isaiah)  is  an  adverb,  or 
substantive  used  adverbially.    It  might  also  be  "113; 

TT  : 

(comp.  Numb,  xxiii.  9;  Micah  vii.  14).    That  an  adverb 
can  be  the  predicate  is  well  known. 
Ver.  12.  "inX  DIN  7,  i.  e.,  to  one  one,  to  one  which  is 

T  Y          —  —  : 

one  and  nothing  else,  wholly  one.    This  combination 
occurs  only  here  (for  E^cles.  vii.  27  is  different;. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

is  the  form  of  the  construct  state,  and  can  be  treated 
here  as  such  ;  for  the  construct  state  marks  in  apposi- 
tional  relations  nothing  but  the  closest  connection 
(NAEGELSBACH  Gr.,  $  Gl, 1).  [To  one  one,  i.  e.,  one  to  the 
other,  to  mark  careful  attention  to  each  individual,  and 
to  express  the  idea  that  all  will  be  gathered  together 
and  without  exception. — D.  M.I. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  again  draws  on  a  dark  back- 
ground the  picture  of  the  worldly  power.     He 
had  represented  it,  ver.  1,  in  the  form  of  beasts; 

'here,  as  already  (xxiv.  10-12;  xxv.  2,  3,  12; 
xxvi-  5),  the  great  city  of  the  world,  the  centre 
of  the  worldly  power,  is  made  to  appear.  He 
depicts  it  as  a  desolate  forsaken  place,  overgrown 
with  bushes,  whose  tender  branches  the  calves 
eat  off,  whose  withered  twigs  women  gather  for 
fuel.  This  pitiable  lot  is  the  punishment  of  their 
folly  (vers.  10  and  11).  Quite  different  is  the 
case  with  Israel.  This  people  finds  grace  in  the 
eyes  of  its  LORD.  Out  of  the  sheaves  of  the 
nations,  which  shall  be  gathered  in  the  day  of 
judgment,  all  the  ears  that  belong  to  Israel  shall 
be  separated,  and  bound  together  (ver.  12).  And 
when  the  great  trumpet  sounds,  all  the  Israelites 
lost  and  scattered  in  the  lands  of  the  heathen, 
shall  return  home,  in  order  to  worship  Jehovah 
on  the  holy  mountain  at  Jerusalem  (ver.  13). 

2.  Yet  the  defenced— no  favor.— Vers.  10, 
11.     The  city  which  becomes  desolate  and  finds 
no  mercy  (ver.  11)  cannot  possibly  be  Jerusalem. 
It  can  only  be  the  city  which   the  Prophet  has 
already   (xxiv.   10-12;    xxi.   2,  3,  12;  xxvi.  5) 
BO  emphatically  set  forth   as  the  centre  of   the 
worldly  power,  and  distinguished  from  the  earth 
of  which  it  is  the  centre.     Vers.  10  and  11   are 
therefore  connected  with  ver.  1.     \3  is  here  ex- 
plicative, rather  than  causal.     The   defenced 
city  of  ver.  10  is  identical  with  the  .111X3  H'lp 
in  xxv.  2.— Tm  (comp.  xxxii.  18;  xxxiii.  20; 
xxxiv.   13;    xxxv.  7;    Ixv.  10)  is  originally  a 
habitation  of  Nomades,  a  place  where  people  can 
stay  with  their   flocks   and    herds.     Then    it   is 
habitation  in  general ;    and  as  the  city  is  here 
designated  as  3T>?J  nil  what  the  city  "was,  and 
not  what  it  is.  is  denoted  by  H1J.  It  was  formerly 
an  inhabited  city,     i"llj  is  accordingly  not  to  be 


taken  here  as  "  pasturage,"  but  as  habitation, 
dwelling-place.  The  H1J  is  said  by  Metonymy 

to  be  driven  away  (HWO)  although  only  its 
inhabitants  are  so.  (Comp.  FT?  BO  jp  xvi.  2 ; 
n&tt-n  Vj?n  Amos  v.  3 ;  and  3i?fi  ]'1SU  Isa.  xiii. 
20).  As  the  wilderness  can  be  said  to  be  for- 
saken, but  not  driven  away,  we  have  to  connect 

only  3TPJ  with  13133,  and  not  flS^O  also.  On 
the  place  that  has  been  so  forsaken  calves  will 
feed  (comp.  v.  17  ;  xxvii.  13  sqq.),  and  lie 
down,  and  consume  (xlix.  4)  the  branches 
(comp.  xvii.  6)  thereof,  ;'.  e.,  of  the  forsaken 
city.  What  remains  of  the  branches  P^'P  in 
the  collective  sense  of  foliage,  especially  in  Job 
xiv.  9  ;  xviii.  16  ;  xxix.  19),  and  is  withered, 
is  broken  off  (the  plural  nj13tyr\  to  be  referred 
to  the  idea  of  a  multitude  of  branches  contained 
in  l'¥p) ;  then  women  come  and  kindle  it 
(HjllK  as  a  neuter  comp.  on  ver.  4),  i.  e.,  they 
make  an  HX,  a  flame  of  it  (xxxi.  9 ;  xliv.  16  ;  1. 
11  comp.  Mai.  i.  10).  This  judgment  comes  upon 
the  people  (i.  e.,  the  nations  conceived  as  one) 
of  the  worldly  power ;  because  it  is  a  people 
without  right  understanding  (plural  only  here. 
Comp.  on  xi.  2).  Therefore,  although  Jehovah 
is  the  Creator  of  the  heathen  also  (Gen.  i.  26 ; 
comp.  Job  xii.  10 ;  Acts  xvii.  26),  yet  He  will 
not  be  gracious  unto  them  (liVVy  as  xvii.  7 ;  xxix. 
16.  11*'  comp.  xxix.  16;  xlv.  9  etsaepe).  [Many 
of  the  best  interpreters  hold  that  the  city  spoken 
of  in  ver.  10  is  Jerusalem,  and  not  Babylon. 
The  desolation  here  described  is  not  so  complete 
as  that  denounced  against  Babylon  (xiii.  19-22), 
and  corresponds  exactly  to  the  judgment  foretold 
elsewhere  by  Isaiah  against  Israel  and  Jerusalem 
xxxii.  13,  14;  v.  17.  The  people  of  no  under- 


CHAP.  XXVII.  10-13. 


297 


standing,  whose  Maker  and  Former  is  Jehovah, 
certainly  looks  like  Israel.  Comp.  i.  3.  —  D.  M.]. 
3.  And  it  shall  come  —  Jerusalem.  —  Vers. 
12,  13.  In  contrast  to  the  sad  image  of  a  wilder- 
ness in  vers.  10  and  11,  the  Prophet  depicts 
Israel's  final  destiny  as  a  harvest  of  glory  and 
highest  honor  for  Israel.  The  image  of  a  great 
harvest-day  (Matt.  xiii.  39  ;  Eev.  xiv.  14  sqq.), 
forms  the  basis  of  the  figurative  language  of  vers. 
12  and  13.  The  sheaves  are  gathered,  even  in 
the  countries  where  Israel  lives  in  exile,  mainly 
therefore,  in  the  countries  of  the  Euphrates  and 
the  Nile.  For  these  countries  are  for  the  Pro- 
phet here,  as  xi.  11  sqq.;  xix.  23  sqq.,  repre- 
sentatives of  the  lands  of  exile  in  general.  But 
when  the  harvest-sheaves  of  those  countries  are 
borne  by  the  reapers,  the  LORD  shall  beat  these 
sheaves"(03n  of  the  beating  off  of  olives  Deut. 
xxiv.  20;  of  the  threshing  of  grain  with  a  staff 
Jud.  vi.  11;  Ruth  ii.  17;  Isa.  xxviii.  27),  and 
the  ears  of  Israel  will  fall  out,  and  then  be 
gathered  to  be  brought  back.  It  is  plain  that  the 
Prophet  means  by  this  image  what  he  afterwards, 
ver.  13,  states  in  proper  terms.  For  the  scattered 
Israelitish  ears  amid  the  great  sheaves  of  the 
Gentiles  are  nothing  but  the  D  13X  and  DTHJ 

ver.  13.  I  take  therefore  rn3Kf  ver.  12  as  a  col- 
lective designation  of  ears  of  grain.  For  what 
significance  would  it  have  here  to  give  promi- 
nence to  the  Euphrates  being  at  high  water,  as 
it  is  quite  indifferent  for  the  Geographical  bound- 
ary whether  the  Euphrates  has  much  water  or 

little  (r\73V,fluvus  aquae,  emphasizes  the  abund- 
ance of  water,  Ps.  Ixix.  3,  6  ;  besides  only  Jud. 
xii.  6  where  the  meaning  is  a  matter  of  no  conse- 
quence) ?  We  dare  not  press  the  line  of  the 

Euphrates,  or  the  line  of  the  D'tXD  Snj  any 
more  than  the  depth  of  the  Euphrates  as  a  sharply 
drawn  boundary-line.  For  the  grain-ears  of  the 
Euphrates  are  just  the  ears  of  the  lands  of  the 
Euphrates,  and  the  ears  of  the  brook  of  Egypt 
are  the  ears  of  Egypt,  as  appears  from  THB^H  |"1X 
and  D'lXD  ver.  13.  I  believe  that  in  regard  to 


grammar  we  are  fully  justified  in  supplying 

after  ~\y  and  before  'D  7FIJ.  The  omission  of 
substantives  after  prepositions  of  comparison 
furnishes  a  perfectly  sufficient  analogy  for  this 
omission  (comp.  Job  xxxiii.  25).  [The  proposed 
construction  is  intolerably  hard,  and  has  no  clear 
parallel  to  support  it.  It  is  unwarrantably  as- 

sumed that  "injn  nSsK?  must  mean  the  high- 
water  of  the  river  Euphrates  as  distinguished 
from  the  river  at  low  water.  rhlW  denotes  cur- 
rent, flood,  and  so  abundance  of  water,  and  it 
may  well  be  put  as  an  adjunct  of  the  river  Eu- 
phrates when  the  other  terminus  is  the  insignifi- 
cant stream  of  Egypt,  the  Wadi  el  Arish.  It  ap- 

pears to  me  exceedingly  forced  to  take  n?3K/ 
here  as  a  collective,  meaning  ears  of  grain,  and 
then  to  suppose  an  ellipsis  of  this  substantive 
after  ~\y.—  D.  M.]. 

That  the  'D  Snj  is  the  Wadi  el  Arish  which 
flows  near  Rhinocolura  into  the  sea  is  certain. 
(Comp.  EBKRS,  Eyypt  and  the.  books  of  Moses,  I. 
p.  275).  But  it  is  not  mentioned  along  with  the 


Euphrates  to  designate  a  boundary  of  the  Israelit- 
ish kingdom  (Gen.  xv.  18;  1  Kings  viii.  Go), 
but  as  emblem  of  the  southern  and  first  land  of 
exile ;  as  the  Euphrates  is  emblem  of  the  second 
and  northern  land  of  exile. 

At  the  signal  which  will  be  given  by  sound  of 
trumpet  (xviii.  3;  Matt.  xxiv.  3;  1  Cor.  xv.52; 
1  Thes.  iv.  16)  all  the  Israelites  who  are  lost 
(Jer.  1.  6)  and  scattered  (xi.  12  comp.  Ezek. 
xxxiv.  4,  16)  in  the  lands  of  Assyria  and  Egypt 
(in  the  same  lands  which  were  previously  de- 
signated by  "tnj  and  'D  ?nj)  come  to  worship 
the  LORD  in  Jerusalem,  on  the  mountain  of  the 
Sanctuary  (xxiv.  23  ;  xxv.  6,  7,  10).  Here  ends 
the  libellus  apocalypticus  of  Isaiah  This  wor- 
ship he  conceives  as  never  ending  (comp.  xxv.  7 
sq.).  Israel's  return  to  his  own  land  is  type  of 
the  restoration  of  redeemed  men  (the  'Iapar/71. 
irvevua-iKOf)  into  the  heavenly  home.  It  is  not 
possible  in  this  connection  to  think  merely  (as 
even  DRECHSLER  does)  on  a  single  act  of  wor- 
ship before  taking  possession  of  the  land  and 
settling  in  it. 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  xxiv.  2.  "  When  general  judgments  take 
place,  no  distinction  is  observed  between  man  and 
wife,  master  and  servant,  mistress  and  maid, 
learned  and  unlearned,  noble  and  plebeian,  clergy 
and  laity  ;  therefore  let  no  one  rely  on  any  exter- 
nal prerogative  or  superiority,  but  let  every  one 
without  distinction  repent  and  forsake  sin." — 
CRAMER.  Though  this  is  right,  yet  we  must,  on 
the  other  hand,  remember  that  the  LORD  declares 
in  reference  to  the  same  great  event,  ''  Then  shall 
two  be  in  the  field ;  the  one  shall  be  taken,  and 
the  other  left.  Two  women  shall  be  grinding  at 
the  mill;  the  one  shall  be  taken,  and  the  other 
left"  (Matth.  xxiv.  10  sq.).  There  is  no  contra- 
diction in  these  two  statements.  Both  are  true: 
outward  relations  will  make  no  difference;  there 
shall  be  no  respect  of  persons.  But  the  state  of 
the  heart  will  make  a  difference.  According  to 
the  inward  character  there  will,  in  the  case  of 
those  whose  external  position  in  the  world  is  per- 
fectly alike,  be  some  who  enter  life,  others  whose 
doom  is  death. 

2.  xxiv.  5  sq.  "  The  earth  is  burdened  with 
sins,  and  is  therefore  deprived  of  every  blessing. 
The  earth  must  suffer  for  our  guilt,  when  we 
have  as  it  were  spoilt  it,  and  it  must  be  subject  to 
vanity  for  our  sakes  (Rom.  viii.  20).  What  won- 
der is  it  that  it  should  show  itself  ungrateful 
toward  us  ?" — CRAMER. 

[3.  xxiv.  13  sq.  "  Observe  the  small  number 
of  this  remnant ;  here  and  there  one  who  shall 
escape  the  common  calamity  (as  Noah  and  his 
family,  when  the  old  world  was  drowned),  who 
when  all  faces  gather  blackness,  can  lift  up  their 
head  with  joy.  Luke  xxi.  26-28."  HENRY. — 
D.  M.]. 

4.  xxiv.  17-20.  Our  earth  is  a  volcanic  body. 
Mighty  volcanic  forces  were  active  at  its  forma- 
tion. That  these  are  still  in  commotion  in  the 
interior  of  the  earth  is  proved  by  the  many  active 
volcanoes  scattered  over  the  whole  earth,  and  by 
the  perpetual  volcanic  convulsions  which  we  call 
earthquakes.  These  have  hitherto  been  confined 
to  particular  localities.  But  who  can  guarantee 


298 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


that  a  concentration  and  simultaneous  eruption 
of  those  volcanic  forces,  that  is,  a  universal  earth- 
quake, shall  not  hereafter  occur?  The  LORD 
makes  express  mention  of  earthquakes  among  the 
signs  which  shall  precede  His  second  coming 
(Matth.  xxiv.  7  ;  Mark  xiii.  8  ;  Luke  xxi.  11). 
And  in  2  Pet.  iii.  5  sqq.  the  future  destruction  of 
the  earth  by  fire  is  set  over  against  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  old  world  by  water.  Isaiah  in  our 
place  announces  a  catastrophe  whose  characteris- 
tic features  will  be  that,  1)  there  will  be  no  escape 
from  it  ;  2)  destructive  forces  will  assail  from 
above  and  below  ;  3)  the  earth  will  be  rent  asun- 
der ;  4)  it  will  reel  and  totter  ;  5)  it  will  suffer 
so  heavy  a  fall  that  it  will  not  rise  again  (ver.  20 
6).  Is  there  not  here  a  prophecy  of  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  earth  by  volcanic  forces  ?  And  how 
suddenly  can  they  break  loose!  The  ministers 
of  the  word  have  every  reason  to  compare  this 
extreme  exposedness  of  our  earth  to  fire,  and  the 
possibility  of  its  unexpectedly  sudden  collapse 
with  the  above-cited  warnings  of  the  word  of 
God,  and  to  attach  thereto  the  admonition  which 
is  added  in  2  Pet.  iii.  11. 

5.  xxiv.  21.  The  earth  is  a  part  of  our  plane- 
tary system.  It  is  not  what  it  appears  to  the  op- 
tical perception  to  be,  a  central  body  around 
which  worlds  of  a  different  nature  revolve,  but  it, 
together  with  many  similar  bodies,  revolves 
round  a  common  centre.  The  earth  according  to 
that  view  of  the  account  of  the  creation  in  Gen. 
i.,  which  appears  to  me  the  true  one,  has  arisen 
with  all  the  bodies  of  our  Solar  system  out  of 
one  primary  matter,  originally  united,  common 
to  them  all.  If  our  Solar  System  is  a  well- 
ordered,  complete  organism,  it  must  rest  on  the 
basis  of  a  not  merely  formal,  but  also  material 
unity  ;  t.  e.,  the  separate  bodies  must  move,  not 
only  according  to  a  principle  of  order  which 
governs  all,  but  they  must  also  as  to  their  sub- 
stance be  essentially  like.  And  as  they  arose 
simultaneously,  so  must  they  perish  simultaneous- 
ly. It  is  inconceivable  that  our  earth  alone 
should  disappear  from  the  organism  of  the  Solar 
System,  or  pass  over  to  a  higher  material  condi- 
tion. Its  absence,  or  ceasing  to  exist  in  its  pre- 
vious form  and  substance,  would  necessarily  draw 
after  it  the  ruin  of  the  whole  system.  Hence  the 
Scripture  speaks  every  where  of  a  passing  away 
and  renovation  of  the  heaven  and  the  earth  (Ps. 
cii.  26;  Isa.  li.  6;  Ixv.  17;  Ixvi.  22;  Matth.  v. 
18  ;  xxiv.  29,  35  ;  2  Pet,  iii.  7,  10,  13;  Heb.  xii. 
26;  Rev.  xx.  11;  xxi.  1).  The  heaven  that  shall 
ass  away  with  a  great  noise,  whose  powers  shall 
e  shaken,  whose  stars  shall  fall,  is  the  planetary 
heaven.  The  same  lot  will  happen  to  the  com- 
panions of  our  earth,  to  the  other  planets,  and  to 
the  centre,  the  sun,  and  to  all  other  co-ordinate 
and  subordinate  stellar  bodies,  which  will  befall 
the  earth  itself.  This  is  the  substance  of  the  view 
which  serves  as  a  basis  for  our  place.  But  per- 
sonal beings  are  not  thereby  by  any  means  ex- 
cluded from  the  DT»O  X3i'.  The  parallel  ex- 

pression noi^n  'j7"D,  and  the  use  in  other  places 
of  the  related  expression  C'Dt^n  fcO¥  lead  us 
rather  to  suppose  personal  beings  to  be  included. 
But  I  believe  that  a  distinction  must  be  made 
here.  As  the  heavenly  bodies  which  will  pass 
away  (simultaneously  with  the  earth,  can  only  be 


p 
b 


those  which  arose  together  with  it,  and  which 
stand  in  organic  connection  with  it,  so  also  the 
angelic  powers,  which  are  judged  .simultaneously 
with  us  men,  can  be  only  those  which  stand  in 
connection  with  the  heavenly  bodies  of  our  Solar 
System,  i.  e.,  with  the  earthly  material  world. 
There  are  heavenly  bodies  of  glorious  pneumatic 
substance.  If  personal  beings  stand  in  connec- 
tion with  them,  they  must  also  be  pure,  glorious, 
resplendent  beings.  These  will  not  be  judged. 
They  are  the  holy  angels,  who  come  with  the 
LORD  (Matth.  xxv.  31).  But  it  is  quite  con- 
ceivable that  all  the  bodies  of  our  Solar  System 
are  till  the  judgment  like  our  earth  suffered' to  be 
the  theatre  of  the  spirits  of  darkness. 

6.  xxiv.  21-23.     It  seems  to  me  that  the  Pro- 
phet has  here  sketched  the  chief  matters  pertain- 
ing to  eschatology.     For  the  passing  away  of  hea- 
ven and  earth,  the  binding  of  Satan  (Rev.  xx.  1— 
3),  the  loosing  of  Satan  again  (Rev.  xx.  7),  and 
finally  the  reign  of  God  alone,  which  will  make 
sun  and  moon  unnecessary  (Rev.  xxi.  23) — are 
not  these  the  boundary-stones  of  the  chief  epochs 
of  the  history  of  the  end  of  the  world  ? 

7.  xxv.  6.  ["The  LORD  of  hosts  makes  this  feast. 
The  provision  is  very  rich,  and  every  thing  is  of 
the  best.     It  is  a  feast,  which  supposes  abundance 
and  variety ;  it  is  a  continual  feast  to  believers ; 
i;  is  their  fault  if  it  be  not.     It  is  a  feast  of  fat 
things  and  full  of  marrow;  so  relishing,  so  nourish- 
ing are  the  comforts  of  the  Gospel  to  all  those 
that  feast  upon  them  and  digest  them.     The  re- 
turning prodigal  was  entertained  with  the  fatted 
calf;  and  David  has  that  pleasure  in  communion 
with  God,  with    which  his   soul    is  satisfied  as 
with  marrow  and  fatness.     It  is  a  feast  of  wines  on 
the  lees;    the   strongest-bodied  wines,  that  have 
been  long  kept  upon  the  lees,  and  then  are  well 
i  efined  from  them,  so  that  they  are  clear  and  fine. 
There  is  that  in  the  Gospel  which,  like  fine  wine, 
soberly  used,  makes  glad  the  heart,  and  raises  the 
spirits,  and  is  fit  for  those  that  are  of  a  heavy 
heart,  being  under  convictions  of  sin,  and  mourn- 
ing for  it,  that  they  may  drink  and  forget  their 
misery  (for  that  is  the  proper  use  of  wine ;  it  is  a 
cordial  for  those  that  need  it,  Prov.  xxxi.  6,  7) 
may  be  of  good  cheer,  knowing  that  their  sins  are 
forgiven,  and  may  be  vigorous  in  their  spiritual 
work  and  warfare,  as  a  strong  man  refreshed  with 
wine."  HENRY. — D.  M.] 

8.  xxv.  9.  "In  the  Old  Testament  the  vail  and 
covering  were  before  men's  eyes,  partly  because 
they  waited  for  the  light  that  was  to  appear,  partly 
because  they  sat  in  darkness  and  in  the  shadow 
of  death  (Luke  i.  79).     The  fulfilment  of  this  pre- 
diction has  in  Christ  already  begun,  and  will  at 
last  be  perfectly  fulfilled  in  the  Church  triumphant 
where  all  ignorance  and  sorrow  shall  be  dispelled 
(1  Cor.  xiii.  12)."  CRAMER. 

9.  xxv.  8.  "God  here  represents  Himself  as  a 
mother,  who  presses  to  her  bosom  her  sorrowful 
son,  comforts  him  and  wipes  away  his  tears  (Isa. 
Ixvi.  13).     The  righteous  are  to  believe  and  ap- 
propriate this  promise,  that  every  one  may  learn 
to  speak  with  Paul  in  the  time  of  trial:   the  suf- 
ferings of  this  present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be 
compared  with  the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed 
in  us,  Rom.  viii.  18."  CRAMER. 

10.  xxv.  10.  "  This  is  now  the  hope  and  consola- 
tion of  the  church  that  the  hand  of  the  LORD  rests 


CHAP.  XXVII.  10-13. 


299 


on  this  mountain,  that  is,  that  He  will  be  gracious, 
and  let  His  power,  help  and  grace  be  there  seen 
and  felt.  But  the  unbelieving  Moabites,  i.  e.,  the 
Jews,  with  all  others  who  will  not  receive  the 
gospel,  shall  be  threshed  to  pieces  as  straw  in  the 
mire ;  these  the  Lord's  hand  will  not  rescue,  as  it 
helps  those  who  wait  on  Him,  but  it  shall  press 
them  down  so  that  they  will  never  rise,  accord- 
ing to  ihe  saying,  Mark  xvi.  16."  VEIT  DIET- 
KICH. 

11.  xxv.  Three  thoughts  contained  in  this 
chapter  we  should  hold  fast:  1)  When  we  see 
the  world  triumph  over  every  thing  which  be- 
longs to  the  LORD  and  His  kingdom,  when  our 
hearts  are  anxious  about  the  preservation  in  the 
world  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  which  is  sore  op- 
pressed, let  this  word  of  the  Prophet  comfort  our 
hearts.  The  world-city  which  contains  all  that 
is  of  the  world,  sinks  into  the  dust,  and  the  church 
of  Christ  goes  from  her  chains  and  bands  into  the 
state  of  freedom  and  glory.  We  have  often  seen 
that  it  is  the  LORD'S  way  to  let  every  thing  come 
to  maturity.  When  it  is  once  ripe,  He  comes 
'suddenly  with  Mis  sentence.  Let  us  comfort  our- 
selves therewith,  for  thus  will  it  happen  with  the 
world  and  its  dominion  over  the  faithful  followers 
of  Christ.  When  it  is  ripe,  suddenly  it  will  come 
to  an  end.  2)  No  one  who  has  a  heart  for  the 
welfare  of  the  nations  can  see  without  the  deepest 
pain  how  all  hearts  are  now  seduced  and  befooled, 
and  all  eyes  closed  and  covered.  The  simplest 
truths  are  no  longer  acknowledged,  but  the  more 
perverse,  brutal  and  mean  views  and  doctrines 
are,  the  more  greedily  are  they  laid  hold  of.  We 
cannot  avert  this.  But  our  comfort  is  that  even 
this  seduction  of  the  nations  will  reach  its  climax. 
Then  men  will  come  to  themselves.  The  vail  and 
covering  will  fall  off,  and  the  Gospel  will  shine 
with  new  light  before  the  nations.  Therewith  let 
us  comfort  ourselves.  3)  Till  this  happens,  the 
church  is  sorrowful.  But  she  shall  be  full  of  joy. 
The  promise  is  given  to  her  that  she  shall  be 
fully  satisfied  with  the  good  things  of  the  house 
of  the  LORD.  A  life  is  promised  to  her  which 
neither  death  nor  any  pain  can  affect,  as  she 
has  rest  from  all  enemies.  The  word  of  the 
LORD  shall  be  fulfilled  in  her :  Blessed  are  the 
meek,  for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth.  The 
Church  that  has  such  a  promise  may  wait  in  pa- 
tient quietness  for  its  accomplishment,  and  praise 
the  LORD  in  affliction,  till  it  pleases  Him  to  glo- 
rify her  before  all  nations."  WEBER,  The  Prophet 
Isaiah.  1875. 

12.  xxvi.  1.  "The  Christian  church  is  a  city  of 
God.     God  has  built  it,  and  He  is  the  right  Mas- 
ter-builder.    It  is  strong:    1)  on  account  of  the 
Builder;    2)  on  account  of  the  foundation  and 
corner-stone,  which  is  Christ;    3)  on  account  of 
the  bond  wherewith  the  living  stones  are  bound 
together,  which  is  the  unity  of  the  faith."  CRA- 
MER.    [The  security  and  happiness  of  true  be- 
lievers, both  on  earth  and  in  heaven,  is  represented 
in  Scripture  under  the  image  of  their  dwelling  in 
a  city  in  which  they  can  bid  defiance  to  all  their 
enemies.     We  dwell  in  such  a  city  even  now,  Ps. 
xlvi.  4-5.     We  look  for  such  a  city,  Heb.  xi.  10, 
16;  Rev.  xxi.— D.  M.] 

13.  xxvi.  2.  [These  words  may  be  taken  as  a 
description  of  the  people  whom  God  owns,  who 
are  fit  to  be  accounted  members  of  the  church  of 


the  living  God  on  earth,  and  who  will  not  be  ex- 
cluded from  the  celestial  city.  Instead  of  com- 
plaining that  only  the  righteous  and  the  faithful 
will  be  admitted  into  the  heavenly  city,  it  should 
rather  give  us  joy  to  think  that  there  will  be  no 
sin  there,  that  none  but  the  just  and  true  will 
there  be  found.  This  has  been  a  delightful  sub- 
ject of  reflection  to  God's  saints.  The  last  words 
written  by  HENRY  MARTYN  were:  "Oh!  when 
shall  time  give  place  to  eternity  ?  When  shall 
appear  that  new  heaven  and  new  earth  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness?  There,  there  shall  in  no 
wise  enter  in  any  thing  that  defileth ;  none  of  that 
wickedness  which  has  made  men  worse  than  wild 
beasts — none  of  their  corruptions  which  add  to  the 
miseries  of  mortality  shall  be  seen  or  heard  of  any 
more." — D.  M.] 

14.  xxvi.  4.  "  The  fourth  privilege  of  the  church 
is  trust  in  God  the  Rock  of  Ages,  i.  e.,  in  Christ, 
who  not  only  here,  but  also  Matth.  xvi.;  1  Cor. 
x.;  1  Pet.  ii.,  is  called  a  rock  in  a  peculiar  man- 
ner, because  no  other  foundation  of  salvation  and 
of  the  church  can  be  laid  except  this  rock,  which 
is  hera  called  the  rock  of  ages  on  account  of  the 
eternity  of  His  being,  merit  and  office.     Hence  a 
refutation  can  be  drawn  of  the  papistical  fable 
which  makes  Peter  and  his  successors,  the  Roman 
Pontiffs,  to  be  the  rock  on  which  the  church  is 
built."  FOERSTER.     ["  Whatever  we  trust  to  the 
world  for,  it  will  be  but  for  a  moment.     All  we 
expect  from   it  is  confined  within  the  limits  of 
time;  but  what  we  trust  in  God  for  will  last  as 
long  as  we  shall  last.     For  in  the  Lord  Jehovah, 
Jah,  Jehovah,  in  Him  who  was,  and  is,  and  is  to 
come,  there  is  a  rock  of  ages,  a  firm  and  lasting 
foundation  for  faith  and  hope  to  build  upon ;  and 
the  house  built  on  that  rock  will  stand  in  a  storm." 
HENRY."— D.  M.] 

15.  xxvi.  5.    "It  is  very  common  with  the 
prophets,  when  they  prophesy  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  to  make  reference  to  the  proud  and  to  the 
needy,  and  to  represent  the  latter  as  exalted  and 
the  former  as  brought  low.    This  truth  is  directed 
properly  against  the  self-righteous.     For  Christ 
and  His  righteousness  will  not  endure  spiritual 
pride  and  presumption  ;  but  the  souls  that  are 
poor,  that  hunger  and  thirst  for  grace,  that  know 
their    need,   these  Christ    graciously   receives." 
CRAMER. 

16.  xxvi.   6.    "It  vexes    the  proud   all    the 
more  that  they  will  be  overcome  by  those  who 
are  poor  and  of  no  consequence.     For  example, 
Goliath    was   annoyed   that  a  boy  should   come 
against  him   with   a  staff  (1   Sam.   xiii.   43)." 
CRAMER. 

17.  xxvi.  8-10.    That  the  justice  of  God  must 
absolutely  manifest  itself  that  the  majesty  of  the 
LORD  may  be  seen,  and  that  the  wicked  may 
learn  righteousness,  must  even  from  a  new  Testa- 
ment view-point  be  admitted.     But  the  New  Tes- 
tament disputes  the  existence  of  any  one  wlio  is 
righteous  when  confronted  by  the  law,  and  who  is 
not  deserving  of  punishment.     [But  that  there  is 
none  righteous,  no  not  one,  is  taught  most  empha- 
tically in  the  Old  Testament  also.— D.  M.].     But 
it  (the   New  Testament)  while  it  shuts  up  all, 
Jews  and  Gentiles,  without  exception,  under  sin 
(Gal.  iii.  22 ;  Rom.  iii.  9 ;  xi.  32),  sets  forth  a 
scheme  of  mediation,  which,  while  it  renders  full 
satisfaction  to  justice,  at  the  same  time  offers  to 


300 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


all  the  possibility  of  deliverance.  This  media- 
tion is  through  the  Cross  of  Christ.  It  is  only 
when  this  mediation  lias  not  been  accepted  that 
punitive  justice  has  free  course.  It  should  not 
surprise  us  that  even  the  Evangelist  of  the  Old 
Covenant,  who  wrote  chap,  liii.,  did  not  possess 
perfect  knowledge  of  this  mediation.  Let  us  re- 
member John  the  Baptist  (Matt.  iii.  7  ;  xi.  11) 
and  the  disciples  of  the  LORD  (Luke  ix.  54).  [Let 
us  not  forget  that  Isaiah  was  a  true  Prophet,  and 
spoke  as  he  was  moved  by  the  Spirit  of  God.  The 
Apostle  Paul  did  not  find  fault  with  the  most  ter- 
rible denunciations  of  judgment  contained  in  the 
Old  Testament,  or  afiect  a  superiority  over  the 
men  who  uttered  them.  On  the  contrary,  he 
quotes  them  as  words  which  could  not  be  suffered 
to  fall,  but  which  must'  be  fulfilled  in  all  their 
dreadful  import.  See  e.  g.  Rom.  xi.  9, 10. — D.  M.]. 

18.  xxvi.  12.  "It  is   a  characteristic  of  true, 
sincere  Christians,  that  they  give  God  the  glory 
and  not  themselves,  and  freely  confess  that  they 
have  nothing  of  themselves,  but  everything  from 
God  (1  Cor.  iv.  7  ;  Phil.  ii.  13;  Heb.  xii.  2)." 
CRAMER. 

19.  xxvi.  16.  The  old  theologians  have  many 
comforting  and  edifying  thoughts  connected  with 
this  place:    "A  magnet  has  the  power  to  raise 
and  attract  to  itself  iron.     Our  heart  is  heavy  as 
iron.   But  the  hand  of  God  is  as  a  magnet.  When 
that  hand  visits  us  with  affliction,  it  lifts  us   up, 
and  draws  us  to  itself."     "  Distress  teaches  us  to 
pray,  and  prayer  again  dispels  all  distress.     One 
wedge  displaces  the  other."     "Ex  gravibus  curls 
impcllimur   ad  pia   vota."      fi  Ex  monte   myrrhae 
procedimus  ad   collem   thuris    (Cant.   ix.  6).      In 
amarititdine  crucis  exsurgit  odor  devotae  precationis 
(Ps.  Ixxxvi.  6  sq.)."     "  Ubi  nulla  crux  et  tentatio, 
ibi  nulla  vera  oraiio.     Gratia  sine  mails  est  tanquam 
avis  sine  a/is.     Optimus  orandi  magister  necessitas. 
Ta  Trady/iara  ua'Bi/uara.    Quae  nocent,  decent.    Ubi 
tentatio,  ibi  oratio.     Mala,  quae  hie  nos  premunt,  ad 
Deum  ire  compellunt.     Qai  nescit  orare,  ingrediatur 
mare."     "  When  the  string  is  most  tightly  drawn, 
it  sounds  best.    Cross  and  temptation  are  the  right 
prayer-bell.     They  are  the  press  by  which  God 
crushes  ont  the  juice  of  prayer."     CRAMER  and 
FOERSTER. 

20.  xxvi.  20.    As  God,  when  the  deluge  was 
about  to  burst,  bade  Noah  go  into  Ids  ark  as  into 
his  chamber,  and  Himself  shut  the  door  on  him 
(Gen.  vii.  16) ;  so  does  the  LORD  still  act  when 
a  storm  is  approaching;  He  brings  His  own  into 
a  chamber  where  they  can  be  safe,  either  for  their 
temporal    preservation    and    protection    against 
every  might  (Ps.  xci.  1),  or,  on  the  other  hand,  to 
give  them  repose  by  a  peaceful  and  happy  death." 
"  His  anger  endureth  but  a  moment ;  in  his  fa- 
vor is  life  (Ps.  xxx.  6)."  CRAMER. 

21.  xxvii.   1.    [''  Great    and   mighty  princes 
[nations]  if  they  oppose  the  people  of  God,  are 
in  God's  account,  as  dragons  and  serpents,  and 
plagues  of  mankind  ;  and  the  LORD  will  punish 
them  in  due  time.     They  are  too  big  for  men  to 
deal  with,  and  call  to  an  account ;  and  therefore 
the  great  God  will  take  the  doing  of  it  into  His 
own  hands."  HENRY. — D.  M.]. 

22.  xxvii.  2-5.   "It  seems  to  the  world  that 
God  has  no  concern  for  His  church  and   Chris- 
tians, else,  we  imagine,  they  would  be  better  off. 
But  certain  it  is,  that  it  is  not  the  angels  but  God 


Himself  that  will  be  watcher  over  this  vineyard, 
and  will  send  it  gracious  rain."  VEIT  DIETRICH. 
["The  church  is  a  vineyard  of  red  wine,  yielding 
the  best  and  choicest  grapes,  intimating  the  refor- 
mation of  the  church,  that  it  now  brings  forth 
good  fruit  unto  God,  whereas  before  it  brought 
forth  fruit  to  itself,  or  brought  forth  wild  grapes, 
chap.  v.  4."  "God  takes  care  (1)  of  the  safety 
of  this  vineyard  ;  /  the  Lord  do  keep  it.  He  speaks 
this,  as  glorying  in  it,  that  He  is,  and  has  under- 
taken to  be,  the  keeper  of  Israel ;  those  that 
bring  forth  fruit  to  God  are,  and  shall  be  always, 
under  His  protection.  (2)  God  takes  care  of  the 
fruitfulness  of  this  vineyard  :  /  will  water  it  every 
moment;  and  yet  it  shall  not  be  over  watered. 
We  need  the  constant  and  continual  waterings  of 
the  divine  grace;  for  if  that  be  at  any  time  with- 
drawn, we  wither  and  come  to  nothing."'  HENRY. 
D.  M.]. 

23.  xxvii.  4.   "Est  aurea  promissio,  qua  prae- 
cedentem  confirmat.     Indignatio  non  est  mihi,   furv 
is   not   in   me.      Quomodo  enim  is  nobis  irasci  po- 
test,  qui  pro  nobis  est  mortuus?     Qaanquam  igitur 
appareat,  eum  irasci,  non  tamcn  est  vcrum,  quod* 
irascatur.     Sic  Paulo  immittitur  angeius  Satanae, 
sed   non   est  ira,  nam  ipse    Christus  dic.it:   si(fficit 
tibi  gratia  mea.      Sic   pater   Jiiium   delinquentem 
castigat,    sed    non    est    ira,    quanquam    appareat 
ira   esse.     Cttstodia  igitur  vineae   aliquando  cogit 
Deum    immittere   speciern   irae,  ne  pereat   luxurie, 
sed  non   est  ira.     Est  insignis   tertus,  which  we 
should  inscribe  on  all  tribulations:  Nonestindig- 
natio  mihi,  non  possum  irasci.     Quod  autem  videtur 
irasci  est  custodia  vineae,  ne  pereas  et  fias  securus. 
LUTHER.     ''  In  order  to  understand  fully  the  doc- 
trine of  the  wrath  of  God  we  must  have  a  clear 
perception  of  the  antithesis:  the  long-suffering 
of  God,  and  the  wrath  of  God,  wrath  and  mercy." 
LANGE. 

24.  xxvii.  7-9.    "  Christ  judges   His   church, 
t.  e.,  He  punishes  and  afflicts  it,  but  He  does  this 
in  measure.     The  sorrow  and  cross  is  meted  out, 
and  is  not,  as  it  appears  to  us,  without  measure 
and  infinite.     It  is  so  measured  that  redemption 
must  certainly  follow.     But  why  does  God  let  His 
Christians  so  suffer?     Why  does  He  not  lay  the 
cross  on  the  wicked  ?     God  answers  this  question 
and  speaks:  the  sin  of  Jacob  will  thereby  cease. 
That  is  :  God  restrains  sin  by  the  cross,  and  sub- 
dues the  old  Adam."  VEIT  DIETRICH. 

25.  xxvii.    13.     [''  The    application    of    this 
verse  to  a  future  restoration  of  the  Jews  can  nei- 
ther be  established  nor  disproved.     In  itself  con- 
sidered, it  appears  to  contain  nothing  which  may 
not  be  naturally  applied  to  events  long  past."  J. 
A.ALEXANDER.  —  ''This   prediction   was  com- 
pletely and  entirely  fulfilled  by  the  return  of  the 
Jews  to  their  own  country  under  the  decree  of 
Cyrus."  BARNES. — D.  M.]. 

HOMILETICAL   AND   PRACTICAL. 

1.  On  xxiv.  4-6.  Fast-day  sermon.  Warning 
against  dechristianization  of  the  life  of  the  people. 
1)  Wherein  such  dechristianization  consists:  a, 
transgression  of  the  commandments  that  are  in 
force;  b,  alteration  of  the  commandments  which 
are  essential  articles  of  the  everlasting  covenant, 
as  e.  g.  removing  of  all  state  institutions  from  the 
basis  of  religion.  2)  Its  consequences:  a,  Dese- 


CHAP.  XXVIII.  1-13. 


301 


cration  of  the  land  (subjectively,  by  the  spread  of 
a  profane,  godless  sentiment;  objectively,  by  the 
secularization  of  relations  hitherto  held  sacred) ; 
6,  the  curse  consumes  the  land,  ver.  4. 

'2.  On  xxv.  1-5.  The  LORD,  the  refuge  of  the 
needy.  1)  lie  has  the  power  to  help.  This  we 
perceive  a,  from  His  nature  (LORD,  God,  Won- 
derful) ;  b,  from  His  deed?  (ver.  1  6,  ver.  2).  2) 
He  gives  His  strength  even  to  the  feeble,  (ver. 
4).  3)  These  are  thereby  victorious,  (ver.  5). 

3.  On  xxv.  0-9.  Easter  Sermon,  by  T.  SCHAEF- 
FER  (Manch  Gab.  u.  ein  Geist  III.,  p.  269) : — 
"  The  glorious  Easter-blessing  of  the  Kisen  One : 
1)  Wherein  it  consists?  2)  who  receive  it?  3) 
what  are  ils  effects  ?  Christmas  Sermon,  by  ROM- 
BERG  (ibid.  1869,  p.  78):  Our  text  represents  to 
us  Christmas  joy  under  the  image  of  a  festive 
board.  Let  us  consider,  1)  the  host;  2)  the 
guests  ;  3)  the  gifts." 


4.  On    xxvi.    1-4.      Concerning  the  church. 
1)  She  is  a  strong  city  in  which  salvation  is  to 
be  found.     2)  The  condition  of  having  a  portion 
in  her  is  faith.     3)  The  blessing  which  she  is  in- 
strumental in  procuring  is  peace. 

5.  xxvi.  19-21.     The  comfort  of  the  Christian 
for  the  present  and  future.     1)  For  the  present 
the  Christian  is  to  betake  himself  to  his  quiet 
chamber,  where  he  is  alone  with   his   LORD  and 
by  Him  made  cheerful  and  secure.     2)  For  the 
future  he  has  the  certain  hope,  a,  that  the  LORD 
will  judge  the  wicked,  6,  raise  the  believer  to  ever- 
lasting life. 

6.  xxvii.    2-9.      How   the  LORD    deals   with 
His   vineyard,  the   church.     1)  Fury  is  not  in 
Him  towards  it ;  2)  He  protects  and  purifies  it ; 
3)  He  gives  it  strength,  peace  and   growlii  ;  4) 
He  chastens  it  in  measure;    5)  He   makes    the 
chastisement  itself  serve  to  purge  it  from  sins. 


THIRD  SUBDIVISION. 

THE  RELATION  OF  ISRAEL  TO  ASSYRIA  IN  THE  TIME  OF  KING  HEZEKIAH. 

CHAPS.  XXVIII.— XXXIII. 


As  chapters  vii. — xii.,  resting  on  the  facts  re- 
lated vii.  1  sqq.,  contain  the  first  great  cycle  of 
Isaiah's  prophecies,  so  our  chapters  (xxviii. — 
xxxiii.),  which  have  for  their  basis  the  facts  nar- 
rated in  the  historical  appendix  (xxxvi.-xxxvii.) 
contain  the  second  great  cycle.  Chapters  vii. — 
xii.  depict  the  relation  of  Israel  to  Assyria  in  the 
time  of  Ahaz.  Our  chapters  set  forth  this  rela- 
tion as  it  stood  in  the  time  of  Hezekiah.  As  the 
sin  of  Ahaz  consisted  in  his  seeking  protection 
against  Aram-Ephraim  not  in  the  LORD,  but  in 
Assyria,  so  Hezekiah  erred  in  seeking  protection 
against  Assyria,  that  had  become  a  scourge 
through  Ahab's  guilt,  not  in  the  LORD,  but  in 
Egypt.  Hezekiah,  the  otherwise  pious  king, 
must  have  been  weak  enough  to  yield  so  far  to 
the  influence  of  those  around  him,  as  to  sanction 
a  policy  which  aimed  at  concluding  a  league  with 
Egypt,  as  the  infallible  means  of  deliverance. 
Isaiah  now  in  chapters  xxviii. — xxxiii.  assails 
with  all  his  might  this  Egyptian  alliance,  which 
the  government  of  Hezekiah,  knowing  it  to  be 
contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  was  seeking  behind 
the  back  of  the  Prophet  to  bring  about  with  all 
diplomatic  skill,  and  at  great  sacrifices  of  money 
and  property.  He  follows  it  from  its  rise  through 
all  stages  of  its  development.  He  leads  us,  chap, 
xxviii.,  to  its  source.  The  Prophet  assigns  as  its 
aourcs  a  swamp,  if  we  may  employ  a  figure  ;  the 
swamp  of  low  carnal  passion  for  drink.  From 
this  swamp  the  policy  had  already  issued  which 
Ephraim  was  pursuing  to  its  destruction.  From 
this  swamp  too  the  disposition  was  produced  which 
led  Judah  to  contemn  the  admonitions  of  the 
LORD,  and  to  place  wicked  confidence  in  its  own 
carnal  prudence  (xxviii.  14  sq.).  In  chap.  xxix. 
the  Prophet  lets  it  be  clearly  perceived  that  the 
secret  plotting  behind  his  back  did  not  remain 
concealed  from  him  (xxix.  15  sqq.).  But  it  is 
not  till  chap.  xxx.  that  he  plainly  declares  (ver. 


2  sqq.)  that  those  secret  machinations  were  with 
a  view  to  an  alliance  with  Egypt  But  he  certi- 
fies at  once  by  a  written  declaration  (ver.  8),  that 
this  Egyptian  alliance  will  be  of  no  benefit.  The 
LORD  only  will  deliver  Israel.  He  will  certainly 
do  it.  In  chaps,  xxxi.  and  xxxii.,  which  belong 
together,  the  LORD  proclaims  the  vanity  of  Egyp- 
tian succor.  Assyria  will  not  fall  by  the  sword 
of  a  man  (xxxi.  8),  but  the  LORD  will  overturn 
it;  and  to  this  promise  of  the  impending  deliver- 
ance of  Israel  from  Assyrian  oppression  the  Pro- 
phet immediately  attaches  a  glorious  picture  of 
the  future,  which,  while  it  praises  the  truly  noble 
disposition  of  those  high  in  rank  in  the  Messianic 
time,  is  very  severe  on  the  existing  aristocracy, 
composed  of  the  nobility  and  of  public  functiona- 
ries ;  and  at  the  same  time  (as  in  chap,  iii.)  ad- 
dresses with  an  impressive  warning  the  women 
who  have  great  influence,  and  occupy  high  posi- 
tions. Finally  (xxxiii.),  the  Prophet  speaks  di- 
rectly to  Assyria  in  order  to  announce  its  speedy 
and  sudden  destruction.  This  last  chapter  con- 
tains matter  which  is  for  the  most  partof  a  joyful 
character  for  Israel.  It  has  a  dark  side  for  the 
people  of  the  LORD  only  so  far  as  it  sets  forth 
that  the  predicted  glorious  deliverance  will  make 
a  disagreeable  impression  on  the  sinners  in  Is- 
rael, who  desire  to  know  nothing  of  Jehovah. 
Although  therefore  ehaps.  xxviii. — xxxiii.  are 
arranged  according  to  a  certain  plan,  they  do  not 
form  one  connected  speech.  There  are  rather 
five  speeches  delivered  at  different  times,  each  of 
which  in  itself  forms  a  whole,  while  each  pre- 
sents a  complete  picture  of  what  the  Prophet  be- 
held, embracing  threatening  and  promise.  We 
have  here  to  remark  that  the  Prophet  always 
draws  the  most  remote  Messianic  future  into  the 
sphere  of  his  vision,  though  he  does  so  every  time 
from  a  different  point  of  view.  The  first  speech 
must  have  been  composed  before  the  destruction 


302 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


of  Samaria  (722  B.  C.),  for  it  addresses  Samaria 
as  yet  standing.  Nay,  more,  as  Samaria  is  seen 
flourishing  in  all  her  pride,  and  her  inhabitants 
indulge  their  evil  passions  without  fear  or  re- 
straint, the  speech  must  have  been  written  before 
the  commencement  of  the  three  years'  siege  of 
Samaria  by  the  Assyrians,  say  in  the  year  725, 
and  therefore  in  the  commencement  of  the  reign 
of  Hezekiah.  Chap.  xxix.  belongs  to  a  later  time. 
In  ver.  1  the  Prophet  declares  that  the  city  of 
Jerusalem  should  be  shut  in.  He  can  only  mean 
that  isolation  of  the  city  in  regard  to  which  Sen- 
nacherib states  in  his  inscriptions  (comp.  SCHRA- 
DER,  pp.  170  and  187),  that  he  had  enclosed  He- 
zekiah "as  a  bird  in  a  cage."  This  event,  ac- 
cording to  the  usual  chronology,  happened  in  the 
year  714,  while  according  to  the  Assyrian  mon- 
uments (comp.  SCIIRADER,  Cuneiform  Inscriptions, 
p.  299,  and  our  Introduction  to  chaps,  xxxvi. — 
xxxix.),  it  took  place  in  the  year  700.  As  this 
difference,  as  we  will  attempt  to  show  in  the  in- 
troduction to  chaps,  xxxvi.— xxxix.,  was  occa- 
sioned by  a  misunderstanding  of  later  writers, 
there  being  originally  no  disagreement  between 
the  biblical  and  Assyrian  chronology,  but  both 
originally  agreeing  in  referring  the  expedition 
of  Sennache/ib  against  Phenicia,  Egypt  and  Ju- 
dah  to  the  28th  year  of  Hezekiah,  i.  e.,  the  year 
700  B.  C.,  the  speech  contained  in  chapter  xxix. 
would  consequently  have  been  delivered  about 
the  year  702.  We  have  an  aid  to  fixing  the  date 
in  the  words  ver.  1 :  ''  Add  year  to  year,  let  the 
festivals  complete  their  round."  According  to 
our  exposition  the  Prophet  intimates  by  these 
words  that  after  the  expiration  of  the  current  year 
another  year  should  complete  its  revolution,  and 
then  the  hour  of  decision  should  arrive.  That  at 
this  time  the  Egyptian  alliance  had  been  already, 
as  is  hinted  in  ver.  15,  arranged  to  a  considerable 
extent  in  secret  consultations,  is  extremely  pro- 
bable. And  when  we  find,  xxx.  2  sqq.,  the  Jew- 
ish Ambassadors  already  on  the  way  to  Egypt, 


and  hear,  xxxi.  1  sqq.,  the  futility  of  Egyptian 
help  again  emphatically  asserted,  and  then  read 
xxxii.  10  that,  after  an  indefinite  number  of  days 
above  a  year  had  expired,  Jerusalem  should  be 
cut  off  from  its  fields  and  vineyards  by  the  enemy, 
we  may  draw  from  all  this  the  conclusion,  that 
chaps,  xxx. — xxxii.  were  produced  not  long  after 
chap.  xxix.  But  when  we  read,  xxxiii.  7  sqq., 
that  the  ambassadors  of  peace  sent  by  Hezekiah 
return  in  sorrow,  because  the  Assyrian  king  in 
addition  to  the  great  ransom  (2  Kings  xviii.  14 
sqq.)  demands  the  surrender  of  the  city  itself; 
when  that  passage  describes  the  occupation  of  the 
surrounding  country  by  the  enemy,  in  conse- 
quence of  which  Judah  (xxxiii.  23)  is  compared 
with  a  ship  whose  ropes  no  longer  keep  the  mast 
firm,  when  at  last  the  LORD,  xxxiii.  10,  exclaims 
"  Now  will  I  rise ;  now  will  I  be  exalted ;  now 
will  I  lift  up  myself,"  we  shall  not  err  in  assuming 
that  this  prophecy  belongs  to  the  time  immedi- 
ately after  the  return  of  those  ambassadors  of 
peace,  and  was  therefore  uttered  shortly  before 
the  summons  given  to  Hezekiah  by  Rabshakeh. 
Each  of  the  five  speeches  of  our  prophetic  cycle 
begins  with  MH.  From  the  absence  of  'in  at  the 
beginning  of  chap,  xxxii.,  as  well  as  from  the 
tenor  of  this  chapter,  we  see  that  it  forms  with 
chap.  xxxi.  one  whole.  '1H  is  found  once,  xxix. 
15,  even  in  the  middle  of  the  discourse. 

That  Isaiah  is  the  writer  of  these  speeches  is 
almost  universally  admitted.  The  doubts  which 
were  raised  by  Eichhorn  in  regard  to  separate 
parts,  were  seen  by  GESENIUS  to  be  unfounded 
(Comment.  I.  2,  p.  826  y  ;  and  EWALD'S conjecture 
as  to  the  composition  of  chap,  xxxiii.  by  a  dis- 
ciple of  Isaiah,  has  been  sufficiently  refuted  by 
KNOBEI,. 

We  have  not  in  the  section  before  us  one  or- 
ganic discourse,  but  five  speeches,  which  from  the 
initial  word  common  to  all  of  them  we  shall  de- 
signate as  first  woe,  second  woe,  etc. 


I.— THE  FIRST  WOE. 

CHAP.  XXVIII. 

1.    SWAMP  EPHEAIM,  SWAMP  JUDAH,  AND  WHAT  ARISES  OUT  OF  THE  SWAMPS. 

CHAP.  XXVIII.  1-13. 

1  WOE  to  the  crown  of  pride,  ato  the  drunkards  of  Ephraim, 
Whose  glorious  beauty  is  a  fading  flower, 

Which  are  on  the  head  of  the  fat  Valleys 
Of  them  that  are  'overcome  with  wine. 

2  Behold,  the  LORD  hath  a  mighty  and  strong  one ; 
Which,  as  a  tempest  of  hail, 

And  a  destroying  storm, 

As  a  flood  of  mighty  waters  overflowing, 

Shall  cast  down  to  the  earth  with  the  hand. 

3  The  crown  of  pride.  °the  drunkards  of  Ephraim, 
Shall  be  trodden  *under  feet. 

4  And  the  glorious  beauty  which  is  on  the  head  of  the  fat  valley, 
Shall  be  a  fading  flower, 

And  as  the  dhasty  fruit  before  the  summer; 


CHAP.  XXVIII.  1-13.  303 


Which,  when  he  that  looketh  upon  it  seeth, 
While  it  is  yet  in  his  hand  he  'eateth  it  up. 

5  In  that  day  shall  the  LORD  of  hosts  be  for  a  crown  of  glory, 
Arid  for  a  diadem  of  beauty,  unto  the  residue  of  his  people, 

6  And  for  a  spirit  of  judgment  to  him  that  sitteth  in  judgment, 
And  for  strength  to  them  that  turn  the  battle  to  the  gate. 

7  But  they  also  have  erred  through  wine, 

And  through  strong  drink  are  out  of  the  way  ; 

The  priest  and  the  prophet  have  erred  through  strong  drink ; 

They  are  swallowed  up  of  wine, 

They  are  out  of  the  way  through  strong  drink ; 

They  err  in  vision,  they  stumble  in  judgment. 

8  For  all  tables  are  full  of  vomit  and  filthiness, 
So  that  there  is  no  place  clean. 

9  Whom  shall  he  teach  knowledge  ? 

And  whom  shall  he  make  to  understand  Moctrine? 
Them  that  are  weaned  from  the  emilk, 
And  drawn  from  the  fbreasts. 

10  For  precept  *rnust  be  upon  precept,  precept  upon  precept ; 
Line  upon  line,  line  upon  line ; 

Here  a  little,  and  there  a  little  : 

11  For  with  "stammering  lips  and  another  tongue, 
'Will  he  speak  to  this  people. 

12  To  whom  he  said, 

This  is  the  rest  wherewith  ye  may  cause  the  weary  to  rest ; 
And  this  is  the  refreshing  ; 
Yet  they  would  not  hear. 

13  But  the  word  of  the  LORD  gwas  unto  them 
Precept  upon  precept,  precept  upon  precept ; 
Line  upon  line,  line  upon  line  ; 

Here  a  little,  and  there  a  little; 

That  they  might  go,  and  fall  backward, 

And  be  broken,  and  snared,  and  taken. 

1  Hob.  broken.  2  Heb.  with  feet.  8  Heb.  swalloweth.  *  Heb.  the  hearing. 

*  Or,  hat h  been.  *  Heb.  stammerings  of  lips.       7  Or,  he  hath  spoken. 

*  of  the  drunkards  of  Ephraim.        b  vallejt.  °  of  the  drunkards  of  Ephraim. 

*  early  tig.  *  followed  by  note  of  interrogation.     {  followed  by  note  of  interrogation. 
i  thail  come. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 
.  would  be  here  ab- 
normal, inasmuch  as  nothing  can  come  between  the 


Ver.  1.  13J  V'X  as  subst-  cum  adJ-  would  be  here  ab"  Hcbrew  lanSuaS«  an  ideal  subject  can  be  readily  under- 
stood. The  proud  crown  is  Samaria.  But  this  one  great 
crown  includes  many  smaller  ones.  The  plural  can  be 
referred  to  this  ideal  multitude  (comp.  NAEGELSBACH'B 


would  be  73311  imK3n  n32f    "•'  But  we  know  from 


i.  30  and  xxxiv.  4,  that  Isaiah  uses  the  participle  of  73J 


tives.    Comp.  on  7.33  fW¥  ver.  4.    The  absolute  state 
need  cause  no  surprise.    The  word  does  not 


Gr.,  S.  01,  1).  [It  appears  to  me  simpler  to  say  with  tho 
Jewish  grammarians  that  the  word  crown  is  to  be  taken 

here  as  a  collective  noun.— D.  M.l.    In  ver.  4  rWll  looks 
substantively  in  the  signification  of  that  which  is  with- 
ered, falling  off.    We  have  then  to  regard  733  here  not 

„   ,     ,  already  remarked  on  ver.  1  that  733  is  to  be  taken  as 

as  an  adjective  qualifying  !"¥,  but  as  a  substantive  co- 

,,         .      substantive.    If  this  could  be  seen  from  the  mere  gram- 

ordinate  with  the  other  members  in  the  series  of  geni- 

matical  construction,  and  from  the  parallel  places,  i.  30  ; 
xxxiv.  4,  it  is  obvious  from  the  word  r\i"¥.  For  we 
clearly  perceive  from  this  nominal  form  which  occurs 
only  here,  and  which  is  certainly  intentionally  chosen, 

stand  in  the  gcnitival  relation  to  what  follows.    But  two 

genitives  are  dependent  on  t^frO,  namely,  D'JDU'  N'3 
and  f"  <lD17ri-  [We  prefer  to  say  with  DELITZSCH  that 
Q*  3Q$,  although  standing  connected  with  what  follows, 
has  the  absolute  form,  the  logical  relation  carrying  it 
over  the  syntax.  Comp.  xxxii.  13;  1  Chron.  ix.  13.— 
D.  M.]. 

Ver.  3.  The  verb  TUDO^H  in  the  plural  has  no  ex- 
pressed subject.    This  is  not  necessary.    For  in  the 


as  a  hint  for  the  right  understanding  of  73J.    We  hs 


that  73J  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  substantive,  and  as  a  co- 
ordinate member  of  the  series  of  genitives. 
Ver.  7.    p1£J,  Kal,  only  here.    Besides  only   Hiphil 

Iviii.  10.    iTT/S  (accus.  loci)  only  here.    Comp.  xvi.  3; 
Job  xxxi.  28. 

Ver.  9.  On  the  preposition  between  the  governing  and 
the  governed  noun,  see  NAEGELSEACH'S  Gr.,  $  63,  4  c. 


Ver.  12.  KOX  for  13K  comp.  OLSHAUSEN'S  Gr.,  $  226, 

T  T 

6,  p.  449  sq. 


304 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1  Samaria  is  still  standing  in  proud  pomp,  but 
sunk  in  the  vice  of  drunkenness.  Therefore  the 
Prophet  proclaims  a  woe  upon  it  (ver.  1),  and 
announces  that  a  mighty  foe  as  a  tempest  will 
cast  it  to  the  ground  (ver.  2),  and  tread  the  proud 
crown  under  foot  (ver.  3).  Then  shall  this  glo- 
ricus  hut  already  decaying  flower  quickly  disap- 
pear, as  an  early  fig  which  a  man  no  sooner  sees 
than  he  eats  it  (ver.  4).  Not  till  then  is  the  mo- 
ment come  when  the  LORD  Himself  will  be  to  the 
remnant  of  His  people  for  an  adorning  crown, 
and  for  a  guiding  spirit  in  judgment,  and  for 
strength  in  war  (vers.  5  and  6).  With  Jerusalem 
it  stands  no  better  than  with  Samaria.  There, 
too,  the  vice  of  drunkenness  prevails  fearfully. 
Even  priests  and  prophets  are  under  its  sway. 
Even  in  the  sacred  moments  of  prophetic  vision 
[  ?  ]  and  of  judging,  its  effects  are  visible  on  them ; 
the  holy  places  are  polluted  by  their  vomiting 
(vers.  7  and  8).  And,  moreover,  they  mock  the 
servant  of  Jehovah  who  warns  them  :  Whom 
does  he  think  that  he  has  before  him?  Are  they 
mere  children  ?  (ver.  9).  We  hear  from  him  con- 
tinually trifling  moral  preaching,  broken  into  lit- 
tle bits,  which  are  scoffingly  imitated  by  short, 
oft-repeated  words,  which  resemble  stammering 
sounds  (ver.  10).  For  this  they  will  have  to  hear 
the  stammering  sounds  of  a  foreign  nation  of  bar- 
barous speech  (ver.  11).  Because  they  would  not 
hear  the  word  of  Jehovah  which  offered  rest  and 
comfort  to  the  weary  (ver.  12),  the  will  of  God 
will  be  made  known  to  them  in  words,  which  in 
Bound  resemble  their  scornful  words,  but  in  im- 
port are  short,  sharp  words  of  command.  That 
will  of  God  has  this  significance,  that  they  will 
be  ensnared  in  inextricable  ruin. 
2  Woe —  — eatethitup. — Vers.  1-i.  It  is  no 
honor  for  Jerusalem,  when  it  is  said  to  her  that 
she  walks  in  the  footsteps  of  Samaria.  Jerusalem 
should  be  ashamed  of  this  likeness,  and  seek  to 
remove  it.  This  is,  doubtless,  the  reason  why  the 
Prophet  first  directs  his  look  to  Samaria  in  order 
to  describe  the  there  prevailing  vice  of  literal 
(and  in  connection  therewith  of  spiritual)  drunk- 
enness, and  to  threaten  it  with  punishment  from 
God.  Thence  his  look  passes  over  to  Jerusalem. 
Micah  hud  before  Isaiah  done  just  the  same.  In 
chap.  i.  6  sq.  Micah  first  of  all  threatens  Samaria 
with  judgment,  although  '*  Judah  and  Jerusalem 
were  the  proper  objects  of  his  mission  "  (comp. 
CASPARI,  Micah  the  Morasthite,  p.  105).  Isaiah 
himself  had  once  already  (viii.  6  sqq.)  announced 
that  the  storm  of  judgment  would  first  come  upon 
Ephraim,  and  thence  spread  into  the  territory  of 
Judah.  This  way  of  the  judgments  of  God  is  not 
determined  simply  by  the  geographic  situation. 
There  is  also  a  deeper  reason  when  Jerusalem 
goes  in  the  ways  of  Samaria.  On  ""in  comp.  on 
i.  4.  moy  besides  only  Ixii.  3.  On  mw  comp. 
on  xxvi.  10.  "j"2f  stands  in  conjunction  with  ^33 
besides  only  xl.  7  and  8.  On  irnNSfl  ^S  eomp. 
on  iv.  2;  xiii.  19.  This  proud  crown  of 
Ephra'.m,  this  flower  of  his  glorious  orna- 
ment which  lay  upon  the  head  of  the  val- 
ley of  fatnesses  (comp.  v.  1 ;  xxv.  6)  i.  e.,  on 
a  beautiful  hill  commanding  a  fertile  valley,  is 


Samaria  (1  Kings  xvi.  24 ;  Amos  iv.  1 ;  vi.  1). 
I'.l  "V?'  ~  (comp.  xvi.  8)  are  vino  obtusi,  percussi. 
Compare  Qai  se  percussit  flore  Liberi,  Plant.  Caa. 
3,  5,  16 ;  multo  percussus  tempora  Eaccho,  Tib.  1,  2, 
3 ;  mero  saucius  Mart.,  3,  6,  8 ;  oi^oTr/b/f,  oli>6- 
•JTAT/KTOC.,  etc.  Two  images  are  here  blended ; 
namely,  that  Samaria  is  the  crown  of  the  hill,  and 
the  crown  or  garland  on  the  head  of  the  Ephraim- 
ites.  The  accumulation  of  predicates  shows  off 
the  vain-glorious  pride  of  the  Ephraimites  ;  and 

at  the  same  time  it  is  intimated  by  ^J   "("¥  and 

V  'Dl/n  tyKI  /y  that  this  garland,  this  crown 
will  not  endure  long.  For  the  garland  is  with- 
ered, and  the  crown  totters  upon  the  head  of  the 
drunkards.  For  the  avenger  of  this  drunken 
pride  is  already  prepared.  The  LORD  has  him 
at  hand  (ii.  12).  He  is  the  Assyrian.  He  will 
overturn  to  the  ground  (Amos  v.  7)  Ephraim's 
glory  with  his  hand  (T2  stands  over  against 

the  following  D*7J13),  as  a  storm  of  hail  (xxv. 
4;  xxx.  30),  as  a  shower  of  destruction 

p>'i?  and  2Dp  only  here  in  Isaiah),  as  the  rush- 
ing of  mighty  waterfloods  p'33  only  Job 
viii.  2  ;  xv.  10;  xxxi.  25;  xxxiv.  17,  24;  xxxvi. 
5  bis  and  Isa.  x.  13;  xvi.  14;  xvii.  12,  and  in 
this  place;  rpt?,  vers.  15,  17,  18;  chap.  viii.  7 
sq.,  10,  22;  xxx.  28;  xliii.  2;  Ixvi.  12).  The 
meaning  is  that  Ephraim,  when  standing,  shall  he 
dashed  to  the  ground  with  the  hand  ;  when  lying, 
shall  be  trodden  with  the  feet.  Ver.  4.  Tee 
flower  of  the  fading  one  is  like  the  expres- 
sion tttpH  ^3  xxii.  24.  This  flower  will  be  de- 

IT  IT-       ••  : 

stroyed  as  quietly  as  an  early  fig,  which  is  no 
sooner  seen  than  it  is  eaten  off-hand  by  him  who 
discovers  it.  Such  a  dainty  morsel  (comp.  ix. 
10)  is  not  laid  by,  as  the  other  fruits  which  ripen 
at  the  usual  time,  which  are  afterwards  eaten  at 
table  out  of  the  dish  or  off  the  plate.  This  is  the 
meaning  of  mi>?3.  The  intentionally  lengthened 
sentence  HniK  HXin  njO'  paints  how  the  inqui- 
ring look  passes  slowly  and  gradually  over  the 
tree.  The  Prophet  predicts  not  a  hasty  capture 
of  the  city  (Samaria,  as  is  known,  did  not  fall  till 
after  a  siege  of  three  years,  2  Kings  xvii.  5; 
SCIIRADER,  The  Cuneiform  Inscriptions  and  the  O. 
T.,  p.  157  sqq.),  but  a  change  of  affairs  in  general, 
which  should  take  place  in  a  surprisingly  brief 
time,  considering  the  proud  security  that  then 
prevailed.  If  our  prophecy  was  delivered  in  one 
of  the  first  years  of  Hezekiah,  it  was  fulfilled  in 
such  a  manner  that  four  or  five  years  later  a  king- 
dom of  Israel  was  no  longer  in  existence.  Of  this 
no  one  could  have  had  a  presentiment  when  the 
Prophet  uttered  these  words. 

3  In  that  day to  the  gate. — Vers.  5  and  6. 

It  is  self-evident  that  N1H  DV3  is  again  to  be  taken 
as  a  prophetic  date,  which  is  not  to  be  judged  ac- 
cording to  the  ordinary  human  measure.  It  sim- 
ply intimates  that  when  Ephraim  has  lost  the  de- 
ceptive earthly  crown,  Jehovah  will  take  the 
place  of  it.  Judgment  must  make  it  possible  for 
the  LORD  to  assume  the  place  at  the  head  of  His 
people  which  belongs  to  Him.  This  has  virtually 


CHAP.  XXVIII.  1-13. 


and  in  principle  taken  place,  as  soon  as  judgment 
has  done  its  work.  But  when  and  how  this  coro- 
nation will  be  outwardly  exhibited,  is  known  to 
God  only.  But  although  it  should  not  happen 
till  after  thousands  of  years,  still  the  word  of  the 
LORD  is  true,  and  faith  may  console  itself  with  it 
in  patience.  I^J?  "I  XI?  is  to  be  referred  neither 
to  the  Israelites  left  in  the  land  after  the  carrying 
away  of  the  ten  tribes,  nor  to  the  tribes  of  the 
kingdom  of  Judah,  but  to  the  total  remnant  pri- 
marily of  Israel,  of  which  those  carried  captive, 
yea,  all  who  are  still  of  the  seed  of  Israel,  form  a 
part.  For  the  Prophet  here  speaks  first  of  all  of 
Ephraim.  This  brief  word  of  promise,  vers.  5 
and  6,  makes,  moreover,  the  impression  as  if  the 
Prophet  would  herewith  let  Israel  have  his  defi- 
nite and  complete  portion  of  threatening  and  pro- 
mise. For  in  what  follows  he  refers  to  Judah 
only.  But  it  is  obvious,  that  Ephraim  is  included 
in  the  promises  which  are  given  to  the  remnant 
of  all  Israel  (comp.  on  iv.  2  sqq.  ;  vi.  13  ;  vii.  3; 
x.  20  sqq.).  The  expression  O¥  mD>«  is  found 
only  here.  We  frequently  meet  with  rHXDH  r\~\&y 
(Prov.  iv.  9  ;  xvi.  31  ;  Isa.  Ixii.  3  ;  Jer.  xiii.  18  ; 
Ezek.  xvi.  12  ;  xxiii.  42).  But  Isaiah  has  here 
preferred  for  the  sake  of  the  assonance  to  join 
mX2n  with  the  term  TTT'SX  (from  ~13¥  in  orbem 
ivil,  orbiculus,  hoop,  diadem,  besides  only  Ezek. 
vii.  7,  10).  But  Jehovah  will  be  not  only  the 
source  of  the  highest  honor  for  His  people,  but 
also  the  source  of  the  wisdom  and  strength  so 
much  wanted  in  the  present  time.  Jehovah  Him- 
self, who  is  one  with  His  Spirit,  will  fill  the  judges 
as  a  spirit  of  judgment.  (Comp.  iv.  4  ;  comp.  xi. 
1  and  1  Kings  xxii.  22).  DS^DH  h?  1VT  can 
mean  to  sit  over  a  forensic  cause  as  over  the  ob- 
ject submitted  to  the  judge,  and  we  may  compare 


such  places  as  1  Sam.  xxv.   13 

Or    /y  stands  in  a  modified  signification  equiva- 

lent to  '#  (7),  and  such  places  as  1  Sam.  xx.  24 


and  Ps.  xxix.  10  31T 
may  be  compared,  7  is  wanting  before  "J^rD. 
The  7  which  stands  in  the  corresponding  SB'V  v 
is  to  be  regarded  as  carrying  its  force  over  to  this 
clause.  (Comp.  xxx.  1  ;  xlviii.  17  ;  Ixi.  7).  To 
turn  back  the  war  towards  the  gate  is  to 
be  understood  of  the  repulse  of  the  enemy  either 
to  the  gate  through  which  he  entered,  or  back 
even  to  the  enemy's  own  gate.  (2  Sam.  xi.  23; 
2  Kings  xviii.  8  ;  1  Maccab.  v.  22.) 

4.  But  they  also  have  erred  -  no  place 
clean.  —  Vers.  7,  8.    The  Prophet  now  turns  from 

Samaria  to  Jerusalem.  With  f"nX  he  points  to  his 
own  countrymen  in  particular.  They,  too,  are 
seized  by  a  spirit  of  giddiness  which  arises  from  the 
fearfully  prevailing  vice  of  literal  drunkenness. 
The  Prophet  ingeniously  depicts  the  extent  and 
intensity  of  this  vice,  through  the  accumulation 
of  words  related  in  form  :  Shayu  —  ta-u,  —  shagu  — 
ta-u,  sharju—paku.  We  hear  and  see  as  it  were 
the  reeling  and  staggering  of  the  drunken  com- 
pany. T"UE/,  to  reel,  is  used  only  here  by  Isaiah, 
•"U'fi  of  a  drunken  person,  also  xix.  14  comp. 
xxi.  4.  How  fearfully  the  vice  of  drunkenness 
had  sprs.d  is  seen  from  the  fact  that  even  priests 
20 


and  Prophets  were  addicted  to  it,  and  that  not 
only  in  their  private  life;  but  they  even  per- 
formed their  official  functions  in  a  "state  of  in- 
toxication. This  is  strictly  forbidden  in  the  law. 
Lev.  x.  8,  9  (comp.  Ezek.  xliv.  21).  The  ex- 
pression pn-jD  IJHSJ  occurs  only  here.  It  does 
not  mean  that  they  in  consequence  of  drinking 
wine  have  been  swallowed  up  one  of  another.  }p 
does  not  here  mark  what  is  mediately  or  re- 
motely causal ;  but  it  denotes  the  immediate 
cause.  The  wine  itself  has  swallowed  up  those  who 
greedily  swallowed  it  (comp.  ver.  4).  Not  only 
has  the  carouser  the  fit  of  intoxication,  but  the  fit 
of  intoxication  has  him.  >'tp  stands  only  here 
f°r  "^  (Gen.  xvi.  13  ;  1  Sam.  xvi.  12  et  saepe) 

as  H?n  vers.  15  for  rHTH.    Even  in  such  moments 

T 

when  they  should  be  under  the  influence  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  alone,  they  are  by  a  blasphemous 
perversion  under  the  influence  of  the  spirit  of 
alcohol.  Not  less  wicked  is  it  when  judges,  who 
should  speak  judgment  in  the  name  and  Spirit 
of  God  (Exod.  xviii.  15  sq. ;  Dent.  i.  17;  xix. 
17 ;  2  Chron.  xix.  6),  appear  governed  by  that 
infernal  spirit  while  performing  this  sacred  func- 
tion. That  pronouncing  judgment  in  the  highest 
instance  pertained  to  a  priestly  tribunal,  may  be 
seen  from  Deut.  xvii.  8  sqq.  Comp.  xix.  17  ; 
HERZOG,  R.-Encyd.  V.  p.  58.  The  wickedness, 
therefore,  of  these  priestly  judges  appears  BO 
much  the  greater.  For  they  sit  in  a  commission 
that  has  not  trifling  matters,  but  the  most  diffi- 
cult and  important  causes  to  decide.  Every  one 
may  convince  himself  that  the  Prophet  has  not 
said  too  much  of  the  drunkenness  of  those  people, 
who  will  take  the  trouble  to  visit  the  places 
where  they  sit.  He  will  find  there  palpable 
traces  of  it ;  all  tables  full  of  filthy  vomit 
/fcTp  xix.  14  vomit,  HXlf  from  Ki"  excrementa, 
sordes,  dirt,  iv.  4;  xxxvi.  12),  and  consequently, 

no  place  to  sit  on,  or  to  lay  anything  (*73  espe- 
cially frequent  in  Job  viii.  11  ;  xxiv.  10;  xxxi. 
S9  ;  xxxiii.  9  et  saepe;  in  Isaiah  v.  13,  14 ;  xiv. 
G;  xxxii.  10;  Dlp^  comp.  \  8). 

5.   "Whom    shall    He    teach there   a 

little.— Vers.  9  and  10.  In  theso  words  the 
Prophet  lets  his  drunken  adversaries  themselves 
come  on  the  scene.  He  makes  them  utter  scof- 
fing words,  that  he  may  give  the  same  back  to 
them  in  another  sense  as  a  threatening  of  punish- 
ment. They  are  themselves  Prophets  and  Priests, 
and  therefore  full  grown  men,  educated  men,  and 
not  children.  They,  therefore,  ask  indignantly  : 
Does  he — namely  the  Prophet  of  Jehovah — not 
know  whom  he  has  before  him  ?  To  whom  does 
he  think  that  lie  has  to  impart  right  knowledge? 
(Hjn  xi.  9).  To  whom  has  he  to  .give  undcr- 
slanding  by  his  preaching  ?  (njnotf  ver.  19  and 
besides  only  liii.  1,  in  the  signification^  "  preach- 
ing, announcement "  =  the  Greek  a/coi?  Rom.  x. 
If}'  17 ;  in  another  signification  Isa.  xxxvii.  7). 
Is  it  to  little  children  who  have  just  been  weaned 
from  the  milk  (xi.  8),  removed  from  _  the  breasts 
(p'JF\j7  in  this  sense  only  here  in  Isaiah)?  And 
now  the  Prophet  exhibits  them  as  ridiculing  the 
tenor  of  his  preaching  in  monosyllabic  words, 
which  by  their  sound  and  repetition  are  designed 


306 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


to  produce  merriment,  while  he  at  the  ssme  time 
turns  his  opponents  into  ridicule,  as  these  mono- 
syllabic words  admirably  represent  the  stammer- 
ing of  a  person  intoxicated.  1¥  from  !"N¥  is 
praeceptum  (besides  here  only  Hos.  v.  11);  1|5 
(comp.  ver.  17;  xviii.  2,  7  ;  xxxiv.  11,  17;  xliv. 
13)  is  cord,  measuring  cord,  direction,  rule.  They 
reproach  the  Prophet  with  bringing  forward  a 
mass  of  little  sentences,  precepts,  rules  in  weari- 
some repetition,  and  without  a  right  plan  and 
order,  here  a  little,  there  a  little  p'JPJ  besides 
Job  xxxvi.  2,  comp.  "U';p  x.  25;  xvi.  14;  xxiv. 
6;  xxix.  17).  The  contemptuous  designation 
(TTfp/wAdyof  which  the  Athenian  Philosophers 
gave  the  Apostle  Paul,  has  been  fitly  compared 
(Acts  xvii.  18). 

6.  For  with  stammering and  taken. — 

Vers.  11-13.  The  Prophet  replies  to  this  mock- 
ing speech,  and  concedes  that  it  is  to  a  certain 
extent  accurate  and  just.  For  these  scoffing 
words  will  indeed  be  spoken.  But  not  as  those 
drunkards  think.  For  ('3  ver.  11)  the  LORD 
will  speak  them  to  them  by  a  foreign  and  hostile 
people,  whose  utterances  will  be  to  them  as  stam- 
mering and  strange  jargon.  JJLH  balbutiens,  bal- 
bus,  barbarus  is  found  besides  only  Ps.  xxxv.  16. 
In  chap,  xxxiii.  19  Isaiah  uses  in  the  same  sense, 
and  likewise  of  the  Assyrian  language  the  par- 
ticiple Niphal  JjP/J.  It  is  easy  to  conceive  that  the 
Assyrian  language,  as  being  much  less  cultivated 
than  their  own,  and  having  only  the  three  funda- 
mental vowels  a,  i,  u,  made  upon  the  Israelites  the 
impression  of  being  as  the  lisping  of  children. 
What  a  Nemesis !  Because  this  people  to  whom 
the  LORD  spake  words  of  comfort  in  its  own 
mother  tongue  would  not  hear  them,  it  must  hear 
from  the  enemy's  mouth  harsh  sounds,  which 
fall  on  the  ear  like  the  scoffing  words  uttered 
against  the  Prophet,  but  have  a  quite  different 
meaning ;  for  they  are  words  of  command  in- 
tending the  destruction  of  the  vanquished  and 
captured  people.  The  words  nmjon  fixi  are 


taken  from  'Micah  ii.  10.  Micah  there  reproaches 
the  false  Prophets  with  withholding  from  the 
people  the  genuine  word  of  God,  which  is  affec- 
tionate and  kind,  ana  with  instigating  the  people 
with  lies  to  forsake  that  wherein  it  would  truly 
find  rest.  [This  is  hardly  the  sense  of  the  pas- 
sage referred  to  in  Micah.  —  D.  M.].  In  opposi- 
tion to  this  Isaiah  characterizes  the  genuine 
preaching  of  Jehovah,  by  the  words  nmjon  f\NT- 
For  justly  in  reference  to  that  of  which  the  false 
Prophets  say  nrlOsri  fitfmht  the  real  Prophet 
must  say  HTHJBn  HNI.  This  true  "  rest  of  the 
people  of  God,"  says  Isaiah,  Jehovah  has  not 
merely  shown  from  afar.  lie  has  also  com- 
manded io  put  the  weary  souls  longing  for  salva- 
tion in  possession  of  it,  (H'jn  to  procure  rest  for 
one,  xiv.  3),  and  has  offered  the  place  of  rest,  i. 
e.,  the  real  means  of  grace  and  salvation.  nniJO 
means  elsewhere,  place  of  rest  ;  but  here  I  take 
it  in  the  sense  of  rest  (comp.  Ixvi.  1)  in  opposi- 
tion to  n>'jno  the  place  of  rest  (a~.  «y.  Comp. 
Jer.  vi.  16).  Isaiah,  in  thus  referring  to  a  word 
of  his  colleague  Micah,  which  he  confirms  and 
applies,  reaches  him  here  again  the  fraternal 
hand.  The  words  appear  too  general  for  us  to 
find  any  political  allusions  in  them.  When  in 
ver.  13  the  scornful  words  of  the  Prophet's  ad- 
versaries are  employed  as  a  weapon  turned  against 
themselves,  it  seems  to  me  that  what  makes  it 
possible  to  put  them  in  the  enemies'  mouth  lies 
not  merely  in  the  effect  upon  the  ear,  in  the  re- 
semblance to  stammering  sounds,  but  in  the 
actual  meaning  also.  As  we  found  in  'pr'|1» 
xviii.  2,  7  the  meaning  of  a  short,  sharp  order, 
this  meaning  seems  still  more  to  lie  in  the  present 
place.  The  Israelites  will  hear  nothing  but  such 
short,  monosyllabic  words.  But  they  will  be 
words  full  of  meaning,  whose  effect  will  be  seen 
in  what  we  read  at  the  close  of  ver.  13.  For  to 
fall  backward  and  be  broken  and  snared 
and  taken  captive  will  be  the  doom  of  the  pre- 


sumptuous people.     Ver.  13  b,  from  , 

almost  literal  reproduction  of  viii.  15. 


2.    THE  FALSE  AND  THE  TRUE  EEFUGE. 
CHAPTER  XXVIII.  14-22. 

14  Wherefore  hear  the  word  of  the  LORD,  ye  scornful  men, 
That  rule  this  people  which  is  in  Jerusalem : 

15  Because  ye  have  said, 

We  have  made  a  covenant  with  death, 

And  with  ahell  are  we  at  agreement ; 

When  the  overflowing  scourge  shall  pass  through, 

It  shall  not  come  unto  us : 

For  we  have  made  lies  our  refuge, 

And  under  falsehood  have  we  hid  ourselves : 

16  Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  GOD, 
Behold,  I  lay  in  Zion  for  a  foundation  a  stone, 
A  tried  stone,  a  precious  corner  stone, 

A  sure  foundation : 

He  that  believeth  shall  not  bmake  haste. 


CHAP.  XXVHL  14-22. 


307 


17  Judgment  also  will  I  lay  to  the  line, 
And  righteousness  to  the  plummet  : 

And  the  hail  shall  sweep  away  the  refuge  of  lies, 
And  the  waters  shall  overflow  the  hiding-place. 

18  And  your  covenant  with  death  shall  be  disannulled, 
And  your  agreement  with  °hell  shall  not  stand  ; 
When  the  overflowing  scourge  shall  pass  through, 
Then  ye  shall  be  trodden  down  by  it. 

19  dFrom  the  time  that  it  goeth  forth  it  shall  take  you  : 
For  morning  by  morning  shall  it  pass  over, 

By  day  and  by  night  ; 

And  it  shall  be  a  vexation  only  2to  understand  the  report. 
For  the  bed  is  shorter  than  that  a  man  can  stretch  himself  on  it; 
And  the  covering  narrower  than  that  he  can  wrap  himself  in  it. 
21  For  the  LORD  shall  rise  up  as  in  mount  Perazim, 
He  shall  be  wroth  as  in  the  valley  of  Gibeon, 
That  he  may  do  his  work,  his  strange  work  ; 
And  bring  to  pass  his  act,  his  strange  act. 
Now  therefore  be  ye  not  mockers, 
Lest  your  bands  be  made  strong  ; 

For  I  have  heard  from  the  Lord  GOD  of  hosts  a  consumption, 
Even  determined  upon  the  whole  earth. 


20 


22 


1  Heb.  a  treading  down  to  it. 
»  Sheol. 


'flee. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  15.  tplty  £312?.  So  we  are  to  read  with  the  K'ri, 
1,  because  the  Kethibh^W  has  in  xxxiii.  21  the  signifi- 
cation "  oar,"  which  is  not  suitable  here  ;  2,  on  account 
of  the  assonance  with  c]£31tJ'i  which  would  otherwise  be 
lost ;  3,  because  in  ver.  13  6  there  is  a  blending  of  two 
figures  for  the  sake  of  the  alliteration.  For  01$  is  a 
scourge  (x.  26),  and  ^12^  is  to  overflow,  inundate  (comp. 
on  ver.  2).  A  scourge  when  swung  makes  a  flowing  mo- 
tion; but  it  does  not  inundate,  overflow.  Only  the  di- 
vine judgments  do  this,  and  these  for  another  reason 
can  be  called  the  scourge  of  God.  The  K'ri  "O_JT, 


z  Or,  when  he  shall  make  you  to  understand  doctrine. 
«  Sheol.  d  as  often  as. 

GRAMMATICAL. 

which  is  both  supported  and  discountenanced  by  ver. 
18,  is  anyhow  unnecessary,  for  the  perfect  can  be  taken 
as  a  futurum  exactum  (comp.  iv.  4;  vi.  11). 

Ver.  16.  The  Dagesh  forte  in  "131*3  is  manifestly  in- 
tended to  distinguish  the  word  as  .a  participle  from  the 
substantive  IDIO. 

Ver.  20.  Hithp.  jnfltJTI  se  exlendere,  porrigere,  only 
here,  Kal  y~\VJ  only  Lev.  xxi.  18 ;  xxii.  23. 

Ver.  21.  On  the  absence  of  the  preposition  of  place 
before  in  and  DD^,  comp.  i.  25;  v.  18,  29;  x.  14;  GB- 
SENITJS  Or.,  §  118,  3,  note. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Those  scoffers,  who  are  here  described  as  the 
rulers  of  the  people  in  Jerusalem,  had  naturally 
a  foundation  on  which  they  rested,  in  opposition 
to  the  foundation  of  the  Prophet  which  they  de- 
rided. Their  foundation  was  falsehood  and  de- 
ceit, by  the  aid  of  which  they  hoped  that  they 
would  have  nothing  to  fear"  from  death  and 
Hades.  (Vers.  14  and  15).  Against  this  founda- 
tion the  LORD  now  says  to  them :  I  have  laid  in 
Zion  my  strong  corner — and  foundation — stone  : 
only  he  who  holds  fast  to  it  will  not  yield  (ver. 
16).  And  on  this  foundation-stone  the  building 
shall  be  erected  by  means  of  judgment  and  right- 
eousness ;  but  the  flood  of  waters  will  sweep  away 
that  refuge  of  lies  (ver.  17).  And  that  covenant 
with  death  and  Sheol  will  not  stand.  They  who 
made  it,  shall  be  trodden  down  by  those  who 
shall  come  upon  them  as  the  scourge  of  God 
(ver.  18).  That  scourge,  moreover,  shall  come 
not  only  once,  but  repeatedly  by  day  and  night. 
Then  shall  they  hear  no  more  a  preaching  by 
word,  but  a  preaching  by  deed ;  and  it  will  be 


nothing  but  terror  (19).  For  Israel's  might  will 
then  prove  too  weak  (ver.  20).  But  the  LORD 
will  rise  in  might  as  formerly  on  Mount  Perazim, 
and  in  the  valley  of  Gibeon,  in  order  to  execute 
His  very  strange  work  of  destruction,  which  ap- 
pears to  the  secure  Jews  impossible  (ver.  21). 
Therefore  the  scoffers  should  be  quiet,  that  _  they 
may  not  remain  forever  in  the  snares  mentioned 
ver.  13 ;  for  that  they  should  not  escape  from 
them  is  announced  by  the  Prophet  as  the  decree 
of  Jehovah,  which  cannot  be  averted  (ver.  22). 
We  perceive,  therefore,  that  the  section  vers.  14- 
22  corresponds  exactly  to  the  preceding  one  vers. 
1-13,  and  especially  to  the  vers.  9-13.  For  here 
the  right  foundation  is  set  in  opposition  to  that 
false  one,  resting  on  which  those  scoffers  think 
that  they  may  deride  the  Prophet  (vers,  14-17) ; 
then  the  vanity,  yea  destructiveness  of  that  false 
foundation  is  shown  (vers.  18-21),  and  the  scof- 
fers are  accordingly  exhorted  to  give  up  their 
mocking  (ver.  22). 
2.  Therefore  hear hid  ourselves.— Vers. 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


14,  15.  With  JD7,  ver.  14,  the  Prophet  introduces 
the  judgment  of  the  LORD,  which  he  has  to  publish 
on  the  ground  of  the  accusation  preferred  vers. 
9-13.  This  judgment  is  addressed  to  the  scoffers 
(Prov.  xxix.  8),  whose  derisive  speeches  (ver.  10) 
are  quoted,  and  who,  after  the  judgment  lias  been 
pronounced,  are  exhorted  to  mock  no  more  (ver. 
22).  These  scoffers  are  not  insignificant  men. 
They  are  the  leaders  of  the  people  (xvi.  1 ;  lii. 
5),  its  Priests  and  Prophets  (ver.  7).  '2  in  the 
beginning  of  ver.  15  is  '"because;"  the  illative 
particle  |3/  in  ver.  16  corresponding  to  it.  The 
utterance  is  put  in  the  mouths  of  these  people, 
which  if  not  actually  spoken  by  them,  yet  cer- 
tainly corresponds  to  their  actual  conduct :  we 
have  made  a  covenant  with  death,  etc. 
This  explains  why  these  people  scoffed  at  the 
Prophet.  They  stand  with  their  whole  manner 
of  thinking  and  feeling  upon  another  foundation 
than  his.  Isaiah  has  the  LORD  Himself  for  his 
foundation.  But  they  deride  this  very  founda- 
tion. They  have  another  and  better,  as  they 
imagine.  This  is  the  art  of  falsehood,  of  cunning 
policy,  of  fine  diplomacy.  By  its  help  they  hope 
to  be  safe  from  death  and  Hades.  The  Prophet 
admonishes  them,  to  obey  the  LORD,  and  to  trust 
in  Him  in  order  to  find  protection  against  As- 
syria. But  in  their  opinion  these  are  fanatical 
means  of  defence,  which  good  policy  could  not 
employ.  An  alliance  with  Egypt,  artfully  planned, 
carried  out  with  all  diplomatic  skill,  appeared  to 
those  politicians  to  be  a  much  more  reliable,  yea 
an  infallible  remedy  against  the  threatening 
evils.  For  they  hope  through  that  alliance  to  be 
proof  against  death  and  Hades.  They  imagine 
that  they  have  thereby  as  it  were  concluded  a 
friendly  alliance  with  death  and  Hades  (fVO  rHD 
as  Iv.  3 ;  Ixi.  8).  Hlh  (comp.  HJO  Ver.  7),  for 
which  below  in  ver.  18  rwn  stands,  has  only 
here  the  signification  "  treaty,  agreement."  The 
lie  of  which  they  speak,  may  well  refer  to  the  re- 
lation of  dependence  on  Assyria  into  which  Ah'az, 
the  predecessor  of  Hezekiah,  had  brought  Judah 
(2  Kings  xvi.  7  sqq.).  For  they  may  even  then 
have  considered  the  right  policy  to  consist  in  a 
secret  league  with  Egypt,  while  appearing  to 
stand  by  the  obligations  entered  into  towards  As- 
syria. A  like  course  was  subsequently  pursued 
(2  Kings  xvii.  4;  Ezek.  xvii.  15,  sqq.).  The 
conjunction  of  Don  and  "ir\D  is  characteristic  of 
Isaiah,  comp.  ver.  17  and  iv.  6. 

3.  Therefore    thus   saith the   whole 

earth.— Vers.  1G-22.  The  scoffers  had  declared 
that  they  had  made  falsehood  their  refuge,  and 
that  they  hope  relying  on  this  refuge,  to  get  the 
better  of  death  and  Hades.  The  Prophet  wishes 
to  expose  the  vanity  of  this  hope.  There  is  only 
one  refuge  that  guarantees  safety.  This  is  the 
foundation,  and  corner-stone  laid  by  the  LORD 
Himself  in  Zion.  The  water  sweeps  away  the  other 
false_  foundation,  and  they  who  rest  upon  it  go 
to  ruin.  Our  passage  contains,  therefore,  primarily 
not  a  promise,  but  a  threatening.  For  first  of 
all,  the  confidence  expressed  in  ver.  15  is  to  be 
shown  to  be  unfounded.  But  naturally  the  (un- 
real, resting  only  on  appearance)  negation  of  the 
truth  can  be  overcome  only  by  the  positive  setting 
of  the  truth.  And  where  this  real  positive 


foundation  of  truth  is  exhibited,  it  involves  al- 
ways eo  ipso  a  promise.  J3 /,  as  has  been  shown, 
corresponds  to  the  '3  in  ver.  15.  The  false  af- 
firmation necessitates  a  protest  in  which  the  truth 
is  testified.  ID1  'JJH  is  =  1Q\  ntfK  *«n  'JJfl 
comp.  xxix.  14 ;  xxxviii.  5.  But  what  sort  of  a 
stone  is  that  which  the  LORD  has  laid  in  Zion  ? 
It  must  be  a  stone  which  really  guarantees  truth 
and  right.  Consequently  it  cannot  be  Zion  itself 
(HiTZiG,  KXOBEL),  nor  the  royal  house  of  David 
(REINKE),  nor  Hezekiah  (RABBIS,  GESENIUS, 
MAURER  and  others ;  which  explanation  Theo- 
doret  characterizes  as  avoid  eaxdrtj),  nor  the 
temple  (EwAi^D).  As  Isaiah  does  not  say  that 
they  had  made  Egypt  their  refuge,  but  that  they 
had  made  falsehood  their  refuge,  the  antithesis 
to  this  refuge  of  lies  can  only  be  a  refuge  of 
truth.  As  such  we  might,  with  UMBREIT,  re- 
gard the  law,  or,  with  SCIIEGG,  the  word  of  Go  1 
in  general.  But  the  law  and  the  word  of  Go'l, 
so  far  as  they  are  laid  in  Zion  as  objective  means 
of  Salvation,  suppose  a  still  deeper,  a  personal 
foundation:  the  law  supposes  Him  through  whom 
the  revelation  of  the  law  took  place  ;  the  spoken 
and  written  word  supposes  the  living,  personal 
word  of  God  Himself,  the  Logos  (So  the  Catholic 
expositors  LOCH  and  REiscHL,  comp.  REINKE, 
the  Messianic  Prophecies  I.  p.  404).  The  Logos, 
the  only  mediator  between  God  and  men,  the 
Messiah  promised  in  the  Old  Covenant,  who  has 
appeared  in  the  New,  this  is  the  personal  and 
living  foundation-stone  laid  in  Zion,  on  whom  the 
whole  building  fitly  framed  together  grows  unto 
a  holy  (erected  therefore  according  to  the  line  of 
right  and  justice)  building  (Eph.  iii.  20  sqq.). 
That  the  personal  Word  of  the  LORD  can  be 
called  a  stone,  is  apparent  from  viii.  14,  where 
Jehovah  Himself  is  called  |2H  and  *^jf.  It  is 
not  impossible  that  Isaiah  had  this  last  passage 
in  view,  and  perhaps  the  composer  of  the  118th 
Psalm  had  in  ver.  22  regard  to  both  these  pas- 
sages of  Isaiah.  Anyhow  Peter  (1  Pet.  ii.  6-8) 
combines  these  three  places.  The  LORD  Him- 
self (Matt.  xxi.  42-44)  had  in  view  the  place  in 
the  P.salms  and  Isa.  viii.  14  sq.;  and  Paul,  Rom. 
ix.  33,  refers  to  both  places  of  Isaiah;  while  in 
Acts  iv.  H  reference  is  made  to  the  118th  Psalm 
only;  and  in  Rom.  x.  11,  solely  to  the  place 
before  us.  The  stone  laid  in  Zioii  is  further 
called  an  jn3  pN,  i.  e.,  lapis  probationis.  The 
term  JJ"I3  can  be  taken  in  an  active  or  passive 
sense :  a  tried  and  a  trying  stone.  The  former 
would  mark  its  tested  firmness,  the  latter  would 
express  the  idea,  that  the  thoughts  of  the  hearts 
must  be  made  manifest  by  it.  For  no  one  can 
escape  it,  but  all  must  be  tried  on  it,  and  it  must 
have  some  effect  on  all,  and  be  either  for  their 
fall  or  rising.  The  passages  Matt.  xxi.  44 ;  Luke 
ii.  34  speak  strongly  for  the  latter  view.  I  do 
not  dispute  it,  but  I  believe  that  the  Prophet 
designedly  chose  an  ambiguous  expression.  For 
the  former  interpretation  is  likewise  recom- 
mended, being  naturally  suggested  by  the  expres- 
sion employed,  and  by  the  context.  We  expect 
to  hear  the  nature  of  the  stone  extolled,  and  not 
merely  to  be  told  what  service  it  can  render. 
That  the  praise  should  be  expressed  in  this  par- 
ticular form  is  in  accordance  with  the  usus  W 


CHAP.  XXVIII.  14-22. 


309 


quendi  observable  in  this  chapter,  in  which  so 
many  designations  of  a  property  are  denoted  by  a 
substantive  in  the  genitive  (vers.  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  8). 
n.33  is  corner.  —  And  a  stone  which  forms  the 
corner  is  naturally  a  corner-stone.  (Comp.  xix. 
13;  Job  xxxviii.  6  ;  Jer.  li.  2G  ;  Ps.  cxviii.  22). 
mp"  is  here,  as  perhaps  also  Ps.  xxxvii.  20; 

Prov.  xvii.  27,  a  substantive,  preciousness,  so  that 
we  must  translate;  a  corner-stone  of  pre- 
ciousness of  a  founded  foundation  (1D1D 

after  the  form  "1D1E,  comp.  2  Chron.  viii.  16  ; 
moiO  Isa.  xxx.  T32;  Ezek.  xli.  8;  "ID1D  Part 

T  T  '  T 

Hoph.),  i.  e.,  a  corner-stone  well  suited  (1  Kings 
v.  31  ;  vii.  9-11)  for  a  firm  foundation.  The 
emphatic  expression  1D-VJ  1010  is  like  D'p^n 
D^7D3no  Prov.  xxx.  24.  We  have  already  ob- 

•  T   ••„  :  * 

served  that  the  Prophet  shows  here  a  predilec- 
tion for  the  accumulation  of  substantives  in  the 
genitive.  The  firm  foundation-stone  marifestsits 
saving  efficacy,  not  in  a  magical  way  ;  but  this 
efficacy  is  conditioned  by  the  inward  susceptibil- 
ity, or  faith.  The  firm  foundation  itself  requires 
a  keeping  fast  to  it.  Therefore  the  Prophet  adds  : 
He  -who  believes  flees  not.  —  This  apotheg- 
rnatic  addition  reminds  us,  both  by  its  form 


and  tenor,  of  chapter  vii.  9  N?  "3 
"??n.  pEXn  occurs  further  xxx.  21  ;  xliii.  10  ; 
liii.  1.  l^'nn  is  here  not  indirectly  (to  make  some- 
thing or  another  hasten,  v.  19  ;  Ix.  22)  but  directly 
causative  ;  to  make  haste,  to  flee  hastily,  to  retreat. 
There  lies  in  it  an  antithesis  to  the  idea  of  firm- 
ness, which  is  contained  in  what  is  said  of  the 
stone,  and  in  pDND.  The  word  has  this  meaning 
no  where  else.  Where  the  firm  foundation  is  ob- 
jectively laid,  and  the  individual  subjectively  in 
faith  keeps  fast  on  it,  then  the  erection  of  a  holy 
temple  in  the  LORD  is  possible1,  an  erection  in 
which  right  serves  for  the  line  (IP  comp.  on 
ver.  10),  and  righteousness  for  the  plummet 


(fl/Pi^D  only  here,  comp.  jV?pt!fo  2  Kings  xxi. 
13)  ;  a  figurative  expression,  the  meaning  of 
which  can  be  only  this,  that  this  building  will 
arise  according  to  the  rules  of  divine  justice,  and 
will  consequently  be  a  holy  building.  £331^0  and 
np~li'  stand  here  related  as  in  i.  27  ;  v.  16  ;  ix.  6  ; 
xxxii.  16  ;  xxxiii.  5  ;  Ivi.  1  ;  lix.  9,  14.  This 
building  stands  firm.  But  the  refuge  of  lies  and 
the  hiding-place  of  deceit  the  hail  will  sweep 
away  (ryv,  whence  V  a  shovel  for  the  clearing 
away  of  ashes  from  the  altar,  Ex.  xxvii.  3  ; 
xxxviii.  3;  Numb.  iv.  14  et  saepe,  is  air.  Aey.) 
and  the  waters  wash  away  (ver.  2).  Incon- 
sequence, that  covenant  with  death  and 
Hades,  of  which  they  boasted  (ver.  15),  shall 
be  covered,  i.  e.,  obliterated,  annulled.  The 
covenant  is  conceived  of  as  a  written  document, 
whose  lines  are  covered,  i.  e.,  overspread  with  the 
fluid  used  for  writing.  Comp.  obliterare  offensio- 

nem,famam,  memoriam.    To  UNIT  rc?  in  verse  15, 

D"D^O/  1?  DH'TIl  corresponds.  Comp.  v.  5  ;  vii. 
25  ;  x.  6.  The  Prophet  here  leaves  the  image 
out  of  sight.  The  expression  is  shaped  by  his 
realizing  in  thought  the  thing  signified  by  the 
previous  figure,  namely,  the  invading  host  which 


serves  as  the  scourge  of  God.  This  host  shall 
stamp  the  scoffers  under  foot,  shall  tread  them 
like  dirt  on  the  streets.  The  Prophet  had  ex- 
pressly declared  in  x.  6  that  the  army  of  the  As- 
syrians should  do  this.  But  the  scourge  will 
come  not  once  only,  but  often.  Ver.  19.  The  ex- 
pression npj  is  suggested  by  another  image, 
namely,  the  idea  of  something  which  takes  away 
(Jer.  xv.  15),  snatches,  washes  away,  correspond- 
ing therefore  to  ^DU?,  as  a  mighty  flood  which 
comes  along  by  rushes.  In  fact,  the  invasions  by 
the  Assyrians  and  by  the  Chaldaeans,  who  were 
called  to  complete  their  work,  were  as  waterfloods 
that  kept  ever  inundating  the  land  till  it  was  en- 
tirely desolated  (xxiv.  1,  3).  The  second  half 
of  ver.  19  is  clearly  related  to  njMntf  J'T  in  ver. 
9.  There  the  scoffers  had  asked :  to  whom  will 
he  preach  ?  They  thought  themselves  much  too 
high  to^need  the  preaching  of  the  Prophet.  In 
opposition  to  this  language  Isaiah  now  tells  them : 
because  you  would  not  hear  my  well-meant 
preaching  by  word,  which  was  designed  to  give 
you  nniJD,  you  will  be  compelled  to  hear  a 
preaching  in  act,  and  it  will  be  naught  but  ter- 
ror, njni  stands  therefore  opposed  to  DniJO.  If 
in  ver.  9  H;MD#  p3fl  signified  "  to  make  to  know, 
or  understand  preaching,"  it  must  in  the  con- 
nexion in  which  it  here  stands  signify  "  to  hear 
preaching"  (comp.  xxix.  16;  Job  xxviii.  23; 
Micah  iv.  12  et  saepe).  For  it  is  not  the  preacher 
who  experiences  terror,  but  he  who  hears  the 
preaching.  T\y\l  (only  here  in  Isaiah,  besides 
comp.  Deut.  xxviii.  25 ;  Jer.  xv.  4  et  saepe  ;  Ezek. 
xxiii.  46)  is  concussio,  commotio  vehemens,  formido. 
The  subject  of  the  sentence  is  p^H  and  the  predi- 
cate ^V][-  Is  not  that  a  dreadful  preaching,  when 
one  finds  himself  in  a  situation  which  is  fittingly 
compared  to  a  bed  that  is  too  short,  or  to  a 
covering  that  is  too  narrow  ? — This  is  a  dis- 
tressful condition.  For  resistance  is  encountered 
on  all  sides,  and  the  means  are  insufficient  for  any 
undertaking.  "l¥p  in  Isaiah  besides  only  1.  2 ; 
lix.  1.  yyv  stratum,  air  /ley.  HDDB  besides  only 
xxv.  7.  D  J3,  colligere,  coatervare,  Hithp.  se  ipsum 
colligere,  to  make  of  one's  self  a  heap,  only  here. 
2  in  D33nn3  marks  coincidence  =  when  one 
bends  one's-self  together,  coils  one' s-self  (xviii.  3 ; 
xxiii.  5).  That  such  will  really  be  the  nature  of 
the  situation  is  now  further  illustrated  by  two  his- 
torical examples.  Israel  will  themselves  be  in  a 
condition  like  that  in  which  they  through  God' a 
help  twice  brought  their  enemies.  One  of  these 
events  to  which  the  Prophet  here  alludes,  is  the 
defeat  which  David  inflicted  on  the  Philistines 
at  Baal-Perazim  (2  Sam.  v.  20 ;  1  Chr.  xiv.  11). 

David  there  said  D;D  ]n33  'J31?  'Tfc-nK  ''  pf  • 
i.  e.,  Jehovah  has  broken  through  my  enemies 
before  me,  as  water  breaks  through.  VITRINGA 
perceived  that  Isaiah  was  led  to  think  of  this 
passage  by  what  he  had  said  in  ver.  17  and  ver. 
2  of  the  D'39!tf  D'D.  The  other  event  I  take,  with 
most  of  the  older  interpreters,  to  be  the  defeat 
which  Joshua  inflicted  on  the  Canaanites  at  Gib- 
eon  (Jos.  x.  10).  There,  in  ver.  11,  it  is  said  ex- 
pressly that  the  LORD  crushed  the  enemy  by  a 


810 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


great  hail-storm.  And  this  circumstance  corres- 
ponds exactly  to  what  Isaiah  in  verse  2  and  verse 
17  had  said  of  the  hail  from  which  Israel  should 
suffer.  That  victory  of  David  over  the  Philis- 
tines at  Gibeon  (2  Sam.  v.  22sqq. ;  1  Chron.  xiv. 
14  sqq.)  does  not  supply  such  an  analogy.  UT 
comp.  on  xiv.  9.  IH^D  It  (comp,  v.  12)  and 
im3^  rV"DJ  (ii.  6)  are  parenthetical  clauses,  and 
not  in  apposition  to  the  preceding  int^D  and 
in"!}!?  ;  for  the  putting  of  the  adjective  first  would 
in  that  case  be  quite  abnormal.  Strange,  incon- 
ceivable is  the  •work  of  the  LORD  pronounced, 
because  He  does  something  which  could  not  have 
been  expected  of  Him.  Who  could  have  thought 
that  Jehovah  would  treat  Israel  as  the  heathen, 
that  He  would  thus  destroy  His  own  work  ?  Af- 


ter all  these  statements  we  see  how  foolish  and 
infatuated  the  people  were  in  scoffing  at  the  warn- 
ing voice  of  the  Prophet,  and  in  relying  on  their 
own  miserable,  self-chosen  supports  (ver.  15). 
The  admonition  which  the  Prophet  adds  at  the 
close,  and  now  be  ye  not  mockers  is  well- 
meant,  and  deserving  to  be  laid  to  heart.  Hithp. 

!'i'l7J"in=  to  behave  mockingly,  is  found  only  here. 
If  they  do  not  cease  to  mock,  the  bands  by  which 
they  have  been  bound  ever  since  Ahaz  foolishly 
made  submission  to  Assyria  (2  Kings  xvi.  7  sqq.), 
can  never  be  broken.  For  that  they  must  bear 
these  bands,  and  become  acquainted  with  the  na- 
ture of  them,  that  is  the  purpose  of  God,  resolved 
on,  and  already  revealed  to  the  Prophet.  On 

mnrui  rhj  Comp.  on  x.  23. 


THE  CHASTISEMENT  IN  MEASURE. 
CHAP.  XXVIII.  2^-29. 

23  Give  ye  ear,  and  hear  my  voice ; 
Hearken,  and  hear  my  speech. 

24  Doth  the  plowman  plow  all  day  to  sow  ? 

Doth  he  open  and  break  the  clods  of  his  ground  ? 

25  When  he  hath  made  plain  the  face  thereof, 
Doth  he  not  cast  abroad  the  fitches, 

And  scatter  the  cummin, 
And  cast  in  lathe  principal  wheat, 
And  the  appointed  barley, 
And  the  *rie  in  their  3place  ? 

26  4bFor  his  God  doth  instruct  him  to  discretion, 
And  doth  teach  him. 

27  For  the  fitches  are  not  threshed  with  a  threshing  instrument, 
Neither  is  a  cartwheel  turned  about  upon  the  cummin ; 

But  the  fitches  are  beaten  out  with  a  staff, 
And  the  cummin  with  a  rod. 

28  "Bread  corn  is  bruised ; 

Because  he  will  not  ever  be  threshing  it, 
Nor  break  it  with  the  wheel  of  his  cart, 
Nor  bruise  it  with  his  horsemen. 

29  This  also  cometh  forth  from  the  LORD  of  hosts, 
WJiich  is  wonderful  in  counsel, 

And  excellent  in  dworking. 


1  Or,  the  wheat  in  the  principal  place,  and  barley  in  the  appointed  place.  •  Or,  spelt, 

8  Heb.  border.  4  Or,  and  he  bindeth  it  in  such  sort  as  his  God  doth  teach  him. 


•  Wheat  in  rows  and  barley  in  the  appointed  place. 

•  Is  bread  corn  crushed  7 


b  and  he  beats  it  properly ;  his  God  teaches  him  this. 
d  helping. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  25.  JOp  J  is  an-.  Aey.  It  seems  to  be  part.  Niphal 
which  denotes  "  marked  off,  designated  by  D'JTD'D-" 
This  JOD  J  is  to  be  considered  as  accus.  loci  "  in  the  place 
marked  off." 


,  if  there  be  not  a  clerical  mistake,  is  to 


Ver.  28. 
be  derived  from  a  form  t>HN,  which  does  not  elsewhere 


CHAP.  XXVIII.  28-29. 


311 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  As  the  Prophet  could  not  leave  the  brief  word 
concerning  Ephraim  (vers.  1-4)  without  a  con 
solatory  conclusion  (vers.  5  and  6),  so  he  cannot 
conclude  the  word   directed    against  Jerusalem 
(ver.  14)  without  making  at  the  close  of  its  re- 
bukes an  announcement  of  salvation.     This  he 
does  by  employing  a  parable  drawn  from  agri- 
culture.    He  does  not  interpret  the  parable  in 
clear  terms.      Therefore,  before   uttering   it,  he 
calls  for  attentive  reflection  (ver.  23).     Then  he 
sets  forth  the  parable.     It  has,  we  may  say,  a 
double  point.     First,  the  Prophet  makes  us  ob- 
serve that  the  farmer  does  not  always  plough, 
does  not  always  as  it  were  lacerate  tlie  ground 
with  sharp  coulter  or  pointed  harrow  (ver.  24). 
No,  he  casts  into  the  bosom  of  the  earth  good 
seed  of  various  kinds  (ver.   25).     Moreover,  the 
fruit  produced  from  the  seed,  which  can   be  di- 
vested of  its  integuments  only  by  the  application 
of  a  certain  force,  is  yet  not  too  severely  handled 
by  him,  nor  is  equal  force  applied  to  all  kinds 
of  fruit,  but  he  is  careful  in  his  treatment  as  the 
nature  of  things  appointed  by  God  teaches  him 
(ver.  26).     For,  not  a  threshing  sledge,  or  thresh- 
ing roller  is  applied  to  the  more  tender  kinds  of 
fruit,  as  the  cummin,  but  only  a  staff  (ver.  27). 
Even  the  corn-fruits  that  yield   bread   are  not  so 
threshed  that  the  grain  is  crushed  thereby  (ver. 
28).     That,  too,  has  been  arranged  by  the  LORD, 
that  His  wonderful  wisdom  in  counsel,  and  His 
great  power  to  help  may  be  known   (ver.  29). 
The    operations    of    ploughing    and    threshing, 
which  are  necessary  for  seed  time  and  harvest, 
should  therefore  teach  Israel  in  symbol  the  cer- 
tainty that  the  temporal  judgments  which   they 
must  endure  are  only  correctives  in  the  hand  of 
God,  from  which  Israel  will  come  forth  as  glori- 
ous fruit  cleansed  and  purified. 

2.  Give   ye   ear in  their  place.— Vers. 

23-25.     The  summons  to  pay  attention  (comp. 
as  to  the  words  1,  2  and  xxxii.  9),  is  owing  to  the 
character  of  the  following  speech.     As  it  is  an 
ingenious  parable,  it  is  necessary  for  the  hearer 
to  consider  it  with  attention  and  reflection,  that 

its  meaning  may  be  apparent  to  him.  DVH  ?D 
ver.  24,  i.  e.,  continually,  perpetually.  The  ex- 
pression is  found  in  Isaiah  usually  in  this  signi- 
fication li.  13;  Hi.  5;  Ixii.  6;  Ixv.  2,  5.  The  ad- 
dition JHT1?  might  appear  superfluous.  But  the 
Prophet  wishes  to  intimate  that  the  end  in  view 
is  cultivation  of  the  soil,  and  not  merely  clearing 
away  of  vegetation  for  any  other  purpose,  such 


fix  in  iroiK  delicately  expresses  the  affection 
which  the  farmer  cherishes  to  his  own  land.  Be- 
cause it  is  dear  to  him,  he  will  not  wish  to  in- 
jure it.  r\*&  occurs  in  the  sense  of  aequavit, 
complanavit  only  here  (Piel  besides  in  Isaiah 
xxxviii.  13).  The  Prophet  has  evidently  before 
his  mind  a  large  farm  regularly  laid  out  in  vari- 
ous kinds  of  fruits.  Hi'p  [not  "fitches  as  in  E. 
V.,  but]  black  cummin  (nigella  arvensis,  com- 
mon black  cummin,  or  moro  probably  nigella 
damascene,,  garden  black  cummin,  which  grows 
wild  near  the  Mediterranean)  occurs  only  in  this 
place.  |S3  cummin,  common  cummin,  carum 
carvi,  which  belongs  to  a  different  order  from  that 
of  the  black  cummin  (namely  to  the  umbel liferae, 
while  the  other  belongs  to  the  ranunculaceae),  is 
mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament  only  here.  Dt^ 
is  the  proper  expression  for  the  placing  or  plant- 
ing of  the  wheat,  in  reference  to  which  GESE^IUS 
remarks :  "  Industrious  farmers  in  the  Orient 
plant  as  they  do  garden  plants,  many  kinds  of 
grain  which  with  us  are  only  sown  (NIEHBUHR'S 
Arabien,  p.  157);  they  thrive  when  planted  much 
better.  (Comp.  PLINIUS,  Hist.  Nat.  xviii.  21)." 
TT.  Aey.  is  identical  with  the  Talmudic  and 


as  for  building  a  house.  This  expression 
conveys  a  pre-intimation  that  the  LORD'S  proce- 
dure towards  His  people  is  not  simply  of  a  de- 
structive character,  no  mere  negation  without 


positively  designing  their  salvation.     D1TI  v 
is  to  be  connected  also  with  the  second  half  of 


ver.  24  (  Jer.  xlix.  7).  D^3  is  only  here  used  of 
opening,  turning  over,  ploughing  the  earth.  Yet 
its  use  to  denote  engraving  in  wood  or  stone  is 
analogous  :  Comp.  Exod.  xxviii.  9,  36  ;  1  Kings 
vii.  36,  et  saepe.  T1&  occare,  to  harrow,  besides 
here  only  Job  xxxix.  10  ;  Hos.  x.  11.  The  suf- 


Arabic JTHiy  series,  row,  order.  The  planting 
of  wheat  spoken  of,  is  done  in  rows  (mil?  accus. 
loci).  r\D03  [rye  E.  V.],  according  to  an  ex- 
cursus of  Consul  WETZSTEIN,  in  DELITZSCH'S 
Commentary  on  Isaiah,  is  a  variety  of  the  com- 
mon vetch  (vicia  sativa)  the  Kursenne.  Accord- 
ing to  the  passage  before  us  this  plant,  which  is 
eaten  by  cattle  much  less  readily  than  barley, 
would  be  planted  around  the  corn  fields  as  a 
border  or  enclosure,  in  order  to  serve  to  protect 
the  nobler  kinds  of  grain,  as  according  to  WETZ- 
STEIN,  ut  supra,  the  Ricinus  is  at  present  employed 

for  this  purpose.  0^*33  (Sing,  only  here,  Plur. 
X.  13)  confinium,  the  border,  enclosure.  The 
Suffix  in  irOl3J  is  to  be  referred  to  some  such 
term  as  a  piece  of  ground  (iTWJ  which  is  not  ex- 
pressed, but  is  supposed  in  what  has  been  pre- 
viously said. 

3.  For  his  God teach  him. — Vers.  26-29. 

[Dr.  NAEGELSBACH  renders  this  verse:  ''He 
(the  farmer,  beats  (corrects)  it  properly,  his  God 
so  teaches  him."  But  the  E.  V.  is  correct  (comp. 
Prov.  xxxi.  1)  D.  M.].  The  Prophet  does  not 
think  of  the  heathen  fables  of  Isis  and  Osiris, 
Bacchus  and  Ceres,  etc.  In  what  follows  the  way 
and  manner  in  which  the  farmer  takes  fruits 
from  their  husks  is  spoken  of.  And  here  there 
is  a  two-fold  procedure,  a  part  of  the  fruits  is  not 
threshed  in  the  oriental  manner,  by  means  of  a 
threshing  sledge  or  threshing  roller,  but  is  beaten 
out  with  a  staff.  To  this  class  belong  black  cum- 
min and  cummin — ]''"1'"l,  acutus,  (the  full  de- 
signation is  ynn  JTpD  Isa.  xl.  15)  is  the  thresh- 
ing instrument,-  which  consisted  either  of  planks 
only,  or  of  planks  with  rollers  among  them. 
Those  planks  and  rollers  were  fitted  with  sharp 
iron  or  stones,  which  tore  the  ears  of  grain 


312 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


(comp.  HERZOG,  R.-Encyd.  III.  p.  504).  The 
word  is  found  besides  only  Job  xli.  22  ;  Amos  i. 
3.  [Comp.  the  Latin  tribula,  a  similar  threshing 
machine,  whence  tribulation,  lit,  a  subjection  to  the 

tribula.— D.M.].  nSjJ?  J31X,  wheel  of  the  wagon, 
denotes  the  last  mentioned  sort  of  threshing  in- 
strument ;  whether  its  rollers  were  themselves 
movable,  and  therefore  at  the  same  time  wheels, 
or  were  immovable,  and  were  drawn  by  the 
wheels.  3DV  denotes  not  the  turning  round  of 
the  wagon,  its  going  in  a  circle,  but  the  turning 
of  the  wheels.  For  3D  is  also  used  of  the  turn- 
ing of  a  door  on  its  hinge  (Prov.  xxvi.  14  ;  Ezek. 

xli.  24).  Ban"  comp.  on  xxvii.  12.  p"lV  DnS 
must  be  taken  as  a  question  (HixziG,  KNOBEL, 
DELJTZSCH)  ;  Is  bread-corn  crushed  ?  An- 
swer ;  No !  For  not  incessantly,  i.  e.,  till  the  grain 
is  completely  bruised  does  he  thresh  it,  or  drive 
the  wheels  of  his  wagon,  and  his  horses  over  it. 
He  does  not  crush  it  The  other  explanation : 
it  is  crushed  into  bread,  (i.  e.,  afterwards  in  the 
mill,  but  not  in  the  threshing),  for  not  inces- 
santly, etc. — is  refuted  by  the  necessity  of  under- 
standing before  N/  '3  the  words  indicated  as  re- 
quired to  complete  the  sense  ;  while  according  to 
our  explanation  only  the  simple  "  no  "  must  be 
supplied,  and  it  is  implied  in  the  question.  Dn  7 
is  here  as  <rirof  bread-corn  comp.  xxx.  23 ; 
xxxvi.  17;  Gen.  xlvii.  17;  Ps.  civ.  14.  The 
Prophet  distinguishes  from  the  various  species  of 
cummin  the  proper  bread-corn,  whose  grains  are 
harder  to  separate  from  the  husk,  pp"l  besides  in 
Isaiah  only  xli.  15.  D^""*)  condtare,  to  drive,  only 
here  in  Isaiah.  Ver.  29  'W  FW  DJ  namely,  this 
procedure  of  the  farmer,  comp.  ver.  26,  '^j\ 
That  the  punishments  spoken  of  vers.  14-22 
proceed  from  Jehovah,  needed  not  to  be  par- 
ticularly affirmed.  But  that  this  so  simple, 
unpretending,  customary  procedure  of  the  farmer 
is  a  shell  wherein  a  kernel  of  divine  wisdom  is 
concealed,  and  therefore  according  to  God's  inten- 
tion a  means  of  teaching  men  such  wisdom — this 
might  well  be  set  forth  and  emphatically  affirmed. 

X'/fln  in  Isaiah  only  here  and  xxix.  14.  God 
manifests  wonderfully  wise  counsel,  both  in  the 
ordinances  of  nature,  and  in  His  direction  of  his- 
tory, for  which  latter  the  former  work  serres  as 
a  type  full  of  instruction  and  comfort.  But  the 
aim  of  this  wonderful  wisdom  is  salvation  (IT Eft H 
only  here  in  Isaiah).  It  seems  to  me  more  ap- 
propriate to  take  the  word  in  the  meaning  "sal- 
vation "  (Job  vi.  13 ;  xxx.  22 ;  Prov.  ii.  7 ; 
Micah  vi.  9),  because  the  idea  of  "wisdom"  is  so 
nearly  related  to  that  of  "counsel,"  that  almost 
a  tautology  _  would  arise  from  the  translation 
wisdom.  It  is  certainly  reasonable  to  expect  that 
the  Prophet  in  a  place  like  the  present,  in  which 
the  whole  fulness  of  his  thoughts  is  compressed, 
should  in  significant,  closing  words  combine  in 
two  different  words  two  specifically  different 
thoughts. 

[But  God's  counsel  and  wisdom,  as  nearly  re- 
lated ideas,  can  be  very  properly  extolled  toge- 
ther at  the  close  of  this  chapter.  The  rendering 
of  the  last  word  iTiyin  by  working  in  the  E. 
V.  is  warranted  neither  by  the  usws  loquendi  nor 


by  etymology.  The  Prophet  here  simply  magni- 
fies the  Lord's  counsel  and  wisdom. — D.  M.] 

DOCTRINAL  AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  chap,  xxviii.  1-4.    A  glorious  city  on  a 
hill  overlooking  a  broad,  fertile  plain,  when  the 
LORD  is  not  its  foundation  and  crown.     What  is 
it  else  than  one  of  the  vanities  over  which  the 
preacher  laments  (Ecclus.  ii.  4  sqq.)  ?     Samaria 
and  Jerusalem,  Nineveh  and  Babylon  have  fallen. 
Cannot  Paris,  and  London,  and  Berlin  [and  New 
York]  also  fall  ?     How  vain  and  transitory  is  the 
pomp  of  men  !     [All  travellers  unite  in  praising 
the  situation  of  Samaria  for  its  fertility,  beauty 
and  strength.      But  ''the  crown  of  pride"   has 
been  trodden  under  foot. — D.  M.] 

2.  On  vers.  7,  8.  Those  words  of  Solomon  are 
therefore  to  be  remembered  :  it  is  not  for  kings  to 
drink  wine ;    nor  for  princes  strong  drink ;    lest 
they  drink  and  forget  the  law,  and  pervert  the 
judgment  of  any  of  the  afflicted  'Prov.  xxxi.  4,  5). 
Most  of  all  is  drunkenness  unseemly  in  preachers 
and  teachers.     Scripture  enjoins  that  they  should 
be  sober  and  not  given  to  wine  (1  Tim.  iii.  2,  3)." 
RENNER.   Can.  Apost.  53 :  "  Si  dericus  in  caupona 
comedens  deprehensus  fuerit,  segregetur,  paeterquam 
si  in  dirersorio  publico  in  via  propter  necessitatem 
diverterit."     Can.  1 :  "  Episc.opus  aut  presbyter  aut 
diaconus  aleae  et  ebrietati  deserviens  aut  desinat,  aut 
condemnetur."     [What !  a  priest,  a  prophet,  a  mi- 
nister, and  yet   drunk !      Tell   it  not  in   Gath. 
Such  a  scandal  are  they  to  their  coat.       Ver.  8. 
All  tables  are  full  of  vomit,  etc.     ''See  what  an 
odious  thing  the  sin  of  drunkenness  is — what  an 
affront  it  is  to  human  society  ;  it  is  rude  and  ill- 
mannered   enough    to   sicken  the   beholders." — 
HENRY. — D.  M.]     In  accordance  with  the  rab- 
binical usage,  which  not  seldom  puts  DipO  by  a 
metonymy  for  God,  the  expression  here  employed, 
DpD   "^2,   is   translated   in   Pirke  Aboth  III.  3: 
''  without  God."     [The  passage  of  the  Mishna  re- 
ferred  to  runs  thus:  Rabbi  Simeon  says,  Three 
who  have  eaten  at  one  table,  and  have  not  spoken 
at  it  words  of  the  law,  are  as  if  they  ate  of  sacrifices 
to  the  dead  ;  for  it  is  said,  for  all  their  tables  are 
full   of   vomit    and    filth,    without    DipO."  i.  e., 

IT 

place,  God  the  place  of  all  things,  or  who  contains 
all  things.  Of  course  this  is  only  an  ingenious 
diversion  of  the  language  of  Isaiah  from  its  real 
meaning. — D.  M.] 

3.  Ver.  9  sqq.  "  This  is  the  language  of  scorn- 
ers  and  the  ungodly,  who  have  always  mocked  and 
railed  at  God's  word  and  its  ministers.     Job,  Je- 
remiah and  David  must  be  their  song  and  mock- 
ing-stock   (Job  xxx.  9 ;  Lam.  iii.  63;   Ps.  Ixix. 
13).     If  such  dear  men  of  God  could  not  render 
all  the  people  more  pious,  what  will  happen  in 
our  age  in  which  there  will  be  no  lack  of  mock- 
ers (2'Pet.  iii.  3)?  CRAMER." 

4.  Ver.  13.  "The  severe  and  yet  well-deserved 
punishment  for  contempt  of  the  word  of  God  is 
that  they  who  are  guilty  of  it  fall,  and  not  only 
fall,  but  also  are  broken,  and  not  only  are  broken, 
but  also  are  snared  and  taken.     For  when  they 
have  not  the  love  of  the  truth,  God  sends  them 
strong  delusions  that  they  should  believe  a  lie, 
that  they  all  might  be  condemned  who  believed 


CHAP.  XXVIII.  23-29. 


313 


not  the  truth,  but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteousness 
(2  Thess.  ii.  10)."  CRAMER. 

5.  On  ver.  15.  This  is  the  direct  reverse  of  trust 
in  God.     The  people  of  whom  the  Prophet  here 
speaks  believe  themselves  secure  from  death  and 
hell  because  they  had  made  a  friendly  alliance 
with  them.     And  the   sign  of  this   covenant   is 
their  setting   their  hope  on  lies  and  hypocrisy. 
For  the  devil  is  the  father  of  lies  (John  viii.  44). 
He  who   is   in   league  with  him   must  lie,  and 
learns  to  lie  to  the  highest  perfection.     But  the 
fools  who  have  built  their  hope  on  this  master — 
and  their  mastery  in  lying — must  at  last,  as  their 
righteous  punishment,  see  that  they  are  themselves 
deceived.     For  tne  devil  urges  a  man  into  the 
swamp  of  wickedness,  and  when  he  sticks  so  deep 
in  it  that  he  cannot  get  out,  then  he  leaves  the 
deluded  being  in  the  lurch,  and  appears  as  an  ac- 
cuser against  him.     Hence  he  is  called  not  only 
tempter  (ireipd^uv),  but  also  accuser  ((5io/3o/lof,  K<Z- 
riiyup,  Rev.  xii.  10). 

6.  On  ver.  1G.  "  Christ  is  the  head  and  founda- 
tion-stone of  the  Christian  Church,  and  another 
foundation  cannot  be  laid  (1  Cor.  iii.  11 ;  Acts  iv. 
11).     There  is,  moreover,  no  other  means  of  lay- 
ing hold  of  Christ  than  faith,  whose  effect  and 
property  it  is  to  be  confident  of  what  we  hope  for, 
and  not  to  doubt  of  what  we  do  not  see  (Heb.  xi. 
1)."  CRAMER.     [The  image  of  faith  here  given 
is  that  of  a  stone  resting  on  a  foundation  by  which 
it  is  supported  and  sustained.     When  we  are  told 
that  "  he  that  believeth  shall  not  make  haste  or 
flee,"  we  are  taught  the  confidence,  composure  and 
peace  which  trust  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  im- 
parts.— D.  M.] 

7.  On  ver.  17  sqq.   "He  who  relies  on  his  own 
wisdom,  strength,  riches,  or  righteousness,  on  the 
help  of  man,  on  the  intercession  of  the  saints,  on 
letters  of  indulgence  and  such  like,  he  makes  to 
himself  a  false  refuge,  and   cannot  endure,  but 
builds   his    house   on   a    quicksand."    CRAMER. 

t"  They  that  make  any  thing  their  hiding-place 
ut  Christ,  the  waters  shall  overflow  it,  as  every 
shelter  but  the  ark  was   overtopped   and  over- 
thrown by  the  waters  of  the  deluge."  HENRY. — 
1).  M.] 

8.  On  ver.  19.  "  People  who  are  not  tried  are 
inexperienced,  and  have  a  merely  speculative  re- 
ligion, which  is  of  no  advantage  to  them.     "Me- 
ditatio,  oratio,   tentatio  faciunt  The.oloyum."     LU- 
THER.    "As  long  as  all  is  well  with  us,  and  we 
have  the  enjoyment  of  life,  there  is  too  much  noise 
around  us,  and  we  cannot  hear  the  voice  of  God. 
Every  affliction  is  a  wilderness,  in  which  a  man 
is  in  solitude  and  stillness,  so  that  he  understands 
better  the  word  of  God.     Every  tribulation  is  a 
power  of  the  soul.     In  the  noisy  day  we  have 
hearkened  so  much  to  the  voices  of  men.     In  the 
wilderness  there  is  quiet,  and  when  human  voices 
are   silent,  the  voice  of  God   begins  to  speak." 
THOLUCK. 

9.  On  ver.  20.  "  Vexatio  sen  crux  perinde  est  atque 
brevis  lectus,  in  quo  contrahendum  est  corpus,  nisi  al- 
gere  velimus.     Hoc  est :  Solus  verbi  auditus  retinen- 
dus  ac  sequendus  est.     Tribulatio  autem  conlinet  nns 
c?u  in  brevi  lecto,  nee  sinil  nos  evagrari  in  nostra  stu- 
dia."  LUTHER. 

10.  On  ver.  21.    ["This  will  be   His   strange 
work,  His  strange  act,  His  foreign  deed  ;  it  is  work 
that   He  is  backward  to ;   He  rather  delights  in 


showing  mercy,  and  does  not  afflict  willingly  ;  it 
is  work  that  He  is  not  used  to ;  as  to  His  own  peo- 
ple, He  protects  and  favors  them;  it  is  a  strange 
work  indeed  if  He  turn  to*be  their  enemy  and  fight 
against  them  (Ixiii.  10) ;  it  is  a  work  that  all  the 
neighbors  will  stand  amazed  at.  Deut.  xxix.  24." 
HENRY.— D.  M.] 

11.  On  ver.  22.   "Nolite  evangelium  et  verbum 
habere  pro  fabula,  alioquin  fiet,  ut  mayis  constrin- 
f/amini  et  implicemini  ejficacioribus  error ibus  ut  fiatis 
improbi  ad  omne  bonum  opus."  LUTHER. 

12.  On  vers.  23  sqq.  "  God  Himself  is  the  hus- 
bandman.     The  field  is   the  Church    on    earth. 
Before  it  can  bring  forth  fruit,  it  must  be  ploughed 
and  prepared.     The  plough  is  the  cross  of  trial, 
when  the  ploughers  make  their  furrows  long  upon 
our  backs  (Ps.  cxxix.  3)-     The  seed  is  the  impe- 
rishable word  of  God  (1  Pet.  i.  23).     The  rain  is 
the  Holy  Ghost  who  gives  the  increase  (Isa.  xliv. 
3;  1  Cor.  iii.  6).     Further,  when  the  fruit  is  ga- 
thered in,  if  men  will  bake  bread  out  of  it,  it  must 
be  threshed.     This  is  done  not  for  its  destruction, 
but  with  such  moderation  as  the  nature  of  the 
grain  can  bear.     The  practical  application  is  that 
we  learn  to  yield  ourselves  to  such  husbandry  of 
God,  and  bear  with  patience  what  God  does  to 
us.     For  He  knows  according  to   His  supreme 
wisdom  to  order  every  thing,  that  we  may  be  His 
grain,  and  good,  pure  bread  upon  His  table  of 
shew-bread."  CRAMER. 

13.  ["We   see   (1)  The  reason  of  afflictions. 
It  is  for  the  same  reason  which  induces  the  farmer 
to  employ  various  methods  on  his  farm.     (2)  We 
are  not  to  expect  the  same  unvarying  course  in 
God's  dealings  with  us.     (3)  We  are  not  to  ex- 
pect always  the  same  kind  of  afflictions.     We  may 
lay  it  down  as  a  general  rule  that  the  divine  judg- 
ments are  usually  in  the  line  of  our  offences ;  and 
by  the  nature  of  the  judgment  we  may  usually  as- 
certain the  nature  of  the  sin.     (4)  God  will  not 
crush  or  destroy  His  people.     The  farmer  does 
not  crush  or  destroy  his  grain.     (5)  We  should 
therefore  bear  afflictions  and  chastisements  with 
patience.     God  is  good   and  wise."    BARNES. — 
D.  M.] 

14.  On  ver.  26.   [Where  men  do  not  cultivate 
the  corn-plants,  wheat,  rye,  barley,  etc.,  the  cere- 
alia,  as  they  are  called,  they  are  in  the  condition 
of  savages.     Savages  live  on  what  comes  to  hand 
without  patient  culture.     Man  could  never  have 
learned  the  cultivation  of  the  coin-plants  without 
being  taught  by  God.     The  cerea.Ua  do  not  grow 
as  other  annuals,  spontaneously  or  by  the  disper- 
sion   and  germination  of  their  seed.     If  left  to 
themselves,  they  quickly  become  extinct      They 
do  not  grow  wild  in  any  part  of  the  world.     Their 
seed  must  be  sown  by  man  in  ground  carefully 
prepared  to  receive  it.     But  while  human  culture 
is  necessary  for  the  growth  and  propagation  of 
corn-plants,  man  is   naturally  ignorant  of   their 
u?e  and  value.     It  would  never  have  occurred  to 
man  to  prepare  the  soil  for  wheat-seed  at  a  parti- 
cular time  of  the  year,  and  to  wait  many  months 
for  the  grain  that  would  ripen   in  the  ear;    and 
then  to  grind  the  hard  seeds,  and  to  mix  them 
with  water,  and  to  bake  this  paste  is  what  man 
left  to   himself,  would   never   have    thought  of. 
The  fact  that  we  have  corn-plants  alive  on  the 
earth   at  this  day  demonstrates   that  they  must 
have  been  called  into  existence  when  man  was  on 


314 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  earth  to  cultivate  them,  and  that  man  must 
have  been  taught  by  a  Higher  Power  to  do  so, 
and  to  use  them  for  his  support.  It  is  then  a 
matter  that  can  be  established  by  the  clearest  and 
most  convincing  evidence,  that  God,  as  the  Pro- 
phet here  tells  us,  instructed  the  plowman  to 
plow,  to  open  and  break  the  clods  of  the  ground, 
and  to  cast  in  the  wheat  and  barl-y.  (Vers.  24, 
25.)  These  may  appear  to  us  now  simple  opera- 
tions. But  they  must  have  been  at  first  taught  to 
man  by  God  in  order  that  wheat  and  barley,  and 
the  other  cereals  which  He  had  made  for  the  use 
of  man,  might  be  preserved  on  the  earth.  Beside 
the  natural  powers  furnished  us  by  God,  to  whom 
we  owe  the  capacity  of  knowledge  and  the  lessons 
given  by  Providence  in  external  nature,  God  still 
teaches  the  husbandman  through  that  primeval 
revelation  of  the  art  of  agriculture  made  to  man 
when  He  put  him  into  the  garden  to  dress  it  and 
to  keep  it. — D.  M.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  On  xxviii.  1-6.  "  In  the  light  of  this  word 
of  God  let  the  glorious  acts  of  God  (the  fall  of 
Paris,  etc.)  be  to  us  a  mighty  proclamation :  1) 
of  God's  judgment,  2)  of  God's  grace."  FEOMMEL, 
Zeitpredigfen,  Heidelberg,  1873. 

2.  On  vers.  11  and  12.    An  earnest  warning 
voice  to  our  people.     It  bids  us  consider  1)  What  ] 
the  Lord   has  hitherto  in  kindness  offered  to  us  j 
(How  rest  may  be  had  is  preached  to  us  Matth.  i 
xi.  28  sq.);  2)  How  we  have  received  what  has  j 
been  offered  to  us  (We  will  not  have  such  preach-  j 
ing) ;  3)  What  the  Lord  for  our  punishment  will  j 
hereafter  offer  to  us  (He  will  speak  with  mock- 
ing lips  and  with  another  tongue  unto  this  peo- 
pie). 

3.  On  vers.  14-20.  Text  for  a  political  sermon 
such   as  might   be  delivered  before  a  Christian 
court,  or  before  an  assembly  of  those  who  have 
influence  on  the  direction  of  public  affairs.    God's 
word  to  those  who  direct  the  a/airs  of  the  State: 


1)  The   false   foundation:    a.   as  to   its  nature 
(ver.  15),  b.  as  to  its  consequences  (vers.  17  6-20). 

2)  The  true  foundation :  a.  wherein  it  consists 
(ver.  16),  6.  the  conditions  of  its  efficacy  (giving 
heed  to  the  word,  believing),  c.  its  effects. 

4.  On  vers.  16  and  17.  The  foundation  and  cor- 
ner-stone of  the  Christian  Church:  1)  Who  He  is 
(Matth.  xxi.  42;    Acts  iv.  11 ;    Rom.  ix.  33;    1 
Pet.  ii.  6sq.).     2)  How  we  partake  of  His  bless- 
ing (He  who  believes  flees  not).     3)  What  salva- 
tion He  brings  us  (ver.  17).     Ver.  16  is  often  used 
as  a  text  for  discourses  at  the  laying  of  the  foun- 
dation-stone of  churches. 

5.  On  ver.  19.  Affliction  teaches  us  to  give  heed 
to  the  word.     Affliction  is  the  best  instructress  of  the 
foolish  heart  of  man  ;  for  it  teaches  us  to  know :  1) 
the  vanity  of  earthly  tilings,  2)  the  power  to  com- 
fort and  to  save  which  lies  solely  in  the  benefits 
offered  to  us  in  the  word  of  God. 

6.  On  ver.  22.  Warning  to  scoffers.     God  will 
accomplish  in  the  whole  world  the  triumph  of  His 
cause.     Woe  then  to  the  scoffers.     Their  bands 
will  only  become  the  harder.     They  hurt  them- 
selves by  their  scoffing. 

7.  On  ver.  23  sqq.  Consolatory  discourse.    God 
does  not  always  chastise.     Chastisement  is  with 
Him  only  a  means  to  an  end,  as  with  the  husband- 
man ploughing  and  threshing.     When  the  chas- 
tisement has  reached  its  aim,  it  ceases.     Let  us 
therefore  give  heed  unto  the  word,  and  the  trial 
will  not  be  continued. 

8.  [The  Church  is  God's  tilled  land.     1  Cor. 
iii.  9.     Paul  tells  the  Corinthians :  Ye  are  God's 
yetjpyiov,  God's  tilled  land.    Christ  has  called  His 
Father  the  yewpyof,  the  husbandman,  John  xv.  1. 
God  does  not  leave  us  without  culture.     He  treats 
us  as  the  farmer  does  his  field.     He  gives  us,  too, 
what  corresponds  to  the  rain  and  sunshine,  in  the 
influences  of  His  Spirit.     He  employs  means  for 
making  us  fruitful.      Comp.  Heb.  vi.  7,  8  as  to 
the  doom  of  those  who  fail  to  bring  forth  fruit — 
set  forth  by  a  metaphor  taken  from  agriculture. 
— D.  M.] 


II.— THE  SECOND  WOE. 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
1.  THE  FOURFOLD  ARIEL.    CHAP.  XXIX.  1-12. 

1  WOE  'to  Ariel,  to  Ariel, 
2The  city  where  David  dwelt ! 
Add  ye  year  to  year  ; 

"Let  them  3kill  sacrifices. 

2  bYet  I  will  distress  Ariel, 

And  there  shall  be  heaviness  and  sorrow ; 
And  it  shall  be  unto  me  as  Ariel. 

3  And  I  will  camp  against  thee  round  about, 
And  will  lay  siege  against  thee  with  a  Amount, 
And  I  will  raise  forts  against  thee. 

4  And  thou  shalt  be  brought  down,  and  shalt  speak  out  of  the  ground, 
And  thy  speech  shall  be  low  out  of  the  dust, 

And  thy  voice  shall  be  as  dof  one  that  hath  a  familiar  spirit,  out  of  the  ground, 
And  thy  speech  shall  'whisper  out  of  the  dust. 


CHAP.  XXIX.  1-12. 


315 


5  'Moreover  the  multitude  of  thy  strangers  shall  be  like  small  dust, 

And  the  multitude  of  the  terrible  ones  shall  be  as  chaff  that  passeth  away ; 
Yea,  it  shall  be  at  an  instant  suddenly. 

6  'Thou  shalt  be  visited  of  the  LORD  of  hosts 

With  thunder,  and  with  earthquake,  and  great  noise, 
With  storm  and  tempest,  and  the  flame  of  devouring  fire. 

7  And  the  multitude  of  all  the  nations  that  fight  against  Ariel, 
Even  all  that  fight  against  her,  and  her  munition, 

And  that  distress  her, 

Shall  be  as  a  dream  of  a  night  vision. 

8  It  shall  even  be  as  when  an  hungry  man  dreameth, 
And,  behold,  he  eateth  ; 

But  he  awaketh,  and  his  soul  is  empty ; 

Or  as  when  a  thirsty  man  dreameth, 

And,  behold,  he  drinketh  ; 

But  he  awaketh,  and,  behold,  he  is  faint, 

And  his  soul  hath  appetite  : 

So  shall  the  multitude  of  all  the  nations  be, 

That  fight  against  mount  Zion. 

9  Stay  yourselves,  and  wonder ; 
6gCry  ye  out,  and  cry : 

They  are  drunken,  but  not'  with  wine ; 
They  stagger,  but  not  with  strong  drink. 

10  For  the  LORD  hath  poured  out  upon  you  the  spirit  of  deep  sleep, 
And  hath  closed  your  eyes  : 

The  prophets  and  your  6rulers,  the  seers  hath  he  covered. 

11  And  the  vision  of  all  is  become  unto  you  as  the  words  of  a  7book  that  is  sealed, 
Which  men  deliver  to  one  that  his  learned, 

Saying,  Read  this,  I  pray  thee  : 

And  he  saith,  I  cannot ;  for  it  is  sealed : 

12  And  the  book  is  delivered  to  him  that  is  not  learned, 
Saying,  Read  this,  I  pray  thee ; 

And  he  saith,  I  am  not  learned. 


1  Or,  0  Ariel,  that  is,  the  lion  of  God. 
*  Heb.  peep,  or,  chirp, 
i  Or,  letter. 

»  let  the  feasts  complete  a  revolution. 

d  of  the  spirit  of  one  dead. 

«  blind  yourselves  and  be  blind. 


Or,  of  the  city. 

Or,  take  your  pleasure  and  riot. 


Heb.  cut  off  the  heafa. 
Heb.  heads. 


«>  then. 
«  But. 
h  knows  writing. 


0  post. 

1  she  shall  be  visited  (delivered). 


TEXTUAL    AND 

Ver.  1.  By  comparing  xxx.  1  we  see  that  }2p  is  not 
from  np\  but  from  D3D  (Jer.  vii.  21,  et  saepc).  *|pj 
(Kal  only  here,  Hiphil  further  in  Isa.  xv.  8)  is  circuire 
circulare.  This  meaning  belongs  to  H21  DPI  Ex.  xxxiv. 

T    I     : 

22  ;  2  Chron.  xxiv.  23. 
Ver.  7.  TT2V  is  used  for  the  sake  of  variety  instead 

of  rriovj  comp.  m«n  mto  ver.  2,  DKHS  yna1? 

ver.  5.  '  The  construction  of  the  suffix  is  to  be  explained 
as  in  ''Dp  Ps.  xviii.  40, 49.  m'ltfp  is  found  also  in  Ezek. 
xix.  9,  where  the  king  of  Judah  is  spoken  of  who  was 
caught  by  means  of  net  and  pit,  placed  in  a  cage  by 
means  of  hooks,  and  brought  to  Babylon  into  ril'l^p- 
The  whole  connection  there  renders  it  probable  that 
TVI"ii'O  denotes  a  place  for  wild  animals  that  have  been 
captured— a  prison  or  something  of  that  kind— whereas 
in  Eccles.  ix.  12,  where  only  the  word  again  occurs,  the 
meaning  "net"  is  undoubted.  When  then  m¥O,  and 


GRAMMATICAL. 

not  mii'D  is  in  the  text,  and  when,  moreover,  I  consi- 

T       ;  . 

der  that  the  grammatical  co-ordination  of  nfHsD  with 

the  suffix  in  rV3¥  (all  her  assailants  and  of  her  mXO) 
would  be  very  abnormal,  because  we  cannot,  e.  g.,  say 

nninw  ma  instead  of  nrnnx  'jm  ma,— it  seems 

T        -:|- T    VT  T         -:      ••:        T    VT 

to  me  much  more  probable  that  iTU'p  's  intended  to 
denote  here  not  the  fortress  Zion,  but  the  siege  entrench- 
ments set  up  against  Zion,  the  j"n>'p  verse  3,  which  en- 
close the  city  as  a  net,  and  can  therefore  be  called  its 
net.  And  this  net  of  bulwarks,  together  with  those  who 
by  means  of  it  distress  Zion  (Q'p'¥D  comp.  on  'fllp'S H 
ver.  2),  shall  disappear  as  a  vision  of  a  dream.  More- 
over the  conjecture  of  BOETTCHER  (Aehrenlese  p.  32)  that 
we  should  read  fT3¥  instead  of  iTpif  seems  to  me  not 
unworthy  of  attention.  For  the  difficulty  still  remains  to 
give  a  specific  meaning  to  !T3y.  if  it  is  to  stand  for 
7TX3¥.  BOJSTTCHEB  not  unjustly  remarks,  too,  that  the 


316 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


'3Y,  the  splendor  of  the  city  (xxiii.  9;  xxviii.  1  sqq. ; 
xxxii.  13  sq.)  certainly  formed  a  prominent  point  in  the 
vanishing  vision  as  "  the  refreshment  which  they  de- 
sire, and  imagine  they  will  receive."  Whoever  is  in- 
clined to  adopt  this  conjecture  ofBoErrcHEB,  which  even 
KNOBEL  accepts,  will  have  no  difficulty  in  connecting 
nrnyoi  with  what  precedes  it. 
Ver.  8.  We  should  expect  apronomen  separatum 


along  with  the  participles  b^lK  and  nr\ty,  and  the  ad- 
jective cp ~y.  But  it  is  well  known  that  this  pronoun  is 
frequently  omitted. 

Ver.  11.  Instead  of  12371  .JHV  we  find  in  the  K  ri 
13p  without  the  article,  as  in  ver.  12.  But  the  altera- 
tion is  needless.  For  in  this  connection  13  DH  can  also 
be  said,  if  only  we  take  the  article  as  the  generic.  Be- 
specting  10N1,  vers.  11  and  12,  comp.  on  xl.  G. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1 .  The  Prophet  sets  forth  in  vers.  1  and  2  the 
theme   of  his   discourse.     For  he  announces  to 
Ariel,  i.  e.,  to  the  city  of  God,  Jerusalem,  that  he 
will  cause  her  after  a  time  great  distress,  notwith- 
standing that  she  is  Ariel,  i.  e.,  lion  of  God  ;  that 
she,  however,  in  this  distress  will  prove  herself  to 
be  Arisl,  i.  e.,  the  hearth  of  God.     This  thought 
is  further  developed  in  what  follows.     The  LORD 
causes  Jerusalem  to  be  told  that  He  will  besiege 
and  afflict  her  greatly  (ver.  3),  so  that  she,  bowed 
low  in  the  dust,  will   let  her  voice  sound  faintly 
as  the  spirit  of  one  dead  (ver.  4).     But  the  com- 
forting promise  is  immediately  annexed,  that  the 
enemies  of  Jerusalem   will  suddenly  become  as 
fins  dust  or  as  flying  chaff  (ver.  5).     For  Jehovah 
will  come  against  them  as  with  thunder,  and  tem- 
pest, and   devouring   fire  (ver.  6).     The  whole 
force,  therefore,  of  the  enemies  that  fight  against 
Ariel,  i.  e.,  here  the  mount  of  God,  will  pass  away 
as  a  vision  of  a  dream  in  the  night  (ver.  7) ;  these 
enemiss  will  be  in  the  condition  of  one  who  in  a 
dream  thinks  that  he  has  eaten  and  drunk,  and 
only  on  awaking  perceives  that  he  has  been  dream- 
ing (ver.  8).     In  vers.  9-12  the  Prophet  himself 
depicts  the  effect  of  his  words  on  the  obdurate 
people.     They  build  on  other  aid.     They  there- 
fore hear  the  word  of  the  Prophet  in  fixed  amaze- 
ment (ver.  9).     For  they  are  as  blind  (ver.  10), 
and  in  relation  to  the  prophecy  they  are  as  one 
who  has  to  read  a  sealed  document,  or  as  one  who 
has  an  unsealed  writing  given  him  to  read,  but 
he  cannot  read  (vers.  11  and  12). 

2.  Woe  to  Ariel— as  Ariel.— Vers.  1,  2.  This 
paragraph  begins  with  vin  as  xxviii.  1 ;  xxix.  15 ; 

xxx.  1  ;  xxxi.  1 ;  xxxiii.  1.  The  name  ^N'lX  Oc- 
cnn  2  Sam.  xxiii.  20(1  Chr.xi.  22)  as  the  name  of 
Mo:ibite  heroes  ;  Ezra  viii.  1G  as  the  name  of  a 
Levite;  Ezek.  xliii.  15,  16  the  altar  is  called 

SiOn  and  SjpWS  (K'ri,  Kethibh  ViOK)  ;  Isa. 
xxxiii.  7  'JON  is  found  in  the  signification 
"  hero."  Interpreters  take  the  word  as  often  as 
it  occurs  in  the  passage  before  us,  namely,  ver.  1 
(6w);  ver.  2  (bis),  and  ver.  7,  either  in  the  signi- 
fication of  "  lion  of  God,"  or  in  that  of  "  hearth 
of  God."  Only  HITZIG,  who  is  on  this  account 
censured,  assumes  a  play  on  the  word,  and  takes 
it  in  ver.  1  as  ara  Dei,  and  ver.  2  as  lion  of  God. 
I  am  of  opinion  that  HITZIG  has  not  gone  far 
enough.  For  it  seems  to  me  that  the  Prophet  has 
each  time  used  the  word  in  a  different  significa- 
tion according  to  the  connection,  and  that  it  is 
taken  in  four  different  meanings  [?].  First  of  all, 
Ariel  appears  as  an  enigmatical,  significant  name 
which  the  Prophet  attributes  to  the  city  of  Jeru- 
salem, in  a  manner  unusual  and  fitted  to  excite 


inquiry.  That  Jerusalem  is  meant  by  it  is  clear 
from  the  connection,  especially  from  PUD  JTIp 
|  "in  ver.  1,  and  from  JV^  in  ver.  8.  But  we 
mark  from  the  connection  in  each  instance,  that 
the  Prophet  intends  each  time  a  different  allu- 
sion while  employing  the  same  word.  In  adding 
in  ver.  1  HI  Pun  JVIp  he  gives  us  to  understand 

that  under  S&T1X  he  alludes  to  Sx  i£  city  of  God. 
The  word  1p  is  used  besides  only  of  the  Moabite 
capital  Ar-Moab  :  Num.  xxi.  15,  28  ;  Deut.  ii.  9  > 
Isa.  xv.  1.  /$  1>'  may  accordingly  involve  an 
antithesis  to  2K13  1J,' — Moab,  as  in  xxv.  10  sq., 
being  thought  of  as  the  representative  of  all  op- 
position to  God.  The  Septuagint  translator  has 

referred  ?X'1X  to  Moab,rwhile  he  takes  this  word 
to  designate  the  Moabite  city ;  for  he  renders 
oval  7r6'Atf  'Api/fl.,  f/v  &avl5  tiroMfOjaev"  whereby 
he  certainly  had  in  his  eye  the  victory  achieved 
by  David  over  the  Moabites,  2  Sam.  viii.  2.  But 
what  led  him  to  think  of  Moab  in  connection 

with  /N'lH,  was  either  the  recollection  of  the  Mo- 
abite heroes  mentioned  2  Sam.  xxiii.  20,  or  the 
similarity  in  sound  to  the  name  of  the  city  Ar 
(Greek  "Ap  Num.  xxi.  15 ;  Deut.  ii.  9)  which 
lies  in  Ar-iel.  That  the  resemblance  could  have 
been  thought  of  by  the  Prophet  appears  from  the 
manifold  permutations  which  occur  between  X 
and  y  in  Hebrew,  and  in  the  cognate  dialects 

(comp.  ver.  5  J'P3  and  DKflS,  DJN  and  D^',  S» 
and  hip,  3«n  and  31'Jl,  bw  and  Sj,'J,  etc.  Comp. 
EWALD,  Gr.,  \  58,  a,  note  1  and  c;  GESEN.  T/ies. 

p.  2).  The  yod  in  /X'lX  does  not  militate  against 
our  exposition.  For,  apart  from  the  fact  that  a 
mere  similarity  in  sound  is  the  matter  in  question, 
the  "  i "  would  not  grammatically  stand  in  the 
way  of  the  explanation  "City  of  God,"  as  this 
"i"  occurs  not  rarely  as  an  antique  connecting 
vowel  especially  in  proper  names  (comp.  Gabriel, 
Abdiel,  etc.,  EWALD,  Gr.,  §  211,  b).  Accordingly 
I  consider  the  words  HI  run  JV1  pas  explanatory 

of  the  word  Ariel,  or  as  a  hint  to  intimate  in  what 
signification  the  Prophet  would  have  us  under- 
stand the  word  here.  For  Jerusalem,  a  holy  city 
from  a  high  antiquity  (Gen.  xiv.  18  sqq.),  became 
the  city  of  God  (ch.  Ix.  14;  Ps.  xlvi.  5;  xlviii. 
2,  9;  Ixxxvii.  3;  ci.  8),  and  the  centre  of  the 
theocracy  from  the  day  when  David,  chosen  king 
by  all  Israel,  took  up  in  it  his  royal  residence,  (2 
Sam.  v.  6  sqq.).  With  the  words  ""Jl  HJEf  '3D 
to  ITJW  the  Prophet  confirms  the  woe  which  he 
had  pronounced.  First  of  ail,  the  question  pre- 
sents itself,  whether  the  words  13D  .  .  .  "3pr  coo- 


CHAP.  XXIX.  1-12. 


317 


tain  an  indefinite  or  a  definite  statement  of  time. 
If  the  declaration  of  time  be  indefinite,  the  occur- 
rence of  the  calamity  would  be  placed  in  prospect 
at  a  point  of  time  incalculably  remote.  For  no- 
thing would  indicate  how  long  this  adding  year 
to  year,  and  this  revolution  of  the  i'estivals  should 
last.  Thereby,  however,  the  effect  of  the  pro- 
phecy on  those  living  at  the  time  of  its  deli- 
very would  be  neutralized.  Fot  they  could  in- 
dulge the  hope  that  the  catastrophe  would  not 
affect  them.  The  design  of  the  Prophet  could 
not  be  to  produce  such  an  impression. 

We  must  therefore  assume  that  the  Prophet 
wishes  to  indicate  by  these  words  an  interval  at 
least  approximately  defined,  and  a  point  of  time 
not  very  remote,  but  rather  relatively  near  (as 
xxxii.  10).  The  meaning  then  would  be:  Add 
to  the  present  year  another  year,  and  let 
another  annual  revolution  of  festivals  be 
completed.  This  would  be  tantamount  to  say- 
ing, that  from  the  end  of  the  present  year  another 
year  would  run  its  course,  and  then  the  catastro- 
phe announced  in  what  follows  would  take  place. 
The  addition  IBJ"  D'Jn  is  intended  to  intimate 


that  a  full  sacred  year  has  yet  to  run  its  course. 
If  the  time  when  the  Prophet  spoke  this  pro- 
phecy was  coincident  with  the  beginning  of  the 
sacred  year,  then  the  addition  was  really  super- 
fluous. But  if  this  coincidence  did  not  exist, 
then  the  addition  had  the  meaning  that  the  com- 
plete year  is  not  to  be  reckoned  from  the  day 
when  the  Prophet  spoke  the  words,  but  from  the 
beginning  of  the  next  sacred  year.  It  is  there- 
fore not  probable  that  the  Prophet  made  the  ut- 
terance at  the  time  of  the  Passover  festival,  which 
formed  the  commencement  of  the  theocratic  year 
(Exod.  xii.  2).  But  the  Prophet  must  have 
spoken  the  words  a  considerable  time  before  the 
Passover.  ["  Many  of  the  older  writers,  and  the 
E.  V.,  take  the  last  words  of  the  verse  in  the 
sense,  let  them  kill  (or  more  specifically,  cut  off 
the  heads)  the  sacrificial  victims  ;  but  it  is  more  in 
accordance  both  with  the  usage  of  the  words  and 
with  the  context  to  give  Q'JH  its  usual  sense  of 
feasts  or  festivals,  and  ^pJ  that  of  moving  in  a 
circle  or  revolving,  which  it  has  in  Hiphil.  The 
phrase  then  exactly  corresponds  to  the  one  pre- 
ceding, "add  year  to  year."  ALEXANDER.  —  D.  M.] 
Ver.  2  tells  what  shall  happen  at  the  point  of 
time  indicated.  Then  the  LORD  will  cause  Ariel 
difficulty  and  distress  (ver.  7  ;  viii.  23  ;  li.  13)  ; 
and  there  shall  arise  sighing  and  groaning 
(besides  only  Lam.  ii.  5  borrowed  from  this 
place  ;  the  verb  HJX  Isa.  iii.  26  ;  xix.  8,  comp. 
the  related  <"UKn  of  the  snorting  of  the  female 
camel  [wild  she-ass.  —  D.  M.]  in  heat,  Jer.  ii.  24). 
Here  Ariel  is  represented  as  on  all  sides  op- 
pressed, which  extorts  pitiable  groaning.  The 
name  Ariel  seems  therefore  to  involve  here  an 
antithesis  to  TOp'yn  :  The  strong  is  oppressed, 
and  in  this  his  distress  he  sighs  and  groans. 
When  then  in  this  connection  the  idea  of  strength 

is  prominent  in  ^K'TK,  we  shall  have  to  take  the 
word  here  in  its  common  signification  =  lion 
of  God.  But  this  distress  does  not  last  forever. 
The  Prophet  in  this  statement  passes  hastily  over 
the  whole  field  of  vision  from  the  bad  beginning 
to  the  glorious  end  :  Jerusalem  (for  this  is  the 


subject  of  nrrni)  shall  yet  be  to  the  LORD  as 

?N"1N.  It  is  manifest  that  the  word  must  be 
taken  here  as  a  word  of  good  meaning.  In  such 
a  signification  we  find  it  used  Ezek.  xliii.  15  sq. 
For  there  the  altar  of  burnt  offering  is  so  de- 
signated. The  same  altar  is  also  called  there 

'^"?D-  But  this  designation  seems  to  be  given 
to  the  altar  as  a  whole.  When  therefore  *7K^K 

along  with  7IOn  is  an  altar-name,  we  may  as- 
sume that  both  words  have  a  signification  refer- 
ring to  the  nature  of  the  altar.  In  the  case  of 

TlOn  this  is  at  once  evident;  the  high  place  of 
God  is  put  in  opposition  to  the  high  places 
^niD3)  of  the  false  gods.  It  is  true  that  '"^  is 
found  elsewhere  only  in  the  signification  lion. 
But  the  radix  i~PK  denotes  carpere  (Ps.  Ixxx  13; 
Cant.  v.  1),  and  can,  like  "U'3,  be  used  of  fire. 
If  further  we  compare  the  Arabic  'ird,  focus, 
caminus,  and  consider  that  in  Isa.  xxxi.  9,  it  is 

said  of  the  LORD  that  p"?  3  i1?  TX,  it  follows  that 
the  Prophets  were  justified,  in  a  connection  in 
which  a  manifold  playing  on  a  word  is  ingeni- 
ously practised,  in  finding  in  the  word  '^N  an 
allusion  to  the  place  of  fire,  to  the  altar.  It  is 
particularly  to  be  observed  that  the  Prophet  in 

our  place  says    '^'"liO  as  Ariel.     He  does   not 

saJ  '*?"!?  i-  Jerusalem  is  not  therefore  to  be- 
come an  altar,  but  it  is  to  prove  itself  as  a  holy 
hearth,  which  it  has  long  been.  It  shall  be 
treated  as  such  by  the  LORD,  it  shall  therefore 
be  again  delivered  out  of  distress. 

3.  And  I  will  camp  -  the  dust.  —  Vers.  3 
and  4.  What  was  stated  in  vers.  1  and  2  with 
the  brevity  of  a  theme  is  now  set  forth  more  fully. 
And,  first,  it  is  shown  how  the  LORD  Avill  afflict 
the  strong  lion,  and  compel  him  to  utter  lamenta- 
ble sounds  of  distress.  iUD.  which  is  employed 
by  Isaiah  only  in  this  chapter,  denotes  here  en- 
camping with  a  view  to  besieging.  The  word 
stands  frequently  in  the  historical  books  in  this 

sense  in  conjunction  with  7J?  :  Josh.  x.  5,  31,  34; 
2  Sam.  xii.  28  et  saepe.  ^13  (besides  only  xxii. 
18)  =  as  in  a  circle.  "m  (related  to  "in  perio- 
dus)  is  to  be  regarded  as  standing  in  the  accus.  lo- 
calis.  1W  (in  Isaiah  besides  only  xxi.  2)  stands 

frequently  with  Sj>  in  the  sense  of  pressing  upon  : 
Deut.  xx.  12,  19;  2  Kings  vi.  25;  xxiv.  11  ;  Jer. 
xxxii.  2  et  saepe.  3Xp  (CT.  /.ey.),  is  synonymous 
with  3'2f  J.  nji'O,  >2?p  =  Statio,  excubiae  prac»i- 
dium,  post.  As  to  construction  the  word  is  to  be 
regarded  as  in  the  accusative  (accus.  instrum.). 
mi¥0,  which  occurs  in  Isaiah  only  here,  is  <i 
very  general  term,  which  is  most  frequently 
euivalent  to  I'lVD  in  the  expression  rP'i'p  'T£ 


equivalent  to  IlVD  in  the  expre 
(2  Chron.  xi.  10,  23;  xii.  4;  xiv.  5;  xxi.  3).    It 
manifestly  denotes  not  instruments  for  attacking 
a   place,  'but    fortifications,    entrenchments    em- 
ployed  by  a  besieging  army,  among  which   are 

nhbb  (2  Sam.  xx.  15;  Jer.  vi.  6,  et  saepe)  and 

p'V  (2  Kings  xxv.  1).     The  plural  then  denotes 

i  theT  various  parts  of  the  works  thrown  up  by  the 


318 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


besiegers.  As  the  fortifications  for  defence  are 
also  called  nilttO  2  Chron.  xi.  11.  The  expres- 
sion TID'pni  is  not  opposed  to  what  has  been 
said.  For  the  machines  used  in  a  siege,  the 
D"?3,  as  is  clear  from  Ezek.  iv.  2,  belong  to  the 
D'lljfO.  Ver.  4  illustrates  the  words  in  ver.  2, 
and  there  shall  be  sighing  and  groaning 
[E.  V.,  heaviness  and  sorrow].  The  construc- 

tion "HTin  fi732M  is  the  well-known  one,  ac- 
cording to  which  an  adverbial  notion  is  expressed 
by  the  verb  that  is  placed  first.  Jerusalem  will 
lie  so  low  that  her  voice  will  be  only  heard  as  if 
it  proceeded  from  the  dust,  yea,  from  under  the 
earth.  There  is  here  a  climax  descendens.  The 
voice  comes  from  a  female  sitting  on  the  ground, 
out  of  the  dust,  from  under  the  earth.  In  the 
clause  'I^D^OI  we  mark  a  pregnant  construction. 
Pniy  is  used  by  Isaiah  with  tolerable  frequency  : 
ii.  9,  11,  17;  v.  15;  xxv.  12;  xxvi.  5.  The 
word  is  used  especially  of  a  suppressed  voice 
Eccles.  xii.  4.  Regarding  31X  and  ^i'Slf  comp. 
on  viii.  19.  The  voice  will,  like  that  of  the  spirit 
of  one  dead,  come  forth  out  of  the  earth. 

4.  Moreover  the  multitude  -  Mount 
Zion.  —  Vers.  5-8.  These  words  expand  the 
short  promise  at  the  close  of  ver.  2.  The  distress 
of  Jerusalem  shall  not  last  long.  The  supplica- 
tion of  her  who  has  been  brought  so  low  shall 
be  heard  ;  her  enemies  shall  be  brought  still 
lower  ;  they  shall  be  crushed  even  to  dust.  p2X 
comp.  v.  24.  PT  besides  xl.  15.  JIOH  is  used 
by  the  Prophet  four  times  in  this  passage:  ver. 
5  bis,  ver.  7  and  ver.  8.  Regarding  "V  comp.  on 
i.  7.  The  image  of  chaff  carried  away  by  the 
wind  is  frequent:  xvii.  13;  xli.  15;  Ps.  "i.  4; 
xxxv.  5  ;  Job  xxi.  18;  Zeph.  ii.  2.  D'i""^  comp. 
xiii.  11.  The  crushing  of  the  enemies  shall  be 
r.ot  only  complete,  but  also  sudden.  It  will  be 
thereby  all  the  more  terrible.  yr^3  is  substan- 
tive =  the  opening  of  the  eyes,  a  moment  ;  but 
DSHD  is  an  adverb  (comp.  D7LJ>  B^1').  In  regard 
to  the  permutation  of  y  and  X  see  on  ver.  1. 
The  two  words  stand  together  Num.  vi.  9,  wheie, 
however,  we  find  DXr\3  >?fl£n,  and  Isa.  xxx.  13. 

i  denotes  the  measure  (momentaneo  modo,  comp 


X?,  etc).  Ver.  6  describes  the 
means,  by  which  the  LORD  crushes  the  enemy  of 
Jerusalem.  ~\DSfi  is  taken  by  GESENIUS,  HITZIG, 
KNOBEL,  DELITZSCH  impersonally:  A  visitation 
shall  be  made.  But  it  seems  to  me  that  thir, 
would  require  the  passive  of  the  causative  con- 
jugation, namely  Hophal.  (Comp.  on  xxxviii. 
10).  The  reference  to  Jerusalem  is  suggested  by 
vers.  2,  7  and  8.  The  Prophet  says  therefore, 
that  Jerusalem  will  be  graciously  visited,  i.  e., 
delivered  (xxiv.  22)  [According  to  this  interpre- 
tation we  must  translate  "  and  she  shall  be 
visited,  etc."  If  we  use  the  second  person  as  in 
the  E.  V.,  "thon  shalt  be  visited,"  then  the 
enemy  must  be  addressed,  and  not  the  city  Jeru- 
salem, which  would  require  the  verb  to  be  in  the 
feminine  form  of  the  second  person.  —  D.  M.]. 
Ul  Dj,'~Q,  observe  here  the  similarity  of  sound  in 
these  words.  E,jn>  the  cracking,  roaring  (of 


thunder  Ps.  civ.  7  ;  Ixxvii.  19),  is  found  only  here 
in  Isaiah.  t^>H  conquassatio,  aeta[i6<;  (hence  earth- 
quake 1  Kings,  xix.  11;  Amos  i.  1),  is  further 
used  by  Isaiah  ix.  4.  H31D  from  ^D  (^DX,  HDD) 
aitferre,  rapere,  is  rather  the  whirlwind,  turbo, 
comp.  v.  28  ;  xvii.  13  ;  xxi.  1  ;  Ixvi.  15.  m>'D 
tempest,  hurricane,  comp.  xl.  24  ;  xli.  16.  Both 
words  are  found  in  conjunction  elsewhere  only 
in  Amos  i.  14.  The  flame  of  devouring 

fire,  comp.  xxx.  30.  The  plural  DOH7  xiii.  8  ; 
Ixvi.  15.  Besides  ""OnS  iv.  5  ;  v.  24  ;  x.  17  ; 


xliii.  2;  xlvii.  14.  nuK  Bfc  comp.  xxx.  27, 
30  ;  xxxiii.  14.  VITRINGA  thinks  that  we  ought 
to  take  these  words  literally,  and  find  in  them  an 
intimation  that  the  LORD  destroyed  the  Assyrians 
in  that  night  (xxxvii.  3G)  by  a  frightful  thunder- 
storm. But  this  is  a  manifest  misconception  of 
the  Prophetic  style.  In  vers.  7  and  8  the  Pro- 
phet depicts  at  the  close  the  disappointment 
which  the  enemy  will  feel.  This  is  expressed  by 
a  simple  image.  The  Assyrians,  so  far  as  they 
had  really  seen  Jerusalem  before  them,  and  had 
it  in  reach  of  their  power,  will,  after  their  over- 
throw, have  the  impression  that  they  had  seen 
Jerusalem  only  in  a  dream,  in  a  vision  of  the 
night  :  and  in  so  far  as  they  had  hoped  to  be 
able  easily  to  conquer  Jerusalem,  they  will  be  as 
if  they  had  eaten  in  a  dream,  but  on  awaking, 
should  feel  themselves  as  hungry  as  before.  By 
the  two  images  the  Prophet  expresses  very  em- 
phatically the  thought  that  the  whole  attempt  of 
Assyria  upon  Jerusalem  should  be  as  if  it  had 
not  been  ;  should  be  in  fact  as  empty  and  unreal 
as  the  fabric  of  a  dream.  The  subject  of  ver.  7 

is  11-1[OH  and  'Ul  H'^-SDI.  The  expression 
T\r/  pm  D17H  is  found  besides  only  Job  xxxiii. 
15,  where  we  read  HT  7  JVin  DlmS  (comp.  Job 

T  :-    I      :  v  -:i-    v  _         f 

iv.  13  ;  xx.  8).  They  who  fight  against  Ariel 
will  be  as  a  vision  of  a  dream  (X3¥  as  a  verb  in 
Isaiah  besides  only  xxxi.  4).  In  what  sense  we 
have  to  take  Ariel  here,  is  evident  from  ver.  8. 
For  there  the  whole  phrase  "  the  multitude  of 
ail  the  nations  that  fight  against"  is  repeated,  but 
instead  of  "Ariel"  we  read  "Mount  Zion."  This 
makes  it  clear  that  the  Prophet  would  have  us 

take  'X^N  here  in  the  sense  of  /^L1  Mount  of 
God  [?].  X  and  D  are  interchanged  just  as  fre- 
quently as  X  and  y,  comp.  ^X  and  y\l,  jIDn 
and  pK,  D^X  1  Kings  xii.  18  and  D^H  2 
Chron.  x.  IS*;  (See  GESEN.  Thes.  p.  2).  Ezekiel 
too  has  in  chap,  xliii.  15  got  from  our  'X'^X  his 
X"in.  In  ver.  8  the  Prophet  compares  the  de- 
parture of  the  Assyrians  from  Jerusalem  to  the 
awaking  of  a  hungry  or  thirsty  man  who  per- 
ceives that  he  has  only  dreamt  that  he  has  been 
eating  or  drinking.  The  term  EfSJ  as  in  v.  14  ; 
xxxii.  6.  H  f^p.i^  (Ps.  cvii.  9)  has  the  significa- 
tion "panting  for,  hungry  "  as  a  derivative 
meaning  from  the  radical  notion  ''  to  run  to  and 
fro,"  (xxxiii.  4).  The  concluding  words  of  this 
verse  "  the  multitude  of  all  the  nations  that  fight 
against  Mount  Zion,"  which  correspond  exactly 


CHAP.  XXIX.  1-12. 


319 


to  what  we  find  in  ver.  7,  except  that  there  instead 
of  ''Mount  Zion"  the  name  "Ariel"  occurs, 
furnish  the  key  to  the  understanding  of  the  enig- 
matical word  Ariel.  Can  it  be  deemed  acci- 
dental that  the  Prophet  in  ver.  8  repeats  those 
words  of  ver.  7  with  the  sole  change  of  substitut- 
ing for  "Ariel"  the  words  "Mount  Zion?"  Is 
not  this  a  hint  which  the  Prophet  at  the  close 
gives  to  assist  in  understanding  his  meaning  ? 
And  the  first  who  understood  this  hint  was  Eze- 
kiel  (chap,  xliii.  15). 

5.  Stay  yourselves  -  not  learned.  —  Vers. 
9-12.  The  prediction  contained  in  vera.  1-8, 
must  have  been  received  by  the  hearers  of  the 
Prophet  with  very  mingled  feelings,  because  it 
holds  out  to  them  the  prospect  of  deliverance, 
but  deliverance  in  a  way  not  agreeable  to  them. 
For  the  saying  "IpSH  flirr  D>'3  ver.  6  did  not 
please  them.  Although  then  the  Prophet  is 
aware  that  he  does  not  say  what  corresponds  to 
their  wishes,  still  they  must  just  hear  it  for  their 
punishment.  Yes,  stop  and  wonder,  whether  it 
please  you  or  not,  whether  you  comprehend  it  or 
not  ;  it  is  so  as  I  have  said  to  you.  The  Hithpacl 
nOHOnn  (to  stand  questioning,  refusing,  delaying 
Gen.  xliii.  10;  Ps.  cxix.  60  et  sacpe)  is  found  only 
here  in  Isaiah.  i"IDn  to  be  astonished,  to  wonder 
(conjoined  with  nDHOnn  in  Hab.  i.  5  as  here) 
occurs  further  in  Isaiah  xiii.  8.  Both  verbs  de- 
note amazement  at  what  is  offered,  with  unwil- 
lingness to  receive  it.  The  Hithpael  yVfyiMttn 
stands  Ps.  cxix.  16,  47  undoubtedly  in  the  signi- 
fication oblectari,  delectari.  Many  expositors  would 
take  the  word  here  too  in  this  meaning,  while 
they  consider  the  two  imperatives  as  marking  an 
antithesis  (be  joyous  and  yet  blind).  But  we  do 
not  perceive  from  the  context  why  they  should  be 
joyful.  It  is  better  therefore  to  take  yvJyrwtn 
in  the  original  signification  of  Kal  which  is  ''  per- 
mulsum,  oblitum  esse"  (comp.  Isa.  vi.  10).  Hence 
the  significations  "oblectari"  (xi.  8;  Ixvi.  12) 
and  ''  to  become  blind  "  are  equally  derived. 
Kal  occurs  only  in  this  passage  where  it  has  this 
last  signification.  The  threatening  of  a  punish- 
ment, which  should  first  affect  the  spirit,  is  here 
announced  to  the  Israelites.  But  this  punish- 
ment will  also  produce  its  outward  and  visible 
effects.  Because  these  effects  follow  in  the  way 
of  punishment,  the  Prophet  speaks  of  them  no 
more  in  the  imperative,  but  in  the  perfect.  He 
sees  the  people  reel  and  stagger  like  drunken 
men,  although  this  intoxication  does  not  proceed 
from  wine.  ""  with  1"Ot9  is  the  accusative  of 


the  instrument.  Where  a  capacity  to  receive  the 
divine  word  is  wanting,  there  it  works  an  effect 
the  very  opposite  of  what  it  should  properly  pro- 
duce ;  it  hardens,  blinds,  stupefies.  It  is  as  if  the 
spirit  of  understanding  had  become  in  those  who 
do  not  desire  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  a  spirit 
of  stupefaction,  of  stupidity.  noT>n,  which  is 
found  only  here  in  Isaiah,  has  here  this  spiritual 
sense.  D¥J?  is  used  xxxiii.  15  of  the  binding  up 
of  the  eyes,  but  in  xxxi.  1  in  its  usual  significa- 
tion of  being  strong.  That  these  two  significa- 
tions are  closely  connected  in  other  cases  also  is 
well  known.  Compare  /in,  pin  (xxii.  21)  ^(^ 
(Gen.  xxx.  42),  IPX",  lax1'".  *  The  Piel  O^1 
which  is  used  by  Jeremiah  (1.  17)  as  a  denomi- 


native in  the  sense  of  "  to  break  the  bones,  to 
bone,"  occurs  only  here  in  Isaiah.  The  words 
prophets  and  severs,  if  omitted,  would  not  be 
missed  in  ver.  10.  For  this  reason  it  is  utterly 
improbable  that  they  are  an  interpolation  of  a 
glossator.  They  obscure  the  meaning,  instead  of 
making  it  more  apparent.  We  might  almost 
conjecture  that  there  were  Prophets  of  a  first,  and 
of  a  second  rank.  The  latter  would  have  been 
the  interpreters  of  the  former,  as  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament the  speech  of  those  who  spoke  with  tongues 
was  explained  by  interpreters  (1  Cor.  xii.  10,  30  ; 
xiv.  5,  13).  Not  as  if  these  prophets  of  the  se- 
cond rank  or  interpreters  had  an  official  position. 
For  there  is  no  trace  of  this.  But  there  were 
persons  who,  when  the  meaning  of  the  prophetic 
utterances  was  the  subject  of  conversation  among 
the  people,  pushed  themselves  in  the  foreground, 
claiming  to  be  specially  endowed  with  the  capa- 
city of  explaining  what  the  prophets  had  spoken; 
and  perhaps  they  acquired  as  such  here  and  there 
a  certain  authority.  The  prophetic  word  of  the 
great  Isaiah  may  have  been  often  thus  interpreted 
to  the  people  by  such  prophets.  But  these  subor- 
dinate prophets,  although  perhaps  their  posses- 
sion of  a  certain  physical  gift  of  prophecy  was 
not  to  be  disputed,  (comp.  Saul,  1  tSara.  x.  10  et 
sacpe)  stood  yet  in  a  nearer  relation  to  the  people 
than  to  the  LORD.  Therefore  their  prophetic  gift 
was  often  not  sufficient;  often  it  was  even  abused 
by  them  (comp.  1  Cor.  xiv.  32;  1  Kings  xxii.  6 
sqq.).  Isaiah  alludes  here  to  this  state  of  mat- 
ters. The  people  were  often  puzzled  by  the  pro- 
phecy of  Isaiah,  and  even  their  prophets  who 
were  wont  to  be  their  eyes  for  such  things,  had 
as  it  were  bound-up  eyes  or  covered  heads.  N^J 

and  nm,  comp.  K'3J  and  H^  1  Sam.  ix.  9.  The 
figure  employed  in  vers.  11  and  12  suits  very  well 
to  the  explanation  proposed.  Reading  was  an 
art  which  was  not  understood  by  every  one.  He 
who  could  not  himself  read,  must  request  another 
to  read  to  him.  Thus  was  it  too  with  the  pro- 
phecy of  Isaiah.  The  people  must  apply  to  their 
prophets  to  interpret  it  for  them.  But  it  hap- 
pened then,  says  Isaiah,  as  it  often  happens  to 
one  who  applies  to  another  in  order  to  have  a 
writing  read  to  him.  It  can  be  the  case  that  the 
person,  asked  is  able  to  read,  but  yet  cannot  road 
the  document  reached  to  him,  because  it  is  sealed. 
But  what  can  this  mean  ?  If  any  one  reaches  me 
a  sealed  paper,  in  order  that  I  may  read  it  to 
him,  he  must  unite  with  his  request  the  permis- 
sion to  unseal  it.  Or,  were  there  seals  which 
could  not  be  removed  by  every  one  ?  It  appears 
to  me,  that  the  comparison  here  made  use  of  is 
purely  imaginary.  It  is  very  unlikely  that  any 
one  could  not  comply  with  the  request  to  read  a 
document,  because  it  was  sealed.  The  Prophet 
onlv  imagines  such  a  case.  But  what  he  meant 
to  intimate  thereby  was  most  real.  The  words 
of  Isaiah  were  to  many  among  those  prophets  of 
the  people  sealed  words,  i.  e.,  intelligible  as  to 
their  verbal  meaning,  but  incomprehensible  as  to 
their  inner  signification.  To  others,  or  partially 
perhaps  even  to  all,  they  were  not  intelligible  even 
in  their  verbal  meaning.  They  did  not  know 
what  to  make  of  them.  They  stood  before  tliem 
as  one  who  cannot  read  stands  before  what  is 
written.  It  seems  that  this  prophecy  regarding 


320  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Ariel  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  obscure  pro- 
phecies of  Isaiah.  This  gives  occasion  to  the 
Prophet's  expressing  himself  in  this  manner  re- 
garding the  reception  and  understanding  of  his 

prophecies.  7DH  mm  denotes  not  merely  the  im- 


mediately preceding  prediction,  but  the  prophecy 
of  Isaiah  in  general.  For  why  should  it  have 
happened  thus  with  only  those  words  that  imme- 
diately precede?  HI  ID  (comp.  xxi.  2;  xxviii. 
18)  is  synonymous  with  Jim  chap.  i.  1. 


2.  THE  SECRET  COUNSEL  OF  MEN,  AND  THE  SECRET  COUNSEL  OF  GOD. 

CHAPTER  XXIX.  13-24. 

13  Wherefore  the  LORD  said, 

Forasmuch  as  this  people  draw  near  me  w;ith  their  mouth, 

And  with  their  lips  do  honor  me, 

But  have  removed  their  heart  far  from  me, 

And  their  fear  toward  me  is  taught  by  the  precept  of  men  ; 

14  Therefore,  behold,  'I  will  proceed  to  do  a  marvellous  work  among  this  people, 
Even  a  marvellous  work  and  a  wonder ; 

For  the  wisdom  of  their  wise  men  shall  perish, 

And  the  understanding  of  their  prudent  men  shall  be  hid. 

15  Woe  unto  them  that  seek  deep  to  hide  their  counsel  from  the  LORD, 
And  their  works  are  in  the  dark, 

And  they  say,  Who  seeth  us  ?  and  who  knoweth  us  ? 

16  aSurely  your  turning  of  things  upside  down  shall  be  esteemed  as  the  potter's  clay  ; 
For  shall  the  work  say  of  him  that  made  it,  He  made  me  not  ? 

Or  shall  the  thing  framed  say  of  him  that  framed  it,  He  had  no  understanding  ? 

17  Is  it  not  yet  a  very  little  while, 

And  Lebanon  shall  be  turned  into  a  fruitful  field, 
And  the  fruitful  field  shall  be  esteemed  as  a  forest? 

18  And  in  that  day  shall  the  deaf  hear  the  words  of  the  book, 
And  the  eyes  of  the  blind  shall  see 

Out  of  obscurity,  and  out  of  darkness. 

19  The  meek  also  2shall  increase  their  joy  in  the  LORD, 

And  the  poor  among  men  shall  rejoice  in  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. 

20  For  the  terrible  one  is  brought  to  nought, 
And  the  scorner  is  consumed, 

And  all  that  watch  for  biniquity  are  cut  oif : 

21  That  make  a  man  an  offender  "for  a  word, 

And  lay  a  snare  for  him  that  reproveth  in  the  gate, 
And  turn  aside  the  just  dfor  a  thing  of  nought. 

22  Therefore  thus  saith  the  LORD,  who  redeemed  Abraham, 
Concerning  the  house  of  Jacob, 

Jacob  shall  not  now  be  ashamed, 
Neither  shall  his  face  now  wax  pale. 

23  eBut  when  he  seeth  his  children,  the  work  of  mine  hands,  in  the  midst  of  him, 
They  shall  sanctify  my  name, 

And  sanctify  the  Holy  One  of  Jacob, 
And  shall  fear  the  God  of  Israel. 

24  They  also  that  erred  in  spirit  3shall  come  to  understanding, 
And  they  that  murmured  shall  learn  doctrine. 

1  Heb-  I  ™M  fdd.  2  Heb.  shall  add.  a  Heb.  shall  know  understanding. 

•  0  your  perverting !     Or  is  the  clay  esteemed  like  the  potter,  that  the  work  should  sail  to  its  maker,  etc. 
''mischief.         "byword.         *  by  deceit.         •  For  when  he,  when  his  children,  see  the  work  of  my  hands,  etc. 

TEXTUAL    AND    GRAMMATICAL. 

antithetic  pm.  That  contrary  to  the  accentuation 
V33  is  to  be  connected  with  C/Jj.is  apparent  from  this, 
that  the  people  are  to  be  reproached,  not  with  drawing 


Ver.  13.  That  we  are  to  read  not  bMJ  (with  the  Targum 
and  many  MS3.  and  Editions,  in  the  sense  of  "  to  urge, 
trouble,  torment  one's  self,")  but  C/JJ,  is  shown  by  the 


CHAP.  XXIX.  13-24. 


321 


near  to  God  in  general,  but  with  the  outward,  deceitful 
approach  to  Him.  The  great  liberty  which  in  Hebrew 
is  indulged  in  with  reference  to  person  and  number,  is 
seen  from  ''JHiD  and  DJ1KV  in  relation  to  V£33,  VHSty 
and  l^S-  We  have  to  take  DHI  as  a  causative,  and  at 
the  same  time  intensive  Piel  (to  make  removal  with 
zeal  =  to  strive  to  get  away). 

Ver.  14.  On  npV  as  the  third  person  comp.  on  xxviii. 
16.  [rpr  is  the  third  person  of  the  future.  There  is 
an  ellipsis  to  be  supplied:  Behold,  I  (am  he  who)  will  add, 
etc.—D.  M.J.  r\X  after  X'SsD  is  not  the  sign  of  the  ac- 
cusative, but  is  the  preposition.  Instead  of  a  second 
infinitive,  a  noun  of  the  same  stem  fcO3  is  attached 
to  the  infinitive  absolute  (comp.  xxii.  17,  18;  xxiv.  19). 

Ver.  15.  pT3^n  is  the  proper  causative  Hiphil=to 
make  a  deepening,  a  sinking.  At  the  same  time  the 
construction  with  j?p  is  a  pregnant  one;  brt  "ITIQ^ 
[syncopated  Hiphil  comp.  xxiii.  11 — D.  M.]  is  not  a  state- 
ment of  the  design,  but  is  the  ablative  or  gerundine  in- 
finitivus  modalis,  which  when  united  with  a  causative 
conjugation,  can  be  expressed  by  us  by  a  verb  with  any 
adverb,  as  here  :  who  deep  from  Jehovah  hide,  etc.  Comp. 


Jer.  xlix.  8,  30,  and  as  to  the  usus  loquendi  Isa.  vii.  11 ; 
xxx.  33 ;  xxxi.  0.  QX  in  ver.  16  corresponds  to  the  Latin 
an,  and  marks  the  second  member  of  a  disjunctive 
question,  the  first  of  which  is  to  be  supplied. 

Ver.  20.  TpfJ/  o-rrov8d£eiv,  alacrem  esse,  vigilare,  invigi- 
lare,  is  elsewhere  always  construed  with  *")]}  (Jer.  i.  12 ; 
v.  6;  xxxi.  28;  xliv.  27  ;  Prov.  viii.  34 ;  Jobxxi.  32).  This 
word  is  found  in  Isaiah  only  here.  The  construction  in 
this  place  is  to  be  judged  according  to  such  forms  of 
expression  as  V&3  ^ti  (lix.  20),  JO¥  VlSl"!  (Numb. 

-    V        "T  TT      I          ~: 

xxxii.  27)  and  similar  phrases.  The  form  ?1!J?p'  might, 
considered  by  itself,  be  the  perfect  (comp.  TlE/p1  Jer. 
1.  24),  as  the  form  ^p'  with  the  primitive  J  must  be 

I     I    T 

Hlyp-'  according  to  the  rule  that  a  closed  syllable  can 
be  without  the  tone  only  when  it  has  a  short  vowel,  and 
an  open  syllable  precedes  (comp.  101D1"— JIDIp"  EWALD, 

I  IT      III: 

g  85,  a;  88,  c).  But  if  we  have  regard  to  the  syntax,  the 
imperfect  (future)  is  more  correct,  because  the  Prophet 
has  in  his  mind  not  merely  single  definite  facts,  but  the 
permanent  habit  of  those  people.  The  form  is  in  this 
case  to  be  derived  from  U/lp,  which  occurs  only  here. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  urges  the  people  to  fear  Jehovah, 
and  to  trust  in  Him  alone.  Even  in  Hezekiah's 
times  the  people  were  not  pleased  to  do  so.  On 
this  account  the  preceding  announcement  (vers. 
1-8),  notwithstanding  the  glorious  promise  with 
which  it  ends,  was  to  so  many  an  offence  (vers. 
9-12).  The  Prophet,  therefore,  directs  now  his 
discourse  against  those  who  honor  the  LORD  w.ith 
merely  external,  ceremonial  service,  and  not 
from  the  heart  (ver.  13),  and  announces  that  the 
LORD  will  deal  strangely  with  them,  and  that  their 
wisdom  will  be  brought  to  shame  (ver.  14).  He 
further  reproves  those  who  imagine  that  they  can 
carry  out  in  the  most  profound  secresy  the  plans 
of  their  untheocratic  policy  (ver.  15),  by  remind- 
ing them  that  the  clay  can  never  be  equal  to  the 
potter,  or  the  work  formed  from  clay  be  able  to 
deny  the  potter,  or  accuse  him  of  ignorance  (ver. 
16).  A  great  change  will  soon  happen  :  Assyria, 
which  is  like  Lebanon,  shall  be  brought  low ; 
Judah,  which  resembles  only  Carmel,  shall  be 
highly  exalted.  Then  people  will  understand 
the  words  of  the  Prophet,  which  they  had  before 
despised,  and  will  perceive  that  they  are  true  and 
salutary.  But  behind  that  deliverance,  which 
belongs  to  the  history  of  the  nation,  the  Prophet 
discerns  also  Messianic  blessing.  The  compari- 
son has  therefore  this  meaning  also  for  him,  that 
the  wilderness  shall  become  uncultivated  land, 
while  uncultivated  land  shall  become  a  wilder- 
ness (ver.  17).  This  means  that  a  poor  condition 
of  external  nature  shall  be  remedied  by  the 
divine  favor,  and,  conversely,  a  condition  of  high 
culture  "shall,  by  the  withdrawal  of  the  divine 
favor,  pass  into  a  state  of  wildness ;  the  deaf 
shall  hear,  the  blind  see  (ver.  -18)  ;  the  poor  and 
oppressed  shall  become  strong  and  joyful  in  the 
LORD  (ver.  19).  The  violent  and  false  shall  be 
exterminated  (vers.  20  and  21).  For  the  LORD, 
who  redeemed  Abraham  will  bring  Jacob  to 
honor  (ver.  22).  For  when  Jacob  shall  see  the 
21 


LORD'S  wonderful  work  for  his  salvation,  he  will 
sanctify  the  LORD  (ver.  23),  and  understand  what 
makes  for  his  peace  (ver.  24). 

2.  Wherefore  the  Lord  said  -  be  hid.  — 
Vers.  13  and  14.  By  means  of  "TOK'1  the  Pro- 
phet connects  what  he  has  to  say  with  the  im- 
mediately foregoing.  He  indicates  by  this  verbal 
form  that  what  follows  is  occasioned  by  the  stupid 
and  perverse  behaviour  of  the  people  (vers.  9 
and  10).  That  perversity  had  its  root  in  the 
people  trusting  more  in  themselves  and  their 
wisdom  than  in  the  LORD.  They,  therefore, 
thought  that  they  could  satisfy  the  LORD,  whose 
worship  Hezekiah  lately  imposed  on  them,  by  the 
performance  of  outward  ceremonial  service.  For 
the  rest,  in  what  concerned  their  life  and  con- 
duct, and  especially  in  their  policy,  they  went 
their  own  ways.  The  LORD  had  already  said 
(Deut.  vi.  4  sqq.),  that  He  is  not  satisfied  with 
mere  ceremonial  service,  but  desires  hearty  love 
from  His  people.  But  it  was  this  chief  and  great- 
est commandment  (Matt.  xxii.  38)  which  Israel 
never  learned.  Hence  till  the  time  of  the  exile 
the  inclination  to  idolatry  prevailed,  and  if  they 
at  times  served  the  LORD,  this  was  only  as  a 
pause  in  the  song.  And  the  reformations  of  Heze- 
kiah and  Josiah  were  no  expression  of  the  mind 
of  the  people,  and  were  consequently  not  of  long 
duration.  Manasseh  followed  Hezekiah,  and  Je- 
hoiiikim  and  Zedekiah  followed  Josiah.  But 
Isaiah  here  takes  up  earlier  utterances  (Ps.  1.  ; 
Amos  v.  21  sqq.  ;  Micah  vi.  6  sq.).  He  after- 
wards returns  to  this  subject  (Iviii.  2  sqq.,  comp. 
i.  11  sqq.).  The  expression  mD/a  m¥D  is  found 
only  here.  When  we  compare  such  expressions 

as  rrnSo  nS:;;.  HOS.  x.  11,  vtf  n^p  i  Chron. 


xxv.  7,  HOnD  H^n  Cant.  iii.  8,  we  perceive 
that  in  mOTO,  as  here  used,  there  lies  the  idea  of 
training,  of  external  discipline  and  accustoming. 
[The  complaint  is  that  their  religion,  instead  of 


322 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


being  founded  on  the  authority  of  God's  word, 
rested  on  human  ordinances. — D.  M.].  The 
punishment  for  this  hypocritical  conduct  of  the 
people  towards  Jehovah  is  that  the  LORD  con- 
tinues to  deal  with  them  in  a  wonderful  way. 
Wonderful  had  been  all  the  ways  which  the 
LORD  had  from  the  beginning  pursued  towards 
(he  people.  The  Prophet  seems  to  wish  by  the 
word  "inron  to  prepare  the  transition  to  ver.  15. 
From  the  wi.sdom,  which  must  hide  itself,  because 
it  is  brought  to  disgrace,  he  passes  over  to  the 
wisdom  which  desirea  to  hide  itself,  while  it  can- 
not do  so. 

3.  Woe  unto  them understanding. — 

Vers.  15  and  16.  We  clearly  perceive  here  how 
significant  was  the  position  of  the  great  Prophets. 
They  might  be  said  to  be  the  eye  and  the  mouth 
of  Jehovah.  They  watched  over  the  course  of 
the  theocracy,  and  the  leaders  of  it  could  not  but 
respect  them.  If  then  the  policy  approved  by 
the  leaders  was  untheocratic,  they  must  fear  the 
word  of  the  Prophets.  For  their  word  was  the 
word  of  Jehovah.  When,  therefore,  there  was  a 
consciousness  of  an  untheocratic  aim,  care  was 
taken  to  conceal  the  political  measures  from  the 
Prophets.  Thus  Ahaz  sought  to  hide  from  Isaiah 
his  Assyrian  policy  (vii.).  Here  likewise  Heze- 
kiah  tries  to  keep  secret  his  Egyptian  policy. 
For  even  Hezekiah  does  not  Keem  to  have  risen 
to  the  height  of  the  only  truly  theocratic  policy, 
which  must  consist  in  having  the  LORD  alone  as 
their  support.  'Ul  rvni.  Not  merely  is  the 
plan  secretly  concocted,  but  the  execution  of  it, 
too,  takes  place  with  all  secresy.  "jl^no,  in  Isaiah 
besides  only  xlii.  16.  DITu'jJID,  so  far  as  the 
form  is  concerned,  might  be  singular.  But  as 
the  copula  JTn  precedes,  DrT'ii'^O  can  also  be 
the  plural,  and  this  view  corresponds  better  to 
the  usas  loquendi  elsewhere  (xli.  29  ;  lix.  6 ;  Ixvi. 
18).  DD3£)n  ver.  16  is  an  exclamation  :  O  your 
perverting  !  That  is,  how  ye  pervert  things  ! 
They  act,  as  if  their  wisdom  were  greater  than 
the  wisdom  of  God,  as  if  they  could  therefore  re- 
view, determine,  and  according  to  their  pleasure 
influence  and  direct  the  thoughts  of  the  LORD, 
while  they  are  but  clay  in  the  hand  of  the  potter. 
The  word  DDDSH  (on  account  of  the  Dajesh,  lene, 
not  from  the  Infin  Kal,  but  from  the  substantive 
^DH,  which  occurs  only  here,  comp.  "^H  "]3n 
Ezek.  xvi.  34)  is  to  be  taken  in  an  active  signifi- 
cation, so  that  it  marks  not  so  much  perversity, 
as  the  perversion  of  ideas  which  proceeds  from 
perversity,  as  is  in  ver.  15  implicitly,  and  in  ver. 
16  explicitly  evinced.  If  the  potter  were  clay, 
and  the  clay  were  potter,  then  the  clay  could  de- 
termine and  direct  the  potter,  could  for  this  pur- 
pose lead  him  astray,  deceive  liim,  etc.  Either, 
then,  the  Israelites  are  perverse,  or  the  potter  is 
not  clay.  If  indeed  the  clay  were  potter,  then 
the  former  could  justly  say:  he,  the  potter  made 
me  not, — or  he  understands  and  observes  nothing. 
Tliis  is  what  Israel  says  in  imagining  that  he  is 
able  to  lead  astray  the"  Prophet",  that  is,  the  om- 
niscient LORD  Himself.  While  the  politicians 
forge  Ilezekiah's  plans,  they  think  that  they 
knead  them,  as  potters  do  their  vessels,  according 
to  their  pleasure,  and  unobserved  bv  the  LORD, 
while  they  themselves  are  yet  but  clay. 
4.  Is  it  not  yet a  thing  of  nought. — 


Vers.  17-21.  An  end  will  be  put  to  this  evil 
condition.  The  LORD  Himself  will  reform  His 
people,  and  that  thoroughly.  Then  the  deaf  will 
hear,  and  the  blind  see,  and  to  the  poor  the 
Gospel  will  be  preached.  But  those  proud,  im- 
perious and  infatuated  politicians,  who  forcibly 
suppress  all  opposition  against  their  line  of  ac- 
tion, will  go  to  ruin.  When  the  Prophet  holds 
out  the  prospect  of  this  reformation  within  a 
brief  period,  he  does  this  in  the  exercise  of  that 
prophetic  manner  of  contemplation  which  reckons 
the  times  not  according  to  a  human  but  a  divine 
measure.  For  in  fact  the  Prophet  here  beholds 
along  with,  and  in  what  is  proximate  the  time 
of  the  end.  The  prospect  of  blessedness  which 
he  presents  belongs  also  to  the  days  of  the  Mes- 
siah, as  we  clearly  perceive  from  vers.  18  and  19. 
The  expression  "i>'?3  t3>O  "11>?  is  used  thus  in  x. 
25  also.  Comp.  xxvi.  20;  liv  7.  In  a  short 
time,  therefore,  Lebanon  shall  become  a 
fruitful  field,  and  the  fruitful  field  a  forest. 
The  expression  can  be  variously  explained.  It 
seems  to  me  to  denote  primarily  that  the  LORD 
can  bring  down  that  which  is  high,  and  raise 
that  which  is  low.  And  in  this  sense  the  word 
was  fulfilled  in  the  overthrow  of  Sennacherib. 
Then  Assyria,  the  lofty  Lebanon,  became  the  low 
Carmel;  butJudah,  which  was  a  little  mount, 
and  low  plain,  became  a  lofty  wooded  mountain- 
range.  Thereby  it  became  at  the  same  time  evi- 
dent how  false  the  untheocratic  policy  was  in  its 
calculation,  and  how  truly  the  LORD'S  mouth 
spoke  by  the  Prophet.  Lebanon  and  the  forest 
represent  wild  nature,  or  the  natural  wilderness; 
the  fruitful  field  again  represents  a  state  of  cul- 
ture (x.  18 ;  xxxvii.  24).  All  depends  on  the 
essential  character,  the  nature  of  a  thing.  What 
in  its  nature  and  essence  is  good,  although  it 
looks  rough  and  wild  as  the  wooded  mountain- 
range,  shall  yet  gradually,  even  in  outward  ap- 
pearance, become  a  fruitful  cultivated  land  ;  but 
what  is  in  its  nature  rough  and  wild,  even  when 
it  appears  to  be  cultivated,  will  certainly  sooner 
or  later  manifest  its  true  nature  as  a  wilderness, 
in  a  corresponding  external  appearance.  In  short, 
the  true  nature  of  things  must  at  last  be  mani- 
fest. ["The  only  natural  interpretation  of  the 
verse,  is  that  which  regards  it  as  prophetic  of  a 
mutual  change  of  condition,  the  first  becoming 
last  and  the  last  first." — ALEXANDER.  D.  M.]. 

This  form  of  speech  was  probably  proverbial, 
and  seems  to  me  in  the  form  in  which  it  here  lies 
to  bear  the  meaning  assigned  to  it.  That  it  was 
used  in  yet  another  form,  and  then  naturally  in  a 
signification  modified  as  the  case  required,  we 
can  see  from  xxxii.  15.  Instead  of  3t!f  we  find 

T 

n*m  in  xxxii.  15.     The  passage  before  us  seems 

T  T  :  °   . 

to  be  the  only  one  in  which  31tf  i--,  undoubtedly 
employed  in  this  wider  signification  =  to  turn 
one's  self  from  one  direction  to  another  (it  properly 
signifies;  to  turn  one's  self  back).  The  definite 

article  before  72^3  and  "U-"  is  the  'generic 
(comp.  ver.  11).  /0"1D  is  used  nine  times  by 
Isaiah:  x.  18;  xvi.  10;  xxix.  17  (bis) ;  xxxii.  15, 
16;  xxxiii.  9  and  xxxv.  2  (proper  name)  ; 
xxxvii.  24.  The  expression  >  ^l^IT  is  not  meant 
to  affirm  that  the  fruitful  field  is  merely  esteemed 
as  a  forest,  without  really  being  such.  That  it 


CHAP.  XXIX.  13-24. 


323 


really  is  such,  is  what  the  Prophet  means  to  af- 
firm. In  the  following  verses  the  proverbial  and 
figurative  expression,  ver.  17,  is  illustrated.  The 
deaf  shall  in  that  day  (i.  e.,  in  the  time  indicated 
by  ~U.'TD  U^r3)  hear  words  of  the  writing, 
and  the  blind  will  see  out  of  obscurity, 
and  out  of  darkness. — When  the  bound  senses 
of  the  deaf  and  dumb  can  freely  unfold  them- 
selves, when  the  love  of  life,  which  is  kept  under 
in  the  poor  and  wretched,  can  display  itself  with- 
out impediment,  then  Lebanon,  the  wooded  moun- 
tain range,  has  become  a  fruitful  field,  for  then 
nature  has  advanced  from  neglected  disorder  to 
a  well-ordered,  cultivated  condition.  When  it  is 
said  that  the  deaf  will  hear,  "I3D  '"^l,  the  word 
13D  seems  superfluous.  But  the  Prophet  alludes 
evidently  to  vcr.  11,  from  which  it  is  at  the  same 
time  clear  that  he  is  not  speaking  of  physical 
deafness,  etc.  It  was  there  declared  of  the  people 
present  that  the  LORD  had  poured  out  upon  them 
a  spirit  of  sleep  (in  which,  as  all  know,  one  does 
not  hear),  and  bound  up  their  eyes  so  that  the 
prophecy  was  to  them  as  the  words  of  a  sealed 
book.  When  then  Lebanon  has  become  a  fruitful 
field,  and  nature  shall  have  given  place  to  grace, 
then  too  the  ears  of  the  people  that  were  previ- 
ously deaf  will  be  opened,  and  they  will  under- 
stand the  D-irvnn  nDD  nin,  i.  e.,  the  words  of  the 
prophecy  proceeding  from  the  LORD  through  His 
Prophets,  and  will  emerge  from  gloom  ( 73K  only 
here  in  Isaiah)  and  darkness,  (in  which  they 
hitherto  were  with  their  eyes  bound  up  by  the 
LORD),  so  as  to  behold  the  light  (comp.  xxxv.  5). 
They  will,  therefore,  perceive  also  the  errors  of 
their  policy,  and  see  that  the  word  of  the  Prophet 
which  shocked  them,  pointed  out  the  true  way 
of  safety.  They  who  were  deaf  and  blind  were 
also  unhappy,  just  for  this  cause.  When  they 
hear  and  see,  then  are  they  happy  men,  delivered 
from  oppression  and  distress,  and  joyful  in  their 
God.  D'MJ.J?  outwardly  and  inwardly  oppressed, 
in  Isaiah  besides  xi.  4 ;  Ixi.  1  ;  [Uj?  means  meek, 
and  is  to  be  distinguished  from  ''JJ?  poor. — D.  M.]. 
IDD'  comp.  xxxvii.  31;  they  obtain  joy  not  only 
once,  but  continually,  i.  e.,  they  increase  joy. 
mrr3  comp.  EV  KVP'KJ  in  the  New  Testament ;  it 
is  therefore  not  merely  =  through,  but  =  ill  the 
LORD,  namely  as  those  who  are  rooted  and 
grounded  in  the  LORD.  The  expression  'JV3X 
D"JX  is  found  only  here,  comp.  Ex.  xxiii.  11. 

*  t!/np  comp.  on  i.  4.  1TJP, — the  rejoicing  too  has 
the  LORD  first  for  its  basis,  afterwards  for  its  ob- 
ject (xli.  1(5).  Is  not  the  purport  of  these  two 
verses,  18  and  19,  reproduced  in  the  saying  of 
Christ,  "The  blind  receive  their  sight,  and  the 
lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and  the  deaf 
hear,  the  dead  are  raised  up,  and  the  poor  have 
the  Gospel  preached  to  them  "  (Matt.  xi.  5  ;  Luke 
vii.  22)  ?  In  this  passage  in  the  Gospel  allusions 
are  commonly  found  only  to  Isa.  xxxv.  5;  Ixi.  1. 
Without  wishing  to  deny  these  references,  we  yet 
remark  that  Isaiah  xxix.  18  and  19  contains  the 
ideas  conjoined,  which  the  other  places  present 
apart.  And  when  the  LORD  in  dealing  with  John, 
who  had  fallen  into  doubt  regarding  His  Messiah- 
ship,  describes  His  works  by  pointing  to  this 
passage,  are  we  not  justified  in  saying  that  this 
passage  is  of  Messianic  import  ?  We  of  course 


admit  that  Matt.  xi.  5  is  not  an  exact  quotation 
of  our  passage.  The  joy  of  the  pious  has  as  its 
condition  the  removal  of  the  wicked,  whcse  un- 
checked display  of  themselves  is  identical  with 
the  deterioration  of  the  fruitful  field  into  a  forest. 
Hence  vers.  20  and  21,  which  explain  ver.  17  b, 
are  connected  by  '3  with  what  immediately  pre- 
cedes. D3X  besides  only  xvi.  4.  ]*7  only  here 
in  Isaiah,  but  comp.  xxviii.  14,  22.  Hiphil 
fc^Dnn  to  make,  to  declare  a  sinner,  (Deut.  xxiv. 
4;  Eccles.  v.  5),  only  here  in  Isaiah.  They 
make  people  sinners  by  words,  i.  e.,  they 
bring  about  their  condemnation  not  by  actual 
proofs,  but  merely  by  lying  words.  [The  render- 
ing of  the  E.  V.  is  much  more  easy  and  natural : 
that  make  a  man  an  offender  for  a  word, 
and  is  justly  preferred  by  EWALD,  ALEXANDER 
and  DELITZSCH. — D.  M.].  rr:Di3  the  reprover, 
reprehensor,  he  who  maintains  the  truth.  Comp. 
Job  xxxii.  12;  xl.  2;  Prov.  ix.  7;  xxiv.  25,  et 
sciepe;  Ezek.  iii.  26.  Isaiah  seems  to  have  had 
specially  before  him  Amos  v.  10.  nt?n  with  the 
accusative  of  the  thing  (Deut.  xxvii.  19;  Prov 
xvii.  23  ;  Amo*  ii.  7),  or  the  person  (Prov.  xviii- 
5;  Amos  v.  12),  to  designate  a  violent  deed  per* 
petrated  by  wresting  judgment,  is  of  frequent  oc- 
currence. But  where  it  is  joined  with  3,  it  de- 
notes the  sphere  in  which,  or  the  means  by  which 
the  wresting  of  judgment  is  accomplished,  not  the 
terminus  in  quern.  As  moreover  -irin  denotes 
everywhere  in  Isaiah  what  is  null,  vain,  empty, 

and  is  synonymous  with  nil  (wind)  /3H.  D3N 
(comp.  xxiv.  10;  xxxiv.  11;  xl.  17,  23;  xli.  29; 
xliv-  9;  xlv.  18,  19;  xlix.  4;  lix.  4),  we  have 
to  regard  inn  as  designating  the  empty  lying  ac- 
cusations which  were  brought  against  the  Pro- 
phet. 

5.  Therefore  thus  saith — doctrine. — Vers. 
22-24.  These  verses  contain  the  comprehensive 
close.  According  to  verses  13  and  14,  Israel  had 
omitted  to  serve  the  LORD  in  the  proper  manner, 
and  according  to  verse  15,  they  had  omitted  to 
trust  in  the  LORD  alone.  That  on  this  double 
sin  a  double  crisis  must  follow,  which  will  make 
the  good  elements  of  the  people  ripe  for  salva- 
tion, the  bad  elements  ripe  for  judgment,  had 
been  declared  vers.  16-21.  Now  the  close  fol- 
lows :  As  the  ancestor  of  Israel  had  been  delivered 
from  the  danger  of  idolatry  like  a  brand  plucked 
from  the  fire,  so  shall  Israel  also  be  delivered, 
when  it  shall  have  seen  that  judgment  on  the 
wicked.  It  will  sanctify  the  name  of  the  LORD, 
it  will  learn  the  true  wisdom,  and  that  will  be 

its  safety.  °  JV3~  7*t  ver.  22  =  in  reference  to 
the  house  of  Jacob  (comp.  Gen.  xx  2;  Ps.  ii.  7 
et  saepe),  for  in  what  follows  it  is  spoken  of  in 
the  third  person.  The  clause  'Ul  J~n3  "li^X  refers 
to  DITT.  That  God,  who  had  formerly  saved 
Abraham,  the  progenitor  of  Israel,  from  the 
snares  of  idolatry  (Josh.  xxiv.  2,  14,  15),  will 
also  redeem  Israel  from  the  internal  and  external 
dangers  which  now  threaten  him.  Israel  will  in 
the  end  not  be  put  to  shame  (xix.  9;  xx.  5; 
xxxvii.  27 ;  xlv.  16,  17  ;  liv.  4  et  saepe).  "Ml 
candidum  esse,  pallescere  is  air.  /ley.  DELITZSCH 


324 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


here  observes  "  that  people  whose  faces  are  of  a 
bronze  color  know  in  their  language  only  of  a 
growing  pale  for  shame,  and  not  of  a  blushing  for 
shame."  Both  the  correction  (vers.  20  and  21), 
and  the  deliverance  (vers.  18  and  19),  will  bear 
fruit.  The  Prophet  intends  both  when  he  speaks 
of  the  work  of  Jehovah  among  the  people. 
When  Israel  (i.  e.,  not  the  patriarch  but  his  de- 
scendants, VH T  is  added  by  way  of  explanation 
to  iniJO2  to  obviate  any  misunderstanding)  shall 
see  this,  he  will  sanctify  the  LORD,  i.  e-,  regard 
Him  as  holy  (comp.  on  viii.  13,  and  the  first  peti- 
tion of  the  LORD'S  prayer).  [But  the  E.  V., 
which  puts  tha  work  of  my  hands  in  apposi- 
tion to  his  children,  is  better,  comp.  xlix.  18- 
21.— D.  M.].  The  Prophet  states  in  ver.  23  b, 
that  the  effect  of  the  panctification  of  the  name 
of  God  will  be  that  the  people  will  esteem  as 
holy  the  Holy  One  of  Jacob,  and  will  fear  the 
God  of  Israel.  Beside  the  variation  of  Jacob 
and  Israel,  which  is  so  frequent  in  the  second 
part  of  Isaiah,  mark  how  the  Prophet  distingu- 
ishes between  sanctifying  the  name  of  God,  and 
sanctifying  the  Holy  One  of  Jacob.  This  sancti- 
fication  must  be  substantially  one  and  the  same. 
But  when  the  Holy  One  of  Jacob  and  the  God 
of  Israel  is  named  as  object  of  the  second  nancti- 
fication  (ver.  23  b),  a  sanctifying  seems  to  be 
thereby  intended,  which  gives  in  a  way  which 
all  men  can  perceive,  the  glory  to  this  God  above 
the  gods  of  the  heathen.  The  fruit  of  the  in- 
ward disposition  of  heart  which  is  externally  per- 
ceptible and  operative,  seems  to  be  thereby  in- 
tended. As  *3\y  Ity'np"  refers  to  viii.  13,  so 
!¥'TJT  refers  to  viii.  12.  Thus  Israel  will  be- 
come truly  wise.  That  wisdom  which  they 
thought  they  must  conceal  from  God,  was  both 
foolishness  and  destruction.  But  when  they  shall 
have  learnt  to  sanctify  the  LORD,  then  they  who 
hitherto  erred  in  spirit  (comp.  Ps.  xcv.  10),  will 
attain  the  true  wisdom,  and  they  who  heretofore 
murmured  against  God's  counsel  and  direction 
(p~l  Kal  only  here),  will  be  satisfied  with  the 
discipline  of  God,  and  let  it  have  its  effect  upon 
them  (np7.  what  one  takes,  Prov.  i.  5;  iv.  2  et 
saepe,  only  here  in  Isaiah). 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xxix.  1-8.  The  Prophet  designates 
Jerusalem  as  Ariel  in  a  four-fold  sense.  Taking 
Ariel  as  denoting  the  city  of  God,  the  name 
suits  Jerusalem  as  the  holy,  separated  dwelling- 
place  in  which  the  church  of  God,  and  all  saving 
ordinances  have  their  seat  and  centre.  Taking 
Ariel  as  the  lion  of  God,  the  names  applies  to 
Jerusalem  as  the  ecdesia  militans,  as  the  host  of 
God  fighting  against  the  worldly  power  and  con- 
quering it.  Taking  Ariel  as  denoting  the  Altar 
of  God,  it  seta  forth  Jerusalem  as  the  place  in 
which  reconciliation  with  God,  and  the  bestowal 
of  all  the  gifts  of  His  grace  take  place.  And, 
lastly,  Jerusalem  appears  as  Ariel  in  the  signifi- 
cation of  Mount  of  God,  because  it  is  the 
height  of  God  which  overtops  all  other  heights, 
in  which  He  manifests  His  glory  to  all  the  world, 
and  to  which  all  nations  flow  in  order  to  worship 
Him  (ii.  2  sqq.).  But  when  Jerusalem  forgets 


these  her  high  honors,  and  neglects  the  obliga- 
tions thereby  laid  upon  her,  she  is  corrected  and 
humbled  as  any  other  city.  [There  may  be  an 
allusion  made  by  the  Prophet  to  the  two-fold 
meaning  of  Ariel  as  lion  of  God,  and  hearth 
of  God,  but  sober  exegesis  will  be  slow  to  ad- 
mit the  other  meanings  attached  to  the  name  of 
Ariel,  and  supposed  to  be  here  significantly  al- 
luded to  by  Isaiah. — D.  M.]. 

2.  Ver.  3.   ["  It  was  the  enemy's  army  that  en- 
camped against  Jerusalem ;  but  God  says  that 
He  will  do  it,  for  they  are  His  hand,  He  does  it 
by  them.   God  had  often,  and  long,  by  a  host  of 
angels,  encamped  for  them  round  about  them,  for 
their  protection  and  deliverance ;  but   now  He 
was  turned  to  be  their  enemy,  and  fought  against 
them :  The  siege  laid  against  them  was  of  His 
laying,  and  the  forts  raised  against  them  were  of 
His  raising.     Note,  when  men  fight  against  us, 
we  must,  in  them,  see  God  contending  with  us." 
HEXRY.— D.  M.]. 

3.  On  ver.   7  sq.     ''  A  very  consolatory  com- 
parison.     The  Romans  and  all  enemies  of  the 
church  are  as  blood-thirsty  dogs.    But  when  they 
have  drunk  up  a  part  of  the  blood  of  the  saints, 
and  imagine,  that  they  have  swallowed   up  the 
church,   it  is  only  a  dream.     Sines  we  see,  that 
Christ  and  His  Christians  are,  thank  God,  not  yet 
destroyed." — CRAMER. 

4.  On  vers.  9-12.     ''  Awful  description  of  the 
sorest  punishment  from  God,  which  is  spiritual, 
confirmed  blindness ;    which   is    at  this    day  so 
manifest  in  the  Jews.     For    although  they  aro 
confuted  by  so  many  clear  and  plain  Scriptures 
of  the  Prophets,  although  they  must  themselves 
confess  that  the  time  is  past,  the  place  no  more  in 
existence,  the  lineage  of  David  extinct,  BO  that 
they  can  have  no  certain  hope  of  a  Messiah,  they 
yet  remain  so  hardened  and  obstinate  in  their 
opinion,   as     if   they  were    drunken,  mad    and 
drowned  in  the  snares  of  the  devil  by  which  the*y 
are  bound,  and    could  not    come    to  sober  and 
rational  thoughts.     This  we  ought  to  take  as  a 
mirror  of  the  wrath  of  God,  that  we,  while  the 
book  is  yet  open  to  us,  may  freely  and  diligently 
look  into  it,  that  it  may  not  be  closed  and  sealed 
before  our  eyes  also. — CRAMER. 

5.  On  vers.  9-12.     To  all  those  who  bring  to 
the  reading  of  the  Holy  Scripture  not  the  Spirit, 
from  whom  it  proceeded,  but  the  opposite  spirit, 
the  spirit  of  the  world,  the  Scripture  must  be  a 
sealed    book,  into   which    they  can    stare   with 
plastered  eyes,  which  see  and  yet    do  not  see, 
which  watch  and  yet  at  the  same  time  sleep  (vi. 
9,  10;  Luke  viii.  10 ;  Acts  xxviii.  26,  27). 

6.  On  ver.  13.     Ah !  how  pious  people  would 
be,  if  only  piety  consisted  in  lip-service,  and  ex- 
ternal behavior  !     Devotion  aisfo,  convenient  re- 
ligion, that  is  the  business  of  all  those  who  would 
willingly  give  to  God  what  is  God's,  and   to  the 
devil,  what  is  the  devil's;  that  is,  who  would  like 
to  have  a  religion  because  it  is  required   by  a 
voice  within  the  breast,  and  the  power  of  custom 
and  example,  without  thereby  paining  the  flesh. 
Comp.  Isa.  i.  11  sqq. ;  Iviii.  2  sqq. ;  Amos  v.  23 ; 
Matt.  xv.  7  sqq. 

7.  On  ver.  14.  ["  They  did  one  strange  thing, 
they  removed    all  sincerity  from   their  hearts; 
now  God  will  go  on  and  do  another,  He  will  re- 
move all  sagacity  from  their  heads :  the  wisdom 


CHAP.  XXX.  1-5. 


325 


of  their  wise  men  shall  perish.  They  played  the 
hypocrite,  and  thought  to  put  a  cheat  upon  God, 
and  now  they  are  left  to  themselves  to  play  the 
fool;  and  not  only  to  put  a  cheat  upon  them- 
selves, hut  to  be  easily  cheated  by  all  about  them. 
....  This  was  fulfilled  in  the  wretched  infatua- 
tion which  the  Jewish  nation  were  manifestly 
under,  after  they  had  rejected  the  gospel  of 
Christ  .  .  .  Judgments  on  the  mind,  though  least 
taken  notice  of,  are  to  be  most  wondered  at. 
—HENRY,  D.  M.]. 

8.  [Formalism  in  worship  is  here  assigned  as 
the  cause  of  the  judicial  blindness  which  has  hap- 
pened to  Israel.      Mark  the  logical  connection 
between  vers.  13  and  14.     The  same  judgment 
inflicted  for  the  same  reason,  has  befallen  a  large 
part  of  the   nominal  Christian  Church.      They 
who   worship  God  must  worship  Him  in  spirit 
and  in  truth.     We  are  amazed   at  the  ignorance 
in  matters  of  religion  displayed  by  men  of  great 
mental  capacity  and  learning,  who  have  appeared 
among   the  Jews,  and    professors   of  a   corrupt 
Christianity.     That  which  excites  our  astonish- 
ment is  here  accounted  for. — D.  M.]. 

9.  On  ver.  18  sqq.     "  Here  everything  is  re- 
versed.    Before,  he  had  said,  the  wise  shall  be 
blind.     Here  he  says,  the  blind  shall  see.     The 
scope  of  all  that  is  said  is  that  they  who  were  in 
office  and  were  called  priests  and  Levites,  together 
with  the  bulk  of  the  people,  should  he  blinded  for 
their  unbelief.     On   the   other   hand,    the  poor, 
wretched  people,  that  had  neither  office  nor  repu- 
tation, together  with  the  heathen,  shall  be  called, 
and  shall  be  the  people  of  God,  who  truly  know 
God,  invoke  His  name,  and  have  joy^  comfort  and 
help  in  Him."  VEIT.  DIETRICH. 

10.  On  ver.  23.   ["  The  emphatic  mention  of 
the  Holy  One  of  Jacob  and  the  God  of  Israel,  as 
the  object  to  be  sanctified,  implies  a  relation  still 
existing  between  all  believers  and  their  spiritual 
ancestry,  as  well  as  a  relation  of  identity  between 
the  Jewish  and  the  Christian  church.     ALEXAN- 
DER.— D.  M.]. 


HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

On  xxix.  1-8.  How  the  Lord  regards  and  deals 
with  His  church.  1)  She  is  precious  in  His  eyes, 
a,  as  the  city  of  God  ;  b.  as  the  lion  of  God  ;  c.  as 
the  altar  of  God ;  d.  as  the  mount  of  God.  2)  Ho 
brings  her  very  low  (vers.  2-6).  3)  He  delivers 
her  wonderfully  (vers.  7,  8). 

2.  On  vers.  9-12.  As  the  light  of  the  sun  does 
not  illuminate,  but  dazzles  and  closes  an  eye  which 
is  not  adapted  for  receiving  it  (e.  g.,  that  of  the 
mole),  so  also  the  word  of  God  is  for  those  who 
are  not  born  of  God  and  cannot  receive  the  Spirit 
of  God,   by  no   means  a  light  which  enlightens 
their  inner  sense,  but  rather  an  element  which 
dazzles  their  mental  eye,  and  confuses  their  senses, 
so  that  they  stand  before  the  word  as  one  who  can 
read  stands  before  a  sealed  book,  or  as  one  who 
cannot  read  before  a  writing  which  is  handed  to 
him. 

3.  On  vers.  13-14.      Warning  against  hypocrisy. 
1)  Its  nature  (it  consists  in  honoring  God  with 
self-invented,  external,  ceremonial  service,  while 
yet  the  heart  is  far  from  Him);  2)   its  punish- 
ment (the  wisdom  which  is  self-asserting  and  for- 
gets God  will  come  to  shame). 

4.  On  vers.  15-24.  Every  man  has  his  task  in 
this  life.     Some,  however,  are  minded  to  transact 
their   affairs  without  God.     For  either  they  do 
not  believe  that  there  is  a  God,  or  if  they  believe 
it,  they  wish  to  be  independent  of  Him.     They 
wish    to    execute   everything  according  to  their 
own  mind  and  their  own  lusts.     But  when  they 
imagine  that  they  can  carry  out  their  plans  as  it 
were  behind  God's  back,  unobserved  by  Him,  this 
cannot  be  (vers.  15  and  16).     This  is  great  folly, 
too.     For  such  a  work  cannot  succeed.     There- 
fore the  Prophet  utters  a  woe  on  such  an  attempt, 
ver.  15.     They,  on  the  other  hand,  who  do  every- 
thing with   God,   partake  of  the  most  manifold 
blessing ;  the  deaf  hear,  the  blind  see,  the  wretch- 
ed rejoice,  the  poor  are  enriched,  the  oppressed 
and  despised  are  delivered. 


III.— THE  THIRD  WOE. 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

1.    THE  SIN  OF  THOSE  WHO  SEEK  HELP  FROM  EGYPT,  NOT  FROM  JEHOVAH. 

CHAPTER  XXX.  1-5. 

1  WOE  to  the  rebellious  children,  saith  the  LORD, 
That  take  counsel,  but  not  of  me ; 

And  that  "cover  with  a  covering,  but  not  of  my  spirit, 
That  they  may  add  sin  to  sin  : 

2  That  walk  to  go  down  into  Egypt, 
And  have  not  asked  at  my  mouth  ; 

To  strengthen  themselves  in  the  strength  of  Pharaoh, 
And  to  trust  in  the  shadow  of  Egypt ! 

3  Therefore  shall  the  strength  of  Pharaoh  be  your  shame, 
And  the  trust  in  the  shadow  of  Egypt  your  confusion. 

4  For  his  princes  "were  at  Zoan, 

And  his  ambassadors  "came  to  Hanes. 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


5  They  were  all  ashamed  of  a  people  that  could  not  profit  them, 
Nor  be  an  help  nor  profit, 
But  a  shame,  and  also  a  reproach. 


»  make  an  alliance. 

TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  If  we  take  D'lIlD  in  a  causative  sense  = 
making  apostasy,  which  view  is  justified  by  the  form  of 
the  word,  (which  is  after  the  Pilel  conjugation),  and  by 
its  use  elsewhere,  (Lam.  iii.  11),  we  can  then  join  with 
it '1J1  mtyy1?  as  the  infinitive  of  nearer  specification. 
This  infinitive  then  expresses  wherein  and  how  far  they 
are  Q'HTID  D'JD  0-  23;  lxv-  2). 

Ver.  2.  The  Kal.  Tty,  from  which  many  derive  fij», 
does  not  occur.  We  find  only  Hiphil  I^'H,  x.  31;  Ex. 
ix.  19  ;  Jer.  iv.  6 ;  vi.  1.  The  context  too  appears  to  me 
not  to  require  by  any  means  the  signification  "  confuycre 
and  refugium,"  as  this  meaning  is  contained  in  the  fol- 
lowing clause,  and  a  repetition  of  the  same  thought 
cannot  be  expected.  I  prefer,  therefore,  to  take  JljJ  in 
the  signification  "to  be  strong''  and  Jlj/'O,  as  it  is  often 
used  =  munimentum,  defence,  protection  (xvii.  10;  xxv. 
4;  xxvii.  5,  et  saepe).  HDH  is  confuyere;  it  is  found 

t_  T  T 

united  with  7y  Judges  ix.  15;  Ps.  xiivi.  8;  Ivii.  2. 


have  been. 


°  come. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  3.  non  (=  riDrn  iv.  C  ;  xxv.  4  ;  xxviii.  15,  17), 

T  V  -:  i— 

IS  an-.    Acy. 

Ver.  5.  ty'XDh  is  a  mongrel  form  arising  from  i^'On 
UTX^rt,  the  former  of  which  itself  proceeding  from 
a  confusion  of  the  two  roots  L/31  and  1^13,  signifies  pit- 
dorem  produxit,  to  produce  shame,  to  bo  ashamed,  to 
come  to  disgrace,  while  t^'JOTI  denotes  foetorem  protu- 
lit,  both  together  therefore  signify  "  to  produco  stinking 
disgrace,  or  disgraceful  stench,  to  make  a  stinking,  dis- 
graceful figure,  therefore,  ignominiously  to  come  to 
shame."  All  (EWALD,  JJ2SG,  e)  are  disgraced  on  account 
of  a  people  that  does  not  profit  them  (the  senders  of  the 
embassy),  is  not  for  help,  nor  for  profit.  This  X'71 

V>'in  7  strikes  us  as  tautological.  It  i.i  probably  occa- 
sioned by  the  effort  clearly  apparent  in  this  sentence  to 
multiply  the  "L"  and  "O"  sounds,  and  especially  the 
combination  of  the  two. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  subject  treated  by  the  Prophet  in  these 
chapters  is  unfolded  more  and  more  fully,  so  as 
to  be  perfectly  clear.  What  ho  had  hitherto 
only  hinted  at,  he  now  declares  in  plain  terms: 
the  alliance  with  Efiypt  is  the  sin  against  which 
he  contends  with  all  the  force  of  his  spirit.  This 
alliance  is  no  longer  a  subject  of  deliberation.  It 
has  already  taken  shape.  An  embassy  to  con- 
clude this  league,  is  already  on  the  way.  The 
Prophet  therefore  utters  another  (the  third)  woe 
against  the  apostate  people,  because  they  form 
Buch  purposes  without  the  LORD,  only  to  heap 
sin  upon  sin  (ver.  1).  They  have  gone  down  to 
Egypt  without  consulting  the  Lord,  in  order  to 
find  there  increase  of  power,  and  protection  (ver. 
2).  But  power  and  protection  shall  ba  changed 
into  disgrace  (ver.  3).  It  was  possible  to  try  to 
invalidate  this  threatening  of  the  Prophet  by  a  de- 
nial of  the  facts.  But  he  leaves  no  room  for  such 
contradiction.  For,  says  he,  the  Jewish  princes 
are  already  in  Zoan,  and  will  come  to  Hanes 
(ver.  4).  Therefore,  he  repeats  with  emphasis 
his  threatening  :  Israel  will  be  ashamed  of  the 
Egyptian  nation  which  can  bring  to  the  people 
of  God  no  advantage,  but  only  disgrace. 

2.Woeto  -  a  reproach.  —  Vers.  1-5.  "IH 
comp.  on  xxix.  1.  r\Xy  Niyy  is  =  to  execute  a 


counsel  (2  Sam.  xvii.  23).  'J"3  R*?1  as  Hos.  viii. 
4.  We  had  HDprD  xxv.  7  ;  xxviii.  20  (comp. 
n.95?  Judges  xvi.  13,  14)  in  the  signification 
"woven  or  plaited  covering;"  but  in  this  chapter, 
ver.  22,  (cornp.  xlii.  17)  tlie  word  has  the  signifi- 
cation "  what  is  molten,  cast."  That  rODri)  ]DJ 
signifies  here  (ver.  1)  to  form  an  alliance,  is 
placed  out  of  doubt  by  the  context.  But  it  is 
Questionable  whether  the  expression  originally 
denotes  •'  to  weave  a  web,"  or  "  OTrovdrjv  c~h- 
."  The  latter  is  to  me  the  more  probable, 


not  although,  but  because  •  POOD  from  ^j?3  to 
pour,  to  cast,  denotes  a  molten  image.  For  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  Prophet  intends  a  double 
sense  by  the  expression :  Ubationnn  effundere  and 
idolum  fusil.e  fandcre.  He  hints  therewith  at  the 
idolatrous  character  of  such  a  league,  which  is  a 
transgression  of  the  first  [second]  commandment. 

This  agrees  very  well  with  Till  Swl,  an  expres- 
sion which,  both  in  sense  and  construction,  is 

connected  with  "JO  K  ?1,  as  we  are  to  regard  Till 
as  dependent  on  the  preposition  p.  The  clause 
that  they  may  add  sin  to  sin  does  not  ex- 
press the  conscious,  subjective  design,  but  only 
affirms  that  the  objective  fact  is  of  such  a  cha- 
racter as  to  warrant  the  conclusion  as  to  the  con- 
scious design  (comp.  Amos.  ii.  7 ;  Jer.  xliv.  8 
et  saepe).  ni£)D  comp.  on  xxix.  1.  D"j7i"in  ver. 
2  (apposition  to  D'TllD  D'J3  ver.  1)  marks  the 
going  away,  the  terminus  a  quo,  m "V7  the  terminus 

ad  quern.  In  D  \J7T1  PI  we  must  not  press  the 
notion  of  time,  but  only  the  notion  of  the  word, 
i.  e.,  the  Prophet  does  not  set  forth  that  they  are 
now  going  away  (praesens),  but  states  the  simple 
fact  of  their  going  away.  If  we  so  understand 
the  word,  every  appearance  of  a  contradiction 

with  ver.  4  disappears.  *""  '3  7K$  besides  only 
Josh.  ix.  14  comp.  Gen.  xxiv.  57.  Ver.  4  con- 
tains a  proof  which  is  introduced  by  '3.  It  ap- 
pears to  me  that  the  Prophet  supposes  the  at- 
tempt on  the  part  of  his  hearers  still  to  deny  this 
league  with  Egypt  which  had  been  laid  to  their 
charge.  He  therefore  says :  Everything  stated 
in  verses  1-3  is  true,  for  the  ambassadors  have 
been  already  in  Zoan,  and  are  now  on  the  way  to 
Hanes.  1TI  is  therefore  the  proper  perfect ;  the 
imperfect  1J7T  (comp.  Gen,  xxviii.  12)  stands 


CHAP.  XXX.  6-14. 


327 


for  the  designation  of  a  fact  yet  incomplete,  still 
in  progress,  i.  e.,  the  ambassadors  are  only  about 
to  reach  Hanes.  The  accusative  is  accus.  loci. 
IIo\v  Isaiah  could  so  speak  is  easily  seen,  if  we 
do  not  forget  that  he  was  the  Prophet  of  Jehovah, 
and  that  the  Spirit  of  the  LORD,  whom  the  others 
excluded  in  their  consultations  (ver.  1),  assisted 
the  Prophet.  Men  told  him  nothing  at  all  of 
the  embassy ;  assuredly  the  ambassadors  them- 
selves sent  him  no  message,  nor  was  a  message 
sent  by  them  communicated  to  him.  But  yet  he 
knows  that  the  ambassadors  have  actually  ar- 
rived in  Egypt.  His  mentioning  the  cities  Zoan 
and  Ilanes  is  not  to  be  pressed,  i.  e.,  he  does  not 
mean  to  mark  precisely  the  exact  points  between 
which  the  ambassadors  now  are.  He  has  other 
reasons  for  naming  these  cities.  I  do  not  com- 
prehend how  DELITZSCII  can  say,  "  the  Tanitic 
dynasty  then  bore  rule,  which  preceded  the 
Ethiopian  :  Tanis  and  Anysis  were  the  two  royal 
seats."  For  after  the  middle  of  the  8th  century 
B.  c.,  the  Ethiopian  (the  25th)  dynasty  already 
bore  rule  (  DUNCKER,  Geschichte  dcs  Altcrth.  I  p. 
593).  Hezekiah  cannot  therefore  have  formed 
an  alliance  with  the  predecessor  of  the  Ethiopian 
dynasty.  DELITZSCII  seems  here  to  rely  too 
much  on  Herodotus,  II.,  137  init.,  where  a  king 
Anysis  of  Anysis,  i.  e.,  Hanes,  is  named  as  pre- 
decessor of  the  Ethiopian  Sabakos.  Moreover, 
EwakPs  assumption  resting  on  Herodotus,  II. 
141,  that  the  Egyptian  king,  with  whom  Senna- 
cherib had  to  do,  was  the  Ethiopian  Sethon, 
priest  of  Hephaestos,  who  was  at  the  same  time 
ruler  of  lower  and  middle  Egypt  with  Tanis  for 
his  royal  scat,  is  refuted  by  Assyrian  monuments. 
For,  although  the  first  inscriptions  that  mention 
the  name  Tirhaka  (Assyrian  Tar-ku-u),  belong 
to  the  time  after  Sennacherib,  yet  the  monuments 


of  Sennacherib  expressly  name  his  Egyptian  op- 
ponent "king  of  Meroe"  (SciiRADER,  die  Kei- 
\  linschriften  und  das  A.  T.,  p.  203),  which  could 
not  possibly  be  said  of  a  Tanitic  king.  When 
Isaiah  here  mentions  Zoan  (situated  in  the  Delta 
of  the  Nile,  southwest  of  Pelusium),  he  is  proba- 
bly led  to  do  so,  because  this  city,  since  the  end 
of  the  second  millennium  before  Christ,  had 
been  the^  capital  of  the  kingdom.  For  till  the 
expulsion  of  Hyksos,  Memphis,  then  Thebes,  had 
been  the  capital  ;  then,  from  the  epoch  men- 
tioned, Zoan,  (comp.  DUXCKER,  Geschichte  des 
Altert/i,  I,  p.  598).  Isaiah  had  already  (xix.  11) 
mentioned  Ilanes  (Egyptian  Hues,  Ehnes,  after- 
wards Herakleopolis,  situated  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  lake  Moeris),  because  it  had  been  last 
after  Tanis  the  royal  seat  of  a  native  dynasty 
(comp.  Herodotus,  II,,  137).  If  then  Zoan  and 
Ilanes  are  the  cities  which  had  last  been  royal 
seats,  and  if  they  were  known  as  ?uch  to  the 
Prophet,  there  is  really  no  reason  with  HITZIG, 
KXOBEL  and  others  to  adopt  the  reading  Din 
\yj",  which  lies  at  the  basis  of  the  Alexan- 
drine version,  but  has  in  it  only  a  very  uncer- 
tain support.  It  is  likewise  unnecessary,  and 
does  not  correspond  to  the  context  to  refer  the 


suffix  in  VDXyp  to  the  Egyptian  king  as  having 
vainly  summoned  the  warrior  caste  by  his  mes- 
sengers (Herodotus,  II.  141).  It  is  most  natural 
to  refer  the  suffix  in  VDN73  to  the  same  sub- 
ject to  which  the  suffix  in  T""lt#  belongs.  If 

the  Prophet  wished  the  suffix  in  VDN  TO  to 
have  a  different  reference  from  that  in  nfcfi  he 
must  have  made  this  known  in  a  way  not  to  be 
misunderstood. 


C 


2.    THE  PROPHET  AS  HE  OUGHT  TO  BE,  AND  AS  HE  OTOHT  NOT  TO  BE, 

CHAPTER  XXX.  6-14. 

6  The  burden  of  the  beasts  of  the  south : 
"Into  the  land  of  trouble  and  anguish, 
From  whence  come  bthe  young  and  old  lion, 
The  viper  and  fiery  flying  serpent, 

They  will  carry  their  riches  upon  the  shoulders  of  young  asses, 
And  their  treasures  upon  the  bunches  of  camels, 
To  a  people  that  shall  not  profit  them. 

7  For  the  Egyptians  shall  help  in  vain,  and  to  no  purpose  ; 
Therefore  chave  I  cried  'concerning  this,  Their  strength  is  to  sit  still. 

8  Now  go,  write  it  before  them  in  a  table, 
And  note  it  in  a  book, 

That  it  may  be  for  2the  time  to  come  for  ever  and  ever  : 

9  That  this  is  a  rebellious  people, 

Lying  children,  children  that  will  not  hear  the  law  of  the  LORD  : 

10  Which  say  to  the  Seers,  See  not ; 

And  to  the  prophets,  Prophesy  not  unto  us  right  things, 
Speak  unto  us  smooth  things,  prophesy  deceits : 

11  Get  you  out  of  the  way,  turn  aside  out  of  the  path, 
Cause  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  to  cease  from  before  us. 


328 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


12  Wherefore  thus  saith  the  Holy  One  of  Israel, 
Because  ye  despise  this  word, 

And  trust  in  'oppression  and  perverseness, 
And  stay  thereon : 

13  Therefore  this  iniquity  shall  be  to  you  as  a  breach  ready  to  fall, 
Swelling  out  in  a  high  wall, 

Whose  breaking  cometh  suddenly  at  an  instant. 

14  And  he  shall  break  it  as  the  bfeaking  of  4the  potters'  vessel, 
That  is  broken  in  pieces  ;  he  shall  not  spare  ; 

So  that  there  shall  not  be  found  in  the  bursting  of  it  a  sherd 

To  take  fire  from  the  hearth, 

Or  to  take  water  withal  out  of  the  pit. 


1  Or,  to  her.  2  Heb.  the  latter  day.  *  Or,  fraud. 

»  through  a  land  of  trouble.  *  lioness  and  lion. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


*  Hob.  the  bottle  of  potters. 
I  call  it ;  Boaster  that  sits  stiU. 


Ver.  11.  The  form  '3D  is  found  only  here.  The  Ma- 
soretic  note  under  the  text  is  to  be  read  "  Two  Nuns  with 
Tseri."  '3D  is  formed  after  the  analogy  of  the  forms 


,  etc.,  and  has  the  same  meaning  as  the  more 


common  "30  (xlvi.  3). 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  In  order  to  set  forth  right  vividly  the  certainty 
of  his  prophecy,  Isaiah  tells  the  people  that  he 
has  been  commanded  to  mark  his  utterance  con- 
cerning the  Egyptian  help  as  a  particular  massa, 
to  which  he  now  gives  an  emblematic  title  simi- 
lar to  what  we  find   in  chapters  xxi.,  xxii.     The 
purport  of  this  massa  is  this  :  The  Jewish  ambas- 
sadors drag  rich  treasures  laboriously  through  the 
perilous  wilderness  to  Egypt,  in  order  to  purchase 
the  assistance  of  the  Egyptians  which  will  prove 
to  be  empty  vapor ;  wherefore  Jehovah  Himself 
gives   Egypt  the  name    "Boaster,  sitting   still" 
(vers.  6  and  7).   This  maata  is  to  be  preserved  till 
the  remotest  future,  as  a  witness  for  the  truth  of 
what  was  said  by  the  Prophet. (ver.   8).     In  this 
way  it  must  be  made  'possible  to  e-tablish  objec- 
tively the  truth  of  thk'i>r«f»WPc  testimony,  as  all 
sense  for  the  truth  is  W||^Kn  the  people  of  Is- 
rael, for  they  are  a  lyJ^^Re,  that  will  not  hear 
the  law  of  Jehovah  (ve'Pr  9).     They  show  this  by 
actually  demanding   of  the   prophets   that  they 
should  not  tell  them  the  truth,  but  only  what  is 
agreeable,  even  when  it  is  pure  falsehood  (verse 
10) ;    and,  further,  by  requiring  that  they   (the 
prophets)  should  depart  from  the  right  way,  and 
remove  from  their  (the  people's)  eyes  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel  (ver.  11).     Because  then  they  des"- 
pise  the  word  of  the  LORD,  and  rely  only  on  vio- 
lence at  home  and  a  perverse  foreign  policy  (ver. 
12),  this  their  sin  shall  be  to  them  as  a  rent  wall 
which  bulges  out  and  threatens  every  moment  to 
fan  (ver.  13).     And  it  will  also  fall,  and  its  re- 
mains will  through  the  violence  of  the  fall  become 
reduced  to  small  pieces  such  as  the  sherds  of  a 
pot,  none  of  which  is  large  enough  for  one  to  carry 
in  it  fire  from  the  hearth  or  water  from  the  pit 
(vers.  14). 

2.  The  burden and   ever.— Vers.  6-8. 

Very  unjustly  isthespuriousnessofthe  inscription 
DJJ  rnOTU  Kt?D  maintained.     In  ver.  8  the  Pro- 
phet is  commanded  to  record  it,  i.  e.,  the  pre- 
ceding brief,  sharply  marked  saying  in  a  particu- 
lar tablet  to  serve  as  documentary  evidence  in  the 
future.     I  understand  this  saying  to  be  verses  6 
and  7.     For  they  are  essentially  of  the  same  im- 


port as  verses  1-5.  But  they  reproduce  this  im- 
port in  a  quite  peculiar,  emblematic,  mystical 
form.  They  bear,  we  might  say,  a  decidedly  pro- 
phetical character.  Their  purport  is  designedly 
set  forth  in  this  peculiar  form  for  the  purpose  of 
being  specially  recorded.  If  now  this  brief  say- 
ing is  manifestly  designed  to  have  an  indepen- 
dent existence,  why  should  it  not  also  have  its 
own  name,  its  particular  inscription?  The  Pro- 
phet has  recorded  from  xiii. — xxiii.  a  series  of 
prophecies  against  foreign  nations,  to  each  of 
which  he  gives  the  title  RfrD.  He  has,  in  parti- 
cular, in  chapter  xxi.  brought  together  some  ra- 
ther short  utterances  under  the  title  Xt^Q  with  an 
emblematical  addition  (xxi.  1,  11,  13).  Might 
he  not  designedly  insert  here  in  the  text  such  a 
brief  emblematic  K'i'D,  as  he  was  led  to  do  so  by 
the  peculiar  circumstances  attending  its  origin  ? 
As  he  states,  ver.  8,  he  received,  after  having 
orally  delivered  the  words,  the  command  also  to 
make  a  particular  record  of  them  in  writing.  As 
now  this  recording  formed  an  interlude  to  his  oral 
teaching,  and  as  he  committed  to  writing  all  his 
oral  teaching,  why  should  he  not  record  this  in- 
terlude also?  It  could  not  possibly  be  passed 
over.  Nor  could  he  place  it  as  an  independent 
KtPD  among  the  rest,  for  it  would  have  been  un- 
intelligible in  that  connection.  It  is  a  rash  con- 
clusion to  declare  that  the  very  expression  Xt9D 
is  an  evidence  that  the  inscription  did  not  pro- 
ceed from  Isaiah,  because  he  never  used  the  word. 
It  is  only  in  such  prophecies  as  immediately  refer 
to  the  theocracy  that  Isaiah  does  not  use  the  word. 
It  is  with  him  a  standing  designation  of  prophe- 
cies concerning  foreign  nations.  On  this  very  ac- 
count the  word  is  here  entirely  appropriate.  This 
only  may  be  admitted,  that  when  Isaiah  orally  de- 
livered the  prophecy  contained  in  vers.  6  and  7, 
he  did  not  then  employ  the  words  'J  '713  XJ9ID. 
Possibly  they  may  have  been  put  as  an  inscrip- 
tion only  to  the  writing  mentioned  in  ver.  8.  The 
purport  of  the  massa  is  denoted  by  the  words 
3JJ  nioro.  I  believe  that  these  words  are  am- 
biguous, and  are  purposely  used  in  their  ambigu- 


CHAP.  XXX.  6-14. 


329 


ity.  The  emblematic  inscriptions  xxi.  1,  11,  13  ; 
xxii.  1  are  ambiguous.  3JJ  is  the  south  gener- 
ally (Josh.  xv.  4;  xviii.  15,  19,  et  saepe),  but  also 
specially  the  south  of  Judah  (comp.  on  xxi.  1). 
It  is  clear  that  the  word  cannot  be  taken  here  in 
the  latter  sense.  For  although  the  ambassadors 
on  the  way  to  Egypt  crossed  the  south  of  Judah, 
they  went  also  far  beyond  it.  They  made  a  jour- 
ney into  the  south,  into  southern  lands  in  general, 
and  to  these  Egypt,  the  end  of  their  journey,  be- 
longs. The  3JJ  m  OH  3  are  therefore  beasts  which 
belong  to  the  south  generally.  As  then  the  Pro- 
phet above  all  means  to  warn  against  Egypt,  must 
not  also  an  Egyptian  beast  belong  to  these  niDnu 
3JJ  ?  In  fact  mom  recalls  to  mind  the  JYIDPQ 
Job  xl.  15,  the  hippopotamus,  in  Egyptian  pro- 
bably p-ehe-mou,  from  which  there  is  formed  in 
Hebrew  i~\l.on3  resembling  the  plural  of  nDH3 
(Comp.  Lepsius  in  HERZ.  R.-Enc.  I.,  p.  141), 
which  could  the  more  easily  happen,  since  the 
Egyptian  word  signifies  bos  aquae,  as  the  animal 
is  called  among  the  Arabians  gamus  el-bahr,  the 
river  buffalo,  and  among  the  Italians  bomarino. 
Comp.  HEROD.  II.  71.  But  the  Prophet  does 
not  think  of  the  behemoth  only.  He  has  certainly 
also  in  his  eye  the  beasts  going  to  the  south,  bear- 
ing the  treasures  of  Judah.  Yea,  I  believe  that 
the  editors  of  DRECIISLER'S  Isaiah  (II.  p.  65,  note) 
are  perfectly  right,  when  they  say  that  we  are  to 
regard  also  as  a  subject  of  the  oracle  "  the  Mag- 
nates of  Judah  sent  to  Egypt,  who  more  devoid 
of  knowledge  than  ox  and  ass,  belong  to  the  beasts 
of  burden."  This  kind  of  irony  corresponds  to 
the  manner  of  Isaiah,  and  suits  the  context  well. 
For  not  the  innocent  beasts,  but  those  fools  and 
untrustworthy  Egypt  must  be  regarded  as  the  ob- 
jects of  the  divine  massa.  [The  beasts  of  the 
south  are  simply  the  asses  and  camels  that  bear 
the  treasures  to  Egypt.— D.  M.].  OO  'V  f  1&O  is 

to  be  connected  with  IKi?"1-  N'31?  to  ^31^0  is  pa- 
renthetical. The  expressions  my  (angustiae)  and 
np1¥  (coarctatio)  occur  also  in  the  verse,  viii.  22 ; 
yet  they  are  found  combined  as  here  only  in  Prov. 
i.  27. — K^1?  comp.  on  chap.  v.  29.  5^2  is  found 
combined  with  K'37  only  here,  and  occurs  be- 
sides only  in  two  other  places  :  Job  iv.  22 ;  Prov. 
xxx.  30.  OHD  refers  to  yiN,  there  being  substi- 
tuted for  this  term  in  the  singular  the  idea  of  the 
many  separate  localities  from  which  such  beasts 
may  come.  We,  who  are  more  accustomed  to 
mark  the  place  where,  than  the  place  whence  any- 
thing appears  (comp.  e.  g.  7£O  and  Fp77  ^J^? 
Gen.  i.  7),  can  fitly  render  "  wherein  are  lion- 
ess and  lion."  ""ll???  vipera,  reyulus,  besides  here 
lix.  5 ;  Job  xx.  16.  ^Sl^O  mfr  comp.  on  xiv. 
29.  Observe  the  irony :  through  so  dangerous  a 
country  the  grandees  of  Judah  drag  their  trea- 
sures, in  order  to  purchase  a  help  which  will 
leave  them  in  the  lurch.  D"1  Vj?  (Kethibh  D^  W 
comp.  ver.  24;  Gen.  xxxii.  16;  Judg.  x.  4;  xii. 
14.  The  plural  of  TH  occurs  besides  only  in  the 
signification  "forces,  bands  of  warriors,"  and  is 
mostly  preceded  by  ^31  or  ^W  (1  Chron.  vii.  5, 
7,  11,  40  ;  Jer.  xl.  7,  13 ;  xli.  11,  et  saepe).  Only 


in  Eccles.  x.  10  does  the  word  stand  in  the  gen- 
eral signification  "  vires."  ^^  hump,  bunch, 
is  air.  Aey.  But  Egypt  will  help  vapor  and 
emptiness  (p'11  ?3H  only  here)  i.  e.,  the  result 
of  its  assistance  will.be  nothing  but  empty  vapor. 
p'11  73H  are  therefore  not  to  be  taken  as  adverbs 
(which  they  can  indeed  be,  comp.  PP.  Ixxiii.  13; 
Job  xxi.  34;  xxxv.  16,  et  saepe) ,  but  as  accusa- 
tives of  the  object  depending  on  an  idea  of  making, 
effecting  latent  in  "UJ?  (comp.  xix.  21  ;  Exod.  x. 
26;  Job  vi.  4;  Zech.  vii.  5).  The  LORD  gives 
Egypt  also  a  characteristic  name,  as  it  were,  to 
serve  as  a  warning  that  no  one  may  rely  on  this 
deceitful  help  to  his  own  detriment.  He  names 
Egypt  rOtf  OH  3m.  Here,  first  of  all,  it  ap- 
pears to  me  that  the  Prophet  chose  this  expression 
with  reference  to  a  place  in  Job.  We  read,  Job 
ix.  13,  in  a  context  which  treats  of  the  might  and 
majesty  of  the  supreme  God  :  "  Eloah  turns  not 
His  anger,  under  Him  bow  themselves  3m  '^TJ7.M 
Whatever  the  author  of  the  book  of  Job  may  have 
understood  by  these  3m  ^TJ?,  at  all  events  in  view 
of  Isaiah's  unquestionable  acquaintance  with  the 
book  of  Job,  and  of  his  frequent  references  to  it, 
it  is  certainly  not  to  be  regarded  as  accidental 
that  he  applies  to  Egypt  the  two  words  "ITJJ  and 
3m  which  stand  together  in  that  remarkable 
passage  in  Job  which  we  own  to  be  for  us  very 
obscure — 3m  (from  3m  tumultuari,  strepere  iii. 
5  ;  Prov.  vi.  3  ;  Ps.  cxxxviii.  3 ;  Cant.  vi.  5)  is 
ferocia,  superbia,  and  is  used  poetically  to  desig- 
nate a  huge  aquatic  animal  (Job  xxvi.  12 ;  Isa. 
li.  9)  which  is  conceived  of  as  symbol  of  Egypt; 
hence  3m  occurs  simply  as  symbolical  name  of 
Egypt:  Ps.  Ixxxvii.  4;  Ixxxix.  11.  3m  is  then 
also  here  a  designation  of  Egypt  in  the  sense  of 
ferocia,  superbia,  haughtiness,  boasting.  The  words 
r\3$  DH  are  a  closer  specification,  involving  at 
the  same  time  an  antithesis.  We  best  fill  up  the 
ellipsis  by  supplying  "ijtfN  before  Of],  as  hereby 
the  abruptness  of  the  construction  is  avoided. 
Cases  such  as  J^3,  P^H  0;  wn  D^&n  *ȣ 
"U?i'-K'n  Gen.  xiv.  2,  3  are  not  analogous;  as  in 
them  an  unknown  name  is  explained  by  one  that 
is  known.  But  in  our  passage  a  new  essential 
antithetic  element  is  to  be  added  to  the  first 
name  ;  the  whole  name  is  to  be  marked  as  con- 
sisting of  two  parts  in  contrast  to  one  another  : 
Boasting  that  is  at  the  same  time  sitting  still. 
This  thought  is  best  expressed  in  German  [and 
English]  by  the  total  omission  of  the  pronoun, 
Boasting— sitting  still. 

["  Those  who  approve  of  our  cammon  render- 
ino-  Their  strength  is  to  sit  still,  consider 
the  words  as  designed  to  teach  that  the  true 
strength  and  security  of  the  Jews  consisted  in  the 
exercise  of  quiet  and  patient  confidence  in  God, 
assured  that  He  would  deliver  them  in  His  own 
way.  To  justify  such  rendering,  however,  the 
first  two  words  must  be  joined,  Drum.  But 
against  this  construction  there  lie  two  objections. 
First,  the  pronominal  suffix  could  not  with  pro- 
priety be  referred  to  any  antecedent  but  Egypt 
at  the  beginning  of  the  verse.  Secondly,  the 


330 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


noun  3i~n  never  occurs  with  the  acceptation 
strength,  but  always  signifies  pride,  insolence,  rage." 
HENDERSON.  If  we  only  keep  in  mind,  as  a 
Hebrew  would  do,  the  significance  of  the  name 
Rahab  as  meaning  arrogance,  we  shall  hardly  find 
a  happier  translation  of  this  expression  than  that 
given  by  LOWTH,  Rahab  the  Inactive.  —  D.  M.J. 
The  same  explanation  is  to  be  given  of  the  plural 
DH  as  of  Dflp  in  ver.  6.  DRECHSLER  is  disposed, 
after  the  example  of  COCCEITJS  and  VITRINGA,  to 
derive  r\~&  from  '"Di?  desinere.  But,  not  to  men- 
tion that  such  a  derivative  tt&  does  not  occur 


(for  in  Gen.  xxi.  19;  Prov.  xx.   3 

tainly  the  infin.  of  3Er)j  the  notion  of  ceasing, 

of  doing  nothing  more  is  here  quite  unsuitable. 
The  context  requires  the  idea  of  inability  to  do 
anything,  notwithstanding  great  noise  with  words 
and  gestures.  The  Prophet,  after  having  hitherto 
delivered  his  prophecy  orally,  received  the  com- 
mand also  to  write  it  down  immediately.  And 
this  should  be  done  Ef^,  i.  e.,  before  their  (the 
people's)  eyes  (lix.  12  ;  Job  xii.  3  et  saepe}.  For 
it  was  to  be  established  that  the  Prophet  had  pre- 
dicted the  fruitlessness  of  the  effort  to  obtain  aid 
from  Egypt,  in  order  that,  when  this  should  be 
demonstrated  by  fact,  the  omniscience  of  Je- 
hovah, and  the  trustworthiness  of  His  servant  as 
a  Prophet,  might  appear  indubitable.  It  appears 
to  me  that  N12  intimates  that  the  Prophet  could 
not  do  the  writing  on  the  spot  where  he  was 
speaking,  but  must  repair  to  a  place  where  he 
would  lind  the  materials  necess-ary  for  writing. 

n-1?  and  "^3D  differ  only  rhetorically  in  the 
parallelism.  For,  in  fact,  the  word  was  to  be  not 
twice,  but  only  once,  written  down.  It  is  not  ne- 

cessary to  read  "^/  f°r  79  '•  Observe  the  cli- 
max in  the  three  specifications  of  time. 

3.  That  this  is  a  -  of  the  pit.—  Vers.  9-14- 
The  writing  down  which  was  commanded  would 
not  be  needful,  if  there  were  alive  in  the  people 
a  mind  for  the  truth  and  for  what  was  really  con- 
ducive to  their  welfare.  But  as  they  now  refuse 
to  hear  the  warning  voice  of  truth,  BO  they  would 
also  hereafter  deny  that  they  had  been  warned, 
if  it  could  not  be  proved  to  them,  as  we  say,  on 
black  and  white.  The  Prophet,  therefore,  gives 
a  reason  for  what  he  had  paid,  vers.  G-8,  by  the 
words  OJ1  "TO  QJ;  O  vers.  9sqq.  The  expression 
"HO  &y  is  found  only  here  in  Isaiah.  He  had, 
perhaps,  Numb.  xvii.  25  [E.  V.  xvii.  10]  in  view, 
where  the  command  is  given  that  the  rod  of 

Aaron   should   be  kept  no-J3S  JVt6.    tf  P3   is 

I  'IV        "  :  •  :  T  Y 

found  only  here  So  corrupt  are  the  people  that 
'they  actually  dare  to  aftempt  to  prescribe  to  the 
Prophets  what  they  ought,  and  what  they  ought 
not  to  prophesy,  as  if  the  true  Prophet  could  see 
anything  else  than  what  Jehovah  shows  him 
(comp.  the  demand  made  upon  the  Prophet 
Micaiah,  the  son  of  Imlah,  and  his  answer  to  it, 
1  Kings  xxii.  13,  14,  also  the  answer  of  Balaam 
Numb.  xxii.  33,  sqq.).  The  distinction  between 
D'fcO  and  D'TFl  has  merely  a  rhetorical  signifi- 
cance; for  there  is  no  real  difference  between 
them  (comp.  xxix.  10  and  1  Sam.  ix.  9).  HN1 


occurs  in  this  signification  in  Isaiah  only  here. 
These  people  would  have  best  liked  entirely  to 
forbid  the  Prophets  of  Jehovah  to  see  anything 
as  Prophets.  But  where  this  failed,  they  tried  to 
induce  them  at  least  to  accommodate  their  visions 
to  the  wishes  of  the  public.  They  said  to  them  : 
see  not  right  things  (the  truth  xxvi.  10;  lix. 
14)  for  us  (dat.  commodi),  speak  unto  us 
what  is  agreeable  (properly  smooth,  going 
smoothly  on,  Ps.  xii.  3,  4,  only  here  in  Isaiah), 

and  see  deceptions  (JTnJVIO  arr.  fay.}  comp. 


D'yrin  Job  xvii.  3  and  Hiph.    /Hrl  Gen.  xxxi. 

7  ;  Judg.  xvi.  10  et  saepe).  Yea,  they  proceed 
quite  consistently  still  further  ;  they  call  upon 
the  Prophets  to  turn  aside  altogether  from  the 
right  way,  that  is,  to  forsake  the  LORD  Himself, 
and  to  remove  Him,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  (on 
xxix.  19)  entirely  from  the  face  of  the  people. 
They  thus  require  that  the  Prophets  should  not 
only  apostatize  to  idolatry,  but  even  take  np  an 
ofiensive  attitude  against  the  LORD.  rT3tyn 
(xiii.  11  ;  xvi.  10  ;  xxi.  2)  is  used  of  the  aboli- 
tion of  idolatrous  institutions,  e.  </.,  2  Kings  xxiii. 
5.  This  wicked  conduct  cannot  remain  un- 
punished. Because  they  thus  contemptuously  re- 
ject (DNO  with  3  coinp.  vii.  15  sq.  ;  xxxiii.15; 
comp.  Amos  ii.  4)  the  warning  word  of  the  LORD, 
which  Jsaiah  announced  to  them  respecting  their 
Egyptian  policy,  and  hope  for  their  deliverance 
by  exacting  by  violence  the  money  needed  to 
purchase  the  aid  of  Egypt  (ver.  6,  comp.  2  Kings 
xv.  20),  and  by  sinful  reliance  on  the  help  of  the 

heathen  (?i/J  part.  Niph.,  pen-ersum,  pravum,  only 
here  in  Isaiah,  besides  only  in  the  Proverbs  of 
Solomon  ii.  14  ;  iii.  32  ;  xiv.  2  comp.  iii.  21  ;  iv. 
21),  this  godless  procedure  of  theirs  shall  be  to 
them  the  precursor  of  certain  destruction.  As 
the  breach  in  a  wall  and  its  bulging  out 
is  the  sure  precursor  of  its  fall,  (comp.  Ps.  Ixii. 
4),  so  this  Egyptian  alliance  shall  be  a  symptom, 
not  of  the  deliverance,  but  of  the  ruin  of  Judah. 
]'"13  (besides  only  Iviii.  12)  is  manifestly  not 
simply  the  mere  rent,  but  that  which  is  rent  or 
burst  in  pieces.  A  /2J  flS  is  a  part  of  a  wall 
that  has  burst  asunder,  which  is  falling,  i.  <:., 
about  to  fall.  It  is  also  "Tr^p  (tumescens,  T\y3 
to  swell  up,  hoil  np,  Ixiv.  1,  to  desire  eagerly  xxi. 
12;  except  in  Isaiah  the  woid  occurs  only  Obad. 
6)  in  a  high  wall.  The  higher  the  wall,  the 

more  dangerous  the  breach.  yRBrl  DKHD  comp. 
xxix.  5.  The  suffix  in  PHSE'  refers  to  noin. 
When  we  read  in  the  next  verse  mUl^,  Jehovah 
is  evidently  the  subject,  and  the  object  is  the 
wall,  by  which  Judah  is  to  be  understood  —  a 
rapid  transition  from  the  image  to  the  thing  sig- 
nified, which  is  litre  the  less  surprising  as  another 
image  is  immediately  employed  in  what  follows. 
That  the  subject  of  PP3E7  must  be  a  person, 
clearly  appears  from  the  nature  of  .the  figure,  as 
it  is  more  closely  defined  by  the  following  words 


-     For  it  is  not  a  potter's  vessel 
that  breaks  of  itself  that  is  spoken  of,  but  one 

which  is     intentionally    (731T  fcw)    broken    in 
pieces  (fuTG  is  therefore  the  nearer  specification 


CHAP.  XXX.  15-18. 


331 


of  *V?^  '•  the  transition  from  the  infinitive  to  the 

finite  verb  in  70JT  N?  occurs  frequently,  and  is 
here  rendered  necessary  especially  by  the  nega- 
tion), nrpp  contusio,  then  as  the  abstract  for  the 
concrete,  that  which  is  broken  in  pieces,  the  frag- 
ments, nnn  capa-e,  to  fetch,  besides  here  only 
Ps.  lii.  7  ;  Prov.  vi.  27 ;  xvii.  10:  xxv.  22.  llp^ 
(the  verb  lp'T  in  Isaiah  only  x.  1G  ;  Ixv.  5  and 
here),  is  that  which  is  kindled,  burning,  the 
glowing  fire.  r)yi"1  is  properly  nudure,  rcteyerc. 


But  while  we  take  off  the  surface,  we,  as  it  were, 
uncover  the  fluid.  rn#;  nudavit,  is  likewise  used 
of  pouring  out,  because  the  bottom  of  the  vessel 
is  thereby  uncovered — (Gen.  xxiv.  20;  2  Chron. 
xxiv.  11 ;  Isa.  liii.  12).  ^tf?  occurs  further  in 
Isaiah  xx.  4 ;  xlvii.  2 ;  lii.  10.  Nil  is  a  cavity, 
a  deep  place  in  the  earth,  only  here  in  Isaiah 
(comp.  Ezek.  xlvii.  11).  That  the  Prophet  al- 
ludes here  to  the  exile  is  evident.  But  the  pass- 
age did  not  receive  its  complete  fulfilment  till 
the  second,  or  Eoman  exile. 


3.    THE  PEESUMPTUOUS  AND  THE  WELL-FOUNDED  CONFIDENCE. 
CHAPTER  XXX.  15-18. 

15  For  thus  saith  the  LORD  God,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ; 
In  returning  and  rest  shall  ye  be  saved : 

In  quietness  and  in  confidence  shall  be  your  strength: 
And  ye  would  not. 

16  But  ye  said,  No  ;  for  we  will  "flee  upon  horses  ; 
Therefore  shall  ye  flee  : 

And,  We  will  ride  upon  the  swift ; 

Therefore  shall  they  that  pursue  you  be  swift. 
I/  One  thousand  shall  flee  at  the  rebuke  of  one  ; 

At  the  rebuke  of  five  shall  ye  flee  : 

Till  ye  be  left  as  a  lbbeacon  upon  the  top  of  a  mountain, 

And  as  an  ensign  on  an  hill. 
18  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  : 

For  the  LORD  is  a  God  of  judgment: 

Blessed  are  all  they  that  wait  for  him. 


1  Or,  a  tree  bereft  of  branches :  Or,  a  mast. 
•  hasten. 


a  pine. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  That  the  way  of  deliverance  pursued  by  Israel 
was  wrong,  appears  not  only  from  its  roots  (vers. 
9-11)  and  from  its  fruit  (vers.  12-14),  but  al?o 
from  setting  over  against  it  that  which  is  declared 
by  Jehovah  to  be  alone  salutary :  Returning  and 
rest  in  Him;  quiet,  patient  trust  in  Him  who 
only  is  strong  and  makes  strong.  But  Israel  de- 
clined to  take  this  latter  way  (ver.  15).  Accord- 
ing to  their  notion,  only  Egypt's  horses  could 
help  them.  But  these  horses  are  to  serve  only 
for  precipitate  flight.  "Runners,  too,  there  shall 
be,  but  at  the  disposal  of  the  pursuers  of  fleeing 
Israel  (vcr.  1G).  A  great  number  of  Israelites 
will  flee  from  a  petty  band  of  enemies,  and  Is- 
rael's whole  might  will  be  reduced  to  but  a  small 
remnant,  that  might  be  compared  with  a  single 
pine  or  a  solitary  banner  on  a  mountain-height 
(ver.  17).  And  the  final  consequence  will  be  that 
the  LOUD,  as  He  is  a  God  who  exercises  justice, 
must  delay  His  help,  which  eventually  will  not 
be  withheld.  Then  will  it  appear  that  only  they 
are  to  be  pronounced  happy  who  hope  on  the 
LOUD  (ver.  18).  [I  understand  the  purport  of 


ver.  IS  differently.  See  exegetical  and  critical 
remarks  on  it. — D.  M.] 

2.  Vers.  15-18.    For  thus  saith wait  for 

him.— rOVt!/  (a-.  Acy.)  is  certainly  not  quicken- 
ing, vivificatio,  but  returning.  For  the  question 
here  relates  to  what  Israel  was  bound  to  do.  And 
3iiy  is  that  very  significant  leading  term  in  the 
prophecy  of  Isaiah,  and  especially  in  that  of  Je- 
remiah, which  we  have  already  (i.  27)  taken  no- 
tice of,  and  have  particularly  remarked  in  the 
name  ^'iT1  1XSJ  (comp.  on  vii.  3).  nnj,  from 
niJ,  to  rest  (comp.  ver.  30,  et  sacpe),  as  T>rn,  ver. 
24,  from  nil,  marks,  as  it  were,  the  point  where 
the  ("Qliy  ends.  For  Israel  has  to  return  to  the 
LORD  and  then  rest  in  the  LORD  (comp.  "Syria 
resteth  on  Ephraim/'  vii.  2).  This  meaning 
seems  to  me  more  appropriate  than  that  of  "  rest 
from  one's  own  self-confiding  endeavor"  (DEL.). 
[DELITZSCII  appears  to  me  to  set  forth  the  exact 
idea  intended  by  nnj.  It  is  hard  to  assume  an 
ellipsis  of  the  words  "in  the  Lord"  after  rest. 


332 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


But  the  supplement  proposed  by  DELITZSCH  is 
naturally  suggested  by  the  context. — D.  M.] — 
tOptfn  includes  the  idea  of  abstaining  from 
making  one's  self  outwardly  busy,  as  well  as  that 
of  inward  composure.  Isaiah  called  ttpt^n  (vii. 
4)  to  Ahaz,  who  was  seeking  safety  in  external 
military  and  political  measures.  i"in£33  (a-,  ^ey.) 
forms  a  fine  counterpart  to  DpI^n :  the  true  re- 
pose rests  on  the  confidence  which  casts  every 
concern  on  the  Lord  (comp.  xxxii.  17,  where  also 
tPpi^n  and  HD3  stand  together.  In  this  union 
of  self-restraint  and  of  yielding  one's  self  to  the 
LOKD  would  consist  Israel's  strength  (I"PUJ, 
iii.  25;  xi.  2;  xxviii.  6;  xxx.  15;  xxxiii.  13; 
xxxvi.  5 ;  in  the  second  part  only  the  plural 
jVni3J,  Ixiii.  15,  occurs).  But  alas!  Israel  re- 
fuses to  make  this  self- surrender  to  the  LOKD 

(ver.  9).  The  people  say  rather:  DUJ  DID  hy 
(ver.  16).  The  Vulgate  translates:  ad  equos  fu- 
giemus,  as  in  x.  3.  But  it  is  apparent  that  the 
rhyme  between  D1J  and  DID  is  designed  ;  and  for 
the  sake  of  the  rhyme  a  modification  of  the  mean- 
ing of  D1J  is  allowable.  The  following  words — 
we  will  ride  upon  the  swift— make  clear 
the  thought  which  the  Prophet  desired  to  express 

by  'J  DID  /y.  I  therefore  take  D1J,  as  many  mo- 
dern interpreters  do,  in  the  sense  of  celeriter  ferri, 
festinare  (comp.  |^3>  >'1J  j  in  German  jliehen  and 
fliegen  [in  English  to  flee  and  to  fly]).  If  the 
clause  signified  "on  horses  will  we  flee"  (DRECIIS- 
LER),  then  it  must  be  said  in  opposition:  there- 
fore shall  ye  flee  on  foot.  We  should  then  ex- 
pect a  word  which  would  indicate  slow  flight. 
But  in  using  this  language  the  Israelites  were 
thinking  of  meeting  the  enemy  on  swift  horses. 
The  appropriate  antithetic  statement  which  the 
Prophet  makes  is:  no,  horses  will  serve  you  only 
for  flight.  Parallel  to  "we  will  hasten  upon 

horses"  is  the  clause  23"U  7p~ 7>'.  Only  here  is 
7p,  cder,  K&W  (comp.  v.  26;  xviii.  2;  xix.  1) 
used  of  the  swift  horse.  The  Israelites  were 
warned  in  the  Law  against  the  horses  of  Egypt 
(Deut.  xvii.  16;  comp.  1  Kings  x.  25,  28),  and 
our  Prophet  utters  soon  after  (xxxi.  1,  3)  in  plain 
words  the  same  blame  which  we  find  here.  [Be- 
eide  the  play  of  words  in  010,  DU  and  pDUFl,  that 

in  r\)_  and  V7J3'  should  not  be  overlooked. — D.  M.] 
Ver.  17  depicts  the  disgraceful  haste  and  sense- 
lessness of  their  flight  in  terms  that  evidently  al- 
lude to  passages  in  the  Law  (comp.  Lev.  xxvi. 
17;  and  especially  Deut.  xxxii.  30).  [LowTH 
supposes  that  after  HEton  there  stood  originally 
7133"!,  which  has  dropped  out  of  the  text.  But 
the  connection  with  the  following  words  would  be 
disturbed  by  this  proposed  emendation  :  "  at  the 
rebuke  of  five  shall  ye  flee  till  ye  be  left,"  etc. 
HENDERSON  properly  quotes  the  censure  of  Ko- 
CHER  on  such  intermeddling  with  the  sacred 
text :  Quin  tandem  aliquando  suae  sibi  viae  certiim 
vatem  ire  sinentes  nostros  errores  corriqimusf— D.M.] 
This  wasting,  destructive  flight  will  last  till  there 
remains  of  Israel  only  a  small  remnant.  The 
smallness  of  this  remnant  is  set  forth  by  the  Pro- 
phet under  a  double  image.  He  compares  it  first 


with  a  single  pine  (pn  =  pK,  xliv.  14,  origi- 
nally the  pine,  then  the  mast  made  out  of  it, 
xxxiii.  23 ;  Ezek.  xxvii.  5),  on  a  high  moun- 
tain, which  is  all  that  remains  of  a  thick  wood  ; 
and  then  with  a  solitary  signal-pole  (Numb.  xxi. 
8  sq.;  Isa.  v.  26;  xi.  10,  12,  el  sacpc)  set  up  on  a 
bare  height  (xiii.  2).  The  choice  of  this  second 
image  was  perhaps  determined  by  the  resemblance 
in  sound  between  DJ  and  D-1J.  Ver.  18  describes 

the  second  and  last  effect  of  the  DjV3tf  X  7  in  ver. 
15.  The  first  was  destruction  and  dispersion,  the 
second  is  the  delay  in  God's  showing  favor  [?] 

n^n  with  7  to  wait  for  something,  Ps.  cvi.  13 ; 
Job  iii.  21 ;  Isa.  viii.  17  ;  Ixiv.  3.  The  sense  of 
delaying  lies  in  this  word  in  2  Kings  vii.  9 ;  ix. 
3.  This  sense,  too,  is  not  foreign  to  the  passage, 
Job  xxxii.  4.  The  parallelism  indicates  that  the 

words  D.30n"n  DTV  must  have  an  analogous 
sense.  I  understand  D11  herewith  liaslii  (comp. 
GESEX.  Thes.  p.  1274)  in  the  sense  of  pn^rv,  he 
is  high,  i.  e.,  gone  away  upwards,  because  he 
dwells  on  high.  He  takes  a  high,  i.  c.,  retired, 
distant  position  in  relation  to  pitying  you  (comp. 
TBStf  O  DTIO,  Psalm  x.  5).  It  must  be  admitted 
that  we  should  expect  DD/prPO  instead  of  'I/- 
The  matter  is  still  dubious.  Perhaps  we  should 
read  D1T  or  DTT  (with  HOUBIGANT,  LOWTH, 
EWALD,  CHEYNE,  and  some  Codices).  That 
God  delays  in  granting  deliverance,  is  according 
to  His  justice.  He  must  punish  you.  Divine 
justice  requires  this.  If  He  should  only  show 
mercy,  this  would  not  be  good  for  the  sinner  him- 
self (xxvi.  10).  It  is  therefore  on  the  ground 
of  the  declarations  Ex.  xxxiv.  6,  7 ;  Numb.  xiv. 
18  said  of  him  [rather  the  LORD  Himself  says]  : 
"  I  will  not  make  a  full  end  of  thee ;  but  I  will 
correct  thee  in  measure,  and  will  not  leave  thee 
altogether  unpunished"  ( Jer.  xxx.  11;  xlvi.  28). 
Yet  from  this  correction  in  measure,  which  satis- 
fies justice  and  love,  there  is  a  deliverance  to  the 
enjoyment  of  the  full  light  of  salvation  for  those 
who  wait  on  the  LORD  in  faith.  This  thought 
forms  the  transition  to  the  second  part  of  the 
chapter,  which  is  of  a  consolatory  character.  The 
last  clause  of  ver.  18  recalls  to  mind  the  closing 
words  of  the  second  Psalm.  [Must  we  then  give 
up  using  the  hallowed  phrase :  "  The  LORD 
waiteth  to  be  gracious"  as  an  encouragement  to 
come  to  Him,  and  in  deference  to  just  criticism 
regard  these  words  as  rather  a  threatening  that 
the  LORD  will  delay  to  show  favor  ?  Though  one 
or  two  instances  of  the  rare  use  of  HDP  in  the 
sense  of  delaying  may  be  adduced,  yet  the  word 
more  naturally  marks  a  tending  or  inclining  to 
the  object  of  waiting.  Here  we  have  i~on  followed 

by  7,  which  forces  us  to  give  the  word  a  sense  the 
very  opposite  of  deferring  or  delaying.  Dr.  NAE- 
GELSBACH  confesses  the  unsatisfactoriness  of  the 
explanation  which  must  be  given  to  the  following 
parallel  clause,  if  the  first  clause  of  the  verse  is  to 
be  understood  of  Jehovah  delaying  to  be  gracious. 

But,  it  may  be  asked,  how  is  J37  at  the  beginning 
of  the  verse  to  be  explained,  if  it  does  not  contain 
a  threatening  ?  I  connect  "  therefore ''  with  the 


CHAP.  XXX.  19-26. 


333 


miserable  condition  of  Israel  described  in  the 
preceding  verse.  This  misery  awakens  the  di- 
vine compassion.  Therefore  the  LORD  "  repents 
Himself  for  His  servants  when  He  seeth  that 
their  power  is  gone,"  Deut.  xxxii.  36.  He  seeks 
opportunity  to  relieve  the  distressed  because  "  lie 
delighteth  in  mercy."  And  "He  is  exalted 
above  the  heavens,"  not  to  be  remote,  not  to  with- 
draw Himself  and  to  withhold  aid,  but  that  "His 
beloved  may  be  delivered,"  Ps.  cviii.  5,  6.  Need 


I  add  that  it  is  in  accordance  with  Scripture  to 
represent  the  LORD  as  displaying  His  righteous- 
ness when  He  fulfils  His  promise  to  show  mercy, 
and  is  faithful  in  keeping  His  gracious  covenant '/ 
See  how  in  the  next,  the  19th,  verse  the  Prophet 
illustrates  what  he  means  by  the  LORD  waiting 
that  He  may  be  gracious  to  Israel,  when  He  de- 
clares "  He  will  be  very  gracious  unto  thee  at  the 
voice  of  thy  cry." — D.  M.j 


4.    THE  SANCTIFICATION  AND  SALVATION  OF  THE  PEOPLE. 
CHAPTER  XXX.  19-26. 

19  For  "the  people  shall  dwell  in  Zion  at  Jerusalem  : 
Thou  shalt  weep  no  more : 

He  will  be  very  gracious  unto  thee  at  the  voice  of  thy  cry ; 
When  he  shall  hear  it,  he  will  answer  thee. 

20  And  though  the  LORD  give  you  the  bread  of  adversity,  and  the  water  of  'affliction, 
Yet  shall  not  thy  teachers  be  removed  into  a  corner  any  more, 

But  thine  eyes  shall  see  thy  teachers  : 

21  And  thine  ears  shall  hear  a  word  behind  thee,  saying, 
This  is  the  way,  walk  ye  in  it, 

When  ye  turn  to  the  right  hand,  and  when  ye  turn  to  the  left. 

22  Ye  shall  defile  also  the  covering  of  2thy  graven  images  of  silver, 
And  the  ornament  of  thy  molten  images  of  gold  : 

Thou  shalt  "cast  them  away  as  a  menstruous  cloth  ; 
Thou  shalt  say  unto  it,  Get  thee  hence. 

23  Then  shall  he  give  the  rain  of  thy  seed, 
That  thou  shalt  sow  the  ground  withal ; 
And  bread  of  the  increase  of  the  earth, 
And  it  shall  be  bfat  and  plenteous  : 

In  that  day  shall  thy  cattle  feed  in  large  pastures. 

24  The  oxen  likewise  and  the  young  asses  that  ear  the  ground 
Shall  eat  4oclean  provender, 

Which  hath  been  winnowed  with  the  dshovel  and  with  the  fan. 

25  And  there  shall  be  upon  every  high  mountain  and  upon  every  5high  hill, 
Rivers  and  streams  of  waters 

In  the  day  of  the  great  slaughter, 
When  the  towers  fall. 

26  Moreover  the  light  of  the  moon  shall  be  as  the  light  of  the  sun, 
And  the  light  of  the  sun  shall  be  seven-fold, 

As  the  light  of  seven  days, 

In  the  day  that  the  LOKD  bindeth  up  the  breach  of  his  people, 

And  healeth  the  stroke  of  their  wound. 


1  Or,  oppression. 

*  Or,  savory.     Heb.  leavened. 


a  people. 


2  Hob.  the  graven  images  of  thy  silver. 
6  Heb.  lifted  up. 

0  salted. 


b  full  of  sap  and  fat. 


TEXTUAL,   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


8  Heb.  scatter. 
*  fan  and  fork. 


Ver.  19. 


for 


as  Gen.  xliii.  29.    Comp.  Oi.s- 
ty  marks  coinci- 


HAUSEN, Or.,  \  243,  a.  3  before 
dence.  Comp.  Gen.  xxiv.  30;  xxxiv.  7;  xxxix.  15,  et 
saepe.  The  Infinitive  y'wf  with  the  femmiae  ending 
is  found  only  here. 


Ver.  20.  D'ft  is  in  the  absolute  state  instead  of  the 
construct.  [On  this  kind  of  apposition  the  note  in  DE- 
LITZSCH'S  Commentary  in  loco  may  be  consulted.— D.  M.]. 
ciJD  occurs  as  a  verb  only  here.  There  is  no  reason 


334 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


appn-ent  why  this  word  shoulJ  not  be  the  root  of  F|J3 
covering,  wing,  and  accordingly  signify  to  cover,  to 
hide,  in  the  Niphat  to  hide  one's-self.  The  singular  is 
used  because  f]  J3'  is  the  prefixed  predicate. 

Ver.  21.  IJ'OtO  for  irp'P!  (comp.  EWALD,  Gr.,  §  122, 
e).  This  form  occurs  only  here. 

Ver.  22.  mn  is  abbreviation  for  HH  *73-    DEL.]. 

TT  TT         .   : 

Ver.  23.  TJDO  could  be  in  the  singular.  But  forms 
such  as  'JD*3  Ex.  xvii.  3  ;  Numb.  xx.  19,  show  that  the 
word  is  also  actually  used  in  the  plural.  njJ'V  is  there- 
fore singular  as  FJ33'  in  ver.  20.  (See  remark  on  the 
latter  place). 


Ver.  21.  m'l  is  cither  Pual   part,  for  mtp,  or  Part. 

Kal  as  a  verbal  form  in  which  the  subject  is  implied 
(comp.  ii.  9;  xxiv.  2;  xxix.  8). 

Ver.  2G.  LOWTH,  GESEXIUS,  HITZIG,  HEXDEWERK  and 
KNOBEL  regard  the  words  D'OTI  nj72t^  "ll&O  as  a 
gloss  because  they  are  wanting  i'l  the  LXX.  and  form 
a  needless  epexegesis  which  disturbs  the  parallelism. 
But  their  absence  in  the  LXX.  is  no  reason  for  treating 
them  as  an  interpolation.  They  are  found  in  the  Tar- 
gurn,  in  the  Syriac  and  in  Jerome.  There  is  here  no 
fixed  metre.  We  can  neither  affirm  that  the  ver.se  con- 
sists of  four  members,  nor  that  a  definite  length  is  re- 
quired for  each  line.  And  in  regard  to  the  sense,  the 
epexegesis  is  not  so  needless.  For  who  is  not  sensible 
that  the  D'P>'3^  is  set  more  vividly  before  us  by  the 
addition  that  follows? 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet,  after  preparing  the  way  by  ver. 
18,  looks  into  the  distant  future.    It  presents  itself 
to  him  as  a  blessed   time.     He  gives  a  general 
picture  of  it  in  colors  borrowed  from  the  present. 
We  call  it  a  general  picture,  because  it  will  not 
be  realized  in  a  fixed  time;  but  it  comprehends 
as  in  a  frame  what  will  take  place  for  the  good 
of  the  people  from  the  proximate  till  the  most 
remote  future.     But  this  picture  of  the  future  is 
painted  with  colors  of  the  present,  for  the  cir- 
cumstances  of   the    present  supply    the  images 
under  which  the  Prophet  represents  the  blessings 
of  the  future.     He  assumes  that  there  will  always 
be  a  people  dwelling  in  Zion,  i.  e.,  Jerusalem. 
This  people  will   not  always   have  to  weep ;  a 
time  will  come  when  its  requests  will  be  speedily 
answered   (ver.   19).      They  will  not  indeed  be 
without  bread  of  distress  and  water  of  tribulation 
in  the  future,  but  their  eyes  will  also  be  con- 
stantly able  to  see  the  teachers  who  will  show 
them,  the  way  out  of  distress  (ver.  20)  ;  and  the 
ears  of  the  people  will  hearken  every  moment  to 
the  voice  which  will  call  from  behind  the  direc- 
tion as  to  the  way  they  should   go    (ver.  21). 
Then  will  the  people  put  away  the  abominations 
of  idolatry  (ver.  22).     And  the  LORD  will  grant 
rain  and  glorious  fruit  to  nourish  men  and  cattle 
(vers.  23,  24).     Springs  of  water,  too,  will  gush 
forth  on  the  high   mountains  in  the  time  when 
the  LORD  by  rivers  of  blood  has  made  this  possi- 
ble (ver.  25).     The  light  of  sun  and  moon  will 
Rhine  many  times  brighter  than  now,  in  that  time, 
when  the  LORD  shall  have  healed  the  wounds  of 
His  people  (ver.  26). 

2.  For  the  people — -Get   thee   hence. — 
Vers.  19-22.     The  cheering  prospect  of  which 
ver.  18  permitted  a  view,  is  now  fully  and  com- 
pletely unfolded.     First  of  all,  the  Prophet  pro- 
mises that    in   Zion — Jerusalem    a    people  will 
always  dwell,  i.  e.,  the  holy  city  will  .never  like 
the  world-city  become  a  desert  forsaken  by  men 
(xiii.   19  sqq. ;     xxv.    2;    Jer.    1.    13  et  srtepe). 

DvRftVS  is  added  for  nearer  explanation,  and  as 
if  to  prevent  a  misunderstanding.  If  the  Pro- 
phet had  written  only  Zion,  it  might  have  been 
supposed  that  he  speaks  of  the  kingdom  whose 
proper  centre  was  Zion,  the  seat  of  the  house  of 
David  (comp.  Ps.  ii.  6  ;  ex.  2  et  saepe).  By  the 
addition  ''Jerusalem"  the  Prophet  renders  it  im- 
possible to  mistake  that  he  means  the  city.  And 
in  fact  Jerusalem  lum  never  ceased  to  be  in- 


habited, whereby  it  is  distinguished  from  the 
world-cities  Babylon  and  Nineveh,  which  have 
lain  desolate  for  thousands  of  year?.  We  may 
not  take  Dj?  as  a  vocative,  though  in  that  case 
riD3n  would  fitly  follow ;  but  the  first  clause 
would  then  have  no  meaning.  The  sudden 
change. of  person,  winch  occurs  frequently  in 
this  paragraph,  should  not  cause  surprise.  Comp. 

ver.  20  DD1?,  ver.   21  TJTX,  oV    ver.   22    -13D3 

V  T "  '  V: T  '  .  .  MV  :  " 

DrX"3p.  The  infinitive  absolute  "G2  has  evi- 
dently the  force  that  the  weeping  will  not  be 
long  continued,  as  the  LORD  will  speedily  have 
mercy.  In  the  future  to  which  the  look  of  the 
Prophet  is  directed,  Israel  will  not  be  without  tri- 
bulation. But  tins  tribulation  the  Prophet  com- 
prises in  the  expression  bread  of  distress, 
•water  of  affliction.  "*"_»  ^/.  is  found  only 
here.  1  Kings  xxii.  27  ;  2  Chron.  xviii.  2G  we 
find  ]Ti7  D'01  yn/  Dn/  to  designate  the  meagre 
fare  of  prisoners.  As  the  Prophet  according  to 
what  follows  ( cc nip.  especially  ver.  20)  has  the 
entire  future  in  his  eye,  we  cannot  refer  the  ex- 
pressions ''  bread  of  distress  and  water  of  afflic- 
tion" merely  to  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  the  As- 
syrians (xxix.  3  sqq.).  But,  although  that  siege 
stands  in  the  fore-ground  of  the  Prophet's  fifld 
of  vision,  we  have  to  look  upon  that  siege  with 
its  bread  of  distress  and  its  water  of  ailliction 
only  as  a  type  and  representative  of  all  the  af- 
fliction which  Israel  must,  endure  in  the  future. 
And  if  this  affliction  is  here  alluded  to  only  in 
sparing  terms,  this  is  owing  to  the  character  of 
this  second  part  of.  our  prophecy,  in  which  the 
threatening  almost  disappears  behind  the  promise. 
But  Israel  will  bear  affliction  quite  otherwise 
than  formerly.  Hitherto  they  displayed  in  times 
of  need  their  rage  against  the  Prophets  of  the 
LORD.  These  were  called  those  who  trouble 
Israel  (1  Kings  xviii.  17),  were  treated  as  ring- 
leaders of  sedition  (Amos  vii.  10),  and  traitors  to 
their  country  (Jcr.  xxxviii.  4  sqq.);  all  misery 
was  attributed  to  the  forsaking  of  the  worship 
of  idols  owing  to  their  urgent  effort  (Jer.  xliv. 
16  sqq.).  Then  the  Prophets  were  persecuted, 
and  must  conceal  themselves  (Matt,  xxiii.  37 ; 
Jer.  xxxvi.  2G).  This  will  happen  henceforth 
no  more.  But  Jerusalem  will,  on  the  contrary, 
in  affliction  direct  its  eyes  to  the  teachers  in  order 
to  follow  them  ;  it  will  open  its  ears  to  the  word 


CHAP.  XXX.  19-26. 


335 


of  the  LORD  which  the  servants  of  God,  who  are 
conceived  as  commanders  marching  behind  a 
procession,  will  call  to  it,  and  will  direct  its  steps 
exactly  according  to  their  commands. 

["  Their  teachers  were  to  be  before  them,  but 
when  they  declined  from  the  right  way,  their 
backs  would  be  turned  to  them,  consequently,  the 
warning  voice  would  be  heard  behind  them.  The 
first  and  last  clauses  of  the  verse  closely  cohere." 
— HENDERSON.  D.  M.].  This  obedience  to  the 
word  of  Jehovah  implies  that  they  will  abandon 
idols.  This  will  be  done  while  they  treat  the 
silver  and  golden  images,  without  (see  command 
Dent.  vii.  25)  regard  to  the  precious  metal,  as 
impure  things,  yea,  cast  them  away  as  objects  of 
abhorrence  (comp.  ii.  20).  Kpp  as  2  Kings  xxiii. 
8,  10,  16  (only  here  in  Isaiah).  "13¥  is  the  metal 
covering  of  statues  (Deut.  xvii.  3,  4 ;  Ex.  xxxviii. 
17,  19)  m2X  is  found  besides  only  in  Ex.  xxviii. 
8  and  xxxix.  5  in  the  expression  iVI?>X3Efn,a 
part  of  the  priest's  dress.  ["  The  word  is  the 
feminine  of  T2.-'>  ;  but  here,  as  parallel  with 
"13X,  it  signifies  a  covering  or  plating  over  the 
body  of  an  image." — HENDERSON].  HDpp  (ver. 
1)  fiisio,  fusura,  fiisile,  a  molten  image  (Exod. 
xxxii.  4,  8  et  saepe,  further  in  Isaiah  only  xlii. 
17).  The  expression  Q1ir\  thou  shalt  scatter 
them,  recalls  Exod.  xxxii.  20.  NJf  is  a  strong 
expression  (comp.  2  Sam.  xvi.  7).  The  singular 

i/  here  involves  the  notion  of  something  con- 
temptible :  Get  out !  thou  wilt  say  to  the  trash. 

3.  Then  shall  he  give their  wound. — 

Vers.  23-26.  To  the  change  of  life  described 
there  is  now  attached  the  promise  of  the  richest 
blessing  even  of  a  temporal  kind.  First,  to  the 
seed  the  necessary  rain  is  promised,  a  blessing 
which  could  never  be  wanting  in  an  oriental 
picture  of  prosperity,  and  is  therefore  also  so  fre- 
quently referred  to  in  the  theocratic  promises : 
Lev.  xxvi.  4  ;  Deut.  xiv.  11 ;  Joel  ii.  23  ;  Jer.  v. 
24 ;  Zecli.  x.  1  ct  saepe.  The  rain  which  is  to 
fructify  the  seed  is  the  seed-rain  or  early  rain 
(i~PV)  which  falls  in  October.  The  expression 
"He  shall  give  the  rain  of  thy  seed"  in- 
stead of  ''to  thy  seed"  recalls  places  such  as 
Gen.  xxxix.  21 ;  Numb.  xii.  6.  JHTH  Vi^X  = 
•with  which  thou  shalt  sow  (comp.  xvii. 
10)  [J-'^T  is  here  construed  with  a  double  accusa- 
tive]. DH  7  is  by  'KH  HX12n  generalized.  It  is 
therefore  nil  that  .the  earth  produces  for  the 
food  of  man,  as  DH  /  is  used  also  in  this  compre- 
hensive sense  in  the  expression  "  to  eat  bread." 
(Gen.  xxxi.  51;  xliii.  16;  Jer.  xli.  1  et  saepe). 
All  these  products  of  the  field  serving  for  food 
shall  be  of  the  best  quality,  full  of  sap  and 
strength  (j^^  as  an  adjective  only  here  in  Isaiah: 
comp.  Ps.  xcii.  15  ;  Gen.  xlix.  20).  "^3  in  the 
signification  ofpaacuum  only  here  and  Ps.  xxxvii. 
20;  Ixv.  14.  The  Niphal  3m  J  dila tatum,  spatio- 
sum  esse  is  likewise  found  only  here.  The  oxen 
and  asses  which  till  [In  the  E.  V.,  we  have  the 
word  ear  which  is  now  obsolete  and  means  to 
plough  or  to  till. — D.  M.]  the  land  are  the  ani- 
mals employed  by  the  farmer  for  draught  and 
carrying  burdens.  These  shall  be  fed  with  the 

best  provender.     T/3  (only  here  in  Isaiah,  be- 


sides Job  vi.  5;  xxiv.  6)  is  a  mixture,  a  mash, 
provender  consisting  of  grain  (comp.  the  follow- 
ing !~PT)  and  chopped  herbs,  fpn  leavened, 
salted  (comp.  |'pn,  }*ph)  is  a-.  A?y.  The  pro- 
vender is  salted  with  salt  or  saltish  herbs,  in  order 
to  make  it  more  palatable.  It  has  previously  to 
be  cleansed  from  impurities  that  it  may  be  more 
excellent.  This  is  done  by  winnowing.  The 
implements  which  serve  for  winnowing  are  nrn 
and  rnjD  which  are  still  called  Racht  and  Midra. 
The  former  is  a  flat  shovel  and  serves,  according 
to  the.  interesting  Excursus  of  WETZSTEIN  in 
DELITZSCH'S  Commentary,  to  winnow  leguminous 
fruits,  and  the  mixed  remains  of  the  better  kinds 
of  grain.  The  latter  is  a  five  or  six  pronged 
fork  which  is  employed  in  winnowing  the  su- 
perior kinds  of  grain.  If  the  Prophet  had  men- 
tioned the  winnowing  shovel  only  (racht),  the 
meaning  would  be  that  the  cattle  would  be  fed 
only  with  inferior  provender.  The  mention  of 
the  i"PIp  intimates  that  they  should  also  have 
grain  of  wheat  ard  barley.  flrn  is  air.  ?.£/ 
rnip  occurs  further  in  Jer.  xv.  7.  On  all  high 
mountains  and  towering  hills  were  the 
places  of  idolatrous  worship,  where  flowed  the 
blood  of  the  offerings  so  offensive  to  God,  espe- 
cially of  the  children  sacrificed  to  Moloch  (1 
Kings  xiv.  23;  2  Kings  xvii.  10;  Jer.  ii.  20; 
iii.  6;  Ezek,  vi.  16;  xx.  28).  Instead  thereof 
there  should  now  flow  on  the  mountains  and  hills 
water-brooks,  a  blessing  hitherto  confined  to  the 

valleys  (xli.  18).  D'J/D  are  certainly  natural 
brooks;  D'*?^*  (besides xliv.  4)  are  perhaps  water- 
courses turned  off  from  them.  But  as  the  Pro- 
phet had  already,  ver.  20,  intimated  by  the  men- 
tion of  bread  of  distress  and  water  of  affliction, 
that  distress  and  affliction  would  not  be  wanting, 
so  here  at  the  close  of  his  discourse  he  sets  forth 
the  prospect  of  great  slaughter  and  falling 
of  towers.  By  these  intimations  he  lets  us  per- 
ceive that  the  glorious  time  of  the  end  lies  be- 
vond  a  dreadful  period  which  first  must  be  passed 
through.  This  latter  he  has  described  often 
enough  (comp.  xxiv.  sqq.),  to  be  able  to  suppose 
that  these  brief  allusions  would  be  quite  well  un- 
derstood by  his  readers.  DV3  is  to  be  taken  here 
in  that  general  sense  in  which  we  have  already 
frequently  met  it  (comp.  e.  g.,  xxvii.  1)  ;  but  in 
our  place  the  occurrence  following  that  time  is 
placed  first.  It  is  implied,  too,  in  the  DV3  that 
there  is  a  certain  connection  between  the^occur- 
rences  mentioned.  There  is  no  chasm  lying  be- 
tween them,  so  that  the  following  time  has  abso- 
lutely nothing  to  do  with  the  foregoing.  That 
water-streams  of  blessing  succeed  streams  of 
blood  is  not  accidental.  These  streams  of  blood 
must  atone  and  purify  so  as  to  prepare  the  ground 
for  blessing.  J^H  occurs  further  xxvii.  7.  I 
find  in  JTI  and  D'SlJD  S3J  simply  an  allusion 
to  the  great  judgments  which  must  fall  on  people 
and  city  before  the  day  of  redemption.  The  old, 
theocratic  Jerusalem  with  its  towers  and  its  tem- 
ple is  reduced  to  ruins,  while  streams  of  blood 
have  at  the  same  time  flown.  And  here  the  Pro- 
phet takes  in  one  view  the  first  and  second  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem.  But  immediately  behind 


336 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


this  destruction  he  sees  the  time  of  blessing. 
That  long  periods  of  time  must  intervene  be- 
tween these  occurrences  is  matter  of  no  moment. 
Verse  26  transports  us  into  a  time  which  lies  be- 
yond the  present  state  of  things,  though  not  into 
the  time  of  the  new  heaven  and  new  earth,  for 
the  present  sun  and  the  present  moon  still  exist. 
But  their  influence  is  intensified ;  they  are  ele- 
vated in  the  scale  of  existence.  DELITZSCH  is 
certainly  right  in  saying:  "It  is  not  the  new 
heaven  of  which  the  Prophet  here  speaks,  but 
that  glorification  of  nature  promised  both  in  Old 
and  New  Testament  prophecy  for  the  final  period 
of  the  world's  history."  Comp.  Kev.  xx.  1-4. 

The  light  of  the  moon  (run1?  besides  only 
xxiv.  23;  Cant.  vi.  10)  will  then  be  as  the 
light  of  the  sun  (rnn,  likewise  in  xxiv.  23 
and  Cant.  vi.  10,  besides  Job  xxx.  28) ;  but  the 


light  of  the  sun  will  be  the  seven-fold  (septu- 
plum  Gen.  iv.  15,  24  ;  Ps.  xii.  7)  of  what  it  now 
is.  For  it  will  be  as  the  light  of  seven  days,  i.  e., 
the  quantity  of  light  which  has  hitherto  been  suf- 
ficient for  seven  days  will  then  be  concentrated 
in  a  single  day.  On  this  day  all  the  wounds 
which  the  LORD  must  inflict  on  His  people  before 
and  after  the  time  of  the  Prophets  (vers.  20  and 
25),  will  be  healed.  "Ot?  is  a  word  of  very  fre- 
quent use  by  Isaiah.  IfiDD  ]T13  is  the  fracture« 
contusion  of  the  bone  caused  by  the  stroke  which 
it  receives.  ilD  seems  to  indicate  a  sorer  evil 


than  13$.  [Instead  of  the  E.  V.,  the  stroke 
of  their  "wound,  we  should  rather  render 
the  wound  of  their  stroke.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  the  suffix  in  IfOD  should  be  referred  to 

oy  or  mn\—  D.  M.]. 


5.    THE  MUSIC  OF  THE  WOKLD'S  JUDGMENT. 
CHAPTER  XXX.  27-33. 

27  Behold,  the  name  of  the  LORD  cometh  from  far, 
Burning  with  his  anger,  'and  the  burden  thereof  is  2heavy; 
His  lips  are  full  of  indignation, 

And  his  tongue  as  a  devouring  fire  : 

28  And  his  breath,  as  an  overflowing  stream, 
Shall  reach  to  the  midst  of  the  neck, 

To  sift  the  nations  with  the  sieve  of  vanity : 

And  there  shall  be  a  bridle  in  the  jaws  of  the  people, 

Causing  them  to  err. 

29  Ye  shall  have  a  song,  as  in  the  pight 
When  a  holy  solemnity  is  kept ; 

And  gladness  of  heart,  as  when  one  goeth  with  a  pipe 
To  come  into  the  mountain  of  the  LORD, 
To  the  amighty  One  of  Israel. 

30  And  the  LORD  shall  cause  3his  glorious  voice  to  be  heard, 
And  shall  show  the  lighting  down  of  his  arm, 

With  the  indignation  of  his  anger, 
And  with  the  flame  of  a  devouring  fire, 
With  scattering,  and  tempest,  and  hailstones. 

31  For  through  the  voice  of  the  LORD 
Shall  the  Assyrian  be  beaten  down, 
b  Which  smote  with  a  rod. 

32  And  iain.  every  place  where  the  grounded  staff  shall  pass, 
Which  the  LORD  shall  5lay  upon  him, 

It  shall  be  with  tabrets  and  harps ; 

And  in  battles  of  shaking  will  he  fight  "with  it. 

33  For  dTophet  is  ordained  7of  old ; 
Yea,  for  the  king  it  is  prepared ; 
He  hath  made  it  deep,  and  large, 

The  pile  thereof  is  fire  and  much  wood ; 

The  breath  of  the  LORD,  like  a  stream  of  brimstone, 

Doth  kindle  it. 


1  Or,  and  the  grievousness  of  fame. 

4  Heb.  evert/  pattfnp  of  the  rod  founded. 

7  Heb.  from  yesterday. 


2  Heb.  heai'incss. 
6  Heb.  causa  to  rest  upon  him. 


*  Heb.  the  glorii  of  his  voice. 
6  Or,  against  them. 


Bock.  *  with  the  rod  will  he  smite.  '  every  stroke  of  the  rod  of  doom. 


a  place  of  burning. 


CHAP.  XXX.  27-33. 


337 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


Ter.  28. 


for 


x.  15  is  a  verbal  noun  used  as 


an  infinitive.     Comp.  Esther  ii.  18. 

Ver.  32.  Instead  of  H3  which  we  must  refer  to  the  land 

r 
of  Assyria,  the  K'ri  has  the  preferable  readin 


Ver.  33.  The  reading  of  the  K'ri  KTI  has  probably 
arisen  through  the  attempt  to  produce  a  conformity 
with  the  feminine  suffix  in  n 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


I.  The  Prophet  sees  the  LORD  appear  with  all 
His  attributes  as  Judge,  and  the  nations  brought 
to  Him  as  beasts  compelled  by  the  bridle  to  come 
to  be  destroyed  (vers.  27  and  28).  Meanwhile 
Israel's  song  is  heard  as  the  rejoicing  at  a  festival 
(ver.  29).  Then  Jehovah's  majestic  voice  sounds 
forth,  and  His  arm  is  seen  to  descend  to  strike 
(ver.  30).  It  is  Assyria  that  stands  trembling  be- 
fore Him  and  receives  the  strokes  (ver.  31  ),  and 
every  stroke  is  inflicted  with  the  music  of  tabrets 
and  harps,  to  which  the  sound  of  the  heavy  blows 
forms  as  it  were  the  accompaniment  (ver.  32). 
This  is  the  immolation  of  Assyria,  as  we  see  from 
the  broad  and  deep  place  of  burning  which  is  pre- 
pared with  a  huge  pyre,  which  the  breath  of  the 
LORD,  as  a  brook  of  burning  brimstone,  will  kindle 
in  order  to  consume  the  slaughtered  victim  Assy- 
ria, i.  e.,  the  worldly  power  (ver.  33). 

2.  Behold  the  name  -  to  err.  Vers.  27  and 
23.  The  name  of  Jehovah  that  comes  from  far  to 
judgment  is  not  a  mere  word,  nor  does  it  stand 
simply  for  God  Himself,  but  it  is  a  manifestation 
of  Deity  in  which  lie  reveals  His  holy  and  right- 
eous nature  and  His  almighty  majesty  for  the 
purpose  of  judgment.  We  have  here  to  refer  to 
Ex.  xxiii.  21,  where  the  LORD  declares  of  His 
angel  :  my  name  is  in  him.  ;  —  and  to  all  those 
places  where  it  is  said  that  the  name  of  Jehovah 
dwells  in  His  holy  temple  ;  and,  lastly,  to  places 
such  as  Ps.  Ixxv.  2  where  we  read  "  Thy  name  is 
near."  The  name  of  Jehovah  that  comes  to  judg- 
ment is  a  person.  It  is  He  who  is  the  Agent  in 
every  revelation  of  the  Godhead,  and  accordingly 
He  to  whom  the  Father  has  committed  all  judg- 
ment (John  v.  22;  Acts  xvii.  31  ;  Rom.  xiv.  10; 
etsaepe}.  The  name  of  God  comes  from  far,  be- 
cause He  comes  from  heaven  (Ps.  cxxxviii.  6). 
But  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  He  is  seen.  His 
appearance  is  like  a  tempest.  13N  "i>'3  recalls 


Ps.  ii.  12.     HK-JO  -nDI    supply  JTn. 

liftingup,  and  according  to  Judg.  xx.  38  of  smoke.  ; 

It  occurs  only  here.     D£t  foam,  foaming  rage,  (x.  j 


5,  25;  xiii.  5  ;  xxvi.  20).  flox  K/'X  occurs  Ex. 
xxiv.  17  ;  Deut.  iv.  24;  ix.  3;  hence  in  Joel  ii. 
5  and  Isaiah  xxix.  6  ;  xxx.  27,  30  ;  xxxiii.  14. 
It  has  been  rightly  remarked  that  two  images—- 
that of  a  tempest  and  that  of  a  raging  man  —  are 
here  blended.  The  LORD  moves  along  in  His 
wrath  like  an  overflowing  brook  which  divides 
(rnfrr)  the  man  who  has  fallen  into  it  into  two 
unequal  parts,  only  the  smaller  appearing  above 
the  water  (viii.  8).  He  sifts  the  people  with  the 
sieve  (H3J  air.  Ley.)  of  emptiness,  i.  e.,  a  sieve  : 
which  lets  the  light,  useless  grain  fall  through  it. 
[This  explanation  is  not  natural.  The  sieve  of 
vanity,  or  emptiness,  or  destruction  is  so-called  as  : 
marking  the  result  of  the  sifting,  a  reduction  to 
nothingness.  —  D.  M.].  The  LORD  conies  as  J  udge. 
22 


The  nations  are  brought  to  Him  against  their  will. 
A  bridle  is  put  into  their  jaws  which  compels  them 
to  go  from  the  way  which  they  intended  (|D"> 
n>'f\O  the  expression  only  here,  nj?nn  in  Isaiah 
iii.  12  ;  ix.  15  ;  xix.  13  sq.  :  Ixiii.  17). 

3.  Ye  shall  have  a  song  —  Israel.  Ver.  29. 
The  Prophet  marks  by  the  article  before  TV?  the 
customary  solemn  festal  song.  DO;  is  the  dal. 
commodi.  The  night  when  the  festival  is  kept  or 
consecrated  is  the  night  from  the  fourteenth  to 
the  fifteenth  of  the  month  Nisan,  the  night  in 
which  the  paschal  lamb  was  eaten  amid  solemn 
songs  ;  for  this  was  the  only  festival  which  was 
celebrated  at  night.  On  the  fifteenth  the  feast  of 
unleavened  bread  began,  to  which  the  passover 
served  as  an  introductory  dedication.  Israel's 
preservation  in  the  night  when  the  destroying 
angel  smote  the  host  of  Sennacherib  (xxxvii.  36 
sqq.)  can  be  regarded  as  one,  but  not  the  only 
one,  of  the  events  which  Isaiah  had  here  in  his 
eye.  The  Prophet  comprehends  in  the  section 
vers.  27-33,  all  that  is  future,  as  he  had  done  in 
the  parallel  section  vers.  19-26.  ^n.P^^  is  vox 
solemnis  for  the  consecration  preparatory  to  the 
festival  (Ex.  xix.  22;  Numb.  xi.  18;  Josh.  iii. 
5;  vii.  13  et  saepe).  But  in  those  places  the  people 
or  the  priests  are  the  subject.  Here  it  is  the  fes- 
tival. The  expression  is  a  metonymy,  the  festival 
being  put  for  those  who  celebrate  it.  JH  K«r* 
i&xiiv  is  elsewhere  the  feast  of  tabernacles.  Here 
the  festival  is  definitely  marked  as  that  of  the 
passover  by  /;..  Beside  the  solemnity  celebrated 
at  night  with  song,  the  Prophet  makes  mention  in 
the  second  part  of  the  verse  of  another  such  so- 
lemnity happening  by  day.  He  also  employs  the 
manifold  festal  processions  which  with  accompa- 
niment of  song  and  music  moved  to  the  temple, 
as  types  of  the  joy  granted  to  Israel  in  distinction 

from  the  heathen.  ^H3  =  }Vn  flftn&S  comp. 
v.  29  ;  x.  10  ;  xiii.  4,  et  saepe.  V^n,  v.  12  ;  3 
marks  accompaniment,  xxii.  6;  xxiv.  9.  'X  "^2- 
In  order  to  avoid  using  the  same  preposition 
twice  2  is  here  used  instead  of  >K  or  7^  The 


expresson  /-ilV  occurs  besides  here  only  2 
Sam.  xxiii.  3.  The  expression  suits  admirably 
the  context  in  which  it  is  said  that  Israel  stands 
while  all  else  falls.  How  could  what  has  this 
rock  as  a  refuge  fal  1  ? 

4.  And  the  LORD  -  kindle  it.  Vers.  30- 
33.  The  verses  27  and  28  had  depicted  the  ap- 
proach of  the  judge  (comp.  N3  ver.  27).  The  de- 
scription of  the  judgment  begins  with  ver.  30. 
Jehovah  makes  the  glory  of  his  voice  to  be 


338 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


heard,  the  action  of  his  arm  he  makes  to  be 
seen.  The  image  of  corporal  chastisement  is 
employed  by  the  Prophet  to  make  his  picture  of 
the  judgment  the  more  incisive.  *]££  snorting, 
anhelitus,  only  here  in  Isaiah.  |'S3  is  air.  fay. 
The  root  ]'3J  denotes  ''  to  scatter,  to  break  or  dash 
in  pieces"  (xi.  12;  xxxiii.  3;  Jer.  li.  20  sqq.). 
As  snorting  of  the  nose  and  flame  of  fire  point  to 
a  thunder  storm,  while  D.7.f  an^  113  {2N  are  kinds 
of  rain,  |'2J  must  also  belong  to  this  category. 
We  take  it  as  signifying  the  breaking,  the  rend- 
ing of  a  cloud,  a  water-spout.  DH  comp.  on 
xxviii.  2.  113  |-?X  comp.  xxviii.  17;  Josh.  x. 
11.  '3  in  ver.  31  is  explicative.  What  is  the 
nature  of  the  chastisement  in  question  is  ex- 
plained. First,  we  are  told  who  is  the  party 
punished.  It  is  Assyria.  He  stands  before  the 
LORD  and  trembles  as  a  boy  before  his  punisher's 
rebuke—  fllT  comp.  vii.  8  ;  xxxi.  4  ;  li.  6,  7  et 
saepe.  He  who  administers  the  punishment  is 
Jehovah.  It  is  He  who  strikes  with  the  staff. 
Hence  the  repeated  lighting  down  of  his  arm. 
The  words  H3'  B3Bft  I  do  not  refer  to  Assyria 
notwithstanding  the  agreement  with  x.  24.  For  it 
was  not  needful  to  mention  that  Assyria  formerly 
smote  Israel  with  the  rod.  But  it  was  necessary 
to  say  that  Jehovah  now  strikes  Assyria  with  the 
rod,  in  order  to  explain  1J711?  JIHJ  ver.  30  and 

also  "U"  13J7D  V3  ver.  32.  The  staff  makes 
strokes,  passes  p3gO  here  in  the  active  sense, 
the  passing  over).  The  staff  is  called  HID^O  HBO 
because  it  is  handled  according  to  divine  appoint- 
ment and  ordination  (Hab.  i.  12)  comp.  xxviii. 
16  and  Ezek.  xli.  8.  n\r  is  related  to  JTIJ  ver. 
30.  The  meaning  is  "  to  make  rest,"  so  that  the 
ceasing,  the  extreme  point  of  the  motion  is  thus 
indicated  (comp.  Ezek.  v.  13  ;  xvi.  42;  xliv.  30  ; 
Exod.  xvii.  11).  Every  stroke,  which  Jehovah 
makes  to  fall  or  rest  on  Assyria,  is  inflicted  amid 
the  noise  of  timbrels  (v.  12;  xxiv.  8)  and 
harps  (v.  12;  xvi.  11;  xxiii.  16;  xxiv.  8).  This 
is  doubtless  that  joyous  noise  with  which  Israel 
as  it  were  accompanies  the  acts  of  judgment  of 
his  God  (ver.  29).  Thus  there  arises  a  complete 
concert.  The  timbrels  and  harps  form  the  so- 
prano; "the  battles  of  shaking,"  i.  e.,  the  battles 
of  the  LORD  fought  with  shaken,  brandished 
hand,  beat  as  it  were  the  time,  and  also  represent 
the  bass.  The  strokes  spoken  of  in  vers.  30  and 
32  are  deadly  strokes.  This  appears  from  the  al- 
tar being  already  prepared  for  the  slaughtered 
victim.  And  a  dreadful  altar  it  will  be,  a  Tophet, 
deep  and  broad,  with  a  huge  pile  of  wood,  which 
will  be  set  on  fire  by  the  breath  of  the  LORD  in 
the  form  of  a  burning  stream  of  brimstone. 
The  Prophet  had  already  said  (x.  16  sqq.),  that 
A.ssyria'8  glory  will  perish  by  violent  fire.  Who 
does  not  here  think  of  the  destruction  of  Nineveh, 
in  which  fire  played  a  prominent  part  (comp. 
OTTO  STRAUSS  on  Nah.  iii.  15)  ? 


Aey.  fish  occurs  most  frequently  in  Jeremiah. 
The  derivation  is  uncertain  (comp.  my  remarks 
on  Jer.  vii.  31).  The  form  .1f)3fi  is  after  the 

analogy  of  W3?i  Htf  X.  The  Tophet  in  the  valley 


of  Hinnom  was  a  place  of  sacrifice  dedicated  to 
Moloch  ;  the  Tophet  here  spoken  of  is  intended 

to  burn  up  the  "]/.?.  himself,  in  which  word  there 

is  probably  an  allusion  to  ^jE.  It  is  therefore  a 
place  like  Tophet,  and  this  may  be  the  force  of 
the  form  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  H-.  The 

form  7OI1X  occurs  only  here  and  Micah  ii.  8. 


With  the  preposition  jp  it  is  commonly 
It  cannot  possibly  mean  here  the  definite  past 
(yesterday).  It  denotes  the  indefinite  past  which 
is  represented  by  yesterday.  From  the  fact  that 
the  place  of  burning  has  been  long  ago  prepared, 
we  see  that  those  strokes  (vers.  30  and  32)  are 
not  mere  chastisements  administered  in  love,  but 
destructive,  deadly  strokes.  "With  K'H  DJ  the 

second  sentence  begins.  These  words  cannot  be 
referred  to  }^P,  for  then  they  must  come  after  it. 
But  the  Prophet  intends  to  say  that  Ashur  shall 
not  only  be  slaughtered,  but  also  solemnly  con- 
sumed in  a  vast  place  of  sacrifice  specially  pre- 
pared for  this  purpose.  But  why  this  consuming 
by  fire  ?  Not  simply  to  denote  total  annihila- 
tion. If  the  supposition  should  not  be  estab- 
lished that  the  worship  of  Moloch  which  Ahaz 
introduced  was  connected  with  Assyrian  influ- 
ences (comp.  Keil  on  2  Kings  xvi.  3),  still  Assy- 
ria was  essentially  a  representative  of  the  idola- 
trous worldly  power.  And  when  Ashur  is  now 
told  that  the  dreadful  end  of  a  saciifice  to  Moloch 
awaits  him,  there  lies  therein  a  not  indistinct  allu- 
sion to  the  everlasting  fire  of  that  infernal  lake 
which  burns  with  fire  and  brimstone,  which  we 
find  again  xxxiv.  9,  10,  whose  name  Gehenna  is 
derived  from  the  place  Tophet  D3H  "J,  a  trace  of 
which  drawn  from  Isaiah  we  meet  with  Dan.  vii. 
11,  and  which  is  more  fully  unfolded  in  the  es- 
chatological  discourse  of  our  LORD  (Matt.  xxiv. 
and  xxv.  where  xxv.  41  TO  xiip  TO  aiuviov  rb 
TjToifj.aGp.zvov  clearly  recalls  ''  ordained  of  old  "  in 
our  passage),  and  the  Revelation  of  John,  xiv.  10, 
11;  xix.  20;  xx.  9,  10,  14.  When  mention  is 
made  in  these  places  of  a  pool  of  fire  and  brim- 
stone, it  may  be  maintained  that  the  idea  of  the 
Tiifivjj  is  drawn  from  the  expression  ''  he  hath  made 
it  deep  and  wide,"  while  the  idea  of  fire  and  brim- 
stone comes  from  the  latter  half  of  this  verse. 
mvvp  from  in  (xxii.  18  ;  xxix.  3)  is  the  round 
pile  of  wood,  the  pyre.  The  word  is  found  be- 
sides only  Ezek.  xxiv.  9  comp.  ibid.  ver.  5.  I  do 
not  look  on  D'^i'.l  &$  as  a  hendiadys  ;  for  we  nee 
from  the  last  clause  of  the  verse  that  the  Prophet 
desires  to  give  prominence  to  the  circumstance 
that  fire  will  not  be  wanting  to  kindle  properly 
the  huge  pile  of  wood.  The  two  ideas  of  wood 
and  fire  are  therefore  not  to  be  blended,  but  to  be 
kept  distinct.  The  words  'U1  JTOti'J  accordingly 
tell  us  whence  the  mighty  fire  will  come  which  is 
destined  to  kindle  the  pile  of  wood.  The  breath 
of  Jehovah  (ii.  22  ;  xlii.  5)  is  here  described  aa 

a  stream  of  brimstone  (JV13J  71"!  J  comp.  xxxiv. 
9).  Brimstone  is  set  forth  in  Scripture  as  a  de- 
structive means  of  judgment,  on  the  ground  of  that 
rain  of  brimstone  which  fell  on  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah (Gen.  xix.  24).  1#3  in  the  signification 


CHAP.  XXX.  19-26. 


339 


accendere  or  accendi  Hos.  vii.  4  ;  Ps.  ii.  12.  Not 
slowly  and  gradually  from  a  spark  will  the  flame 
spread,  but  suddenly  and  in  an  imposing  manner 
a  whole  stream  of  burning  brimstone  shall  kindle 
the  pile  of  wood.  Thus  the  view  of  the  Prophet, 
which  embraces  together  the  near  and  the  most 
remote,  is  directed  from  the  temporary  occasion 
of  the  Egyptian  embassy  to  the  end  of  the  present 
dispensation. 

DOCTRINAL  AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  vers.  1-14.  "Such  false  trust  as  the  Jew- 
ish people  placed  in  Egypt  is  the  sin  of  idolatry, 
which  is  so  strictly  forbidden ;  and  all  who  here- 
in follow  the  example  of  the  Jews  are  fitly  called 
rebellious,    disobedient,    lying    children.      God 
brings  them   to  shame  and  derision  in  regard  to 
what  they  relied  on,  and  ordains  a  curse  and  de- 
struction upon  them.      Therefore  the  Scripture 
saith:  "The  fear  of  man  bringeth  a  snare;  but 
whoso  putteth   his  trust  in  the   LORD  shall  be 
safe."     Comp.  also  Ps.  cxlvi.  3  and  Jer.  xvii.  5- 
8.  KENNER.     [''God  is  true,  and  may  be  trusted; 
but   every  man  a  liar,  and  must  be  suspected. 
The  Creator  is  a  Rock  of  Ages,  the  creature  a 
broken  reed ;    we  cannot  expect  too  little  from 
man,  or  too  much  from  God."  HENRY.] 

2.  Ver.  8.  ["The  Prophet  must  not  only  preach 
this,  but  he  must    write    it.       1.  To  shame  the 
men  of  the  present  age  who  would  not  hear  and 
heed  it  when  it  was  spoken  ;  their  children  may 
profit  by  it,  though  they  will  not.     2.  To  justify 
God  in  the  judgments  He  was   about  to  bring 
upon  them  ;  people  will  be  tempted  to  think  He 
was  too  hard  upon  them,  and  over  severe,  unless 
they   know   how  very   bad   they  were.      3.  For 
warning  to  others  not  to  do  as  they  did,  lest  they 
fare  as  they  fared."  HENRY.] 

3.  Ver.  10.  A  faithful  minister  must  not  suffer 
men  to  prescribe  to  him  what  he  should  preach. 
For  some  would  tell  him  to  prophesy  of  wine  and 
etrong  drink  (Mic.  ii.  11),  the  covetous  would  ask 
that  he  should  preach  how  they  might  practice 
extortion  and  oppression.     Or  if  they  dare  not  be 
so  impudent,  they  would  at  least  desire  that  he 
should  pass  over  in  silence  what  would  be  disa- 
greeable to  them,  and  speak  what  their  cars  itched 
for  (2  Tim.  iv.  3).     But  faithful  ministers  preach 
sharply  against  sin  that  it  may  be  avoided.     Ex- 
amples:   Ahijali,   1  Kings  xiv.  C;    Micaiah,   1 
Kings  xx ii.  18."  CRAMER. 

4.  Ver.  15.   "Neque  in  religione  solum  valet  hie 
locus  sed  etiam  in  politin.     Sic  enimfere  accidit  quod 
praedpitia  consilia  fallunt.     Contra  felicia  sunt  ea, 
quae  timide  et  cum  ratione  suscipiuntur.     Idea  lau- 
dant  Romani  cunctatorem  Fabium  qui  cunctando 
restituit  rcm.      Semper  etiam  fallit  praesumtio  de 
nostris  viribus.    Bene  if/itur  dictum  est  illud  'pattern 
terit  omnia  virtus'     Et  Paulus:  '  Vincite  in  bono 

malum ' non  enim  possunt  durare  impii,  ct 

est  verissimum,  quod  dicitur  'malum  destruit  se  ip- 
sum.'     Simus  igitur  quieti  et  commendemus  omnia 
manibus  Dei,     Deinde  etiam  speremus  fuluram  li- 
berationem  et  experiemur,  quod  spes  non  confundet 
nos,  sed  confundentur  adversarii  nostri,  qui  impieta- 
tis  causam  contra  Christum  impie  defendendam  sus- 
ceperunt."  LUTHER. 

5.  Ver.  18.  "Precious  consolatory  discourse 
for  all  who  have  to  bear  the  cross.  God  waits 
till  the  right  time  to  help  comes."  CRAMEB. 


6.  Ver.  19.    ["He  will  be    very      gracious  — 
and  this  in  answer  tc  prayer,  which  makes  His 
kindness  doubly  kind :    He  will  be  gracious  to 
thee  at  the  voice  of  thy  cry ;  the  cry  of  thy  neces- 
sity, when  that  is  most  urgent ;    the  cry  of  thy 
prayer,  when  that  is  most  fervent.        When  He 
shall    hear    it — there  needs  no  more — at  the  first 
word  He  will  answer  thee,  and  say,    Here  I  am. 
Herein  He  is  very  gracious  indeed."  HENRY.] 

7.  Ver.  20.    [It  was  a  common  saying  among 
the  old  Puritans,  "  Brown  bread  and  the  Gospel 
are  good  fare."  HENRY.] 

8.  Ver.  22.  ["Note:  To  all  true  penitents  sin 
is  very  odious ;  they  loathe  it,  and  loathe  them- 
selves because  of  it;   they  cast  it  away  to  the 
dunghill."  HENRY.] 

9.  Ver.  29.  ["It  is  with  a  particular  satisfac- 
tion that  wise  and  good  men  see  the  ruin  of  those 
who,  like  the  Assyrians,  have  insolently  bid  de- 
fiance to  God,  and  trampled  upon  all  mankind." 
HENRY.] 

HOMILETICAL  HINTS. 

On  vers.  1-3.  What  one  who  needs  coun- 
sel has  to  do.  1)  He  is  not  to  take  counsel  without 
the  LORD  ;  for  a.  thereby  he  apostatizes  from  the 
LORD,  and  heaps  sin  on  sin ;  b.  the  counsel  thus 
resolved  on  leads  only  to  disgrace  and  misery. 
2)  He  is  to  let  himself  be  led  by  the  Spirit  of  the 
LORD,  while  he  a.  invokes  Him  in  prayer;  b.  seeks 
to  know  His  will  out  of  the  word  of  God;  c.  ac- 
cording to  such  direction  makes  conscientious  use 
of  the  means  at  his  command. 

2.  On  ver.  8.  Text  for  a  sermon  at  a  Bible  fes- 
tival.     The  importance  of  the  written  uord — litcra 
scripta  manet. 

3.  On  vers.  9-14.     A   mirror  which  the  Pro- 
phet   holds    before     our    churches     also.      1)  Do 
you  make  the  same  demand?  en  your  minister 
which  the  contemporaries  of  Isaiah,  according  to 
vers.  9-11,  made  on  the  prophets?     If  so,  it  will 
happen  to  you  according  to  the  word  of  the  pro- 
phet in  vc-rs.  12-14.     2)  Or  will  you  hear  the  law 
of  the  LORD  (ver.  9)  ?    Then  you  will  be  spared 
the  judgments  of  God,  and  the  peace  of  God  will 
be  imparted  unto  you. 

4.  On  vers.  15-17.  We  have  many  and  severe 
conflicts  against  outward  and  inward  foes  to  stand. 
For    this    we     need     strength.       Wherein    does 
the   right   strength   consist?      1)    Not    in    horses 
and  runners,  etc.     2)  The  right  strength  is  in  the 
LORD,  which  we  obtain  when  a.  we  make  room 
for  it  by  being  still ;  when  b.  by  believing  hope 
we  attract  it  to  us. 

5.  On  ver.  18.  ["He  will  wait  to  be  gracious; 
He  will  wait  till  you  return  to  Him,  and  seek 
His  face,  and  then  He  will  be  ready  to  meet  you 
with  mercy.     He  will  wait,  that  He  may  do  it  in 
the  best  and  fittest  time,  when  it  will  be  most  for 
His  glory,  when  it  will  come  to  you  with  the 
most  pleasing  surprise.     He  will  continually  fol- 
low you  with  His  favors,  and  not  let  slip  any  op- 
portunity of  being  gracious  to  you."  HENRY. — 
D.M.] 

6.  On  vers.  20  and  21.     The  importance  of  a 
faithfid  teacher. 

7.  On  vers.  26-33.  We  can  in  treating  of  the 
last  things  cite  these  words,  and  show  that  the 
judgment  has  two  sides,  according  as  it  has  re- 
spect to  the  children  of  God,  or  to  the  ungodly. 


340 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


IV —THE  FOURTH  WOE. 

CHAPTERS  XXXI.— XXXII. 

1.  EGYPT  CANNOT  PROTECT  WHAT  THE  LORD  DESTROYS. 
CHAPTER  xxxi.  1-4. 

WOE  to  them  that  go  down  to  Egypt  for  help  ; 

And  stay  on  horses, 

And  trust  in  chariots,  because  they  are  many ; 

And  in  horsemen,  because  they  are  very  strong ; 

But  they  look  not  unto  the  Holy  One  of  Israel, 

Neither  seek  the  LORD  ! 

Yet  He  also  is  wise, 

And  will  bring  evii,  and  will  not  ^all  back  His  words : 

But  will  arise  against  the  house  of  the  evil-doers, 

And  against  the  help  of  them  that  work  iniquity. 

Now  the  Egyptians  are  men,  and  not  God  ; 

And  their  horses  flesh,  and  not  spirit. 

"When  the  LORD  shall  stretch  out  his  hand, 

bBoth  he  that  helpeth  shall  fall,  and  he  that  is  holpen  shall  fall  down, 

And  they  all  shall  fail  together. 

For  thus  hath  the  LORD  spoken  unto  me, 

Like  as  the  lion  and  the  young  lion  "roaring  on  his  prey, 

When  aa  multitude  of  shepherds  is  called  forth  against  him, 

He  will  not  be  afraid  of  their  voice, 

Nor  abase  himself  for  the  2noise  of  them : 

So  shall  the  LORD  of  hosts  come  down  to  fight  efor  mount  Zion, 

And  for  the  hill  thereof. 


1  Heh.  remove. 

*  But.  *>And. 


4  Or,  multitude. 
•*  growling. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  rPiy  7   comp.    on  x.  3 ;   xx.  6. "Note  the 

structure  of  sentence  in  this  verse.  First  a  participle 
depends  on  'in,  which,  according  to  familiar  Hebrew 
usage,  in  the  second  clause  immediately  changes  to  a 
verb,  firiitum,  and  that  the  Imperfect,  because  a  continu- 
ous, not  concluded  action  is  meant;  to  this  is  joined 
the  third  clause  'by  the  Taw  consecutivum,  because  it 
contains  a  special  consequence  of  the  preceding  general 
clause.;  whereas  the  two  negative  concluding  clauses 
are  in  the  perfect,  because  they  express  the  funda- 
mental fact,  complete  and  present,  that  conditions  all 
that  precedes.  •Comp.  v.  8,  11,  18,  20  sqq. 


d  the  totality.  •  against. 

GRAMMATICAL. 

comp.  on  xxi.  7,  9 ;  xxii.  6  sq. ;  xxviii.  28. T\yVJ  comp. 

on  xvii.  7  sq. ;  xxii.  4. *""  E/np  comp.  on  i.  4. 

Ver.  2.  The  aorist  JO'I  depicts  the  certainty. 

TOn  comp.  Josh,  xi.15. The  expression  D^'TO  JYD 

occurs  only  here:  yet  comp.  i.  4;  xiv.  20;  Ps.  xxii.  17; 

xxvi.5  ;  Ixiv.  3. n^T#  stands  here  as  abstractum  pro 

concrete :  the  help  for  the  totality  of  those  helping. 

Ver.  4.  njn  of  the  growling  of  a  lion  only  here; 

comp.  on  viii.  19. 5<73,  comp.  vi.  3 :  viii.  8,  is  the  full 

number  the  totality. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


"Woe    to   them- 


-the    hill    thereof— 


Vers.  1-4.  The  Prophet  raises  anew  his  warning 
voice  against  trusting  to  Egyptian  help,  by  repre- 
senting its  uselessness;  on  the  other  hand,  he  pro- 
mises most  glorious  help  from  the  grace  of  Jeho- 
vah, on  condition  of  turning  back  from  idols. 
For  the  fourth  time  from  xxviii.  on  ^in,  "woe," 
appears  here  at  the  head  of  a  section,  so  that  we 
may  regard  this  resemblance  as  a  sign  that  these 
chapters  belong  together.  We  must  understand 


by  "those  that  go  down,"  not  only  those  physi- 
cally going  down  to  Egypt,  but  also  those  that 
accompanied  them  in  spirit  and  shared  their  in- 
tention. Five  clauses  depend  on  "woe,"  which 
all  belong  to  one  and  the  same  degree  of  time,  and 
in  our  way  of  speaking  depend  on  one  relative 
notion :  woe  to  those  who  go  down  .  . .  lean  on  ... 
trust  . . .  but  look  not  to  God  . . .  and  seek  not  the 
LORD.  See  Text,  and  Gramm. 

The  sending  to  Egypt  seemed  to  the  friends  of 


CHAP.  XXXI.  5-9. 


341 


this  policy  a  particularly  prudent  measure.  They 
plumed  themselves  far  too  much  on  their  pene- 
tration. In  antithesis  to  it  the  Prophet  says:  Je- 
hovah, too,  who  opposes  that  policy,  is  wise.  [The 
comparison  is  do'iuie-cdged  :  "  Uod  was  as  wise  as 
the  .Egyptians,  and  ought  therefore  to  have  been 
consulted  ;  He  was  as  wise  as  the  Jews,  and  could 
therefore  thwart  their  boasted  policy." — J.  A.  A.] 
This  statement,  humble  as  it  appears,  contains, 
however,  only  a  divine  irony.  For  if  God,  com- 
paring His  wisdom  with  that  of  men,  says :  "  I 
am  wise  also,"  it  means  in  etiect :  "  1  am  wise  and 
ye  are  fools."  The  words  that  the  LORD  will  not 
recall  must  be  threatenings  that  He  had  uttered 
against  the  Egyptian  alliance  (comp.  xxix.  14sqq.; 
xxx.  12sqq.).  That  God  keeps  His  word  under 
all  circumstances  is  declared  Num.  xxiii.  19 ;  1 
Sam.  xv.  29.  The  people  in  Egypt  are  indeed 
persons,  therefore  JwHT.  yet  only  finite,  creature 
persons,  thus  not  of  a  divine  port,  and  no  equals 
of  God.  But  their  horses  are  not  even  spirit,  not 
even  creature  spirit,  but  only  weak,  perishable 
flesh.  Therefore  neither  man  nor  horse  in  Egypt 
is  to  be  relied  on,  and  Jehovah  has  but  to  stretch 
forth  His  hand,  and  both  Egypt  that  is  called  to 
help  and  Judah  that  is  supported  by  this  help  will 
be  laid  low. 

Ver.  4  proves  the  statement  of  ver.  3  by  a  com- 
parison. It  might,  for  instance,  seem  strange 
that  the  LORD,  ver.  3,  made  no  difference  between 
Judah  and  Egypt,  as  if  the  former  were  no  more 
to  Him  than  the  latter.  Therefore  He  assures 
most  expressly  that  no  power  will  be  able  to  deter 
Him  from  the  judgment  determined  against  Ju- 
dah. The  formula  of  transition,  "  for  thus  hath 
the  LORD  spoken  unto  me,"  we  had  identically  or 
at  least  similarly  viii.  11;  x.  24:  xviii.  4;  xxi. 
16;  xxviii.  16;  xxx.  15.  For  when  a  lion  has 
stolen  one  of  the  flock,  all  the  shepherds  are  called 
to  help  (note  the  allusion  to  the  calling  on  Egypt 
to  help)  and  save  it.  But  the  lion  is  not  alarmed 
(comp.  vii.  8 ;  xxx.  31 ;  li.  6  sq.,  etc.]  by  their  cry 
and  does  not  crouch  (xxv.  5)  at  their  noise.  He 
does  not  let  them  deprive  him  of  his  prey.  From 
BOCHART  (Hieroz.  I.,  cap.  44)  on,  expositors  here 
recall  similar  images  in  HOMER.  II.  XII.  298  sqq.; 


XVIII.  1G1  sqq.  So  the  LORD  does  not  suffer 
Jerusalem,  in  as  far  as  He  has  made  it  the  object 
of  His  wrath,  to  be  seized  from  Him  by  the  mu- 
tunl  aid  of  Judah  and  Egypt.  Mount  and  hill  of 
Zion  are  p'it  antithetical^  ,  aUo  x.  3?..  It,  is  si  en 
liom  this  passage  that  the  Prophet  understands  by 
the  mount  the  highest  summit,  the  places  of  the 
temple  and  of  the  king's  houne  ;  bnt  by  the  hill 
the  other  dwelling-places  of  the  people.  But 
most  expositors  understand  ver.  4  of  the  protection 
that  the  LORD  would  extend  to  Jerusalem.  [Thus 
BARNES,  J.  A.  ALEXANDER,  BIRKS,  etc.']  The 
meaning  would  then  be,  not  that  Egypt,  but  that 
He,  the  LORD,  would  protect  Zion  and  not  suffer 
His  city  to  be  taken  from  Him.  But  (with  HIT- 
ZIG,  HENDEWERK,  DELITZSCH)  I  am  decidedly 
of  the  opinion  that  the  Prophet  would  say  that 
the  LORD  will  not  suffer  Jerusalem,  as  the  prey 
of  His  anger,  to  be  taken  from  Him  (comp.  xxix. 

1  Fqq.;  and  regarding  *OV  with  tj?,  xxix.  7,  8  ; 
Kum.  xxxi.  7).  In  ver.  3  He  has  emphatically 
said,  in  fact,  that  both,  the  protector  and  the  pro- 
tected, should  be  destroyed.  To  this  thought  the 
"For"  ('3,  init.)  of  ver.  4  must  relate.  For  did 


it  only  relate  to  "Uj>  #3  ("the  helper  shall  stum- 
ble"), there  would  arise  a  direct  contradiction 
between  vers.  3  and  4.  It  is  urged  that  ver.  5  re- 
quires ver.  4  to  be  taken  in  a  sense  favorable  to 
Jerusalem  [see  Translator's  note  on  ver.  5].  But 
then  the  fact  is  overlooked  that  ver.  5  has  no  sort 
of  connecting  word  that  joins  it  to  ver.  4.  It  fol- 
lows abruptly,  whereas  ver.  4  is  closely  joined  to 
ver.  3  by  ""3.  The  Prophet  purposes  here  an  ab- 
rupt transition  from  darkness  to  light.  In  all 
preceding  chapters  night  and  sunshine  alternate. 
All  begin  with  severe  threatening,  that  is  to 
change  to  glorious  promise.  This  transition  is 
effected  in  the  preceding  chapters  in  a  variety  of 
ways.  But  it  accords  with  the  facile  spirit  of  our 
Prophet  once,  in  the  present  case,  to  effect  this 
transition  with  a  leap,  as  I  might  say.  Would 
he  thereby  intimate,  perhaps,  that  the  deliverance 
also  shall  presently  come,  with  a  leap,  quite  sud- 
denly and  unexpected  ? 


2.— JEHOVAH  PEOTECTS  HIS  EAKTHLY  HOME   THAT  HONORS  HIM. 

CHAPTER  XXXI.  5-9. 

As  birds  flying,  so  will  the  LORD  of  hosts  defend  Jerusalem  ; 

Defending  also  he  will  deliver  it ; 

And  passing  over  he  will  preserve  it. 

Turn  ye  unto  him 

From,  whom  the  children  of  Israel  have  deeply  revolted. 

For  in  that  day  every  man  shall  cast  away 

His  idols  of  silver,  and  'his  idols  of  gold, 

Which  your  own  hands  have  made  unto  you  'for  a  sin. 

Then  shall  the  Assyrian  fall  with  the  sword,  not  of  a  bmighty  man ; 

And  the  sword,  not  of  a  "mean  man,  shall  devour  him  : 

But  he  shall  flee  2from  the  sword. 

And  his  young  men  shall  be3  4discomfited. 

And  he  5shall  pass  over  to  6his  strong  hold  for  fear, 


342 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


And  bis  princes  shall  be  afraid  of  the  ensign, 
Saith  the  LORD,  whose  fire  is  in  Zion, 
And  his  furnace  in  Jerusalem. 


1  Heb.  theidols  of  his  gold. 
1  Hob.  for  melting,  or  tribute. 

» with. 


a  Or,  for  fear  of  the  sword. 

5  Heb.  his  rock  shall  pass  away  for  fear. 


8  Or,  tributary. 
*  Or,  his  strength. 


omit  mighty. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  5.  p  J  Iliph.  pn  =  "  to  make  a  cover,"  is  always 
joined  to  7J7  (7N)  xxxvii.  35  ;  xxxviii.  G  comp.  2  Kings 

xix.   34;   xx.  6;   Zech.  ix.  15  or  "l_j»3  Zech.  xii.  8. 

D'vOni  niD3  TiTP  |1JJ  is  to  be  judged  grammati- 
cally thus :  1).  The  infinn.  absol.,  are  to  be  regarded  as 
put  after  the  verb.  fin.  p' ;  2)  the  perfects  V^ni  and 
D^/yOni  signify  by  means  of  the  Vav  consec.  the  im- 
mediate consequences  of  that  fact  of  the  future  inti- 
mated by  niDD  tlJJ  p'»  which  [may  be  expressed  by 
"  that."  There  is  accordingly  no  reason  for  regarding 
T¥n  and  tO^Dn  (with  GESENIUS  in  loc.),  as  rare  infini- 
tive forms. 

Ver.  G.  After  PHD  Ip'DJJH  one  might  look  for 
^!3D,  or  perhaps,  too,  according  to  the  connection,  17. 
But  1E7X  is  to  be  construed  as  a  relative  word  in  the 
broadest  sense,  or  as  universal  relative  adverb 
("whore  "),  that  involves  any  kind  of  relative  reference, 


1  omit  mean. 


intervenes:  it 


GRAMMATICAL. 

however  determined.     Ip'D^H  comp.  i.  5 ;  Hos.  v.  2 ; 

ix.  9. 1  would  not  take  7fcO£y  '33  as  vocative  to 

•Oily,  because  the  third  person  inTI 
must  be  regarded  as  the  subject  of 

Ver.  7.  NiOn  is  in  the  accusative  as  the  casus  adver- 
bialis  signifying  the  (inward)  modality:  "  sinful-fashion," 
as  quite  similarly  the  substantives  D^t^'Ei  TV32,  "Ipt^, 

-T     ••  -V        |w 

JT2X,  73H,  are  used. 

Ver.  8.  CTX  X1?,  etc.,  comp.  7N  X7  Deut.  xxxii.  5; 
Amos  yi.  13;  Jer.  xvi.  20 ;  Vp  X7  x.  15,  etc.  On  the  dis- 
tinction between  tJf'X  and  D1X  comp.  ii.  9. 3TH 

1J73Xn  comp.  i.  20. 17  QJ  dnt.  cthicus,  comp.  ii.  22  ; 

xxxvi.  9. DO/  frn  "to  be  held  in  villanage,  made 

to  serve,  made  a  slave"  (Gen.  xlix.  15;  Deut.  xx.  11, 
etc.),  only  here  in  Isaiah. 

Ver.  9.  "HX  "  fire,  flame,"  is  quite  an  Isaianic  word, 
For  excepting  Ezek.  v.  2,  it  occurs  only  in  Isa.  xliv. 
16 ;  xlvii.  14 ;  1. 11,  and  here. "IfjO  only  here  in  Isaiah. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Judah  gains  nothing  by  self-elected  human 
means.     But  the  LORD  will  help  in  His  fashion. 
As  a  bird  spreads  its  feathers  over  its  young,  so 
the  LORD  protects  Jerusalem  (ver.  5).     But,  of 
course,  only  on  condition  that  it  turns  from  its 
deep  falling  away  to  its  God  (ver.  6).     And  this 
condition  will  be  fulfilled  ;  Israel  shall  cast  away 
its  idols  (ver.  7).     And  so  then  Assyria  shall  be 
destroyed    in  all  its  parts   by  the  sword  of  the 
LORD.     This  will  certainly  happen,  for  Jehovah 
has  said  it,  who  has  His  dwelling  in  Zion  (vers. 
8,9). 

2.  As    birds    flying in   Jerusalem.— 

Vers.  5-8.  P13^  is  not  predicate,  but  attribute  of 
OnSX  ;  therefore  not  "as  birds  fly,"  but  as  "fly- 
ing birds."     Of  course  the  form  of  expression  is 
short,  and  only  suggestive.     For  it  is  not  said 
what  sort  of  flying  is  meant.     One  sees  from  the 
res  comparata  that  the  Prophet  thinks  of  birds  that, 
hovering  over  their  young,  protect  them  (comp. 
Deut.  xxxii.  11).     That  *}ty  may  mean  such  ho- 
vering appears  from  its  being  used  for  every  sort 
of  flying  (Deut.  iv.  17  ;  Isa.  vi.  6 ;  xi.  14 ;  Ix.  8 ; 
Zech.   v.  1,2;    Ps.  xviii.  11).      [These  citations 
prove  the  very  reverse  of  the  Author's  idea. — TR.] 
"11DX  is  used  sometimes  as  masculine,  sometimes 
as  feminine.     Being  used  here  as  feminine,  one 
sees  that  the  Prophet  thinks  of  the  female  bird, 
therefore  of  maternal  love.     In  HIDS  [from  which 
is  derived  HD3,  ''passover"]  there  lies  a  plain 
allusion  (comparable  to  that  in  xxx.  19)  to  that 
sparing  of  the  avenging  angel  in  "  passing  over" 
the  Israelites,  Exod.  xii.  13,  23,  27  (the  only  pas- 
sages, with  the  text,  in  which  the  word  occurs  in 
this  sense). 


[Most  readers  will  likely  hesitate  to  take  the 
Author's  leap  from  ver.  4  to  ver.  5,  but  will  rather 
agree  with  the  almost  universal  sentiment  that 
embraces  them  in  one  paragraph.  The  transition 
to  light  is  plainly  marked  (even  rhetorically 
marked  by  "  turn  ye"),  at  ver.  6.  The  Author's 
division  is  prompted  by  the  interpretation  of  the 
simile  of  ver.  5,  which  is  the  common,  perhaps 
the  universal  interpretation.  If  this  interpreta- 
tion is  correct,  and  the  Author's  interpretation 
of  the  simile  of  ver.  4  be  correct,  then  the  division 
he  makes  of  the  context  seems  necessary.  Cer- 
tainly the  view  of  ver.  4  given  above  seems  obvi- 
ous. The  simile  expresses  "the  intensity  of  God's 
purpose"  (BARNES).  Jerusalem,  as  the  object 
of  His  anger,  shall  not  escape  Him,  or  be  wrested 
from  Him,  no  matter  how  many  Egypts  may  be 
summoned  to  thwart  Him.  This  is  in  perfect  ac- 
cord with  the  many  passages  that  construe  these 
alliances  as  rebellion  against  God  Himself.  Why 
shall  we  not  let  this  clear  sense  prescribe  the 
meaning  of  the  next  simile?  The  Author  shows 
how,  vice  versa,  the  supposed  obvious  meaning  of 
ver.  5  has  controlled  the  interpretation  of  ver.  4 
(see  above).  The  simile  of  ver.  5,  then,  is  but  a 
change  of  figure,  such  as  is  common  in  Isaiah,  and 
represents  by  the  motions  of  a  bird  of  prey  what 
was  before  represented  by  a  beast  of  prey.  It  13 
a  picture  to  the  very  life.  niS^  describes  the 
strong-winged  bird.  It  covers  (pJJ  with  /£)  its 
quarry  with  its  wings,  and  snatches  it  away 
(T¥n,  the  common  primary  sense  of  /VJ  in  Isa. 
who  frequently  uses  it  in  both  parts ;  see  List  at 
the  end  of  the  volume ;  comp.  also  xxxviii.  6,  where 


CHAP.  XXXII.  1-8. 


343 


both  JJ  J  and  v¥J  occur  and  imply  the  same  figure 
as  here) ;  passing  over  (fPDD),  say  the  heads  of 
those  that  would  frighten  it  from  its  prey,  it  gets 

off  with  it  (B'vOn  ;  comp.  Job  xx.  20  and  FUERST 

Lex.  s.  v.  t3  ?0).  To  this  there  seems  absolutely 
no  objection.  The  Author's  inference,  from  the 
use  of  "113¥  in  the  feminine,  is  not  well  grounded, 
seeing  that  the  word  is  always  feminine,  there  be- 
ing only  two  exceptions  (see  FUERST'S  Lex.). 
Moreover  the  word  is  explicitly  used  by  Ezekiel 
(xxxix.  4,  17)  of  birds  of  prey  along  with  beasts 
of  prey.  The  interpretation  just  given  has  the 
advantage  of  imparting  to  our  context  consistent 
sense  and  rhetorical  harmony. — TR.] 

But  to  that  protecting  and  sparing  grace  of  God 
is  attached  a  condition,  which  is  expressed  ver.  6. 
Israel  must  turn  back  from  its  idols  (ver.  7)  to 
its  God.  As  we  supply  in  thought  this  condition 
here,  so  at  ver.  7  we  must  supply  the  thought  that 
Israel  is  ready  to  fulfil  this  condition.  In  that 
day  points  into  the  time  that  the  Prophet  has 
before  his  eyes  in  all  these  promises.  It  is  the 
day  of  salvation  that  begins  with  the  deliverance 
from  Assyria  as  its  first  morning  twilight,  and 
continues  to  the  end  of  all  days  (comp.  xxx.  26). 
Within  this  time  will  fall  the  entire  conversion 
of  Israel  from  idols.  But  the  precise  moment  of 
this  the  Prophet  does  not  declare.  For  he  does 
not  distinguish  the  stages  of  time.  He  does  not 
see  the  things  one  after  the  other,  but  beside  one 
another.  Idols  of  silver,  etc. — See  ii.  20 ;  comp. 
xxx.  22;  xxvii.  9;  xvii.  8.  What  has  just  been 
said  is  confirmed  anew  by  ver.  8.  For  there  it 
appears  as  if  the  overthrow  of  Assyria  would  fol- 
low the  time  in  which  Israel  would  renounce 
the  worship  of  idols,  whereas  in  fact  the  reverse 
was  true.  [Why  may  not  2  Kings  xviii.  1-8, 
with  the  history  of  Sennacherib  following,  be 
taken  as  a  literal  fulfilment,  in  its  degree,  and  in 
the  actual  order  of  the  text?  So  BARNES. — TR.] 
The  Prophet  even  sees  Assyria's  fall  along  with 
the  events  of  the  last  time.  To  determine  the  ex- 


act time  relation  is  not  his  affair.  It  is  enough 
for  him  to  settle  the  "that"  of  the  great  facts  of 
the  future.  The  "  when  "  can  only  become  per- 
fectly clear  by  the  fulfilment. 

For  the  understanding  of  ver.  9  it  must  first  of 
all  be  settled  that  Assyria  shall  fall,  not  by  hu- 
man, but  by  GOD'S  power !  By  this  means  we 
will  avoid  several  explanations  that  are  prosaic 
or  far-fetched.  The  antithesis  to  E'")^,  "princes" 
(comp.  also  xxxii.  2)  suggests  that  by  J'/D  is  to 
be  understood  the  king  of  Assyria  (LUTHER, 
HENDEWERK,  DELITZSCH).  This  hitherto  strong 
and  never  shaken  refuge  of  His  army  shall  now 
suddenly  abscond  and  disappear  (comp.  xl.  27 ; 
Deut.  xxvi.  13;  1  Kings  xxii.  24,  etc.).  The  pa- 
rallelism with  "IU3D  indicates  that  DJO  refers  not 
to  the  Assyrian  standard  that  the  princes  desert, 
but  to  the  Jewish,  whose  appearance  is  enough  to 
put  them  to  cowardly  flight.  Israel  may  assuredly 
rely  on  this  comforting  promise,  for  it  proceeds 
from  the  mouth  of  God,  who  has  chosen  Zion 
above  every  other  place  in  the  whole  earth  as  His 
dwelling-place.  It  is  implied  that  He  Himself  is 
interested  in  bringing  to  nought  the  plan  of  the 
Assyrian  ;  for  it  would,  so  to  speak,  have  driven 
Jehovah  Himself  out  of  His  own  favorite  dwell- 
ing. *MK  is  the  fire  at  which  one  warms  himself, 
and  *N3.n  is  the  oven  in  which  one  cooks,  and  es- 
pecially bakes  bread.  It  never  signifies  the  hearth 
for  sacrificial  fire.  The  expression  is  anthropo- 
morphic, but  for  Israel  uncommonly  honorable 
and  comforting.  For  by  it  Zion  is  signified  to  be 
not  a  mere  place  of  worship,  but  actually  the 
earthly  home  of  Jehovah.  ["  But  this  use  of  fire 
and  furnace  is  not  only  foreign  from  the  usage  of 
the  Scriptures,  but  from  the  habits  of  the  Orient- 
als, who  have  no  such  association  of  ideas  between 
hearth  and  home.  The  true  explanation  of  the 
clause  seems  to  be  that  which  supposes  an  allusion 
both  to  the  sacred  fire  on  the  altar  and  to  the  con- 
suming fire  of  God's  presence,  whose  altar  flames 
in  Zion,  and  whose  wrath  shall  thence  flame  to 
destroy  His  enemies." — J.  A.  ALEXANDER,  in 
loc.~\. 


3.    THE  FALSE  AND  THE  TKUE  NOBILITY. 
CHAPTER  XXXII.  1-8. 

Behold,  a  king  shall  reign  ain  righteousness. 
And  princes  shall  rule  ain  judgment. 
And  a  man  shall  be  as  an  hiding  place  from  the  wind, 
And  a  covert  from  the  tempest ; 
As  rivers  of  water  in  a  dry  place, 
As  the  shadow  of  a  'great  rock  in  a  weary  land. 
And  the  eyes  of  them  that  see  shall  not  be  bdim, 
And  the  ears  of  them  that  hear  shall  hearken. 
The  heart  also  of  the  2rash  shall  understand  knowledge, 
And  the  tongue  of  the  stammerers  shall  be  ready  to  speak  "plainly. 
The  cvile  person  shall  no  more  be  called  dliberal, 
Nor  ethe  churl  said  to  be  bountiful. 
For  the  °vile  person  will  speak  Villany, 
And  his  heart  will  work  iniquity, 


344 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


To  practise  ^hypocrisy,  and  to  utter  error  against  the  LORD, 

To  make  empty  the  soul  of  the  hungry, 

And  he  will  cause  the  drink  of  the  thirsty  to  fail. 

The  instruments  also  of  the  hchurl  are  evil : 

He  deviseth  wicked  devices 

To  destroy  the  poor  with  lying  words, 

Even  4when  the  needy  speaketh  right. 

But  the  liberal  deviseth  liberal  things  ; 

And  by  liberal  things  shall  he  5stand. 


1  Heb.  heavy.  "  Heb.  hasty. 

*Or,  when  tie  speaketh  against  the  poor  in  judgment. 


*  Or,  elegantly. 

6  Or,  be  established. 


»  arrnrding  to. 
*  folly. 


*  plastered  up. 
t  uncleanncss. 


'  fool, 
cheat. 


a  noble. 
1  persevere. 


'  the  cheat  be  called  baron. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  pi?1?  is  found  only  here,  h  here  signifies 
the  norm,  as  in  03*3ftD*7.  It  is  thus  =  secundum,  comp. 
HX^-S,  D'JTK  >"Di!/pS  xi.  3.  ["The  use  of  *7  here 
may  have  been  intended  to  suggest,  that  he  would  reign 
not  only  justly,  but  for  the  very  purpose  of  doing 
justice."  J.  A.  A.].— 7  before  Q^yf=quod  attinet  ad,  eomp. 
Eccl.  ix.  4.  Manifestly  this  unusual  construction  is  for 
the  sake  of  having  the  L — sound  maintained,  which 

thus  occurs  consecutively  in  five  words. TIE*,  from 

which  the   imperfect  1"\t*/'1,  Prov.  viii.  16,  occurs  only 
here  in  Isaiah. 

Ver.  2.  JOn*3>  "hiding  corner,  place  of  hiding,"  a*. 
Aey.,  comp.  1  S.im.  xxiii.  23. IHD  comp.  xvi.  4 ;  xxviii. 

17. '*D  'J?£3   comp.  xxx.  25. fVi*  comp.  xxv.  5. 

L  T 

7¥  comp.  iv.  6;  xxv.  4,  5. n3'J?  }'~!N  again  only  Ps. 

cxliii.  6. 

Ver.  3.  nj'^iyn  can  hardly  be  derived  from  r\?"j- 
It  comes  nearer  to  take  it  in  the  sense  of  yyvf  "  obli- 
nere,  to  close  up;  plaster  up,"  in  which  sense  this  latter 
verb  often  occurs  in  Isa.:  vi.  10;  xxix.  9. 3D* p.  proba- 
bly kindred  to  3¥p  "  to  point,  to  prick"  (the  ears),  oc- 

-|T 

curs  only  here  in  Kal. 

Ver.  4.  fay,  "  balbus,"  an-.  Aey. jlinV  (comp.  xviii. 

4)  are  nitcntia,  clara,  clear,  plain  words. 

Ver.  5.  Isaiah  uses  73J  only  here ;  Plb'JJ  again  ix.  16. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

'V^,  written  ^73  m  ver.  7  lor  the  sake  of  similarity  in 
sound  with  vSs,  is  to  be  derived  from  ~O3  fraudulenter 

r  -  —r 

egit  (RASCHI,  KIMCHI,  GESEK.,  and  others),  Gen.  xxxvii. 
18;  Num.  xxv.  IS;  Ps.  cv.  21;  Mai.  i.  14,  so  that  from 
VlU,  by  rejecting  the  J,  as  in  pp,  J"\Niy,  K'tJ*,  etc.,  there 
results  7*3  with  the  rare  ending  'T  (comp.  '3J,  'Tt*?, 
'•Vn).  See  GBEEN,  ?  194,  2,  b.  -  yr&  (from  ynyf  "  am- 
plus,  dives  fait,"  kindred  to  y&)  is  the  rich  man,  inde- 
pendent on  account  of  his  means. 
Ver.  6.  fix  iVtfy  occurs  only  here  (comp.  lix.  G)  ;  the 


VT      T  T  i 

idea  is  always  expressed  elsewhere  by  px  7>*3- 


,  gerundive.  -  rn,  an.  \ey.;  comp.  H3]n  Jer. 
xxiii.  15;  substantive  from  r\jn  ix.  16;  x.  6;'xxxiii. 
14.  -  r\y\r\  "error,"  comp.  xxix.  24;  again  only  Neh. 
iv.  2.  -  Hiph.  TDTin  again  only  Exod.  xvi.  18.  -  The 
construction  VOIT"!  -  p^D1?  is  to  be  explained  as 

•    :  -     :  I        •  T  : 

a  return  of  the  subordinate  form  into  the  principal  form. 

Ver.  7.  A  mutual  attraction  appears  to  have  happened 

here:  1)  Q^3    chosen  for  the  sake  of'VSi  2)  ^3 

changed  to  '^3  for  the  sake  of  V/3.  -  i"!*3t  "  consir 

T"  T  • 

Hum"   (Job  xvii.  11)  then  especially  consilium  pravum, 
scelus,  occurs  only  here  in  Isaiah.  -  /3H  "  to  destroy," 
comp.  xiii.  5;  liv.  16. 
Ver.  8.  n3'lj  occurs  again  only  Job  xxx.  15. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  This  passage,  which  strongly  reminds  one 
of  xxix.  18-24,  and  somewhat  also  of  xxx.  20 
sqq.,  must  necessarily  be  joined  to  what  precedes, 
as  it  can  neither  stand  alone,  nor  be  regarded  as 
belonging  to   what   follows.     We    see   in    these 
verses  an  amplification  of  xxxi.  6,  7.     For  the 
latter  passage  only  presents  to  view  in  a  negative 
way  the  turning  back  and  abandonment  of  idola- 
try.    But  in  our  passage  is  set   forth  what  posi- 
tive forces  of  blessing  will  become  operative  in 
the  entire  ethical  life  of   the  nation,  and  espe- 
cially in  the  relation  of  the  powerful  and  nobles 
to  the  lowly.     It  is  manifest  that  the  Prophet,  in 
enumerating  what  shall  no  more  be,  has  in  mind 
the  irregularities  of  his  own  time.     It  is  very 
probable  that  he  even  alludes  to  particular,  con- 
crete   facts,  in    a  way  that   his  'contemporaries 
would  understand. 

2.  Behold speak    plainly. — Vers.  1-4. 


The  king  that  will  rule  righteously  must  be  the 
Messiah.  For  the  time  when  Israel  will  be 
cleansed  and  purified,  and  live  and  be  ruled  ac- 
cording to  truth  and  righteousness,  is  the  Mes- 
sianic time  (comp.  i.  24  sqq. ;  ix.  6,  7  ;  xi.  1  sqq. ; 
xvi.  5  ;  xxviii.  16  sqq.).  Nothing  justifies  us  in 
assuming  that  such  a  condition  as  our  vers.  1-8 
describe,  will  intervene  before  that  time.  In 
that  time  only  the  Messiah  can  be  king.  Of  an 
under-king  prophecy  knows  nothing.  One  must 
only  say,  that,  in  distinction  from  passages  like 
ix.  6  sq. ;  xi.  1  sqq.,  the  person  of  the  Messianic 
king  appears  more  in  the  background,  and  the 
Prophet  depicts  the  admirable  surrounding  of  the 
expected  Messiah,  rather  than  His  personality. 
One  may  suppose  that  the  state  of  things  under 
Hezekiah  furnished  the  occasion.  The  king  him- 
self was  good  ;  but  his  surroundings  did  not  cor- 
respond. Hence  the  Prophet  emphasizes  here, 


CHAP.  XXXII.  1-8. 


345 


that  in  the  Messianic  time,  the  glorious  central 
figure,  whom  he  only  briefly  names  ver.  1,  will 
have  also  a  suitable  environment.  Thus  the 
point  of  this  passage  is  directed  against  the  mag- 
nates that  surrounded  the  king.  Instead  of  op- 
pressing the  nation  as  heretofore  ( i.  23 ;  iii.  15 ; 
x.  2 ;  xxviii.  15  ;  xxix.  20),  each  of  them  (the 
princes)  will  himself  be  a  protector  of  the  op- 
pressed, like  a  sheltering,  covering  place  of  con- 
cealment protects  from  wind-storm  and  rain. 
Yea,  they  will  even  afford  positive  refreshment 
to  the  poor  and  wretched,  as  water-brooks  and 
dense  shade  do  to  the  traveller  in  the  hot  desert. 
The  eyes  of  them  that  see,  the  ears  of  them 
that  hear  (ver.  3),  are  eyes  and  ears  that  can  see 
and  hear  if  they  will.  It  is  well-known  that 
there  are  ways  of  plastering  up  such  eyes,  and  of 
making  such  ears  deaf  (i.  23;  v  23;  xxxiii. 
15).  The  like  of  that  shall  not  be  with  these 
princes. 

DELITZSCH  well  remarks  that,  according  to 
ver.  4,  Israel  shall  be  delivered  also  from  faults 
of  infirmity. 

I  would  "only  so  modify  this  remark  as  to  make 
ver.  4,  like  that  which  precedes  and  follows,  refer, 
not  to  Israel  in  general,  but  to  the  princes.  Thus 
the  D'irnj  "the  rash,  reckless,"  are  such  judges 
as  are  naturally  inclined  to  judge  hastily,  and  su- 
perficially (comp.  on  xxxv.  4).  These  will  ap- 
ply a  reflecting  scrutiny  (comp.  on  xi.  2)  in  order 
to  know  what  is  right."  The  stammering  are  such 
as  do  not  trust  themselves  to  speak  openly,  be- 
cause they  are  afraid  of  blundering  out  the  truth 
that  is  known  to  them,  and  so  bringing  them- 
selves into  disfavor.  Thus  all  the  conditions  for 
the  exercise  of  right  and  justice  will  be  fulfilled. 
The  judges  will  be  what  they  ought  to  be  iu  re- 
epect  to  eyes,  ears,  heart  and  mouth. 

3.  The  vile  person shall  he  stand. — 

Yers.  5-8.  From  those  in  office  the  Prophet 
passes  to  the  noble  apart  from  office.  In  this  re- 
spect there  often  exists  in  the  present  conditions 
the  most  glaring  contradiction  between  inward 
and  outward  nobility.  This  contradiction  will 
cease  in  the  Messianic  time.  For  then  a  fool  will 

no  longer  be  called  a  noble.  A  fool,  /3J,  is,  ac- 
cording to  Old  Testament  language,  not  one  in- 
tellectually deficient,  but  one  that  practises  gross 
iniquity  ;  for  sin  in  its  essence  is  perverseness, 
contradiction,  nonsense.  The  wicked  surrenders 
realities  of  immeasurable  value  for  a  seeming 
good  that  is  transitory  ;  whereas  the  pious  sur- 
renders the  whole  world  in  order  to  save  his  soul, 
and  this  is  at  the  same  time  the  highest  wisdom 
(comp.  Deut.  xxxii.  6;  Jer.  xvii.  11 ;  Jud.  xix. 
23  sq. ;  xx.  6  ;  1  Sam.  xxv.  25  ;  2  Sam.  xiii.  12). 
— 3--U  [Eng.  Bibl. :  "  liberal]  "  undoubtedly  in- 
volves originally  the  notion  of  voluntarinoss 
(Exod.  xxv.  2  ;  xxxv.  5,  21,  22,  29,  etc.).  But 
he  that  does  good  from  an  inward,  free  impulse 
is  a  noble  man  Thus  gradually  2""U_  acquires 
the  sense  of  noble,  superior  man,  and  indeed  so 
much  without  regard  to  inward  nobility,  that  the 
word  is  used  with  a  bad  side-meaning  (Job.  xxi. 
28).  Isaiah  uses  it  again  only  xiii.  2.  One  will 
not  call  a  swindler  baron,  the  prophet  proceeds 
to  sav,  ver.  5  b. 

By  the  following  causal  sentence,  ver.  6,  the 
Prophet  proves  the  sentence  ''the  fool  will  no 


more  be  called  noble."  His  argument  may  be 
represented  by  the  following  syllogism  :  In  the 
Messianic  time  each  will  be  called  what  he  is. 
But  in  that  time  also  there  will  be  people  that 
are  fools.  Therefore  in  that  time  these  will  also 
be  called  fools  and  not  noblemen.  [It  is  not  the 
Prophet's  aim  in  ver.  6,  to  state  what  fools  will 
do  in  that  time,  as  if  their  doing  then  will  be 
different  from  now,  which  obviously  it  will  not 
be.  He  would  say  there  will  be  fools,  and  they 
will  be  called  fools,  and  nobles  and  they  will  be 
called  nobles. — TK.].  Of  course  for  the  Prophet 
the  only  important  thought  is  that  in  the  last 
time  falsehood  will  no  longer  reign  as  in  the 
present,  and  that  accordingly  a  man's  being  and 
name  will  no  longer  be  in  contrast,  but  in  perfect 
harmony.  One  sees  that  it  is  a  point  with  him 
to  say  to  the  cheats  of  his  day  and  age  how  they 
ought  to  be  called,  if  every  man  had  his  dues. 
The  general  thought  of  ver.  6  a,  is  particularized 
in  what  follows.  One  does  and  speaks  lolly 
when  he  practises  unclean,  shameful  things  (by 
which  the  land  is  defiled  before  God,  xxiv.  5 ; 
Jer.  iii.  1),  and  utters  error,  (what  misleads) 
against  Jehovah.  This  doing  and  speaking  is 
for  the  purpose  of  enriching  one's  self  by  robbery 
of  the  poor  and  weak  (i.  23).  This  is  figuratively 
expressed:  to  make  empty  the  soul  of  the 
hungry  (i.e.,  to  take  away  what. can  satisfy  the 
need  of  the  hungry,  comp.  xxix.  8)  and  to  •'  cause 

the  drink,"  etc.  D' 7D,  ver.  7,  are  properly  instru- 
menta.  Not  the  physical  implements  are  meant 
here,  but  the  ways  and  means  in  general  of  which 
the  swindler  makes  use.  ["  He  deviseth  plots  to 
destroy  the  oppressed  (or  afflicted)  with  words  of 
falsehood,  and  (i.  e.,  even)  in  the  poor  (man's) 
speaking  right  (i.  e.,  even  when  the  poor-man's 
claim  is  just,  or  in  a  more  general  sense,  when  the 
poor-man  pleads  his  cause)." — J.  A.  ALEXANDER]. 
In  ver.  8  we  must  remark  the  same  in  regard 
to  yi)\  that  we  did  in  regard  to  7DJ  and 

'S'3  vers.  6  and  7.  The  Prophet  will  not  in  gen- 
eral give  a  characteristic  of  the  2'~tJ,  but  he  would 

say  in  what  regard  the  names  3HJ  and  ^23  will 
be"  held  in  the  Messianic  time.  Thus  vers.  6-8 
are  proof  of  ver.  5.  According  to  these  verses 
none  will  be  given  a  name  that  does  not  become 

him.      He  that  is   called  ^J  "fool,"  will  also 


speak  rhl),  and  he  that  is  called  3'tJ  will  cer- 
tainly confirm  his  claim  to  this  name  by  having 

noble  thoughts,  generosameditatur. — f^Ti:  7j?  Dip 
can  hardly  mean  "  to  stand  on  noble  ground " 
(MEIER),  for  fil3"U  are  generate  faeta,  the  ex- 
hibitions of  generosity,  not  this  generosity  as  a 
moral  fundamental  habit,  Otherwise  the  second 
J~n3H3  would  have  a  meaning  different  from  the 
first.  Therefore  Oil  Dip'  must  mean  :  and  he 
perseveres  in  his  noble  thoughts,  i.  e.,  he  not 
only  conceives  them,  but  he  carries  them  out. 
In  "bestowing  the  name,  men  will  not  be  in- 
fluenced only  bv  the  thoughts  that  proclaim  them- 
selves ;  men  will  make  the  name  depend  on  one's 
steadily  adhering  to  them  his  whole  life.  Dip 
often  has  this  sen?e  of  continuing,  persevering. 
Comp.  xl.  8  ;  Lev.  xxv.  30 ;  xvii.  19. 


346 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


4.— THE  PEESENT  PUNISHMENT  OF  THE  PROUD  WOMEN,  AND   THE   FUTURE 

GLORY  OF  THE  NATION. 

CHAPTER  XXXII.    9-20. 

9  Rise  up,  ye  women  that  are  at  ease ; 
Hear  my  voice,  ye  careless  daughters  ; 
Give  ear  unto  my  speech. 

10  'Many  days  and  years  shall  ye  be  troubled,  ye  careless  women : 
For  the  vintage  shall  fail,  the  gathering  shall  not  come. 

11  Tremble,  ye  women  that  are  at  ease  ; 
Be  troubled,  ye  careless  ones  : 

Strip  you,  and  make  you  bare,  and  gird  sackcloth  upon  your  loins. 

12  "They  shall  lament  for  the  teats, 

For  2the  pleasant  fields,  for  the  fruitful  vine.  . 

13  Upon  the  land  of  my  people  shall  come  up  thorns  and  briars  ; 
3Yea,  upon  all  the  houses  of  joy  in  the  joyous  city  : 

14  Because  the  palaces  bshall  be  forsaken  ; 
The  multitude  of  the  city  "shall  be  left ; 

The  4forts  and  towers  "shall  be  for  dens  forever, 
A  joy  of  wild  asses,  a  pasture  of  flocks  ; 

15  Until  the  spirit  be  poured  upon  us  from  on  high, 
And  the  wilderness  be  a  fruitful  field, 

And  the  fruitful  field  be  counted  for  a  forest. 

16  aTheu  judgment  shall  dwell  in  the  wilderness, 
And  righteousness  remain  in  the  fruitful  field. 

17  And  the  work  of  righteousness  shall  be  peace  ; 

And  the  "effect  of  righteousness  quietness  and  assurance  forever. 

18  And  my  people  shall  dwell  in  a  peaceable  habitation 
And  in  sure  dwellings,  and  in  quiet  resting  places  ; 

19  r\Vhen  it  shall  hail,  coming  down  on  the  forest ; 
And  5the  city  shall  be  in  a  low  place. 

20  Blessed  are  ye  that  sow  beside  all  waters, 

That  send  forth  thither  the  feet  of  the  ox  and  the  ass. 


1  Heb.  Days  above  ayear. 

*  Or,  clifts  and  watchtowers. 

•  They  beat  on  the  breasts  for.        bts. 


*  Heb.  the  fields  of  desire. 

6  Or,  the  city  shall  be  utterly  abased. 


'are.       d  And.       ^service. 


8  Or,  Burning  upon,  etc. 
{And  it  will  hailwhen  the  forest  falls. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  9.  HtJ3  is  here  used  absolutely  as  in  Jud.  xviii. 

7, 10,  27;  Jer.  vii.  8;  xii.  5. nXE?  again  vers.  9, 11,  18; 

xxxiii.  20;  xxxvii.  29. 

Ver.  10.  The  singular  rUl^  must  be  taken  in  the  sense 

TT 

of  one  year,  seeing  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  it 

is  a  collective. After  the  specification  of  time  the 

sentence  ought  properly  to  proceed  with  the  Vav.  consec. 
and  the  perf.  Yet  there  are  also  examples  of  the  use 
of  the  imperf.  with  Vav.  (Exod.  xii.  3;  Jer.  viii.  1 
K'thibh)  or  without  it  (xxvii.  6;  vii.  8  comp.  xxi.  16  ; 
'  Jer.  viii.  1  K'ri ;  Gen.  xl.  13,  19).  The  accusative  D'O' 
responds  to  the  question  "when,"  to  signify  the  point 

of  time  where  the  predicted  event  will  intervene. 

On  '73  comp.  at  xiv.  6. 

Ver.  11.  In  n^H  we  have  the  masculine  as  the  chief 
form  that  includes  the  feminine,  as  the  man  rules  and 
represents  the  woman:  In  n?J1,  nt3$3,  J"njP,  mjh 
we  have  also  the  chief  form  of  the  imperative,  i.  ejt'he 


masculine,  with  the  cohortative  He  of  motion  toward. 
Thus  these  imperatives  contain  no  individualized  com- 
mand, but  one  formed  quite  generally  as  to  matter, 
without  regard  to  person  and  number:  similar  to  our 
way  in  giving  words  of  command,  wherein  at  least  no 
regard  is  had  to  the  number  of  those  addressed  as  we 
use  the  infin.,  or  past  particip.  [the  illustration  is 
drawn  of  course  from  the  Germ,  idiom. — TB.].  This  ver- 
shows  plainly  how  in  Hebrew  the  gender  of  words  is  not 
so  rigidly  fixed  as  in  classical  and  modern  language?, 

and  hence  it  not  so  consistently  adhered  to. Isaiah 

uses  £02/2  only  here. Of  "My  "  nudum  esse"  he  uses 

the  Piel  xxiii.  13. 

Ver.  12.  The  same  preponderance  of  the  masc.  gender 
appears  in  D'HSD  that  is  noticed  in  ver.  11,  and  has  the 

same  explanation. H3D  as  verb  in  Isaiah,  only  here; 

comp.  xxii.  12;    Jer.  xlix.  3, Note  the  similarity  in 

sound  of  DHty-Hy  and   n^~*7Jf« lOP  "amocnitas, 

•-T         "  "  :          -- 

deliciae"  only  here  in  Isaiah,  comp.  on  xxvii.  2;   Amos 


CHAP.  XXXII,  9-20. 


347 


T.  11. m3    comp.  xvii.  G;    Ps.    exxviii.  3;    Ezek. 

xix.  10. 
Ver.  13.  '/ID  "  thorn,  thorn  bushes,"  again  ki  Isaiah 

only  xxxiii.  12,  and  is  joined  with  "VDty    only  here. 

•  T 
Everywhere  else  Isaiah  joins  this  word  with  7VE?  (v.  G; 

vii.  23  sqq. ;  ix.  17  ;  x.  17  4  xvii.  4).    One   might   gram- 
matically regard  the  words  "VQty  VIp  as  having  a  geni- 
tive relation.    But  as  the  words  JVtJ'  "VDtlf,  xxvii.  3,  oc- 
.  —        .  y 

cur  in  apposition  ("VOl^  which  is  JVE/)>  wo  may  as- 
sume the  same  construction  here.  The  general  notion 
ViD  (rcsecandum,  from  V?p  =  Vtfp  comp.  jYli'1p 

"locks")  is  more  exactly  defined  as  TOi^  ("prickly 

•  T 
thing"). The    BM'gO   TO    are    not  necessarily  the 

houses  of  nr/j?  7T~lp.  For  there  are  such  houses  of 
pleasure,  not  only  in  the  capital,  but  in  all  cities  and 
villages  of  the  land.  Therefore  I  can  as  little  take  'JUJ 
'D  in  the  genitive  with  'y  mp  <*s  I  could  assume 
that  construction  xxviii.  1.  As  there  "  ""Dl  7i"l,  so  here 
'y  mp  is  dependent  on  ^y. 


Ver.  14.  This  verse  is  subordinated  to  the  last  clause 
of  ver.  13,  for  it  explains  how  the  city  has  become  over- 
grown with  thorns.  -  There  is  a  metonymy  in  the  ex- 
pression 3\y  *Vy  port,  the  effect  being  put  for  the 
cause,  i.  e.,  "vy  ^H  'stands  foriTrpil  YJ7  xxii.  2. 


Ver.  15.  The  expression  D1TOD  HIT  occurs  only 
here;  DITD  occurs  in  Isaiah,  often:  xxii.  1C;  xxiv.  18; 
xl.  20  ;  Ivii.  15  ;  Iviii.  4,  etc. 


Ver.  17.  r&yS  (comp.  v.  2  ;  iv.  10;  Hab.  iii.  17)  is  "  the 
yield;"  "\VV2y  in  the  sense  of  "fruit  ofservice,"  comp. 

riv  I'D,  occurs,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  only  here.  -  H1J  in 

T  ".  :  :-r 

the  same  sense  as  here  xxxiii.  20;  xxxiv.  13;  xxxv. 
7.  -  OTltaUrD  in  Isaiah  only  here.  -  nPIUD  xi.  10; 
xxviii.  12;  Ixvi.  1. 

Ver.  19.  The  verb  T^3  occurs  only  here  :  but  comp. 
xxviii.  2,17;  xxx.  30.  -  PlSSE?  is  an-.  Aey.  -  Note  that 
"PI  and  rrp3,  ThStf  and  Sa$n  on  the  one  hand, 
and  ")jj'  and  "Vj?  on  the  other  correspond  in  assonance. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  As  in  chapter  iii.  so  here,  the  Prophet  ad- 
dresses men  and  women  separately,   having  in 
mind  especially  those  of  the  higher,  and  highest 
ranks.     According  to  the  foregoing  exposition, 
vers.  1-8,  under  the  guise  of  a  glorious  Messianic 
prophecy,  contain  a  sharp  reproof  for  powerful 
ones    in    Jerusalem.      The    second  part   of  the 
chapter,  on  the  other  hand,  is  directed  against 
the  proud,  secure  women,  announcing  a  season 
of  disaster  for  them  (vers.  9-14),   ["until  by  a 
special  divine  influence  a  total  revolution   shall 
take  place  in  the  character,  and,  as  a  necessary 
consequence,  in  the  condition  of  the  people." — 
J.  A.  A.,  on  ver.  15]   (vers.  15-20). 

2.  Rise  up pasture    of   flocks. — Vers. 

9-14.  The  form  of  the  introduction  calls  to  mind 
i.  2;  xxviii.  23,  but  more  especially  the  address 
of  Latnech  to  his  wives  Gen.  iv.   23.     I  do  not 
think  that  "  rise  up"  demands  a  physical  rising 
up.  Like  our  German  "aw/"  "up,"  it  may  signify 
the  merely  inward  rousing  of  the  spirit  to  give 
attention    (comp.  Num.    xxiii.  18).      pxti/   has 
elsewhere  also  the  secondary  meaning  of  proud 
ease :    Ps.  cxxiii.  4 ;  Amos  vi.   1 ;  Zech.  i.  15. 

The  specification  of  time  in  njtf-Sy  D'D"  ver.  10, 
does  not  relate  to  the  continuance  of  the  desola- 
tion, as  is  evident  from  ver.  15  "  until  the  spirit," 
etc.  According  to  xxix.  1,  which  is  manifestly 
related  to  our  passage  both  as  to  matter  and  time 
(see  the  exposition  there),  it  is  probable  that  the 
Prophet  means  an  indefinite  number  of  days  added 
to  a  year.  (See  Text,  and  Gram.).  Evidently 
the  Prophet  has  ;n  mind  women  that  have  here- 
tofore never  known  any  want,  but  have  continu- 
ally lived  in  abundance  and  luxury.  _Just  for 
this  reason  will  trembling  and  dismay  seize  them. 
For  they  would  assuredly  not  have  dispensed  with 
the  products  of  the  wine  and  fruit  harvest,  had 
not  the  enemy  occupied  the  territory  about  Jeru- 
salem and  made  gathering  and  plucking  impos- 
sible. Thus  the  scarcity  of  those  noble  products, 
felt  as  a  sure  token  of  the  enemy's  presence,  most 
of  all  in  the  apartments  of  women  of  rank,  will 
frighten  the  women  out  of  their  secure  and  proud 
repose.  Comp.  xvi.  7  sqq.  "VV2  "  the  wine  har- 


vest" (comp.  xxiv.  13):  *]?.**>  elsewhere  ^'pK 
(Exod.  xxiii.  16  ;  xxxiv.  22),  is  "  the  fruit  har- 
vest "  (Mic.  vii.  1).  The  word  occurs  again  only 
xxxiii.  4,  and  there  only  in  its  fundamental  sense. 
That  which  ver.  10  is  presented  as  in  prospect,  is 
announced  in  ver.  11  as  the  command,  the  will 
of  God.  Hence  it  must  happen.  Strip  you, 
etc.  The  command  to  disrobe  is  that  garments 
of  mourning  may  replace  those  before  worn  (Joel 
i.  13 ;  Isa.  xv.  3  ;  xxii.  12). 

Though  we  may  translate  ""3,  ver.  13  b,  by 
"yea  "  (immo),  as  more  accordant  with  our  speech, 
still  there  underlies  it  a  causal  relation.  That  the 
land  is  overgrown  with  thorns  and  thistles,  will 
appear  the  more  credible,  when  it  is  perceived 
that  even  the  houses  of  pleasure,  indeed  the  very 
capital  grows  rank  with  such  weeds.  (See  Text, 
and  Gram.).  The  joyous  city  means  Jerusa- 
lem (comp.  xxii.  2  ;  Zeph.  ii.  15).  P '#,  as  was 
shewn  at  xxii.  2,  has  the  secondary  meaning 
"presumptuous  joy."  The  propriety  of  this  sense 
here  in  reference  to  the  women  of  careless  ease  is 
evident.  (On  the  logical  connection  of  ver.  14 
see  Text,  and  Gram.).  Inasmuch  as  ''joyous 
city"  and  "multitude  of  the  city,"  (which  ex- 
pressions are  conjoined  xxii.  2),  occur  only  in 
xxii.  2  and  our  text,  one  properly  infers  a  rela- 
tionship between  these  chapters  both  as  regards 
matter  and  time. 

As  not  every  city  has  an  Ophel,  and  thus  Ophel 
may  not  be  taken  as  a  general  attribute  of  cities, 
but  as  something  peculiar  to  Jerusalem  (though 
not  in  distinction  from  all  cities,  for  Samaria  had 
an  Ophel,  2  Kings  v.  24),  so  we  may  understand 
by  it  the  locality  mentioned,  2  Chron.  xxvii.  3  ; 
xxxiii.  14;  Neh.  iii.  26  sq.;  xi.  21,  "the  southern 
steep,  rocky  prominence  of  Moriah  from  the  south 
end  of  the  temple-place  to  its  extremist  point,  the 
'00/ta,  '00?.5f  of  JOSEPHUS."  (ARNOLD  in  HER- 
zoG'sR.Ency.  VIII.,  p.  632).— JPS  (&-.  fcy.)  is 
anyway  kindred  to  |in|  or  jin3  (xxiii.  13)  and 
must,  according  to  the  fundamental  meaning  of 
the  verb  JH3  (probare,  explorare,  examinare)  sig- 
nify a  locality  suitable  for  this,  a  watch-tower, 


348 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


look-out.  But  whether  towers  in  general  or  a 
particular  tower  is  meant,  is  hard  to  say.  {113 

does  not  occur  elsewhere  ;  yet  the  common  word 

for  "  tower,"  /U8,  signifies  also  watch-tower  (2 
Kings  ix.  17  ;  xvii.  9,  etc.),  and  wall-towers  (Neh. 
iii.  11;  xii.  38).  Perhaps  this  would  have  been 
used  here,  were  only  towers  in  general  spoken  of. 
Hence  it  is  rather  probable  that  this  word  {HO 

named  along  with  '%y,  and  occurring  only  in 
this  passage,  ^signifies  a  tower  especially  desig- 
nated by  this  name,  located  in  Ophel  ;  perhaps 
"  the  great  tower  "  of  Neh.  iii.  27  that  is  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  Ophel.  Ophel  and  jn3 
shall  be  pro  speluncis  or  vice  speluncarum.  T^3 
which  everywhere  involves  the  notion  of  some- 
thing separating,  has  here  the  meaning  "  for,  in- 
stead of."  For  what  intervenes  for  another,  in  a 
measure  puts  itself  before  it,  and  in  this  way  forms 
a  partition  between  it  and  the  observer.  Wild, 
lonely,  and  far  remote  from  all  human  intercourse 
must  be  the  caves  in  which  the  wild  ass 


only  here  in  Isaiah)  has  as  much  joy  as  a  man  in 
his  finely  built  dwelling  (ver.  13). 

3.  Until  the  spirit  -  and  the  ass.  — 
Vers.  15-20.  As  all  the  preceding  prophecies 
are  double-sided,  including  as  it  were  day  and 
night,  such  too  is  the  case  with  the  present  one. 
Bat  here,  too,  the  Prophet  does  not  promise  im- 
mediate salvation.  He  sets  the  glorious  Messianic 
last  time  over  against  the  pernicious  present 
time,  yet  in  a  way  that  overleaps  the  long  cen- 
turies that  intervene,  and  sees  that  future  di- 
rectly behind  the  present.  Thus  "V  that  begins 
ver.  15  is  both  a  restriction  of  the  hyperbolical 

D7ljJ~"l>7  (immeasurable  extent  of  time  as  e.  g., 
Ixiii.  16  ;  Jer.  ii.  20),  and  a  bold  bridge  from 
the  present  into  the  remote  future.  He  portrays 
the  latter  in  that  aspect  that  corresponds  to  the 
things  he  reproves  in  tb.2  present.  Proud  se- 
curity now  reigns,  for  which  however  there  is  no 
reason.  But  in  that  time  there  will  reign  security 
and  repose,  resting  on  the  securest  foundation. 
For  Israel  will  then  be  filled  with  the  spirit  of 
God,  and  serve  in  this  spirit,  bv  which  shall  be 
assured  to  them  God's  protection  and  support 
against  all  enemies.  The  expression  my  is  very 
strong,  meaning  properly  :  the  spirit  from  on 
high  will  be  emptied  out  on  us,  completely  pourel 
out  (comp.  xi.  9,  and  respecting  the  word  Gen. 
xxiv.  20  comp.  Isa.  iii.  17;  xxii.  6;  liii.  12). 
How  far-reaching  and  comprehensive  is  the  gaze 
of  the  Prophet  here  !  He  regards  the  spirit  from 
on  high  not  merely  as  an  ethical  and  intellectual, 
but  also  as  a  physical  life-principle.  He  speaks 
here,  as  he  does  xi.  2-9,  of  nature  and  of  persons 
as  wholly  pervaded  by  spirit.  And  the  wil- 
derness will  be  a  fruitful  field,  etc.,  which 
has  a  proverbial  sound,  must  certain!  v  be  taken 
in  another  sense  than  that  of  xxix."  17.  The 
latter  passage  speaks  of  retrogression;  here  pro- 
gress is  meant.  There  is  a  descending  climax, 
Lebanon,  fruitful  field,  forest  ;  here  an  ascending, 
desert,  fruitful  field,  forest,  in  which  the  Prophet 
manifestly  treats  the  forest,  not  as  representing 
absence  of  cultivation,  but  as  representing  the 
most  prodigious  development  of  vegetation.  He 
would  say  :  what  is  now  waste  will  then  be  fruit- 


ful field,  and  what  is  now  fruitful  field  will  then 
be  forest,  i.  e.,  will  stand  high  as  a  forest.  Then 
a  very  different,  a  higher  principle  of  life,  origi- 
nating from  the  divine  <Sofa  will  penetrate  even 
nature.  Of  course,  then,  the  personal  life  of 
men  also.  And  how  beautifully  the  Prophet  de- 
picts this  harmony  of  hpth!  He  names  again 
the  wilderness  and  the  fruitful  field  (ver.  1G)  in 
order  to  say  that  judgment  and  righteousness 
shall  dwell  in  them  (comp.  i.  27  ;  v.  16  ;  ix.  6  ; 
x.  22  ;  xxviii.  17).  And  the  fruit  of  this  spirit- 
ual right-being  will  in  turn  make  its  impress  by 
a  right  glorious  outward  appearance,  viz.,  in  ever- 
lasting peace,  rest  and  security.  What  a  picture 
for  the  proudly  secure  women  (ver.  9  sqq.)  ! 
They  may  see  why  they  are  so  called  in  a  re- 
proving sense.  Their  ease  and  security  lack 
foundation. 

When  it  shall  hail,  etc.  I  can  only  regard 
ver.  19  as  the  sombre  foil  which  the  Prophet  uses 
to  enhance  the  splendor  of  that  future  which  he 
displayed  to  his  people.  [Some  think  there  is 
an  allusion  to  the  hail  in  Egypt  while  Goshen 
was  spared;  see  Exod.  ix.  22-26.  —  Tn.].  We 
have  had  several  such  pictures  of  the  future  with 
a  dark  background  (xi.  14  sq.  ;  xxv.  10  sqq.  ; 
xxvi.  5  sq.,  etc.).  Every  one  admits  that  19  a, 
relates  to  Assyria.  We  had  the  forest  as  emblem 
of  Assyria  ix.  17  ;  x.  18,  19,  34.  This  forest 
shall  fall  under  a  storm  of  hail.  On  TV  comp. 
Deut.  xxviii.  52;  Zech.  xi.  2.  It  is  not  said  that 
the  forest  shall  break  down  by  the  hail,  but  that 
it  shall  hail  when  the  forest  breaks  down.  Thus 
this  breaking  down  maybe  effected  by  something 
else,  say  by  the  blows  of  an  axe.  Anyway  the 
forest  will  break  down  under  a  storm  of  hail, 
some  phenomenon  coming  from  on  high  and  ac- 
credited as  a  divine  instrument  of  judgment. 
Very  many  expositors  understand  the  city  in  a 
low  place  to  mean  Jerusalem  (HiTZio,  KNO- 
BEI,,  CASPARI,  DELITZSCH,  etc.).  But  why  of  a 
sudden  this  dark  trait  in  the  picture  of  light  ? 
Is  not  the  abasement  of  Jerusalem  sufficiently 
declared  in  vers.  13,  14?  Why  a  repetition 
here?  or,  if  not  repetition,  why  thus  suddenly  a 
new  judgment  in  the  midst  of  the  blessed,  spirit- 
effected  condition  of  peace  ?  If  the  forest  means 
the  world-power  generally,  then  the  city  must 
mean  the  centre  of  it,  the  world-city  (comp.  xxiv. 
10-12  ;  xxv.  2,  3,  12  ;  xxvi.  5.  It  is  worthy  of 
remark  that,  xxv.  12  ;  xxvi.  5,  the  Prophet  uses 


thrice  in  reference  to  the  judgment  on  the 
world-city.  That  he  does  not  elsewhere  in  xxviii.- 
xxxiii.,  mention  the  world  city  is  no  reason  why 
he  may  not  once  mention  it  here.  Why  need  he 
mention  it  oftener  ?  Is  it  more  probable  that  he 
would  not  mention  it  at  all,  than  that  he  should 
do  so  once  ? 

In  ver.  20  the  Prophet  returns  exclusively  to 
Israel.  In  contrast  with  the  desolations  (near  for 
Israel,  remote  for  the  world-power),  he  promises 
to  his  people  the  possession  of  the  land  in  its 
widest  extent,  and  the  freest  use  of  it  for  cultiva- 
tion and  pasture.  Blessed  are  ye  (comp.  xxx. 
18  ;  Ivi.  2)  he  says,  who  sow  beside  all  waters, 
i.  e.,  on  all  fruitful  lands.  Thus  all  well-watered 
and  so  fruitful  land-stretches  will  be  at  Israel's 
service,  and  Israel  shall  cultivate  them,  and  rais- 
ing cattle  shall  be  unhindered  (comp.  xxx.  23). 


CHAP.  XXXII.  9-20. 


349 


In  fact  the  earth  shall  be  theirs,  and  they  may 
use  as  much  land  as  they  wish  for  either.  Cattle 
may  pasture  in  full  freedom,  unrestrained  by 
fetters  or  fence.  The  whole  land  "  shall  be  for 
the  sending  forth  of  oxen,"  vii.  25. 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xxxi.  1,  2,  "Against  the  perverted  con- 
fidence and  fleshly  trust  in  human  wisdom,  power 
and  might,  because  the  people  doubt  God's  help, 
and  because  of  such  wicked  doubt  put  their  trust 
in  human  power,  wit  and  skill.     It  is  true  the 
Scripture  does  not  deny  that  one  may  use  means 
and  call  in  human  aid  in  danger,  yet  so  that  even 
the  heart  looks  rather  to  God,  and  knows  that  if 
He  watches  not  and  keeps  not  Israel,  all  other 
human  help  and  means  are  in  vain  (Ps.  cxxvii. 
1 ;  Jer.  xvii.  5)."— CRAMER. 

2.  On  xxxi.  3.     "  Notetur   diliyenter    sententia 
isthaec  prophetae:     Aegyptus  homo   et   non  Deus, 
adeoque   symboli   loco   semper   in  ore   habeatur   et 
usurpatur  turn  ad  doctrinam,  turn  ad  consolationem 
(Ps.  Ixii.  10;  Ixxiii.  18  sq.)." — FOERSTER. 

3.  On  xxxi.    4,   5.     The    LORD,  on  the  one 
hand,  compares  Himself  to  a  lion,  that  will  not 
suffer  his  prey  to  be  torn  away  from  him,  and 
means  by  that  that  He  will  not  suffer  Himself  to 
be  turned  from  His  counsel  against  Jerusalem  by 
those  false  helpers,  to  which  Jerusalem  looks  for 

Srotection  against  the  punishments  that  it  has 
eserved.  But  on  the  other  hand  the  LORD 
compares  Himself  most  touchingly  and  fittingly 
to  the  eagle  that  stretches  its  feathers  over  its 
young  to  protect  them  (Deut.  xxxii.  11)  [see 
Tr's.  note  on  ver.  5].  Blessed  is  he  that  sits 
under  the  shelter  of  the  Highest,  and  abides  under 
the  shadow  of  the  Almighty  (Ps.  xci.  1  ;  comp. 
Matt,  xxxiii.  27). 

4.  On  xxxi.  7.     FOERSTER   remarks  on  this 
verse,  that  it  is  used  by  the  Reformed  as  a  proof- 
passage  against  the  use  of  images  in  churches. 
He  distinguishes  between  imagines  superstitiosae, 
whose  use  is  of  course  forbidden,  and   imagines 
non   superstitiosae,  the  like  of  which  were  even 
permitted  and  used  in   the  worship  of  Jehovah, 
e.  g.,  the  cherubim  and  other  images  of  art  in  the 
Tabernacle  and  in  the  Temple. 

5.  On  xxxi.  8.    "  God  has  manifold  ways  by 
which  He  can  head  off  tyrants,  and  does  not  need 
always  to  draw  the  sword  over   them.     P^xam- 
ples  :  Sennacherib,  2  Kings  xix.  35  ;  Nebuchad- 
nezzar,  Dan.    iv.  30 ;    Herod,  Acts  xii.    23." — 
CRAMER. 

6.  On  xxxi.  9.     That  the  LORD  has  in  Zion 
His  fire  and  His  hearth  in  Jerusalem  is  at  once 
the  strength  and  the  weakness  of  the  Old  Cove- 
nant.    It  is  its  strength  so  far  as,  of  course,  it  is 
a  high    privilege   that   Israel   enjoys    above  all 
nations  of  the  Gentile  world,  that  the  point  of 
the  earth's  surface  that  the  LORD  has  made  the 
place  of  His  real  presence  on  earth  is  the  cen- 
tral point  of  their  land  and  of  their  communion 
But  it  is  its  weakness  so  far  as  this  presence  is 
only  a  transient  and  outward  one,  which,  when 
misunderstood,  can  minister  only  to  an  outward 
worship  and  a  false  confidence  (comp.  Jer.   vii 
4)  that  affords  only  a  treacherous  point  of  sup- 
port that  is  dangerous  to  the  soul.     How  totally 
different  is  the  real    presence  of  the   LORD  in 


the  church  of  the  New  Covenant !  To  it  the 
LORD  is  organically  joined  as  a  member,  as  on 
the  other  hand  the  LORD  joins  all  members  of 
His  church  really  to  Himself  by  His  Spirit  and 
His  sacraments. 

7.  On  xxxii.  1-8.  "The  picture  which  the 
Prophet  paints  here  of  the  church  of  the  last 
time  is  the  picture  of  every  true  congregation  of 
Christ.  In  it,  the  will  of  the  LORD  must  be  the 
only  law  according  to  which  men  judge,  and  not 
any  fleshly  consideration  of  any  sort.  In  it,  there 
must  be  open  eyes  and  ears  for  God's  work  and 
word;  and  if  in  some  things  precedence  is  readily 
allowed  to  the  children  of  this  world,  still  in 
spiritual  things  the  understanding  must  be  right 
and  the  speech  clear.  Finally,  in  it  persons  must 
be  valued  according  to  their  true  Christian, 
moral  worth,  not  according  to  advantages  that 
before  God  are  rather  a  reproach  than  an  honor. 
But  the  picture  of  the  true  congregation  mirrors 
to  us  our  own  deformities.  All  this  is  not  found 
in  us.  Everywhere  appears  worldly  considera- 
tion, looking  to  the  world,  much  weakness  in 
spiritual  judgment,  and  in  speech  far  too  much  re- 
spect for  the  advantages  that  worldly  position  and 
wealth  give  the  church  member.  May  the  LORD 
mend  these  things  in  us  ;  and  if  only  at  the  last 
He  transforms  the  old  church  in  its  totality  into 
the  new,  so  let  each  of  us  pray  the  LORD  that 
still  He  would  more  and  more  transform  each 
worldling  into  a  true,  spiritual  man." — WEBER. 
The  Prophet  Isaiah,  1875. 

8.  On  xxxii.  1-4.     Men  of  all  times  may  learn 
from  the  Prophet's  words  what  sort  of  persons  true 
kings,  noblemen  and  officials  ought  to  be.     Un- 
derlying the  whole  discourse    of   Isaiah  is  the 
thought  that  those  in  authority  are  there  for  the 
sake  of  the  people  [comp.  Luke  xxii.  25,  26. — 
TR.],  and  that  truth  and  honor  are  the  first  con- 
ditions of  flourishing  rule   (comp.    HERZ.,  R.- 
Encyd.  XI.  p.  24). 

On  ver.  8.  Old  FLATTIG  once  met  the  Duke 
of  Wurtemburg  on  the  latter's  birth  day.  "  Well, 
FLATTIG,"  inquired  the  Duke,  what  did  you 
preach  on  my  birth-day  ?"  "Serene  highness, 
what  did  I  preach  ?  I  just  preached  that  princes 
ought  to  have  princely  thoughts."  The  Duke 
rode  on  without  making  any  reply.  Where  there 
is  no  princely  heart,  there  can  come  forth  no 
princely  thoughts.  And  only  then  does  one  have 
a  princely  heart  when  the  LORD  is  the  heart's 
prince. 

9.  On  xxxii.  9.    "  One  must  not  suppose  that 
it  was  no  part  of  the  Prophet's  office  to  reform 
women,  seeing  God  includes  all  men  under  sin, 
and  the  proud  daughters  of  Zion  with  their  os- 
tentation, were  a  great  cause  of  the  land  being 
laden  with  sins  (iii.  16)."— CRAMER. 

[''The  alarm  is  sounded  to  women, — to  feed 
whose  pride,  vanity  and  luxury,  their  husbands 
and  fathers  were  tempted  to  starve  the  poor."— 
M.  HENRY,  in  /oc.]. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  On  xxxi.  1-4.  WARNING  AGAINST  CON- 
FIDING IN  HUMAN  HELP.  1)  It  is  insulting  to 
God.  2)  It  proves  idle  at  last,  for  a,  the  power 
of  men  is  in  itself  weak ;  b,  it  js  wholly  power- 
less against  the  strong  hand  of  God. 


350 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


2.  On  xxxi.  5-9.    THE  LORD  ALONE  is  THE 
SHELTER  OF  His  OWN.    1)  He  will  be  such  (ver. 
5  );  2)  He  must  be  ?uch  (ver.  9  b,  His  own  interest 
demands  this) ;  3)  He  alone  can  be  such  (ver. 
8)  ;  4)  He  will  be  such  on  one  condition  (ver.  6). 

3.  [On  xxxi.   6,  7.      A  GENUINE  REFORMA- 
TION.    1 )  It,  is  general :  every  one  shall  cast  away 
his  own  idols  and  begin  with  them  before  trying 
to  demolish  those  of  other  people,  which  there 
will  be  no  need  of  when  every  man  reforms  him- 
self.    2)  It  is  thorough:  for  they  shall  part  with 
their  idolatry,  their  beloved  sin,  made  more  pre- 
cious by  the  gold  and  silver  devoted   to  it.     3) 
It  is  on  the  right  principle:  a  principle  of  piety 
and  not  of  policy ;  because  idolatry  was  a  sin  and 
not  because  it  was  profitless  ("deeply  revolted," 
"sinfully  made  idols").    After  M.   HENRY,  in 
loc  — TR.]. 

4.  On  xxxii.  1-8.     As  there  are  always  poor 
people,  so  there  must  always  be  persons  of  power 
and  superior  rank.     The  latter  must  know  that 
they  are  there   for  the  sake   of  the  people,  as 
guardians  of  right,  as  protectors  of  the  poor  and 
weak,  so  to  speak,  as  the  eyes,  ears  and  tongues 
of  the  commonwealth.     But  as  in  God's  king- 
dom descent  from  Abraham  counts  for  nothing 
any  more,  and  true  worship  is  no  more  that  which 
is  offered  in  Jerusalem,  but  that  which  is  in  spirit 
and  in  truth,  so,  too,  the  nobility  of  the   flash 
must  yield  precedence  to  nobility  of  the  spirit. 
Not  he  that  is  noble  according  to  the  flesh,  but  a 
fool  according  to  the  spirit  shall  bs  called  noble. 
Only  lie  that  has  princely  thoughts  shall  be  called 
a  prince;  for  truth  reigns  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

5.  [On  xxxii.  2.     This  may  be  given  a  spirit- 
ual application  by  a  special  reference  to  Christ, 
as  eminently  true  of  Him,  the  King  of   kings. 
This  application  is  old  and  precious.     Wind  and 
tempest,  rain  and  hail  and  burning  heat  are  em- 


blems of  the  calamities  of  life,  and  especially  of 
God's  judgments  on  sin.  Distress  and  impend- 
ing judgment  make  men  seek  shelter.  Christ  is 
the  only  adequate  hiding-place  and  covert.  Let 
men  run  to  Him  with  the  eagerness  of  travellers 
in  the  burning  desert  taking  refuge  under  a  rock 
from  the  coming  storm.  The  same  rock-cliff 
often  has  a  bountiful  stream  issuing  just  there 
where  its  cavernous  recess  affords  the  best  shelter. 
While  the  traveller  is  safe  from  the  tempest,  he 
may  rest  and  refresh  himself  from  the  distress 
he  has  endured.  The  rock  "  not  only  excludes 
the  rays  of  the  sun,  but  it  has  itself  a  refreshing 
coolness  that  is  most  grateful  to  a  weary  traveller." 
—BARNES.  "Some  observe  here,  that  as  the 
covert,  and  hiding-place,  and  the  rock,  do  them- 
selves receive  the  battering  of  the  wind  and 
storm,  to  save  those  from  it  that  take  shelter  in 
them,  so  Christ  bore  the  storm  Himself  to  keep 
it  off  from  us."— M.  HENRY.  TR.]. 

6.  On  xxxii.  9-11.     When  a  land  goes  to  ruin 
a  great  part  of  the  blame  of  it  rests  on  the  women. 
For  they  are  more    easily  prompted  to  evil,  as 
they  are  to   good.     Where  evil  lias  once  taken 
root,  they   are  the  ones  that  carry  it  to  an  ex- 
treme.    "  Und  geht   es   zu    des   Bosen  Haus,  das 
Weib  hat  tausend  Schritt  voraus."     Therefore  the 
punishment  fulls  the  hardest  on  them.     As  the 
weaker  and  more   delicate,  they  suffer  the  most 
under  the  blows  of  misfortune. 

7.  On  xxxii.  15  sqq.     When  once  the  Spirit 
of  God  is  poured  out   on  all  flesh   (Joel  iii.  1) 
then  the  personal   and  impersonal  creation  will 
be  glorified.     Then  Satan  will  be  bound,  and  the 
LORD  alone  will  rule  in  men,  and  in    nature. 
Then  at  last  will  it  be  beautiful  on  earth.     For 
then  right  and  righteousness  will  reign  on  earth, 
and  peace,  and  that  rest  that  is  promised  to  the 
people  of  God  (Heb.  iv.  9). 


V.— THE  FIFTH  WOE. 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

1.   THE  GLORIOUS  TURNING  POINT:    THE   WOE  UPON  ISRAEL   BECOMES  A 

WOE    UPON    ASSYRIA. 

CHAP.  XXXIII.  1. 

1       WOE  to  thee  that  spoilest  and  thou  wast  not  spoiled ; 

And  dealest  treacherously,  and  they  dealt  not  treacherously  with  thee ! 
When  thou  shalt  cease  to  spoil,  thou  shalt  be  spoiled  ; 

And  when  thou  shalt  make  an  end  to  deal  treacherously,  they  shall  deal   treacher- 
ously with  thee. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Tilt?  and  TJ13  conjoined  as  in  xxi.  2. The  primary 

meaning  of  "IJ3  is  "to  cover;"  hence  "|J3  "the  cover, 
garment."  Hence  the  secondary  meaning' of  perfidious, 
treacherous  doing  [like  the  secondary  meaning  of  the 
English  word  "to  cloak."— TR.]. On  the  inf. 


see  EWALD,  \  114  a,  GREEN,  \  141,  3. Sjn*733  stands  for 

nriSjri3,  comp.  iii.  8  ;  the  Dag.f.  In  the  3  is  because  of 
the  Masorets  assuming  a  synkope,  whereas,  properly, 
there  Is  an  elision. 


CHAP.  XXXIII.  2-6. 


351 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


The  season  of  preparation  for  withstanding  the 
Assyrian   foe,  that    Israel  has  spent  in  so  per- 
verse a  fashion,  is  past.     The  enemy  is  at  hand 
(comp.  ver.  7).     But  now,  too,  is  the  time  when 
God  will  fulfil  His  word  that  He  would  smite  the 
Assyrian  (xxx.   18  sqq.  ;  31  sqq. ;    xxxi.  8  sq.). 
Now,  therefore,  the  Prophet  turns  the  woe  against.j 
Assyria.      This    power,    hitherto     unconquered,  j 
will  be  overthrown  (ver.  1).     This  is  the  princi-  ' 
pal  thought  of  the  chapter,  which   the  Prophet 
puts  at  the  head  ver.  1,  as  a  theme.     But  as  a 
stone   thrown  into  the  water  makes  wave-lines 
that  extend  in  concentric  circles  wider  and  wider, 


so  the  Prophet  joins  on  to  this  primary  theme 
three  declarations  which,  enlarging  in  extent 
and  contents,  state  the  particulars  of  the  condi- 
tion, the  completion  and  consequence  of  that  act 
of  deliverance.  This  woe  follows  as  a  fifth  those 
of  xxviii.  1;  xxix.  1;  xxx.  1;  xxxi.  1.  But 
unlike  the  preceding,  which  are  directed  against 
Israel,  this  is  against  Assyria  (comp.  x.  1,  5). 
For,  according  to  the  contents  of  the  chapter, 
none  but  Assyria  can  be  the  desolater.  This  an- 
nouncement of  its  destruction  is  opposed  to  that 
audacious  presumption  that  regarded  itself  as  in- 
vincible (x.  5-14). 


2.    THE  PRAYER  OF  FAITH  QUICKLY  HEARD. 
CHAPTER  XXXIII.  2-6. 

2  O  LORD,  be  gracious  unto  us  ;  "we  have  waited  for  thee: 
Be  thou  their  arm  every  morning, 

Our  salvation  also  in  the  time  of  trouble. 

3  At  the  noise  of  the  tumult  the  people  bfled  ; 

At  the  lifting  up  of  thyself  the  nations  "were  scattered. 

4  And  your  spoil  shall  be  gathered  like  the  gathering  of  the  caterpillar ; 
As  the  running  to  and  fro  of  the  locusts  shall  he  run  upon  them. 

5  The  LORD  is  exalted  ;  for  he  dwelleth  on  high : 

He  dhath  filled  Zion  with  judgment  and  righteousness. 

6  And  wisdom  and  knowledge  shall  be  the  stability  of  the  times, 
And  strength  of  'salvation  : 

The  fear  of  the  LORD  is  his  "treasure. 


1  Heb.  Salvations. 
•  we  wait. 


flee. 


i  fills. 


•  treasure-home. 


Ver.  2.  1J3H  comp.  Ps.  cxxiii.  3;  Ivii.  2;  li.  3,  etc. — 
Hip  often  in  the  Pss.,  mostly  with  the  Accusat.    With 
VVeferrine;  to  God  it  occurs  only  Ps.  cxix.  95,  compare 
Ps.  Ixix.  21.    But  Isaiah  often  construes  the  word  thus : 
viii.  17;  xxv.  9;  Ix.  9. 

Ver.  3.  Uf33  is  from  1'33  (Niph.  of  VX3)  inflected  like 

:IT  I   -T  '  -T 

the  Knl.  V£JJ,  perhaps  because  V¥3  does  not  occur  ex- 
cept in  this  and  in  two  analogous  Niphal  forms  (Gen.  ix. 
19;  ISam.xiii.ll). 

Ver.  4.  ripjt  may  not  be  taken  passively  (with  OP- 
pEi,rns,  DoEDEni.EiN,  DRECHRtEK,  etc.),  as  appears  from  the 
image  itself,  and  from  O^J  (»«••  *CY-  comp.  3Y]  Nah.  iii. 
17;  *il  Amos  vii.  1,  certainly  a  name  of  the  locust,  al- 
though of  uncertain  derivation  and  meaning.  Comp. 
HEKZ.  R.  Enc,,  VI.  p.  70).  This  latter  word  is  expressly 

active. On  rjpfc  r\DK  comp.  xxiv.  22.    fjpfc  is  here  as 

xxxil.  10  a  noun  (Mic.  vii.  1).  As  to  construction,  it  is 
to  be  regarded  as  in  the  acc.modalis. TOPI  only  here 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

in  Isaiah ;  see  Joel  i.  4;  H.  25. pp$  (xxix.  8)  used  in 

the  same  sense  Joel  ii.  9. pB^O,  "  descursltatio,'"  air. 

I    T     - 


A«y. 13  refers  to  the  camp,  not  before  named,  yet  ide- 
ally present. 

Ver.  5.  3Jtja  ii.  11,  17;  xii.  4. DT10  p$  again 

only  Ivii.  15;  comp.  xxxiii.16. tfbp  Piel,  again  xxiii. 

2;  lxv.11,20. 

Ver.  6.  The  Plural  D'Atf  occurs  principally  in  later 
books ;  still  also  Job  xxiv.  1.  Only  here  in  Isa. :  comp. 

Ps.  xxxi.  16. yr\#  njinN  is  predicate,  the  following 

substantives  to  fljH  are  subject. JOf!  "  opes,  thesau- 
rus," only  here  in  Isaiah  comp.  Prov.  xv.  6 ;  xxvil.  24  ; 

Jer.  xx.  5 ;  Ezek.  xxii.  25. J1JW;  *xvi. 18.  elsewhere 

only  in  the  Pss,  xviii.  61 ;  xxviil.  8 ;  xlii.  6,  12;  xliii.  6, 

etc. The  suffix  in  n¥1N  relates  to  the  same  subject  as 

the  suffix  in  ^nj!-  Interchange  of  person  often  occurs 
in  Isaiah,  but  it  Is  not  always  so  easily  traced  to  its  mo- 
tive as  in  ver.  2.  See  below  in  Excget.  and  Crit. 


352 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  first  wave-circle  !  In  grand,  rapid  flight 
the  Prophet's  gaze  hastens  through  three  stages : 
he  shows  what  must  precede  the  overthrow  of 
Assyria,  then  this  itself,  then  its  contrast  in  the 
remote  future.  For  having  by  a  prayer  intimated 
that  believing  trust  in  Jehovah  is  the  condition 
of  salvation   (ver.  2),  he  describes  the  immedi- 
ately consequent  overthrow  of  Assyria  (vers.  3, 
4).     But  on  this  present  earthly  salvation  follows 
for  the  Prophet  at  once  the  Messianic  future  with 
its  blessings,  of  which  the  deliverance  from  As- 
syria is  a  type. 

2.  O  LORD His  treasure.— -Vers.  2-6. 

This  short  prayer,  that  unexpectedly  interrupts 
the  prophecy,  is  assuredly  not  an    involuntary 
sigh,  but  it    occupies  a  place  in  the   discourse 
chosen  with  deliberation.     The  Prophet  intends 
two  things  by  it.     First  he  would  present  to  the 
people  what  they  must  do  on  their  part  to  obtain 
deliverance.     They  must  believe  and  confide  in 
the  LORD,   according  to  the  words  "  if  ye  will 
not  believe,  surely  ye  shall  not  be  established  " 
(vii.  _9),  and  "  he  that  believes  will  not  yield  " 
(xxviii.  16.).     But  as  the  Prophet  gives,  not  a 
warning  to  pray  merely,  but  an  example  of  it, 
and  himself  intercedes,  he  gives  on  the  one  hand 
an  example  to  men,  and  on  the  other  hand  a 
proof  to  God  that  there  are  still  righteous  men  in 
Israel  (com p.  Gen.  xviii.  24  sqq.)   that  love  the 
psople  and  trust  in  God.     A  people  from  which 
issues  such  prayer    is   no  dead   heap  of  ashes. 
There  is  a  glow  in  them  that  can  be  kindled  up 
again  (xlii.  3).  The  prayer  has  the  form  of  those 
in  the  Pss.  (comp.  xii.). 

The  (suffix  of  the)  third  person  in  DJHT  ''their 
arm,"  that  occurs  in  such  harsh  dissonance  with 
(the  suffixes  of)  the  first  person  preceding  and 
following,  is  to  be  explained,  it  seems  to  me, 
by  the  word  .p?  "arm"  itself.  The  Prophet 
means  here  those  called  to  protect  city  and  state 
with  the  power  of  their  arm.  He  and  many 
others  do  what  they  can  with  heart,  and  head 
and  otherwise.  But  when  it  concerns  defence 
against  an  outward  enemy,  then  those  that  serve 
with  the  arm  are  very  important.  Therefore  the 
prayer  that  the  LORD  Himself  might  be  the  arm 
of  those  who  have  devoted  their  arm  to  the 
country.  Comp.  Ps.  Ixxxiii.  9 ;  Ixxxix.  11,  22, 

etc.  Dnp37comp.  Ps.  Ixxiii.  14;  ci.  8.  *]«  comp. 
xxvi.  9 ;  Ps.  xvi.  6 ;  xviii.  49,  etc.  Also  HyiE^ 
is  very  frequent  in  the  Pss.:  Ixviii.  20 ;  xxxv.  3; 
Ixii.  2,  etc.  mY  n^3  see  Ps.xxxvii.  39:  comp. 
Ps.  xx.  2  ;  1.  15. 

In  vers.  3,  4  is  announced  the  hearing  of  the 
prayer.  In  very  drastic  form,  but,  with  all  its 
brevity,  still  vivid,  the  flight  of  the  AssyrLsn 
and  the  plundering  of  their  camp  are  depicted. 
The  enemy  hear  a  loud  tumult  like  the  onset  of 
an  army.  But  it  is  no  human  army  :  for,  as  ap- 
pears from  1  non-ID  and  from  xxix.  6  ;  xxx.  30 
sq.,  the  LORD  effects  that  noise.  He  brings  about 
a  panic  among  them  by  letting  them  hear  a 
tumult  that  has  no  actual  existence  (comp.  Ps. 
liii.  0;  Exod.  xiv.  24  sq. ;  xv.  16  ;  Judg.  iv.  15  • 
vii.  22  ;  1  Sam.  vii.  10).  The  fleeing  nations  are 
of  course  those  of  Assyria.  The  LORD  arises 
(comp.  ver.  10;  xxx.  18;  Ps.  xxi.  14;  xlvi.  11, 


etc.),  to  smite  the  enemy.  The  expression  is  an- 
thropomorphic, he,  so  to  speak,  raises  himself 
high  aloft.  In  ver.  4  the  Prophet  addresses  the 
Assyrian.  He  sees  the  Israelites  plundering  his 
camp,  gathering  the  spoil  with  a  celerity  like 
locusts  clearing  off  a  field.  Seeing  in  this  coming 
victory  a  type  of  the  final,  crowning  triumph  of 
•Jehovah  over  the  world-power,  he  contemplates 
this  glory  in  ver.  5,  chiefly  from  its  inner  side. 
He  would  intimate  that  the  treasures  of  salva- 
tion, that  Israel  will  then  acquire,  will,  because 
of  a  spiritual  sort,  be  more  glorious  than  the 
goods  found  in  the  Assyrian  camp  (comp.  ver. 
23;  xxxvii.  36,  comp.  2  Kings  vii.  16).  On  ac- 
count of  this  typical  relation,  the  two  periods  are 
treated  as  a  connected  whole,  without  regard  to 
their  temporal  disconnection.  In  this  the  Prophet 
does  not  contradict  what  he  had  said  xxxii.  15  of 
the  continuance  of  the  desolation  till  the  initia- 
tion of  the  great  regeneration  of  the  last  time. 
For  that  period  of  the  desolation  falls  precisely 
in  the  period  that  the  Prophet  over-leaps  from 
the  stand-point  of  his  manner  of  regarding  the 
matter.  He  thus  sees  the  LORD  elevated  on  high 
and  withdrawn  from  every  hostile  attack  because 
enthroned  on  high.  From  this  height  the  LORD 
fills  Zion  with  right  and  righteousness,  which 
plainly  recalls  xxxii.  15,  16.  Likewise  ver.  6 
recalls  xxxii.  17  ;  the  very  beginning  with  rpm 
coincides.  But  "  the  stability  of  thy  times  "  cor- 
responds to  what  in  xxxii.  17  sq.,  is  called 
"peace,  assurance,  sure  dwelling,  quiet  resting 
place."  Thus  we  must  give  lUlDX  here  the 
meaning  "  security,"  a  condition  that  guarantees 
peace,  tranquility,  confidence  (ver.  16).  When 
the  times  are  such  that  there  is  no  disturbance 
of  the  public  welfare  apprehended,  then  they 
have  the  quality  of  HJ13X,  then  one  may  speak 
of  an  D'fU?  ruiOX.  But  of  course  HJIDN  occurs 
only  here  in  this  sense  (comp.  |<3W  ver.  16). 
As  in  xxxii.  16  the  security  appears  as  the  fruit 
of  moral  inworkings,  so  here  also.  Fulness  of 
salvations,  wisdom  and  knowledge  shall 
be  the  stability,  etc.  As  in  the  familiar  de- 
claration ('empire  c'est  la  paix  the  copula  has  a 
tropical  sense,  so  here  there  is  the  trope  of  the 
metonymy,  since  two  things  that  actually  stand 
related  as  cause  and  effect  are,  apparently,  identi- 
fied in  expression.  Thus  the  security  of  those 
times  is  the  effect  of  the  treasure,  the' wealth  in 
treasures  of  salvation.  It  will  not  rest  on  subjec- 
tive human  possessions,  as  the  women  at  ease 
(xxxii.  9)  suppose,  but  upon  objective,  God-given 
treasures  of  salvation.  The  kind  is  declared  in 
what  follows,  viz. :  inward,  spiritual  goods:  wis- 
dom and  knowledge  (on  these  notions  comp.  xi. 
2).  "The  fear  of  the  LORD"  is  named  last,  al- 
though it  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom  (Prov.  i.  7). 
But  it  seems  to  me  the  Prophet  would  distinguish 
between  "I¥1X  and  fpn.  The  fear  of  the  LORD 
is  the  treasure-Aowse  pXlK  as  e.  g.  Joel  i.  17 ;  2 
Chr.  xi.  11,  etc.,  =  1S1KH  JV3  Jer.  1.  25,  etc.}, 

T        T 

that  hides  that  treasure  in  itself.  Our  passage 
recalls  xi.  2  in  many  ways :  also  in  this  that, 
rightly  counted,  seven  spiritual  goods  are  named : 
1)  judgment,  2)  righteousness,  3)  security,  4) 
riches  of  salvations,  5)  wisdom,  6)  knowledge,  7) 
the  fear  of  the  LORD. 


CHAP.  XXXIII.  7-12. 


353 


3.    WHEEE  NEED  IS  GREATEST  HELP  IS  NEAREST. 
CHAPTER  XXXIII.  7-12. 

7  Behold,  their  Valiant  ones  shall  cry  without : 
The  ambassadors  of  peace  shall  weep  bitterly. 

8  The  highways  lie  waste, 
The  wayfaring  man  ceaseth  : 

He  hath  broken  the  covenant,  he  hath  despised  the  cities, 
He  regardeth  no  man. 

9  The  earth  mourneth  and  languisheth : 
Lebanon  is  ashamed  and  2hewn  down  : 
Sharon  is  like  a  wilderness  ; 

And  Bashan  and  Carmel  shake  off  their  fruits. 

10  Now  will  I  rise,  saith  the  LORD; 
Now  will  I  be  exalted  ; 

Now  will  I  lift  up  myself. 

11  Ye  shall  conceive  chaff,  ye  shall  bring  forth  stubble: 
Your  breath,  as  fire,  shall  devour  you. 

12  And  the  people  shall  be  as  the  burnings  of  lime : 
As  thorns  cut  up  shall  they  be  burned  in  the  fire. 


1  Or,  messengers. 

TEXTUAL    AND 

Ver.  7.  The  LXX.have  somehow  derived  D7X1X  from 

NT  ''  to  be  afraid,"  for  they  translate  :  "  IP  TW  ^o/Sco  vpuv 

••T 
avrol  $o$i)QriaovTa.i.."  The  other  ancient  versions  refer  the 

word  to  i~l»O.  Thus  the  VULG.  ecce  videntcs  damabuntforis. 
SYMSI.  and  THEOD.  "o$#ijcro,u.a<.  airois  "  AQUILA  :  6pa0/jo-o/iai. 
It  appears  that  they  read  DvX^X  as  if  it  were  D7X"1X 
(syncopated  from  D7"lS  DXIX,  like  03^*3  from' HO 

I  V  T  V  T  •'  V  T  ~ 

DD7).    Similarly  the  Chald.  and  Syr.  (comp.  GESEN.  in 

V  T 

toe.).  But  these  derivations  and  explanations  are  un- 
grammatical  and  do  not  suit  the  context.  In  2  Sam. 
xxiii.  30  Vx^TX  seems  to  serve  as  designation  for  he- 
roes, and  in  fact  as  nom.  propr.  though  still  retaining  its 
fundamental  appellative  meaning,  since  it  reads  there 

7X'~lX  n3K/  and  not  D"'7X''"1X  or  IN  ""^X.  But  from 
7X''1X  may  be  derived  either  7X"1X  (like  1J3X»from 
"IJ^X  1  Sam.  xiv.  50),  and  this  form  underlies  the  pa- 
tronymic ""  /XIX  (Gen.  xlvi.  1G ;  Num.  xxvi.  17) ;  or  7X"IX 
like  e.  g.,  nD^X  (1  Chr.  vi.  8,  22)  from  cpX'2X  (Exo'd. 
vi.  24),  1JT3X  from  "in"1  ''DX  (1  Sam.  xxil.  20  sq.,  etc.). 

i       T  T  :  '.'  T  T       •  ~: 

From  7JOX  comes  our  present  word.  7X'>"1X="  God's 
lion,"  t.  e.,  hero,  a  designation  that  occurs  also  in  the 
Arabic  and  Persian  (oomp.  asadallah  and  schir-ckoda. 
BOCHART  JTicroz.  II.,  p.  7,  ed.  ROSENMUELT.ER,  and  GESEN. 
Thes.,  p.  147).  But  this  does  not  explain  the  daghesh 
forte  in  the  7.  I  would  side  with  those  that  read 


J  Or,  withered  away. 
GRAMMATICAL. 

D^fcOX  or  D^NIX  or  oSjOX,  as  eight  codices  actu- 
ally have  D'SaOX  '  Taking  'oSipX  as  the  mean  be- 
tween the  Masoretic  reading  and  what  is  otherwise  de- 
manded, we  must  in  addition  construe  it  as  collective 

(Hire  Heldenschaft). ID  (corup.  v.  20 ;  xxxviii.  15,  17) 

is  as  accusative  to  be  regarded  as  dependent  on  frD^  : 
"they  weep  bitterness,"  i.  e.,  bitter  tears  (comp.  Zeph.  i. 
14).— The  form  p'331'  occurs  again  only  Job  xxxi.  38; 
comp.  Isa.  xxi.  12;  xxxi.  3. 

Ver.  8.  DXO  with  following  accusative  Job  ix.   21; 

-  T 
with  3,  Judg.  ix.  38  ;  Job  xix.  18.     Comp.  Ps.  Ixxxix.  39, 

where  DKD  is  used  in  the  same  sense  as  |"UT. 

-|T  — T 

Ver.  9.  73N  in  the  masculine  as  a  prepositive  and 

~  T 

remote  predicate.  Comp.  xxiv.  4,  7;  ^xvi.  8  ;  xix.  8. — 
"VDnn,  direct  causative  Hi<p\ii\=pudorcm  producit,  liv. 
4. — 7lon  only  again  xix. 6.  Pattahh  in  pause,  GE.  ?  G5o. 

Ver.  10.  D*D'nX  stands  for  DOi^N,  see  GREEN'S  Gr., 
I  82, 5  a. 

Ver.  11.  n~in  with  the  accusative  of  fulness:  comp. 

hx.  4;  Ps.  vii.  15. t^c/n  see  v.  24. J^p  see  v.  24; 

xli.  2;  xlvii.  14. 

Ver.  12.  D'i'lp  comp.  onxxxii.  13. HD3  is  desecare, 

abscindere:  the  word  only  here  in  Isaiah.  Comp.  Ps. 

Ixxx.  17. ^Fiy,  comp.  ix.  17;  Jer.  xli.  58;  xlix.  2, 

QUEEN'S  Gram.,  §  24,  c,  149, 1. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  second  wave-circle.  It  is  broader  as  to 
extent  than  the  foregoing,  but  as  regards  intensity 
it  is  narrower.  For  it  issues  from  the  same  point 
as  the  first,  but  extends  only  to  the  eve  of  the 
saving  act.  The  distress  occasioned  by  the  hostile 
Assyrian  is  portrayed  concretely  and  visibly,  and 
23 


just  as  visibly  then  do  we  see  the  LORD,  as  it 
were  proVoked  by  the  intolerable  distress,  come 
to  the  rescue.  A  respectable  embassy  that  Heze- 
kiah  had  sent  with  a  ransom  had  returned  without 
accomplishing  anything  (ver.  7).  They  could 
only  say  that  the  Assyrian  had  indeed  accepted 


354 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  ransom,  but  spite  of  that  ravaged  the  land 
(vers.  8-9).  This  is  the  overweening  1J3  spoken 
of  in  ver.  1.  Then  Jehovah  declares  that  now 
He  will  arise  against  the  enemy  (ver.  10).  He 
threatens  them  that  their  plan  shall  come  to 
naught,  yea  that  it  shall  turn  to  their  own  de- 
struction (ver.  11),  and  that  they  shall  burn  up 
like  limestone,  yea  like  dry  brushwood  (ver.  12). 

2.  Behold  their  valiant  ones burned 

with  fire.— Vers.  7-12.  By  lp>»¥  and  fl'DS" 
the  Prophet  intends  to  express  contrasts.  Heroes 
raise  a  loud  cry  of  lament ;  messengers  of  peace, 
that  should  bring  and  feel  joy,  weep.  Almost 
all  commentators  agree  that  the  Prophet  means 
by  these  heroes  and  messengers  of  peace  the  am- 
bassadors that  Hezekiah  sent  to  the  Assyrian 
king  to  Lacish  (2  Kings  xviii.  14).  They  were 
to  purchase  the  withdrawal  of  the  Assyrians  at 
the  cost  of  subjection  and  a  heavy  ransom.  Both 
were  accepted.  But  after  the  prodigious  sum  of 
300  talents  in  silver  and  30  talents  in  gold  was 
paid,  the  Assyrians  still  would  not  retire,  but  de- 
manded beside  the  surrender  of  the  capital. 
The  ambassadors  came  back  with  this  sad  news, 
that  was  afterwards  confirmed  by  the  message  of 
Rabshakeh,  and  with  news  of  all  the  ruin  that 
the  Assyrians  had  wrought  in  the  land.  In 
verses  8,  9  they  give  information  of  the  condition 
of  the  land  as  they  had  found  it  in  consequence 
of  these  desolations.  The  roads  lay  desolate 
(comp.  Judg.  v.  20  ;)  passengers  along  them  had 
ceased  (Ps.  viii.  9;  Isa.  xxiii.  2;  Lam.  i.  12; 
ii.  15)  ;  there  was  no  commerce  over  them.  He, 
i.  e.,  the  king  of  Assyria  had  broken  covenant, 
in  that,  spite  of  the  ransom  he  had  accepted,  he 
still  did  not  retire,  but  made  further  demands. 
He  treated  the  cities  lightly,  that  is,  not  he  de- 
spised them,  but  he  captured  them  by  his  su- 
perior force  that  enabled  him  to  make  little  ac- 
count of  their  resistance.  The  words  contain  an 
intimation  of  the  capture  of  the  cities  of  Judah 
of  which  xxxvi.  1  ;  1  Kings  xviii.  13  ;  2  Chr. 
xxxii.  1,  speak.  Moreover  he  does  not  regard 


man ;  i.  e.,  he  sacrifices  human  life  unsparingly 
(comp.  ii.  22  ;  xiii.  17). 

To  this  point  the  discourse  is  prose.  Now  it 
becomes  poetrv.  For  ver.  9  the  Prophet  personi- 
fies things  of  nature.  The  general  notion  earth 
is  specified  by  naming  the  particular  parts  dis- 
tinguished by  their  vegetation.  First  Lebanon, 
to  the  north  of  the  Holy  Land,  is  named.  It  is 
ashamed,  withered.  Sharon,  rich  in  flowers,  the 
plain  between  Csesarea  and  Joppa,  has  become 
like  a  steppe  (Ixv.  10).  The  two  fruitful  eleva- 
tions east  and  west,  Bashan  and  Carmel,  espe- 
cially noted  for  their  forests  (ii.  13)  autumnlike 
shake  off  their  leaves  (lii.  2,  comp.  Exod.  xiv. 
27;  Ps.  cxxxvi.  15).  The  sad  news  of  the  em- 
bassy is  at  an  end.  It  bows  the  hearts  of  the 
Israelites  down  deep,  but  for  the  LORD  it  is  the 
signal  that  now  has  come  the  moment  to  inter- 
fere. But  with  Him  the  interference  is  bitter 
earnest.  This  appears  in  the  three-membered 
sentence  with  its  thrice  repeated  self-summons, 
ver.  10.  The  LORD  announces  to  the  Assyrians 
the  vanity  of  their  purpose,  yea  its  ruin  to  them- 
selves. "  Ye  shall  conceive  hay,"  i.  e.,  your 
plans  shall  be  like  hay ;  not  fresh,  full  of  lite, 
but  utterly  dry,  without  strength  or  sap ;  and 
hence  when  they  come  to  the  light  they  shall 
prove  to  be  dry,  dead  stubble.  That  they  shall 
prove  their  own  destruction  the  Prophet  ex- 
presses by  saying :  your  puffing  (comp.  xlv.  4 ; 
xxx.  28)  shall  be  a  fire  to  devour  you  (i.  31 ;  ix. 
17).  This  is  characterized  by  a  two-fold  image 
(ver.  12).  The  first  is  burning  lime.  Water 
poured  on  lime  causes  it  to  sink  away  without 
flame  (comp.  Jer.  xxxiv.  5 ;  Deut.  xxvii.  2,  4 ; 
Amos  ii.  1).  But  thorns  burn  with  a  bright 
flame,  a  loud  crackling  and  much  smoke.  It 
seems  to  me  the  Prophet  would  say  that,  in  the 
overthrow  of  the  Assyrians,  many  nations  would 
disappear  in  the  great  conflagration  unnoticed 
and  leaving  no  trace,  whereas  the  fall  of  others 
(he  means,  doubtless,  Ihe  greater  and  better 
known)  will  make  the  world  wonder  at  the 
grand  spectacle  they  present. 


4.    THE    ALARM  OF  SINNERS ;  THE^COMFORT  OF  THE  PIOUS. 
CHAPTER  XXXIII.  13-22. 

13  Hear,  ye  that  are  far  off,  what  I  have  done  ; 
And,  ye  that  are  near,  acknowledge  my  might. 

14  The  sinners  in  Zion  are  afraid  ; 
Tearfulness  hath  surprised  the  ahypocrites. 

Who  among  us  shall  dwell  with  the  devouring  fire  ? 
Who  among  us  shall  dwell  with  everlasting  burnings? 

15  He  that  walketh  Righteously,  and  speaketh  "uprightly 
He  that  despiseth  the  gain  of  Oppressions, 

That  shaketh  his  hands  from  holding  of  bribes, 
That  stoppeth  his  ears  from  hearing  of  4blood, 
And  shutteth  his  eyes  from  seeing  evil ; 

16  He  shall  dwell  on  5high  : 

His  place  of  defence  shall  be  the  munitions  of  rocks : 
"Bread  shall  be  given  him  ; 
His  waters  shall  be  sure. 


CHAP.  XXXIII.  13-22. 


355 


17  Thine  eyes  shall  see  the  king  in  his  beauty  : 
They  shall  behold  cthe  land  "that  is  very  far  off. 

18  Thine  heart  shall  meditate  terror. 

Where  is  the  scribe '(  where  is  the  Receiver  ? 
Where  is  dhe  that  counted  the  towers  ? 

19  Thou  shalt  not  see  ca  tierce  people, 

A  people  of  deeper  speech  than  thou  canst  perceive  : 
Of  a  "stammering  tongue,  that  thou  canst  not  understand. 

20  Look  upon  Zioii,  the  city  of  our  solemnities  : 
Thine  eyes  shall  see  Jerusalem  a  quiet  habitation, 
A  tabernacle  that  fshall  not  be  taken  down  ; 

Not  one  of  the  stakes  thereof  shall  ever  be  removed, 
Neither  shall  any  of  the  cords  thereof  be  broken. 

21  But  there  the  glorious  LORD  will  be  unto  us 
gA  place  9of  broad  rivers  and  streams  ; 
Wherein  shall  go  no  galley  with  oars, 
Neither  shall  gallant  ship  pass  thereby. 

22  For  the  LORD  is  our  judge,  the  LORD  is  our  "lawgiver, 
The  LORD  is  our  king  ;  he  will  save  us. 


1  Heb.  tTi  righteousness. 
*  Hob.  Moods. 
1  Ileb.  weiyhcr. 
10  Hob.  staiutcmaker. 

»  unclean. 

d  the  inscribcr  of  the  forcers. 

t  A  placa  of  streams,  of  rivers  oroad  on  either  side. 


2  Hob.  uprightness. 

6  Hob.  heights,  or,  high  places. 

8  Or,  ridiculous. 


b  His  bread. 
*  the  audacious. 


3  Or,  deceits. 

8  Heb.  of  far  distances. 

9  Heb.  broad  spaces,  or  hands. 


c  a  wide  extended  land. 
{  that  does  not  wander. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Vcr.  14.  rn>'1  on'y  here  in  Isaiah.  Comp.  Ps.  ii.  11 ; 
xlviii.7;  Jobiv.  14. — V,J  with  accus.  foe.  comp.  Judg.  v.  17 ; 
Ps.  v.  5;  cxx.  5.  Elsewhere  Isaiah  construes  *11j  with 
prepositions;  xi.  6;  xvi.  4;  liv.  15. ly)  is  the  so- 
called  daticus  ethicus.  Though  elsewhere  this  dative  re- 
fers to  the  actual  subject  (oomp.  Gen.  xxi.  16;  xxxi.  41; 
Isa.  ii.  22 ;  xxxi.  8 ;  xxxvi.  9,  etc.),  according  to  which  it 
would  nsed  to  read  here  i1?  l^"1  ""D,  it  is  in  this  place 

T 

related  to  tho  ideal  subject,  i.  e.,  to  the  speakers,  who 
properly  affirm  of  themselves  this  inability  to  dwell 
with  Jehovah.  This  dative  everywhere  represents  a 
phrase  that  affirms  an  intensive  relation  to  the  interests 
of  the  speaker :  in  this  place  say :  who  will  dwell  (we  say 
this  in  relation  to  ourselves,  in  our  own  interest)  with 

devouring  fire,  etc.? HplD  again  only  Ps.  cii.  4. 

"NJ1  T3  is  the  beginning  of  Ps.  xv.  Moreoverthe  words 
<"tyO  HI  'X  "|SlD  ver.  lorecall  Ps.  xv.  2. 

Ver.  15.  The  plural  r\lp"1¥,  juste  facia  occurs  again  in 

Isa.  xlv.  21;  Ixiv.  5. D'^C^D  "QT  com  p.  Prov.  xxiii. 

1G;  tho  latter  word  again  in  Isa.  xxvi.  7;  xlv.  19. — 
JJX3  (comp,  Exod.  xviii.  21)  again  in  Isa.  Ivi.  11 ;  Ivii. 
17.    What  sort  of  y^2  is  meant  is  explained  by  the  nd- 
dition  JTlpi^yD  (oppressioncs,  again  only  Prov.  xxviii. 

16). "*yj  see  ver-  9- The  construction  with  |0  is 

eonstr.  prcerjnans.  For  the  preposition  depends  on  the 
notion  of  refraining  ideally  present  in  1j»  J,  "  to  shake." 

"Mntycomp.  Ps.  xv.  5;  Isa.  i.  23;  v.  23;  xlv.  13. 

"UTX  DtDX  with  following  JO  occurs  Prov.  xxi.  13,  comp. 

Prov.  xvii.  28. Q'DI  is  "bloodshed, murder,"  (comp. 

Exod.  xxii.  1 ;  Isa.  iv.  4). QYy  rhyming  with  DttX. 

we  find  hero  in  Kal.  with  the  same  meaning  that  it  has 

in  tho  Picl  xxix.  10. yi3  DK"!  "  to  look  on  evil  with 

pleasure." 

Ver.  16,  D^DOO,  plural,  in  Isaiah  only  here ;  comp. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Judg.  v.  18;   Prov.  viii.  2,  etc. jYnXO  as  st.  eonstr. 

r  : 

comp.  1  Sam.  xxiv.  1. 3,31^0,  "asylum"  "refuge," 

again  only  xxv.  12. 

Ver.  17.  The  2  pers.  masc.  suffix,  as  in  vers.  6  and  20, 
refers  to  the  nation  regarded  as  a  unit. 

Ver.  18.  run,  "to  think,  consider,  meditari"  (Josh.  i. 

T  T 

8 ;  Ps.  i.  2 ;  ii.  1,  etc. ;  Isa.  lix.  13)  may  relate  also  to  what 

is  past. m'N,  "terror,"  only  here  in  Isaiah. "13D 

T  .. 

again  xxxvi.  3;  xxxvii.  2. /P'^  as  substantive  only 

here  in  Isaiah  ;  the  verb  "  to  weigh  out "  money  xlvi.  0 ; 
Iv.  2. 

Ver.  19.  The  two  halves  of  this  verse  contain  the  anti- 
thesis of  seeing  and  hearing.  This  proves  that  the  ex- 
planation of  TJ/'IJ  =  tyi?  barbare  loqucns  (Ps.  cxiv.  1)> 
does  not  agree  with  the  context.  That  tylj  moans 
"  mute  beckoning  "  according  to  tho  Arab,  wa'asa  (IIiT- 
ZIG)  is  disproved  by  GESEN.  Thes.  p.  607  sq.  There  re- 
mains thus  the  explanation  that  takes  fjjij  as  part. 
Niph.  from  Tlv  =  TTV  (comp.  OfT  and  DOH,  J^D11  and 

-T  -T  -T  -    T  -T 

Bteft)i  p"V  and  pp~0  and  that  with  the  meaning  "  hard, 
audacious,  overweening  conduct "  (SYMM.  ayaiSifc,  VULQ. 
impudens).  The  word,  moreover,  is  air.  Acy.,  and  for  this 
reason  it  may  be  possible  that  Isaiah  hints  at  some  As- 
syrian word  at  present  unknown  to  us. 
Ver.  20.  JJ»X  OJT.  A«y.,  Arab,  ta'ana  of  the  roaming  of 

the  nomads. 
Ver.  21.  Q'  O  corresponds  to  the  negations  of  ver. 

21. V"1K  in  Isaiah  again  only  x.  34. DELITZSCH  af- 
ter Luzzatto  has  proved  that  DlpO  is  not  to  be  taken  = 
loco,  "  instead."  The  suffixes  in  13  and  IJISj/'11  are  ma- 
nifestly to  be  referred  to  QlpO. O1^  "oar" 

(comp.  D'ltyO  Ezek.  xxvii.  29  and  DltS'p  Ezek.  xxvii.  6) 


So6 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


is  OTT.  Aey. '¥  contracted  from  '!¥,  cavum,  rotundum 

aliguid,  is  a  great  bellied-out  ship  (Num.  xxiv.  24 ;  Ezek. 
xxx.  9;  Ps.  cv.  41). 
Ver.  22.  Since  it  does  not  read  -UJTiyiD  (xliii.  3;  xlvii. 


15,  etc.),  I  would  accord  with  HITZIG,  who  takes  1J3  /!3, 


)  not  as  predicates  but  as  apposition 
with  HUT,  &o  that  IJJTijh  is  the  sole  predicate  of  the 
foregoing  three  subjects  which  are  comprehended  em- 
phatically in  the  HIM- 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Here  we  have  the  final  and.broadest  circuit 
of  waves  before  us.     According  to  vcr.    10,  Je- 
hovah was  about  to  arise  and  come  to  the  rescue. 
He  has  done  so.     The  rescue  is  accomplished  in 
an  astounding  fashion.     The  present  passage  be- 
longs to  time  after  the  rescue.     It  presupposes  it. 
For  it  contains  glances  into  the  future,  that  rest 
upon  that  deed  as  their  foundation.     First  the 
LORD  summons  those  far  and  near  to  give  proper 
attention  to  what  He  does  (ver.  13).     Then  the 
Prophet  describes  the    effect  of  what  has  been 
done  on  the  sinners  in  Jerusalem. .  They  are  ter- 
rified :  they  would  flee  the  neighborhood  of  this 
mighty  God,  for  they  are  ill-at-ease  in  it.    Hence 
they  ask :  who  can  abide  by  this  devouring  fire  ? 
(ver.  14).     To  this  is  replied :  this  fire  is  harm- 
less for  the  pious,  the  lovers  of  truth,  the  right- 
eous (ver.  15),  for  such  will  dwell  in  Jerusalem 
in  security  and  abundance   (ver.   16) ;  and  will 
gee  the  king  of  Israel  sitting  in  might  and  glory 
at  the  head  of  a  wide  empire  (ver.  17).     As  one 
thinks  of  something  that  has  disappeared  from 
memory,  so  shall  men  reflect  on  the  time  of  war's 
distress  (ver.  18),  and  of  the  terrific  presence  of 
the  barbaric  nation  in  the  land   (ver.   19).     Zion 
will  be  a  secure  fortress,  a  quiet,  abiding  place 
of  worship,  and  no  more  a  shifting  tabernacle  as 
in  the  time  of  the  journey  through  the  wilderness 
(ver.  20).     For  Jehovah  is  there  Himself  in  His 
majesty  ;    protecting  waters    surround  the  place 
(ver.  21),  and  the  LORD  Himself  as  judge,  law- 
giver and  king  is  the  deliverer  of  His  people 
(ver.  22). 

2.  Hear my  might — Ver.  13.    The  piece 

begins  with  the  cry  of  a  herald  that  makes  known 
to  the  whole  world  the  accomplished  mighty  act. 
For  the  perfect  TPfrX  without  doubt  designates 
the  act  of  rescue  as  accomplished,  which  verses 
1,  3,  10  held  in  prospect;  and  we  must  regard 

(as  often  in  the  Books  of  .Kings,  where 
and  iTJK  continually  stand  parallel :  1 
Kings  xv.  23;  xvi.  27;  xxii.  46,  etc.],  in  the  con- 
crete sense  a?  a  display  of  power,  and,  because  of 
TViyX,  as  already  come  to  pass.  But  the  herald's 
cry  would  intimate  that  an  event  of  vast  and 
wide  effect  has  happened,  of  concern  to  all  men, 
even  to  those  far  remote.  For  they  may  know 
from  this  who  is  the  true,  and  therefore  also  who 
is  their  God.  For  He  that  did  what  happened 
to  the  Assyrian  host  in  the  neighborhood  of  Jeru- 
salem in  Hezekiah's  time  must  be  God  over  all 
gods  (comp.  xxxvi.  18-20;  xxxvii.  10-13)  and 
LoRD_over  all  lords.  Those  near  are  plainly  the 
Israelites,  who  had  in  great  part  been  witnesses 
of  the  deed.  These  should  acknowledge  the  de- 
monstration of  the  LORD'S  power.  According  to 
their  inward  condition  they  should  draw  from  it 
comfort  or  warning. 

3.  The     sinners seeing     evil. — Vers. 

14-15.     The  Prophet  first  presents  that  mighty 
deed  as  a  warning  to  the  wicked.     Such  were  the 


idolaters  who  had  no  joy  in  a  proof  so  irrefraga- 
ble of  the  sole  power  and  divinity  of  Jehovah. 
Therefore  these  sinners  (i.  28;  xiii.  9)  and  the 
unclean  (ix.  16;  x.  6;  xxxii.  6 — there  lies  in  the 
word  a  hint  at  idolatry)  in  Zion  are  terrified. 
Devoid  of  the  right  knowledge  of  God,  because 
they  would  not,  not  because  they  could  not  have 
it,  the  nearness  of  this  almighty,  and  above  all 
of  this  holy  God  is  in  the  highest  degree  burden- 
some to  these  people.  Living  in  Jerusalem 
where  this  God  has  His  fire  and  His  furnace 
(xxxi.  9)  is  painful  to  them.  Hence  they  cry : 
•who  among  us,  etc.  It  is  manifest  that  by  the 
devouring  fire  they  mean  Jehovah.  By  the 
strages  Assyrlorum  He  had  proved  Himself  to  be 
such.  And  shall  they  ever  remain  near  this 
power  that  is  as  irresistibly  present  as  it  is  terri- 
ble? The  expression  is  taken  from  Deut.  iv.  24; 
ix.  3,  comp.  Isa.  xxix.  6 ;  xxx.  27,  30.  nplD  de- 
signates here  the  place  where  the  fire  burns, 
''  the  hearth."  By  calling  this  everlasting  they 
judge  themselves :  for  they  show  by  that  a  know- 
ledge, that  it  is  a  veritable  divine  fire,  that  burns 
there,  not  an  imaginary  one.  But  just  with  this 
they  will  have  nothing  to  do. 

The  Prophet  (ver.  15)  replies  to  their  inquiry, 
that  one  may  dwell  very  well  by  this  burning 
fire.  But  with  the  Holy  One,  one  must  live  holy. 
The  image  He  proceeds  to  draw  of  a  holy  life  is 
an  Old  Testament  one.  The  traits  of  it  are  chiefly 
taken  from  passages  in  the  Psalms  (see  Text,  and 
Gram.).  Shaking  the  hands,  (thus  refraining 
them)  from  taking  a  bribe,  is  a  strong  expression 
for  striving  to  keep  and  prove  the  integrity  of 
the  hands. 

4.  He  shall  dwell -will  save  us. — 

Vers.  16-22.  This  is  the  confirmation  that  one 
may  dwell  happily  with  the  devouring  fire.  For 
these  verses  show  what  blessings  they  shall  have 
who  live  agreeably  to  the  holy  being  of  God. 
And  since  there  shall  never  be  wanting  such  in 
Zion,  the  salvation  and  glory  of  Zion  is  assured 
for  all  time.  Thus  these  verses  contain  the  same 
thought  uttered  by  (he  Prophet  already  xxviii. 
16  sqq.  ;  xxix.  22  sqq. ;  xxx.  15,  19  sqq. ;  xxxi. 
6  sq. ;  xxxii.  1  sqq.,  15  sqq.,  that  Israel's  deliver- 
ance depends  on  an  upright  and  thorough  conver- 
sion to  the  LORD  ;  that  on  this  condition,  however, 
it  is  secure  forever.  pXJ  "  what  is  certain,  never 
deceives  expectation,  never  fails "  (comp.  ver. 
6;  Jer.  xv.  18  ;  Isa.  xxii.  23,  25).  As  happened 
vers.  5,  G,  so  here,  for  the  Prophet  the  salvation 
of  the  near  present  merges  into  one  with  the  great, 
final  Messianic  period.  And  so,  influenced  per- 
haps by  the  then  oppressed  look  of  the  king  of 
Judah,  he  contemplates  the  latter  beaming  with 
the  joy  of  victory,  and  at  the  same  time  as  the 
type  of  the  Messiah,  resplendent  in  the  suprcmest 
beauty  and  glory,  whose  beauty  the  author  of  Ps. 
xlv.  (vcr.  3)  had  also  seen  prefigured  in  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  bridegroom-king  whom  he  ccle- 


CHAP.  XXXIII.  23-24. 


357 


bratcd.  That  the  Prophet's  glance  penetrates  into 
the  Messianic  future  appears  from  the  expression 
the  land  that  is  very  far  off  (viii.  9  ;  Jer.  viii. 
19).  The  expression  is  too  strong  to  be  under- 
stood merely  of  free  motion  in  the  land  in  con- 
trast with  the  confining  siege,  or  of  the  normal 
extending  of  Israelitish  territory  according  to 
Deut.  i.  7  ;  xi.  24.  As  royal  pomp  and  beauty 
adorns  the  person  of  the  king,  so  immeasurable 
extent  does  his  land.  '0  j*^N  is  thus  not  a  far 
distant,  but  a  wide  extended  land.  It  is  the  same 
thought  that  meets  us  ii.  2  sqq.  ;  ix.  7  ;  xi.  10  ; 
xxv.  6  sqq. 

The  Prophet  in  vers.  18,  19  connects  his  glori- 
ous image  of  the  future  with  the  mournful  condi- 
tion of  the  present.  For  he  describes  it  as  a  chief 
blessing  of  that  future,  that  the  bad  things  of  the 
present  will  be  present  to  thoughtful  contempla- 
tion as  things  that  one  rejoices  to  have  overcome. 
Et  hoc  meminisse  juvabit.  In  his  graphic  way 
the  Prophet  gives  prominence  to  particular 
terrors  that  must  have  left  a  peculiarly  deep  im- 


pression. The  13  ,  "  writer,"  and  the 
''  weigher,"  before  whom  one  had  to  appear  and 
pay  tribute,  and  who  then  weighed  the  valuables 
received,  and  made  a  list  of  them,  were  certainly 
persons  of  terror  from  whose  mouths  they  had 
often  had  experience  of  the  Vaevictia  (Livy,  5, 
48).  ["  The  Apostle  Paul  in  1  Cor.  i.  20,  has  a 
sentence  so  much  like  this,  in  the  threefold  repe- 
tition of  the  question  where,  and  in  the  use  of  the 
word  scribe,  that  it  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  mere 
fortuitous  coincidence."  "  It  may  be  regarded 
as  a  mere  imitation,  as  to  form  and  diction,  of 
the  one  before  us."  —  J.  A.  ALEXANDER,  in  /oc.]. 
Again  it  must  have  made  a  terrible  impression, 
when  from  the  wnlls  they  saw  the  enemy  taking 
the  first  steps  toward  attacking  the  city  by  one 
of  the  leaders  riding  around  the  walls,  regarding 
the  towers,  counting  them  and  taking  notes  of  his 
observations  (comp.  Ps.  xlviii.  13).  What  hap- 
piness to  be  able  to  call  out  :  ''  where  are  they 
now  those  fearful  men?  They  have  disappeared 
forever  !"  What  felicity  to  be  quit  of  the  foreign, 
repulsive  appearance  of  this  enemy  ;  no  more,  to 
be  compelled  to  see  the  overweening  nation  ;  no 
more  to  hear  its  barbarous  sounds!  The  Israel- 
ites will  no  more  hear  ''  (he  nation  too  deep  of 
lip  to  be  understood"  and  "stammering  and  jab- 
bering with  the  tongue  (comp.  on  xxviii.  11  ; 
xxxvii.  22)  without  meaning." 

The  Prophet  having  enumerated  the  bad  things, 
now  directs  attention  to  the  good  that  is  to  be 


seen  in  and  about  Jerusalem.  He  first  describes 
Zion  as  the  religious  centre  of  the  nation.  There 
is  the  temple  ;  there  Jehovah  dwells  (comp.  on 
ver.  14)  ;  thither  the  people  assemble  to  worship 
the  LORD  and  keep  His  feasts.  Thus  He  calls 
the  city  irUMD  mp  (comp.  "1/10  "in  xiv.  13, 
comp.  i.  14).  That  he  intends  an  antithesis  to 


appears  from  ver.  15.  Israel  then  has 
no  more  a  tabenmde,  a  city  for  festival  gathering 
(of  the  people  with  one  another,  and  with  Je- 
hovah). As  such  Zion  must  be  especially  looked 
to.  And  if  one  looks  more  narrowly,  then  the 
meaning  of  this  designation  appears  to  be  that 
Jerusalem  will  be  a  secure,  quiet  abode  (xxxii. 
18),  of  course  still  a  tabernacle,  but  no  longer  so 
in  the  original,  nomadic  sense;  not  like  the 
travelling  tent  of  the  wilderness,  but  one  that 
does  not  move  about.  The  Prophet  signifies  that 
there  shall  happen  to  it  neither  a  voluntary  nor 
a  violent  breaking  up  of  the  tabernacle  (pA) 
means  a  violent  rending,  comp.  v.  27,  no!:  the 
usual  striking  of  a  tent).  This  permanent  taber- 
nacle shall  be  attended  with  a  glorious  rest  for 
the  people  of  God  in  the  future  that  is  described, 
that  shall  be  founded  on  the  presence  in  the 
midst  of  them  of  Jehovah,  the  highest  Majesty. 
The  LORD  is  called  a  place  of  rivers,  of  course 
in  a  figure.  In  all  this  figurative  description  lies 
the  notion  of  defence,  refuge.  Hence  "  a  place 
of  rivers"  may  as  appropriately  be  used  of  Je- 
hovah, as  "rock,  tower,  shield,  horn  of  salva- 
tion," (Ps.  xviii.  3).  But  commentators  are  right 
in  saying  that  the  Prophet  has  in  mind  cities  like 
Babylon,  Nineveh,  No-Ammon  (Nah.  iii.  8), 
that  were  defended  by  great  rivers  and  river 
canals.  The  present  Jerusalem  lacked  such  de- 
fences, but,  such  is  the  meaning,  Jehovah  Him- 
self will  be  river-defences.  D'lilJ  may  allude 
to  the  cities  of  Mesopotamia,  and  D'lN'  to  the 
similarly  located  cities  of  Egypt;  for  "in^H  ig 
egoxyv  the  Euphrates  (viii.  7  ;  xi.  15)  and 
the  Nile  (xix.  7,  8;  xxiii.  10).  Those 
streams  and  canals  that  recede  right  and  left,  and 
thus  are  very  broad,  are  called  D'T  '3m  (comp. 
Ps.  civ.  25  ;  Isa.  xxii.  ]  8  ;  Gen.  xxxiv.  21  ;  Judg. 
xviii.  10  ;  1  Chr.  iv.  10  ;  Neh.  viL  4).  Neither 
oared-ship,  nor  sail-ship  shall  be  able  to  pass 
these  mighty  waters.  The  Prophet  ends  with 
rhymes  that  make  the  conclusion  sound  like  a 
hymn.  Jehovah,  Israel's  judge  (ii.  4  ;  xi.  3,  4^, 
lawgiver  (comp.  Deut.  xxxiii.  21),  and  king,  u 
also  its  deliverer. 


Recapitulation  and  Conclusion. 

CHAP.  XXXIII.  23,  24. 

23  JThy  tacklings  are  loosed  ; 

"They  could  not  well  strengthen  their  mast, 
They  could  not  spread  the  bsail : 
Then  is  the  prey  of  a  great  spoil  divided  ; 
The  lame  take  the  prey. 

24  And  the  inhabitant  shall  not  say,  I  am  sick : 

The  people  that  dwell  therein  shall  be  forgiven  their  iniquity. 

1  Or,  They  have  forsaken  thy  tacklings. 
»  Then  hold  not  erect  their  mast. 


358 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


TEXTUAL    AND 

Ver.  23.  We  must  take  l$£3j  Niph.  as  -the  pas- 
sive of  the  notion  missum  facere,  "to  slacken"  (comp. 
Exod.xxiii.il;  Prov.  xvii.  14).  Expositors  take  |3  to 
mean  the  socket  in  which  the  mast  sets  in  the  bottom 
of  the  ship.  But  that  (the  icrTone&rj)  is  not  held  by  the 
cables.  And  when  VITRISOA  says  that  the  cables  malum 
sustinenteb  thecae  succurrunt,  that  is  even  not  DTP-  For 
this  word  denotes  adstringere,  flrmum  reddere,  and  can 
only  relate  directly  to  the  mast,  as  occurs  in  the  text. 
Hence  DF.ECHSLER  would  not  take  cables  but  the  seamen 
as  subject  of  IDTW  ;  in  which  case  the  negative  expres- 
sion appears  strange.  Hence  I  think  that  |2  here  is 
not  the  substantive,  but  the  adjective  derived  from  |^3, 
erectus  stetit,  which  means  rectus,  and  would  here  be 


GRAMMATICAL. 

taken  in  its  original  physical  sense,  though  everywhere 
else,  indeed,  it  is  used  in  a  spiritual  or  moral  sense  (un- 
less, perhaps,  1  Kings  vii.  29,  31  form  exceptions). 

The  suffix  in  DJ~VH  (comp.  xxx.  17)  is  also  proof  that  the 
cables  are  subject.  For  it  is  their  chief  aim  to  hold  tho 
mast  (comp.  GOLL,  Kulturbildcr  aus  Hellas  und  Rom.  II., 
p.  197).  This  may,  therefore,  be  called  their  mast.  The 
tangled  cables  hinder  the  unfurling  of  the  flag  (the  eiri- 
oTj/uoi'  or  itapacninov,  (comp.  Ezek.  xxvii.  7). "IJJ  do- 
noting  "booty"  occurs  again  only  Gen.  xlix.  27;  Zeph. 
iii.  8. 
Ver.  24.  Ver.  23  and  JD^  make  it  clear  that  H3  refers 

to  Jerusalem. J1J7  XISO  occurs  only  here;  but  comp. 

Ps.  xxxii.  1  and  Isa.  iii.  3;  ix.  14. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  We  regarded  ver.  22,  in  form  and  contents, 
as  a  conclusion  of  the  prophetic  perspective  that 
joins  on  to  the  act  of  deliverance  spoken  of  before 
ver.  13,  and  presupposes  it.  With  ver.  23  the 
Prophet  returns  into  the  immediate  present  dis- 
tress from  which  proceeds  the  entire  prophetic 
cycle  of  chaps,  xxviii. — xxxiii.  At  ver.  23  we 
stand  again  in  the  period  before  the  overthrow  of 
the  Assyrians.  With  few,  yet  vigorous  and  clear 
lines  the  Prophet  portrays,  in  the  first  three 
clauses  of  ver.  23,  the  present  distress,  using  an 
image  suggested  by  ver.  21.  He  compares  the 
kingdom  of  Judah  to  a  ship  whose  cables  hang 
loose  and  hold  neither  flag  nor  mast  [but  see 
comment  below].  For  then  (i.  e.,  in  the  great  mo- 
ment referred  to,  vers.  1  and  3,  whose  approach 
he  had  announced  as  immediate  ver.  10,  and  pre- 
supposes ver.  13  sqq.),  in  this  great  moment  great 
booty  is  distributed,  and  in  fact  plunder  is  so  easy 
that  the  lame  themselves  can  share  in  it  (ver.  23 
end).  Now  Israel  is  reinvigorated  to  a  healthy, 
strong  life.  It  has  in  that  deliverance  the  pledge 
that  God  has  forgiven  its  sin,  and  that  is  the 
pledge  of  all  salvation  (ver.  24).  Thus  the  pro- 
phecy concludes  with  a  brief  word  as  it  began. 
And  the  pith  of  it  is  the  same  fact  to  which  ver. 
1  refers  from  another  side. 

2.    Thy  taeklings iniquity. — Vers.  23, 

24.  Expositors  down  to  EWALD,  whom  DRECHS- 
LER  and  DELITZSCH  join  [so  also  BARNES,  J.  A. 
ALEXANDER,  BIRKS],  understand  the  image  of 
the  ship  to  refer  to  Assyria,  and  to  form  a  conti- 
nuation of  the  allegory  of  ver.  21 :  did  the  enemy 
succeed  in  crossing  those  trenches,  they  would  be 
wrecked,  and  Israel  would  divide  the  s'poil.  The 
following  considerations  conflict  with  this  view: 
1)  ver.  22  concludes  the  preceding  discourse;  2) 
according  to  ver.  21  the  hostile  ships  will  not 
cross  over  those  water  trenches ;  the  mention  of 
them  is  in  respect  only  of  plundering  and  de- 
struction ;  3)  the  description  of  ver.  23  does  not 
suit  a  vessel  disabled  in  conflict,  but  only  one 
badly  equipped  for  battles;  4)  what  is  said  of  the 
lame  plundering  implies  a  locality  that  such  can 
reach,  they  cannot  be  supposed  to  take  part  in  a 

sea-fight;  5)  the  feminine  suffix  in  yS^n  refers 
to  Zion.  because  Assyria  is  nowhere  else  made  fe- 
minine. For  in  the  sole  passage  quoted  in  proof 


that  it  is  (xxx.  32)  the  reading  is  doubtful,  and 
if  the  reading  i"l3  be  correct,  still  the  suffix  must 
refer  to  the  land  of  Assyria,  which  is  impossible 
in  our  text.  [The  Author  hardly  docs  justice  to 
the  view  he  controverts,  which,  as  put  by  J.  A. 
ALEXANDER,  in  loc.,  seems  more  natural  than  his 
own.  "There  is,  at  the  beginning  of  this  verse,  a 
sudden  apostrophe  to  the  enemy  considered  as  a 
ship.  It  was  said  (ver.  21)  that  no  vessel  should 
approach  the  holy  city.  But  now  the  Prophet 
seems  to  remember  that  one  had  done  so,  the 
proud  ship  Assyria.  But  what  was  its  fate  ?  He 
sees  it  dismantled  and  abandoned  to  its  enemies." 
-TR.] 

The  ship  of  the  Jewish  state  presents  a  desolate 
spectacle.  But  patience!  Then  (i.  e.,  in  the  mo- 
ment, that  is  partly  predicted,  partly  presupposed 
in  what  precedes),  spoil  will  be  divided,  which  im- 
plies complete  victory.  The  accumulation  of  words 

meaning  booty  (Tl?i  ifnft  T2)  denotes  the  rich 
abundance  of  it.  What  is  said  of  the  lame  inti- 
mates plainly  enough  that  the  field  of  plunder 
must  have  been  near  Jerusalem,  and  that  the 
enemy  had  fled.  For  only  then  could  such  reach 
the  camp  or  venture  into  it.  Manifestly  the  Pro- 
phet has  in  mind  the  same  fact  to  which  he  refers 
ver.  4  (2  Kings  xix.  35  sqq.;  Isa.  xxxvii.  36  sqq.). 
As  in  vers.  5,  6  the  spoiling  of  the  Assyrian  is 
made  the  pledge  of  all  other  displays  of  divine 
grace,  so,  too,  here.  The  nation  that  has  experi- 
enced such  salvation  from  God  may  comfort  it- 
self with  the  assurance  of  all  support  both  for  the 
body  (24  a)  [comp.  Jer.  xiv.  18]  and  for  the  soul 
(246).  Both  hang  closely  together  (comp.  Luke 
v.  20 sqq.).  But  forgiving  sin  is  the  chief  mat- 
ter :  for  sin  separates  God  and  man  ;  and  as  soon 
as  it  is  taken  away,  both  are  closely  united,  and 
the  way  is  opened  for  blessing  men  (comp.  vers. 
5,6). 

DOCTRINAL  AND  ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xxxiii.  1.  Per  quod  quis  pcccat,  per  idem 
punitur  el  ipse.    Jer.  xxx.  16 ;  comp.  Adonibezek, 
Judg.  i.  5 sqq.;  Matth.  vii.  2. 

2.  On  xxxiii.  10.  God  alone  knows  when  the 
proper  moment  has  come  for  Him  to  interpose. 
Till  then  He  waits — but  not  a  moment  longer. 
Till  then  it  is  our  part  to  wait  with  patience. 


CHAP.  XXXIII.  23-24. 


But  let  the  right  moment  come,  and  let  the  LORD 
once  say :  "  Now  will  I  rise,"  then  what  is  not  of 
God  falls  to  pieces,  then  the  nations  must  despair 
and  kingdoms  fall ;  the  earth  must  pass  awav 
when  He  lets  Himself  be  heard  (Pa.  xlvi.  7). 
Then  the  hidden  truth  of  things  becomes  mani- 
fest: what  appeared  strong  then  appears  weak, 
and  the  weak  strong,  that  the  LORD  alone  may  be 
high  at  that  time  (ii.  11 ;  v.  15). 

3.  Ver.  14.  Here  we  get  a  deep  insight  into  the 
obstinate  and  despairing  heart  of  man,  and  recog- 
nize why  it  will  not  endure  a  living  and  personal 
God.     As  Peter  said :  "  Depart  from  me,  for  I 
am  a  sinful  man,  O  Lord"  (Luke  v.  8),  so  they 
would  turn  the  living  God  out  of  the  world,  be- 
cause they  feel  themselves  to  be  sinful  men,  who 
cannot  renounce  their  sins,  because  they  will  not ; 
for  did  they  but  earnestly  will  to  do  so,  then  they 
could  also.     The  inmost  reason  of  all  practical 
and  theoretical  heathenism  is  the  feeling  of  the 
natural  man  that  he  and  the  holy  God  cannot  ex- 
ist side  by  side  in  the  world.     One  or  other  must 
yield.     Instead  of  adopting  the  way  and  means 
which  God  reveals,  by  which  from  natural  and 
sinful  men  we  may  become  holy  children  of  God, 
we  rather  deny  the  living  God  and    substitute 
either  demons  (1  Cor.  x.  20)  or  abstractions  for 
Him.     But  the  Prophet  here  awakens  the  presen- 
timent that  we  may  become  holy  children  of  God 
(ver.  15) ;  the  Son  of  God,  however,  in  the  new 
covenant  teaches  us  this  with   perfect  clearness 
(1  Pet.  ii.  9  sqq.). 

HOMILETICAL  HINTS. 

1.  Vers.  2-6.  Help  in  great  distress.   1)  On  what 


condition  (believing  prayer,  ver.  2) ;  2)  Its  ground 
a.  the  grace  of  God  (ver.  2 a);  6.  the  power  of 
God  (ver.  3  6,  v.  5  a)  /  3)  Its  two  sides,  in  that  it 
is  a.  corporal  (vers.  3,  4);  6.  spiritual  (vers.  5,  6). 

2.  [Ver.  5.  When  God's  enemies  and  ours  are 
overthrown,  both  He  and  we  are  glorified.     "  1. 
God  will  have  the  praise  of  it  (ver.  5  a)  /  2.  His 

E'ople  will  have  the  blessing  of  k  (ver.  5  6)." 
.  HENRY]. 

3.  Vers.  10-13.  The  Lords  acts  of  deliverance. 
1.  They  come  at  the  right  moment  (ver.  10).     2. 
They  are  thorough  in  their  effects  (vers.  11,  12). 
3.  They  teach  us  to  know  and  praise  God. 

4.  [Ver.  14.  "  1.  The  hypocrites  will  be  greatly 
alarmed  when  they  see  punishment  come  upon 
the  open  and  avowed   enemies  of  God.      2.  In 
such  times  they  will  have  none  of  the  peace  and 
quiet   confidence  which   His  true  friends   have. 
3.  Such  alarm  is  evidence  of  conscious  guilt  and 
hypocrisy.     4.  The  persons  here  spoken  of  had  a 
belief  in  the  doctrine  of  eternal  punishment— a 
belief  which  hypocrites  and  sinners  always  have, 
else  why  should  they  be  alarmed  ?     5.  The  pun- 
ishment of  hypocrites  in  the  church  will  be  dread- 
ful." A.  BARNES]. 

5.  [The  character  of  a  righteous  man  (ver.  15). 
The  reward  of  the  righteous  (ver.  16  sqq.).     See 
M.  HENRY  and  BARNES  in  loc. — TR.] 

6.  Vers.  20-22.   Comfort  for  the  church  in  adver- 
sity.    The  church  of  the  Lord  stands  fast.     For 
1.  It  is  the  last  and   highest  institution  of  God 
(ver.  20).     2.  The  Lord  Himself  is  mighty  in  it, 
a.  as  Judge,  b.  as  a  Master  (Teacher),  c.  as  King 
(vers.  21,  22). 


FOURTH  SUBDIVISION. 
THE   CONCLUSION   OF   PART   FIRST. 
CHAP.  XXXIV.— XXXV. 


Chapters  xxxiv.,  xxxv.  are  the  proper  conclu- 
sion of  the  first  part  of  Isaiah's  prophecies.  For 
chaps,  xxxvi. — xxxix.  are  only  an  historical  sup- 
plement, though  a  very  important  one.  Hence 
I  do  not  think  that  chaps,  xxxiv.,  xxxv.  are  only 
the  finale  of  chaps,  xxviii. — xxxiii.;  for  that  we 
have  already  found  in  chap  xxxiii.  Rather  chaps, 
xxxiv.,  xxxv.  form  a  conclusion  of  the  first  half 
of  the  book  that  sums  up  and  finishes  the  an- 
nouncements of  judgment  and  salvation  of  the  first 
part,  and  prepares  for  and  introduces  those  of  part 
second.  For  we  notice  already  in  these  chapters 
the  language  of  xl. — Ixvi.  First  of  all  the  Pro- 
phet carries  us  in  chap,  xxxiv.  to  the  end  of  days. 
As  if  to  make  an  end  corresponding  to  (lie  begin- 
ning, i.  2,  he  summons  tho  earth  and  nil  its  in- 
habitants to  notice  the  announcement  of  the  final 
judgment  that  is  to  comprehend  heaven  and  earth 
(xxxiv.  1—4).  But  he  is  not  in  condition  to  rep- 
resent the  how  of  the  world's  destruction.  As  re- 
marked in  the  introduction  to  xxiv. — xxvii.,  he 
can  only  paint  that  remote  judgment  in  colors  of 
the  present.  He  gives  at  once  a  vivid  and  an 
agreeable  picture  of  it  by  representing  it  as  a 
judgment  against  Edom.  For  the  negative  base 


of  Israel's  hope  of  salvation  is  that  its  enemies 
shall  be  destroyed.  That  the  Prophet  means  here 
to  conclude  all  announcement  of  judgment  against 
their  enemies  appears  from  the  demand  of  ver. 
16  that  they  shall  search  "the  book  of  the  LORD," 
and  compare  the  prediction  there  with  the  fulfil- 
ment. We  shall  try  to  show  that  this  appeal  to 
"the  book  of  the  LORD"  implies  the  entire  fore- 
going book. 

In  chap.  xxxv.  the  Prophet  presents  the  other 
side  of  the  judgment  of  the  world,  viz.,  the  final 
redemption  of  Israel.  It  appears  as  a  return 
home  to  Zion  out  of  exile.  Not  a  word  intimates 
that  the  Prophet  has  in  mind  only  the  return  from 
Babylon.  He  names  no  land  ;  he  speaks  only  of 
return  ( JID?^',  ver.  10)  in  general.  Already  in 
Deut.  xxx.  3  sqq.  it  is  promised  that  the  LORD 
will  gather  the  Israelites  and  bring  them  back  out 
of  all  lands,  even  though  driven  out  to  the  end  of 
heaven,  thence  too  the  LORD  will  fetch  them.  On 
the  ground  of  this  passage  Isaiah  had  already 
held  out  a  similar  prospect  (xi.  11  sqq.;  xix.  23  sq.; 
xxvii.  12sq.),  and  after  him  Jeremiah  especially 
deals  much  in  this  particular  of  the  glorious  last 


360 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


time  (xvi.  14sqq.;  xxiii.  3;  xxix.  14;  xxxii. 
37;  xl.  12;  xlvi.  27).  Therefore  the  Prophet 
promises  here  glorious  and  joyful  return  home — 
that  to  the  Israelite  must  be  dearest  of  all — and 
the  object  of  his  greatest  longing  (Ps.  cxxxvii.  5, 
6),  and  in  that  home  eternal  joy  (ver.  10).  One 
may  say  that  he  draws  here  the  outline  of  the  pic- 
ture that  he  afterwards  carries  out  in  chaps,  xl.- 
Ixvi.  in  all  me  varieties  of  its  forms. 

Their  contents  show  that  the  two  chapters  be- 
long together.  Chap.  xxxv.  is  the  necessary  ob- 
verse of  xxxiv.  The  expressions '/  WM  D'Jfi  HU 
xxxv.  7,  which  manifestly  contrasts  with  xxxiv. 
13,  form  a  close  bond  between  the  two  chapters ; 
and  it  is  to  be  noted  that  VXn  in  the  sense  of  "l¥n 
occurs  only  in  these  two  places.  Also  the  meto- 
nymic  use  of  J?p3  (xxxiv.  15;  xxxv.  6)  which 
occurs  beside  only  Iviii.  8;  lix.  5,  is  a  peculiarity 
of  language  that  poini,s  to  the  correlation  of  the 
two  chapters. 

EICHHORX,  GESEN.,  ROSENMUELLER,  DE  W., 
MAUR.,  HITZIG,  Ew.,  UMBR.,  KNOBEL  and  others 
ascribe  these  chapters  to  a  later  author  that  lived 
in  the  time  of  the  captivity.  They  only  differ  in 
that  some  (GrESENius,  ROSENMUELLER,  HITZIG, 
EYVALD)  put  this  unknown  author  at  the  end  of 
the  exile,  the  others  at  an  earlier  period.  We 
will  show  in  the  exposition,  by  exact  investigation 
of  the  language,  that  both  the  contents  and  the 
form  of  language  of  these  chapters  connect  them 
intimately  with  xl. — Ixvi.,  yet  that  in  both  these 
respects  there  is  also  a  common  character  with 
part  first.  This  view  is  confirmed  by  the  unde- 
niable fact  that  these  chapters  are  variously  quoted 
by  prophets  before  the  exile.  This  will  be  proved 
in  respect  to  Jer.  xlvi.  10  in  the  comment  on 
xxxiv.  5  sqq.  I  have  shown  the  connection  be- 
tween these  chapters  and  Jer.  1.  27,  39;  li.  40,  60 
sqq.  by  an  extended  examination  in  my  work : 
"Der  Prophet  Jer.  und  Babylon,  Erlangen,  1850." 
Comp.  KUEPER,  Jerem.  libr.  sacr.  interpr.  atque 
vindex,  Berolini,  1837,  p.  79  sqq.  CASPARI,  Je- 
rem., ein  Zeugefiir  d.  Echtheit  von  Jes.  xxxiv.,  etc., 
Zeitschr.  von  Rudelbach  und  Guericke,  1843,  Heft. 
2,  p.  1  sqq.  The  proof  that  Jer.  has  drawn  on 
our  chapters  carries  with  it  the  proof  that  the  re- 
semblances noticed  between  Zeph.  i.  7,  8  and  Isa. 
xxxiv.  6,  and  between  Zeph.  ii.  14  and  Isa.  xxxiv. 
11,  are  to  be  regarded  as  a  use  of  these  chapters 
by  Zephaniah,  the  older  contemporary  of  Jere- 
miah, and  not  a  quotation  of  Zephaniah  by  these 
chapters. 

The  reasons  adduced  against  Isaiah's  authorship 
of  these  chapters  will  not  stand  examination. 
KNOBEL  thinks  the  hatred  of  Edom  in  the  degree 
shown  in  xxxiv.  5  sqq.  is  to  be  found  only  in  pas- 
sages that  belong  to  the  time  after  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  by  the  Chaldeans.  But  not  to  men- 
tion Obadiah  (especially  vers.  10-14),  there  are 
found  in  Joel  (iv.  19)  and  Amos  (especially  i.  11 
sqq.)  proofs  enough  that  there  could  be  in  Isaiah's 
time  a  hatred  like  that  expressed  in  our  chapter 
xxxiv.  We  will  show  in  the  exposition  of  xxxv. 


that  it  does  not  presuppose  the  Babylonish  exile, 
but  the  second,  great  and  last  exile  in  general. 
It  is  incomprehensible  how  the  announcement  of 
a  great  judgment  on  the  heathen  generally  (xxxiv. 
2,  3,  5  sqq.;  xxxv.  8)  can  denote  a  later  author- 
ship, seeing  the  same  is  announced  in  the  ac- 
knowledged prophecies  of  Isa.  ii.  4,  11  sqq.,  and 
even  in  xxx.  25  sqq.  (see  comm.  in  foe.).  But  we 
may  refer  in  this  matter  to  the  entire  liber  apoca- 
lypiicus  (xxiv. — xxvii.),  by  assaulting  which  the 
critics  of  course  becloud  for  themselves  the  con- 
spectus of  Isaiah's  field  of  vision.  What  KNOBEL 
further  urges  of  the  extravagant  expectations 
(xxxiv.  3,  4,  9 ;  xxxv.  1,  2,  5  sqq.),  affects  only 
the  bold  and  grand  images  in  which  the  Prophet 
utters  these  expectations.  And  these  images  are 
too  bold,  too  hyperbolical  for  Isaiah  !  If  the  ge- 
nuineness of  chs.  xiii.,  xiv.,  xxiv.-xxvii.  is  denied, 
then  the  analogies  for  the  dissolution  of  the  hea- 
vens (xxxiv.  4)  and  for  the  goblins  of  night  and 
wild  beasts  (xxxiv.  11-17)  are  surrendered.  On 
this  subject  we  can  only  refer  back  to  our  defence  of 
the  genuineness  of  chap,  xiii.,  xiv.  Finally  KNO- 
BEL mentions  a  number  of  expressions  in  these 
chapters  which  in  general,  or  at  least,  in  their  pre- 
sent meaning,  occur  only  in  later  writers,  potting 
in  the  latter  class  some  expressions  that  are  pe- 
culiar to  this  author.  One  may  admit  that  many 
expressions  occur  in  Isaiah  that  only  later  writers 
employ,  or  that  are  analogous  to  expressions  of 
later  use.  But  is  this  any  proof  of  the  later  ori- 
gin of  these  chapters  ?  Isaiah  is  so  opulent  a  spi- 
rit, he  reigns  with  such  creative  power  even  in 
the  sphere  of  language,  and  his  authority  is  so 
great  with  his  successors,  that  we  may  confidently 
affirm,  that  very  many  later  words  and  expressions 
are  to  be  referred  to  him  as  the  source  or  exem- 
plar. Moreover  that  argument  loses  weight  when 
we  consider  that  in  our  chapters  much  ancient 
linguistic  treasure  occurs,  e.  g.,  t^3;  xxxiv.  3 ; 
Dip,  xxxiv.  7 ;  D£J  and  Dibtf,  xxxiv.  8. 

Isaiah,  then,  is  doubtless  the  author  of  our  chap- 
ters. But  he  wrote  them  in  his  later  period,  when 
Assyria  was  for  him  a  stand-point  long  since  sur- 
mounted, and  when,  withdrawn  from  the  present, 
he  lived,  with  all  his  prophetic  seeing  and  know- 
ing, in  the  future.  1  agree  with  DELITZSCH  in 
assuming  that  Isaiah,  in  preparing  the  book  as  a 
whole  (if  he  actually  himself  attended  to  this 
matter),  put  these  chapters  here  as  a  conclusion 
of  the  first  part  of  his  prophetic  discourses.  1 
only  add  that  on  this  occasion  Isaiah  must  have 
added  vers.  16, 17  with  their  reference  to  the  now 
completed  "  book  of  the  LORD." 

The  division  of  the  chapters  is  simple : — 

1.  The  judgment  on  all  nations,  xxxiv.  1-4. 

2.  The  judgment  on  Edom  as  representation  of 
the  whole  in  one  particular  example,  of  especial 
interest  to  Israel,  xxxiv.  5-15. 

3.  Concluding  remark:    summons  to  compare 
the  prophecy  with  the  fulfilment,  xxxiv.  16,  17. 

4.  The  obverse  of  the  judgment:   Israel's  re- 
demption and  return  home,  xxxv. 


CHAP.  XXXIV.  1-4. 


361 


1.    THE  JUDGMENT  ON  ALL  NATIONS. 
CHAPTER  XXXIV.  1-4. 

1  COME  near,  ye  nations,  to  hear; 
And  hearken,  ye  people : 

Let  the  earth  hear,  and  'all  that  is  therein ; 
The  world,  and  all  things  that  come  forth  of  it. 

2  For  "the  indignation  of  the  LORD  is  upon  all  nations, 
And  his  fury  upon  all  their  armies : 

He  bhath  utterly  destroyed  them, 

He  hath  delivered  them  to  the  slaughter. 

3  Their  slain  also  shall  be  cast  out, 

And  their  stink  shall  come  up  out  of  their  carcases, 
And  the  mountains  shall  be  melted  with  their  blood. 

4  And  all  the  host  of  heaven  shall  be  dissolved, 

And  the  heavens  shall  be  rolled  together  as  a  scroll : 
And  all  their  host  shall  cfall  down, 
As  the  leaf  falleth  off  from  the  vine, 
And  as  a  falling  fig  from  the  fig  tree. 


1  Heb.  the  fulness  thereof. 
•  the  LORD  has  wrath  on. 


b  hath  cursed. 


•wilt 


or,  wilted  leaf-fail. 


TEXTUAL,   AND 

[For  the  sake  of  economy  in  labor  and  space 
we  will  omit  in  this  and  subsequent  chapters  the  Au- 
thor's abundant  and  laborious  citations  of  texts  illus- 
trative of  Isaiah's  slyle,  and  involving  proof  of  the 
common  authorship  of  parts  first  and  second.  The 
Author  has  prepared  a  comprehensive  list  of  the 
words  and  texts  concerned  in  these  chapters,  which 
appears  at  the  close  of  the  volume  and,  except  where 
the  commentary  furnishes  additional  matter,  we  shall 
refer  to  that  list  by  the  sign  see  list. — TE.]. 

Ver.  1.  131  p,  D'OtfS,  D'tfpn  see  list. D'U  occurs 

often  in  both  parts,  e.  g.,  i.  4 ;  ii.  4;  x.  7;  xi.  10;  xl.  15; 
xli.  2.  The  expression  nxSrDl  V1N  occurs  Deut.  xxxiii. 
16;  Ps.  xxiv.  1 ;  Mic.  i.  2,  and  often ;  in  Isaiah  only  here. 
Comp.  IK^DI  DTI  xlii.  10;  vi.  3;  viii.  8;  xxxi.  4.— SzjH 

(comp.  on  xiii.  11)  occurs  only  in  part  first. D'Ki'iW 

(plur  tant.)  are  ra  eicyova.,  "  the  products."  The  expres- 
sion is  based  on  Gen.  i.  12,  24  (V1KH  Ki'\^)-  The  Pro' 

1    V   T  T 

phet  thus  does  not  mean  only  men,  as  many,  influenced 
by  the  LXX.  and  Chald.,  have  supposed.  The  word, 
being  made  parallel  with  nxSo,  denotes  everything 
that  as  production  of  the  earth  fills  it. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Vers.  2,  3.  c^p,  K3S,  H3U,  D'V?n  see  fort.— DiVUfl 
easus  absolutus,  comp.  EWALD,  §  309  6.  B&3  only  here  in 
Isaiah.  Cornp.  Joel  ii.  20 ;  Amos  iv.  10. 

Ver.  4.  DpO  (as  verb  only  here  in  Isaiah),  is  used  Ps. 
xxxviii.  6  of  a  festering  wound,  in  Zech.  xiv.  12  of  rot- 
ting flesh,  t.  e.,  eyes  and  tongues  rotting  in  their  natu- 
ral place.  In  Lev.  xxvi.  39;  Ezek.  xxiv.  23;  xxxiii.  10  it 
is  used  in  the  more  general  sense  of  passing  away,  dis- 
appearing; Isa.  iii.  24;  v.  24.  DO  is  "that  which  has 
rotted,  mouldered."  Add  to  this  that  "^D  Ps.  cvi.  43; 
Job  xxiv.  24 ;  Eccles.  x.  18,  denotes  corruere,  colldbi ;  ^O 
Lev.  xxv.  25,  35,  39,  47  means  "  to  collapse,  decline,  wax 
poor,"  but  J-1D  (Amos  ix.  5, 13  ;  Ps.  Ixv.  11,  etc.),  diffluere, 
dissolvi.  Thus  we  must  recognize  as  the  fundamental 
meaning  of  this  family  of  words  "  decomposition,  disso- 
lution, rotting,  mouldering,  turning  to  dust "  occasioned 
by  the  departure  of  the  spirit  of  life.  But  this  effect 
may  be  variously  brought  about.  Fire,  e.  g.,  can  pro- 
duce it  in  a  tree  by  scorching  it.  Such  appears  the 
sense  here.  Thus  2  Pet.  iii.  12  oipa^oi  jrvpou^ei'oi  Av6>j- 

o-otrai  seems  to  me  to  correspond  to  our  ^pOJ- / JJ 

for  SjJ  sec  GREEN'S  Gram.,  §  140,  2.  Niph.  only  here  in 

Isaiah  [  Polal.  ix.  4. SlJJ  comp.i.  30;  xxiv  4;  xxviii. 

1,  4 ;  xl.  7,  8;  Ixiv.  5,  especially  as  regards  JV73J  see  on 
xxviii.  1,4. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  It  is  a  mighty  matter,  the  concern  of  all 
nations  that  the  Prophet  has  to  announce :  hence 
he  Bummons  all  to  hear  his  address  (ver.  1).  For 
the  wrath  of  the  LORD  is  kindled  against  all 
nations  and  all  that  belongs  to  them.  They  are 
all  to  be  given  up  to  the  slaughter  (ver.  2),  and 
shall  be  cast,  out  so  that  the  stench  shall  mount 


up,  and  whole  mountains  ;<5hall  run  with  blood 
(ver.  3).  Yea,  the  heavens  shall  roll  up  as  by 
strong  heat,  and  the  heavenly  bodies  shall  fall 
like  drv  leaves  (ver.  4). 

2.  Come fig  tree— Vers.  1-4.  The  ex- 
pression D'KSKtf  occurs  only  in  Job  and  Isaiah 
(see  on  xxii.  24).  The  use  nearest  like  the  pre- 


362  THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


sent  is  xlii.  5.  In  ver.  2  only  the  nations  are 
mentioned  as  the  object  of  the  judgment.  Though 
impersonal  nature  shares  in  it,  still  this  is  only  the 

means  to  an  end.  DfcO¥~7D,  having  a  similar  re- 
lation to  that  of  JTKi'JW-1?:]  (see  Tett.and  Gram.), 
denotes  not  the  host  merely,  but  the  host  of  man- 
kind in  general.  Already,  by  virtue  of  the  de- 
cree of  wrath  determined  against  them,  the  LORD 


has  laid  on  them  His  curse  or  ban  ( 
15;  xxxvii.  11),  and  devoted  them  to  slaughter. 
On  the  description  ver.  3  comp.  xiv.  19 ; 
xxxvii.  36 ;  Ixvi.  24 ;  x.  18 ;  xiii.  7 ;  xix.  1. 
The  passages  Matt.  xxiv.  29 ;  2  Pet.  iii.  7,  10, 
12 ;  Eev.  vi.  13,  14  are  founded  on  the  present 
text.  For  that  the  Prophet  has  in  mind  the  de- 
struction of  the  world,  is  manifest  from  this  de- 
scription comprehending  the  earth  and  heavens. 


2.    THE  JUDGMENT  ON  EDOM,  AS  EEPEESENTATION  OF  THE  WHOLE  IN  ONE 
PAETICULAE  EXAMPLE  OF  SPECIAL  INTEEEST  TO  ISEAEL. 

CHAPTER  XXXIV.  5-15. 

5  "For  my  sword  shall  be  bathed  in  heaven : 
Behold,  it  shall  come  down  upon  Idumea, 
And  upon  the  people  of  my  curse,  to  judgment. 

6  The  sword  of  the  LORD  is  filled  with  blood, 
It  is  made  fat  with  fatness, 

And  with  the  blood  of  lambs  and  goats, 
With  the  fat  of  the  kidneys  of  rams  : 
For  the  LORD  hath  a  sacrifice  in  Bozrah, 
And  a  great  slaughter  in  the  land  of  Idumea. 

7  And  the  lbunicorns  shall  come  down  with  them, 
And  the  bullocks  with  the  bulls  ; 

And  their  land  shall  be  2soaked  with  blood, 
And  their  dust  made  fat  with  fatness. 

8  °For  it  is  the  day  of  the  LORD'S  vengeance, 

And  the  year  of  recompences  for  the  controversy  of  Zioa, 

9  And  the  streams  thereof  shall  be  turned  into  pitch, 
And  the  dust  thereof  into  brimstone, 

And  the  land  thereof  shall  become  burning  pitch. 

10  It  shall  not  bs  quenched  night  nor  day  ; 
Th.3  smoke  thereof  shall  go  up  for  ever : 

From  generation  to  generation  it  shall  lie  waste  ; 
None  shall  pass  through  it  for  ever  and  ever. 

11  But  the  3cormorant  and  the  dbittern  shall  possess  it  j 
Tha  owl  also  and  the  raven  shall  dwell  in  it : 

And  he  shall  stretch  out  upon  it  the  line  of  confusion, 
And  the  stones  of  emptiness. 

12  eThey  shall  call  the  nobles  thereof  to  the  kingdom, 
But  none  shctll  be  there, 

And  all  her  princes  shall  be  'nothing. 

13  gAnd  thorns  shall  come  up  in  her  palaces, 
Nettles  and  brambles  in  the  fortresses  thereof. 
And  it  shall  be  an  habitation  of  Mragons, 
And  a  court  for  *sowls. 

14  °Tli3  wild  baasts  of  the  desert  shall  also  meet  with  Tthe  wild  beasts  of  the  island, 
And  the  *satyr  shall  cry  to  his  fellow  ; 

The  "screech  owl  also  shall  rest  there, 
And  find  for  herself  a  place  of  rest. 

15  There  shall  the  Jgreat  owl  make  her  nest,  and  lay, 
And  hatch,  and  gather  under  her  shadow  : 
There  shall  the  vultures  also  be  gathered, 
Every  one  with  her  mate. 


CHAP.  XXXIV.  &-15. 


363 


•     i 

Or,  rhinoceros.                                                   »  Or,  drunken. 
Or,  ostriches.                          •                              »  Heb.  daughters  of  the  owl. 
Heb.  Ijim.                                                         1  Or,  nicjht  monster. 

Because  my  sword  has  become  drunken. 
For  a  day  of  vengeance  has  Jehovah. 
Its  nobles  —  there  are  none  to  proclaim  the  monarchy. 
And  its  palaces  soar  aloft  in  thorns, 
shaggy  monster.  —  J.  A.  A. 

b  buffaloes. 
d  porcupine. 
f  no  more. 
h  jackal, 
i  arrowsnake. 

3  Or,  pelican. 
6  Heb.  ziim. 

TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  5.  Only  by  great  ingenuity  can  '3  be  explained  to 
mean  "  for."  Hence  KNOBEL  construes  it  as  pleonastic, 
connecting  the  discourse,  and  appeals,  e.  g.,  to  viii.  2J. 
But  there  exists  a  plain  causal  connection  between 
vers.  4  tind  •"">,  only  the  res  causans  is  in  verse  4  and  not 
in  ver.  5.  Hence  ^3  here  =  "  because  "  and  not  '•  for." 
Because  the  sword  of  God  has  become  drunken  in  hea- 
ven it  comes  down  to  earth  (comp.  Gen.  iii.  14;  xxxiii. 

11 ;  Exod.  i  19,  etc.). nil  (comp.  xvi.  9)  is  direct  cau- 

T  • 

sative  Piel  =  ebrictatcm  facere,  "  to  produce  drunken- 
ness." As,  e.  g.,  rDJ^/ri  not  only  means  li  fatten,"  i.  e., 
others,  but  also  "  make,  produce,  grow  fat,"  i.  e.,  grow 
fat  one's-self,  so  this  verb  means  not  only  "  make  others 
drunk"  (Jer.  xxxi.  14;  Ps.  Ixv.  11),  but  also  "make 
one's-self  drunk." — •£33U'3 7=in  behoof  of  accomplish- 
ing judgment;  comp.  Hab.  i.  12;  Ezek.  xliv.  24  K'ri; 
comp.  Isa.  xli.  1;  Iiv.  17,  in  another  sense  Isa.  v.  7; 
xxxii.  1;  xxviii.  26. 

Ver.  G.  DRECHSLEU  refers  HlsT  7  to  7"IK  73  :  the  sword 
is  to  the  Lone  (the  LORD  has  His  sword)  full  of  blood. 
But  then  it  would  need  to  read  3"inn,  as  the  sword  has 
already  been  mentioned.  Would  one  translate :  "  Jeho- 
vah has  a  sword  that  is  full  of  blood,"  that  again  does 
not  suit  the  previous  mention  of  the  sword  verse  5, 
though  this  translation  would  best  suit  the  three  other 
instances  of  the  use  of  mTT/  in  this  section  (verses  2, 
6,9).  The  context  requires  the  rendering  "the  sword 
of  the  LORD  is  full  of  blood."  For  verses  6,  7  manifestly 
tell  what  the  sword,  (that  ver.  5  was  to  come  on  Edom), 
when  actually  come,  has  done  to  Edom.  This  is  inti- 
mated by  describing  the  sword  after  the  execution. 
Thus  the  same  sword  as  ver.  5  is  meant.  The  article  is 

wanting  because  J"lliT7  3^n>  (instead  of  HliT  3"in> 
which  occurs  only  1  Chron.  xxi.  12)  seems  to  be  vox  so- 
lennix,  (Jud.  vii.  20;  Jer.  xii.  12;  xlvii.  6). HJCnn  in- 

T  : 

stead  of  njGnpn,  Hothpaal  from  fun,  comp.  verse  7; 

T  :    -   :    '•  I 

xxx.  23;  GREEN'S  '  Oram.,  ?  96,  a. That  p  before  QT 

is  to  be  explained  according  to  ii.  6,  does  not  seem  pro- 
bable. Rather  it  seems  that  the  notion  of  causality,  that 

lies  in  37HD  HJliHn,  has  passed  over  to  what  follows: 
such  as  was  before  intimated,  the  sword  has  become  from 
the  blood  of  the  sacrificial  beasts. "13  again  only  xvi. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

1. "Wr\y  again  only  i.  11 ;  xiv.  9. D'S^  again  in 

Isa.  i.  11 ;  Ix.  7.    n3T  and  JT2L3  (verse  3)  Correspond  in 
sense  and  sound.    On  H3f  see  list. 
Ver.  8.  The  Plural  D^Ol  71^  occurs  only  here :  oomp. 

the  sing.  Hos.  ix.  7  ;  Mic.  vii.  3. If  the  pointing  3'~1  S 

is  correct,  then  3*1  is  to  be  construed  as  substantive. 
For  as  such  it  is  in  the  construct  state  and  has  given  its 
tone  to  the  governing  noun  ;  then  7  does  not  stand  di- 
rectly before  the  tone  syllable.  But  if  it  is  a  verb,  then  it 
has  the  tone,  and  7  in  that  case  receives  pretonic  ka- 
mets  (comp.  3"!  7  iii.  13).  As  noun  3'"1  means  causae 

•T 

actio,  dcfcnsio.  in  the  same  sense  as  the  verb  with  follow- 
ing accusative  (i.  17  ;  li.  22)  is  used  (comp.  xix.  20). 
Ver.  10.  D'FW  n¥ jS  (the  Masoretic  form  of  writing 

•  T  :          ~  "  : 

rVi'J  occurs  four  times;  Ps.  xlix.  20;  1  Sam.  xv.  29;  1 

Chrou.  xxix.  11)  occurs  only  here. ID  ;  "\T\T\  see  list. 

Ver.  12.    mn  is  put  absolutely  before. H31 7D ; 

T     V 

D3N,  see  list. 

Ver.  13.  T101K  comp.  xxiii.  13;  xxv.  2;  xxxii.  14. 

D'VD;  itflDp;  and  nin  (kindred  nn  xxxvii.  29)  oc- 
cur only  here  in  Isaiah.  ^¥33,  locus  munitus  xvii.  3; 
xxv.  12. HIJ  see  list. 

Vers.  13, 14,' 13.  D'JH,  HJJT   HU3,  D"2?,  D""N,  Vyfr, 

comp.  on  xiii.  21,  22. "ViTl  (=  "ISH,  locus  septus)  oc- 

•  r  "  -r 

curs  again  in  Isaiah  only  xxxv.  7  (see  Comm.  inloc.). — 
L^JD  in  Isaiah  only  here. T]N  has  here  also  its  re- 
strictive sense.  When  G£SENius(7Vies.  p.  F9)  says:  that 
the  vi«  restringendi  relates  non  at  proximum  sed  ad  se- 
quens  quoddam  vocabulum,  and  translates  here  accord- 
ingly :  non  nisi  spectra  ibi  habitant,  non  nisi  vultures  ibi 
congregantur,  the  two  statements  exclude  each  other. 
For  where  only  spectra  dwell,  the  vulture  cannot  also 
dwell,  and  vice  versa.  To  express  that,  the  ^X  must  be 
joined  to  JT1?'1?  and  flVT  (vers.  14,  15).  But  both  times 
it  is  joined  to  D19-  Hence  it  appears  that  the  Prophet 
would  say:  only  there  does  the  lilith  rest,  only  there 
does  the  vulture  congregate :  i.  e.,  there  is  no  other 

place  so  suitable  for  .them. Hiph.  ^'Jin  again  li.  4 

in  another  sense  ;  in  xxviii.  12  we  had  the  noun  ~#JPO 
"  resting  place."  Also  niJO  "  resting  place,"  only  here 
in  Isaiah  ;  comp.  Gen.  viii.  9;  Lam.  i.  3. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  If  the  Prophet  would  not  deal  only  in  in-  |  (xxv.  10  sqq.),  it  is  natural  he  should  give  simi- 

.c_:i._  !:*:„..  i_   .        1  *„  *U«  :,.  1. ..,,,, ..^/  ^«      !«»•  r-n«/-\n»irionnf»  nlcn  tn  T^nom.  IIS  lie  (IOCS  IlCre  JUKI 


definite  generalities  in  regard  to  the  judgment  on 
the  nations  of  the  earth,  he  must  give  promi- 
nence to  the  case  of  one  nation  instar  omnium. 
Among  neighboring  nations  Moab,  and  Edom, 
and  Ammon,  were  most  detested  by  the  Israelites 
(comp.  Deut.  xxiii.  3-6 ;  Ezek.  xxxv.  5  sqq. ; 
Amos  i.  11 :  Obad.  10  sqq. ;  Ps.  cxxxvii.  7,  etc.). 
As  Isaiah  elsewhere,  in  a  similar  connection, 
mentions  the  Moabites  by  way  of  exemplification 


lar  prominence  also  to  Edom,  as  he  does  here  ahd 
Ixiii.  1  sqq.  Now,  because  the  sword  of  Jehovah 
has  already  become  drunken  in  heaven  with 
blood,  it  descends  to  earth,  because  it  finds  no 
more  work  above. 

2.  For  my  sword of  Zion.— Vers.  5-8. 

The  relation  of  this  section  to  what  precedes  is 
this:  the  Prophet  has  said  (vers.  2,  3),  what  the 
LORD  purposes  to  do  on  earth.  DO'inn  and 


364 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


DJHJ  ver.  2  are  to  be  understood  of  acts  of  the 
will,  not  of  performance :  ver.  3  describes  pro- 
phetically what  shall  once  take  place  on  earth  in 
consequence  of  that  divine  decree.  Ver.  4  pic- 
tures the  judgment  that  shall  be  executed  on  the 
heavens,  but  here  the  Prophet  combines  inten- 
tion and  performance.  He  contemplates  the 
judgment  of  God  as  beginning  in  heaven,  and 
continued  on  earth. 

[On  the  construction  of  ""3  see  Text,  and  Gram. 

"It  may  be  construed  in  its  proper  sense,  either 
with  ver.  3  (HiTZiG),  or  with  the  whole  of  the 
preceding  description.  All  this  shall  certainly 
take  place  for  my  sword  (the  speaker  being  God 
Himself)  is  steeped"  etc. — J.  A.  ALEX.,  in  loc.~\. 

The  expression  is  a  bold  poetic  one.  Isaiah 
speaks  of  the  sword  of  the  LORD  again  xxvii.  1 ; 
Ixvi.  1C.  But  only  here  does  he  personify  it. 
He  may,  as  regards  the  sense,  have  in  mind  Deut. 
xxxii.  41-43.  Inevitable  and  irresistible  are  the 
judgments  of  the  LORD.  This  the  Prophet  ex- 
presses by  saying  that  the  sword  of  the  LORD, 
intoxicated  with  the  judgment  accomplished  on 
"the  host  of  the  high  ones  that  are  on  high" 
(xxiv.  21),  and  thirsting  for  more  blood,  descends 
to  earth,  and  that  first  on  Edom,  as  the  nation 
that  above  all  has  become  an  object  of  the  divine 
ban.  (a^)0  tne  seyreyatio  ad  internecionem,  1 
Kings  xx.  42  ;  Isa.  xliii.  28).  Vers.  6,  7  describe 
the  effects  of  the  execution.  The  sword  of  the 
LORD  is  not  only  full  of  blood,  but  is  fattened, 
dropping  fat.  As  in  the  second  clause  of  ver.  6, 
the  Edomites  are  regarded  as  a  sacrifice,  they 
are  here  compared  to  sheep,  goats  and  rams. 

Bozra  stands  for  Edom  also  Ixiii.  1.  Concern- 
ing this  city  see  on  Jcr.  Ixix.  13. 

The  enumeration  of  buffaloes,  bullocks  and 
bulls  (ver.  7)  denotes  that  the  entire  nation  shrill 
perish,  great  and  small,  high  and  low.  C*O 
(only  here  in  Isaiah,  elsewhere  only  Num.  xxiii. 
22  ;  Daut.  xxxiii.  17  ;  Job  xxxix.  9  sq. ;  Ps.  xxii. 
22;  xxix.  6;  xcii.  11).  It  is  now  universally 
understood  to  mean  the  buffalo  (see  HERZ.  R.- 
Encycl,  XI.  p.  28).  0^3  see  on  i.  11.  T3X 
moaning  "  bull  "  occurs  only  x.  13  K'thibh.  TV 
meaning  "to  fell"  trees,  beasts  or  men,  is  pecu- 
liar to  Isaiah  (see  xxxii.  19).  For  Jcr.  xlviii. 
15;  1.  27 ;  li.  40  the  use  of  the  word  is  not  quite 
the  same.  In  consequence  of  the  slaughter  the 
earth  itself  is  drunk  with  blood,  and  fat  with  fat, 
comp.  on  vers.  5,  6.  The  parallelism  reigns  not 
only  in  these  verses,  but  in  the  entire  complexity 
of  vers.  6-8.  For  the  description  of  the  judg- 
ment in  ver.  6  a.  and  ver.  7  correspond,  and  the 
reasons  assigned  ver.  6  b.  and  ver.  8.  But  pro- 
gress appears  in  the  thought  because  ver.  8  gives 
particularly  the  object  of  the  "sacrifice"  and  the 
"slaughter."  The  LORD  will  thereby  satisfy 
His  vengeance,  and  give  Zion  justice  by  a  right- 
e^us  recompense. 

The  expression  for  the  day  of  the  Lord's 
etc.,  recalls  ii.  32  and  Ixiii.  4.  But  the  Prophet 
seems  moreover  to  have  in  mind  Deut.  xxxii. 
35,  41.  For  in  those  passages,  as  here,  the 
notions  of  vengeance  and  recompense  underlie  the 
discourse. 

But  beside  this,  our  passage  lay  before  Jere- 
miah. For  Jer.  xlvi.  10  is  penetrated  with  ele- 
ments drawn  from  Isa.  xxxiv.  5-8.  The  follow- 


ing considerations  show  that  our  passage  is  the 
source  from  which.  Jer.  drew.  1)  The  grand, 
drastic  boldness  and  loftiness  of  the  language  of 
our  passage,  of  which  the  words  of  Jer.,  after  the 
fashion  of  that  Prophet,  are  but  a  tempered  imi- 
tation. 2)  Isaiah  uses  the  expression  iinp  twice 
(vers.  5,  7);  Jer.  says,  nnn.  It  is  much  more 
likely  that  Jeremiah  would  dilute  the  strong  ex- 
pression of  a  predecessor,  in  his  well-known 
fashion  (see  my  comm.  on  Jer.  Introd.  $  3)  than 
that  an  author  living  much  later  in  the  exile, 
should  intensify  the  normal  but  weaker  expression 
of  Jer.  3)  Jer.  says  HO^:  DV ;  Isaiah  Dj"^  DV. 
Now  in  general  DPJ  is  the  older  form  of  the 
word,  and  is  used  only  in  Lev.  xxvi.  25  ;  Dent* 
xxxii.  35,  41,  43  ;  Judg.  xvi.  28  ;  Ps.  Iviii.  11 ', 
Prov.  vi.  34 ;  Mic.  v.  14,  and  in  Isa.  (xxxv.  4 ; 
xlvii- 3;  lix.  17;  Ixi.  2;  Ixiii.  4).  In  the  excep- 
tions Ezek.  xxiv.  8 ;  xxv.  12,  DPJ  DPJ  is  evi- 
dently said  for  the  sake  of  the  effect  of  sound  ;  in 
Ezek.  xxv.  15  the  expression  DPJ  ^P^l  is  used 
along  with  mpj.  On  the  other  hand  mpj  is 

T  IT:  T IT: 

the  form  exclusively  used  by  Jeremiah,  and  in 
Ezekiel  it  is  the  prevalent  form  (the  exceptions 
being  given  above)  and  beside  these  is  used  only 
here  and  there  (Num.  xxxi.  2,  3;  Lam.  iii.  60; 
Ps.  cxlix.  7).  But  it  is  not  probable  that  a  writer 
later  than  Jeremiah  has  introduced  the  old  form 
into  a  passage  borrowed  from  Jeremiah. 

3.  And  the  streams— emptiness. — Vers. 
9-11.  Edom  was  situated  at  the  southern  point 
of  the  Dead  Sea.  The  following  description  re- 
calls the  pitchy  and  sulphurous  character  of  this 
sea  and  its  surroundings.  It  seems  as  if  the  Pro- 
phet would  allude  to  that  event  which,  recorded 
in  Gen.  xix.  24,  25,  28,  had  impressed  that  cha- 
racter on  the  region.  At  least  the  sulphur,  the 
overturning  ("|3n)  and  the  ascending  smoke  are 
traits  that  he  seems  to  have  borrowed  from  that 
passage.  .H3T  occurs  again  only  Exod.  ii.  3. 
rnDJ  we  had  already  where  xxx.  33  the  breath 
of  God  is  called  "  a  stream  of  brimstone."  When 
the  streams  are  flowing  pitch  and  the  dust  of  the 
land  is  sulphur,  the  whole  land  will  become  a 
fearful  place  of  conflagration.  Day  and  night 
(the  expression  occurs  Deut.  xxviii.  66,  beside 
comp.  Isa.  iv.  5:  xxi.  8  ;  lx.  11),  forever,  for  it 
is  the  flame  of  the  last  judgment,  the  burning 
shall  continue.  Tbe  burning  land  is  the  subject 
of  i"D2f\  which  is  used  intensively  also  xliii.  17  ; 
Ixvi.  24. — Ver.  10.  On  TiT  as  deiining  time  see 

on  xiii.  20.  TiT7  THD  occurs  only  here.  3^n 
exarescere,  ezslccari,  comp.  xix.  5,  6 ;  xliv.  27 ;  lx. 
12.  Tj_j»  j'N  again  only  lx.  15.  It  does  not 
agree  well  to  say  of  the  same  land  that  it  shall 
become  an  everlasting  burning,  and  that  it  shall 
be  a  pathless  desert.  But  the  Prophet  describes 
the  future  by  means  of  the  present,  and  contem- 
plates the  earth  as  an  Edom  cursed  of  God,  and 
thinks  of  the  latter  as  a  scorched  desert  land.  [The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  similarly  inconsistent  de- 
scriptions in  all  that  follows  in  this  section. — 
TR.]. 

Ver.  11.  As  such  the  land  is  inhabited  only  by 
beasts  of  the  desert.  [On  the  names  of  beings 
enumerated  in  this  and  the  following  verses  see 


CHAP.  XXXIV.  5-15. 


365 


J.  A.  ALEX.,  comm.  in  loc.,  especially  on  JVT? 
ver.  14.— TB.].  DNp  (from  Nip  "to  vomit")  is 
the  pelican  (Lev.  xi.  18  ;  Deut.  xiv.  17  ;  Zeph. 
ii.  14),  13p  "the  porcupine"  (see  on  xiv.  '23 ; 
Zeph.  ii.  14).  ^ItyJ'  "  the  owl "  (only  here 
in  Isa.  comp.  Lev.  xi.  17  ;  Deut.  xiv.  16; , — 3"\y 
'•the  raven"  (in  Isaiah  only  here).  As  right 
building  can  only  be  done  by  means  of  measur- 
ing line  and  plummet  (Job  xxxviii.  5),  so  shall 
right  destruction  be  directed  by  aid  of  the  same 
implements.  The  image  is  the  same  as  Amos 
vii.  7-9,  comp.  2  Kings  xxi.  23 ;  Lam.  ii.  8. 
''  The  stone  "  is  the  weight  that  makes  the  line 
plumb.  The  expression  1H3  ''J.DK  is  a-.  Asy.  • 
and  iro  Isaiah  uses  no  where  else  (see  Gen.  i.  2  ; 
Jer.  iv.  23). 

["  The  sense  of  the  whole  metaphor  may  then 
be — that  God  has  laid  this  work  out  for  Himself 
and  will  perform  it  (BARNES), — that  even  in  de- 
stroying He  will  proceed  deliberately,  and .  by 
rule  (KNOBEL),  which  last  thought  is  well  ex- 
pressed in  ROSENMUELLER'S  paraphrase  (ad  men- 
suram  vastabitur,  ad  regulam  depopulabitur)." — 
J.  A.  ALEXANDER.] 

4.  They  shall  call with  her  mate. — 

Vers.  12-15.  The  Prophet  now  describes  the  de- 
solation as  it  affects  the  territory  of  the  nobility 
of  Edom,  both  as  to  their  persons  and  their 
castles,  mn  being  nominative  absolute,  the 
words  must  be  translated:  ''as  to  her  nobles, 
there  are  none  there  that  call  out  a  monarchy 
(election  of  king,  accession  to  regency)."  As  the 
presence  of  the  nobility  is  the  necessary  condi- 
tion of  a  king's  election,  and  not  vice  versa,  I  re- 
gard this  translation  as  more  correct  than  the 
other  which  is  also  grammatically  possible,  viz. : 
"  there  is  no  kingdom  that  they  may  proclaim." 
Moreover  it  is  logically  more  correct  that  in  the 
phrase  with  \  the  word  put  before  absolutely 
should  be  the  subject.  Royalty  in  Edom  was  not 
inherited,  but  Esau's  descendants  formed  a  high 
nobility  from  which  the  king  proceeded  by  elec- 
tion (Gen.  xxxvi.  15  sqq.  ;  31  sqq.).  ^n,  liber, 
ingenuus,  nobilis  Isaiah  uses  only  here.  Comp. 
Eccl.  x.  17  ;  Jer.  xxvii.  20  and  often. 

[On  mn,  J.  A.  ALEXANDER  gives  a  copious 
synopsis  of  interpretations  and  then  adds:  "This 
great  variety  of  explanations,  and  the  harshness 
of  construction  with  which  most  of  them  are 
chargeable,  may  serve  as  an  excuse  for  the  sug- 
gestion of  a  new  one,  not  as  certainly  correct,  but 
as  possibly  entitled  to  consideration."  Beside 
the  meaning  nobles,  D^H  in  several  places  "  110 
less  certainly  means  holes  or  caves  (see  1  Sjun. 
xiv.  11;  Job  xxx.  6;  Nab.  ii.  13).  Now  it  is 
matter  of  history  not  only  that  Edom  was  full  of 
caverns,  but  that  these  were  inhabited  and  that 
the  aboriginal  inhabitants,  expelled  by  Esau, 
were  expressly  called  Ilorites  (Q'^.H)  as  being  in- 
habitants of  caverns  (xiv.  G;  xxxvi.  20;  Deut. 
ii.  12,  22).  This  being  the  case,  the  entire  de- 
population of  the  country,  and  especially  the 
destruction  of  its  princes,  might  be  naturally  and 
poetically  expressed  by  saying  that  the  kingdom 
of  Edom  should  be  thenceforth  a  kingdom  of 
deserted  caverns."  For  the  appropriateness  of 
description  sec  in  ROBINSON'S  "Researches"  \he 
account  of  Petra. — TJJ.]. 


Ver.  13.  The  ruin  of  the  nobility  is  followed 
by  that  of  their  palaces.  They  are  said  to  mount 

up  (nr>7j?)  but  only  ironically,  for  they  appear 
great  and  high  only  by  the  rank  wild  growth  on 
them. 

Not  only  beasts  of  the  desert,  but  also  repul- 
sive demons  of  the  desert  disport  themselves  in 
the  desolate  ruins  of  Edom.  The  Prophet  men- 
tions a  female  being,  the  ghost-like,  restlessly 
wandering  (comp.  Matt.  xii.  43)  Lilith,  but  which 
just  there  in  those  dreadful  places  finds  a  con- 

genial resting  place.  The  name  JVTv  certainly 
comes  from  T7  "  the  night,''  and  denotes  a  being 
of  the  night,  a  spectre.  According  to  the  TAL- 
MUD Lilith  is  the  chief  of  the  nocturnal  Schedim, 

of  the  j'7  :  or  j^tp  (comp.  BUXTORF,  Lex. 
rabb.,  p.  1140  and  877),  and  bears  the  name 


rrn  n|  rnjK,  i.  e.,  "  Agrath  the  (female) 
dancer."  Comp.  KOHUT,  JM.  Angel,  und  Da- 
monol.,  1866,  p.  61  and  86  sqq.  Certainly  Lilith 
is  a  production  of  popular  superstition,  to  which 
various  attributes  and  forms  of  appearance  are 
ascribed.  Comp.  BUXTORF,  1.  c.  BOCIIART, 
Hieroz.  III.,  p.  829,  ed.  ROSENMUELLER,  GESEN. 
Tkes.  p.  749.  [SMITH'S  Diet,  of  Bible,  under  the 

word  Owl].     IV1?'1?  is  ax.  ?.£/. 

["  In  itself  it  means  nothing  more  nor  less  than 
nocturnal,  and  would  seem  to  be  applicable  to  an 
animal  or  to  any  other  object  belonging  to  the 
night."  ''This  gratuitous  interpretation  of  the 
Hebrew  word"  (viz.,  as  referring  to  the  supersti- 
tions mentioned  above)  "  was  unfortunately  sanc- 
tioned by  BOCHART  and  VITRINGA,  and  adopted 
with  eagerness  by  the  modern  Germans  who  re- 
joice in  every  opportunity  of  charging  a  mistake 
in  physics,  or  a  vulgar  superstition  on  the  Scrip- 
tures. This  disposition  is  the  more  apparent 
here,  because  the  writers  of  this  school  usually 
pique  themselves  upon  the  critical  discernment 
with  which  they  separate  the  exegetical  inven- 
tions of  the  Rabbins  from  the  genuine  meaning 
of  the  Hebrew  text.  GESENIUS  for  example,  will 
not  even  grant  that  the  doctrine  of  a  personal 
Messiah  is  so  much  as  mentioned  in  the  writings 
of  Isaiah,  although  no  opinion  has  been  more 
universally  maintained  by  the  Jews,  from  the 
date  of  their  oldest  uncanonical_  books.  In  this 
case,  their  unanimous  and  uninterrupted  testi- 
mony goes  for  nothing,  because  it  would  establish 
an  unwelcome  identity  between  the  Messiah  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testament.  But  when  the  ob- 
ject is  to  fasten  on  the  Scriptures  an  odious  and 
contemptible  superstition,  the  utmost  deference 
is  paid,  not  only  to  the  silly  legends  of  the  Jews, 
but  to  those  of  the  Greeks,  Romans,  Zabians  and 

Russians."  "  Beside  the  fact  that  IV1?'!  means 
nocturnal,  and  that  its  application  to  a  spectre  ia 
entirely  gratuitous,  we  may  argue  here,  as  in 
xiii.  25,  that  ghosts  as  well  as  demons  would  be 
wholly  out  of  place  in  a  list  of  wild  and  solitary 
animals.  Is  this  a  natural  succession  of  ideas? 
Is  it  one  that  ouefht  to  be  assumed  without  ne- 
cessity?" .  .  .  "  Of  all  the  figures  that  could  be 
employed,  that  of  resting  seems  to  be  the  least 
appropriate  in  the  description  of  a  spectre."  .  .  . 
The  quotation  of  Matt.  xii.  43  in  this  connection 


366 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


is  "  strange  "  and  "  incongruous,"  "  where  the 
evil  spirit  is  expressly  said  to  pass  through  dry 
places  seeking  rest  and  finding  none."  ..."  The 

sense  is  sufficiently  secured  by  making  JVT? 
mean  a  nocturnal  bird  (ABEN  EZRA),  or  more 
specificially,  an  owl  (CoccEius),  or  screech-owl 
(LowTii).  But  the  word  admits  of  a  still  more 
satisfactory  interpretation,  in  exact  agreement 
with  the  exposition  which  has  already  been  given 
of  the  preceding  terms  as  general  descriptions 
rather  than  specific  names.  If  these  terms  repre- 
sent the  animals  occupying  Idumea,  first  as  be- 
longing to  the  wilderness  (D"2»"),  then  as  dis- 
tinguished by  their  fierce  and  melancholy  cries 
(D^X),  and  then  as  shaggy  in  appearance  (^y'W}> 
nothing  can  be  more  natural  than  that  the  fourth 
epithet  should  also  be  expressive  of  their  habits 
as  a  class  .  .  .  nocturnal  or  belonging  to  the 
night." — J.  A.  ALEXANDER,  in  loc. — TR.]. 

Ver.  15.  BOCIIART  in  his  Hieroz.,  II.  p.  194 
eqq-,  has  proved  that  P3p  means  arrow-snake. 
In  lonely  places,  out  of  danger  it  harbors  and 
lays  its  eggs.  LD?p  Piel  =  "to  cause  slipping 


away,"  like  the  Hiph.  Ixvi.  7  :  the  imperf.,  with 
Vav  consecutive  makes  what  must  hypotactically 
be  regarded  as  a  repeated  fact,  appear  paratacti- 
cally  as  occurring  once.  J.'P3  "to  cleave,"  for 
by  cleaving  open  the  young  are  brought  forth, 
comp.  xxxv.  6  ;  Iviii.  8;  lix.  5.  ~UT  "to  cherish" 
(only  here  and  Jer.  xvii.  11),  cherishes  the  young 
in  its  shadow  (i.  e.,  of  its  own  body) — H'T  "vul- 
ture," again  only  Deut.  xiv.  13.  The  expression 
nfNjn  nt^X  only  here  and  ver.  16  in  Isaiah. 
DRECHSLER  justly  construes  it  as  asyndeton,  and 
as  in  apposition  with  the  subject,  as  must  be  done 
also  ver.  16. 

["  As  to  the  particular  species  of  animals  re- 
ferred to  in  this  whole  passage,  there  is  no  need, 
as  CALVIN  well  observes,  of  troubling  ourselves 
much  about  them.  (Non  est  cur  in  iis  magnopere 
torqueamur).  The  general  sense  evidently  is  that 
a  human  population  should  be  succeeded  by  wild 
and  lonely  animals — implying  total  and  contin- 
ued desolation." — J.  A.  ALEXANDER.  For  rich 
illustration  of  the  subject  from  modern  travellers 
see  BARNES'  Notes  on  Isaiah,  in  loc. — TR.]. 


3.    CONCLUDING    EEMAEK :    SUMMONS   TO    COMPAEE   THE   PEOPHECY   WITH 

ITS  FULFILMENT. 

CHAPTER  XXXIV.  16,  17. 

16  SEEK  ye  out  of  the  book  of  the  LORD,  and  read, 
No  one  of  these  "shall  fail, 

None  shall  want  her  mate : 

For  my  mouth  it  hath  commanded,  and  bhis  spirit  it  hath  gathered  them. 

17  And  he  hath  cast  the  lot  for  them, 

And  his  hand  hath  divided  it  unto  them  by  line : 

They  shall  possess  it  for  ever, 

From  generation  to  generation  shall  they  dwell  therein. 


k  fails,  Neither  one  nor  the  other  does  one  miss. 


b  its  breath. 


TEXTUAL   AND 
Ver.  16.  Comp.  3.H3  with  Sj?  xxx.  8;  Jer.  xxxvi.  29; 

Deut.  xxvii.  3,  8,  etc. 1X1  pi  comp.  xxix.  11, 12. The 

LXX.    reads    1tf"n  instead  of  ^"H,  and  refer  the 

ITT  :  • 

word  to  what  goes  before.  Moreover  it  has  some- 
how confounded  "13D~S^D  with  13DO,  and  de- 
rived ?}Op  from  top  occurrere,  for  it  reads  thus :  exel 
•  T ' :,  T  T  „ 

f\a<f>oi  a-vi^VTrja-av   Kal    ISov  T4  npoaairai.  a\\ri\tov    apifl/utp 

traprjASoi'.  In  the  ira.pr)\doi>  is  doubtless  a  reference  to 
Gen.  ii.  19.  Strangely  enough  late  expositors  (KNOBEL, 
MEIER)  adopt  this  rendering  ;hrough  misconception  of 

the  passage. 1  do  not  believe  that  the  feminines  in 

PUnO  nntf  and  nm;n  niyX  relate  only  to  the  living 
beings  enumerated  in  vers.  5-15.  For  why  are  not  other 
traits  of  the  prophecy,  murder,  burning,  etc.,  to  be  ful- 
filled? And  why  conceive  of  all  the  living  beings  as 
feminine?  The  Prophet  changes  the  gender  ver.  17.  I 
agree  with  those  that  take  these  feminines  in  a  neuter 
sense,  and  as  relating  to  all  the  traits  of  the  predicted 
judgment,  which  is  grammatically  quite  justifiable 
(oomp.  xli.  22). Ttyj  is  used  xl.  26,  as  here,  in  the 


GRAMMATICAL. 

sense  of  desidcrari,  dcesse. As  nniHH  MtJ'X  is  said  of 

T        ~ :          r    ' 

inanimate  things  (Kxod.  xxvi.  3,  5,  6,  etc.)  so  the  same  is 
possible  of  nm>?T  nt^X  (asyndeton  like  ver.  15).  HD3 
is  =  "to  miss,"  (properly  :  to  verify  by  inspection  the 
non-existence,  comp.  1  Sam.  xx.  6;  xxv.  15).  The  3d 
pers.  plur.  denotes  the  impersonal  subject  =  "  one."— 
'3  occasions  great  difficulty.  Some  (as  DRECIISLES) 
would  refer  tho  suffix  in  ^3  to  the  Prophet  and  in  inn 
to  God.  But  could  the  Prophet  say:  my  mouth  has 
commanded  it?  He  could  only  say  "  announced,"  ("Vjn 
or  the  like).  Thus  the  VULG.  translates  :  quod  ex  ore  meo 
proccdit,  ille  mandavit.  But  the  LXX.  has  simply,  on 
icu'pios  eveTeiAaro  OVTOIS.  It  is  better,  with  several  Rab- 
bis and  DELITZSCH,  to  refer  both  suffixes  to  God  :  "  my 
mouth  has  commanded  it  and  its  spirit,  i.  e.,  the  spirit 
of  my  mouth  has  gathered  them."  Still  this  isastrange 
form  of  expression.  For  it  appears  as  if  the  LORD  dis- 
tinguished between  His  spirit  and  the  spirit  of  His 
mouth,  as  if  the  latter  were  not  His  spirit;  a  distinction 
that  does  not  appear  Ps.  xxxiii.  6;  Job  xv.  30.  More- 


CHAP.  XXXIV.  16-17. 


367 


over  the  explanation  of  GESENIUS,"  who  would  take  X1H 
for  tlie  nomcn  rcgcns  belonging  to  "3  (comp.  NTI  'D'TD 
Nan.  ii.  9),  is  not  satisfactory.  This  construction  is 
quite  abnormal ;  for  Nah.  ii.  9  is  not  similar.  With  the 
exception  of  the  clause  "  for  my  mouth — hath  gathered 
them,"  not  only  the  entire  preceding  part  of  the  chapt. 
but  also  verses  16,  17  are  spoken  only  by  the  Prophet. 
A  corruption  of  the  text  was  very  possible,  in  as  much 
as  17T3,  by  reason  of  the  Kin  aft°r  inil,  could  easily 


change  to  KIP!  •'£).    Hence  I  think  that  we  must  simply 

translate  "  his  mouth." f¥-P  (Piel,  see  list)  is  to  be 

referred  to  the  same  objects  as  the  fern,  suffixes  pre- 
ceding. 

Ver.  17.  SllJ  S'Sn  only  here  in  Isaiah ;   comp.  Pa. 
xxii.  19;  Ezek.  xxiv.  6,  etc.    SllJ  alone  and  p^n  see 

list. lp  and  niBh"  and  H3    1J3$'  comp.  on  verse 

11. "im  "NlS  see  verse  11. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet    translates    himself  in  spirit 
into  the  time  when  his  prophecy  shall  have  been 
fulfilled.     As  a  pledge  to  his  present  readers  of 
the  reliability  of  his  predictions  he,  so  to  speak, 
stakes  his  own  and  Ood's  honor  on  the  fulfilment, 
which  must  be  compromised  by  the  non-fulfil- 
ment.    For  what  the  mouth  of  the  LORD  has  an- 
nounced, that  the  Spirit  of  the  LORD  will  bring 
to  pass.      Though   the   immediate  reference  of 
these  words  is  to  the  prophecy  against  Edom,  it 
lies  in  the  nature  of  things  that  the  present  sum- 
mons concerns  in   the  same  way  all  predictions 
of  the  Prophet.     It  is  hard  to  see  why  only  the 
prophecy  against  Edom  should  be  provided  with 
such  a  postscript  as  the  present.     It  is  therefore 
a  natural  conjecture  that  this    postscript  stands 
connected  with  the  position,  and  general  signifi- 
cance of  this  prophecy  against  Edom.    The  latter 
concludes  part  first :  for  with  xxxvi.  the  histori- 
cal pieces  begin.     We  have  found,  too,  this  pro- 
phecy against  Edom  to  be  an  exemplification  in 
one  nation  of  what  is  to  happen  to  all  (vers.  1-4). 
We  may  then  take  this  postscript  as  pertaining 
to  all  the  preceding  threatening  prophecies,  be- 
cause all  of  them  are,  so  to  speak,  comprehended 
in  this  last  one  against  Edom.     Now  as  chap, 
xxxiv.  is  certainly  more  recent  than  most  of  the 
foregoing    pieces,   it  is  probable  Uiat  this  post- 
script was  first  added  when  the  collection  was  ' 
made,  to  which  perhaps  the  expression  ''  Book 
of  the  LORD"  refers.     But,  one  may  ask,  why  is 
this  postscript  put  at  the  end  of  xxxv.  ?     The 
verses  16,  17  are  by  their    contents  most  inti- 
mately connected  with   xxxiv.  5-15.     But  why 
such  an  appeal  to  the  written  word  only  after  a 
threatening  prophecy  ?     Christ,   too,  Speaks  the 
significant  words  "  behold  I  have  told  you  before  " 
(Matt.  xxiv.  25;  Mar..xiii.  23)  after  announcing 
judgments.     God's  salvation  comes  to  the  pious, 
and  they  know  from  whose  hand  it  comes.     But 
the  wicked  will  not  hear  of  God's  sending  judg- 
ments.    They  ascribe  them  to  accident  or  fatalis- 
tic   necessity.     Therefore   it   specially  concerns 
them  to  prove,  that  the  judgment  is  something 
announced    beforehand,  and   thus  is   something 
previously  known    and    determined,  that    it   is 
therefore    the  act    of   Him  who  knows  all  His 
works  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  (Acts  xv. 
18).    Added  to  this,  xxxv.,  points  forwards  more 
than  backwards.    It  irf  the  bridge  to  chapters  xl.- 
Ixvi.,  as  it  were,  the  morning  twilight  of  the  day 
of  salvation,  which  dawns  with  chap.  xl. 

2.  Seek  ye dwell  therein.'    Vers.  16, 

17.     The  summons  to  read  in  the  written  book 
Beems  to  me  to  indicate  that  the  Prophet  has  just 
been  busy  with  a  book  and  finished  it,  which  he 


calls  "the  book  of  the  LORD."  GESEN.,  and 
DRECIISL.,  explain  this  to  mean  that  the  Prophet 
"  had  in  mind  the  insertion  of  his  oracle  in  a 
collection  of  holy  Scriptures  ;"  that  he  "  knew  it 
to  be  a  part  of  a  greater  whole,  into  which,  in  its 
time,  it  must  be  adopted."  But  then  why  does 
he  think  this  only  of  this  prophecy?  Even 
though  elsewhere  there  is  mention  of  recording 
single  prophecies  for  the  purpose  of  appealing  to 
them  afterwards  (viii.  1  ;  xxx.  8),  still  there  is 
nowhere,  beside  the  present,  any  mention  of  an 
entire  book  that  deserved  to  be  called  "  the  book 
of  the  LORD."  But  we  evidently  stand  here  at  a 
boundary.  The  prophecies  of  part  first  conclude. 
Chapters  xxxvi-xxxix.,  form  an  historical  sup- 
plement. With  xl.,  ihe  second  part  begins. 
And  at  this  significant  point  a  "  book  of  the  LORD  " 
is  mentioned.  This  is  certainly  not  to  be  ex- 
plained by  saying  that  in  closing  his  prophecy 
the  Prophet  happened  here  to  mention  the  future 
book  of  which  it  was  to  become  a  part.  It  is 
much  more  likely  that  the  Prophet  provided  this 
prophecy  with  such  a  conclusion,  when  he  put 
tliis  prophecy  at  the  end  of  a  great  book,  that  he 
called  Jehovah-book,  as  containing  the  entire  Je- 
hovah-word announced  by  him.  The  expres- 
sion mrv  "1DD  occurs  only  here.  Only  a  work 
in  which  Jehovah  had  space  to  give  an  all-sided 
revelation  of  His  nature  and  will,  deserved  this 
name.  And  only  a  Prophet  that  was  conscious 
of  having  been  God's  faithful  instrument  in  all 
he  had  said  and  written,  could  set  such  a  title  to 
his  book. 

The  prophecy  must  be  fulfilled  because  God  is 
author  of  it.  This  is  the  general  sense.  But  as 
to  particulars  ""3  occasions  difficulty,  on  which 
see  Text,  and  Gram.  The  Spirit  of  God,  or  per- 
haps  more  correctly  the  breath  of  God  drives, 
or  rather  blows  together,  from  all  quarters  what 
God  needs  in  one  place  for  the  accomplishment 
of  His  counsel.  Compare  an  analogous  use  of 
V3D  Mic.  i.  7.  The  various  beings  or  powers 
mentioned  in.  vers.  5-15  are  partly  masculine, 
partly  feminine.  The  Prophet  repeats  with  em- 
phasi's  that  the  total  of  them,  i.  e.,  the  representa- 
tives of  both  genders  are  endowed  witli  the  land 
of  Edom  in  eternal  possession.  He  has  similarly 
expressed  the  difference  in  gender  by  the  different 
gender  terminations,  iii.  1. 

[On  ver.  17.  "  An  evident  allusion  to  the 
division  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  both  by  lot  and 
measuring  line^  (See  Num.  xxvi.  55,  56 ;  Josh, 
xviii.  4-6).  As  Canaan  was  allotted  to  Israel, 
so  Edom  is  allotted  to  these  doleful  creatures." — 
J.  A.  ALEXANDER.]. 


363 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


4.  OBVERSE  OF  THE  JUDGMENT:  ISRAEL'S  REDEMPTION  AND  RETURN  HOME, 

CHAPTER  XXXV.  1-10. 

1  *THE  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place  shall  be  glad  for  them ; 
And  the  desert  shall  rejoice,  and  blossom  as  the  rose. 

2  "It  shall  blossom  abundantly, 

And  rejoice  even  with  joy  and  singing : 
The  glory  of  Lebanon  "shall  be  given  unto  it. 
The  excellency  of  Carmel  and  Sharon, 
They  shall  see  the  glory  of  the  LORD, 
And  the  excellency  of  our  God. 

3  Strengthen  ye  the  weak  hands, 
And  confirm  the  feeble  knees. 

4  Say  to  them  that  are  of  a  ld  fearful  heart, 
Be  strong,  fear  not : 

Behold  your  God  ewill  come  with  vengeance, 
Even  God  with  a  recompense  ; 
He  will  come  and  save  you. 

5  Then  the  eyes  of  the  blind  shall  be  opened, 
And  the  ears  of  the  deaf  shall  be  unstopped. 

6  Then  shall  the  lame  man  leap  as  an  hart, 
And  the  tongue  of  the  dumb  sing  : 

For  in  the  wilderness  shall  waters  break  out, 
And  streams  in  the  desert. 

7  And  the  fparched  ground  shall  become  a  pool, 
And  the  thirsty  land  springs  of  water  : 

gln  the  habitation  of  dragons,  where  each  lay, 
Shall  be  2grass  with  reeds  and  rushes. 

8  And  an  highway  shall  be  there,  and  a  way, 
And  it  shall  be  called  The  way  of  holiness ; 

The  unclean  shall  not  pass  over  it ;  8but  it  shall  be  for  those  * 
The  wayfaring  men,  though  fools,  shall  not  err  therein. 

9  No  lion  shall  be  there, 

Nor  any  ravenous  beast  shall  go  up  thereon, 
It  shall  not  be  found  there ; 
But  hthe  redeemed  shall  walk  there  : 
10  And  the  ransomed  of  the  LORD  shall  return, 
And  come  to  Zion  with  songs 
And  everlasting  joy  upon  their  heads  : 
They  shall  obtain  joy  and  gladness, 
And  sorrow  and  sighing  shall  flee  away. 


1  Heb.  hasty. 

•  Be  (jlail  desert 

•  vengeance  comes,  recompense  of  God  1    lie  comes  that  lie  man  save  you. 

t  In  the  habitation  of  jackals  is  their  encampment,  an  enclosure  for  reeds  and  rushes. 


2  Or,  a  court  for  reeds,  etc. 
rejoice  steppe,  etc.  b  Bloom,  bloom  let  it. 


8  Or,  for  he  shall  be  with  them. 

'  is  given.  a  disconcerted. 

1  mirage. 


redeemed  ones. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  1.  [The  Author,  like  the  LXX.,  translates  the  fu- 
tures of  this  verse,  (and  also  of  ver.  2)  as  imperatives. 
But;  as  J.  A.  ALEX,  says,  "  there  is  no  sufficient  reason 
for  departing  from  the  strict  sense  of%ie  future." — Tn.j. 
The  abnormal  form  Dlt^^T  must  not  be  regarded  as  an 
error  in  copying,  as  has  been  done  by  LOWTTI,  EICHHORN, 
HITZIG,  UMBREIT,  Oi.su.  (Gram.).  Nor  can  the  ending  D-1 
bo  treated  as  a  suffix,  as  is  dono  by  GESENIUS,  KOSENM., 


MAUBER,  DRECHSLER,  who  regard  it  as  put  for  03  with 

T 

reference  to  "  the  felicitous  revolution  of  all  things  that 
is  announced  in  the  present  chapter."  Such  a  refer- 
ence would  be  harsh,  and  a  departure  from  the  analogy 
of  the  construction  of  verbs  of  rejoicing.  It  is  better 
(with  ABEN  EZRA,  KIMCHI.  EWALD,  (?  91,  6),  KWOBEL,  DB- 
LITZSCU)  to  explain  the  form  as  an  assimilation  of  the  J 


CHAP.  XXXV.  1-10. 


369 


in  ntytJT  to  the  following  D  :  as  in  Numb.  iii.  49  QY~\2 
PJO  stands  for  ift  JV13,  and  as,  according  to  WETSTEIN 
(excursus  in  DEI.ITZSCH,  p.  688),  at  the  present  day  even 
in  Arabic  n  becomes  m  before  a  labial,  lu  Greek  also 
TI)M  r/niTcpa  occurs  for  ri\v  nr/ripa.  On  the  recurrence  of 
EMty.  n'¥,  n3~*>7  in  Isaiah,  see  list. 

Ver.  2.  nVj  see  list.  Th«  inf.  [ }~\  again  only  Pa. 
cxxxii.  16.— "  1133  and  inn  see  tot. 

Ver.  3.  The  words  are  manifestly  borrowed  from  Job 
iv.  3,  4.  By  a  comparison  of  the  Hebrew  original  it  is 
seen  that  the  first  clause  quite  agrees  with  the  words 
of  Job;  but  the  second  combines  elements  of  the  two 
following  clauses  in  Job,  and  .HI/CO  is  substituted  for 
But  the  two  expressions  '3T  'T  DIP!  ajd 
(or  flljn3)  D'O'U  }*;OX  occur  only  in  these 

two  places. 
Ver.  4.  DRECHSLER,  DELITZSCH,  as  some  Rabbins  before 

them,  take  QpJ   as  ace.  modalis  (DRECHSLEH:  "  Rachens 
ITT 

tommt  er,"  i.e..  as  much  to  do  vengeance,  as  also  in  ven- 
geance, in  exhibition  of  vengeance).  But  no  example 
can  be  cited  of  designating  the  object  of  coming  by  the 
accusative,  or  of  the  use  of  QpJ  adverbially  as  denoting 
the  manner  of  appearance,  like  the  use  of  rOSIIJ, 
nC33,  "If?^'  '-?r!'  etc'  ^e  Paral'el  passages  that  are 
cited  'sin.  9 ;  xxx.  27  ;  xl.  10)  prove  only  that  DDTI /K 
can  be  joined  to  SIT  as  its  predicate,  something  that 
is  not  doubted.  The  accents  indeed  favor  this  connec- 
tion here,  but  they  are  not  binding.  In  an  entirely  simi- 
lar sentence  as  to  structure  (Jer.  xxiii.  19  ;  xxx.  33)  they 
make  such  a  distribution  as  I  think  is  also  the  correct 
one  here.  With  most  expositors,  therefore,  I  take 
D3TI7X  Din  as  first  clause,  which  incontestibly  is 
grammatically  possible  (comp.  e.  g.  xvii.  14 ;  Gen.  xii.  19), 
and  S13'  DDJ  as  the  second.  Thus  by  njPI,as  it  were 
with  the  index  finger,  the  Prophet  points  to  God  as  He 
draws  near,  and  then  with  the  following  words  explains 
His  coming.  Vengeance,  says  he  (comp.  on  xxxiv.  8), 
comes,  divine  recompense.  'S  7)OJ  is  in  apposition 
with  DDJ.  D'nSs  denotes  not  merely  the  author,  but 
also  the  manner  of  the  recompense:  it  is  such  as  God 
only  can  visit,  viz.,  as  just  in  principle  as  it  is  complete 
in  execution.  The  expression  therefore  recalls  'S  r^fl 
"  the  terror  of  God,"  Gen.  xxxv.  5;  Ss  'PS  PS-  l«x. 

11 ;  '•>    'yj;  Ps.  civ.  16,  etc. '1   NIT    Sin  emphasizes 

tho  coming  of  the  LORD  for  a  positive  object. The 

form  Dpyi!H  stands  for  DD^'CH,  as  Prov.  xx.  22j?En 

for  JTBH.  The  abbreviated  (Jussive)  form  denotes  that 
the  clause  is  to  be  construed  as  marking  intention: 
"that  he  may  save  you." 

Ver.  5.  K/hn,  see  list. 

Ver.  6.  jSl  "to  spring"  (Ps.  xviii.  30)  and  b'S  only 
here  in  Isaiah.  nDD  comp.  xxxiii.  23. DvS,  see  list. 


Ver.  7.  DJS  and  J713D  (EccL  xii.  6),  see  list. MNDY 

again  only  Deut.  viii.  15  ;  Ps.  cvii.  33. Both  as  to  sense 

and  grammar  it  gives  a  harsh  construction  to  take 
n¥3")  in  apposition  with  H1J,  and  to  refer  the  suffix  to 
D' J/V  What  need  is  there  of  saying  that  the  nij  of  the 
jackal  is  also  its  y31  ?  Nor  would  I,  with  DRECHSLEB 
refer  the  suffix  in  n^JI  to  D'D  :  for  V31  is  a  place  of 
repose  (comp.  Ixv.  10;  Jer.  1.  G  ;  Prov.  xxiv.  15).  n¥3"l 
is  manifestly  to  be  referred  to  Israel.  It  is  true  that  in 
what  precedes  there  is  no  word  to  which  the  suffix  n_ 
may  be  grammatically  referred.  But  we  know  the  great 
liberty  of  the  Hebrew,  in  which  verbal  and  nominal 
endings,  as  also  suffixes  are  referred  to  ideal  notions  or 
such  as  are  implied  in  the  context  (comp.  on  xxxiii.  4). 
It  is  in  this  case  to  be  referred  to  some  feminine  notion 
of  the  author's  mind,  such  as  Zion  or  daughter  of  Zion. 
The  following  words,  too,  "  V¥n  are  an  echo  of  xxxiv. 

13  6  C'  rnj3  7  T¥n).  Hence  the  latter  passage  seems 
to  me  to  indicate  what  must  be  the  explanation  of  the 
present,  and  that  we  must  here  also  take  V^n  >n  tne 

sense  of  "li'l"!-    This  interchange,  indeed,  does  not  oe- 

••  T 

cnr  in  any  other  than  the  passages  named.  But  gramma- 
tically it  is  not  impossible  (comp.  ft'/D  and  tjSiJ,  U'J' 

•  T  ••  T     -  •  T 

and  yy,  p'fty  and  p,T\J7,  EWAI/C,  ?  149,  e)  and  the  sense 

demands  it  in  xxxiv.  13.  For  the  ostrich  does  not  eat 
grass.  Hence  I  construe  T^FI  m  this  place  as  "\yn 
and  in  apposition  with  T\  nij. 

Ver.  8.  The  1  before  S1H  might  be  taken  in  a  cau«al 
sense  (EWALD,  I  353,  a).  But  it  seems  to  me  more  suit- 
able to  regard  the  clause  1^7  Sim  as  the  negative  cor- 
relative of  NO £D  1J13JT  S7,  and  to  translate  1  accord- 
ingly by  "but"  (EWALD,  §354,  a,  p.  843).  Note  here,  too, 
what  freedom  the  Prophet  takes  with  the  gender  of  the 
words.  The  fern.  H7  after  STp'1  is  immediately  fol- 
lowed by  the  masculines  1J13J"  and  Xin. TIT  is 

most  commonly  masculine  (fern,  only  Deut.  i.  22 ;  Ps.  i. 
6;  cxix.  33;  Ezra  viii.  2).  But  it  is  incredible  that  this 
interchange  of  gender  is  conditioned  by  the  double 
gender  of  -"PI,  for  that  would  not  justify  such  inter- 
change in  one  and  the  same  passage.  But  Pl7  relates 
7l7D7D»  i.  f-.  to  tho  notion  n vDD  which  is  here  in  an 

T  •   :  i 

exceptional  way  represented  by  the  other  word. "pn 

is  part,  absolution,  and  prepositive  conditional  clause.  In 

respect  to  the  sense  comp.  xlii.  16. 7'1X  again  only 

xix.  11. 

Ver.  9.  VP3  only  here  in  Isaiah. The  3  pers.  fem. 

in  S¥0r\  is  to  be  referred  r\YT\,  for  this  3  pers.  fem.  in- 
volves an  ideal  plural  (comp.  on  xxxiv.  13) D' 71SJ 

again  only  li.  10;  Ixii.  12;  Ps.  cvii.  2;  [but  also,  see  list], 

Ver.  10.  'H3,  JJJ,  JUT,  nnjS,  see  list. 
comp.  xxiL  13;  li.  3,11;  Ixi.  3. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  As  in  all  sections  of  Isaiah's  prophecies,  so 
here  the  perspective  closes  with  a  glorious  future 
(comp.  xi.  and  xii. ;  xxiii.  15-18 ;  xxvii. ;  xxxiii. 
13-24).  As  exile  is  the  sum  of  all  terrors  for  the 
Israelite,  so  exile's  end,  return  to  Zion  to  ever- 
lasting, blessed  residence  there  is  the  acme  and 
sum  of  all  felicity.  Thus  here  the  prospect  of 
joyful  return  home  is  presented  to  Israel  in  con- 
24 


trast  with  the  frightful  judgments  that  (xxxiv.) 
are  to  come  upon  the  heathen,  and  at  the  same 
time  as  a  transition  and  prelude  to  chapters  xl.- 
Ixvi. 

The  desert  through  which  the  way  lies  shall 
flourish  like  Carmel  and  Sharon  (vers.  1,  2). 
There  all  the  weary  and  languishing  shall  re- 
ceive new  strength  (ver.  3).  The  fearful  and 


370 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


timid  shall  gain  fresh  courage  at  the  prospect  of 
the  vengeance  and  deliverance  from  their  God 
(ver.  4).  The  blind  shall  see;  the  deaf  hear 
(ver.  5),  the  lame  walk,  the  dumb  speak  ;  springs 
shall  well  up  in  the  desert  (ver.  6) ;  the  mirage 
shall  become  reality,  the  lair  of  the  jackal  will 
become  a  place  of  grass  and  water  fitted  for  an 
encampment  (ver.  7).  A  highway  will  appear 
that  shall  be  a  holy  way.  For  as,  on  the  one 
hand,  nothing  unclean  shall  go  on  it,  so,  on  the 
other,  the  simple  ones  of  Israel  will  not  lose  their 
way  on  it  (ver.  8).  No  ravenous  beast  shall 
render  it  insecure.  Only  the  redeemed  of  the 
LORD  shall  travel  it  (ver.  9).  They  shall  return 
on  it  to  Zion  with  joy.  Then  shall  everlasting 
joy  go  in  there,  and  sorrow  and  sighing  flee 
away  (ver.  10). 

2.  The  wilderness of  our  God. — Vers. 

1,  2.  These  verses,  as  it  were,  prepare  the  theatre 
in  general  for  the  return  of  Israel.  This  return  is 
to  be  through  the  desert.  There  is  not  a  word  to 
intimate  that  the  Prophet  has  a  definite  desert  in 
view.  The  march  of  Israel  through  the  Arabian 
desert  when  returning  from  the  Egyptian  cap- 
tivity, is  as  much  the  type  for  all  home  returns 
of  Israel,  as  that  first  captivity  is  the  type  for  all 
that  follow.  For  so  says  Isa.  xi.  16:  "And 
there  shall  be  an  highway  for  the  remnant  of  her 
people,  which  shall  be  left  from  Assyria,  like  as 
it  was  to  Israel  in  the  day  that  he  came  up  out 
of  the  land  of  Egypt."  The  Nile  and  Euphrates 
shall  be  made  passable  by  dividing  their  bstis 
into  seven  small  streams  (xi.  15),  and  the  desert, 
(according  to  Jer.  xxxi.  21),  by  setting  up  signs 
and  way-marks,  and  preparing  the  road.  Espe- 
cially in  Isa.  xliii.  19  sq. ;  xlviii.  21  it  is  pro- 
mised that  those  returning  home  shall  enjoy 
abundance  of  water  in  the  desert.  Thus  then  our 
passage  sees  in  the  wilderness  the  chief  territory 
for  the  march  of  the  home-returning  Israelites. 
The  desert  shall  conform  to  the  blessed  people 
that  wander  through  it.  It  will  change  its  nature. 
Hitherto  a  place  of  curse,  abode  of  demons  (xxxiv. 
14),  it  will  become  a  place  of  blessing,  a  para- 
dise. The  principle  of  a  higher,  spiritual,  eter- 
nal life,  the  principle  of  glorification  will  become 
operative  in  it.  This  idea  of  the  glorification  of 
nature  is  peculiar  to  Isaiah  (see  iv.  2 ;  vi.  3 ;  xi. 
7  sqq.).  fi/^nn  translated  "rose,"  occurs  only 
here  and  Song  of  Solomon  ii.  1.  It  is  variously 
translated  rose,  lily,  narcissus,  crocus.  That  it 
denotes  some  sort  of  bulbous  plant  appears  from 
72f3  (Numb.  xi.  5)  which  means  '•  onion."  FI  is 
often  used  to  form  quadraliterals,  comp.  «MF|t 
'p;!1?.  GESEN.,  Thes.,  p.  436.  Some  suppose  that 
the  meadow-saffron,  colchicum  autumnale  is  meant, 
because  the  Syriac  translates  the  word  chamza- 
loito  (see  GESEN.,  Comrn.  in  loc.).  But  it  seems 
impossible  that  such  a  poisonous  weed  could  be 
meant  here  and  Song  of  Sol.  ii.  1.  If  a  bulbous 
plant  is  meant,  it  may  (distinguished  from  n^H*/, 
the  lilium  candidam,  the  Ar/pwv  of  the  Greeks), 
be  the  lilium  bulbi/erum,  the  fire  lilv  (comp.  PLIN. 
Hist.nat.  XXI.  5,  11,  est  et  rubens  lilium,  quod 
Graeci  Kpivov  vacant).  In  fact  the  LXX.,  trans- 
late it  here  by  Kpivov.  But  it  might  even  be  the 
narcissus,  ''the  miraculous  flower,  at  the  sight  of 
which  gods  and  men  wonder,  that  raises  itself  out 
of  the  earth  with  a  hundred  heads,  whose  fra- 


grance rejoices  heaven,  sea  and  earth  "  (  VIKTOR 
'H.EJi'S>Kitlturpflanzen,  u.  Hausthierc,  Berlin,  1870, 
p.  164).  ARNOLD  (IlERZ.,  R.-Encycl.,  XI.  p.  25) 
holds  this  view.  [The  translation  "  rose"  is  true 
to  the  poetry  if  not  to  the  botany. — BARNES,  J. 
A.  ALEXANDER].  But  however  this  may  be,  the 
meaning  is,  that  the  entire  steppe,  covered  with 
the  bloom  of  this  flower,  shall  appear  like  one 
single  individual  flower  of  the  sort.  Lebanon. 
(see  list)  Sharon  (ibid.)  and  Carmel  appear  united, 
xxxiii.  9,  as  types  of  the  most  glorious  vegetation. 
HQn  must  be  referred  to  the  gloriously  adorned 
meadows.  For  just  because  they  are  honored 
with  beholding  the  glory  of  God,  they  must  them- 
selves appear  in  adornment  to  suit. 

3.  Strengthen -the  desert. — Vers.  3-6. 

The  Prophet  ver.  3  addresses  his  own  word  of 
encouragement  to  the  returning  ones,  and  then 
ver.  4  prescribes  to  them  the  words  with  which 
they  arc  to  reassure  any  that  are  dismayed  (see 
on  xxxii.  4  where  the  word  is  used  for  hurry  in 
judging),  to  whom  the  undertaking  may  seem 
too  bold  and  daring.  The  words  ''be  strong,  fear 
not"  are  evidently  borrowed  from  Deut.  xxxi.  6 
(comp.  2  Chr.  xxxii.  7).  How  can  Israel  fear 
since  the  LORD  their  God  hastens  to  them  to  visit 
vengeance  on  the  enemy  and  to  redeem  His  people  1 

What  is  said  vers.  5,  6  of  opening  eyes,  ears 
and  tongues,  and  of  the  free  use  of  members  before 
crippled,  we  will  need  to  understand  as  much  in 
a  spiritual  as  in  a  corporeal  sense.  For  the  "  hasty 
of  heart,"  ver.  4,  proves  that  also  spirit  and  spirit- 
ual defects  on  the  part  of  the  returning  Israelites 
are  still  to  be  removed.  And  np2  is  the  specific 
technical  term  for  opening  the  eyes  generally 
(only  once  of  the  ears  xlii.  20)  and  for  opening 
the  spiritual  eyes  in  particular  (xxxvii.  17  ;  xlii. 
7).  ["As  HENDERSON  justly  says,  there  is  no 
proof  whatever  that  Christ  refers  John  the  Bap- 
tist to  this  prophecy  (Matt.  xi.  5;  Luke  vii.  22) : 
He  employs  none  of  the  formulas  which  He  uni- 
formly uses  when  directing  attention  to.  the  Old 
Testament  (e.g.,  in  Matt.  ix.  1C ;  xi.  10;  xii.  17; 
xiii.  14),  but  simply  appeals  to  His  miracles  in 
proof  of  His  Messiahship:  the  language  is  similar, 
but  the  subjects  differ.  To  the  question,  whether 
this  prediction  is  in  no  sense  applicable  to  our 
Saviour's  miracles,  we  may  reply  with  CALVIN, 
that  though  they  are  not  directly  mentioned,  they 
were  really  an  emblem  and  example  of  the  great 
change  which  is  here  described.  So,  too,  the 
spiritual  cures  effected  by  the  gospel,  although 
not  specifically  signified  by  these  words,  are  in- 
cluded in  the  glorious  revolution  which  they  do 
describe. — J.  A.  ALEXANDER]. 

The  clause  ver.  6  b.  gives  a  reason,  not  spe- 
cially for  the  healing  of  the  dumb,  lame,  etc.,  but 
in  general  for  the  exhortation  to  be  of  good  cheer 
that  is  given  to  those  returning,  and  to  rejoice 
that  is  given  to  the  desert  itself  from  ver.  1  on- 
wards. Abundance  of  water  shall  be  given  in 
the  desert.  This  explains  why  the  desert  is  to 
flourish  and  rejoice,  and  those  that  journey 
through  it  should  be  of  good  cheer.  i'P^J  ''  to 
breakout''  (comp.  at  xlviii.  21)  stands  in  the 
well-known  metonymic  sense  as  elsewhere  (see 
list).  But  this  verse  forms  at  the  same  time  the 
transition  to  what  follows,  viz. :  the  more  particu- 
lar description  of  the  road,  by  which  the  re- 
deemed shall  return. 


CHAP.  XXXV.  1-10. 


371 


4.  And  the  parched flee  away.— Vers. 

7-10.  [3~liy  it  is  now  agreed  denotes  the  illu- 
sive appearance  often  witnessed  both  at  sea  and 
land,  called  in  English  looming,  in  Italian  fata 
morgana,  and  in  French  mirage.  In  the  deserts 
of  Arabia  and  Africa,  the  appearance  presented 
is  precisely  that  of  an  extended  sheet  of  water, 
tending  not  only  to  mislead  the  traveller,  but  to 
aggravate  his  thirst  by  disappointment.  "  More 
deceitful  than  mirage"  (or  serab)  is  an  Arabian 
proverb.  The  word  (which  occurs  again  in  the 
Old  Testament  only  xlix.  10)  adds  a  beautiful 
stroke  to  the  description,  not  only  by  its  local 
propriety,  but  by  its  strict  agreement  with  the 
context.  Comp.  J.  A..  ALEX.,  and  BARNES,  in 
loc.  HERZ.,  R.-Ertcyd.  XXI.,  p.  607.  CURTIUS, 
VII.  5,  3  and  4.— TR.]. 

This  torture  shall  not  be  experienced  by  the 
returning  Israelites.  Instead  of  the  mocking  at- 
mospheric illusion  there  shall  be  an  actual  lake, 
and  the  dry  region  shall  become  a  region  of  bub- 
bling (J7120)  springs.  Where  before  was  only  the 
lair  of  jackals,  there  Israel  will  bivouac  as  in  a 
place  where  now  is  a  green  spot  hedged  in  for 
cane  and  reed.  The  Prophet  has  in  mind  his  own 
description  xxxiv.  13  6. 

On  ni'31  and  Ti'H  see  Text,  and  Gram.  By 
the  construction  defended  there  we  see  that  the 
Prophet  explains  why  a  former  lair  of  jackals  lias 
now  become  fit  for  a  resting  place.  It  has  become 
a  fence  enclosure  for  reed  and  cane.  Once  dry, 
it  is  now  moist ;  so  much  so  that  plants  requiring 
great  moisture  grow  there.  Wherever  the  mois- 
ture extends  these  plants  grow.  Their  station, 
therefore,  being  sharply  defined,  may  be  called 
really  a  septum,  a  hedge.  But  this  is  a  natural 
fence,  not  artificial ;  depending  on  organic  life, 
not  on  stone  walls.  It  is  well  remarked  by  GE- 
SENIUS  (Thes.  p.  512)  that  the  meanings  of  "Vi'FI 
and  "li'H  hang  together.  For  the  nomadic  T^H 
extends  exactly  as  far  as  there  is  "Vi'n.  So  also 
the  Greek  x6p-os  (by  which  the  LXX.  generally 
translate  "VtfP)  is  at  once  fodder,  grass  and  fence, 
court  (comp.  kortus  and  chors,  cors,  cohors}.  We  may 
then  in  the  text  take  TiTl  as  having  the  addi- 
tional notion  of  the  natural  hedge,  the  district  of 
vegetation.  !~Up  "cane"  see  xix.  G.  KOJ,  pro- 
perly the  papyrus  reed  (see  on  xviii.  2)  stands 
here  for  rushes  generally  (Job  viii.  11).  Ver.  8. 
The  LORD'S  care  extends  further  :  He  will  make 
in  the  desert  an  embanked  highway,  a  causeway; 

an   impossible   construction   for    men  !       /HDD 

(  =  H  /DO  see  list)  is  a.-,  tay.  The  expression  ''a 
highway  and  a  way "  is  plainly  a  hendiadys. 
This  way  shall  be  holy.  The  LORD  built  it  and 
destined  it  to  lead  to  His  house.  It  is  a  pilgrim 
way.  Hence  nothing  unclean,  neither  unclean 
person  nor  thing,  may  come  up  on  it ;  it  belongs 
only  to  them,  ?'.  e.,  the  Israelites,  which  notion 
here,  as  well  as  in  D¥31  (see  Text,  and  Gram.}, 
must  be  regarded  as  ideally  present.  Another 
advantage  of  this  via  sacra  is  that  even  the  sim- 
ple-minded ("  Thumbe"),  cannot  go  astray  on 
it.  For  whoever  goes  on  it  is  a  sanctified  one, 

under  God's  protection  and  care.     "pT  "pn  is  in 

contrast  with  KOtt  U'lSj?'1  N7 ;  an  unclean  person 
will  not  cross  the  way,  but  as  regards  him  who 
goes,  i.  e.,  who  has  once  entered  on  the  way, — 


even  fools  will  not  go  astray.  All  that  can  make 
unclean  or  occasion  danger  will  remain  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  holy  way.  (Comp.  comm.  on 
xliii.  20),  Instead  of  that,  redeemed,  and  only 
they  shall  journey  on  it.  Hence  the  way  will  be 
a,  or  rather  the  way  of  salvation.  Ver.  10,  which 
is  identical  with  li.  11,  defines  the  goal  of  the 
travellers  and  the  success  of  their  journey. 

The  ransomed  of  the  LORD  will  return  home. 
The  idea  3*8?  in  all  its  modifications  plays  a  great 
part  in  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah.  Comp.  on  vii.  3 ; 
x.  20-22 ;  Jer.  iii.  1 ;  xxxi.  22.  Joy  and  peace 
as  the  promised  blessings  (Dent,  xxviii.  2, 15)  the 
redeemed  shall  receive,  but  sorrow  and  sighing 
shall  flee.  [On  their  heads  may  be  an  expres- 
sion denoting  that  joy  is  manifest  in  the  face  and 
aspect.  GESENIUS,  BARNES.] 

DOCTRINAL,   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xxxiv.  1-4.   Because  Rev.  vi.  12-17  has 
express  reference  to  this  passage,  some  would  con- 
clude that  the  Prophet  here  has  in  view  only  that 
special  event  of  the  world's  judgment  (the  open- 
ing of  the  sixth  .seal).     But  that  is  not  justified. 
For  other  passages  of  the  New  Testament  that  do 
not  specially  relate  to  the  opening  of  the  sixth 
seal  are  based  on  this  passage  (Matth.  xxiv.  29; 
2  Pet.  iii.  7  sqq.;  Rev.  xiv.  11 ;  xix.  11  sqq.).     It 
appears  from  this  that  the  present  passage  is,  as 
it  were,  a  magazine  from  which  New  Testament 
prophecy  has  drawn  its  material  for  more  than 
one  event  of  fulfilment. 

2.  On  xxxiv.  16.   The  word  of  God  can  bear 
the  closest  scrutiny.     Indeed  it  desires  and  de- 
mands it.     If  men  would  only  examine  the  Scrip- 
tures diligently  and  with  an  unclouded  mind  and 
love  of  truth,   "  whether  these  things  are  so,"  as 
did  the  Bereans  (Acts  xvii.  11 ;  Jno.  v.  89) ! 

3.  On  xxxv.  3.   "  The  Christian  church  is  the 
true  Lazaretto  in  which  may  be  found  a  crowd 
of  weary,  sick,  lame  and  wretched  people.    There- 
fore, Christ  is  the  Physician  Himself  (Matth.  ix. 
12)  who  binds  up  and  heals  those  suffering  from 
neglect  (Ezek.  xxxiv.  1(> ;  Isa.  Ixi.  1).     And  His 
word  cures  all  (Wisd.  xvi.  12).     His  servants,  too, 
are  commissioned  officially  to  admonish  the  rude, 
to  comfort  the  timid,  to  bear  the  weak,  and  be  pa- 
tient with  all  (1  Thess.  v.  14).     Therefore,  who- 
ever feels  weak,  let  him  betake  himself  to  this  Be- 
thania;  there  he  will  find  counsel  for  his  soul." 
CRAMER. 

4.  [On  xxxv.  8,  9.   "They  who  enter  the  path 
that  leads  to  life,  find  there  no  cause  of  alarm. 
Their  fears  subside ;  their  apprehensions  of  pun- 
ishment on   account  of  their  sins  die  away,  and 
they  walk  that  path  with  security  and  confidence. 
There  is  nothing  in  that  way  to  alarm  them ;  and 
though  there  are  many  foes— fitly  represented  by 
lions  and  wild  beasts — lying  about  the  way,  yet  no 
one  is  permitted  to   'go  up  thereon.'     This  is  a 
most  beautiful  image  of  the  safety  of  the  people 
of  God,  and  of  their  freedom  from  all  enemies 
that  could  annoy  them."    "  The  path  here  referred 
to   is   appropriately   designed   only    for   the   re- 
deemed of  the  LORD.     It  is  not  for  the  profane, 
the  polluted,  (he  hypocrite.     It  is  not  for  those 
who  live  for  this  world,  or  for  those  who  love 
pleasure  more  than  they  love  God.     The  church 
should  not  be  entered  except  by  those  who  have 


372 


TUP:  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


evidence  that  they  are  redeemed.  None  should 
make  a  profession  of  religion  who  have  no  evi- 
dence that  they  belong  to  "the  redeemed,"  and 
who  are  not  disposed  to  walk  in  the  way  of  holi- 
ness. But  for  all  such  it  is  a  highway  on  which 
they  are  to  travel.  It  is  made  by  leveling  hills 
and  elevating  valleys  j  across  the  sandy  desert  and 


through  the  wilderness  of  this  world,  infested  with 
the  enemies  of  God  and  His  people.  It  is  made 
straight  and  plain,  so  that  none  need  err ;  it  is  de- 
fended from  enemies,  so  that  all  may  be  safe ;  be- 
cause 'He,'  their  Leader  and  Redeemer,  shall 
go  with  them  and  guard  that  way."  BARNES 
in  loc.~] 


FIFTH  SUBDIVISION. 

THE  HISTOEICAL  PIECES :    CONTAINING  THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  ASSYRIAN 
AND  THE  PREPARATION  FOR  THE  BABYLONIAN  PERIOD. 

CHAPTERS  XXXVI— XXXIX. 


These  four  chapters  run  parallel  with  2  Kings 
xviii.  13 — ocx.  19.  It  is  not  hard  to  see  why  they 
are  here.  Chaps,  xxxvi.  and  xxxvii.  represent 
to  us  the  contemporaneous  fulfilment  of  the  pro- 
phecies relating  to  Assyria.  Chaps,  xxxviii.  and 
xxxix.  show  how  "from  afar"  (pin ID)  was  be- 
gun the  spinning  of  the  first  threads  of  that  web 
of  Babylonish  complications  that  were  at  last  so 
fatal.  There  is  good  internal  ground  for  putting 
side  by  side  these  two  retrospective  and  prospec- 
tive histories,  which  DELITZSCH  aptly  compares 
to  the  head  of  Janus.  It  is,  moreover,  natural 
that  the  retrospective  should  come  before  the 
prospective  piece.  But  researches  among  the  As- 
syrian monuments  have  established  beyond  doubt 
that  the  overthrow  of  Sennacherib  did  not  occur 
in  the  fourteenth,  but  in  the  twenty-eighth  year  of 
Hezekiah  ;  therefore  not  in  714  B.  C.,  but  in  700 
B.C. 

According  to  the  annals  and  according  to  the 
Canon  of  Ptolemy,  Sargon  ascended  also  the 
throne  of  Babylon  in  709  B.  C.  (see  on  xxxviii. 
1).  For  the  latter  calls  the  year  709  the  first  of 
'Ap/ceavof,  i.e.,  Sargon,  Therefore  Sennacherib 
cannot  possibly  have  reigned  as  early  as  714. 
The  lists  of  regencies  (comp.  SCHRADER,  p.  331, 
268  sqq.)  say  distinctly  that  Sennacherib,  after 
the  murder  of  his  father  on  the  12th  Ab  (July) 
of  the  year  705,  ascended  the  throne.  LENOR- 
MANT,  as  learned  as  he  is  positive  in  his  opinions 
(Lesprem.civilis,  II.  p.  237)  says:  "In  fact  the  at- 
tack of  Sennacherib  on  the  kingdom  of  Judah  is 
fixed  in  a  precise  way  at  the  third  campaign  of 
that  king  and  at  the  year  700  B.  C.  by  the  text 
of  the  annals  of  his  reign  inscribed  on  a  cylinder 
of  baked  ear.h  possessed  by  the  British  Museum. 
It  is  said,  in  fact,  that  it  precedes  by  one  year  the 
installation  of  Asnrnadinzum  as  viceroy  in  Ba- 
bylon, an  event  which,  in  the  astronomical  Canon 
of  Ptolemy,  is  inscribed  in  699.  Consequently 
the  expedition  against  Judah  took  place  in  the 
twenty-eighth  and  not  in  the  fourteenth  year  of 
Hezekiah."  It  appears  not  clearly  made  out 
whether  Sennacherib's  expedition  against  Judah 
occurred  in  701  or  in  700.  LENORMANT  says 
700,  but  SCHRADER  (I.  c.)  is  still  in  doubt.  The 
difference  is  une-sential.  It  appears  to  be  occa- 
sioned by  different  computations  of  the  begin- 
nings of  the  years.  I  will  follow  that  of  LENOR- 

MAHT. 


Now  while  it  appears  that  chaps,  xxxvi.  and 
xxxvii.  relate  the  events  of  700  B.  C.,  or  of  the 
twenty-eighth  year  of  Hezekiah's  reign,  it  is 
equally  certain  chaps,  xxxviii.  and  xxxix.  relate 
the  events  of  714,  or  of  the  fourteenth  year  of  He- 
zekiah. For  according  to  xxxviii.  5  (see  comm. 
in  loc.)  the  LORD  prolongs  Hezekiah's  life  fifteen 
years.  We  know  also  from  2  Kings  xxi.  1  (2 
Chr.  xxxiii.  1)  that  Manasseh  was  twelve  years 
old  when  he  succeeded  his  father  Hezekiah. 
From  this  results  that  he  could  only  have  been 
born  after  the  seventeenth  year  of  Hezekiah's 
reign.  In  the  fourteenth  then  he  was  not  yet 
born.  And  this  explains  both  the  grief  of  Heze- 
kiah (xxxviii.  3)  and  his  great  joy  (xxxviii.  19). 
But  the  following  considerations  show  that  Heze- 
kiah's sickness  and  recovery  and  the  embassy 
from  Babylon  did  not  occur  before  Sennacherib's 
overthrow:  1)  The  treasury  chambers,  still  full, 
in  contrast  with  2  Kings  xviii.  14  sqq.  (see  xxxix. 
2  and  comm.).  Had  this  been  the  spoil  of  an 
enemy,  Hezekiah  would  have  displayed  it  as 
such,  and  the  Prophet  (see  comm.  at  xxxix.  6) 
would  not  have  called  it  "  that  which  thy  fathers 
have  laid  up  in  store."  2)  The  deliverance  from 
Assyria  is  spoken  of  as  in  the  future  (xxxviii.  6). 
3)  We  do  not  find  in  Hezekiah's  psalm  (xxxix. 
10  sqq.)  the  slightest  reference  to  the  miraculous 
deliverance  spoken  of  in  xxxvi.  and  xxxvii.  which 
would  be  inexplicable  if  that  glorious  event  were 
a  thing  of  the  past. 

Accordingly  it  appears  that  chaps,  xxxvi. — 
xxxix.  are  not  chronologically  arranged,  but  ac- 
cording to  their  contents,  as  already  explained. 
[On  the  misunderstandings  to  which  this  has  led 
and  the  possible  change  of  the  captions,  see  Intro- 
duction, \\  3,  4.]  The  important  question  arises : 
which  of  these  records  is  the  original  one — this  in 
Isa.  xxxvi. — xxxix.,  or  the  parallel  one  in  2 
Kings  xviii.  13 — xx.  19 1  It  seems  to  me  that  no 
impartial  reader  can  remain  in  doubt  on  this  sub- 
ject. The  text  of  the  Book  of  Kings  is  the 
older. 

This  appears  probable  from  the  fact  that  it  is 
more  comprehensive  and  stands  in  an  historical 
book.  For  as  certainly  as  prophecy  needs  his- 
tory, so  certainly  it  needs  only  such  facts  as  verify 
its  fulfilment.  And  the  presumption  is  that  this 
in  Isaiah  being  the  shorter,  has  been  abbreviated 
for  the  ends  of  a  prophetic  book.  Moreover  it  is 


CHAP.  XXXVI— XXXIX. 


873 


better  to  think,  if  any  alterations  must  be  admit- 
ted, that  they  are  of  the  nature  of  abbreviations, 
rather  than  arbitrary  additions,  which  is  the  al- 
ternative, if  the  shorter  text  be  regarded  as  the 
older.  These  probabilities  become  certainties 
when  we  view  the  difference  in  these  passages  in 
concrete.  The  differences  on  the  part  of  Isaiah 
form  two  chief  classes,  abbreviations  and  correc- 
tions. Additions,  i.  e.,  where  the  text  in  Isaiah 
gives  something  more  than  the  Book  of  Kings, 
there  are  none,  except  the  psalm  of  thanksgiving, 
xxxviii.  9-20.  But  this  exception  proves  the 
rule.  For  it  proves  that  the  author  of  each  book 
had  in  view  his  own  object.  Such  a  psalm  suits 
better  in  a  prophetic  book  to  which  song  and 
prayer  are  kindred  elements,  than  to  historic  an- 
nals. Moreover  this  psalm  is  so  far  important 
that  it  proves  that,  beside  the  two  writings  before 
us,  there  must  have  existed  a  third,  that  probably 
served  as  the  source  of  both. 

The  abbreviations  in  Isaiah's  text  are  of  tvvo 
sorts.  They  are  partly  the  omission  of  historical 
data  that  seemed  unsuited  to  the  aim  of  the  pro- 
phetic book.  To  this  sort  belong  xxxvi.  1,  2  ; 
xxxvii.  36  ;  xxxviii.  4-7  (where  the  whole  text 
is  much  contracted).  And  partly  also  they  are 
omissions  of  rhetorical  and  grammatical  redun- 
dancies. Such  are  xxxvi.  2,  6,  7,  11,  12,  13,  14, 
17;  xxxvii.  4  (comp.  ver.  17  and  xxxix.  2),  11, 
21,  25;  xxxix.  2.  I  will  refer  for  the  particulars 
to  the  following  commentary.  But  here  I  will 
call  special  attention  to  a  few  passages.  Can  any 
one  deny  that  the  accumulation  of  predicates  in 


2  Kings  xviii.  17  b  UO'I  ijn  D'cn  V  IKTI  ijn 
HDjri  are  contracted  into  one  word  in  Isa.  xxxvi.  2, 
wherein,  besides,  113JT  must  become  H3JT  because 
Isaiah  leaves  out  two  of  the  three  ambassadors  ?  Or 
can  it  be  denied  that  the  picturesque,  circumstantial 
IDK'l  13T1  of  Kings  has  been  contracted  to  the 
simple  ^ESM,  Isa.  xxxvi.  lo?  Or  must  the  edi- 
tor of  2  Kings  xviii.  29  have  added  the  surprising 
1TO  ?  Did  not  rather  the  editor  of  the  Isaiah 
text  leave  that  word  out  because  it  was  superfluous 
for  him  and  seemed  harsh  ? 

But  still  more  common  are  the  differences  that 
are  due  to  corrections.  They  are  the  following: 
xxxvi.  5,  7,  10,  11,  13,  15,  19,  21  ;  xxxvii.  2,  6,  9, 
12,  13,  14,  15,  17,  18,  19,  23,  24,  26,  27,  29,  30,  32, 
34,  35,  36,  37  ;  xxxviii.  2,  3  ;  xxxix.  1,  2,  3,  5,  6, 
7,  8.  I  will  notice  here  the  following:  xxxvi.  5 
we  have  'rnpN  instead  of  £"?±1!*.  The  latter  — 
though  at  first  sight  strange  —  is  undoubtedly  cor- 
rect -(see  comm.).  Can  DIpOH  have  come  from 
(2  Kings  xviii.  25  and  Isa.  xxxvi.  10),  or 
,  2  Kings  xviii.  36,  have  come  from 
IBrirn,  Isa.  xxxvi.  21  ?  Is  the  "3  of  xxxix.  8 

changed  into  CK  fcOH,  2  Kings  xx.  19  ?  These  few 
examples  and  the  others  that  are  commented  on 
more  at  length  in  the  exposition  below  seem  to 
prove  irrefragably  that  we  have  in  2  Kings  a  more 
original  text.  DELITZSCH  (in  DRECHSLER'S 
Comm.  II.  p.  151  sqq.  and  in  his  own  Comm.,  p. 
373)  is  certainly  right  in  saying  that  our  chapters 
were  not  composed  by  the  author  of  the  Book  of 
Kings  himself,  or  drawn  from  the  annals  of  the 
kingdom.  I  agree  perfectly  with  his  explanation 


of  the  difference  between  annalistic  and  prophetic 
writing  of  history,  and  according  to  which  he 
ascribes^  our  chapters  to  a  prophetic  source.  I 
also  quite  agree  with  him,  that  an  account  com- 
posed by  Isaiah  must  essentially  be  that  source. 
For  he  justly  appeals  to  the  fact  that,  according 
to  2  Chr.  xxvi.  22,  Isaiah  wrote  a  history  of  king 
Uzziah,  and  elsewhere  weaves  historical  accounts 
into  his  prophecies  (vii.,  viii.,  xx.),  and  in  them 
speaks  of  himself  partly  in  the  third  person,  as  he 
does_  in  xxxvi. — xxxix.  I  moreover  willingly 
admit  that  the  mention  of  the  locality  xxxvi.  2, 
on  account  of  almost  literal  agreement,  connects 
with  vii.  3,  in  fact  presupposes  it.  And  finally  I 
have  no  objection  to  the  statement  that  the  author 
of  2  Kings  had  Isaiah's  book  before  him,  and  that 
2  Kings  xvi.  5  compared  with  Isa.  vii.  1,  may  be 
adduced  as  proof.  I  even  add  to  this  that  the  two 
passages  now  reviewed  are  proof  of  this.  For 
the  author  of  2  Kings  could  have  accepted  for 
his  book  the  arrangement  according  to  the  con- 
tents and  contrary  to  the  chronology,  only  on  the 
ground  of  the  book  of  prophecy  that  lay  before 
hirn.  But  I  must  controvert  the  view  that  2 
Kings  xviii.  13 — xxx.  19  is  drawn  from  Isa. 
xxxvi.-xxxix.  as  its  source.  For  reasons  already 
given  I  think  the  text  of  2  Kings  the  more  origi- 
nal and  better. 

Isaiah  may  have  written  down  an  account  of 
the  remarkable  events  of  which  our  chapters 
treat,  a  matter  that  is  at  least  highly  probable. 
From  this  source  was  first  drawn  what  we  have  in 
xxxvi. — xxxix.  These  chapters  are  so  suitable 
and  even  necessary  where  they  are,  that  we  may 
refer  the  idea  of  them  to  the  Prophet  himself,  and 
even  admit  that  he  directed  his  account  to  be 
adopted  into  his  book  of  prophecy,  not  unaltered, 
but  with  a  suitable  transposition  of  events  and 
abbreviation  of  the  text.  Both  were  done,  but 
the  latter  not  quite  in  the  sense  of  the  Prophet. 
The  result  was  as  described  in  the  Introduction, 
\\  3,  4  (at  the  end).  But  we  must  not  suppose 
the  false  dates  of  xxxvi.  1 ;  xxxviii.  1 ;  xxxix.  1 
were  put  by  this  first  editor.  The  author  of  the 
Book  of  Kings,  too,  who  wrote  in  the  exile  (pro- 
bably 562-536  B.  C.)  must  have  known  the  right 
relations  of  these  chapters  and  the  proper  dates. 
For  he  had  at  the  same  time  before  him  that  his- 
torical account  of  the  Prophet  as  his  source,  and 
reproduced  it  more  perfectly  and  unaltered  than 
his  predecessors  that  had  used  it  for  the  prophetic 
book.  Possibly,  while  following  the  order  of 
Isaiah,  he  may  have  retained  the  original  dates 
of  their  common  source.  But  in  time,  and  for 
reasons  easily  conjectured,  his  text  would  expe- 
rience the  same  alterations  as  to  dates  as  did  the 
parallel  passages  in  Isaiah,  and  perhaps  by  the 
same  hand.  And  if,  in  respect  to  chronological 
arrangement  of  the  account,  the  Book  of  Kings 
differed  from  the  prophetic  book  and  agreed  with 
their  common  original  source,  then  it  is  probable 
that  a  later  hand,  perhaps  the  same  that  changed 
the  dates  in  Isaiah,  brought  the  Book  of  Kings  in 
this  respect  into  accord  with  the  prophetic  book. 

Thus  it  is  found,  that  the  transposition  of  events 
in  the  prophetic  book  for  material  reasons  has  be- 
come the  origin  of  that  discrepancy  between  the 
Assyrian  and  Bible  chronology  of  this  historical 
epoch.  We  have  seen  in  respect  to  the  taking  of 
Samaria  that  these  two  sources  completely  agree. 


374 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


Also  for  Manasseh's  time  the  agreement  is  satis- 
factory. Only  for  Hezekiah's  time  there  existed 
this  fatal  difference  of  fourteen  years  in  reference 
to  the  all-important  event  of  Sennacherib's  over- 
throw. This  difference  is  seeming.  It  dissolves 
when  we  consider  the  misunderstandings  occa- 
sioned by  the  transposition  of  the  chapters. 

So  it  can  have  been.  I  do  not  say  that  it  must 
have  been  so.  For  in  these  ancient  matters  we 
will  hardly  be  able  ever  to  make  out  the  ezact 
course  things  have  taken.  Only  that  chap,  xxxvi. 
— xxxix.  are  not  derived  from  Isaiah  in  their 
present  form,  but  have  proceeded  by  alteration 
and  abbreviation  from  the  original  account  of 
Isaiah  seems  to  me  certain.* 

DELITZSCII,  in  proof  of  the  authenticity  of  the 
present  text  of  Isaiah,  appeals  to  2  Chron.  xxxii. 
32 :  "  in  the  vision  of  Isaiah  the  prophet,  the  son 
of  Amoz,  (and)  in  the  book  of  the  kings  of  Judah 
and  Israel."  He  finds  in  this  that  "  an  historical 
account  of  Hezekiah  out  of  the  collection  of 
Isaiah's  prophecies  with  the  superscription  jITn 
passed  over  into  the  "  book  of  the  kings  of  Judah 


*  [The  reader  versed  In  studies  belonging  to  the  ge- 
neral subject  of  Introduction  will  be  reminded  by  the 
foregoing  of  the  Urcvangelium,  the  original  Gospel,  the 
fascination  of  German  critics  of  the  New  Testament. 
Its  foundation  is  conjecture,  and  nothing  better  than 
probability  at  best.  Though  one  accumulate  a  moun- 
tain of  such  conjectural  probabilities,  they  will  no  more 
sustain  a  fact  or  make  a  fact  than  a  cloud  will  sustain  a 
pebble  or  condense  into  a  pebble.  The  same  may  be 
said  of  the  Author's  original  Isaiah  history.  On  the  ge- 
neral subject  treated  of  in  the  foregoing,  J.  A.  ALEXAN- 
DER, in  his  introduction  to  chapter  xxxvi.,  says:  "The 
simple,  common-sense  view  of  the  matter  is,  that  since 
the  traditional  position  of  these  chapters  among  the 
writings  of  Isaiah  corresponds  exactly  to  the  known 
fact  of  his  having  written  apart  of  the  history  of  Judah, 
the  presumption  in  favor  of  his  having  written  both  the 
passages  in  question  cannot  be  shaken  by  the  mere 
possibility,  or  even  intrinsic  probability  of  other  hypo- 
theses, far  which  there  is  not  the  least  external  evi- 
dence." And  again  on  xxxviii.  1  he  says:  '•  Why  may 
we  not  suppose  that  the  overthrow  of  Sennacherib  oc- 
curred in  the  interval  between  Hezekiah's  sickness  and 
the  embassy  from  Merodach-baladan  ?  It  is  altogether 
natural  that  the  Prophet,  after  carrying  the  history  of 
Sennacherib  to  its  conclusion,  should  go  back  to  com- 
plete that  of  Hezekiah  also."— TB.] 


and  Israel."  I  admit  that  the  words  of  the  Chro- 
nicler have  this  sense,  which  is  favored  by  2 
Chron.  xx.  34.  But  what  is  gained  by  that? 
Only  that  then,  when  the  Chronicler  wrote,  the 
books  of  Isaiah  and  Kings  were  in  existence,  and 
that  he  supposed  the  text  in  Kings  to  be  taken 
from  Isaiah.  He  might  have  been  moved  to  take 
this  view  by  the  recognized  priority  of  Isaiah's 
book,  and  by  the  conviction  that  Isaiah  was  cer- 
tainly the  author  of  the  text  contained  in  his 
book.  But  this  view  of  the  Chronicler  does  not 
weaken  the  fact  that  the  text  in  2  Kings  is  more 
original  and  purer  than  that  in  Isaiah. 

It  has  been  objected  to  the  claim  of  originality 
for  the  text  in  2  Kings,  that  2  Kings  xxiv.  18 — 
xxv.  30,  although  the  original  text,  is  still  more 
corrupt  than  the  parallel  text,  Jer.  lii.  This  is 
in  general  true  (see  my  comm.  on  Jer.  lii.).  But 
there  one  sees  that  the  text  of  2  Kings,  being  the 
older  and  more  disintegrated,  is,  on  account  of  ad- 
verse experiences,  less  preserved.  But  the  text  of 
Isa.  xxxvi.-xxxix.,  on  the  contrary,  has  not  become 
worse  in  process  of  time  and  by  unfavorable  cir- 
cumstances, but  it  is  from  its  origin  worse  through 
the  faulty  epitomizing  and  unfortunate  emenda- 
tions of  its  author. 

The  division  of  the  chapters  is  very  simple. 
Embassies  play  a  great  part  in  them.  Chapters 
xxxvi.  and  xxxvii.  contain  the  conclusion  of  the 
relations  between  Israel  and  Assyria.  This  first 
part  has  six  subdivisions.  1)  The  embassy  of  Sen- 
nacherib to  Hezekiah,  chap,  xxxvi.  2)  The  em- 
bassy of  Hezekiah  to  Isaiah,  xxxvii.  1-7.  3) 
The  writing  of  Sennacherib  to  Hezekiah,  xxxvii. 
8-13.  4)  Hezekiah's  prayer,  xxxvii.  14-20.  5) 
Isaiah's  message  to  Hezekiah,  xxxvii.  21-35.  6) 
The  deliverance,  xxxvii.  36-38.  The  second  part 
that  paves  the  way  for  the  relations  to  Babylon 
has  three  subdivisions:  1)  Hezekiah's  sickness 
and  recovery,  chap,  xxxviii.  (a.  sickness,  vers.  1— 
3;  b.  recovery,  vcrs.  4-8;  psalm  of  thanksgiving, 
vers.  9-20  [22]).  2)  The  Babylonian  embassy, 
xxxix.  1-8. 


I.— THE  CONCLUSION  OF  THE  RELATIONS  OF  ISRAEL  TO  ASSYRIA. 

CHAPTERS  XXXVI.,  XXXVII. 

1.    THE  EMBASSY  OF  SENNACHEEIB  TO  HEZEKIAH. 
CHAP.  XXXVI.  1-22. 

1  Now  it  came  to  pass  in  the  fourteenth  year  of  king  Hezekiah,  that  Sennacherib 
^  king  of  Assyria  came  up  against  all  the  defenced  cities  of  Judah,  and  took  them. 

2  And  the  king  of  Assyria  sent  Rabshakeh  from  Lachish  unto  Jerusalem  unto  king 
Hezekiah  with  a  great  army.     And  he  stood  by  the  conduit  of  the  upper  pool  in 

3  the  highway  of  the  fuller's  field.     Then  came  forth  unto  him  Eliakim,  Hilkiah's 
son,  which  was  over  the  house,  and  Shebna  the  '"scribe,  and  Joah,  Asaph's  sou,  the 
recorder. 

4  ^  And  Rabshakeh  said  unto  them,  Say  ye  now  to  Hezekiah,  Thus  saith  the  great 
o  king,  the  king  of  Assyria,  What  confidence  is  this  wherein  thou  btrustest?     CI  say, 

sayest  thou,  (but  they  are  but*  vain  words)  *Ihave  counsel  and  strength  for  war :  now 


CHAP.  XXXVI.  1-22. 


375 


6  on  whom  dost 
in  the  staff  of 


t   thou  trust,  that   thou   rebellest   against   me?     Lo,  thou  trustest 
this  'broken  reed,  on  Egypt ;  whereon  if  a  man  lean,  it  will  go  into 

7  his  hand,  and  pierce  it :  so  is  Pharaoh  king  of  Egypt  to  all  that  trust  in  him.    But 
if  thou  say  to  me,  We  trust  in  the  LORD  our  God :  is  it  not  he,  whose  high  places 
and  whose  altars  Hezekiah  hath  taken  away,  and  said  to  Judah  and  to  Jerusalem, 

8  Ye  shall  worship  before  this  altar  ?     Now  therefore  egive  'pledges,  I  pray  thee,  to 
my  master  the  king  of  Assyria,  and  I  will  give  thee  two  thousand  horses,  if  thou 

9  be  able  fon  thy  part  to  set  riders  upon  them.     How  then  wilt  thou  turn  away  the 
face  of  one  captain  of  the  least  of  my  master's  servants,  8and  put  thy  trust  on  Egypt 

10  for  chariots  and  for  horsemen?     And  am  I  now  come  up  without  the  LORD  against 
this  land  to  destroy  it  ?     The  LORD  said  unto  me,  Go  up  against  this  land,  and  de- 
stroy it. 

11  Then  said  Eliakim  and  Shebna  and  Joah  unto  Rabshakeh,  Speak,  I  pray  thee, 
unto  thy  servants  hin  the  Syrian  language ;  for  we  understand  it :  and  speak  not  to 

12  us  'in  the  Jews'  language,  in  the  ears  of  the  people  that  are  on  the  Avail.     But  Rab- 
shakeh said,  Hath  my  master  sent  me  to  thy  master  and  to  thee  to  speak  these 
words  ?  hath  he  not  sent  me  to  the  men  that  sit  upon  the  wall,  that  they  may  eat 
their  own  dung,  and  drink  their  own  piss  with  you  ? 

13  Then  Rabshakeh  stood,  and  cried  with  aloud  voice  'in  the  Jews'  language,  and 

14  said,  Hear  ye  the  words  of  the  great  king,  the  king  of  Assyria.     Thus  saith  the 

15  king,  Let  not  Hezekiah  deceive  you :  for  he  shall  not  be  able  to  deliver  you.    Nei- 
ther let  Hezekiah  make  you  trust  in  the  LORD,  saying,   The  LORD  will  surely 
deliver  us:  this   city  shall  not  be  delivered  into  the  hand  ot  the  king  of  Assyria. 

16  Hearken  not  to  Hezekiah  :  for  thus  saith  the  king  of  Assyria,  86Make  an  agreement 
Avith  me  by  a  present,  and  come  out  to  me  :  and  eat  ye  every  one  of  his  vine,  and 
every  one  of  his  fig  tree,  and  drink  ye  every  one  the  waters  of  his  OAvn  cistern ; 

17  Until  I  come  and  take  you  aAvay  to  a  land  like  your  own  land,  a  land  of  corn  and 

18  Avine,  a  land  of  bread  and  vineyards.     Beware  lest  Hezekiah  jpersuade  you,  Paying, 
The  LORD  Avill  deliver  us.     Hath  any  of  the  gods  of  the  nations  delivered  his  land  out 

19  of  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Assyria  ?     Where  are  the  gods  of  Hamath  and  Arphad  ? 
Avhere  are  the  gods  of  Sepharvaim  ?  and  khave  they  delivered  Samaria  out  of  my 

20  hand  ?     Who  are  they  among  all  the  gods  of  these  lands,  that  have  delivered  their 
land  out  of  my  hand,  that  the  LORD  should  deliver  Jerusalem  out  of  my  hand  ? 

21  But  they  held  their  peace,  and  answered  him  not  a  Avord  :  for  the  king's  command- 

22  ment  Avas,  saying,  AnsAver  him  not.     Then  came  Eliakim,  the  son  of  Hilkiah,  that 
was  over  the  household,  and  Shebna  the  lascribe,  and  Joah,  the  son  of  Asaph  the 
recorder,  to  Hezekiah  with  their  clothes  rent,  and  told  him  the  Avords  of  Rabshakeh. 


1  Or,  secretary. 
4  Or,  hostages. 


3  Hob.  a.  word,  of  lips. 

6  Or,  seek  my  favor  by  a  present. 


8  Or,  but  counsel  and  strength  are  for  war. 
8  Hcb.  make  with  me  a  blessing. 


the  chancellor.  b  confvlest.  °  /  say  it  is  mere  lip  work  the  counsel  and  strength  for  carrying  on  war. 

bruised.  •  make  a  wager.  l  for  thee  (i.  e.,  for  thy  advantage). 

And  trustest  thou,  etc.  t         h  in  Aramaic.  '  in  Judaic. 

incite.  k  (where  were  your  gods)  that  delivered  Samaria,  etc. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  2.  The  form  7'H  occurs  only  here  and  2  Kings 
xviii.  17  as  stat.  absol.  Yet  comp.  7fV  which  differs  in 

meaning  xxvi.  1. "12U  in  the  sense  of  "considerable 

for  number,"  comp.  Num.  xx.  20  ;  1  Kings  iii.  9;  x.  2;  2 

Kings  vi.  14. "13JT,  abbreviated  compared  with  2  Ki. 

xviii.  176. ;  see  introduction  to  this  chapter.  2  Kings 
xviii.  18  begins  with  "  And  when  they  had  called  to  the 
king,"  which  are  wanting  here  io  accordance  with  the 
tendency  to  abbreviate. 

Ver.  5.  Instead  of  VPDX  2  Kings  has  JTIOX.  I  re- 
gard the  latter  as  the  correct  reading,  and  that  in  Isaiah 
to  be  a  correction,  occasioned  by  not  knowing  that 
DTI3&'  "m  "IN  is  parenthetical,  and  thus  not  under- 
standing how  Hezekiah  could  speak  words  that  in  the 
mouth  of  the  Assyrian  king  could  have  good  sense,  but 


GRAMMATICAL. 

in  Hezekiah's  none.  According  to  the  question  ver.  4, 
"  what  confidence,"  etc.  ?  the  contents  of  this  confidence 
is  set  forth  :  "thou  sayest  namely :  counsel  and  strength 
for  war."  The  words  <VJ  '~\  "|N  are  parenthetical,  and 
words  of  the  Assyrian,  by  which  he  gives  his  opinion 
of  the  expression  imputed  to  Hezekiah.  This  expres- 
sion is  put  as  an  exclamation,  thus  as  a  clause  without 
explicit  predicate.  This  is  a  somewhat  pathetic  form 
of  sentence.  It  reveals  an  intention  of  making  Heze- 
kiah's words  appear  to  be  empty  pathos,  absurd  boast- 
fulness.  If  the  entire  first  clause  of  verse  5  were  to  be 
construed  as  the  utterance  of  the  Assyrian,  then  the  se- 
cond clause  must  begin  with  ""3  instead  of  nf\J7-  For 
then  a  reason  would  need  to  follow  showing  Hezeldah's 
words  to  be  empty  boast.  But  if  ver.  5  a  contain  in  its 
chief  clause  Hezekiah's  words,  then  Tiny  is  perfectly 


376 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


in  place.  For  then  by  means  of  it  Hezekiah  is  sum- 
moned to  establish  his  (so-called)  boast.  Come,  now !  in 
what  dost  thou  trust  that  thou  rebellest  against  me  ? 

Ver.  6.  nr*y  before  njH,  and  "jS  after  J1P1D3  are 

missing  here  for  abbreviation's  sake. 'Jl  "IQD'  It^K 

is  paratactic. 

Ver.  7.  1DKH  for  pIDXH  and  the  omission  of 
D'Styi  V.3  at  the  end  of  the  verse  are  further  marks  of 
simplifying  and  abbreviating. 

Ver.  8.  fl  7  after  j"U1  7  evidently  means  "  to  thy  ad- 
vantage." It  is  dat.  commodi:  meaning,  "thou  mayest 
use  these  horses  for  your  advantage  against  me,  in  case 
you  can  mount  them  with  riders." 

Ver.  9.  D'JS  3'Wn  elsewhere  means  "  to  turn  away, 
refuse,"  in  reference  to  suppliants  (comp.  1  Kings  ii.  16, 
17,  20).  Only  here  is  it  used  of  turning  away  an  attack. 

But  comp.  xiv.  27. 11113,  which  occurs  first  1  Kings 

T  v  • 

x.  15,  of  Solomon's  Vl^ll  fllllS,  i-  «•>  governors  of  the 

land,  has  been  since  BENFEY  (Monatsnamen,  p.  195),  de- 
rived from  the  Sanscrit,  from  pakscha,  socius,  amicus. 
But  SCHEADER  (p.  88  sq.)  places  the  Semitic  origin  of  the 
word  beyond  doubt.  He  lays  stress  on  its  appearance 
in  such  ancient  Hebrew  documents,  and  maintains  that 
this  is  proved  by  the  Assyrian  documents.  "  In  Assy- 
rian the  word  is  used  and  modified  like  any  other  word 
of  pure  Semitic  origin.  From  a  singular  pahat  is  formed 
a  plural  pahati ;  not  less  immediately  from  the  root 
the  abstract  pihat  =  satrapy."  The  word  does  not  oc- 
couragain  in  Isaiah ;  but  does  in  Jer.  li.  23,  28,  57;  Ezek. 

xxiii.  G,  23;  Hag.  i.  1,14;  ii.  2,  21 ;  Mai.  i.  8. Preceding 

nt33.ni  there  is  no  explicit  verbal  form  on  which  the 
Vav  consecutive  can  support  itself;  but  the  Prophet 
connects  it  with  the  implied  affirmation  "  thou  canst 
thyself  do  nothing." 

Ver.  10.  2  Kings  xviii.  25  begins  without  1.  The  HJIJTI 
here  is  likely  imitated  from  vers.  7,  8,  9.  'But  ver.  10  is 
not  parallel  with  what  precedes.  For  the  Assyrian  here 
turns  their  weapons  against  them.  Hence  the  reading 
in  2  Kings  is  the  correct  one.  Moreover  the  first  clause 
of  ver.  10  has  VINTT^  instead  of  D1pOn~S^  2  Kings 
xviii.  25,  which  also  appears  to  be  a  correction,  occa- 
sioned either  by  the  thought  that  Sennacherib  did  not 
come  up  merely  against  Jerusalem,  or  by  the  fact  that 
j*1  Nil  stands  also  in  the  second  clause,  or  both.  That 

7p  is  exchanged  here  for  7tf  is  of  inferior  significance 
(comp.  xxxix.  9). 

Ver.  12.  The  consonants  of  the  K'thibh,  according  to 
the  view  hitherto  prevalent  (comp.  e.  g.,  FUERST  in  the 
Propylaea Masora,  p.1366),  are  to  be  pointed  Dn'XIJI  (2 

Kings  xviii.  27  DH^n)  which  word  implies  a 
singular  5OT1.  But  DELITZSCH  points  DITXIII  or 
DrVin,  taking  ''in  as  the  ground  form,  which  is  quite 
possible.  The  word  occurs  beside  only  2  Kings  vi.  25, 
where  perhaps  simply  D'j'r  'in  is  to  be  read.  The 
meaning  is  stercus,  excrementum.  'For  the  MASOEETS  the 
expression  is  indecent.  Hence  they  substitute  DJIXiy 
(fromnXi*  =  r\X^exeuntia,comp.iv.  4;  xxviii.8;  Prov. 
xxx.  12);  as  immediately  afterwards  for  DnT$  (from 
J^ty,  Plur.  D'TE?,  urina,  only  here  and  2  Kings  xviii.  27) 
they  put  Drrbjl  'Q'D. 

Vers.  11,  12.  The  differences  between  the  present 
readings  and  2  Kings  are  inconsiderable.  In  verse  11 
"  son  of  Hilkiah"  is  omitted,  IJ'bx  before  JTIliT  in- 


stead of  IJOJ?  (a  correction  because  the  latter  seemed 
too  familiar).  In  verse  12  DIT^X  is  omitted  before 
Babshakeh ;  we  have  bXH  instead  of  SjJH  before  V  J1K 
(in  order  to  restore  likeness  of  expression  when  there 
is  likeness  of  meaning;  2  Kings  however  would  avoid 
the  many  Stf),  DTTXin  instead  of  Dmn  (the  tf  in 
Isaiah  being  intended  likely  to  make  the  etymology 
more  noticeable).  Here  then  appears  a  tendency  to  ab- 
breviate and  correct. 
Vers.  13, 14.  K$3,  unused  in  Kal,  may  be  used  in  the 

T    T 

Hiph.,  also  in  the  direct  causative  sense,  and  hence  may 
mean  "to  cause  Nt!?J,  i-  e.,  fraudem,  deception,"  which 
explains  the  construction  (here  and  Jer.  xxix.  8)  with 
the  dative,  along  with  the  construction  with  the  accu- 
sative (Gen.  iii.  13  ;  Jer.  xxxvii.  9  ;  2  Kings  xix.  10,  etc.). 

In  ver.  13  the  13T1  of  2  Kings  xviii  28  omitted  as 

superfluous:  we  have  ^131  instead  of  "131  because 
they  are  many  words.  Ver.  14  does  not  end  as  2  Kings 
xviii.  29  with  1TO,  which  is  both  abbreviation  and  re- 
moval of  the  harshness  of  combining  "let  not  Hezekiah 
deceive,"  which  are  the  words  of  the  king  and  "  from 
his  hand,"  which  are  spoken  by  the  ambassador. 

Ver.  15.  T^n  gives  an  easier  construction  than 
1*^'n~j1X  2  Kings  xviii.,  though  the  latter  is  the  cor- 
rect reading.  As  to  the  third  pers.  fern.  |njr\  see  1 
Sam.  xxx.  6;  2  Sam.  xiii.  2;  Ps.  xxxiii.  9;  Lam.  iii.  37. 
On  n£33'  comp.  Jer.  xxviii.  15  ;  xxix.  31. 

Ver.  16.  ^Hl^l  1 7DX  are  imperatives  by  attraction  of 
those  preceding  and  supply  the  place  of  Futures. 

Vers.  17, 18.  The  end  of  the  verse  shows  considerable 
abbreviation  compared  with  2  Kings  xviii.  32,  which 
see.  Isaiah  omits  the  description  of  the  land  of  exile 
as  superfluous,  and  also  the  repetition  of  the  warning 

against  Hezekiah. j£J  beginning  ver.  18,  (occasioned 

by  the  omission  last  mentioned),  stands  here  indepen- 
dent of  any  foregoing  verb,  of  which  there  are  other 

examples  (Job  xxxvi.  18;  Jer.  li.  46). rPDil  or  fi'DH 

properly  means  "  sHmulare,io  incite,  set  on,"  from  which 
develops  the  meaning  "  seduce,  deceive  "  (comp.  Josh. 

xv.  18  ;  1  Sam.  xxvi.  19  ;  2  Sam.  xxiv.  1). The  omission 

of  /¥  H  found  in  the  parallel  of  2  Kings  xviii.  33  is  again 
a  plain  proof  of  abbreviation. 

Ver.  19.  If  the  text  of  the  second  clause  be  correct 
(iy\  here  instead  of  the  simple  '3  2  Kings  xviii.  34),  the 
construction  is  bold  and  unusual.  The  subject  of  IriM 
is  wanting  and  must  be  supplied  from  what  precedes. 
It  might  be,  say:  jll^-DX  TI^N  !TK1  or  Sxitr? 

Isaiah  omits  the  words  rHjJl  ^JT}  that  appear  in 

2  Kings  xviii.  34.  These  words  are  in  both  texts,  Isa. 
xxxvii.  13  and  2  Kings  xix.  13.  DELITZSCH  supposes  they 
are  patched  into  2  Kings  from  Isa.  xxxvii.  13.  Tome  it 
seems  more  probable  that  they  were  purposely  omitted 
in  our  verse.  For  consider  that  xxxvii.  10-13  Hezekiah 
is  addressed.  There  it  is  said  :  "Let  thy  God  not  de- 
ceive thee;  where  is  the  king  of  Hamath,"  etc.  ?  Thus 
the  sense  there  is :  it  will  be  no  better  for  thee,  king 
Hezekiah,  than  for  the  king  of  Hamath,  etc.  But  xxxvi. 
14-20  the  people  are  addressed  :  Let  not  Hezekiah  de- 
ceive you  by  pointing  you  to  Jehovah's  help.  Where 
are  the  gods  of  Hamath,  etc.  f  Headers  that  construed  the 
words  r\"\y\  y}T\  as  verbs  (see  on  xxxvii.  13)  must  have 
found  it  as  improper  to  say :  deos  expulit  et  subvcrtit,  as 
they  found  it  proper  to  say :  regem  expulit  et  subvertit. 

Ver.  20.  The  plural  iS^D  does  not  conflict  with  T), 
for  this  interrogative  is  found  only  in  the  singular:  this 


CHAP.  XXXVI.  1-22. 


377 


singular  may  be  taken  as  collective. *3,  after  a  ques- 
tion referring  to  the  future,  may  be  taken  in  the  sense 
ofut ;  but  fundamentally  it  means  quod,  and  has  a  cau- 
sal sense  :  Who  has  delivered?  Are  there  any  way  gods 
(beside  the  Assyrian  gods)  that  deliver?  because  (ac- 
cording to  your  opinion)  Jehovah  will  deliver  Jerusa- 
lem.  ["The  parallel  2  Kings  xviii.  35  ornits  these  be- 
fore lands;  another  exception  to  the  general  statement 
that  the  narrative  of  Isaiah  is  an  abridgement. — J.  A.  A.]. 

Ver.  21.  ItJPIfVI  Instead  of  D^PI  llZTinril  of  2  Kings 
xviii.  30.  Hezekiah  had  commanded  his  representa- 
tives to  make  no  response.  With  that  lET'liTI  corres- 
ponds. The  reading  of  2  Kings  is  usually  translated  : 
"and  they  kept  silence,  the  people,"  Qy  being  construed 
in  apposition.  Rather  than  this  strange  construction  I 
think  a  more  probable  rendering  is  :  "  and  they  hushed 
the  people."  U/^n  means  mutum  csse,  silcre  (Ps.  xxviii. 

-T 

1;  xxxv.  22;  1.3,  etc.).    Hiphil  means  first  mutum  red- 


dere,  aa  silentium  redigcre  aliquem.  Yet  it  is  true  that  it 
occurs  seldom  in  this  sense  (Job  xi.  3).  Usually  Hiphil 
is  direct  causalive  =-  "  mutitatem  facere,  to  make  silence, 
to  be  silent."  Here,  "  they  made  the  people  be  silent" 
would  imply  that  many  of  them  wanted  to  reply  to  the 
words  of  ver.  12  sqq.,  but  that  Hezo.kiah's  messengers, 
even  before  Rabshakeh  had  finished,  had  commanded 
silence  and  themselves  made  no  response.  According 
to  this  the  perfect  Ity'Hnni  does  not  merely  continue 
the  recital,  but  states  an  accompanying  circumstance 
that  had  already  occurred  before  Rabshakeh  had  done 
speaking.  But  the  reviser  of  Isaiah's  text  was  not  ac- 
quainted with  this  meaning  of  the  Perfect  [ !  ].  He 
thought  the  word  meant  only  to  continue  the  recital. 
Therefore  he  changed  it  ;to  the  Imperfect  with  Vav 
conscc. 

Ver.  22.  Q'lJS  ^^P'  *;ne  participle  in  the  construct 
state  retains  the  construction  of  its  verb  with  the  accu- 
sative; comp.  2  Sam.  xiii.  31. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  In  the  fourteenth  year  (after  the  sickness  of) 
Hezekiah  Sennacherib  conquered  all  Judea  ex- 
cepting the  capital.     He  sent  Rabshakeh  from 
Lacish  with  a  considerable  array  to  demand  the 
surrender  of  the  latter.     Rabshakeh  first  seeks  to 
convince  the  messengers  of  Hezekiah  that  they 
could  rely  neither  on  Egypt  (ver.  6),  nor  on  Je- 
hovah (ver.  7),  nor  on  their  own  might  (vers.  8, 
9),  especially  as  the  king  of  Assyria  had  under- 
taken    his    expedition     against   Judca   by  Je- 
hovah's  express  commission   (ver.   10).      These 
words  he  had  spoken  in  the    dialect  of  Judea. 
Hczekiah's  messengers  having  requested  him  to 
speak  in  Aramaic  (ver.  11),  Rabshakeh  answered 
that  his  mission  was  properly  just  to  the  dwell- 
ers  of  Jerusalem  hearkening  there  on  the  city 
wall  (ver.  12).     Then  he  calls  with  a  loud  voice 
to  them  (ver.  13)  not  to  let  Hezekiah  deceive 
them  by  any  illusion  about  their  own  power,  or 
about  the  aid  of  Jehovah   (vers.  14,  15).     Let 
them  rather  give  themselves  up  to  the  king  of 
Assyria.     He  will  for  the  present  leave  them  in 
peaceful  possession  of  their  own  (ver.  16),  till  He 
shall  come  for  the  purpose  of  deporting  them  to 
a  good  land  like  their  own  (ver.  17).    They  must 
the  less  expect  help  from  Jehovah  seeing  no  god 
had  been  able  to  protect  his  land  from  the  power 
of   Assyria  (vers.  18-20).     By  Hezekiah's  com- 
mand the  messengers  made  no  reply,  but  with 
rent  garments,  in  token  of  dismay  at  what  they 
heard,  they  conveyed  the  message   to  the  king 
(vers.  21,  22). 

2.  Now  it  came — -took  them. — Ver.   1. 
According  to  the  Assyrian    monuments  Senna- 
cherib (Assyrian  Sin-ahi-irib  or  Sin-ahi-ir-ba,  i.e., 
Sin  (=  Luna)    multiplicat  fratres,  Heb.    ""l^n 
D^nX)  became  king  in  the  year  705  B.  c.,  on  the 
12th  of  the  month  Ab  (SCHRADER,  p.  331).     He 
was  the  son  and  successor  of  Sargon,  and  reigned 
to  the  year  681.     Sennacherib  relates  to  us  the 
events  of  his  third  campaign  on  two  monuments 
with  nearly  identical  inscriptions,  viz.  :  an  hexa- 
gonal clay  cylinder,  and  the  bulls  at  the  portal 
of  the  palace  at  Kuyyundschik.     Their  contents 
is  chiefly  as  follows.      Sennacherib  moved  first 
against  Phoenicia.     King  Elulaeus  of  Sidon  fled 
to  Cyprus.    The  Assyrians  conquered  all  Phoeni- 


cia, and  Sennacherib  installed  Etobal  as  king. 
The  kings  Menahem  of  Samaria  (?),  Etobal  of 
Sidon,  Abdilit  of  Arvad,  Urniski  of  Byblos, 
Mitinti  of  Ashdod,  Puduil  of  Ammon,  Kamosna- 
dab  of  Moab,  Malikram  of  Edom,  the  whole  of 
the  kings  of  the  westland  (?)  did  homage  and 
brought  presents.  But  Zidka  of  Ascalon  would 
not  do  homage.  Hence  lie  was  expelled  and 
another  put  in  his  place.  Also  the  cities  of  his 
territory  (?)  Bet-Dagon,  Joppa,  Benebarak,  Azur 
were  conquered.  The  inhabitants  of  Ekron  had 
imprisoned  their  king  Padi,  who  held  faithfully 
to  the  Assyrians,  and  "  in  the  shadow  of  the 
night"  had  delivered  him  to  Hezekiah.  But  the 
kings  of  Egypt  and  Meroe,  as  allies  of  the  Pale- 
stinian opponents  of  Assyria,  had  led  up  a  great 
army.  In  the  vicinity  of  Altaku  (Eltekeh  Josh, 
xix.  44 ;  xxi.  23  in  the  territory  of  Dan,  between 
Titnnat  and  Ashdod)  there  was  a  battle.  The 
Assyrians  claimed  the  victory. 

Thus  it  appears  that  what  was  undertaken 
against  Judah  formed  merely  an  episode  of  this 
expedition.  Sennacherib  relates  that  he  took 
forty-six  of  the  fortified  cities  of  Judah,  and  shut 
Hezekiah  up  in  his  capital  "like  a  bird  in  its 
cage"  He  then  threw  up  fortifications  against 
Jerusalem  and  caused  the  exit  of  the  great  gate 
to  be  broken  through.  The  conquered  cities  he 
gave  to  Mitinti  of  Ashdod,  Padi  of  Ekron,  and 
Ismibil  of  Gaza.  Thereupon  Hezekiah  was 
greatly  alarmed  and  agreed  to  pay  tribute,  and 
bv  his  messengers  payed  thirty  (30)  talents  of 
gold  and  eight  hundred  (800)  'talents  of  silver. 
So  far  the  Assyrian  inscriptions. 

One  sees  how  accurately  they  agree  with  the 
Bible  account,  in  our  text  and  in  2  Kings  xviii. 
The  Bible  account  says  three  hundred  talents  of 
silver  (2  Kings  xviii."  14).  This  difference  is  only 
apparent.  For  800  Assyrian  talents  are  exactly 
equal  to  300  Palestinian  (SciiKADER,  l.-c.,  p.  197, 
25). 

But  with  this  agreement  there  is  a  considerable 
discrepancy  in  these  two  accounts  in  r»spect  to 
chronology.  Both  accounts  agree  in  giving  the 
year  722  B.  c.,  for  the  taking  of  Samaria  by  Sar- 
gon. But  before  and  after  this  the  statements  di- 
verge. According  to  the  monuments  Sennacherib 
became  king  only  705  B.  c.,  while  the  Biblical 


378 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


account  places  this  expedition  which  he  himself 
calls  his  third  in  the  year  714.  This  difference 
between  the  Assyrian  and  Biblical  chronology  is 
limited  for  the  time  after  722  to  the  date  of  ex- 
pedition of  Sennacherib  against  Palestine  and 
Egypt.  For,  as  SCHRADER  (p.  300)  expressly 
says,  in  respect  to  the  time  of  Mannasseh  both 
reckonings  "agree  satisfactorily:"  [For  the  Au- 
thor's method  of  reconciling  this  discrepancy  in 
date,  see  the  general  Introd.  $  3,  and  the  intro- 
duction to  chapters  xxxvi.-xxxix.].  The  omis- 
sion of  three  verses  2  Kings  xviii.  14  sqq.,  relat- 
ing to  the  payment  of  ransom  show  the  designed 
abbreviation  of  this  account. 

3.  And  the  king the  recorder. — Vers. 

2,  3.  SCHRADER  (p.  199)  remarks  on  Rabshakeh 
that  there  occurs  no  mention  on  the  monuments 
of  the  chief  cup-bearer,  as  a  high  dignitary  and 
officer  of  state.  But  rab-suk  is  mentioned.  That 
however  is  not  the  chief  cup-bearer.  For  sak 
means  chief,  captain,  collective  chiefs.  There- 
fore rab-sak  is  the  chief  of  the  captains  (comp. 
rob  sarisirn,  rab  tabbachim),  perhaps  the  chief  of 
the  general's  staff.  Then  the  form  npjCO'i  is  a 
Hebraizing  occasioned  by  accordance  of  sound 
with  nptfp  Gen.  xl.  1  sqq.  Chald.  'ptf  D  or  'pBj 
which  means  pincerna,  pocillator.  The  names 
Tartan  and  Rabsaris  2  Kings  xviii.  17  are  omitted 
here.  Lacish,  whence  this  detachment  of  troops 
came,  is  the  modern  Umm-Lakhis,  in  the  S.  W., 
of  Judeanear  the  border  of  Philistia,  on  the  road 
from  Jerusalem  to  Gaza.  This  was  the  extreme 
southern  point  to  which  Sennacherib  penetrated 
at  that  time.  On  the  approach  of  the  Egyptian 
army  he  retired  to  Altaku  (Eltekeh)  that  lay  N. 
E.  of  Lacish.  There  is  a  bas-relief  (SCHRADER, 
p.  170)  with  the  inscription  :  "  Sennacherib,  the 
king  of  the  nations,  the  king  of  the  land  of  As- 
syria, sits  on  an  exalted  throne  and  receives  the 
spoil  of  the  city  Lacish." 

And  he  stood,  etc.  The  locality  is  described 
by  exactly  the  same  words  that  vii-  3  describe  the 
place  where  Isaiah  was  to  meet  Ahaz.  That  now 
the  Assyrians  stand  in  such  threatening  attitude 
by  the  conduit  of  the  upper  pool  is  the  fruit  of 
Ahaz  having  so  insolently  rejected  the  promise 
given  him  at  that  time,  and  in  the  same  place, 
and  having  preferred  to  call  Assyria  to  his  aid. 
We  do  not  err,  therefore,  in  understanding  by 
this  literal  agreement  of  the  naming  of  the  place 
in  both  passages,  that  an  intimation  of  the  divine 
nemesis  is  intended.  On  Eliakim  the  chamber- 
lain and  Shebna  the  scribe  see  xxii.  15,  20  sqq. 

The  13D  "  scribe  "  appears  as  a  state  officer  first 
under  David,  2  Sam.  viii.  17,  where  he  is  dis- 
tinguished from  several  other  officers.  He  was 
the  king's  secretary,  who  wrote  all  that  the  king's 
service  demanded.  Thus  his  office  would  lead 
him  to  meddle  with  every  branch  of  government, 
and  we  find  him  expressly  mentioned  in  matters 
of  finance  (2  Kings  xxii.  3  sqq.),  and  of  war  (2 
Kings  xxv.  19;  Jer.  Hi.  25).  The  V3T3  (LXX. 
i-o[w?i[iaToyp6.<l>oe}  ETTI  TUV  VTrofivrjiiaruv,  VtTLG.,  a 
commentariis) ,  is  certainly  not  the  monitor  (TnE- 
NIUS),  but  the  one  that  was  charged  with  record- 
ing the  res  gestas  of  the  king,  and  of  the  kingdom, 
and  preserving  them  for  posterity  (comp.  2 
Sam.  viii.  16;  xx.  24;  2  Kings  iv.  3;  2  Chr. 


xxxiv.  8).  As  is  well-known,  national  archives 
are  found  not  only  among  civilized  but  also 
among  uncivilized  people.  Of  Joah,  Asaph's 
son,  nothing  more  is  known.  Both  the  names 
are  Levitical,  comp.  1  Chr.  vi.  6  ;  xxix.  12  ; 
xxvi.  4.  In  2  Chr.  xxxiv.  8  is  mentioned  a  Joah 
son  of  Joahaz,  who  was  recorder  to  king  Josiah. 

4.  And  Rabshakeh  --  destroy  it.  —  Vers. 
4-10.  On  the  Assyrian  monuments  the  kings 
designate  themselves,  or  are  designated,  "  great 
king,"  "  mighty  king,"  ''king  of  the  nations." 
The  Assyrian  seeks  to  prove  to  Hczekiah  that  his 
only  recourse  is  to  yield  himself  unconditionally 
to  the  great  king.  ''  That  thou  rebellest  "  It 
may  be  asked  :  does  this  refer  to  the  matter  men- 
tioned 2  Kings  xviii.  7,  or  to  that  mentioned  2  Kings 
xviii-  14  sqq.,  viz.  :  the  refusal  to  surrender  the 
city  in  addition  to  the  ransom?  Both  must  be  un- 
derstood. For  to  the  Assyrian,  that  refusal  was 
only  a  symptom  that  the  rebellious  disposition 
was  not  sufficiently  broken. 

In  showing  further,  how  nugatory  every  thing 
was  on  which  Hezckiah  relied,  he  calls  Egypt  a 
bruised  reed,  that  breaks  when  one  rests  on  it  and 
pierces  the  hand.  This  reproach  was  well  founded. 
Isaiah  himself  says  the  same  xxx.  3,  5,  7  in  other 
words.  Ezek.  xxix.  6,  7,  employs  this  figure, 
amplifying  it.  In  another  sense  and  connection 
Isaiah  uses  the  image  of  the  bruised  reed  xlii.  3, 
where  X")  and  "13$'  used  toether  show  that 


the  former  word  does  not  mean  ''  broken  "  but 
"  bruised."  What  the  Assyrian  says  ver.  G  is  an 
undeniable  truth.  But  he  omits  making  it  gen- 
eral as  the  prophets  did.  For  what  was  true  of 
Egypt  was  equally  true  of  Assyria,  and  of  any 
other  world-power.  They  do  no  favor  for  nothing, 
but  sell  their  aid  so  dear,  that  it  becomes  doubt- 
ful whether  friend  or  foe  harms  the  most.  [The 
charge  of  relying  on  Egypt  may  be  true,  or  it 
may  be  a  malicious  fabrication,  or  a  shrewd  guess 
from  analogy.  —  J.  A.  ALEXANDER.] 

Ver.  7.  As  proof  that  even  Jehovah  cannot  be 
expected  to  help;  the  Assyrian  appeals  to  the 
fact  that  Hezekiah  has  done  away  with  all  the 
high  -places  and  altars  of  Jehovah,  and  has  left 
remaining  only  a  single  spot  for  worship  in  Jeru- 
salem. As  is  well-known  Hezekiah  did  away 
with  all  high-places  in  Judea,  even  those  that 
were  monotheistic,  consecrated  to  Jehovah  (2 
Kings  xviii.  4,  comp.  J.  G.  MULLER  in  HERZ. 
R.-EncycL,  VI.  p.  170),  and  thus  had  stringently 
carried  out  the  principle  of  the  one,  and  only  au- 
thorized central  sanctuary.  In  2  Chr.  xxxii.  12 
it  reads  "  ye  shall  worship  before  one  altar,  and 
burn  incense  upon  it,"  instead  of,  as  here,  "  ye 
shall  worship  before  this  altar."  The  Assyrian, 
ignorant  of  the  higher  commandment  that  had 
prompted  Hezekiah's  obedience,  saw  in  this  con- 
duct a  reduction,  an  arrest  of  Jehovah-worship. 
Less  probable  is  the  explanation  that  the  Assy- 
rian has  in  mind  what  is  related  2  Kings  xvi.  10- 
17,  and  has  confounded  Ahaz  and  Hezekiah.  For 
such  confusion  is  hardly  credible.  Ver.  8.  He 
next  holds  up  to  contempt  Hezekiah's  own  power. 
His  derisive  proposition  intimates  both  the 
abundance  of  Assyria's  cavalry  and  war  chariots 
(comp.  chap.  v.  28)  and  the  weakness  of  Judah 
in  this  respect.  3^y  is  "  to  pledge,"  then  "  to 
pledge  for  others,"  i.  e.,  go  security,  and  in  fact 


CHAP.  XXXVI.  1-22. 


379 


in  the  double  sense  of  a  benefit  to  be  done  to  a 
third  party  (e.  g.,  'J3^  xxxviii.  14,  133  "^K  Gen. 
xliii.  9)  or  of  a  performance  incumbent  on  a  third 
party.  But  there  is  a  pledging  when  two  or  more 
bind  themselves  to  a  performance  in  common, 
even  when  the  pledging  is  not  specifically  made 
prominent  or  is  silently  presumed.  Thus  the 
word  acquires  the  meaning,  "to  enter  into,  be- 
come one,  to  mix  oneself  in  with."  Here  the 
notion  sponsio  appears  evident :  pledge  thyself, 
t.  e.,  unite  thyself  by  a  mutual  pledge  with  the 
king  of  Assyria.  But  as  under  the  present  cir- 
cumstances the  one  party  pledged  himself  to  con- 
ditions he  thinks  impossible  to  the  other,  the 
pledging  acquires  the  significance  of  a  wager,  in 
which  sense  also  CLERICTJS  has  taken  the  word. 

Ver.  9.  Two  inferences  are  drawn  from  the  re- 
presentation of  ver.  8  ;  the  positive,  that  Heze- 
kiah cannot  hope  to  resist  the  least  captain  of 
Assyria,  and  the  negative,  that  this  personal  ina- 
bility explains  how  Judah  must  be  leaning  on 
Egypt.  The  relation  of  1HN  PH3  to  what  follows 
is  not  simple  genitive  of  the  subject  (commander 
of  the  small  servants,  KNOBEL),  but  is  a  partitive 
genitive  :  of  one  captain  from  among  the  most  in- 
ferior servants  of  my  lord,  i.  e.,  who  belongs  to 
the  most  inferior  servants  of  my  lord.  Ver.  10. 
The  Assyrian  feigns  to  have  received  a  commis- 
sion direct  from  Jehovah  to  go  against  Judah  and 
destroy  it.  That  this  was  false  appears  from 
xxxvii.  C,  21  sqq.,  where  the  LORD  Himself  pro- 
nounces the  words  of  the  Assyrian  blasphemous, 
and  takes  Judah  in  protection  after  a  grand 
fashion.  The  Assyrian  may  possibly  have  heard 
something  of  Isaiah's  prophecies,  who,  he  may 
have  known,  was  then  in  Jerusalem,  which  pro- 
phecies treated  of  a  subjection  of  Judah  to  Assy- 
ria (comp.  vii.  17  sqq.,  x.  5  sqq.).  These  and 
similar  prophetic  utterances  may  have  afforded 
the  occasion  for  this  pretext.  But  no  prophecy 
"go  up  against  this  laud  and  destroy  it,"  nor  any- 
thing like  it  exists  in  Isaiah,  or  any  other  Pro- 
phet. 

5.  Then  said  Eliakim words  of  Rab- 

shakeh. — Vera.  11-22.  Ilezekiah's  messengers 
had  so  far  hearkened  in  silence.  But  apprehen- 
sive of  the  effect  of  the  words  of  ver.  10  on  the 
people  assembled  on  the  wall,  they  beg  the  mes- 
senger of  the  Assyrian  not  to  speak  the  Jewish 
tongue  but  to  speak  in  Aramaic.  The  people 
might  easily  take  this  pretended  mandate  for 
reality.  Had  not  the  LORD  Himself  called  As- 
syria "the  rod  of  mine  anger"  (x.  5)  ?  Dis- 
couragement might  arise  from  this  among  the 
people,  and  paralyze  every  effort  at  self-defense. 
fm«T  means  primarily  the  dialect  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah.  It  was  thus  spoken  in  Jerusalem  and 
was  the  purest  and  best  Hebrew.  Rabshakeh 
spoke  this  dialect.  A  considerable  time  had 
elapsed  since  that  fatal  resort  of  Ahaz  to  Assyria 
spoken  of  in  chap,  vii.,  certainly  more  than 
twenty-five  years.  During  this  time  the  Assyrian 
rulers  were  in  constant  intercourse  with  Judah, 
and  were  properly  attentive  to  Jewish  affairs. 
This  explains  how  there  would  be  in  their  court 
persons  that  could  speak  the  dialect  of  Judah. 
Besides  the  Assyrian  and  Hebrew  languages  were 
daughters  of  the  same  Semitic  stem,  and  an  As- 
syrian would  find  no  great  difficulty  in  learning 


Hebrew.  See  the  Assyrian  Grammars  of  OPPERT 
1859  and  of  MENANT,  1868.  Eliakim  would  not 
have  called  the  dialect  of  the  northern  Israelites, 
Jewish  had  Rabshakeh  spoken  that.  For  at  that 
time  the  name  Judah  had  not  become  the  na- 
tional name  as  it  did  after  the  exile.  At  the 
latter  period  JVIirv  comprised  all  that  was  He- 
brew, even  what  had  perhaps  attached  itself  to 
the  tribe  of  Judah  from  the  isolated  elements  of 
the  other  tribes  (comp.  Neh.  xiii.  24).  By 
JTD1K  Eliakim  understood,  not  the  mother- 
tongue  of  the  Assyrian,  but  the  Syro-Chaldaic- 
Aramaic,  thus  the  language  whose  territory  lay 
between  that  of  the  Hebrew  and  of  the  Assyrian 
and  that  was  suited  for  mediating  between  them. 
According  to  ALEX.  POLYHISTOR.  in  EUSEBIUS, 
C'hron.,  arm.  I.,  p.  43,  Sennacherib  erected  a 
monument  to  himself  with  a  Chaldaic  inscrip- 
tion, and  with  the  later  Persian  kings  Aramaic 
seems  to  have  been  the  government  language  for 
intercourse  with  the  nations  of  western  Asia  (Ezr. 
iv.  7).  Our  passage  shows  that  Aramaic  would 
not  be  known  to  all  people  of  Judah  without 
study  and  of  course. 

Eliakim's  remonstrance  only  exposed  a  weak 
place,  of  which  Rabshakeh  immediately  took  ad- 
vantage. He  noticed,  that  his  words  were  re- 
garded as  likely  to  produce  an  impression  among 
the  people  prejudicial  to  Hezekiah's  intention, 
and  at  once  he  acts  as  if  his  mission  were  to  the 
people,  and  not  at  all  to  Hezekiah,  though  ver.  4 
and  2  Kings  xviii.  18,  19  show  the  contrary. 
He  proceeds  therefore  to  warn  the  people  to  save 
themselves  from  the  dreadful  fate  that  impended, 
and  to  beware  of  letting  Hezekiah  deceive  them. 
In  D30>',  "with  you,"  end  of  ver.  12,  there  is  em- 
phasis implying  reproach  for  those  address-ed. 
The  Assyrian  means:  those  sitting  on  the  wall 
will  fare  well  with  us  (comp.  "  come  out  to  me  " 
ver.  16),  but  they  will  have  to  endure  the  dread- 
fulest  distress  with  you.  Vers.  16,  17.  Rabsha- 
keh makes  definite  proposals  in  the  name  of  the 
king  of  Assyria,  in  opposition  to  the  designs  of 
Hezekiah  against  which  he  warns  them.  ''  Make 
with  me  a  blessing,"  i.  e.,  an  alliance  of  blessing, 
he  says.  T\3~\2  is  not  merely  the  blessing  itself, 
but  also,  by  metonymy,  either  what  the  blessing 
involves  (comp.  Gen.  xii.  2  HD~O  iTTII),  or  what 
the  blessing  produces  (e.  g.,  a  rich  gift  1  Sam. 
xxv.  27,  etc.).  Thus  here  the  alliance,  the  treaty 
is  called  H313  because,  in  the  opinion  of  the  As- 
syrian, it  would  be  a  source  of  blessing.  The 
word  occurs  in  this  sense  nowhere  else.  JW  with 

/X  often  occurs  in  the  sense  of  deditio :  1  Sam.  xi. 
3;  1  King  xx.  31;  Jer.  xxi.  9;  xxxviii.  2, 21.  To 
eat  his  vine  and  his  fig  tree,  and  diink  his 
waters  (metonymic  expressions,  comp.  on  i.  7  ; 
v.  IS)  is  a  figurative  description  of  a  peaceful  and 
undisturbed  existence  (comp.  Mir.  iv.  4;  1  Kings 
v.  o).  On  ver.  17  SCHRADER  remarks:  "Such 
a  recommendation  of  surrender  to  the  Assyrian 
were  even  for  an  Assyrian  a  little  maladroit."  I 
cannot  see  that.  The  fate  that  Rabsliakeh  pro- 
posed was  relatively  a  mild  one.  Humanly 
speaking,  there  was  no  hope  of  deliverance.  If 
the  Assyrian  would  revenge  the  revolt  of  Heze- 
kiah on  the  capital,  who  would  hinder  him? 
Even  after  a  glorious  defence,  which  was  sure  to 
be  attended  with  much  suffering,  they  must  pre- 


380 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


pare  for  entire  destruction  attended  with  great 
cruelties.  This  or  the  proposition  of  vers.  16,  17 
were  the  alternatives  to  the  Assyrian.  It  cer- 
tainly never  entered  into  his  mind  to  treat  them 
with"  sentimental  mildness.  "  A  land  of  bread 
and  vineyards  "  is  a  more  comprehensive  expres- 
sion than  "a  land  of  corn  and  wine.''  For 
"  bread  "  (see  xxviii.  28)  represents  here  every 
sort  of  vegetable  that  gives  bread,  and  in  vine- 
yards not  only  vines  grow,  but  also  other  noble 
tree;  (comp.  JTT  D"O  Judg.  xv.  5). 

Vers.  18-20.  Rabshakeh  repeats  the  warning 
against  illusive  hopes  of  help  from  Jehovah,  and 
would  prove  that  they  are  illusive  by  appealing  to 
facts  that  showed  how  the  heathen  gods  had  been 
unable  to  save  their  lands.  The  question  where 
are  the  gods  of  Hamath  and  Arpad  ?  etc.,  is 
not  meant  as  denying  the  existence  of  these  gods 
generally,  but  only  to  demonstrate  their  inability 
and  unworthiness  to  let  themselves  be  seen,  t.  e., 
to  show  themselves  in  a  dear  light.  They  are 
brought  to  shame  and  must  hide  themselves.  On 
Hamath  and  Arpad  see  x.  9.  According  to  the 
Assyrian  monuments  (see  SCHRADER,  p.  152), 
Sargon,  in  the  second  year  of  his  reign,  therefore 
a  year  after  the  conquest  of  Samaria,  conquered 


king  Ilubid  of  Hamath,  and  took  as  the  royal 
share  of  the  spoils  200  chariots  and  000  horsemen. 
From  this  is  inferred  that  he  transported  most  of 
the  rest  of  the  inhabitants.  And  in  fact  we  read 
2  Kings  xvii.  24  that,  among  others,  people  from 
Hamath  were  transplanted  in  Samaria.  Arpad, 
that  is  never  named  except  with  Hamath,  does 
not  appear  in  the  inscriptions  after  Sargon  (  SCHRA- 
DER, p.  204).  It  likely  shared  therefore  the 
fate  of  Hamath.  Rabshakeh  does  not  mean  to 
enumerate  here  the  conquests  of  Sennacherib. 
But  he  would  remind  the  men  of  Judah  of  ex- 
amples of  transplanted  nations  well-known  to  them. 
By  which  Assyrian  king  it  was  done  was  unim- 
portant. It  was  enough  that  Assyrian  kings 
could  do  this.  The  words  vers.  18,  19,  are,  be- 
sides a  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy  x.  7-11. 

Vers.  21,  22.  Hezekiah's  prohibition  of  any 
reply  was  wise.  A  single  incautious  word  might 
occasion  great  harm,  as  was  in  fact  proved  by 
Eliakim's  blundering  interruption  ver.  11.  Every 
reply  needed  to  be  maturely  considered.  Those 
were  serious  and  significant  moments  in  which 
only  he  ought  to  speak  who  was  qualified,  and 
authorized  to  represent  the  entire  nation. 


2.  HEZEKIAH'S  MESSAGE  TO  ISAIAH. 
CHAPTER  XXXVII.  1-7. 

1  AND  it  came  to  pass,  when  king  Hezekiali  heard  it,  that  he  rent  his  clothes,  and 

2  covered  himself  with  sackcloth,  and  went  into  the  house  of  the  LORD.     And  he  sent 
Eliakim,  who  ivas  over  the  household,  and  Shebna  the  "scribe,  and  the  elders 
of  the  priests  covered  with  sackcloth  unto  Isaiah  the  prophet  the  son  of  Arnoz. 

3  And  they  said  unto  him,  Thus  saith  Hezekiah,  This  day  is  a  day  of  trouble,  and 
of  rebuke,  and  of  'blasphemy :  for  the  children  are  come  to  the  birth,  and  there  is 

4  not  strength  to  bring  forth.     blt  may  be  the  LORD  thy  God  will  hear  the  words  of 
Rabshakeh,  "whom  the  king  of  Assyria  his  master  hath  sent  to  reproach  the  living 
God,  and  will  areprove  the  words  which  the  LORD  thy  God  hath  heard  :  ewherefore 

5  lift  up  thy  prayer  for  the  remnant  that  is  2left     So  the  servants  of  king  Hezekiah 

6  carne  to  Isaiah.     And  Isaiah  said  unto  them,  Thus  shall  ye  say  unto  your  master, 
Thus  saith  the  LORD,  Be  not  afraid  of  the  words  that  thou  hast  heard,  wherewith 

7  the  'servants  of  the  king  of  Assyria  have  blasphemed  me.     Behold,  I  will  3send  a 
blast  upon  him,  and  he  shall  hear  a  rumor,  and  return  to  his  own  land ;  and  BI 
will  cause  him  to  fall  bv  the  sword  in  his  own  land. 


1  Or,  provocation.  2  Hcb.  found. 

»  chancellor. 

'  with,  which  the  king  commissioned  him. 

*  and  thou  wilt  lift  up  a  prayer. 

t  I  fell  him. 


3  Or,  put  a  spirit  into  him. 

b  peradventure. 

d  administer  punishment  for  the  words. 

'  the  boys. 


TEXTUAL   AND 
Ver.  3.  HIV    DV  comp.  Ps.  xx.  2 ;  1. 15 ;  Obad.  xii.  14; 

Nah.  i.  7,  etc. The  expression  riflD 'fl    DV  is  taken 

from  Hos.  v.  9. i"l¥NJ  from  VXJ  contemnere,  asper- 

nari  (i.  4 ;  T.  24 ;  Ix.  14\  contemtua,  opprobrium  occurs  only 
here.    In  Neh.  ix.  18,  26  Hi'HJ  is  found  in  the  sense  of 

T  T  V 

0Aa<r<£ij/iia,  blasphemy.  Our  present  word  must  be  taken 

in  this  sense  (comp.  verse  4). The  expression  the 

"children  are  come  •132JD~1J7 "  occurs  again  only  2 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Kings  xix.  3.    But  comp.  Hos.  xiii.  13. JT1 7  '«/•  nom. 

again  only  Jer.  xiii.  21. 

Ver.  4.  inSty  1t*/X-  rhlP  with  double  ace.  like  verbs 
of  teaching,  commanding:  comp.  Iv.  11;  Exod.  iv.  28, 
etc. T|  DTlSx,  except  here  and  ver.  17,  the  expres- 
sion always  reads  D'TI  'X  (Deut,  v.  23;  1  Sam.  xvii.  26, 
36  ;  Jer.  x.  10;  xxiii.  36).  The  constant  absence  of  the 
article  in  the  expression  is  noteworthy.  Thus  it  appears 


CHAP.  XXXVII.  1-7. 


381 


to  me  to  designate  God,  not  as  the  only  living  God,  but 
only  in  general  as  living  God  in  contrast  with  the  dead 
idols,  whereby  is  not  expressly  excluded  that  there  may 
be  still  other  D"H  'X  (comp.  6dfa?  /SAacrc/Jijju.cIi'  Jude  8). 

The  two  perfects  ITDI!"!!  and  r\fc\tj?J1  connect  with 

the  imperfect  J/'OU?1.  Many  older  expositors  have  ex- 
plained JTDim  to  be  an  infinitive,  and  have  taken  it  as 
the  continuation  of  rpn/-  But  then  one  must  make 
the  word  mean  "to  contemn,"  which  it  does  not.  It 
must  therefore  be  construed  as  perfect.  The  meaning 
is  direct  causative  :  "  exercise  reproof,"  (comp.  ii.  4;  xi. 
4).  The  prefix  3  before  Q'l^T  has  a  causal  sense: 
"and  he  will  use  reproof  (judicial  decision)  (moved)  by 
the  words,  etc"  Comp.  1. 1 ;  Ivii.  17. The  perf. 


formally  connects  with  the  Imperf.  J/DK''1  although  ma- 
terially the  reverse  is  the  proper  relation. mNE?n 

DX¥Djn  is  the  remnani  in  fact  as  opposed  to  that 
which  ought  to  be.  Comp.  xiii.  15 ;  xxii.  3. 

Ver.  6.  rpj  occurs  only  in  Piel  (Num.  xv.  30 ;  Ps.  xliv. 
17 ;  Ezek.  xx.  27 ;  2  Kings  xix.  6,  22) ;  it  means  "  to 
wound,  insult,  blaspheme." 

Differences  between  the  text  of  Isaiah  here  and  2  Ki. 
xviil.  appear  in  verses  2,  4,  6.  In  verse  6  Isaiah  has 

DJT7X  instead  of  DP7  because  the  former  is  the  more 

v  T 
usual,  at  least  in  these  chapters  (comp.  2  Kings  xviii. 

19,  22,  25,  26,  27 ;  xix.  3,  10 ;  xx.  1,  8, 14,  16, 19).  The  sim- 
ple 7  after  1DX  occurs  only  once,  2  Kings  xviii.  22. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  And  it  came Amoz. — Vers.  1,  2.     It 

is  perhaps  not  unimportant  to  note  that,  except 
here,  when  Isaiah  speaks  of  putting  on  sackcloth 
he  uses  the  expression  pitf  "UPI   (iii.  24 ;  xv.  3  ; 
xxii.  12)  and  never  employs  the  general   article 
that  occurs  in  Kings,  and  elsewhere  also  (2  Kings 
vi.  30,  comp.  1  Kings  xxi.  27).     The  expression 
"  elders  of  the  priests  "  beside  here  and  2  Kings 
xix.  2,  occurs  only  Jer.  xix.  1.   GSuLER  (HERZ., 
R.-EncycL,  XII.  p.  182  sq.),  distinguishes  these 
priest-elders  from  the  "~V2    or   D'JHSn  ^N1    '2 

"T  ._._..         T      V 

Chr.  xxvi.  14;  Ezr.  x.  5;  Neh.  xii.  7),  and  un- 
derstands by  the  latter  the  overseer  of  the  priestly 
class,  and  by  the  former  only  ''the  most  respected 
priests  on  account  of  their  age."  The  embassy 
to  Isaiah  as  one  sees  from  those  composing  it, 
was  one  commensurate  with  the  importance  of 
the  subject,  and  also  very  honorable  for  Isaiah. 

["Hezekiah  resorted  to  the  temple,  not  only  as 
a  public  place,  but  with  reference  to  the  promise 
made  to  Solomon  (1  Kings  viii.  29)  that  God 
would  hear  the  prayers  of  His  people  from  that 
place  when  they  were  in  distress."  On  ver.  2. 
"The  king  applies  to  the  Prophet  as  the  au- 
thorized expounder  of  the  will  of  God.  Similar 
applications  are  recorded  1  Kings  xxii.  9 ;  2 
Kings  xxii.  14;  Jer.  xxxvii.  3." — J.  A.  ALEX.]. 

2.  And  they  said in  his  own  land. — 

Vers.  3-7.     One  may  say  that   !"PX  "anguish" 
relates  only  to  the  Jews,  nfDin  "  rebuke"  is  re- 
ceived from  the  LORD  through  the  Assyrians,  and 
the   object  of  Hi' W,  "  contempt,"  is  Israel  and 
their  God.     Thus  it  appears,  they  intimate  that 
the  matter  concerns,  not  them  only,  but  also  God, 
and  that  in  an  active  and   in   a  passive  sense. 
[The  metaphor  in  the  last  clause  expresses,  in 
the  most  affecting  manner,  the  ideas  of  extreme 
pain,  imminent  danger,  critical  emergency,  utter 
weakness,  and  entire  dependence  on  the  aid  of 
others. — J.  A.  ALEX.].     Judah  had  done  all  in 
its  power  to  keep  away  the  supreme  power  of  As- 
syria.    But  the  laiter  has  taken  the  whole  land 
(xxxvi.  1)  ;  and  moreover  an  immense  sum  of 
gold  has  been  sacrificed  (2  Kings  xviii.  14).    But 
the  Assyrian  demands  the  capital  itself,  and  Ju- 
dah  is  powerless  to  hold  him  back.     There  is  no 
going  backwards,  i.  e.,  what  was  done  in  vain  to 
ward  off  the  Assyrian  cannot  be  made  a  thing  not 
done;  and  there' is  no  going  forwards,  i.  e..  there 
are  no  means  left  to  ward  off  the  worst.     There- 
fore the  very  life  is  in  peril.     Such  is  the  mean- 


ing of  the  figurative  language.  In  ver.  4  the 
messengers  present  their  request.  It  begins 
timidly  with  ""/IN',  "  peradventure."  It  refers  to 
two  things :  1 )  that  Jehovah  will  hear  and  punish 
the  words  of  Kabshakeh,  2)  that  Isaiah  will  make 
supplication.  The  order  may  seem  an  inverted 
one.  But  they  produce  the  things  sought  for, 
not  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  to  be  realized, 
but  according  to  their  importance.  The  most  im- 
portant is  that  Jehovah  hears  and  punishes.  The 
means  to  this  is  Isaiah's  intercession.  ["  The  pre- 
terite JJDiy  denotes  a  past  time  only  in  reference 
to  the  contingency  expressed  by  y3W\  Perhaps 
he  will  hear  and  then  punish  what  he  has  heard. 
The  reproach  and  blasphemy  of  the  Assyrian  con- 
sisted mainly  in  his  confounding  Jehovah  with 
the  gods  of  the  surrounding  nations  (2  Chr. 
xxxii.  19),  in  antithesis  to  whom,  as  being  im- 
potent and  lifeless,  He  is  here  and  elsewhere 
called  the  living  God. — J.  A.  ALEX.].  Comp. 
viii.  9  ;  Ps.  cvi.  28  ;  cxv.  4  sqq.  "  To  reproach 
the  living  God,"  strongly  reminds  one  of  the 
blasphemy  of  Goliath,  1  Sam.  xvii.  26,  36,  45. 
Such  an  one  the  Assyrian  here  appears.  "  The 
remnant  extant"  (see  Text,  and  Gram.).  The 
deportation  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  and  xxxvi.  1  show 
that  Jerusalem  was  at  that  time  only  a  weak 
remnant  of  the  theocracy 

[Ver.  5  "  is  a  natural  and  simple  resumption 
of  the  narrative,  common  in  all  inartificial  his- 
tory. It  affords  no  ground  for  assuming  a  trans- 
position in  the  text,,  nor  for  explaining  1"1ON'1 
ver.  3,  as  a  subjunctive." — J.  A.  ALEX.].  Vers. 
6,  7,  contain  Isaiah's  answer.  The  Assyrian  mes- 
sengers are  contemptuously  called  D'T^J,  i.  e., 
"boys,  striplings"  of  the  king  of  Assyria.  The 
expression  Behold,  I  am  putting  a  spirit  in 
him  designates  the  subjective  side  of  r.  resolve 
accomplished  in  the  king  of  Assyria,  and  he 
shall  hear  a  report  the  objective  cause.  It  had 
manifestly  been  the  purpose  of  ^the  king  of  Assy- 
ria to  go  immediately  at  that  time  against  Jeru- 
salem. Sending  Kabshakeh  was  the  prelude  to 
it.  On  the  return  of  the  latter  with  Hezekiah's 
refusal,  the  advance  on  Jerusalem  was  instantly 
to  be  made.  This  is  confirmed  vers.  9,  10  by 
the  warning  to  Hezekiah  not  to  cherish  unwar- 
ranted expectations  from  the  unlooked  for  diver- 
sion made  by  the  Ethiopian  army.  Thus  the 
Prophet  says 'here,  "I  impart  to  him  a  spirit,  i.e. 
I  occasion  him  a  mind,  a  tendency  of  the  will 


382 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


(comp.  xix.  14;  xxix.  10,  etc.),  and  he  shall  hear  salem  at  all  (ver.  33),  but  shall  return  into  hig 
a  report."  This  is  the  first  stage  of  the  deliver-  i  land,  and  there  fall  by  the  sword.  Let  those  be- 
ance.  It  intimates  that  the  Assyrian's  next  in-  lieve  that,  ''and  I  will  fell  him  by  the  sword," 


tention  now  at  once  to  advance  on  Jerusalem  shall 
not  be  realized.  But  that  only  wards  off  the  im- 
mediate'  danger.  Perhaps  to  reprieve  is  not  to 
relieve.  Thus  the  Assyrian  himself  seems  to 
have  thought  according  lovers.  10-13.  But  there 
is  no  danger.  He  shall  not  come  before  Jeru- 


etc.,  is  ascribed  to  Isaiah  by  the  narrator  post 
eventum,  who  cannot  believe  that  there  may  be 
such  a  thing  as  a  spirit  of  God,  that  can  look 
freely  into  the  future,  and,  when  it  seems  good  to 
him,  can  declare  the  future. 


3.    THE  WRITING  OF  SENNACHERIB  TO  HEZEKIAH. 
CHAPTER  XXXVII.  8-13. 

8  So  Rabshakeh  returned,  and  found  the  king  of  Assyria  awarring  against  Libnah  : 

9  for  he  had  heard  that  he  bwas  departed  from  Lacish.     And  he  heard  say  concerning 
Tirhakah  king  of  Ethiopia,  He  is  come  forth  to  make  war  with  thee.     And  when 

10  he  heard  it,  he  sent  messengers  to  Hezekiah,  saying,  Thus  shall  ye  speak  to  He»- 
ekiah  king  of  Judah,  saying,  Let  not  thy  God,  in  whom  thou  trustest,  deceive 
thee,  saying,  Jerusalem  shall  not  be  given  into  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Assyria. 

11  Behold,  thou  hast  heard  what  the  kings  of  Assyria  have  done  to  all  lands  by  de- 

12  stroying  them  utterly ;  "and  shalt  thou  be  delivered  ?    Have  the  gods  of  the  nations 
delivered  them  which  my  fathers  have  destroyed,  as  Gozan,  and  Haran,  and  Re- 

13  zeph,  and  the  children  of  Eden  which  were  in  Telassar?     Where  is  the  king  of 
Hamath,  and  the  king  of  Arphad,  and  the  king  of  the  city  of  Sepharvaim,  Hena, 
and  Ivah  ? 


1  fighting. 


had  decamped. 


and  thou  wilt  be  delivered. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  9.  The  variations  from  2  Kings  xix.  9  are  slight ; 
7J,'  here  instead  of  7K,  and  a  second  ^Ot^l  instead  of 
DLTI  2  Kings  xix. ;  which  latter  is  doubtless  the  correct 
reading.  That  second  ydW"\  seems  to  be  merely  a  co- 
pyist's error,  unless  the  reviser  of  the  Isniah  text  over- 
looked the  familiar  adverbial  meaning  that  the  word 
has  here. 

Ver.  10.  On  H'Cftl,  comp.  on  xxxvi.  14. 13  HDD 

see  on  xxxvi.  7. '1  "jron  N1?  see  on  xxxvi.  15. 

Ver.  11.  D/D'inn1?  (see  xi.  15;  xxxiv.  5)  is  that  verbal 
form  which  we  translate  by  the  ablative  of  the  gerund. 

Ver.  13.  The  words  H1J?1  ^JH  are  difficult.  The  Ma- 
Borets  seem  to  have  regarded  them  as  verbs,  seeing  that 


GRAMMATICAL. 

they  have  punctuated  the  former  as  perf.  Hiph.,  and  the 
latter  as  perf.  Piel.  So  also  the  CHA.LD.  (expulerunt  cos  et 
in  captivitatcm  duxcrunt)  and  SYMMACHUS  (avecrTaTucrcv 
KO.L  eraTretVaxref).  But  the  context  demands  names  of 
localities.  The  LXX.  translates  2  Kings  xix.  13  'A»/a 
KOI  'Aova ;  also  the  VULC.  both  2  Kings  and  our  text. 

In  vers.  11-13  the  variations  from  the  text  in  2  Kings 
xix.  are  inconsiderable.  But  such  as  they  are  they  also 
give  evidence  of  an  effort  at  simplification  and  accom- 
modation to  the  prevalent  usus  loquendi.  For  example 
Isaiah,  IKOn  (according  to  sound)  instead  of  2  Kings 
"lt^J<7.n  (which  would  correspond  to  the  Assyrian  Tul- 

T        -  : 

Assuri,  i.  c.,  hill  of  Assyria). 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  While  the  events  narrated  vers.  1-7  were 
taking  place,  Eabshakeh  returned  to  report  to  his 
master,  whom  he  found  at  Libnah.     The  news 
received  there  of  the  movement  of  the  king  of 
Ethiopia  made  it  impossible  to  undertake  any- 
thing against  Jerusalem  just  then.     In  the  event 
of  a  prolonged  siege,  Sennacherib  might  find  him- 
self in  the  bad  situation  of  having  the  Jews  in 
his  front,  and  Tirhakah  in  his   rear.     This   he 
must  not  risk.     But  to   check   the   triumph   of 
Hezekiah,  he  sends  the  message  of  vers.   10-13, 
which  is  virtually  a  repetition  of  Rabshakeh's 
words  xxxvi.  18-20,  except  that  while  the  latter 
warned  the  people  against  Hezckiah  Sennacherib 
warns  Ilczekiah  not  to  let  his  God  deceive  him. 

2.  So  Rabshakeh saying.— Vers.  8,  9. 

Rabshakeh  it  seems   did  not  tarry  long  before 


Jerusalem  for  a  reply.  The  silence  (xxxvi.  21) 
that  followed  his  words  was  itself  an  answer.  He 
returned,  therefore,  to  his  master  to  report  that 
neither  in  king  nor  people  did  he  meet  with  any 
disposition  to  make  a  voluntary  submission.  Lib- 
nah, in  the  siege  of  which  he  found  his  master 
engaged,  was  an  ancient  Canaanite  roval  city 
(Josh.  x.  29  pqq.).  It  belonged  (Josh.  xv.  42) 
to  the  low  country  of  Judah,  and  was  later  (Josh. 
xxi.  13;  1  Chr.  vi.  42)  a  Levitical  and  free  city. 
It  must  have  been  near  to  Lrc'sh  (Josh.x.  23sqq.), 
and  between  that  place  and  Makkedah.  YAK 
DE  VELDE  supposes  it  is  identical  with  the  Tell 
of  'Ard':-cl-j\fenschijeh,  because"  "this  is  the 
only  place  in  the  plain  between  Sumeil  (Makke- 
dah) and  Um-Lakhis,  that  can  be  recognized  as 
an  ancient  fortified  place"  (HEJRZ.,  li.-EncycL, 


CHAP.  XXXVII.  8-13. 


383 


XIV.  p.  753).  Ver.  9.  The  subject  of  "he 
heard "  beginning  ver.  9  is,  of  course,  Senna- 
cherib. Tirhakab  was  the  third  and  last  king  of 
the  twenty-fifth  or  Ethiopic  dynasty.  Sabako,  or 
Sevechos,  L  and  II.,  were  his  predecessors.  He 
resided  in  Thebes,  where,  on  thu  left  bank  of  the 
Kile,  in  the  palace  of  Medenet-Habu,  sculptures 
still  exist,  that  represent  Tirhakah  wielding  the 
war-mace  over  bearded  Asiatics.  See  WILKIN- 
SON, " Popular  Account  of  the  Ancient  Egyptians,"  I. 
p.  393  sqq.  According  to  HEROD.,  II.,  141,  there 
appears  as  his  contemporary,  probably  as  subor- 
dinate kmg  (comp.  EWALD,  Gesch,,  d.  V-  Isr.  HI. 
p.  678),  Sethon,  a  priest  of  Hephastos,  who  ruled 
over  middle  and  lower  Egypt.  According  to  the 
Assyrian  monuments,  Sargon  conquered  Seveh 
(Sevechos)  king  of  Egypt  in  the  year  720  B.  c., 
at  Rephia  (comp.  on  xx.j.  Again  in  715,  the 
canon  of  regents  mentions  a  payment  of  tribute 
by  the  Pharaoh  of  Egypt.  In  the  arrow-headed 
inscriptions  of  Sennacherib's  time,  the  name  of 
Tirhakah  lias  not  been  found  as  yet.  But  Asur- 
banipal  (Sardanapalus),  the  grandson  of  Ssnna- 
cherib,  and  successor  of  his  son  Esarhaddon,  re- 
lates, that  lie  directed  his  first  expedition  against 
the  rebellious  Tar-ku-u  of  Egypt  and  Mcroe 
(SCHRADER,  p.  202  sq.).  As  Sennacherib  reigned 
till  681,  and  Esarhaddon  till  668,  the  statement 
of  MANETHO,  that  Tirhakah  arose  366  years 
before  Alexander's  conquest  of  Egypt,  agrees,  of 
course,  better  with  the  Assyrian  statement,  ac- 
cording to  which  Sennacherib  came  to  the  throne 
in  705,  and  undertook  the  expedition  against 
Egypt  in  700,  than  with  the  chronology  hitherto 
accepted,  that  places  this  expedition  in  714  B.  c. 

3.  Thus  shall  ye and  Ivah  ?— Vers.  10- 

13.  [The  design  to  destroy,  not  the  people's  con- 
fidence in  Hezekiah,  but  Hezekiah's  confidence 
in  God,  makes  Sennacherib's  blasphemy  much 
more  open  and  direct  than  that  of  Rabshakeh. — 
J.  A.  ALEX.].  The  servant  could  in  flattery  as- 
cribe conquests  to  his  master  (xxxvi.  18-20) 
which  the  latter  (ver.  11  sqq.),  more  honestly 
acknowledges  as  the  deed  of  his  predecessors. 
[''Others,  with  more  probability,  infer  that  the 
singular  form,  employed  by  Rabshakeh,  is  itself 
to  be  understood  collectively,  like  ''  king  of 
Babylon  "  in  chap,  xiv." — J.  A.  ALEX.].  Go- 
zan,  in  the  form  Guzanu,  is  often  mentioned  in 
the  Assyrian  inscriptions,  and  that  as  a  city 
(SCHRADER,  p.  323,  9),  and  a  province  (ibid.  p. 
327,  11,  12;  p.  331,  8).  But  opinions  differ  as 
to  its  location,  some  taking  it  for  a  Mesopotamian 
locality  (GESEN.,  KNOBEL,  on  the  authority  of 
PTOLEMAEUS  V.  18,  4,  also  SCHRADER,  p.  161, 
because,  in  an  Assyrian  list  of  geographical  con- 
tents, Guzana  is  named  along  with  Nisibis,  and  in 
our  text  with  Haran  and  Rezeph.  But  others, 
on  the  authority  of  Arab  geographers,  seek  for 
Gozan  in  the  mountainous  region  northeast  of 
Nineveh.  There  is  a  river  Chabur  there,  flowing 
from  the  mountain  region  of  Zuzan.  This  Cha- 
bur, a  left  branch  of  the  Tigris,  appears  to  be  the 
|TU  ">ru  ion  mentioned  2  Kings  xvii.  6 ;  xviii. 


11,  and  must  be  distinguished  from  the  "133  or 
Chaboras  (Chebar)  Ezek.  i.  3,  etc.,  that  is  a 
branch  of  the  Euphrates.  Comp.  DELITZSCH  m 
loc.:  EWALD,  Gescli.  d.  V.  Isr.  III.  p.  638,  658 : 
"  The  Nestorians,  or  the  Lost  Tribes"  by  ASAHEL 
GRANT.  According  to  2  Kings  xvii.  6 ;  xviii. 
11,  Gozan  belongs  to  the  lands  into  which  the 
Israelites  were  deported.  Now  we  find  these 
(Ezek.  i.  3 ;  iii.  15,  23 ;  x.  15,  22)  settled  on  the 
"O.3,  i.  e.,  Chebar.  The  subject  is  not  yet  cleared 
up.  Haran,  occurs  often  as  Harran  in  the  in- 
scriptions as  a  Mesopotamian  city  (SCHRADER, 
p.  45).  It  is  a  very  ancient  city  (Gen.  xi.  31  ; 
xii.  5  ;  xxvii.  43,  etc.),  and  well-known  to  Greeks 
and  Romans  under  the  name  Krippai,  Carrae 
[famous  for  the  great  defeat  of  Crassus. — TR  ], 
(see  PLUTARCH,  vit.  Crassi,  25,  27  sq.).  Rezeph, 
too,  is  a  Mesopotamian  city,  west  of  the  Eu- 
phrates, that  frequently  appears  in  the  inscrip- 
tions as  Ra-sa-ap-pa  or  Ra-sap-pa.  Later  it  ap- 
pears under  the  name  Rexafa.  or  Rnsafa  (comp. 
EWALD,  I.  c.  III.  p.  639).  Regarding  the  "B'ne 
Eden  in  Telasser,"  it  must  be  noted  that  Ezek. 
xxvii.  23  mentions  a  people  H#,  that  were  mer- 
chants dealing  between  Sheba,  i.  e.,  Arabia  and 
Tyre,  along  with  pn  and  H.33  (i.  e.,  i~uSjp  or 
1373  Isa.  x.  9).  Moreover  Amos  i.  5  mentions  a 
p>'  iV2  that,  as  part  of  the  people  of  Syria,  was 
to  emigrate  to  Kir.  Telasser  is  mentioned  only 
once  in  the  inscriptions,  where  it  is  related,  that 
Tiglath-Pileser  brought  an  offering  in  Tul-Assuri 
to  the  god  ''  Marduk  (i.  e.,  Meroduch)  that  dwelt 
at  Telassar"  (SCHRADER,  p  203  sq.).  We  must 
thus  consider  Eden  and  Telassar  as  Mesopotamian 
localities,  though  views  differ  much  as  to  their 
precise  locations.  The  question  (ver.  13)  "  where 
is  the  king  of  Hamath,"  etc.,  is  a  repetition  of 
xxxvi.  19,  excepting  that  we  have  here  "king" 
instead  of  ''  the  gods."  It  is  moreover  remarka- 
ble that  here  it  reads  :  'D  TJ?S  l|?D.  The  reason 
for  this  form  of  expression,  if  it  is  not  a  mere 
variation,  is  not  clear.  For  analogies  see  Josh, 
xii.  18  ;  Num.  xxii.  4,  and  in  the  Chaldee  Ezra. 
v.  11.  ["  Another  explanation  of  these  words  is 
that  suggested  by  Luzzatto,  who  regards  them  as 
names  of  the  deities  worshipped  at  Hamath,  Ar- 

pad  and  Sepharvaim,  and  takes  "]  vO  in  the  sense 
of  idol  or  tutelary  deity,  which  last  idea  is  as  old 
as  CLERICUS.  This  ingenious  hypothesis  Luz- 
zatto endeavors  to  sustain  by  the  analogy  of 
Adramm-dech,  and  Anamelech,  the  gods  of  Sephar- 
j  vaim  (2  Kings  xvii.  31),  the  second  of  which 
i  names  he  regarded  as  essentially  identical  with 
Hena.  In  favor  of  this  exposition,  besides  the 
fact  already  mentioned  that  the  names,  as  names 
of  places,  occur  nowhere  else,  it  may  be  urged 
that  it  agrees  not  only  with  the  context  in  this 
place,  but  also  with  2  Kings  xviii.  34,  in  which 
the  explanation  of  the  words  as  verbs  or  nouns 
is  inadmissible." — J.  A.  ALEX.]. 


384 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


4.    HEZEKIAH'S    INTERCESSION. 
CHAPTER  XXXVII.  14-20. 

14  AND  Hezekiah  received  the  letter  from  the  hand  of  the  messengers,  and  read  it : 
and  Hezekiah  went  up  unto  the  house  of  the  LORD,  and  spread  it  before  the  LORD. 

15,  16  And  Hezekiah  prayed  unto  the  LORD,  saying,  O  LORD  of  hosts,  God  of  Israel, 
that  "dwellest  between  the  cherubim,  thou  art  the  God,  even  thou  alone,  bof  all  the 

17  kingdoms  of  the  earth  :  thou  hast  made  heaven  and  earth.     Incline  thine  ear,  O 
LORD,  and  hear  ;  open  thine  eyes,  O  LORD,  and  see  :  and  hear  all  the  words  of 

18  Sennacherib,  which  hath  sent  to  reproach  cthe  living  God.     Of  a  truth  LORD,  the 

19  kings  of  Assyria  have  laid  waste  all  the  Nations,  and  their  countries,  And  have 
2cast  their  gods  into  the  fire :  for  they  were  no  gods,  but  the  work  of  men's  hands, 

20  wood  and  stone  :  dtherefore  they  have  destroyed  them.     Now   therefore,  O  LORD 
our  God,  save  us  from  his  hand,  that  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  may  know  that 
cthou  art  the  LORD,  even  thou  only. 


1  Heb.  lands. 

»  seated  on  the,  etc. 
*  and. 


a  Hob.  given. 

«>  to. 

•  thou  Jehovah  alone  (art  it). 


•  living  divinity. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  14.  D^IBD,  properly  srripta,  stands,  like  the  La- 
tin litcrae,  for  one  writing  (comp.  1  Kings  xxi.  8  ;  2  Kings 
x.  1,  where  verse  2  13D  interchanges  with  D^DD;  2 
Kings  xx.  12,  eomp.  Isa.  xxxix.  1).  The  singular  suffix 
following  refers  to  the  singular  notion  130,  scriptum. 

Ver.  15.  The  contents  of  this  verse  forms  in  2  Kings 
xix.  the  beginning  of  ver.  15,  and  instead  of  nirp~7N 
"O5O.  which  is  the  more  usual  form  of  speech,  it  reads 
in  2  Kings  "IDX'l  "  "J£jS. 

Ver.  16.  D'nStfn  X1H  nntf.  Grammatically  it  is,  of 
course,  not  impossible  to  take  K1H  as  predicate  and 
DTI /X71  as  in  apposition  with  it.  But  then  X1H  is  in 
effect  a  formal,  rhetorical  emphasis  of  the  predicate. 
But  if  SID  is  construed  in  apposition  with  the  subject, 
then  it  is  materially  significant.  For  then  it  acquires 
meaning  "  trdis,"  and  refers  emphatically  to  the  being 
of  God  as  the  inward  ground  of  His  works.  This  em- 
phatic sense  (—  talis)  NTH  has  in  reference  to  men  Jer. 
xlix.  12. 

Ver.  17.  "|J'J7,  according  to  the  punctuation  and  ac- 
cording to  2  Kings  xix.  16,  T3\J?,  is  to  be  construed  as 
plural.  np£)  is  used  only  of  opening  the  eyes  and  the 
ears  xlii.  20,  comp.  Dan.  ix.  18. 

Ver.  18.  Instead  of  rmnXivVD-nX  vre  read  in  2  Ki. 
xix.  17  D'l  jn~r\N-  If  the  reading  in  Isaiah  be  correct, 
then  the  following  D]OX~nNl  can  only  mean  that  the 
Assyrians  have  destroyed  their  own  land,  and  that  "  by 
depopulation  in  consequence  of  constant  war"  [comp. 
xiv.  20. — TB.I.  But  DJOX  introduces  a  concession  of  the 
truth  of  what  the  Assyrian  says,  who  boasts  only  of  what 
they  have  done  to  other  nations.  It  must  then  be  ad- 
mitted that  2  Kings  has  the  more  correct  reading.  There 
appears  to  be  an  alteration  in  Isaiah,  probably  occa- 
sioned by  the  12'^nn  less  used  of  nations  than  of 
lands,  and  possibly  also  by  the  ni¥^Kn~SDH  ver.  11.— 
2'inn,  which  reminds  of  D'^nH  ver.  11,  means  pro- 
perly "  to  make  withered,"  then  generally  "  to  waste, 
desolate."  In  its  radical  meaning  and  primarily  it  is 


used  of  lands,  then  also  of  nations  (xlix.  17;  Ix.  12;  Jer. 
1.  27).  [mi* IX  is  used  here  in  the  sense  of  nations,  as 
the  singular  seems  sometimes  to  denote  the  inhabitants 
of  the  earth  or  land.  This  would  at  the  same  time  ac- 
count for  the  masculine  suffix  in  D¥1X- — J-  A.  ALEX. 
The  Author's  hypothesis  to  account  for  the  variation  in 
Isaiah's  text  is  noticed  by  J.  A.  ALEX.,  as  urged  by  GE- 
SEJJLUS,  as  is  the  case  with  much  beside  that  the  Author 
has  to  present  on  the  same  subject.  In  reference  to  the 
present  instance  J.  A.  ALEX,  says :  "  Besides  its  fanciful 
and  arbitrary  character  as  a  mere  make-shift,  and  its 
gratuitous  assumption  of  the  grossest  stupidity  and  ig- 
norance as  well  as  inattention  in  the  writer,  it  is  suffi- 
ciently refuted  by  the  emphatic  combination  of  the 
same  verb  and  noun  Ix.  12, — (which)  proves  that  such  a 
writer  could  not  have  been  so  shocked  at  the  expres- 
sion as  to  make  nonsense  of  a  sentence  merely  for  the 
purpose  of  avoiding  it.  The  reader  will  do  well  to  ob- 
serve, moreover,  that  the  same  imaginary  copyist  is  sup- 
posed, in  different  emergencies,  to  have  been  wholly 
unacquainted  with  the  idioms  of  his  mother  tongue 
[comp.  Dr.  NAEGELSBACH  above  at  xxxvi.  21  on  1!2TTnn> 
and  at  xxxvii.  9  on  ^''DKHJ,  and  yet  extremely  sensitive 
to  any  supposed  violation  of  usage.  Such  scruples  and 
such  ignorance  are  not  often  found  in  combination.  A 
transcriber  unable  to  distinguish  sense  from  nonsense 
would  not  be  apt  to  take  offence  at  mere  irregularities 
or  eccentricities  in  the  phraseology  or  diction  of  his 
author."  The  wisdom  of  this  remark  will  no  doubt  in 
most  minds  outweigh  the  considerations  that  the  Au- 
thor offers,  in  the  progress  of  his  commentary  on  the 
present  section,  in  proof  of  our  text  being  second  hand. 
-TR.]. 

Ver.  19.  DnUK'1  describes,  according  to  the  succes- 
sion of  verbs  ID'THn JHJ1,  the  concluding  result. 

Ver.  20.  niiT  nptf.  In  2  Kings  xix.  19  the  reading  is 
D^rPK  rn!T,  and  according  to  the  accents  these  words 
belong  together,  whether  construed  as  predicate  or  ap- 
position with  the  subject  JinK.  Moreover  the  author 
of  the  Isaiah  text  seems  to  have  combined  them,  and 


CHAP.  XXXVII.  21-35. 


385 


for  this  reason  to  have  treated  DTlSx  as  superfluous. 
But  it  is  certainly  the  most  natural  to  separate  the  two 
words  and  take  DTPX  as  predicate  so  that  we  obtain 
the  sense:  " that  thou  Jehovah  alone  art  God."  Then 


the  Isaiah  text  must  be  so  understood,  and  HliT  be 
taken  as  in  apposition  with  the  subject  flflK,  while  the 
notion  God  is  supplied  from  tho  context :  "  that  thou 
Jehovah,  alone  art  (it,  viz.  God)." 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  And    Hezekiah saying. — Vers.    14, 

15.     We  learn  here  for  the  first  that  the  mes- 
sengers were  to  deliver   a  written  message,  for 
vers.  9,  10  spolce   only  of  an   oral   commission. 
The  spreading  out  of  the  letter  was  a  symbolic 
transaction.      It  verified  on  the   one  hand,  the 
reality  of  the  present  necessity,  on  the  other,  it 
would,  as  it  were,  itself  cry  to  heaven,  the  blas- 
phemy of  it  should  itself  call  down  the  divine 
vengeance.    It  recalls  all  the  passages  where  men- 
tion is  made  of  impiety  that  cried  to  heaven: 
comp.  e.  g.,  Gen.  iv.  10;  Job  xvi.  18;  xxiv.  12; 
xxxi.  33  ;  Hab.  iii.  11. 

2.  O   LORD thou   only.— Vers.   16-20. 

That  the  Cherubim    are  only  symbolic  and  not 
personal  angel  forms,  as  LANGE  would  have  it 
(Gen.  iii.  24)  is  hard  to  believe.     What  Ezekiel 
saw  (i.  4sqq. ;  ix.  3;  x.  2sqq.),  were  not  mere  sym- 
bols, for  symbols  are  likenesses,  in  which  from  a 
known  greatness  one  infers  the  unknown.     That 
partially  agrees  with  the  Ezekiel  visions.     For 
the  rest   these   are   of  a  transcendental  nature. 
They  open  to  us  glimpses  into  the  depths  of  the 
divinity,  consequently  into  realities  in  fact,  but 
into  such  before  which  we  stand  as  before  one 
that  speaks  in  tongues.     We  must  modestly  refer 
the  cherubim  to  the  class  of  riddles  that  will  not 
be  resolved  until  the  next  life.     It  is  a  reflection 
of  those  heavenly  functions  of  the  cherubim,  as 
they  are  described  in  Ezekiel,  when  we  see  the 
cherubim  forms  appear  on  the  ark  of  the  cove- 
nant as  the  bearers  of  the  presence  of  God  in  the 
midst  of  the  congregation  of  the  Old  Testament 
(Exod.   xxv.   18  sqq.).      From   the  Kapporeth, 
from  out  the  space   between  the  two  cherubim 
(ibid.  22)  the  LORD  will  reveal  Himself.     Hence 
He  is  repeatedly  designated  as  the  D'3^Dn  ^u^ 
(1  Sam.  iv.  4;    2  Sam.  vi.  2;  xxii.  11;    1  Chr. 
xiii.  6;  Ps.  Ixxx.   2;  xcix.   1).      The  thou  art 
the  God,  even  thou  Ilezekiah  took  from  the 


glorious  prayer  of  thanksgiving  of  his  ancestor 
David  (2  Sam.  vii.  28)  in  which  the  latter  made 
known  his  faith  in  the  glorious  promise  given  to 
his  house  (ibid.  ver.  12  sqq.).  [See  Text,  and 
Gram."].  In  reference  to  God,  comp.  Ps.  xliv.  5. 
Moreover  one  needs  to  examine  closely  in  its  con- 
text every  single  passage  which  may  besides  be 
drawn  hither  (Dent,  xxxii.  39  ;  Isa.  xli.  4;  xliii. 
10,  13,  25;  xlviiL  12 ;  li.  12;  Neh.  ix.  6,  7),  see 
on  xli.  4.  Hezekiah  evidently  is  at  pains  right 
thoroughly  to  emphasize  the  aloneness  of  God. 
Rabshakeh  and  Sennacherib  himself  (ver.  12) 
had  most  incisively  expressed  the  heathen  idea 
that  every  land  has  its  gods.  In  contrast  with 
this  Ilezekiah  most  decisively  makes  prominent 
that  Jehovah  is  not  merely  a  God,  but  the  God 
alone  for  all  nations  of  the  earth :  and  that  be- 
cause he  made  heaven  and  earth  (Gen.  i.  1  •  Isa. 
xliv.  24;  li.  13,  etc.). 

The  causal  clause  for  they  were  no  gods,  etc. 
ver.  19,  gives  at  once  the  reason  why  those  vic- 
tories of  the  Assyrians  were  possible,  and  the 
negative  ground  of  comfort  for  Israel's  hope. 
They  could  desolate  those  lands  and  destroy  their 
gods,  because  the  latter  were  only  men's  work  of 
wood  and  stone.  But  therein  lay  the  reason  for 
Israel's  hope.  For  Israel's  God  was  something 
very  different :  therefore  the  victory  over  those 
gave  no  ground  for  inferring  that  Assyria  would 
conquer  also  the  God  of  Israel.  Ver.  20  contains 
the  prayer  itself. 

[''  The  adverb  now  is  equivalent  to  therefore,  or 
since  these  thinys  are  so.  The  fact  that  Senna- 
cherib had  destroyed  other  nations,  is  urged  as  a 
reason  why  the  LORD  should  interpose  to  rescue 
His  own  people  from  a  like  destruction:  and  the 
fact  that  He  had  really  triumphed  over  other 
gods,  as  a  reason  why  He  should  be  taught  to 
know  the  difference  between  them  and  Jehovah." 
— J.  A.  ALEX.]. 


5.    ISAIAH'S   MESSAGE    TO   HEZEKIAH    CONCERNING  THE  DANGEK    THREAT- 
ENED BY  SENNACHERIB. 

CHAPTER  XXXVIL  21-35. 

21  THEN  Isaiah  the  son  of  Amoz  sent  unto  Hezekiah,  saying,  Thus  saith  the  LORD 
God  of  Israel,  'Whereas  thou  hast  prayed  to  me  against  Sennacherib  king  of  As- 

22  syria :  this  is  the  word  which  the  LORD  hath  spoken  Concerning  him ; 
The  Virgin,  the  daughter  of  Zion  hath  despised  thee, 

And  laughed  thee  to  scorn  ; 

The  daughter  of  Jerusalem  hath  shaken  her  head  °at  thee. 

23  Whom  hast  thou  reproached  and  dblasphemed  ? 
And  against  whom  hast  thou  exalted  thy  voice, 
And  lifted  up  thine  eyes  on  high? 

Even  against  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. 
25 


386  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


24  'By  thy  servants  hast  thou  reproached  the  LORD,  and  hast  said, 
By  the  multitude  of  my  chariots  am  I  come  up 

To  the  height  of  the  mountains,  to  the  sides  of  Lebanon  ; 

And  I  will  cut  down  2the  tall  cedars  thereof,  and  the  choice  fir  trees  thereof; 

And  I  will  enter  into  the  height  of  his  eborder,  and  fthe  forest  sof  his  Carmel. 

25  I  have  digged  and  drunk  water ; 

And  with  the  sole  of  my  feet  have  I  dried  up  all  the  rivers  «of  the  4besieged  places. 

26  5Hast  thou  not  hhcard  long  ago,  how  I  have  done  it  ; 
And  of  ancient  times,  that  I  have  formed  it  ? 

Now  have  I  brought  it  to  pass, 

That  thou  shouldest  be  to  lay  waste  defenced  cities  into  ruinous  heaps^ 

27  'Therefore  their  inhabitants  were  6of  small  power, 
They  were  dismayed  and  confounded : 

They  were  as  the  grass  of  the  field,  and  as  the  green  herb, 

As  the  grass  on  the  housetops, 

And  jas  corn  blasted  before  it  be  grown  up, 

28  'But  I  know  thy  'abode,  and  thy  going  out,  and  thy  coming  in, 
And  kthy  rage  against  me. 

29  Because  kthy  rage  against  me,  and  thy  'tumult,  is  come  up  into  mine  ears,. 
Therefore  will  I  put  my  hook  in  thy  nose, 

And  my  bridle  in  thy  lips, 

And  I  will  turn  thee  back  by  the  way  by  which  thou  earnest. 

30  And  this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  thee, 

Ye  shall  eat  this  year  such  as  groweth  of  itself; 

And  the  second  year  that  which  springeth  of  the  same  : 

And  in  the  third  year  sow  ye,  and  reap, 

And  plant  vineyards,  and  eat  the  fruit  thereof. 

31  And  8the  remnant  that  is  escaped  of  the  house  of  Judah 
Shall  again  mtake  root  downward, 

And  bear  fruit  upward : 

32  For  out  of  Jerusalem  shall  go  forth  a  remnant, 
And  9they  that  escape  out  of  Mount  Zion  : 
The  zeal  of  the  LORD  of  hosts  shall  do  this. 

33  Therefore  thus  saith  the  LORD  concerning  the  king  of  Assyria, 
He  shall  not  come  into  this  city, 

Nor  shoot  an  arrow  "there, 

Nor  come  before  it  with  10shields, 

Nor  cast  a  bank  against  it. 

34  By  the  way  that  he  came,  by  the  same  shall  he  return, 
And  shall  not  come  into  this  city,  saith  the  LORD. 

35  For  I  will  defend  this  city  to  save  it 

For  mine  own  sake,  and  for  my  servant  David's  sake. 

1  Hob.  By  the  hand  of  thy  servants. 

2  Hob.  the  tallncss  of  the  cedirg  thereof,  and  the  choice  of  the  fir  trees  thereof. 

3  Or,  and  his  fruitful  field. 

*  Or,  fenced  and  closed. 

*  Or,  Haxt  thou  not  heard  how  I  have  made  it  long  ago,  and  formed  if  of  ancient  times  ?  should  I  now  bring 

it  to  be  laid  waste,  and  defenced  cities  to  be  ruinous  heaps f 

1  Hob.  short  of  hand.  1  Or,  sitting. 

8  Hob.  the  escaping  of  the  house  of  Judah  that  rcm.aine.th.  9  Ileb.  the  escaping. 

10  Heb.  shield. 


*"  jieu.  emout. 

•  regarding  that  that  thou  hast  prai/cd  to  me  respecting  Sennacherib. 

*>  against.  '«  after.  «  reviled. 

*  his  most  luxuriant  forest.  E  of  Egupt. 

•>  heard  t  from  far  back  I  have  done  it,  from  ancient  days  I  have  formed,  etc. 
i  afield  before  the  stalk.  *  thy  raging.  1  (haughty)  security. 


«  summit. 

i  And. 
add.  »  into  it. 


EXEGETICAL,   AND   CRITICAL,. 


Ver.  21.  rnVJ  is  here,  not  merely  "to  send"  gener- 
ally, but  to  send  a  message,  as  appears  from 
comp.  Gen.  xxxviii.  25;  2  Sam.  xiv.  32;  1  Kings  xx.  5  : 
2  Kings  v.  8,  etc. The  clause  'U1  n^Sfin  YtfK  can 


be  construed  grammatically  as  the  premise  to  the  apo- 
dosis  '1J1  IDnn  niver.  22,  or  as  a  relative  explanatory 
clause  to  "  TI^K  ni!V  ver.  21.  The  latter  is  possible 


because  in  Hebrew,  by  a  prepositive  °1iyX,  even  the  casui 


CHAP.  XXXVII.  21-35. 


387 


d  of  the  pronouns  of  the  first  and  second  persons 
can  receive  a  relative  meaning.  Comp.  xli.  8,9;  Ixiv. 
10;  Gen.  xlv.  4.  But  the  latter  explanation  seems  tome 
unsuitable  because  a  clause  like  "I  to  whom  thou  hast 
prayed,"  does  not  sound  well  in  the  mouth  of  God.  For 
does  not  that  assume  that  Hezekiah  might  have  prayed 
to  some  other?  But  the  harshness  of  the  first  explana- 
tion, according  to  which  in  the  premise  Jehovah  Him- 
self speaks,  while  in  the  conclusion  He  is  spoken  of,  is 
an  objection  to  it.  Hence  the  reading  of  2  Kings  xix. 
22,  at  the  end,  T\j'0ty,  which  the  Isaiah  text  omits  as 
needless,  is  the  more  correct ;  especially  as  there  ap- 
pears to  be  an  intentional  echo  of  God's  promise  to  So- 
lomon 1  Kings  ix.  3. 

Ver.  22.  The  accents  designate  the  verb  HTSas  Milra. 
According  to  that,  it  would  be  either  part.  fern,  from 
113,  or  3  pers.  masc.  Kal  from  PK3.  The  latter  would 
be  grammatically  possible,  so  far  as  PK3  can  be  regarded 
as  prepositive  predicate.  But,  although  J13  and  I"H3 
mean  the  same,  still  the  latter  is  more  frequently  joined 
with  the  accusative  and  the  former  with  the  dative.  For 
J1T3  occurs  with  7  only  2  Sam.  vi.  16  (1  Chron.  xv.  29), 
whereas  J13  mostly  appears  joined  with  7  (Prov.  vi.  30; 
xi.  12;  xiii.13;  xiv.  21;  xxiii.  9 ;  xxx.  17;  Zech.  iv.  10; 
Song  of  Sol.  viii.  1,  7).  Besides  these  J13  occurs  only 
Prov.  i  7  ;  xxiii.  22.  As  the  Masoretic  pointing  is  not 
binding,  I  would  rather  regard  our  n?3  as  3  pers.  fern. 

Kal.  from  113,  corresponding  to  rijj?1?. Also  J^  7  is 

mostly  joined  with  7;  Ps.  ii.  4;  lix.  9;  Ixxx.  7;  Prov. 

xvii.  5;  xxx.  17;  Jer.  xx.  7,  etc. ty'iO  >Tjn  a  gesture 

of  derisbn  as  in  Ps.  xxii.  8 ;  cix.  25;  Job  xvi.  4;  Lam. 
ii.  15. 

Ver.  23.  epn  and  cpj  comp.  vers.  4  and  6.— '•>  EHTp 
Is  a  specifically  Isaianic  expression. 

Ver.  24.  This  verse  contains  a  number  of  variations 
on  2  Kings  xix.  23,  that,  from  the  stand-point  of  our 

author,  represent  emendations. On  HDlp  see  x.  33. 

In  173"O  ~\JT  of  an  adjective  notion  is  made  a  sub- 
stantive. For  7i3"O  has  here  its  appellative  meaning: 
"  fruitful  field  or  garden." 

Ver.  25.  "Ili'O  ''TX'  comp.  on  xix.  1  and  6. 

Ver.  2G.  pirn*}1?  is,  like  mp  ^D  (simplified  from 
^D'Ol2  Kings  xix.  C5),  to  be  referred  to  what  follows. 
Properly  the  prep.  JO  before  plTT^  would  suffice;  but 
the  Hebrew  favors  ihe  cumulation  of  prepositions 
(comp.  2  Sam.  vii.  19;  Job  xxxvi.  9;  2  Chron.  xxvi.  15. 
etc.).  By  the  prefixed  7  is  expressed  the  thought  that 
the  divine  doing  relates  to  a  period  beginning  far  back. 
—On  mp  'a'  comp.  xxiii.  7;  Ii.  9.— By  nTlK3n  nfl>' 
(comp.  xlvi.  11)  the  Propnet  affirms  that  precisely  what 
the  Assyrian  pretended  he  had  done  by  his  own  power, 
was  only  the  accomplishment  of  Jehovah's  thought. 
Hence  TIHl  must  also  be  construed  as  2  pers.  masc. 
and  referred  to  the  Assyrian.  ITD  with  7  following  is 
used  in  the  sense  of  "to  serve  for  something"  as  in  v. 

6;  xliv.  15. mXl?n  is  Hiph.  from  HXu/  strepere,  tu- 

tnultuari.  But  the  word  means  also  the  noise,  thecrack 
ing  of  something  falling  In,  and  hence  not  only  Kal  (vi. 
Jl)  and  the  corresponding  Niph.  (ibid.}  and  Iliph.  (our 
text  and  2  Kings)  have  the  meaning  "to  fall  in  ruins,  to 
be  laid  waste,"  but  also  the  substantive  TIKI?  means  in- 

teritus,  pernicics  (Ps.  xl.  3;  Jer.  xlvi.  11). The  words 

0^3  D'/J,  according  to  Heb.  usage,  express  the  result 
of  the  destruction  in  the  form  of  apposition  with  the 


thing  to  be  destroyed;  comp.  vL  11 ;  xxiv.  12.  Q'¥J  is 
part.  Niph.  from  Hi*  J,  £tnd  occurs  in  the  sense  of  "  waste  " 
only  here  and  Jer.  iv.  7. 

Ver.  27.  The  expression  T~"\yp  "short-handed,"  t. 
e.,  weak,  original  in  Num.  xi.  23,  occurs  again  only  1.  2 ; 
lix.  1,  the  adjective  "1i*p  only  here. ICOI  1j-\n  as  in 

••|T 

xx.  5. Everywhere  else  the  expression  "  grass  of  the 

field"  reads  Hltyn  3£*j,'  as  in  Gen.  ii.  5;  iii.  18,  etc. 

X£H  p"V  only  here;  comp.  Ps.  xxxvii.  2. In  2  Kings 

xix.  20  the  fourth  comparison  is  n3~li!/  "  blasting,"  or 
"blasted  field,"  instead  of  HOTi^  "a  field."  It  is  no 
doubt  a  stronger  figure,  and  as  a  climax,  more  In  place. 
It  is  far  more  likely  that  it  is  the  primitive  reading  and 
that  our  text  is  secondary. 
Ver.  29.  On  TJV  first  depends  the  infin.,  which  then 

as  in  xxx.  12,  continues  in  tlie  verb  fin. Instead  of 

?]J3iO  2  Kings  xix.  27  has  HJJXty.    [In  some  editions 

111  —  :|-  I:IT-:|- 

It  is  precisely  the  reverse. — Tu.].  Are  both  Infin.  as 
OLSIIAUSEN  Q  187,  a  and  £  251,  6,  p.  552)  maintains  ;  or  is 
only  the  former,  as  EWALD  seems  to  assume  ( <J  157,  6, 
comp.  §  120,  a)  [also  GREEN,  see  j!  122,  1  and  187, 1,  d  — 
TE.]?  To  me  the  latter  seems  more  probable,  for  I  do 
not  see  why,  when  pX2/  is  infin.,  it  would  be  pointed 
•"U JXi?.  whereas  this  is  quite  easily  explained  if  -"U  JXt^ 

I|T~:|~  .  ':  T  -:  i- 

be  derived  from  the  adjective  JjX*,!/  "qniet." 

i  .  IT— .i" 

Ver.  30.  713X  in  the   inf.  absol.  presents  the  verbal 

T 

notion  without  determining  the  time  or  manner.  The 
Prophet  thereby  affirms  simply  what  actually  is,  what 

occurs  according  to  nature. D'niV  is  an-.  Aey.  2  Kings 

xix.  29  has  t!/T!3-    The  latter  word  is  devoid  of  any 

•    T 

etymological  basis,  as  there  is  no  root  DT1D  either  in 

~   T 

Hebrew  or  the  kindred  dialects.  Moreover  there  is  no 
agreement  about  the  root  of  the  form  D'Pty.  There  is 
no  root  Opt!/  in  Hebrew.  Of  various  explanations,  that 
may  deserve  the  preference  which  connects  D^nt^  with 
the  Arabic  schahis,  which  means  "  scattered,  standing 
thin,"  unless  perhaps  the  fundamental  meaning  is  "to 
divide  itself,  to  cut  loose  from,"  so  that  D'Hltf  would 
mean  "that  which  separates  itself  from  the  root,  grows 
out  of  it."  DTIiy  would  then  be  the  sprouts  of  the  root 
(AQUILA  and  THEOD.  translate  avrofrvfi). The  impera- 
tive in  '1J1  iy~U  involves  so  far  an  exhortation  that  the 
Prophet  would  say  to  the  Israelites  to  lay  aside  all  anx- 
iety about  the  enemy  for  the  third  year,  and  carry  on 

agriculture  confidently. Instead  of  713X1  K'ri  has 

173*0  which  is  also  the  reading  of  2  Kings  xix.  ^9,  and 
seems  to  be  the  more  original.  For  713X1  may  be  sus- 
pected of  being  imitated  from  the  same  word  beginning 
the  verse,  and  moreover  it  would  involve  a  certain  em- 
phasis which,  accurately  considered,  would  be  out  of 
place  here.  Itwould  —  "  and— in  short— eat  your  fruit;" 
thus  it  would  recapitulate  and  say  in  brief.  It  can,  how- 
ever, naturally  refer  only  to  D'O13  (comp.  Ixv.  21 ;  Jer. 
xxix.  5,  28;  Amos  ix.  14). 

Ver.  32.  The  word  r\lN3¥  i?  wanting  in  K'thibh  of  2 
Kings  xix.  31.  The  books  of  Kings  have  tins  word  of 
the  divine  name  only  three  times,  viz.,  1  Kings  xviii.  15; 
xix.  10  and  14;  2  Kings  iii.  14  in  the  history  of  the  pro- 
phets Elijah  and  Elisha.  In  Isaiah,  on  the  other  hand,  it 
is  of  frequent  occurrence  ;  see  ix.  6  (7)  the  parallel  pas- 
sage and  on  i.  9. 

Ver.  33.  DC?  here  stands  for  rUDC?  as  in  1  Sam.  ii.  14;  1 

Kings  xviii.  10;  Jer.  xix.  14. Dip  is  never  used  in  the 

transitive  sense  —  "  to  make  come  tefore,  cause  to 


388 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


meet,"  so  as  to  construe  the  word  with  a  double  accusa- 
tive of  the  place  and  the  nearer  object.  But  as  after 
other  verbs  the  instrument  can  be  designated  by  the 
accusative  (comp.  i.  20),  as  well  as  the  use  of  3,  so  also 
OTp  can  be  used  with  2  (comp.  Deul.  xxiii.  5 ;  Isa.  xxi. 


14;  Ps.  xcv.  2)  and  with  the  simple  accus.  instrum.  as  in 
Ps.  xxi.  4.  We  have  here  a  double  accusative  of  the 
place  and  of  the  instrument. 

Ver.  34.  NT  intimates  that  the  Assyrian  must  be 
thought  of  as  not  in  the  land,  but  on  the  way  to  Jeru- 
salem. 

Ver.  35.  On  'filJJ  see  on  xxxi.  5;  xxxviii.  6. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  To  Hezekiah's  prayer  (vers.  16-20)  the 
LORD  gives  an  answer  through  Isaiah,  which  an- 
nounces the  triumph  of  Jerusalem  (ver.  22),  con- 
victs the  Assyrian  of  blasphemy  against  God,  in 
that  he  spoke  haughtily  against  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel,  and'ascribed  to  himself  the  glory  of 
conquests  in  which  he  was  only  the  instrument 
(vers.  23-27).  But  the  LORD  knows  him  tho- 
roughly, and  will  make  him  know  himself  by  un- 
mistakable treatment  (vers.  28,  29;.  To  Judah 
a  sign  is  given,  that  it  is  to  be  free  forever  from 
the  Assyrian  (vers.  30-32).  For  the  immediate 
future  it  is  announced  that  the  Assyrian  shall  not 
even  come  near  Jerusalem,  but  shall  return  home 
by  the  way  he  came;  and  God  is  declared  to  be 
the  protector  of  Jerusalem  (vers.  33-35). 

2.  Then  Isaiah  --  at  thee  —  Vers.  21,  22. 
See  Text,    and  Gram.     Jerusalem  shall  see  the 
Assyrian  retreating  with  aims  unaccomplished. 
Then  it  will  look  after  him  (yinx)  with  deri- 
sion.     ["IIiTZiG  supposes  that  the  shaking  of 
the  head,  with  the  Hebrews  as  with  us,  was  a  ges- 
ture of  negation,  and  that  the  expression  of  scorn 
consisted  in  a  tacit  denial  that  Sennacherib  had 
been   able   to  effect  his   purpose.     Thus  under- 
stood, the  action  is  equivalent  to  saying  in  words, 
no,  no  I  i.  e.,  he  could  not  do  it.     A  similar  ex- 
planation  is  given  by  HENGSTENBERG,  on  Ps. 
xxii.  8."  —  J.  A.  ALEX.     For  another  view  see 
BAEIIR,  on  2  Kings  xix.  21.  —  TR.]. 

3.  Whom   hast  thou  reproached  --  be- 
sieged   places.  —  Vers.   23-25.     The   question 
extends  to  "  thine  eyes  ;"  and  thus  "  against  the 
Holy,"  etc.,  is  the  answer  to  all  the   preceding 
questions  (ViTRixGA,  GESEX.,  DELITZ.).  Others 
construe  "against  the  Holy,"  etc.,  with  the  fore- 
going words  "and  lifted  up,"  etc.,  as  the  answer; 
so  that   the  question   ends   with    "  voice."     But 
against  the  latter  it  may  be  urged  that  the  ques- 
tion and  answer  do  not  correspond  ;  the  question 
is  not  answered,  and  the  answer  given  refers  to 
something  about  which  nothing  is  asked.     Ac- 
cording to  our  construction  it  is  asked  :  "  Whom 
hast  thou  blasphemed,  and   against  whom  hast 
thou  insolently  raised  voice  and  eyes  (comp.  Ps. 
xviii.  28;  ci.  5;  Prov.  vi.  17;  xxi.  4)?"     The 
answer  is:    "against  the  Holy,"  etc.  ;  wherein, 
according  to  familiar  usage,  the  form  of  the  an- 
swer corresponds  to  the  final  member  of  question. 
This  appears  more  evident  in  2  Kings  xix.  22,  as 


y  connects  more  exactly  with  Tl  '0-Sj7. 
["  EWALD  carries  the  interrogation  through  the 
verse,  and  renders  1  at  the  beginning  of  the  last 
clause,  that  or  so  that,  while  HITZIG  makes  the 
whole^of  that  clause  an  exclamation.  This  con- 
struction is  more  natural  —  the  answer  begins  with 
the  next  verse  where  he  is  expressly  charged  with 
blasphemy  against  Jehovahr."  —  J.  A.  ALEX.].  — 
Vers.  24,  25  express  more  exactly  how  he  has 


blasphemed.  It  was  done  by  his  servants.  (The 
"  hand  of"  figurative  expression  for  "  organ,  ser- 
vice, means"  generally  xx.  2;  Jer.  xxxvii.  2  ;  1. 
1 ;  Hag.  i.  1,  3;  ii.  1).  The  emphatic  thoughtis 
that  servants  of  men  have  blasphemed  the  LORD 
of  the  world. 

This  blasphemy  consisted  mainly  (xxxvi.  7, 15, 
18)  in  representing  trust  in  Jehovah  as  folly,  and 
in  the  inference  that,  because  they  had  conquered 
heathen  nations,  it  was  logically  necessary  that 
the  people  of  God  might  be  conquered,  and  thus 
in  placing  Jehovah  on  a  level  with  idols.  More- 
over what  they  did,  they  supposed  they  had  done 
by  their  own  might,  and  that  what  was  to  be  done 
yet  could  be  done  in  the  same  way.  Isaiah  ex- 
presses this  thought  in  vers.  24,  25,  with  close  ad- 
herence to  the  circumstances,  so  as  to  divide  as  it 
were  the  task  of  the  Assyrian  into  two  parts.  The 
first  part  was  the  conquest  of  the  Syrian,  Phoe- 
nician and  Palestinian  districts.  All  these  lands 
lie  about  Lebanon.  One  traveling  from  Nineveh 
by  Carchemish  to  Phoenicia  must  in  any  case  go 
past  Lebanon,  which,  by  its  lofty,  snow-covered 
summits,  gives  distant  notice  of  the  locality  of 
these  lands.  Lebanon  therefore  may  serve  as  an 
emblem.  Moreover  in  the  Scriptures  it  is  not 
uncommon  to  represent  Zion  under  the  image  of 
Lebanon  (comp.  Jer.  xxii.  6,  7,  23  ;  Ezek.  xvii. 
3),  partly  because  in  general  Lebanon  is  the  image 
of  what  is  lofty  and  admirable  (comp.  ii.  13  ;  x. 
33  sq. ;  xxxv.  2;  Ix.  13  ;  IIos.  xiv.  G  sqq. ;  Zcch. 
xi.  1  sq.),  partly  and  especially  because  t lie  king's 
palace  in  Zion  had  grown  on  Lebanon,  i.  e.,  was 
built  of  cedars  of  Lebanon,  (comp.  1  Kings  vii.  2 
"  house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon,"  or  "house  of 
the  forest,"  Isa.  xxii.  8).  It  is  inconceivable  that 
Sennacherib  or  one  of  his  predecessors  ever  scaled 
Lebanon  with  horse  and  chariot,  and  destroyed 
the  cedars.  The  Prophet  rather  makes  him  boast 
that  he  had  conquered  the  lands  of  Lebanon. 
And  Hamath,  Arphad,  Syria,  Phoenicia,  the 
kingdom  of  the  Ten  Tribes,  the  greater  part  of 
Judah  and  Philistia,  were  actually  in  his  pos- 
session. With  reference  to  this,  one  might  well 
represent  him  as  saying:  I  have  ascended  up  the 
heights  of  the  mountains,  up  the  sides  (properly 
the  shanks,  comp.  on  xiv.  13)  of  Lebanon.  The 
chief  work  seemed  done,  the  chief  summits  were 
surmounted.  It  only  remained  to  penetrate  into 
the  inmost  part,  and  there  destroy  the  ornament 
of  Lebanon,  its  glorious  standing  timber  of  cedar 

and  cypress.  By  VP7J7  the  Prophet  manifestly 
refers  to  what  has  been  accomplished,  i.  e.,  the 
occupation  of  the  Lebanon  districts.  But  n~OX1 
and  JO2N1  refer  to  what  remains  to  be  done.  Only 
Jerusalem  remained  for  Sennacherib  to  conquer 
(comp.  on  xxxvi.  1).  Thus  the  best,  the  real  or- 
nament, the  central  point  of  the  Palestinian  Leb- 
anon lands  was  not  yet  his.  Jerusalem  with  its 


CHAP.  XXXVII.  21-35. 


389 


temple  and  its  king's  palace,  the  two  Lebanon 
houses  (because  with  both  cedars  of  Lebanon  had 
so  much  to  do,  comp.  1  Kings  vi.  9  sqq. ;  vii.  2 
sqq.)  might  well  be  compared  to  the  crown  of 
Lebanon  with  its  ornament  of  cedars.  Such  is 
the  understanding  of  TIIEXIUS  and  BAEIIR,  with 
whom  I  agree.  The  expression  ''  tall-growth  of 
its  cedars,  choice  of  its  cypress,"  quite  agrees  with 
the  Latin  mode  of  expression,  by  which  can  be 
said  e. g.  cibumpartim  unguium  tenacitate  arripi- 
unt, partim  aduncitute rostrorurn"(dc. Dear. Nat. 
II.  47,  122).  Comp.  FKIEDR.  NAEGELSBACH'S 
Latein.Stilistik,  \  74  ;  Isa.  i.  16  ;  xxii.  7 ;  xxv.  12  ; 
xxx.  30.  The  Prophet  does  not  ascribe  to  the 
Assyrian  the  intention  of  destroying  the  height 
of  the  cedars,  while  he  would  leave  them  their 
other  qualities,  but  that  he  would  utterly  cut  down 
the  hiyh  cedars  as  they  are. On  ^113,  the  cy- 
press, comp.  on  xiv.  8.  ''  The  height  of  his  end 
or  border  "  is  also  no  more  than  his  highest  sum- 
mit. The  notion  height  is  not  already  expressed 
in  "  the  uttermost,"  as  BAEHR  supposes.  For  a 
mountain  has  an  uttermost  in  every  direction. 
One  may  therefore  speak  of  an  uttermost  in  the 
direction  upward,  and  of  a  height  of  the  utter- 
most.— The  forest  of  his  garden-land  is  then  the 
forest  that,  as  it  were,  forms  the  garden  of  Leba- 
non, that  adorns  Lebanon  like  a  pleasure  park. 
The  most  luxuriant,  glorious  standing  forest  of 
Lebanon  is  meant. 

In  ver.  25  the  Prophet  speaks  of  the  second 
task  presented  to  Sennacherib,  which  was  to  con- 
quer Egypt.  That  concerned  a  certain  campaign, 
not  in  a  mountainous  region,  but  in  a  level  land, 
partly  waste  and  without  water,  partly  abounding 
in  water.  While  Sennacherib  stood  on  the  south 
of  Palestine  the  great  army  had  no  superabund- 
ance of  water.  When,  e.  g.,  we  read  of  Moses'  re- 
quest to  Edom  (Num.  xx.  17  sqq.)  it  cannot  seem 
strange  that  the  Prophet  imputed  to  Sennacherib 
the  boastful  assertion  that  so  far  he  has  provided 
his  mighty  host  with  water  in  a  strange  land,  that 
he  has  dug  wells,  because  the  existing  ones  were 
insufficient,  and  had  drunk  away  their  water  from 
the  inhabitants.  For  such  is  the  meaning  of 
D1"*!  D^D  2  Kings  xix.  24,  which  our  author  has 
omitted  for  the  sake  of  simplicity.  Had  the  As- 
syrian traversed  the  desert  et-Tih,  digging  wells 
would,  of  course,  have  been  a  still  greater  neces- 
sity. But  on  the  border  of  it,  whither  Sennache- 
rib penetrated,  it  may  have  been  needful.  He 
boasts,  moreover,  that  where  there  is  much  water, 
and  the  water  is  a  bulwark  for  the  inhabitants,  as 
the  Nile  with  its  canals  is  to  Egypt,  he  will 
easily  destroy  this  bulwark.  For  by  the  sole  of 
his  tramp  shall  the  streams  of  Egypt  be  dried  up. 
Thus  his  warriors  will  dry  up  the  streams  of  Egypt 
like  a  puddle,  merely  by  the  tramp  of  their  feet. 
The  expression  "  sole  of  the  tramp  "  is  found  only 
here.  It  is  metonymy.  Still  in  respect  to  the  act 
of  stepping,  "  step  "  and  "foot"  are  often  inter- 
changed. Comp.  Ps.  cxl.  5  with  Ivi.  14 ;  cxvi.  8 ; 
1's.  xvii.  5  with  xxxviii.  17,  etc.  ["  The  drying 
up  of  the  rivers  with  the  soles  of  the  feet  is  under- 
stood by  VITRINOA  as  an  allusion  to  the  Egyp- 
tian mode  of  drawing  water  with  a  tread-wheel 
(Deut.  xi.  10)."— J.  A.  ALEX.]. 

4.  Hast  them  not  heard—  -them  earnest? 
— Vers.  26-29.  The  Assyrian  imagined  that  he 
pushed,  and  he  was  pushed.  He  regarded  all  he 


did  as  the  product  of  his  own  free  fancy,  and  of 
his  power  to  do.  The  Prophet  however  says  to 
him  that  he  had  only  been  an  instrument  in  the 
hands  of  God.  With  "  hast  thou  not  heard,"  the 
Prophet,  so  to  speak,  appeals  to  the  better  under- 
standing of  the  Assyrian.  Has  it  not  somehow, 
if  not  from  without,  still  from  within,  come  to  thy 
hearing  (comp.  Ps.  Ixii.  12)  that  it  is  not  as  thou 
thinkest?  Does  not  thy  conscience,  the  voice  of 
God  within  thee  say  that  it  was  not  thou  that  hast 
planned  and  carried  out  all  this,  but  that  I,  the 
Almighty  God,  long  ago  (xxii.  11 ;  xxv.  1)  laid 
it  out  and  have  accomplished  it  ?  Therefore  the 
Assyrian  was  to  be  a  thorough  destroyer  of  things. 
But  when  God  destroys  the  things,  He  intends 
always  a  corresponding  effect  on  the  persons.  The 
latter  is  the  thought  of  ver.  27.  Their  inhabi- 
tants (i.  e.,  of  the  cities  named  ver.  26),  as  short- 
handed,  (i.  e.,  weak;,  are  dismayed  and  confound- 
ed. Then  with  strong  figures  this  effect  is  more 
nearly  characterized.  The  sorely  visited  inhabi- 
tants are  compared  to  the  "  grass  of  the  Held," 
"  the  green  herb,"  ''  the  grass  on  the  house  tops" 
(in  shallow  soil,  weak  rooted;  the  expression 
again  only  Ps.  cxxix.  6),  "  the  grain  field  before 
the  standing  fruit"  (i.  e.,  all  blade  and  no  stalk), 
and  thus  soft  and  tender  like  grass.-— -But  not 
only  is  the  foregoing  true  of  the  Assyrian  as  the 
instrument  of  God's  purpose,  but  all  his  doing  and 
not  doing  has  be<$n  directed  by  the  LORD  without 
his  knowing  it :  what  he  proposed  at  home,  his 
march  forth,  his  coming  into  the  Holy  Land,  and 
his  hostile  raging  against  the  people  of  God,  all 
was  under  the  notice  of  the  LORD,  and  must  run 
the  course  determined  by  Him.  "Sitting,  going 
forth,  coining  home,"  are  expressions  for  the  total 
activity  of  a  man  (comp.  Deut.  xxviii.  6;  Ps. 
cxxi.  8;  cxxxix.  2).  TJH  stands  for  every  vehe- 
ment emotion  whether  of  fear,  of  anger,  or  of  joy 
(comp.  v.  25;  xiii.  13;  xiv.  9,  16;  xxiii.  11; 
xxviii.  21,  etc.).  The  Hithp.  occurs  only  here 
and  ver.  29.  Because  the  Assyrian  witli  this 
?:nnn  had  sinned  against  the  LORD  and  rebelled, 
and  would  not  hear  of  his  being  dependent  on  the 
LORD,  but  only  the  report  of  his  proud  security 
came  to  the  LORD,  he  must  feel  his  dependence  in 
the  most  incisive  way.  Hejimst  return  home  by 
the  way  he  came,  as  "it  were,  Jed  by  a  ring  through 
the  nose  like  a  wild  beast  (comp.  Ezek.  xix.  4, 
9;  xxix.  4  ;  xxxviii.  4),  or  by  a  bridle  between 
the  lips,  like  a  tame  beast.  On  the  ruins  of  Chor- 
sabad  are  figures  of  prisoners  whom  the  "  royal 
victor  holds  to  a  rope  by  means  of  a  ring  fastened 
in  their  lips."  Comp.  THEXIUS  on  2  Kings 

5    And  this  shall do  this.— Vers.  30-32. 

The  Prophet  turns  to  Hezekiah.  In  vers.  22,  29 
he  had  in  a  general  way  held  out  the  prospect  of 
the  pitiful  retreat  of  the  Assyrian  out  of  the  Holy 
Land.  Now  he  names  a  sign  to  the  king  that 
shall  be  a  pledge  of  the  promise  given  and  place 
it  in  the  right  light.  It  may  be  asked  :  how  can 
this  sign,  that  requires  two  years  for  its  accom- 
plishment, be  a  pledge  for  an  event  that  is  to  take 
place  at  once  ;  according  to  2  Kings  xix.  35,  even 
that  very  night?  I  believe  that  two  things  are 
to  be  considered  here.  First :  Israel  receives  the 
promise,  not  merely  of  a  momentary,  but  of  a  defi- 
nite deliverance  from  the  power  of  Assyria.  This 
appears  evident  from  our  prophecy  itself.  The 


390 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


scorn  with  which  Zion  greets  the  retreat  of  the 
Assyrian  (ver.  22)  would  be  ill-timed  if  he  could 
return  to  take  vengeance.  According  to  ver.  29 
he  is  so  thoroughly  led  off  that  he  is  certain  to 
have  no  wish  to  come  back.  According  to  vers. 
33,  35  he  is  not  to  come  before  Jerusalem  It  is 
not  said,  however,  that  this  shall  not  happen  only 
this  time  and  in  the  present  danger.  The  Assy- 
rian shall  never  come  any  more.  Assyria  is  done 
away.  The  Theocracy  has  nothing  more  to  fear 
from  it.  We  have  shown  above  that  this  thought 
occurs  in  chaps,  xxviii. — xxxiii.,  especially  in 
xxxiii.  It  cannot  surprise  one  that  a  promise  so 
all-important,  that  Assyria  shall  nevermore  hurt 
the  Theocracy,  is  guaranteed  by  a  sign  requiring 
years  for  its  realization.  A  promise  to  be  ful- 
filled after  some  hours  properly  requires  no  pledge. 
In  the  second  place :  it  is  to  be  noticed  that 
there  is  no  exact  statement  in  our  prophecy  as  to 
the  way  in  which  Assyria  is  to  be  expelled  from 
Judah.  It  is  neither  said  that  it  shall  be  so  sud- 
denly, nor  in  this  fashion.  Hence  the  question 
might  arise  after  the  event,  whether  this  sudden 
expulsion  is  to  be  explained  by  accidental  or  na- 
tural causes,  or  as  the  operation  of  divine  omni- 
potence. Did  the  LORD  give  a  sign  and  the  sign 
come  about,  it  would  prove  that  that  first  mighty 
blow  carried  out  against  Assyria  was  also  intended 
by  the  LORD.  But  it  may  be  asked :  how  can  a  se- 
ries of  events  serve  for  a  sign,  yhich  in  fact  take 
a  very  natural  course,  which  could  not  happen 
otherwise  ?  It  might  be  urged  that  it  took 
mighty  little  prophetic  insight  to  know  that  no 
regular  seeding  and  harvest  could  be  possible  b3- 
fore  the  third  year.  That  is  true.  Yet  only  He 
for  whom  there  is  properly  no  future  could  know 
beforehand  that  in  the  third  year  there  would 
certainly  be  a  seeding  and  harve.it.  For  it  was 
quite  possible  that  the  Assyrian  invasion  would 
last  for  years  still.  What  the  Prophet  predicts 
here  is  the  favorable  aspect  of  the  future  that  was 
in  general  possible.  Better  could  not  happen. 
I  construe  ver.  30  essentially  as  DRECJISLER  does, 
and  think  that  the  subject  has  been  needlessly 
made  hard.  According  to  the  Assyrian  monu- 
ments, the  expedition  of  Sennacherib  against  Sy- 
ria, Palestine  and  Egypt  occupied  only  the  one 
year,  700  B.  C.  For  in  the  year  699  we  find  him 
on  another  theatre  of  war,  employed  against  Su- 
zub  of  Babylon.  Comp.  the  canon  of  Regents  in 
SCHRADER,  p.  319,  and  our  remarks  on  xxxix.  1. 
If,  then,  this  campaign  lasted  no  longer  than  a 
year,  still  it  certainly  demanded  the  whole  of  the 
time  of  a  year  suitable  for  warfare.  Therefore 
Sennacherib  certainly  was  in  Palestine  in  Spring 
before  the  harvest,  and  when  it  was  ripe  seized  on 
it,  for  his  immense  army.  He  conquered  in 
fact  the  whole  land,  and  shut  up  Hezekiah  in 
Jerusalem  "like  a  bird  in  its  cage."  But  he 
must  have  remained  in  Canaan  till  late  in  the 
year.  For  when  one  considers  that  in  this  year 
he  made  the  conquest  of  Phoenicia,  several  Phi- 
listine cities  (Beth-Dagon,  Joppa,  B'ne-Barak, 
Azur),  forty-six  fortified  cities  of  Judah,  besides 
countless  castles  and  smaller  places,  and  then  also 
fought  a  considerable  battle  with  the  Ethiopic 
army,  there  is  presented  a  labor  for  whose  accom- 
plishment three-quarters  of  a  year  does  not  ap- 
pear too  much  time.  But  with  that  the  invasion 
lasted  so  long  that  the  season  for  preparing  a  har- 


vest had  passed  by ;  especially  when  it  is  consi- 
dered that  the  inhabitants  needed  first  to  assem- 
ble again,  put  their  houses  to  rights,  and  provide 
beasts  of  labor,  as  their  stock  must  certainly  have 
fallen  a  prey  to  the  enemy.  Comp.  xxxii.  10, 12, 
13  and  xxxiii.  8,  9,  which  may  be  taken  as  a  suit- 
able description  of  the  condition  brought  about 
by  this  invasion.  For  the  year  after  the  invasion, 
therefore,  there  was  no  product  of  the  land  to  be 
expected  in  general,  but  such  as  would  spring  up 
of  itself.  JSot  before  the  third  year  could  there 
be  regular  cultivation  and  a  corresponding  har- 
vest. And,  as  already  said,  that  was  much,  in 
fact,  the  best  that  could  happen  as  tilings  then 
were.  For  that  end  it  would  be  necessary  that  the 
Assyrian  by  the  end  of  the  second  year  should  no 
more  be  in  the  land,  and  have  no  more  power  to 
hinder  field-labor.  According  to  this  explana- 
tion, we  have  no  need  of  assuming  a  Sabbatic 
year,  nor  a  year  of  jubilee,  nor  a  return  of  the 
Assyrian  out  of  Egypt  to  Palestine,  nor  an  inva- 
sion lasting  three  years,  nor  that  agriculture  in 
Palestine  at  that  time  was  carried  on  in  the  same 
ceremonious  way  that,  according  to  WETSTEIN 
(in  DELITZSCH,  p.  389 sq.),  is  the  case  now-a-days. 
Naturally,  during  the  invasion,  in  the  first  year, 
there  was  no  fruit  of  harvest  to  eat,  since  the  As- 
syrian had  carried  it  off,  but  only  JT.3D  (Lev. 
xxv.  5, 11 ;  Job  xiv.  19).  The  word  comes  from 
n£3D,  which  undoubtedly  means  effundere,  profan- 
dere,  infundere  (Ilab.  ii.  15;  Job  xxx.  7;  Isa.  v. 
7),  in  Niph.  and  Ilithp. :  ''to  pour"  (of  rivers), 
"to  mouth,  debouch,"  i.e.,  se  adjungere,  adjunr/i 
(xiv.  1 ;  1  Sam.  xxvi.  19).  IT3D,  therefore,  is 
effusio,  "the  outpour,  what  is  poured  out,  spilt." 
Thus  all  field  produce  is  meant  that  comes  from 
spilling  at  seeding  or  harvest,  or  that  comes  from 
such  spilt  fruit.  In  the  present  case  it  would  be 
first  the  former,  like  crumbs  from  the  rich  man's 
table,  and  then  the  latter,  of  which  the  Israelites 
would  get  the  benefit.  On  OTIC?  see  Text,  and 
Gram.  See  in  GESEN.  and  KXOBEL  proof  that  in 
warm  countries  grain  propagates  itself  partly  by 
spilt  seeds  and  partly  by  shoots  from  the  root. 
[The  stooling  of  winter  wheat  is  familiar  to  agri- 
culturists.— TR.] 

But  the  Prophet  has  not  only  deliverance  from 
ruin  to  announce  to  Judah,  but  also  new  growth. 

The  escaped  (HtrSa,  comp.  iv.  2;  x.  20;  xv.  9) 
of  the  house  of  Judah  ("  PO,  again  only  xxii.  21), 
the  remnant  (comp.  xi.  11,  16),  shall  add  on  root 
downwards  (xxvii.  6).  It  shall,  however,  also 
bear  fruit  upwards,  thus  be  a  firm-rooted  and 
fruitful  tree.  It  is  true  that  Judah  somewhat 
more  than  an  hundred  years  later  was  uprooted. 
Still  it  was  not,  like  Israel,  quite  and  forever 
wrested  away  from  its  indigenous  soil,  but  only 
transplanted  for  a  while,  to  be  replanted  again, 
in  order  to  go  and  meet  a  new  and  final  judg- 
ment, with  which,  however,  was  also  combined  a 
transition  into  a  new  and  higher  stage  of  exist- 
ence. And  precisely  for  this  higher  stage  of  ex- 
istence the  remnant,  according  to  our  passage  and 
former  statements  of  the  Prophet  (iv.  3;  vi.  13; 
x.  20sqq.),  formed  the  point  of  connection.  By 
ver.  32  a  the  Prophet  explains  how  this  revives- 
cence  of  Judah  shall  be  brought  about.  All  Ju- 
dah fell  into  the  hand  of  the  enemy,  and  by  him 
was  hostilely  treated  and  desolated.  Only  the 


CHAP.  XXXVII.  36-38. 


391 


capital  remained  unhurt.  Therefore  in  it  had 
been  preserved  an  untouched  nucleus,  formed 
partly  of  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  them- 
selves, partly  of  such  men  of  Judah  as  had  taken 
refuge  in  the  capital.  Hence  the  Prophet  can 
say :  "  out  of  Jerusalem  shall  go  forth  a  remnant, 
and  the  escaped  from  mount  Zion."  For  of  course 
the  repeopling  and  restoration  of  the  land  must 
proceed  from  Jerusalem,  as  from  the  intact  core 
and  heart  of  the  land.  On  the  last  clause  of  ver. 
32  see  on  ix.  6.  The  words  here  are  evidently 
intended  in  a  consolatory  sense,  and  to  intimate 
that  what  the  LORD  has  promised,  He  will  perform 
with  zeal. 

6.  Therefore  thus  saith — David's  sake. 

— Vers.  33-35.  In  these  verses,  what  was  given 
in  the  foregoing  in  a  general  way  is  now  definitely 
formulated  and  applied  to  the  present  situation. 
The  Prophet  affirms  most  positively  that  Jerusalem 
shall  not  be  besieged  by  the  Assyrian.  It  is  com- 
monly assumed  that  the  Assyrian  of  course  en- 
closed Jerusalem,  and  that  he  met  the  fearful 
overthrow  narrated  ver.  36  before  its  walls.  But 
when  Sennacherib  received  intelligence  of  the 
approach  of  the  Ethiopian  army,  he  was  at  Lib- 
nan.  From  there  he  retired  a  little  further  north 
to  Altakai  (Eltekeh),  where  occurred  the  battle. 
Evidently  he  avoided  encountering  the  Ethiopian 
near,  and  especially  obliquely  south  of  Jerusalem, 
so  as  not  to  tempt  the  Jews  to  aid  the  enemy,  and 
to  avoid  having  to  sustain  their  attack  on  his 
rear.  But  it  is  thought  that  the  "great  army'' 
(xxxvi.  2)  with  which  Kabshakeh  appeared  be- 


fore Jerusalem  remained  there  while  he  returned 
to  the  king  (ver.  8).  The  text,  however,  says  no- 
thing of  this,  and  moreover,  it  is  internally  not 
probable.  For  with  the  prospect  of  encountering 
so  great  a  host  as  the  army  of  Egypt  and  Ethio- 
pia doubtless  was,  Sennacherib  would  not  have 
weakened  himself  by  sending  away  a  great  part 
of  his  own  army.  He  might  have  sent  a  small 
corps  of  observation  :  but  the  185,000  men  of 
which  ver.  36  speaks  certainly  did  not  lie  before 
Jerusalem.  There  is  therefore  a  climax  in  ver. 
33.  First  it  says,  Sennacherib  shall  not  come  into 
the  city.  _  Then,  he  shall  not  shoot  an  arrow  into 
it.  In  sieges  among  the  ancients,  the  shield 
played  a  great  part  as  a  protection  against  spears, 
stones,  etc.,  that  were  hurled  down  from  the  walls, 
as  also  against  melted  pitch  (comp.  HERZ.  Real- 


Encyd.  IV.  p.  392  sqq.).  HD,  "the  besiegers' 
wall"  (2  Sam.  xx.  15;  Jer.  vi.  6;  Ezek.  iv.  2,  etc.). 
Ver.  35  is  causal  as  to  its  contents.  The  first 
clause  names,  as  the  reason  of  the  Assyrian's  ex- 
pulsion, Jehovah's  purpose  to  protect  Jerusalem. 
But  the  reason  for  this  protection  is  the  promise 
given  to  David  (2  Sara.  vii.  12  sqq.;  comp.  1  Ki. 
xv.  4)  whereby  the  honor  of  the  LORD  itself  was 
at  stake  (comp.  xliii.  25  ;  xlviii.  11)  and  thus  the 
preservation  of  Jerusalem  was  necessary.  It  is 
true  that  Jerusalem  was  destroyed,  after  all,  at  a 
later  period,  and  the  kingdom  of  David  demol- 
ished ;  but  this  occurred  under  circumstances  that 
did  not  exclude  a  restoration.  Had  Judah  been 
destroyed  at  that  time  by  Sennacherib,  it  would 
have  had  the  same  fate  as  the  kingdom  of  Israel. 


6.    THE  DELIVEEANOE.    CHAPTER  XXXVII.  36-38. 

36  THEN  the  angel  of  the  LORD  went  forth,  aud  smote  in  the  camp  of  the  Assyrians 
a  hundred  and  fourscore  and  five  thousand  :  and  when  they  arose  early  in  the  inorn- 

37  ing,  behold,  they  were  all  dead  corpses.     So  Sennacherib  king  of  Assyria  departed, 

38  and  went  and  returned,  and  dwelt  at  Nineveh.     And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  was 
worshipping  in  the  house  of  Nisroch  his  god,  that  Adrammelech  and  Sharezer  his 
sons  smote  him  with  the  sword  ;  and  they  escaped  into  the  land  of  'Armenia :  and 
Esar-haddon  his  son  reigned  in  his  stead. 


1  Heb.  Ararat. 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Then  the  angel in  his  stead. — Vers. 

36-38.     In  2  Kings  xix.  35  it  is  said:  "And  it 
came  to  pass  that  night  that  the  angel,"  etc.     If 
these  additional  words  were  supplied  by  some  ! 
later  copyist  or  glossarist,  it  is  incomprehensible  | 
how  they  do  not  appear  in  both  texts.     For  who-  j 
ever  made  the  addition  must  have  wished  to  be  j 
credited.     But  in  order  to  credibility  both  docu-  ; 
ments  must  agree  in  this  respect.     Or  if  it  be  as-  i 
sumed  that  these  words  were  originally  in  the  j 
Isaiah  text,  but  were  omitted  by  some  one  who 
could  not  harmonize  them  with  the  view  of  ver. 
29;    then  the  question  arises:  why  did   not  the 
same  one  omit  the  words  at  2  Kings  xix.?     We 
must  therefore  hold  that  the  words  in  2  Kings 
xix.  are  genuine,  and  that  the  Author  of  our  text 
omitted  them,  as  he  has  done  much  beside,  be- 
cause they  appeared  to  him  superfluous  or  ob- 


scure. Of  course,  on  a  first  view,  this  datum 
may  appear  strange.  The  events  narrated  in 
vers.  9-35  are  unmarked  by  any  data  to  indicate 
the  time  they  required.  Thus  it  may  appear 
that  they  followed  in  quick  succession,  and  that 
there  is 'left  no  room  for  the  battle  between  Sen- 
nacherib and  Tirhaka,  if  the  185,000  were  de- 
stroyed the  night  following  Isaiah's  response. 
Yet" that  brittle  must  have  occurred  between  the 
announcement  of  Tirhaka's  approach  (ver.  9)  and 
the  destruction  of  the  185,000. 

According  to  the  inscriptions  on  the  hexagon 
cylinder  (ScHRADER,  p.  171)  and  on  the  Ku- 
j'undschick  bulls  (ibid.  p.  184),  the  battle  of  Al- 
taku  took  place  even  before  the  payment  of  tribute 
by  Hezekiah.  But  SCHRADER  is  undoubtedly 
correct  in  remarking  (p.  190)  :  "  he'  (Senna- 
cherib) purposely  displaces  the  chronological 


392 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


order  and  concludes  with  the  statement  of  the 
rich  tribute,  as  if  this  stamped  its  seal  on  the 
whole,  whereas  we  know  from  the  Bible  that  this 
tribute  was  paid  while  the  great  king  was  en- 
camped at  Lacish,  and  be/ore  the  battle  of  Alta- 
ku  (2  Kings  xviii.  14)."  The  Assyrian  docu- 
ments, therefore,  cannot  prevent  us  from  placing 
the  battle  in  the  period  between  vers.  9-36.  But 
it  could  not  have  been  attended  with  decisive  re- 
sults. For  had  Sennacherib  sustained  a  decisive 
defeat,  he  must  have  retreated,  and  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  185,000  would  not  have  been  neces- 
sary. On  the  contrary,  had  he  conquered,  then 
the  Egyptians  must  have  retreated,  of  which  we 
have  no  trace.  Moreover  the  Assyrian  account 
of  the  battle  sounds  pretty  modest."  For  though 
it  speaks  of  a  defeat  of  the  Egyptians,  and  of  the 
capture  of  "  the  charioteer  and  sons  of  the  Egyp- 
tian king,  and  of  the  charioteer  of  the  king  of 
Meroe,"  yet  there  is  wanting  that  further  state- 
ment of  the  number  of  prisoners  taken,  the  cha- 
riots captured,  etc-,  statements  that  otherwise 
never  fail  to  be  made.  SCIIRADER  also  con- 
cludes from  this  that  it  must  have  been  a  Pyrrhus 
victory,  if  a  victory  at  ail.  According  to  xxxi. 
8,  Assyria  was  even  not  to  fall  by  the  sword  of 
man.  The  LORD  had  reserved  him  for  Himself. 

If  the  battle  of  Altaku  occurred  as  we  have 
said,  then  it  follows  that  the  events  narrated,  vers. 
9-3G,  cannot  have  occurred  in  such  very  rapid 
succession.  "  In  that  night,"  2  Kings  xix.  35, 
therefore  does  not  refer  to  a  point  of  time  im- 
mediately near  the  total  events  previously  nar- 
rated. It  seems  to  me  to  relate  only  to  the  day 
in  which  Isaiah  gave  his  response.  When  Sen- 
nacherib heard  of  the  approach  of  Tirhaka  (ver. 
9)  he  did  not  necessarily  send  off'  at  once  his  mes- 
sage to  Hezekiah.  He  had  likely  more  important 
matters  on  hand.  It  sufficed  for  his  object  if  he 
sent  his  messengers  two  or  three  days  later.  Then 
the  messengers  would  require  several  days  to 
reach  Jerusalem.  If,  then,  on  the  same  day  [of 
its  receipt]  Hezekiah  spread  the  letter  of  the  As- 
syrian before  the  LORD,  still  it  is  not  at  all  to  be 
assumed  that  the  response  immediately  followed. 
That  could  not  follow  sooner  than  the  LORD  com- 
missioned the  Prophet.  But  the  LORD  postponed 
His  response  to  the  moment  when  the  fulfilment 
could  follow  on  the  heels  of  the  promise.  It  is 
apparent  that,  after  days  of  anxious  waiting,  the 
facts  of  the  comforting  assurance  and  of  the  un- 
speakably glorious  help,  coming  blow  on  blow, 
must  have  had  a  quite  overpowering  effect.  It  is, 
after  all,  but  the  LORD'S  wise  and  usual  way,  in 
order  to  exercise  men  in  faith  and  patience,  to 
let  them  wait  for  His  answer,  that,  when  they  have 
stood  the  trial,  He  may  then  let  His  help  burst  in 
on  them  mightily,  to  their  greater  joy  (comp.  Ps. 
xxii.  3;  Prov.  xiii.  12;  Jer.  xlii.  7  :  1  Sam.  xiv. 
37,  41  sq.,  etc.}. 

The  mention  of  "  the  angel  of  the  LORD  " 
calls  to  mind  the  destruction  of  the  first-born  in 
Egypt  (Ex.  xii.  12  sqq.),  and  the  plague  in  Jeru- 
salem (2  Sam.  xxiv.  15  sqq.  ).  In  these  three  places 
the  angel  is  said  "  to  smite  "  (H3H  Exod.  xii.  12 
sq.  ;  2  Sam.  xxiv.  17  or  ^JJ  Exod.  xii.  13,  23  ;  2 
Sam.  xxiv.  21,  25).  He  is  therefore  designated  as 
rvntfO  "destruction" 


(Exod.    xii.    13,  23;    2 
Sam.  xxiv.  21,  25).    But  in  2  Sam.  xxiv.  is'the 


destruction  wrought  by  the  angel  is  expressly 
called  "131,  "  pest,"  which  word  is  employed  by 
Amos  iv.  10,  probably  with  reference  to  that  de- 
struction of  the  first-born.  Thus,  then,  in  our 
passage  a  pest  is  to  be  understood  as  the  sword 
with  which  the  angel  smote  the  host  of  Assyria ; 
to  the  rejection  of  other  explanations,  such  as  a 
tempest,  a  defeat  by  the  enemy,  or  forsooth  poison- 
ing (comp.  WINER,  R.  W.  B.,  Art.  Hezekiah). 
Even  that  plague  in  David's  time  carried  off  in  a 
short  space  (probably  in  le>s  than  a  day,  accord- 
ing as  one  understands  ~\j?V3  r\y  2  Sam.  xxiv. 
15)  70,000  men  in  Palestine.  Other  examples  of 
great  pest-catastrophes  in  ancient  and  modern 
times,  none  of  which  however  equal  what  is  told 
here,  see  in  GESEN.  and  DELITZSCH.  What  is 
told  here  receives  indirect  confirmation  from 
HEROD.  (II.  141),  who  narrates  that  "  Sanacha- 
ribos,  king  of  the  Arabians  and  Assyrians  "  was 
compelled  to  retreat  before  king  Sethos  at  Pelu- 
sium,  because  swarms  of  field  mice  had  gnawed 
away  tin  leather  work  of  the  Assyrian  arms.  As 
a  monument  of  this  victory  there  stands  in  the 
temple  of  Hephaestos  [Vulcan],  whose  priest 
Sethos  was,  a  stone  statue  of  this  king  with  a 
mouse  on  his  hand,  and  the  superscription  "  £f 
efj.E  Tig  opecjv  Evaefirji;  earu."  This  superscription 
HERODOTUS  accounts  for,  by  narrating  that  this 
king  in  his  necessity,  before  the  battle  prayed  to 
his  god,  and  received  the  assurance  of  divine 
help.  If  this  be  perhaps  a  trace  that  the  over- 
throw of  Sennacherib  was  recognized  as  evidently 
a  demonstration  of  divine  help,  so,  too,  the  mouse 
is  probably  a  reminiscence  of  the  rescuing  plague. 
For  the  hieoroglyphies  employ  the  mouse  as  the 
symbol  of  wasting  and  destruction ;  so  that  the 
narrative  of  HERODOTUS  contains  probably  only 
the  signification  of  the  mouse  supporting  statue 
ascribed  to  it  by  those  of  later  times.  This  com- 
bination was  first  made  by  J.  D.  MICIIAELIS, 
who  has  been  followed  by  GESEX.  [?],  HITZIG, 
THENIUS  [BARNES,  J.  A.  ALEX.,  per  contra  see 
BAEIIR,  2  Kings  xix.].  Comp.  LEYRER  in 
HERZ.,  R.-Encyd.  XI.  p.  411. 

Though  the  plague  is  a  natural  agent,  still  the 
great  number  carried  off  in  one  night  is  some- 
thing wonderful.  It  appears  inadmissible  to  me 
to  assume  with  HEXSLER  and  others  ( DELITZSCH, 
too,)  a  longer  prevalence  of  the  plague.  The  de- 
liverance of  Israel  was  not  to  come  about  by  the 
sword  of  Egypt,  nor  by  a  natural  event  of  a  com- 
mon sort.  Both  Israel  and  the  heathen  must 
recognize  the  finger  of  God,  that  every  one  may 
fear  Him  and  trust  in  Him  alone.  Comp.  x.  24 
sqq.;  xiv.  24-27;  xvii.  12-14;  xxix.  1-8;  xxx. 
7-15  sqq.,  30  sqq. ;  xxxi.  1-9 ;  xxxiii.  1-4,  10 
sqq.,  22  sqq.  The  subject  of  ID'DEH  is  the  sur- 
viving Assyrians,  as  those  who  actually  in  the 
morning  came  upon  the  corpses.  In  DTID  is  evi- 
dently to  be  made  prominent  the  notion  of  ina- 
bility to  act,  especially  to  fight.  The  strong  war- 
riors of  Sennacherib  were  become  motionless, 

harmless  corpses.  The  315H  "]T1  ^D'l,  as  has  of- 
ten been  remarked,  recalls  CICERO'S  abiit,  evasit, 
excessit,  erupit.  The  three  verbs  depict  the  haste  of 
the  retreat.  In  "and  dwelt  at  Nineveh" 
the  verb  3iy'1  has  manifestly  the  meaning  of  re- 
maining, comp.  Gen.  xxi.  16;  xxii.  5;  xxiv.  55; 
Exod.  xxiv.  14,  etc.  In  fact,  after  this  overthrow, 


CHAP.  XXXVII.  36-38. 


393 


Sennacherib  reigned  still  twenty  years,  and  un- 
dertook five  more  campaigns.  But  these  were  all 
directed  toward  the  north  or  south  of  Nineveh. 
He  came  no  more  to  the  west  (SCHRADER,  1.  c.  p. 
205).  What  is  narrated,  therefore,  in  ver.  38, 
did  not  occur  till  twenty  years  after  this. 

According  to  OPPERT  (Exped.  scient.  en  Mesop. 
II.  p.  339)  ^ppJ  means  "  binder,  joiner,"  and  as 
the  prayers  that  have  been  found  addressed  to 
him  have  for  their  subject  chiefly  the  blessing  of 
marriage,  the  conclusion  seems  justified  that  Nis- 
roch  corresponded  to  Hymen  of  the  Greeks  and 
Romans.  SCHRADER  assents  to  this  view,  only 
that,  according  to  him,  the  root  ''sarak"  in  As- 
syrian means  "  to  vouchsafe,  to  dispense,"  rather 
than  ''to  bind,"  so  that  "pDJ  would  more  pro- 
perly be  "  the  good,  the  gracious  "  or  "  the  dis- 
penser." An  inscription  of  Asurbanipal,  the  son 
and  successor  of  Esar-haddon,  in  which  he  nar- 
rates his  mounting  the  throne  in  the  month  ly- 
yar,  calls  this  month  "  the  month  of  Nisroch,  the 
lord  of  humanity"  (SCHRADER,  p.  208).  In 
the  list  of  gods  found  in  the  library  of  Asurbani- 
pal (comp.  on  xlvi.  1,  and  SCHRADER  in  the 
Stud,  and  Krit.,  1874,  II.  p.  336  sq'.),  the  name  of 
Nisroch  is  not  found.  While  Sennacherib  wor- 
shipped in  the  house  of  his  god,  his  two  sons  slew 
him.  An  awful  deed:  parricide  and  sacrilege  at 
the  same  moment,  each  aggravating  the  other. 
Such  was  the  end  of  the  haughty  Sennacherib 
who  had  dared  to  blaspheme  the  God  of  Israel. 
He,  who  had  boasted  that  no  god  nor  people 
could  resist  him,  must  fall  before  the  swords  of 
his  sons.  He  that  regarded  himself  unconquera- 
ble by  the  help  of  his  idols,  must  suffer  death  in 
the  temple  and  in  the  presence  of  his  idol.  [How 
different  the  experience  of  Hezekiah  in  the  tem- 
ple of  Jehovah,  and  the  fate  of  Sennacherib  in 
the  temple  of  his  idol! — TR.].  HEXDEWERK 
cites,  as  parallel  instances  of  monarchs  murdered 
while  at  prayer,  the  cases  of  Caliph  Omar,  and 
the  emperor  Leo  V.  No  mention  has  been  dis- 
covered thus  far,  in  the  Assyrian  inscriptions  of 
the  murder  of  Sennacherib,  whereas  they  do  in- 
form us  of  the  murder  of  his  father  Sargon. 
POLYHYSTOR,  among  profane  historians,  relates 
(in  EUSEB.  Armen.  Chron.  ed.  Mai,  p.  19)  the 
murder  of  Sennacherib.  But  he  only  names  Ar- 
dumusanus,  i.  e.,  Adrammelech  as  the  murderer. 
ABYDENUS,  on  the  other  hand  (ibid.  p.  25)  makes 
Nergilus  the  son  of  Sennacherib  succeed  the 
latter.  This  one  was  murdered  by  his  brother 
Adramelus,  and  the  latter  in  turn  by  his  brother 
Axerdis.  Here  Adramelus  is  evidently  =  Ad- 
rammelech, Axerdis  =  Esarhaddon.  Nergilus, 
however,  according  to  SCHRADER'S  sagacious  con- 
jecture, =  Sarezer.  For  Sarezer  in  Assyrian  is 
Sar-usur,  i.  e.,  protect  the  king.  But  to  this  Im- 
perative is  prefixed  the  name  of  the  god  that  pro- 
tects, so  that  the  complete  name  may  sound, 
sometimes  Bil-sar-usur,  sometimes,  Asur-sar-usur, 
sometimes  Nirgcd-sar-usur,  etc.  But  the  name 


may  also  be  used  in  an  abbreviated  form,  viz.  .• 
with  the  omission  of  the  name  of  the  god  :  so 
that  thus  this  Sarezer  when  the  name  in  full  was 
spoken,  may  have  been  Nirgal-sar-usur.  ABYDE- 
NUS then  may  have  preserved  the  first  half  of 
this  name,  while  the  Bible  preserved  the  latter 
half  (SCHRADER,  p.  206.)  Adrammelech  occurs 
as  the  name  of  a  god  2  Kings  xvii.  31.  The  word 
in  Assyrian  is  Adar-malik,  i.  e.  Adar  is  prince. 
(SCHRADER,  p.  168). 

According  to  Armenian  tradition,  the  two  sons 
of  Sennacherib  were  to  have  been  offered  in  sacri- 
fice by  their  father  (see  DELITZSCH  in  loc.).  Ac- 
cording to  the  book  of  Tobit  (i.  18  sqq.),  Senna- 
cherib wreaked  his  vengeance  for  the  overthrow 
he  suffered  on  the  captives  of  the  Ten  Tribes. 
On  the  other  hand  he  was  a  hated  person  by  the 
Jews,  whence  also  they  held  his  murderers  in 
high  honor.  Later  Rabbins  were  of  the  opinion 
that  these  became  Jews,  and  in  the  middle  ages 
their  tombs  were  pointed  out  in  Galilee  (comp. 
EWALD,  Hist.  d.  V-  Isr.  III.  p.  C90,  Anm.).  Our 
text  says  the  parricides  escaped  to  the  land  of 
Ararat,  i.  e.,  Central  Armenia.  The  Assyrian  for 
Ararat  is  Ur-ar-ti.  The  word  often  occurs  in  the 
lists  of  government  as  the  designation  of  Armenia 
(comp.  SCHRADER,  p.  10,  324,  lines  37-40,  42,  44; 
p.  329,  lines  31,  39).  According  to  Armenian  his- 
torians, the  posterity  of  those  two  sons  of  the 
king  long  existed  in  the  two  princely  races  of  the 
Sassunians,  and  Arzerunians.  From  the  latter 
descended  the  Byzantine  Emperor  Leo  the  Ar- 
menian, from  whom  in  turn  a  long  row  of  Byzan- 
tine rulers  were  descended.  "  Not  less  than  ten 
Byzantine  Emperors,  if  such  were  the  case,  may 
be  regarded  as  the  posterity  of  Sennacherib :  so 
that  thus  the  prophecy  of  Nah.  i.  14  received  its 
fulfilment  only  very  "late.  DELITZSCH,  in  loc.  ; 
RITTER,  Erdkunde,  X.  p.  585  sq.  Esar-haddon 
in  Assyrian  is  Asur-ah-iddin,  i.  e.,  Asur  gives  a 
brother  (  SCHRADER,  p.  208).  According  to  the 
canon  of  regents  (ibid.  p.  320),  Esarhaddon  as- 
cended the  throne  in  the  year  681  B.  c.  EWALD 
places  the  date  of  Isaiah's  entrance  on  his  office 
under  Uzziah  in  the  year  757,  his  death  under 
Manasseh  in  the  year  695  ( Gesch.  d.  V.  Isr.  III. 
p.  844,  846).  DELITZSCH,  following  DXJXCKER 
sets  the  beginning  of  Esar-haddon's  reign  in  the 
year  693,  and  admits  that  in  this  case  Isaiah  must 
have  been  almost  ninety  years  old.  Now  in  as 
much  as,  according  to  the  very  certain  data  of  the 
Assyrian  documents,  Isaiah,  if  he  lived  when 
Esar-haddon's  reign  began,  must  have  become 
almost  100  years  old,  one  must  recognize  at  least 
in  vers.  37  sq.,  an  addition  by  a  later  hand,  which 
also  DELITZSCH  admits.  [The  reader  that  desires 
to  inform  himself  more  particularly  on  these  ques- 
,  tions  of  chronology,  and  to  see  a  defence  of  Isai- 
!  ah's  data,  is  hereby  referred  to  BIRK'S  Comm.  on 
\  Isa.,  Appendix  111.,  "THE  ASSYRIAN  REIGNS  IN 
ISAIAH."  The  same  article  will  serve  as  an  in- 
troduction to  the  English  literature  on  the  sub- 
I  ject.— TR.]- 


394 


THE  BOOK  OF  ISAIAH. 


II  —THE  WAY  PREPARED  FOR  THE  RELATIONS  WITH  BABYLON. 
HEZEKIAH'S  SICKNESS  AND  RECOVERY,  AND  THE  EMBASSY 
FROM  BABYLON  THIS  OCCASIONED. 

CHAPTERS  XXXVIII.  XXXIX. 
1.    HEZEKIAH'S  SICKNESS  AND  KECOVEKY. 

CHAPTEB  XXXVIII. 
a)    The  Sickness.     XXXVIII.  1-3. 

1  IN  those  days  was  Hezekiah  sick  unto  death.     And  Isaiah  the  prophet  the  son 
of  Amoz  came  unto  him,  and  said  unto  him,  Thus  saith  the  LORD,  'Set  thine  house 

2  in  order:  for  thou  shalt  die,  and  not  live.     Then  Hezekiah  turned  his  face  toward 

3  the  wall,  and  prayed  unto  the  LORD,  and  said,  Remember  now,  O  LORD,  I  beseech 
thee,  how  I  have  walked  before  thee  in  truth  and  with  a  perfect  heart,  and  have 
done  that  which  is  good  in  thy  sight.     And  Hezekiah  wept  2sore. 


1  Heb.  Give  charge  concerning  thy  house. 

TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  In  f\lD7  we  hare  a  eonstructio  prcegnans,  in  as 
much  as  the  preposition  depends  on  a  notion  of  move- 
ment onward,  nearing,  that  is  latent  in  the  verb  H/TI- 

ST  T 
be  regarded  as  a  particle  denoting  design ;  he 

was  sick  in  order  to  die,  in  which  case  the  consequence 
would  be  represented  as  intention,  as  elsewhere  simi- 
larly the  reason  is  substituted  as  an  object  in  clauses 
with  3,  7tfi*3.  It  is  said  in  like  manner  Jud.  xvi.  16, 
j  "VtfpnV  In  the  parallel  place  2  Chr.xxxii. 
— \V  stands  for  our  fMD 7»  which  corresponds 

*  T 

essentially  with  the  first  of  the  two  explanations  given 

above. The  expression  "to  command  bis  house,"  for 

"  to  make  his  last  will  known  to  his  house  "  is  found 
ngain  only  2  Sam.  xvii.  23,  where,  however,  the  preposi- 
tion 7H  is  used  instead  of  7.  The  expression  r>3~'3 
irnn  X/1  nn&S  denotes  the  dying  as  certain,  surely 
determined,  by  using  the  positive  affirming  participle 
(which  presents  death  as  abstract,  timeless  fact,  thus  a 
fact  determined  as  to  substance,  though  undetermined 
as  to  form,  comp.  Gen.  xx.  3)  and  the  negative  clause 
TTnn  K/1  that  excludes  the  contrary.  As  analogous 
to  the  meaning  "  10  remain  living,"  comp.  PITI  =  "  to 
retain  alive,"  vii.  21  and  the  comment. 

The  differences  between  our  text  and  2  Kings  xx.  1- 
3  are  inconsiderable  as  to  sense,  and  yet  are  character- 
istic :  irvpin  omitted  at  the  beginning  of  ver.  2,  and 
10X7  substituted  at  the  end  for  our  ^OX'l  beginning 
ver.  2.  Here  our  passage  again  gives  evidence  of  an 
amended  text  The  absence  of  a  subject  for  3DM,  when 
previously  Hezekiah  and  Isaiah  and  Jehovah  had  been 


3  Heb.  With  great  weeping. 

GRAMMATICAL. 

named,  and  Hezekiah  in  fact  the  furthest  from  the  pre- 
dicate, lets  it  be  possible  (though  only  grammatically) 
to  think  of  Isaiah  or  Jehovah  as  subject.  And  the  em- 
phatic "OX1!  ver.  3  corresponds  to  the  importance  of 
the  brief  prayer  much  better  than  the  short  "OfcO,  that 
is  only  equivalent  to  our  quotation  marks.  Thus  we  see 
here  again  that  2  Kings  has  the  more  original  text.  For 
it  is  inconceivable  that  the  correcter  and  completer  text 
has  been  changed  into  that  which  is  less  correct  and 
complete.  [The  foregoing  reasoning  on  the  differences 
of  the  two  texts  must  strike  most  readers  as  simply  the 
fruit  of  a  foregone  conclusion.  When,  moreover,  one 
takes  the  latter  statement  concerning  "l^K11!  and  "lOfcw 
and  compares  the  two  texts  at  Isa.  xxxvii.  15 .and  2  Ki. 
xix.  15,  this  impression  is  confirmed.  See  the  Author's 
comm.  on  xxxvii.  15  under  Text,  and  Gram.  There  we 
find  precisely  the  reverse  of  what  the  Author  remarks 

here  on  the  occurrence  of  the  two  words  in  the  parallel 

i    •  * 

texts.  In  using  1D5O  xxxvii.  15,  instead  of  the  "lONM 
found  in  2  Kings,  does  the  Isaiah  text  do  injustice  to 
the  importance  of  the  solemn  prayer  of  Hezekiah  in  the 
Temple?  And  does  he  fail  to  observe  how  much  better 
"  the  emphatic  "ON'1  corresponds  to  that  importance?" 
The  reader  is  also  referred  to  the  comparison  between 
vii.  1  (in  loc.)  and  2  Kings  xvi.  5.  When  all  the  details 
of  this  argument,  (viz.  for  the  text  of  2  Kings  being  more 
original  and  the  Isaiah  text  being  amended  from  that, 
and  so  still  more  remote  from  a  genuine  Isaiah  text), 
have  been  gone  over,  we  may  anticipate  that  the  con- 
clusion of  most  students  will  agree  with  the  opinion  of 
J.  A.ALEX.,  (see  his  comment  on  xxxvii.  17,  18),  who 
characterizes  most  of  it  as  "  special  pleading  "  and  "  per- 
verse ingenuity." — TE.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  In  the  fourteenth  year  of  his  reign,  Heze- 
kiah fell  dangerously  ill.  It  was  no  doubt  a 
proof  of  especial  divine  grace  when  Isaiah  an- 
nounced to  him  his  approaching  end,  and  thereby 
gave  him  time  to  command  his  house.  But  Heze- 


kiah was  terrified  at  the  intelligence.  He  prayed 
weeping  to  the  LORD,  and  appealing  to  his  life 
spent  in  the  fear  of  God. 

2.  In  those  days wept  sore. — Vers.  1- 

3.     We  have,  above  in  the  introduction  to  chaps. 


CHAP.  XXXVIII.  4-8. 


395 


xxxvi.-xxxix.  sufficiently  shown  what  is  the  re- 
lation of  chaps,  xxxviii.-xxxix.  to  the  two  that 
precede  it.  Jt  can  no  longer  be  a  matter  of  doubt 
that  the  time  of  Hezekiah's  sickness  preceded  the 
overthrow  of  Sennacherib.  The  former  as  cer- 
tainly belonged  to  the  year  714  as  the  latter  to 
the  year  700.  The  transposition  of  the  chapters, 
which  was  for  the  sake  of  the  connection  of  the 
subject  matter  in  them  with  the  general  contents 
of  the  book,  occasioned  the  belief  that  the  over- 
throw of  Sennacherib  also  happened  in  the  year 
714.  In  consequence  of  this,  expositors  only 
differ  in  this  respect,  that  some  put  all  the  events 
narrated  xxxvi.-xxxvii.  before  those  narrated 
xxxviii.-xxxix.  while  others  put  the  sickness  of 
Hezekiah  before  xxxvi.-xxxvii.  but  the  embassy 
after  them.  An  end  is  made  to  all  this  by  the 
fact,  now  put  beyond  doubt,  that  Sennacherib 
only  began  to  reign  in  the  year  705,  and  made 
his  first  and  only  campaign  against  Phoenicia, 
Judea  and  Egypt  in  the  year  700.  For  these 
reasons  "  in  those  days "  ver.  1  and  ''  at  that 
time,"  xxxix.  1  are  equally  unauthentic  and  not 
genuine.  Both  must  owe  their  origin  to  emenda- 
tion. [See  introduction  before  xxxvi.  Comp. 
SMITH'S  Diet,  of  the  Bible,  article  Hezekiah.]. 

It  cannot  be  certainly  determined  what  was  the 
nature  of  Hezekiah's  sickness.  Many  have  in- 
ferred from  pnt^n  ver.  2J. ;  2  Kings  xx.  7,  that 
he  had  the  plague,  and  have  associated  this  with 
the  plague  in  the  Assyrian  camp,  (xxxvii.  36), 
and  even  used  this  as  proof  that  Hezekiah's  sick- 


ness occurred  after  Sennacherib's  overthrow.  But 
pnip  (\r\&,  a  root  unused  in  Hebrew,  but  mean- 
ing in  the  dialects  ("incaluit,calidusfuit")  stands 
not  only  for  the  plague  boil  (bubo),  but  also  for 
other  burning  ulcers,  as  it  occurs  in  reference  to 
leprosy  (Lev.  xiii.  18  sqq.),  and  other  inflamma- 
ble cutaneous  diseases  (Exod.  ix.  9  sqq. ;  Deut. 
xxviii.  27,  35  ;  Job  ii.  7).  If  pIT^H  ver.  21  be 
not  taken  collectively,  so  that  there  was  only  one 
boil,  then  the  next  meaning  would  be  a  carbuncle 
(i.  e.,  a  conglomeration  of  ulcerous  roots).  In  re- 
spect to  God's  p:omises  and  threatenings  being, 
as  it  were,  dependent  on  the  subjective  deport- 
ment of  men,  for  their  realization,  comp.  Jer. 
xviii.  7  sqq. ;  where  especially  the  j)j^,  connect- 
ing with  the  celerity  with  which  the  potter  trans- 
forms the  clay,  denotes  the  celerity  with  which 
the  LORD,  under  circumstances  alters  His  decrees. 
;  Comp.  my  remarks  in  he.  Hezekiah  turned  his 
face  to  the  wall  because  at  that  moment  he  neither 
wished  to  see  the  face  of  men,  nor  to  show  his 
countenance  to  men.  He  would,  as  much  as 
possible,  speak  with  his  God  alone.  It  was  dif- 
ferent with  Ahab,  1  Kings  xxi.  4.  oStf  31?  is 
animus  integer,  i.  e.,  a  whole,  full,  undivided 
heart  (1  Kings  viii.  61 ;  xi.  4).  It  is  an  Old 
Testament  speech,  that  Hezekiah  makes.  A 
Christian  could  not  so  speak  to  God.  Hezekiah 
applies  to  himself  the  standard  that  Ps.  xv.  offers, 
and  that  Christ  proposes  iu  tlie  Sermon  on  the 
mount  (Matt.  v.  21  sqq.). 


b)    The  Recovery.    CHAP.  XXXVIII.  4-8. 

4, 5     THEN  came  the  word  of  the  LORD  to  Isaiah,  saying,  Go,  and  say  to  Hezekiah, 
Thus  saith  the  LORD,  the  God  of  David   thy  father,  I  have  heard   thy  prayer,  I 

6  have  seen  thy  tears :  behold,  al  will  add  unto  thy  days  fifteen  years.     And  I  will 
deliver  thee  and  this  city  out  of  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Assyria :  and  I  will  de- 

7  fend  this  city.     And  this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  thee  from  the  LORD,  that  the  LORD 

8  will  do  this  "thing  that  he  hath  spoken ;  Behold,  I  will  bring  again  the  shadow  of 
the  degrees,  which  is  gone  down  "in  the  'sun  dial  of  Ahaz,  ten  degrees  backward. 
So  the  sun  returned  ten  degrees,  by  which  degrees  it  was  gone  down. 


1  Heb.  degrees  by,  or,  with  the  sun. 
*  /  add.  b  word. 


aufder  Stufenuhr  Achas'  vermoege  dcr  Sonne,  or,  on  the  degrees, 
or  steps  of  Ahaz  with  the  sun. — J.  A.  ALEX. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  5.  On  the  construction  of  tVDV  'JJH  see  on 
xxviii.  16;  xxix.  14. 

Ver.  21.  The  word  nSlH,  st.  constr.  P1?!]"!,  beside  the 
text,  and  2  Kings  xx.  7,  occurs  only  1  Sam.  xxx.  12;  1 
Chr.  xiL  40.  The  Greek  word  ira\<i9r),  which  means  a 
cake  of  dried  fruits,  especially  of  figs,  seems  to  have 
been  derived  from  rP2T  through  the  Aram.  XrO^. 

T  '  *  :  T    :  V   : 

The  3  pers.  plur.  Wy*  has  for  subject  those  who  na- 
turally performed  the  service  in  question.  We  use  in 
such  cases  the  indefinite  subject  they  (Germ.  "  man") : 

(comp.  Jer.  iii.  16  sq. ;  Isa.  xxxiv.  16). PPO   occurs 

elsewhere  only  in  the  substantive  form  niTO  (contritus 


GRAMMATICAL. 

scil,  testiculos  contritos  habens,  Lev.  xxi.  20.)  The  meaning 
is  "  to  crush,  triturate."    It  is  thus  a  constructio  proeg- 
nans :  let  them  crush  figs  (and  lay  them)  on  the  boil. 
On  rm^-    See  on  ver.  1. 
In  2  Kings  xx.  7  at  the  end  of  the  verse  it  reads  TP1, 

•  IV 

"  and  he  lived,"  t.  e.,  recovered,  instead  of  as  here  TV}. 
"  that  he  may  live."  Our  text  appears  to  be  an  effort  to 

remove  a  difficulty.    For  TV1  seems  primarily  to  mean 

•  i  •.— 

that  Hezekiah  immediately  recovered.  But  that  such 
was  not  the  case  is  seen  from  the  king's  asking: 
"what  shall  be  the  sign  that  the  LORD  will  heal  me,  and 
that  I  shall  go  up  to  the  temple  the  third  day?"  (2  Ki. 
xx.  8).  It  was,  therefore,  no  instantaneous  cure  :  and 


399 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


this  our  text  would  intimate  by  TV1.  But  the  word  in 
2  Kings  xx.  7  is  only  an  anticipation  of  the  narrator, 
who  states  the  effect  immediately  after  the  application 
of  the  means  although  other  events  intervened. 

Vers.  21,  22,  are  an  epitome  of  2  Kings  xx.  7,  8.  with 
the  omission  of  what  is  less  essential.  But  it  is  to  be 
noted,  as  a  further  proof  of  the  second-hand  nature  of 
our  text,  that  the  words  "what  is  the  sign,"  etc.  2  Ki. 
xx  8  have  there  their  proper  foundation  in  that  the  pro- 
mise is  expressly  given  (2  Kings  xx.  5)  that  the  king 
should  go  up  to  the  temple,  whereas  that  item  is  want- 
ing in  our  ver.  5. Whether  or  not  our  vers.  21,  22  were 

intentionally  or  accidentally  put  where  they  are  by 
some  later  copyist  cannot  be  certainly  determined,  and 
is  in  itself  indifferent.  But  it  seems  to  me  most  natural 
to  assume  that  some  later  person,  with  the  feeling  that 
there  was  a  disturbing  gap,  thought  he  must  supply  it 
from  2  Kings.  An  interpolation  between  vers.  6,  7  would 
have  involved  a  change  in  his  actual  text,  thus  he  sup- 
plemented at  the  end.  As  they  are  found  in  the  LXX. 
the  addition  must  be  very  ancient.  They  are  important, 


too,  as  proof  in  general  that  the  text  in  our  chaps,  has 
suffered  alterations  ;  and  especially  that  the  dates  have 
been  changed. 

On  the  text  at  ver.  8  b.  An  important  difference  is  to 
be  noted  between  this  and  2  Kings  xx.  9-11.  Our  text 
assumes  an  actual  going  backward  of  the  sun,  probably, 
as  is  also  assumed  by  many  expositors,  because  it  was 
thought  that  this  miracle  must  be  put  on  a  level  with 
the  sun  standing  still  at  Gibeon  (Josh.  x.  12).  In  the 
Book  of  Sirach  (Ecclus.  xlviii.  23)  it  is  expressly  said: 
"  in  his  days  the  sun  went  backward  and  he  lengthened 
the  king's  life."  The  older  and  original  text  of  the  Book 
of  Kings  knows  nothing  of  this  construction.* 

*  [This  use  of  Ecclus.  xlviii.  23  conflicts  with  the  ap- 
peal the  Author  makes  to  the  same  text  in  his  Introduc- 
tion, ?  4  (at  the  end),  in  support  of  the  genuineness  of 
the  Isaiah  text.  If  it  there  serves  to  prove  that  an  en- 
tire section,  viz.,  the  historical  part,  xxxvi. — xxxix.  is 
Isaiah's  own  work,  it  must  certainly  prove  as  much  for 
the  particular  language  that  Sirach  actually  refers 
to.— TE.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Then  came  the  •word was  gone 

down.  — Vers.  4-8.  In  2  Kings  xx.  4  we  are  told 
that  the  word  of  the  LORD  carne  to  the  Prophet 
when  he  had  hardly  left  the  king,  when  he  had 
not  yet  traversed  the  HJIJ'fi  Vjp,  or,  as  the  Iv'ri 
and  the  ancient  versions  have  it  probably  more 
correctly,  nJITfl  li'H,  {,  e.,  the  inner  court  of  the 
residence.  Therefore  actually  J/'JH  ( Jer-  xviii.  7), 
i.e.,  suddenly,  Jehovah  recalled  the  announce- 
ment so  categorically  made  ver.  1.  Just  that  so 
harsh  sounding  announcement  had  brought  forth 
that  fervent  sigh  of  prayer  from  the  depths  of  He- 
zekiah's  heart.  Precisely  this  was  intended.  Ne- 
cessity must  teach  Hezekiah  to  pray.  The  LORD 
calls  Himself  "the  God  of  thy  father  David"  in 
order  to  give  Hezekiah  one  more  comforting 
pledge  of  deliverance.  For  He  intimates  that  He 
will  be  still  the  same  to  him  that  He  had  been  to 
David.  The  LORD  had  heard  the  prayer,  He 
had  seen  the  tears.  Both  were  well  pleasing  to 
Him,  He  regarded  both.  And  thus  He  promises 
the  king  that  He  will  add  yet  fifteen  years  to  his 
life. 

I  cannot  accord  with  all  that  BAEHB  remarks 
on  our  passage  (see  the  vol.  on  2  Kings  xx.  4  sqq.). 
But  I  agree  with  him  when  he  says :  "  The  Pro- 
phet announces  to  the  suppliant  that  God  has 
heard  him,  and  promises  him  not  only  immediate 
recovery,  but,  in  fact,  that  he  shall  reign  as  long 
again  as  he  has  already  reigned."  Accordingly 
Hezekiah  must  already  have  reigned  fifteen  years. 
This  could  easily  be  the  case  if  the  historian 
(xxxvi.  1)  reckoned  the  fourteen  years  from  the 
first  day  of  the  calendar  year,  beginning  after 
Hezekiah's  becoming  king,  while  the  LORD  reck- 
oned so  favorably  for  Hezekiah  that  He  counted 
the  fragment  of  the  first  calendar  year  when  he 
began  to  reign  and  the  fragment  oV  the  current 
year  as  a  whole  year.  Then  is  explained  how  by 
divine  reckoning  Hezekiah  reigned  15+15 
years,  and  by  human  reckoning  only  14  -\-  15. 
In  2  Kings  xx.  5  the  additional  promise  for  the 
immediate  future  is  given :  "  Behold,  I  will  heal 
thee  :  on  the  third  day  thou  shall  go  up  unto  the 


house  of  the  LORD."  This  is  manifestly  omitted 
in  our  text  because  included  in  the  larger  pro- 
mise. The  promise  of  ver.  6  is  of  course  con- 
ceivable even  after  the  overthrow  of  Sennacherib. 
For  the  latter  was  to  the  Assyrians,  though  a  se- 
rious, yet  by  no  means  an  annihilating  blow. 
They  could  recover  themselves  after  it,  and  fall 
on  Judah  with  augmented  force  and  redoubled 
rage.  But  our  passage  stands  primarily  in  unde- 
niable connection  with  xxxvii.  35,  especially 
when  we  regard  it  in  the  construction  of  2  Kings 
(comp.  2  Kings  xix.  34  with  xx.  G,  where  only 

SK  for  Sj7  and  the  H;rtfir6  wanting  in  xx.  6 
makes  the  difference).  If  we  are  correct  in  con- 
struing the  temporal  relations  of  xxxviii.,  xxxix., 
to  xxxvi.,  xxxvii.  (see  on  xxxviii.  1),  then  our 
passage  is  older  than  xxxvii.  3-3.  But  the  latter 
passage  promises  deliverance  from  Sennacherib 
in  words  evidently  taken  on  purpose  from  our 
passage,  so  that  the  promise  there  given  to  Heze- 
kiah appears  as  a  renewal  and  repetition  of  that 
he  had  received  already  fourteen  years  before. 
In  addition  to  this,  both  our  passage  and  xxxvii. 
35  have  their  common  root  in  xxxi.  5.  There  as 

here  f U J  and  T¥n  occur  together ;  there,  too, 
{UJ  is  illustrated  by  the  touching  image  of  a  ho- 
vering bird.  There  it  is  expressly  said  that,  not 
Egypt  shall  protect  the  people  of  "Israel,  but  Je- 
hovah has  reserved  this  care  for  Himself.  And 
this  deliverance  of  Judah  from  Assyria  was  in  fact 
definitively  and  forever  decided  by  the  defeat  of 
Sennacherib.  Assyria,  as  we  have  already  seen, 
is  done  away.  The  deportation  of  Mnnasseh  (2 
Chr.  xxxiii.)  was  more  a  benefit  for  Judah  than 
a  punishment.  One  may  say :  Sennacherib's 
losing  his  army,  not  by  the  sword  of  Egypt,  but 
by  the  hand  of  the  LORD,  is  the  true  ami  proper 
fulfilment  of  the  promises,  xxxi.  5;  xxxvii.  35; 
xxxviii.  6.  For  these  reasons  I  believe  that  our 
passage  is  to  be  referred  to  Sennacherib's  defeat 
and,  because  that  was  decisive  for  Judah's  rela- 
tions to  Assyria,  to  no  later  event.  But  then  our 
passage  also  puts  a  decisive  weight  in  the  scale  in 
favor  of  the  assertion  that  the  events  narrated 


CHAP.  XXXVIII.  4-8. 


397 


xxxviii.  precede  the  events  narrated  xxxvi.  and 
xxxvii. 

In  our  text  are  wanting  after  ver.  6  the  words 
that  2  Ki.  xx.  7,  8  are  found  in  the  proper  place, 
viz.:  "  And  Isaiah  said,  Take  a  lump  of  figs,"  etc. 
Instead  we  have  in  vers.  21,  22  an  epitome  of 
what  is  there  said.  We  will,  therefore,  anticipate 
here  the  exposition  of  these  verses.  The  Prophet 
proceeds  at  once  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise 
of  vers.  5,  6.  To  this  end  he  orders  a  piece  of  fig- 
cake  to  be  laid  on  the  diseased  spot,  n 73T  means 
around  (sometimes  four-cornered)  cake  of  dried 
summer  figs,  that  were  pounded  in  a  mortar  and 
put  up  in  this  form  for  better  preservation  and 
transportation  (see  WINER,  E.-  W.-B.  art.  Feigen- 
baum  [SMITH'S  Bib.  Diet.  art.  Figs}).  It  is  well 
known  that  anciently,  as  now-a-days,  too,  figs 
were  applied  as  an  emollient  to  hasten  the  ga- 
thering of  a  boil.  Comp.  GESENIUS  on  ver.  1  and 
BAEHR  on  2  Kings  xx.  7.  Already  JEROME 
mentions  the  opinion  that  the  sweet  fig  was  a  con- 
trarium,  i.  e.,  an  aggravation  of  the  evil,  and  adds : 
"Ergo,  id  Dei  potentia  monstraretur,  per  res  noxias 
et  adversas  sanitas  restituta  est."  According  to 
SEB.  SCHMIDT,  Hebraei  communiter  et  Christiano- 
rum  quidam  (e.g.,  GROTIUS)  share  this  opinion. 
We  are  told  in  the  Scriptures  of  countless  mira- 
culous cures  in  which  divine  omnipotence  made 
no  use  of  natural  means.  Why  such  means  were 
still  sometimetimes  employed  (corup.  Mar.  vii. 
33;  viii.  23;  Jno.  ix.  6sq.)  we  will  hardly  be 
able  to  fathom.  If  the  means  used  in  the  present 
case  were  already  known  at  that  time  as  a  cure 
of  this  disease,  why  did  not  the  physicians  apply 
it?  Or  was  this  cure  still  unknown  at  that  time  ? 
Or  did  the  physicians  not  understand  the  disease 
correctly?  Or  had  the  LORD,  beside  the  object 
of  the  bodily  cure,  some  other  higher  objects  to 
which  that  means  stood  in  a  relation  to  us  un- 
known? Such  are  the  questions  that  men  raise 
here,  but  can  hardly  answer  to  satisfaction. 

Asking  and  giving  signs  is  nothing  unusual  in 
the  Old  Testament,  and  especially  in  the  life  of 
our  Prophet.  The  more  the  life  of  faith  stands 
in  the  grade  of  childhood,  the  more  frequent  it  is. 
Christ  would  give  no  sign  on  demand  (Matth.  xii. 
38  sqq.;  xvi.  1  sqq.;  Luke  xi.  16;  John  ii.  18;  vi. 
30).  But  Moses  received  and  gave  them  in  abun- 
dance (Exod.  iv.).  Also  in  the  times  of  the 
judges  and  of  the  kings  they  were  frequent 
(Judg.  vi.  17,  36  sqq.;  1  Sam.  ii.  34;  x.  1  sqq.). 
Isaiah  himself  was  more  than  once  the  medium 
of  such  signs  (vii.  11  sqq.;  viii.  1  sqq.;  xx.  3sq.; 
xxxvii.  30).  They  are  sometimes  threatening, 
sometimes  comforting  in  their  promissory  con- 
tents, and  are,  accoi'dingly,  given  now  to  the 
wicked  as  a  warning,  now  to  the  pious  for  comfort 
and  to  strengthen  their  hopes.  Thus  Hezekiah 
here  receives  the  second  comforting  sign.  That 
his  life  shall  be  prolonged  the  LORD  makes  known 
to  him  by  means  of  an  implement  used  for  mea- 
suring time.  At  Hezekiah's  request  the  LORD 
actually  causes  the  shadow  on  the  sun-dial  to  go 
backward  ten  steps  or  degrees.  Here  we  must 
note  the  not  inconsiderable  difference  between 
our  text  and  that  of  2  Kings  xx.  9  sqq.  Accord- 
ing to  our  text,  the  Prophet  does  not  propose  to 
the  king  the  choice  whether  the  shadow  shall  go 
forwards  or  backwards;  moreover  he  does  not 


call  on  the  Lord  to  do  the  miracle.  But  the  Pro- 
phet declares  at  once  that  he  will  (of  course  by 
the  power  of  God)  turn  the  shadow  back.  Finally 
our  text  says,  ver.  8,  that  the  sun  returned  back 
the  ten  degrees  that  it  had  gone  down,  whereas  2 
Kings  xx.  speaks  only  of  the  return  of  the  shadow 

('Ul  Si'n-nX  3BhY     The  last  mentioned  differ- 

V  .  "  ~          V         VT-/  _ 

ence  is  so  far  especially  important  because  it  in- 
tensifies the  miracle.  We  have  hitherto  learned, 
in  the  character  of  an  abstract  that  the  Isaiah 
text  bears,  to  recognize  a  mark  of  its  later  origin. 
This  magnifying  the  miraculous  may  be  regarded 
as  a  furthei  symptom  of  the  same  thing.  See 
Text,  and  Gram. 

It  is  now  admitted  by  all  that  by  fil/J'D  we  are 
to  understand  a  sun-dial.  The  ancient  notion 
found  in  the  LXX.,  in  JOSEPHTS  (Antiqq.  X.  2, 
1),  the  SYR.,  various  Rabbis,  ScALiGER(Prae/.ad 
can.  chronol.)  was  that  the  steps  were  a  simple 
flight  of  stairs  exposed  transversely  to  the  sun. 
But  to  this  it  is  objected  that  one  may  imagine 
the  withdrawal  of  the  shadow  from  ten  stair-steps, 
but  not  the  going  down.  For  the  sun  must  stand 
PO  that  the  upright  faces  or  risers  of  the  stair  cast 
their  shadows  on  the  .flat  steps.  But  then  all  the 
flats  must  be  shaded  equally  from  the  top  to  the 
bottom.  One  may  of  course  picture  that  the  ten 
lower  steps  lost  their  shade,  but  not  that  the  sha- 
dow descended  ten  steps  further,  as  all  the  steps 
must  already  have  their  shadow.  This  ascent  or 
descent  of  the  shadow  is  only  possible  where  there/ 
is  one  object  to  cast  the  shadow,  and  serve  as  an 
indicator,  whatever  may  be  its  form.  Hence  all 
expositors  understand  a  sun-dial  to  be  meant. 
[The  words  in  the  Hebrew  literally  mean  "the 
degree  or  steps  of  Ahaz  in  (or  by)  the  sun/' 

r^7j7D,  like  the  Latin  gradtis,  first  means  steps, 
and  then  degrees.  The  nearest  approach  to  the 
description  of  a  dial  is  in  the  words :  ''  degrees  of 
Ahaz,"  which  certainly  do  not  obviously  mean  a 
dial.  As  investigation  shows,  there  is  no  histori- 
cal necessity  for  assuming  that  a  dial  could  not  be 
meant,  and  that  we  must  assume  that  the  shadow 
here  meant  was  the  shadow  cast  upon  the  stairs 
of  Ahaz.  "  The  only  question  is,  whether  this 
(latter)  is  not  the  simplest  and  most  obvious  ex- 
planation of  the  words,  and  one  which  entirely 
exhausts  their  meaning.  If  so,  we  may  easily 
suppose  the  shadow  to  have  been  visible  from 
Hezekiah's  chamber,  and  the  offered  sign  to  have 
been  suggested  to  the  Prophet  by  the  sight  of  it. 
This  h\  pothesis  relieves  us  from  the  necessity  of 
accounting  for  the  division  into  ten,  or  rather 
twentv  degrees,  as  Hezekiah  was  allowed  to 
choose  between  a  procession  and  a  retrocession  of 
the  same  extent."  J.  A.  ALEX.  A  neighboring 
wall  might  have  cast  its  shadow  on  such  a  stair, 
which  might  be  called  the  shadow  of  the  stair,  as 

God's  shadow  is  called  "  thy  shadow."  'ftt,  Ps. 
cxxi.  5 ;  comp.  D1?*,  Num.  xiv.  9.  The  stair  may 
have  served  designedly  or  undesignedly  fora  rude 
or  even  comparatively  accurate  gauge  of  time,  or 
it  may  not. — TR.] 

We  learn  from  Herodotus^  (II.  109)  that  the 
Greeks  received  the  sun-dial  from  the  Baby- 
lonians, and  he  says  expressly  that  the  Greeks 
learned  from  them  rd  dvudeKa  fiepea  rijq 


398 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


Thus  the  Babylonians  seem  already  to  have  known 
the  division  into  twelve  day  and  twelve  night 
hours.  The  sun-indicator  of  Ahaz  may  also  have 
had  this  division.  For  the  mention  of  ten  degrees 
does  not  warrant  the  inference  that  it  was  divided 
according  to  the  decimal  system.  The  sun-dial 
could  easily  pass  from  the  Babylonians  to  the  Sy- 
rians, and  from  the  latter  to  the  Jews.  Ahaz  was 
disposed  to  introduce  foreign  novelties  (comp.  2 
Kings  xvi.  lOsqq.),  and  may  have  introduced 
this  with  other  things  from  Syria.  But  this  is 
only  conjecture.  The  same  is  true  of  any 
thing  that  may  be  offered  concerning  the  form  of 
Ahaz's  sun-dial  [see  BARNES  in  toco ;  SMITH'S 
Bib.  Did.}. 

As  the  Prophet  offered  the  choice  of  letting  the 
shadow  rise  or  fall  ten  degrees,  it  must  have  been 
at  a  time  of  day  that  allowed  room  for  both  on 
the  dial.  Of  course  this  room  was  measured  by 
the  length  of  time  represented  by  the  degrees. 
Did  they  represent  hours  or  a  like  larger  measure, 
then  a  gnomon  arranged  for  only  twelve  would 
not  have  sufficed.  But  what  was  proposed  could 
have  been  done  did  the  degrees  mark  half  or 
quarter  hours.  DELJTZSCH  says:  ''If  the  per- 
formance of  the  sign  took  place  an  hour  before 
sundown,  then  the  shadow,  going  back  ten  degrees, 
of  half  an  hour  each,  came  to  where  it  was  at 
noon."  But  how  then  could  the  shadow  at  5 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  go  also  ten  degrees  further  down  ? 
Could  the  dial  mark  the  tenth  hour  after  noon? 
It  is  thus  more  probable  that  the  Prophet  came 
to  the  king  nearer  mid-day.  [According  to  the 
old  view  defended  above,  it  would  be,  say  half- 
way, between  sunrise  and  meridian. — TR.] 

The  expression  ru/i'Q  is  manifestly  used  with 
different  meanings.  It  designates  first  the  degrees 
or  steps,  however  they  may  have  been  marked. 
And,  in  my  opinion,  it  has  this  sense  four  out  of 
the  five  times  that  it  occurs  in  our  passage.  More- 
over r\l7J?0  ;Y  seems  to  me  to  be  "the  shadow  of 
the  degrees,"  not  ''the  shadow  of  the  gnomon." 
For  it  is  not  correct  to  say:  "the  shadow  of  the 
gnomon  that  is  gone  down  on  the  gnomon  of  I 

Ahaz."     For  if  r\l7j?O  be  taken  in  the  concrete 
sense,  meaning  that  particular  gnomon,  that  would 


be  to  distinguish  what  in  fact  is  identical.  But  if 
tha  word  be  taken  generally=the  sun-dial  sha- 
dow that  is  on  every  dial  in  general,  then  ru/J?D 
is  quite  superfluous.  Hence  I  think  that  HI  7j»D 
means  here  the  degrees,  and  "the  shadow  of  the 
degrees"  is  the  shadow  that,  connected  with  the 
degrees,  marks  the  hours,  be  it  that  the  degrees 
themselves  cast  the  shadow,  or  that  the  shadow 
strikes  the  degrees  (be  they  lines,  points,  circles, 
or  the  like),  and  thereby  marks  the  position  of 
the  sun  or  the  time  of  day.  Moreover,  the  third, 
fourth  and  fifth  time  the  word  means  "  degrees." 
For  in  these  it  is  only  said  that  (he  sun  has  ret- 
rograded over  the  same  degrees  on  which  it  went 

down.  But  the  expression  TPK  jV7;.'D  is  mani- 
festly to  be  taken  as  a  metonomy,  as  far  as  it  is 
pars  pro  toto.  The  language  had  no  name  for  the 
novelty.  It  had  only  a  word  for  the  chief  fea- 
tures of  it,  and  thus  that  became  the  name  of  the 

whole.  r\l7j,'0  "li^N  is  both  times  the  accusative 
of  measure.  E/OEO  stands  in  an  emphatic  anti- 
thesis: by  means  of  the  sun's  movement,  thus  in 
consequence  of  a  natural  cause,  the  shadow  had 
gone  down;  but  I,  says  the  Prophet  in  the  con- 
sciousness of  the  will  and  power  of  Jehovah,  I 
bring  it  about  that,  contrary  to  nature,  it  must  re- 
turn ten  degrees.  This  could  happen  indirectly 
by  refraction  of  the  sun's  rays  (comp.  KEII/  on  2 
Kings  xx.  9),  or  perhaps  directly  by  an  optical 
effect.  It  remains  a  miracle-  any  way.  [See 
BARNES  in  loc.  for  a  full  presentation  of  this  sub- 
ject.] Vari'ous  natural  explanations  see  in  WI- 
NER, R.-W.-B.  Art.  Hiskia.  THENIUS  (on  2 
Kings  xx.  9)  supposes  an  eclipse  of  the  sun,  which, 
according  to  SEYFFARTH,  took  place  September 
26th,  713  B.  C.  But  this  date  does  not  sufficiently 
agree  with  our  event,  nor  would  an  eclipse  explain 
the  retrocession  of  the  shadow.  I  believe  that  the 
LORD  desired  to  give  to  His  anointed,  at  a  very 
important  epoch  of  his  personal  and  official  life, 
the  assurance  that  He,  the  LORD,  could  as  certainly 
restore  the  sands  of  Hezekiah's  life  that  were 
nearly  run  out,  and  strengthen  them  to  renew 
their  running,  as  He  now  lets  the  shadow  of  the 
sun-dial  return  a  given  number  of  degrees. 


No  one  doubts  the  genuineness  of  this  song. 
That  it  was  not  composed  during  the  sickness,  ap- 
pears from  the  seoond  half,  which  contains  thanks 


c)  Hezekiah's  Psalm  of  Thanksgiving. 
CHAPTERS  XXX VIII.  9-20. 

(adjective  form  only  here),  ^p  and  HvT  mean- 
ing ''  licium"   (aTT.  fay.)  ver.  12;    i"W  meaning 


for  recovery.  But  it  is  probable,  too  that  the 
song  was  no  involuntary  burst  of  joyful  and  grate- 
ful feeling,  such  as  might  well  forth  from  the 
heart  in  the  first  moments  after  deliverance.  For, 
as  DELITZSCH  has  remarked,  the  song  bears  evi- 
dent marks  of  art^  and  of  choice,  and  partly  of 
antiquated  expression.  Such  forms  of  expression 
are:  ""^(l?  (again  only  Exod.  xxxviii.  21)  and 

'^r?  (57r-  W-)  ver.  11 ;  iVl  in  the  sense  of 
''dwelling"  (perhaps  again  Ps.  xlix.  20),  'J/1 


''  composuit  animum"  (again  only  Ps.  cxxxi.  2) 
ver.  13;  "MJ.T  D^D  (again  only  Jer.  viii.  7)  and 
^$?y  («"•  %£?•)  ver.  14  ;  Hithp.  HT^n  (again 
only  Ps.  xlii.  5)  ver.  15  ;  Pfr'H  ver.  17  and  JJJ 
ver.  20  with  the  accusative  instead  of  the  usual 
construction  with  2  ;  '7?  as  substantive  =  interi- 


tus,  and  joined  with  J~\n$  (only  here)  ver.  17. 
Added  to  this  arc  echoes  from  Job,  especially  in 
the  first,  lamenting  part  of  the  song:  J?D3  Niph. 
ver.  12  (again  only  in  Job  iv.  21).  'JJ-'W  ver. 


CHAP.  XXXVIII.  10-14. 


399 


12,  comp.  Job  vi.  9  (chap,  xxvii.  8);  ' 
ver.  12,  comp.  Job  xxiii.  14.  HTT^IJ?  DVD  ver. 
12,  Job  iv.  20  ;  "Ui  ^1  ver.  14,  comp.  Job  xvi. 
20 ;  <133~U<t  ver.  14,  comp.  Job  xvii.  3 ;  oSn  ver. 
16,  comp.  Job  xxxix  4.  Compare  the  list  by 
DELITZSCH  in  DRECHSLER'S  Komm.  II.  p.  620 


sq.  It  is,  therefore,  conjectured,  not  without  rea- 
son, that  the  learned  king,  well  acquainted  with 
the  ancient  literature  of  his  people,  produced  this 
song  later  as  he  had  time  and  leisure  for  it,  as  a 
monument  both  of  his  art  and  learning.  Apart 
from  the  superscription  ver.  9,  the  song  has  evi- 
dently two  parts  ;  a  lament  (vers.  10-14),  and  a 
joyful  thanksgiving  (vers.  15-20. 


a)   SUPERSCRIPTION.    XXXVIII.  9. 

9  The  writing  of  Hezekiah,  king  of  Judah,  when  he  had  been  sick,  and  was  recovered 
from  his  sickness. 

EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


It  is  doubtful  if  3fO:?  -  DTDD.  For  although 
6.  and  m.  are  in  general  kindred  sounds,  still  an 
interchange  specially  of  the  roots  3fl3  and  DH3 
never  occurs.  For  neither  D^pJ  ( Jer.  ii.  22,  see 
my  remarks  in  loc.),  nor  the  noun  Df)3  has  any- 
thing to  do  with  3rO.  We  have  besides,  as  de- 
rived from  the  unused  root  DfG  only  DrOO  in 

-  T  J       T  :  • 

the  superscriptions  of  Ps.  xvi.  Ivi.-lx.  Why 
should  the  exchange  of  3  and  D  be  made  just  for 
this  species  of  Psalm  ?  Why  was  not  3i"OD  used 
in  the  superscription  of  those  Psalrns  as  well  as 
for  our  passage,  if  both  words  are  actually  of  like 
meaning  ?  Beside  3i~OD  occurs  elsewhere,  and 
means  either  abstractly  the  writing,  mode  of 
writing  (Exod.  xxxii.  16;  xxxix.  30;  Deut.  x. 
4;  2  Chr.  xxxvi.  22;  Ezra.  i.  1),  or  in  the  con- 
crete sense,  a  something  written,  piece  of  scrip- 
ture, copy  (2  Chr.  xxi.  12;  xxxv.  4).  Here,  too, 
it  means  a  writing,  a  written  document  or  record. 
The  word  would  give  us  to  know  that  another 
source  for  this  song  lay  before  the  author  than  for 
other  parts  of  chapters  xxxvi.-xxxix.  The  Book 
of  Kings  does  not  contain  the  song  of  Hezekiah. 
From  that  therefore  the  author  could  not  take  it. 
There  lay  before  him  a  document  that  was  either 
held  to  be  a  writing  of  Hezekiah's  or  actually 
was  such.  In  fact  we  may  take  the  word  ''  writ- 


ing "  in  the  sense  of  original  manuscript.  For 
the  unusual  word,  2.TOO,  doubtless  chosen  on  pur- 
pose, and  on  purpose  put  first,  intimates  that  not 
only  the  contents  of  the  writing  came  from  Heze- 
kiah, but  also  that  the  manuscript  of  it  was  his. 
It  may  be  remarked  as  a  curiosity,  that  GROTIUS 
conjectures  that  the  song  was  dictated  to  the  king 
by  Isaiah,  thus  was  properly  the  production  of  the 
latter.  Excepting  this  no  one  has  doubted  Heze- 
kiah's authorship.  He  is  known  to  have  been  a 
very  active  man  in  the  sphere  of  art  and  litera- 
ture. He  was  the  restorer  of  the  Jehovah-cultus 
in  general,  and  of  the  instrumental  and  vocal 
temple  music  of  David  in  particular  .(2  Chr. 
xxix.).  According  to  Prov.  xxv.  1,  he  had  a  col- 
lege or  commission,  called  the  iTpTFI  ""E^K,  which 
appears  to  have  been  charged  with  collecting  and 
preserving  ancient  documents  of  the  national  lit- 
erature. See  DELITZSCH  in  DRECHSL.  Komm. 

II.  2,  p.  221.     From  the  words  )hSm  and  TV) 


we  see  that  the  sickness  and  recovery  are 
treated  as  a  total.  In  the  second  of  these  peri- 
ods, inexactly  denned,  the  song  originated.  The 
second  period  is  named,  not  by  the  infinitive  as 
the  first,  but  by  means  of  the  verb,  fin-,  according 
to  that  frequent  Hebrew  usage,  in  which  the  dis- 
course quickly  returns  from  subordinate  to  the 
principal  form.  Comp.  xviii.  5. 


p)    THE  DISTRESS.    CHAPTER  XXXVIII.  10-14. 

10       I  said  in  "the  cutting  off  of  my  days, 

I  shall  go  to  the  gates  of  the  grave  : 

I  am  deprived  of  the  residue  of  my  years. 
Ill  said,  I  shall  not  see  the  LORD, 

Even  the  LORD,  in  the  land  of  the  living : 

I  shall  behold  man  no  more 

With  the  inhabitants  of  the  "world. 

12  °Mine  age  is  departed,  and  is  removed  from  me  as  a  shepherd's  tent; 
I  have  dcut  off  like  a  weaver  my  life : 

He  will  cut  me  off  Hvith  pining  sickness: 

From  day  even  to  night  wilt  thou  make  an  end  of  me. 

13  el  reckoned  till  morning,  that,  as  a  lion, 
So  will  he  break  all  my  bones  : 

From  day  even  to  night  wilt  thou  make  an  end  of  me. 

14  Like  fa  crane  or  a  swallow,  so  did  I  chatter  : 
I  did  mourn  as  a  dove; 


400 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Mine  eyes  gfail  with  looking  upward  : 

O  LORD,  I  am  oppressed  ;  2hundertake  for  me. 


1  Or,  from  the  thrum. 
•  in  the  pause  of  my  dayt. 
d  rolled  up. 
t  languished  upward. 


a  Or,  ease  me. 

*  non-existence. 

•  /  composed  myself. 
h  be  my  surety. 


«  My  dwelling  is  broken  up. 
*  a  swallow,  a  crane. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  10.  Views  differ  very  much  about  ""3'  ""D^l.  The 
Ancient  Versions  guess  at  it.  The  LXX.  have  ev 
iii^et  (they  probably  read  TD1);  the  VULGATE,  "in  di- 
midio"  (if  this  was  not  for  the  sake  of  resemblance  in 
sound  between  'OT  and  dimidium,  then  it  was  from 
a  calculation  that  the  point  of  culmination  is  at  the 
same  time  soistitium).  The  SYRIAN,  also,  by  reason  of 
the  same  combination,  has  in  mediis  dicbus meis ;"  TARQ. 
JONATAN  has  in  moerore  dierum  meorum;  AQU.  and  SYMM. 
have  ev  aadeveia  (they  take  the  root  DOT  =  nil);  the 

T  T  TT 

ARAB,  and  various  Rabbins  translate  "  in  adcmtione,  ex- 
cisione  dierum  meorum,"  in  which  they  proceed  from  the 
meaning  •'  to  destroy,"  which  DOT  certainly  has,  espe- 

T  T 

cially  in  the  Niph.  (comp.  Hos.  x.  15;  Isa.  vi.  5;  xv.  1, 
etc.).  Many  modern  expositors,  following  the  precedent 
of  EBKRH.  SCHEID(.Z>WS.  philol.  exeg.  ad  Cant.  Hisk.  Lugd. 
Bat.  1769),  translate  the  word  as  do  the  VULO.  and  SYR., 
viz.,  in  dimidio,  media  (comp.  *0'  'i'n2  Ps.  cii.  25).  This 
meaning  is  supported  by  reference  to  the  supposed 
still-stand  of  the  sun  in  the  midst  of  its  course;  but  it 
is  over  ingenious  and  entirely  isolated  here.  For  in 
other  places  of  its  occurrence  ^OT  undoubtedly  means  : 
"  being  still,  pause"  (Ixii.  0,  7;  Ps.  Ixxxiii.  2).  Most  ex- 
positors now  adopt  this  sense  (GESEXIUS,  MAUHER,  UM- 
BREIT,  DRECHSLER,  KXOBEL,  DELITZSCH).  Yet  they  differ 
also;  some  understanding  by  the  stillness  the  political 
still-stand  consequent  on  Sennacherib's  defeat  (GESEN., 
MATJR.,  DRECHSLER),  or  that  promised  to  follow  the  hoped- 
for  retreat  of  the  Assyrians  (KSOBEL).  Others  refer  to 
the  expression  ^2in  "D'3  ("  in  the  days  of  my  harvest" 

:  T       " 

Job  xxix.  4),  and  suppose  the  meaning  to  be  "the  time 
of  manly  maturity  when  the  spirit  of  men  begins  to  be 
clearer  and  quieter  "  (UMBR.),  or  "  the  quiet  course  of 
healthful  life"  (DEL.).  Thus  all  these  expositors  take 
'iDT  in  a  good  sense,  i.  e.,  of  quiet,  happy  condition,  of 
rest  of  spirit,  of  vigor  of  life,  vigor.  But  I  cannot  think 
it  has  this  positive  meaning.  One  must  not  transfer  to 
DDT  the  sense  of  PPJ-  The  root  HOI  has  the  predo- 

TT 

minant  meaning  "  not  to  be,  to  bring  to  nought,  to  anni- 
hilate," whether  this  comes  from  the  notion  of  making 
like  (the  earth),  or  elsewhere.  For  HOT  means  "  to  de- 
stroy," once  in  Kal.  (Hos.  iv.  5),  always  in  Niph.  (Hos. 
iv.  0;  x.  7,  15;  Isa.  xv.  1 ;  vi.  5;  Jer.  xlvii.  5;  Obad.  5; 
Zeph.  i.  11) ;  in  Piel  in  the  solitary  instance  of  this  con- 
jugation (2  Sam.  xxi.  5).  Kal.  occurs  beside  only  in  the 
sense  of  negative  rest,  of  being  no  more,  ceasing  (ces- 
sare):  Jer.  xiv.  17;  Lam.  iii.  49.  And  abo  *OT  in  the 
three  instances  where  it  occurs  (Ixii.  6, 7 ;  Ps.  Ixxxiii.  2,), 
is  primarily  only  a  designation  for  ceasing  to  speak, 
being  silent,  as  LELITZSCH  himself  remarks  .  ^  Ixii.  6. 
Accordingly  I  think  that  'O'  '01  means  rather  "being 
still,  standing  still,  the  quen?hing  of  life-power."  Thus 
the  king  would  say:  "as  I  noted  that  the  clock  of  my 
life  gradually  stopped,  I  thought :  now  it  goes  in  the 
gale  of  Hades."  It  is  plain  that,  with  this  construction 
'0'  'OT  must  be  referred  to  THOX,  whereas  those  who 
construe  '^T  positively  must  refer  it  to  TID^N.  For  it 
is  self-evident  that  one  whose  life-clock  st^ps  must  en- 
ter the  gates  of  Hades,  whereas  it  needs  to  be  made  em- 
phatic that  one,  still  in  the  vigor  of  life,  must  make  up 


GRAMMATICAL. 

his  mind  to  this  fatal  entry.  The  Masorets  understood 
the  words  in  the  latter  sense  ;  hence  the  pause  in  DD  7X 
indicated  by  Tiphhha.  One  is  necessitated  thereby  to 
construe  "pn  emphatically  "  to  go  off,"  and  the  connec- 
tion with  '$  "\y&3  as  a  pregnant  construction,  which 
is  needless  with  our  exposition.  The  cohortative  form 
in  PD/N  seems  to  me  to  mean  that  the  speaker,  as  it 
were,  spurs  himself  on  to  do  what  he  must  do,  but  does 

unwillingly  (comp.  EWALD,  228,  a). Pual  Tp3  occurs 

again  only  Exod.  xxxviii.  21,  where  it  means'  "to  be 
mustered,  inscribed,  inventoried."  It  is  plain  that  it 
cannot  mean  this  here.  Hence  some  take  it  =  "  made 
to  miss,  deprived  of,frustrari."  But  DELITZ.  justly  re- 
marks that  then  it  ought  to  read  Tnpijn  (comp.  on 
xxix.  6)  GESEN.  translates  :  "  I  am  missed  through  the 
rest  of  my  years,"  grammatically  correct  but  flat.  The 
most  inviting  is  the  rendering :  "  I  am  fined  the  residue 
of  my  years,"  which  is  grammatically  possible  since 

TpD  occurs  with  the  accusative  of  the  person  meaning 

IT 
"  to  visit,  punish  "  (Jer.  vi.  15;  xlix.  8 ;  Ps.  lix.  6). 

Ver.  11.  Concerning  !T  see  on  xii.  2. If  the  words 

Sin  '!!$'  Dy  are  takenTas  parallel  with  Q"nn  "P&O, 
then  of  course  one  must  cast  doubt  upon  7lH  (aw.  Aey.) 
as  CHEYNE,  DELITZSCH,  DIESTEL  and  others  do,  and  read 

17PI,  i.e.,  "world  in  the  sense  of  earthly  presence" 
(aiiav  oCros)  Ps.  xvii.  14;  xlix.  2;  Ixxxix.  48.  But  if  we 
are  correct  in  referring  'pin  V1JO  to  the  object  and 
not  to  the  predicate  (see  comm.  below),  and  if,  according 
to  the  principle  of  parallelism,  the  same  construction 
obtain  in  the  second  half  of  the  verse,  then  the  position 
of  1'lJ?  after  DTN,  and  then  also  the  difficulty  of  connec- 
nd  also  '~nn  DJ7  DIN,  show  that 
Dj,'  is  not  to  be  joined  to  the  object  but  to 
the  predicate,  that  therefore  there  is  an  antithetical  pa- 
rallelism. Therefore  bin  is  correct,  and  is  to  be  taken 

VIT 

in  the  sense  ti.rj  «w«i  of  a  relative  not  being,  or  being 
no  more. 

Ver.  12.  If  I'll  be  taken  in  its  usual  sense  of  "  oetas, 
time,  life-time"  (DRECHSLER)  there  ensues  the  disad- 
vantage that  the  predicates  ri7j!31  >'DJ  do  not  fit  to  it. 
For  they  contain  the  notion  breaking  off,  removal  in 
respect  to  space,  which  is  applicable  to  dwelling-space, 
room,  but  not  to  the  time  of  dwelling.  Hence  most  ex- 
positors recur  to  the  dialects  wherein  111  (likely  be- 
cause of  a  relation  to  HJ)  has  very  constantly  the  sense 
of  "  dwelling."  Thus  in  Chaldee  m  is  a  very  common 
word  for  "dwelling,"  Dan.  ii.  38;  iii.  31;  iv.  9,  18,  32. 
Thence  come  the  expressions  of  the  Targum  TH  "the 

T  ~ 

inhabitant,"  JO'l  "the  dwelling."  In  Syriac, too, dairo, 
dajoro,  dairono  is  "the  dwelling;"  and  in  Arabic  dar.  It 
seems  that  the  radical  idea  "rotundum,  orbis"  has  in 
Hebrew  developed  more  to  the  meaning  "circuit,  peri- 
odus,  period,  age,"  whereas  in  the  dialects  it  has  been 
restricted  more  to  the  meaning  of  the  round  tent-dwell- 
ing. Still  there  are  not  wanting  examples  to  prove  that 
in  Hebrew  also  the  word  has  retained  its  original  sense 


CHAP.  XXXVIII.  10-14. 


401 


of  "  being  round  "  in  reference  to  things  of  space.  Thus 
xxii.  11  111  means  "  ball ;"  xxix.  3  Tn.3  =  circumcirca  ; 
Ezek.  xxiv.  5  in  ==  mitO  "the  wood-pile  in  round 

T  I   . 

layers."  Indeed  Ps.  xlix.  20  *|Y1  very  likely  means  spe- 
cifically "  dwelling."  It  is  very  probable  that  Hezekiah, 
a  learned  prince  and  well  acquainted  with  the  ancient 
monuments  of  the  national  tongue,  in  solemn  poetry, 

availed  himself  of  an  antiquated  expression. j»rjj 

used  for  pulling  up  the  tent-pegs,  xxxiii.  2o ;  Niph.  found 

again  only  Job  iv.  21,  and  with  the  same  meaning. 

n^JU  ft"01"  nbj  "  to  uncover,"  "  to  clear  out  the  land, 

T  T 

evacuare,''  then  specifically  "migrare,"  Niph.  =  "  mi- 
grarefactus,  dcportatuts. — "j;T  is  an  adjective  formation 
from  n.jn  =  pastor  ictus:  it  occurs  only  here.  That 
"13  p  (an-.  A.ey.)  does  not  mean  "  to  cut  off"  seems  pro- 
bable to  me  also.  For  all  kindred  roots  X3D,  T3p,  T'2p. 
as  also  the  derivative  1l'3p  "the  porcupine,"  indicate 
that  it  means  "  to  contract,  wrap  together,  lay  together." 
Thus  many  moderns  translate:  "I  have  wound  up  my 
life."  But  if  one  so  understands  it :  "I  regard  my  life 
as  wound  up,"  i.  e.,  done,  finished,  I  have  finished  with 
life,  then  it  seems  to  me  not  to  suit  the  first  person,  nor 
the  primary  sense  of  THJDp.  My  rendering  (see  Exeg. 
and  Orit.  below)  makes  plain  why  we  find  the  first  and 
then  the  third  person.  -IJ£'¥3''  (reminds  strongly  of  Job 

vi.  9,  eomp.  xxvii.  8). PH'T^I^    DVD  recall  Job  iv. 

20  ;  and  UO'Sffal  Job  xxiii.  H. 
Ver.  13.  nity  is  "  componere,  complanare."    We  had  the 

T  • 

word  with  a  physical  sense  xxviii.  25;  here  it  has  amo- 
ral sense  like  Ps.  cxxxi.  2,  where  it  means  composui  et 
compescui  animum.  In  our  text '!£J£JJ  is  wanting.  It  is 
seen  from  this  that  the  poet  uses  the  word  in  that  di- 
rect causative  sense,  so  frequent  in  Hebrew,  according 
to  which  Jlliy  can  mean,  not  only  "to  make  alike, even, 

T  * 

mild,  quiet,"   but  also  "to  effect  equality,    evenness 

(aequitatem     animi),    equanimity,   quietness." '1JO 

(pointed  with  the  art.  like  Ps.  xxii.  17),  though  referred 
by  the  Masorets  to  TT1K?,  still  manifestly,  as  to  sense, 
belongs  to  what  follows.  For  the  lion  is  no  example 

of  that  animum  componere. The  retrospective  |3  after 

a  3  immediately  preceding  occurs  here  like  it  does  di- 
rectly after,  at  the  beginning  of  ver.  14. 

Ver.  H.  The  words  11JJ?  D1D3  are  difficult.  First,  as 
to  D:.D,  it  is  to  be  remarked  that  Jer.  viii.  7,  the  only 
other  place  where  the  words  occur,  K'ri  would  read 


D'D'  This  shows  that  the  word  has  nothing  to  do  with 
D^O  "  horse,"  whatever  may  be  the  etymology  of  the  lat- 
ter word.  The  conjecture  of  VELTHUSEN  (Beitrag  zur  Au- 
fklaerung  des  Dankliedes  Hlskiae  zur  B&foerderung  theol. 
Kenntniisse  von  J.  A.  CHAMER,  P.  I.  p.  61  not.),  seems  to  me 
reasonable,  that  the  Masorets,  beside  the  pronuncia- 
tion sus,  intimate  another  stls  or  sis,  because  the  latter 
better  corresponds  to  the  sound-mimicry  of  the  word. 
For  it  is  very  probable  that  the  bird  receives  its  name 
from  the  sound  it  makes  (like  cuckoo,  Uhu  "  owl,"  etc.). 
1U.J?.  There  is  no  root  "1JJ7  in  Hebrew.  It  is  re- 
garded as  coming  by  transposition  from  "\_j?J  increpare, 
but  which  in  Ethiopia  is  said  to  mean  "  to  sigh,"  in  Ara- 
bic "to  implore  plaintively."  BOETTCHEB  (Aehrenlese,  p. 
33)  takes  "\\}y  for  a  softened  1OV  =  "disturbed, 
troubled,"  and  this  "  as  the  peculiar  mark  of  the  restless 
swallow  that  flies  back  and  forth."  But  this  does  not 
suit  Jer.  viii.  7,  where  it  is  pure  arbitrariness  to-  omit 

V It  is  certainly  no  accident  that  in  many  languages 

the  crane  is  designated  by  a  word  containing  the  sound 
g  (k)  and  r,  and  it  shows  that  all  these  denominations 
are  'ovojaaTon-oirjTiKa.  The  name  in  Arab,  is.  Kurki ; 
Aram.,  kurkeja;  Greek,  yepavos;  Lat.  grus,  etc-.  This 
meaning  suits  very  well  Jer.  viii.  7,  but  is  less  suitable 

in  our  text. T1JJ?  D'DD  is  the  same  as  "tljjf^  D'D3 

(FUERST):  The  asyndeton  (the  like  occurs  Nah.  ii.  12; 
Hab.  iii.  11)  gives  emphasis :  "  like  a  swallow,  (still 
more)  like  a  crane  I  sigh."  There  are  cases  where,  not 
the  species,  but  the  individual  forms  the  basis  of  com- 
parison. Thus  the  rule  that  would  require  it,  tr>  read 
D1D3  if  TlJj,'  is  co-ordinate  and  not  subordinate,  cannot 

be  strictly  carried  out.  Beside  the  examples  just  given, 
comp.  Num.  xxiii.  24 ;  xxiv.  9,  6 ;  Job  xvi.  14. H JP1 

TT 

is  used  for  the  note  of  the  dove  alsolix.  11,  comp.  Ezek. 
vii.  16;  Nah.  ii.  8. ^-,1pi2/y  ;  so  punctuated  nptfj? 

I  T  :  |T  I 

can  only  be  perf.  3d  per.  fern.,  and  the  fern.,  is  to  be  con- 
strued as  neuter.  But  pl^J?  occurs  no  where  else  in  an 
intransitive  sense.  Hence,  and  for  the  sake  of  anti- 
thesis to  'J3"\j;  (as  LUZZATTO  well  remarks,  see  in 
DEI.ITZSCH),  it  is  better  to  read  T\\)Vi]),  which  must  then 

||T:? 

be  taken  as  substantative  =  "  opprcssio,  anxiety.  

SS^  "to  hang  down  limp,"  Job  xxviii.  4,  then,  gen- 
erally, "  languidum,  debilem  esse,"  comp.  xix.  6 ;  Ps.  Ixxix. 

8;  cxvi.  6;  cxlii.  7.) "J3"\J?   is  sponde  pro  me.    The 

construction  with  the  accusative  of  the  person  like 
Gen.  xliii.  9  ;  xliv.  32;  Prov.  xi.  15. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL, 


1.  The  poet  depicts  how  he  felt  in  the  moment 
of  extreme  peril  of  life,  when  he  thought  he  must 
enter  the  gates  of  Hades,  and,  as  it  were,  pay  the 
penalty  of  the  remnant  of  his  days  (ver.  10). 
Then  he  believed  he  would  for  ever  be  robbed  of 
the  blessing  that  is  enjoyed  in  contemplating  the 
works  of  Jehovah  and  in  the  companionship  of 
men,  by  his  exile  in  the  land  of  unsubstantial 
shades  (ver.  11).  He  sees  his  body  already 
broken  up  and  removed  away  like  the  tent  of  a 
wandering  shepherd  ;  he  was  in  the  midst  of  the 
labor  of  weaving  his  life  and  rolling  it  up,  like 
the  weaver  his  web  on  the  weaver's  beam  ;  but  in 
the  midst  of  this  labor  he  sees  his  life  suddenly 
cut  off.  By  day  still  untouched,  it  is  mortally 
smitten  before  night  comes  (ver.  121.  In  anxious 
expectation  he  drags  on  till  morning.  But  that 
26 


|  brings  only  new  suffering.  Like  a  lion  the  dis- 
ease falls  upon  him  to  crush  his  bones,  and  anew  it 
seems  as  if  between  day  and  night  his  life  must 
end  (ver.  13).  Mortally  sick,  he  can  only  utter 
weak  murmurs  and  groans,  like  the  complaining 
sounds  of  the  swallow,  the  crane,  the  dove.  Yet 
his  languishing  eyes  look  upwards  ;  he  has  great 
anguish,  but  he  is  able  still  to  call  on  the  LORD 
to  be  surety  for  him  (ver.  14). 

2.    I  said of  the  -world.— Vers.  10,  11. 

'3K  before  TOOK,  beginning  ver.  10,  seems  to 
stand  in  antithesis  to  1 0KI,  ver.  15.  /  thought, 
the  poet  would  say,  that  all  was  up ;  but  the  LORD 
thought  otherwise.  "ION  stands  for  what  one 
says,  i.  e.,  thinks  imvardlf  to  himself  (comp.  Gen. 
xxvi.  9 ;  xliv.  28  ;  1  Sam.  xx.  3,  etc.). 


402 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


The  expression  gates  of  Hades  occurs  only 
here:  c  imp.  Ps.  ix.  14;  cvii.  18;  Job  xxxviii. 
By  the  rest  of  my  days  Hezekiah  means,  of 
course,  the  extent  of  life  he  hoped  for  according 
to  the  natural  conditions  of  life.  It  is  the  same 
as  is  expressed  in  "  the  half  of  my  days  "  (Ps.  cii. 
25;  Jer.  xvii.  11).  Having  mentioned  the  evil 
that  was  in  prospect  (10  a),  and  named  the  good 
in  a  general  way  of  which  he  was  to  be  deprived 
(106),  Hezekiah  proceeds  in  ver.  11  to  specify 
the  particulars  of  this  good.  He  puts  first  that  he 
shall  no  more  see  JAH,  namely,  JAH  in  the  land 
of  the  living.  But  can  one  any  way  see  JAH  ? 
With  the  bodily  eye,  certainly  not,  and  least  of 
all  in  the  land  of  the  living.  But  to  see  Jehovah 
means  nothing  else  than  to  observe  and  enjoy  the 
traces  of  His  being  and  essence.  For  ''to  see" 
stands  here,  as  often,  in  the  wider  sense  of  percep- 
tion of  the  senses  generally  (comp.  Ps.  xxxvii. 
13;  xxxiv.  13;  Jer.  xxix.  32;  Eccl.  iii.  13;  ix. 
9,  etc.).  [It  is  both  more  obvious  and  more  edi- 
fying, and  more  to  the  honor  of  Hezekiah,  to  ex- 
plain this  seeing  Jehovah  by  a  reference  to  Psalm 
Ixiii.,  especially  vers.  2,6;  coll.  ver.  20  of  the 
text.  The  whole  Psalm  mutat.  mntand.  may  be 
taken  as  the  amplification  of  our  ver.  11  a;  or, 
vice  versa.  Ho  may  be  taken  as  Hozekiah's  epi- 
tome of  Ps.  Ixiii.,  which  may  have  been  his  solace 
in  the  languishing  night-watches.  It  is  strong 
confirmation  of  this  explanation  of  "the  seeing," 
that  Isaiah  communicates  to  Hezekiah  his  near 
recovery  by  promising  that  in  three  days  he  shall 
enjoy  what  he  here  represents  as  the  prime  bless- 
ing of  life:  "the  third  dav  thon  shall  go  up  unto 
the  house  of  the  LORD"  (2  Kings  xx.  5).  The 
promise  may  be  completed  in  the  words  of  Psalm 

Ixiii.  2 :  "to  see  (rOX"O)  Jehovah's  power  and 
glory,  as  thou  hast  seen  Him  in  the  sanctuary." 
According  to  the  exposition  that  follows,  "the 
third  day  "  might  be  from  the  beginning  of  the 
disease. — TR.] 

The  clause  in  the  land  of  the  living  is  a  li- 
mitation and  nearer  definition.  Not  that  he 
means  that  Jehovah  is  not  to  be  observed  in  the 
land  of  the  dead,  and  as  if  that  land  lay  outside 
of  Jehovah's  power  and  dominion.  How  contrary 
to  Old  Testament  Scripture  that  sentiment  would 
be  appears  from  Amos  ix.  2 ;  Job  xxvi.  6  ;  Psalm 
cxxxix.  8:  Prov.  xv.  11.  Hence  the  poet  defines 
his  meaning:  "I  thought  never  more  to  see  the 
JAH  who  reveals  Himself  in  the  land  of  the 
living."  This  is  the  first  and  greatest  good  that 
the  deceased  loses.  But  he  loses  also  the  compa- 


nionship of  men.  And  this,  again,  is  not  to  be 
understood  absolutely,  but  relatively.  For  in 
Hades  the  dead  person  is  with  other  dead  men. 
But  they  are  even  no  right  and  proper  men  any 
more,  but  only  shades.  Comp.  NAEGELSBACH  : 
Homer  Tkeol.  VII.  \  25,  p.  398  sqq.;  Die  nachho- 
mer.  Theol.  des  griech.  Volksylaubens  VII.  $  25,  p. 
413  sqq.  (see  Text,  and  Gram.). 

3.  Mine  age for  me.— Vers.  12-14.  The 

king  depicts  in  these  verses,  by  a  succession  of 
images,  the  progress  of  his  sickness  to  its  culmi- 
nation, then  the  turn  brought  about  by  his  be- 
lieving prayer,  ^n  means  "my  dwelling"  and 
not  "mine  age"  (see  Text,  and  Gram.).  By  this 
Hezekiah  evidently  means  his  body  (comp.  2 
Cor.  v.l,  4;  2  Pet.  i.  13,  14).  Though  in  the 
body  still,  he  contemplates  the  separation  of  body 
and  soul  as  already  accomplished.  Comparing 
the  body  to  a  shepherd's  tent,  which  after  a  while 
is  struck,  so  his  tent  he  regards  as  already  struck 
and  removed.  The  next  image  is  drawn  from  the 
weaver  (see  Text,  and  Gram.).  I  understand  the 
words  thus:  1  sit  at  the  loom  and  roll  up  my  life 
continuously  on  the  weaver's  beam;  He  cuts  me 

off  from  the  thrum  (H/T,  i.e.,  the  ends  of  the 
threads  attached  to  the  beam).  The  LORD,  by 
His  cutting  off,  interrupts  the  labor  of  Hezekiah, 
who  is,  so  to  speak,  weaving  his  life.  "From  day 
to  night  thou  finishes!  me."  This  seems  to  depict 
the  feeling  of  the  poet  at  the  close  of  his  first  day 
of  suffering.  Such  was  the  rapid  progress  of  the 
disease  that  it  seemed  about  to  do  its  work  in  one 
day.  .  By  evening,  indeed,  he  was  not  dead,  but 
only  by  the  greatest  effort  the  patient  wards  off 
despair.  "1  composed  myself  to  the  morning" 
(on  TV1$  pee  Text,  and  Gram.).  On  the  follow- 
ing day  the  torments  of  the  disease  continue.  He 
feels  its  power  like  that  of  a  lion  that  crunches  the 
bones  of  its  prey  (comp.  Prov.  xxv.  15,  where  is 
a  different  sense).  A  second  time  he  thinks  the 
evening  will  end  his  suffering*,  and  awaits  the 
issue  with  murmurings  and  groanings  compara- 
ble to  the  querulous  notes  of  the  swallow,  crane 
and  dove. 

The  second  clause  of  ver.  14  forms  the  turning 
point.  With  painful  longing,  under  severe  op- 
pression, the  poet  lifts  his  eyes  to  the  LOKD.  His 
prayer  is  only  a  short  one.  He  regards  liimself 
as  a  debtor  hard  pressed  by  his  creditor,  and  prays 
the  LORD  to  be  surety  for  him.  'J3"TJ?  is,  more- 
over, a  literal  quotation  from  Job  xvii.  3.  Heze- 
kiah thinks  of  suffering  Job,  and  concludes  a  si- 
milar event  with  the  same  appeal. 


y]   THE  DELIVERANCE.    CHAPTER  XXXVIII.  15-22. 

15  What  shall  I  say? 

He  hath  both  spoken  unto  me,  and  himself  hath  done  it  : 
I  shall  *go  softly  all  my  years 
bln  the  bitterness  of  my  soul. 

16  O  LORD,  by  these  things  men  live, 

"And  in  all  these  things  is  the  life  of  my  spirit: 
So  wilt  thou  recover  me,  and  make  me  to  live. 

17  dBehold,  'for  peace  I  had  great  bitterness: 

But  2thou  hast  in  love  to  my  soul  delivered  it  from  the  pit  of  'corruption : 


CHAP.  XXXVIII.  15-22. 


403 


For  thou  hast  cast  all  my  sins  behind  thy  back. 

18  For  the  grave  cannot  praise  thee, 
Death  can  not  celebrate  thee  : 

They  fthat  go  down  into  the  pit  cannot  hope  for  thy  truth. 

19  The  living,  the  living,  he  shall  praise  thee.  as  I  do  this  day: 
The  father  to  the  children  shall  make  known  thy  truth. 

20  The  LORD  Bwas  ready  to  save  me : 

Therefore  hwe  will  sing  my  songs  to  the  stringed  instruments 
All  the  days  of  our  life  in  the  house  of  the  LORD. 

21  For  Isaiah  had  said,  Let  them  take  a  lump  of  figs,  and  lay  it  for  a  plaister  upon 

22  the  boil,  and  he  shall  recover.     Hezekiah  also  had  said,  What  is  the  sign  that  I 
shall  go  up  to  the  house  of  the  LORD  ? 


1  Or,  on  my  peace  came  great  bitterness. 


2Heb.  thou  hast  loved  my  soul  from  the  pit. 


•  walk  solemnlji.  *  For.  *  And  to  the  full  life  of  my  spirit  strengthen  me  thereby  and  let  me  live. 

^Behold  for  peace,  bitterness  inured  to  me.  "destruction,  ornothingness. 

1  that  are  gone  down.  e  is  present.  h  we  will  touch  the  stringed  instrument^. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  15.  The  Hiph.  HITD  (denoting  the  solemn  walk 

T  ~    ' 

of  those  visiting  the  temple),  occurs  again  only  Ps.  xlii. 
6.  To  take  it  as  meaning  the  walk  of  life  seems  to  me 
unwarranted  in  view  of  that  passage,  and  in  the  entire 
absence  of  any  supporting  passage.  The  same  may  be 
said  of  taking  ^/y  here,  as  in  other  passages  after  verbs 
or  nouns  denoting  cumulation  (xxxviii.  5;  xxxii.  10; 
Lev.  xv.  25),  in  the  sense  of  "according  to  "  Nor  may 
we  take  7J?  =  "  spite  of,"  which  it  never  means.  It  is 
here  simply  causal. 

Ver.  16.  The  suffix  in  DH   /y  can  only  refer  to  the 
two  notions  ni^JJl  TOX-     The   plur.  masc.,  need  not 

surprise:   eomp.  Ezek.  xviii.  26;   xxxiii.  18,19. ^y 

joined  to  DTI  denotes  the  ground  or  cause  of  life  ;  and 

T  T 

it  is  to  be  noted  that  a  Hebrew  regards  as  the  basis  of 
life  what  wo  regard  as  the  means  of  living.  Hence  that 
from  which  one  lives  in  the  usual  sense,  i.  e.,  his  sup- 
port, is  joined  with  7^  (Gen.  xxvii.  40;  Deut.  viii.  3). 
Much  more  rvi"l  may  stand  with  7^  when  the  absolute 
foundation  of  life  is  to  be  designated.  The  plural  VtT 
has  for  subject  the  living  generally,  for  which  we  may 

use  "  one." Among  the  many  explanations,  more  or 

less  forced,  of  the  following  clause,  the  most  admissi- 
ble seems  to  be  that  of  GESENIUS,  afterwards  amplified 
by  DRECHSI.ER.  It  takes  all  from  737!  to  '}" HP!  as  one 
clause,  and  thus  has  the  double  advantage  of  obtaining 
for  7371  a  suitable  reference  and  for  the  verbs  at  the 
close  a  suitable  connection.  "And  to  the  totality,  t.  e., 
the  completeness,  full  power  of  the  life  of  my  spirit 
mayest  thou  by  the  same  both  strengthen  and  make  me 
live."  JH3  refers  to  H^l  "IDX  ver.  15.  The  change 
of  gender  is  common  in  Hebrew.  The  insertion 
of  J7I3  between  73  and  VH  corresponds  to  the  fre- 
quent insertion  of  T\y  after  73,  a  form  of  expression 
that  occurs  once  in  Hos.  xiv.  3  in  reference  toXt^J.and 
in  Isaiah  even  xl.  12  in  reference  to  jyi7E/3.  oSn  with 
that  meaning  that  alone  suits  here  occurs  only  in  this 
Hiph.  and  again  in  Kal,  Job  xxxix.  4.  The  meaning  of 
Kal  is  "  pinguis,  fortisfuit;"  thus  Hiph.  would  mean  "to 
make  fat,  strong,  healthy."  Instead  of  'J^nH  the 
VULG.  and  TALMUD  seem  to  have  read  'J"pin.  One  Co- 
dex reads  thus,  and  many  expositors  adopt  it.  In  fact 
there  is  no  alternative  but  eitherto  read  'J"nn  [Lowra], 
or  to  take  1  before  'JD'Sfin  in  that  demonstrative  re- 


GEAMMATICAL. 

trospective  sense  in  which  we  had  it  xxxvii.  26;  xvii. 
14;  ix.  4,  and  which,  in  fact,  occurs  generally  in  clauses 
that  are  expanded  either  extensively  or  intensively. 
Comp.  2  Sam.  xiv.  10;  Prov.  xxiii.  24 ;  Num.xxiii.3;  Isa. 
Ivi.  6  sqq.  According  to  this  the  1  would  refer  to  the 
remote  7371-  But  'J^nni  would  denote  emphatically 
the  chief  result  contemplated  by  the  poet.  Hezekiah 
was  convalescent  when  he  composed  this  song.  He 
could  therefore  wish  that  he  might  be  restored  to  the 
full  power  of  his  spirit.  But.  if,  instead  of  this  impera- 
tive, one  reads  'ynn,  then  the  double  Vav  before  the 
verbs  —  et — el,  as  in  ver.  15.  The  sense  remains  essen- 
tially the  same. 

Ver.  17.  DlStyS  i?  not  =  DlSt^3.  But  the  meaning 
is  "  for  peace,  for  good  it  was  bitter  to  me."  It  is  not  to 
be  objected  to  this  that  then  PIT!  ought  not  to  be  want- 
ing, for,  apart  from  its  absence  being  quite  normal  here 
(comp.  ver.  20),  TO  may  itself  be  regarded  as  a  verb 
["  preterite  Kal  of  T1JO,  not  elsewhere  used,  thouzb  the 
Hiph.  ii  of  frequent  occurrence." — J.  A.  ALEX.].  (Comp. 
xxiv.  9;  Job  xxii.  2;  Ruth  i.  20).  But  it  is  more  likely 
that  "113  is  adjective  used  as  noun  as  in  Ruth  i.  13;  Lam. 
i.  4.  Comp.  »7  npt^y,  ver.  14. According  to  Our  con- 

1      I  .! 

struction  of  Ql7iJr?  we  must  regard  nptyn  n.HX1  a  caw- 
sal  clause  expressive  of  the  situation. P^TI  <=•  "  to 

be  lovingly  attached"  (Deut.  vii.  7;  x.  15.  etc.);  but 
while  elsewhere  construed  with  3,  it  is  here  (uomp.  jJJ) 
ver.  20,  with  the  accusat.  though  elsewhere  always  with 
31  joined  with  the  accusat.  of  the  object,  and  beside  this 
with  ||p  to  designate  the  terminus  a  quo  of  the  way  of 
deliverance  (construct,  prccgnans)  [coll.  Heb.  v.  7,  ical 

ei<r<iKOvcr#ety  airo  T>)9  «uAa/3ei'as. — TR.]. The  Combina- 
tion '73  nniy  "the  pit  of  destruction,"  occurs  only 
here ;  even  the  substantive  use  of  '73  does  not  occur 
elsewhere.  • 

Ver.  18.  JO  before  T\  7lXtI'>  by  a  familiar  usage, 
(xxiii.  4;  1  Sam.  ii.  3,  etc.)  extends  to  the  following 

clause. The  "113  mV  (comp.  xiv.  19;  Ps.  xxviii.  1; 

Ixxxviii.  5,  etc.)  are  not  those  going  down,  but  those 
gone  down.  For  in  Hebrew  the  Participle  is  in  itself 
devoid  of  tense  signification,  which  must  be  ascertained 
from  the  nature  of  what  is  affirmed  or  from  the  context. 
Here  the  hopelessness  is  during  the  endless  stay  in 
Hades.  . 

Ver.  19.  jVlin  with  7N  arises  from  the  direct  causa- 
tive use  of  this  Hiph.  For  jniH  =  "  to  make,  prepare 


404 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


ITJH,  knowing,  knowledge."  Accordingly  he  for  whom 
the  knowlsdge  is  prepared,  i.  e.,  to  whom  it  is  imparted 
must  be  in  the  dative.  The  object  of  knowledge  is  de- 
signated by  Ss  in  accordance  with  the  frequent  use  of 
this  preposition  with  verbis  decendi  (comp.  Gen.  xx.  2;  1 
Sam.  iv.  19  ;  2  Kings  xix.  9,  etc.). 

Ver.  20.  In  'JjTiyinS  niiT  we  are  to  supply  HTI 
(comp.  ver.  17;  xxi.  1  ;  xxxvii.  26).  We  must  not  trans- 
late :  "  Jehovah  was  there  to  save  me,"  for  Hezekiah  cer- 
tainly did  not  feel  the  saving  hand  of  God  as  something 


that  withdrew  after  accomplishing  its  work.  He  felt  it 
as  something  still  present.  He  still  needed  it,  as  appears 
from  ver.  16.  This  is  precisely  the  sense  of  this  peri- 
phrastic construction,  that  it  does  not  represent  the 
verbal  notion  simply,  but  with  the  additional  notion  of 

continued  occupation  with  something. JJJ  is  pulsare, 

and  is  u sed  of  playing  stringed  instruments  (1  Sam.  xvi. 
16,  23,  etc.).  Hence  rnyjj  is  to  be  understood  of  instru- 
mentum  pulsatile,  (not  cantus),  as  in  the  superscriptions 
of  many  Psalms :  iv.,  vi.,  liv.,  etc. ;  Hab.  iii.  19. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  In  this  second  part  of  his  song  Hezekiah 
expresses    his   gratitude  to  the  LOKD.    "  What 
shall  I  say  ?"  he  begins,  as  if  he  cculd  not  find 
the  proper  word  to  express  in  a  suitable   manner 
what  he  had  been  permitted  to  experience.     In 
two  brief  words,  he  first  expresses  comprehen- 
sively what  he  has  to  say.    "He  promised  it,  and 
has  also  done  it!"     But  I,  as  long  as  I  live,  will 
walk  before  the  LORD,  in  gratitude  for  His  im- 
parting to  me  by  means   of   bitter  suffering  so 
much  joy   (ver.   15).     Such   is,  as  it  were,  the 
theme.     In  what  follows  the  details  are  ampli- 
fied.    First,  the  king  expresses  the  great  truth 
that   God's  word   and   act    are    the    foundation 
of  life   for  all,  and  adds  the  petition  that  God 
would  by  word  and  act,  also  fully  restore  him  to 
life  (ver.  16).     This  petition  forms  the  transition 
to  further  thanksgiving.     The  poet  acknowledges 
that  his  suffering  had  inured  to  his  salvation : 
the  LORD  had  precisely  in  the  depth  of  suffering 
made  him  to  know  the  height  of  His  love.     But 
how  could  such  salvation    accrue  to  the  sinner? 
Because  the  LORD  graciously  forgave  his  debt 
(ver.  17).     But  also  because  it  is  in  a  measure 
important  to  the  LORD  Himself  to  preserve  man 
alive.     For  in  Hades  there  is  no  thanksgiving  to 
God   nor  any  more  trusting  in   Him    (ver.  18). 
Only  the  living  can  do  this,  and  that   both  for 
themselves,  and  by  handing  down  the  praise  of 
the    divine   faithfulness   to  their  posterity  (ver. 
19).     Because  he  knows  the  LORD  to  be  near  as 
his  redeemer  and  Saviour,  he  will,  in  the  church 
and  in  the  house  of  the  LORD,  let  his  song  sound 
as  long  as  he   lives  (ver.   20).     Verses   21,  22, 
which   are  here  out  of   place,  were   explained 
above  at  ver.  6. 

2.  What    shall  I  say -my  soul. — Ver. 

15.     The  sentiment  is,  that  there  is  properly  an 
infinite  amount   to  say.     What  shall   the  poet 
select  from  mass  of   material.     One  may  com- 
pare 2  Sam.  vii-  20.     Hezekiah  resolves  to  make 
two  things  prominent :  1)  that  the  LORD  was  as 
good  as  His  word.     2)  that  he,  for  his  part,  will 
give  solemn  thanksgiving  as  long  as  he  lives. 
The  construction  'y  X1H1  "10N1  must  not  be  taken 
as  giving  a  reason.     The  antithesis  of  "  saying  " 
and  "  doing  "  reveals  that  we  have  here  two  cor- 
relative  members,  and  that  \  before  "^X  does 
not  point  backward,  but    forward.      The  \ — \  is 
hero  simply  =et-et.     In  the  second  number  NIH 
"  idem  "  is  added  for  emphasis.    For  the  ''  truth  " 
that  is  so  lauded  vers.   18,  19  only  exists  when 
the    performer   is   identical  with    the    promiser 
(comp.  Num.  xxiii.  19).     Therefore  13X  "He 
hath  said  "  refers  back  to  ver.  5,  and  stands  in 
an  emphatic  sense,  as  in  general  the  notion  ~IOK 


is  capable  of  various  emphasis  (comp.  2  Chr. 
xxxii.  24).  The  second  clause  of  the  verse  ex- 
presses in  brief  the  thanks  that  Hezekiah  means 
to  pay.  He  promises  zealous  Jehovah-worship 
(on  ri"nx  see  Text,  and  Gram.},  as  proof  of  his 
thanks  for  the  misfortune  sent  him  that  had 
become  the  source  of  so  much  good  fortune  to 
him,  as  he  expressly  confesses  ver.  17.  The 
thought  recalls  xii.  2,  where  the  Prophet  thanks 
Jehovah  for  being  angry  at  him. 

3.  O  LORD to 'live.— Ver.  16.      These 

words  contain  a  nearer  definition  of  "he  said  and 
he  did,"  ver.   15,   from  which  is  seen  that  the 
poet  attaches  great  importance  to  this  thought. 

By  the  words  V1T  DJT7y  he  first  utters  the 
general  sentence,  that  all  life  rests  on  God's  word 
and  deed  (DRECHSLER  appropriately  refers  to 
the  creative  word  and  act  Gen.  i.).  The  follow- 
ing clause  applies  this  universal  truth  to  the  poet 
himself.  (See  Text,  and  Gram-). 

4.  Behold,  for    peace  -   -  thy  truth. — 
Vers.  17-19.     In  these  verses  the  poet  gives  in 
brief  outline  the  story  of  his  suffering  and  the 
deliverance  from  it.     The  bitter  distress  of  death 
serves  him  as  a  foil  that  lets  the  light  of  the  de- 
liverance shine  all  the  brighter.     He  praises  the 
miraculous  power  of  God  that   has  brought  it 
about  that  precisely  what  was  bitter  accrued  to 
his  salvation.   Therefore  he  repeats  emphatically 
*^D    "bitterness"   (comp.  *T1  T!   ver.   19;    xxiv. 
16;  xxvii.  5).     This  gracious  deliverance  comes 
from  the  LORD'S  no  more  remembering  the  poet's 
sins  (Ps.  xc.  8),   and  casting  them  behind  Him 
(Ps.  li.  11 ;  Mic.  vii.  19). 

In  vers.  18,  19  Jehovah's  deliverance  is  ex- 
plained from  another  side.  It  is  shown  that  the 
LORD  Himself  has  an  interest  in  preserving 
Hezekiah  alive.  The  Sheol  (metonomy  :  the  total 
for  the  individuals  that  constitute  it)  does  not 
praise  the  LORD  ;  death  (also  metonomy)  does 
not  celebrate  Him  :  those  that  have  gone  down 
into  the  pit  hope  not  in  His  faithfulness.  We 
have  here  quite  the  Old  Testament  representa- 
tion of  the  condition  of  the  dead  as  something 
that  excludes  all  free  and  conscious  action.  Thus 
in  Ps.  vi.  6  (5).  ''For  in  death  there  is  no  re- 
membrance of  thee ;  in  the  grave  who  shall  give 
thee  thanks?"  Bring  together  also  in  one  con- 
spectus the  expressions  Ps.  Ixxxviii.  11-13 ; 
xxx.  10 ;  Eccl.  ix.  5,  6  and  comp.  Job  xiv.  10 
sqq. ;  Ps.  cxv.  17.  One  sees  that  the  spiritual 
activity  of  the  dead  was  looked  upon  as  paralyzed 
by  the  shades  of  death.  They  cannot  hope, 
etc.  points  to  the  future  as  what  precedes  does  to  the 
past.  The  dead  have  as  little  reivenilrance  of 
the  benefits  received  from  God  in  life,  as  they 


CHAP.  XXXIX.  1-8.  405 


have  hope  in  the  faithfulness  of  God   that  rules  j      5.  The  LORD housa  of  the  LORD.— 

over  them  and  promises  a  better  future.  ["The!  Ver.  20.  Concluding  verse,  containing  once 
true  explanation  of  the  words  is  given  by  CAL-  again  the  chief  thought,  and  a  summons  to  con- 
VIN,  viz.,  that  the  language  is  that  of  extreme  tinual  praise  of  Jehovah.  "  Jehovah  /s  present 
agitation  and  distress,  in  which  the  prospect  of  i  to  save  me,"  nee  rlext.  and  Gram.  So  will  we 
the  future  is  absorbed  in  contemplation  of  the  touch  my  stringed  instruments,  ibid.  The 
present,  and  also  that,  so  far  as  he  does  think  of  song  accompanying  the  stringed  instrument  is  not 
futurity,  it  is  upon  the  supposition  of  God's  excluded,  though  the  latter  alone  is  mentioned, 
wrath.  Eegcirding  death,  in  this  case,  as  a  proof  1  The  plural  has  been  urged  as  favoring  the  mean- 


of  the  divine  displeasure,  he  cannot  but  look 
upon  it  as  the  termination  of  his  solemn  praises." 
— J.  A.  ALEX.]. 

With  jubilant  emotions,  Hezekiah  feels  that 
he  again  belongs  to  the  living,  hence  the  repeti- 


tion of  Tl  who  lives,  who  lives,  he  praises,  ,, 

touch,  Hezekiah  sets  himself  as  the  chorus- 
leader  of  his  family.  But  one  must  not  forget 
the  Levitical  musicians  that  he  himself  ha 


etc.,  and  the  joyous  DVH  '3103  as  I  this  day, 
in  which  appears  how  much  the  contrast  between 


ing  "  song."  But  could  not  the  musical  King 
Hezekiah  understand  various  sorts  of  playing 
on  stringed  instruments?  Or,  if  not  this,  may 
not  the  plural  be  that  of  the  general  notion? 
Some  suppose,  that  by  the  plural  JJ3J  "  we  will 


the  mournful  yesterday,  and  the  blessed  to-day  stituted  for  the  service  of  God's  house  (2  Chr. 
moves  the  heart  of  the  poet.  The  words  father  xxix  30).  Corresponding  to  the  rmx  ver.  15, 
to  the  children,  etc.,  have  a  peculiar  significance  j  Hezekiah  thinks  here  not  of  private  divine  ser- 
in Hezekiah  s  mouth.  His  successor  Manasseh,  vicCj  but  of  the  worship  of  Jehovah  in  the 


according  to  2  Kings  xxi.  1,  ascended  the  throne 
at  twelve  years  of  age.  Consequently  he  cannot 
have  been  born  at  this  time.  Indeed,  since  it 
was  customary  for  the  eldest  son  to  succeed,  it  is 
very  probable  that  at  that  time  Hezekiah  had  no 
son  at  all,  which  seems  to  be  confirmed  by  Wi" 
'U1,  xxxix.  7.  Considered  from  this  point  of 


temple.  The  preposition  'V  is  surprising  Per- 
haps one  may  compare  Hos.  xi.  11.  Perhaps, 
too,  the  preposition  has  reference  to  the  elevated 
way  which,  according  to  2  Kings  xvi.  18,  led  the 
king  into  the  temple,  and  afforded  him  an  ele- 
vated place  from  which  he  saw  the  greater  part 


view  our  words  appear  prophetic.  Yet,  when  I  of  the  house  beneath  him.  Moreover  it  is  to  be 
one  reflects  what  sort  of  a  son  Manasseh  was,  it  remarked,  that  tarrying  in  the  house  of  the 
would  almost  seem  to  have  been  better  had  Heze-  LORD  has  a  prominent  place  in  many  Psalms: 
kiah  done  nothing  to  avert  the  sentence  of  death  xv.  1  ;  xxiii.  6 ;  xlii.  5 ;  xliii.  4  ;  Ixxxiv.  2  sqq. 
ver.  1.  1 11,  etc. 


2.  THE  BABYLONISH  EMBASSY. 
CHAPTER  XXXIX.  1-8. 

1  AT  that  time  Merodach-baladan,  the  son  of  Baladan,  king   of  Babylon,  sent 
letters  and  a  present  to  Hezekiah  :  for  he  had  heard  that  he  had  been  sick,  and  was 

2  recovered.  And  Hezekiah  was  glad  of  them,  and  showed  them  the  house  of  his  'pre- 
cious things,  the  silver,  and  the  gold,  and  the  spices,  and  the  precious  ointment,  and  all 
the  house  of    his  2  'armour,  and  all  that  was  found  in   his  treasures  :    there  was 
nothing  in  his  house,  nor  in  all  his  dominion,  that  Hezekiah  showed  them  not. 

3  Then  came  Isaiah  the  prophet  unto  king  Hezekiah,  and  said  unto  him,  What 
said  these  men  ?    and  from  whence  came  they  unto  thec  ?     And  Hezekiah  said, 

4  They  are  come  from  a  far  country  unto  me,  even   from  Babylon.     Then  said  he, 
What  have  they  seen  in  thine  house  ?     And  Hezekiah  answered,  All  that  is  in 

5  mine  house  have  they  seen:  there  is  nothing  among  my  treasures  that  I  have  not 

6  shewed  them.     Then  said  Isaiah  to  Hezekiah,  Hear  the  word  of  the  LORD  of  hosts: 
Behold,  the  days  come,  that  all  that  is  in  thine  house,  and  that  which  thy  fathers 
have  laid  up  in  store  until  this  day,  shall  be  carried  to  Babylon :  nothing  "shall  be 

7  left,  saith  the  LORD.     And  of  thy  sons  that  shall  issue  from  thee,  which  thou  shalt 
beget,  shall  they  take  away  ;  and  they  shall  be  "eunuchs  in  the  palace  of  the  king 
of  Babylon.     Then  said  Hezekiah  to  Isaiah,  Good  is  the  word  of  the  LORD  which 

8  thou  hast  spoken.     He  said  moreover,  For  there  shall   be   peace   and  truth  in 
my  days. 

1  Or,  spicery.  *  Or,  jewels.  *  Heb.  vessels  or,  instrument*. 

»  chamberlain. 


406 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL 
On  ver.  1.     The  text  of  2  Kings  xx.  12  sqq.,  reads 

nvh3  TUO3  instead  of  THJOO.  According  to  the 
IT_.  .  _  i_  .  i_  . 

monuments  the  reading  of  Isaiah  appears  to  be  de- 
cidedly the  correct  one.  For  the  name  in  Assyrian  is 
"  Marduk-habal-iddina,"  i.  e.  Merodach  gave  a  (or  the) 
son  (SciiRADEE,  p.  213).  The  form  11X13  seems  to  have 
sprung  from  the  attraction  of  sound  of  the  three  fol- 
lowing words,  which  begin  with  3-  What  has  been  said 
shows  that  Merodach-Baladan  does  not  meat,  "  Mero- 
dacus  Baladani  filius,"  as  our  text  and  2  Kings  S3em  to 
understand  it.  [This  imputed  misunderstanding  seems 
quite  gratuitous  in  the  Author. — Ta.J.  We  have  here, 
also,  an  evidence  of  a  later  writer  who  was  indifferently 

acquainted  with  the  subject. On  D'">3D  comp.  on 

xxxvii.  14. Our  text  differs  from  2  Kings  xx.  12,  in 

reading  yrDZ^l  and  p?)Tl.  Both  seem  to  me  traceable 
to  correction.  The  editor  of  the  text  in  Isaiah  might 
take  offence  at  the  double  O,  and  thus  have  replaced 
the  first  by  1.  But  he  also  stumbled  at  its  only  being 
said  2  Kings  :  "  he  had  heard  that  Hezekiah  was  sick." 
For  it  seemed  to  him  that  the  wonderful  recovery  of 
Hezekiah,  and  the  proof  it  gave  of  his  being  a  ruler 
under  the  protection  of  a  mighty  god,  had  as  much  to 
do  with  the  Babylonian's  sending  an  embassy. 

On  ver.  2.  Here,  too,  the  two  texts  differ.  The 
J/'DK'''!  of  2  Kings  xx.  13,  is  the  more  difficult  reading, 
compared  with  which  PIDtyi  appears  an  emendation  : 
being  the  easier  and  more  natural  reading. 

On  ver.  3.  At  the  end  of  the  verse  our  text  has  ^ 7X 
after  1X3,  which  is  wanting  in  2  Kings  xx.  14. 

On  ver.  5.  Our  text  has  DIJO^  -it  the  end,  which  is 
wanting  2  Kings  xx.  16.  It  may  be  here  the  same  as  in 


AND   CRITICAL. 

the  case  of  chap,  xxxvii.  32,  compared  with  2  Kiugn 
xix.  31. 

On  ver.  6.    Our  text  has  ^33,  2  Kings  xx.  17,  nb33. 

On  ver.  7.  Our  text  has  inp\  2  Kings  xx.  18  only 
K'ri  has  this  reading,  whereas  K'thibh  reads  np\ 
Certainly  the  latter  is  the  more  difficult,  and  mp"1  ap- 
pears as  an  emendation.  The  sing,  maybe  taken  either 
as  the  predicate  of  an  indefinite  subject  (one)  or,  more 
correctly,  as  seems  to  me,  as  predicate  of  a  definite 
subject,  which,  however,  is  present  only  in  idea,  viz. : 
the  king  of  Babylon. 

On  ver.  8.  2  Kings  xx.  19  has  DX  S^H  where  our 
text  has  simply  "3.  rjtf  ^Sri  does  not  occur  else- 
where. EWALD  (§  324  6),  takes  it  in  the  sense  of  "yea, 
if  only."  But  that  is  neither  grammatically  justified, 
nor  does  it  give  a  clear  meaning.  According  to  my 

view  of  the  context  (see  Exeg.  and  Crit.  below)  xSn  = 
nonne.  I,  therefore,  take  Dtf  not  as  a  particle  expres- 
sive of  desire,  as  many  do,  but  it  has  its  conditional 
meaning,  =  '•  if,  in  so  far  as."  The  '3  in  the  text  of 

Isaiah  has  essentially  the  same  meaning,  as  DELITZSCH 
also  has  admitted.  For  it  says,  that  between  the  senti- 
ments that  Hezekiah  had  betrayed  in  reference  to  the 
ambassadors  and  his  affirmation  "good  is  the  word," 
etc.,  there  was  no  contradiction,  because,  in  fact,  while 
he  lived  peace  and  fidelity  would  certainly  be  undis- 
turbed. At  least,  our  text  can  be  so  understood. 
Whether  its  author  really  meant  this,  is  another  ques- 
tion. For  it  were  possible,  too,  that  he  substituted  for 
the  obscure  DX  N/H  the  general,  indefinite  '3  per- 
haps only  in  its  pleonastic  sense,  that  introduces  the 
oratio  recta. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  As  the  text  needs  no  special  comment,  it 
may  be  well  for  the  better  understanding  of  the 
circumstances  involved,  to  present  briefly  the 
chief  points  of  Babylonian  history  relating  to 
them,  according  to  the  data  of  the  Assyrian 
monuments  as  far  as  the  latter  have  been  de- 
ciphered. Our  chapter  speaks  of  two  Baladans, 
viz. :  Merodach-Baladan,  who  sent  the  embassy 
and  Baladan  his  father.  Yet  there  appears  in 
this  a  misunderstanding.  According  to  the  As- 
syrian monuments  (comp.  LENORMAKT,  les  pre- 
mieres civilizations,  Paris,  1874,  Tom.  II.,  in  the 
essay  "  un  patriote  babylonien,"  p.  210)  our  Mero- 
dach-Baladan was  a  son  of  Jakin.  Comp.  also 
the  ostentatious  inscription  of  Tiglath-Pileser 
mentioned  above  at  xxi.  1,  which  states  that  he 
received  the  homage  of  "  Merodach-Baladan.  son 
of  Jakin,  king  of  the  sea,  in  the  city  of  Sapiga." 
We  remarked  above  at  xxi.  1,  that  by  tihamtu 
(Dinn,  "sea,  sea-land")  is  to  be  understood 
south  Chaldea,  the  watery  region  at  the  mouth 
of  the  united  rivers  Tigris  and  Euphrates.  Mero- 
dach-Baladan, when  he  did  homage  to  Tiglath- 
Pileser,  was  king  of  Bit-Jakin  (such  was  the 
name  of  the  residence  and  of  the  small  territory 
of  his  father),  and  so  remained  till  the  year  721. 
In  the  year  721,  when  Sargon  ascended  the 
throne,  this  energetic  man,  who  was  an  enthu- 
siast for  the  independence  of  Babylon,  succeeded 
in  mounting  the  throne  of  all  Chaldea  in  Baby- 


lon. The  canon  of  Ptolemy  names  Mardoc- 
empad,  under  this  year  as  king  of  Babylon,  a 
name  that  is  universally  regarded  as  identical 
with  Merodach-Baladan.  Sargon  states,  that  in 
the  first  complete  year  of  his  reign  (i.  e,,  in  the 
year  721),  after  having  in  the  year  722  com- 
pleted the  conquest  of  Samaria,  he  marched 
against  Merodach-Baladan.  But  his  undertak- 
ing was  not  successful.  For  Merodach-Baladan 
maintained  himself,  and  reigned,  according  to 
the  Canon,  yet  twelve  years  as  acknowledged 
king  of  Babylon.  Not  till  the  year  710  did  Sar- 
gon again  take  the  field  against  him.  The  strug- 
gle extended  into  the  year  709,  ending  in  the  de- 
thronement of  Merodach-Baladan  (see  the  in- 
teresting description  of  this  campaign  in  LENOR- 
MANT,  1.  c.  p.  243  sqq.).  In  this  year  Sargon 
himself  mounted  the  throne  of  Babylon.  The 
Canon,  from  the  year  709  onwards,  names  'Apnta- 
voc,  i.  e,  Sarrukin  or  Sargon,  as  king  of  Baby- 
lon. But  the  courage  of  Merodach-Baladan  was 
not  yet  broken.  He  fled  back  into  his  own  here- 
ditary land  Bit-Jakin,  a  narrow  strip  of  land  on 
the  Persian  gulf,  extending  from  Schat-el-arab  to 
Elam.  Sargon  marched  a<rainst  him  again  and 
stormed  first  the  strongly  fortified  position  where 
Merodach-Baladan  awaited  him,  then  the  city 
Dur-Jakin,  his  opponent's  last  refuge  on  the  main- 
land. Merodach-Baladan  escaped  with  great  dif- 
ficulty. But  still  he  did  not  submit.  Sargon 
was  compelled,  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  705, 


CHAP.  XXXIX.  1-8. 


407 


to  send  his  son  Sennacherib  against  the  obstinate 
rebel.  But  not  long  after,  Sennacherib  received 
in  camp  the  intelligence  of  the  murder  of  his 
father  by  a  certain  Belkaspai,  probably  a  patriotic 
Chaldean  and  adherent  of  Merodach-Baladan's. 
Then  there  followed  a  period  of  two  or  three 
years,  filled  up  with  the  strifes  of  various  pre- 
tenders to  the  crown,  and  hence  designated  by  the 
Canon  as  mupbq  a/ltcifavTos.  Thus  it  appears  by 
the  account  of  POLYHISTOR  in  EUSEBIUS  (c.hron. 
armen.  ed.  MAI,  p.  19),  that  after  Sargon's  death, 
his  son  and  a  brother  of  Sennacherib  ascended 
the  Babylonian  throne.  But  after  a  short  term 
this  one  was  obliged  to  give  place  to  a  certain 
Hagisa,  who,  after  not  thirty  days'  reign,  was 
killed  by  Merodach-Baladan.  That  this  was  our 
Merodach-Baladan  can  scarcely  be  doubted.  The 
implacable  enemy  of  the  Assyrians  boldly  raised 
his  head  anew.  Sennacherib  marched  against 
him  and  conquered  him  at  Kis,  a  city  that  Nebu- 
chadnezzar afterwards  incorporated  in  the  city 
territory  of  Babylon  by  means  of  his  great  wall. 
Sennacherib  gave  the  throne  of  Babylon  to  a  cer- 
tain Belibus  or  Elibus,  the  son  of  a  "  wise  man," 
whom,  says  the  king,  "  they  had  brought  up  in 
the  company  of  the  small  boys  in  my  palace." 
Hence  this  Belibus  was  not  an  independent  pre- 
tender, as  would  saem  according  to  POLYHISTOR, 
but  a  subordinate  king  recognized  by  Sennache- 
rib after  the  expulsion  of  Merodach-Baladan. 
According  to  the  Canon  of  regents  (SCHRADER, 
p.  319),  this  expedition  against  Merodach-Bala- 
dan fell  in  the  year  704  B.  C.  In  the  year  700 
Sennacherib  accomplished  his  unfortunate  expe- 
dition against  Juilah  and  Egypt,  according  to  the 
entirely  credible  testimony  of  the  Assyrian  monu- 
ments. The  news  of  his  defeat  appears  to  have 
been  the  signal  for  a  new  insurrection  to  the 
Chaldean  patriots.  For  in  the  following  year 
(699),  according  to  the  Taylor-cylinder  (ScHRA- 
DER,  p.  224),  we  find  Sennacherib  on  the  march 
against  the  rebellious  Babylonians.  Merodach- 
Baladan  had  allied  himself  with  a  young  prince 
Suzub,  son  of  Gatul,  of  the  race  of  Kalban,  and 
Belibus  found  it  best  to  enter  into  negotiations 
with  these  opponents.  For  this,  according  to 
BEROSUS,  he  was  deposed  and  carried  prisoner  to 
Assyria.  Sennacherib  first  attacked  Suzub,  whose 
troops  were  defeated  ;  he  himself  escaped.  Then 
Sennacherib  turned  against  Merodach-Baladan, 
who  gave  way  before  the  threatening  danger. 
He  fled  by  ship  to  the  city  Nagit-Kaggi,  situated 
on  an  island  in  the  Persian  gulf.  The  territory 
of  Bit-Jakin  was  desolated.  Sennacherib  made 
his  son  Esar-Haddon4dng  of  Akkad  and  Sumir, 
i.e.,  Babylon  (699).  Alter  that  were  eleven  years 
of  quiet.  During  this  period,  Merodach-Baladan, 
whom  the  king  of  Elam,  Kudhir-Nakhunta,  had 
made  lord  of  a  strip  of  the  coast,  had  moved  the 
discontented  elements  of  Babylon  and  Chaldea  to 
emigrate  in  mass  into  his  land.  This  led  Senna- 
cherib to  build  a  fleet  in  Nineveh  (they  were 
called  "  Syrian  ships"  because  Pho3nician  seamen 
manned  them),  with  which  he  attacked  the  island 
and  the  coast  possessed  by  Merodach-Baladan. 
and  entirely  devastated  them  (see  the  remarks  on 
xliii.  14).  At  this  point  Merodach-Baladan  dis- 
appears from  history.  It  is  related  that  the  in- 
fluential Babylonians  then  forsook  him.  On  the 
other  hand,  they  moved  the  king  of  Elam  to  send 


that  Suzub  to  Babylon.  Suzub,  indeed,  ascended 
the  throne  of  Babylon.  Their  purpose  was  to  cut 
Sennacherib  from  his  own  land.  But  the  latter 
returned  in  time  and  defeated  his  opponents  in 
two  battles.  He  took  Suzub  prisoner,  but  spared 
his  life.  This  happened  in  the  year  687.  But 
in  the  following  year  Suzub  escaped  from  prison, 
was  again  proclaimed  king  in  Babylon,  and,  in 
alliance  with  Umman-Menan,  king  of  Elam,  the 
successor  of  Kudhir-Nakhunta,  and  with  Nabusu- 
miskim,  the  eldest  son  of  Merodach-Baladan,  he 
opposed  a  considerable  army  to  Sennacherib  at 
Kalul  on  the  Tigris.  Sennacherib  conquered 
again,  and  still  again  in  another  battle,  by  which 
he  utterly  destroyed  the  power  of  his  opponents. 
He  then  resolved  utterly  to  destroy  Babylon:  and 
this  resolve  was  actually  executed  (685).  Yet 
only  four  years  after,  the  city  was  rebuilt.  Sen- 
nacherib died  681,  and  his  son  and  successor  de- 
termined to  put  an  end  to  the  everlasting  strife 
with  the  Babylonians  by  an  opposite  policy.  He 
raised  Babylon  to  equal  rank  with  Nineveh,  and 
made  it  his  residence. 

The  eldest  son  of  Merodach-Baladan,  Nabusu- 
miskun,  was  taken  prisoner  at  the  battle  of  Kalul 
and  beheaded  by  Sennacherib.  His  brother  next 
of  age  to  him,  Nabozirnapsatiasir,  reigned  after 
him  in  the  land  Bit-Jakin.  A  third  brother,  Na- 
hib-Marduk,  submitted  to  the  Assyrians  on  the 
condition  that  he  be  put  in  possession  of  the  land 
Bit-Jakin.  Esar-Haddon,  in  the  year  676,  actu- 
ally invaded  the  land  and  conquered  it.  Proba- 
bly Nabozirnapsutiasir  then  lost  his  life  (LENOR- 
MANT,  1.  c.,  p.  303).  Nahir-Marduk's  son,  Na- 
bobelsum,  returned  to  the  sentiments  of  his  grand- 
father. He  took  part  in  the  insurrection  made 
by  Samulsumukin,  the  second  son  of  Esar-Had- 
don and  viceroy  of  Babylon,  against  his  elder 
brother  Asurbanipal,  great  king  of  Assyria  (651). 
Asurbanipal  conquered.  Samulsumukin  burned 
himself  in  his  palace  in  Babylon  (648).  After 
many  negotiations,  and  finally  after  an  expedition 
that  devastated  the  whole  land  of  Elam,  the  king 
of  Elam,  Ummanaldas,  was  obliged  to  promise 
that  he  would  surrender  Nabobelsum.  The  latter 
procured  his  death  at  the  hands  of  a  master  of  the 
horse.  Asurbanipal,  when  the  head  of  the  corpse 
was  sent  to  him.  had  it  preserved  in  salt.  A 
small  bas-relief,  found  in  the  palace  of  Kujund- 
schik,  displays  Asurbanipal  banqueting  in  a  gar- 
den with  his  wives,  and  the  head  of  Nabobelsum 
hanging  before  him  on  a  tree.  Only  thirty-five 
years  later  Nineveh  was  destroyed  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar and  Cyaxares  (605) ! 

According  to  our  chapter,  the  embassy  of  Me- 
rodach-BaLidan  to  Hezekiah  fell  in  the  time  when 
the  former  reigned  undisputed  king  of  Babylon. 
As  shown  above,  this  was  a  period  of  twelve 
years,  reaching  from  721-709.  It  must  not  be 
supposed  that  Merodach-Baladan  would  not  have 
sought  the  friendship  of  Hezekiah  had  he  not 
heard  of  his  victory  over  Sennacherib.  An  in- 
scription of  Sargon's  (LENORMANT,  I.  c.,  231)  says 
of  Merodach-Baladan :  "  For  twelve  years  had  he 
sent  embassies  contrary  to  the  will  of  the  gods  of 
Babylon,  the  city  of  Bel,  the  judge  of  the  gods." 
These  twelve  years  are  manifestly  the  twelve 
years  of  Merodach-Baladan's  undisputod  reign. 
During  this  period  the  latter  had  sought  allies  for 
the  event  of  war  breaking  out  again.  Is  it  to  be 


408 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


wondered  if,  under  these  circumstances,  he  should 
send  such  an  embassy  to  Hezekiah  ?  According 
to  2  Chron.  xxxii.  31,  the  messenger  came  from 
Babylon  to  Hezekiah  "  to  inquire  of  the  wonder 
that  was  done  in  the  land."  The  context  shows 
that  Hezekiah's  miraculous  recovery  and  the  mi- 
racle of  the  sun-dial  are  meant.  It  is,  therefore, 
probable  that  the  report  of  this  miracle  penetrated 
to  distant  lands.  If  it  came  to  astrological  Baby- 
lon, what  wonder  if  the  king  of  this  city  had  Ms 
attention  drawn  to  the  king  of  Judea,  especially 
as  it  was  known  of  this  people  that  more  than  once 
they  had  been  an  opponent  or  an  ally  of  the  Assy- 
rians that  was  not  to  be  despised. 

2.  At  that  time shewed  them  not. — 

Vers.  1,  2.  The  author  would  say  that  Hezekiah 
gave  ear  to  the  words  of  those  ambassadors  (see 
Text,  and  Gram.).     Probably  there  is  in  this  an 
intimation  that  they  already  made  propositions 
of  a  political  nature  not  displeasing  to  Hezekiah. 
And  as  he  was  pleased  to  hear  what  they  said,  so 
he  wished  them  to  see  the  things  that  gave  him 
joy.     There  appears  to  me,  therefore,  in  this  an- 
tithesis of  hearing  and  showing,  to  be  a  hint  of 
Hezekiah's  sin.     rOJ  is  an  obscure  word  both  as 
to  derivation  and  meaning.     In  Gen.  xxxvii.  25 ; 
xliii.  11  PJOJ  either  means  spices  in  general,  or, 
which  is  more  likely,  a  particular  sort  of  spice 
(storax — or  tragacanth  gum.     Comp.  LEYRER  in 
HERZOG'S  Real-Ey  cyclop.  XIV.  p.  664).     Many 
expositors  are  disposed  to  recognize  in  our  PirQJ 
(K'ri,  2  Kings  xx.  13,  IfOJ)  the  same  word,  and 
to   understand  by  '1  JV3  a  spice  magazine;   on 
which  LEYRER,  /.  c.,  remarks  that  this  would  im- 
ply a  great  monopoly  carried  on  by  the  kings  of 
Judah  in  this  particular.     Others  generalize  the 
meaning  and  regard   "spicery  house"  as  a  deno- 
minatio  a,  potiori  for  "  provision  house  "  in  general. 
Others,  finally,  derive  ^IDJ,  not  from  &OJ  ("  to 
beat,  pound,"  hence  HNDJ,  "  that  which  is  pounded 
in  a  mortar"),  but  from  a  root  fN3,  not  used  in 
Hebrew,  but  which  is  kindred  to  D12>,  "  to  gather, 
preserve,"  and  in  Arabic  means  (Pi.  kajjata)  "to 
cram,  stuff  full."     Of  this  fOJ  would  be  a  Niphal 
form  (xxx.  12),  and  mean  "provision,  treasure." 
Thus  HITZIG,   KNOBEL,   FUERST   (Lex.  under 
DO  and  HO),  DELITZSCH  (comp.  EWAI/D,  Gesch. 
d.  V.  Isr,  III.  p.  690,  Anm.  1).      The  items  that 
follow,  in  which,  beside  gold,  silver  and  spiceries 
(D'DJJO,  the  most  general  expression  for  aromatic 
substances,  comp.  LEYRER,  I  c.,  p.  661)  are  par- 
ticularly named,  of  course  correspond  best  with  a 
word  of  such  general  significance  as  "provision." 
Still  the  subject  is  not  satisfactorily  cleared  up. 
On  "  the  precious  ointment,"  MOVERS  (who  trans- 
lates f\DJ  rP3  "styrax  house")  makes  the  follow- 
ing remark  :  "  Here  Jewish  expositors,  no  doubt 
on  the  best  grounds,  understand  the  balsam  oil  got 
from  the  royal  gardens,  comp.  2  Chron.  xxxii.  27. 
Olive  oil,  that  was  obtained  in  all  Judea,  was  not 
stored  in  the  treasuries  along  with  gold,  silver  and 
aromatics,  but  in  special  store-houses,  2  Chron. 
xxxii.  28  "  (Phon.  II.  3,  p.  227  Anm.}.     D'Su  JV3 
IH  likely  "  the  arsenal,"  as  D'^D  often  signifies  all 
sorts  of  war  implements,  and  the  arsenal  doubtless 


was  of  prime  importance  to  those  ambassadors. 

In  this  case  D'Sj  is  identical  with  the  V»~l  /V3 
of  xxii.  8.  It  appears  that  Hezekiah  in  this  dis- 
play observed  a  dimax  descendens,  beginning  with 
the  precious  articles  of  luxury  and  ending  with 
the  things  of  practical  need.  finyiN  (probably 
the  store-houses  like  e.  g.  Joel  i.  17  ;  2  Chron.  xi., 
etc.)  to  contain  stores  in  case  of  siege.  It  is  to  be 
noted  that  had  this  embassy  come  after  the  over- 
throw of  Sennacherib,  Hezekiah  would  verilv 
have  had  nothing  to  show  "in  his  dominion" 
outside  of  Jerusalem.  For  the  whole  land  outside 
of  the  capital  had  been  in  the  power  of  the  enemy, 
who  would  have  left  little  worth  seeing.  "His 
store-house,  the  spiceries,  the  fine  oil,"  do  not  in- 
timate specially  war  booty.  Moreover  it  would 
then  need  to  read :  Hezekiah  showed  them  the 
spoil  he  had  taken  from  the  Assyrians.  Comp. 
on  ver.  6. 

3.  Then  came  Isaiah  — my  days. — Vers. 
3-8.  Apart  from  the  internal  probability  of  it,  one 
may  conclude  from  INT  that   Isaiah  came  to  the 
king  with  the  inquiry  of  ver.  3  while  the  ambas- 
sadors were  still  in  Jerusalem.     For  this  Imper- 
fect can  only  have  the  meaning  that  the  coming 
was  in  a  certain  sense  still  an  incompleted  trans- 
action, although  the  king  had  then  shown  them 
every  thing  (ver.  4).    The  Prophet  regarded  them 
as  advenas,  arrivals,  and  that  is  a  quality  they 
have  as  long  as  they  are  in  Jerusalem   (comp. 
xxxvii.  34  with  2  Kings  xix.  33 ;  Josh.  ix.  8  with 
Gen.  xlii.  7).     But  it  also  seems  very  probable  to 
me  that  the  Prophet  addressed   his  inquiries  to 
the  king  in  the  presence  of  the  ambassadors,  and 
that  "these  men"  is  to  be  understood  fieiKriKuf. 
This  suits  entirely  the  free  and  exalted  position 
that  the  prophets  assumed  as  the  immediate  mes- 
sengers and  instruments  of  Jehovah,  even  toward 
the   kings   themselves.       Comp.  on   vii.  14.     If 
thereby  those  ambassadors  enjoyed  the  opportu- 
nity of  observing  for  once  a  genuine  prophet  of 
the  true  God  in  the  exercise  of  his  office,  and  if 
thereby  the  true  God  Himself  drew  near  to  them, 
it  was  one  of  those  revelations  of  His  being  such 
as  the  LORD  at  times  vouchsafed  to  the  heathen, 
e.  g.,  Moses  before  Pharaoh,  Balaam  before  Ba- 
lak,  Elisha   before  Naaman,   Daniel   before  the 
kings  of  Babylon.     To  the  question  what  said 
these  men  ?    Hezekiah  gives   no   answer,  and 
Isaiah  presses  it  no  further.     Their  very  presence 
there  and  the  reception  they  found  were  adequate 
proof  that  Hezekiah  allowed  himself  to  treat  with 
:hem,  that  once  again,  as  he  had  done  by  the 
Egyptian   alliance    (xxviif-xxxii.),  he   had  ex- 
tended to  the  world-power  at  least  the  little  fin- 
ger.    That,  in  his  answer,  he  lays  stress  on  the 
Far  country,  betrays  an  attempt  to  excuse  him- 
ielf.     One  cannot  show  men  the  door  who  come 
rom  a  distance  to  show  one  honor  and  friend- 
ship.    And  Hezekiah  ought  not  to  do  that.     Nei- 
iher  ought  he  to  indulge  in  vain  boasting  nor  to 
seek  false  supports.     O,  had  he  only  known  how 
11-timed  both  were  in  the  case  of  Babylon  !     He 
would  surely,  without  violating  the  duties  of  hos- 
pitality, have  yet  avoided  with  anxious  care  every 
approach   to  more  intimate  relations.     That  he 
adds  the  name  Babylon  so  briefly  to  the  preceding 
"  they  are  come  from  a  far  country  unto  me  "  seerna 
to  betray  a  certain  embarrassment,  a  presentiment 


CHAP.  XXXIX.  1-8. 


409 


of  having  committed  a  fault.  [See  remarks  of 
TR.  below.] 

We  stand  here  on  a  boundary  of  immeasurable 
importance.  Assyria  is  done  away,  but  Babylon 
rises  aloft.  Ahaz  had  formally  introduced  Assy- 
ria by  seeking  its  help.  Here  Babylon  offers  it- 
self. With  oat-like  friendliness  it  creeps  up. 
Hezekiah  ought  to  have  maintained  an  attitude  of 
polite  refusal.  His  vanity  betrayed  him  into  boast- 
ing and  coquetting.  Still  by  just  this  he  yielded 
himself  to  the  world-power.  The  Theocracy  was 
later,  under  Zedekiah,  ground  to  pieces  between 
Egypt  and  Babylon.  Only  by  leaning  solely  and 
wholly  on  the  LORD  could  it  maintain  itself  be- 
tween the  southern  and  the  northern  world-power, 
between  the  Nile  kingdom  on  the  one  hand,  and 
the  Euphrates-Tigris  kingdom  on  the  other.  He- 
zekiah had  unfortunately  indulged  in  intimacies 
both  with  Egypt  and  with  Babylon.  The  necessary 
consequence  was  that  the  Theocracy  succumbed 
-i^  the  mightier  of  these.  Hence  ii  is  announced 
to  him  that  the  precious  things,  of  which  he  had 
made  a  boastful  display,  must  go  to  Babylon,  yea, 
that  the  posterity  that  was  to  issue  from  him  who 
as  yet  was  childless,  would  once  do  chamberlain 
service  in  the  palace  of  the  kings  of  Babylon. 
With  this  the  Prophet  points  to  a  new  and  fatal 
future.  Here,  between  the  first  and  second  parts 
of  Isaiah,  we  stand  on  the  bridge  between  Nine- 
veh and  Babylon.  For  what  Nineveh  was  for  the 
first  part  of  Isaiah,  Babylon  is  for  the  second. 

Let  it  be  particularly  noted  that  Isaiah  says : 
that  which  thy  fathers  have  laid  up  in 
store  until  this  day  (ver.  6).  Had  Hezekiah's 
treasures  been  emptied  by  the  event  narrated  2 
Kings  xviii.  14  sqq.,  the  Prophet  could  not  have 
spoken  so.  For  then  what  the  fathers  had  ga- 
thered came  into  the  hands  of  Sennacherib ;  and 
whether,  after  the  defeat  of  the  latter,  all  was 
found  again,  one  must  doubt  very  much.  Senna- 
cherib, who  knew  that  he  would  not  be  pursued, 
could  take  all  the  spoils  with  him.  Therefore  the 
expression  :  "  what  thy  fathers  have  Laid  up  shall  be 
carried  captive  to  Babylon"  favors  the  view  that 
H-'zekiah  showed  the  ambassadors  the  gatherings 
of  his  fathers,  that  therefore  this  embassy  did  not 
come  after  the  defeat  of  Sennacherib.  [If  the 
foregoing  has  any  force,  it  would  equally  prove 
that  the  Babylonish  captivity  must  have  preceded 
the  invasion  of  Sennacherib,  "for  then,  after  the 
latter  event,  what  the  fathers  had  gathered  came 
into  the  hands  of  Sennacherib,"  etc.,  as  just  above. 
-TR.] 

That  D^D  is  not  simply  the  "eunuch"  appears 
from  Gen.  xxxvii.  36  ;  xxxix.  1.  The  word  often 
stands  for  court  officer,  chamberlain  generally  (1 
Ki.  xxii.  9;  2  Ki.  viii.  6;  ix.  32;  xxv.  19,  etc.). 
It  is  clear  that  "pJ3  must  not  be  understood  of  di- 
rect generation,  and  that  is  agreeable  to  usage. 
Hezekiah's  son  Manasseh  went,  indeed,  as  pri- 
soner to  Babylon  (2  Chron.  xxxiii.  11),  but  he 
did  not  act  as  chamberlain.  Yet  the  prophecy 
was  fulfilled  by  what  is  related  Dan.  j.  3. 

Hezekiah  humbly  submits  himself  to  the  de- 
claration of  the  LORD.  The  expression  Good  is 
the  word,  etc.  involves  in  general  the  sense  of 
approval  and  acquiescence  (comp.  1  Kings  xviii. 
24),  especially  that  of  submission  under  a  severe 
judgment,  but  one  that  is  recognized  as  just 


(comp.  1  Kings  ii.  38,  42).  For  the  meaning  of 
"3  (DK  &6n,  2  Kings  xx.  19),  see  Text,  and  Gram. 
I  fall  back  on  the  conjecture  given  above,  that  the 
ambassadors  were  present  at  this  interview.  If 
one  then  considers  that  the  prophecy  of  vers.  6,  7 
presupposes  war  between  Babylon  and  Judah, 
and  that  this  poorly  corresponds  with  the  assu- 
rances of  friendship  just  interchanged  between 
Hezekiah  and  the  ambassadors,  he  can  see  that 
the  word  of  the  Prophet  would  embarrass  these 
parties.  It  would  the  king,  because  it  must  seem 
strange  that  he,  at  the  moment  when  an  honora- 
ble embassy  had  brought  him  offers  of  peace  and 
friendship,  should  call  the  announcement  of  the 
termination  of  the  friendship  (though  it  should 
turn  to  his  disadvantage)  a  "good  word."  It 
might  appear  as  if  he,  Hezekiah,  were  a  weather- 
cock, an  unreliable  man,  who  in  turning  about 
knew  how  to  transform  himself  from  a  friend  into 
an  enemy.  To  ward  off  this  evil  appearance  from 
himself,  Hezekiah  speaks  these  words,  which  are 
primarily  addressed  to  the  ambassadors.  He 
would  say :  is  it  not  self-evident  that  I  call  the 
prophetic  word  good  only  on  the  assumption  that 
peace  and  truth  shall  continue  while  I  live?  By 
this  construction  disappears  also  the  objection 
that  has  been  made  to  Hezekiah,  as  if  he  betrayed 
by  this  expression  a  sentiment  like  that  depraved 
motto :  "  apres  moi  le  deluge." 

It  may  be  seen  from  1  Kings  xxi.  27  sqq.  that 
the  LORD  lets  Himself  be  moved  by  a  penitent 
mind  to  postpone  punishment  beyond  the  life- 
time of  the  man  whom  it  primarily  threatens. — 
riDK1  DI/IP  occurs  again  Jer.  xxxiii.  G ;  comp. 
xiv.  13 ;  Esther  ix.  30.  It  means  here,  manifestly, 
peace  and  faithfulness  in  the  sense  of  political 
peaceableness  and  fidelity  to  alliances.* 


*  [In  his  conjectural  interpretation  of  Hezekiah's  con- 
duct and  its  relation  to  Isaiah's  prophecy  the  Author 
has  only  built  on  a  foundation  dating  back  to  the 
earliest  traditionary  exposition.  And  the  building,  one 
must  admit,  agrees  with  the  foundation.  He  has  only 
built  further  than  others,  but  in  the  same  style.  Yet, 
when  so  much  is  built,  and  of  such  a  sort,  one  is  con- 
strained to  look  at  the  foundation  to  see  if  such  a  struc- 
ture is  justified.  The  Author  admits  that  he  resorts  to 
conjecture  ;  his  confidence  is  in  the  natural  reasonable- 
ness of  it.  But  his  work  may  be  challenged  down  to 
the  very  foundation  as,  not  only  without  warrant  in 
Scripture,  but  actually  against  Scripture.  See  BAEHK, 
on  2  Kings  xx.  p.  2H.  And  if  this  appear  to  be  so,  then  the 
judgment  of  expositors  against  Hezekiah,  though  it  be 
the  judgment  of  ages,  must  be  reversed. 

The  only  Scripture  that  can  seem  to  give  positive 
support  to  the  (so  commonly  accepted)  injurious  view 
of  Hezekiah's  conduct  in  the  case  before  us  is  2  Chr. 
xxxii.  25,  31.  Ver.  31  clearly  relates  to  the  transactions 
of  our  text.  But  ver.  25  as  clearly  does  not,  and  must 
not  be  brought  in  to  shed  light  on  them.  It  is  in  the 
context  separated  from  them  by  the  statement  of  ver. 
26,  viz. :  that  "  Hezekiah  humbled  himself  for  the  pride 
of  his  heart,  both  he  and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem, 
so  that  the  wrath  of  the  LORD  came  not  upon  them  in 
the  days  of  Hezekiah."  What  follows  this  verse  is  but 
descriptive  proof  of  the  last  statement  in  it,  and  in- 
cluded in.  this  proof  is  ver.  HI.  See  the  comm.  of  DR. 
O.  ZOECKI,ER  in  the  LANRE,  B.  W.  in  loc.  p  27.  The  ren- 
dering of  the  Eng.  Ver.  "  Howbeit"  for  pi  ver.  31  is 

forced,  nnd  that  by  the  pressure  of  the  very  opinion 
here  combated.  It  means  "And  so"  or  "in  this  man- 
ner." The  particle  introduces  the  additional  statement 
of  the  trial  Hezekiah  underwent,  and  refers  to  the 
prosperity  just  described  as  having  providentially  led 
to  it.  Ver. ;U  does  not  imply  reproach  of  Hezekiah  or 
anything  contrary  to  what  may  be  included  under  the 
statement  of  ver.  26.  13TJJ.  (iod  "left  him,"  does  not. 
For  it  remains  to  be  determined  to  what  he  left  him. 
The  context  must  supply  this,  and  we  must  not  under- 


410 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


DOCTRINAL  AND  ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xxxvi.  4  sqq.  "  Haec  proprie  est  Satanae 
lingua  et  sunt  non  Rabsacis  sed  ipsissiini  Diaboli 
verba,  quibus  non  muros  urbis,  sed  medullam  Eze- 


Btand  simply  divine  desertion  in  general,  especially  as 
that  conflicts  with  all  the  recorded  facts.  The  verse 
itself  only  supplies  the  event  of  the  Babylonian  em- 
bassy, and  we  may  include  of  course  Isaiah's  interpre- 
tation of  it.  To  that  the  LORD  left  Hezekiah.  Comp. 
^  Chr.  xii.  5  "and  therefore  I  have  left  (T\3iy)  you  in 
the  hand  of  Shishak."  It  is  gratuitous  to  infer  that 
God  left  Hezek.ah  to  the  workings  of  his  own  heart.  It 
is  equally  so  to  infer  that,  because  God  so  left  Heze- 
xiah,  therefore  Hezekiah  mu«t  first  have  left  (Sod,  as  in 
the  case  just  cited.  Without  leaving  God  or  his  own 
humility  (ver.  26)  Hezekian  might  be  thus  left  of  God 
to  this  extraordinary  providence.  Comp.  Ps.  xxii.  1 

with  Matt,  xxvii.  46.  "U1  IfllDjS  "to  try  him,"  etc., 
does  not  imply  reproach  any  more  than  the  trial  of 
Abraham  Gen.  xxii.  1.  The  sentiment  of  these  words 
and  even  the  very  words  are  drawn  from  Deut.  viii.  2, 
16.  As  an  obvious  quotation'  from  the  most  familiar 
part  of  the  Law,  the  only  proper  completion  of  their 
sentiment  must  be  found  in  the  completion  of  the 
quotation.  That  must  be:  ''to  know  what  was  in  his 
heart  to  know  whether  he  would  keep  his  (God's)  com- 
mandment or  not."  The  records  of  Isa.  xxxix.  8,  and 
2  Kings  xx.  19  furnish  the  only  documentary  informa- 
tion of  what  was  revealed  by  this  trial  to  be  in  Heze- 
kiah's heart.  It  was  nothing  but  resignation  and  ac- 
quiescence in  the  will  of  God,  the  only  form  of  obedi- 
ence and  keeping  God's  commandment  that  the  case 
admitted.  It  is,  therefore,  not  only  gratuitous  to  infer 
that  the  trial  revealed  the  sinful  vanity  of  Hezekiah's 
heart,  it  is  contrary  to  the  very  record.  That  ha  showed 
his  treasures  is  thought  to  be,  evidence  of  such  vanity. 
But  this  is  only  prejudice  growing  out  of  the  very  as- 
sumptions now  combated.  Why  should  this  hospi- 
tality be  so  bad  in  Hezekiah,  when  that  of  Solomon  to 
the  queen  of  Sheba,  substantially  the  same,  is  men- 
tioned only  with  approval,  and  is  even  elevated  to  typi- 
cal importance  1 

As  for  the  rest  of  Hezekiah's  answer  Isa.  xxxix.  8  6; 
2  Kings  xx.  19  6,  "Good  is  the  word  of  the  LOUD,"  etc., 
it  may  be  interpreted  best  in  the  light  of  Deut.  viii.  1C. 
A  promise  of  good  is  given  there  for  the  latter  days  of 
those  that  stand  the  proof  of  God's  trials  and  keep  His 
commandments.  Hezekiah  had  the  consciousness  of 
such  integrity  (Isa.  xxxviii.  3),  he  therefore  gratefully 
rested  in  the  expectation  of  such  good  for  his  latter 
days  ;  in  which  he  was  also  justified  by  the  terms  of 
Isaiah's  prophecy,  if  not  by  some  mo're  explicit  an- 
nouncement (2  Chr.  xxxii.  2(5). 

The  event  of  the  Babylonian  embassy,  as  it  appears 
in  our  book,  must  be  viewed  as  subservient  to  the  ends 
of  prophecy.  It  is  told  for  the  sake  of  the  prophecy 
in  vers.  5-7.  Our  Author  himself  well  remarks  (at  the 
beginning  of  the.  introduction  to  chapters  xxxvi.- 
xxxix.),  that  our  chapters  "show  how  'from  afar' 
was  begun  the  spinning  of  the  first  thieads 


of  that  web  of  complications,  that  were  at  last  so  fatal." 
The  event  of  the  embassy  was  providentially  ordered 
for  prophetic  purposes.  It  may  be  compared  to  such 
events  as  Melchizedec,  Esau  selling  his  birth-right,  the 
queen  of  Sheba's  visit,  the  birth  of  Maher-shal-al,  the 
wise  men  of  the  east  at  tho  crib  of  Christ,  the  inquiring 
Greeks,  Jno.  xii.  20-^24.  The  questions  of  Isaiah,  and 
the  replies  of  Hezekiah  as  recorded,  bring  out  precisely 
the  traits  needed  for  the  prophecy  about  to  be  made. 
The  "from  a  far  country"  was  a  providentially  indited 
expression,  like  that  of  Caifiphas  Jno.  xi.  49,  sqq.  Pre- 
vious prophecy,  likely  familiar  to  Hezekiah,  had  made 
known  that  a  visitation  of  wrath  was  coming  on  Judah 
"from  far"  x.  3,  xxx.  27.  Now  this  event  strangely 
brings  to  Jerusalem  and  its  king  representatives  of  the 
very  people  that  were  to  be  the  instruments  of  this 
wrath,  and  the  Prophet  appears,  and  identifies  them 
and  their  destiny.  And  from  this  onward  the  Baby- 
lonians become  more  distinctly  the  theme  of  prophecy. 
Hezekiah  submits,  not  like  one  receiving  a  well  merited 
rebuke,  but  like  Moses  when  the  people  were  turned 
back  from  Kadosh-Barnea.  All  that  the  Author  says 
about  negotiations  looking  to  alliance  between  Heze- 
kiah and  Babylon,  does  not  pretend  to  be  more  thf>n 
shrewd  conjecture.  As  it  does  not  find  one  word  of  cor- 
roboration  in  the  Scripture,  it  would  be  well  to  make  little 
or  no  account  of  it.  Comp.  the  Author's  conjectures 
on  vu.  10-16,  and  the  additions  by  TB.  that  follow  —  Ta.J 


chiae,  hoc  est,  tcnerrimam  ejus  fidem  oppugnat."~ 
LUTHER.  "  In  this  address  the  chief-butler, 
Satan  performs  in  the  way  he  uses  when  he  would 
bring  about  our  apostacy.  1)  He  urges  that  we 
are  divested  of  all  human  support,  ver.  5 ;  2) 
We  are  deprived  of  divine  support,  ver.  7  ;  3) 
God  is  angry  with  us  because  we  have  greatly 
provoked  Him  by  our  sins,  ver.  7  ;  4)  He  decks 
out  the  splendor,  and  power  of  the  wicked,  vers. 
8,  9 ;  5)  He  appeals  to  God's  word,  and  knows 
how  to  turn  and  twist  it  to  his  uses.  Such  poi- 
sonous arrows  were  used  by  Satan  against  Christ 
in  the  desert,  and  may  be  compared  with  this 
light  (Matt.  iv.  2  sqq.).  One  needs  to  arm  him- 
self against  Satan's  attack  by  God's  word,  and  to 
resort  to  constant  watching  and  prayer." — 
CRAMER. 

The  Assyrian  urges  four  particulars  by  which 
he  would  destroy  Hezekiah's  confidence,  in  two 
of  which  he  was  right  and  in  two  wrong.  He 
was  right  in  representing  that  Hezekiah  could 
rely  neither  on  Egypt,  nor  on  his  own  power. 
In  this?  respect  he  was  a  messenger  of  God  and 
announcer  of  divine  truth.  For  everywhere  the 
word  of  God  preaches  the  same  (xxx.  1-3;  xxxi. 
1-3  ;  Jer.  xvii.  5  ;  Ps.  cxviii.  8,  9  ;  cxlvi.  3,  etc.). 
But  it  is  a  merited  chastisement  if  rude  and 
hostile  preachers  must  preach  to  u<  what  we  were 
unwilling  to  believe  at  the  mild  and  friendly  voice 
of  God.  But  in  two  particulars  the  Assyrian 
was  wrong,  and  therein  lay  Hezekiah's  strength. 
For  just  on  this  account  the  LORD  is  for  him  and 
against  the  Assyrian.  These  iwo  things  are,  that 
the  Assyrian  asserts  that  Hezekiah  cannot  put 
his  trust  in  the  LORD,  but  rather  he,  the  Assyrian 
is  counseled  by  the  LORD  against  Hezekiah. 
That,  however,  was  a  lie,  and  because  of  this  lie, 
the  corresponding  truth  makes  all  the  deeper  im- 
pression on  Hezekiah,  and  reminds  him  how  as- 
suredly he  may  build  on  the  LORD  and  impor- 
tune Him.  And  when  the  enemy  dares  to  say, 
that  he  is  commissioned  by  the  LORD  to  destroy 
the  Holy  Land,  just  that  must  bring  to  lively  re- 
membrance in  the  Israelite,  that  the  LORD,  who 
cannot  lie,  calls  the  land  of  Israel  His  land  (Joel, 
iv.  2 ;  Jer.  ii.  7  ;  xvi.  18,  etc. ),  and  the  people  of 
Israel  His  people  (Exod.  iii.  7,  10;  v.  1,  etc.). 

2.  On  xxxvi.  12.  ["  In  regard  to  the  indelicacy 
of  this  passage  we  may  observe:    1)  The   Ma- 
sorets  in  the    Hebrew  text  have  so  printed  the 
words  used,  that  in  reading  it  the  ott'ensiveness 
would  be  considerably  avoided.    2)  The  customs, 
habits  and  modes  of  expression  of  people  in  dif- 
ferent nations  and  times,  differ.     What  appears 
indelicate  at  one  time  or  in  one  country,  may  not 
only  be  tolerated,  but  common  in  another.     3) 
Isaiah  is  not  at  all  responsible  for  the  indelicacy 
of  the  language  here.    He  is  simply  an  historian. 
4)   It  was  of  importance  to  give  the  true  cha- 
racter of  the  attack  which  was  made  on  Jeru- 
salem.     The   coming    of    Sennacherib  was   at- 
tended with  pride,  insolence  and  blasphemy  ;  and 
it  was  important  to  state  the  true  character  of  tho 
transaction,  and  to  record  just  what  was  said  and 
done.     Let  him  who  used  the  language,  and  not 
him  who  recorded  it  bear  the  blame."— BARNES 
in  loc.~\. 

3.  On  xxxvi.  18  sqq.     "  Observandum  hie,  quod 
apud  gentes  oiim  viguerit  irii/.utiaa  adeo,  ut  quaevis 
etiam  urbs  peculiar  cm    habuerit  Deum  tutelar  em. 


CHAP.  XXXIX.  1-8. 


411 


Cujus  ethnidsmi  exempium  vivum  et  spirans  ad  hue 
habamus  apud  pontiftcios,  quibus  non  inscite  objici 
potest  illud  Jeremiae :  Quot  civitales  tibi,  tot  etiam 
Dei  (Jer.  ii.  28)." — FOERSTER. 

4.  On  xxxvi.  21.    Answer  not  a  fool  according 
to  his  folly  (Prov.  xxvi.  4),  much  less  the  blas- 
phemer, lest  the  Hume  of  his  wickedness  he  blown 
into  the  greater  rage  (Ecclus.  viii.  3).     Did  not 
Christ  the  Lord  answer  His  enemies,  not  always 
with  words,   but  also  with  silence  (Matt.  xxvi. 
62;  xxvii.  14,  etc.)  ?     One  must  not  cast  pearls 
before  swine   (Matt.   vii.  6).     After  FOERSTER 
and  CRAMER. 

5.  On  xxxvi.  21.     '•  Est  aureus  textus,  qui  docet 
nos,  ne   cum    Satana    disputemus.     Quundo   enim 
videt,  quod  sumus  ejus  spectatores  et  auditores,  turn 
captat  occasionem  major  Is  for  titudinis  et  gravius  pre- 
mit.     Petrus  dicit,  eum  circuire  et  quaerere,  quern 
devoret.     Nullum  facit  insidiarum  Jinem.     Tutissi- 
mum    autem  est  non    respondere,  sed   contemnere 
eum." — LUTHER. 

6.  [On  xxxvii.  1-7.    "  Rab-hakeh  intended  to 
frighten  Hezekiah  from  the  LORD,  but  it  proves 
that  he  frightens  him  to  the  LORD.     The  wind, 
instead  of  forcing  the  traveler's  coat  from  him, 
makes  him  wrap  it  the  closer  about  him.     The 
more  Rabshukeh  reproaches  God,  the  more  Heze- 
kiah studies  to  honor  Him."  On  ver.  3.    "When 
we  are  most  at  a    plunge  we    should  be   mosi 
earnest  in  prayer.     When  pains  are  most  strong, 
let  prayers  be  most  lively.     Prayer  is  the  mid- 
wife of  mercy,  that  helps  to  bring  it  forth."- 
M.  HENRY,  in  loc.~\ 

7.  On  xxxvii.  2  sqq.     Hezekiah  here  gives  a 
good  example.     He  shows  all  princes,  rulers  and 
peoples  what  one  ought  to  do  when  there  is  a 
great  and  common  distress,  and  tribulation.    One 
ought  with  «ackcloth,  i.  e.,  with  penitent  humility, 
to  bring  prayers,  and  intercessions  to  the  LORD 
that  He  would  look  on  and  help. 

8.  On  xxxvii.  6  sq.     ''God  takes  to  Himself 
all  the  evil  done  to  His  people.     For  as  when 
one  does  a  great  kindness  to  the  saints,  God  ap- 
propriates it  to  Himself,  so,  too,  when  one  tor- 
ments the  saints,  it  is  an  injury  done  to  God,  and 
He  treats  sin  no  other  way  than  as  if  done  to  Him- 
self. He  that  torments  them  torments  Him  (Ixiv. 
9).     Therefore  the  saints  pray:  'Arise,  O  GoJ. 
plead  thine  own  cause:  remember  how  the  foolish 
man  reproacheth  thee  daily'   (Ps.  Ixxiv.  22)." — 
CRAMER. 

9.  On  xxxvii.  7.     "God  raises  up  against  His 
enemies  other  enemies,  and   thus  prepares  rest 
for  His  own  people.     Example  :  the  Philistines 
against  Saul  who  pursued  David,  1  Sam.  xxiii. 
27." — CRAMER. 

10.  On  xxxvii.  14.     VITRINGA  here  cites  the 
following  from  BONFIN  Rerum  Jfungar.  Dec.  III. 
Lib.  VI.   p.   464,  ad  annum   1444:    ''  Amorathes, 
cum  suos  laborare  cerneret  et  ab  Vladislao  rege  non 
sine  mar/no,  caedefugari,  depromtum  e  sinu  codicem 
inili  sanctissime  foederis  expticat  intentis  in  coe- 
lum     oeulis.      Haec    sunt,   inquit    ingeminans, 
Jem    Christe,  foedera,  quae    Cfiristiani  tui  rnecum 
percussere.      Per  numen  tuum    sanctum  jurarunt, 
datamque  sub  nomine   tuo  Jidem  violarunt,  perfide 
suum  Deum  abnegarunt.     Nunc  Ckriste,  si  l)cus  ex 
(ut  ajunt  et  nos    hallucinamur),   tuas  measque  hie 
injurias,  te  quaeso,  ulciscere  et  his,  qui  sanctum  tuum 
nomen  nondum  agnovere,  violatae  Jidei  pocnas  os- 


tende.  Vix  haec  dixerat  ....  cum  proelium,  quod 
anceps  ac  dubium  diu  fueral,  inctinare  coepit,  etc." 
[The  desire  of  Hezekiah  was  not  primarily 
his  own  personal  safety,  or  the  safety  of  his  king- 
dom. It  was  that  Jehovah  might  vindicate  His 
great  and  holy  name  from  reproach,  and  that  the 
world  might  know  that  He  was  the  only  true  God. 
We  have  here  a  beautiful  model  of  the  object 
which  we  should  have  in  view  when  we  come 
before  God.  This  motive  of  prayer  is  one  that  is 
with  great  frequency  presented  in  the  Bible.  Com  p. 
xlii.  8;  xliii.  10,  13,  25;  Deut.  xxxii.  39;  Ps. 
Ixxxiii.  18;  xlvi.  10;  Neh.  ix.6;  Dan.  ix.  18, 19. 
Perhaps  there  could  have  been  furnished  no  more 
striking  proof  that  Jehovah  was  the  true  God, 
than  would  be  by  the  defeat  of  Sennacherib. 
The  time  had  come  when  the  great  Jehovah 
could  strike  a  blow  which  would  be  felt  on  all 
nations,  and  carry  the  terror  of  His  name,  and 
the  report  of  His  power  throughout  the  earth. 
Perhaps  this  was  one  of  the  main  motives  of  the 
destruction  of  that  mighty  army." — BARNES, 
on  ver.  2]. 

11.  On  xxxvii.  15.     ''  Fides  Ezechiae  rerbo  con- 
firmata  magis  ac  magis  crescit.     Ante  non  ausus  est 
orare,  jam  orat  et  con/utat  blasphemias  omnes  Assy- 
rii.     Adeo  magna  vis   verbi  est,  ut  longe  alius  per 
verbum,  quod  Jesajas  ei  nunciari  jussit,factus  sit." 
— LUTHER. 

12.  On   xxxvii.    17.       ["It    is    bad    to  talk 
proudly  and  profanely,  but  it  is  worse  to  write 
so,  for  this  argues  more  deliberation  and  design, 
and  what  is  written  spreads    further   and   lasts 
longer,  and  does  the  more  mischief.     Atheism 
and  irreligion,  written,  will  certainly  be  reckoned 
for  another  day."— M.  HENRY]. 

13.  On  xxxvii.  21  sqq.     ["  Those  who  receive 
messages  of  terror  from  men  with  patience,  and 
send  messages  of   faith   to  God  by  prayer,  may 
expect  messages  of  grace  and  peace  from  God  for 
their  comfort,   even    when    they  are    most    cast 
down.     Isaiah  sent  a  long  answer  to  Hezekiah^ 
prayer  in  God's  name,  sent  it  in  writing  (for  it 
was  too  long  to  be  sent  by  word  of  mouth),  and 
sent  it  by  way  of  return  to  his  prayer,  relation 
being  thereunto  had  :    '  Whereas  thou  hast  prayed 
to  me,  know,  for  thy  comfort,  that  thy  prayer  is 
heard.'     Isaiah  might  have  referred  him  to  the 
prophecies  he  had  delivered  [particularly  to  that 
of  chap,  x.),  and  bid  him  pick  out  an  answer  from 
thence.     The  correspondence  between  earth  and 
heaven   is  never  let    fall  on    God's    side." — M. 
HENRY.]. 

14.  On  xxxvii.  31  sqq.    "  This  is  a  promise  of 
great  extent.     For  it  applies  not  only  to  those 
that  then   remained,  and  were    spared    the  im- 
pending destruction  and   captivity  by  the  Assy- 
rians, but  to  all  subsequent  times,  when  they  should 
enjoy    a    deliverance;    as   after    the    Babylonish 
captivity,  and  after  the  persecutions  of  Antiochus. 
Yea,  it  applies    even   to  New  Testament  times 
from  the  first  to  the  last,  since  therein,  in  the 
order  of  conversion  to  Christ,  the  Jews  will  take 
root  and  bring  forth  fruit,  and  thus  in   the  Jews 
(as  also  in  the  converted  Gentiles)  will  appear  in 
a  spiritual  and  corporal  sense,  what  God  at  that 
time  did  to  their  fields  in  the  three   following 
years." — STARKE. 

15.  On  xxxviii.  1.    "Isaiah,  although  of  a  no- 


412 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


ble  race  and  condition,  does  not  for  that  regard  it 
di.-graceful,  but  rather  an  honor,  to  be  a  pastor 
and  visitor  of  the  sick,  I  would  say,  a  prophet, 
teacher  and  comforter  of  the  sick.  God  save  the 
mark !  How  has  the  world  become  so  different  in 
our  day,  especially  in  our  evangelical  church. 
Let  a  family  be  a  little  noble,  and  it  is  regarded 
as  a  reproach  and  injury  to  have  a  clergyman 
among  its  relations  and  friends,  not  to  speak  of  a 
son  studying  theology  and  becoming  a  servant 
of  the  church.  I  speak  not  of  all ;  I  know  that 
some  have  a  better  mind ;  yet  such  is  the 
common  course.  Jeroboam's  maxim  must  ra- 
ther obtain,  who  made  priests  of  the  lowest  of  the 
people  (1  Kings  xii.  31).  For  thus  the  parsons 
may  be  firmly  held  in  rein  (sub  ferula)  and  in  po- 
litical submission.  It  is  not  at  all  good  where  the 
clergy  have  a  say,  says  an  old  state-rule  of  our 
Politicorum."  FEUERLEIN,  pastor  in  Nuremberg, 
in  his  Novissimorum  primum,  1694,  p.  553.  The 
same  quotes  SPENER:  "Is  it  not  so,  that  among 
the  Roman  Catholics  the  greatest  lords  are  not 
ashamed  to  stand  in  the  spiritual  office,  and  that 
many  of  them  even  discharge  the  spiritual  func- 
tions ?  Among  the  Reformed,  too,  persons  born 
of  the  noblest  families  are  not  ashamed  of  the  of- 
fice of  preacher.  But,  it  seems,  we  Lutherans 
are  the  only  ones  that  hold  the  service  of  the  gos- 
pel so  low,  that,  where  from  a  noble  or  otherwise 
prominent  family  an  ingenium  has  an  inclination 
to  theological  study,  almost  every  one  seeks  to 
hinder  him,  or,  indeed,  afterwards  is  ashamed  of 
his  friendship,  as  if  it  were  something  much  too 
base  for  such  people,  by  which  more  harm  comes 
to  our  church  than  one  might  suppose.  That  is 
to  be  ashamed  of  the  gospel." 

16.  On  xxxviii.  1.  ["We  see  here  the  boldness 
and  fidelity  of  a  man  of  God.  Isaiah  was  not 
afraid  to  go  in  freely  and  tell  even  a  monarch 
that  he  must  die.  The  subsequent  part  of  the 
narrative  would  lead  us  to  suppose  that,  until  this 
announcement,  Hezekiah  did  not  regard  himself 
as  in  immediate  danger.  It  is  evident  here,  that 
the  physician  of  Hezekiah  had  not  informed  him 
of  it — perhaps  from  the  apprehension  that  his 
disease  would  be  aggravated  by  the  agitation  of 
his  mind  on  the  subject.  The  duty  was,  there- 
fore, left,  as  it  is  often,  to  the  minister  of  religion 
— a  duty  which  even  many  ministers  are  slow  to 
perform,  and  which  many  physicians  are  reluctant 
to  have  performed. 

No  danger  is  to  be  apprehended  commonly 
from  announcing  to  those  who  are  sick  their  true 
condition.  Physicians  and  friends  often  err  in 
this.  There  is  no  species  of  cruelty  greater  than 
to  suffer  a  friend  to  lie  on  a  dying  bed  under  a 
delusion.  There  is  no  sin  more  aggravated  than 
that  of  designedly  deceiving  a  dying  man,  and 
flattering  him  with  the  hope  of  recovery,  when 
there  is  a  moral  certainty  that  he  will  not  and 
cannot  recover.  And  there  is  evidently  no  danger 
to  be  apprehended  from  communicating  to  the 
sick  their  true  condition.  It  should  be  done  ten- 
derly and  with  affection ;  but  it  should  be  done 
faithfully.  I  have  had  many  opportunities  of  wit- 
nessing the  effect  of  apprising  the  sick  of  their 
situation,  and  of  the  moral  certainty  that  they 
must  die.  And  I  cannot  now  recall  "an  instance 
in  which  the  announcement  has  had  any  unhappy 
effect  on  the  disease.  Often,  on  the  contrary,  the 


effect  is  to  calm  the  mind,  and  to  lead  the  dying 
to  look  up  to  God,  and  peacefully  to  repose  on 
Him.  And  the  effect  of  THAT  is  always  salutary." 
BARNES  in  loc.~] 

17.  On  xxxviii.  2.  It  is  an  old  opinion,  found 
even  in  the  CHALD.,  that  by  the  wall  is  meant  the 
wall  of  the  temple  as  a  holy  direction  in  which  to 
pray,  as  the  Mahometans  pray  in  the  direction 
of  Mecca.     But  Tpn  cannot  mean  that.     Rather 
that   is    correct   which    is  said    by   FORERIUS: 
"  Nolunt  pii  homines  testes  habere  suarum  lacryma- 
rum,  ut  eas  liber ius  fundant,  neque  sensu  distrahi, 
cum  orare  Deum  ex  animo  volunt." 

18.  On  xxxviii.  8: — 

"  Non  Deus  est  vumen  Parcarum  carcere  clausum. 

Quale  putabatur  Stoicus  esse  Deus. 
Hie  potext  Soils  c,ursus  inhibere  volantes, 
At  veluti  scopulos  flumina  stare  facit." 

— MELANCHTHON. 

19.  On  xxxviii.  12.  "Beautiful  parables  that 
picture  to  us  the  transitoriness  of  this  temporal 
life.     For  the  parable  of  the  shepherd's  tent  means 
how  restless  a  thing  it  is  with  us,  that  we  have 
here  no  abiding  place,  but  are  driven  from  one 
locality  to  another,  until  at  last  we  find  a  resting- 
spot  in  the  church-yard.     The  other  parable  of  the 
weaver's  thread  means  how  uncertain  is  our  life 
on  earth.      For  how  easily  the  thread  breaks." 
CRAMER.     "  When  the  weaver's  work  is  progress- 
ing best,  the  thread  breaks  before  he  is  aware. 
Thus  when  a  man  is  in  his  best  work,  and  sup- 
poses he  now  at  last  begins  really  to  live,  God 
breaks  the  thread  of  his  life  and  lets  him  die. 
The  rational  heathen  knew  something  of  this  when 
they,  so  to  speak,  invented  the  three  goddesses  of 
life  (the  three  Parcas  minime  parcas)  and  included 
them  in  this  little  verse : 

Clotho  colum  gestat,  Lachesis  trahit, 
Atropos  occat. 

But  what  does  the  weaver  when  the  thread 
breaks  ?  Does  he  stop  his  work  at  once  ?  O  no ! 
He  knows  how  to  make  a  clever  weaver's  knot,  so 
that  one  cannot  observe  the  break.  Remember 
thereby  that  when  thy  life  is  broken  off,  yet  the 
Lord  Jesus,  as  a  master  artisan,  can  bring  it  to- 
gether again  at  the  last  day.  He  will  make  such 
an  artful,  subtle  weaver's-knot  as  shall  make  us 
wonder  through  all  eternity.  It  will  do  us  no 
harm  to  have  died."  Ibid. —  Omnia  sunt  hominum 
tenni  pendentio,  filo. 

["As  suddenly  as  the  tent  of  a  shepherd  is 
taken  down,  folded  up,  and  transferred  to  another 
place.  There  is  doubtless  the  idea  here  that  he 
would  continue  to  exist,  but  in  another  place,  as 
the  shepherd  would  pitch  his  tent  in  another 
place.  He  was  to  be  cut  off  from  the  earth,  but 
he  expected  to  dwell  among  the  dead.  The  whole 
passage  conveys  the  idea  that  he  expected  to 
dwell  in  another  state."  BARNES  in  loc.]. 

20.  On  xxxviii.  17.  ["Note  1)  When  God  par- 
dons sin,  He  casts  it  behind  His  back  as  not  de- 
signing to  look  upon  it  with  an  eye  of  justice  and 
jealousy.     He  remembers  it  no  more,  to  visit  for 
it.      The  pardon  does  not  make  the  sin  not  to 
have  been,  or  not  to  have  been  sin,  but  not  to  be 
punished  as  it  deserves.     When  we  cast  our  sins 
behind  our  back,  and  take  no  care  to  repent  of 


CHAP.  XXXIX.  1-8. 


413 


them,  God  sets  them  before  His  face,  and  is  ready 
to  reckon  for  them  ;  but  when  we  set  them  before 
our  face  in  true  repentance,  as  David  did  when 
his  sin  was  ever  before  him,  God  casts  them  be- 
hind His  back.  2)  When  God  pardons  sin,  He 
pardons  all,  casts  them  all  behind  His  back, 
though  they  have  been  as  scarlet  and  crimson. 
3)  The  pardoning  of  sin  is  the  delivering  the  soul 
from  the  pit  of  corruption.  4)  It  is  pleasant  in- 
deed to  think  of  our  recoveries  from  sickness 
when  we  see  them  flowing  from  the  remission  of 
sin;  then  the  cause  is  removed,  and  then  it  is  in 
love  to  the  soul."  M.  HENRY  in  /oc.j 

21.  On  xxxviii.  18.  [Cannot  hope  for  thy  truth. 
"They  are  shut  out  from  all  the  means  by  which 
Thy  truth  is  brought  to  mind,  and  the  offers  of 
salvation  are  presented.  Their  probation  is  at  an 
end  ;  their  privileges  are  closed  ;  their  destiny  is 
sealed  up.  The  idea  is,  it  is  a  privilege  to  live 
because  this  is  a  world  where  the  offers  of  salva- 
tion are  made,  and  where  those  who  are  conscious 
of  guilt  may  hope  in  the  mercy  of  God."  BARNES 
in  loc.]  God  is  not  willing  that  any  should  pe- 
rish, but  that  all  should  come  to  repentance  (2 
Pet.  iii.  9).  Such  is  the  New  Testament  sense  of 
these  Old  Testament  words.  For  though  Heze- 
kiah  has  primarily  in  mind  the  preferableness  of 
life  in  the  earthly  body  to  the  life  in  Hades,  yet 
this  whole  manner  of  representation  passes  away 
with  Hades  itself.  But  Hezekiah's  words  still 
remain  true  so  far  as  they  apply  to  heaven  and 
hell.  For  of  course  in  hell,  the  place  of  the 
damned,  one  does  not  praise  God.  But  those  that 
live  praise  Him.  These,  however,  are  in  heaven. 
Since  then  God  wills  rather  that  men  praise  Him 
than  not  praise  Him,  so  He  is  not  willing  that 
men  should  perish,  but  that  all  should  turn  to  re- 
pentance and  live. 

22.  On  xxxix.  2.  "Primo  (Deus)  per  obsidionem 
et  bdlum,  delude  per  gravein,  morbum  Ezechiam  ser- 
vaverat,  ne  in  praesumtionem  laberetur.     Nondum 
tamen  vinci  potu.it  antiquus  serpens,  seU  redit  et  levat 
caput  suum.       Aden  non  possumus  consistere,  nisi 
Deos  nos  affligat.     Vides  igitur  hie,  quis  sit  afflictio- 
num  iisus,  ut  mortificent  scilicet  carnem,  quae  non 
potest  resferre  secundas."  LUTHER. 

23.  On  xxxix.  7.  "God  also  punishes  the  mis- 
deeds of  the  parents  on  the  children   (Exod.  xx. 
5)  because  the  children  not  only  follow  the  mis- 
deeds of  their  parents,  but  they  also  increase  and 
heap  them  up,  as  is  seen  in  the  posterity  of  Heze- 
kiah,  viz. :  Manasseh  and  Amon." — CRAMER. 

HOMILETICAL  HINTS. 

[The  reader  is  referred  to  the  ample  hints  covering 
the  same  matter  to  be  found  in  the  volume  on  2  Kings, 
chapters  xviii.-xx.  It  is  expedient  to  take  advantage 
of  that  for  the  sake  of  keeping  the  present  volume 
within  reasonable  bounds.  Therefore  but  a  minimum 
is  here  given  of  what  the  Author  offers,  much  of  which 
indeed  is  but  the  repetition  in  another  form  of  matter 
already  given. — Ta.J 

1.  On  xxxvii.  36.  "1)  The  scorn  and  mockery 
of  the  visible  world.     2)  The  scorn  and  mockery 
of  the  unseen  world."     Sermon  of  Domprediger 
ZAHN  in  Halle,  1870. 

2.  On  the  entire  xxxviii.   chapter,  beside  the 
22  sermons  in   FEUERLEIN'S   Nnvissimorum  pri- 
mum,  there  is  a  great  number  of  homiletical  ela- 


borations of  an  early  date ;  WALTHER  MAGIRUS, 
Idea  mortis  et  vitae  in  two  parts,  the  second  of 
which  contains  20  penitential  and  consolatory 
sermons  on  Isa.  xxxviii.  Danzig,  1640  and  1642. 
DANIEL  SCHALLER  (STENDAL)  4  sermons  on 
the  sick  Hezekiah,  on  Isa.  xxxviii.  Magdeburg, 
1611.  PETER  SIEGMUND  PAPE  in  '*  Gott  gehei- 
lighte  Wochenpredigten,"  Berlin,  1701,  4  sermons. 
JACOB TICIILERUS  (ELBURG)  Hiskiae  Avfrichtig- 
keit  bewiesen  in  Gesundheit,  Krankheit  und  Gene- 
sung,  18  sermons  on  Isa.  xxxviii.  (Dutch),  Cam- 
pen,  1636.  These  are  only  the  principal  ones. 

3.  On   xxxviii.   1.     "  I  will  set  my  house  in 
order.     This,  indeed,  will  not  be  hard  for  me  to 
do.     My  debt  account  is  crossed  out ;    my  best 
possession  I  take  along  with  me;  my  children  I 
commit  to  the  great  Father  of  orphans,  to  whom 
heaven    and  earth  belongs,  and  my  soul  to  the 
Lord,  who  has  sued  for  it  longer  than  a  human 
age,  and  bought  it  with  His  blood.     Thus  I  am 
eased  and  ready  for  the  journey."  TIIOLUCK,  Slun- 
den  der  Andacht,  p.  620. 

4.  On  xxxviii.  1.    "  Now  thou  shouldest  know 
that    our  word  'order  his  house'    has    a  very 
broad  meaning.     It  comprehends  reconciliation 
to  God  by  faith,  the  final  confession  of  sin,  the 
last  Lord's  Supper,   the  humble  committing  of 
the  soul  to  the  grace  of  the  Lord,  and  to  death 
and  the  grave  in  the  hope  of  the  resurrection.   In 
one  word:  There   is  an  ordering  of    the  house 
above.     In  reliance  on  the  precious  merit  of  my 
Saviour,  I  order  my  house  above  in  which  I  wish 
to  dwell.     Moreover  taking  leave  of  loved  ones, 
and  the  blessing  of  them  belongs  to  ordering  the 
house.     And  finally  order  must  be   taken  con- 
cerning the  guardianship  of  children,  the  abiding 
of  the  widow,  and  the  friend  on  whom  she  must 
especially  lean  in  her  loneliness,  also  concerning 
earthly  bequests."      AHLFELD,  Das    Leben    im 
Lichte  des  Wortes  Gottes,  Halle,  1867,  p.  522. 

5.  On  xxxviii.  2-8.     This  account  has  much 
that  seems  strange  to  us  Christians,  but  much, 
too,  that  quite  corresponds  to  our  Christian  con- 
sciousness.    Let  us  contemplate  the  difference  be- 
tween an    Old  Testament,   and  a    New   Testament 
suppliant,  by  noticing  the  differences  and   the  re- 
semblances.    I.  THE  RESEMBLANCES.     1)  Distress 
and  grief  there  are  in  the  Old,  as  in  the  New 
Testament  (ver.  3).      2)  Eeady  and  willing  to 
help  beyond  our  prayers  or  comprehension  (vers. 
5,  6)  is  the  LORD  in  the  Old   as   in  the  New 
Testament.     II.  THE  DIFFERENCES.   1)  The  Old 
Testament  suppliant  appealed  to  his  having  done 
nothing  bad  (ver.  3).     The  New  Testament  sup- 
pliant says:  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner," 
and  ''  Give  me  through  grace  for  Christ's  sake 
what  it  pleases  Thee  to  give  me."     2)  The  Old 
Testament  suppliant  demands  a  sign  (vers.  7,  8  ; 
comp.  ver.  22) ;    the  New  Testament  suppliant 
requires  no  sign  but  that  of  the  crucified  Son  of 
man,  for  He  knows  that  to  those  who  bear  this 
sign  is  given  the  promise  of  the  hearing  of  all 
their  prayers  (Jno.  xvi.  23).     3)  In  Hezekiah's 
case,  the  prayer  of  the  Old  Testament  suppliant 
is  indeed  heard  (ver.  5),  yet  in  general  it  has  not 
the   certainty  of  being  heard,  whereas  the  New 
Testament  suppliant  has  this  certainty. 


414 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


III.— THE   SECOND    PART. 

THE  TOTAL  SALVATION  TO  COME,  BEGINNING  WITH  REDEMP- 
TION FROM  THE  BABYLONIAN  EXILE  AND  CONCLUDING 
WITH  THE  CREATION  OF  A  NEW  HEAVEN  AND  A  NEW  EARTH. 

CHAPTERS  XL.-LXVI. 


This  second  principal  part  is  occupied  with 
the  redemption  of  Israel.  And  the  Prophet  con- 
templates this  redemption  as  a  total,  although 
from  its  beginning,  which  coincides  with  redemp- 
tion from  the  Babylonian  exile,  to  its  conclusion, 
it  takes  up  thousands  of  years.  For  to  the  gaze 
of  the  Prophet,  that,  which  in  point  of  time,  is 
most  remote,  is  just  as  near  as  th:it  which  is 
neatest  in  point  of  time.  He  sees  degrees,  it  is 
true  ;  but  the  intervals  of  time  that  separate  the 
degrees  one  from  another  he  is  unable  to  mea- 
sure. Things  of  the  same  kind  he  sees  along 
side  of  one  another,  although  as  to  fact,  the 
single  moments  of  their  realization  take  place 
one  after  another.  Consequences  that  evolve  out 
of  their  premises  only  after  a  long  time  he  con- 
templates along  with  the  latter.  Thus  it  happens 
that  the  representations  of  the  Prophet  have 
often  the  appearance  of  disorder.  To  this  is 
joined  still  another  thing.  Although,  in  general, 
the  Prophet's  view  point  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
people  as  already  suffering  punishment  and 
awaiting  their  redemption  out  of  it,  thus  the  view- 
point of  the  Exile,  yet  at  times  this  relative 
(ideal,  prophetic)  present  merges  into  the  abso- 
lute, i.  e.,  actual  history  of  his  own  time  where 
both  have  an  inherent  likeness.  But  this  inhe- 
rent likeness  becomes  especially  prominent  where 
the  punishment  of  sin  is  concerned,  which  is  the 
concern  of  both  epochs  in  common,  that  is  the 
epoch  in  which  the  Prophet  lived,  and  the  epoch 
of  the  Exile. 

These  are  the  chief  points  of  view,  which  must 
he  held  fast  in  order  to  make  it  possible  to  un- 
derstand this  grand  cycle  of  prophecy. 

The  twenty-seven  chapters  that  compose  this 
cycle  subdivide  into  three  parts  containing  each 
nine  chapters.  (This  was  first  noticed  by 
FRIEDRICH  RUECKERT,  Heb.  Propheten  ubers.  u. 
erldutert,  1831.) 


The  first  Ennead  (chapters  xl.-xlviii.),  has 
Kores*  ( Cyrus)  for  its  middle  point ;  the  second 
(chapters  xlix.-lvii.),  the  personal  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah; the  third  (chapters  Iviii.-lxvi.),  the  new 
creature. 

In  regard  to  the  critical  questions,  see  the  In- 
troduction. 

[In  regard  to  the  above  division  the  following 
may  be  appropriate  which  DR.  J.  A.  ALEX- 
ANDER says  concerning  the  division  proposed  by 
himself,  and  which  does  not  materially  differ 
from  the  one  above,  though  it  makes  three  heads 
of  what  above  is  comprised  in  the  first  (xl.- 
xlviii.).  "These  are  the  subjects  of  the  Pro- 
phet's whole  discourse,  and  may  be  described  as 
present  to  his  mind  throughout ;  but  the  degree 
in  which  they  are  respectively  made  prominent 
is  different  in  different  parts.  The  attempts 
which  have  been  made  to  show  that  they  are 
taken  up  successively,  and  treated  one  by  one,  are 
unsuccessful,  because  inconsistent  with  the  fre- 
quent repetition  and  recurrence  of  the  same 
theme.  The  order  is  not  that  of  strict  succession, 
but  of  alternation.  It  is  still  true,  however,  that 
the  relative  prominence  of  these  great  themes  is 
far  from  being  constant.  As  a  general  fact,  it 
may  be  said  that  their  relative  positions  in  this 
respect  answer  to  those  they  hold  in  the  enu- 
meration above  given.  The  character  of  Israel, 
both  as  a  nation  and  a  church,  is  chiefly  promi- 
nent in  the  beginning,  the  Exile  and  the  Advent 
in  the  middle,  the  contrast  and  change  of  dis- 
pensations at  the  end.  With  this  general  con- 
ception of  the  Prophecy,  the  reader  can  have 
very  little  difficulty  in  perceiving  the  unity  of 
the  discourse,  and  marking  its  transitions  for 
himself.  Abridged  Ed.  Vol.  II.  p.  18.]. 

*[The  Author  uses  this  Hebrew  form  of  the  name 
throughout  the  following  context.  We  substitute  for 
it  the  common  form.— TR.]. 


A.— KORES.    CHAPTERS  XL.— XLVIII. 


The  first  Ennead  of  chaps,  xl.-lxvi.  has  two  cha- 
racteristic elements  that  distinguish  it  from  the 
two  following  Enneads:  1)  The  Promise  of  a 
Hero  that  will  come  from  the  east,  that  will  re- 
deem^Israel  out  of  the  Babylonian  captivity,  and 
who  in  fact  is  called  by  his  name  "Kores" 
xliv.  28;  xlv.  1:  2)  The  affirmation  that  Je- 
hovah, from  the  fulfilment  of  this  fact  predicted 
by  Him,  must  also  necessarily  be  acknowledged 
as  the  only  true  God,  as  also,  on  the  other  hand, 
from  the  inability  of  idols  to  prophesy  and  to 
fulfil  must  evidently  be  concluded  that  they  are 
no  gods.  One  sees  from  this  that  the  Prophet 
wishes^  primarily  to  attain  a  double  object  by  the 
first  nine  chapters  of  this  book  of  consolation : 
First,  Israel  shall  have  the  prospect  presented  of 


bodily  deliverance  by  Cyrus  ;  but  Second,  its  de- 
liverance also  from  the  worship  of  idols  shall  be 
made  possible  by  means  of  that  promise.  For 
the  LORD  intends  to  make  it  so  evident  that  the 
deliverance  by  Cyrus  is  Hi*  work,  and  at  the 
same  time  His  victory  over  the  idols  that  Israel 
can  no  longer  resist  acknowledging  Him  as  alone 
divine.  These  two  aims  manifestly  go  hand  in 
hand.  But  now  a  Third  is  added  to  them. 
Cyrus  and  Israel  are  themselves  prophetic  types 
that  point  to  a  third  and  higher  one.  Each  of 
them  represents  one  factor  of  the  development  of 
salvation.  In  that  third  both  factors  find  their 
common  fulfilment.  Cyrus  is  only  the  initiator 
of  the  redemption.  He  brings  to  an  end  the 
seventy  years'  exile,  and  opens  up  the  era  of  sal- 


CHAP.  XL.  1-11. 


415 


vation.  But  the  salvation  which  he  immedi- 
ately brings  is  still  only  a  faint  twilight.  On  the 
other  hand,  in  himself  considered,  Cyrus  is  a 
grand  and  glorious  appearance.  He  beams  like 
the  sun  in  the  heavens,  that  is  unobscured  by 
clouds,  and  that,  indeed,  not  only  in  our  pro- 
phecy, but  also  in  profane  history.  In  this  re- 
spect he  prefigures  the  element  of  glory  that  must 
appear  in  the  ftilfiller  of  redemption.  In  chap, 
xlv.  1  He  is  called  ITt2O  (Messiah,  anointed). 
He  is  therefore  the  messiah  in  a  lower  degree. 
Lowliness,  reproach,  suffering,  nothing  of  this 
sort  is  found  in  him.  On  the  contrary  Israel  is 
the  lowly,  despised,  much  enduring  servant  of  Je- 
.hovah,  who,  however,  in  his  lowliness  is  still 
strong,  and  in  the  hand  of  Jehovah  a  mighty  in- 
strument, partly  to  punish  the  heathen  nations, 
and  partly  to  save  them.  This  particular  also 
attains  its  conclusion  in  Him  who  fulfils  the  re- 
demption. Therefore  He  is  called  Messiah  and 
Servant  of  Jehovah  in  one  person.  He  unites  both 
in  one :  the  glory  and  the  lowliness,  the  kingly 
form  and  the  servant  form.  Thus  it  happens,  that 
in  xl.-xlviii.  beside  the  promise  of  Cyrus  (as  far 
as  it  relates  to  the  deliverance  out  of  the  Baby- 
lonian exile),  and  the  proof  of  divinity  (drawn 
from  prophecy  and  fulfilment)  which  form  the 
peculiar  subjects  of  these  chapters,  we  see  those 
two  other  elements  appear  in  a  preparative  wav ; 
the  element  of  glory  repressnted  by  Cyrus,  and 
the  form  of  the  servant  of  God  by  the  people 
Israel.  Those  first  named  subjects  are  concluded 
in  xl.-xlviii.  For  alter  xlviii.  nothing  more  is 
said  either  about  Cyrus  or  about  prophecy  and 
fulfilment.  But  that  in  Cyrus  and  in  the  people 
(regarded  as  the  servant  of  Jehovah)  which  is 
typical  has  its  unfolding  in  the  two  following 
Enneads,  of  which  the  former  is  chiefly  devoted 
to  the  servant  of  God,  and  the  latter  to  the  glory 
of  the  new  creation.  Thus,  therefore,  we  may 
say  :  the  first  Ennead  forma  the  basis  of  the  two 
that  follow,  in  as  much  as  it  carries  out  to  com- 
pletion the  two  fundamental  factors  of  the  initia- 
tion of  the  redemption  by  Cyrus,  and  the  pro*of 
of  the  divinity  of  Jehovah  drawn  therefrom,  but 
partly,  too,  in  that  it  lays  the  foundation  for  the 
representation  of  Him  who  in  the  highest  degree 
is  the  Servant  of  God  and  King. 

Let  us  now  observe  how  the  Prophet  carries 
out  in  detail  the  plan  which  we  have  just 
sketched  in  its  outlines. 

Tn  chap.  xl.  after  the  prologue,  the  Prophet  pre- 
sents first  the  objective  then  the  subjective  basis  of 
the  redemption.  For  this  chapter,  after  a  general 
introduction  (vers.  1-11)  referring  to  the  whole 
book,  and  thus  also  to  the  subsequent  pa/ts  of 
chap,  xl.,  contains  first  a  presentation  of  the  abso- 
lute power  and  wisdom  of  God,  from  which  fol- 
lows also  the  impossibility  of  representing  Him 
by  any  natural  image  (vers.  12-26).  If  then  re- 
demption is  objectively  conditioned  by  the  omni- 
potence and  wisdom  of  God,  so  it  is  subjectively  by 
that  trust  that  Israel  must  repose  in  its  God  (vers. 
27-31 ).  This  chap,  contains,  therefore,  three  parts, 
and  has  wholly  the  character  of  a  foundation. 

To  chapter  xli.  we  give  the  superscription  : 
First  appearance  of  the  redeemer  from  the  east  and 
of  the  servant  of  Jehovah,  as  also  the  first  and  second 
realization  of  the  prophecy  relating  to  this  as  proof 
of  the  divinity  of  Jehovah.  For  in  chapter  xli. 


j  the  Prophet  begins  by  bringing  forward  as  the 
|  principal  person  of  his  prophetic  drama  the  form 
I  of  him  who  as  bee/inner  of  the  redemption  has  to 
|  stand  in  the  foreground  of  the  first  Ennead.  He 
does  not  yet  name  him,  but  he  draws  him  with 
traits  not  to  be  mistaken,  and  designates  him  as 
the  one  called  of  God,  and  his  calling  a  test  of 
divinity  which  it  is  impossible  for  idols  to  give 
(xli.  1-7).  Immediately  after  the  redeemer  the 
Prophet  lets  the  redefined  appear,  viz. :  the 
people  Israel,  whom  he  introduces  as  "servant 
of  Jehovah  "  in  contrast  with  the  glorious  po- 
tentate from  the  east,  for  in  him  must  appear 
that  other  typical  element,  poverty  and  lowli- 
ness, which  still  does  no  detriment  to  his 
strength.  The  Prophet  characterizes  this  servant 
of  Jehovah  primarily  as  the  chosen  one  of  God, 
whom  God  will  not  reject  but  will  strengthen  to 
victory  (xli.  8-13),  then  again  as  poor  and 
ivretched,  who,  notwithstanding,  will  be  a  nighty 
instrument  of  judgment  and  rich  in  salvation  and 
knowledge  (xli.  14-20).  After  he  has  thus  de- 
scribed the  redeemer  and  the  redeemed  servant  of 
God,  he  employs  in  conclusion  precisely  this  pro- 
phecy of  redemption  a  second  time  as  the  basis 
of  an  argument  which  has  for  its  conclusion  the 
sole  divinity  of  Jehovah,  and  the  nothingness  of 
idols  (xli.  21-29). 

In  Chapter  xlii.  the  third  principal  person  ap- 
pears on  the  scene,  viz.,  the  personal  Servant  of  God 
to  whom  both  the  chief  personages  before  men- 
tioned pointed  ;  the  first  of  them  prefiguring  His 
glory,  the  second  His  lowliness.  He  is  repre- 
sented first  as  meek,  who  at  the  same  time  will 
be  a  strong  refuge  of  righteousness  (xlii.  1-4) ; 
then  as  the  personal  representative  of  a  new 
covenant,  who  shall  mediate  for  all  nations  light 
and  right;  and  at  the  same  time  this  is  the  third' 
prophecy  which  the  LORD  presents  as  pledge  of 
His  divine  dignity  (xlii.  5-9).  These  two  stro- 
phes are  like  a  ladder  that  leads  up  to  the  cul- 
mination. For  chapter  xlii.  is  a  pyramidal 
structure.  In  verses  10-17  the  Prophet  has 
reached  the  point  of  the  pyramid.  In  them  the 
expression  ''  Servant  of  God  "  is  no  longer  used. 
And  yet  the  discourse  is  concerning  the  same 
that  ver.  1  was  designated  as  the  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah. He  appears  here  in  His  unity  with  Je- 
hovah in  which  He  Himself  is  El-Gibbor  [God 
a  mighty  one].  As  such,  He  issues  out  of  Israel 
into  the  blind  heathen  world  in  order  partly  to 
judge,  partly  to  bring  them  to  the  light  of  know- 
ledge and  of  salvation.  From  this  elevation  the 
following  strophes  recede  again.  And  in  vers. 
18-21  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  who  appears  here 
again  under  this  name,  is  portrayed  os  one,  who 
can  indeed  make  others  see  and  hear,  but  Him- 
self, as  one  blind  and  deaf,  goes  to  meet  His  de- 
struction, yet  precisely  thereby  secures  the  favor 
of  God,  and  becomes  the  founder  of  a  new  Tora 
(law).  Unhappily  this  new  institution  of  salva- 
tion is  not  accepted  by  unbelieving  Israel.  For 
this  reason  the  Prophet  sees  Israel  as  a  people 
robbed,  plundered,  and  languishing  in  kennels 
and  prisons  (xlii.  22-25).  From  his  heart  he 
wishes  that  Israel  might  take  warning  from  this 
threatening  in  time,  and  the  sooner  the  better. 
But,  alas,  the  Prophet  knows  that  Israel,  spite 
of  the  Exile,  in  which  it  has  already  so  em- 
phatically experienced  the  chastening  hand  of 


416 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


its  God,  will  not  yet  lay  to  heart  this  warning 
With  this  the  second  discourse  concludes. 

Having  in  xli.-xlii.  introduced  especially  the 
chief  persons  of  the  redemption,  viz.:  the  re- 
deemer from  the  east,  then  the  redeemed  or  ser- 
vant (people)  of  God,  finally  the  personal  Servant 
of  God,  in  whom  the  two  former  combine,  the 
Prophet  now  portrays  in  xliii.  chiefly  the  redemp- 
tion itself.  He  gives  first  a  survey  of  the  chief  par- 
ticulars of  (he  redemption  (vers.  1-8).  Having 
ver.  1  assigned  the  reason  for  the  redemption,  he 
depicts  it,  ver.  2,  as  one  that  shall  come  to  pass 
spite  of  all  difficulties;  in  vers.  3,  4,  as  such  that 
it  must  come  to  pass  though  even  heathen  nations 
must  be  sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  it ;  in  vers.  5-7 
as  all-comprehending,  i.  e.,  as  such  that  it  will 
lead  back  into  their  home  out  of  all  lands  of  the 
earth  the  members  of  the  people  of  Israel ; 
finally,  in  ver.  8,  is  indicated  the  condition  that 
Israel  must  fulfill  in  order  to  partake  of  this 
salvation,  viz. :  that  it  must  have  open  eyes  and 
ears  in  a  spiritual  sense.  To  this  representation 
of  the  redemption  in  general,  the  Prophet  adds 
(vers.  9-13)  the  statement,  that  recurs  thus  for 
the  fourth  time,  that  prophecy  and  fulfilment  are 
a  test  of  divinity,  and  that  Israel  in  its  capacity 
as  servant  of  God  is  called  to  be  witness  by  fur- 
nishing this  test.  After  carrying  out  this  thought, 
that  recurs  so  like  a  refrain,  the  Prophet  turns 
again  to  the  chief  thought  of  chapter  xliii.  He 
describes  the  return  home  of  Israel  especially 
out  of  the  Babylonian  captivity.  Yet  not  without 
finding  in  the  LORD'S  manner  of  bringing  this 
about  a  reference  to  the  distant  Messianic  salva- 
tion, in  respect  to  its  exercising  also  a  transform- 
ing influence  upon  nature  (vers.  14-21).  In  the 
fourth  strophe  of  the  chapter  (vers.  22-28)  the 
Prophet  treats  the  thought  of  the  inward,  moral 
redemption,  viz. :  the  redemption  also  from  sin. 
He  lets  it  be  known  here  that  this  inward  re- 
demption will  by  no  means  follow  close  on  the 
feet  of  the  outward  redemption  from  exile.  For 
Israel  has  never  kept  the  law.  The  LORD  has 
already  hitherto  borne  Israel's  sin,  and  will  in 
future  blot  out  the  guilt  of  it.  But  the  Israel  that 
contemns  the  grace  of  God  in  proud  self-right- 
eousness will  have  to  be  destroyed.  The  LORD, 
however,  will  break  the  power  of  sin  by  the  rich 
efl'usion  of  the  holy  and  holy-making  Spirit  upon 
that  seed  of  Israel  that  shall  be  chosen  to  serve 
the  LORD  as  His  servant,;  and  this  is  the  thought 
of  the  fifth  strophe  that  includes  xliv.  1-5. 

Having  portrayed  in  xli.  the  first  redeemer  and 
then  the  redeemed,  i.  e.,  the  servant  (people)  of 
God,  then  in  xlii.  the  antitype  of  both,  the  second 
Redeemer  and  Servant  of  God  in  a  personal  sense, 
then  in  xliii.  the  redemption  itself,  and  all  this  in 
such  a  way  that,  interspersed,  He  has  appealed 
four  times,  in  a  refrain  like  repetition,  to  the 
ability  of  Jehovah  to  prophesy  in  contrast  with 
the  inability  of  idols,  as  proof  of  His  divinity,  the 
Prophet  now  xliv.  6  sqq.,  makes  a  decided  use 
of  this  last  element  for  which  He  has  made  such 
preparation.  This  entire  chapter  is  an  edifice 
whose  substructure  consists  of  the  members  of 
just  that  argumentation,  that  whoever  can  pro- 
phesy is  God,  and  the  crowning  point  of  which 
appears  to  us  in  naming  the  name  "Kores' 
(Cyrus),  the  way  for  naming  it  being  now  well 
prepared,  and  the  motive  sufficient.  That  is  to 


say,  in  xliv.  6-20,  for  the  fifth  time,  in  a  drawn- 
out  recapitulation  extending  through  three  stro- 
phes, it  is  set  forth  that  Jehovah,  as  the  only 
true  God,  can  alone  prophesy,  and  that  He  is 
God  He  will  now  prove  by  a  grand  prophetic 
transaction  for  the  salvation  of  Israel.  Accord- 
ingly, in  the  first  strophe  (xliv.  6-11)  the  Prophet 
hows  that  Israel  possesses  the  stronghold  of  its 
salvation  in  its  living,  everlasting  God,  who  can 
prophesy,  and  has  prophesied,  which  Israel  also 
as  a  witness  must  testify  to,  whereas  the  senseless 
makers  of  idols  must  go  to  destruction.  In  the 
second  strophe  (xliv.  12-17),  in  order  to  set  forth 
the  senselessness  of  idol  worship  most  convin- 
cingly, the  manufacture  of  idols  is  described  in  a 
drastic  way.  In  the  third  strophe  (xliv.  18-20) 
in  order  on  the  one  hand  to  explain  the  possi- 
bility of  such  senseless  acts  as  making  idols,  the 
deep  reason  of  it  is  pointed  to,  viz. :  the  blind- 
ness of  men's  hearts  and  minds ;  on  the  other 
hand  however  the  Prophet  points  to  the  destruc- 
tive effects  of  this  insane  behaviour.  In  the  fourth 
strophe  (xliv.  21-28)  the  Prophet  attains  finally 
the  culmination.  He  first  deduces  briefly  the 
consequences  from  the  foregoing.  Before  all  he 
reminds  that  Israel  is  Jehovah's  servant,  i.  e., 
property,  which  the  LORD  has  bought  for  Him- 
self by  graciously  blotting  out  his  guilt.  This 
ransomed  servant  may  return  home  (note  the 
highly  significant  H3^  xliv.  22).  Then  there  is 
a  second  brief  reminder  of  Jehovah's  omnipotent 
divinity,  and,  in  contrast  with  it,  of  the  necessary 
disgrace  of  idols  and  their  soothsayers.  In  contrast 
with  the  latter  it  is  finally  declared  with  all  empha- 
sis: Jehovah  makes  true  the  word  of  His  prophets. 
Therefore  Israel  will  and  must  have  a  happy  re- 
turn home,  and  Cyrus  shall  the  prince  be  called 
who  shall  accomplish  this  decree  of  Jehovah.  - 

With  this  we  have  the  culmination  of  the 
cvcle  of  prophecy  in  chapters  xl.-xlviii.  and  in 
respect  of  space  have  reached  the  middle  of  it. 
For,  if,  we  leave  aside  xl.,  as  a  general  laying 
of  a  foundation,  and  remember  that  the  prophecy 
relating  to  Cyrus  begins  with  xli.,  we  have 
here  at  the  close  of  xliv.,  four  discourses  be- 
hind us,  and  still  four  discourses  before  us. 

In  chapter  xlv.,  the  prophecy  remains  at  the 
elevation  which  it  attained  at  the  close  of  Chapter 
xliv.  We  may  therefore  designate  this  discourse 
as  the  culmination  of  the  cycle  of  prophecy  in 
xl.-xlviii.  and  its  contents  as  "  Cyrus  and  the 
'effects  of  his  appearance."  For  we  are  informed 
in  xlv.  1-7  what  shall  be  brought  about  by 
Cvrus,  whom  the  LORD  has  chosen  and  designates 
as  His  anointed  (lytfD),  and  what  three-fold 
object  will  be  secured  "thereby.  But  we  learn 
xlv.  8-13  that  Cyrus  is  the  beginner  and  founder 
of  the  era  of  salvation  promised  to  Israel,  al- 
though according  to  appearance  this  seems  not 
to  be  and  the  faint-hpartedness  of  Israel  requires 
the  assurance  that  Cyrus  is  certainly  called  to 
accomplish  the  outward  restoration  of  the  holy 
people  and  of  the  holy  city.  The  Prophet  even 
gives  the  further  assurance,  that,  beside  that 
northern  world-power  directly  ruled  by  Cyrus, 
even  the  southern,  i.  e.,  Egypt  with  the  lands  ol 
its  dominion,  convinced  by  the  salvation  accru- 
ing to  Israel  from  Cyrus,  shall  be  converted  to 
Jehovah  and  will  join  itself  to  His  people  (xlv. 


CHAP.  XL.  1-11. 


417 


i*-17).  Finally,  however,  in  consequence  of  the 
saving  effect  proceeding  from  Cyrus,  this  greatest 
advantage  shall  eventuate,  viz.  .-"that  Israel,  when 
it  sees  the  heathen  north  and  south  converted  to 
Jehovah,  shall  at  last  and  definitively  abjure 
idols,  and  give  itself  up  wholly  and  entirely  to 
its  God,  so  that  from  that  time  on  humanity 
entire  shall  have  become  a  spiritual  Israel  (xlv. 
18-25).  In  the  seventh  discourse  (chapter  xlvi.), 
as  also  in  the  eighth  (chapter  xlvii.)  the  obverse 
side  of  this  picture  of  the  future  brought  about 
by  Cyrus  is  shown.  In  xlvi.  namely,  we  have 
presented  first  the  down/all  of  the  Babylonian 
idols;  but  connected  with  this,  also  the  gain  that 
Israel  shall  derive  from  this,  for  its  knowledge 
of  God.  That  is  to  say,  Israel  will  come  to  see 
that  there  '.s  a  great  difference  between  Jehovah 
who  carries  fiis  people,  and  those  idols  that  are 
carried  by  beasts  of  burden  into  captivity  (xlvi. 
1-4).  In  fact  Israel  will  know,  too,  which  just 
such  a  difference  exists  between  Jehovah  and 
the  images  that  are  meant  to  represent  Him  (of 
which  xl.  18,  25  has  discoursed),  for  the  latter 
also  are  idols  that  need  to  be  carried  (xlvi.  5-7). 
Israel  will  actually  draw  the  conclusion  that  the 
LORD  here  presses  home  for  the  sixth  time,  viz.  : 
that  the  God  who  can  prophesy  and  fulfill,  who, 
in  particular,  has  correctly  announced  before- 
hand the  ravenous  bird  from  the  east,  must  be 
the  right  God  (xlvi.  8-11).  But  the  Prophet 
foresees  that  not  all  Israelites  will  draw  from  the 
facts  so  far  mentioned  that  advantage  for  their 
religious  life  that,  according  to  Jehovah's  inten- 
tion, they  ought.  Will  not  this  make  pro- 
blematical the  realization  of  the  promised  salva- 
tion? Pie  replies  to  this  question,  ''No."  For 
the  righteousness  and  salvation  of  God  must 
come  in  spite  of  the  hard-heartedncss  of  Israel 
(xlvi.  12,  13).  The  eighth  discourse  is  occu- 
pied wholly  with  Babylon.  It  paints  in  drastic 
images  the  deep  downfall  of  it,  exposes  the  rea- 
sons (the  harshness  against  Israel  transcend- 
ing the  measure  that  God  would  have,  and  the 
secure  arrogance  xlvii.  1-7),  and  shows  the  use- 
lessness  of  all  the  means  employed  to  rescue 
Babylon,  both  those  derived  from  the  worship 
of  demons  and  those  which  the  connections  with 


other  nations  seem  to  offer  (xlvii.  8-15).  The 
ninth  discourse,  finally,  (xlviii.)  is  recapitulation 
and  conclusion.  After  an  address  to  Israel  that 
|  displays  the  motives  that  prompt  Jehovah's  in- 
terest in  the  nation  (xlviii.  1,  2)  the  Prophet 
makes  prominent  for  the  seventh  time  the  import- 
ance of  prophecy  for  the  knowledge  of  God.  He 
points  Israel  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  old  prophe- 
cies, that  they  had  experienced  and  verified  in 
order  to  move  them  to  faith  in  the  new  that  con- 
cern the  redemption  from  exile  (xlviii.  3-11). 
Then  the  chief  contents  of  this  new  prophecy  is 
repeated :  what  idols  cannot,  Jehovah  can  do, 
for  He  promises  and  brings  on  a  redeemer  that 
shall  accomplish  the  will  of  God  on  Babylon 
(xlviii.  12-15;.  But  Israel  is  summoned  to  go 
out  of  Babylon  as  out  of  an  opened  prison  house, 
and  to  proclaim  to  all  the  world  that  the  LORD 
by  Cyrus  has  led  His  people  out  of  Babylon  and 
home,  as  He  did  by  Moses  out  of  Egypt  (xlviii. 
20-21).  We  join  these  verses  close  on  ver.  15 
because  the  contents  of  both  passages  demand  it. 
The  verses  16  and  17-19  are  two  insertions.  The 
first,  which  is  very  obscure,  appears  to  be  a  side 
remark  of  the  Prophet's,  to  the  effect  that  the 
wonderful  things  discoursed  in  xl.-xlvii.  were  to 
himself  not  known  from  the  beginning,  but 
learned  only  in  the  moment  of  their  creation  (in 
a  prophetic  sense,  comp.  on  xlviii.  6),  but  now 
by  the  impulse  of  the  Spirit  he  has  made  them 
known.  Verses  17-19  are  of  a  retrospective 
nature.  They  contain  the  lament  of  the  LORD 
that  Israel  did  not  sooner  give  heed  to  His  com- 
mands ;  for  thereby  it  would  have  partaken  of 
the  blessing  given  to  the  patriarchs  without  the 
chastening  agency  of  the  Exile.  Ver.  22  finally 
(which  occurs  again  as  to  the  words  at  the  close 
of  chap.  Iviii.,  and  in  respect  to  sense  at  the  close 
of  chap.  Ixvi.)  is  a  refrain-like  conclusion  in- 
tended (in  contrast  with  the  consolatory  words 
that  begin  the  entire  book  of  consolation  chapters 
xl.-lxvi.  and  its  principal  parts)  to  call  to  mind 
the  important  truth,  that  this  consolation  is  not 
unconditionally  offered  to  all.  For  the  wicked 
can  have  no  share  in  it. 

This,  in  its  essentials,  is  my  opinion  of  the 
plan  and  order  of  chapters  xl.-xlviii. 


I.— THE  FIRST  DISCOURSE. 
The  Prologue:   the  Objective  and  Subjective  basis  of  Redemption. 

CHAPTER  XL. 

1.   THE   PROLOGUE  OF   THE    SECOND  PART  AND   OF  THE   FIRST  DISCOURSE. 

CHAPTER    XL.  1-11. 

1  COMFORT  ye,  comfort  ye  my  people, 
Saith  your  God. 

2  Speak  ye  Comfortably  to  Jerusalem,  and  cry  unto  her, 
That  her  2warfare  is  accomplished, 

That  "her  iniquity  is  pardoned : 

bFor  she  hath  received  of  the  LORD'S  hand 

Double  for  all  her  sins. 

3  The  voice  of  him  that  crieth  "in  the  wilderness, 
Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  LORD, 

Make  straight  in  the  desert  a  highway  for  our  God. 

4  Every  valley  shall  be  exalted, 

And  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  made  low : 
27 


418 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


10 


11 


And  the  crooked  shall  be  made  "straight, 
And  "the  rough  places  4plain  : 

And  the  glory  of  the  LORD  shall  be  revealed, 
And  all  flesh  shall  see  it  together : 
For  the  mouth  of  the  LORD  hath  spoken  it. 

eThe  voice  said,  Cry.     And  he  said,  What  shall  I  cry  ? 
All  flesh  is  grass, 
And  all  the  goodliuess  thereof  is  as  the  flower  of  the  field : 

The  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth  : 
Because  fthe  spirit  of  the  LORD  bloweth  upon  it : 
Surely  the  people  is  grass. 

The  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth  : 
But  the  word  of  our  God  shall  stand  forever. 

5O  Zion,  that  briugest  good  tidings,  get  thee  up  into  the  high  mountain ; 
6O  Jerusalem,  that  bringest  good  tidings, 
Lift  up  thy  voice  with  strength ; 
Lift  it  up,  be  not  afraid ; 
Say  unto  the  cities  of  Judah,  Behold  your  God  ! 

Behold,  the  Lord  God  will  come  7gwith  strong  hand, 
And  his  arm  shall  rule  for  him  : 
Behold  his  reward  is  with  him, 
And  8his  work  before  him. 

He  shall  feed  his  flock  like  a  shepherd : 
He  shall  gather  the  lambs  with  his  arm, 
And  carry  them  in  his  bosom, 
And  shall  gently  lead  those  9that  are  with  young. 


1  Heb.  to  the  heart.  *  Or,  appointed  time. 

*  Or,  a  plain  place. 

8  Or,  O  thou  that  tellestgood  tidings  to  Jerusalem. 
8  Or,  recompense/or  his  work. 

*  her  guilt  has  been  enjoyed.  b  that. 

*  the  connecting  ridges  become  valley  bottoms. 
i  the  breath  of  Jehovah  blew  on  it. 


3  Or,  a  straight  place. 

6  Or.  0  thou  that  tellest  good  tidings  to  Zion. 

7  Or,  against  the  strong. 
9  Or,  that  give  suck. 

°  prepare  in  the  luilderness. 

•  Bark!  there  speaks,  'cry!  And  there  replies:  "what"  etc. 

f  as  a  strong  one. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  The  rhetorical  form  of  anadiplosis  (epana- 
lepsis,  cpizeuxis)  occurs,  indeed,  principally  in  the 
second  part  (xl.  1;  xli.  27;  xliii.  11,  25  ;  xlviii.  11,15  ;  li. 
9,12,17;  Hi.  1,11;  Ivii.  6, 14, 19;  Ixii.  10;  Ixv.  1).  But  it 
occurs  also  not  unfrequently  in  passages  of  the  first 
part  that  are  the  acknowledged  productions  of  Isa. 
(viii.  9  ;  xviii.  2,  7  ;  xxi.  11 ;  xxviii.  10, 13 ;  xxix.  1.  Corr.p., 
beside  xv.  1;  xxi.  9;  xxiv.  16;  xxvi.  3,15;  xxvii.  5; 
xxxviii.  11,  17,19.  Agreeably  to  the  character  of  this 
section,  the  Picl  DflJ  occurs  oftener  in  the  second 
part:  xl.  1 ;  xlix.  13;  li.  3,12,  19;  Hi.  9;  Ixi.  2;  Ixvi.  13 
(Pual  liv.  11 ;  Ixvi.  13).  Piel  occurs  twice  in  the  first 
part:  xii.  I  ;  xxii.  4.  The  passages  xlix.  13  ;  lii-3, 12; 
Hi.  9;  Ixvi.  13,  are  manifest  echoes  of  the  .present 

passage &y  with  the  suffix  referring  to  Jehovah,  as 

it  suits  the  contents  of  the  second  part,  is  found  there 
oftener  than  in  the  first:  comp.  iii.  12;  x.  2,  24;  xxxii. 
13, 18,  with  xl.  1;  xliii.  20;  xlvii.  6 ;  li.  4,  16;  Hi.  5  sq. ; 
xxviii.  5  ;  xxx.  26 ;  Iviii.  1 ;  Ixv.  10, 19,  etc. 

The  expression  'X  "\'2X'1»  as  an  introductory  form- 
ula, is  peculiar  to  Isaiah  ;  for  it  is  found  only  in  Isaiah, 
and  that  in  both  parts:  i,  11,18;  xxxiii.  10;  xl.  1,  25: 
xli.  21  ;  Ixvi.  9  (comp.  KLEINERT,  Echtheit  der  jesajan, 
Weissag,  I.  p.  239  sqq.).  The  Imperfect  "\DR'  corres- 
ponds to  the  aim  of  chapters  xl.-lxvi.  Comp.,  the 
formula  with  which  the  Prophet  introduces  the  prophe- 
cies he  addresses  to  the  present  church  (^  ~OT  ^Oti/ 
i.  10;  "  DX]  i.  24;  '1J1  HIH  1t?K  ~^n  "•  1,  etc , 
comp.  vii.  3,' 7, 10;  viii.  1,5,11;  xiv.  28;  XX.  2,  etc.).  *1OX', 
taken  exactly,  is  for  us  an  untranslatable  verbal  form, 


GRAMMATICAL. 

that,  according  to  its  original  sense,  designates  the 
thought  neither  as  present  nor  future,  nor  in  any  way 
as  one  to  be  estimated  by  time  measure,  but  one  to  be 
estimated  by  the  measure  of  its  mode  of  existence. 
That  is,  the  Imperfect  designates,  not  that  which  ha:» 
objectively  come  into  actual  existence,  but  what  is  only 
present  some  way  subjectively.  In  other  words,  TOK\ 
standing  at  the  beginning  of  the  second  part,  cha- 
racterizes it  as  addressed  to  an  ideal  church.  In  itself, 
indeed,  "IJ3X'  can  mean,  "he  will  speak."  Thus  it  is 
taken  by  STIER,  v.  HOFMANN  (Schnftbew.  II.  1.  p.  91,  Ausg. 
v.  J.  1853),  and  KLOSTERMANN  (Zeitschrift  f.  Luth.  Th.  u. 
K.  1876, 1.  p  24  sqq.);  the  last  named  of  whom,  however, 
errs  in  thinking  that  the  following  discourse  vers.  3-11 
gives  the  Imperfect  the  direction  toward  the  future. 
For  what  follows,  and  is  separated  by  intermediate 
members  can  never  determine  the  specific  sense  of  a 
Hebrew  verbal  form.  I^X"1  can,  also  in  itself  mean  fre- 
quent repetition  (DEtirzscn).  But  all  these  significa- 
tions are  too  special.  The  subjective  force  of  the  Im- 
perfect is  capable  of  various  signification  according  to 
the  context.  Here  at  the  beginning  we  are  much  too 
little  aufait,  to  assign  to  the  word  a  construction  as  de- 
finite as  those  expositors  would  do.  Here  we  know  from 
the  lOK'1  only  this  much,  that  what  follows  is  to  be  re- 
garded, not  as  something  that  has  just  gone  forth,  some- 
thing to  be  executed  at  once  for  the  present  church, 
but  as  an  ideal  word  of  God  according  to  its  point  of  de- 

rarture  and  aim. We  have  said  above  that  ^y  with  a 

suffix  referring  to  Jehovah  occurs  much  oftener  in  the 
second  part  than  in  the  first.  The  same  is  to  be  said 


CHAP.  XL.  l-ll. 


419 


of  DTI 7X  vvith  the  suffix  referring  to  Israel.  T17X  oc- 
curs twice  in  the  first  part(vii.  13  ;  xxv.  1),  five  times  in 
the  second  (xl.  27;  xlix.  4,  5;  Ivii.  21;  Ixi.  10);  IJ'Pibx 
six  times  in  the  first  part(i.  10;  xxv.  9;  xxvi.  13;  xxxv. 
2;  xxxvi.  7:  xxxvii.  20),  eight  times  in  the  second  (xl. 
3,8;  xlii.  17;  lii.  10;  Iv.  7  ;  lix.  13;  Ixi.  2,6);  TH^X  in 
the  first  part  properly  only  once  in  the  sense  here  under 
review  (vii.  11 ;  beside  this  xxxvii.  4, 10),  six  times  in  the 
second  (xli.  10,  13;  xliii.  3;  xlviii.  17;  li.  15;  Iv.  5); 
^rn  /X  occurs  not  at  all  in  the  first  part,  on  the  other 
hand  nine  times  in  the  second  (li.  20,  22;  lii.  7;  liv.  6; 
Ix.  9,  19;  Ixii.  3,  5;  Ixvi.  9);  D3T|17X  in  the  first  part 
only  xxxv.  4,  in  the  second  xl.  1,  9  ;  lix.  2;  VH^X  in  the 
sense  meant  here  only  1.  10;  Iviii.  2;  rmSx  and 
Drm  7X  occur  in  this  sense  in  neither  part.  It  is  quite 
natural  that  the  affectionate  words  of  endearment 
should  occur  oftener  in  the  book  of  comfort  than  in  the 
book  of  threatening. 

Ver.  2.  The  question  might  be  raised  whether  ""3  is 
to  be  construed  as  a  causal  particle.  But  in  that  case 
IXTp  must  be  referred  to  what  precedes,  and  that,  say, 
in  the  sense  of  -IH^O  'Xlp  (Jer-  iv.  5)  in  order  that  it 
may  not  stand  as  flat  and  superfluous.  This  construc- 
tion is  not  allowable  here  because  1{Op  must  be  closely 
connected  vvith  the  preceding  3S~7J?  1~O1- 

We  must  therefore  refer  lX~lp  to  whai  follows,  and 
'3,  in  the  sense  of  "that,"  introduces  the  objective 
clause. N3¥  only  here  and  Dan.  viii.  12  is  used  as 

T    T 

feminine.  The  reason  seems  to  me  to  lie  in  this,  that 
In  both  passages  the  word  is  conceived  as  collective,  i. 
e.,  as  designation,  not  of  a  single  conflict,  but  of  a  mul- 
titude of  conflicts,  of  a  long  continued  period  of  con- 
flict.  xSn  of  time  (comp.  Gen.  xxv.  24  ;  xxix.  21 ;  Jer. 

xxv.  12)  occurs  again  in  Isaiah  only  Ixv.  20  in  the  Piel. 

The  expression  D'^BS  occurs  elsewhere  only  Job 

xi.  6;    the  singular,  also,     ,33,    duplicatio,  only   Job 
xli.  4. 
Ver.  3.    Piel  "\ET,  "  make  straight,"  occurs  again  only 

xlv.  2,  13. n3"\J7,  regio  arida,  apart  from  xxxv.  1,  6, 

occurs  in  part  first    only  xxxiii.  9;    whereas  in  part 

second,  beside  the  present  it  occurs  xli.  19;  li.  3. 

n?DO  occurs  in  the  same  sense  as  here  xi.  16;  xix.  23; 
Ixii.  10 ;  comp.  xxxiii.  8  ;  xlix.  11 ;  lix.  7.  It  occurs  be- 
side vii.  3;  xxxvi.  2.  It  is  "  the  highway,  embankment 
road,  ckaussee." 

Ver.  4.  731!'  a  word  of  frequent  recurrence,  espe- 
cially in  the  second  introduction  :  ii.  9,  11, 12, 17  ;  v.  15 ; 
then  x.  33;  xxix.  4;  xxxii.  18;  also  the  antithesis  of 
in  and  njJIU  in  parallelism  occurs  very  often  in  part 
first :  ii.  14  ;  x.  32  ;  xxx.  17,  25 ;  xxxi.  4,  and  somewhat 
oftener  still  in  part  second:  xl.  4,12;  xli.  15;  xlii.  15; 

liv.  10;  Iv.  12;  Ixv.  7. 3pjt  hi  the  present  sense  only 

here;  comp.  Jer.  xvii.  9. 1fcJ»D  xi.  4  in  the  ethical 

sense;  xlii.  16. 33-1  an-.  AeY.,  from  031  alliqavit  Exod. 

xxviii.  28;  xxxix.  21,  \ikejugum  fromjungere,  "  the  join- 
ing," particularly  the  union  between  two  mountains, 
"  the  yoke." 
Ver.  5.    n^p3  again  in  Isaiah  only  xli.  18 ;   Ixiii.  14. 

The  expression  '•»    T|'33   is  found  in  Isaiah  again 

only  xxxv.  2;  Iviii.  8;  Ix.  1.  '"  1133  nSjJ  does  not  oc- 
cur again  in  Isaiah.  The  expression  seems  to  connect 


with  '••  1133  ilSOJ  in  the  Pentateuch :  Exod.  xvi.  10; 

Lev.  ix.  6;  Num.  xiv.  10,  etc. "003^13  found  again 

only  xlix.  26 ;  Ixvi.  16,  23,  24;  with  following  IPT  again 

only  in  Job  xxxiv.  15. The  clause  1JO1  to  HIT  is  to 

be  referred  to  what  precedes,  and  not  to  what  follows. 
For  if  ISO  were  to  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  spiritual 
seeing,  of  knowing,  still  it  would  be  a  secondary  thought 
that  all  flesh  shall  know  that  revelation  as  one  that  was 
announced  beforehand.  The  chief  thing  will  be  that 
they  will  verify  with  their  own  eyes  that  revelation. 
And  this  seeing  shall  win  them  to  the  LORD.  Moreover 
1X1  evidently  corresponds  to  the  preceding  D/JJ- 

T  :  • 

Therefore  the  pronominal  object  must  be  supplied  to 
1X1  as  is  often  the  case.  The  causal  clause  "]  "  '2  ^3 
relates  to  all  that  precedes. 

Ver.  6.  Notice  the  verbal  form  1DX  with  a  simple 
Vav  copulativum.  It  does  not  say  IDX'l-  That  would 
be  to  present  this  saying  as  a  new  chief  member  of  the 
consecutio  rerun,  of  the  succession  of  facts  that  nat- 
urally unfold  themselves.  That  might  and  perhaps 
would  have  happened  were  it  a  merely  earthly  transac- 
tion that  is  treated.  To  represent  such  in  the  complete- 
ness of  its  successive  points,  it  must  have  read: 

'ui  \y\  xipx  no  "IOK'I  isx  bip  rotyxi.  But 

I* T|:V  T  -         ~          ••  |  -   :    VT 

the  Prophet  translates  us  into  the  spirit  world  where 
time  and  space  cease.  There  what  with  us  develops  one 
after  another  is  side  by  side.  For  this  reason  the  Pro- 
phet here  makes  use  of  a  form  of  speech  which  other- 
wise serves  only  to  fill  out  some  trait  or  to  mention  ac- 
companying circumstances:  comp.  vi.  3;  xxi.  7;  xxix. 
11  sq. ;  Ixv.  8. "l£'3n~73 :  lt^3  is  meant  collectively 

T   T  -  T  . 

or  as  designation  of  the  genus:  whereas  in  "\jy3~73 
ver.  5  (each  flesh)  it  has  individual  signification. 
Ver.  7.    The  perfects  Ifiy  and  733  must  not  be  com- 

••T  "T 

pared  with  the  aoristus  gnomicus  of  the  Greeks  (nor 
even  xxvi.  9  ;  comp.  my  remarks  in  toe.).  For  only  that 
Hebrew  verbal  form  that  has,  too,  the  notion  of  succes- 
sion, therefore  includes  that  of  time,  viz. :  the  imperf., 
with  Vav  cons.,  can  be  compared  with  the  Greek  aorist. 
Here,  as  in  xxvi.  9,  the  perf.,  designates  timeless  ob- 
jectivity and  reality.  '3  is  no*  "for,'1  but  "when." 
Were  it  taken  in  the  sense  of  "for,"  then  the  nature  of 
the  wind  would  be  designated  as  the  constant  cause  of 
the  withering  of  vegetation.  But  it  withers  also  when 
its  time  comes,  without  wind.  But  when  a  hot  desert 
wind  (xviii.  4;  Jer.  iv.  11)  blows,  then  it  withers  espe- 
cially quick,  y^^flavitfinflavit,  occurs  in  Kal  only  here. 

-  T 

Hiph.  Gen.  xv.  11 ;  Ps.  cxlvii.  18. There  is  much  un- 
certainty about  the  origin  of  tne  particle  T3X.  GESEN. 

i  T 

(Thes.  p.  668  under  {37),  FUEBST.  (Lex.  under  f3tf  and 

I  "T 

J3)  and  EWALD  ?  205  d  seem  to  me  to  be  right  in  main- 
taining that  J3X,  on  account  of  its  derivation  from  ?3, 
has  resident  in  it  an  argumentative  meaning.  Thus 
FUERST.  regards  it  primarily  as  "a  strengthened  J3  — 
therefore  in  a  resumptive  apodosis."  He  refers  in  proof 
to  Exod.  ii.  14  and  to  our  passage.  And  in  fact  Exod.  ii. 
14  seems  to  involve  the  drawing  of  a  conclusion.  For 
after  Moses  perceived  the  defiant  answer  of  the  He- 
brew man,  he  cries  out:  131H  IHIJ  PX.  Would  not 

T  T   -      '     -  •'  T 

this  be  most  correctly  rendered  :  "is  the  matter  there- 
fore really  known  ?" It  is  clear  that  the  omission  of 

ver.  7  in  the  Alexand.  and  Vatic,  text  of  the  LXX.  is 
owing  to  arbitrariness,  if  not  to  oversight.  KOPPE, 
GESENIUS,  HITZIO,  who  regard  the  whole  verse,  or  at  least 
7  6  as  a  gloss,  as  "  a  very  diluted,  sense-disturbing 


420 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


thought,"  as  "  an  ejaculation  of  a  reader,"  only  prove 
thereby  how  little  they  have  understood  the  sense  and 
connection  of  the  prophetic  discourse. 

Ver.  8.  The  words  V^P!  EO1  are  taken  verbatim  from 
xy.  6,  like  yiy  S.3J  from  xxviii.  1,  where  we  find  yjf 
S^J-  The  expression  Dip1  "131  occurs  in  Isa.  viii.  10, 

comp.  vii.  7. 

Ver.  9.  Piel  ")t£O  is  exclusively  peculiar  to  part 
second  :  xli.  27  ;  lii.  7  ;  Ix.  G;  Ixi.  1,  a  fact  that  need  oc- 
casion no  surprise.  For  it  is  natural,  that  the  word, 
which  means  suayyeAi^eii',  should  be  found  chiefly  in 

tho  eiiayye'Aiof  of  the  Old  Testament. Vlp  D'lH  xiii. 

2,  Iviii.  1. H33  comp.  'T  H 33  x.  13.    With  that  ex- 

-      -  -T     -      : 

ception  n3  occurs  only  in  the  second  part :  (xxxvii. 
3j;  xl.  26,29,  31;  xli.  1 ;  xliv.  12;  xlix.  4;  1.  2  ;  Ixiii.  1. 

The  expression  HV/1  Stt  is  very  frequent  not  only 

in  Isaiah  but  also  in  the  whole  Old  Testament;  vii.  4; 
viii.  12;  x.  24;  xxxv.  4;  xxxvii.  6  ;  xl.  9;  xli.  10,  13,  14; 

xliii.  1.  5;   xliv.  2;   li.  7 ;   liv.  4,  14. DDTlSx   HJH 

strongly  reminds  one,  and  just  by  reason  of  what  fol- 
lows, of  xxxv.  4.    Comp.  beside  xxv.  9.   The  expression 
is  found  in  no  other  Prophet. 
Ver.  10.  pin3,  3  essentiae.    pin  occurs  again  xxvii. 

ITT:      : 

I;  xxviii.  2. niiT  *JHX  occurs  ten  times  in  the  first 

part:  iii.  15;  vii.  7  ;  x.  24,  etc.,  and  thirteen  times  in  the 

second   part:    xlviii.  16;    xlix.  22;   1.  4,  5,  9,  etc. The 

clause  17  n7t^0  JHT1  is  not  co-ordinate  with  the  fore- 
going chief  clause,  but  subordinate  to  it.  It  is  a  clause 
expressive  of  situation  (comp.  EWALD,  $  306,  c;  341  a, 


sqq.),  that  more  precisely  explains  the  notion  pm3- 
17  is  properly  Dat.  commodi,  not  mere  Dat.  ethicut 

as  in  "^">  '70  ver.  9,  which  is,  moreover,  to  be  seen  from 
iT     .-:       . 

the  masculine  17.  For  were  it  Dat.  cthir.us,  then,  cor- 
responding to  the  gender  of  jn?,  it  must  read  ,17. 

Ver.  11.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  verb  r\y~\  is  never 
used  in  part  first  in  the  sense  of  "to  pasture,"  the  ac- 
tion of  the  shepherd,  although  Q'jn  "shepherds"  oc- 
curs xxxi.  4  (xxxviii.  12),  (comp.  v.  17;  xi.  7  ;  xiv.  30; 
xxvii.  10;  xxx.  2 ;).  In  part  second,  also,  the  word 
means  "pasture"  in  the  active  sense  only  once:  Ixi.  5, 
three  times  "  pasture  'of  beasts:  xliv.  20;  xlix.  9;  Ixv. 

25. H>n  "shepherd"  in  part  second  :    xliv.  28;  Ivi. 

11;  Ixiii.  11. TTJ?  "  the  flook  "  found  again  xvii.  2; 

xxxii.  14. Q'tih®  =    D"St3    from    17^    occurs  in 

Isaiah  only  here  (comp.  1  Sam.  xv.  4).  Beside  this 
i"l7D  Ixv.  2~>. p"n  occurs  again  only  Ixv.  6,  7. 

•••T  .  I         •' 

The  word  f\l7j'  is  joined  Gen.  xxxiii.  13  with  fX¥  and 
1P3  ;  is  used  therefore  of  sucking  beeves  and  sheep, 
i  1  Sam.  vi.  7,  10  of  sucking  beeves  alone,  Ps.  Ixxviii.  71 
as  here  used  of  both  without  addition.  The  word  oc- 
curs only  here  in  Isaiah.  But  comp  7^,  "  the  suck- 
ling" xlix.  15;  Ixv.  20 J,"iJ,  which  has  in  Gen.  xlvii. 

17  the  meaning  "to  bring  through,"  svstentare,  2  Chr. 
xxxii.  22,  the  meaning  "to  protect,  hedge  about,"  and 
also  Isa.  li.  18  the  meaning  "careful  guiding,"  occurs  in 
Isaiah  beside  here  and  the  passage  just  named,  only 
xlix.  10. 


EXEGETICAiL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  We  have  here  before  us  the  Prologue  both 
of  the  first  discourse  and  of  the  entire  prophetic 
cycle  of  xl.  12 — Ixvi.  24.  For  the  representation 
of  Jehovah  as  the  comforter  after  protracted  suf- 
fering (vers.  1,  2),  as  the  true  One,  whose  word 
abides  when  all  that  is  earthly  is  destroyed  (vers. 
6-8),  and  as  the  true  shepherd  that  leads  His  peo- 
ple with  paternal  care  (ver.  11)  corresponds  to 
what  follows  (xl.  12  and  onwards),  wherein  Jeho- 
vah is  portrayed  as  the  infinite,  incomparable, 
almighty  God,  and  the  restorer  of  His  people,  so 
that  we  find  in  our  passage  the  keynote  of  the 
whole  of  part  second  of  Isaiah's  prophecies.  Their 
contents  are  predominantly  consolatory ;  but  our 
passage  is  like  the  outline  of  the  thoughts  of  peace 
therein  unfolded.  The  outward  form  of  the  dis- 
course, moreover,  bears  the  imprint  of  this  inward 
correspondence.  The  entire  second  part  is  domi- 
nated by  the  fundamental  number  three.  For  it 
is  composed  of  three  subdivisions,  of  which  each 
consists  of  three  times  three,  therefore  nine  dis- 
courses. But  our  Prologue  consists  first  of  an  in- 
troduction that  contains  twice  three  clauses.  By 
three  imperatives,  namely  ("  comfort  ye,"  "speak 
ye,"  "  cry")  it  is  announced  that  the  LORD  has  a 
comforting  message  for  His  people,  and  by  three 
clauses,  each  of  which  begins  with  ""3  ("  that," 
"  that,"  "for")  is  stated  what  is  the  contents  of 
this  joyful  message  (vers.  1,  2).  HAHN  was  the 
first  to  maintain  (what  DELITZSCH,  too,  finds 
"not  without  truth,"  p.  408)  that  these  three 
clauses  beginning  with  ""3  correspond  to  the  three 
calls  that  follow  (vers.  3-5,  6-8,  9-11)  and  to  the 
three  parts  of  the  book,  not  only  in  respect  to 


number  but  also  their  contents.  That  there  is  a 
correspondence  in  respect  to  number  can  hardly 
be  doubted.  But  that  the  contents  corresponds  to 
the  three  times  three  corresponding  degrees  can 
only  be  made  out  by  great  ingenuity. 

After  the  prologue  of  the  prologue,  there  fol- 
low, as  remarked,  three  calls,  each  of  which  com- 
prises three  Masoretic  verses.  But  by  the  similar 
beginnings  of  the  three  calls,  and  by  their  inter- 
nal arrangement,  it  appears  certain  that  the  Ma- 
soretic division  into  verses  corresponds  in  general 
here  to  that  division  into  periods  intended  also 
by  the  author.  Only  in  regard  to  the  first  HJH 
(behold)  at  the  close  of  ver.  9  (comp.  below)  there 
may  be  a  divergence.  Each  of  the  three  calls 
begins  witli  a  vivid  dramatic  announcement.  And 
here,  in  fact,  occurs  a  remarkable  gradation.  The 

first  call  is  introduced  by  the  simple  Klip  ?lp 
("  Hark !  a  call ").  The  second  call  begins  with 
the  extended  formula,  containing  a  summons  to 

call  KlpK  no  "ID SI  *0p  ">DK  Sip.  The  third 
call,  finally,  begins  with  a  still  more  comprehen- 
sive formula  of  summons.  It  contains  three  mem- 
bers :  1)  go  up  on  a  high  mountain  evangelist  Zion; 

2)  raise  with  might  thy  voice  evangelist  Jerusalem; 

3)  raise  it,  fear  not,  say  to  the  cities  of  Judah.  Here- 
with it  is  worthy  of  notice  that  the  third  member 
itself  has   again   three   verbs   ("raise,    "be  not 
afraid,"    "say").      There  follows  then  on   this 
threefold   formula  of  summons  a  threefold  njn 
(behold)  vers.  9,  10.     Here,  perhaps,  the  Maso- 
retic division  into  verses  may  not  quite  corres- 
pond to  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet.     For  if  the 


CHAP.  XL.  1-11. 


421 


first  run  corresponds  to  the  two  that  follow,  then 
the  clause  introduced  by  it  ought  rather  to  be  re- 
ferred to  what  follows.  Verse  9,  accordingly, 
ought  to  end  with  the  word  Judah.  The  con- 
cluding verse  (11)  also  contains  three  members: 
1)  he  shall  feed  his  flock  like  a  shepherd  ;  2)  he  shall 

gather bosom ;  3)  shall  gently  lead with 

young.  According  to  this  the  division  into  threes 
is  not  absolutely  carried  out  in  the  prologue,  but 
only  just  so  far  as  it  could  be  done  without  spirit- 
less, outward  mechanism,  and  tiresome  monotony, 
and  with  such  delicacy  that  it  reveals  itself  only 
to  close  observation  and  not  at  all  in  a  disagree- 
able way.  Thereby  the  Prophet  has  proved 
himself  to  be  a  real  artist.  Moreover  this  tri- 
partite division  has  its  complete  analogy  in  Isai- 
ah's style  in  that  twofold  division  that  we  noticed 
in  the  second  introduction  and  in  chaps,  xxiv. — 
xxvii. 

In  regard  to  the  order  of  thought,  the  three 
calls  contain  a  threefold  specification  of  that  gen- 
eral announcement  of  salvation  contained  in  vers. 

1  and  2.     The  first  call  (vers.  3-5)  expresses  the 
thought  that  now  is  the  time  to  get  out  of  the  way 
every  outward  and  inward  obstacle  that  may  ob- 
struct the  promised  revelation  of  glory.     The  se- 
cond call  (vers.  6-8)  declares  that  all  earthly  glory 
— even  of  the  elect  people — must  be  destroyed 
before  and  in  order  that  Jehovah's  promise  of 
glory  may  be  fulfilled  in  its  complete  sense.    The 
third  call,  finally,  (vers.  9-11)  summons  Israel, 
which  is  in  exile,  to  rally  to  its  LORD,  who  comes 
as  Redeemer,  and  to  commit  itself  to  His  faithful, 
parental  guidance. 

2.  Comfort all   her   sins. — Vers.   1,   2. 

With  three  emphatically  comforting  words  the 
Prophet  begins.  For  the  twice-repeated  13PIJ, 
that  stands  significantly  at  the  head,  as  the  stamp, 
so  to  speak,  of  the  entire  second  part,  is  not  alone 
comforting.  The  object  "  my  people,"  that  de- 
pends on  it,  is  quite  as  much  so.  Although  judged 
and  exiled,  Israel  had  not  ceased  to  be  Jehovah's 
people,  the  elect  peculiar  people.  It  is  usual  to 
understand  the  prophets  to  be  the  ones  addressed. 
But  it  was  not  possible  for  every  Israelite  to  hear 
the  voice  of  a  prophet  directly.  Hence  there  lies 
also  in  the  words  a  summons  to  carry  the  pro- 
p"hetic  word  further.  Every  one  shall  help  to 
comfort.  Each  one  shall  contribute  his  part,  so 
that  the  comforting  word  of  God  may  come  to  all 
the  members  of  the  people.  Not  once  only  will 
the  LORD  assure  Israel  of  His  consolation.  With 
emphasis  in  ver.  2  He  summons  the  same  ones 
whom  He  had  already  commanded  in  ver.  1  to 
comfort  His  people,  to  speak  to  the  heart  of  Jeru- 
salem (personification  and  metonymy  at  the  same 
time,  comp.  iv.  4;  xl.  9;  xli.  27).  The  phrase 

3~>~  ?y  °V3T  (to  speak  out  over  the  heart,  to  charm 
the,  heart,  to  cover  with  words,  to  sooth,  to  quiet) 
occurs  elsewhere  eight  times  in  the  Old  Test. : 
Gen.  xxxiv.  3  ;  1.  21 ;  Jud.  xix.  3;  Ruth  ii.  13  ; 

2  Sam.  xix.  8  ;  2  Chron.  xxx.  22  ;  xxxii.  G  ;  Hos. 
ii.  16.     Whereas  ''  speak  ye  to  the  heart"  implies 
affecting  address,  IIXp  (call  ye)  involves  rather 
the  notion  of  loud,  strong  and  clear  speaking.  By 
every  means  the  conviction  must  be  brought  to 
the  people  that  now  the  time  of  grace  is  at  hand. 
— tO3f ,   militia,  "  warfare "  is  used  here  figura- 
tively as  in  Job  vii.  1 ;   x.   17 ;  xiv.  14.     As  in 


general  the  trials  and  troubles  of  this  life  can  be 
set  forth  as  conflicts  (comp.  Eph.  vi.  11  sqq.  ;  1 
Tim.  vi.  12  ;  2  Tim.  ii.  3  sqq.  ;  iv.  7),  so  here  the 
whole  time  of  Israel's  affliction  and  suffering  and 
especially  the  exile  is  designated  as  a  time  of 
conflict. 


The  second  clause  nj\J?  H¥"U  T  ("for  her 
guilt  is  thoroughly  tasted"),  is  difficult.  First 
of  all  it  must  be  noted  that  the  Prophet  has  here 
in  mind  the  passages  Lev.  xxvi.  34,  41,  43.  It  is 
said  there  that  when  the  judgment  of  exile  shall 
come  upon  the  people  Israel  the  land  will  be  de- 
sert, and  by  that  means  shall  enjoy  the  rest 
which  it  could  not  enjoy  so  long  as  the  land  was 
inhabited  by  a  disobedient  people  that  would 
not  observe  the  prescribed  Sabbath  seasons 


_  : 

Lev.  xxvi.  35).     The  land  will  then  enjoy  its  time 

of  rest  (  rrnrotf-nx  mnn  ver.  34).  mn  with 

x   T    V        :  -  v  ••    :  •  '  T  T 

the  accusative  is  "  to  have  pleasure  in  something, 
enjoy  something,  delectari  aliquare."  The  Hiph. 
r*i"]n  that  stands  parallel  with  njpr)  is  nothing 
else  than  a  direct  causative  Hiphil  which  means 
"  delcctationcm  arjcre,  to  pursue  pleasure,"  thus  sig- 
nifies continued,  undisturbed  enjoyment;  as  e.  g. 
CO'Diyri  is  not  merely  qnietum  facere  but  quielum 
agere  (vii.  4),  and  like  expressions,  such  as 
pptyn,  "j/n,  etc.,  signify  not  merely  "  make  fat, 
make  white,"  but  a  continued  activity  whose  pro- 
duct is  ''  to  be  fat,  to  be  white  "  In  contrast  with 
this  thought  that  the  land  shall  enjoy  its  period 
of  rest  stands  now  the  other  (Lev.  xxvi.  41,  43) 
that  the  people  in  exile  shall  enjoy  their  guilt: 
"  the  land  also  shall  be  left  of  them,  and  shall 
enjoy  her  sabbaths,  while  she  lieth  desolate  with- 
out them  ;  and  they  shall  accept  of  the  punish- 
ment of  their  iniquity  "  (DJty-nN  «T  DPI)  "they 
shall  enjoy  their  fault,"  ver.  43).  This  expres- 
sion "enjoy  their  guilt,"  is  manifestly  ironical. 
Whereas  the  absence  of  the  wicked  people  is  for 
the  land  a  benefit,  an  enjoyment,  the  people  in 
exile  must  enjoy  the  fruit  of  their  disobedience. 
They  must  at  last  taste  how  bitter  and  bad  it  is  to 
forsake  the  LORD  (Jer.  ii.  19),  after  having  been 
unwilling  to  believe  that  apostacy  from  the  LORD 
was  ruinous.  If  now  pi?  HXI  isfrui  culpa,  dekctari 
culpa,  then  pj?  '"^"V.  is  the  passive  of  it,  and  means 
"the  fault  is  enjoyed,  thoroughly  tasted."  Niph. 
n^HJ,  it  is  true,  occurs  in  many  places  where  it  is 
used  of  the  favorable  acceptance  of  sacrifices. 
But  there  it  means  "enjoyed,"  "accepted  as 
lovely  enjoyment,"  "  to  be  pronounced  wel- 
come," Moreover  this  use  is  found  only  in  Le- 
viticus :  i.  4  ;  vii.  18  ;  xix.  7  ;  xxii.  23,  2*5,  27. 

If  p.!?  ever  had  the  meaning  "  guilt  offering," 
then  the  matter  would  be  quite  simple.  For  then 
nVU  njlj?  would  mean  "  their  guilt  offering  is  fa- 
vorably accepted."  But  it  never  has  this  mean- 
ing. We  can  only  say  therefore  that  the  Prophet 
construes  HVIJ  in  the  sense  of  "is  enjoyed,''  so 
that  it  forms  the  antithesis  of  DJ1?  12CV,  Levit. 
xxvi.  41,  43. 

That  mournful  time  when  Israel  must  enjoy  the 


422 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


bitter  fruits  of  its  sin  is  now  gone.  The  peculiar 
ironical  antithesis  of  "  the  land  shall  enjoy  her 
sabbaths,"  and  "  they  shall  enjoy  their  fault,"  has 
the  effect  that  we  are  necessitated  to  hear  now  of 
an  enjoyed,  thoroughly  tasted  guilt-broth  into 
which  they  have  broken  crumbs  for  themselves 
and  have  now  eaten  it  up.  The  third  clause  be- 
ginning with  '3  is  best  construed  as  an  objective 
clause  parallel  with  the  two  preceding  objective 
clauses.  For  if  it  were  a  causal  clause,  as  HAHN 
would  have  it,  it  must  be  so  indicated  by  an  un- 
mistakable causal  particle  opposed  to  the  two  ob- 
jective particles  preceding.  But  that  the  Perfect 


is  not  to  be  taken  in  a  future  sense  ("in 
time  to  come  receives,"  HAHN)  is  plain  from  the 
parallelism  with  the  foregoing  Perfects.  Nor  can 

D^D2)   mean   the   double    amount  of   salvation 
N,  comp.  Ixi.  7),  for  neither  nnp?,   nor 


:):)  suits  that.  The  former  does  not  for 
the  reasons  already  given  ;  the  latter  does  not  be- 
cause it  must  in  that  case  read  rinri.  For  how 


HAHN  can  say  that  the  sins  are  the  means  by 
which  Jerusalem  comes  into  possession  of  a  dou- 
ble amount  of  salvation  is  incomprehensible.  If 
Jerusalem  had  not  committed  these  sins,  would  it 
then  have  been  the  worse  off  for  it  ?  The  Prophet 
can  therefore  only  mean  to  say  that  Jerusalem  has 
received  double  punishment,  has  been  chastised 
with  double  rods.  Then  3  is  the  preposition  of  re- 
compense, as  the  recompense  may  be  regarded 
as  the  means  in  order  to  acquiring  the  thing 


[''  comp.  Gen.  xxix.  18,  '0^3,  properly  by  means 
of  Rachel,  as  the  price  is  the  means  by  which  one 
acquires  the  work  or  the  wares."  From  Dr.  N.'s 
Gramm.  —  TE.]. 

But  how  can  it  be  said  that  Jehovah  has  laid 
on  double  the  punishment  deserved  ?  How  does 
this  agree  with  His  justice  ?  One  must  remember 
first  that  the  executors  of  the  judgments  against 
Israel  did  not  merely  restrict  themselves  to  the 
measure  of  chastisement  determined  by  Jehovah, 
but  ex  propriis  intensified  it,  and  thus  brought  on 
Israel  a  measure  of  punishment  pressed  down  and 
shaken  together  (x.  7;  Jer.  1.  7,  11,  17,  etc.).  Yet 
if  Jehovah  permitted  this,  He  is  still  accountable 
for  it,  seeing  He  could  hinder  it.  And  Jer.  xvi. 
18:  "And  first  I  will  recompense  their  iniquity 
and  their  sin  double"  shows  that  this  severe  mea- 
sure was  intended  by  God.  But  was  it  really  too 
severe  ?  DELITZSCH  is  right  in  saying  that  the 
expression  is  not  to  be  taken  in  a  juristic  sense. 
It  is  rather  to  be  taken  rhetorically.  It  is  an  hy- 
perbola, meant  to  set  forth  the  compassionating 
love  of  God  in  the  clearest  light.  For  this.  love 
is  at  once  so^  high  and  so  humble  that  it  accuses 
and  excuses  itself  as  if  it  had  done  too  much  in 
the  way_of  punishment.  Thereby,  too,  it  betrays 
the  motive  for  that  overflowing  salvation  it  pro- 
poses to  display.  For  if  one  has  given  others  so 
much  pain,  he  will  gladly  make  it  up  by  so  much 
the  greater  benefaction. 

It  is  to  be  noticed  that  in  vers.  1,  2,  first  the 
Prophet  speaks.  For  by  means  of  "saith  your 
God"  he  takes  up  the  word  himself  in  order  to 
introduce  the  LORD  as  speaking  the  remaining 
words  to  HJiy.  In  the  latter  half  of  ver.  2  the 


Prophet  himself  again  speaks,  as  appears  from 
"  the  hand  of  the  LORD."  The  Prophet  there- 
fore partly  cites  the  vcrba  ipsissima  of  Jehovah, 
partly  states  what  the  LORD  has  done.  This  is 
the  usual  manner  of  prophetic  announcements. 
It  is  necessary  to  note  this  here,  because  in  what 
follows  there  is  joined  in  climax  fashion  an  un- 
usual form  of  announcement. 

2.    The   voice hath  spoken  it. — Vers. 

3-5.  The  Prophet  hears  a  voice.  He  does  not 
say  whence  or  from  whom  the  voice  came.  This 
is  unusual.  For  if  now  and  then  in  other  cases 
the  prophets  hear  terrestrial  or  super-terrestrial 
voices,  still  in  every  case  the  source  of  it  is  ex- 
plained. The  context  makes  known  whence  and 
why  the  voice  sounds  (comp.  xxi.  11  ;  Ezek.  i. 
28;  Dan.  x.  9).  Here  one  learns  only  that  a 
voice  sounded.  This  is  manifestly  a  rhetorical 
embellishment.  The  Prophet  would  make  pro- 
minent thereby  the  importance  of  what  follows 
by  saying  that  it  was  important  to  him  in  an 
especially  solemn  way  by  a  special  superter- 

restrial  voice.  &O1D  /lp  can  in  itself  mean: 
''a  voice  cries"  (comp.  e-  g-  Mic.  vi.  9).  But  it 
is  more  drastic  and  consonant  with  other  analo- 
gies to  take  the  words  as  an  exclamatory  phrase 
and  as  a  genitive  relation  (comp.  vi.  4 ;  xiii.  4 ;  Hi. 
8  ;  Ixvi.  6).  A  heavenly  messenger,  then,  brings 
the  command  to  prepare  for  the  Lord  the  -way 
through  the  desert  (vers.  3,  4).  This  com- 
mand has  evidently  a  double  sense.  For  in  the 
first  place  the  people  shall  in  fact  be  redeemed 
out  of  exile  and  be  brought  back  home.  And 
Jehovah  Himself  will  conduct  this  return,  as 
appears  beyond  doubt  from  vers.  9-11.  But  the 
LORD  will  lead  them  in  order  that  the  journey  of 
the  people  may  be  made  easy  and  prosperous 
without  obstacfe  or  attack  (comp.  xli.  17  sqq. ; 
xliii.  1  sqq.,  14  sqq. ;  xlviii.  20  sq. ;  xlix.  9sqq. ; 
Iv.  12  sq. ;  Ivii.  14).  Such  is  certainly  the  im- 
mediate sense  of  our  passage.  In  fact,  the  whole 
context,  especially  In  its  immediate  connection 
with  the  comforting  prologue,  proves  that  it  con- 
tains a  promise  and  not  an  exhortation  to  re- 
pentance. "With  this  agrees  ver.  5,  which  plainly 
declares  that  vers.  3,  4  announce  the  fulfilment, 
evident  to  all  the  world,  of  a  promise  given  long 
before  by  the  LORD.  But  of  course  it  cannot  be 
doubted  that  the  old  figurative  meaning  given 
already  by  John  the  Baptist  is  also  justified.  For 
in  the  first  place  it  comports  with  the  universal 
and  everywhere  to  be  assumed  principles  of  the 
divine  pedagogy,  that  that  physical  desolation  of 
the  way  homewards  were  not  possible  without  an 
ethical  desolation  of  the  ways  of  the  heart.  And 
in  the  second  place,  since  the  language  is  such 
that  it  can  mean  both,  this  possibility  of  double- 
meaning  makes  it  a  natural  conjecture  that  such 
was  actually  intended.  In  the  third  place  it  is  to 
be  noticed  that  this  first  voice  announces  the 
chief  matter,  redemption  and  return  home,  in  a 
general  way.  The  second  (vers.  G-8)  gives  ex- 
planation respecting  the  ivhen  of  its  accomplish- 
ment. The  third  (vers.  9-11)  defines  the  man- 
ner of  fulfilment,  and  contains  only  in  this  respect 
those  two  points,  one  after  the  other,  which  in 
vers.  3-5  we  observe  in  one  another.  For  what 
is  that  <(  behold  your  God,"  ver.  9,  but  the  an- 
nouncement that  the  LORD  by  repentance  and 


CHAP.  XL.  1-11. 


423 


faith  will  come  to  His  people?  And  what  are 
vers.  10  and  11  but  the  statement  that  the  LORD 
Himself  as  a  parental  guide  will  come  home  with 
His  people? 

•mos  ver.  3  is  referred  by  the  LXX.,  the  VTTLO. 
and  the  Evangelists  (Mat.  iii.  3:  Mark  i.  3; 
Luke  iii.  4)  to  what  precedes.  This  is  not  only 
contrary  to  the  accents,  but  to  the  very  sound  of 
the  words,  since  ~O1O3  evidently  corresponds  to 
the  following  r!3"l>O,  and  must  be  construed  like 
the  latter.  John  the  Baptist,  in  the  application 
of  these  words,  calling  himself  a  QUVTJ  fiouvrog  iv 
rri  epfav  (John  i.  23),  followed  the  LXX.  He 
found  in  that  sound  of  words  familiar  to  his 
hearers,  which  our  passage  has  in  that  transla- 
tion, a  fitting  expression  for  what  he  would  say, 
without  meaning  to  give  thereby  an  authentic  in- 
terpretation of  the  original  text  (comp.  TIIOIAJCK, 
The  Old  Testament  in  the  New,  1838,  p.  5).  For 
when  DELITZSCH  says  :  ''  One  may,  indeed  ought, 
as  it  appears,  to  represent  to  himself  that  the 
caller,  going  out  into  the  desert,  summons  men 
to  make  a  road  in  it,"  I  can  find  no  point  of  sup- 
port for  this  statement  in  the  Hebrew  text.  The 
command  to  make  a  road  in  the  desert  does  not 
of  necessity  sound  out  of  the  desert  itself.  If  the 
matter  itself  presents  no  necessity  for  this  view,  I 
see  nothing  else  in  the  Hebrew  text  to  indicate 
that  the  voice  which  the  Prophet  heard  sounded 
out  from  the  desert.  Therefore  the  meaning 
which  the  Baptist,  following  the  LXX.,  gives  to 

the  words  "13T33  5Olp  ?lp  seems  to  me  to  be- 
long to  the  category  of  those  free  citations  that 
occur  so  often  in  the  New  Testament  in  reference 
to  Old  Testament  passages,  and  which  constitute 
one  of  those  departments  of  biblical  hermeneutics 
that  still  remain  the  most  obscure.  Of  course 
from  our  point  of  view  no  objection  arises  against 
the  meaning  and  application  given  by  the  Evan- 
gelists (especially  Luke  iv.  3-6)  to  the  words  that 
follow  13TD3. 

The  Piel  H23,  used  elsewhere  also  of  clearing 
out  a  house  (Gen.  xxiv.  31 ;  Lev.  xiv.  36)  occurs 
again  in  reference  to  ways,  in  the  sense  of  "  mak- 
ing clear,  light,  opening  a  road;''  Ivii.  14;  Ixii. 
10 ;  Mai.  iii.  1,  the  last  of  which  passages  is 
likely  a  reference  to  the  present.  The  subject 
of  Ivii.  14  and  Ixii.  10  is  also  that  road  on  which 
the  people  shall  return  out  of  exile  to  their  home. 
If  the  customary  route  from  Babylon  to  Canaan 
did  not  pass  through  the  desert,  yet  the  properly 
nearest  one  did.  And  from  l"^!  and  ver.  4  it  is 
seen  that  Israel  was  to  go  along,  not  only  the  most 
convenient,  but  also  the  directest  way  home. 
From  Egypt,  also,  the  people  had  to  traverse  the 
desert  in  order  to  reach  Canaan.  The  notion 
"desert"  plays  an  important  part  in  all  the 
pictures  of  the  future  that  relate  to  the  deliver- 
ance out  of  exile.  How  consonant  to  Isaiah's 
style  it  is  to  represent,  that  on  their  return  home 
also  from  the  second  exile  Israel  will  wander 
through  the  desert,  may  be  seen  from  xi.  15,  16. 
The  meaning  of  ^Cf'  is  evidently  that  the  way  of 
the  people  shall  go  out  straight,  and  thus  be  as  short 
as  possible.  To  be  such,  it  must  make  no  deviations 
either  in  horizontal  or  vertical  directions.  The 
former  appears  to  be -the  meaning  of  ver.  36; 
the  latter  is  made  prominent  ver.  4.  The  valleys 


(the  form  H'}  only  here)  shall  raise  themselves 


tyj  used  antithetically  with  vi)'^  11,  12;  comp. 
ii.  2,  13,  14;  vi.  1;  xxx.  25;  xxxiii.  10;  Iii.  13; 
Ivii.  7,  15],  and  all  mountains  and  hills  shall 

lower  tbemselves  [7Dtf  ,  see  Text,  and  Or.]  the 
rugged  places  shall  become  even  and  the 
connection  of  mountains  [DD1  Beryjoch  see 
Text,  and  Gram.']  shall  become  valley  depths.  The 
Prophet  would  say,  therefore,  that  the  obstacles  that 
would  prevent  the  coming  of  the  LORD  into  the 
heart  of  His  people,  and  thereby  hinder  the  coming 
of  the  people  into  their  land,  shall  be  rid  away. 
And  should  not  thereby  the  glory  of  Jehovah  be- 
come manifest  to  the  world  ?  When  the  nations 
see  how  gloriously  the  people  Israel  serve  their 
God  and  how  gloriously  He  serves  His  people,  will 
they  not  make  efforts  to  attain  the  righteousness 
and  salvation  of  this  people  and  seek  the  LORD 
who  is  the  author  of  both  (comp.  ii.  2  sq.)?  The 
great,  glorious  promise,  which  the  Prophet  has 
just  announced,  must  be  fulfilled,  for  the  mouth 
of  the  Lord  hath  spoken  it,  and  the  mouth  of 
the  LO"RD  does  not  lie.  The  expression  occurs  in 
Isaiah  again  i.  20  ;  Iviii.  14.  Comp.  on  i.  2. 

4.  The  voice  --  stand  forever.  —  Vera. 
6-8.  The  rhetorical  dress  of  this  second  call, 
contains  in  relation  to  the  first  a  climax.  For 
there  it  is  simply  said  :  ''voice  of  one  crying." 
But  here  :  "  voice  of  one  saying,  cry  I  And  an- 
swer :  what  shall  I  cry  ?  "  Thus  a  second  voice 
here  precedes  the  voice  of  the  one  calling,  and 
summons  him  to  cry.  This  is  indeed  primarily 
rhetorical  embellishment.  Yet  this  embellish- 
ment has  its  material  reason.  In  the  first  place, 
not  only  is  the  importance  of  the  call  set  in  the 
clearest  light,  but  also  its  divine  source,  as  we 

have  already  seen  was  also  the  aim  of  XI  P  7lp 
ver.  3.  In  the  second  place  we  have  this  addi- 
tional, that  the  caller  must  be  summoned  to  call. 
The  reason  for  this  seems  to  me  to  b?,  that  the 
second  call  expresses  properly  as  its  immediate 
thought  something  unpleasant.  It  is  like  a  sha- 
dow that  not  only  suddenly,  but  also  almost  in- 
comprehensibly breaks  in  on  the  full  light  of  the 
foregoing  announcement  of  consolation.  For  is 
it  not  an  oppressive  thought,  that  not  only  all 
glory  of  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  (that  alone 
were  indeed  consolation  for  Israel),  but  also  that 
all  merely  earthly  glory  of  the  elect  people  is 
subject  to  change  ?  Is  it  not  a  deep  humiliation 
that  comes  also  on  the  people  of  God,  that  it  is 
said  to  them,  they  must  be  divested  of  all  their 
own  human  strength  and  adornment,  and  thus  first 
share  the  fate  of  the  totality  of  profane  flesh,  be- 
fore the  divine  promise  can  be  fulfilled  to  them  ? 
Behind  the  caller,  therefore,  there  appears  another 
that  commands  him  to  call  out  what,  of  himself, 
he  would  not  have  called.  The  first  call  is  quite 
spontaneous  :  the  second  is  by  special  command. 
The  LXX.  and  VULG.  take  the  view,  that  the 
summons  to  call  is  directed  to  the  Prophet, 
whence  they  translate  IpN]  by  KOI  elira,  et  dixi. 
But  this  is  plainly  caprice.  The  Prophet  de- 
scribes a  visionary  tiansaction:  he  relates  only 
what  he  has  seen  and  heard.  ^5X]  [sce  Text. 
and  Gram.~\  must  therefore  signify  that  all  that  ia 
related  here  took  place  simultaneously,  and 


424 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


together,  and  not  one  after  another.  This  suits 
capitally  the  pregnant  brevity  which  the  Pro- 
phet studiously  observes  here  generally.  He 
marks  out  the  chief  features  with  only  a  few 
etrong  touches  of  the  brush.  Hence  he  leaves 

unnoted  whether  we  are  to  regard  1J1  "MPaTT-73 
as  the  language  of  the  one  calling  or  of  the 
questioner.  It  could  be  both.  The  questioner 
could  have  noticed  the  answer  without  the  Pro- 
phet hearing  it.  Or  the  caller  could  answer 
audibly  to  the  Prophet.  It  was  then  unnecessary 
to  make  the  questioner  say  again  what  was  heard. 
In  short,  the  Prophet  tells  us  only  once  what  from 
the  nature  of  the  case  must  have  been  spoken 
twice. 

As  vers.  3,  4  are  no  exhortation  to  repentance, 
eo  too  vers.  6-8  are  not  meant  to  be  a  sermon  on 
the  perishableness  of  all  that  is  earthly.  For 
what  fitness  were  there  in  such  a  sermon  here  ? 
Israel  is  to  be  comforted ;  the  downfall  of  the 
world-power  at  present  so  flourishing,  the  end  of 
their  period  of  conflict,  and  a  corresponding 
period  of  glory  and  triumph  is  to  be  held,  up  to 
view.  But  at  the  same  time  Israel  is  to  be 
warned,  in  reference  to  its  entrance  upon  these, 
not  to  surrender  itself  to  rash,  fleshly  hopes.  For 
the  promises  of  that  time  of  glory  will  not  be  so 
quickly  fulfilled.  Israel  thinks,  perhaps,  that 
the  present  generation,  that  the  nation  as  at  pre- 
sent constituted,  that  the  present  reigning  Davidic 
dynasty,  that  the  present  Jerusalem  as  now  exist- 
ing is  "to  behold  that  glory.  Just  that  is  false 
hope.  For  all  these  are  flesh,  and  therefore  grass 
and  flower  of  the  field,  and  as  such  will  and 
must  perish-  Thereupon,  naturally,  the  fleshly 
Israel  asks :  how  can  then  the  promises  of  the 
LORD  be  fulfilled?  If  Jerusalem  with  the  temple 
is  destroyed,  and  the  posterity  of  David  extinct, 
the  nation  dissolved  as  a  state  and  scattered  in 
all  lands,  where  then  does  there  remain  room  and 
possibility  for  the  realization  of  that  which  God 
has  promised  ?  The  word  of  the  LORD  ptandeth 
forever,  replies  the  Prophet.  The  perishing  of  all 
that  is  flesh  in  the  people  of  God  is  no  obstacle  to 
the  realization  of  what  God  has  promised.  On 
the  contrary !  The  Prophet  makes  us  read  be- 
tween the  lines,  that  the  word  of  the  LORD,  pre- 
cisely because  of  its  own  imperishable  nature, 
finds  in  what  perishes  rather  a  hinderance  than  a 
condition  of  its  own  fulfilment.  Such  is  in  gene- 
ral the  sense  of  our  passage.  If  we  have  correctly 
apprehended  it,  then  the  Prophet  means  thereby 
to  prevent  erroneous  representations  in  regard  to 
the  time  and  manner  of  fulfilling  what  he  has  be- 
fore, and  especially  in  ver.  5,  held  in  prospect. 

Grass  as  an  image  of  the  perishable,  Ps.  xxxvii. 
2;  xc.  5sq.;  ciii.  15;  cxxix.  6;  Jobviii.  12.  Also 
flowers :  Job  xiv.  2 ;  Ps.  ciii.  15.  The  word  H 
occurs  only  here  in  the  sense  of  physical  loveli- 
ness, agreeableness.  Elsewhere  it  is  always  used 
of  the  ethical  friendliness,  favor,  complacency  of 
persons  (men  and  God).  But  has  not  the  poet  a 
right  to  personify  things,  and  to  represent  lovely, 
gracious  appearance  as  the  favor  and  friendlines 
that  they  show  us?  Whence  the  rendering  66^ 
(LXX.),  gloria  (VuiXJ.)  is  inexact  (more  suitable 
evirpr.Treia,  Jas.  i.  11),  but  to  retain  the  meaning 
"piety"  would  be  pedantry.  If  the  loveliness 
of  human  things  is  like  the  grass  and  the  flower 


of  the  field,  then  it  must  resemble  these  not  only 
in  blossoming,  but  also  in  casting  its  blossoms. 
The  continuance  of  bloom  here  as  well  as  there  is 
short.  Indeed  grass  and  flower  do  not  even  com- 
plete the  brief  period  of  bloom  appointed  them  by 
nature.  They  wither  before  their  time  when  the 
LORD  breathes  on  them  with  the  scorching  wind 
as  with  a  hot  breath.  The  wind  is  called  "  nil — 
not  only  because  it  is  Jehovah  that  charges  it 
with  its  mission,  but  because,  as  breath,  as  life 
respiration  of 'nature,  it  lias  a  likeness  to  the  Spi- 
rit of  God.  Thus  in  other  places  not  only  is  the 
Spirit  of  God  that  operates  like  the  wind  (1  Kings 
xviii.  12;  2  Kings  ii.  16)  designated  "  nn,  but 
also  the  wind  that  operates  like  the  Spirit  of 
God  (Hos.  xiii.  15  ;  Isa.  lix.  19). 

From  the  antithesis  to  the  concluding  words, 
the  word  of  the  Lord  shall  stand  forever, 
we  may  infer  that  Ihe  Prophet  in  vers.  6-8  has  in 
mind  primarily  the  people  Israel.  For  would 
the  Prophet  thus  here  in  the  prologue  to  his  great 
consolatory  discourse  comfort  the  heathen  ?  Does 
he  not  begin  with  the  words :  "  comfort,  comfort 
ye  my  people  ?"  Thus  we  must  understand  by 
the  word  that  stands"  primarily  that  word  of 
promise  given  to  Israel.  The  continuance  of  this 
is  made  prominent  in  contrast  with  the  perishing 
of  all  flesh;  thus,  also,  of  the  outward,  fleshly  Is- 
rael. From  the  general  statement,  "all  flesh  is 
grass,"  ver.  6,  the  Prophet  draws  the  conclusion, 
ver.  7  :  therefore,  verily,  the  people  is  grass,  and 
to  this  is  joined  the  further  consequence  that 
therefore  the  people  as  grass  and  flower  must  wi- 
ther and  fade  (ver.  8).  Hence  the  literal  repeti- 
tion of  "the  grass  withereth,  the  flower  fadeth." 
From  what  has  been  said  already,  it  results  of 
course  that  we  must  understand  by  D^'H,  ver.  7, 
Israel  and  not  human  kind  (xlii.  5).  At  4ie  same 
time  it  is  made  clear  that  there  is  nothing  super- 
fluous in  the  text,  but  rather  that  the  Prophet  em- 
ploys only  what  is  needful  to  express  his  thought. 
He  would  say  that,  even  if  in  the  remote  future 
all  that  is  earthly,  and  even  what  is  earthly  in  the 
holy  people,  will  have  perished,  still  the  word  of 
the  LORD  will  remain  and  demonstrate  its  truth 
by  the  fulfilment  of  its  contents. 

5.  O  Zion that  are  with  young. — Vers. 

9-11.  The  third  call  begins  also  with  a  solemn 
summons  to  let  the  call  sound  forth,  and  this  third 
formula  of  summons  is  the  most  copious  of  all,  so 
that  in  this  respect  a  gradation  occurs.  The  Pro- 
phet so  far  had  heard  the  summons  to  call  and 
the  contents  of  the  call  from  above,  so  that  he  only- 
cited  to  his  readers  things  heard;  but  here  it  is 
himself  that  emits  the  summons  to  call,  and  de- 
fines the  contents  of  what  is  to  be  called.  As  a 
man  he  turns  to,  an  ideal  person,  it  is  true,  yst 
one  conceived  as  human,  to  Zion  or  Jerusalem 
personified,  and  commissions  it  to  assemble  all 
its  children,  that  they  may  rally  about  the  newly 
appearing,  strong  Saviour,  and  commit  themselves 
to  His  faithful  guidance  into  their  home.  The 
relation  of  this  call  therefore  to  the  two  that  pre- 
cede, is  that  it  points  to  the  gathering  for  the  jour- 
ney and  the  guidance  and  providence  during  the 
journey,  after  that  the  first  call  had  treated  of  the  t 
inward  and  outward  preparation  of  the  way,  an  -n 
the  second  had  dealt  with  the  period  of  the  joynat 
ney.  The  first  announcement  of  a  call,  ve^  an_ 
contained  one  member ;  the  second,  which  £e  an(j 


CHAP.  XL.  1-11. 


425 


same  time  is  a  summons  to  call,  ver.  6,  contained 
two  members ;  the  last,  ver.  9,  that  contains  two 
summons,  has  three  members.  Thus  we  see  the 
inward  emotion  of  the  Prophet  grows  more  intense 
and  seeks  its  expression  in  a  climax.  For  this 
purpose  the  personification  of  the  central  point 
of  the  nation  is  distributed,  that  is  to  say,  the 
function  is  assigned  to  a  twofold  personification, 
Zion  and  Jerusalem,  although  each  of  these  two 
and  both  together  represent  only  one  subject,  viz., 
the  ideal  centre  of  the  nation  that  must  now  again 
become  active  and  head  the  cities  of  Judah.  This 
distribution  of  the  role  of  representation  among 
the  two  notions  Zion  and  Jerusalem  is  frequent  in 
both  parts  of  our  book :  ii.  3 ;  iv.  3,  4 ;  x.  12,  32 ; 
xxiv.  23;  xxxi.  9;  xxxiii.  20;  xxxvii.  22,  32; 
xli.  27  ;  xlvi.  13;  Hi.  1,  2  ;  Ixii.  1 ;  Ixiv.  10.  It 
is  worthy  of  notice,  that  this  form  of  expression  is 
by  no  means  found  in  all  the  prophets.  First  we 
find  it  in  Joel:  iii.  5;  iv.  16,  17;  next  in  Amos: 
i.  2 ;  then  in  Micah,  the  contemporary  of  Isaiah  : 
iii.  10,  12;  iv.  2.  It  is  remarkable  that  Jeremiah 
uses  the  expression  only  in  two  places:  xxvi.  18, 
as  a  citation  from  Micah  iii.  12,  and  li.  35.  In 
Lamentations  the  expression  occurs  three  times: 
i.  17  ;  ii.  10,  13.  It  is  found  beside  Zeph.  iii.  14, 
16  and  Zech.  i.  14,  17  ;  viii.  3  ;  ix.  9. 

Zion  mast  ascend  a  high  mountain  in  order 
to  be  heard  afar  (comp.  xlii.  11;  the  expression 
!"QJ  "in  again  xxx.  25  ;  Ivii.  7).  Zion  and  Jerusa- 
lem are  addressed  as  fntlOD.  This  word  therefore 
has  not  the  genitive  relation  to  Zion  and  Jerusalem 
=="  Zion's  herald  of  joy."  Such  it  is  taken  to  be  by 
the  LXX.,  VULG.,  TARG.,  and  after  these  by  GE- 
SEXIUS,  HITZIG,  KXOBEL,  HAHN,  etc.  It  is  the 
attribute  of  Zion  and  Jerusalem,  as  the  following 
reasons  show :  1)  According  to  the  view  of  those 
that  assume  the  genitive  relation,  mt!OO  is  to  be 
construed  collectively,  and  designate  the  messen- 
gers of  salvation  as  a  totality,  so  that  it  stands  for 
D'"yJ2p  and  means  the  "  embassy  of  salvation" 
(Heilsbotenschaft,  KNOBEL).  But  even  if  gram- 
matically this  is  allowable,  still  such  a  collective 
designation  of  messengers  or  of  prophets  is  quite 
contrary  to  the  usus  loquendi.  In  this  sense  the 
sing.  masc.  "^5?  is  used  Isa.  Hi.  7 ;  Nah.  ii.  1. 
Moreover  one  would  expect,  in  order  to  obviate 
indistinctness,  that  the  verbs  would  be  in  the  plu- 
ral (17£,_  to'^n,  etc.).  •H^Dp.  which  is  quoted  as 
analogous,  means,  according  to  Eccl.  i.  1,  not  a 
plurality,  but  a  single  person.  2)  HAHN  says  it 
were  "inadmissible  to  use  Jerusalem  antitheti- 
cally to  the  cities  of  Judah,  seeing  it  belongs  it- 
self to  them."  But  it  is  just  the  constant  usus  lo- 
quendi with  Isaiah  to  distinguish  Jerusalem  and 
Judah  (meaning  the  cities  of  Judah) :  i.  1 ;  ii.  1 ; 
iii.  1,  8;  v.  23 ;  xxii.  21;  xxxvi.  7;  xliv.  26. 
This  finds,  too,  its  echo  in  later  books:  Jer.  iv. 
5  ;  ix.  10;  xi.  12 ;  xxv.  18 ;  Zech.  i.  12 ;  Psalm 
Jxix.  36.  Precisely  this  prominent  part,  which 
we  thus  see  Jerusalem  play,  justifies  us  in 
maintaining  that  the  Prophet  means  not  to  rank 
Jerusalem  with  the  cities  of  Judah,  but  would 


summon  it  to  exercise  its  primacy  over  them. 
It  is  even  a  very  important  point  in  salvation, 
that  at  once,  still  in  the  exile,  the  old  domestic 
constitutional  organism  should  have  effect.  Je- 
rusalem  must  at  once  exercise  her  maternal  right 
over  her  daughters  (comp.  e.g.  Ezek.  xvi.  48,  55). 
She  must  gather  them  like  a  hen  gathers  her 
chicks  under  her  wings,  and  require  them  to  re- 
ceive well  their  LORD  and  rally  under  His  lead- 
ership for  the  return  home.  Involuntarily  we 
are  reminded  here  of  the  fact,  that  a  great  part  of 
the  Israelites,  when  they  received  the  permission 
or  rather  summons  to  return  home  to  Palestine, 
preferred  to  remain  in  the  land  of  exile.  These 
did  not  recognize  the  visitation  of  their  God  in 
that  altered  sentiment  of  the  world-power  toward 
the  kingdom  of  God,  in  that  wonderful  summons 
to  return  home,  as  also  later,  when  the  LORD  came 
in  person  to  His  own,  His  own  did  not  receive 
Him  (John  i.  11).  [See  LANGE  on  John  i.  11, 
which  he  refers  to  the  theocratic  advent  in  the 
Old  Testament,  and  thus  exactly  to  the  present 
subject  as  included.  —  TR.]  By  Behold  your 
God,  the  LORD  is,  as  it  were,  presented  to  His 
people.  AVhatthe  LORD,  who  has  thus  appeared 
in  the  midst  of  His  people,  would  now  further  re- 
veal, how  especially  He  would  show  Himself  to- 
ward the  people,  this  is  now  described  by  a  series 
of  imperfects  only,  because  these  were  still  purely 
latent  facts.  First,  it  is  said  the  Lord  comes  as 
a  strong  one.  Not  only  will  the  LORD  be  strong, 
but  He  will  also  show  Himself  strong.  His  arm  will 
so  rule  that  it  shall  benefit  Him,  not  others,  as  is 
the  case  under  a  weak  regent.  As  there  lies  in 
the  for  him  the  idea  that  He  undertakes  for 
Himself,  so  the  following  clause  expresses  that, 
opposed  to  others,  He  knows  also  how  to  preserve 
the  suum  cuique.  He  has  for  friend  and  foe  the  re- 
ward prepared  that  becomes  each.  One  will  not  err 
in  taking  "13!P,  which  is  never  used  in  malam  par- 


tem,  in  a  good  sense.     On  the  other  hand, 
which  occurs  also  of  retributive  punishment  (Ps. 
cix.  20  ;  Isa.  Ixv.  7),  may  be  understood  in  a  bad 

sense.  H  />*3  is  primarily  labore  partum,  that 
which  is  wrought  out,  then,  generally,  what  is  ac- 
quired. effected,  retribution  (Lev.  xix.  13;  Isaiah 
xlix.  4;  comp.  Job  vii.  2;  Jer.  xxii.  13).  The 
words  Ul  l"Oty  njn  occur  literally  again  Ixii.  11. 
y_^J  occurs  in  the  symbolical  sense  also  xxxiii.  2, 
yet  much  oftener  in  part  second:  xl.  10;  xlviii. 
14;  li.  5,  9;  Iii.  10;  liii.  1;  lix.  16;  Ixiii.  5,  12. 
The  passages  lix.  16  ;  Ixiii.  5  are  especially  worthy 
of  notice,  because  the  form  of  expression  J?t2>irfl 
Ij^T  17  occurs  there  reminding  us  of  17  H/Iifo. 
Verse  11  makes  the  impression  as  if  thereby  the 
prophet  would  obviate  the  dread  of  the  hardships 
of  the  return  journey,  especially  in  reference  to 
the  delicate  women  and  children.  Hence  it  is 
said  that  the  LORD  will  lead  His  people  as  a  good 
shepherd  leads  his  flock.  The  tender  lambs  that 
cannot  walk,  the  good  shepherd  gathers  in  his 
strong  arm  and  carries  them  in  his  bosom  —  that 
is,  in  the  bosom  of  his  garment. 


ei 

fon 

thek 


426  THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


2.    JEHOVAH'S  INFINITUDE  AND  INCOMPAEABLENESS  THE  OBJECTIVE  BASIS 

OF  THE  EEDEMPTION. 

CHAPTER  XL.  12-26. 

12  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  balance  ? 

13  Who  hath  "directed  the  Spirit  of  the  LORD, 
Or  being  2his  counsellor  hath  taught  him  ? 

14  With  whom  took  he  counsel,  and  who  instructed  him, 
And  taught  him  in  the  path  of  judgment, 

And  taught  him  knowledge, 

And  showed  to  him  the  way  of  ^understanding? 

15  Behold,  the  nations  are  as  a  drop  of  a  bucket, 
And  are  counted  as  the  small  dust  of  the  balance  : 
Behold,  he  taketh  up  the  isles  as  da  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  emelteth  a  graven  image, 

And  the  goldsmith  spreadeth  it  over  with  gold, 
And  casteth  silver  chains. 

20  He  that  &is  so  impoverished  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. 

21  gHave  ye  not  known  ?  have  ye  not  heard  ? 
Hath  it  not  been  told  you  from  the  beginning  ? 

Have  ye  not  understood  hfrom  the  foundations  of  the  earth  ? 

22  6ilt  is  he  that  sitteth  upon  the  circle  of  the  earth, 
And  the  inhabitants  thereof  are  as  grasshoppers  ; 
That  stretcheth  out  the  heaven?  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  jshall  not  be  planted  ; 
Yea,  they  •'shall  not  be  sown  : 

Yea,  their  stock  kshall  not  take  root  in  the  earth  : 

And  'he  shall  also  blow  upon  them,  and  they  mshall  wither, 

And  the  whirlwind  "shall  take  them  away  as  stubble. 

25  To  whom  then  will  ye  liken  me, 
Or  shall  1  be  equal  ? 

Saith  the  Holy  One. 

26  Lift  up  your  eyes  on  high,  and  behold 
Who  hath  created  these  things,0 

That  bringeth  out  their  host  by  number : 

He  calleth  them  all  by  names  by  the  greatness  of  his  might,  for  that  he  is  strong 

in  power ; 
Not  one  faileth. 


CHAP.  XI.  12-26. 


427 


1  Heb.  a  tierce. 

*  Heb.  understandings  1 

»  comprehended. 

•  has  moulded. 

1  he  that  sittdh. 
m  withered. 


8  Heb.  man  of  his  counsel. 
6  fleb.  is  poor  of  oblations. 

*  all. 

'  totter. 
i  were  not. 
n  took. 


3  Heb.  made  him  understand. 
•  Or,  Him  that  sitteth,  etc. 


judicious  conduct. 
*  know  ye  not  1  hear  ye  not  f 
k  did  not. 


d  fine  dust. 
h  omit/rom. 
1  he  just  blew. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


See  the  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words  :  Ver.  12. 

Tp—  ^fr-rnT—  j3n—  crStf—  oSs—  D'  JTN'O.    Ver. 

13.  ni'J,«-;j'Tin.    Ter.  14.  }'jtf  J-j'3n.    Ver.  15.  jH— 
D^J-D'^-lp—  >LH-pntf—  pi—  7BJ.     Ver.  16.    H. 

Vor.  n.  |;«-ij;-D3N-?rin.  ver.  is.  ipy—  r\ioi. 

Ver.  19.   7D3-1pJ-t>Hn-nS¥-;»p-\-rip:irn.    Ver. 

1  -  T  T  T  I  •  •  '  I  -  T  \f  1 

20.  ' 


Ver.  22.  MTV-HIM—  *!—  TITO.      Ver.  23    nil—  BS'ltf. 

T   T         /  -  T  I" 

Ver.  24.  H*—  T^—  fltf  J-TnpD-tfn.    Ver.  26.   Onn— 

I-   T  T  T  :  |-  T 

ma—  s'w-D'rtit 

T  T 

Ver.  12.  The  perfects  "HO,  pn,  7p$  do  not  mean  : 
who  can  or  will  measure,  etc.  f  But  :  who  has  measured, 
etc.  The  fact  that  no  one  has  been  able  can  (poetically) 
serve  for  proof  that  it  is  on  the  whole  impossible,  "no, 
which  occurs  only  twice  in  Isaiah,  is  used  by  Ezekiel 
thirty-six  times  ;  a  proof  that  the  use  of  a  word  often 
depends,  not  on  the  subjectivity  of  the  author,  but  also 

on  the  objectivity  of  the  contents.  -  T3.PV  related  to 

I  -  T 

n^n  on  the  one  hand,  and  to  M3  on  the  other,  involves 
-T 

the  fundamental  meaning  "to  establish."  In  this  sense 
it  i.s  used  in  various  relations  wherein  it  concerns  de- 
termining a  level,  evenness,  likeness.  Piel  J3.n  is  used 
Ps.  Ixxv.  4  of  setting  up  pillars  according  to  the  bal- 
ance; also  of  raising  and  leveling  a  road  (Ezek.  xviii. 
25,  29;  xxxiii.  17,  20),  then  of  weighing  itself  (Job  xxviii. 
25),  then  of  testing  by  means  of  weighing  (Prov.  xvi  2  ; 
xxi.  2  ;  xxiv.  12),  and  also  of  weighing  out  money  (1  Ki. 
xii.  2).  But  when  "  determining  the  level,"  has  once 
acquired  the  meaning  "  to  test,"  it  may  stand  for  all 
kinds  of  making  trial,  even  such  as  occurs  without  using 
the  scales.  Thus  it  stands  here  for  a  testing  by  mea- 
surement by  means  of  the  span,  and  in  the  same  sense 
ver.  13  of  testine  and  examining  the  divine  spirit.  Hence 
I  have  in  both  places  translated  pfl  by  "  comprehend," 
because  the  former  (spanning)  is  a  physical,  and  the  lat- 
ter (examining)  is  a  spiritual  comprehending.  -  Notice 
that  also  0  1flJJ~73  depends  as  object  on  p/V  On  the 
insertion  of  l!r7C/3  after  73  see  xxxviii.  1C.  [GESENIUS 
construed  73  as  "  the  whole"  in  his  Lehrgebdude.  But 

T 

having  afterwards  observed  that  the  Hebrew  text  has 
73  with  a  conjunctive  accent,  he  corrected  the  error  in 

IT 

his  Lexicon  and  Commentary,  and  referred  the  word  to 
the  root  713,  which  does  not  occur  elsewhere  in  Kal, 
but  the  essential  idea  of  which,  as  appears  from  the 
Chaldee  and  Arabic  analogy,  as  well  as  from  its  own  de- 
rivations in  Hebrew,  is  that  of  measuring,  or  rather  that 
of  holding  and  containing,  which  agrees  with  the  com- 
mon English  Version  (comprehended)."  —  J.  A.  A.  See 
FUEBST,  Lex.  s.  v.—  TB.]. 


Ver.  13.  The  clause  IJJTIV  IftfJ?  t^'K)  is  dependent 
on  ihe  interrogation  (]  {3H  '0.  The  imperf.  is  to  be 

construed  as  jussive,  and  the  parataetic  Vav.  copul.  is  to 
be  translated  in  our  syntactical  way  with  "  that,"  as  also 
afterwards  in  the  last  clause  of  ver.  14. 

Ver.  14.  I  think  that  C33E/O  is  to  be  taken  in  the  wide 
sense  meaning  the  norm  that  governs  the  life  of 
every  thing,  thus  in  a  certain  sense,  the  natural  law 
and  right  of  everything  (comp.  e.  y.  |1O"1N  DDl^p 
Jer.  xxx.  18;  comp.  Exod.  xxvi.  30;  2  Kings  i.  7;  Jud. 
xiii.  12).  -  107  stands  with  3  only  here  ;  more  fre- 
quently rnin  ia  so  construed:  1  Sam.  xii.  23  ;  Ps.  xxv. 

T 

8,12;  xxxii.  8,  etc.  -  AJH  and  7"U13ri  conjoined  also 
xliv.  19  (oomp.  Exod.  xxxi.  3;  xxxv.  31  ;  Prov.  ii.  6). 

Ver.  15.  71ft'  is  irnperf.  Kal  from  7U3  =  "  tellere,  to 
lift  up." 

Ver.  18.  HO"!  Piel  occurs  in  Isa.,  meaning  "  to  think, 

T 

combine,  meditari"  x.  7;  xiv.  24:  meaning  "to  make 
like,"  it  occurs  reflexively  xiv.  14  in  Hithpael;  in  part 
second  xl.  25  ;  xlvi.  5.  HOT  is  joined  herewith  7N  as 
is  712OJ  xiv.  10;  elsewhere  it  is  used  with  7:  xlvi.  5; 
Lam.  ii.  13  ;  Song  Sol.  i.  9. 

Ver.  19.  733!"!  (used  Exod.  xx.  4;  Deut.  v.  8  ;  in  Isa. 
see  List)  stands  first  emphatically  as  the  chief  notion. 
-  y\^  "to  pound,  beat"  (Ezek.  vi.  11;  2  Sam.  xxii. 
43)  then  "to  beat  flat,"  with  the  hammer,  to  extend  (xlii. 
5  ;  xliv.  24,  also  Piel  has  this  meaning  Exod.  xxxix.  3  ; 
Num.  xvii.  4),  acquires  in  our  text  the  meaning  "  to  co- 
ver with  something  beaten  out  flat,"  so  that  J?p1  means 
"  to  plate  over."  -  fpV  stands  last  epanaleptically.— 
On  the  frequent  omission  of  the  pronominal  subject  by 
Isaiah  comp.  ii.  6  ;  xxiv.  2  ;  xxix.  8  ;  xxxii.  12,  etc. 

Ver.  20.  ["17  may  either  be  reflexive  (for  himself),  as 
some  consider  it  in  ver.  11,  and  as  all  admit  ^7  to  be  in 

'T 

ver.  9,  or  it  may  be  referred  to  Vjp.  Having  secured  the 
stuff,  he  seeks  for  it  a  skilful  workman.  As  V_J7  is  an 
obvious  antecedent,  and  as  the  reflexive  use  of  the  pro- 
nouns is  comparatively  rare,  this  last  construction  seems 
entitled  to  preference."  —  J.  A.  A.]. 


Vers.  22,  23  are  without  predicate.  3E"H, 
are  exclamations  whose  predicate  must  be  supplied. 
The  contents  of  the  verses  and  what  precedes  (vers.  19- 
21)  show  that  this  must  be  "has  made  the  earth."  - 
According  to  Hebrew  usage,  the  secondary  forms  (inf. 
and  partic.)  return  to  the  principal  forms  (DnrO'1 
verse  22  and  nt^y  ver.  23).  Comp.  v.  8,  23;  xxxi.  1; 
xxxii.  6. 

Ver.  26.  D^JIK  310  is  nearer  definition;  |"OX 
(xxviii.  2)  is  in  apposition  with  K^IOH  and  with  the 
subject  of  SOp11. 


428 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  exceeding  comforting  introduction  vers. 
1-11  does  not  at  once  cheer  up  Israel.     Doubts 
arise.     Is   the  LORD  in  earnest  when  He  pro- 
mises ?     And  can  He  do  it  too  ?     Shall  He  that 
did  not  uphold  us  when  we  stood,  lift  us  up  again 
when  we  have  fallen   down  ?      To  these  doubts, 
which  he  utters  in  express  words  ver.  27,  the  Pro- 
phet replies  in  the  present  section.      He  amplifies 
here  the  incomparableness,  the  aloneness  and  infi- 
nite sublimity  of  God.      This  idea  underlies  the 
whole  passage. 

2.  Who  hath  measured understand- 
ing.— Vers.  12-14.  First  a  standard  is  given  by 
which  one  may  estimate  God's  elevation  above 
all    human    ability   to  comprehend   Him.     The 
hollow  hand,  the    span,  the  measuie,  the  scales 
are   human   measures.    Who  does  not  instantly 
see   the  impossibility   of  measuring  the   divine 
works  of  creation    with  those   measures?     It  is 
not  meant  that    God  has  done  this,  as  many  ex- 
positors would   explain.   For  even  if  appeal  is 
made  to  the  suffix  in  1  /yvJ  as  referring  to  the 
divine  hand,  and  though  the  suffix  may  be  sup- 
plied to  mi  and  thus  the  divine  span  be  under- 
stood, still  this  cannot  be  done  in  reference  to  the 
measures  that  follow,  which  are  of   human  de- 
vising and  make.    Does  the  Prophet  mean  to  say 
that  there  is  a  divine  "  measure,  scales,  balance" 
of  which  God  made  use  at  the  creation  ?     Cer- 
tainly not.    But  he  would  say  :  what  man  is  able 
to  measure  the  divine  works  with  his  human  mea- 
sures, i.   e.,  to  submit  them  to  supplementary  in- 
spection and  test  their  correctness?     This  is  con- 
firmed by  vers.  13,  14  where  it  is  expressly  said 
that  no  man  before  the  creation  influenced  the 
divine  creative  thoughts  in  the  way  of  counsel- 
ing   and    guiding    (so  GESENTTTS,  HAHX,  etc.). 
The  immeasurableness  of  God  is  expressed   by 
Jer.  x.  6,  7  in  this  way,  which  passage  especially 
in  ver.  8  sq.,  unmistakably  looks    back  to  our 

text  (see  below).  $'7$  is  probably  the  third 
part  of  an  Epha,  and  thus  like  the  HXD  ''  seah, 
measure "  (adrov),  of  which  the  Epha  con- 
tained three,  according  to  the  Rabbis,  whence  the 
LXX.  often  translated  !"13'S<  "  ephah "  by  rpia 
H^rpi  (Exod.  xvi.  36;  Isa.  v.  10).  Comp. 
HERZ.  R.-Encycl.  IX.  p.  149.  Dust  of  the 
earth  is  an  expression  of  the  Pentateuch,  Gen. 
xiii.  16;  xxviii.  14;  Exod.  viii.  12,  13.  Beside 

these  comp.  Job  xiv.  19  ;  2  Sam.  xxii.  43.  D73 
distinguished  from  D'J'JO,  and  certainly  the 
Schndlwage  [an  apparatus  like  the  steelyard"],  oc- 
curs Prov.  xvi.  11.  On  D^n  and  fltyOJ  occur- 
ring together,  see  on  ver.  4. 

As  there  underlies  ver.  12  the  thought  that  no 
one  is  in  a  position  to  inspect  and  test  the  Creator's 
work  after  its  completion,  so  vers.  13,  14  would 
declare  that  no  one  could  inspire  and  direct  the 
Creator  before  He  worked.  Thus  the  Prophet  asks: 
Who  comprehended  the  Spirit  of  Jeho- 
vah ?  The  context  shows  that  the  Spirit  as  the 
Spirit  of  Creation  (Gen.  i.  2)  is  meant.  To  com- 
prehend the  Spirit  of  God,  according  to  ver.  12, 
means  nothing  else  than  to  grasp  it,  so  that  lie 
that  grasps  is  greater  than  the  Spirit  of  God ; 


he  spans  and  from  all  sides  influences  it.  This 
passage  is  cited  Rom.  xi.  34  ;  1  Cor.  ii.  16.  At 
first  sight  ver.  14  appears  to  be  only  an  amplifi- 
cation of  ver.  13  b.  But  from  •with  whom  took 
he  counsel  it  appears  that  the  Prophet  makes  a 
distinction.  There  are  counsellors  who  are  con- 
sulted as  authority  and  experts,  whose  word  is 
law  to  be  followed.  In  this  sense,  which  cor- 
responds also  to  pfi,  ver.  12  seems  intended. 
But  there  are  also  counsellors  with  whom  one 
consults  on  an  equality,  but  who,  still,  though 
equals,  in  one  or  other  respect,  by  instruction, 
correction,  defining,  influence  the  determination 
that  is  to  be  made.  This  seems  intended  by  ver. 
14.  The  Prophet  would  say  that  neither  in  the 
one  nor  in  the  other  sense  did  the  LORD  have 
counsellors.  The  last  clause  of  ver.  14  and 
shewed  to  him  the  way  of  understanding 
signifies  the  consequence  of  the  three  preceding 
verbs  of  teaching:  so  that  He  taught  him  to 
know  the  way  of  judicious  conduct. 

3.  Behold  -  and  vanity.  —  Vers.  15-17. 
The  absolute  sublimity  of  God  that  has  been  re- 
vealed in  the  creation,  is  revealed  also  in  history. 
In  the  former  the  Spirit  of  God  showed  itself  to 
be  conditioned  by  no  one.  In  (he  latter  the  abso- 
lute dependence  of  men  on  God  appears.  Not 
merely  single  men,  but  whole  nations  count  for 
no  more  before  the  almighty  God  than  the  small 
drop  of  a  bucket  that  the  bearer  does  not  notice, 
or  than  the  little  crumb  in  the  scale  that  does  not 
influence  the  weight.  Ver.  16  must  be  regarded 
as  a  parenthesis.  For  it  stands  between  vers.  14, 
15  on  the  one  hand,  and  ver.  17  on  the  other,  all 
which  compare  the  greatness  of  God  with  earthly 
greatness,  without  itself  preseniing  any  compari- 
son. Rather  ver.  16  draws  a  conclusion  from 
that  incomparable  sublimity  of  God  :  because  He 
is  so  great,  all  the  forests  of  Lebanon  do  not  suf- 
fice for  a  worthy  sacrificial  fire,  nor  all  the 
beasts  of  those  forests  for  a  worthy  burnt-offering. 
Of  course  this  very  conclusion  serves  for  a  mea- 
sure of  the  greatness  of  God,  and  it  seems  to  me 
that  the  Prophet,  along  with  "the  nations"  and 
"  the  isles,"  the  most  widely  extended  and  the 
furthest,  (comp.  Ixvi.  19;  Jer.  xxxi.  10),  would 
apply  as  a  measure  also  the  earthly  highest. 
But  would  He  also  make  prominent  again  the 
weighty  mass  of  the  mountain  ?  He  would  then 
for  the  fourth  time  have  made  use  of  the  same 
figure.  Hence,  not  the  ponderous  mass  of  the 
mountain  itself,  but  as  much  of  its  riches  in  vege- 
tation and  animal  life  as  is  suitable  for  the  ser- 
vice of  the  LORD,  must  serve  Him  for  a  figure. 


'1  is  "sufficient,  copia;"  thus  "1^3  ' 
=  sufficientia,  copia  sufficiens,  i.  e.,  satis  incendii, 
sacrijicii.  The  construction  is  like  Lev.  v.  7  "if 
his  hand  cannot  reach  the  sufficiency  of  a  lamb," 
i.  e.,  if  he  cannot  bring  enough  to  buy  a  lamb. 
Comp.  Lev.  xii.  8  ;  Deut.  xv.  8.  Ver.  17  with 
all  the  nations  joins  close  witli  "nations"  ver. 
15,  and  recapitulates  and  intensifies  the  contents 
of  it.  Modern  expositors  for  the  most  part  con- 
strue '1  D2XO  in  a  partitive  sense,  because  it  is 
nonsense  to  say  :  less  than  nothing,  and  because 
D25O  would  properly  mean  ''  more  than  no- 


CHAP.  XL.  12-26. 


429 


thing."  But  those  are  strange  scruples.  D2N  is 
"  the  ceasing  to  be,  where  there  is  nothing  more, 

the  not  being :"  !!"fh  is  "  inanitas,  emptiness, 
void."  Now  one  may  say  that  absolute  nihilism, 
the  horror  of  an  absolute  emptiness,  void  is  still 
more  impressive  than  a  being  that  by  its  misera- 
ble nothingness  makes  not  even  an  impression. 
And  of  course  '1  DD&O  =  more  than,  viz. :  in  a 
negative  sense.  The  Prophet,  who  indeed  is 
governed  here  wholly  by  the  idea  of  comparison, 
compares  the  nations  and  the  nothing,  and  finds 
that  the  nations  in  respect  to  insignificance  weigh 
down  more  than  D3K  and  ^HJI. 

4.  To  whom  then not  one  faileth. — 

Vers.  18-26.  Having  shown  that  no  finite  spirit 
may  compare  with  God  (vers.  12-18),  the  Pro- 
phet shows  in  these  verses  that  it  is  also  impossi- 
ble to  make  any  image  or  likeness  of  God.  Be- 
cause God  has  not  His  like,  therefore  there  is  no 
creature  form  that  is  like  Him,  and  under  whose 
image  one  may  represent  Him  visibly.  If  this 
thought,  coming  in  the  middle  between  the  pro- 
mise vers.  1-11,  and  the  inquiry  ver.  27,  would 
serve,  on  the  one  hand,  to  assure  Israel  that  Je- 
hovah has  the  power  to  keep  what  He  has  pro- 
raised,  so,  on  the  other,  this  painting  up  the 
manufacture  of  idols  appears  intended  to  repre- 
sent to  Israel  in  glaring  light,  the  folly  and  wrong 
of  such  a  degradation  of  divinity  to  the  sphere 
of  common  creatures.  It  is  to  be  noted  moreover 
that  this  warning  in  the  first  Ennead  of  our  book 
appears  in  the  form  of  an  ascending  and  descend- 
ing climax ;  the  Prophet  beginning  with  the 
more  refined  form  of  image  worship,  ascends  to 
the  coarser  xliv.  8  sqq.,  and  xlv.  16,  and  closes 
again  with  the  more  refined  xlvi.  5-7.  Let  it  be 
noted,  too,  that  the  Exile  any  way  brought  about 
the  great  crisis  that  had  for  its  result  an  entire 
breaking  with  idolatry  on  Israel's  part.  Before 
the  Exile  they  were  Jews,  and  yet  at  the  same 
time  served  idols.  After  the  Exile,  all  that  was 
called  Jew  renounced  idolatry.  Whoever  still 
worshipped  idols  ceased  also  to  be  a  Jew  and  dis- 
appeared among  the  heathen.  Our  passage,  as 
all  others  of  like  contents  in  the  second  part  of 
Isaiah,  attacks  still  with  vigor  the  coarse  idolatry, 
such  as  it  was  in  the  time  of  Isaiah.  At  ths 
close  of  the  Exile  such  a  polemic  was  no  more 
in  place.  For  then  Israel  was  beyond  this  sin 
of  its  youth.  To  the  overcoming  of  it  the  word 
of  the  redoubtable  Prophet  no  doubt  mightily 
con  ributed. 

That  in  general  no  one  is  like  the  LORD  either 
in  heaven  or  in  earth,  either  among  the  gods  or 
among  the  rest  of  creatures,  is  the  constant 
teaching  of  the  CM  Testament,  on  the  ground  of 
Exod.  xv.  11;  Deut.  iii.  24  (comp.  Ps.  xxxv. 
10;  Ixxi.  19;  Ixxxvi.  8;  Ixxxix.  9;  Mic.  vii. 
18  and  CASPARI,  Micha  der  Morastite,  p.  16). 
But  from  this  doctrine  must  be  distinguished  the 
other,  of  course  closely  connected  with  it,  that 
one  can  and  must  make  no  visible  image  or  like- 
ness of  God,  because  with  that  is  given  the  more 
refined  form  of  idolatry,  that  worships  Jehovah 
Himself  under  an  image  (comp.  on  xlvi.  5). 
This  is  emphatically  enjoined  in  the  Decalogue 
(Exod.  xx.  4;  Deut.  v.  8),  and  in  Deut.  iv.  12 
sqq.,  the  reason  is  given,  that  on  Mount  Sinai, 
Israel  observed  nothing  corporeal  of  God  except 


the  voice.  The  Prophet  here  joins  on  to  these 
propositions  of  the  Law.  He  shows,  by  describ- 
ing the  genesis  of  such  idols,  how  senseless  it  is 
to  regard  images  of  men's  make  as  adequate  re- 
presentations of  the  divinity.  He  shows  how  all 
their  parts  are  brought  together  in  succession,  by 
human  labor,  just  as  any  other  product  of  in- 
dustry. How  disgraceful  is  the  origin  of  such  an 
idol  !  Men  are  its  creators.  The  exterior  is 
gold,  but  the  interior  vulgar  metal.  To  keep  it 
from  falling,  it  must  be  fastened  to  the  wall  with 
chains.  When  the  idol  is  of  wood,  especial  care 
must  be  taken  against  the  wood  rotting.  And 
still  how  often  it  does  rot  !  To  keep  the  idol 
from  falling  it  must  be  rightly  proportioned  and 
well  fastened.  Thus  a  god  concerning  which  ex- 
treme care  must  be  taken  to  keep  it  (inwardly) 
from  rotting,  and  (outworldly)  from  falling  down! 
J3pp  is  "  the  reduced,  impoverished."  For  j^D, 

related  to  |3^,  is  "  sedere,  desidere,"  pDQ,  there- 
fore, is  "  desidere  foetus,"  i.  e.,  one  that  from 
standing  is  made  to  sit,  thus  brought  down. 
Also  the  Arabic  meskin  =  one  brought  to  sit 
still,  i.  e.,  to  inactivity,  powerlessness  (comp. 
FLEISCHER  in  DELITZSCH,  in  loc.).  This  mean- 
ing appears  in  }30p  "  poor  "  (Prov.  iv.  13  ;  ix. 
15  sq.),  and  rilJ3pp  ''poverty"  (Deut.  viii.  9). 
HOnri  is  the  consecrated  gift,  the  voluntary  of- 
fering presented  for  the  service  of  the  sanctuary  ; 
frequent  in  the  Pentateuch  after  Gen.,  it  occurs 
only  here  in  Isaiah.  j'^H  is  erigere,  statuere,  sta- 
bilire;  see  List.  It  is  incomprehensible  how 
there  can  be  people  among  the  Israelites  to  give 
to  idols  the  honor  that  becomes  divinity.  Kightly 
the  Prophet  turns  to  such  with  the  inquiry  ;  are 
you  not  in  a  position  to  know  better?  This  ques- 
tion he  propounds  in  four  clauses.  When  a  man 
acquires  a  knowledge  of  anything,  there  must 
first  be  made  to  him  the  suitable  communication, 
and  he  must  corporeally  hear  it,  and  spiritually 
understand  it.  Hence  the  Prophet  asks  if  all 
this  has  not  occurred,  only  he  asks  in  a  reversed 
order.  The  spiritual  understanding  is  the  deci- 
sive and  chief  concern;  hence  he  puts  this  first, 
making  the  two  conditions  of  hearing  and  com- 
municating follow.  Notice  that  the  Imperfect  is 
used  for  the  subjective  transaction  of  hearing  and 
understanding,  while  for  the  objective  transac- 
tion of  communicating  the  Perfect  is  used.  In 
these  three  members  the  Prophet  has,  as  yet, 
named  no  object.  This  follows  in  the  fourth  with 
the  foundations  of  the  earth.  Here,  too, 
he  uses  the  Perfect,  because  he  no  longer  dis- 
tinguishes the  subjective  and  objective  transac- 
tions, but  would  only  learn  whether  the  know- 
ledge in  question  is  nn  actual  fact  or  not.  With 
GESENIUS,  STIER,  HAHN,  I  prefer  to  translate 
nnDlD  fundatio  rather  than  by  fundamentum,  for 
which  there  is  adequate  justification  grammati- 

B, nV?tfa, 


cally.  For  the  word,  like 
ru^Otyp,  etc.,  can  have  primarily  an  abstract 
meaning  (comp.  EWALD  $  160  b).  This  abstract 
meaning  better  suits  the  context,  for  it  concerns, 
not  the  make  up  of  the  foundations  themselves, 
but  the  way  in  which  they  originated  The  Pro- 
phet manifestly  refers  back  to  vers.  12,  13.  How 
the  foundations  of  the  earth  were  laid,  and  who 


430 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


laid  them,  respecting  this  we  have,  of  course,  re- 
ceived intelligence  (t9&O3)  from  the  beginning. 
It  is  that  which  has  been  transmitted  from  Adam 
on  down,  and  which  we  have  in  its  purest  form 
in  the  Mosaic  account  of  the  creation.  The  Pro- 
phet certainly  means  this  latter  information,  be- 
cause for  him  it  was  the  authentic  one,  divinely 
attested. 

[Respecting  the  different  tenses  of  the  verbs  in 
the  first  clause  of  ver.  21;  J.  A.  A.,  says:  "The 
most  satisfactory,  because  the  safest  and  most 
regular  construction,  is  the  strict  one  given  in  the 
LXX.  (ov  Ai'6J(re<7$£  ;  ova  aKoraeads ;)  revived 
by  LOWTH  (will  you  not  know  ?  will  you  not  hear) 
and  approved  by  EWALD.  The  clause  is  then 
an  expression  of  concern  or  indignation  at  their 
being  unwilling  to  know.  There  is  no  incon- 
sistency between  this  explanation  of  the  first  two 
questions  and  the  obvious  meaning  of  the  third, 
because  the  proof  of  their  unwillingness  to  hear 
and  know  was  the  fact  of  their  having  been  in- 
formed from  the  beginning."  The  argument,  he 
adds,  is  to  show  that  they  were  without  excuse, 
like  that  of  Paul  in  Rom.  i.  20 ;  comp.  Acts  xiv. 
17;  xvii.  24.— TR.]. 

In  vers.  22,  23  (which  are  without  a  predicate, 
see  Text,  and  Gram.),  the  Prophet  would  say: 
not  the  idols  (vers.  19,  20)  are  the  originators  of 
the  earth,  but  He  that  sits  above  the  circle  of  the 
earth,  spreads  out  the  heavens  and  abandons  the 
rulers  to  nothing.  3  JH  "  locust,"  is  chosen  here 
on  account  of  likeness  in  sound  to  ^H  ;  it  occurs 
again  only  Lev.  xi.  12;  Num.  xiii.  33;  2  Chr. 
vii.  13;  Eccl.  xii.  5.  p%  according  to  the  con- 
text "a  thin  fabric,  cloth"  (comp.  p^  ver.  15, 
"thin  dust")  see  List.  Ver.  24.  In  order  to 
make  still  more  impressive  the  nothingness  of 
men  of  might  as  compared  with  the  Almighty,  a 
series  of  drastic  images  is  used  to  paint  the  com- 
pleteness and  thoroughness  of  that  bringing  them 

to  nought  of  which  ver.  23  speaks.  '?  *]&  oc- 
curs only  here  ;  but  j'K  ^  occurs  xii.  26.  Both, 


in  the  repetition,  are  the  negative  *]«— ^K  (xlvi. 
11).  As  the  latter  =et-et,  so  the  former  =  neque- 
neque,  or  more  correctly  =  et  non — et  non.  For 
the  sense  is  :  both  their  planting  and  the  scatter- 
ing of  their  seed,  and  their  taking  root  is  not  yet 
completed,  when  He  has  already  blown  on  them, 
etc.  Or  more  plainly  :  they  are  hardly  planted, 
hardly  sown,  hardly  rooted,  but,  etc.  E^i£', 
" radices  agere"  only  here  and  Jer.  xii.  2 ;  the 
passage  in  Jer.  seems  to  rest  on  our  text  Like 
the  Simoon  of  the  desert  (comp.  ver.  7)  causes 
the  young  green  herb  to  wither  suddenly,  so  the 
Almighty  suddenly  withers  the  mighty  ones  and 
the  wind-storm  carries  them  off. 

To  the  first  inquiry  '' to  whom  will  ye  liken 
me"  (ver.  18)  the  Prophet  has  replied  by  refer- 
ring to  the  power  of  God  over  the  earth  and  its 
inhabitants  (vers.  21-24).  Now  he  asks  the 
j  question  again,  ver.  25,  and  replies  by  a  reference 
i  to  God's  power  over  the  heavenly  constellations 
ver.  26.  The  Prophet  uses  the  verb  mi?  in  a 
precisely  similar  connection  xlvi.  5.  He  has 
used  this  word  before  in  various  significations 
(see  List).  In  the  sense  of  "like,  adequate, 
fitting  "  it  occurs  chiefly  in  Job  (xxxiii.  27)  and 
in  Prov.  (iii.  15;  viii.  11;  xxvi.  4).  E^p, 
poetically  without  article,  occurs  only  here  as  ab- 

u 
breviation  of  the  Isaianic  ?« "EP  ^"V,  which  on 


its  part  rests  on  vi.  3,  which  see.  It  appears  to 
me  suitable  to  the  context  to  take  that  bringeth 
out  their  host,  etc.,  as  the  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion "  who  hath  created,"  etc.  For  it  is  verily  a 
very  fitting  demonstratio  ad  occulos  to  say  :  the 
same  who  day  by  day  calls  them  all  by  name  and 
without  one  of  them  failing,  even  He  made  them. 
He  that  can  do  the  one,  can  do  the  other.  He 
that  leads  out  "their  host"  (D$OV  comp.  xxiv. 
21  ;  xxxiv.  4)  according  to  their  number  by 
name,  that  is  just  the  LORD  of  hosts,  Jehovah 
Sabaoth.  The  expression  H3  j^EN  occurs  Job 


ix;.  4. 


comp.  xxxiv.  16. 


8.    TRUST  IN  JEHOVAH  THE  SUBJECTIVE  BASIS  OF  REDEMPTION. 

CHAPTER  XL.  27-31. 

27  Why  sayest  thou,  O  Jacob,  and  speakest,  O  Israel, 
My  way  is  hid  from  the  LORD, 

And  my  judgment  is  passed  over  from  my  God? 

28  Hast  thou  not  known  ?  hast  thou  not  heard, 
"•That  the  everlasting  God,  the  LORD, 

The  Creator  of  the  ends  of  the  earth, 

Fainteth  not,  neither  is  weary  ? 

There  is  no  searching  of  his  understanding. 

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 : 


CHAP.  XL    27-31. 


431 


31  But  they  that  wait  upon  the  LORD  shall  'renew  their  strength 
They  bshall  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles  ; 
They  "shall  run,  and  dnot  be  weary  ; 
And  they  shall  walk,  and  not  faint. 


1  Heb.  change. 

eternal  divinity  is  Jehovah  that  created.    He  does  not  tire,  etc. 
do  not  weary. 


feather  themselves  anew.         °  omit  shall. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  the  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words  :    Ver.  28. 

pn-njian.  Ver-  »•  *]]? 
n.  ve'r.  so.  amna—  Stzto.  ven 

iT   :  T  T    :   •  -    T 

si.  nip—  *nn. 

I  '-    T 

Ver.  27.  TDK  and  131  in  parallelism  as  here  does  not 

-    T  *'    ' 

again  occur  ;  but  xxix.  4  affords  an  analogy.    1!3J7  with 
>0  in  the  sense  of  "  to  depart  unobserved,  escape,"  oc- 
curs  only  here.    Yet  comp.  in  a  physical  sense  TDJ7 
with  7^D  Gen.  xviii  3. 
Ver.  23.  On  the  partic.  pro  verbo  fin.  compare  on  verse 


Ver.  30.  The  verb  in  the  first  clause  put  first  shows, 
as  DELITZSCH  well  rsmarks,  that  the  clause  is  to  be  con- 


GRAMMATICAL. 

strued  as  a  sort  of  adversative  clause,  that  is,  as  con- 
cessive: and  though  young  men  grow  weary.  The  se- 
cond clause  returns  from  this  potential  construction  to 
the  simple,  conformably  to  Hebrew  usage,  that  demands 
the  prompt  return  from  all  intensive  discourse  and  ver- 
bal forms  to  the  simple  chief  form. 

Ver.  31.  The  expression  "  *'p  occurs  again  only  Ps. 
xxxvii.  9.  In  our  text  it  is,  according  to  the  punctua- 
tion, to  be  spoken  Koje,  whereas  in  the  Psalms  it  is  to 
be  spoken  Kove  (comp.  DELITZSCH  on  our  text).  tlvH 
(comp.  n/H,  avrl,  Num.  xviii.  21;  filST/H  "  the  change 
of  (-lothing")  is  "to  change,"  and  is  used  partly  of 
changing  place  (transire,  viii.  8;  xxi.  1;  xxiv.  5),  partly 
of  change  of  condition  inpejus  (perire,  pass  away,  ii.  18) 
or  in  melius  (hence  revirescere,  ix.  9  ;  xli.  1). 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


"Why  sayest- 


-not  faint.— Vers.  27-31. 


One  sees  here  plainly  the  purpose  intended  by 
the  preceding  discussion  concerning  the  incom- 
parableness  of  God.  The  Prophet  sees  that  the 
long  chastisement  of  the  Exile  would  call  up 
doubts  in  the  spirits  of  the  Israelites.  Carried 
off  into  a  heathen  land,  they  will  suppose  that 
God's  eyes  do  not  penetrate  to  them,  and  that  the 
wrong  they  suffer  escapes  His  notice  (ver.  27). 
On  the  parallelism  of  Jacob  and  Israel  see  ix.  7, 
and  the  List.  This  parallelism  is  a  characteristic 
of  Isaianic  language,  for  it  occurs  in  no  other 
prophet  so  often.  It  is  manifest  that  it  is  the 
people  in  exile  that  speak.  Just  because  of  their 
remoteness  from  the  Holy  land,  the  territory  of 
Jehovah  (comp.  the  prophet  Jonah)  they  think 
their  way,  i.  e.,  the  course  of  their  life  is  hidden 
from  the  LORD,  and  their  right,  i.  e.,  the  wrong 
done  them  by  their  oppressors,  passes  unnoticed 
by  their  God.  This  doubt  of  little  faith  the  Pro- 
phet reproves  by  referring  to  the  infinitude  and 
incomparableness  of  God  set  forth  in  vers.  12-26. 
The  words,  ver.  28,  hast  thou  not  known,  etc., 
are  an  echo  of  ver.  21.  Jehovah  is  an  eternal 
God,  therefore  He  had  no  beginning  as  the  idols 
had,  which  before  the  workmen  made  them  (vers. 
19,  20)  were  not.  Jehovah  also  made  the  ends 
of  the  earth  ;  therefore  they  must  be  known  to 
Him,  and  wherever  Israel  may  dwell  in  exile,  it 
cannot  say  that  its  way  is  hidden  from  God  (ver. 
27).  Just  as  little  may  one  say  of  God,  who 
created  all  things,  that  it  is  too  great  a  labor  for 
Him,  or  that  His  power  is  not  adequate  to  help 
banished  Israel.  For  He  does  not  get  tired. 
Nor  can  it  be  said  that  He  wants  the  necessary 
penetration,  the  necessary  knowledge  of  the 
measures  to  be  adopted ;  for  His  discernment  is 
infinite,  unsearchable.  i!J13.n  occurs  Deut  xxxii. 
28,  and  often  in  Prov.  (ii.  2,  3,  6  ;  iii.  13,  etc.)  and 
in  Job  (xii.  12,  13;  xxvi.  12;  xxxii.  11).  Ver. 


29  :  Jehovah  is  so  far  from  exposure  to  inability 
to  do  more,  that  He  is  rather  the  one  who  out  of 
His  inexhaustible  treasure  gives  strength  to  all 
that  are  weary.  Ver.  30 :  Merely  natural  force 
does  not  hold  out  in  the  long  run.  Of  this  the 
youth  are  examples.  But  those  that  hope  in  the 
LORD  receive  new  strength,  etc.  Therefore  Je- 
hovah is  the  dispenser  of  power,  but  only  on  the 
condition  that  one  by  trust  makes  it  possible  for 
Him  to  bestow  His  treasures  of  grace.  They 
feather  themselves  afresh  as  eagles,  ver. 
31.  Since  the  LXX.  and  JEROME,  etc.,  very 
many  expositors,  influenced  by  "  they  renew 
their  strength,"  understand  these  words  of  the 
annual  moulting  of  eagles  ;  on  which  seems  to  be 
based  the  opinions  of  the  ancients  that  this  bird 
periodically  renewed  its  youth.  Comp.  Ps.  ciii.  5 
and  BOCHART,  Hieroz.  II.,  p.  745  sqq.,  ed.  Lips., 
who  enumerates  the  fabulous  representations  of 
the  ancients  on  this  point.  HITZIG  objects  to  this 

exposition  that   nVn    as  causative  of  T\?y  as 

"  TV:  IV  TT- 

used  v.  6,  does  not  occur  elsewhere,  and  that  it 
must  read  HYl'J  instead  of  "ON.  But  r6;»n, 

T  TV:  iv 

though  not  in  that  sense,  occurs  often  in  another 
much  more  nearly  related  to  our  passage.  For 
not  to  mention  where  it  is  used  of  putting  on 
sackcloth  (Amos  viii.  10)  and  of  coating  over 
with  gold  (1  Kings  x.  17),  it  also  stands  for 
covering  the  bones  with  flesh  and  skin  (Ezek. 
xxxvii.  6).  And  this  may  the  more  be  taken  as 
analogous  to  covering  the  naked  bird-body  with 
feathers,  seeing  that  the  foliage  of  trees  is  called 

"22  "  the  mounting  up,  growing  up  over  "  (comp. 
redeurt  jam  gramina  campis,  arboribusque  comae). 
Regarding  the  second  remark  of  HITZIG'S,  it  is 
true  that  one  might  rather  expect  Hi'lJ,  since  it 
appears  undoubted  from  Ezek.  xvii.  3,  7  that  "ON 


432 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


is  the  pinion,  D^J  the  feathers  in  general.  But 
our  passage  does  not  deal  in  zoological  exactness. 
Moreover  the  context  has  more  especially  to  do 
with  pinions  as  the  chief  organ  for  flying.  The 
second  clause  describes  the  intended  effect:  rapid, 
untiring  forward  effort.  The  first  clause  says 
what  makes  this  effect  possible  :  ever  new  power, 
ever  new,  eagle-like  rejuvenescence.  That  the 
rejuvenescence  of  the  eagle  extended  to  the  entire 
body  BOCHART,  I.  c.,  expressly  shows  to  have  been 
a  view  of  the  Hebrews  in  distinction  from  the 
Greeks.  For  he  says  in  reference  to  Mic.  i.  16: 
"Tarn  Graeci,  quam  Hebraei  calvitium  avibus  tri- 
buunt.  Ita,  ut  hoc  solo  differant,  quod,  cum  avium 
calvitium  juxta  Graccos  pertineat  ad  solum  caput,  id 
Hebraei  calritium  extendunt  ad  iotum  corpus."  Thus 
we  may  assume  that  the  Prophet,  whether  correct 
or  not  according  to  natural  history  is  immaterial, 
referred  the  renewal  to  the  pinions.  Now  as 
"  they  feather  themselves  afresh  "  says  figuratively 
the  same  that  "  they  shall  renew  their  strength  " 
says  literally,  we  need  not  wonder  that  the  second 
half  of  the  verse  does  not  carry  out  the  figure  and 
say:  they  shall  run,  etc.,  they  shall  fly,  etc.  The 
Prophet  emphasizes  the  promise  of  unwearied 
power  to  run  and  walk,  doubtless,  because  he  has 
in  mind  primarily  the  people  returning  from  the 
Exile  and  the  toilsome  journey  through  the 
desert.  Thus  the  conclusion  of  the  discourse 
corresponds  quite  exactly  to  the  conclusion  of  the 
Prologue  ver.  11. 

DOCTRINAL  AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  "Quia  hacc,  posterior  pars  (propheliarum  Jesa- 
jac)  prophetia  est  de  Christo  et  evangel io,  pertinet  ad 
nostra  quoque  tempora,  immo  est  proprie  nostra. 
Quare  nobis  commendatior  esse  debet."    LUTHER. 

2.  On  ver.  1.     "  Est    mandatum   ad   apostolos, 
quibus  novum  praedicationis  genus  mandatur.   Quasi 
dicat :  lex  praedicavit  hactenus  terrores,  vos  consola- 
mini,  mutate  doctrinam,  praedicate  gratiam,  miseri- 
cordiam  et  remissionem  peccatorum."  LUTHER. 

3.  On  ver.  2.  "  Non  auribus  tantum,  sed  cordi 
potius  concionandum  est,  hoc  nempe  sibi  vult  Jehova, 
dum  ait :    Dicite   ad   cor  Hierosolymae-     Et   hue 
quoque  pertinet   illud   tritum:    nisi   intus  sit,  qui 
praedicat,  frustra  doccntis  lingua  laborat."  FOER- 

STER. 

4.  On  ver.  3  sqq.  *'  John  the  Baptist  was  the 
first  of  those  messengers  and  heralds  of  our  re- 
demption of  whom  the  redemption  from  Babylon 
was  only  a  type.     But  the  latter  comprehends  all 
other  ministers  of  the  word  that  God  has  sent 
and  will  send  to  the  end  of  the  world  to  conduct 
wretched  souls  out  of  this  miserable  desert,  and 
out  of  the  prison  of  the  law  to  the  heavenly  city 
of  God.     The   way   is   prepared   for   the  LORD 
when  we  cast  away  the  great  stones  and  immove- 
able  idols,  viz.,  pride  and  trust  in  works,  and  ac- 
knowledge our  sin.     For  they  utterly  bar  the  en- 
trance of  grace."  HEIM  and  HOFFMANN. 

5.  On  ver.  3  sqq.   ''  When  we  attentively  ob- 
serve the   quiet,  yet   mighty  movement   of  the 
LORD  through  the  world's  history,  we  see  how 
before  His  going  the  vallies  elevate  themselves 
and  the  mountains  sink  down,  how  steep  declivi- 
ties become  a  plane,  and  cliffs  become  flats.     Let 
us  not  fear  to  pass  through  the  deserts  of  life  if 
God  be  with  us!     It  is  a  walk  along  lovely,  level 
paths."  UMBREIT. 


6.  On  ver.  3.  ["Applied  to  the   Messiah,   it 
means  that  God  was  about  to  come  to  His  people 
to  redeem^  them.     This  language  naturally  and 
obviously  implies,  that  He  whose  way  was  thus 
to  be   prepared   was  JEHOVAH,  the   true   God. 
That  John  the  Baptist  had  such  a  view  of  Him 
is  apparent  from  what  is  said  of  him.    John  i.  34, 
comp.  i.  15,  18 ;  iii.  31 ;  x.  30,  33,  36.     Though 
this  is  not  one  of  the  most  direct  and  certain 
proof-texts  of  the  divinity  of  the  Messiah,  yet  it  is 
one  which  may  be  applied  to  Him  when  that 
divinity   is    demonstrated    from   other    places." 
BARNES.] 

7.  On  ver.  8  6.    By  the  word  of  the  LORD  was 
the  world  made  (Gen.  i.  ;  John  i.  3 ;  Ps.  xxxiii. 
6),  and  He  upholds  all  things  by  the  word  of  His 
power  (Heb.  i.  3).     By  His   word,   too,   heaven 
and   earth    are   kept   for   the   day  of  judgment 
(2  Pet.  iii.  7).     For  heaven  and  earth  shall  pass 
away,    but   His  word    will    not  with    that    also 
pass  away  (Isa.  li.  6  ;  Ps.  cii.  27 ;  Matth.  v.  18  ; 
Luke  xxi.  33).     Rather  the  word  of  the  LORD 
will  not  return  empty  to  Him,  but  it  shall  ac- 
complish   that  which   He   pleases,  and   it  shall 
prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  He  sent  it  ( Isa.  Iv. 
11).     And  when  all  earthly  forms,  in  which  the 
word  of  the  LORD  invests  itself,  grow  old  and 
pass  away  like  a  garment,  still  the  eternal  truth 
concealed  in  these  forms  will  issue  forth  only  the 
more  glorious  from  their  demolished  shapes,  and 
all  that  have  lived  themselves  into  the  word  of 
God  and  have  trusted  in  Him  shall  rise  with 
Him  to  new  life. 

8.  On  ver.  8  b.  "  Verbum  Dei  nostri  manet  in 
acternum.     Jnsignis  sententia,  quam  omnibus  pariet- 
ibus  inscribi  bportuit.  .  .  .     Hie  imtitue  catalogum 
omnium   operum,  quae  sine  verbo    Dei  in  papatu 
fiunt:  ordo  monachorum,  missa,  cucullus,  satixfactio, 
peregrenationes,  indulgentiac,  etc.    Ron  sunt  rerbum 
Dei,  ergo  peribunt,  verbum  autem  Domini  et  omnes, 
qui  verbo  credunt,  manebunt  in  aeternum."  LUTHER. 

9.  On  vers.  10,  1 1.     What  a  huge  contrast  be- 
tween  these  two  verses!     In  ver.  10  we  see  the 
LORD  coming  as  the  almighty  Euler  and  stern 
Judge  ;  but  ver.  11  He  appears  as  the  true  Shep- 
herd that  carries  the  lambs  in  His  bosom,  and 
leads  softly   the  sheep  giving  suck.     Sinai  and 
Golgotha!'   The  tempest  that  rends  the   moun- 
tains and  cleaves  the  rock,  the  earthquake  and 
the  fire,   and  then  afterwards  the  quiet,  gentle 
murmuring   (1   Kings  xix.   11  sqq.)!     For  His 
deepest  being  is — love  (Luke  ix.  55  sq. ;  1  John 
iv.  8). 

10.  On  ver.  11.  "  Chrislus  oves  suas  redimit  pre- 
tiose,  pascit  laute,  ducit  sollicite,  collocat  secure." 
BERNHARD  OF  CLAIRVAUX. 

11.  On  ver.  16.      "Fancy   never  invented   a 
mightier    sacrifice.      Magnificent    Lebanon    the 
altar  in  the  boundless  temple  of  nature— all  its 
glorious  cedars  the  wood  for  the  fire— and  the 
beasts  of  its  forest  the  sacrifice."  UMBREIT. 

12.  On  ver.  16.     The  reading  of  this  place  in 
Church,  Christmas  A.  D.  814  moved  the  Emperor 
Leo  V.  the  Armenian  to  take  severe  measures 
against   the   friends    of   images.      The    passage 
moves     FOERSTER    to     propose     the    question 
whether  it  is  permitted  to  make  pictures  of  God 
and  to  possess  paintings  representing    divinity. 
He  distinguishes  in  respect  to  this  between  o'vaia 
and  k-ifyavEia  or  revelatio,  and  says,  no  one  can 


CHAP.  XL.  27-31. 


433 


picture  God  /car'  ovaiav,  but  KCLT*  enupdveiav,  i.  e. 
iis  in  rebus,  quibus  se  revelavit  one  can  and  may 
picture  Him.  This  reply  is  manifestly  unsatis- 
factory. For  it  is  not  about  res,  quibus  Deus  se 
revelavit  that  one  inquires.  That  one  may  picture 
things  by  which,  or  in  which  God  has  revealed 
Himself,  thus  certainly  created  things,  cannot  be 
contested  from  the  standpoint  of  Christian  con- 
sciousness. But  the  question  is :  is  it  allowable 
to  picture  the  person  of  <jrod,  or  more  exactly,  the 
person  of  God  the  Father  ?  For  it  has  long  been 
settled  that  it  is  allowable  to  picture  Christ  the 
man.  But  though  there  are  many  paintings  of 
God  the  Father,  still  it  is  no  wonder  that  not  only 
strict  Reformed,  but  that  earnest  Christians  of 
fine  feeling  generally  take  offence  at  them.  It 
seems  to  me  to  depend  on  whether  this  offence  is 
absolute  or  relative.  Is  it  not  allowable  to  repre- 
sent in  colors  what  the  prophet  Daniel  represented 
in  words  in  that  vision  of  the  four  beasts,  vii.  9 
sqq.  ?  May  one  not  paint  the  "  Ancient  of 
days "  ?  And  if  it  be  God  the  Father  that  ap- 
pears here  under  this  name,  which  is  certainly 
most  probable,  may  one  not  paint  Him  in  this 
form  that  He  gives  Himself  as  allowably  as  one 
may  paint  the  baptism  of  Christ  in  the  Jordan, 
and  with  that  paint  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  form 
of  a  dove?  But  who  is  able  to  do  that?  Who  is 
able  to  worthily  represent  the  Ancient  of  days  ? 
I  regard  that  as  the  most  difficult  task  of  art.  To 
him  that  can  do  it,  it  is  allowable  also.  He  that 
attempts  it  and  cannot  do  it  need  not  wonder  if 
men  take  offence  at  his  picture.  So  far  no  one 
has  been  able  to  do  it,  and  hardly  will  any  one 
ever  be  able.  Hence  the  best  thing  is  to  let  it 
alone. 

13.  On  ver.  26.  ["  It  is  proof  of  man's  elevated 
nature  that  he  can  thus  look  upward  and  trace  the 
evidences  of  the  power  and  wisdom  of  God  in  the 
heavens,  that  he  can  fix  his  attention  on  the 
works  of  God  in  distant  worlds.  This  thought 
was  most  beautifully  expressed  by  one  of  the 
ancient  poets : 

Pronaque  cum  spectent  animnlia  caetera  terram; 
Os  homini  sublime  dedit;  coelumque  tueri, 
Jussit  et  erectos  ad  sidera  toilers  vultus. 

OVID  Met.  Lib.  I.  84-86. 

In  the  Scriptures,  God  not  unfrequently  appeals 
to  the  starry  heavens  in  proof  of  His  existence 
and  perfections,  and  as  the  most  sublime  exhibi- 
tion of  His  greatness  and  power,  Ps.  xix.  1-6. 
And  it  may  be  remarked  that  this  argument  is 
one  that  increases  in  strength,  in  the  view  of  men, 
from  age  to  age,  just  in  proportion  to  the  advances 
which  are  made  in  the  science  of  astronomy.  It 
is  now  far  more  striking  than  it  was  in  the  times 
of  Isaiah."  BARITES.] 

HOMILETICAI,   HINTS. 

1.  On  vers.  1-5.  "Why  is  the  advent  of  Jesus 
on  earth  to-day  still  a  ground  of  comfort  and  joy  ? 

1)  By  Him  the  season  of  bondage  ends  (ver.  2) ; 

2)  the  curse  of  sin  is  removed  (vers.  2,  3) :  3)  the 
promised   new  creation   is  introduced  (ver.  4)  ; 
4)    the  mouth   of   the  LORD   has   revealed  the 
glory."    Advent  sermon  by  E.  BAUER,  in  Manch. 
O.  u.  Ein   G.     Jahrg.  III.  p.  35. 

2.  On  vers.  1-5.  "  The  precious  commission  of 
23 


God  to  the  ministers  of  the  word :  Comfort  ye, 
comfort  ye  My  people!  We  inquire:  1)  To 
whom,  according  to  God's  word,  shall  the  com- 
fort be  brought?  2)  What  sort  of  comfort  is  it 
that  according  to  God's  word  should  be  brought  ?" 
LUGER.  Cliristus  unser  Leben.  Gotting,  1870. 

3.  On  vers.  1-9.  "  What  preparation  does  God 
demand  of  us  that  we  may  become  partakers  of 
the  comfort  in  Christ?     1)  Prepare  the   way  of 
the  LORD.    2)  Learn  to  know  your  nothingness.'* 
HAENCHEN.     Manch.  O.  u.  Ein    G.  1868  p.  891. 
["  It  is  a  good  sign  that  mercy  is  preparing  for 
us  if  we  find  God's  grace  preparing  us  for  it. 
Ps.  x.  17.     To  prepare  the  way  of  the  LORD  we 
must  be   convinced.     1)    Of  the   vanity   of  the 
creature.     2)  Of  the  validity  of  the  promise  of 
God."  M.  HENRY.] 

4.  On  vers.  6-8.  "What  shall  I  preach  ?    I)  So 
I  asked  with   the  Prophet,  and  looked  into  the 
face  of  this  motley,  multi-formed  time.      2)  So 
again  I  asked,  and  looked  into  the  depths  of  my 
own  poor,  weak  soul.     3)  So  I  asked  once  more, 
and  looked  to  thee,  my  charge  that  the  Lo.rd  of 
the  Church  has  given  me  to  lead."  KLIEFOTU. 
Installation   sermon    at   Ludwigslust,   printed  in 
Zeugniss    der  Seele,  Parchiin  und  Ludwigslust, 
1845. 

5.  On  ver.   11.     ["God   is   the   Shepherd  of 
Israel  (Ps.  Ixxx.  1)  ;  Christ  is  the  good  Shepherd, 
John  x.  11.     1)  He  takes  care  of  all  His  flock. 

2)  He  takes  particular  care  of  those  that  most 
need  it:  of  lambs,  those  that  cannot  help  them- 
selves, young  children,  young  converts,  weak  be- 
lievers, sorrowful  spirits.     [1]    He   will  gather 
them  in  the  arms  of  His  power.     [2]  He  will 
carry  them  in  the  bosom  of  His  love  and  cherish 
them  there.      [3]    He  will  gently  lead  them. 
After  M.  HENRY.] 

6.  On  vers.  12-17.     To  what  the  contempla- 
tion of  the  sublimity  of  God  admonishes  us.     1) 
The  consideration  of  His  infinite  greatness  ad- 
monishes us  to  be  humble.   2)  The  consideration 
of  His  infinite  power  admonishes  us  to  trust  Him. 

3)  The  consideration  of  His  infinite  wisdom  ad- 
monishes us  to  be  obedient. 

7.  On  vers.  22-24.     When  might  takes  pre- 
cedence of  right  and  the  unrighteousness  of  the 
powerful  gets  the  upper  hand,  then  we  ought  1) 
To  consider  that  our  cause  is  no  other  than  that 
of  God;  2)  that  even  the  mightiest  are  before 
Him  only  like  locusts,  or  like  the  trees  that  the 
wind  sweeps  away ;   3)  wait  patiently   till   the 
hour  comes  for  the  LORD  to  show  His  power. 

8.  On  vers.  25-31.     "Jubilate/     1)    Holy   is 
the  LORD  our  God  in  His  ways  (ver.  25).     2) 
Almighty  is  the  LORD  our  God  in  His  works 
(vers.  26-28).     3)  Rich  is  the  LORD  our  God  in 
His  gifts  of  grace   (vers.   29-31)."   SCHEERER. 
Manch.  G.  u.  Ein  G.,  1868. 

9.  On  vers.  27-31.    [Reproof  of  dejection  and 
despondency  under  afflictions.     I.  The  ill  words 
of  despair  under  present  calamity  (ver.  27).     II. 
The  titles  God  gives  His  people  are  enough  to 
shame  them  out  of  their  distrusts.     O  Jacob — O 
Israel.     Let  them  consider  whence  they  took  these 
names,  and  why  they  bore  them.     III.  He  re- 
minds them  of  that  which,  if  duly  considered, 
was  sufficient  to  silence  all  their  fears  and  dis- 
trusts (ver.  28).     He   communicates  what  He  is 
Himself  to  others,  choosing  especially  the  weak 


434 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


for  the  display  of  this  heaven-imparted  strength 
(ver.  29).  Comp.  1  Cor.  i.  27-29.  V.  The  glo- 
rious effect :  strength  perfected  in  weakness, 
comp.  2  Cor.  xii.  9,  10;  and  enhanced  by  the 
failures  of  those  naturally  strong  (vers.  29-31). 
After  M.  HENRY.] 

10.  On  ver.  31.  [I.  ''Religion  is  often  ex- 
pressed in  the  Scriptures  by  "  waiting  on  Jeho- 
vah," t.  e.,  by  looking  to  Him  for  help,  expecting 
deliverance  through  His  aid,  putting  trust  in 
Him.  See  Pa,  xxv.  3,  5,  21 ;  xxvii.  14 ;  xxxvii. 


7,  9,  34  ;  Ixix.  3 ;  Isa.  viii.  17  ;  xxx.  18."  II. 
"  It  does  not  imply  inactivity  or  want  of  personal 
exertion."  III.  "  They  only  wait  on  Him  in  a 
proper  manner  who  expect  His  blessing  in  the 
common  modes  in  which  He  imparts  it  to  men — 
in  the  use  of  those  means  and  efforts  which  He 
has  appointed,  and  which  He  is  accustomed  to 
bless."  The  farmer  does  not  wait  for  God  to 
plow  and  sow  his  field ;  but  having  plowed  and 
sown  he  waits  for  the  blessing.  After  BARNES, 
in  loc.] 


IL— THE  SECOND  DISCOURSE. 

The  First  Appearance  of  the  Redeemer  from  the  East  and  of  the  Servant  of  Jeho- 
vah, and  also  the  First  and  Second  Conversion  of  the  Prophecy  relating  to  this 
into  a  Proof  of  the  Divinity  of  Jehovah. 

CHAPTER  XLI. 

1.  THE  FIRST  CHIEF  FIGURE:  THE  DELIVERER  CALLED  FROM  THE  EAST. 
THE  FIRST  APPLICATION  OF  THE  PROPHECY  AS  A  TEST  OF  DIVINITY. 

CHAPTER  XLI.  1-7. 

1  KEEP  silence  before  me,  O  islands ;  and  let  the  people  'renew  their  strength ; 
bLet  them  come  near ;  then  let  them  speak : 

cLet  us  come  near  together  to  judgment. 

2  Who  raised  up  'the  righteous  man  from  the  east, 
Called  him  to  his  foot, 

Gave  the  nations  before  him, 
And  made  him  rule  over  kings  ? 
dHe  gave  them  as  the  dust  to  his  sword, 
And  as  driven  stubble  to  his  bow, 

3  He  pursued  them,  and  passed  2safely; 

'Even,  by  the  way  that  he  had  not  gone  with  his  feet. 

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. 

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,  8Be  of  good  courage. 

7  So  the  gcarpenter  encouraged  the  4goldsmith, 

And  he  that  smootheth  with  the  hammer  6him  that  smote  the  anvil, 

"Saying,  it  is  ready  for  the  sodering : 

And  he  fastened  it  with  nails,  that  it  should  not  be  moved. 


Heb.  righteousness. 
Or,  founder. 


*  Heb.  in  peace. 
6  Or,  the  smiting. 


3  Heb.  Be  strong. 

8  Or,  Saying  of  the  soder,  It  is  good. 


shall  renew.  *  They  shall  come,  they  shall  speak. 

We  will  come.  a  His  sword  shall  make  them  as  dust,  his  bow,  etc. 

He  returns  not  the  way  on  his  foot-prints.  *  he  that  called.  t  the  smith. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :    Ver.  1. 

Erinn— :np.  ver.  2.  r;?n— mro.  ver.  3.  tp-v 

Ter.  4.  hpQ— I'll— pCttO— D'j'intjt.    Ver.  5.   TlH- 
Ver.  6.  "ny— in.    Ver.  7. 


Ver.  1.  We  have  a  pregnant  construction  in 
'Stf  comp.  Job  xiii.  13. 

Ver.  2.  The  perfect  V^n  'D  is  only  the  prophetic 
perfect,  representing  the  fact  of  awaking,  not  as  one  ac- 
tually past,  but  as  actually  certain,  t.  e.,  all  the  same  as 
happened.  It  indicates  thus  the  objective  reality,  but 


CHAP.  XLT.  1-7. 


435 


not  the  time,  as  indeed  generally  the  Hebrew  modi  ex- 
press primarily  not  the  time  but  the  modality  of  being. 
The  same  is  true  of  TIlTjjn  ver.  25. What  is  the  ob- 
ject of  TJ7T1  ?  Modern  expositors,  since  VITRINGA,  so 
far  as  [  see,  are  all  of  them  of  the  opinion  that  the  words 
I7jp7  IPIfcOp^  p"iy,  to  be  construed  as  a  relative 
clause,  are  the  object:  him  whom  right  (salvation,  vic- 
tory) meets  at  his  feet.  This  exposition  rests  on  the 
Masoretic  punctuation  But  this  does  not  give  an  ab- 
solute rule.  It  has  the  great  disadvantage  that  it  com- 
pels us  to  take  SOD"1  in  the  sense  of  !"Pp'  and  l7j~n, 
accordingly,  in  the  sense  of  "before  him,"  "ante  pedem 
ejus."  Now  the  first  would  present  no  difficulty,  since 
SOp  occurs  often  enough  in  the  sense  of  rpp-  But 
the  latter  is  very  serious  since  7  J1  f  in  all  other  places 
of  its  occurrence  means  "to  follow  on  the  feet  of."  In 
Gen.  xxx.  30  it  stands  directly  in  antithesis  with  'J37  : 
"  little  hadst  thou  before  me,  but  it  spreads  out  to  a  mul- 
titude behind  me"  (on  my  foot  '•IJ-O).  Deut.  xxxiii. 
3  ^jSjl?  1.3JH  is  "they  turned  after  thy  foot-print," 
(comp.  SCHRADER  tw.  foe.):  Compare  the  usage  in  1  Sam. 
xxv.  42 ;  Job  xviii.  11 ;  Hab.  iii.  5.  Only  in  these  pas- 
sages does  7jp  occur  with  *7  denoting  place.  Thus  the 
objection  to  taking  l7j"l  7  in  the  sense  of  "  obviam,  tow- 
ards," is  certainly  justified.  Then  we  must  take  fcOp 
and  I7j"l7  in  their  common  meaning,  "to  call,"  and 
"after  him."  Moreover  we  must  take  p"lY  as  object 
of  "VJjn  as  all  the  ancient  translations  and  many  later 
expositors  have  done.  The  LXX. :  TUT  e'frjyeipei'  a-rro 

a.vaTO\0>v  6iKaio<rvV7jv,  EKaAecrei'  auT>;v  KO.TO.  iroSas  aiiTOv : 
VCLO.  quis  suscitavit  ab  orients  justum,  vocavit  cum,  ut  se- 

queretur  se,  etc. The  expression  VJ31?    |JV  reminds 

one  of  Deut.  xxvlii.  7,  24,  25. If  we  take  TV  as  Hiph. 

of  riT^i  "  conculcare"  then  it  means  "  conculcare  faciet." 

TT  I 

Of  course  DO  70  is  object:  he  will  make  him  trample 

•  T    : 

down  kings."  But  it  might  be  taken  as  Kal.  (TV  in- 
stead of  TV  on  account  of  the  pause).  The  only  differ- 
ence in  sense  would  be :  "  he  will  himself  trample  down." 

'1J1     13J7D    |JT-    H-  seems  to  me  over-ingenious, 

when  DELITZSCII  construes  the  3  as  the  mere  intimation 
of  a  comparison  that  is  left  to  the  reader's  fancy  to  be 
completed.  All  depends  on  making  13"in  and  IHjyp 
subject.  That  it  does  not  read  Jjfln  because  3"in  and 
fltyp  are  feminine,  makes  not  the  least  difficulty.  For 
the  ideal  subject  is  "  he  "  that  holds  the  sword  and  bow. 
Comp.  xvii.  5  ;  li.  5.  RUECKERT,  KNOBEL  and  others  need- 
lessly supply  "!D:N  before  j;v.  After  jfV  one  may  sup- 
ply DJTl'X,  as  often  the  pronominal  object  is  omitted 

T 

(comp.  Gen.  ii.  19 ;  vi.  19  sqq.,  and  especially  1  Kings 
xxii.  6, 15,  where  also  the  object  is  omitted  after  h~U) : 
or,  still  more  simply,  one  may  regard  "\3j,O  and  U?pj 
as  the  immediate  object  of  jJV :  "  his  sword  shall  make 
like  dust,  his  bow  like  scattered  chaff,"  f.  e..  sword  and 
bow  when  set  to  work  will  produce  that  effect,  likeness 

to  dust  and  chaff. Note  the  assonance  in  TV  and 

D3TV,  tlTJ  and  D3TT,  t?p  and  intf  p. 

.....        '  """.  1       z          "    :    :  *          l~  :    l~ 

Ver.  3.  D1717  either  adjective  or  adverbial    accusa- 
tive.  1  believe  that  -OIT  and  X'lJ'  stand  in  antithe- 

f:\-    .  T 

Bis.  For,  as  is  well  known,  JO3  often  has  the  sense  of 
going  back  in  antithesis  to  verbs  meaning  "  to  go  thither, 


go  out."  Thus  Jty  and  &02  are  often  used  in  antithe- 
sis ;  comp.  Josh.  vi.  1 ;  1  Kings  iii.  7.  Hence  they  are 
used  of  the  rising  and  setting  of  the  sun  (Gen.  xix.  23; 
Isa.  xiii.  19,  and  Gen.  xv.  12,  17;  xviii.  11,  etc.).  Comp. 
xxxvii.  28;  Num.  xxvii.  17:  1  Sam.  xxix.  6;  1  Kings  xv. 
17  ;  2  Chron.  i.  10,  etc.).  But  &03  a'so  stands  in  antithe- 
sis to  other  verbs  in  this  sense;  thus  Ps.  cxxvi.  6. 
"  Forth  goes  the  bearer  of  the  seeding,  hither  comes  with 
rejoicing  the  bearer  of  his  sheaves."  Consider  in  addi- 
tion that  probably  vSjIS  corresponds  to  l7.n  7  ver.  2. 
For  '£)  S  J">3  is  to  the  question  "  where  ?"  the  same  that 
'3  7J"^S  is  to  the  question  "whither?"  Thus  to  go 
'3  ^7 JT3  very  often  means  "  to  go  on  the  track  of  one" 
(comp.  Exod.  xi.  8;  Judg.  iv.  10;  viii.  5;  1  Sam.  xxv. 
27;  2  Sam.  xv.  17,  etc.).  One  may,  indeed,  translate 
V7.3TJ  in  our  text:  "he  will  not  measure  backwards 
with  his  feet  the  way;"  for  in  itself  it  may  very  well 
mean  that  (comp.  Num.  xx.  19;  Deut.  ii.  28  ;  Judg.  iv. 
15, 17 ;  Prov.  xix.  2,  etc.).  But  every  one  feels  that  this 
sense  here  were  superfluous.  It  might  be  urged  in  re- 
ference to  taking  X13  in  the  sense  of  redire,  that  then, 
too,  V7J"^3  were  superfluous.  But  the  antithesis  of 
TJ^  and  X12  is  not  so  pregnant  as  that  of  fc<¥ *  and  K13, 
and  hence  the  Prophet's  Intended  meaning  of  this  word 
is  not  so  plainly  recognizable,  and  indeed,  so  far  as  I 
know,  no  one  has  recognized  it.  Thus,  to  give  a  hint 
to  the  reader  of  the  sense  he  would  convey  by  JOS',  the 
Prophet  adds  vSjTJ. 

Ver.  4.  When  Jt?n  stands  emphatically  for  God,  as  it 
does  here,  it  always  refers  backward,  either  to  an  un- 
named and  unnameable  something  in  the  preceding 
context,  yet  known  as  assumed,  that  involves  the  no- 
tion the  One-All  who  upholds  all  things  and  compre- 
hends everything.  So  it  seems  to  me  to  be  used  Deut. 
xxxii.  39;  Isa.  xliii.  10;  xlviii.  12.  In  such  a  case  X1H 
is  predicate.  Or  it  so  refers  back  to  that  great  Unnamed, 
that  is  known  to  be  taken  for  granted,  that  it  appears  as 
in  apposition  with  the  subject.  Then  it  =  talis.  wr\  is 
used  thus  of  men,  Jer.  xlix.  12,  and  after  '0  Isa.  1.  9,  etc. 
But  it  stands  for  God  in  this  sense,  2  Sam.  vii.  28  ;  Isa. 
xxxvii.  16 ;  Neh.  ix.  6,  7.  But  it  can  also  be  predicate  in 
this  way,  that  it  only  introduces  the  predicate  notion  as 
one  already  known.  Then  it  is  —  ilte,  is,  and  always 
has  a  participle  after  it  (ego  sum  Hie,  qui,  comp.  li.  9,  10, 

N^n-flX) :  xliii.  25 ;  li.  12. But  further  WH  appears 

also  to  be  the  simple  connecting  "  it,"  which  says  that 
the  preceding  statement  appertains  as  predicate  to  the 
subject  represented  by  n.HX  or  'JX:  xliii  13;  Jer.  xiv. 
22 ;  Ps.  xliv.  5.  But  finally  Kin  serves  the  purpose  of 
affirming  the  identity  of  the  predicate  clause  with  the 
predicate  of  a  preceding  clause  that  is  expressed  or  im- 
plied. Then  it  acquires  the  meaning  idem.  So  here  and 
Ps.cii.  28  (comp.  Job  iii.  19  ;  Heb.  xiii.  8).  In  our  passage 
fc^i"!  manifestly  affirms  that  Jehovah  is  with  those  that 
are  last  that  one  that  He  was  as  the  first,  i.  e.,  the  same. 

Ver.  5.  D^K  see  ver.l;  and  on  V~\#r\  nitfp  see  xl.  28. 

Ver.  7.  Drawing  the  accent  back  in  D71H  to  avoid  the 
collision  of  two  tone  syllables  is  normal,  but  the  change 
of 'I sere  to  Seghol  is  not  normal  (comp.  xlix.  7;  Ixvi.  3; 
Num.  xvii.  ii3;  xxiv.  2-2;  Ezek.  xxii.  2o).  The  latter  ia 
probably  occasioned  by  the  effort  to  better  imitate  the 
beat  of  the  hammer  strokes. D^3  in  the  sense  of 

"anvil "  only  here. One  need  not  construe  "VOfc  as  a 

participle.  It  may  stand  in  the  sense  of  a  finite  verb 
(comp.  ii.  6  ;  xxiv.  2;  xxix.  8;  xxxii.  12). p:n  adhao- 

sio,  agglutinatio  signifies  that  whereby  the  work  of  the 
H^Y  is  joined  to  that  of  the  C^n  ;  7  —  "in  reference 
to"  (v.  1 ;  Gen.  xx.  13,  etc.). 


436 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  God  has  a  twofold  object  in  view  :   1)  He  i 
would  announce  that  He  will  raise  up  for  His  | 
people  a  deliverer  from  the   East;    this  is  the1 
chief  contents  of  the  first  Ennead.     2)  By  this 
act  of  deliverance  He  would   demonstrate   His 
divinity  in  contrast  with  the  nothingness  of  idols. 
This  twofold  object  He  attains  by  summoning  the 
heathen  nations  to  a  trial  in  which  He  gives  the 
proofs  of  His  divinity  (vers.  1-5)  ;  but  they  on 
their  part  do  not  respond,  for  the  powerlessness 
of  their  idols  is  shown  by  a  brief  relerence  to  the 
manner  in  which  they  originate  (vers.  6,  7). 

2.  Keep   silence  --  judgment.  —  Ver.    1. 

With  reverential  silence  (comp.  on  V1  1UM')  must 
the  islands  (comp.  on  xl.  15)  come  to  the  LORD. 
For  that  He  is  the  speaker  appears  from  vers.  1, 
2,  and  especially  from  ver.  4.  The  expression 

FID  IB'vtVi  ''they  shall  renew  their  strength," 
stands  here  so  near  to  xl.  31,  that  we  must  regard 
it  as  a  link  that  binds  the  two  chapters  together. 
The  LORD  would  intimate  by  these  words  that  the 
task  the  nations  will  have  to  perform  before  the 
judgment,  is  a  difficult  one,  that  therefore  they  must 
"in  respect  to  strength  make  change,"  i.  e.,  renew 
strength,  put  on  new  strength.  ["As  if  He  had 
said:  they  that  hope  in  Jehovah  shall  renew  their 
strength  ;  but  those  that  refuse  renew  theirs  as 
they  can."  —  J.  A.  A.]  The  LORD  demands  po- 
liteness, reverence  from  the  nations  even  before 
the  controversy  is  decided,  so  certain  is  He  that 
He  will  gain  it.  They  must  not  come  on  with 


rude  noise,  but  modestly  and  then  speak. 
"to  judicial  trial,"  is  used  here  as  in  liv.  17; 
Num.  xxxv.  12;  Josh.  xx.  6;  Jud.  iv.  5;  2  Sam. 
xv.  2,  6.  If  Jehovah  is  Himself  a  party,  who  is 
then  the  judge?  To  this  question  ROSENMUEL- 
iiER  (with  whom  DELITZPCH  agrees)  well  replies: 
"  Vocantur  gentes  in  judicium  ad  tribunal  non  Dei 
sed  rationis." 

3.  "Who  raised  --  with  his  feet.  —  Vers. 
2,  3.  With  these  words  the  LORD  deposeth  be- 
fore the  judgment  a  proof  of  His  divinity.  It 
does  not  consist  merely  in  the  fact  that  the  deeds 
of  the  hero  announced  here  shall  give  their  right 
to  the  people  of  God,  i.  e.,  deliverance  from  the 
unrighteous  tyranny  of  the  heathen,  while  He 
will  destroy  the  latter;  but  above  all  it  consists 
in  the  fact  that  the  LORD  prophesies  the  appear- 
ance of  the  hero,  and  thus  stakes  His  honor  on 
the  fulfilment  of  it.  For  that  this  hero  brings 
deliverance  to  the  people  may  be  accident,  an 
effect  of  His  fancy,  of  arbitrariness,  of  a  ruler's 
caprice.  In  that  would  therefore  lie  no  strict 
proof  of  the  divinity  of  Jehovah.  But  if  Jeho- 
vah prophesies  the  appearance  and  doing  of  that 
hero,  and  it  happens  accordingly,  then  it  is  proved 
that  the  LORD  in  a  living,  omniscient,  and  al- 
mighty God.  One  may  not  object  that  "  what  is 
future  and  unfulfilled  would  be  without  present 
power  to  prove"  (DEL,ITZSCH\  For  the  text  has 
nothing  to  do  with  an  historical,  actual  disputa- 
tion with  heathen,  in  which,  of  course,  a  prophecy 
would  be  no  proof.  But  the  supposed  disputa- 
tion is  only  a  rhetorical  form  that  the  Prophet  uses 
in  order  to  make  the  Israelites  sensible  of  their 
folly  and  wrong,  who,  though  they  knew  the 


living  divinity  of  Jehovah,  and  that  idols  were 
without  life,  turned  to  the  latter  notwithstanding. 
This  meaning  appears  by  a  comparison  with  ver. 
21  sqq.  For  there  the  idols  are  very  expressly 
challenged  to  prophesy  future  events,  and  from 
their  powerlessness  to  do  so  is  inferred  their 
nothingness.  And  hence  it  appears  to  me  that 
the  verses  1-7  stand  first  as  theme.  The  redemp- 
tion, that  in  them  is  only  intimated,  is  more  par- 
ticularly described,  vers.  8-20,  while  vers.  21-29 
amplify  in  respect  to  the  way  in  which  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  deliverer  will  be  a  proof  for  Jeho- 
vah who  had  foretold  it,  and  against  the  idols  which 
were  unable  to  foretell  it.  Thus  I  do  not  believe 
that  the  argumentation  of  the  Prophet  presupposes 
the  victorious  career  of  Cyrus  as  begun,  either«in 
an  ideal  or  in  a  real  sense.  It  is  wholly  a  thing 
of  the  future,  and  must  be  so  contemplated.  For 
how  otherwise  could  the  Prophet  prophesy  it? 

It  is  plain  that  Cyrus  is  the  hero  referred  to, 
and  not  Abraham,  or  Christ,  or  even  the  Apostle 
Paul,  as,  until  VITRINGA,  was  the  opinion  of  the 
ancient  expositors.  The  way  for  naming  this 
name,  which  is  produced  at  last  in  xliv.  28,  is 
prepared  with  much  art.  The  hints  of  its  com- 
ing may  be  compared  to  the  gleams  of  light  that, 
beginning  feebly,  and  increasing  in  strength  and 
extent,  precede  the  sunrise.  The  first  hint  is 
that  the  East  is  to  be  the  point  whence  the  grand 
appearance  shall  issue.  Persia  in  fact  lies  east 
of  Babylonia.  It  accords  also  with  the  purpose 
of  beginning  small  that  the  Prophet  does  not 
once  name  a  definite,  personal  object  of  ^yr\. 
We  must  take  p"li"  as  that  object  (see  Text,  and 
Gram.)  Regarding  the  meaning  of  P"l¥,  I  would 
repeat  the  remark  already  made,  that  the  Old 
Testament  righteousness  is  not  the  antithesis  of 
grace,  but  of  violent  oppression,  and  hence  that 
a  p^¥,  "  righteous  man,"  is  one  who,  though  he 
has  the  power  to  the  contrary,  still  lets  right 
reign,  and  thereby  both  uses  gentleness  and  dis- 
penses happiness,  salvation,  and  blessing  [see 
comm.  on  i.  21,  26,  TR.].  Israel  in  exile  was  op- 
pressed by  its  enemies,  and  though  in  respect  to 
Jehovah  this  was  a  deserved  punishment,  still 
their  enemies  had,  ex  propriis,  aggravated  it,  and 
thereby  done  a  wrong  to  Israel  (comp.  x.  5  sqq.). 
If  now  the  hero  from  the  East  acts  justly  toward 
Israel,  he  shows  himself  to  be  a  mild  lord,  and 
helps  Israel  to  its  rights  against  the  oppression 
of  the  heathen,  and  thereby  to  happiness  and  sal- 
vation. Hence  I  believe  that  all  these  meanings 
are  implied  in  pTO.  But  they  can  only  become 
operative  through  a  person,  a  p'"TC,  "  righteous 
man."  To  this  latent  notion  in  pi* ,  of  a  right- 
eous man,  the  following  suffixes  [pronouns]  must 
be  referred.  It  suits  the  purpose  of  the  Prophet 
already  noticed,  to  let  the  person  of  the  deliverer 
appear  by  degrees  and  unfold  itself.  One  may 
say  that  his  personality  develops  itself  here,  as  it 
were,  out  of  an  impersonal  germ.  This  one 
awakened  to  do  righteousness  the  LORD  calls  after 
Him  (comp.  xlii.  6,  which  passage  the  Masorets 
perhaps  had  in  mind  when  they  connected  p"W 
with  injOD'),  i.  e-,  he  leads  him  further  and  fur- 


CHAP.  XLI.  1-7. 


437 


ther  [VWi?,  see  Text,  and  Gramm.~\.  Is  there 
thus  in  '~\i  irifcOp1  a  formal  definition  of  "V#n, 
so  in  fIV  there  is  a  definition  as  to  matter.  The 
words  last  named  say  what  the  hero,  by  extend- 
ing his  power,  will  do.  All  these  clauses  stand 
under  the  influence  of  the  interrogative  '0-  Na- 
tions are  properly  not  things  that  one  gives  away, 
and  kings  rule  and  are  not  themselves  ruled.  But 
here  is  an  exception.  Jehovah  gives  to  this  hero 
nations  to  do  as  he  pleases  with  them,  and  sub- 
jects kings  to  him  so  that  they  must  serve  him. 
His  sword  made  them  as  dust,  etc.,  describes 
the  degree  to  which  they  are  given  to  him  which 
was  before  said  in  {JV  and  "P\  His  sword  and 
bow,  once  set  to  work,  will  do  such  work  that  the 
result  will  be  the  likeness  of  dust  and  chaff  (see 
Text,  and  Gram.)  On  Wp_  see  on  xl.  24;  ^J. 
comp.  xix.  7.  But  not  merely  a  battie  in  one 
place  shall  occur,  but  also  pursuit  of  the  fugitives. 
He,  the  conquering  hero,  shall  go  on  well-pre- 
served (DV7$),  and  always  forwards,  never  back- 
wards (see  Text,  and  Gram,  on  V  ;J13  rnx,  etc.). 
He  will  not  go  back  in  his  own  foot-prints  (il  ne 
reviendra  pas  sur  ses  pas).  [J.  A.  A.  agrees  with 
E  \VALD,  ''  the  clause  describes  the  swiftness  of  his 
motions,  as  flying  rather  than  walking  on  foot," 
and  cites  in  support  Dan.  viii.  5. — TR.]. 

4.   Who  hath  wrought and   came.— 

Vers.  4,  5.  The  LORD  has  announced  a  majestic 
appearance  of  world-wide  significance.  Buf, 
though  it  is  something  still  future,  He  has  let  it 
appear  as  an  image  of  the  past  before  the  eyes  of 
those  that  were  summoned.  Hence,  as  ver.  2  He 
asked:  "who  has  awakened?"  so  He  now  asks, 
using  the  past  tense,  who  has  prepared  and  made 
this?  Of  course  the  same  that  foreknew  and  pre- 
dicted it,  and  who  could  do  this  because  He  is  the 
One  who  from  the  beginning  called  the  generations 
of  men  into  existence,  and  hence  can  say  of  Him- 
self: I  Jehovah  the  first  and  I  am  still  with  the 
last  (see  Text,  and  Gram.).  The  LORD  summoned 
the  heathen  to  a  controversy  (ver.  1).  He  has 
laid  down  the  proof  of  His  divinity  (vers.  2-4). 
Now  it  is  the  turn  of  the  heathen  to  produce  a  si- 
milar performance  on  the  part  of  their  idols.  No- 
tice that  the  Prophet  opposes  the  heathen  nations 
to  God,  and  not  their  idols.  This  is  quite  natural. 
For  the  idols  have  no  actual  existence.  Hence 
it  comes  that  the  heathen  must  defend  the  cause 
of  their  idols;  whereas  Israel's  God  defends  the 
cause  of  His  people.  Therefore,  obedient  to  the 
summons  of  ver.  1,  the  heathen  nations  approach. 
They  see  the  proof  that  the  LORD  has  presented 
in  His  own  favor,  and  with  dismay,  for  they  know 
at  once  that  they  cannot  match  the  performance 
with  any  thing  similar.  And  so  they  approach 
trembling,  as  it  were,  to  look  at  this  trial -sample 
of  Jehovah's  on  all  sides.  That  they  would  have 


said  something  is  not  declared.     Speechless  they 
keep  silence  before  the  majesty  of  the  LORD. 

5.  They  helped  -  be  moved.—  Vers.  6,  7. 
It  is  too  incredible  that  the  heathen,  seized  with 
fear,  and  in  order  to  find  help  against  tiie  threat- 
ening appearance  of  the  predicted  hero,  turn  in 
haste  to  the  fabrication  of  idol  images  (DELITZ.), 
or  that  they  nailed  fast  those  threatened  by  Cyrus 
(HiTZiG).  No,  these  verses  would  show,  by  the 
manner  in  which  idols  originate,  that  they  cannot 
possibly  triumph  in  the  controversy  to  which  they 
are  challenged  (ver.  1).  How  can  such  productions 
of  men's  hands  maintain  themselves  against  Him. 
who  can  speak  of  Himself  as  in  ver.  4?  I  accord- 
ingly connect  ver.  6  with  what  follows,  and  not 
with  what  precedes.  For  ver.  5  evidently  corre- 
sponds to  ver.  1.  For  there  the  nations  are  re- 
quired to  approach  reverently  and  in  silence  ;  for 
this  very  reason  they  are  unable  to  respond  to  the 
''  they  shall  speak"  (ver.  1)  :  there  the  nations  are 
called  on  to  get  strength,  and  ver.  5  we  see  them 
draw  near,  afraid  and  trembling;  "they  drew 
near"  and  "  came  "  of  ver.  5  corresponds  to  "  they 
shall  approach,"  "we  will  draw  near"  (H3"ipJ 
H?r  )  of  ver.  1.  With  this  the  cyle  of  thought  be- 
ginning with  ver.  1  is  concluded.  Thus  ver.  5 
looks  backwards;  ver.  6  forwards.  The  latter 
says  in  general  the  same  that  ver.  7  a  says  in  re- 
ference to  particular  relations.  Both  verses  have 
for  their  chief  idea  that  idol-making  is  a  fatiguing 
labor,  costing  not  only  much  money  (xl.  19),  but 
also  much  sweat,  in  which  one  must  encourage  and 
aid  the  other  in  order  to  get  it  done.  What  a 
shameful  difference  then  between  idols  and  Je- 
hovah. 


The  Enn,  "smith,"  prepares  the  body  of  the 
image;  the  *]"??,  "founder,"  makes  ready  the  co- 
vering. The  former  strengthens  the  latter  by 
good  preparatory  work  and  cheering  words.  "  The 
smoother  with  the  hammer"  seems  to  me  to  be 
identical  with  the  cp¥,  for  the  metal  would  surely 
be  smoothed  by  him  who  moulded  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Q£2  E7in,  <<tne  smiter  on  the 
anvil,"  is  identical  with  the  KHn  ;  for  he  that 
works  at  the  anvil  makes  the  iron  body,  makes 
the  nails,  and  fastens  the  image  with  them.  ''  The 
smoother  with  the  hammer"  is  the  subject  of 
^P*<,  for  he  has  made  the  soldering,  and  by  the 
call  ''it  is  good"  he  cheers  ''the  smith  "  to  con- 
tinue and  complete  the  work  that  consists  in  fast- 
ening the  image  with  nails  to  the  place  where  it 
is  to  be  set  up.  "  It  is  good,"  comp.  Exod.  ii.  2  ; 
Gen.  i.  4,  8,  etc.  D'^ppD,  "  clavi,"  only  here  in 
Isaiah.  Comp.  Jer.  x.  3-5,  which  passage  is  evi- 
dently copied  after  ours  and  xl.  19  sq.;  xliv.  9- 
17;  xlvi.  Gsq-DlD'^Scomp.  xl.  20. 


438 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


2.  THE  SECOND  CHIEF  FIGUKE:  THE  SERVANT  OF  JEHOVAH  ISRAEL  CHOSEN 
IN  ABRAHAM  AND  CALLED  IN  GLORIOUS  VICTORY. 

CHAPTER  XL1.  8-13. 

8  BUT  thou,  Israel,  '"art  my  servant, 
Jacob  whom  I  have  chosen, 

The  seed  of  Abraham  my  friend. 

9  Thou  whom  I  have  btaken  from  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
And  called  thee  from  the  °chief  men  thereof, 

And  said  unto  thee,  Thou  art  my  servant ; 
I  have  chosen  thee,  and  not  cast  thee  away 

10  Fear  thou  not ;  for  I  am  with  thee : 
dBe  not  dismayed ;  for  I  am  thy  God  : 

I  "will  strengthen  thee ;  yea,  I  fwill  help  thee ; 

Yea,  I  fwill  uphold  thee  with  the  right  hand  of  my  righteousness. 

11  Behold,  all  they  that  were  incensed  against  thee 
Shall  be  ashamed  and  confounded  • 

sThey  shall  be  as  nothing; 

And  athey  that  strive  with  thee  shall  perish. 

12  Thou  shalt  seek  them,  and  shalt  not  find  them, 
Even  2them  that  contended  with  thee: 

They  that  war  against  thee 

Shall  be  as  nothing,  and  as  a  thing  of  nought. 

13  For  I  the  LORD  thy  God  will  hold  thy  right  hand, 
Saying  unto  thee,  Fear  not;  I  will  help  thee. 


3  Heb.  the  men  of  thy  war. 


1  Heb.  the  men  of  thy  strife.  a  Heb.  the  men  of  thy  contention 

•  omit  art.  i>  seized.  °  their  borders. 
d  Look  not  around.                                     •  have  made  thee  (t.  e    thine  election)  sure.    *  omit  will. 

*  They  shall  be  as  nothing  and  destroyed  thy  adversaries. 

TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :  Ver.  8. 
"1H3— DHN.  Ver.  9.  Vi'N.  Ver.  10.  T\V &— VOX.  Ver. 
11.  ths.  Ver.  12.  D3X.  T 

Ver.  9.  On  V")Xn  hl¥p  see  xl.  28. 

Ver.  If*.  J?j"\tj?.n,  Hithp.  from  HJ.'C'  stands  here  in  the 
sense  of  "  to  look  anxiously  about." "VH/K  'JN  *D 


occura  only  here;  see  ver.  13  and  li.  15.' 
ver.  6. 

EXEGETICAL  AND   CRITICAL. 


Ver.  11.  D^inj  again  only  xlv.  24. 3"^  ^JN  on'y 

herein  Isaiah;  comp.  Judg.  xii.  2;  Job  xxxi.  35;  Jer. 
xv.  10. 

Ver.  12.  riiyO  jurgium,  air.  Aey. ;  comp.  Iviii.  4,  and 

nyj  rixari,  xxxvii.  26 TfTQ  't^JK  only  here  in  Isa. 

comp.  xlii.  13;  Jer.  1.  30;  Ezek.  xxvii.  10. 

Ver.  13.  •]J'la'1  DTnD  only  here  ;  comp.  xlv.  1 ;  li.  18. 


1.  But  thou  Israel away. — Vers.  8,  9. 

In  the  preceding  section  (vers.  1-7)  the  Pro- 
phet has  introduced  the  principal  figure  of  the 
prophetic  cycle,  chaps,  xl.-xlviii.  With  this  is 
immediately  connected  another:  the  SERVANT 
OF  JEHOVAH  in  a  national  sense. 

But  thou  Israel  is  evidently  contrasted  with 
"  islands  and  people,"  ver.  1.  The  Prophet  turns 
to  Israel  with  well-founded  and  glorious  consola- 
tion. The  LORD  calls  His  people  Israel  my 
servant.  We  encounter  here  for  the  first  time 
this  significant  notion  of  the  niiT  "13.J/.  Yet  not 
the  subjective,  but  the  objective  side  of  the  notion 
is  made  prominent.  The  nation  is  not  so  named 
because  it  has  chosen  the  LORD  for  its  God  out 
of  the  great  mass  of  gods  that,  according  to 
heathen  ideas,  are  in  existence,  therefore  not  be- 


cause "  Jehovah  was  its  national  god  in  contrast 
with  other  nations,  the  servants  of  Baal,  Moloch," 
etc.  (HixziG).  On  the  contrary,  they  are  so  named 
because  the  LORD  has  chosen  Israel  for  His  pos- 
session, His  instrument,  His  servant.  For  a  ser- 
vant is  the  property  of  his  lord,  and  Israel  is  the 
''peculiar  people"  (Exod.  xix.  5;  Deut.  vii.  6; 
xiv.  2;  Ps.  cxxxv.  4;  Mai.  iii.  17).  But  Israel 
is  chosen  in  its  ancestor  Abraham,  whom,  already, 
the  LORD  calls  "  my  servant "  Gen.  xxvi.  24, 
which  passage  easily  comes  to  mind,  since  ver.  10 
is  evidently  a  citation  from  it.  Thus  Abraham 
was  not  only  chosen  for  his  person,  though  what 
he  was  personally  by  God's  grace,  fitted  him  to  be 
for  all  times  a  pattern  of  the  right  sort  of  "  servant 
of  Jehovah,"  even  in  subjective  respects.  Hence 
he  is  called  My  friend.  For  love  is  the  ful- 


CHAP.  XLI.  8-13. 


439 


filling  of  the  law,  and  involves  faith  (Gen.  xv.  6  ; 
Deut.  vi.  5).  In  2  Chr.  xxii.  7  Abraham  has  the 
same  title;  also  in  Jas.  ii.  23.  In  Arabic  his 
regular  surname  is  Chalil- Allah,  i.  e.,  "  confidant 
of  God."  Abraham  was  chosen  that  by  his  seed 
all  the  nations  of  the  earth  might  be  blessed.  And 
after  Isaac  and  Jacob,  this  seed  was  to  be  the 
"great  nation1'  that  the  LORD  would  make  of 
Abraham  (Gen.  xii.  2),  and  to  which  He  would 
give  the  land  of  his  pilgrimage  (ibid.  ver.  7 ; 
xiii.  15;  xv.  18,  etc.).  Accordingly  Israel  is  the 
servant  of  Jehovah  primarily  as  the  seed  of 
Abraham.  This  is  purely  an  objective  honor 
and  dignity,  belonging  to  the  nation  by  reason  of 
the  election  of  their  ancestor,  but  of  which,  of 
course,  it  must  make  itself  worthy  by  worshipping 
Jehovah  alone  as  its  God,  and  serving  Him  with 
its  entire  being  and  possessions.  On  the  paral- 
lelism of  Israel  and  Jacob  see  xl.  27. 

With  great  emphasis  the  Prophet  repeats  in 
various  forms  the  thought  that  Israel  is  Jehovah's 
chosen  servant.  Whom  I  have  taken,  [or 
"grasped"]  T\pinn  (see  vers.  6,  7)  expresses 
that  the  LORD  stretched  out  His  hand  after  Israel 
to  seize  it  (comp.  ver.  13  ;  xlii.  6  ;  xlv.  1  ;  li.  18) 
and  bring  it  to  Him ;  thus  that  He  alone  was 
active  in  this,  while  Israel  was  passive.  By  the 
ends  of  the  earth  the  Prophet,  whose  view- 
point is  Palestine,  means  the  distant  lands  of  the 
Euphrates.  Concerning  the  situation  of  Ur 
Kasdim  see  SCHRADER,  D.  Keilinschr.  u.  d-  A.  T. 
p.  383.  The  monuments  prove  that  the  present 
ruin  of  Mugheir  (on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Euphrates  south  -  east  from  Babylon)  was  Ur. 

VtfX  is  probably  related  both  to  rtfX  Exod.  xxiv. 
11,  nobilis,  princeps — properly  the  extremest,  ex- 
tremus,  thus  in  some  senae,  also  summus,  comp. 
pKH  'H3T,  and  also  to  TtfK  lotus,  juxta.  It 
occurs  only  here.  Yet  twice  again,  ver.  9,  it  is 
affirmed  that  in  choosing  Israel  Jehovah  alone 
was  active.  Once  by  I  have  called  thee,  and 
then  by  I  have  chosen  thee.  Finally  the 
thought  is  confirmed  by  the  negative  expression 
I  have  not  cast  thee  away.  Evidently  un- 
derlying this  last  is  the  thought  that  the  LORD 
might  indeed  have  rejected  Israel,  in  fact  that  He 
was  near  doing  it  (comp.  Deut.  vii.  7  sq.),  but 
that  He  did  not  do  it.  Therefore,  spite  of  con- 
siderations that  existed,  He  has  still  on  reflection 
and  on  purpose  chosen  Israel. 


2.   Fear  thou   not 1  will   help   thee. 

— Vers.  10-13.  Having  set  forth  the  election  of 
Israel  in  Abraham  as  emphatically  the  basis  of 
the  relation  between  Himself  and  His  people, 
the  LORD  now  infers  the  consequences.  These 
are  positive  and  negative :  Israel  need  not  fear, 
the  LORD  helps  them ;  their  enemies  must  be  de- 
stroyed. The  words  fear  not  for  I  am  with 
thee  are  quoted  from  Gen.  xxvi.  24  with  only 
T3J?  for  '"JflK.  On  "fear  not"  comp.  xl.  9. 
The  context  shows  that  T\¥DK  is  used  here  as  in 
xliv.  14 ;  Ps.  Ixxx.  18  with  the  meaning  "  to 
make  firm,  sure,  viz.,  the  choice  of  one  object  out 
of  several."  The  idea  is  not  an  invigoration  im- 
parted to  Israel,  but  the  election  made  sure  (comp. 
2  Pet.  i.  10,  fcfiaiav  irotetadai  rfjv  kK^oyrjv) .  }OH 

is  also  used  in  a  similar  sense.  Comp.  xlii.  1  and 
Matth.  xii.  18,  where  "]DH  is  rendered  alpeTi&iv, 
The  expression  "pIV  J'D'  occurs  only  here.  It 
can  only  mean  the  right  hand  that  does  right  in 
the  Old  Testament  sense,  on  which  comp.  ver.  2. 
The  relation  of  the  three  verbs  of  the  second 
clause  of  ver.  10  seems  to  me  to  be  the  following  : 
yOX  signifies  the  sure  election,  from  which  fol- 
lows, on  the  one  hand,  the  helping,  on  the  other, 
the  not  letting  go  again.  The  correlative  of 
this  promise  is  the  threat  (ver.  11)  of  destruc- 
tion to  their  enemies.  This  thought  is  presented 
in  various  forms  in  what  follows  (vers.  11,  12). 
Ver.  11  a  it  appears  as  a  theme,  and  vers.  11  6-12  b 
give  it  a  three-fold  amplification :  first  the  oppo- 
nents are  called  TT  "tyjN  (contestants,  opponents 
in  general),  and  it  is  said  "  they  shall  be  nothing 
and  shall  perish;"  then  they" are  called  'BUK 
mVD  (rixatores,  objurgatores)  that  one  shall  seek 

and  not  find ;  finally  they  are  called  HOD^D  'K 
(enemies  in  war,  hostes),  and  it  n  said  of  them 
that,  not  only  they  are  not  to  be  found,  but  that 
they  shall  absolutely  no  more  exist.  In  conclu- 
sion, ver.  13,  the  protecting  and  helping  presence 
already  promised  ver.  10  is  repeated  to  the  na- 
tion as  the  ground  of  its  expecting  victory.  That 
ver.  13  has  the  character  of  a  confirmatory  repeti- 
tion appears  from  '1J1  "IDNT1.  For  "lONn  expressly 
refers  to  the  comforting  words  "  fear  not,"  "  I 
have  helped  thee,"  as  having  been  used  by  the 
LORD  (ver.  10). 


3.  THE  SERVANT  OF  GOD,  WEAK  AND  LOWLY,  YET  IN  GOD  THE  STRONG 
PEOPLE  OF  ISRAEL,  RICHLY  BLESSED  WITH  SALVATION  AND  DIVINE 
KNOWLEDGE. 

CHAPTER  XLI.  14-20. 

14  FEAR  not,  thou  worm  Jacob,  and  ye  'men  of  Israel ; 
I  "will  help  thee,  saith  the  LORD, 

And  thy  redeemer,  bthe  Holy  One  of  Israel. 

15  Behold,  I  will  make  thee  a  new  sharp  threshing  instrument 
Having  3teeth : 

Thou  shalt  thresh  the  mountains,  and  beat  them  small, 
And  shalt  make  the  hills  as  chaff. 


440 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


16  Thou  slialt  °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  d  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. 

18  I  will  open  rivers  in  'high  places, 

And  fountains  in  the  midst  of  the  valleys: 
I  will  make  the  wilderness  a  pool  of  water, 
And  the  dry  land  springs  of  water. 

19  I  will  plant  in  the  wilderness  the  cedar,  the  gshittah  tree, 
And  the  myrtle  and  hthe  oil  tree  ; 

I  will  set  in  the  desert  the  'fir  tree, 

And  the  jpine,  and  the  kbox  tree  together: 

20  That  they  may  see,  and  know, 

And  consider,  and  understand  together, 
That  the  hand  of  the  LORD  hath  done  this, 
And  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  hath  created  it. 


1  Or,  few  men. 

•  omit  will. 
i  acacia. 


b  supply  is. 
h  wild  olive. 


2  Heb.  mouths. 

'  scatter. 
1  cypress. 


*  omit  When, 
i  plane-tree. 


•  seeking.  l  bare  hiiU. 

k  sherbin- cedar. 


TEXTUAL   AND 
See  the  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words  :  Ver.  14. 

r\#Vin— o'ro— "  t^o— SK^-Sirttr1  tfnp.  ver.  ie. 

mi— mrO— S1?!!.   Ver.  18.TDJ«-X^D.  Ver.  19.  pN 

TT  TT  :  -  T  --:  T 

— r\£3t^— Din— EMia.  ver.  20.  7Dty— joa. 

T     •  :  -  T  T  T 

Ver.  14.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  the  LOBD  addresses  Is- 
rael as  a  weak  woman,  vers.  14, 15  a  in  the  second  pers. 
fern. ;  whereas  vers.  15  6, 1C,  the  one  dashing  down  the 
enemies  is  right  away  addressed  in  the  masculine  as  a 
man.  [This  seems  over-refinement.  The  fern,  form  of 
the  verb  and  suffixes  are  prompted  by  the  principal 
noun  j"iy /in ;  in  the  masculine  forms  following,  the  idea 
of  the  person  addressed  is  resumed,  according  to  com- 
mon usage. — TE.]. 

Ver.  17.  D'JV2i<m  D^jyn  put  first  shows  that  they 
are  to  be  regarded  as  casus  absoluti.  It  is  still  uncertain 
whether  n.Ht-'J  ia  derived  from  HEO,  1^3  or  from 

T  ITT  T    T  ~    T 

nni7-    The  latter  seems  to  me  the  least  likely,  since  it 
means  ponere,  fundare,  stabilire,  from  which  the  mean- 


GRAMMATICAL. 

ing  defecit,  exaruit  can  be  got  only  by  straining.  Vf« 
must  comp.  xix.  5  ;  Jer.  li.  30.  I  had  rather,  with  OLS- 
HAUSEN,  assume  a  root  JltZfa  =  exaruit,  defecit,  kindred 

—  T 

to  nt^J-    Then  rifityj    would    be    third    person  fem. 

T  T  T  IT  T 

Kal,  in  pausal  form,  with  Dagesch  affectuosum. In  the 

second  clause  of  ver.  17,  'JK  is  the  common  subject  of 
the  two  clauses,  with  both  HliT  and  (*  Tl /K  in  apposi- 
tion, and  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the  latter  stands  in  pa- 
rallelism for  the  former,  as  indeed  the  God  of  Israel  is 
actually  called  Jehovah. 

Ver.  20.  After  ID'tiT  is  to  be  supplied,  not  only  37 
(comp.  ver.  22),  but  y~)  7J?  (xlii.  25;  xlvii.  7;  Ivii.  1, 
11 ;  comp.  xliv.  19).  Thus  the  proper  order  of  thought 
is  restored  :  that  they  see,  know,  take  to  heart  and  gain 
an  insight  into.  Moreover  this  form  of  expression  oc- 
curs in  Isaiah  only  in  the  places  cited.  The  omission 
of  37  occurs  in  various  senses,  Ps.  1.  23 ;  Job  iv.  20  ; 
xxiii.  6;  xxxiv.  23;  xxxvii.  15;  Judg.  xix.  30. 


EXEGETICAL  AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Servant  of  God  is  here  still  the  people 
Israel ;    but  what  is    properly  characteristic   of 
this  notion  is  made  prominent,  viz. :  the  suffering 
and  lowliness.     But  at  the  same  time  the  Prophet 
does  not  omit  to  say  very  emphatically  that  this 
poor  servant  of  God  will  be  also  a  mighty  and 
irresistible  instrument  of  judgment  in  the  hand 
of  Jehovah.     Thus  Israel  is  addressed  "  worm 
Jacob,"  "  little  people  Israel,"  and  that  with  the 
use  of  a  feminine  verbal  form,  whom,  however, 
the  LORD  will  help  to  rid  itself  of  its  enemies 
(vers.  14-16),  and  will  bless  with  abundance  of 

food  things  (vers.  17-19),  in  order  that  all  may 
now  that  He  alone  is  God  (ver.  20). 

2.  Fear     not of    Israel. — Vers.    14-16. 

The  expressions  ''  little  worm,"  "  li ttle  people  " 


are  evidently  intended  to  paint  the  wretchedness 
and  weakness  of  Israel.  The  former  recalls  Ps. 
xxii.  6  "  I  am  a  worm,  and  no  man,"  and  also 
the  description  of  the  suffering  servant  of  God, 
Isa.  liii.  2  sqq.  Comp.  too,  Job  xxv.  6.  Yet  one 
cannot  but  see  in  this  ''  worm  Jacob"  the  transi- 
tion of  the  servant  of  God  to  the  "  form  of  a  ser- 
vant," and  thus  recognize  an  intimation  that  the 
suffering  people  of  God  is  also  a  type  of  the  suf- 
fering Saviour.  The  expression  7tOt?'  T\D  also, 
which  recalls  "<3?O  'OP,  i.  e.,  a  few  people,  that 
may  be  counted  (Gen.  xxxiv.  30  ;  Dent.  iv.  27  ; 
Ps.  cv.  12 ;  1  Chr.  xvi.  19,  comp.  «]#  Job  xi. 
11 :  Ps.  xxvi.  4),  involves  the  meaning  of  weak- 


CHAP.  XLI.  14-20. 


441 


ness,  inconsiderableness,  lowliness.  /N|  is  the 
antithesis  of  "OE  (comp.  Lev.  xxv.  25,  48).  The 
word  frequently  occurs  in  a  juristic  sense ;  but 
frequently,  too,  of  Jehovah,  who  as  next  of 
kindred,  so  to  speak,  redeems  His  people  that 
has  been  sold  into  the  hand  of  their  enemies. 

Yet  what  a  contrast !  The  LORD  makes  this 
worm  Jacob  a  mighty  instrument  of  judgment 
against  the  nations.  If  1TI,  that  occurs  x.  22  in 
a  figurative  sense,  and  xxviii.  27  as  designation 
of  the  threshing  roller  itself,  signifies  here  a 
quality  of  the  latter,  viz. :  the  being  sharp.  Sharp, 
new,  and  double-edged  (J"IV2'3  only  here  in 
Isaiah,  comp.  Ps.  cxlix.  6)  shall  the  roller  be. 
As  such  a  roller  lacerates  the  bundles  of  grain, 
and  as  the  similarly  formed  harrow  crushes 
the  clods,  so  shall  Israel  rend  and  crush  moun- 
tains and  make  hills  like  chaff,  etc.  This  pro- 
phecy has  not  been  fulfilled  by  the  fleshly  Israel, 
or  at  least  only  in  a  meager  way,  the  best  exam- 
ple being  the  Maccabees.  But  by  the  spiritual 
Israel  it  has  had  glorious  fulfilment  in  spiritual 
victories. 

3.  The  poor created  it. — Vers.  17-20. 

From  the  preceding  vers.  14-16,  which  are  par- 
allel with  these,  it  appears  that  these  verses  do 
not  promise  to  the  returning  exiles  merely  the 
needful  refreshment  through  the  desert,  thus 
connecting  say  with  xl.  10,  11.  Vers.  14-16  do 
not  describe  something  that  the  exiles  are  to  ef- 
fect before  they  can  betake  themselves  home ; 
and  just  as  little  do  ver.  17  sqq.,  speak  of  some- 
thing relating  only  to  the  return.  Vers.  14-20 
describe  the  condition  of  salvation  in  general, 
which  Israel  shall  experience  after  the  exile. 
Ver.  17  sqq.,  can  only  refer  to  the  return  from 
exile  so  far  as  that  belongs  to  that  condition. 
Taking  the  -wretched  that  seek  water,  etc.,  as 
parallel  with  ''  worm  Jacob,"  etc.,  we  understand 
vers.  17-20  to  describe  all  the  conditions  that 
caused  the  existence  of  Israel  before  its  redemp- 
tion to  appear  like  a  life  in  the  desert.  As  in 
ver.  14 sq.  the  ''  worm"  is  suddenly  transformed 
into  a  mighty  threshing  sled,  so  here  dry  places 
are  suddenly  transformed  into  richly  watered 
places,  covered  with  glorious  vegetation. 

Vers.  18,  19  say  how  the  LORD  will  hear  the 
prayers  of  the  languishing.  He  will  open  the 
earth  (comp.  Ps.  cv.  41)  (nns,  by  metonomy, 
the  cause  instead  of  the  effect,  as  often,  comp. 
xiv.  17 ;  Jer.  xl.  4)  to  let  streams  burst  forth 
even  on  bald  hills,  and  in  valleys,  etc.  N2fV3 
11  place  of  issue"  Iviii.  11,  comp.  Ps.  cvii.  35  and 
Isa.  xxxv.  1,  7. 

In  describing  the  vegetation  seven  trees  in  all 
are  named,  which  perhaps  is  not  accidental.  PX. 
"cedar"  is  generic:  ntSttf  (from  tDJty,  "to 'be 
pointed,  to  prick  "  Arabic  sant,  Egyptian  sckonte, 
comp.  HERZ.  R.-Encycl.  XV.  p.  95,  and  JEROME 
on  our  passage)  "the  acacia;"  only  here  in  Isa. 
DTT)  "  the  myrtle,"  that  grows  as  a  tree  in  An- 
terior-Asia, and  in  Greece  (see  VICTOR  HEHX, 
Kulturplanzen  u.  Hausthiere,  p.  143  sqq. :  HERZ. 
R.-Encycl.  X.  142).  By  f?i?  }']?,  in  contrast  with 
|DEJ  rVT  (Deut.  viii.  8),  is  commonly  understood 
the  wild  olive,  oleaster,  iiypilfauof  (Rom.  xi.  17, 
24).  The  LXX.  translates  nvndpioaov ;  CELSUS 


supposes  resinous  trees  in  general.  This  last 
would  be  a  good  way  of  getting  over  the  diffi- 
culty, seeing  the  expression  is  strange  for  the 
wild  olive.  For  it  gives  no  oil,  being  partly 
without  fruit  (see  HEHK,  1.  c.  p.  45)  partly  yields 
fruit  that  is  applicable  for  making  salve  and  not 
oil  (HERZ.  R.-Encyd.  X.  p.  547).  But  as  in 

Neh.  viii.  15  JVT  ty  and  fntf  \'y  'S#  are  men- 
tioned together  as  needful  for  constructing  the 
leafy  booths,  one  must  suppose  the  wild  olive  is 
meant.  The  expression  occurs  only  1  Kings  vi. 
23,  31,  32,  33,  where  the  jntf  ^y  are  mentioned 
as  material  for  the  cherub-figures,  and  the  doors 
and  posts  of  the  Holiest.  The  following  words 
"  the  fir,"  etc.,  occur  verbatim  Ix.  13.  En~l3 
"the  cypress"  (according  to  MOVERS  Phoen.  I. 
p.  575  sqq.  Serot,  Berut  is  the  name  of  the 
divinity  of  nature  that  was  supposed  to  dwell  in 
trees).  Comp.  HEHX,  1.  c.  p.  192  sqq.  The 
words  imn  and  "OtWfl  remain  to  the  present 
unexplained.  They  occur  again  only  Ix.  13, 
which  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  repetition  of  the 
present  passage.  "IjTl  is  a  Hebrew  word.  We 
read  "inn  DID  "the  galloping  horse,"  Nah.  iii.  2, 
and  Judg.  v.  22  paints  VV3K  rfnrn  n'nrnp  al- 
most like  quadrupedante  putrcm  sonitu  quatit  un- 
gula  campum.  But  dahr  in  Arabic  means  "  tempus, 

seculum."     It  is  the  Hebrew  I'll  (comp.  7^  and 


n  and  "IHO,  lU  and  "IHJ,  etc.).     However 

-  T  ~    T  -T* 

one  may  mediate  the  notions  "  currere,  cursus" 
and  "  tempus,  seculum,"  whether  by  the  notion  of 
haste  or  that  of  circuit,  still  the  meaning  of  last- 
ing, continuance,  longevity  seems  also  to  belong 
to  the  sphere  of  the  root  "irn.  And  perhaps 
this  is  still  more  the  case  in  the  dialects  than  in 
Hebrew  itself;  comp.  the  Chaldee  RT"in  cir- 
cuitus,  perpetuitas  =  "V®^,  with  which  it  would 
agree  that  "im.n,  which  does  not  elsewhere  occur 
in  Hebrew,  is  probably  a  cognate  foreign  word, 
i.  e.,  belonging  to  a  kindred  dialect.  The  plane- 
tree  appears  not  to  be  indigenous  in  Palestine, 
for  it  is  no  where  mentioned  among  trees  that 
grow  there.  If  j1^"1^  is  really  the  plane-tree,  it 
signifies  a  tree  not  growing  in  Palestine  as  ap- 
pears from  the  context  of  the  two  places  of  its  oc- 
currence (Gen.  xxx.  37  ;  Ezek.  xxxi.  8).  "imfi 
might  thus,  in  the  Prophet's  day,  be  a  name  for 
the  plane-tree  borrowed  from  some  kindred  dia- 
lect, and  that  was  given  to  it  because  of  its 
longevity.  Descriptions  of  giant  specimens  of 
the  plane-tree  such  as  that  of  HEHN,  /.  c.  p.  198 
sqq.,  prove  that  it  attains  a  great  age,  and  pro- 
digious size.  HEHN  says:  "The  praise  of  the 
plane-tree  fills  all  antiquity."  Again:  "Greece 
received  the  plane-tree  and  the  fashioft  of  es- 
teeming it  from  Asia,  where  the  plane-tree  like 
the  cypress  from  ancient  times  was  regarded  with 
religious  veneration  by  the  tree-loving  Iranians 
and  the  Iranian  races  of  Asia-Minor."  Accord- 
ing to  this,  one  might  almost  think  it  strange  if 
the  plane-tree  were  omitted  from  mention  with 
the  cypress  in  an  enumeration  of  the  glorious 
trees  that  were  to  adorn  the  desert  road  of  Israel 
returning  from  the  Iranian  territory  (for  that  we 
may  include  also  the  idea  of  the  return  was  men' 


442 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


tioned  above).  Hence  I  am  inclined,  until  better 
instructed,  to  regard  the  "imfl,  with  SAADIA, 
GESENIUS,  DELITZSCH  and  others,  as  the  plane- 
tree.  "H$Nn,  from  "^X  "  rectus,  erectus  fuit,  is 
held  by  the  ancients  to  be  either  "  the  box-tree" 
or  "the  sherbin  cedar."  HEHX,  against  the 
meaning  box-tree,  appeals  to  THEOPHRAST  who 
ranks  the  tri'sos  among  the  QMipvxpa,  i.  e.,  among 
the  vegetation  that  cannot  endure  a  warm  cli- 
mate. A  designation  like  "  recta,  erecta "  suits 
the  cedar  admirably,  and  as  the  name  sherbin 
undoubtedly  stands  for  the  cypressus  oxycedrus 
(see  GESEN.  Comm.  ;  NIEBUHR,  Description  of 
Arabia,  p.  149;  DELITZSCH  in  loc.),  we  may 
for  tbe  present  be  content  with  the  meaning 
"  Sherbin." 

All  these  glorious  acts  will  the  LORD  accom- 
plish for  the  purpose  of  bringing  His  people  to 


the  full,  deep  and  abiding  knowledge  that  He  has 
effected  such  things,  and  that  thus  He  alone  is  to 
be  revered  as  God.  The  LORD  had  often  before 
wonderfully  delivered  His  people,  and  they  had 
often  returned  to  Him  then  as  their  God.  But 
this  knowledge  had  never  been  right  comprehen- 
sive and  thorough.  They  had  always  in  a  little 
while  turned  again  to  idols.  When  the  LORD 
terminates  the  great  Babylonian  captivity,  then 
the  nation  will  renounce  idols  forever  and  serve 
the  LORD  alone.  This  also  came  to  pass.  HIT 
(comp.  xl.  5)  relates  to  the  subject :  all  shall 
know  it.  But  if  the  Prophet  means  by  these 
"  all "  primarily  the  redeemed,  those  poor  and 
wretched  (ver.  17)  that  needed  these  wonders  of 
God,  still  in  this  emphatic  HIV  there  seems  to  be 
also  a  reference  to  all  in  the  widest  sense  to  whom 
this  knowledge  would  be  proper.  nK"G  comp. 
xlv.  8. 


4.  THE  SECOND  CONVERSION  OF  PROPHECY  INTO  A  TEST  OF  DIVINITY. 

CHAPTER  XLI.  21-29. 

21  iPRODUCE  your  cause,  saith  the  LORD  ; 

Bring  forth  your  astrong  reasons,  saith  the  King  of  Jacob. 

22  Let  them  bring  them  forth,  and  show  us  what  shall  happen: 
Let  them  show  the  former  things,  what  they  be, 

That  we  may  "consider  them,  and  know  the  latter  end  of  them ; 
Or  "declare  us  things  for  to  come. 

23  Show  the  things  that  are  to  come  hereafter, 
That  we  may  know  that  ye  are  guds : 
Yea,  do  good,  or  do  evil, 

°That  we  may  be  dismayed,  and  behold  it  together. 

24  Behold,  ye  are  3of  nothing, 
And  your  work  4of  dnought : 

An  abomination  is  he  that  chooseth  you. 

25  I  have  raised  up  one  from  the  north,  and  he  eshall  come : 
From  the  rising  of  the  sun  shall  he  call  upon  my  name: 
And  he  shall  come  upon  f  princes  as  upon  mortar, 

And  as  the  potter  treadeth  clay. 

26  Who  hath  declared  from  the  beginning,  that  we  may  know? 
And  beforetime,  that  we  may  say,  KHe  is  righteous? 

Yea,  there  is  none  that  hshoweth,  yea,  there  is  none  that  Meclareth, 
Yea,  there  is  none  that  hheareth  your  words. 

27  'The  first  shall  say  to  Zion,  Behold,  behold  them : 

And  I  will  give  to  Jerusalem  one  that  bringeth  good  tidings. 

28  3For  I  beheld,  and  there  was  no  man ; 

Eve.n  among  them,  and  there  was  no  counsellor, 
That,  when  I  asked  of  them,  could  5answer  a  word. 

29  Behold  they  are  all  vanity  ; 
Their  works  are  nothing: 

Their  molten  images  are  wind  and  confusion. 


Heb.  Cause  to  come  near. 
Or,  worse  than  a  viper. 


*  Heb.  set  our  heart  upon  them. 
6  Heb.  return. 


Or,  worse  than  nothing. 


bulwark*,  b  make  us  hear.  «  And  we  will  confront  one  another,  and  inspect  with  one  another, 

wind.  •  has.  *  satraps.  f  Bight.  h  showed:  declared:  heard. 

A  first-fruit  to  Zion— see,  see  it  comes  —a  messenger  of  joy  I  will  give  to  Jerusalem. 


S  But. 


CHAP.  XLI.  21-29. 


443 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

See  List  for  the  recurring  of  the  words  :    Ver.  21.  |      Ver.  25.  PNW_  contracted  from  riN'V  occurs  only  here, 

whereas  the  form  KH'l  (from 


—  3"V    Ver.  22. 


Ver.  23. 


Ver.  25.    lOTT—  T3fV—  DD1—EWS.     Ver    26. 


Prov.  i.  27  ;  Job 


Ver.  21. 
comp. 
x.  10, 

Ver.  23. 


xxxvii.  22)  occurs  Deut.  xxxiii.  21. DEO    Nip  is  un- 

Ver.  28.  j'J-'Y.  Ver.  29.  J1X— D3X— ni"V— IJln  doubtedly  used  in  the  sense  of  calling  on  God  in  wor- 
ship. In  itself  the  expression  means  "  to  call  with  the 
name,"  not  in  the  name;  for  3  is  used  here  as  instru- 
mental. This  appears  from  the  fact  that  the  expression 
elsewhere  means  a)  •'  to  call,  name  (one)  with  their 
name:"  Exod.  xxxv.  30;  Num.  xxxii.  42;  Isa.  xlv.  4  (I 
called  to  thee  by  means  of  thy  name),  or,  with  omission 


is  on-.  Aey.  The  root  meaning  is  robora, 
"  strong,"  D'OI^J?  "  strength,  might,"  Pa. 

"fires,"  Ps.  Ixvii'i.  36. 
with  1  in  the  second  clause  appears  not 


merely  to  have  the  meaning  sive—sive,  but  there  lies  in 
fl>{  something  intensive  in  relation  to  what  precedes, 
that  we  may  best  express  by  "yea."  -  That  1  acquires 
the  meaning  "  or,"  appears  from  alternative  questions, 
"whether—  or,"  "num—  an"  being  regularly  expressed 
in  Hebrew  by  D5O—  DX,  and  also  that,  exceptionally, 
simply  1  connects  the  two  clauses  (Jer.  xliv.  28  ;  EWALD 


g  352  &).-  —  The  Kal 


(so  K'thibh  is  to  be  read, 


•whereas  K'ri  is  to  be  pronounced  JO  31)  occasions  sur- 
prise. Perhaps  we  should  read  JOJ  (first  pers.  plur. 
itnperf.  Niph.,  comp.  JO"1  Exod,  xxxiv.  3;  XT'!  Gen. 

T"  T  --- 

xii.  7;  xvii.  1,  etc.,.  As  this  first  pers.  plur.  imp.  Niph. 
happens  not  to  occur  again  in  the  Old  Testament,  per- 
haps the  Masorets  preferred  to  point  the  consonants  like 
the  first  pers.  plur.  imperf.  Kal..  which  often  occurs  in 
the  full  form,  but  which  also  fails  to  occur  in  the  apoco- 
pated form. 

Ver.  24.  I  translate  J'KO,  .172^  nere  "out  of  tne  no" 
thing,"  whereas  xl.  17  I  maintained  the  comparative 
meaning  of  to.  1  think  that  we  are  justified  in  this  by 
the  difference  of  the  verbs  used  in  the  two  places. 
There  3U?nj  was  predicate,  here  it  is  the  notion  of  be- 


ing. There  the  rhetorical,  exaggerated  "  more  than  no- 
thing" was  more  suitable  ;  here  it  suits  better  to  take 
JO  as  indicative  of  origin.  -  There  is  no  need  of  treat- 
ing ySX  as  a  copyist's  error  for  D3XO  as  many  recent 
commentators  do.  The  serpent  name  H^i3N  (xxx.  6  ; 


lix.  5)  i.  e.,  "sibilans,  the  whistler,"  is  proof  enough  that 
there  is  a  verb  n,J,'3i  kindred  in  sense  to  7371,  "breath, 
wind"  (see  on  HjPSN  xlii.  14).  From  this  may  be  de- 
rived 'J/'3N.  from  which  J73N,  like  CJOK  from 
TOX  from 


of  the  personal  object,  Isa.  xliii.  1;  xlv.  3,  etc.  -  6)  "to 
shout,  proclamare,  proclamationem  facere,  KrjpuVo-eii',  to 
give  an  announcing,  instructing  call  by  means  of  the 
name."  Thus,  as  I  think,  in  those  obscure  passages, 
Exod.  xxxiii.  19;  xxxiv.  5,  with  which  also  Isa.  xlv.  5 
connects.  Here  God  sends  forth  a  call  in  Moses" 
pars,  which  is  done  by  naming  the  Jehovah-name  and 


giving  its  meaning,  ibid  ver.  6, 
D^JJD  i8  a  specific  Persian  word. 


1  do  not  think  that 
The  word  schihne,  to 
which  appeal  is  made,  is  modern  Persian.  The  word  is 
used  Jer.  li.  23,  28,  57;  Ezek.  xxiii.  6,  12,  23,  and  occurs 
in  these  passages  as  designation  for  Babylonian,  Assy- 
rian and  Persian  dignitaries.  Thus  the  word  appears 
to  have  been,  I  may  say,  international.  Ezra  uses  it 
once  ix.  2;  Nehemiah  oftener  :  ii.  16;  iv.  8;  v.  7,  etc. 
Later  it  even  passed  over  into  the  vocabulary  of  recent 
Hebrew.  Since  Ezekiel  speaks  of  Assyrian  D'JJO,  we 
rnay  assume  that  there  were  such,  and  as  Babylon  and 
Persia  obtained  dominion  after  Assyria,  we  may  conjec- 
ture that  the  name  came  to  them  from  Assyria.  Then 
it  cannot  seem  strange  that  Isaiah  uses  the  word.  tJD 

ITT 

is,  however,  really  an  Assyrian  word.  "  The  root  sakan 
connected  with  JO,  is  in  Assyrian  the  usual  word 
for  'to  place,  appoint.'"  Sakan,  accordingly,  denotes 
properly  the  one  appointed,  commissioned,  then  the 
representative,  vicegerent.  Thus  SCHEADEH  1.  c.  p.  270. 
Moreover,  the  word  corresponds  to  the  f13¥0  and 


For  one  sees  also  from  D'JJD,  that  the 
raised-up  ruler  will  be  one  who  issues  from  the  region 
of  the  Iranian  tongue. 
Ver.  26.  D'J3  \>D  only  here. 

(•  T   :    • 

Ver.  28.  D  vXO  is  constr.  prccgnans  :  for  the  preposi- 
tion JO  depends  on  a  verb  that  is  only  ideally  present. 
We  must  derive  the  notion  "  seeking  out  "  fro 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  We  showed  above  that  with  our  Prophet 
the  promise  of  deliverance  out  of  exile,  and  the 
turning  of  this  promise  to  account  as  proof  of 
divinity,  go  hand  in  hand.  Having  now  de- 
scribed in  xli.  1-20  the  redeemer  (vers.  2,  3)  and 
the  redeemed  (vers.  8-16)  and  the  destined 
salvation  (vers.  17-20),  the  Prophet  goes  on  here 
to  turn  them  to  account  in  the  way  referred  to. 
He  had  made  a  beginning  of  this  in  vers.  4-7 
after  the  first  mention  of  the  saviour  from  the 
East,  but  did  not  carry  out  the  thought  there.  It 
appears  as  if  he  would  there  content  himself  with 
a  passing  reference  in  contrast  with  the  fright  of 
the  heathen  at  the  alarming  demands  made  on 
their  faith  in  idols-  But  now,  having  presented 
all  that  related  to  the  deliverance  from  exile,  he 
proceeds  in  earnest.  He  pays  no  more  regard  to 


that  reluctance  proceeding  from  a  bad  conscience. 
He  sets  forth  with  all  seriousness  that  the  LORD 
regards  His  prediction  of  the  deliverance  as  a 
proof  of  His  divinity,  and  the  inability  of  idols 
to  predict  anything,  or  in  fact  to  do  anything,  as 
a  proof  of  their  nothingness.  The  more  exact  de- 
velopment consists  in  this,  that  here  Jehovah 
challenges  the  idols  themselves  directly  to  a  con- 
test, and  that,  more  plainly  than  in  ver.  2  sq.,  He 
proffers  His  prediction  as  a  proof  of  His  divinity. 
Although  the  idols  do  not  at  all  relish  the  con- 
test, still  they  must  come  on  and  take  up  the 
gauntlet  (vers.  21-23).  On  their  failure  to  tell 
anything  they  are  pronounced  to  be  nothing  (ver. 
24).  Then  Jehovah  repeats  the  prediction  of  a 
deliverer  from  the  East  (ver.  25),  and  again  shows 
that  not  the  idols  have  foretold  this  (ver.  26),  but 


444 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


that  He,  Jehovah,  would  give  this  deliverer  to 
His  people  for  a  saviour,  and  at  the  same  time  as 
a  pledge  of  the  fulfilment  of  further  promises  that 
reach  into  a  still  more  remote  future  (ver.  27). 
Finally  the  Prophet  himself  resumes  the  dis- 
course, in  order  to  establish  the  nothingness  of 
his  idolatrous  quasi  colleagues.  For  if  the  idols 
are  nothing,  so,  too,  must  their  interpreters  show 
that  they  are  know-nothings. 

2.  Produce  your  cause chooseth  you. 

— Vers.  21-24.  The  LORD  challenges  the  idols 
to  come  on  and  bring  to  a  practical  decision  this 
cause,  long  pending  in  thesi,  and  produce  the 
proofs  that  they  have  for  their  cause.  One  thinks 
involuntarily  of  Elijah's  challenge  to  the  priests 
of  Baal,  1  Kings  xviii.  21  sqq.  Jehovah  is  often 
called  King  of  the  chosen  people  (comp.  on  xliii. 
15);  but  the  expression  King  of  Jacob  occurs  only 
here  (comp  3D.JV  "V3N  Gen.  xlix.  24;  Isa.  xlix. 

26 ;  Ix.  16 ;  Ps.  cxxxii.  2,  5,  and  3p>"3  StfO 
Ps  lix.  14).  In  ver.  22  the  LORD  addresses 
Israel,  claiming  them  for  His  side,  and  identify- 
ing His  and  their  cause.  18^£  connects  as  repeti- 
tion with  Ityjn  ver.  21.  What  they  shall  pro- 
duce is  their  mOi'J?  ''  bulwarks."  In  what  this 
producing  proof  shall  consist  is  further  explained 
by  the  words  WJM~nnpn  (see  xlv.  21).  By 
rujtfiOn  commentators  understand  either  prius 
praedicta  (GESZNITJS  :  "  say  what  ye  have  for- 
merly prophesied"),  or  the  immediate  future  in 
contrast  with  the  more  remote,  which  they  say  is 


expressed  by  mson  and  "»mx  nvnx.  But  in 
my  opinion  the  former  conflicts  with  the  arti- 
cle, and  the  latter  with  usw  loq.  which  forbids 
the  distinction  between  fiU^XT  and 


near  and  remote  future      I  think  that 
in  contrast  with  HlSOn  can  mean  nothing  but  the 
past  contrasted  with  the  future.     The  immediate 
and  proper  meaning  of  the  word  is  undoubtedly 
"  first,  beginning,  original  things."    Thus  Gen.  xli. 
20  '"^n   JYn3n  are  "the  cows  that  first  appeared." 
Thus  everywhere  JVJtyJO  are  the  first  or  begin- 
ning things  or  facts;  whether  prophecies  or  other 
things  must  be  determined  in  each  case  by  the 
context.     Comp.   xlii.  9;    xliii.  9,  18;   xlvi.  9  ; 
xlviii.  3.     Here  the  LORD  demands  of  the  idols, 
that  they  shall  either  give  correct  information  of 
the  past,  thus,  as  it  were,  of  the  roots  or  founda- 
tions of  the  course  of  the  world,  so  that  one  may 
thereby  infer  what  the  future  will  be,  or   they 
Bhall  foretell  the  future  directly.     The  Prophet. 
RS  appears  to  me,  assumes  here  that  we  may  fore- 
tell the  future  directly  and  indirectly,  as  e..  g.,  it 
is  the  same  whether  I  say:  the  fruit  of  this  tree 
will  be  apples;  or  the  roots  are  those  of  an  apple 
tree.     For  if  the  latter  be  true,   then   the  fruit 
must  be  apples.     The  correct  knowledge  of  the 
future  depends  on  a  correct  knowledge  of  the  past 
Both  have  riddles  revealed  only  to  the  omniscience 
of  God,  and   hence  both   are  tests  of  divinity 
Such,  I  think,  is  the  LORD'S  meaning  when  He 
calls   on  the   idols   to  produce  the  fundamenta 
things  of  the  past,  and  that  according  to  their  in 
most  being  (n|H   HO).     If  they  do  this  correctly 
then  it  will  be  possible  for  attentive  reflection 
n^J  only  here  in  Isaiah  ;  comp.  Eiod 


ix  21  ;  Job.  i.  8  ;  ii.  3  ;  Ezek.  xliv.  5)  to  know 
correctly  the  issue,  thus  the  conclusion  that  falls 
in  the  future.  Comp.  especially  xlvi.  10  sq., 
where  the  LORD  names  as  a  prerogative  of  His 
divinity  the  power  to  foretell  from  the  beginning 
the  final  issue,  from  ancient  time  what  has  not  yet 
come  to  pass.  By  IN,  "  or  else,"  the  alternative 
is  offered  to  the  idols  to  toretell  the  future  direct- 
y,  if  they  will. 

Ver.  23,  the  Prophet  proceeds,  summing  up  the 
dea  of  nUtfifl  and  niJO,  both  which  relate  to 
he  future;  Shew  the  things  that  are  to  be 
tiereafter,  {.  e.,  whose  realization  is  fixed  for  a 
more  remote  period.  The  concluding  clause  and 
we  will  know,  etc.,  states  ironically  what 
must  result  if  the  idols  meet  the  demand  :  they 
will  then  be  recognized  as  gods.  But  the 
LORD  proceeds,  moderating  His  demand  to  the 
utmost,  in  order  to  strike  his  opponents  only  the 
harder  :  yea,  do  good  or  do  evil  (a  proverbial 
expression,  comp.  Jer.  x.  5;  Zeph.  i.  12).  Let 
them  anyway  do  something.  It  is  not  meant  ; 
let  them  prophesy  good  or  bad.  The  idea  of  their 
prophesying  at  all  is  dismissed  with 
''  that  we  may  know,"  etc.  The  clause  '1 


(''  to  look  eye  in  eye  in  conflict,"  like  nionn  2 
Kings  xiv.  8,  11)  presents  the  conclusion  from 
what  precedes.  If  the  idols  accept  the  challenge, 
then  there  may  be  a  contest.  If  not,  then  eo  ipso 
they  are  defeated.  The  idols  neither  accept  nor 
decline  ;  hence  the  LORD  concludes  with  the  con- 
temptuous words  of  ver.  24.  Are  the  idols  noth- 
ings, then  of  course,  those  that  choose  them 
(comp.  on  ver.  8)  are  an  abomination  to  the  LORD. 
The  expression  n3£1P,  especially  combined  with 
mrr,  is  very  frequent  in  Deut.  (xii.  31  ;  xvii.  1  ; 
xviii.  12  ;  xxii.  5,  etc.)  especially  in  reference  to 
idolatry. 

3.  I'have  raised  up  -  confusion.—  Vers. 
25-29.  Having  proved  the  inability  of  idols  to 
prophesy,  the  LORD  produces  a  prophecy,  that  is 
a  pledge  of  His  divinity.  Thus  He  risks  all  on 
this  prophecy.  His  honor  perishes  if  it  is  not 
fulfilled.  As  He  does  not  fear  the  latter,  but 
utters  it  with  absolute  confidence,  He  gives  for 
the  present,  not  indeed  a  judicial  proof  of  His 
divinity,  but  still  He  raises  a  legal  presumption 
in  favor  of  it  (prcesumtio  juris,  which,  as  is  known, 
is  something  very  different  from  a  presumption 
(conjecture)  in  the  common  sense).  And  that 
even  is  something  great,  for  it  suffices  for  those 
that  are  honestly  willing  to  know  the  truth.  In 
Isaiah's  time  still  the  people  wavered  between  Je- 
hovah and  idols.  Isaiah's  endeavor  was  to  bring 
them  to  a  decision  for  the  LORD.  These  pro- 
phecies (xl.-lxvi.),  meant  for  future  consolation, 
were  intended  to  afl'ect  also  the  present,  i.  e.,  to 
move  the  nation  to  believe  in  the  LORD.  If,  then, 
Isaiah  in  Hezekiah's  time  stood  up  so  confidently 
for  Jehovah,  as  he  does  here,  every  one  at  all 
susceptible  of  the  truth  must  have  said  to  him- 
self: the  Prophet  would  not  dare  so  to  speak  were 
he  not  conscious  of  being  warranted  to  do  so.  For 
he  risks  the  utter  ruin  of  his  and  his  God's  cause, 
if  this  prophecy  turn  out  to  be  an  imposture.  The 
prophecy,  ver.  25,  is  somewhat  oracular  in  form. 
In  contents  it  has  that  obscurity  peculiar  to  all 
images  of  the  future,  which  rise  so  distant  from 
the  beholder  that  one  is  unable  to  detect  their 


CHAP.  XLI.  21-29. 


445 


connection  with  the  present,  and  thus  the  succes- 
sive, organic  genesis  of  their  forms.  It  is  further 
worthy  of  notice  that  the  prophecy,  ver.  25,  con- 
nects with  vers.  2,  3.  I  have  raised  up,  ver. 
25,  is  like  an  answer  to  "who  raised  up,''  ver.  2; 
from  the  north  and  from  the  rising  define 
more  particularly  the  simple  "from  the  rising," 
ver.  2 ;  he  shall  call  on  my  name  corresponds 
to  "  called  him  to  his  foot,"  ver.  2 ;  and  the  fol- 
lowing words  that  begin  with  NU"1,  as  ver.  3 
closes,  describe  the  irresistibleness  of  him  that  is 
called  essentially  in  the  same  way  as  ver.  2  6,  3, 
with  only  this  difference,  that  ver.  2  speaks  of 
nations  and  kings  in  general,  whereas  ver.  25 
the  word  D'JJD  (''satraps")  points  even  more 
plainly  to  the  theatre  where  the  one  called  per- 
forms. That  TllT'.yn,  ver.  25,  is  without  an  ob- 
ject, corresponds  to  the  terseness  proper  to  the  ora- 
cular style.  The  object  is  easily  supplied,  partly 
from  ver.  2,  partly  from  the  following,  '•Ul  ntf'V 
That  the  one  promised  is  called  from  the  North, 
but  comes  from  the  East,  is  not  to  be  pressed. 
The  Prophet  would  only  intimate  that  his  point 
of  departure  is  not  merely  the  East,  as  might  ap- 
pear from  ver.  2,  but  also  from  the  North.  We 
know  how  this  occurred  in  the  case  of  Cyrus.  He 
arose  as  ruler  of  the  (by  him)  united  kingdoms 
of  Media  and  Persia,  the  former  of  which  lay 
north,  the  latter  east  of  Babylon.  'D^  XI  p', 
He  shall  call  on  my  name  (see  Text,  and 
Gram.)  mentions  another  characteristic  of  the  one 
called.  That  Cyrus  actually  did  this  appears 
from  2  Chr.  xxxvi.  23 ;  Ezr.  i.  2  sqq.  He 
must  have  received  vivid  impressions  of  the 
reality  of  the  God  of  Israel.  Comp.  on  this 
PRESSEL  in  HERZ.,  R.-Enc.  III.,  p.  232.  We 
will  not  inquire  whether  Cyrus,  in  calling  Jeho- 
vah "  the  God  of  heaven,"  identified  Him  with 
Ahuramazda  or  not  (comp.  ZOECKLER  on  2  Chr. 
xxxvi.  23).  But  it  is  historically  attested  in  the 
most  credible  manner,  and  is  in  itself  perfectly 
comprehensible,  that  God,  who  in  general  let  the 
heathen  go  their  own  way  (Acts  xiv.  16),  should 
in  an  exceptional  way  give  them  extraordinary 
revelations  of  His  being.  In  the  period  preceding 
the  Christian  era  He  did  this  in  two  significant 
epochs  through  Israel,  in  consequence  of  its  mis- 
sionary vocation,  viz.,  in  the  two  exiles,  the  Egyp- 
tian and  the  Babylonian.  In  both  instances  the 
revelation  came  to  the  dominant  world-power  at 
the  moment  of  its  highest  prosperity.  In  regard 
to  Egypt  comp. ,  e.  y.,  LEPSIUS  ( Chronol.  d.  Egypter, 
I.,  p.  359),  who  calls  the  period  of  Moses  and  of 
the  departure  of  the  Israelites  "  the  most  illus- 
trious time  of  all  Egyptian  history."  In  regard 
to  Babylon  the  same  thing  appears  from  the  fact 
that  Nebuchadnezzar  is  designated  as  the  golden 
head  (Dan.  ii.  38).  The  LORD  would  not  let 
Himself  be  without  witness  to  those  who  knew 
no  limits  to  their  power,  for  their  own  sakes 
partly,  partly  for  His  own  name's  sake,  partly  for 
the  sake  of  mankind  in  general,  partly  for  the 
sake  of  Israel.  The  LORD  would  show  His  power 
to  Pharaoh,  that  His  name  might  be  declared 
throughout  all  the  earth,  and  to  accomplish  His 
judgments  on  all  the  gods  of  Egypt  (Exod.  ix. 
16;  comp.  viii.  10,  19;  xiv.  4,  17,  18,  25).  And 
that  this  purpose  was  achieved  appears  from  the 
confessions  of  Pharaoh  himself,  of  his  servants, 


and  of  his  army  (Exod.  ix.  20,  27;  x.  7,  16; 
xiv.  25).  As  regards  the  Babylonian  Exile,  the 
entire  first  half  of  the  book  of  Daniel  is  meant  to 
show  how  Jehovah  so  marvellously  glorified 
Himself  on  those  nations  and  their  kings,  that 
they  cannot  escape  acknowledging  Him  as  the  true 
God  (comp.  my  work:  Jeremiah  and  Babylon,  p. 
2  sqq.),  at  least  for  the  moment  (for  we  know 
nothing  of  any  outward,  observable  abiding 
effect — at  most  the  adoration  of  the  Magi,  Matt, 
ii.,  might  be  appealed  to  here.  What  (according  to 
Dan.ii.47;  iii.  28 sq.;  iv.  34;  v.  17  sqq.;  vi.  25 sqq.), 
Nebuchadnezzar,  Belshazzar  and  Darius  the  Mede 
knew,  was  any  way  preliminary  to  the  knowledge 
on  the  basis  of  which  Cyrus  issued  his  edict,  Ezr. 
i.  2  sqq.  Certainly  we  cannot  impute  to  Cyrus 
less  knowledge  than  that  ascribed  to  his  predeces- 
sors in  the  passages  cited.  If  we  were  right  in  say- 
ing that  "  he  shall  call  on  my  name"  corresponds 
to  "  has  called  him  to  his  foot,"  ver.  2,  then  this 
is  to  be  denned,  that  according  to  ver.  2  the  LORD 
called  Cyrus,  and  according  to  ver.  25  Cyrus  called 
on  the  LORD.  It  is  further  said  of  Cyrus  that  he 
will  come  on  satraps  as  on  mortar,  etc. 
N13,  in  the  sense  of  hostile  coming  like  xxviii. 
15;  Ps.  xxxv.  8;  Job  xv.  21;  xx.  22;  Prov. 
xxviii.  22.  In  all  these  passages  N13  stands  with 
the  accusative  (locaiis). 

The  Prophet,  ver.  26,  assumes  the  standpoint 
of  the  fulfilment.  He  represents  to  himself  that 
then  the  inquiry  will  naturally  arise:  who  hath 
declared  this  from  the  beginning,  that  we 
may  know,  i.  e.,  that  we  might  know  before- 
hand the  coming  of  these  things  (vers.  22,  23)  ? 
And  who  announced  it  from  early  time,  so  that 
now  we  might  say :  right  ?  pHtf  is  what  cor- 
responds to  a  norm :  not  only  a  moral,  or  some 
special  juridical  norm,  but  also  the  norm  of  truth. 
Hence  >~IP^.,  xliii.  9,  stands  in  a  precisely  similar 
connection.  Yet  the  last-named  meaning  is  sup- 
ported by  no  other  example.  Hence  it  seems  to 
me  likely  that  the  Prophet  joins  with  it  the  sense 
of  moral  Tightness.  A  god  whose  prophecy  fails 
is  morally  condemned.  But  if  it  comes  to  pass, 
he  is  morally  justified ;  he  is  no  liar,  but  truly 
what  he  gives  himself  out  to  be  (comp.  xiv.  21). 
But  again  there  has  never  been  any  announce- 
ment and  bringing  to  the  ears  on  the  part  of  the 
idols,  nor  hearing  on  the  part  of  men  (vers.  22, 
23).  1^  (comp.  xl.  24),  recurring  thrice,  paints 
with  a  certain  breadth  the  absence  on  every  hand 
of  what  was  requisite. 

Ver.  27,  the  Prophet  defines  more  particularly 
the  salvation  that  the  one  called  of  God  shall 
bring  to  the  people  of  God.  It  was  said,  ver.  25, 
in  general,  that  he  would  call  on  the  name  of  the 
LORD,  and  destroy  the  hostile  powers.  Now  he 
is  defined  to  be  the  first-fruit  of  the  salvation  des- 
tined for  Zion.  The  LXX.  translate  apwiv  Swv 
duacj.  PESCHITO  :  primordia  Sionis  haecsunt.  As 
far  as  I  can  see,  all  expositors  construe  jltfSO  as 
nominative  and  relating  to  Jehovah  ;  and  either 
supply  'fl"!5*<,  or  connect  jl^NI  with  |fi«.  The 
words  Djn  run  are  by  some  put  in  the  mouth  of 
Jehovah,  by  others  in  Zion's  mouth,  by  others  in 
that  of  the  "^5?,  and  the  suffixes  (pronouns)  are 
referred  now  to  the  exiles,  now  to  the  deliverer, 
now  to  facts  of  redemption,  now  to  the  idols. 


446 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


1  refer  JIC'JO  to  Cyrus.  In  an  eminent  sense  he 
was  the  beginner  of  the  redemption.  Israel s  de- 
cline lasted  till  the  close  of  the  Exile.  With 
difficulty  (Dan.  ix.  25),  slowly,  and  with  great 
alternations,  it  mounts  up;  but  still  it  mounts  up. 
The  believers  that  looked  for  the  restitution  of 
Israel  in  all  its  promised  glory  directly  after  the 
seventy  years,  under  the  anointed  son  of  David, 
struggle  with  many  assaults  of  doubt,  as  they  ob- 
serve only  very  meagre  beginnings  of  a  redemp- 
tion (comp.  Dan.  x.  1-3,  and  AUBERLEN,  D. 
Proph.  Daniel,  p.  132  sq.)  But  the  laws  of  pro- 
phetic perspective  were  hid  from  them,  which 
sees  the  end  already  in  the  beginning,  though 
long  periods  of  vicissitude  separate  one  from  the 

other.     Cyrus  is  called  niiT  JTtffp,  xlv.  1.     He 

was  not  the  proper  and  true  Messiah,  but  he  was 
the  first  after  the  great  period  of  judgment.  He 
was  the  first-fruit — messiah,  the  beginner  of  the 
restoration  of  Israel.  His  edict,  Ezr.  i.  2  sqq., 
was  the  first  step  toward  realizing  for  Israel  that 
31£>  ("return"),  that  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  all 
their  successors  represent  as  the  sum  total  of 
bodily  and  spiritual  redemption  for  Israel.  I 
construe  D3H  HiH  as  an  exclamation  of  the  Pro- 

T  * 

phet,  by  which  he  points  to  the  consequences 
of  that  "first-fruit — redemption.  For  the  notion 
"first"  includes  that  of  ''following"  or  ''conse- 
quences." In  spirit  the  Prophet  sees  these  before 
him,  and  points  to  them  with  a  brief  DJH  Hjil. 
He  calls  Cyrus  a  "^?? ;  for  what  more  joyful 
news  could  the  LORD  propose  for  His  people  than 
that  they  may  return  home  to  rebuild  Jerusalem  ? 
T[^3,  comp.  on  xl.  9. 

As  ver.  26  is  related  to  ver.  25,  so  vers.  28,  29 
are  related  to  ver.  27.  Each  of  these  prophetic 
lamps  shines  in  strong  contrast  with  the  picture 
of  the  nothingness  of  idols  that  acts  as  a  foil. 
Only  it  seems  to  me  that  so  far  there  is  a  differ- 
ence, in  that  ver.  26  the  Prophet  has  in  mind  the 
idols  themselves,  whereas  in  vers.  28,  29  he  has 
in  mind  their  worshippers,  especially  their  priests 
(see  below).  Ver.  28  has  three  gradations.  The 
first  clause  is  obscure ;  it  speaks  only  of  the 
looking  around  and  the  non-existence  of  some- 
thing, but  one  knows  not  what  one  has  looked 
about  for.  The  second  clause  makes  known  those 
among  whom  the  Prophet  has  looked,  and  what 
he  was  looking  for.  He  seeks  a  fjjn1  "counsellor, 
one,  however,  that  can  prophetically  resolve  the 
riddles  of  the  future.  This  is  made  plain  in  the 
third  clause:  but  there  was  no  counsellor  of 
•whom  I  could  inquire  and  -who  could  give 
me  answer.  The  reason  of  this  is  given  ver.  29: 
the  gods  that  should  inspire  the  answer  in  their  wor- 
shippers  are  no  gods  but  the  manufacture  of  those 
who  worship  them.  Thus  ver.  29  speaks  of  those 
that  make  the  idols,  and  not  of  the  idols  themselves. 

And  because  "they  all"  (Dv3)  are  identical 
with  the  ri9X  ("them  )  of  ver.  28,  among  whom 
no  counsellor  is  found,  therefore  ver.  28  speaks 
not  of  the  idols,  but  of  their  servants,  and  espe- 
cially of  those  who,  on  account  of  their  office, 
should  be  qualified  to  give  counsel  and  render  a 
decision,  thus  the  priests  and  prophets.  And 
because  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  LORD 


looks  for  a  counsellor  and  giver  of  decrees,  there- 
fore the  subject  of  K"W  ("I  looked  about")  ver. 
28,  is  not  Jehovah,  but  the  Prophet.  Thus  the 
chapter  concludes  with  an  apostrophe  of  the  true 

Prophet  to  the  false  ones,  and  fl  ?K  is  said  ^ELKTIKU^. 
With  this  reference  to  the  manufacture  of  idols, 
the  Prophet  returns  to  the  thought  with  which 
he  also  closed  the  first  strophe  (vers.  6,  7). 

DOCTRINAL  AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  The    second  part  of  Isaiah    lays   unusual 
stress  on  the  inability  of  idols  to  prophesy.     As 
this,  on  the  one  hand,  is  a  proof  of  the  nothing- 
ness of  idols,  so  on  the  other,  Jehovah's  ability 
to  foretell   the  future  is  made  a  proof  of  His 
divinity.     Hence,  when  the  LORD  challenges  the 
idols  to  a   contest  in  prophesying,  and  then  on 
His  part  stands  forth  with  an  imposing  prophetic 
performance,  that  has  for  its  subject  the  deliver- 
ance of  Israel  from  the  Exile,  one  sees  that  two 
objects    are   combined,  viz. :    He    comforts    His 
people,  and  He  proves  His  divinity.     Thus  we 
see  that  the  Prophet's  view-point  is  partly  at  the 
end  of  the   Exile  and  partly  before  the  Exile. 
The  former   because  he  sees  the  deliverer  quite 
clearly  and  distinctly  before  him  ;  the  latter  be- 
cause it  is  all  important  for  him   to  display  his 
LORD  as  knowing  the  remote  future,  and  thus  as 
true  God.     Thus  he  would  win  Israel  by  repre- 
senting on  the  one  hand  the  omniscence  of  their 
God,  and    on  the    other  His  faithful  love  and 
power.      And   this  object  was  attained.      Israel 
would    assuredly  not   have    buried    their   gross 
idolatry  in  the  Exile,  had  they  not  verified  both 
the  threateninga  and  the  promises  of  Jehovah's 
Prophet  in  the  most  signal  manner.     But  this 
grand  effect  could  only  be  produced  by  the  pro- 
mises being  recognized  on  all  sides  as  genuine, 
old  prophecies.    Prophecies  that  gave  themselves 
out  for  old,  but  hitherto  hidden  must  have  raised 
doubts,  and  contradicted   themselves.     For  it  is 
expressly  said   xlv.    19 ;    xlviii.   16    that    these 
things  were  not  spoken  in  secret. 

2.  [On  ver.  1.    "The  same  reasons  will  apply 
to  all  approaches  which  are  made  to  God.  When 
we  are  about  to  come  before  Him  in   prayer  or 
praise ;  to  confess  our  sins  and  to  plead  for  par- 
don;   when  we  engage  in   argument  respecting 
His    being,  plans,  or   perfections;    or  when  we 
draw  near  to  Him  in  the  closet,  the  family,  or 
the  sanctuary,  the  mind  should  be  filled  with  awe 
and  reverence.     It  is  well,  it  is  proper,  to  pause 
and  think  of  what  our  emotions  should  be,  and 
of  what  we  should  say  before  God.     Comp.  Gen. 
xxviii.  16,  17." — BARNES. 

3.  On  vers.  6,  7.     "  Do  sinners  thus  animate 
and   quicken  one  another  in  the  ways  of  sin  ? 
And  shall  not  the  servants  of  the  living  God  both 
stir  up  one  another  to,  and  strengthen  one  an- 
other in,  His  service?"— M.  HENRY.] 

4.  On  ver.  8  sqq.     The  LORD  here  founds  His 
comforting  promise  on  the  election  in  Abraham. 
Compare  with  this  the  saying  of  John  Baptist  : 
"Begin  not  to  say  within  yourselves,  we  have 
Abraham  to  our  father ;  for  I  say  unto  you  that 
God  is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise  up  children 
unto  Abraham,"  etc.,  Luke  iii.  8,  9.    This  sounds 
contradictory.    But  one  must  distinguish  between 


CHAP.  XLII.  1-4. 


447 


the  individual  and  the  whole.  Not  every  in- 
dividual generation,  in  general  no  individual  part, 
great  or  small,  of  the  totality  of  Israel  can  insist 
on  the  election  of  Abraham,  and  regard  itself  as 
exempt  and  unimpeachable  on  that  account.  For 
history  teaches  that  great  judgments  have  come 
on  individuals  and  on  the  nation  almost  to  their 
annihilation.  But,  of  course,  a  remnant  will  always 
remain,  if  only  just  large  enough  to  afford  seed 
for  a  new  generation.  The  LORD  says  this  ex- 
pressly in  the  great  inaugural  vision,  vi.  11-13, 
and  such,  too,  is  the  meaning  of  that  significant 
Shear-Jashub  (x.  20  sqq.).  The  Apostle  Paul 
has  this  meaning  when  he  says:  "The  gifts  and 
calling  of  God  are  without  repentance."  Rom. 
xi.  29. 

5.  On  vers.  9,  10.     "  A  rich  treasure  of  mani- 
fold comfort:    I)  that    God  strengthens  us;    2) 
that  God  calls  us  ;  3)  that  He  accepts  us  as  ser- 
vants ;  4)  that  He  chooses  us  ;  5)  that  He  does 
not  reject  us;  6)  that  He  is  with  us;  7)  that  He 
is  our  God ;  8)  that  He  helps  and   preserves   us. 
This  ought  to  be  turned  to  good  account  by  every- 
one whatever   may  chance   to  be  His  need."- 
CRAMEB. 

6.  On  ver.  14  sqq.     What  a  contrast !    A  poor 
little  worm,  and  a  new  threshing  instrument  witli 
double-edge;!    points    that    rends    mountains  to 
pieces !     When  was  the  church  of  either  the  Old 
or  New  Testament  ever  such  a  threshing  instru- 
ment?    First  of  all,  the  Babylonian  Empire  was 
threshed  to  pieces  that  Israel  might  be  free.    Af- 
terwards    many    kingdoms     and    nations    were 
threshed  in  pieces  and  made  subject  to  the  Ro- 
man Empire  that  the  church  cf  the  New  Testa- 
ment might  grow    and   spread  abroad.     After- 
wards the  Roman  Empire  itself  was  threshed  in 
pieces  to  gain  for  the  church  a  new,  fresh,  healthy 
soil  in  the  Germanic  nations.     But  finally  the 
Germanic  nations  will  in  turn  be    threshed  in 
pieces  that  the  church  may  become  the  free,  pure 
kingdom   of    Christ    ruling   over    all.     So    the 
church,  the   poor    little  worm    Jacob,  rends  in 
pieces  one  form  of  the  world-power  after  another, 
until  it  issues  from  the  last  as  the  glorious  bride 
of  the  LORD. 

7.  On  ver.  21  sqq.     "  It  was  customary  to  ex- 
pect of  seers  and  prophets  such  a  deep  look  into 


the  obscurity  of  the  past  and  present,  as  Saul  im- 
puted to  his  Seer  (1  Sam.  ix.),  as  well  as  prevision 
into  the  future;  which,  in  the  Hellenic  world,  is 
illustrated  in  the  Homeric  Kalchas,  as  a  knower 
of  what  exists,  of  what  was,  as  well  as  of  what 
will  be  (Horn.  Ilias.  I.  70) "  ED.  MUELLER. 
Parollelen  zu  den  Weiss,  u.  Typen  des  A.  T.  aus 
dem  hell.  Alterth.  in  Jahrbiicher  d.  Klass.  Philol. 
VIII.  Suppl.  Band.  I.  Heft.  p.  108. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  On   vers.  8-13.     God  chose  Abraham,  and 
in  Abraham  the  Israel  of  the  Old  Testament,  and 
in  Israel  of  the  Old  Testament  the   Israel  of  the 
New  Testament.     This  fact  of  the  election  certi- 
fies to  the  church  the  sure  pledge  of  its  final   con- 
quest, for   1 )  the  LORD  cannot  forsake  the  con- 
gregation of  the  elect;  2)  He  must  make  an  end 
of  those  that  contend  against  them. 

2.  On  vers.  14-16-     The  church  as  it  seems,  and 
as  it  is;  1)  It  seems  to  be  a  worm,  a  poor  crowd  ; 
2)  It  is  realty  a.  strong  in  the  LORD   (ver.  14  b — • 
10  a)  ;  b,  joyful  in  the  LORD  (ver.  16  6). 

3.  On  vers.  17-20.      He  that  is  exposed  to  trials, 
who  trusts  in    God,  is  not  to  be  beicailed,  since'  for 
Him;  1)  life  is  indeed  a  desert;  2)  but  the  de- 
sert becomes  a  paradise  by  tbe  miraculous  hand 
of  God  ;   3)  the  miraculous  hand  of  God  sum- 
mons him  to  grateful  recognition. 

4.  On  vers.  21-29.   Against  the  modern  heath- 
enism, that  in  the  place  of  the  living,  personal 
God  would  set  abstractions  that  operate  mechani- 
cally and  unconsciously,  one  may  prove  the  ex- 
istence of  the  personal  God  by  reference  to   the 
prophecies    that    were    undoubtedly  given    and 
have  been  fulfilled.     Only  the  living  God  can  pro- 
phesy and  fulfil.     For  1)  Divine  omniscience  is 
needed  to  foreknow  the  future;  2)  Divine  omni- 
potence and  wisdom  are  needed  to  fulfil  what 
has  been  foretold. 

5.  On  the  entire  xli.  chapter  see  Johann  Chris- 
tian Holzhen,  Pastor  in  Mortitz,  "  Pastor  divinitus 
electus  et  legitime  wcatus,  the  divinely  elected  and 
legitimately  called    preacher."      A    sermon,  or 
rather  tract  in  twelve  chapters.     Liibeck,  1695, 
8vo. 


III.— THE  THIRD  DISCOURSE. 

The  third  chief  figure  :  The  personal  servant  of  God  in  the  contrastive,  principal 

features  of  his  manifestation. 

CHAPTER  XLII. 

1.  THE  MEEK    SERVANT  OF  GOD. 
CHAPTER  XLII.  1-4. 

1  Behold  my  servant,  whom  I  uphold  ; 
Mine  elect,  in  whom  my  soul  delighteth  ; 
I  have  put  my  spirit  upon  him  : 

He  shall  "bring  forth  judgment  to  the  Gentiles. 

2  He  shall  not  cry,  nor  lift  up, 

Nor  cause  his  voice  to  be  heard  in  the  street- 


448 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


3  A  bruised  reed  shall  he  not  break, 

And  the  Smoking  flax  shall  he  not  'quench : 
He  shall  bring  forth  judgment  bunto  truth. 

4  He  shall  not  fail  nor  be  'discouraged, 
Till  he  have  set  "judgment  in  the  earth : 
And  the  isles  shall  wait  for  his  law. 


1  Or,  dimly  burning. 

•  reveal  right. 


a  Heb.  quench  it, 
b  according  to  truth. 


*  Heb.  brokm. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :    Ver.  1.  JH    of  ver.  3;  VII '    X?  to  the  first  clause.    From  this  it  ap- 

-TDfl-Tna— run.   ver.  3.  nntya-nno.  ver.  4. 


Ver.  1.  With 


ooks  for  13  (comp.  Mic. 


?i.  7,  etc.').    Evidently  the  preceding  \3  continues  in 


force. 
Ver.  4. 


corresponds  to  the  second  clause 


pears  that  V1"V  is  not  from  T»11,  but  from  vyi.    The 

T  I    -  T 

pronunciation  of  the  imperf.  Kal  with  u  occurs  also  in 

i  ^ 
other  yy  verbs  (J1"V  Prov.  xxix.  6 .  IIET  Ps.  xci.  6),  and 

it  is  remarkable  that  the  imperfect  forms  of  V^T  occur 
only  with  the  pronunciation  u;  Ps.  xviii.  30;  2  Sam. 
xxii.  30 ;  Eccl.  xii.  6. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  As  in  chap.  xli.  the  form  of  Cyrus,  who  is 
servant  of  Jehovah  without  being  called  so,  and 
the  form  of  Israel,  who  is  servant  of  Jehovah 
and  is  so  called,  have  their  roots,  so  the  form  of 
Him  who  is  servant  of  Jehovah  in  the  highest 
sense,  the  form  of  the  Messiah  has  its  root  in 
chap.  xxiv.     Thus  the  Prophet  allows  the  types 
of  his  prophetic  forms  to  appear  in  succession, 
and  in  a  way  that  sketches  them  for  us  at  first 
only  in  general  outline.     Here  now  he  lets  a  ser- 
vant of  Jehovah  appear,   whom,  after  the  first 
strokes  that  draw  his  form,  we  might  regard  as 
identical  with  the  servant  of  Jehovah  mentioned 
xli.  8.     For  all  that  is  said  in  our  ver.  1,  applies 
well  enough  to  the  people  of  Israel.     But  can 
vers.  2,  3  be  said  of  them  ?     Here  is  mentioned 
One,  who  could,  if  He  would,  but  He  will  not. 
He  could  cry,  and  break  the  bruised  reed,  and 
quench  the  glimmering  wick,   for  He  had  the 
right  and  the  might  to  do  it.     That  is  the  LORD 
Himself,  that  comes  to  visit  His  people  in  meek- 
ness and  lowliness.     And  yet  He  does  appear  as 
a  Judge,  loud  and  terrible,  as  appears  from  ver. 
13.     For  this  chapter  is  full  of  contrasts.     Vers. 
1-4  contrast  with  vers.   10-17 ;  vers.   5-9  with 
vers.  18-21.     Contrasts  appear,  too,  within  the  in- 
dividual strophes ;  e.  g.,  ver.  4  a.  contrasts  with 
46. 

2.  Behold   my   servant for   his   law. 

— Vers.  1-4.    ^5^  'in  itself  can  mean  "to  seize, 
hold  fast."     Here,  however,  it  is  not  an  act  of 
violence  that  is  spoken  of,  but  an  act  of  love- 
The  Servant  of  Jehovah  supports  Himself  on  Je- 
hovah, and  Jehovah   supports,  holds  and  bears 
His  Servant  (comp.  ver.  6 ;  Jno.  viii.  29).     The 
words  "  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased,"  Matth.  iii. 
17  ;  xvii.  5  ;  2  Pet.  i.  17,  heard  at  the  baptism 
and  the  transfiguration  of  Christ,  seem  to  connect 
with  our  "U1    nnm  and  also  with  V3H  ver  21. 

T 

The  idea  of  anointing  seems  to  underly  the  ex- 
pression I  have  put  My  Spirit  upon  Him. 
(The  expression  occurs  only  here  in  Isaiah  ;  for 
xxxvii.  7  belongs  in  another  category ;  still 
comp.  xi.  2;  Ixi.  1).  The  use  of  the  holy  anoint- 


ing  oil  (also   of  incense)  is   often  signified   by 

Sy  jnj  in  Lev.  ii.  1,  15;  xiv.  17,  18,  28,  29. 
This  construction  is  confirmed  by  Ixi.  1.  By  the 
anointing  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Servant  of  God 
is  qualified  to  bring  right  to  the  nations.  COSK'O 
here  can  mean  neither  judicial  transaction,  nor 
judicial  sentence  ;  it  can  only  mean  standard  of 
right.  But  what  sort  appears  partly  from  the 
nature  of  the  thing  itself,  partly  from  the  parallel 
passages.  The  heathen,  too,  had  standards  of 
right  in  general.  But  they  lacked  the  true 
source  of  right,  the  knowledge  of  Him  who  alone 
is  truth;  they  lacked  the  v6iwg  rfc  afydeiac. 
Not  merely  the  juridical  norm  of  right  in  the 
absolute  sense,  i.  e.,  religion  (HENGSTENBERG 
Christol.  on  our  text,  DELITZSCH,  EEINKE)  is  to 
be  understood.  This  absolute  standard  of  right, 
hitherto  the  prerogative  of  Jehovah  and  His 
people,  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  will  carry  forth  to 
all  nations  (comp.  ii.  3;  Mic.  iv.  2  ;  Isa.  li.  iv. ; 
Ps.  cxlvii.  19,  20).  Thus  KTfin  signifies  the 
publishing  of  what  has  hitherto  been  hid,  revela- 
tion (Hab.  i.  4). 

In  vers.  2,  3  it  is  added  in  praise  of  the  Servant 
of  the  LORD  that  He  will  not  cry  in  the  streets, 
nor  break  the  bruised  reed.  If  He  is  to  be 
praised  for  this,  then  He  must  have  been  able  to 
do  what  He  abstained  from  doing.  Evidently  a 
contrast  presents  itself  here.  It  is  not  that  the 
Servant  of  the  LORD  cannot  do  what  He  would 
even  like  to  do.  But  the  contrary :  He  could, 
but  He  will  not.  He  abstains  from  the  use  of 
His  power  ;  He  divests  Himself.  By  this  even  it 
is  intimated  that  His  power  must  be  great. 
Otherwise  there  would  not  be  so  much  made  of 
His  refraining  from  using  it.  Is  it  credible  that 
such  humble  abstinence  from  the  use  of  power 
that  they  enjoyed  could  ever  be  mentioned  to  the 
praise  of  Isaiah,  or  of  the  prophets  generally,  or 
of  the  people  of  Israel  generally,  or  of  the  spiri- 
tual Israel,  or  of  Cyrus,  or  of  Uzziah,  or  Heze- 
kiah  or  Josiah  [the  various  persons  supposed  by 
different  commentators  to  be  meant  by  the  Ser- 


CHAP.  XLII.  1-4. 


449 


vant  of  Jehovah. — TR.]  ?  When  did  Israel  ever 
have  great  power  in  reference  to  the  heathen,  and 
in  humble  love  abstain  from  its  use  ?  Or  when 
had  ever  a  prophet  or  king  of  Israel  the  high 
position  of  a  teacher  of  mankind,  and  filled  it 
with  humble  self-denial?  And  of  Cyrus  it  can- 
not be  said  that  he  was  called  to  give  to  the  hea- 
then the  v6/j.a<;  T?jg  a^rjOeia^.  There  is  only  One, 
that  stood  as  Teacher  of  all  nations,  and  who, 
spite  of  His  great  dignity,  could  soy  of  Himself: 
"  Come  unto  Me  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy 
laden  and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  My  yoke 
upon  you,  and  learn  of  Me  ;  for  I  am  meek  and 
lowly  of  heart,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  for  your 
souls.  For  My  yoke  is  easy,  and  My  burden  is 
light"  (Matth.  xi.  23-30).  It  is  as  if  the  Lord 
had  our  passage  in  mind  when  He  spoke  these 
words.  For  not  only  do  His  words :  "  I  thank 
Thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth" 
(ibid.  ver.  29)  recall  ver.  5  of  our  chapter,  that 
describes  God  as  the  One  "  that  created  the 
heavens,  and  stretched  them  out."  But,  what  is 
still  more  important,  we  find  there  the  same  con- 
trast as  the  basis  of  Christ's  words,  that  rules  over 
also  our  passage.  The  almighty  LORD  of  heaven 
and  earth  does  not  ask  af',er  the  wise  and  prudent, 
He  has  revealed  Himself  to  those  under  age. 
And  Christ  Himself!  How  significant  that  He 
introduces  the  words  to  the  weary  and  heavy 
laden  quoted  above,  with  the  words:  ''All  things 
are  delivered  unto  Me  of  My  Father :  and  no  man 
knoweth  the  Son,  but  the  Father ;  neither  knoweth 
any  man  the  Father,  save  the  Son,  and  he  to 
whom  the  Son  will  reveal  Him"  (ibid.  ver.  27). 
Does  He  not  say  here  in  a  most  emphatic  way, 
that  He  is  a  meek,  lowly  and  patient  teacher 
although  the  greatest  power  and  the  highest  know- 
ledge are  delivered  to  Ilisn?  Besides  the  evident 
connection  of  our  passage  with  Matth.  xi.  25-30, 
that  we  have  thus  remarked,  the  evangelist 
Matthew  himself  declares  expressly  in  what  im- 
mediately follows  (xii.  15-21)  that  he  saw  in  the 
conduct  of  the  Lord  at  that  time  the  fulfilment  of 
the  words  of  our  Prophet.  That  He  healed  the 
sick,  and  yet  forbad  to  have  it  published,  that  He 
would  only  serve  (comp.  Matth.  xx.  28),  and 
sought  not  His  honor  and  His  advantage  (Jno. 
viii.  50;  v.  30),  that  seems  to  Matthew  to  cor- 
respond to  the  picture  of  the  Servant  of  the  LORD 
that  Isaiah  drew  in  our  chapter. , 

The  expression  N#J  meaning  Tp  X$J  occurs 
Num.  xiv.  1 ;  Job  xxi.  12,  and  in  Jt&.  in  part 
first  (iii.  7)  and  in  part  second  (xlii.  2,  41).  The 
omission  being  idiomatic,  it  need  not  be  supplied 

from  the  following  Ivlp.  The  statement  that  the 
Servant  of  Jehovah  shall  not  cry  nor  lift  up 
His  voice  is  understood  in  various  ways.  It  is 
said,  on  the  contrary,  vers.  13,  14,  that  He  will 
cry.  This  belongs  to  the  contrasts  with  which 
the  chapter  abounds.  The  meaning  of  vers.  2,  3 
is,  therefore,  not  that  the  Servant  of  the  LORD 
will  in  general  not  cry,  and  will  break  nothing 
whatever.  Rather,  as  His  anointing  with  the 
Spirit  implies,  He  will  only  not  roar  and  rage  as 
do  the  powers  of  this  world,  nor  do  violence  to 
the  weak  and  wretched.  On  the  contrary  He 
will  show  Himself  gentle  and  kind  to  the"  poor 
and  weak,  which  is  precisely  the  Old  Testament 
meaning  of  p<irU.  What  is  already  bruised 
29 


("nicked,"  ]'W1  ilJj)  comp.  xxxvi.  C;  Iviii.  6  ; 
Deut.  xxviii.  33)  He  will  not  finish  by  breaking, 
and  the  feebly  glimmering  wick  He  will  not  ex- 
tinguish, nntyi)  is  the  wick  made  from  lim.ii 
(nntZte  which  however  docs  not  occur,  comj>. 
GESEN.  Thes.  p.  1136).  The  double  statement  of 
ver.  3  contains  a  /Uror^c.  For  it  is  inconceivable 
that  He,  whose  being  is  light  and  life,  intend-i 
only  the  non-extinguishment  of  the  wick  or  the 
non-fracture  of  the  reed.  Rather  He  intends 
both  as  the  beginning  of  new  life. 

The  clause  '0  N'iT  n/DX7  stands  alone  as  a 
positive  statement  in  antithesis  to  the  foregoing 
negatives.  The  LXX.  translates :  t'tr  aA^Oanv 
f^oiafi  Kpiaiv.  Matth.  xii.  20  reads :  eu^  av 
et/JdAj  «$•  VIKO<;  rijv  Kpiatv.  The  latter  transla- 
tion seems  to  come  from  a  confusion  with  Hab.  i. 

4.  For  there  it  reads :  £03^3  rmH  Xr  xSl. 
But  in  Aramaic  HYJ  means  vicit ;  WHY},  WnjfJ 

-  :  '        T  T   :  •          T  T   :  v 

is  victoria :  NTTYJ  victor.      flOSO     which   occurs 
'        T    •_-  v  :-.  r.J 

no  where  else  in  the  Old  Testament,  can  only 
mean  secundam  veritatcm  (VuLG.  in  vcritate),  like 

the  forms  HKnnS,  #OK/oS  xi.  3 ;  pjA  BiJli'D1? 
xxxii.  1.  One  might  suppose  that  the  expression 

meant  the  same  as  D'U  /  X'YV  £33190  ver.  1. 
But  it  is  to  be  noticed  that  ver.  1  it  is  the  nations 
to  whom  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  brings  forth 
right,  whereas  ver.  3  it  is  to  those  compared  to 
the  bruised  reed  and  glimmering  wick.  More- 
over in  ver.  1  the  addition  PDX?  is  wanting. 
Both  considerations  justify  our  assuming  a  modi- 
fication of  the  sense  in  ver.  3.  To  the  heathen, 
who  do  not  know  Him,  God  will  reveal  the 
standard  of  right,  by  the  use  of  which  they  will 
find  the  right.  But  for  the  poor  and  wretched 
He  will  procure  a  right  decree  corresponding  to 
the  truth,  He  will  help  them  to  their  rights  ; 
something  that  elsewhere  also  is  made  to  be  an 
es>ential  part  of  the  glory  of  the  Messianic  king- 
dom (i.  21,  26  sq. ;  ix.  6).  But  N'Yin  expresses 
here  the  proceeding,  issuing  of  the  decree  of  a 
judge,  in  which  sense  NY'  occurs  twice  in  Hab. 
i.  4.  Per  ducere,  to  carry  into  effect,  to  conduct  to 
the  e^d,  cannot  be  the  meaning  of  X'J'in. 

By  ver.  4,  the  Prophet  would  obviate  a  mis- 
understanding, by  preparing  a  transition  that 
makes  prominent  a  contrastive  side  of  the  Ser- 
vant of  Jehovah,  which  appears  even  in  the  sec- 
ond, but  still  more  decidedly  in  the  third  strophe. 
For  instance,  it  might  perhaps  be  inferred  from 
vers.  2,  3  that  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  were  only 
meek  and  lowly,  that  thus  He  were  made  only  of 
weak  stuff,  that  His  being  would  lack  the  firm- 
ness, the  manly  force,  the  ability  to  be  angry  and 
punish.  To  obviate  this  false  inference  the  Pro- 
phet says,  though  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  will  be 
such  as  described  vers.  2,  3,  still  He  will  Him- 
self be  no  bruised  reed,  [}'1T  from  ['V*1  see  Text, 
and  Gram.~\.  Spite  of  his  gentleness,  He  shall  be 
firm  as  a  rock  (xvii.  10  ;  xxvi.  4),  on  which  all 
attacks  of  His  enemies  shall  dash  to  pieces,  and 
He  shall  carry  out  His  counsel  victoriously.  The 
conjunction  "i^  signifies  here,  as  often  (Gen. 
xxviii.  15;  Ps.  cxii.  8),  continuance  until  the 


450 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


object  is  attained ;  the  meaning  of  this  form  of 
expression  being  always  that  a  ceasing  will  not 
take  place  till  the  end  in  view  is  attained  (against 
GESEN.  Tkes.  p.  992,  and  HENGSTENBERG,  Au- 
thentie  d.  Daniel,  p.  67).  What  follows  does  not, 
enter  into  the  consideration.  The  standard  of 
right  that  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  will  establish 
on  the  earth  is  the  same  mentioned  ver.  1.  It  is 
afterwards  called  m'lfl  "  law,"  which  is  only 
nearer  definition  added  on.  That  is,  it  is  only 
made  plainer  that  this  standard  of  right  will  be 


a  religious  one,  a  counterpart  of  the  law  of  Sinai. 
As  DELITZSCH  remarks,  the  Servant  of  Jehovah 
will  add  to  the  Sinaitic  the  Zionitic  Torah  (comp. 

ii.  3).  The  position  of  17TI"  at  the  end  of  the 
clause  indicates  that  we  are  not  to  consider  it  as 
dependent  on  ~\$.  But  the  Prophet  would  say  : 
when  the  standard  of  right  is  established  by  the 
Servant  of  Jehovah  as  Torah,  as  religious  law, 
then  will  the  isles  (meaning  here  the  remotest 
regions  of  the  heathen  world)  turn  themselves  to 
it  in  hope  and  trust  (comp.  li.  4,  5). 


2.    THE  SERVANT  OF  GOD    AS  THE  BEARER  OF    A  NEW  COVENANT. 
THIRD  APPLICATION  OF    PROPHECY   AS   PROOF  OF   DIVINITY. 

CHAPTER  XLII.  5-9. 

5  Thus  saith  God  the  LORD, 

Ho  that  created  the  heavens,  and  stretched  them  out ; 

He  that  spread  forth  the  earth,  and  that  which  cometh  out  of  it ; 

He  that  giveth  breath  unto  the  people  upon  it, 

And  spirit  to  them  that  walk  therein : 

6  I  the  LORD  have  called  thee  in  righteousness, 
And  will  hold  thine  hand, 

And  will  keep  thee,  and  give  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  people, 
For  a  light  of  the  Gentiles  ; 

7  To  open  the  blind  eyes, 

To  bring  out  the  prisoners  from  the  prison, 

And  them  that  sit  in  darkness  out  of  the  prison  house. 

8  al  am  the  LORD  :  that  is  my  name : 
And  my  glory  will  I  not  give  to  another, 
Neither  my  praise  to  graven  images. 

9  Behold,  the  former  things  are  come  to  pass, 
And  new  things  do  I  declare  : 

Before  they  spring  forth  I  tell  you  of  them. 


THE 


»  /  the  LORD. 

TEXTUAL  AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words:  Ver.  5. 
•OK  riD-Kin-  Ver.  6.  pinX-IXJ.  Ver.  7.  vh3. 

Ver.  5.  On  O'DUf  HCJ  comp.  xl.  22.  The  form  D.TBU 
with  '  is  to  be  explained,  not  indeed  according  to  liv.  5, 
but  after  the  analogy  of  those  forms  of  TO  in  which 
tho  original '  reappears.  On_j,'pT  comp.  onxl.19;  xliv. 
24.  As  the  word  properly  means  to  hammer  out  broad 

(comp.^p-^rrxi'N:;  (ra  i^o™,  i-ixn  &r/in  V#K  b  j 

•    I'T  I    •.•  T  T  V-: 

Qen.  I.  1'2  sqq.,  a  word  that  occurs  only  in  Job  and  Isa. ; 


GRAMMATICAL. 

comp.  xxii.  24)  taken  strictly  does  not  suit  It.  But  in 
J,'p°l  there  lies  ideally  the  notion  of  spreading  out  and 
rVN¥K¥  depends  on  that. 

Ver.  6.  D?nK,  the  abbreviated  jussive  form,  here  ex- 
ceptionally in  the  first  person  [See  GREEN'S  Or.  $  97. 2  a]. 
In  regard  to  its  being  joined  with  2  eee  iv.  1 ;  xlv.  1; 

li.  18;  IvL  2,  4,  6;  Ixiv.  6;  comp.  xli.13). That  QJ?  and 

O'lJ  have  not  the  article,  accords  with  the  prophetic 
style,  and  is  not  to  be  pressed. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  This  strophe  consists  of  a  preface,  principal 
part,  and  conclusion.  In  respect  to  vers.  1-4  there 
is  a  climax.  The  introduction  ver.  5  is  a  considera- 
ble leap.  There  the  Prophet  designates  the  LOUD 
as  the  one  that  has  created  heaven  and  the  earth, 
and  all  that  is  on  it.  This  affords  the  basis  for 
what  follows.  The  same  God  that  could  do  this, 
and  He  only,  is  able  also  to  deliver  them.  He, 
too,  can  say  of  the  redeemer  His  Servant :  I  have 


called  Thee,  will  uphold,  protect  and  make  Thee 
the  bearer  of  a  new  covenant,  and  a  light  to  all 
nations  (ver.  6).  This  new  covenant  and  en- 
lightening the  nations  shall  consist  in  opening 
blind  eyes,  and  delivering  prisoners  from  prison 
(ver.  7),  which  is  to  be  understood  in  both  a 
spiritual  and  a  physical  sense.  The  strophe  con- 
cluds  (vers.  8,  9)  by  the  emphatic  statement  that 
He,  Jehovah  announces  this  beforehand  for  the 


CHAP.  XLIT.  5-9. 


451 


sake  of  His  own  honor,  and  especially  to  show 
(ver.  8)  the  difference  between  Himself  and  idols. 
As  He  has  fulfilled  earlier  prophecies,  so  now  He 
gives  new  ones  in  order,  by  their  eventual  ful- 
filment, to  prove  His  divinity. 

2.  Thus    saith    God — —therein. — Ver.  5. 

It  seems  to  me  that  7XH  put  first  is,  like  Gen. 
xlvi.  3,  meant  to  designate  emphatically  the  true 
God,  who  alone  has  power,  in  contrast  with  the 

powerless  false  gods  (ver.  8).  7XH  placed  before 
mrr  as  here,  does  not  occur  elsewhere.  Com  p. 
v.  16.  &O13  see  List :  except  in  Isaiah  only 
twice:  Amos.  iv.  13;  Eccl.  xii.  1.  D'Ofc?  K113 
xlv.  18  (Ixv.  17).  Djp,  which  has  H3  D'uSn  for 
parallel,  signifies  accordingly  the  people  of  the 
earth  generally.  The  order  of  thought  here 
makes  it  evident  that  the  chief  features  of  the 
Mosaic  account  of  the  creation  float  before  the 
Prophet's  eye :  creation  of  the  heavens ;  spread- 
ing out  the  earth,  the  imparting  of  nOKfa  (comp. 
Gen.  ii.  7)  and  nn  (Gen.  vii.  22)  to  men. 

3.  I  the  LORD prison  house. — Vers. 

6,  7.     Having   reminded  his   hearers  who   God 
is  as  in  ver.  5,  the  Prophet  lets  the  LORD  an- 
nounce Himself  as  the  one  who  will  give  the 
world  a  redeemer  in  His  Servant.     He  that  can 
create,  etc.,  can  also  do  this.    One  is  reminded  of 
those  passages  where    Jesus  Christ  proves  His 
power  to  forgive  sins  by  pointing  to  His  mira- 
cles :  Matt.  ix.  2  sqq. ;  Mar.  ii.  3  sqq.  ;  Luke  v. 
18  sqq.).     That  the  one  called  is  the  Servant  of 
God,  is  evident  from  the  context.    "jTlJOp  re- 
calls xli.  2,  4,  9.     But  the  LORD  has  called  His 
Servant   pl^.      If  the  Old    Testament    Hpt* 
"  righteousness"  has  for   its  antithesis  DDfl    or 
pl?J7,  i.  e.,  violence,  unrighteousness,  then  a  right- 
eous man,  p'"]¥,  is  one  who  in  every  respect  wills 
only  what  is  right  and  proper.     He  will  neither 
do  violence  to  the  poor  and  weak,  nor  regard  the 
person  of  the  mighty  and  violent  man;  He  will 
neither  condemn  the  penitent  and  contrite,  nor 
let   the   impenitent  go   unpunished.     Thus  His 
treatment  of  the  penitent  sinner  is  as  just  as  it 
is   of   the    impenitent.     He   could    destroy  the 
former  if   He  would  ;    for  He    has  the  power. 
Who  would  call  Him  to  account?      But  is  then 
grace,  that  dispenses  pardon  on  the  ground  of  a 
subjective  or  objective  performance,  not  also  just? 
That  is,  does  not  God  in  a  higher  sense  exercise 
righteousness,  when  He  forgives  the  contrite  who 
implores  grace  on  the  ground  of  the  atoning-sac- 
rifice  that  even  God  Himself  has  made  for  him  ? 
Thus  it  is  not  at  all  partial  favor,  measuring  with 
unequal  measure,  when  God  calls  His  Servant 
into  the  world  as  redeemer.      Rather,  in  Him 
grace  displays  itself   as  combined  in  one  with 
righteousness.     Unrighteous  grace  there  is  not  in 
God  any  way.     Thus  Isaiah  can  say  of  Cyrus 
that  God   has  raised  him  up   in    righteousness 
(xlv.  13).     By  "I  have  called  thee  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  Servant  is  signified  as  something 
that  has  already  taken  place.    The  verbs  that  fol- 
low signify  as  future  what  the  LORD  purposes  to 
do  with  His  Servant.     He  will  take  Him  by  the 
hand  and  (which  expresses  the  object  of  so  doing) 
protect  Him,  and  make  Him  for  a  covenant 


of  the  people,  and  for  a  light  of  the 
Gentiles. 

When  HERMANN  SCHULTZ  (Alttestamentl. 
Theol.  II.  p.  75)  says,  that  there  is  here  not  tho 
remotest  mention  of  a  future  personality,  I  should 
like  to  know  how  he  may  reconcile  that  with  ver. 
9.  One  sees  from  the  Futures  pTHK,  "p¥  N,  priX, 
and  still  more  plainly  from  ver.  9,  that  the  Pro- 
phet points  away  to  a  remote  future  that  has  not 
even  begun  to  bud.  And  the  "  covenant  of  the 
people,"  too,  must  be  a  new  one,  and  not  one  in 
existence  already.  For  were  it  an  old,  already 
existing  one,  how  did  the  LORD  come  to  say  that 
He  would  make  His  Servant  for  this  covenant? 
In  fact  it  must  be  a  very  new  covenant,  vastly 
superior  to  the  old  one,  since,  according  to  ver. 
7,  it  can  ''  open  blind  eyes,  and  bring  out  the 
prisoners  from  prison,"  which  the  old  covenant 
could  not  do.  Neither  the  total  of  Israel,  nor  the 
ideal  Israel,  nor  the  order  of  prophets  can  set  in 
operation  what  is  promised  in  ver.  7  ;  or  if  this 
were  something  that  they  could  do,  then  it  does 
not  belong  here.  We  justly  expect  something 
great  here,  a  work  of  salvation,  an  act  of  redemp- 
tion, in  fact  something  greater  than  is  promised 
vers.  2,  3,  for  the  strophe  vers.  5-9  forms  the  lad- 
der to  what  follows,  which  presents  to  view  the 
highest  good.  Either  Isaiah  does  not  speak  of 
the  Messiah  at  all,  (which  indeed  KNOBEL  main- 
tains with  entire  consistency),  or  he  speaks  of 
Him  already  here.  The  opinion  that  Isaiah  here 
does  not  yet  understand  the  Messiah  under  ''  the 
Servant  of  Jehovah,"  that  the  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah appears  as  an  individual  only  later,  say 
from  Hi.  14  on,  comes  from  the  failiue  to  observe 
the  character  of  xl.-xlii.  which  prepare  the 
foundation  for  what  follows.  In  Josh.  iii.  14 
even  the  ark  of  the  covenant  is  called  JIIXH 
JV"On.  When  even  such  an  inanimate  vessel  is 

called  the  covenant,  why  may  that  not  be  said  of 
the  Lord  Himself,  who,  in  fact,  is  the  sole  living 
and  personal  bond  that  unites  divinity  and  hu- 
manity. As  Christ  calls  Himself  the  way  (Jno. 
xiv.  6),  or  the  resurrection  (Jno.  xi.  25)  so,  too, 
He  may  be  called  the  covenant.  Thus,  e.  g.,  DD 
"  tributum"  (Josh.  xvi.  10,  etc.),  signifies  Him 


that  tributum  afert,  D'l  (Ps.  cxx.  7)  Him  that 
pacem  agit.  Thus  DJ?  m3  is  He  that  mediates 
the  covenant  to  the  people.  But  this  is  no  other 
than  the  Messiah.  I  do  not  comprehend  how 
V.  FR.  OEHLER  (D.  Knecht  Jehova's,  I.  p.  50) 
can  say  :  "  Israel  in  the  Messianic  time  needs  no 
more  an  Abraham,  a  Moses  as  mediator  of  a 
covenant  of  the  people  with  Jehovah,  but  the 
people  as  regenerated,  as  consrious  of  its  destiny, 
as  perfect  servant  of  Jehovah  is  itself  the  cove- 
nant." Israel  has,  indeed,  no  need  of  an  Abra- 
ham or  Moses  ;  but  Christ  it  does  need,  and 
without  Him,  too,  it  could  never  be  ''  the  perfect 
servant  of  Jehovah." 

By  D^  is  meant  Israel,  as  appears  both  from 
the  added  H'13  and  from  the  antithetical  D'1.*i 
(comp.  xlix.  6).  Salvation  comes  from  the  Jews 
(Jno.  iv.  22).  The  snnriee  from  on  high  (Lukei. 
78)  appears  in  Israel  and  proceeds  thence  to 
the  heathen.  For  the  recurrence  of  the  phrase- 
ology here  see  xlix.  6,  8,  comp.  Ii.  4.  The  cove- 
nant, that  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  is  to  mediate 


452 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


is  called  liv.  10  a  covenant  of  peace,  and  Iv.  3  ; 
Ixi.  8,  an  everlasting  covenant  (comp.  lix.  21  ; 
Ivi.  4,  6). 

In  ver.  7,  the  Prophet  specifies  the  contents  of 
the  general  notions  "  covenant  of  the  people," 
"light  of  the  Gentiles."  If  '$  'y  Hp2  (comp. 
xxxv-  5  ;  xxix.  18)  connects  primarily  with  "UN 
D'U,  and  appears  attracted  by  this  thought,  so 
"VOX  "UDDO  frTtfin  relates  primarily  to  DJ.',  thus 
to  Israel.  Why  may  one  not  think  first  of  Israel 
in  reference  to  the  deliverance  from  imprison- 
ment, seeing  the  entire  second  part  of  Isaiah  is 
primarily  a  book  of  consolation  for  Israel  in  cap- 
tivity ?  But  to  prevent  our  thinking  that  the 
opening  of  eyes  refers  only  to  the  heathen,  and 
the  leading  out  of  prison  only  to  Israel,  the  Pro- 
phet adds  a  third  clause,  that  combines  both  fac- 
tors, and  thus  intimates  that  also  those  sitting  in 
darkness  shall  be  freed,  and  those  languishing  in 
prison  be  enlightened.  From  this  appears  how 
unjust  to  the  text  a  rough,  outward  construction 
like  KNOBEL'S  is.  For  did  the  heathen,  then, 
share  Israel's  captivity  in  Babylon  ?  Certainly 
not.  But  there  is  a  blindness  and  a  captivity 
under  which  both  Israel  and  the  heathen  labored 
(comp.  Acts  xxvi.  17,  18).  At  the  same  time  it 
must  not  be  denied,  that  also  acts  of  physical  de- 
liverance are  to  be  regarded  as  degrees  of  the  ful- 
filment of  our  prophecy,  e.  g.,  from  the  chains  of 
prison  and  darkness,  like  the  deliverance  from 
the  Babylonish  Exile,  and  those  acts  of  healing 
that  the  personal  Servant  of  Jehovah  did  during 
His  life  on  earth  (comp.  ix.  1 ;  Matt.  iv.  14-16, 
with  ibid.  ver.  23).  Light  and  freedom,  there- 
fore light  and  right  (for  freedom  is  his  right 
whom  the  prison  holds  not  or  holds  no  longer) 
will  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  bring  to  the  world.  | 
Should  not  one  think  here  of  the  Urim  and 
Thummim  of  the  High- Priest  (Exod.  xxviii.  30),  j 
and  consequently  construe  this  offering  of  light 
and  right  as  the  priestly  activity  of  the  Servant  I 
of  Jehovah  ?  The  expression  dwellers  in  dark-  ; 
ness  occurs  only  here  and  Ps.  cvii.  10.  Comp. 
Isa.  ix.  1. 

4.  I  am  the  Lord  —  of  them. — Vexs.  8,  9. 
The  verses  6,  7  form  the  pith  of  the  strophe ; 
which  is  prefaced  (ver.  5)  by  words  that  let  us  in- 
fer its  significance,  and  is  concluded  bv  just  such 
words  (vers.  8,  9).  The  words  Hirv  'JK,  that  di- 
rectly follow  the  pith  of  the  strophe,  seem  to  cor- 
respond to  the  words  of  similar  meaning  with 
which  (ver.  6)  it  immediately  begins.  They  are 
therefore  in  apposition  with  HIIT  'JK  at  the  be- 
ginning of  ver.  6,  and  to  be  translated  ''  I  Jeho- 
vah "  (not  "  I  am  Jehovah").  Verily  it  must  be 
something  great  which  the  LORD  twice  announces 


with  the  words,  "  I,  Jehovah,  do  it."  It  must  be 
something  that  only  Jehovah  can  do  ;  thus  some- 
thing far  beyond  the  power  of  a  man  or  of  any 
other  creature.  Jehovah,  however,  can  do  it  be"- 
cause  He  is  called  miT,  i.  e.,  according  to  ExoH. 
iii.  14,  the  eternally  existent,  the  absolutely  ex- 
istent (in  'D#  Kin,  appears  even  a  reminiscence 
of  *Qw  !"IT,  Exod.  iii.  15),  who  just  thereby  is  dis- 
tinguished from  all  other  beings,  that  either  have 
no  real  existence  at  all,  as  idols,  or  that  have  not 
the  source  of  their  existence  in  themselves.  Did 
the  LORD  not  do  what  He  has  promised,  vers.  6, 
7,  His  name  would  lie.  He  would  not  then  be 
what  He  calls  Himself;  He  were  a  liar  and  de- 
ceiver, like  those  that  unjustly  assume  the  name 
"  god."  Thus  He  pledges  the  honor  of  His  name 
for  the  fulfilment  of  what  is  promised,  vers.  6  7. 
But  the  LORD  must  do  this  not  only  to  be  con- 
sistent with  Himself;  He  does  it  also  in  order  that 
I  His  honor  may  not  unlawfully  be  taken  by  an- 
other. Did  He  promise  and  not  fulfil,  He  would 
j  not  be  distinguished  from  idols.  Indeed,  in  a 
!  certain  sense,  He  would  be  less  than  idols.  For 
|  not  to  be  able  to  prophesy  at  all  (xli.  21)  were 
better  than  to  prophesy  and  not  fulfil.  In  a  quite 
similar  sense  xlviii.  11.  But,  moreover,  the  LORD 
may  not  risk  the  coming  to  pass  of  the  great 
things  spoken  of,  vers.  6,  7,  without  His  haviny 
previously  foretold  them,  lest  Israel  say  as  in  xlviii. 
5,  "  mine  idol  hath  done  them,"  etc.'  Thus,  as  in 
xli.  4,  22  sqq.,  by  prophesying  them,  He  vindi- 
cates the  future  things  as  His  plan  and  His  work, 
and  proves  His  divinity.  But  as  He  does  not  now 
first  begin  to  prophesy,  but  had  done  it  already 
in  the  remote  past,  so  He  can  now  point,  not  only 
to  the  future  fulfilment  of  what  is  now  prophesied, 
but  also  to  the  actual  fulfilment  of  what  was  for- 
merly prophesied.  Thus  present  fulfilment  is 
security  for  that  which  is  to  be.  Accordingly,  by 
fiUtWOn,  ver.  9,  I  cannot,  with  DELITZSCH  and 
others,  understand  the  immediate  future,  but 
only  that  foretold  in  the  past.  If  the  mjU'&O 
were  ''  the  appearance  of  Cyrus  and  the  move- 
ments of  the  nations  connected  therewith,"  then 
instead  of  'N3  it  must  read  H1N3  (comp.  xli.  22). 
How  can  fulfilments  still  future,  any  way,  be  the 
pledge  of  others  also  future  ?  I  understand,  there- 
fore, by  the  former  things  the  totality  of  pro- 
phecies made  from  the  days  of  the  Patriarchs  to 
the  catastrophe  of  Assyria,  and  in  part  fulfilled, 
and  lay  new  things  (comp.  xlviii.  6)  all  that 
the  Prophet  has  to  say  concerning  the  future 
salvation  that  begins  with  Cyrus.  These  are  the 
things  which  the  Prophet,  with  the  actual  or  the 
ideal  present  in  view,  designates  as  not  recogni- 
zable even  in  their  buds  (comp.  xliii.  19). 


3.    THE  SEEVANT  OF  GOD  AS  A  STEONG  GOD. 
CHAPTER  XLII.  10-17. 

10       Sing  unto  the  LORD  a  new  song, 

And  his  praise  from  the  end  of  the  earth, 

Ye  that  go  down  ato  the  sea,  and  'all  that  is  therein ; 

The  isles,  and  the  inhabitants  thereof. 


CHAP.  XLII.  10-17. 


453 


11  Let  the  wilderness  and  the  cities  thereof  lift  up  their  voice, 
The  villages  that  Kedar  doth  inhabit : 

Let  the  inhabitants  of  the  rock  sing, 

Let  them  shout  from  the  top  of  the  mountains. 

12  Let  them  give  glory  unto  the  LORD, 
And  declare  his  praise  in  the  islands. 

13  The  LORD  shall  go  forth  as  a  mighty  man, 
He  shall  stir  up  bjealousy  like  a  man  of  war : 
He  shall  cry,  yea,  roar  ; 

He  shall  2prevail  against  his  enemies. 

14  I  have  long  time  holden  my  peace; 

I  have  been  still  and  refrained  myself: 
Now  will  I  cry  like  a  travailing  woman ; 
I  will  "destroy  and  Mevour  at  once. 

15  I  will  make  waste  mountains  and  hills, 
And  dry  up  all  their  herbs ; 

And  I  will  make  the  rivers  islands, 
And  I  will  dry  up  the  dpools. 

16  And  I  will  bring  ethe  blind  by  a  way  that  they  knew  not ; 
I  will  lead  them  in  paths  that  they  have  not  known  : 

I  will  make  darkness  light  before  them, 

And  'crooked  things  Straight. 

These  things  will  I  do  unto  them,  and  not  forsake  them. 

17  They  shall  be  turned  back,  they  shall  be  greatly  ashamed, 
That  trust  in  graven  images, 

That  say  to  molten  images, 
Ye  are  our  gods. 


1  Heb.  the  fulness  thereof. 
3  Heb.  swallow,  or,  sup  up. 

»  on. 
*  lakes. 


b  his  zeal. 
•  blind  ones. 


*  Or,  behave  himself  mightily. 

*  Heb.  into  straightness. 

«  pant  and  gasp. 

1  crooked  ways  to  a  flat  field. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Sen  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words:    Ver.  10. 
pNH     rttfpO—  IN^n.    Ver.  11.    TT1Y.     Ver.  13.  fm, 
Hiph.—  13J    Hithp.     Ver.  li.    071/0—  nt^D—  i^n 
p3X—  Hyatt 


Ver.  15.   Almost  al    the  words. 


Ver.  10.  jnXH  nypO  depends  on  O't^-  But  that 
Hebrew  usage  is  lo  be  noted  which  puts  the  terminus  a 
quo  where  we  put  the  terminus  in  quo.  Comp.  xvii.  13  ; 
Gen.  i.  7.  Thus  our  way  of  expressing  it  would  be  "at 
the  end  of  the  earth."  But  when  even  the  furthest  off 
praise  the  LOUD,  certainly  those  lying  between  are  not 
excluded.  -  The  words  IX  7D?  DTI  'T1V  strongly  re- 
mind one  of  Ps.  xcvi.  11,  and  xcviii.  7,  where  it  reads 
i«701  DTI  D.JJ"V,  which  is  the  more  remarkable 
seeing  these  Psalms  belong  to  those  that  begin  with 
U/"in  "Vfif  ''7  1"Vt^  LOWTH  conjectures  for  this  reason 
that  we  ought  instead  of  '"HI"1  to  read  here  DJ7T  (or 
jtTT,  f  "V  or  the  like).  But  DjJ'V  would  not  suit  the  fol- 
lowing DrraiTI  D"N. 

Ver.  12.  The  expression  "l'n.3  D'K'i  beside  the  pre- 
sent, occurs  only  Josh.  vii.  19  ;  comp.  Ps.  Ixvi.  2. 

Ver.  14.  nc^n  (comp.  nDi"l)  is  more  "  to  be  quiet," 

T    T  T  T 

while  cnn,  agreeably  to  the  fundamental  meaning  inci- 

-  T 

dere,  insculptre,  means  primarily  "to  be  deaf  and  dumb" 
(comp.  Ku<t>6s  from  Kotma,  obtusus,  the  dull,  dumb). 
henco  -'to  be  silent."  The  imperfects  JJ/'TnX  and 


GRAMMATICAL. 

p3Nf\X  signify,  (by  reason  of  TTtynn  that  represents 
the  silence  generally  as  an  accomplished  fa?t),  the  sin- 
gle acts  of  keeping  still  that  constantly  followed  each 

other  in  the  past. HJ^X,  an.  Aey.    The  root  n^3 

occurs  only  in  the  serpent  name  n^3K  (xxx.  6;  lix.  5; 
Job  xx.  16),  in  the  substantive  y3X  (xli.  24  which  see) 
and  in  the  name  of  the  midwife  r\J?13  (Exol.  i.  15). 
Both  that  serpent-name  and  the  kindred  roots  HX3, 

T  T 

Hi3  involve  the  meaning  "  to  breathe,  blow."  In  Chald., 
however,  HJ73  means  directly  "  to  cry,"  and  is  espe- 
cially used  of  the  bleating  of  sheep.  Thence  come  the 
substantives  DTS  "  vociferatio,"  and  Nrv  U£J  mulier  cla- 

-f':  T  :  ~T 

mosa.  We  will  likely  come  nearest  the  truth  if  we  take 
nj?3  to  mean  the  loud  groaning,  joined  with  lamenta- 
tion, of  the  travailing  woman,  which,  too,  offers  an  ad- 
mirable explanation  of  the  name  7TJN3  for  a  midwife. 
There  is,  moreover,  an  assonance  in  HJ'3X  and  D3XHK, 
that  continues  in  Dt^K  and  P|X#X.  To  derive  D#X 
from  DOiy,  vastatem  esse,  because  in  Ezek.  xxxvi.  3 
i  are  found  conjoined,  is  forbidden  both  by 
and  the  context.  It  is  rather  derived  from 
D$3i  an  unused  root,  indeed,  but  one  that  occurs  in  the 
substantive  D02/J- 

Ver.  17.  With  1^3".  instead  of  the  inf.  absol.,  we  have 
a  noun  of  the  same  stem  as  in  xxii.  17,  18;  xiv.  19,  22; 
xxix.  14;  xxxiii.  4;  bcvi.  10. 


454 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEQETIC^L   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Chapter  xlii.  is  evidently  constructed  as  an 
ascending  and  descending  climax.     The  present 
Btrophe  forms  the  point  of  it ;  the  two  preceding 
ones  lead  up  to  it;  the  two  that  follow  lead  down 
from  it.      Why  should  vers.  10-17  not  refer  to 
the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  when  both  before  and 
after  (comp.  ver.  19)   He  is  the   chief  subject? 
True,  He  is  not  mentioned  in  the  third  strophe. 
But  is  not  He  that  leads  the  blind  the  same  as  He 
that  opens  the  eyes  of  the  blind  and  liberates  the 
prisoners  (ver.  7)  ?     And  is  there  not  a  manifest 
contrast  presented  between  Him  that  does  not  cry 
(ver.  2)  and  Him  that  cries  and  roars  (ver.  13)? 
And  does  not  the  negative,  ver.  4,  form  the  tran- 
sition to  the  positive  statement  that  the  Servant  of 
Jehovah  will  be  also  the  opposite  of  one  that  does 
not  cry,  and  that  does  not  let  His  voice  be  heard 
in  the  streets?     It  must  indeed  be  an  exceeding 
glorious  fact,  for  whose  praise  the  whole  earth 
(ver.  12)  is  summoned.     Yea,  that  is  the  wonder, 
that  the  one  described  in  vers.  2,  3  as  quiet  and 
meek,  is  at  the  same  time  Jehovah  Himself,  who 
goes  forth  as  an  angry  warrior  against  His  ene- 
mies (ver.  13).     He  has  long  kept  silence:  did 
He  not  even  suffer  the  whole  heathen  world  to  go 
its  own  way  (Acts  xiv.  16).     At  last,  however, 
He  rouses  Himself.     Like  a  travailing  woman, 
amid  mighty  sorrows   He   brings  about  a  new 
order  of  things  (ver.  14).     He  makes  heathendom 
wither ;  but  the  heathen  that  have  preserved  a 
susceptibility  for  the  truth  He  leads,  like  blind 
men  restored  to  sight,  in  new  ways  of  salvation 
hitherto  unknown  (vers.  15,  16).     He  will  cer- 
tainly accomplish  this  to  the  confusion  of  those 
that  continue  to  trust  in  false  gods  (ver.  17). 

2.  Sing  unto islands.— Vers.  10-12.    A 

oew  song  is  becoming  for  the  new  matter ;  like 
new  skin-bottles  for  new  wine  (Matth.  ix.  17). 
The  expression  a  new  song  occurs,  Ps.  xxxiii. 
3;  xl.  4;  xcvi.  1;  xcviii.  1;  cxliv.  9;  cxlix.  1: 
'•'sing  unto  the  LORD  a  new  song"  occurs,  Ps. 
xxxiii.  3;  xcvi.  1;  xcviii.  1;  cxlix.  1.     It  is  to 
be    noted,    too,   that  the  more  ancient  of  these 
Pss.  (xxxiii.,  xcvi.,  xcviii.)  have  all  of  them,  I 
may  say,  an   ecumenical   character,  in  that  all 
treat  of  the  mutual  relation  of  Jehovah  aad  of  all 
creation,  i.  e.,  of  the  power  of  Jehovah  over  all 
that  is  created,  and  of  the  duty  of  the  latter  to 
worship  and  praise  the  LORD.   Ps.  xl.  4  and  cxliv. 
9  express  only  the  author's  purpose  to  sing  a  new 
pong  to  the  LORD.     Bui  Ps.  cxlix.,  certainly  a 
late  song  and  an  imitation,  has  a  very  particular- 
istic  character.     One   may   say,  therefore,   that 
here,  like  in  chapter  xii.,  (he  author  strikes  up 
the  psalm  tone.     He  summons  those  to  praise 
who  are  on  the  pea,  and  those  that  are  in  the  sea, 
as  immediately  after  he  directs  the  same  summons 
to  the  isles  and  their  inhabitants,  to  the  wilder- 
ness and  its  towns.     The  DTI  mv  are  not  those 
that  go  down  to  the  sea,  but  those  that  sail  down 
the  sea,  as  appears  plainly  from  Ps.  cvii.  23,  the 
only  other  place  where  the  expression  occurs. 
For  the  sea,  optically  regarded,  may  be  conceived 
as  an  elevation  (comp.  Luke  v.  4) ;  thus,  as  really 
seen,  the  sea  presents  itself  as  flowing.     Flowing 
water,  however,  cannot  mount  up.     It  seems  to 
me  far  fetched,  when  DELITZSCH  supposes  that 
Ezion-Geber  is  the  Prophet's  point  of  view  in 


calling  out.  I  rather  think  that  by  those  sail- 
ing down  the  sea  and  isles,  which  he  con- 
ceives as  between  his  point  of  view  and  "  the  ends 
of  the  earth,"  the  Prophet  would  signify  the  west. 
Behind  him  lie  the  desert  and  the  villages  of  the 
Arabs  (D?p  'J3)  on  the  east;  on  the  left  he  has 
the  rock  city  (>? 7D),  and  on  the  right  mountains, 
t.  e.,  to  the  south  the  mountain  of  Edom,  to 
the  north  Lebanon.  Regarding  WW\,  see  on  ver. 

2.  It  is  well  known  that  in  the  desert,  too,  there 
were  and  are  cities  (fortified  places).    Comp.,  e.  g., 
Josh.  xv.  61,  62 ;  xx.  8.     The  D^i'n  (comp.  Lev. 
xxv.  31)  are  opposed  on  the  one  hand  to  cities, 
on  the  other  to  the  mere  lent  encampments  ;  like 
Hadarije  (stationary   Arabs)    are   distinguished 
from   Wabarije  (tent- Arabs)    (DELITZSCH).     On 
Kedar  comp.  at  xxi.  16.  There  were  hardly  dwell- 
ers in  the  rocks  numerous  enough,  in  an  appella- 
tive sense,  to  make  it  worth  while  naming  them 
here,  where  only  grand  genera  are  mentioned. 
But  the  Prophet  might  very  well,  in  order  to  sig- 
nify the  South,  think  of  the  great  rock  city  of 
Edom  (Petra,  comp.  on  xvi.  1).     But  I  do  not 
think  he  intends  by  "  mountains"  only  the  moun- 
tains near  Petra ;  for  then  the  North  would  be 
entirely  omitted.     Hence  I  think  we  must  under- 
stand the  great  mountains  to  the  north  of  Pales- 
tine.    As  object  of  the  crying  out,  ver.  12  again 
expressly  mentions  the  honor  and  praise  of  Jeho- 
vah.    The   islands  are  named  as  representing 
the  remotest  regions. 

3.  The  Lord  shall  go forsake  them. — 

Vers.  13-16.  As  in  the  preceding  strophe  we  dis- 
tinguished a  kernel,  and  a  preface  and  conclusion, 
forming,  so  to  speak,  a  shell  for  it,  FO  we  must  do 
here.  From  the  extent  of  the  preface  and  its 
elevated  tone,  we  observe  that  the  kernel  must  be 
something  highly  significant.  Vers.  13-16  cease 
to  speak  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah.  But  He  re- 
appears, ver.  22.  Instead  appears  Jehovah  Him- 
self, ver.  13.  And  things  are  affirmed  of  Jehovah 
that  partly  agree,  partly  form  a  strange  contrast 
with  what  before  and  after  is  imputed  to  the  Ser- 
vant of  Jehovah.  When  it  is  said,  ver.  7,  that 
the  Servant  of  Jehovah  will  open  the  eyes  of  the 
blind  and  free  the  prisoner,  is  that  essentially 
different  from  what  we  read,  ver.  16,  of  leading 
the  blind,  etc.  f  Do  these  blind  remain  blind  ? 
What,  then,  has  the  LORD  to  do  with  blind  per- 
sons! Or  are  the  ways  that  He  leads  them  not 
ways  of  freedom  and  salvation?  But  if,  vers.  2, 

3,  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  appears  as  one  that 
does  not  cry,  but  is  meek  and  gentle,  how  comes 
it  that,  vers.  13,  14,  Jehovah  is  portrayed  as  an 
impetuous  warrior,  that  cries  and  groans?     And 
this  appears  in  the  climax-strophe  of  our  chap- 
ter to  which  the  preceding  strophes  lead  up,  and 
from  which  those  following  lead  down!     I  cannot 
believe  that  the  third  of  the  five  strophes  of  our 
chapter  can  treat  of  a  foreign  subject.     It  must 
be  the  same,  though  the  form  makes  it  difficult  to 
delect  the  unity.     And  in  fact  it  was  difficult  for 
the  Prophet  himself,  a  very  riddle,  to  comprehend 
the  unity  of  Jehovah  and  His  Servant,  just  as  it 
must  assuredly  have  been  also  an  inexplicable 
mystery  that  the  Son  of  David  should  at  the  same 
time  be  Mighty  God,  Everlasting  Father,  Prince 
of  Peace  (ix.  5).     I  do  not  say,  therefore,  thai 


CHAP.  XLI1.  10-17. 


455 


Isaiah  here  produces  a  doctrine  in  an  unhistori- 
cal  way,  that  must  remain  hidden  from  himself. 
But  1  do  say  that  the  Spirit  of  God  intimates 
here  a  relation  of  Jehovah  to  His  Servant,  which, 
of  course,  only  presents  itself  to  us  in  entire  clear- 
ness in  the  New  Testament  history;  but  which, 
now  we  stand  in  this  clear  light,  we  can  and 
ought  thereby  to  detect  in  its  Old  Testament  en- 
velope. OEHLEB  begins  the  article  Messias  in 
HERZ.,  R.-Enc  ,  with  these  words:  "According 
to  the  view  of  Old  Testament  prophecy,  the  com- 
pletion of  salvation  is  brought  about  by  the  per- 
sonal coming  of  Jehovah  in  His  glory.  He  Him- 
xelf  appears  amid  the  rejoicing  of  the  whole  crea- 
tion for  the  restoration  of  His  kingdom  on  earth. 
Ps.  xcvi.  10  sqq'. ;  xcviii.  7  sqq.,"  etc.  It  is  re- 
markable that  OEIILER,  in  support  of  his  thought, 
cites  precisely  those  Pss.  which,  as  above  shown, 
have  such  resemblance  to  our  passage.  It  is  ad- 
mitted by  expositors  that  these  Pss.  have  gene- 
rally a  near  relation  to  Isa.  xl. — Ixvi.  (comp. 
MOLL  on  Ps.  xcvi.  sqq.).  May  we  not  have  in 
Pss.  xcvi.,  xcviii.  the  oldest  commentary  on  our 
passage,  a  testimony  that  already  in  the  time 
after  the  Exile  our  passage  was  referred  to  the 
Messiah,  therefore  that  the  unity  of  the  Messiah 
and  Jehovah  was  recognized? 

The  Prophet,  then,  here  describes  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah  from  another  side.  He,  the  quiet, 
and  meek  One,  is  at  the  same  time  El-Gibbor, 
and  hence  it  may  be  said  of  Him:  Jehovah  goes 
forth  like  a  mighty  man. — But  as  being  El- 
Gibbor  he  is  no  more  called  Servant  of  Jehovah; 
for  the  El-Gibhor  has  laid  aside  the  form  of  a 
servant.  Further  on  this  see  below  under  Doc- 


trinal and  Ethical,  p.  461,  \  9.  An  niDH  70  CTN  is  a 
man  that  carries  on  many  wars  (comp.  2  Sam. 
viii.  10;  1  Chr.  xviii.  10).  The  expression  He 
shall  stir  up  jealousy  (sc.  in  Himself)  recalls 
passages  like  Ps.  Ixxviii.  38 ;  Dan.  xi.  25  ;  Hag.  i. 
14  ;  Isa.  lix.  17.  The  intensive  ^X,  comp.  xliii.  7. 
The  enemies  against  whom  Jehovah  goes  forth 
are  manifestly  the  same  that  as  conquered,  yet  at 
the  same  time  blessed,  are  to  offer  praise  and 
thanks  to  the  LORD  (vers.  10-12).  The  entire 
heathen  world  is  meant.  This  is  confirmed  by 
ver.  17  that  speaks  of  the  confusion  of  those  that 
persist  in  serving  idols  in  spite  of  their  know- 
ledge of  God. 

It  is  quite  preposterous,  with  HAHN,  to  assume 
a  dividing  line  between  vers.  13  and  14.  Ver. 
14  sqq.  first  gives  us  light  concerning  what  the 
LORD  intends  according  to  ver.  13.  They  con- 
tain the  words  that  announce  the  object  of  the  ex- 
pedition of  Him  that  goes  forth.  From  everlast- 
ing the  Lord  had  kept  silence — Did  the  text 
treat  only  of  the  deliverance  of  Israel  from  exile, 

D/IJJD  might  then  be  referred  to  the  beginning 
of  it,  and  then  the  Exile  would  be  represented  as 
an  immeasurable  period  during  which  the  LORD 
had  kept  silence  (comp.  on  Ivii.  11).  But  the  refer- 
ence is  not  merely  to  Israel's  deliverance,  but  to  a 
deliverance  in  which  all  humanity,  the  heathen  in- 
cluded, and  even  all  nature,  shall  participate,  as  ap- 
pears most  plainly  from  the  rejoicing  of  the  same 
vers.  10-12.  For  the  same  reason  the  "for-ever" 
cannot  begin  with  the  elevation  of  Israel  into  a 
nation,  i.  e.,  the  departure  out  of  Egypt.  If  the 
LORD  has  in  mind  the  heathen  world,  then  it 


must  be  in  reference  to  them  that  He  has  so  long 
kept  silence.  How  long  was  this  7  Without 
doubt  since  in  Abraham  He  separated  a  tiny  little 
part  of  mankind  to  be  a  special  sphere  for  a  pre 
paratory  revelation,  while  the  great  mass  that 
was  left  He  "  suffered  to  walk  in  their  own  ways," 
Acts  xiv.  16.  He  had  not,  indeed,  omitted  now 
and  then  to  remind  the  heathen  of  Himself,  and 
the  double  exile  of  His  servant,  the  people  Israel, 
especially  served  this  purpose.  But,  in  general, 
the  heathen  woild  is  that  part  of  mankind  that 
was  actually  to  experience  what  must  become  of 
human  nature  when  God  surrenders  it,  unin- 
fluenced by  revelation,  wholly  to  the  free  unfold- 
ing of  its  natural  powers.  In  reference  to  these, 
the  LORD  may  well  say  :  I  kept  silence  from  the 
remotest  time.  In  contrast  with  this  silence  of 
milleniums  will  the  LORD,  i.  e.,  the  Servant  of 
Jehovah  identical  with  Jehovah,  enter  finally 
upon  His  conquest  of  the  heathen  world.  By 
this  He  effects  something  quite  new.  lie  calls 
into  being  a  new  covenant  with  mankind.  Hence 
He  represents  this  new,  hitherto  unheard  of 
deed  as  a  birth  that  is  accomplished  only  by 
means  of  great  effort  and  acute  pains.  And  may 
not,  in  fact,  the  spread  of  Christianity  among  the 
heathen,  with  all  the  pains,  dangers  and  Conflicts 
that  attended  it,  be  compared  with  the  painful 
breaking  forth  of  a  fruit  from  the  womb  of  a 
mother?  This  is  one  of  the  passages  where  to 
Jehovah  is  imputed  action  proper  to  women,  and 
particularly  a  mother  (comp.  xlvi.  3  sq.;  xlix.  15). 

If  the  heathen  are  intended  here,  then  by  I  will 
make  -waste  mountains  and  hills,  and  dry 
up  the  rivers  and  pools,  ver.  15,  are  meant 
heathen  heights  and  heathen  waters.  Mountain 
heights  are  often  enough  representatives  of  the 
civilization  of  which  they  are  the  locality,  and 
great  waters  representative  of  the  populations 
that  dwell  about  them.  Therefore  we  must  con- 
strue vers.  15,  16  figuratively,  just  as  we  did  vers. 
13,  14,  and  understand  by  mountains  and  rivers 
the  heathen  world.  If  by  mountains  and  waters 
be  understood  the  land  of  exile  in  a  physical 
sense,  would  not  that  conflict  with  what  was  said 
xli.  18  sq.  ?  Would  not  the  people  of  God  suffer 
by  this  drying  up?  But  what  is  meant  by  the 
Servant  of  Jehovah  drying  up  the  heathen  world  ? 
I  think  that  by  that  the  LORD  means  a  spiritual 
drying-up.  At  the  time  the  Servant  of  Jehovah 
goes  forth  into  the  heathen  world,  the  latter  will 
have  survived  itself.  It  will  have  become  in- 
wardly powerless  and  sapless.  It  will  exist  like 
a  withered  tree,  like  the  bed  of  a  stream  having 
water  only  in  its  deepest  places,  whereas  the 
shallower  parts  appear  like  islands — like  adried- 
up  lake.  Only  call  to  mind  utterances  like 
Pilate's  "what  is  truth"  (John  xviii.  38)  for 
proof  of  this  cheerless,  dried-up  state  of  heathen- 
dom. I  will  make  the  rivers  islands  re- 
minds of  Ps.  cvii.  33. 

Ver.  16.  I  cannot  understand  Israel  to  be  in- 
tended by  the  blind  here;  for  they  are  not  such 
in  either  a  physical  or  a  spiritual  sense.  Nor 
would  blindness  alone  be  mentioned  to  describe 
a  general  condition  of  misery  (comp.  xli.  17; 
xxxv.  5;  xxix.  18).  I  think,  therefore,  that 
those  heathen  are  meant,  whom  the  LORD  leads 
out  of  the  shrivelled-up  heathendom  into  tho 
light  which  His  Servant  brings  into  the  world. 


456 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


These  are  opposed  to  the  ones  (ver.  17)  that  per- 
sist in  idolatry.  It  is,  therefore,  spiritual  and  not 
physical  blindness  that  is  meant  (comp.  xliii.  8). 
The  same  Servant  of  Jehovah  whose  office  and 
calling  are  to  open  eyes  in  general,  will  do  this 
lor  the  heathen  too,  leading  them  ways  they 
knew  not:  for  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God  and 
of  His  salvation  had  been  shut  up  from  them.  But 
those  that  are  so  led  cease  to  be  blind.  Hence 
the  Prophet  continues  :  I  will  make  darkness 
light  before  them,  i.  e.,  the  previous  darkness 
shall  give  place  to  light,  consequently  they  will 
have  gained  powers  of  sight.  To  this  corresponds 
what  follows  :  and  (I  will  make)  crooked 
things  (ways)  (comp.  lix.  8j  to  a  flat  field. 
When  this  is  done,  they  will  no  more  go  astray 
in  crooked  roads,  but  will  walk  straight  and 
right  ways.  What  I  may  call  the  imposing  in- 
troduction vers.  10-12  having  prepared  us  for 


something  great,  the  last  clause  of  ver.  16  in  turn 
testifies  to  the  greatness  and  marvel  of  the  things 
that  have  been  held  in  prospect  from  ver.  13  on. 
Lest  it  be  thought  more  has  been  promised  than 
can  be  performed,  the  LORD  gives  an  express 
assurance  of  the  contrary.  Notice  the  definite 
article.  Not  things  in  general  :  no,  it  is  the 
things.  It  is  His  whole,  great  work  in  nuce,  His 
entire  plan  of  salvation  that  is  drawn  in  its  fun- 
damental  features  from  ver.  13  on.  Both  the 
Perfects  and  the  positive  affirmation  followed  by 


the  negative  (OTGiy  K^l)  are  meant  to  confirm 
the  certainty  of  the  eventual  fulfilment. 
_  Ver.  17.  But  this  salvation  will  not  be  the  por- 
tion of  all  blind  heathen.  Therefore  it  reads, 
too,  ver.  16,  D")].?,  not  Dniyn.  Many  will  re- 
main blind.  Of  these  it  is  said  :  They  shall 
be  turned  back,  etc. 


4.  THE  SERVANT  OF  THE  LORD  HIMSELF  DEAF  AND  BLIND. 

CHAPTER  XLII.  18-21. 

18  Hear,  ye  deaf; 

And  look,  ye  blind,  that  ye  may  see. 

19  Who  is  blind,  but  my  servant? 

Or  deaf,  as  my  messenger  that  I  "sent  ? 
Who  is  blind  as  he  that  is  "perfect, 
And  blind  as  the  LORD'S  servant? 

20  "Seeing  many  things,  but  thou  observest  not  ; 
dOpening  the  ears,  but  he  heareth  not. 

21  The  LORD  is  well  pleased  for  his  righteousness'  sake ; 
He  will  magnify  the  law,  and  make1  it  honorable. 


'  Or,  him. 

•send. 

« Many  eyes  see. 


*rndowed  with  salvation  (Heilbegabte). 
*  Ears  he  opens. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Is  then  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  ever  re- 
proached? And  if  Israelis  deaf  and  blind  to- 
ward the  word  of  the  LORD,  can  it  as  deaf  and 
blind  be  called  the  servant  of  the  LORD?  Indeed, 
according  to  his  very  being,  the  latter  cannot  shut 
himself  up  against  the  spirit  and  word  of  Je- 
hovah. It  was  said,  ver.  3,  that  the  Servant  of 
Jehovah  will  reveal  the  right  and  law  of  God  by 
a  discipline  of  lowliness  and  gentleness  ;  accord- 
ing to  ver  7  He  will  open  blind  eyes  and  deliver 
from  the  fetters  of  sin  and  error.  And  shall,  ver. 
18  sqq.,  by  the  same  expression  "  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah," be  designated  also  Israel,  that  is  even  , 
deaf  and  blind  witli  respect  to  God's  revelation  ?  '-. 
Moreover  how  utterly  disconnected  an  earnest  ! 
complaint  against  the  nation  must  appear  here, 
after  the  glorious  promise  of  vers.  13-17  !  DE- 
LITZSCH  supposes  that  the  blind  to  whom,  ver. 
16,  freedom  is  promised,  provoked  not  only  the 
compassion  bnt  also  the  displeasure  of  the  LORD, 
because  it  was  their  own  fault  that  they  did  not 
see.  To  them  is  the  call  to  rid  themselves  of  the 
ban  that  rests  on  them.  But  the  blind  of  ver. 
15  do  not  stay  blind.  According  to  16  6  the 


darkness  becomes  light  before  them.    How  does 
that  accord  with  vers.  18-20  ? 

In  my  opinion  the  two  strophes  vers.  18-21 
and  22-25  present  the  reverse  side  or  descending 
climax  of  the  chapter,  of  which  the  other,  or 
i  light  side  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  was  given 
in  vers.  1-17.  It  is  a  new  contrast  that  we  ob- 
serve here.  He  that  opens  the  eyes  of  others  is 
Himself  blind.  The  crying  mighty-man,  ver.  13, 
corresponds  to  the  quiet  Servant  of  Jehovah,  ver. 
2 ;  so  here  the  Servant  that  is  Himself  blind, 
ver.  19,  corresponds  to  Him  that  opens  eyes  for 
others,  ver.  7.  The  strophes  correspond  cross- 
wise ;  the  first  to  the  third,  the  second  to  the 
fourth,  and  each  time  it  is  contrasts  that  corres- 
pond. How  entirely  one  misconceives  the  unity 
of  this  chapter  who  fails  to  recognize  in  the  Ser- 
vant of  Jehovah  ver.  18  the  same  that  was  already 
observed  in  vers.  1-9 !  The  deaf  and  blind  of 
the  People  of  Israel,  or  rather  the  People  Israel 
as  consisting  of  deaf  and  blind,  i.  e.,  as  one  gen- 
erally sick  and  wretched,  is  summoned  (ver.  18) 
to  give  heed  for  its  salvation  to  a  double  wonder 
that  happens  with  the  Servant  of  Jehovah.  He 


CHAP.  XLII.  18-21. 


457 


is  Himself  so  blind  and  deaf  that  no  one  equals 
Him  in  blindness  and  deafness  (ver.  19)!  He 
that  had  healed  many  blind  eyes,  Himself  ob- 
serves nothing  (ver.  20) !  This  is  the  first  won- 
der. But  in  this  one,  apparently  Himself  so  sick, 
the  LORD  has  pleasure  for  His  righteousness' 
sake.  By  virtue  of  the  same,  He  will  give  the 
world  a  new,  glorious  law  (ver.  21) ;  and  this  is 
the  second  wonder. 

2.  Hear  ye  deaf honorable. — Vers.  18- 

21.  The  deaf  and  blind  here  are,  any  way,  such 
as  hear  and  see  if  they  will.  Otherwise  how  can 
they  be  summoned  to  see  and  hear.  And  when 
(ver.  20)  they  are  summoned  to  notice  that  He 
Himself  does  not  hear,  and  yet  opens  ears,  etc., 
and  yet  is  an  object  of  divine  approval,  and  gives 
the  world  a  new  and  more  glorious  law,  then 
only  those  can  be  meant  who  should  be  witnesses 
of  these  marvellous  contrasts  in  the  life  of  the 
personal  Servant  of  Jehovah.  To  these  is  inti- 
mated that  in  these  contrasts  is  contained  the 
mystery  of  their  -deliverance.  But  they  are  deaf 
and  blind  who  will  not  see  (vi.  9,  10 ;  Matt.  xiii. 
13  sqq.).  It  is  the  hardened  nation  Israel  which 
therefore  fares  as  we  read  afterwards  ver.  22. — 

Plfcp?,  ver.  18,  is  to  be  referred  to  both  the  fore- 
going verbs  (zeugmatically)  in  the  general  sense 
of  observing.  As  I  find  chapter  xlii.  draws  the 
fundamental  traits  of  the  personal  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah in  general,  so  here,  as  appears  to  me,  those 
traits  are  especially  sketched  that  are  further  de- 
veloped in  chapter  liii.  We  remarked  at  ver.  16 
a  difference  between  blindness  mentioned  alone, 
and  mentioned  with  other  deficiencies.  In  the 
latter  case  the  deficiencies  named  may  be  regarded 
as  representing  distress  and  wretchedness  gen- 
erally. Such  is  the  case  here.  It  is  not  meant 
that  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  will  be  only  blind 
and  deaf,  just  as  at  ver.  7  it  was  not  meant  that 
He  would  only  heal  the  blind  and  free  the  pris- 
oner. It  is  natural  that  those  deficiencies  should 
be  named  as  attaching  to  the  Servant  of  Jehovah, 
from  which  He  is  said  to  free  others.  Accordingly, 
to  correspond  with  ver.  7,  He  should  be  described 
as  blind  and  languishing  in  prison.  But  the 
latter  trait  the  Prophet  does  not  observe  in  the 
image  of  the  future  presented  to  him.  Indeed, 
he  describes  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  as  blind  and 
deaf:  thus  as  a  man,  as  one  on  whom  all  heavy 
sorrows  come  down  like  a  tempest,  as  a  picture 
of  grief,  and  beside  as  one  who  runs  blindly 
into  his  destruction  (comp.  Matt.  xvi.  22)  and 
in  the  greatest  danger  remains  dumb  as  a  deaf 
man.  He  sees  these  defects  attaching  to  the 
Servant  of  Jehovah  in  a  degree  unequalled  by 
any  other  man.  In  a  word  :  the  Prophet  be- 
holds the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  not  only  as  the 
one  despised  and  forsaken  of  men,  as  the  man  of 
sorrows  and  acquainted  with  sickness  (liii.  3),  but 
at  the  same  time  as  the  physician  that  can  heal 
others  and  not  Himself  (Luke  iv.  23;  xxiii.  39  ; 
Matt,  xxvii.  40,  42).  And  the  reason  for  this 
strange  appearance?  Isaiah  indicates  it  liii.  4 
sqq.  SEE.  SCHMIDT  signifies  it  with  the  words  : 
'' coer.us est  atquesurdus  im putative."  Only  here 
is  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  called  messenger, 
"angel  of  the  LORD."  It  calls  to  mind  on  the  one 
hand  '•  I  will  send  my  angel"  Gen.  xxiv.  7,  40, 
and  on  the  other  Mai.  iii.  1.  D^Ip,  which  oc- 


curs only  here  as  participle  (as  nom.  propr.  it  oc- 
curs often  :  2  Kings  xxii.  3  ;  xxi.  19,  etc.),  must 

be  construed  according  to  the  analogy  of  Dji^n 
(Job  v.  23),  as  in  pacem,  amicitiam  receptus. 

The  words  of  ver.  20  are  difficult.  Those  that 
understand  the  People  of  Israel  to  be  meant  by 
the  Servant  of  Jehovah  must  take  Q'JfN  Hp3  in 
the  sense  of  ''  to  have  open  ears."  Thus  UM- 
BREIT  translates :  "  with  open  ears  He  hears 
not;"  DELITZSCH  :  ''opening  the  ears  still  He 
does  not  hear ;"  V.  FR.  (EHLER  :  "  open  ears 
has  He,  and  He  hears  not."  But,  in  the  first 
place,  ^P.3,  which  only  here  is  used  of  ears,  being 
everywhere  else  used  of  eyes,  never  means  "  to 
have  eyes."  But  it  must  mean  "to  have"  if 

taken  in  antithesis  to  y3W  X71  :  for  he  that 
hears  not,  though  he  has  ears,  does  not  use  Ids 
ears.  But  one  who  does  not  use  the  ears  he  has 
can  never  be  called  a  D'JTK  npD-  np3  elsewhere 

-   I"  I  -T 

always  means  to  open  the  eyes  of  others  or  one's 
own  eyes  for  the  purpose  of  actual  and  intensive 
use.  Thus  Gen.  iii.  5:  ''And  your  eyes  shall 
be  opened,  and  ye  shall  know  good  and  evil  ;" 
comp.  Gen.  iii.  7  ;  2  Kings  vi.  17,  20  "  LORD 
open  His  eyes  that  he  may  see."  Comp.  2  Kings 
iv.  35;  xix.  16  (Isa.  xxxvii.  17);  Isa.  xxxv.  5; 
Jer.  xxxii.  19;  Zech.  xii.  4;  Dan.  ix.  18;  Pa. 
cxlvi.  8  ;  "LORD  open  (make  see)  the  blind;" 
Prov.  xx.  13 ;  Job  xiv.  3 ;  xxvii.  19.  Finally, 
the  adjective  np3  is  one  that  opens  his  eyes  well, 
a  seeing  person  :  Exod.  iv.  11;  xxiii.  8.  From 
this  it  appears  that  O'JTK  Hp3  and  ^Ot^1  N^l 
would  involve  a  contradiction  if  by  "ears"  be 
understood  his  own  ears  who  opens  them.  For 
to  open  his  own  ears  and  yet  not  hear  is  impossi- 
ble. In  the  second  place,  it  may  not  at  all  be 
accidental  that  fp_3  only  in  our  passage  is  used 
of  opening  ears.  Already  in  ver.  7  we  had  it  in 
reference  to  opening  eyes;  and  it  is  affirmed  of 
the  Servant  of  Jehovah.  May  not  the  Prophet, 
by  using  Hp3  and  not  nr\3  in  ver.  20,  have  in- 
tended, perhaps,  to  give  a  hint  that  the  subject 
of  D'JTX  Hp3  is  identical  with  that  of  D\i7'J?  Pp3? 
Moreover  the  feminine  r\13'i  ver.  20  points  back 
to  rnivy  ver.  7,  and  strengthens  the  conjecture 
that  the  Prophet  would  warn  against  referring 
ver.  20  to  any  other  person  than  the  subject  of 
ver.  7.  If  we  have  correctly  understood  the  sec- 
ond clause  of  ver.  20,  we  have  gained  the  founda- 
tion for  the  understanding  of  the  first-  K'thibh 
is  to  be  read  ^'N^,  the  K'ri  rn'JO.  The  latter  is 
inf.  absol.  Kaf(like  nifl^  xxii.  T13  ;  nny  Hab. 
iii.  13).  Both  of  these  forms  only  make  sense 
when  one  takes  'K  Hp3  =  ''to  have  ears."  For 
then  the  form  H'&O  must  also  some  way  signify 
"  to  have  eyes  "  or  "  to  see,"  and  both  can  be  said 
of  the  servant  of  Jehovah  only  in  the  national 
sense.  But  if  'X  Hp3  means  "  to  open  ears,"  if 

it  stands  parallel  with  ver.  7,  and  if  the  personal 
Servant  of  Jehovah  is  the  subject  of  both  declara- 
tions, then  also  JTXT  cannot  describe  the  seeing  as 
the  action  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah.  It  must 
refer  to  the  seeing  of  others  which  the  Servant 


458 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


of  Jehovah  brings  about.  But  then  one  must 
doubt  the  correctnesB  of  both  the  text  and  the 
margin.  Either  H1X")  is  to  be  pointed  ru'tO 
(comp.  xxx.  20;  Jer.  xx.  4;  xlii.  2,  etc.),  or  a 
H  has  been  dropped  from  before  it.  The  latter 
could  easily  happen  because  of  the  foregoing 
verse  closing  with  H-  The  reading  then  would 
be  JVUOn  (infin.  Hiph.  "to  make  see,"  Deut. 
iii.  24;  i.  33  ;  Exod.  ix.  16,  etc.).  [The  Author's 
labored  exposition  seems  to  originate  and  find  its 
sole  justification  in  the  contradiction  developed 
above:  "to  open  one's  ears  and  not  to  hear  is  im- 
possible;" and  then,  if  this  be  the  sense,  that 
one  must  understand  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  in  a 
national  and  not  a  personal  sense,  and  thus  sur- 
render the  identity  of  subject  in  the  chapter. 
But  the  logical  contradiction  cannot  be  greater 
than  that  presented  in  vi.  9,  and  in  (the  exag- 
geration even  of)  the  same  language  as  quoted 
by  our  Lord  in  Matt.  xiii.  13.  While  adhering 
to  the  Author's  general  view  of  the  whole  chapter, 
and  of  this  ''strophe"  in  particular,  we  may  ad- 
here also  to  the  rendering  of  ver.  20  in  the  Eng. 
Version,  with  which  UMBREIT  AND  DELITZSCH 
(see  above)  agree.  Why  may  not  the  contrasts 
of  this  chapter,  that  the  Author  points  out  (see 
e.  g.,  under  vers.  15,  16),  be  intensified  into  par- 
adoxes and  contradictions  ?  If  the  Spirit  of  God 
in  the  Prophet  has  uttered  the  riddle  of  the 
identity  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  and  Jehovah 
Himself,  the  solution  of  which  can  only  be  seen 
in  the  clear  light  of  the  New  Testament  (see 
under  ver.  12),  why  not  also  the  riddle  of  ver. 
20?  Whv  (like  the  New  Testament  realizations 
to  which  the  Author  refers  under  vers.  19,22) 
is  not  the  verification  of  the  paradoxes  of  ver.  20 
to  be  found  in,  sav,  Acts  i.  7,  and  Mar.  xiii.  32. 
"  Of  that  day  and  that  hour  knoweth  no  man — 
neither  the  Son,  but  the  Father,"  and  in  the  mys- 
tery of  Christ  going  intelligently  to  meet  death 
(Mar.  viii.  31)  and  yet  on  the  eve  of  its  ac- 
complishment praying  to  escape  it  like  one  that 
knows  not  (Luke  xxii.  42;  Heb.  v.  7)?— TR.]. 
Like  one  blind  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  runs  to 
His  destruction,  who  yet  causes  so  many  others 


to  see.  Although  warned  (Matt.  xvi.  22),  still 
He  gives  no  heed  to  what  may  benefit  or  hurt 
His  own  person.  "'i?^,  has  here,  as  often,  the 
meaning  "  observavit,  attendit"  (comp.  Hos.  iv.  10 ; 
1  Sam.  xxvi.  15  ;  2  Sam.  xviii.  12,  etc.,  accord- 
ing to  the  fundamental  meaning  of  the  word, 
"  rectis  et  intentis  occults  intuitus  est,"  "  to  gaze, 
stare  at,"  comp.  1OD,  13J#,  riguit,  horruit.  "vpiy 
''  thorn,"  see  GESEN.  Thes.  p.  1442).  The  change 
of  person  is  not  unfrequent  in  Isa.  i.  29 ;  xiv.  30 ; 
xxxiii.  2,  6  ;  xli.  1. 

Ver.  22.  Thus  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  seems 
to  pay  the  penalty  of  His  folly  by  a  fate  that 
makes  Him  appear  as  one  despised  of  men  and 
esteemed  as  of  no  value.  But  different  is  His  re- 
lation to  Jehovah,  who  has  pleasure  in  Him  for 
His  righteousness'  sake.  The  pronominal 
object  in  the  third  person  is  omitted,  as  often 
happens.  The  prophetic  discourse  is  brief  and 
obscure.  But  it  finds  its  echo,  and  at  the  same 
time  its  significance  is  cleared  up  in  those  pas- 
sages of  the  New  Testament,  wherein  the  Father 
expressly  points  to  the  Son  as  the  object  of  His 
approval  (comp.  ver.  1  and  Matt.  iii.  17  ;  xvii. 
5  ;  Mark  i.  11  ;  Luke  iii.  23 ;  2  Pet.  i.  17).  And 
why  should  not  Jehovali  take  pleasure  in  Him 
whom  no  one  could  charge  with  sin,  yet  who, 
notwithstanding,  surrendered  His  holy  soul  to 
death,  in  order  to  fulfil  the  Father's  decree  of 
salvation  ?  When  it  is  further  said  :  He  will 
magnify  the  law  and  make  it  honourable, 
it  is  self-evident  that  not  thai  Torah  is  meant 
whose  end  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  will  be,  but 
that  which  shall  proceed  from  Him  (ver.  4;  li. 
4;  ii  3).  WTe  will  therefore  take  the  Servant  of 
Jehovah  as  the  subject  of  "magnify"  and  "make 
honorable,"  though  the  sense  were  not  essentially 
different  if  Jehovah  were  regarded  as  subject. 
Great  and  glorious  will  the  new,  Zionitic  Torah 
be  ;  as  much  greater  and  more  glorious  than  the 
old  Sinaitic,  as  its  Mediator,  means  and  object  wilJ 
be  infinitely  greater  (Gal.  iii.). 

For  the  recurrence  of  words  used  in  this 
strophe  see  List. 


5.    THE  SERVANT  OF  JEHOVAH  A  STONE  OF  STUMBLING   TO   UNBELIEVING 

ISRAEL.    CHAPTER  XLII.  22-25. 

22  But  this  is  a  people  robbed  and  spoiled  ; 
1  They  ''are  all  of  them  snared  in  holes, 
And  they  are  hid  in  prison  houses : 
They  are  for  a  prey,  and  none  delivereth  ; 
For  a  2spoil,  and  none  saith,  Restore. 

23  Who  among  you  will  give  ear  to  this  ? 

Who  will  hearken  and  hear  8for  bthe  time  to  come  ? 

24  Who  gave  Jacob  for  a  spoil, 
And  Israel  to  the  robbers  ? 

Did  not  the  LORD,  he  against  whom  we  have  sinned  ? 
°For  they  would  not  walk  in  his  ways, 
Neither  "were  they  obedient  unto  his  law. 


CHAP.  XLII.  22-25. 


459 


25  Therefore  he  hath  poured  upon  him 

The  fury  of  his  anger,  and  the  strength  of  battle  : 

And  it  hath  set  him  on  fire  round  about,  yet  he  knew  not; 

And  it  burned  him,  yet  he  laid  it  not  to  heart. 


1  Or,  In  snaring  all  the  young  men  of  them.  3  Heb.  a  treading. 

•  They  all  pant  in  the  holes.  b  far  away.  «  And. 


•  Heb.  for  the  after  time. 
d  did  hearken. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  language  generally; 
but  particularly  : 
Ver.  22.  W3—  *1D$—  &OT1—  T3H    iTD   (Num.  xiv.  3, 

T  T  TT  ~   T  TT 

31,  frequent  in  Jer.  ii.  11;  xv.  13;  xvii.  0,  etc.).  -  nDEKD 

T    •     : 

(comp.  2  Kings  xxi.  14).  -  3KTI,  Pausal  form  occurs 
only  here.    Ver.  24.  PD-lt^D  (K'ri  DDl^D)—  IT.  Ver.  25. 


Ver.  2J.  That  X3H  refers  to  the  people  appears  from 
Qy  immediately  following;  it  is  singular  by  attraction. 
-  That  D'"1in3  cannot  mean  young  persons  appears 
from  the  context.  O^'HHi  corresponding  to  D'X/3  TO- 

must  rather  mean  the  "  holes  "  (comp.  "in  xi.8.  —  HiDH  is 

-  ••  T 
any  way  inf.  absol.  that,   in  the  animated  discourse, 

stands  for  the  verb  fin.    Thafc  D^3  must  be  ace.  obj.  (DE- 

T  \ 

LITZSCH)  is  not  correct.  For  the  inf.  absol.  not  unfre- 
quently  has  a  subject  word  along  with  it  (comp.  Prov. 
xii.  7  ;  Job  xi.  5  ;  xl.  2  ;  Ezek.  i.  14).  As  there  occurs  no 
verb  H2n.  we  must  take  TTiDn  as  Kiph.  of  n-13,  mean- 
ing "  to  blow,  to  pant"  (oomp.  Hah.  ii.  3;  Prov.  xxix.  8, 
etc.).  [FUEBST.  Lex.  nnD,  Hiph.  Plan.  inf.  constr. 
PISH  "  to  fetter."—  TE-J.—^SD  TV3  see  ver.  7. 

Ver.  24.  H  for  12^  (see  EWALD,  §  331,  6).  The  Maso- 
rets  hesitate  to  construe  the  word  as  relative  ;  probably 
"because  of  its  seldom  occurrence  in  Isaiah.  Hence  they 
put  the  Athnach  under  niD',  l>y  which  3J  is  separated 


GRAMMATICAL. 

from  what  precedes,  and  receives  a  demonstrative  force. 
TOT!  13H  fc\7  is  indeed  not  the  usual  construction 

T  T 

(yet  comp.  xxx.  9);  still  not  too  unusual  (comp.  vii.  15; 
Jer.  ix.  4;  Mic.  vi.  8,  etc.).  The  object  is  emphatic  pr.i- 
mincnce  for  the  notion  "going"  which  as  infln.  absol. 
appears  more  nearly  a  substantive. 

Ver.  25.  The  singular  suffix  in  V/J7  relates  to  a  notion 
singular,  ideally  present,  i.  e.,  the  total  of  Israel,  not 

previously  named. As  the  fundamental  meaning  of 

PlOn  is  "  aestus,  heat,  glow,"  it  may  easily  be  taken  for 
prepositive  apposition.  The  assonance  with  HOPI/D 
seems  to  have  had  some  influence.  To  take  it  as  appo- 
sition with  liJN  receives  confirmation  from  the  image 
being  prolonged  in  the  second  clause  of  the  verse, 
where  not  only  the  feminine  forms  li"l£3n 7j~>  and  "1  j,'3fl 

refer  back  to  TTDn,  but  also  this  glow  is  conceived  of 

T  •• 

as  an  actual  kindling  fire  (not  as  a  mere  image  of  in- 
tense anger).  Accordingly  I  cannot  take  DDTI  70  as 

the  subject  of  in^nSn.  HOnSo  T1TJM  I  regard  as  an 
intervening  thought  that  points  the  meaning  of  the 
figurative  expression  12K  n^D-  But  HOn  still  re- 
mains the  chief  notion,  and  as  such  the  subject  of  the 

t\vo  positive  clauses  of  the  second  half  of  the  verse. 

"^3i ''  ig>le  consumsit,  combussit,"  is,  as  a  rule,  construed 

with  3  (Job  i.  1C;  Num.  xi.  3;  Ps.  cvi.  18  where,  too, 
both  the  verbs  "\J?3  and  £3D7  are  used,  etc.;  comp.  Isa. 
xxx.  33;  xliii.  2). 


EXEGETICAL   AN7D    CRITICAL. 


1.  In  this  fifth  and  last  strophe  the  Prophet 
descends  from  the  heights  of  most  glorious 
hope  of  salvation  attained  in  the  third,  down  to 
the  depths  of  a  most  mournful  perspective  of 
judgment,  which,  however,  lie  applies  as  an 
awakening  cry  to  his  unbelieving  countrymen. 
The  future  reveals  none  of  the  effects  that  ought 
to  have  followed  a  believing  regard  for  what  was 
announced  ver.  18  sqq.  On  the  contrary,  the 
Prophet  sees  a  robbed  people  languishing  in 
hard  captivity  (ver.  22).  From  this  he  knows 
that  Israel  has  not  accepted  the  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah. He  uses  the  mournful  prospect  to  attempt 
to  move  Israel,  by  a  wholesome  alarm,  to  ward 
off  that  mournful  future  by  a  sincere  repentance. 
With  "among  you"  (ver.  23)  he  addresses  the 
Israel  of  the  ideal  present,  i.e.,  of  the  Exile. 
Who  among  you,  he  asks,  gave  heed  to  this  im- 
pending visitation  of  the  remote  future?  But 
there  is  little  prospect  of  a  cheering  reply.  For 
Jehovah  has  already  given  over  Judah  and 
Israel  as  a  prey  to  their  enemies  for  their  sins 
(ver.  24).  Yet  even  this  they  have  not  taken  to 
heart  (ver.  25). 

1.  But  this Restore. — Ver.  22.  But 

this  people  is  the  antithesis  of  ver.  18.  There 


the  deaf  and  blind  were  summoned  to  give  heed 
to  what  was  to  be  said  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah. 
But — and  now  we  learn  why  Israel  was  called 
deaf  and  blind  (ver.  18),  Israel  heeds  not,  and 
so  the  Prophet  sees  a  robbed,  etc.,  people.  Thus 
ver.  22  shows  the  condition  that  will  ensue  as 
punishment  for  Israel's  not  knowing  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah  and  the  day  of  its  visitation  (Luke 
xix.  41-44). 

3.  Who  among   you not  to  heart. — 

Vers.  23-25.  But  the  Prophet  knows  that  the 
impending  judgment  may  be  averted  by  timely 
repentance.  It  is  true  there  is  little  hope  of  such 
repentance;  but  he  attempts  it.  He  asks  :  who 
among  you— —time  to  come  ?  With  DD3 
the  Prophet,  in  contrast  with  those  standing  far 
off,  to  which,  e.g.,  v.  18  relates,  must  have  in  mind 
Israel  of  the  Exile.  He  puts  it  to  these  that  they 
should  hear,  heed  and  hearken  far  off.  What 
they  ought  to  hear  is  primarily  his  word.  But 
they  ought  to  heed  it,  by  lending  an  ear  to  the 

remote  times  past  plHfcO  see  on  xli.  23)  that  as 
it  were,  speak  to  them  by  the  mouth  of  the  Pro- 
phet. Because  the  old  time  is  conceived  of  as 
lying  before  the  Prophet  (comp.  DID  'iT  xxiii. 


460 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


7;  xxxvii.  26;  li.  9,  etc.),  so  the  future  is  what 
lies  backward.  Unhappily,  there  is  little  pros- 
pect of  such  heeding  the  future,  because  Israel 
does  not  even  heed  the  chastisement  of  the  imme- 
diate present.  Vers.  24,  25,  therefore,  give  the 
reply  to  the  question  ver.  23,  which  itself  begins 
with  a  question  :  who  gave  Jacob  for  a  spoil, 
and  Israel,  etc.  The  name  Jacob  here  evidently 
signifies  the  tribe  of  Judah  (comp.  ix.  7  and  List). 
Tliis  appears  from  the  two  members  of  the  an- 
swer. For  the  tirst  member :  he  against  whom 
we  have  sinned,  plainly  relates  to  that  part  of 
all  Israel  to  which  the  Prophet  himself  belongs 
— hence  the  first  person — while  the  second  mem- 
ber: and  they  would  not  walk  in  his 
ways,  by  the  third  person,  signifies  the  part  to 
which  the  Prophet  did  not  belong.  In  vers.  24, 
25  is  proof  that  the  Prophet  has  in  mind  Israel 
of  the  Exile  as  his  ideal  audience.  For,  first, 
chapters  xl.-lxvi.  are  in  general  addressed  to 
Israel  dwelling  in  Exile,  and  second,  it  is  seen 
from  vers.  24  a  and  25  that  Judah  and  Israel  are 
equally  represented  as  visited  by  God's  destruc- 
tive judgments.  Ver.  25.  Therefore  he  hath 
poured  upon  him,  etc.,  describes  the  conse- 
quences of  disobedience.  (See  Text,  and  Gram.) 
Elsewhere,  too,  occurs  the  image  of  pouring  out 
wrath  as  a  fiery  heat  (Ezek.  xiv.  19;  xx.  33,  34; 
xxii.  22;  Lam.  ii.  4,  etc.).  Israel  is  represented 
as  a  dwelling  or  city,  since  it  is  said  it  shall  be  set 
on  fire.  But  it  has  not  hitherto  learned  (J7T 
Perf.)  the  meaning  of  these  divine  judgments, 
and  even  now  does  not  lay  them  to  heart 
(D'tZf  Imperf.).  Hence  we  were  obliged  to  say, 
that  the  Prophet  could  only  expect  an  unfavor- 
able reply  to  his  question,  ver.  23. 

DOCTRINAL  AND  ETHICAL. 

1.  There  is  neither  in  heaven  nor  on  earth  any 
thing  as  rich  in  wondrous  contrasts  as  the  manifes- 
tation of  the  Son  of  God  in  the  flesh.     For  there 
all  the  divine  attributes  are  united  to  their  cor- 
responding antipodes  of  creature  lowline&s  in  the 
form  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah.     The  antitheses 
of  power  and  weakness,  wisdom  and  folly,  glory 
and  lowliness,  love  and  anger,  surround  Him  as  a 
radiant  crown.     This   Servant  of  Jehovah,   in 
whom  unite  all  contrasts,  meets  us  in  this  chap- 
ter.    The  chosen  of  the  LORD,  in  whom  He  is 
well  pleased,  on  whom  the  Spirit  of  the  LORD 
rests  so  that  He  may  reveal  to  the  heathen  the 
divine  law,  is  still  at  the  same  time  a  Servant, 
and  that,  too,  a  Servant  in  the  completes!  and 
most  proper  sense  of  the  word.     He   does   not 
rule,  He  does  not  suffer  Himself  to  be  ministered 
unto,  but  He  ministers,  and  with  the  utmost  de- 
votion He  serves  all.     Mild  and  kind,  meek  and 
lowly  He  appears,  though  He  has  the  might  and 
power  to  do  the  loftiest  deeds.     He  appears  weak 
and  yet  almighty,  He  appears  poor  and  yet  rich 
above  all.     He  has  not  where  to  lay  His  head, 
yet  all  eyes  wait  upon  Him.     He  is  full  of  love, 
yet  woe  unto  those  on  whom  His  anger  falls  (ver. 
13).     He  is  wise  above  all,  and  yet,   from  the 
standpoint  of  worldly  wisdom,  how  foolish  He 
appears  where  care  for  His  own  human  person  is 
concerned. 

2.  On  xlii.  2.     "Clamavit  non  clamor e  conten- 


tionis,  sed  caritatis  et  devotionis.  Clamavit  dictis  et 
factis,  voce  et  vita,  clamavit  praedicando,  clamavit 
orando,  clamavit  Lazarum  resuscitando,  tandem 
clamavit  moriendo  et  adhuc  quotidie  in  coelis  ezistens 
clamat  ad  nos."  AUGUSTIN. 

3.  On  xlii.  2,  3.     As  the  Servant  of  God,  so 
ought  the  servants  of  God  to  do.     It  is  a  chief 
part  of  pastoral  wisdom  not  to  make  a  fleshly 
noise,  not  to  break  the  bruised  reed,  and  quench 
the  glimmering  wick  by  merciless  judging,  but 
rather  to  heal  what  has  been  wounded,  and  kindle 
up  the  faint  spark.     He  that  does  so,  will  co- 
operate in  producing  the  blessing  that  the  Ser- 
vant of  the  LORD  (vers.  6,  7)  was  to  bring  into 
the  world.     "  Christianity  in  conscientia  debet  esse 
medicus,  foris  autem  in  externis  moribus  asinus,  qui 
feral  onera  fratrum."    ''  Necesse  est  in  ecclesia  sancta 
esse  inftrmos  et  tales,  quorum  factis  offendamur,  sicut 
in  corpore  humano  non  ossa  tantum,  sed  etiam  mollis 
et  infirma  caro  est.     Quare  ecclesia  Christi  constat 
ex  portantibus  et  portatis.     Et  vita  nostra  est  com- 
positum   quoddam   ex  fortitudine   et    infirmitate." 
LUTHER. 

4.  On  xlii.  4.     Gentleness  and  meekness  are 
not  weakness  ;    they  are   not  inconsistent   with 
energy  and   firmness,  indeed  with   the  greatest 
earnestness   and  righteous  anger.     Just  for  this 
reason  the  Servant  of  the  LORD  is  fitted  to  be  the 
Saviour  of  the  world.     He  can  be  a  comfort  to 
the  weak,  a  terror  to  the  wicked,  and  all  things 
to  all.     And  such   is  the  character  of  the  new 
covenant   established  by  Him.     Comp.  Luke  i. 
52,  53  ;  ii.  34.  —  Therefore  the  islands  hope  in  His 
law.     The   Christian   church  with   its   missions 
responds  not  only  to  the  command  of  its  Lord, 
but  also  to  a  longing  of  the  heathen  world,  even 
though  it  be  something  more  or  less  unconscious. 

5.  On  xlii.  6.    "  Without  Christ  God  can  make 
no  covenant  with  us.    Therefore  when  God  made. 
a  covenant  with  our  first  parents,  the  seed  of  the 
woman  was  the  security  of  it.     When  God  made 
a  covenant  with  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  the 
same  seed  was  the  ground  of  it.     In  fine  :  Christ 
is  the  chief  reason  and  corner-stone  both  of  the 
Old  and  of  the  New  Testament  covenant.     It  is 
important  that,  when  we  find  ourselves  covenant- 
breakers  with  God,  we  take  refuge  again  in  this 
covenant."  CRAMER. 

6.  On  xlii.  7.  "As  long  as  we  are  out  of  Christ 
we  are  blind  and  darkness  (Eph.  v.  8  ;  Luke  i. 
79  ;  Matth.  vi.  23).     For  to  be  carnally  minded 
is  enmity  against  God  (Eom.  viii.  7).     And  the 
natural  man  understands  not  the   things  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  (1  Cor.  ii.  14).     And  we  cannot,  as 
of  ourselves,  form  one  good  thought  of  ourselves 
(2  Cor.  iii.  5)."  CRAMER. 

7.  On  xlii.  8.  On  the  words,  "I  Jehovah,  that  is 
My  name,"  Kabbi  SALOMON  remarks  as  follows: 
"  Illud  nomen  expositum  est  in  significatione  dominii, 
estque   virtus   ejus    apud   me   ad  ostendendum,  me 

essedominum."  (ty  ^13]  JWW  p^  EhflD  WH 
Thus    he   finds    in    these 


words  a  reference  to  the  B^SOn  Dfif  and  gives  its 
meaning  by  ^N'  which  is  always  read  by  the 
Jews.  On  the  various  other  meanings  given  of 
the  Shem-ham'phorash  see  BUXTORF.  LexeJiald.,  p. 
2432  sqq.,  and  OEHLER  in  HERZ.,  R.-Enc.,  VI., 


CHAP.  XLII.  22-25. 


461 


p.  455.  "  Hirr  is  the  essential  name  of  the  eter- 
nal and  self-existent  God,  hence  can  be  given  to 
no  one  that  is  not  God"  (CRAMER).  Hence 
many  understand  the  expression  Shem-ham'pho- 
rash  in  the  sense  that  Hirr  is  the  nomen  Dei  sepa- 
ratum, i.  e.,  the  incommunicable  name  of  God, 
that  gives  instruction  only  concerning  the  being 
of  God,  and  hence  cannot  be  ascribed  to  others 
(see  OEHLER,  /.  c.}.  But  since  the  Messiah  is 
Himself  God,  and  there  is  no  God  but  Jehovah ; 
He,  too,  may  be  named  with  the  name  Jehovah, 
Dent,  xxxiii.  29;  Ps.  cxviii.  27;  Jer.  xxiii.  6. 
See  STARKE  in  loc. 

8._  On  xlii.  9.  "  We  adduce  other  proof  of 
Christian  doctrine  than  do  the  philosophers  who 
take  their  grounds  from  reason.  We  take  our 
grounds  out  of  God's  very  mouth,  who  cannot  lie, 
from  His  science  and  omnipotence.  Therefore 
this  word  is  so  precious  (1  Tirn.  i.  15;  iv.  9)."- 
CRAMER.  ["  The  sense  is,  .hat  God  predicted  fu- 
ture events  before  there  was  any  thing  by  which 
it  might  be  inferred  that  such  occurrences  would 
take  place.  It  was  not  done  by  mere  sagacity,  as 
men  like  Bnrke  and  Canning  may  sometimes  pre- 
dict future  events  with  great  probability  by  mark- 
ing certain  political  indications  or  developments. 
God  did  this  when  there  were  no  such  indications, 
and  when  it  must  have  been  done  by  mere  om- 
niscience. In  this  respect  all  His  predictions 
differ  from  the  conjectures  of  man,  and  from  all 
the  reasonings  which  are  founded  on  mere  saga- 
city."— BARNES.] 

9.  On  xlii.  10-17.     In  this  section  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah  is  no  more  named.     Only  Jehovah 
Himself  is  spoken  of.     But  the  actions,  for  whose 
sake  heaven  and  earth  shall  proclaim  the  praise 
of  the  Lord,  belong  no  more  to  what  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah  may  do  in  His  servant  form,  i.  e.,  in 
His  humiliation,  but  to  what  He  does  as  one  raised 
up  to  glory.     In  the  condition  of  exaltation,  how- 
ever, He  has  laid  aside  the  form  of  a  servant: 
thus  He  is  no  more  called  Servant  of  Jehovah. 
When  they  crucified  and  buried  Him,  the  hum- 
ble Servant  of  Jehovah,  suffering  without  a  mur- 
mur, seemed  to  be  quite  done  for.     But  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost  He  broke  loose  again  only  the 
more   mightily.     Then   the  Jews  who  had  not 
learned  to  know  Him  thus,  and  the  heathen  that 
had  not  learned  to  know  Him  at  all,  were  panic- 
stricken.     Then  He  began  His  victorious  career 
of  conquering  (inwardly)  the  Jews  and  the  hea- 
then.    Since  that  time  both  are  inwardly  dried 
up.     As  long  as  the  gospel  was  not  there,  they 
had  a  relative  right  to  live  and  to  a  correspond- 
ing life  power.     But  after  the  revelation  of  abso- 
lute truth  in  Christ  they  have  lost  these.     Their 
continued  existence  is  only  a  vegetation,  and  if 
in  these  days  they  exhibit  a  certain  revirescence, 
still  it  is  only  like  the  flaring  up  of  the  vital 
spark  in  a  dying  person,  which  would  never  hap- 
pen either  did  Christianity  only  let  its  light  shine 
purer  and  stronger.     But  continually  the  LORD 
leads  the  blind  of  all  nations  in  the  path  of  light. 
But  those  that,  spite  of  all,  cling  to  idols,  must 
ever  come  to  more  shame. 

10.  On  xlii.  18-21.     "  Physician  heal  thyself," 
is  called  to  the  great  Physician,  who  healed  all 
sicknesses  of  men,  yea,  made  the  verv  dead  alive 
(Luke  iv.  23).     For  this  reason  He  was  mocked 
on  the  cross,  because  He,  who  helped  others,  could 


not  help  Himself  (Matth.  xxvii.  42).  The  Pro- 
phet observes  this  trait  in  the  life  of  the  Servant 
of  the  LORD.  He  sees  in  it  a  symptom  of  the 
deepest  suffering.  But,  notwithstanding,  He  re- 
cognizes that  at  the  same  time  God's  approval 
rests  on  this  man  of  contradictions,  and  that  He 
is  to  become  the  origin  of  a  new,  glorious  law. 
Does  not  the  Prophet  see  here  the  unrighteous 
Righteous  one,  the  wicked  Saint,  the  perishing 
Saviour,  the  blind  eye-comfort,  the  dead  Prince 
of  life?  Yea,  he  sees  the  Incomprehensible, 
who  on  the  cross  redeemed  the  world  from  hell, 
who,  condemned  as  the  most  guilty  laden,  still 
was  that  righteousness  for  the  world  that  alone 
avails  with  God. 

11.  On  xlii.  22-25.  As  experienced  salvation 
is  the  pledge  of  future  salvation,  yea,  of  final 
aTrol.iiTpua/c,  so,  too,  chastisements  already  en- 
dured are  the  pledges  of  future  ones,  and,  under 
circumstances,  of  such  as  are  still  greater,  yea,  of 
utter  destruction.  Israel  ought  to  have  learned 
by  its  first  exile,  and  by  all  that  preceded  and 
followed  it,  that  God  can  bring  a  yet  sorer  visita- 
tion on  His  people,  yea,  destroy  their  outward 
existence.  Had  it  regarded  this  and  rightly  re- 
ceived the  Servant  of  the  LORD  accordingly,  it 
might  have  escaped  the  second,  final,  and  worst 
exile.  But  they  were  never  willing  to  believe 
that  the  LORD  could  so  jumble  up,  overthrow, 
and  destroy  His  people,  His  city,  and  His  house, 
that  a  restoration  of  its  outward  existence  is  im- 
possible. 

HOMILETICAIi   HINTS. 

1.  On  xlii.  1-4.    "  The  testimony  of  our  heavenly 
Father  Himself  to  His  Son.     He  tells  us :  1)  Who 
He  is  and  why  He  comes.     2)  How  He  appears 
and  discharges  His  office.     3)  What  He  brings 
to  pass,  and  by  what  means."     Advent  sermon, 
E.  TAUBE,  in  "Gotten  Briinnlein  hat  Wassers  die 
Fiille.     Hamburg,  1872. 

On  xlii.  2,  3.  "  Christ  is  the  gracious  hen  that 
woos  us  under  her  wings  (Matth.  xxiii.  37) ;  the 
good  Shepherd  that  binds  up  the  neglected  (Ezek. 
xxxiv.  1C);  that  can  have  compassion  (Heb.  iv. 
15) ;  and  who  does  not  cast  out  him  who  coriies  to 
Him  (John  vi.  37),  as  He  has  proved  by  exam- 
ples, as  Mary  Magdalene  (Luke  vii.  37) ;  the  wo- 
man taken  in  adultery  (John  viii.  11) ;  the  father 
of  the  lunatic  (Mark  ix.  24) ;  Peter  (Luke  xxii. 
61);  the  thief  on  the  cross  (Luke  xxiii.  43); 
Thomas  (John  xx.  27),  etc." — CRAMER. 

2.  On  xlii.  1-4.     "What  a  glorious  Saviour  God 
has  given  the  world  in  His  Son.     For  He  comes  to 
us:  1)  As  the  anointed  of  the  Lord;  2)  as  the 
meek  and  humble  Friend  of  sinners;  3)  as  the 
strong  and  faithful  perfecter  of  His  work."     Ser- 
rnon   in   Advent,   W.  LEIPOLDT  (Festpredigten), 
Leipzig,  1845. 

3.  On  xlii.  5-9.     The  New  Covenant.     1 )  The 
Founder  of  the  covenant  (God  the  Lord  who  has 
made  the  earth    ver.  5,     will  also  redeem  it  ; 
hence  He  has  foretold  the  new  covenant    ver.    9, 
and  brought  it  into  being   ver.  6).     2)  The  Me- 
diator of  the  covenant  (Christ,  the  Son  of  God 
and  Son  of  man,  is  the  natural,  personal  link  be- 
tween God  and  men  ;  He  it  is  who  represents 
men  before  God  as  a  Lamb,  bearing  their  sin,  and 
God   toward  men  as  the  One  that  brings  them 


462 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


God's  grace  and  the  new,  divine  vital  force).  3) 
The  Object  of  the  covenant  (a.  to  bring  light  and 
freedom  to  men  ver.  7  6.  to  preserve  the  honor 
of  tlia  Lord  as  the  only  God  as  opposed  to  all 
idols,  ver.  8). 

4.  [On  xlii.  10-12.     The   new  song  of  the  New 
Txlamint.     The  newness :    whereas    holy   songs 
were  before  very  much  confined  to  the  Temple, 
now  they  are  to  be  sung  all  the  world  over.   They 
were  sung  by  one  people  and  one  tongue ;  they 
shall  be  sung  by  manv  of  many  tongues.     They 
were  sung  by  a  pastoral  people  living  in  valleys 
among  the  hills ;    they  are   to  be   sung  in   all 
climes,  by  men  of  all  callings  and  of  every  de- 
gree of  culture.     The  substance  of  the  song  must 
be  new  to  suit  so  many.     The  form  in  which 
that   substance  is  reduced  to  song  under  these 
varied  influences  must  be  endlessly  new.     After 
M.  HENRY.] 

5.  On   xlii.    10-17.      A    missionary   sermon. 
Tke    revelation    of    salvation    among  the    heathen. 
1)  Its  intentional  delay  till  the  point  when  the 
time  was  fulfilled  (ver.  14  a).     2)  Its  appearance 
at  the   right  time:   a.  as  powerful  and    accom- 
panied with  mighty  effect  (ver.  13) ;  b.  as  a  pain- 
ful birth  (ver.  14  b.  a:  resistance  on  the  part  of 
the  old,  and  consequent  laborious  breaking  forth 
of  the  new).     3)  Its  operation :    a.  on  the  old 
heathen  existence  itself:  it  dries  up  (ver.  14,  6; 
/?;  ver.  15);   b.  on  unbelieving  men:   they  are 
brought  to  shame  (ver.  17) ;  c.  on  believing  men : 
they  are  led  to  light  and  freedom  (ver.  16)  ;  d. 
for  God :  the  redeemed  world  sings  Him  a  new 
song  (it  praises  Him  no  more  merely  as  Creator, 
but  also  as   Redeemer,  and  New  Creator,  vers. 
10-12). 

6.  On  xlii.  13.  ''That  ever  kindly  smiling  God, 
that  covers  all  suppurating  sores,  and  that  every 
where   and  every  way  shows  favor  and  spares 
men,  whom  one  so  often  hears  preached  from  the 
pulpit,  is  not  the  God  of  the  Bible.    It  is  another 
of  which  the  Old  Testament  writes :  'Thou  art 
not  a  God  that  hast  pleasure  in  the  wicked ;  the 


wicked  shall  not  abide  in  Thy  presence :'  and, 
'  The  LORD  thy  God  is  a  consuming  fire  and  a 
jealous  God  :'  and,  '  The  LORD  shall  go  forth  as 
a  mighty  man,  He  shall  stir  up  jealousy  like  a 
man  of  war.'  "  THOJ.UCK. 

7.  On  xlii.  18  sqq.  When  Peter  said  to  the 
Lord:  "Lord,  pity  Thyself;  this  shall  not  be 
unto  Thee"  (Matth.  xvi.  22),  the  Lord  was  deaf 
and  gave  Peter  an  answer  that  quenched  in  him 
and  others  all  disposition  to  warn  Him  again. 
And  when  He  entered  into  Jerusalem  and 
cleansed  the  Temple,  and  unsparingly  scourged 
the  high  priests  and  scribes,  was  He  not  blind 
then  ?  Did  He  not  see  what  hate  He  was  thereby 
conjuring  up  against  Himself  and  what  His  fate 
would  be  ?  Thus  the  Lord  was  deaf  and  blind, 
but  He  was  so  to  His  own  greatest  honor.  It  is 
very  different,  however,  with  the  blindness  and 
deafness  of  those  that  would  not  see  in  Him  the 
Lord  of  glory,  and  would  not  hear  His  word. 
The  Lord  indeed  became  a  sacrifice  to  their 
hatred.  But  He  is,  notwithstanding,  the  One  of 
whom  Ps.  ex.  says:  "  Sit  thou  on  My  right  hand 
till  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool."  And 
from  Him  proceeds  the  covenant  that  is  as  much 
better  than  the  old  one  as  the  blood  of  Christ 
speaks  better  than  Abel's.  They,  however,  have 
become  a  robbed  and  plundered  people.  They 
are  scattered  among  all  people,  their  Temple, 
their  priesthood  is  destroyed,  their  entire  old 
covenant  is  shivered  like  an  earthen  vessel.  And 
the  same  fate  will  happen  to  all  who  do  not  take 
warning  from  God's  judgment  on  stiffnecked  and 
obdurate  Israel.  As  the  first  exile  ought  to  have 
been  a  warning  to  the  readers  for  whom  this 
chapter  of  Isaiah  was  destined,  to  prevent  them 
from  falling  into  a  second  and  worse,  so  for  us 
Christians,  the  first  act  of  the  world's  judgment, 
the  judgment  on  the  house  of  God,  should  be  a 
warning  not  to  misuse  and  neglect  the  time  till 
the  second  chief  act  of  judgment,  the  time  of  the 
church  among  the  heathen. 


IV.— THE  FOURTH  DISCOURSE. 

Redemption  or  Salvation  in  its  Entire  Compass. 

CHAPTER  XLIII.  1— XLIV.  5. 

1.    THE  CHIEF  INGREDIENTS  OF  REDEMPTION. 
CHAPTER  XLIII.  1-8. 

1  BUT  now  thus  saith  the  LORD  that  created  thee,  O  Jacob, 
And  he  that  formed  thee,  O  Israel, 

Fear  not:  for  I  have  redeemed  thee, 

I  have  called  thee  by  thy  name  ;  thou  art  mine. 

2  When  thou  passest  through  the  waters,  I  will  be  with  thee; 
And  through  the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee  : 

When  thou  walkest  through  the  fire,  thou  shalt  not  be  burned; 
Neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thee. 

3  For  I  am  the  LORD  thy  God, 

The  Holy  One  of  Israel,  thy  Saviour : 


CHAP.  XLIII.  1-J 


463 


I  gave  Egypt  for  thy  ransom, 
Ethiopia  and  tSeba  for  thee. 

4  Since  thou  wast  precious  in  ray  sight, 

Thou  hast  been  honorable,  and  I  have  loved  thee : 
Therefore  will  I  give  men  for  thee, 
And  people  for  thy  'life. 

5  Fear  not :  for  I  am  with  thee  ; 

I  will  bring  thy  seed  from  the  east, 
And  gather  thee  from  the  west ; 

6  I  will  say  to  the  north,  Give  up ; 
And  to  the  south,  Keep  not  back: 
Bring  my  sous  from  far, 

And  my  daughters  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  ; 

7  Even  every  one  that  is  called  by  my  name  : 

'For  I  have  created  him  for  my  glory,  I  have  formed  him; 
Yea,  I  have  made  him. 

8  "Bring  forth  the  blind  people  that  have  eyes, 
And  the  deaf  that  have  ears. 


1  Or,  person. 
»  And. 


b  He  bringeth. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  recurrence  of  the  words:  Ver.  1.  Hf^l — 
tO3  which  occurs  in  reference  to  Israel  again,  vers.  7, 

TT  .  • 

15;  Ixv.  IS.— IV'— 7KJ  see  on  xli.  14— QBfc  iOp  see  on 
xli.  25.  Ver.  2.  3£#— ni3— *\y$  see  xlii.  25.  Ver.  3. 
•tab.  Ver.  4.  1p'-133TNiph."T 

I  -T  -  T 

Ver.  1.  On  NTf>  78  see  on  xl.  9. HfiN  'S  occurs 

only  here. 

Ver.  3.  In  the  causal  clause,  'JN  is  subject,  HIIT  ap- 
position with  it,  "prV/K  predicate.  SsOty  K/TIp  is 
also  in  apposition  with  •'JX,  and  "jJTtyin  is  predicate. 
This  construction  is  demanded  partly  for  the  sake  of 
symmetry,  partly  the  sense  requires  that  in  the  first 
member  Tfl/H  be  predicate.  For  just  in  the  notion  of 
divinity  lies  the  notion  of  capacity  to  give  protection 
and  help. 


GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  4. 


for  which  stands 


)3?p  (Exod. 

xix.  18;  Jer.  xliv.  23),  occurs  in  this  causal  sense,  only 
here  When  the  apodosis  is  formed  with  the  Vav.  cons. 
and  the  imperf.,  it  intimates  that  the  notion  of  giving 
is  conceived  of  as  only  eventual  :  because  thou  art  dear 
to  me,  sol  would  (if  need  be)  give  men  (generally  and 
in  indefinite  number)  in  thy  stead,  and  nations  (unde- 
termined which  and  how  many,  in  antithesis  with  the 
definite,  ver.  3  6),  for  thy  soul.  Comp.  EWALD,  $  136  sq. 
-  Thus  ver.  4  6  in  relation  to  ver.  3  6  contains  an  in- 
tensification. 

Vers.  6,  7.  It  corresponds  to  the  close  connection  be- 
tween these  two  verses  to  construe  ver.  7  formally  as 
in  apposition  with  ver.  6,  whence  we  must  reject  the 
exposition  of  HITZIO  and  HAHN,  who  take  X 
as  a  statement  put  first  absolutely.  -  '1J1 
that  the  participle  merges  into  the  verb.  fin.  happens 
according  to  the  well  known  Heb.  usus  loq. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Having  spoken  in  chapters  xli.,  xlii.  of  the 
Deliverer  (in  the  first  and  second  stage)  and  of 
those  delivered,  the  Prophet  now  deals  with  the 
Deliverance  in  its  entire  extent.     In  this  discourse 
he  gives  first  (vers.  1-8)  a  general  view  by  enu- 
merating the  chief  ingredients  of  the  deliverance : 
it  rests  on  the  divine  redemptive-cfecree  (ver.  1)  ; 
nothing  shall  prevent  it  (ver.  2) ;  no  price  is  too 
great  for  it ;  for  the  sake  of  it  nations  even  would 
be  sacrificed,  which  shows  the  value  of  Israel  in 
the  LORD'S  eyes  (vers.  3,  4) ;  it  is  to  embrace  all 
Israd,  all  the  scattered  members  to  be  called  in 
from  all  parts  of  the  earth  (vers.  5-7) ;  but  finally 
it  is  attached  to  a  subjective  condition,  vis.,  spiri- 
tual receptivity  (ver.  8). 

2.  But  now thy  life.— Vers.  1-4.   With 

"  and  now  "  the  Prophet  turns  from  the  troubled 
pictures  of  the  future,  presented  at  the  close  of  the 
preceding  chapter,  to  joyful  and  comforting  out- 
looks.    The  LORD  had  created  and  formed  (xliv. 
2,  24;  xlv.  11  (xlix.  5);  Ixiv.  7),  Israel,  in  as 
much  as  he  had  caused  them  to  grow  up  to  a  na- 


tion by  means  of  their  ancestors  from  Adam  on 
successively.  DE^  SOp,  as  in  xl.  26;  xlv.  3,  4, 
i  signifies  the  more  exact  acquaintance.  By  reason 
I  of  the  fact  that  the  LORD  Himself  made  Israel 
1  and  from  the  beginning  prepared  him  as  an  in- 
strument of  His  purposes,  He  calls  to  the  nation 
living  in  exile,  not  to  fear,  for  three  things  are 
determined:  that  Israel  shall  be  delivered,  be 
called  to  the  LORD  (comp.  xlviii.  12)  and  belong 
to  him  alone.  Thus  the  Perfects — I  have  re- 
deemed thee — I  have  called  thee — are  prae- 
terita  prophctica,  and  the  last  three  clauses  contain 
an  ascending  climax.  Israel  must  not  suffer  it- 
self to  be  deceived  about  this  promise.  It  is  very 
possible  that,  even  after  receiving  it,  the  nation 
may  pass  through  great  trials — that,  as  it  were,  it 
must  pass  through  waters — even  there  will  the 
LORD  be  with  it;  that  it  must  even  pass  through 
rivers  (allusion  to  the  Red  Sea,  Exod.  xiv.,  and 
the  Jordan,  Josh,  iii.) — the  streams  will  not  over- 
Sow  them.  Fire  itself  will  as  little  hurt  them. 


464 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


The  ground  for  this  security  is  the  same  that 
prompts  the  call  fear  not.  Jehovah,  Israel's 
God,  is  also  Israel's  protector. 

In  what  sense  does  Jehovah  give  other  na- 
tions as  a  ransom  for  Israel  ?     HAHN  under- 
stands it  to  mean  that  other  nations  are  given  to  de- 
struction as  satisfaction  for  the  injustice  done  Israel. 
But  why  does  Jehovah  give  to  destruction,  not  the 
nations  themselves  that  carried  Israel  into  exile, 
but  other  nations?     According  to  KNOBEL'S  idea, 
Cyrus  is  conceived  as  having  some  claim  on  the 
Jews  belonging  to  the  Babylonish  kingdom.    For 
letting  them  go  free,  satisfaction  is  offered  to  him 
in  new  conquests  in  Egypt,  Ethiopia,  and  Meroe. 
But  the  Persian  kingdom  did  not  lose  the  Jews 
as  subjects.     Palestine  belonged  to  it,  and  those 
returning  back  to  it  belonged  to  it.     The  relation 
must  be  more  exactly  denned  thus :  the  world- 
power,  conceived  of  in  a  sense  as  a  bird  of  prey, 
shall  have  offered  to  it  Egypt,  Ethiopia  and  Seba 
to  devour,  as  indemnity  for  the  mildness  it  has 
used  to  Israel  contrary  to  its  nature.     It  is  true 
Cyrus  did  not  himself  make  war  on  Egypt.    What 
Xenophon  says  on  this  subject  he  characterizes  as 
merely  hearsay  (/uerd  ravra  ij  etc  Alyv-nrov  arpaTsia 
Aeycrai  yevsatiai  KO.I  KciraaTpetyaadat  Alyv~~ovy  Cy- 
rop.  VIII.  6,  20  coll.  1. 1,  4).     HERODOTUS  relates 
that  Cyrus  only  had  a  purpose  of  making  war  on 
Egypt  (eirnlxe  CTpar^arsfii'  irri  roi)f  AiyvnTiovs,  I. 
153).     The  actual  conquest  of  Egypt  was  made  by 
Cambyses  his   son,  who  also  at   least  attempted 
the  conquest  of  Ethiopia   (HEROD.  III.  25).     It 
may  be  said  of  him,  that  in  Egypt  he  made  havoc 
in  the  brutal  manner  of  a  genuine  world-power. 
Egypt's  being  subjected  to  this  was  probably  a 
nemesis  for  much  that  it  had  practised  on  other 
nations  before,  and  especially  also  on  Israel.    Ac- 
cording to    Glen.    x.  6,  7,  Gush  was   the   older 
brother  of  Mizrairn,  and  Seba  the  oldest  son  of 
Gush.   It  cannot  be  doubted  that  the  Prophet  un- 
derstood by  Gush  and  Seba  the  lands  that  bounded 
Egypt  on  the  south.     By  Gush,  therefore,  must 
certainly  be  understood  African  Ethiopia  (xi.  11; 
xviii.  1  ;  xx.  3 ;  xxxvii.  9).     Seba  is  Meroe,  the 
city  lying  between   the  White  and   Blue   Nile, 
which  HERODOTUS  calls  the  fj.r]Tp6no\i^  TUV  aMuv 
AldtdiTuv   (II.  29).    Comp.  STADE,  De  vatt.  Is. 
aeth.  p.  13.     Isaiah  mentions  the  Sabeans  in  only 
one  other  place  (xlv.  14),  and  there  as  here  after 
Egypt  and  Ethiopia.     133,  properly  "covering" 
then    =  "112.3  "  expiation,  ransom,  indemnity/' 
occurs  only  here  in  Isaiah.     This  statement  that 
other  nations  shall  be  offered  up  as  satisfaction 
for  Israel,  expresses  the  high  value  that  Israel 
has  in  God's  eyes,  and  makes  plain   in  what  a 
glorious  sense  Jehovah  calls  Himself  Israel's  God 
and  Redeemer.     He  discharges  this  office  with 
such  consistency  and  energy  that,  if  need  be,  He 
will  give  such  great  nations  as  those  named  in 
ver.  3,  as  the  price  of  their  deliverance.     If  it  be 
asked,  why  He  undertakes  such  an  office  ?     He 
replies:  because  Israel  is  precious  in  my  eyes, 
honorable,  and  I  have  loved  thee.     Love' 
then,  is  the  ground  that  determines  Jehovah  to 
assume  that  protectorate.     "^KO    see  yexL  and 
Gram. 

3.  Fear  not have  ears. — Vers.  5-8.  The 

"  fear  not"  connects  what  follows  with  the  "fear 
not"  ver.   1,  as  a  new  phase  of  the  salvation- 


bringing  future.  The  verses  1-4  speak  of  the  de- 
liverance in  respect  to  its  ground  (ver.  1),  under 
all  circumstances  (ver.  2),  and  at  any  price  (vers. 
3,  4).  In  this  section  the  particular  is  made 
prominent,  that  all  members  of  the  holy  nation, 
no  matter  how  distant  nor  in  what  direction, 
shall  be  brought  back  home  (comp.  xi.  11  sq.). 
In  vers.  5  6  and  6  a  the  four  points  of  the  compass 
are  severally  enumerated.  Give  up,  and  keep 
not  back  manifestly  involve  a  contrast  with 
"none  saith.  Restore"  xlii.  22.  This  latter  ex- 
pression is  qualified  by  our  passage.  The  con- 
dition it  describes  is  not  to  be  forever,  but  only  to 
a  certain  period  of  time.  |*?P,  on  the  ground  of 

its  use  Deut.  xxx.  3,  4  is  the  conventional  ex- 
pression for  the  return  of  Israel  from  the  Exile 
(xi.  12;  liv.  7  ,  Mic.  ii.  12;  Jer.  xxix.  14;  Ezek. 
xi.  17,  etc.}.  In  the  second  half  of  ver.  6  a  sub- 
ject is  addressed  that  we  must  conceive  of  DB  tiie 
combination  of  the  four  quarters  of  the  heavens. 
The  entire  earth,  then,  is  meant.  Hence,  too,  the 
feminine,  which  previously  already  was  applied 
to  the  North  and  South,  as  parts  of  the  entire 
earth.  In  'X'JH,  as  related  to  X'3K  ver.  5,  there 
is  an  intensifying  of  the  thought :  not  only  the 
LORD  brings,  the  lands  themselves  must  co-oper- 
ate in  this  bringing  Israel  back  (xiv.  2).  Ver. 
7  gives  the  reason  for  the  foregoing  thought.  All 
the  members  of  the  nation  must  be  gathered  for 
this  reason,  because  they  all  bear  Jehovah's  name, 
and  were  made  for  His  honor  (see  Text,  and 
Gram.).  'DCfr  KIpJH  is  "  He  that  is  called  by 
means  of  my  name,"  i.  e.,  who  is  called  a  be- 
longing of  Jehovah's  (Ixv.  1).  For  the  Temple 
is  not  itself  called  "  Jehovah  "  because  Jehovah's 
name  is  named  upon  it  (Jer.  vii.  10)  ;  and  just 
as  little  is  one  that  is  called  by  means  of  Je- 
hovah's name,  Himself  called  Jehovah.  Gomp, 
the  remarks  on  iv.  2  and  xli.  25.  This  bearing 
of  Jehovah's  name  is,  as  it  were,  a  stamp  that 
denotes  that  the  one  so  marked  was  called  into 
being  (X"O),  formed  pX')  and  finished  (comp. 
vers.  1,  21)  to  the  honor  of  Jehovah.  How  shall 
such  an  one  be  destroyed,  in  whose  preparation 
the  LORD  has  so  greatly  concerned  Himself? 

Ver.  8,  is  by  many  connected  with  what  fol- 
lows. But  that  would  require  us  to  construe 
X'i'in  as  imperative,  which  would  be  utterly  ab- 
normal. Beside,  (and  that  is  the  chief  thing), 
neither  "bring  forth,  nor  the  designation  of 
the  nation  as  being  blind  yet  having  eyes  findj 
an  adequate  motive  in  the  context. 

Three  things  I  think  must  be  insisted  on  :  1) 
that  our  passage  looks  back  to  xlii.  7.  There  it 
was  said  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  that  He  was 

destined  to  open  blind  eyes,  and  to  lead  (X'yin?) 
prisoners  out  of  prison;  2)  That  where  three  pre- 
dicates, "  blind,  deaf,  imprisoned"  are  joined  to 
one  and  the  same  subject,  the  sense  is  quite  dif- 
ferent from  what  it  would  be  if  only  one  of  these 
predicates  were  joined  to  one  subject.  For  the 
former  case  affirms  only  the  accumulation  of 
every  sort  of  suffering  upon  one  and  the  same 
subject;  whereas  the  latter  case  reallv  concerns 
in  some  sense  or  other  the  special  condition  of 
sickness  named  (see  on  xlii.  Iri).  3)  It  makes  a 
great  difference  whether  I  pay  :  "  they  have  eyes 
and  see  not,"  or  "  they  are  blind  and  have  eyes." 


CHAP.  XLIII.  9-13. 


465 


For  the  former  signifies  that  although  they  have 
eyes  they  still  do  not  see ;  the  latter  that  their 
blindness  does  not  hinder  them  from  seeing,  i.  e., 
their  blindness  is  only  relative  in  respect  to  kind, 
degree  or  time.  Accordingly,  I  construe  ver.  8 
as  concluding  the  first  strophe  of  this  chapter. 
And  this  conclusion  is  in  the  words  of  the  Pro- 
phet himself,  by  which  he  intimates  that  the 
LORD,  by  accomplishing  what  is  promised  vers. 
1-7,  realizes  at  the  same  time  what  is  held  out 
xlii.  7.  The  LORD  delivers  Israel  out  of  its 
sufferings  of  all  sorts  in  which  it  has  lan- 
guished like  the  blind  in  bonds  of  blindness,  like 
the  deaf  in  the  prison  of  deafness,  because  this 
people,  wretched  as  a  blind  or  deaf  person,  still 


spiritually  sees  and  hears,  i.  e.,  has. turned  its 
spiritual  eye  to  the  countenance  of  its  God, 
and  its  spiritual  ear  to  His  word.  If  else- 
where Israel  is  reproached  for  not  seeing  with 
eyes  that  might  see,  and  not  hearing  with  ears 
that  might  hear  (vi.  9,  10;  Matt,  xiii.  13  sq.), 
so  here  to  its  praise  it  is  said  that,  spite  of 
physical  blindness,  and  deafness,  or  spite  of  all 
physical  wretchedness  figuratively  represented  by 
blindness  and  deafness,  it  will  be  still  spirit- 
ually healthy  and  thereby  ripe  for  and  suscepti- 
ble of  deliverance.  And  with  this  is  intimated 
also  that  spiritual  redemption  is  to  be  an  in- 
gredient of  the  future,  thus  the  redemption  from 
sin,  of  which  the  last  two  strophes  speak  more 
extendedly  (ver.  22 — xliv.  5). 


2.    THE  PEOMISED  AND  ACCOMPLISHED  PROPHECY  A  PROOF  OF  DIVINITY. 

(Fourth  application  of  prophecy  in  this  sense.) 
CHAPTER  XLIII.  9-13. 

9       aLet  all  the  nations  be  gathered  together, 
And  let  the  people  be  assembled  : 

Who  among  them  can  declare  this,  and  bshew  us  former  things  ? 
Let  them  bring  forth  their  witnesses,  that  they  may  be  justified: 
Or  let  "them  hear,  and  say,  It  is  truth. 

10  Ye  are  my  witnesses,  saith  the  LORD, 
And  my  servant  whom  I  have  chosen : 
That  ye  may  know  and  believe  me 
And  understand  that  I  am  he : 
Before  me  there  was  Jno  God  formed, 
Neither  shall  there  be  after  me. 

11  I,  even  I,  am  the  LORD  ; 

And  beside  me  there  ts  no  Saviour. 

12  I  have  declared,  and  have  saved, 

And  I  dhave  shewed,  when  there  was  no  strange  god  among  you : 
eTherefore  ye  are  my  witnesses,  saith  the  LORD, 
eThat  I  am  God. 

13  Yea,  HDefore  the  day  was  I  am  he; 

And  there  is  none  that  gcan  deliver  out  of  my  hand : 
I  will  work,  and  who  shall  "let  it  ? 


1  Or,  nothing  formed  of  God. 

•  All  the  nations  gather  together,  and  the  peoples  are  to  be  assembled. 


d  let  hear,  declared. 


And. 


f  thereafter  I  am  he. 


s  Heb.  turn  it  back. 

b  let  us  hear. 

t  delivers. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  9.  In  the  succession  of  the  verbal  forms  IV^pJ 
(perf.)  and  13DK"1  (imperf.),  it  seems  to  me  the  meaning 
is,  that  the  former  would  express  the  fact  of  all  nations 
being  assembled,  the  latter,  however,  the  hypothetical 
wish,  that,  if  any  nation  be  wanting,  it  also  be  sum- 
moned. That  such  is  the  sense  appears  from  the  fact 
that  73  docs  not  stand  before  D'f3X7-  For  it  follows 
iherefrom  that  to  the  assembled  total  shall  be  opposed 
only  casual  single  individuals.  Hence  it  seems  to 
me  unnecessary  to  construe  1¥3pJ  as  imperative. 
30 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  12.  The  clauses  here  are  simply  connected  para- 
tactically  by  1.  But  their  more  exact  logical  relation  ia 
as  follows  :  T\yEnm  T\~Un  is  to  be  regarded  as  prin- 
cipal clause,  to  whose  two  members  other  two  subordi- 
nate clauses  correspond,  each  of  which  has  likewise  two 
members.  IT  D33  TX1  "njJOE'rn  corresponds  to 
the  first  member  of  the  principal  clause  as  an  explica- 
tion of  it ;  but  'Ul  'Tj;  DHN1  corresponds  to  the  se- 
cond member  as  assigning  the  ground  for  it 


466 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Ver.  13.  D'VD  occurs  again  only  Ezek.  xWiii.  36  as 
marking  a  time  that  connects  with  an  ideal  begmning. 
Everywhere  else  it  leans  on  a  real  terminus  a  <?uo,  The 
construction  0V  r\VrO,  "since  days  are,"  i.  e.,  ever  in 
the  past,  is  justified  neither  by  usage  nor  the  context 
For  one  looks  for  something  new.  But  the  thought 
that  Jehovah  is  of  old  is  already  adequately  expressed 
ver.  10.  One  may  compare  D'O^O  (Judg.  xv.  1;  Ezek. 


xxxviii.  8),  which  properly  means  "  from  days  onward," 
i.  e.,  from  a  point  of  lime  onwards,  till  the  entrance  of 
which  an  indefinite  number  of  days  elapse.  Therefore 
D'ro  is  not  "  from  to-day  ou."  Else  why  should  it  not 
read:  PITH  D1TI  p?  Comp.  Ezek.  xxxix.  22;  Hag. 
ii.  15,  18, 19.  But  it  properly  means,  "  from  a  period  with 
which  ends  an  ideally  present  QV,  onwards."  This  QV 
is  the  period  of  deliverance  indicated  in  what  precedes. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


1.  In  all  the  foregoing  chapters  Jehovah,  as 
the  only  true  God,  is  contrasted  with   the  idols  ; 
and  especially  from  chapter   xli.   on   it  is  made 
prominent  as  proof  of  the  divinity  of  Jehovah, 
that  He  is  able  to  declare  the  remote  past  and 
the  remote  fiiiure  and  the  connection  of  both.   In 
the  same  way  the  Prophet  here  joins  on  to  the 
comforting  promise  of    vera.   1-8,  an  argument 
that  uses  the  promise  of  redemption  as  a  proof  of 
the  divinity  of  Jehovah. 

2.  Let    all    the    nations after    me. — 

Vers.  9,  10.    The  Prophet  institutes  a  grand  and 
bold  comparison.    On  the  one  side  he  sees  all  the 
great  heath 3n  world  assembled  and  on  the   other 
only  Israel.     (See  Text,  and  Gram.).  And  now  he 
lets  the  LORD  address  to  the  former  an   inquirv, 
whether  among  their  tremendous  multitude  there 
is  even  one  prophetic  spirit  that  can  prophesy  as 
He  has  prophesied  in  vers.  1-8.     Who  among 
them  can  (will)  declare  this.     This  ''who" 
do3.«  not  refer  directly  ID  some  divinity  conceived 
of  as  among  the  crowd  of  people,  but  to  some 
prophet,   rather,  thought  of  as  organ  of  a  divi- 
nity.     But  "  this "   can  only  refer  to  what  has 
just  been  foretold  vers.  1-8.     But  how  can  such 
a  prophecy  ba  looked  for  out  of  the  midst  of  the 
heathen  world  ?  Were  a  genuine  prophetic  spirit 
in  the  midst  of  it,  then,  spite  of  all  antipathy  to 
Israel,  it  must  still  be  able  to  see  the  fact  and  an- 
nounce it   beforehand  just  as   well  as  Jehovah 
Himself.     For  the  genuine  prophet  must  see  the 
facts  of  the  future  simply  as  they  will  occur  in 
reality.     But  the  God  of  Israel  will  also  let  facts 
of  an  earlier  date  avail.     If,  then,  the   idol-pro- 
phets can  cite  in  their  favor  earlier  prophecies 
proceeding  from  them,  they  may  be  allowed  to 
do  so.     Former  things,  comp. "on  xl.  22  ;   xlii. 
9.  _  But  in  either  case,  he  that  designates  an  his- 
torical fact  as  the  fulfilment  of  a  prophecy  of  his, 
must  prove  that  this  prophecy  actually  proceeded 
from  him.     He  must  produce  witnesses  for  this. 
These  witnesses  can,  indeed,  be  chosen  now,  but 
may  only  be  surnrnonsd  to  give  their  testimony 
at  the  time  of  the  fulfilment.     For  only  ft  tlie 
tiras  named  is  their  testimony  possible  and  ne- 
cessary.    Possible,   for   only  then   can  the  pro- 
phecy and  fulfilment  be  compared  and  the  latter 
be  seen  to  correspond  with  the  former:  necessary, 
for  only  at  the  time  of  the  fulfilment  does  the  ne- 
cessity appear  for  inquiring  who  is  the  author  of 
the  prophecy  in  question.      Let   them  bring 
forth  their  witnesses,  therefore,  refers  to  the 
time  of  the  fulfilment ;  when  this  has  followed, 
then  they  shall  produce  their  witnesses,  in  order, 
by  their  declarations,  to  be  recognized  as  just,  t. 
e.;  as  veracious  and  as  representatives  of  a  real 
divine  power.     Ipli"  cannot  possibly  mean  "  to 
say  the  truth''  (HiTZio),  for   at  that  moment, 


those  that  produce  the  witnesses,  have  no  more 
to  say.  Rather  it  must  then  appear  whether 
what  they  have  said  at  an  earlier  time  be  the 
truth.  Therefore  P^i  is  here,  as  in  ver.  26  and  xl  v. 
25,  simply  ''  to  be  righteous."  Hence,  and  because 
J~OX  (comp.  xli.  2G  P"^')  is  the  declaration  of 
the  judge  and  not  of  the  witness,  the  subject  of 
let  them  hear  and  say  must  be  those  before 
whom  the  witnesses  appear.  For  this  reason  we 
translate  :  "  let  one  hear  and  say." 

From  tne  side  of  the  heathen  world  comes  no 
response  to  the  challenge  of  ver.  9.  It  is  in  no 
condition  to  respond.  The  LORD  then  turns  to 
Israel  to  declare  that  He  will  perform  what  the 
others  are  unable  to  perform.  Ye  are  My  'wit- 
nesses, he  says.  By  this  He  would  say  :  I  pay 
it  now  to  you  in  advance,  in  order  that,  when  it 
once  comes  to  pass,  ye  may  testify  that  I  foretold 
it.  And  My  Servant,  is  taken  by  many  as  a 
second  subject :  ye  and  My  Servant  be  My  wit- 
nesses. But  then  the  Servant  must  be  a  subject 
distinct  from  the  people  Israel.  Would  one  un- 
derstand by  this  the  personal  Servant  of  Jehovah, 
it  were  against  this  that  the  Servant  cannot  yet 
be  present  at  the  time  of  Cyrus,  for  Cyrus  him- 
self is  in  fact  related  to  Him  as  prophetic  type. 
Or  would  one  understand  by  that  other  subject 
the  believing  nucleus  of  the  nation,  then  that 
would  need  to  be  otherwise  expressed.  An  ex- 
pression must  be  chosen  that  would  distinguish 
that  Servant  from  the  mass  of  the  nation.  But 
such  a  distinction  is  nowhere  in  the  context, 
which  deals  primarily  only  with  the  antithesis 
of  Israel  and  the  heathen  world.  The  latter  is  a 
mass  of  people  without  God,  and  hence  without 
prophecy  ;  but  Israel  is  the  people  of  Jehovah 
and  the  place  of  His  revelation.  For  this  reason 
precisely  it  is  the  instrument  that  the  LORD  has 
chosen  in  order  also  to  reveal  Himself  to  the  hea- 
then. In  "  and  My  servant,"  etc.,  there  lies, 
therefore,  the  idea  that  Israel  as  the  servant  of 
Jehovah  is  at  the  same  time  according  to  the 
nature  of  things  His  witness  in  the  sense  indi- 
cated above.  But  Jehovah  demands  that  Israel 
shall  become  witness,  not  for  His  interest,  but  for 
Israel's  own  interest.  By  the  facts  that  they 
verify  they  are  to  draw  for  themselves  the  conclu- 
sion that  Jehovah  alone  is  the  true  God.  The 
Prophet  expresses  this  by  the  words :  that  ye 
may  know  and  believe  Me,  etc.  U'"1'"1  may 
either  (zeugmatically)  take  the  object  of  IJOXn,  or 
it  can  have  the  absolute  meaning  "to  acquire 
knowledge,  sapere"  (xliv.  18;  xlv.  20;  xxxii.  4). 
Even  faith  presumes  a  certain  knowledge,  for  one 
cannot  believe  in  that  of  which  he  knows  abso- 
lutely nothing.  But  faith  is  equally  the  condi- 
tion of  a  correct  knowledge  of  divine  things. 


CHAP.  XLIII.  14-21. 


467 


For  without  loving  self-surrender  to  God,  an  un- 
derstanding of  His  being  is  impossible.  And 
then  the  Prophet  may  with  equal  right  designate 
faith  as  the  product  and  as  the  condition  of 
knowledge.  On  I  am  He  see  on  xli.  4.  In 
there  was  no  Qod  formed  there  is  of  course 
no  implied  assumption  that  Jehovah  was  formed, 
but  rather  the  contrary  assumption  underlies  it, 
that  Jehovah  is  the  sole  and  only  true  God,  a 
thought  that  is  implied  in  I  am  He.  If  this  be 
BO,  then  besides  Him  there  can  only  be  fabricated 
gods,  dei  flcticii  (comp  xliv.  10).  Had  there 
been  a  god  before  Him  it  could  only  have  been  a 
fictitious  god.  But  as  there  was  no  sort  of  god 
before  Him,  so,  too,  none  was  made  before  Him. 
And  since  whatever  is  made  must  have  a  begin- 
ning, and  necessarily,  too,  must  have  an  end,  so 
must  all  these  fictitious  gods  cease  to  be.  There- 
fore none  can  survive  Jehovah. 

3.  I,  even  I let  it.— Vers.  11-13.    These 

verses  conclude  the  foregoing  series  of  thoughts 
by  recapitulating  the  chief  particulars,  and 
adding  several  important  inferences.  I,  I  am 
Jehovah :  that  such  is  the  proper  rendering 
appears  from  the  fact  that  the  Jehovah-name 
manifestly  corresponds  to  the  latter  part  of  ver. 
10,  the  sentiment  of  which  is  comprehended  in 
that  name.  For  if  before  the  LORD  there  was  no 
god,  and  there  will  be  none  after  Him,  then  He 
is  the  One  that  was  and  shall  be  the  eternally 
Existent,  i.  e.,  Jehovah  (comp.  Exod.  iii.  14). 
And,  because  this  entire  part  of  Isaiah  deals  with 
the  deliverance  of  Israel  and  the  ground  and  con- 
sequences of  it,  it  is  added  :  and  beside  Me 
there  is  no  Saviour  (comp.  ver.  3;  xlv.  21, 
and  the  List).  Therefore  Israel  must  take  care 
not  to  look  for  its  salvation  from  any  other.  As 
JT2/1D,  ''  Saviour,"  refers  back  to  ver.  3,  so  THJn 

and  TUn^n     "  I   have   declared 1  have 

shewed "  refer  to  ver.  9.  According  to  the 
argument  in  ver.  9,  prophecy  and  fulfilment  are 
proof  of  divinity.  This  proof  Jehovah  gives.  I 
announce,  He  says,  and  I  save.  The  perfects 
present  the  thought  apodictically  as  a  fact  ac- 
complished. The  salvation,  indeed,  is  still 


future,  and  must  be  waited  for.  But  the  an- 
nouncement is,  in  respect  to  time,  in  the  past, 
and,  as  an  actual  deed  of  Jehovah'**,  can  now  al- 
ready be  proved.  Hence  this  particular  is  not 
only  repeated  in  *f\pDBfrl  4<  I  have  declared," 
but  also  supported  by  an  aryumentiim  a  non  ex- 
istente  altero.  Jehovah  must  have  announced  be- 
cause no  other,  or  strange  god  ("K  as  in  Deut. 
xxxii.  16  ;  Ps.  xliv.  21  ;  Ixxxi.  10),  was  in  Israel. 
In  this  there  is  an  assumption  that  there  exist 
real,  super-terrestrial  powers  beside  Jehovah. 
But  none  of  the  kiud  have  power  in  Israel.  The 
idols  that  Israel  worshipped  are  not  reckoned, 
for  they  are  to  be  regarded  as  nothing  (xli.  23  sq.). 
On  the  logical  connection  of  ver.  12  see  Text,  and 
Gram.  We  remarked  before  that  Tli'BMn,  I 
have  saved  refers  to  a  future  deed  that  is  to  be 
waited  for.  But  there  is  a  guaranty  of  its  fulfil- 
ment. Israel  is  even  set  up  as  testimony,  ver.  10, 
and  the  LORD  will  and  can  do  that  to  which 
Israel  testifies,  for  He  is  God,  the  Strong  One 

ON  comp.  xlvi.  9  and  the  List).  Thus  the  sense 
of  ver.  12  is  as  follows:  that  I  am  the  proclaimer 
of  salvation  follows  because  beside  Me  there  was 
no  one  that  could  proclaim  it ;  and  that  I  will 
carry  out  also  what  I  have  proclaimed  is  guaran- 
teed by  your  being  in  evidence  and  by  My  strength. 
Ver.  13  refers  to  the  future  following  the 
period  of  the  promised  deliverance  (see  Text,  and 
Gram.).  Thus  the  LORD  does  not  content  Him- 
self here  with  prophesying  to  the  time  of  the  de- 
liverance He  goes  further  He  gives  assur- 
ance that  after  it  has  come  also,  He  will  remain 
the  same.  Therefore  Kin  in  this  place  is  idem 
(comp.  xli.  4).  Israel  is  redeemed.  The  words 
none  delivereth  from  My  hand  cannot  ap- 
ply to  it  here,  as  the  similar  words  do,  indeed,  xlii. 
22.  Rather,  after  Israel's  deliverance,  only  the 
heathen  are  in  the  hand  of  God  as  objects  of  His 
judgment.  Therefore  these  words  concern  them. 
But  finally,  as  the  end  of  all  history,  it  will  ap- 
pear that  all  thoughts  and  counsels  of  God  must 
inevitably  find  their  accomplishment.  "  Sein 
Werk  kann  niemand  hindern."  Comp.  xiv.  27. 


3.    THE    REDEMPTION    AND    RETURN    OF   ISRAEL,   ESPECIALLY    FROM    THE 

BABYLONIAN    CAPTIVITY. 

CHAPTER  XLIII.  14-21. 

14  Thus  saith  the  LORD, 

Your  redeemer,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ; 
For  your  sake  I  have  sent  to  Babylon, 
"And  have  brought  down  all  their  'nobles, 
And  the  Chaldeans,  whose  cry  is  in  the  ships. 

15  I  am  the  LORD,  your  Holy  One, 
The  Creator  of  Israel,  your  king. 

16  Thus  saith  the  LORD, 

Which  bmaketh  a  way  in  the  sea, 
And  a  path  in  the  mighty  waters  ; 

17  Which  °briugeth  forth  the  chariot  and  horse,  the  army  and  the  power ; 
They  shall  lie  down  together,  they  shall  not  rise : 


46S 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


They  are  extinct,  they  are  quenched  as  tow. 

18  Remember  ye  not  the  former  things, 
Neither  consider  the  things  of  old. 

19  Behold,  dl  will  do  a  new  thing ; 

Now  it  shall  spring  forth ;  shall  ye  not  know  it? 
el  will  even  make  a  way  in  the  wilderness, 
And  rivers  in  the  desert. 

20  The  beast  of  the  field  shall  honor  me, 
The  'dragons  and  the  "owls  : 
Because  I  give  waters  in  the  wilderness, 
And  rivers  in  the  desert, 

To  give  drink  to  my  people,  my  chosen. 

21  This  people  have  I  formed  for  myself; 
They  shall  show  forth  my  praise. 


1  Heb.  bars. 


8  Or,  ostriches. 


8  Heb.  daughters  of  the  owl. 


And  lead  them  downwards  as  fugitives  all,  And  '-to  Chaldeaon  the  ships,"  is  their  cry. 

that  made. 

brought.  d  /  do  '  Surely  I  will. 


<  jackalt. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words  :    Ver.  14. 

nsi—  ryn3.  ver.  IB.  Tjj-rrrru.  vcr.  17.  ^;n~n^- 
ver.  is.  rnJENO—  pnnn-nvwnp.  ver.  i9.Tnenn 


Ver.20.  D'pn.  Comp.  xiii.  22.—  VP3 

-nptfn.  ver.  21.  n^nn-iap. 

Ver.  14.  The  context  shows  that  'HTwty  is  the  praeter. 
propheticum.  -  The  following  words  are  very  difficult. 
The  correct  understanding  of  DTV13  is  of  first  impor- 
tance. Most  expositors  render  it  "fugitives."  But 
who  are  the  fugitives?  According  to  some  they  are  the 
tro/ujuu/cTos  o^Aos  of  the  world's  emporium  (DELITZSCH), 
"  the  concurrent  nations  in  the  commercial  city  of  Ba- 
bylon "  (GKSENIUS).  This  construction  takes  proper  ac- 
count of  the  1  before  D'1J£O,  by  distinguishing  the 
fugitives  from  the  Chaldeans.  But  why  call  those  fo- 
reigners precisely  fugitives?  Why  not  say  then  Q'TJI 
or  31j;  (Jer.  1.  37),  or  the  like?  And  do  not  the  Chal- 
deans flee,  too?  How  then  could  the  foreigners  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  Chaldeans  just  by  the  designation 
"fugitives?"  This  objection  lies  even  more  against 
DELITZSCH'S  construction  than  against  that  of  GESENIUS. 
For  according  to  DELITZSCH  Dv3  is  the  chief  notion, 

T  \ 

DTV^3  only  an  attribute  joined  on  in  the  form  of  appo- 
sition. But  then  how  in  the  world  does  the  notion  73 
come  to  designate  the  foreigners  in  distinction  from  the 
Chaldeans?  -  Since  JEROME,  many  (ABENESRA,  ABARBA- 
NEL.  CASTALIO,  FORERTTJS,  SEE.  SCHMIDT,  UMBREIT,  etc.)  have 
read  DTV"^3  =  "  bars,"  and  understood  that  breaking 
down  bars  is  meant.  Then  it  would  be  declared  that 
the  prison  of  the  Israelites  would  be  opened.  GESENIUS 
testifies  "  that  the  departure  from  the  points  in  such  a 
case  were  a  small  matter."  And,  of  course,  it  might 
easily  happen,  especially  in  the  unpointed  text,  that 
barichim  would  be  spoken  instead  of  berichim.  But  in 
general  the  reading  0'IT"13  has  the  evidences  in  its 
favor,  and  we  cannot  permit  ourselves  to  depart  from  it 
needlessly.  Others,  as  HAHN,  understand  the  Chaldeans 
themselves  to  be  meant  by  DTTHS.  But  if  this  word 
and  D'TtfD  be  object  of  Tmin,  then  1  before  the  lat- 
ter is  inexplicable.  I  therefore  (on  the  ground  of  Dent. 
xxviii.  68,  see  Comment  below)  construe  D'tCG  as  ace. 
loci,  to  the  question,  whither  ?  The  Prophet  might  have 


GRAMMATICAL. 

written,  indeed,  TIO'Tt^Si  which  occurs  often  enough. 

T    I*  :   " 

But,  influenced  by  Dcut.  xxviii.  68,  he  writes  here 
D'TL^JD  as  D'li'O  is  written  there.  flVJiO  is  used  in 
both  places  with  a  similar  construction  and  meaning. 
1  connects,  not  the  word,  but  the  entire  clause,  as  e.  g., 
Jer.  1.  41. Dni"l  is  subject  of  the  clause  whose  predi- 

T  T    • 

cate  consists  in  the  words  ru'JSO    D"lt-O-    Hill  means 

T   • 

"  shout ;"  mostly  in  a  joyful  sense,  but  it  occurs,  too,  in 
regard  to  lamentation,  especially  with  suffixes  :  Jer.  xiv. 
12;  Ps.  cvi.  44.  To  this  exposition  of  the  last  member 
of  ver.  14,  the  foregoing  THI'DI  forms  a  fitting  intro- 
duction. For  this  T"11D  takes  place,  according  to  our 
signification,  both  in  the  neuter  and  in  the  local  sense  : 
with  the  DTV~O  there  is  a  going  downwards  not  only 
down  the  Euphrates,  but  from  their  previous  elevation. 

Ver.  15  is  to  be  construed  as  apposition  with  the  sub- 
ject of  TinSty  and  Tmin  ver.  14. 

Ver.  16.  It  comes  to  substantially  the  same  thing 
whether  the  participles  JjTl'j  and  X'XIO  are  rendered 
by  the  preterite  or  present.  Still  I  prefer  the  former, 

because  ver.  17  b  and  ver.  18  better  agree  with  it. 

D'-TJ.'  D'O  occurs  again  only  Neh.  ix.  11. 

Ver.  17.  K'i'10,  elsewhere  the  Hiph.,  is  the  standing 
expression  for  leading  Israel  out  of  Egypt  (comp.  Exod. 
xx.  2;  Deut.  v.  6;  xiii.  6,  etc).  Here  it  is  used  of  the 
Egyptians.  It  is  even  the  LORD,  that  occasioned  also 

the  marching  out  of  the  Egyptian  army. D1D1~3D"X 

which  rhymes  with  T1TJ71  'Tl,  recalls  Exod.  xiv.  9; 
xv.  1, 19,  21.  Elsewhere  it  generally  reads  3J11  DID 
(Dent.  xx.  1;  Josh.  xi.  4;  1  Kings  xx.  1;  2  Kings  vi.  15; 
Ezek.  xxxix.  20).  The  transposition  in  our  text,  which 
is  for  the  sake  of  the  rhyme,  occurs  again  only  Ps.  Ixxvi. 
7.  /Tl)  too,  occurs  in  the  Song  of  Moses,  Exod.  xv.  4. 

WjJ  "robustus,  validus,"  beside  here,  occurs  onlyPs. 

xxiv.  8  where  it  is  paired  with  "VlSj Imperf.  13DUJ1 

signifies  the  continuance,  101p'~S3  (comp.  xxvi.  14;  on 
the  use  of  ^3  see  on  xxvi.  8)  is  future;  the  perfects 
Oi'1  ar>d  O3  signify  the  completed  fact. 

~:IT  T 

Ver  19.  DtJ/nn  only  here  in  a  neutral  sense  in  the 
sing.,  beside  Jer.  xxxi.  22  :  ni$1D  xlii.  9  ;  xlviii.  6.  It 
is  known  that  {OH  is  often  used  in  the  sense  of  an  env 


CHAP.  XLIII.  14-21. 


469 


phatic  affirmative.  Comp.  e.  g.,  1  Sam.  xx.  37  ;  1  Kings 
xi.  41,  etc.  It  is  used  very  often  for  71371-  Not  only 
does  the  LXX.  very  often  translate  it  by  iSov  (Deut.  lii. 
11 ;  Josh.  i.  9,  etc.),  but  the  parallel  passages  in  Chroni- 
cles often  have  PISH  where  the  Books  of  Kings  have 
K7ri.  Comp.  1  Kings  xv.  23  with  2  Chron.  xvi.  11 ;  1 
Kings  xxii.  46  with  2  Chron.  xx.  34,  etc. 


Ver.  20.  Isaiah  uses  only  here  the  expression  flTI 
mtyn.  Before  him,  on  the  ground  of  many  passages 
in  the  Pentateuch  (Gen.  ii.  19  sq. ;  iii.  1, 14;  Exod.  xxxiii. 
11;  Lev.  xxvi.  22;  Dent.  vii.  22,  etc.),  it  appears  in  Hosea 
(ii.  14,  20 ;  iv.  3 ;  xiii.  8)  and  Job  (v.  23 ;  xxxix.  15 ;  xl. 

'20).    Isa.  Ivi.  we  read  "It?   ITY"?}- ruy    71133  again 

xiii.  21;  xxxiv.  13,  and  in  Job  xxx.  29;  Mic.  i.  5;  Jer.  1. 
39. T».nj    '  J  is  =  "  that,"  or  "  because  I  have  given." 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  This  third  strophe  corresponds  to  the  first. 
As  the  first  represents  how  the  LORD  will  bring 
back  His  people  into  their  land,  from  all  quarters 
of  the  earth  and  through  all  possible  dangers,  so 
the  present  strophe  represents  how  this  restora- 
tion shall  happen  out  of  Babylon  and  through 
the  wilderness  lying  between  Chaldea  and  Pales- 
tine.    Thus  the  first   strophe   is  general  in   its 
contents;    the  third  is  specific. 

2.  Thussaith your  king. — Vers.  14-15. 

As   the  first  promissory  strophe  (ver.  1)   began 
with  thus  saith,  so  this  one  in  both  its  parts, 
the  negative  (ver.  14)  and  the  positive  (ver.  16). 
The  LORD,  Israel's  Holy  One,  Creator  and  King, 
announces  that  He  will  send  to   Babylon    and 
bring   the   Chaldeans   down  from   the  elevation 
they  have  scaled,  and  lead  them   back   to   the 
littleness  of  their  original   home  on    the  lower 
Euphrates,  to  which  they  will  set   out  with  the 
cry  "  to  Chaldea  on  the  ships."     This  is  the 
first  negative  act;  the  opening  of  the  prison  and 
putting  aside  the  prison-keeper.     Glorious  act  of 
deliverance !  that  at  the  same  time  proves  the 
God  of  Israel  to  be  the  only  Holy  One.     For 
your  sake  I   have   sent  "to  Babylon,  says 
the  LORD,  and  indicates  that  the  proper  intent 
of  the   sending  was   the   deliverance  of  Israel, 
though  the  messenger  had  no  presentiment  of 
performing  a  divine  mission  in  the  interest  of 
Israel.     Who  this  messenger  was  appears  from 
xli.  2,  3,  25.     It  is  Cyrus.     We  know  that  Isaiah 
foresaw   a    Babylonish  exile  of  his  people  from 
xiii.,  xiv.,  xxi.  9  sq. ;  xxxix.  6,  7.     Especially 
I  have  sent,  reminds  one  strongly  for  substance 
of  xiii.  2  sqq.     See  Text,  and  Gram.     It  appears 
to  me  that  we  are  justified  by  Job  xxvi.  13  and 
Isa.   xxvii.   1  in  giving    DTV^3    the  meaning 
"fugitives"    (see    Text,   and    Gram.}.     Only   in 
those   passages   and   here  does  the  word  occur. 
As  regards   the   clause,  and  the  Chaldeans, 
etc.,  I  think  that  here,  too,   the  Prophet   makes 
allusion   to  an  older  passage  of  (Scripture,  that 
sheds  light  on  his  meaning.    That  is  Deut.  xxviii. 
68 ;  where  we  read  n'TJX3   D'li'O   ni.T   HTtf  HI 

'   .  -T:  IT          .-   :    •  T     «        't      '  YMV 

As  is  known,  Deut.  xxviii.  contains  that  em- 
phatic exhortation  to  obey  the  law  of  the  LORD,  ! 
based  on  promised  blessings  and  threatened 
curses.  It  concludes  with  the  threat  that  "  Je- 
hovah shall  bring  thee  into  Eyypt  again  with 
ships,"  to  be  sold  there  into  bondage.  It  is 
worthy  of  notice  that  E'^V?  must  be  construed 
as  ace.  localt*  to  the  question,  whither?  It  might 
have  read  rn^VD,  which,  if  not  the  more  cor- 
rect, were  still  the  more  frequent  mode  of  expres- 
sion. Now  it  seems  to  me,  that  the  Prophet  in 
cur  text  would  intimate  that,  what  the  LORD 
threatened  against  Israel  would  be  fulfilled  on 


the  Babylonians.  We  have  showed  above  xxiii. 
13  that  the  Chaldeans  (in  Babylonian  Kaldi  or 
Kaldaai,  SCHRADER,  p.  43)  were  a  nation  settled 
in  very  ancient  time  in  South-Babylon  and  reach- 
ing to  the  Persian  Gulf.  In  course  of  time  they  rose 
to  a  dominant  position  in  Babylon  itself:  in  fact  for 
a  considerable  time  the  ruling  dynasty  belonged  to 
their  race.  Moreover  that  lower  Euphrates  re- 
gion abounded  in  swamps,  and  hence  offered 
numerous  hiding-places.  We  know  this  especially 
from  the  history  of  Merodach-Balaclan,  of  which, 
at  chap,  xxxix.  we  gave  e,  sketch  from  FRANCOIS 
LENORMANT.  [The  Author's  recapitulation  of 
points  of  that  sketch  may  be  omitted.  TR.] 
From  the  particulars  given  there,  it  appears  that 
when  the  Chaldeans  could  no  longer  maintain 
themselves  in  Babylon,  their  next  step  would  be 
to  take  refuge  in  ships.  For  them,  flight  into 
the  recesses  of  the  lower  Euphrates  and  of  the 
Schatt-el-arab,  was  at  the  same  time  a  return  into 
their  proper  home.  Under  such  circumstances 
there  was  certainly  sufficient  motive  for  their 
raising  the  cry :  HVJiO  DTtfD  =  "  into  Chaldea 
on  the  ships."  Such  was  the  cry  when  Babylon, 
which  had  only  become  so  strong  by  the  colossal 
walls  of  Asarhaddon  and  Nebuchadnezzar,  but 
had  often  enough  before  been  taken  by  the  As- 
syrian kings,  was  no  longer  tenable.  On  this 
construction  see  Text,  and  Gram. 

As  ver.  14  begins  with  a  thought  that  gives  the 
reason  for  what  follows,  so  it  is  followed  also  by 
another  and  similar  one  in  ver.  15  as  a  conclusion. 
As  an  independent  statement,  ver.  15  would  be 
superfluous  and  clumsy.  It  has  sense  and  signi- 
ficance only  in  closest  connection  with  ver.  14. 
Jehovah  is  often  called  Israel's  king:  xli.  21 ; 
xliv.  6  ;  xxxiii.  22 ;  xliii.  15. 

3.  Thus  saith as  tow.— Vers.  16,  17. 

Now  the  positive  part  of  the  promise  is  given. 
To  the  liberated  Israelites  is  extended  what  they 
need  for  the  long  and  difficult  journey  home.     Al- 
ready in  the  words   "to  Chaldea  on  ships"  we 
found    the   Prophet's    thoughts  directed    toward 
Egypt.     This  direction  becomes  now  still  more 
manifest.     He  presents   the  miraculous  deliver- 
ance of  Israel  at  the  Red  Sea  as  a  guaranty  of  the 
promised  deliverance  from  the  Babylonish  exile. 
The   same  God,  he   says,  that   prepared   a  way 
through   the  Red  Sea,  where  there  was  too  much 
water,  will  know  how  to  make  a  way  through  the 
arid  desert,  where  there  is  too  little  water.     Comp. 
in  general  Ii.  10;  Ixiii.  11-13;  xi.  16. 

4.  Remember  ye my  praise.    Vers.  18 

-21.     Although  the  LORD  fortifies  the  promise 
about  to  follow  by  recalling  His  performance  at 
the  Red  Sea,  still,  by  the  demand  no  more  to  re- 
member those  old  events,  He  lets  the  Israelites 
understand  that  what  is  promised  and  future  will 


470 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


be  infinitely  more  glorious  than  what  is  past 
(comp.  Jer.  xxiii.  7).  Not  that  He  would  have 
those  mighty  deeds  of  old  sink  into  absolute  obli- 
vion. He  means  only  a  relative  forgetting.  He 
would  only  give  a  standard  by  which  may  he 
measured  the  glory  of  what  is  new.  From  this, 
already,  we  may  see  that  the  LORD  by  no  means 
intends  only  the  corporeal  return  from  the  Exile. 
Already  introduced  in  ver.  18  as  Himself  speaking, 
the  LORD  announces  ver.  19  that  He  is  about  tQ 
create  a  new  thing. — Already,  he  says,  it  is 
germinating  (comp.  xlii.  9) ;  i.  e.,  the  causes  that  are 
to  bring  about  that  new  thing  exist  already.  And 
of  course,  as  Isaiah  must  have  lived  to  see  Judali 
give  itself  into  the  hand  of  the  world-power,  so  he 
saw  therewith  the  bud  of  the  Exile,  and  also  of 
the  deliverance  out  of  it  (vi.  11  sqq. ;  vii.  17;  x. 
5  sqq.).  But  the  implicit  reality  will  also  realize 
itself  explicitly.  Hence  is  said :  ye  shall  cer- 
tainly know  it.  For  such  is  the  sense  of  the  nega- 
tive question :  shall  ye  not  know  it  (see  Text, 
and  Gram.}.  In  naming  this  new  thing,  the  LORD 
does  not  describe  it  completely.  He  only  men- 
tions one  characteristic  trait.  Ex  ungue  leonem. 
But  this  one  trait  from  many  is  chosen,  not  onlv  \ 
because  of  its  inherent  significance,  but  also,  on  j 
the  one  hand,  with  reference  to  what  was  men- 
tioned, vers.  16,  17,  by  way  of  guaranty,  and  on  j 
the  other,  because  there  is  present  already  here 
the  thought  that  comes  to  expression,  xliii.  3.  On 
the  brink  of  the  Red-Sea,  also,  it  was  water  that 
seemed  to  prevent  Israel's  deliverance.  They 
could  not  walk  through  the  deep  sea.  There  the 
LORD  helped  Israel  threatened  by  too  much  water, 
by  making  a  way  through  the  sea.  In  the  dav 
when  "the  new  thing"  shall  come  about  Israel 
will  be  confronted  by  a  dearth  of  water.  Freed 
from  Babylonian  captivity,  they  will  resolve  to 
return  home.  But  an  arid  desert  must  be  tra- 
versed !  _  Now  there  is  too  little  water.  But  the 
LORD  will  help  as  before.  He  will  make  in  the 
desert  a  way  (xxxv.  1,  2,  7  ;  xl.  3  sq.;  xli.  18  sq.), 
by  furnishing  it  with  a  bounding  stream  of  water. 
Comp.  xlviii.  21 ;  xlix.  10.  On  ^X  see  on  xxvi. 
8.  How  glorious  this  help  will  be,  that  Israel  is 
to  enjoy  by  the  watering  of  the  desert,  may  be  seen 


j  from  the  very  beasts  of  the  field  rendering 
honor  to  God  for  it. — It  weakens  the  ibrce  of 
I  this  description  to  understand  (with  HAHN)  the 
1  beasts  to  represent  heathen  nations.  For  it  is  some- 
thing higher  when  the  very  beasts  own  and  praise 
the  hand  of  God.  We  must  rather  think  of  xi.  6 
!  sqq.,  and  how  there,  immediately  after  the  de- 
scription of  the  universal  state  of  peace,  the  pros- 
pect of  the  home-return  of  Israel  out  of  the  As- 
•\  syrian  exile  is  presented  as  ihe  antitype  of  the 
home-return  out  of  Egypt  (xi.  11-16,  where  note 
especially  ver.  16).  And  xxxv.  8,  9  is  also  to  be 
drawn  into  comparison  here,  where  that  way  of 
return  is  called  a  holy  way,  and  it  is  said  that  no 
lion  shall  be  there,  and  that  most  ravenous  of 
beasts  shall  not  walk  on  it.  This  passage,  com- 
pared with  xi.  6  sqq.  and  our  text,  thus  receives 
its  complement  and  explanation,  to  live  effect  that 
wild  beasts  shall  indeed  be  there,  but  will  change 
their  nature,  and  as  regenerated,  so  to  speak,  will 
own  and  praise  God.  But  by  this  we  becjme 
aware  that  the  LORD  thinks  not  merely  of  physi- 
cal water,  but,  as  in  xliv.  3,  also  of  spiritual 
water  and  streams  of  the  Spirit.  For  these  neces- 
sarily belong  to  the  condition  of  peace.  The 
physical  water  of  the  desert  is  thus  at  the  same 
time  type  of  the  spiritual  streams  of  water  of  the 
last  time.  The  beasts  praise  God  for  being  per- 
mitted to  participate  in  the  blessings  imparted  to 
the  people  of  Israel.  But  (ver.  21)  especially 
this  people  themselves  that  the  LORD  formed 
for  Himself  (comp.  vers.  1,  7 ;  T  see  on  xlii. 
24)  shall  recount  His  praise.  This  signi- 
fies the  acme  of  the  new  time,  the  time  cf  sal- 
vation that  begins  with  the  deliverance  out  of 
the  Babylonian  exile.  But  that  that  acme  will  not 
be  attained  without  backsliding  on  the  part  of 
the  nation,  and  even  greater  manifestations  of 
grace  on  the  part  of  God,  appears  from  the  fol- 
lowing context.  [This  brings  us  back  to  the 
main  proposition  of  the  chapter,  namely,  that 
Jehovah  had  not  only  made  them  what  they 
were,  but  had  made  them  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
moting His  own  glory,  so  that  any  claim  of  merit 
on  their  part,  and  any  apprehension  of  entire 
destruction,  must  be  equally  unfounded." — J. 
A.  A.]. 


4.  ISRAEL'S  REDEMPTION  FROM  SIN  CANNOT  BE  ITS  OWN  WORK. 
CHAPTER  XLIII.  22-28. 

22  But  thou  hast  not  called  upon  me,  O  Jacob  ; 
"But  thou  hast  been  weary  of  me,  O  Israel. 

23  Thou  hast  not  brought  me  the  'small  cattle  of  thy  burnt  offerings ; 
Neither  hast  thou  honoured  me  with  thy  sacrifices. 

I  have  not  caused  thee  to  serve  with  an  offering, 
Nor  wearied  thee  with  incense. 

24  Thou  hast  bought  me  no  bsweet  cane  with  money, 
Neither  hast  thou  'filled  me  with  the  fat  of  thy  sacrifices  : 
But  thou  hast  made  me  to  serve- with  thy  sins, 

Thou  hast  wearied  me  with  thine  iniquities. 

25  I  even  I,  am  he  that  blotteth  out  thy  transgressions  for  mine  own  sake, 
And  will  not  remember  thy  sins. 


CHAP.  XLIII.  22-28. 


471 


26  Put  me  in  remembrance  :  let  us  plead  together  : 
Declare  thou,  that  thou  mayest  be  justified. 

27  Thy  first  father  hath  sinned, 

And  thy  3teachers  have  transgressed  against  me. 

28  "Therefore  I  have  profaned  the  4princes  of  the  sanctuary, 
And  dhave  given  Jacob  to  the  curse, 

And  Israel  to  reproaches. 


1  Heb.  lambs,  or,  kids. 
3  Heb.  interpreters. 

*  For. 


b  calamus. 


1  Heb.  made  me  drunk,  or,  abundantly  moistened. 
*  Or,  holy  princes. 

c  And  I  will  profane.  *  will  give. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :    Ver.  24. 
1jp_;-|n.     Ver.  25.  HPtO  comp.  xliv.  22.     Vers.  26,  27, 


V.T  TT 

28.  All  the  terms. 
Ver.  22.  1  init.  is  adversative.    Kip  used  of  calling  on 

:  T|T 

God,  orfcurs  more  frequently  with  prepositions.  Still  it 
is  found  elsewhere  also  with  the  ficouaative  (Ps.  xiv.  4; 
xvii.  6;  Ixxxviii.  10;  xci.  15).  Many  (MAUBEB,  HITZIO, 
EWALD,  HEXDEWERK,  UMBREIT,  KNOBEL,  DELITZSCH)  con- 
strue the  second  clause  '1J1  flpj'  O  as  a  conclusion  : 
that  thou  shouldest  have  wearied  thyself  with  me.  But 
in  that  case  1)  the  foregoing  clause  should  contain  an 
inquiry;  2)  the  dependent  clause  with  ^3  should  relate 

to  something  future.  Neither  is  the  case. y  J'  means 

"  laborare,  dcsudare,  defatigatam  esse."  The  last  in  pas- 
pages  like  xl.  28;  Ivii.  10;  Jer.  xlv.  3;  Ps.  vi.  7.  Hence 
Hiph.  "  defatigare,  to  make  weary,"  (vers.  23,  24).  Hence 
I  agree  decidedly  with  those  that  translate :  Ci  for  thou 
art  weary  of  me." 

Ver.  23.  nt?,  for  which  there  is  no  plural  form,  is  col- 
lective [meaning  the  young  of  both  sheep  and  goats, 
hence  exactly  rendered  in  the  English  Version,  "  small 

cattle."— TK.]. THO*  is  accus.  of  the  means. 12 J» 

is  the  technical  term  for  service  rendered  to  God  in 
worship.  Comp.  Exod.  x.  26,  and  the  expression  nih,J7  • 


Ver.  24.  Tjtf  cannot  be  referred  exclusively  to  the  no- 
tion "  with;"  otherwise  it  must  read  fn^J'JI  ""pX  'ijK- 
It  must  be  referred  to  the  entire  following  clause. 

Ver.  25.  The  double  "OJK  makes  emphatic  that  the 
wiping  out  of  sin  is  solely  in  God's  power.  JOH  stands 
emphatically  after  'DJX.  But  it  is  not  predicate  as  in 
vers.  10,  13;  xli.  4;  xlvi.  4;  xlviii.  12,  but  in  apposition 
with  the  subject  as  in  vii.  14.  Thus  the  sense  is:  I — I 
such  an  one.  In  this  lies  a  reference  back  to  the  em- 
phatic use  of  fc^n  twice  already  in  this  chapter. riHO 

T  T 

is  rendered  by  the  LXX.  by  efa.Aei'<£w,  as  also  in  Ps.  li.  3. 

11;  Ixix.  29,  etc. 'JJJO1?  as  in  xxxvii.  35;  xlviii.  9, 11. 

Ver.  28.  It  seems  to  me  presumptuous  and  needless 
to  read  S^nXl  and  HJPS1-  This  were,  indeed,  the 
easier  reading,  but  for  that  very  reason  suspicious.  The 
more  difficult  reading  necessitates  a  deeper  penetration 
into  the  sense.  I  construe  S^n^and  njriXl  as  sim- 
ply future,  and  both  1  as  simply  copulative. There 

are  likely  only  rhetorical  reasons  for  using  the  eohor- 
tative  form  njHK  instead  of  |flX.  At  least  this  form 
is  very  usual  precisely  with  f  TO-  It  occurs  thirty  times 
in  the  Old  Testament,  including  the  forms  with  Vav. 
consec.  I  doubt  if  it  occurs  as  often  with  any  other  verbs. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  But  thou sacrifices. — Vers.  22-24  a. 

In  ver.  21  the  LORD  bus  expressed  a  glorious 
hope  for  the  future.  But  he  reflects  here  that 
the  past  history  of  IsraeJ  lets  this  hope  appear 
unfounded.  Trie  outward  return  from  the  Exile  is 
not  sufficient  to  qualify  Israel  for  that  praise  of 
God  (ver.  21).  As  long  as  Israel  is  under  the 
outward  ceremonial  law,  it  is  also  under  the  do- 
minion of  sin.  The  LORD  Himself  must  first 
blot  out  the  guilt  of  sin  by  an  offering  that  only 
He  can  make,  and  break  the  power  of  sin  by  an 
outpouring  of  holy  streams  of  the  Spirit.  Only 
a  regenerated  Israel  will  be  able  to  do  what  is 
expected  in  ver.  21. 

The  following  clauses  do  not  mean  that  Israel 
has  never  fulfilled  the  duties  of  divine  service 
therein  mentioned,  but  only  that  they  have  not 
fulfilled  them  i.  e.,  not  fully  satisfied  the  require- 
ments. The  long  period  from  the  giving  of  the 
law  to  Isaiah's  time,  that  ought  to  have  been  a 
period  of  uninterrupted  fulfilment  of  the  law,  was 
in  fact  a  period  of  prevalent  transgression  of  the 
law.  Hence  the  Prophet  can  well  say,  Israel  has 
not  brought  the  LORD  the  gifts  of  divine  service 
that  they  ought  to  have  brought. 


In  HK7,  small  cattle,  collective,  there  may  be 
an  allusion  to  the  daily  morning  and  evening  sa- 
crifice, in  which  a  year-old  lamb  must  be  brought 
(Exod.  xxix.  38  sqq.;  Numb,  xxviii.  3  sqq.). 
What  a  perverted  world,  when  the  LORD  must 
Himself  perform  the  work  that  Israel  ought  to 
have  done  by  their  divine  service  ! 


is  the  fragrant  gum  of  a  tree  found  in 
Arabia,  Persia,  India  and  the  eastern  coast  of 
Africa,  but  not  definitely  identified  by  modern 
botanists  (see  LEYER,  PlERZ.  R.-Encyd.  XVII. 
p.  602  sq.).  The  Israelites  used  it  partly  as  an 
ingredient  of  incense  (Exod.  xxx.  34),  partly  as 
an  accompaniment  to  the  meat  offering,  and  the 
1  shew-bread  (Lev.  ii.  1  sq.,  15  sq.;  xxiv.  7).  The 

expression  P'Jp  tfS  ver.  24,  when  we  compare 
the  foregoing  parallel  enumerations,  seems  mani- 
festly to  be  prompted  by  the  assonance  with 
njp.  HJp  is  mentioned  Exod.  xxx.  23  with  the 

V  T  VIT 

addition  Dt?3  as  an  ingredient  of  the  holy  anoint- 
ing oil  (LEYRER,  ibid.  XIV.  p.  663  sq.  ;  XIII. 
p.  322)  ;  according  to  the  Kabbins  (ibid.  XII.  p. 


472 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


507)  it  was  also  an  ingredient  of  the  holy  incense. 
It  is  almost  universally  agreed  that  It  is  the  cala- 
mus (ibid.  XIV.  p.  664).  DELITZSCH  says  "  the 
calamus  forms  no  stalk,  much  less  a  reed ;"  but 
it  is  to  be  considered  that  it  has  a  stem  formed 
underneath  by  the  leaves  overlaying  one  another. 
And  these  leaves  are,  each  for  itself,  reeds  open 
at  the  sides.  Hence  the  calamus  is  reckoned 
among  reeds.  Besides,  not  our  common  calamus 
is  meant,  but  the  Asiatic,  indigenous  to  tropical 
Asia,  and  which  is  still  used  there  in  preparing 
fragrant  oils  and  incense  (L/EYRER,  ibid.).  The  ex- 
pression: with  the  fat  of  thy  sacrifices  thou 
hast  not  intoxicated  (xxxiv.  5)  me  is  an- 
thropopathic.  The  effect  of  the  fumes  of  fat  on  men 
being  imputed  to  God.  [HI")  in  the  Hiph  means 
"  to  drench."  In  this  case  "  to  drench  with 
fumes  of  fat,"  i.  e.,  be-smoke. — Ta.J. 

2.  But  thou thy  sins. — Vers.  24  6 — 25. 

Having  said  what  Israel  did  not  do,  it  is  now  said 
what  they  have  only  done :    Only  this  hast  thou 
done,  thou  hast  laden  me,  etc.     An  antithesis  is 
implied  that  we.  would  better  express  by  "  but 
thou  hast  (see    Text,  and    Gram.).     These  words 
declare  how  the  LORD  has  hitherto  borne  Himself 
with  reference  to  His   people's  burden  of  guilt. 
He  patiently  submitted  to  the  painful  service  of 
bearing  this  burden.     These ''sins"  and  iniqui- 
ties are  the  "  sins  that  are  past  through  the  for- 
bearance of  God"   (Rom.  iii.  25  ;  comp.  ix.  22). 
In  ver.  25,  however,  the  LORD  says  what  He 
will  do  in  the  future :    He  will  blot  out  their 
transgressions.      He  will  not  eternally  drag 
Himself  along  with  this  burden  ;  He  will  take  it 
out  of  the  world.     And  He  says  He  will  do  it 
for  His  own  sake.     There  is  that  in  Himself 
that  impels  Him  to  this  :  It  is  love.     It  does  not 
rest  till  it  has  found  the  ways  and  means  of  grati- 
fying itself  without  trenching  on  justice.     The 
LORD   must   have   in   mind  here   that  sacrifice 
which  did  what  all  sacrifices  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment were  unable  to  do.     Acts  iii.  19,  and  Col. 
ii.  14  seem  to  be  founded  on  our  passage.   In  the 
latter  it  appears  that  Paul  recognized  as  the  basis 
of  the  expression  the  representation  of  a  delible 
writing.     On  "  blot  out "  and  "  will  not  remem- 
ber" comp.  Ps.  li.  3,  11;  xxv.  7;  Ixxix.  8;  Jer. 
xxxi.  34,  etc. 

3.  Put    me reproaches. — Vers.    26-28. 

The  LORD'S  exceeding  gracious  language  vers. 
22-25  does  not  by  any  means  suit  the  taste  of 
Israel.     The  Prophet  sees  in  spirit  that  Israel 
does  not    acknowledge  its  unrighteousness  and 
will  not  accept  the  LORD'S   proposed    sacrifice 
(ver.  25).    Israel  is  self-righteous.   The  LORD  does 
not  peremptorily  rebuke  the  assertion  of  it.     He 
again  gives  the  nation  an  opportunity  to  prove  it, 
if  possible.     Hence  He  demands  an  enumeration 
of  the  facts  calculated  to  confute  the  LORD  and  to 
prove  their  assertion.     "'JVDrn  is  =  "  remind 


me,"  viz.  :  by  naming  the  facts.  On  the  ground 
of  these  facts  there  shall  be  justification  ;  and  if 
the  enumeration  holds  good,  Israel  shall  be  just 
(justified).  But  Israel  can  produce  nothing  that 
will  bear  sifting.  On  the  other  hand  (ver.  27) 
the  LORD  adduces  facts.  He  confines  Himself 
to  naming  capital  facts,  that  warrant  a  conclusion 
a  majori  ad  minus.  Without  doubt  the  first 
father  of  Israel  means  Abraham.  For  Adam 
is  the  father  of  the  whole  human  race.  Abra- 
ham's conduct  in  reference  .to  Pharaoh  and 
Abimelech  (Gen.  xii.  11  sqq.  ;  xx.  1  sqq.),  is  of 

itself  enough  to  prove  that  he  sinned.  ^  .  9  'la 
"  the  spokesman,  interpreter,  medium  "  (comp. 
Gen.  xlii.  23  ;  Job  xxxiii.  23  ;  2  Chron.  xxxii. 
31).  Theocratic  office-bearers  are  meant,  who 
were  mediums  between  God  and  the  people.  For 
this  reason  they  are  called  just  after  princes  of 
the  sanctuary.  They  were,  indeed,  the  pillars 
and  props  of  the  Theocracy.  It  was  just  their 
sins  (comp.  Jer.  xxii.-xxiii.),  because  of  their 
commanding  influence,  that  contributed  most  to 
their  own  and  the  nation's  fall. 

The  debate,  therefore,  does  not  turn  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  Israel.  In  conclusion,  the  LORD  must 
pronounce  the  judgment  :  I  will  profane  the 
princes  of  the  sanctuary  (comp.  e.  g.,  Jer. 
Iii.  24),  but  Israel  itself  I  must  give  up  to  the 
curse  and  reproaches  by  the  heathen.  (See  Text. 
and  Gram.).  According  to  the  foregoing  exposi- 
tion, the  Prophet  (ver.  21)  points  to  a  glorious 
last-time  of  salvation  that  begins  with  deliver- 
ance from  the  Exile,  but  in  such  a  way  that, 
from  this  beginning  onwards  to  the  completion 
of  it,  there  occurs  a  long  and  changeful  period. 
In  reference  to  this  period  he  distinguishes  four 
particulars:  1)  that  the  natural,  fleshly  Israel,  as 
ever,  is  incapable  of  serving  the  LORD  and  of 
properly  proclaiming  His  praise  ;  2)  that  the 
LORD  Himself  will  blot  out  Israel's  sin  ;  3)  that 
Israel,  in  proud  self-  righteousness,  does  not  ac- 
cept this  gracious  gift  of  the  LORD;  4)  that,  con- 
sequently, His  worship  will  be  profaned,  i.  e.,  done 
away,  and  the  nation  itself  will  be  given  up  to 
the  curse  of  destruction  and  outward  reproach. 
When  "the  princes  of  the  sanctuary"  are  pro- 
faned, then  the  sanctuary  itself,  the  cultus  of  Je- 
hovah, the  Old  Testament  covenant  in  general, 
will  be  desecrated,  i.  e.,  done  away  and  dissolved. 
For  as  GESENITJS  justly  remarks:  "foedus  res 
sacra  est,  idque  qui  profanat  etiam  violat  et  dissol- 
vat."  Israel  rejected  Christ.  They  accepted 
neither  Himself,  nor,  after  His  death,  the  gospel 
of  the  cross.  For  this  the  old  covenant  was 
broken  and  the  Temple  destroyed,  the  nation  dis- 
persed into  all  lands.  But  this  happened  only 
to  the  fleshly  Israel.  There  remains  a  remnant, 
fj^  and  these,  according  to  xliv.  3,  will 


obtain  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit,  and  thereby  the 
qualification  to  fulfil  ver.  21. 


CHAP.  XLIV.  1-5. 


473 


5.  THE  COMPLETION  OF  THE  EEDEMPTTON  BY  DELIVERING  FEOM  SIN 
IS  THE  FRUIT  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 

CHAPTER  XLIV.  1-5. 

1  YET  now  hear,  0  Jacob  my  servant ; 
And  Israel,  whom  I  have  chosen  : 

2  Thus  saith  the  LORD  that  made  thee, 

And  formed  thee  from  the  womb,  which  will  help  thee ; 

Fear  not,  O  Jacob,  my  servant; 

And  thou,  Jesurun,  whom  I  have  chosen. 

3  For  I  will  pour  water  upon  him  that  is  thirsty, 
And  floods  upon  the  dry  ground  : 

I  will  pour  my  spirit  upon  thy  seed, 
And  my  blessing  upon  thine  offspring : 

4  And  they  shall  spring  up  as  among  the  grass 
As  'willows  by  the  water  courses. 

5  One  shall  say,  I  am  the  LORD'S  ; 

And  another  "shall  call  himself  \>y  the  name  of  Jacob; 
And  another  shall  subscribe  with  his  hand  unto  the  LORD, 
And  surname  himself  by  the  name  of  Israel. 


a  poplars. 

TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :    Ver.  1. 

P3' 
Ver.  2.  JC330  is  to  be  connected  with  Tiy,  as  appears 

from  ver.  24  and  xlix.  5.  "Jl^1  is  an  elliptical  relative 
clause. — p^CT.  That  this  word  springs  from  7fO ty  (Gr. 
Yen.  'lo-paeAuricos),  or  that  it  is  identical  with  -)ty  the  first 
part  of  7X1ty  (JEROME,  who  translates  7K"liy  by  rec- 
tus  Dei  and  plET  by  rectissimus ;  AQU.,  SYMM.,  THEOD. , 
evflu's,  tv0vTa.Tos)  is  an  ungrammatioal  view.  But  it  ap- 
pears also  to  have  been  shared  by  those  that  have  trans- 
lated Jeshurun  directly  by  Israel  (TAUG.,  Pesch.,  Ar.). 
This  they  seem  to  have  done  because  they  saw  in  it,  not 
only  an  indirect  equivalent  for  the  name  Israel,  but  also 
(because  of  the  supposed  identity  of  ity  and  1^'),  a 
direct  equivalent.  It  is  now  admitted  that  pity"  has 
nothing  to  do  directly  with  7X1 1?',  but  is  derived  from 
an  essentially  different  root  "IJJ7\  As  the  word  is  used 

—   T 

only  of  Israel,  and  that  not  as  an  adjective  but  as  a  name 
for  Israel,  we  must  regard  it  as  a  cognomen,  and  as  so- 
called  Kunje  (cornp.  on  H|3'  ver.  5),  consequently  as  a 
proper  name.  But,  as  is  well  known,  there  is  greater 
freedom  and  variety  used  in  all  languages  in  the  forma- 
tion of  proper  names  than  in  the  formation  of  appella- 
tives. This  is  because  proper  names  have  regard  to 
individual  peculiarities,  which  is  not  the  case  with  ap- 
pellative designations,  which  merely  correspond  to  ab- 
stract modes  that  are  always  alike.  Thus  p^iZ/1  has 
originated  from  HE?'  by  appending  the  nominal  ending 

T  T 

p,  which,  as  the  characteristic  and  at  the  same  time 
the  final  syllable,  has  attracted  the  final  syllable  of  the 
root,  Hit?'  is  therefore  the  notion  "\UT  in  that  pecu- 


b  shall  shout  out  thename  of  Jacob. 

GRAMMATICAL. 

liar  aspect  which  the  ending  p  imparts  to  it.  But  what 
is  this  peculiar  meaning  of  p  ?  It  occurs  on  the  whole 
not  often.  It  only  appears  in  the  appellatives  p'y,  sta- 
tutum,  statua,  monumentum,  in  the  five  proper  names, 
IJVT  (pniT\  pit!/',  pj>  Mvtfi  and  in  'he 
word  p'3  (Amos  v.  20)  of  which  it  is  not  known  defi- 
nitely whether  it  is  a  proper  name  or  an  appellative. 
But  the  ending  p  is  manifestly  derived  from  ji,  by 
changing  the  vowel.  The  latter  ending  is  exceeding 
common  both  in  appellatives  and  in  proper  names.  Se- 
veral words  have  both  endings:  thus  Nun,  father  of 
Joshua,  is  also  named  MJ  1  Chron.  vii.  27.  The  tribal 
designation  from  pSpT  is  'jV}3l  (Num.  xxvi.  27;  Judg. 
xii.  11,  12),  and  in  Greek  the  word  is  pronounced  regu- 
larly Zo/3ovAcij>.  p1^  has  a  near  relation  in  J1S2?.  For 

not  only  is  Mt.  Zion  called  Zehjun  in  Syriac  and  Arabic, 
but  also  it  is  even  not  impossible  that  the  original  mean- 
ing of  r'ry  coincides  with  that  of  p'tf-  For  Zion  might 

very  suitably  be  designated  as  something  "  firmly  set 
up.'firmly  founded,  a  1D1D  ID^O,  xxviii.  16."  There  is 


great  variety  in  the  meaning  of  words  in  p.  It  ought  not 
to  have  been  so  positively  contradicted  that  the  ending  p 
is  also  used  to  designate  diminutives.  What  EWAI.D 
(Gram.,  1 1G7)  adduces  on  that  subject  is  still  worthy  of 
consideration,  p'liy  occurs  only  in  Song  of  Sol.  iv.  9, 
where  it  is  manifestly  a  term  of  endearment,  and  where 
one  may  translate  "thou  hast  taken  away  my  "ueart  by 
one  of  thine  eyes,  by  a  picture  (as  if  formed  by  a  turner) 
of  thy  little  neck"  (properly  Halzpartiechen).  piTpiy 
(Gen.  xlix.  18)  from  ^3$  serpsit,  reptavit,  is  called  a  di- 
minutive by  GESENIUS,  meaning  "  little  sneak."  D'Jjnt 
which  occurs  Dan.  i.  16  for  D 'J?1!!  ibid.  ver.  12,  can  hardly 


474 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


mean  anything  else  than  small  vegetables,  i.  e.,  some- 
thing inconsiderable  as  means  of  nourishment.  It  is 
universally  admitted  that  JU^K,  "  the  pupil,"  means  the 
little  man  in  the  eye  ;  and  also  D'J'inii'  (iii.  18  ;  Judg. 
viii.  26)  is  generally  taken  to  mean  lunulae.  If,  finally, 
BEN-GORION,  whom  EWALD  cites,  is  correct  in  stating 
that  Josippon  is  diminutive  of  Joseph,  I  cannot  see  what 
one  can  object  to  the  assumption  that  the  Heb.,  among 
its  diminutive  forms,  forms  some  in  J1-.  Moreover  vor. 
5  manifestly  corresponds  to  ver.  2,  and  as  the  words  vor. 
P  Spl*'  HE'S  SOp'  HI  correspond  to  the  words 
3p;"  H3^  NVn-Stf  ver.  2,  so  the  words 
nW  L?N1t£''1  ver.  5,  refer  to  the  words  13  THrO 
ver.  2,  (comp.  the  remarks  on  ver.  5).  From  this  results 


that  the  Prophet  regards  jntJT  as  the  ^jp  for 

Ver.   5.    Piel  D;13,  besides  here,  occurs  only  xlv.  4  and 

T  • 

Job  xxxii.  21,  22.  In  Job  the  meaning  is  manifestly  "  to 
flatter."  In  xlv.  4  the  word  stands,  as  here,  parallel  with 
fcOp,  nnd  can  likewise  mean  only  "to  name  honorably." 

In  later  Hebrew  the  word  moans  "  coynominare,  litulo 
appellare"  in  general,  and  "33  is  "cognomen,  agnomen," 

when  even  not  exactly  an  honorable  one.  Thus  'J1X 
and  DTi  ?X  are  the  D'V.3.3  for  niiT-  Among  Hebrew 
grammarians  the  pronoun  is  called  '1J3,  because  it  is  a 
word  standing  in  place  of  a  noun.  Comp.  BuxxoBF,I/es 
talm.  etrabb,  p.  1054.  With  this  certainly  connects  the 
Arabic  Kunje,  which  however  has  more  the  meaning  of 
a  familiar  name  of  flattery  or  one  given  in  jest  (comp. 
EWALD'S  Gr.,  pp.  602,  666). 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  This  strophe  connects  closely  with  the  fore- 
going one  as  its  necessary  conclusion.  The  pros- 
pect disclosed  xliii.  21,  that  not  merely  the  brute 
world,  but  also  the  people  of  God  will  proclaim 
the  praise  of  the  LORD,  cannot  be  realized  at  once 
after  the  return  from  Exile.  For  the  fleshly 
Israel  still  predominates.  They  cannot  proclaim 
the  praise  of  Jehovah  ;  they  will  not,  in  their 
self-righteousness,  acknowledge  their  sin,  and 
will  not  accept  the  sacrifice  that  God,  in  His 
grace,  offers  to  make  for  their  sin.  For  this  they 
are  given  up  to  the  curse  of  destruction.  But 
Israel  is  by  no  means  done  away  as  a  whole  by 
this.  On  the  contrary,  the  moment  has  come 
when  the  LORD  will  fulfil  to  the  people  of  His 
choice,  i.  e.,  the  election,  the  £«Aoy?/  of  His  peo- 
ple (vers.  1,  2),  the  promise  given  xliii.  19-21. 
For  then  the  LORD  will  send  down,  not  earthly 
abundance  of  water,  but  streams  of  the  Spirit,  on 
the  spiritual  Israel,  composed  of  those  of  Israel 
and  of  the  heathen  that  are  qualified  to  receive 
(ver.  3),  and  these  streams  will  enable  the 
spiritual  Israel  to  cleave  to  the  LORD  in  a  fresh 
life  of  the  Spirit,  and  thus  to  perform  what  was 
predicted  xliii.  21. 

2.  Yet  now  hear have  chosen. — Vers. 

1,  2.  It  is  first  of  all  to  be  remarked  how  the 
LORD  no  longer  addresses  His  people  merely  by 
the  name  "  Jacob"  or  "  Israel,"  but  with  the  ten- 
derest  expressions,  and  how  He  accumulates  these 
expressions.  We  see  that  He  is  no  longer  deal- 
ing with  the  natural  Israel,  but  with  the  remnant, 
the  ktCknyr].  But  now  depends  on  xliii.  28. 
But  now,  i.  e.,  after  fleshly  Israel  has  contemned 
the  sacrifice  for  its  sins,  and  has  on  that  account 
been  rejected,  the  moment  has  come  when  the 
LORD  prepares  the  true  Israel  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  His  will.  This  Israel  He  first  addresses 
as  Jacob  My  servant.  Thus  we  see  that  here, 
not  the  total,  but  only  the  noble  nucleus  of  the 
nation  is  designated  as  ''  Servant  of  the  LORD." 
For  He  calls  this  nucleus  Israel  whom  I  have 
chosen  (xli.  8,  9;  xliii.  10;  xlix.  7).  This  is 
the  first  address,  and  meant  only  to  call  the  at- 
tention of  the  one  addressed.  Then  follows  the 
second  address,  which  begins  with  naming  the 
speaker,  who  is  designated  as  Jehovah,  the 
Creator^  and  Former  of  Israel  from  the  womb, 
and  their  Helper.  From  all  the  facts  and  names 
accumulated  in  the  two  verses,  the  conclusion  is 
drawn  that  Israel  ought  not  to  be  afraid.  The 


words  xliii.  28  seem  to  give  the  occasion  for  this. 
Jeshurun  [Jesurunis  an  erroneous  orthography. 
— TR.],  which  occurs  first  [and  the  only  passages 
beside. — TR.]  Dent,  xxxii.  15 ;  xxxiii.  5,  26,  is 
undoubtedly  a  designation  of  the  people  of  Israel 
(see  Text,  and  Gram.).  If  we  may  take  it  as  a 
term  of  endearment  or  flattery,  we  may  then  un- 
derstand it  to  mean  "  pious  little  one,  pious  little 
nation,  Frommchen."  It  is  to  be  noted  that  the 
second  address  (ver.  2),  like  the  first  (ver.  1)  con- 
cludes with  I  have  chosen  him. — From  this 
appears  what  emphasis  the  Prophet  lays  on  the 
idea  of  the  election. 

3.  For  I  will  pour of  Israel. — Vers.  3- 

5.  Here  the  LORD  says  to  His  beloved  people 
why  they  need  not  be  afraid.  In  the  judgment 
that  is  to  consume  the  fleshly  Israel,  the  spiritual 
Israel  is  to  remain  unharmed.  The  latter  is  in 
fact  called  to  perform  what  the  other  could  not 
do:  proclaim  the  praise  of  Jehovah  (xliii.  21). 
It  is  enabled  to  do  so  by  the  outpouring  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  The  Prophet  here  returns  to  the 
sphere  of  thought  of  xliii.  20.  There  a  rich 
blessing  of  water  was  promised  to  the  nation  re- 
turning home  through  the  desert.  We  have  seen 
that  the  Prophet  here  again  contemplates  together 
the  whole  period  of  salvation.  We  are  aware  of 
this  from  his  seeing  also  the  irrational  brutes 
qualified  and  impelled  to  thanksgiving  to  God. 
But  this  elevated  goal  Israel  does  not  attain  at 
once.  Rather  in  this  period,  beginning  with  the 
deliverance  from  the  Exile  and  concluding  with  the 
reign  of  peace,  the  outward  Israel  descends  deep 
down  into  the  abyss  of  destruction.  But  the 
''  election"  will  remain,  and  to  it  will  be  given 
that  outpouring  of  streams  of  living  water,  of 
which  the  blessing  of  water  during  the  journey 
in  the  desert  was  only  a  type.  With  ver.  3  a  the 
Prophet  makes  the  connection  with  that  type.  I 
may  say,  he  places  one  foot  in  the  physical  and 
the  other  in  the  spiritual,  and  thus  forms  a  bridge 
from  one  to  the  other.  Not  as  if  to  the  "elect" 
will  be  imparted  first  the  physical  and  then  the 
spiritual  blessing.  But  only  for  the  purpose  of 
making  us  recognize  the  connection  with  xliii. 
20,  the  Prophet  speaks  first  physically.  But,  as 
the  following  intimation  shows,  he  means  already 
in  ver.  3  a  spiritual  water.  XOV  (not  «"IKD¥) 
seems,  in  antithesis  to  n$T  "the  thirsty,"  to 
mean  a  living  being,  and  71  $3'  (comp.  Gen.  i.  9, 


CHAP.  XLIV.  1-5.' 


475 


10)  "  the  dry  ground."  D'SlW  "  fluentes,  fluenta" 
(comp.  Exod.  xv  3;  Ps.  Ixxviii.  16,  44)  only 
here  in  Isaiah.  When  the  Prophet  says  on  thy 
seed,  thine  offspring  he  addresses  the  ideal 
totality  of  the  nation  (comp.  Joel  iii.  1).  The 
blessing,  which  we  are  primarily  to  understand 
as  spiritual  and  belonging  to  eternal  well-being, 
is  the  effect  of  the  Spirit,  and  appears  outwardly 
in  joyous,  fruitful  prosperity.  Hence  kUl  1PIDX. 
The  LXX.  and  TARG.  appear  to  have  read  JO3 
And  at  first  sight  one  might  prefer  this  reading 
to  the  j'311  of  tJie  text  ^  which  occurs  only  here) 
were  it  better  supported  and  not  the  easier.  It 
seems  to  me  that  the  Prophet,  by  the  grass, 
does  not  mean  the  Israelites  themselves,  to 
whom  ''seed"  and  ''offspring"  do  refer.  He 
rather  conceives  of  the  Israelites  as  higher  and 
nobler  plants,  say,  flowers  or  trees,  growing  out 
of  the  midst  of  the  grass,  and  by  the  grass  means 
the  converted  heathen.  He  further  compares 
them  to  Arab-trees  (Q'3~U?,  xv.  7,  according  to 
WETZSTEIX  in  DELITZSCH,  p.  459.  Mem.,  not 
willows,  but  a  poplar  tree  that  grows  like  wil- 
lows, and  along  with  such,  by  flowing  water)  by 
the  water-courses  (comp.  xxx.  25 ;  Ps.  i.  3),  which, 
less  common  than  the  willow,  rise  conspicuous 
among  the  trees  and  bushes  growing  by  the 
water. 

Thus  the  Prophet  prepares  for  what  he  would 
say  ver.  5.  He  shows,  namely,  that  to  the 
spiritual  Israel,  whom  he  addresses  vers.  1,  2,  be- 
long not  only  such  as  are  Israelites  by  corporeal 
descent.  Not  all  are  Israel  that  are  of  Israel 
(Rom.  ix.  6  sqq.);  and  just  as  little  are  the 
heathen  on  account  of  their  descent  excluded 
from  Israel.  Our  Prophet,  in  fact,  often  enough 
utters  the  promise  that  the  heathen  shall  come  to 
Israel  and  be  incorporated  in  Israel  (ii.  2  sqq.  ; 
xi.  10;  xlii.  G;  xlix.  6,  18  sqq.;  liv.  1  sqq. ;  Iv. 
5 ;  Ivi.  5  sqq  ;  Ix.  3  ;  Ixv.  1,  etc.).  Thus  I  see  in 
ver.  5  an  exposition  of  the  thought  that  the  be- 
lieving Israelites  sprout  up  in  the  midst  of  the 
grass,  and  that  they  thus  shall  be  distinguished 
from  the  grass,  and  yet  stand  upon  one  founda- 
tion of  life  with  it.  For  ver.  5  does  not  speak  of 
Israelites,  but  of  such  as  turn  to  Jehovah  and  to 
His  people.  But  the  language  concerning  these 
would  be  wholly  disconnected  if  ver.  4  did  not  in 
'*  among  the  grass "  contain  a  transition  to  the 
thought  in  question. 

Notice  that  ver.  5  has  two  chief  parts,  of  which 
each  has  two  subdivisions.  The  first  subdivision 
of  each  part  contains  a  declaration  of  surrender 
to  Jehovah;  the  second  subdivision  contains  each 
time  a  recognition  of  Israel  as  a  people  of  promi- 
nent importance.  The  first  subdivisions  begin 
with  HI,  the  fourth  does  not.  As  one  cannot  avoid 
inquiring  why  the  Prophet  should  refrain  from  a 
fourth  HI,  it  appears  that  he  would  say:  not  all  will 
make  prominent  in  their  confessions  either  Jehovah 
or  the  nation,  but  many  will  do  both.  Thus  among 
these  heathen  there  shall  be  so  far  a  difference, 
that  some  in  their  declaration  of  adhesion  will 
mention  more  especially  the  God  of  the  people, 
others  the  people  of  God,  while  still  others  will 
mention  both  in  equal  degree.  Thus  one  will  sav 
I  am  the  Lord's,  another  will  let  a  loud  call 
be  heard  by  means  of  the  name  of  Jacob,  i.  e.,  he 
will  loudly  praise  Jacob  (comp.  on  xli.  5). 


Finally  a  third  will  do  both :  he  will  sign  awav 
his  hand,  i.  e.,  what  he  can  do,  effect,  perform 
(compare  the  expression  T  JfU  Jer.  1. 15  ;  2  Chr. 
xxx.  8,  etc.)  to  the  LORD  (2.TO  literis  consiynare 
also  with  /  of  definition,  e.  a.,  in  D'Tl1?  21J13 

• T 

iv.  3).  This  explanation  appears  simpler  to  me 
than  the  other  two  that  translate  either  "  to 
write,  etch  on  the  hand,"  or  "  to  write  with  the 
hand."  Thus  one  may  say  in  Latin:  literis 
manum  s>ia>n  Jovae  consignabii,  in  order  to  signify 
surrender  by  means  of  a  legal  obligation.  Of  the 
same  person  it  is  said  further,  that  "  he  will  make 
an  award  of  honor  by  means  of  the  name  of 
Israel,"  i.  e.,  that  he  will  honorably  name  the 
name  of  Israel.  See  Text,  and  Gram.  The  inti- 
mate relation  between  God  and  His  people  is 
assumed  here.  He  that  confesses  the  LORD  i^-iSt 
confess  His  people,  and  vice  versa. 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xliii.  1.    ''  Here  are  presented  to  us  for 
our  comfort  all  three   articles  of  the  Christian 
faith  concerning  the  Creation,  Redemption,  and 
Sanctification.     For  1)  if  God  created  us  He  will 
not  forsake  the  work  of  His  hands  (Ps.  cxxxviii. 
8).     2)  If  He  has  redeemed  us,  no  one  will  seize 
His  sheep  out  of  His  hand  (John  x.  28).     3)  If 
He  has  called  us  and  named  us  by  our  name,  we 
are  allowed  to  rejoice  that  our  names  are  written 
in  heaven  (Luke  x.  20.)" — CRAMER. 

2.  On  xliii.  2.    "  God  delivers  out  of  perils  of 
water.     Examples:  Noah  (Gen.  viii.  15).     Moses 
who  was  cast  into  the  water  in  a  little  ark  covered 
with  pitch  (Exod.  ii.  6).     The  children  of  Israel 
who  were  led  through  the  Red  Sea  (Exod.  xiv. 
16).     Jonah  in  the  whale's  belly  (Jonah  ii.  11). 
The  disciples  with  the  LORD  in  the  boat  (Matth. 
viii.  26).     Peter  who  walked  on  the  water  (Matth. 
xiv.    30).     Paul   shipwrecked,    and   along   with 
whom  were  rescued  two  hundred  and  seventy  six 
souls  (Acts  xxvii   37).     God  delivers  also  from 
perils  of  fire.     Examples:  Daniel's  companions 
in  the  fiery  furnace   (Dan.  iii.  24  sqq.).      Lot, 
whom  with  his  family  the  holy  angel  led  out  of 
Sodom  (Gen.xix.  17)." — CRAMER. 

3.  [On  xliii.  4.  "  He  would  cause  other  nations 
to  be  destroyed,  if  it  were  necessary,  in  order  to 
effect  their  deliverance,  and  to  restore  them  to 
their  own  land.    We  learn  here,  (1)  That  nations 
and  armies  are  in  the  hand  of  God  and  at  His 
disposal.     (2)  That  His  people  are  dear  to  His 
heart,  and  that  it  is  His  purpose  to  defend  them. 
'3)  That  the  revolutions  among  nations,  the  rise 
of  one  empire,  and  the  fall  of  another,  are  often 
in  order  to  promote  the  welfare  of  His  church, 
to  defend  it  in  danger,  and  deliver  it  in  time  of 

alamity.  (4)  That  His  people  should  put  the 
utmost  confidence  in  God  as  being  able  to  defend 
them,  and  as  having  formed  a  purpose  to  preserve 
and  save  them." — BARNES. "The  righteous 

s  delivered  out  of  trouble,  and  the  wicked  cometh 
in  his  stead,"  Prov.  xi.  8]. 

4.  On  xliii.  3,  4.  "  There  are  various  views  of 
:his :  a.     Some  suppose  we  are  to  understand  it 
hus ;  the  Egyptians  imagined  they  would  blot 

out  the  people  of  Israel,  but  they  were  punished 
;hemselves ;  b,  others  apply  it  to  the  times  of  Heze- 
liah,  when  the  Egyptians  and  Ethiopians  were 


476 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


chastised  by  Shalmaneser;  c,  others  suppose  it 
was  fulfilled  by  Nebuchadnezzar  in  the  time  of 
Zedekiah ;  d,  others  by  the  Romans,  when  the 
Jewish  republic  was  spared  and  these  nations 
encountered  misfortune ;  e,  still  others  regard  it 
as  yet  future,  and  that  it  is  to  be  fulfilled  on  anti- 
christian  nations,  which  they  infer  from  vers. 
5-7." 

"  Several  examples  of  such  a  warding  offof  pun- 
ishment from  the  Jewish  nation,  which  on  the 
other  hand  were  suffered  to  fall  on  heathen  na- 
tions, are  to  be  noticed  in  the  history  of  the  Jews. 
Still  this  is  not  to  be  understood  as  if  these  na- 
tions suffered  for  the  sins  of  Judah.  The  wrath 
of  God  that  should  have  come  upon  Judah,  came 
on  the  heathen  because  of  their  own  sins,  but  Ju- 
dah was  then  spared  out  of  grace  (Prov.  xxi.  18). 
God  forgave  the  penitent  Jews  their  sin,  but  He 
punished  the  sin  of  the  impenitent  heathen." — 
STARKE. 

5.  On  xliii.  5-8.  What  the  Prophet  says  here 
primarily  of  the  return  of  Israel  from  all  the 
lands  of  its  exile,  applies  also  to  that  return  that 
takes  place  when  poor,  straying  heathen  souls  are 
led  back  from  dead  idols  to  the  living  God,  their 
Saviour  and  Redeemer.     Then  they  are  the  ones 
that  the  LORD  has  made  and  prepared  for  His 
glory  (Acts  xiii.  48;  Rom.  viii.  29  sq.)     Such  are 
the  blind  people  that  still  have  eyes,  and  the  deaf 
that  still  have  ears.     For  blind  and  deaf  they  are 
in  as  far  as  by  nature  and  their  birth  they  belong 
to  the  blind  and  deaf  heathen  world.     But  they 
have  eyes  and  ears  in  as  far  as  the  LORD  has 
opened  their  hearts  and  given  them  a  penetration 
by  which    they  see  and  hear  better  than  those 
who,  although  surrounded  by  light  through  pos- 
session of  the  means  of  grace,  still  do  not  know 
what  belongs  to  their  peace  (Matth.  xiii.  13  sqq. ; 
John  ix.  39  sqq.). 

6.  On  xliii.  9-13.   The  Prophet  here  gives  a 
proof  of  the  existence  of  God,  which  at  the  same 
time  involves  a  proof  of  the  non-existence  of 
idols.     It  cannot  be  denied  in  thesi,  that  a  know- 
ledge of  the  future  lies  beyond  the  sphere  of  hu- 
man ability,   and  that  if  it  occurs,  it  can  only 
happen  by  virtue  of  a  superhuman  penetration 
that  overleaps  the  limits  of  time  and  space.     Pre- 
diction is  not  an  art.     All  depends  on  what  is 
foretold  being  fulfilled  at  the  right  time  and  in 
the  right  way.     The  agreement  of  prophecy  and 
fulfilment  can  only  be  verified  after  the  fulfilment 
takes  place.     Hence  it  is  necessary  that  at  the  mo- 
ment named  the  prophecy  be  attested  as  genuine, 
not  fortuitous,  not  fabricated  post  cvtntwn.    Hence 
the  LORD  says  (ver.  10) :  *'ye  are  my  witnesses." 
And  in  fact,  in  all  its  notorious  history,  in  its  re- 
markable indestructibility,  by  virtue  of  which  it 
moves  through  the  entire  universal  history,  while 
all  other  ancient  nations  have  disappeared,  Israel 
is  a  living  witness  for  the  existence  of  Him  who 
calls  Himself  at  once  the  God  of  Israel  and  the 
Creator  of  heaven  and  earth.     For  it  is  foretold 
that  to  this  nation  shall  happen  judgment,  dis- 
persion, continued  existence  in  dispersion  and  a 
gathering  together  again  out  of  dispersion.     Over 
thousands  of  years  ago  it  was  foretold,  and  what 
to  the  present  could  be  fulfilled  has  been  fulfilled. 
What  but  divine  knowledge  and  power  can  have 
BO  fitted  the  prophecy  to  the  fulfilment  and  the 
fulfilment  to  the  prophecy  ?     Therefore  the  ex- 


istence of  a  divine  providence  is  proved  by  the 
history  of  Israel.  But  what  other  God  should  be 
the  author  of  this  providence  than  He  that  said 
not  only,  "ye  are  my  witnesses''  (ver.  10),  but 
also,  "  I  declared  when  there  was  no  strange  god 
among  you?"  (ver.  12).  One  is  reminded  of  the 
anecdote  of  Frederick  the  Great,  who,  having  de- 
manded a  striking  proof  of  the  truth  of  the  re- 
ligion revealed  in  the  Bible,  received  from  one 
of  the  guests  at  table  the  answer,  "  Your  majesty, 
the  Jews." 

[7.  On  xliii.  10.  ''Neither  shall  there  be  after 
me."  ''  This  expression  is  equivalent  to  that 
which  occurs,  Rev.  i.  1 1,  "I  am  Alpha  and  Omega, 
the  first  and  the  last;"  and  it  is  remarkable  that 
this  language,  which  obviously  implies  eternity, 
and  which  in  Isaiah  is  used  expressly  to  prove 
the  divinity  of  Jehovah,  is,  in  Rev.  i.  11,  applied 
no  less  universally  to  the  LORD  Jesus  Christ." — 
BARNES. 

On  ver.  13.  "  'Who  can  hinder  it.'  The  doc- 
trine taught  here  is,  (1.)  That  God  is  from  ever- 
lasting— for  if  He  was  before  time,  He  must  have 
been  eternal.  (2.)  That  He  is  unchangeably  the 
same — a  doctrine  which  is,  as  it  is  here  designed 
to  be  used,  the  only  sure  foundation  for  the  secu- 
rity of  His  people — for  who  can  trust  a  being  who 
is  fickle,  changing,  vacillating?  (3.)  That  He 
can  deliver  His  people  always,  no  matter  what 
their  circumstances.  (4.)  That  He  will  accom- 
plish all  His  plans;  no  matter  whether  to  save 
His  people,  or  to  destroy  His  foes.  (5.)  That  no 
one — man  or  devil — can  hinder  Him.  How  can 
the  feeble  arm  of  a  creature  resist  God?  (6.) 
That  opposition  to  Him  is  as  fruitless  as  it  is 
wicked.  If  men  wish  for  happiness  they  must 
fall  in  with  His  plans,  and  aid  in  the  furtherance 
of  His  designs." — BARNES.] 

8.  On  xliii.  19 — xliv.  5.  We  have  here  again 
a  brilliant  illustration  of  the  grandeur  of  -the 
prophetic  view  of  history.  The  Prophet  sees 
in  spirit  that  with  the  deliverance  from-  the  Baby- 
lonish captivity  a  new  thing  will  begin,  in  com- 
parison with  which  the  deliverance  from  Egyp- 
tian bondage  with  all  its  miracles  will  only  ap- 
pear as  something  inferior.  For  with  the  begin- 
ning of  that  period  of  salvation,  the  Prophet  sees, 
too,  the  end.  The  waters  with  which  the  LORD 
will  refresh  those  returning  from  Babylon  flow 
from  the  same  source  as  the  water  of  regenera- 
tion, of  the  Tr«?.<y}  evecn'a,  of  the  renewal  of  nature. 
And  yet!  What  a  tremendous  period  separates 
both,  and  what  must  Israel  not  go  through  till, 
from  the  drink  out  of  that  earthly  fountain  in 
the  desert,  it  has  attained  to  the  well  of  heavenly 
water  of  life  !  It  must  first  slough  off  the  entire 
"  fleshly  Israel,"  It  has  already  performed  the 
entire  Old  Testament  ceremonial  service  in  an 
unsatisfactory  manner.  Indeed,  had  it  done  this 
most  perfectly,  it  could  only  have  satisfied  the 
needs  of  blotting  out  sin  in  an  ideal,  typical  way. 
But  Israel  was  far  from  performing  even  the  out- 
ward letter  of  the  law  by  that  sort  of  service. 
The  LORD  must  take  all  the  guilt  of  His  people 
on  His  own  shoulders.  What  Israel  did  itself 
was  as  good  as  nothing.  And  the  LORD,  in  His 
long-suffering,  not  only  put  up  with  this,  He 
will  even  do  more.  He  will  undertake  Himself 
the  entire  and  complete  blotting  out  of  the  guilt 
of  His  people.  But  the  people  aie  self-righteous 


CHAP.  XLIV.  1-5, 


477 


and  trust  in  their  own  work.  They  maintain 
that  they  have  done  what  they  ought,  although 
the  LORD  can  prove  that  not  even  their  chiefs 
and  prominent  representatives  have  been  right- 
eous. Since  then  the  nation,  persisting,  stiff- 
necked,  in  its  self-righteousness,  does  not  accept 
the  sacrifice,  that  the  LORD,  in  His  infinite  grace, 
brings  for  the  purpose  of  making  atonement, — 
this  outward,  fleshly  Israel,  with  all  its  outward 
ceremonial  service,  which  is  used  only  to  feed 
its  self-righteousness,  must  be  broken  up  and 
destroyed.  Then,  out  of  the  ruins  of  the  fleshly 
Israel,  the  spiritual  Israel  will  issue  as  from  a 
cast  off  shell,  and  it  will  be  susceptible  of  the 
gracious  gifts  of  its  God.  To  it  then  will  be  im- 
parted the  streams  of  the  Spirit  which  bring 
about  the  regeneration  of  all  natural  and  personal 
life,  and  will  enable  Israel  to  sanctify  the  name 
of  its  God,  as  predicted  in  xiiii.  21. 

[On  xliii.  25.  ''  We  may  learn  from  this 
verse;  (1.)  That  it  is  God  only  who  can  pardon 
sin.  How  vain  then  is  it  for  man  to  attempt  it ! 
How  wicked  for  man  to  claim  the  prerogative! 
And  yet  it  is  an  essential  part  of  the  papal  sys- 
tem that  the  Pope  and  his  priests  have  the  power 
of  remitting  the  penalty  of  transgression.  (2.) 
That  this  is  done  by  God  solely  for  His  own  sake. 
It  is  not  (a)  because  we  have  any  claim  to  it  — 
for  then  it  would  not  be  pardon,  but  justice.  It 
is  not  (6)  because  we  have  any  power  to  compel 
God  to  forgive — for  who  can  contend  with  Him, 
and  how  could  mere  power  procure  pardon  ?  It 
is  not  (c)  because  we  have  any  merit — for  then 
also  it  would  be  justice — and  we  have  no  merit. 
Nor  is  it  (d)  primarily  in  order  that  we  may 
be  happy — for  our  happiness  is  a  matter  not 
worthy  to  be  named  compared  with  the  honour 
of  God.  But  it  is  solely  for  His  own  sake — to 
promote  His  own  glory — to  show  His  perfections 
— to  evince  the  greatness  of  His  mercy  and  com- 
passion—and to  show  His  boundless  and  eternal 
love.  (3.)  They  who  are  pardoned  should  live 
to  His  glory,  and  not  to  themselves  [ver.  21,  xliv. 
5].  (4.)  If  men  are  ever  pardoned  they  must 
come  to  God — and  to  God  alone.  They  must 
come  not  to  justify  themselves,  but  to  confess  their 
crimes." — BARNES.]. 

10.  On  xliv.  1,  2.    "God   has  two  arguments 
wherewith  to  comfort:    1)  When   He    reminds 
His  own  what  He  did  for  them  in  the  past ;  2) 
what  He  will  yet  do  for  them  in  the  future." — 
CRAMER. 

11.  On  xliv.  3.    Comparing  here  the  bestow- 
ment  of  the  Spirit  to  pouring  water  on  dry  land, 
happens  primarily  out  of  regard  to  the  special 
connection  of   our  passage,  which  treats  of  the 
return  of  Israel  through  the  desert.     As  in  xliii. 
19,  20  abundance  of  water  is  promised  for  physi- 
cal refreshment,  so  here  streams  of  the  Spirit  for 
spiritual  refreshment.     Outpouring  of  the  Spirit 
is  promised  elsewhere  also  for  the  purpose  of 
cleansing,   fructifying,  refreshing  (Ezek.   xxxvi. 
25;    Jno.    vii.    37   sqq.).      When,   however,  the 
Holy  Spirit  appears  elsewhere  as  a   fiery  energy 
(Matt.  iii.  11 ;  Mark  i.  8  ;  Acts  ii.  3)  it  is  to  de- 
signate it  as  the   principle  of  divine  light  and 
life-heat.     Whether  by  the  baptism  of  fire  is  to  be 
understood    also    the  fire    of  judgment  (Matth. 
iii.  12 ;  1  Cor.  iii.  13-15)   as  ORIGEN  AND  AM- 
BROSE think,  we  will  leave  uninvestigated  here. 


HOMILETICAL,    HINTS. 

1.  On  xliii.  1-4.     A  glorious  word  of  comfort 
for  the  individual  Christian  and  for  Christian  com- 
munions.    All  grounds  of  comfort  are   therein 
enumerated.     We  learn  1)  what  the  LORD  is  to 
us  (ver.  3  God,  Saviour,  ver.  4  He  loves  us).    2) 
What  we  are  to  the  LORD  (ver.   1  His  creatures, 
redeemed  ones,  and  not  such  as  disappear  in  the 
great  mass,  but  whom  He  knows  by  name,  and 
whom  as  a  precious  possession  He  keeps  ever  in 
sight).     3)  He  delivers  us  out  of  manifold   dis- 
tresses (ver.  2  out  of  all).     4)  The  price  He  pays 
for  our  deliverance   (vers.  3,  4;   conscious  ene- 
mies, or  their  unconscious  instruments  may  go  to 
destruction  to  save  us,  e.  g.,  in  ancient  times  the 
Egyptians  in  the  Red  Sea,  in  modern,  the  French 
against  Germany,  1870-71.     5)  To  what  He  has 
destined  us  (ver.  4,  because  so  dear,  thou  must  be 
glorious).     On  xliii.  1,  2.  "  Thou  art  mine  !  saith 
the  LORD.     By  that   He  signifies   1)  a  well-ac- 
quired ;    2)  an  inviolable   right  of   possession." 
KOEGEL  in  "  Aus   dem   Vorhof   ins  Heiligthum" 
1876,  Vol.  II.  p.  196. 

2.  On  xliii.   5-8.      Missionary  Sermon.      The 
LORD   here   addresses    the    spiritual    Israel,   to 
whom  we  and  all  out  of  every  nation  belong, 
who  are  born  of   God.     Missions  are   properly 
nothing  else  than  a  gathering  of  the  hidden  chil- 
dren of  God,  scattered  here  and   there,  to  the 
communion  of  the  visible  church  (Jno.  xi.  52). 
Contemplate   1)  The  mission  territory  a,  in  its 
outward  extent  (all  nations  ver.  5  b,  6) ;  b,  in  its 
inward  limitation  (vers.  7,  8  ;  all  are  called,  only 
those  are  chosen  who  are  marked  with  the  name 
of  the  LORD,  are  prepared  for  His  glory,  among 
the  blind  and  deaf  are  such  as  s,ee  and  hear).     2) 
Mission  work:    a,  its   difficulty   (ver.    5,  "fear 
not"    implies  that,  humanly  speaking,  there  is 
reason  for  fear) ;   b,  the  guaranty  of  its  success 
(ver.  5,  "I  am  with  thee"). 

3.  On  xliii.  22.      [Proofs  of  weariness  in  re- 
ligion.     (1.)   Casting  off  prayer:    thou  hast  not 
called  upon  me,  0  Jacob.  Jacob  was  a  man  famous 
for  prayer  (Hos.  xii.  4)  ;  to  boast  the  name  of 
Jacob,  and  yet  live  without  prayer,  is  to  mock 
God  and  deceive  ourselves.     If  Jacob  does  not 
call  upon  God,  who   will.     (2.)  They  grudged 
the  expense  of  devotion.     They  were  for  a  cheap 
religion.     They  had  not  brought  even  the  small 
cattle ;    much  less  the  greater,  pretending  they 
could  not  spare   them,  they  must  have  them  for 
the  maintenance  of  their  families ;  still  less  would 
they  pay  for  a  foreign    article    like    missions ; 
bought  no  sweet  cane.     (3.)  What  sacrifices  they 
did  offer  were  not  meant  for  God's  honor,  neither 
hast  thou  honored  me,  etc.;    being  offered   care- 
lessly, or  hypocritically,  or  perfunctorily,  or  os- 
tentatiously, or  perhaps  even  to  idols,  these  were 
dishonouring  to  God.     (4.)  The  aggravation  of 
this;    as  God  appointed    the  service  it  was  no 
burdensome  thing,  /  have  not  caused  thee  to  serve, 
etc.     God's  commands  are  not  grievous.     After 
M.  HENRY]. 

4-  On  xliii.  24,  25.  Passion  sermon.  The 
righteousness  that  avails  with  God.  1)  Israel 
does  not  obtain  it  (it  has  not  even  fulfilled  the 
ceremonial  law  ;  and  not  merely  the  nation  in 
general  left  the  law  unfulfilled,  but  also  its  chiefs 


478 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


and  teachers :  and  as  with  Israel  so  with  man- 
kind in  general.  2)  Christ  procures  it;  for:  a, 
He  the  guiltless,  out  of  pure  love  takes  on  Him- 
self the  heavy  burden  of  suffering,  which  be- 
ginning in  Gethsemane  ends  on  Golgotha ;  6, 
thereby  He  blots  out  our  transgressions  and  re- 
conciles us  to  the  Father. 

5.  On  xliv.  1-5.     Pentecost   (  Whitsuntide)   ser- 
mon.    The  Church  of  Christ  can  grow,  flourish, 
and   bear    fruit    only  by  the   Spirit    of   Christ. 
Hence    is  necessary  the  outpouring  of   the  Holy 
Spirit.     This  is  1)  to  be  hoped  for  with  certainty, 
because  promised  by  the  LORD  (in  proportion  to 
the  need  and  to  the  receptivity  the  Holy  Spirit 
will  ever  be  imparted  to  the  church) ;  2)  infalli- 
bly efficient  in  producing  all  the  good  fruits  that 
must  adorn  the  vineyard  of  the  LORD  (vers.  4,  5). 

6.  On  xliv.   1-5.     "  The  period  of  confirmation 


an  Advent  of  Jesus  to  the  children."  "  Praise  and 
thanks  to  God.  there  is  much  new  life  born  in 
the  period  while  those  that  are  to  be  confirmed 
are  under  instruction,  and  much  grows  up  in 
later  time  out  of  the  seed  scattered  then.  Thin 
time  ought  also  to  open  the  children's  mouths  for 
them  to  confess  their  salvation  and  their  Saviour. 
That  poor  "yes"  that  the  children  speak  at  their 
confirmation  at  the  altar  is  not  enough.  Nor 
does  it  suffice  for  us  to  confess  our  being  Chris- 
tians by  attending  church  and  partaking  of  the 
LORD'S  Supper.  The  congregation  that  lias  be- 
come dumb  must  learn  to  speak  again.  We  must 
boast  again  the  unspeakable  benefit  of  free  grace. 
We  must  have  a  confessing  church  again.  The 
confession  must  go  with  us  into  our  life."  AHL- 
PELD,  Las  Leben  im  Lichte  des  Wortes  Gottes, 
Halle,  1867,  p.  150. 


V.— THE  FIFTH  DISCOURSE. 

Prophecy  as  proof  of  divinity  comes  to  the  front  and  culminates  in  the  name  Korea. 

CHAPTER  XLIV.  6-28. 

1.   JEHOVAH  GUARANTEES  ISRAEL'S  SALVATION  BY  HIS  PROPHECY.    IDOLA- 
TERS WHOSE  MADE-GODS  CANNOT  PROPHESY  COME  TO  SHAME. 

CHAPTER  XLIV.  6-11. 

6  Thus  saith  the  LORD  the  King  of  Israel, 
And  his  redeemer  the  LORD  of  hosts ; 

I  am  the  first,  and  I  am  the  last ; 
And  beside  me  there  is  no  God. 

7  "And  who,  as  I,  shall  call, 

And  shall  declare  it,  and  set  it  in  order  for  me, 
Since  I  appointed  the  ancient  people? 
"And  the  things  that  are  coming,  and  shall  come, 
Let  them  shew  unto  them. 

8  Fear  ye  not,  neither  be  afraid  : 

Have  not  I  told  thee  from  that  time,  and  have  declared  it  f 

Ye  are  even  my  witnesses. 

Is  there  a  God  beside  me? 

Yea,  there  is  no  'God ;  I  know  not  any. 

9  They  that  make  a  graven  image  are  all  of  them  vanity ; 
And  their  "delectable  things  shall  not  profit ; 

And  they  are  their  own  witnesses ; 
They  see  not,  noj  know ; 
That  they  may  be  ashamed. 

10  Who  hath  formed  a  God, 

Or  molten  a  graven  image  that  is  profitable  for  nothing? 

11  Behold,  all  his  fellows  shall  be  ashamed: 
And  the  workmen,  they  are  of  men  ; 

Let  them  all  be  gathered  together,  let  them  stand  up ; 
Yet  they  shall  fear,  and  they  shall  be  ashamed  together. 


1  Heb.  Rock. 


*  Heb.  desirable. 


And  who  is  as  /,  who  proclaims  aloud — so  he  shall  tell  it  and  do  it  like  me^since  I  set  an  everlasting  people. 
And  future  things  even  what  shall  come  to  pass. 


CHAP.  XLIV.  6-11. 


479 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the   recurrence  of  the  words  :    Ver.  8. 

ins-nm.  ver.  9.  irtn-iiDn—  Sj?"  niph. 

-  T  T  T  T  -T 

Ver  6,  7.  Ver.  7  is  related  to  ver.  6  6  as  the  conclusion 
to  the  reason.    But  ver  7  is  to  be  construed  so  that  the 

words    U^y-Uy    'Dlfc'D    Kip'    'JOD    "01    shall  be 

It 
taken  together,  and  the  words  '1    nD^jVl    HTJ'  con- 

strued as  a  parenthesis.  JOp,  agreeably  to  the  context, 
and  since  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  teaching  or  with  an- 
nouncing past  things,  is  =  "to  proclaim,  announce,  call 

out  aloud,  publicly."     As  appears  to  me,  fcOp    is  used 

T/T 

partly  for  the  sake  of  variety,  the  synonymous  expres- 
sions having  been  used  TJ71  thrice  in  vers.  7,  8,  £'01271 
(comp.  xliii  12)  once  at  least,  but  partly  and  chiefly,  be- 
cause JOp  involves  in  a  greater  degree  the  notion  of 
sounding.  It  is  related  to  those  other  expressions 
named  like  our  "calling"  to  "giving  notice,  letting 
hear."  The  latter  may  take  place  by  a  very  light  voice 
or  even  without  any  use  of  the  voice.  -  '7  (y]  'T  J', 
as  we  have  said,  is  a  parenthesis;  but  1  introduces  the 
demonstrative  conclusion  after  the  relative  premise 
Kip'  'D  (comp.  e.g.  Num.  xxiii.  3).  The  premise  is 
only  interrupted  for  rhetorical  reasons,  being  the  result 
of  the  pathos  with  which  the  Prophet  speaks.  TT\y  cer- 
tainly lias  here,  not  merely  the  meaning  "  to  lay  before. 
to  lay  down,"  but  it  involves  also  the  notion  of  "  doing 
similarly."  The  Vav.  before  "lt2X  has  as  often,  the  mean- 
ing "and  indeed."  *I07  after  HTJT  i«  dat.  c.thicus,  with 

T  •  ~ 

strong  approximation  to  the  dativ.  com/modi. 

Ver.  8.  The  question  '1J1  12TI  is  equivalent  to  a  de- 
nial (comp.  questions  with  HO  or  'Q  Job  xvi.  6  ;  xxxi. 
1;  Song  of  Sol.  viii.  4,  etc.).  -  The  expression 
does  not  occur  again  in  Isaiah. 


Ver.  9.  Tion  is  "  exoptatum,  deliciat  "    part,  pass.;  only 
here  in  Isaiah;  oomp.  Job  xx.  20;  Ps.  xxxix.  12).     But 


GRAMMATICAL. 

I  construe  "the  wished-for,  desired,"  in  the  sense  of 

"jewel,  valuable." lVj?V~73  recalls  7JT75,  thus  it 

has  hardly  the  merely  negative  meaning  of  inability, 
but  also  the  positive  meaning  of  something  destructive, 
hurtful. The  words  DOH  DTT'lJ/'l  are  variously  ex- 
plained. The  Masoretic  points  over  HOD  denote  that 
it  is  critically  suspicious.  But  it  suits  the  context  very 
well,  if  only  the  idols  themselves  be  not  regarded  the 
witnesses:  they,  the  idols,  are  their  own  witnesses,  t.  e., 
they  testify  against  themselves  (DELITZSCH).  For  the 
notion  against  themselves  would  need  to  be  more  clearly 
expressed.  Rather  the  idol-makers  are  the  witnesses 
for  their  idols  as  Israel  is  for  Jehovah.  Therefore  nrSH 
is  subject  to  the  predicate  Om_J?,  and  not  merely  a 
resumption  of  DiTTJ?  construed  as  the  subject  of 
'Ul  NO'. 

Ver.  10.  'O  is  here,  as  often,  at  the  point  of  passing 
from  the  interrogative  to  the  relative  sense,  and  hence 
acquires  an  iterative  meaning.  For  the  question  "who 
is  there,  who?"  which,  as  it  were,  challenges  in  every 
direction,  has  the  sense  of  "  whosoever,  quicunque."1 

Comp.  e.g.  Exod.  xxiv.  14;  Jer.  xlix.  19. 1  construe 

'1  TlSsS  as  a  conclusion,  whose  predicate  is  self-evi- 
dent from  the  foregoing  clause:  "  whosoever  forms  a 
god  (he  does,  forms  or  moulds  it)  for  nothing."  If  'Q 
be  construed  as  a  direct  interrogative,  it  has  the  appear- 
ance as  if  the  Prophet  doubted  whether  there  were  such 
people.  For  if  one  understands  the  inquiry  in  the  sense 
of  "  reluctant  wonder  "  (KNOBEL),  and  makes  the  answer 
to  be  that  no  rational  person  would  do  this,  then  the 
question  would  not  be  "  who  forms  ?"  but "  what  rational 
person  forms?" 

Ver.  11.  According  to  the  context  the  clause  D'tZHHl 
'1  must,  it  seems  to  me,  be  construed  as  causal.  For 
DHNO  non  is  not  the  parallel  of  1123' ;  it  does  not  ex- 
press the  notion  of  destruction,  but  of  what  is  the  expla- 
nation of  the  destruction.  Therefore  I  translate:  "for 
they  are  (properly:  they  are  in  fact,  comp.  xxiv.  5; 
xxxviii.  17:  xxxix.  1,  etc.),  smiths  of  men,"  t.  e.,  of  hu- 
man origin. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  has  announced  (chap,  xli.), 
the  first  deliverer  for  the  first  time,  and  then 
along  with  him  the  one  to  be  delivered,  viz.,  the 
servant  of  God  in  the  national  sense.  In  contrast 
with  both  of  these  he  has  presented  the  second 
and  greatest  deliverer,  the  Servant  of  God  in  a 
personal  sense  (xlii.).  In  chap,  xliii  he  has 
portrayed  the  deliverance  in  its  chief  character- 
istics. Now  in  chap.  xliv.  he  gives  the  fullest 
effect  to  that  element  of  his  discourse,  viz.,  the 
proof  of  divinity  by  means  of  prophecy,  which 
BO  far  he  has  produced  already  four  times  like  a 
refrain,  yet  only  as  a  prelude. 

In  three  strophes  Jehovah  announces  Himself 
in  contrast  with  the  dead  idols  as  the  true,  living, 
omniscient,  almighty  God,  who  has  predetermined 
Israel's  deliverance,  and  now  foretells  it  so  that 
Israel  can  no  more  doubt  His  divinity.  For,  at 
the  close  of  this  chapter  the  Prophet  names  with 
the  greatest  distinctness  even  the  name  of  the 
prince  who  is  called  to  be  the  deliverer  of  Israel. 
The  first  three  strophes  are  but  the  substructure 
for  this  culmination  that  is  to  crown  the  build- 
ing, that  is,  for  the  great  prophetic  act  that  is 


accomplished  in  naming  the  name  '*  Kores  "  In 
the  first  half  of  the  present  strophe  (ver.-'.  6-8)  the 
Prophet  makes  prominent  the  difference  between 
Jehovah  and  idols,  by  contrasting  the  omni- 
science and  omnipotence  of  Jehovah  with  the 
nescience  and  impotence  of  idols.  In  the  second 
half,  also  consisting  of  three  verses  (8-11),  the 
Prophet  exposes  the  folly  of  idolatnj. 

2.  Thus  saith know  not  any. — Vers. 

6-8.  The  LORD  justifies  the  consoling  language 
"  fear  ye  not,"  etc.,  ver.  8,  by  first  presenting 
Himself  as  the  One  that  will  help  Israel,  and  can 
help.  He  is  witting  to  help  as  being  Israel's 
King,  He  can  help  as  being  the  eternal  God  who 
has  proved  this  His  eternal  divinity.  Note  how 
the  LORD  encloses  the  predicates  of  His  existence 
relative  to  Israel  in  the  predicates  of  His  divine 
existence.  He  first  calls  Himself  Jehovah,  the 
absolutely  existent.  For  this  is  the  foundation. 
Then  He  calls  Himself  Israel's  King  and  Re- 
deemer This  is  His  historical  revelation  rela- 
tive to  time  and  salvation,  which  is  enclosed  by 
His  eternal  divine  existence  as  by  a  ring.  The 
latter  is  completed  by  the  notion  "  Jehovah  of 


480 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


hosts."  For  by  this  is  intimated  that  the  LORD 
is  not  only  God  per  se,  but  has  revealed  this 
divinity  already  in  a  super-terrestrial  sphere  of 
dominion.  How  consoling  for  Israel  that  He, 
who  is  God  per  se,  but  has  shown  already  that 
He  can  be  such  also  for  others  by  a  super-ter- 
restrial kingdom  of  glory,  calls  Himself  Israel's 
King  and  Redeemer !  The  LORD  was  King  of 
Israel  while  Israel  existed  as  a  nation  (comp. 
Dent,  xxxiii.  5 ;  Ps.  Ixxiv.  12).  The  nation's 
demand  for  a  human  king  is  expressly  called  an 
insult  to  Jehovah  as  heavenly  King  (1  Sam.  viii. 
7;  xii.  12).  And  also  after  Israel  had  received 
an  earthly  royalty,  Jehovah  still  remains  forever 
its  proper,  true  and  eternal  King,  from  whom  all 
earthly  power  of  ruling  emanates  (xxxiii.  22). 
But  the  king  is  the  natural  deliverer  of  his  peo- 
ple. His  own  interest  and  honor  demand  that 
his  people  shall  not  be  ruined  (see  e.  g.  Ps.  Ixxix. 
9  ;  cvi.  8).  This  King  has  at  His  disposal  for 
protecting  Israel  invisible  powers,  great  in 
strength  and  numbers,  viz.,  the  heavenly  hosts 
(comp.  Deut.  xxxiii.  3,  and  SCHROEDER  in  loc.; 
2  Kings  vi.  16  sqq.;  Heb.  i.  14).  After  this  pre- 
face the  LORD  proceeds  with  what  He  has  in 
mind.  He  calls  Himself  the  first  and  the  last 
(xli.  4;  xlviii.  12)  beside  whom  there  is  no 
God  (xliii.  11;  xliv.  8;  xlv.6,  21).  For  only  He 
can  be  God  who  is  before  all  and  after  all.  But 
the  LORD  assuredly  does  not  call  Himself  the 
first  and  the  last  in  the  sense  of  temporal 
succession,  as  if  He  were  only  the  first  to  coine 
into  existence  and  the  last  to  remain  ;  for  that 
would  only  establish  a  difference  as  to  degree  be- 
tween Him  and  creatures.  No,  the  LORD  is  at 
the  same  time  beginning  and  end,  Alpha  and 
Omega.  He  encircles  not  only  Israel  (comp.  on 
ver.  6  a),  but  all  the  world's  history  as  a  ring. 
To  Him  everything,  beginning  and  end,  is  abso- 
lutely present. 

Therefore,  too,  He  can  prophesy,  and  therefore 
prophesying  by  means  of  a  decree  is  proof  of  His 
eternity,  i.  e.,  of  His  divinity.  (On  the  relation 

of  ver.  7  to  66  see  Text,  and  Gram.).  DSl^-D;,' 
"everlasting  people;"  [English  Version  ancient 
people.]  I  do  not  believe  that  this  means  the 
human  race.  The  LORD  describes  Himself  in 
the  whole  context  as  the  God  of  Israel ;  He  will 
comfort  Israel.  It  may  be  said  that  God  pro- 
phesied from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  and  that 
humanity  in  a  certain  sense  may  be  described  as 

D?1>'~D^.  Yet  it  ia  very  doubtful  whether  in 
that  case  &V  would  not  require  a  nearer  defini- 
tion as  in  xlii.  5.  Chap.  xl.  7,  to  which  appeal 
is  made,  refers  decidedly  to  Israel,  as  we  have 


shown.  The  dead  may  be  called 
(Ezek.  xxvi.  20)  because  they  are  a  special  part 
of  mankind,  in  respect  to  space  dwelling  in  a 
land  of  their  own,  and  in  respect  to  time  of  im- 
measurable duration.  But  Israel,  too,  may  be 
called  an  everlasting  people,  for  to  it  alone,  of  all 
nations,  is  promised  an  everlasting  covenant 
(Exod.  xxxi.  16;  Lev.  xxiv.  8  ;  Isa.  xxiv.  5; 
Iv.  3;  Ixi.  8,  etc.),  an  everlasting  sanctuary 
(Ezek.  xxxvii.  26),  an  everlasting  priesthood 
*  (Exod.  xl.  15 ;  Num.  xxv.  13,  etc.),  and  king- 
dom (2  Sam.  vii.  13,  16;  Ps.  Ixxxix.  4  sqq.); 
indeed  it  is  expressly  said  ''  thou  hast  confirmed 


to  thyself  thy  people  Israel  to  be  a  people  unto 
thee  forever"  (DSty-W  DJ?1?)  2.  Sam.  vii.  24; 
comp.  1  Chr.  xvii.  22.  And  in  fact  Israel  is,  in 
a  good  sense,  the  everlasting  [wandering]  Jew, 
the  only  nation  that  does  not  lose  itself  in  the  sea 
of  nations,  like  a  river,  that  does  not  mingle  its 
waters  with  the  lake  through  which  it  flows. 
And  in  the  end  the  spiritual  Israel  will  absorb 
all  nations,  and  its  sanctuary  and  priesthood  and 
kingdom  every  other  sanctuary,  priesthood  and 
kingdom,  to  the  end  that  the  throne  and  sanc- 
tuary of  Israel's  King  and  High-priest  may  exist 
alone  through  eternity. 

The  LORD  has  challenged  the  idols  in  ver.  7  a 
to  produce  their  ancient  prophecies,  if  they  had 
any  to  show  ;  in  the  second  half  of  the  verse  he 
challenges  them  to  produce  any  new  ones  they 
have.  These  new  ones  are  designated  as  FlTjlx 
and  as  such  HJJOF1  ItW.  I  do  not  believe  that 
by  this  immediate  future  and  remoter  future 
things  are  distinguished  (see  on  xli.  22,  23).  But 
which  will  come  is  the  nearer  definition  of 
nvr\N.  They  are  not  to  name  any  sort  of  so- 
called  future  thing,  hut  such  as  shall  also  come, 
i.  e.,  actually  come  to  pass  (see  Text,  and  Gram.). 

They  shall  foretell  for  their  own  advantage  (ID? 
see  Text,  and  Gram.)  ;  for  it  were  for  the  interest 
of  those  addressed  to  be  able  to  perform  what  is 
asked  of  them. 

Ver.  8.  If  Jehovah,  who  calls  Himself 
King  and  Redeemer  of  Israel,  and  who  has 
founded  this  people  for  an  everlasting  exist- 
ence, has  furnished  the  proof  of  His  divi- 
nity by  a  demonstration  of  His  omniscience, 
then  Israel  need  not  fear.  Jehovah  has  long  in 
advance  (TKD  as  in  xvi.  13;  xlv.  21;  xlviii.  3 
sqq.,  comp.  $N~>p  xli.  26)  foretold  their  dis- 
tress and  the  deliverance  from  it,  and  Israel  must 
testify  that  such  is  the  fact  (xliii.  10).  Therefore 
the  LORD  can  prophesy,  and  the  fact  (only  af- 
firmed ver.  6  b)  is  demonstrated,  viz.,  His  sole 
divinity.  In  the  second  clause  of  ver.  8  the 
Prophet  seems  to  have  in  mind  Ps.  xviii.  32. 

2.  They  that  make  —  ashamed  together. 
—  Vers.  9-11.  The  lash  is  now  laid  on  the  folly 
of  those  that  make  idols,  and  then  themselves  ap- 
pear as  their  witnesses,  whereas  in  fact  they  see 
nothing  of  the  future,  from  which  appears  the 
powerlessness  of  the  idols,  and  the  inevitable  re- 
sult that  their  worshippers  must  come  to  shame. 
The  words  are  throughout  in  contrast  with  what 
(vers.  6-8)  the  LORD  affirms  of  Himself.  The 
idols  themselves  are  guiltless.  How  can  the  poor 
blocks  help  men  making  idols  of  them  ?  But 
the  makers  of  idols  are  guilty,  hence  the  LORD 


addresses  them  ppS-"1^"1,  the  expression  only 
here).  See  Text,  and  Gram.  Jehovah  is  the 
Maker  ("^T)  of  Israel  (ver.  2)  ;  the  idol-makers 
are  the  makers  (D"^T)  °f  their  gods.  These 
idol-makers  are  vanity  ('HP),  they  sink  back 
into  chaos,  or  rather  they  produce  nothing 
better  than  chaos;  while  Israel  is  the  ever- 

lasting people  DSiy~DjJ).  The  idol-makers  are 
witnesses  of  their  idols,  i.  e.,  they  testify  in 
their  own  case.  Israel  is  the  impartial  witness 


CHAP.  XLIV.  12-17. 


481 


of  Jehovah ;  the  idols  are  powerless,  useless 
images;  Jehovah  is  the  Rock  and  Redeemer  of 
His  people.  The  idols  themselves  see  and 
know  nothing,  consequently  their  worshippers 
and  witnesses  know  nothing  (J7T  in  the  absolute 
sense  =  •'  to  have  knowledge,"  as  xlv.  20  ;  Ivi. 
10) ;  to  Jehovah,  as  the  first  and  last,  all  is  pre- 
sent, the  beginning  and  the  end,  and  what  lies 
between.  Therefore  Israel  must  not  fear,  for  it 
knows  with  the  greatest  certainty  that  it  has  in 
prospect  a  glorious  deliverance.  Vers.  10,  11 
form  the  transition  to  ver.  12  sqq.  wherein  idol- 
manufacture  is  described ;  ver.  10  already  pre- 
senting the  fundamental  thought  that  a  shaped 
and  moulded  god  is  a  contradictio  in  adjecto, 
hence  a  useless  thing.  Ver.  11  describes  the 
proper  fate  of  idol-makers,  already  intimated  by 


profitable  for  nothing.  By  D""Qn  many 
understand  the  companions,  helpers  of  the  idol- 
makers.  But  are  not  they  identical  tiien ;  and  why 
make  them  specially  prominent  ?  It  is  better  to 
understand  that  the  companions  or  followers  of 
the  idols  are  intended  (comp.  D^SK  D'3£g  ">On 
Hos.  iv.  17).  Yet  I  would  restrict  the  meaning 
to  those  servants  of  idols  that  are  at  the  same  tiiiiu 
their  manufacturers.  These  are  the  actual  allies 
of  the  idols.  For  by  the  quantity  and  quality  of 
their  productions  idolatrous  worship  is  made  to 
flourish  (e.g.,  Demetrius  in  Ephesus,  Acts  xix. 
24).  Against  this  sentence  the  idol-makers  might 
fancy  they  could  oppose  successful  resistance  by 
harmoniously  standing  up  together  en  masse.  But 
they  mistake.  They  will  still  lose  heart,  and,  in- 
stead of  one  by  one,  will  only  come  to  shame 
together. 


2.  THE  POWERLESSNESS  OF  IDOLS  AND  THE  FOLLY  OF  THEIR  WORSHIPPERS 
PROVED  BY  THE  WAY  THEY  ARE  PRODUCED. 

CHAPTER  XLIV.  12-17. 

12  'THE  smith1  with  the  tongs 

Both  worketh  in  the  coals,  and  fashioneth  it  with  hammers, 
And  worketh  it  with  the  strength  of  his  arms  : 
Yea,  he  is  hungry,  and  his  strength  faileth  : 
He  drinketh  no  water,  and  is  faint. 

13  The  carpenter  stretcheth  out  his  brule;  he  marketh  it  out  with  a  "line; 
He  fitteth  it  with  planes, 

And  he  marketh  it  out  with  the  compass, 
And  maketh  it  after  the  figure  of  a  man, 
According  to  the  beauty  of  a  man ; 
That  it  may  remain  in  the  house. 

14  dHe  heweth  him  down  cedars, 

And  taketh  the  cypress  and  the  oak, 

•Which  he  2strengtheneth  for  himself  among  the  trees  of  the  forest : 

He  planteth  an  fash,  and  the  rain  doth  nourish  it. 

15  Then  shall  it  be  for  a  man  to  burn : 

For  he  will  take  thereof,  and  warm  himself; 

Yea,  he  kindleth  it,  and  baketh  bread ; 

Yea,  he  maketh  a  god,  and  worshippeth  it; 

He  maketh  it  a  graven  image,  and  faileth  down  thereto. 

16  He  burneth  part  thereof  in  the  fire ; 
With  part  thereof  he  eateth  flesh ; 
He  roasteth  roast,  and  is  satisfied: 
Yea,  he  warmeth  himself,  and  saith, 
Aha,  I  am  warm,  I  have  seen  the  fire: 

17  And  the  residue  thereof  he  maketh  a  god,  even  his  graven  image: 
He  faileth  down  unto  it,  and  worshippeth  it, 

And  prayeth  unto  it,  and  saith, 
Deliver  me;  for  thou  art  my  god. 


Or,  with  an  axe.  *  Or,  taketh  courage. 

The  artist  in  iron  sharpens  his  tool  and  worketh,  etc.        b  line. 

And  made  choice.  f  a  cedar. 


red-chalk. 


4  To  hew,  et3.,  he  took. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  12.  The  words 


as  they  now 


stand  mock  every  effort  at  exposition.    For  if  we  take 


/~1D  as  a  verb  [so  J.  A.  A.],  which  conflicts  with  the  pa- 


rallel 


31 


ver.  13,  and  translate  "ex  ferrobipen- 


nim  facit"  (TARO.),  or  if  we  take  connectedly  Sl"O 
us  faber  farrarius,  and  let  1¥>?3  depend  on  a  latent  verb 
Ijnn  ("the  smith  prepares  an  axe,"  GESEN.),  or  on  the 
following  hy2  ("  the  smith— a  hatchet  he  works  up  In 


482 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  glowing  coals,  viz.,  into  an  idol,"  HITZIQ),  or  let  it  be 
subject  with  1"?  supplied  ("  the  iron  smith  has  a  great 
chisel,"  JJELITZSCII),  or  if  we  connect  the  three  words 
and  translate  :  ••  the  master,  in  iron  of  the  axe  lie  works 
in  the  glowing  coals."  HAHN  ;  "  the  forger  of  edge-tools 
—  he  works  with  coals,"  KNOBEL,  —  in  any  case  we  en- 
counter grammatical  difficulties,  or  we  obtain  an  unsa- 
tisfactory scuso.  The  LXX.  translates  :  OTI  u^bcc  re<c- 
TUV  ffiSripov,  (TKfTTdpfui  eipyd.a'a.TO  O.VTO.  Now  this  uifvce  is 

nothing  else  than  the  foregoing  TiT-    For  Tin  means 

-  r 
"  to  be  pointed  ;"  Hiph.  "inn  "  to  point,  sharpen."  Now 

CHEYNE  thinks  that  a  word  such  as  inn  has  been  lost 
from  the  beginning  of  ver.  12;  BELITZSCH  believes  that 
inn  has  dropped  out.  But  nothing  at  all  has  fallen  out. 
Only  the  Masoretic  point  Soph-pasuk  is  to  be  put  after 
Itt'T-  Then  tlT  is  quite  simply  the  imperf.  Hiph.  of 
Yin,  which  imperf.  occurs  in  only  one  other  place,  viz., 
Prov.  xxvii.  17,  where  it  reads  : 

imn-'ja   irv    KTKI   irv   Snaa  Vria,  t.  e., 
•*..  ...      ~-       ..     _rtT    ...  .-.     V1_ 

"  iron  on  iron  sharpens,  and  a  man  sharpens  the  coun- 
tenance of  his  neighbor."  Of  course,  according  to  rule 
the  consonants  must  be  pointed  "in'-  And  '*•  is  quite 

"T 

possible  that  this,  or  "ITV  («d./.  DJT  GREEN,  §  140,  5)  is 
the  original  reading  of  our  text.  As  the  imperf.  Hiph. 
of  ~\r\r\  is  a  very  rare  form,  while  "NT  "urea,"  is  a  very 
frequent  word,  confounding  of  the  former  with  the  lat- 
ter is  easily  explained  ;  and  as  11T  does  not  suit  in  ver. 
12,  but  does  suit  in  ver.  11,  it  was  natural  to  place  the 
Soph-pasuk  after  it.  In  Prov.  xxvii.  17,  also,  the  Maso- 
rets  have  both  times  taken  1,T  in  the  sense  of  Una, 
(nomp.  EWALD,  Lehrb.,  p.  559).  But  this  construction  is 
very  harsh,  because  in'  must  then  not  only  be  taken 
as  a  preposition,  but  is,  moreover,  in  a  strange  manner 
joined  with  the  prefix  3  (instead  of  Qy  or  7J7).  Most 
probably,  therefore,  we  are  to  read  in'  in  this  place,  or 
(less  correctly  as  apocopated  Hiph.  from  mn  =  Yin, 
see  ZOECIU.ER  on  Prov.  xxvii.  17)  in'- 


,  as  remarked,  is  in  parallelism  with 
n  ver.  13  (comp.  |3X    IJhn  Exod.  xxviii. 


The 

the  D'3f>' 

11).  Therefore  Enn  's  sta^-  constr.  from  tjnn  (see 
List).  -  li'yn  (from  the  rod.  inus.  IXp,  which  llkel^n 
in  the  dialects,  yyn,  2Yn,  n^n,  JTVp  has  the  sense 
of  cutting)  is  an  edge-tool  ;  not  necessarily  a  hatchet.— 
St'  3  is  used  here  absolutely  =  "to  do  work  ;''  a  use,  in- 

*T 

deed,  that  is  rare,  but  comp.  xliii.  13  =  "  I  effect."  More- 
over the  word  is  mainly  poetic,  and  hence  a  freer  use 
of  it  is  possible.  -  Dn3  (again  only  liv.  16  ;  Prov.  xxvi. 

T  V 

21)  Is  the  fire-coal.  -  ni3pD  only  here  in  Isaiah;  comp. 
li.  1. 
Ver.  13.  •Hit'  an-.  Atv  "red  chalk."  -  m>'¥pD,  air. 


Aey.  from  yyp  "  abscindere,"  therefore  also  an  edge-tool; 
TABG.  X'  7DTJ<,  oy«'A7),  scalprum,  tool  of  the  sculptor.  - 
rUinp  from  Jin  "eirculare,  an.  Aey.  "the  circle."—  "1NJ1 
is  originally  =.  ~\)F\  "eireuire"  (hence  of  the  course  of 
the  boundaries  of  the  land,  Josh.  xv.  9,  11  ;  xviii.  14,  17). 
Piel  is  then  "  circuitum  facere."  "to  make  outlines,  to 
outline."  It  occurs  only  here.  -  If  the  reading  irnxfV 
at  the  end  of  the  first  clause,  is  correct,  and  there  is 
therefore  a  difference  between  it  and  the  same  word 
following,  then  it  seems  to  me  very  much  to  correspond 
with  the  context  to  take  the  latter  as  denominativum  from 
1X/1  in  the  sense  of  "  to  make  beautiful."  Thus,  e.  g., 
tjn'liy  "  to  make  roots"  (xl.  24)  stands  along  with  &->.& 
"to  eradicate,"  1^0  "to  make  a  storm  (1^'D),  to  storm 
forth,"  along  with  "l>?p  "to  drive  forth."  In  that  case 
our  form  were  decidedly  to  be  pronounced  fthoorehu. 
Ver.  14.  I  cannot  believe  that 


here  is  to  be 

taken  in  the  sense  of  the  conjugatio  pcriphrastica.  Ver. 
14  describes  how  a  forest  is  planted  out  and  grown 
large.  Thus  also  HAHN.  This  statement  of  the  aim  is 
simply  put  first,  and  1  in  npM  refers  backwards.  - 
D'PX  rnj?  is  said,  not  as  if  only  cedars  were  planted. 

•    T~: 

That  would  conflict  with  what  follows  where  other  sorts 
of  trees  are  named.  But  only  the  noblest  sort  stands 
for  all,  as  if  one  were  to  say  :  to  have  apples  to  eat  I  set 
out  an  orchard  The  meaning  there  is  not  that  the  or- 

chard consisted  only  of  apple-trees,    nnn,  aw.  A«y., 

T  :  • 
commonly  supposed  to  mean  "  the  ilex,  rock-oak  "  (the 

evergreen  oak  of  the  south  ").  |17X  the  oak  generally. 
|'J3K  "  to  make  firm,"  "  fix,"  in  the  sense  of  "  choosing," 
comp.  xli.  10;  Ps.  Ixxx.  16,  18.  px  (with  J  minusc.) 
also  an.  Ary.  It  is  strange  that  the  planting  of  trees  is 
said  to  be  for  the  purpose  of  '•  felling  cedars,"  and  that 
then  no  cedars  are  named  among  the  planted  trees 
Hence  one  is  tempted  to  conjecture  that  a  I  was  mis- 
taken for  J  finale  ml  nusc.,  and  that  it  ought  to  read  J1J<. 
But  in  Assyrian  "irini  Labnftna"  is  the  common  desig- 
nation for  the  Cedars  of  Lebanon.  Along  with  that  13 
found  also  for  cedars  irsi  (SCHRADER,  Keilinschr.  u.  d.  A. 
T.,  p.  271  sq  ),  so  that  in  both  languages  PN  and  pj< 
have  kindred  meaning,  and  the  conjecture  of  SCHHADER 
seems  well-founded,  that  both  expressions  signify  only 
different  species  of  the  genus  Pinus  (the  cedar  resem- 
bles our  larch).  Hence  those  are  right  who,  following 
the  LXX.  and  the  VULO.,  prefer  the  meaning  "  pinus" 
to  that  of  "  ornus." 
Ver.  15.  According  to  what  precedes,  the  notion 

"  tree"  in  general  is  the  subject  of  n^ni-  -  pt#J  again 

I  -  T 
only  Ps.  Ixxviii.  21  ;  Ezck.  xxxix.  9.  -  "1JD   see  List. 

I'D  7  is  used  here  as  singular,  as  probably  liii.  8  ;  Deut. 

T 

xxxiii.  2.    Comp.  EWALD,  \  247,  d. 
Ver.  16.  "UN    ^JVXI  as  videre  mortem,  Ps.  Ixxxix.  49; 

•    T 

vitam,  Eccl.  ix.  9;  somnum,  Eccl.  yiii.  16;  famem,  Jer. 
v.  12,  etc. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


The  truth,  already  uttered  in  the  foregoing 
strophe,  that  making  a  god  is  a  senseless  per- 
formance, is  here  put  in  the  strongest  light.  The 
Prophet  describes  in  a  drastic  manner  what  a 
monstrous  contrast  there  is  between  the  honor 
that  men  put  upon  the  idol  and  the  elements 


from  which  its  originates.  He  first  describes 
briefly  the  origin  of  a  metal  idol.  It  is  the  pro- 
duct of  the  combined  labor  of  edge-tools,  hot- 
coals,  hammering  and  human  sweat.  Hard  work 
that,  and  such  as  makes  one  hungry  and  thirsty. 
What  sort  of  a  god  is  that  which  must  be  fashioned 


CHAP   XLIV,  18-20. 


483 


with  bitter  sweat  and  from  such  difficult,  coarse  1 
and  hard  material  !  What  a  contrast  with  the 
God  who  is  spirit  (ver.  12).  More  particularly 
he  describes  how  a  wooden  idol  comes  into  exist- 
ence. The  artist  in  wood  has  easier  work.  He 
stretches  the  line  so  as  to  have  a  stick  of  the  de- 
sired size.  Next,  with  red  chalk,  he  draws  the 
outline  of  the  figure,  which  he  then  executes  with 
his  tool,  giving  it,  with  the  aid  of  the  circle, 
beauty  of  form.  Thus  the  block,  by  the  art  of  the 
master,  takes  an  outward  human  form,  as  is  proper 
in  ord?r  to  live  in  human  society.  But  the  block 
cannot  be  elevated  beyond  this.  Inwardly  it  re- 
mains still  a  block.  rnKDH  in  parallelism  with 
JVJjn  seems  to  me  to  involve  a  progress  in 
thought:  not  merely  according  to  the  human 
copy  generally,  but  he  makes  it  according  to 
what  is  splendor,  glory  of  mankind,  i.  e.,  the  work 
of  art  may  even  represent  the  human  form  quite 
in  its  lofty  ideal,  still  it  gives  only  the  external 
outline.  Evidently  the  Prophet,  by  D"^  E^n 
meant,  not  a  bungler,  but  a  real  artist  (ver.  13). 

But  now  the  Prophet  goes  back  to  the  origin 
of  the  stuff  itself  of  which  the  wood-idol  is  made. 

He  describes  how  trees  are  planted  so  as  to 
make  a  forest,  how  the  rain  gives  them  increase 
(ver.  14)  :  then  how  such  a  tree  is  felled,  in  order 


to  make  a  fire  with  part  of  it,  for  heating  and 
cooking,  and  with  another  to  make  an  idol  (ver. 
15).  Thus,  recapitulating,  of  the  tree,  one  half 
of  which  is  used  for  heating,  and  the  other  half 
for  preparing  food,  what  remains  is  made  into  an 
idol  that  is  worshipped  and  is  summoned  for  aid 
as  the  only  refuge.  One  would  suppose  that  if 
one  half  were  used  for  warming  and  the  other  for 
cooking,  there  would  be  nothing  left.  But  ver. 
17  speaks  of  a  remnant  (mxt?).  By  this  the 
Prophet  would  manifestly  intimate  that  not  even 
one  of  the  two  chief  halves  of  the  trunk  is  ap- 
plied to  making  the  idol,  but  only  spare  wood, 
say,  the  stump  in  the  ground.  ["  This  incon- 
gruity has  no  existence  in  the  original :  because, 
as  all  the  other  modern  writers  are  agreed,  the 
first  and  second  Vjf n  of  ver.  16  are  one  and  the 
same  half,  and  the  other  is  not  introduced  till  the 
next  verse." — J.  A.  A.]  Earth-born  block,  wa- 
tered by  rain,  essentially  destined  for  heating  and 
cooking,  only  formed  into  an  idol  image  by  the 
way — such  things  gods  ! 

All  the   interpreters  since   CALVIN  quote  the 
striking  parallel  from  Horace  (Sat.  I.  8.): 

Olim  truncus  eram  ficiilmu,inutile  lignum, 

Cum  fnb",r,  incertus  scamnum  facer etne  Friapu.'n, 

Maluit  esse  Deurn. 


2.  CAUSE  AND  EFFECT  OF  IDOLATROUS  NONSENSE. 
CHAPTER  XLIV.  18-20. 

18  They  have  not  known  nor  understood  : 

For  he  hath  'shut  their  eyes,  that  they  cannot  see ; 
And  their  hearts,  that  they  cannot  understand. 

19  And  none  2considereth  in  his  heart, 

Neither  is  there  knowledge  nor  understanding  to  say, 

I  have  burnod  part  of  it  in  the  fire  ; 

Yea,  also  I  have  baked  bread  upon  the  coals  thereof; 

I  "have  roasted  flesh,  and  eaten  it  : 

And  shall  I  make  the  residue  thereof  an  abomination  ? 

Shall  I  fall  down  to  3the  stock  of  a  tree  ? 

20  bHe  fo.edeth  on  ashes :  a  deceived  heart  hath  turned  him  aside, 
That  he  cannot  deliver  his  soul,  °nor  say, 

Is  tkere  not  a  lie  in  my  right  hand  ? 


1  He'x  daubed. 
»  I  will  roast. 


1  Heb.  setteth  to  his  heart. 
b  He  who  feeds. 


*  Heb.  that  which  comes  of  a  tree. 
•  as  he  says  not. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  18.  It  seems  strange  that  nt3  i?  pointed  with  Pat- 
tahh  instead  of  Kametz.    For  no  root  nntD  from  which 

-  r 

nt3  might  come  is  used  ;  but  from  rWD,  which  occurs 
often  especially  in  Ezeldel,  the  third  per?,  perf.  mu«t 
sound  ryj  (comp.  Lev.  xiv.  42).  The  context  gives  no 

T 

Intima'i'in  of  Jehovah  being  the  author  of  the  nwptoor? 
(comp.  Rom.  ix.).  Hence  it  seems  to  me  that  we  may 
take  fit)  as  a  nominal  form,  which  owing  to  the  rela- 
tion of  the  'yy  and  <\y,  would  then  be  pointed  accord- 
ing to  the  type  of  derivatives  from  'yy,  to  distinguish 


GRAMMATICAL. 

it  from  the  verbal  form  nt3-    This  might  occur  the  more 

T 

easily  since  the  word  does  not  stand  in  pause,  but  in  the 
closest  connection  with  the  following  word.  The  sin- 
gular is  to  be  explained  from  the  neutral  construction 
of  the  preceding  predicate  word. 

Ver.  19.  The  expression  i~)  /K  Tl^H  (rotrovertere  in 
peetuSjViz.,  the  thing  objectively  noticed,  occurs  on  the 
ground  of  Deut.  iv.  39;  xxx.  1;  1  Kings  viii.  47;  Lam. 
iii.  21.  It  occurs  again  in  Isn.  xlvi.  8,  where  7^  for  7K 
makes  no  difference  in  the  meaning. The  substan- 


484 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


tivea  fun  and  mOn  repeat  in  another  form  the 
verbs  of  the  same  root  in  ver.  18. It  need  not  occa- 
sion surprise  that  with  nS^N  the  discourse  suddenly 
makes  a  transition  to  the  imperfect.  For  the  saying 
of  the  idol-worshipper,  which  is  introduced  by  "ION1? 
falls  in  the  moment  where  he  warms  himself  and  has 
baked  bread.  Now,  he  says,  I  will  also  roast  meat  and 
eat,  and  make  the  remnant  of  the  wood  into  an  idol. 
Ver.  20.  r\V~)  "  to  pasture,"  then  vesci,  nutriri.  with 

T  T 


accusative  of  the  thing,  is  used  here  as  in  the  expres- 
sions nit  r\y~\  HOS.  xn.  2  ,•  rmox  PS.  xxxvii.  a ;  nS'N 

;  T        *. :  V  V  • 

Prov.  xv.  14,  etc. /HIIT  relative  clause;   the  word 

from  ^"'/n,  "  vilem  me."  Hiph.  "  ludificare,  to  mock." — 
The  general  meaning  of  the  Vav.  in  1DN'  Jwl  is  spe- 
cialized by  the  context  in  the  sense  of  assigning  a  rea- 
son. So  I  feel  obliged  to  explain  it,  because  7'2f '  can 
neither  be  taken  de  conatu  (DELITZSCH),  nor,  (with  HA.HJJ) 
in  the  sense  of  "  the  soul-saving  knowledge." 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


In  these  verses  the  Prophet  shows  what  is  the 
cause  and  operation  of  that  senseless  idolatry. 
The  cause  is  blindness  and  perversity  of  heart. 
The  insane  folly  of  what  they  do  is  not  perceived 
by  these  men  (J7T,  j'3'="  to  have  knowledge, 
penetration;"  comp.  ver.  9;  xxxii.  4;  xlv.  20  ; 
Ivi.  10:  moreover,  the  entire  expression  is  from 
Ps.  Ixxxii.  4),  for  because  their  inward  sense,  the 
heart,  is  as  if  stuck  together,  as  though  smeared 
over  with  mortar  and  whitewash,  so,  too,  the 
outward  eye  is  stuck  together,  so  that  they  cannot 
see.  The  stupidity  is  aggravated  ;  hence  the 
Prophet  cannot  find  words  severe  enough  for 
reproof.  Hence  in  ver.  19  he  begins  anew  to 
enumerate  the  bad  products,  after  having,  ver. 
18,  named  the  source  of  them.  —  rDjJIJ"^  abomi- 


nation, is  an  expression  that  the  Prophet  takes 
out  of  his  own  heart  and  ascribes  to  the  idolater. 
This  happens  also  elsewhere  in  another  fashion 
(comp.  Exod.  viri.  22;  Deut.  xxvii.  15,  which 
perhaps  was  in  the  mind  of  the  Prophet;  Jer. 


xvi.  18;  2  Kings  xxiii.  13,  etc.). — 7^3  (only  here 
in  Isa.)  according  to  its  fundamental  meaning  is 
"  manare,  fluere,  proftvere,"  and  according  to  the 
meanings  that  occur  elsewhere  (Job  xl.  20, 

D"]n  7^3="  products  of  the  mountains;"!  Kings 
vi.  38,  ''  the  rain-month  Bui ;"  comp.  7*3D), 
is  not  a  piece  of  a  tree,  but  a  product  of  a  tree. — 
The  conclusion  is  couched  in  an  utterance  that 
sounds  like  a  judicial  sentence.  Ashes  are  the 
emblem  of  something  that  deceives ;  one  thinks 
he  is  to  eat  and  see  something  good,  and  behold 
it  is  ashes,  Job  xiii.  12.  Therefore  he  that  nour- 
ishes himself  with  ashes,  a  heart  that  is  blind 
itself,  has  wrought  misleadingly  on  his  outward 
conduct.  The  second  half  of  ver.  20  I  regard 
with  HITZIG  as  a  conclusion,  which  names  the 
effect  of  this  insane  idolatry.  It  is  this :  the 
man  does  not  deliver  his  soul.  He  would  save 
it  did  he  awake  in  season  to  the  conviction  that 
a  lie  (so  everything  is  called  that  belongs  to 
idolatry)  is  in  his  hand  (as  a  would-be  staff). 


4.  JEHOVAH,  THE  CREATOR  OF  HEAVEN  AND  EARTH,  CAN  PROPHESY,  AND 
HE  PROPHESIES  THE  DELIVERANCE  OF  HIS  PEOPLE  BY  KORES. 

CHAPTER  XL1V.  21-28. 

21  Kemember  these,  O  Jacob  and  Israel ; 
"For  thou  art  my  servant : 

I  have  formed  thee  ;  thou  art  my  servant : 
0  Israel,  thou  shalt  not  be  forgotten  of  me. 

22  I  have  blotted  out,  as  a  thick  cloud,  thy  transgressions, 
And,  as  a  cloud,  thy  sins  : 

Return  unto  me  ;  for  I  have  redeemed  thee. 

23  Sing,  O  ye  heavens  ;  for  the  LORD  hath  done  ti: 
Shout,  ye  lower  parts  of  the  earth  : 

Break  forth  into  singing,  ye  mountains, 

0  forest,  and  every  tree  therein  : 
For  the  LORD  hath  redeemed  Jacob, 
And  glorified  himself  in  Israel. 

24  Thus  saith  the  LORD,  thy  redeemer, 
And  he  that  formed  thee  from  the  womb, 

1  am  the  LORD  that  maketh  all  things; 
That  stretcheth  forth  the  heavens  alone  ; 
That  spreadeth  abroad  the  earth  by  myself  J 

25  That  frustrateth  the  tokens  of  the  liars, 
And  maketh  diviners  mad  ; 


CHAP.  XLIV.  21-28. 


485 


That  turneth  wise  men  backward, 
A.nd  raaketh  their  knowledge  foolish  ; 

26  That  confirmeth  the  word  of  his  servant, 
And  performeth  the  counsel  of  his  messengers  ; 
That  saith  to  Jerusalem,  bThou  shalt  be  inhabited  ; 
And  to  the  cities  of  Judah,  cYe  shall  be  built, 
And  I  will  raise  upd  the  'decayed  places  thereof: 

27  That  saith  to  the  deep,  Be  dry, 
And  I  will  dry  up  thy  rivers  : 

28  That  saith  of  Cyrus,  He  is  my  shepherd, 
And  shall  perform  all  my  pleasuie  : 

Even  saying  to  Jerusalem,  Thou  shalt  be  built ; 
And  to  the  temple,  Thy  foundation  shall  be  laid. 


1  Heb.  waste  places. 
»  That. 


She. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words  used,  espe- 
cially: Ver.  23.  HtfJ— "1X3-  Ver.  25.  ^DO  comp.  2  Sam. 

xy.  21.    Ver.  26.  D'pO-     Ver.  27.  nSl¥  ;  and  also  verse 
I ...  T 

21,  Jacob  and  Israel.  Ver.  26.  Jerusalem  and  Judah  in 
parallelism.  Ver.  23.  VpH- 

Ver.  21.  After  "Israel"  supply,  not  r"PX~1DT,  but 
simply  "Of.  The  other  would  make  flat  tautology.  Of 
course  the  thing  to  be  remembered  is  as  little  different 
as  are  Jacob  and  Israel.  But  parallelism  requires  the 
object  to  be  named  each  time  in  different  words.  And 
this  condition  is  met  when  we  supply  "\jf  after  "Is- 
rael," and  take  '3  as  denoting  the  object,  and  not  as 

causal. '7,  instead  of  ^~\iy  simply  repeated,  would 

doubtless  indicate  the  servant-relation  of  Israel  to  be 
not  a  mere  outward  relation  of  possession,  but  one  of 

ethical  ownership. 1  think  that  in  "'Jt^JH  the  suffix 

has  the  meaning  of  *7,  as  in  'JTrtjfJ?  Ezek.  xxix.  3,  and 
as  the  suffix  of  the  2d  per.  in  TPtjnb  Ixv.  5  stands  for 
'"[7.  It  is  true  that  Niphal  in  its  reflexive  meaning  often 
implies  an  ideal  transitive  notion  on  which  an  object 
may  depend  (comp.  the  verbs  X3J,  J^jK/J,  3DJ  Judg. 
xix.  22,  J'p3J  Isa.  lix.  5,  DflSj  Ps.  cix.3,  etc.)  But  with 
rit^J  this  fundamental  meaning  is  very  doubtful,  and 
moreover,  whether  it  be  removere  or  exarescere  (comp. 
xli.  17  ;  Jer.  li.  30),  one  does  not  see  how  the  Niphal  may 
be  taken  in  a  reflexive  sense  so  as  to  acquire  a  meaning 
analogous  to  the  transitive  Kal  (comp.  Jer.  xxiii.  33  ; 
Lam.  iii.  17).  And  it  seems  to  ine,  too,  that  would  the 


«  they. 

GRAMMATICAL. 

Prophet  express  a  "  forget-me-not,"  he  would  surely 
have  used  *7X  rather  than  the  strict,  legal  JO- 

Ver.  24.  K'thibh  TlfcC'D  is  to  be  read  T\K  'D ;  and 
the  LXX.  and  VULQ.  have  so  read.  K'ri  has  'PXD, 
which  is  for  sense  about  the  same  as  "2QD  —  "  out  from 
me,"  "mea  vi"  (TARG.  'j-nOJS).  HXD  (comp.  e.  g , 
Ezek.  xxxiii.  30;  Josh.  xi.  20)  means  the  same  as  Dj^D 
(e.  g.,  viii.  18;  Ps.  cxxi.  2>,  but  neither  of  these  occur 
again  in  exactly  the  sense  demanded  here.  Consider, 
moreover,  that  the  abruptness  of  'OX  'O  were  strange, 
and  that  an  original  'pX  'D  were  much  easier  changed 
into  'HJO  than  vice  versa,  because  the  former  is  the 
more  difficult  reading,  and  it  results  that  we  must  give 
the  K'thibh  the  preference.  It  manifestly  corresponds 
to  the  passage  xl.  13:  "Who  hath  directed  (compre- 
hended)  the  Spirit  of  the  LORD,  etc.,  with  whom  took  he 
counsel,  etc.  ?" 

Vers.  26,  27.  In  this  long  sentence,  DOIpK  and  CT31N 
are  the  only  verbs  in  vhich  the  Prophet  returns  from 
the  participle  to  the  principal  form.  As  far  as  I  know 
there  is  not  another  example  of  such  an  extended  par- 
ticipial construction.  The  great  animation  of  the  Pro- 
phet renders  this  long-continued  tension  possible. 

Ver.  28.  As  ij'n  is  always  construed  elsewhere  as 
masc.,  TDir\  must  be  taken  as  2d  pers.,  unless  one 
prefers  to  assume  that  the  form  "IDlfl  is,  as  it  were,  at- 
tracted by  nj3n,  and  that  accordingly  73TI  as  a  quar- 
ter of  the  city  is  conceived  of  as  fern.  The  latter  ia 
grammatically  not  impossible. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  cycle  of  prophecy  which  embraces 
chapters  xl.-xlviii.  has  its  culmination  in  this 
Btrophe,  which  represents  about  the  middle.  All 
that  precedes  points  to  this  crowning  summit 
which  is  concentrated  in  the  mention  of  the  name 
of  "  Kores  "  or  Cyrus.*  The  strophe  consists  of 
a  general  and  of  a  particular  part.  In  the  first 
we  have  a  recapitulation  in  general  of'the  founda- 
tions of  Israel's  deliverance,  and  heaven  and  earth 


*  [The  Author,  with  little  exception,  uses  the  form 
Kores.  yet  quite  frequently  also  Cvrus,  without  expla- 
nation of  his  preference.  The  translation  does  not  fol- 
low him  in  ihis,  but  adheres  to  Cyrus,  except  in  a  few 
instances  that  explain  themselves.— T*.] 


are  summoned  to  manifest  their  joy  at  that  deli- 
verance (vers.  21-23).  In  the  second  particular 
these  foundations  and  guaranties  of  the  deliver- 
ance are  specified  more  exactly.  At  the  same 
time  it  is  to  be  remarked  that  this  part  forms  a 
single  period,  which  as  by  steps  leads  up  to  the 
crowning  point,  the  name  of  Cyrus  (vers.  24-28). 

2.  Remember  these in  Israel — Vers.  21 

-23.  These  verses  are  closely  connected  with  vers. 
24-28.  They  are,  so  to  speak,  a  prelude  to  them, 
an  introduction  that  presents  in  nuce  the  funda- 
mental thoughts.  That  the  short  section,  vers. 
24-28,  should  be  so  prefaced  ought  to  occasion  no 


436 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


surprise  in  view  of  its  immense  importance.  For 
in  it  is  to  be  accomplished  the  great  transaction 
of  the  LORD  by  which  He  would  show  and  demon- 
strate how  He  differs  from  idols,  and  that  He 
alone  has  the  power  to  deliver  Israel  out  of  the 
Exile,  and  thereby  to  stablish  also  the  principle  of 


the  "everlasting  deliverance"  ( 
xlv-  17-  That  is  nothing  else  than  the  mention 
of  the  name  of  Cyrus  (see  below).  Remember 
these  cannot  possibly  relate  merely  to  what  imme- 
diately precedes,  in  view  of  the  contents  of  vers. 
21-28.  The  Prophet,  in  what  follows,  recapitu- 
lates all  the  primary  ideas  of  chapters  xl.-xliv., 
therefore  Israel  is  to  remember  just  that,  and,  in 
fact,  all  that  the  Prophet  now  endeavors  to  call 
to  mind.  The  servant  of  Jehovah  is  one  of 
the  chief  notions  in  our  section  (xli.  8,  9  ;  xlii.  1, 
19;  xliii.  10;  xliv.  1,  2).  Let  Israel  remember 
that  it  is  the  servant  of  God,  and  it  will  remember 
the  pith  and  central  point  of  all  of  which  chapters 
xl.  and  xliv.  discourse,  and,  in  so  far  "  for  thou 
art  my  servant"  is  essentially  identical  with 


"these"  (n?K).  The  words  I  have  formed  thee, 
thou  art  my  servant,  are  not  only  an  emphatic 
repetition  meant  for  confirmation,  but  also  a  proof 
of  that  fundamental  idea.  For  Israel  did  not  be- 
come the  servant  of  Jehovah  by  accident,  but  by 
reason  of  a  well-considered  decree  carried  out  in 
the  most  methodical  manner.  Comp.  xliii.  1,  7, 
10,  21  ;  xliv.  2,  and  see  Text,  and  Gram.  There- 
fore Israel  shall  not  be  forgotten  (xlix.  14 
eq.)  V^jn,  '-thou  shall  be  untbrgotten  to  me," 
at  the  end  of  the  verse,  stands  in  intentional  and 
artistic  contrast  with  "  Remember,"  with  which 
the  verse  begins.  At  the  same  time  it  forms  a  fit- 
ting transition  to  what  follows.  See  Text,  and 
Gram. 

Ver.  22  a.  I  have  blotted  out,  etc.,  calls  to 
mind  a  second  foundation  of  Israel's  promised 
salvation.  It  looks  back  to  xliii.  25.  While  the 
cloud  of  Israel's  guilt  is  still  between  them  and 
the  countenance  of  the  LORD,  Israel  must  still  fear 
His  wrath.  But  let  it  disappear  and  nothing  re- 
mains to  restrain  the  LORD'S  display  of  grace. 
Then  he  says  :  return  unto  me.  This  cannot 
mean  the  inward,  moral  return.  For  that  is  pre- 
supposed by  the  blotting  out  of  sin.  What  the 
Prophet  means  is  the  return  from  the  Exile  to  the 
place  where  the  LORD  has  His  fire  and  hearth 
(xxxi.  9).  Thus  Jeremiah  also  uses  the  word 
2^  in  a  variety  of  senses.  See  remarks  on  Jer. 
xxxi.  21.  For  I  have  redeemed  thee  in- 
volves the  idea  :  the  purchase  price  for  thee 
(comp.  on  xliii.  4),  is  paid,  therefore  thou  art 
free  and  canst  return  home.  Sing,  O  ye  hea- 
vens, etc.,  ver.  23.  The  deliverance  of  Israel 
must  interest  the  whole  world,  not  only  because 
all  that  the  LORD  does  is  important  to  all,  but 
also  because  all  must  see  in  that  the  guaranty 
of  their  own  salvation.  Hence  the  heights  and 
depths  should  burst  forth  in  praise.  The  heavens 
represent  the  heights  above  the  earth,  the  nmnn 
(only  here  in  Isa.,  comp  Ps.  Ixiii.  10;  cxxxix. 
15,  etc.),  are  the  depths  of  the  earth  in  the  broad- 
est sense.  Thus  what  is  highest  above  man  and 
lowest  beneath  him  shall  rejoice,  and  that  in 
union  with  what  is  highest  on  the  earth  itself. 
These  last  are  the  mountains  (xlix.  13)  ;  to  which 


in  the  parallelism  there  is  no  antithesis  because 
"  the  deeps  of  the  earth"  have  for  antithesis,  not 
only  the  heavens,  but  also  the  mountains.  Yet, 
in  order  to  preserve  the  pairs  of  clauses,  that  is 
named  that  gives  animation  to  the  mountains  and 
serves  them  instead  of  hands  to  clap  with,  viz., 
the  trees  (Iv.  12).  ntJ?^  (comp.  x.  13;  xli.  4)  has 
as  its  ideal  object  what  is  held  up  to  view  in  vers. 
21,  22,  or  what  is  intimated  by  "  I  have  redeemed 
thee."  This  appears  additionally  from:  for  the 
LORD  hath  redeemed  Jacob:  for  these 
words  stand  parallel  with :  "  for  the  LORD  hath 
done,"  repeating  and  explaining  the  latter  ex- 
pression only  in  a  different  form.  We  had  a 
similar  declaration  of  praise,  xlii.  10  sqq.  (comp. 
xlix.  13),  which,  however,  appealed  to  a  more 
limited  sphere.  This  call  on  heaven  and  earth 
(as  i.  2)  shows  that  we  stand  at  a  very  important 
turning  point.  And  glorified  himself  in  Is- 
rael.— By  redeeming  Israel  the  LORD  glorifies 
Himself.  But  whereas  the  redemption  is  set 
forth  as  an  accomplished  fact,  the  glorifying  of 
Jehovah  is  something  that  lasts  forever.  Hence 

the  perf.   /NJ,  and  the  impcrf.  "IXDJV. 

3.  Thus   saith be   laid.— Vers.   24-28. 

In  reference  to  this  verse  DELITZSCH  says :  "  the 
prophecy  takes  a  new  flight,  becoming  ever  more 
distinctive."  This  is  true,  indeed  ;  especially  in 
relation  to  vers.  21-23.  And  yet  also  it  only  re- 
capitulates the  chief  thoughts  of  chaps,  xl.-liv. 
These  it  builds  up  step  on  step,  which  lead  up  to 
the  apex  on  which  the  name  of  Cyrus  shines  out 
to  us.  The  discourse  begins  with  Jehovah's 
being  Israel's  Redeemer  and  Former  (ver.  24), 
(comp.  vers.  21,  22).  For  it  treats  of  Israel's 
salvation,  and  what  follows  is  to  demonstrate 
that  none  but  Israel's  God  can  effect  this,  and 
that  He  will  effect  it.  The  first  stone  of  this  proof 
is  laid  by  the  LORD'S  declaring  Himself  to  be 
the  One  who  makes  all,  who  spreads  out  the 
heavens  alone,  that  extends  the  north  without 
any  one  being  there  as  a  helper  (TiK'VD  see  Text, 
and  Gram.).  That  stretcheth  forth  the 
heavens  is  a  repetition  from  xl.  22;  that 
spreadeth  abroad  the  earth,  is  from  xlii.  5. 
Thus  the  Prophet  comprehends  in  brief  what  he 
had  said  in  the  course  of  the  preceding  chapters 
about  God's  creative  omnipotence  (xl.  12-14,  21— 
26;  xli.  4;  xlii.  5).  In  those  representations  he 
had  brought  out  the  nothingness  of  idols,  in  the 
strongest  light  of  contrast  (xl.  15-20 ;  xli.  6,  7 ; 
xlii.  8,  17;  xliv.  8-20).  He  had  also  represented 
Jehovah's  omnipresence  and  omniscience  and 
eternity,  and  in  xli.  1-4  we  have,  as  the  first  test 
of  Jehovah's  power  to  foretell  the  (relative) 
future,  an  obscure  announcement  of  Cyrus,  the 
name  concealed,  and  of  Israel's  destined  deliver- 
ance by  him  (xli  8-20).  The  heathen  idols  were 
challenged  to  produce  their  prophecy,  but  are  put 
to  shame  (xli.  21-29;  xliii.  9-13;  xliv.  6  sqq.). 
Opposed  to  this  pitiable  inability  of  the  idols,  the 
LORD  prepares  to  announce  something  far  more 
glorious,  viz.,  a  far  more  glorious  Redeemer  and 
Saviour  in  a  yet  more  remote  future.  To  all  this, 
therefore,  that  the  LORD  from  xl.  on  had  said, 
especially  of  the  ignorance  of  idols  and  their  fol- 
lowers in  regard  to  the  future,  our  ver.  25  refers 
in  brief  recapitulation :  "  Who  frustrateth 
the  lying-signs,  and  makes  the  diviners 


CHAP.  XLIV.  21-28. 


487 


fools,"  etc.  Comp.  xl.  17 ;  xli.  21-24,  29 ;  xlii. 
17  ;  xliv.  11.  Our  text  serves  to  complete  in 
one  respect  the  passages  cited.  That  the  servers 
of  idols,  or  heathen  diviners  had  even  made  at- 
tempts to  prophesy  is  not  said  in  these  passages, 
nor  is  it  denied.  Only  their  incapacity  and  com- 
ing to  shame  are  spoken  of.  But  in  our  passage 
it  is  presupposed  that  they  have  actually  attempted 
to  prophesy.  Hence  it  reads  M  fOnt*  "*??3. 
Heathen  divination  was  in  great  part  the  inter- 
pretation of  signs.  These  signs  (auguria)  are  the 
fiinx.  But  as  D'^l  fi^N  they  are  lying  signs 
(coinp.  xvi.  6),  which,  therefore,  as  idle  counsel 
(2  Sam.  xv.  34),  or  as  a  broken  covenant  (such  is 
the  most  frequent  use  of  "^H,  xxxiii.  8 ;  Gen. 
xvii.  14;  Exod.  xxvi.  25,  44,  etc.)  come  to  no- 
thing. The  wizards  (D'DDp  iii.  2)  He  makes 
appear  fools  (properly  delusive  glitter,  Job  xii. 
17  ;  Eccl.  vii.  7) ;  He  repels  the  wise  so  that 
their  counsel  and  work  make  no  progress  but  go 
backwards  (xlii.  17),  and  their  prudence  must 

prove  to  be  folly  (v3p  comp.  2  Sam.  xv.  31). 

But  how  totally  different  is  it  with  the  prophecy 
proceeding  from  the  omnipotent  and  omniscient 
God  by  His  servants  and  messengers !  "  Behold, 
the  former  things  are  come  to  pass,  and  new 
things  do  I  declare :  before  they  spring  forth  (ger- 
minate) I  tell  you  of  them,"  xlii.  9.  To  these  words 
and  also  xliii.  12  our  passage  corresponds.  Yea, 
the  LORD  causes  the  word  of  his  servant  to 
receive  continuance  and  reality  (D'pO  in 
this  sense,  only  this  once  in  Isa.;  comp.  Dt.  ix.  5 ;  1 
Sam.  i.  23,  etc,.),  and  fulfills  the  counsel  of  his 
messengers,  i.  e.,  the  counsel  that  He  took  and 
has  announced  by  His  messengers.  According 
to  the  context  a  prophetic  word  is  meant.  Hence 
"  servant "  and  "  messengers  "  must  be  prophets. 
And  it  is,  to  me  quite  probable  that  "servant" 
designates  that  prophet  who  first  and  chiefly,  as 
the  foundation  and  corner-stone  of  his  successors, 
prophesied  these  things  of  the  Exile ;  and  that  is 

Isaiah.  13^  and  "]fcs7D  are  conjoined  here  as  in 
chap.  xlii.  19,  though  in  another  sense.  That 
saith  to  Jerusalem,  etc.,  ver.  26.  Now  is 
declared  wherein  this  fulfilment  of  the  word 
announced  by  the  prophets  shall  consist.  The 
LORD  shall  say  to  Jerusalem  thou  shalt  be  in- 
habited (v.  8),  and  to  the  cities  of  Judah 
ye  shall  be  built,  and  her  ruins  I  will 
raise.  In  reference  to  ver.  27  DELITZSCH  says 
that  primarily  it  points  to  the  drying  up  of  the 
Euphrates  to  the  advantage  of  Cyrus  (  HEROD.  I. 
189),  and  only  secondarily,  "  in  the  complex  view 
of  the  Prophet,  to  the  way  in  wliich  the  exit  of 
the  exiles  was  made  possible  out  of  the  prison  of 
the  metropolis  whifh  was  surrounded  by  a  natural 
and  artificial  rampart  of  water."  This  relation  I 
would  reverse.  As  has  been  remarked,  the  Pro- 
phet has  the  contents  of  the  preceding  chapters  in 
mind.  Of  these  he  makes  prominent  the  main 
points  to  serve  as  the  foundation  of  a  prophetic 
transaction.  Now  heretofore  there  has  been  no 
mention  of  the  conquest  of  Babylon.  But  the 
thought  has  been  repeatedly  uttered  (xlii.  15; 
xliii.  2,  16)  that  water-deeps  shall  be  no  obstacle 
to  the  returning  people,  in  saying  which  the  Pro- 
phet lias  in  mind  the  example  of  the  Ked  Sea 


(xliii.  17).  For  this  reason  I  believe  that  rnilf 
is  not  just  alone  "the  deep"  of  the  Euphrates, 
but  any  deep  through  which  returning  Israel  will 
have  to  pass.  But  I  will  not  deny  that,  in  the 
complex  way  intimated,  the  word  may  be  referred 
also  to  the  Euphrates  whicli  Cyrus  was  to  pass. 

At  ver.  28  we  stand  on  the  apex  of  the  pyra- 
mid. The  God  who  created  the  world,  and  who 
is  first  and  last,  therefore  eternal,  can  prophesy 
also.  What  is  nearest  as  well  as  what  is  most  re- 
mote is  equally  present  to  Him.  By  this  He  is 
distinguished  from  idols  that  can  create  nothing 
and  know  nothing.  Now  let  us  consider  that  the 
Prophet  on  this  account,  from  chap.  xl.  on,  points 
unceasingly  to  this  distinction  between  Jehovah 
and  idols.  What  representation  can  one  make  to 
himself  of  the  morality  of  a  man  who  continually 
affirms :  Jehovah  alone  is  God  because  He  alone 
foreknows  the  future,  wliich  He  evinces  by  nam- 
ing the  name  Cyrus, — but  who  by  fraudulent  con- 
version of  a  res  acla  as  a  res  agenda  abstracts  the 
very  ground  under  his  feet  in  reference  to  his 
argumentation,  in  fact  transforms  it  into  a  proof 
of  the  contrary.  What  a  hypocrite  he  must  have 
been,  who,  knowing  well  that  no  divine  communi- 
cation had  been  imparted  to  him,  still  gives  out 
that  he  is  a  prophet,  who  therefore  rests  his  proof 
for  the  existence  of  God  on  a  fact  which  he  well 
knows  does  not  exist !  Does  the  author  of  our 
chapter  make  the  impression  of  such  a  hypocrite? 
No  I  what  he  says  of  the  distinction  between  Je- 
hovah and  idols  in  regard  to  power  and  know- 
ledge, is  his  full  and  inward  convictions  and  what 
he  says  is  just  in  order  to  establish  this  prophecy 
concerning  Cyrus.  In  the  name  and  by  commis- 
sion of  his  God  he  foretells  this  name,  first  in 
order  that  afterwards  one  may  not  give  the  honor 
to  idols  but  to  Jehovah  (xlviii.  5),  but  furthermore 
in  order  that,  when  Cyrus  comes,  Israel  may 
know  that  now  the  day  of  its  deliverance  dawns, 
and  that  Cyrus  may  be  conscious  of  his  divine 
destiny  and  willing  to  obey  it. 

"  The  native  pronunciation  of  the  name  of  Cyrus 
is  K'ur'us''  (ScuRADER,  /.  c.  p.  214).  According 
to  SPIEGEL  (Cyrus  u.  Kuru;  Cambyscs  u.  Kam- 
boja,  in  KUHN  u.  SCHLEICIIER'S  Beiir  z.  veryl. 
Sprachforschung.  I.  1858,  p.  32  sqq.)  the  namo 
was  in  ancient  Persian  pronounced  Kuru.  Tho 
same  author  with  others  says,  the  ancient  opinion, 
that  Kvpof  meant  in  Persian  the  sun  (PLUT, 
Artax.  1),  is  incorrect.  But  the  name  Kuru 
coincides  exactly  with  the  river-name  Cyrus,  that 
is  still  called  Kur,  and  with  (he  ancient  Indian 
royal  name  Kuru.  STRABO'S  remark  (XV.  6), 
Cyrus  was  first  called  Agradates,  and  changed  his 
name  into  that  of  the  river,  SPIEGEL  regards  as 
"a  mere  addition"  of  the  geographer.  On  the 
other  hand  he  is  not  disinclined  to  admit  the 
change  of  name,  but  would  refer  it  to  a  mythical 
Kuru  of  the  Persians  cognate  with  that  of  the 
Indians.  The  Hebrew  pronunciation  $113, 
Koresh,  favors  the  inference  that  Kurus  was  pro- 
nounced as  a  paroxyton  with  a  very  short  final 
syllable.  This  explains  the  Hebrew  pronuncia- 
tion as  a  Segholate  form,  and  the  consequent 
change  of  the  vowel  u  into  o  in  the  first  syllable 
(comp.  EWALD,  §89</).  According  to  all  histori- 
cal witnesses  Cyrus  was  an  extraordinary  appear- 
ance. He  was  solitary  in  his  way  (comp.  i)oclri- 


488 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


not  and  Ethical  on  xlv.  1).  Only  once  beside  the 
present  is  there  found  in  the  Old  Testament  the 
special  prediction  of  a  name,  viz.,  1  Kings  xiii. 
2  comp.  2  Kings  xxiii.  16.  But  1  Kings  xiii.  is 
critically  suspicious,  partly  because  of  its  peculiar 
contents,  partly  because  of  the  mention  of  the 
name  "Samaria"  v.  32  at  a  period  when  there 
was  no  Samaria  (comp.  BAEHR  in  loc.).  And  we 
do  not  need  any  parallel  for  the  name  of  Cyrus. 
For  the  name  stands  solitary  in  history,  and  the 
previous  announcement  of  it  is  not  paltry  predic- 
tion of  something  unimportant,  but  a  prophetic 
act  which  for  an  extraordinary  object  makes  use 
of  extraordinary  means.  For  it  concerned  trans- 
forming the  head  of  the  world-power  into  a  friend 
of  the  Theocracy,  and  thus  bringing  about  the 
great  winter-solstice  of  the  history  of  salvation. 
That  the  surest  means  of  attaining  this  great  ob- 
ject was  the  direct  appeal  to  Cyrus  with  mention 
of  his  name,  it  seems  to  me,  calls  for  no  proof. 
Would  Cyrus  otherwise  have  begun  his  decree 
(Ezra  i.  2)  with  the  words:  "  The  LORD  God  of 
heaven  hath  given  me  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth  ;  and  he  hath  charged  me  to  build  Him  an 
house,"  etc.  ? 

It  is  seen,  from  the  foregoing,  that  I  attach  no 
value  to  the  exegetical  expedients,  such  as  that 
"  Kores"  was  a  title  of  dignity  like  *'  Pharaoh  " 
(HAEVERNICK,  HENGSTENBERG),  or  that,  in  the 
appellative  meaning  "sun,"  it  was  a  figurative 
designation  (KEIL,  Introd.),  or  that  it  is  a  gloss 

(HENNEBERG,  SdlEGG.). 

Jehovah  calls  Cyrus  my  shepherd,  because 
Israel  is  His  flock  (Jer.  xxiii.  1),  and  Cyrus  for 
that  time  when  no  national  ruler  existed,  is  de- 
stined to  pasture  them. 

DOCTRINAL  AND  ETHICAL. 

7.  On  xliv.  6.  ''  II/l^v  efiov  OVK  EGTI  #e<5<;. 
EJ  ir^ijv  OVTOV  OVK  IOTLV,  ov%  buoovaiog  6e  6  vlbf  Kara 
TTJV  'Apiov  KOI  Evvou/'ov  ftfiaotyTjuiav,  Trwf  vir3  O.VTUV 
KaAelTai  &e6(. ;  EJ  <J£  $e<$f  eanv,  ahrjdfa  6%  KOI  6 
irpofyrfTiK.bg  "kbyoq  avTtKpvg  l.eyuv  trepov  fii)  elvai 
&ebv,  pa  Tft  Tpiadof  carlv  f]  tfe^r^  ngv  pj  i?e/k>- 
oiv." — THEODERET. 

2.  On  xliv.  7.     'JIDD  'D.     The  incomparable- 
ness  of  Jehovah  is  declared  in  opposition  to  all 
that  beside  Him  is  called  god,  whether  the  idols 
that  are  falsely  co-ordinated  with  Him,  or  whe- 
ther the  angels  which  are  indeed  related  to  Him, 

but  properly  subordinated  (0*07*  'J3  Job.  i.  6  ; 

DvX  'J3  Ps.  xxix.  1),  or,  finally,  men  also,  who 
by  unusual  wisdom  soar  above  their  fellow-men 
and  s^ein  to  approach  the  gods  (Jer.  x.  7).  Comp. 
CASPAR:,  Micha  d.  Moraslite,  p.  14  sq. 

3.  On  xliv.  8-20.    "  Extat  hie  sedes  ordinaria 
loci  de  idololatritt,  cui  similes  hue  referantur  ex  Ps. 
cxv.  et  cxvi.,  nee  non  e  Jesaia  c.  xl.  xli.  xlvi. 
xlviii.,  ex  Jeremia  c.  x.,  maxime  vero  capp.  xiii.  et 
xiv.  Sapientiu^  quae  vicem  loculenti  commentarii 
in  hunc  prophetae  locum  supplere  facile  possunt." — 
FOERSTER. 

4.  On  xliv.  14  [And  tlie  rain  doth  nourish  it. 
"  Men  even  in  their  schemes  of  wickedness  are 
dependent  on  God.     Even  in  forming  and  exe- 
cuting plans  to  oppose  and  resist  Him,  they  can 
do  nothing  without  His  aid.    He  preserves  them, 
clothes  them ;    and  the  instruments  which  they 


use  ngainst  Him  are  those  which  He  has  nur- 
tured. On  the  rain  of  heaven ;  on  the  sunbeams 
and  the  dew ;  on  the  turning  earth  and  on  the  ele- 
ments which  He  has  made,  and  which  He  con- 
trols, they  are  dependent ;  and  they  can  do 
nothing  in  their  wicked  plans  without  abusing 
the  bounties  of  His  Providence,  and  the  expres- 
sions of  His  tender  mercies." — BARNES]. 

5.  On  xliv.  20.      "  The  Holy  Ghost   says  of 
idolatrous   people  who   make  an  idol    of  wood 
which  they  worship,  they  feed  themselves  on  ashes, 
because  they  trust  and  build  on  that  which  is  as 
easily  made  ashes  of  as  the  chips  that  fall  from 
wood.     The  case  is  not  different  with  the  wicked 
in  general :  they  feed  themselves  with  ashes,  they 
comfort  themselves  with  that  which  some  heat  or 
unforeseen  fire  speedily  reduces  to  ashes,  which 
are  afterwards  scattered  by  the  wind."      ScRlVER, 
Seelenschatz^  IV.  Th.  18,  Predigt.  §35. 

6.  On  xliv.  21.     He,  whose  creature  Israel  is, 
and  who  therefore  might  order  and  demand,  ten- 
derly, begs  like  a  lover:  forget  me  not!     "That 
ought  to  be  the  right  forget  me  not,  that  we  consi- 
der that  we  are  in  God's  commission  and  His  ser- 
vants.    And  that  in  many  ways :  1 )   for  we  are 
bought  by  Him  ;  2)  He  obtained  us  by  a  strug- 
gle in  battle ;  3)  we  have  surrendered  and  cove- 
nanted ourselves  to  Him  for  service." — CRAMER. 

7.  On  xliv.   22.     •'  Israel  has  sins  and  great 
sins,  which  He  likens  to  the  clouds  and  the  fog. 
How  shall  Israel  be  quit  of  them?     As  little  as 
thou  canst   take   captive   a  cloud  in  a  bag,  or 
spread  out  a   cloth  and    take  it  away  when  it 
stands  before  the  sun,  so  little  canst  thou  lay  off  thy 
sin  or  do  away  with  it.     For  all  thou  canst  do, 
it  remains  and  cleaves  everlastingly  to  thee.  so 
that  thou  canst  not  see  life  and  the  sun  Christ. 
If  the  clouds  and  fog  are  to  be  removed,  the 
glorious,  beautiful  sun  must  come.     It  devours 
fog  and  clouds  that  have  taken  possession  of  the 
heavens,  so  that  no  one  knows  where  they  have 
gone.     Therefore,  the  LORD  says,  He  alone  it  is 
who  blots  out  our  sins,  and  transgressions  as  the 
sun  devours  the  clouds  and  fog." — VEIT  DIE- 
TRICH. 

8.  On  xliv.  28.  JOSEPHUS    (Antiqq.  XL  1,  1 
and   2)    writes   that   Cyrus   made   proclamation 
through    all  Asia.     "  'E-«  /ze  6   &eba  6  niyiaroc. 
Tfjg    OLKOVfitvijf    airide^K  fiaart.Ea,  irsi-90/j.ai  TOVTOV 
dvai}  bv  TO  TUV  'Icpar/faTuv  e&vog  irpoaKuvel.     Kal 
yap  Tov[i6v  Trpoe'tTrev  bvnua    6ia  TUV  irpotyj-uv,  Kal 
OTL  rbv  vabv  aii~ov  oii(odo[i7/Ga  iv  'lepoao/.v fj.oig  ev 
TT)  'lovfia'ia  x&pa."      What  JOSEPHUS  adds,  that 
Cyrus   knew  this  avayiyvuaKuv  TO  ftipAiov,  b  Trjg 
avTov  Trpo$t]T£iaq  b  '~Raaiag  K.CITE /taire,  and  that  then 
TOVT'  avayvbvTa  TOV  Kipov  Kal  davfidcav-a  TO  tfelov 
bpfj.ii  Tiq  ePia/Je  Kal  (j>t^.orifj.ta  Trtnf/aat  TO.  yeypapfizva, 
— has  nothing  at  all   improbable  in  it.     Either 
the  book  of  Isaiah  existed  in  both  parts  already 
in  the  first  year  of  Cyrus'  reign;  then  it  is  alto- 
gether credible  that  he  got  a  sight  of  it.     The 
Jews  had  net  only  the  strongest  interest  in  bring- 
ing it  to  the  king's  notice,  but  it  must  also  have 
been  easy  for  them   to  find  ways  and   means  of 
doing  so.     Or  the  book  of  Isaiah  at  that  time  did 
not  exist  in  its  second  part ;  then  let  it  be  ex- 
plained how  it  came  about,  that  Cyrus,  immedi- 
ately after  the  conquest  of  Babylon,  had  nothing 
that  he  was  more  in  haste  to  do  than  to  summon 
the  Jews  to  return  into  their  land,  and  to  take 


CHAP.  XLV.  1-7. 


489 


measure  for  the   rebuilding  of  the  Temple    in 
Jerusalem. 

HOMILETICAL  HINTS. 

1.  On  xliv.  6-8.  This  text  may  be  used  for  a 
sermon  on  the  being  of  God,  directed  against  the 
modern  heathenism.  1)  God  is  a  person  (here 
as  everywhere  else  in  Scripture  He  speaks  with 
"  1"  to  our  "  I").  2)  God  is  alone  and  incom- 
parable (ver.  6  b,  and  7  a).  3)  God  is  the  omni- 
potent and  omniscient  (He  sets  up  the  nations  of 
the  world  and  announces  what  shall  come).  4) 
God  is  therefore  our  only  safe  refuge  (ver.  8). 

L.  On  xliv.  21.  ''The  call  of  Jesus  from  off 
His  cross  to  His  Christian  people :  Forget  me 
not.  This  call  we  ought  1)  to  answer  by  sin- 
cerely humbling  ourselves  before  the  Lord  on 
account  of  our  forgetfulness  ;  2)  to  let  serve  as  a 
summons  to  most  intimate  remembrance."  CARL. 
FR.  HART.MA.NUS,  Passionspredic/ten,  Heilbronn, 
1872,  p.  372. 

3.  [On  xliv.  22.  RETURNING  TO  GOD.  I.  The  ob- 
stacle to  return  is  sin  and  guilt.  1)  "a  thick  cloud" 
between  us  and  the  sun  ;  they  interpose  between 
God  and  us,  and  "  suspend  and  intercept  the  cor- 
respondence between  the  upper  and  the  lower 
world  (sire  separates,  etc.,  lix.  2).  They  threaten 
a  storm,  a  deluge  of  wrath,  as  thick  clouds  do, 


Ps.  xi.  6."  2)  "As  a  cloud"  or  fog  they  cause 
darkness  all  around  us,  and,  worse  still,  within 
us  (Matt.  vi.  23),  so  that  the  benighted  effort  at 
return  ends  in  bewilderment.  JI.  God  removes 
the  obstacle.  1)  Only  He  can  do  it,  as  only  He 
can  reach  the  high  clouds.  It  must  be  done  by 
influences  from  above  the  fog  and  the  clouds,  KS 
the  sun  dispels  both.  2)  He  removes  it  effect- 
ually :  "blots  them  out;"  not  a  speck  of  cloud  in 
the  sky,  not  a  vapor  even  in  the  valley  of  death. 
Again  "  God  looks  down  upon  the  soul  with 
favor  ;  the  soul  looks  up  to  Him  with  pleasure, 
Jer.  1.  20;  2  Sam.  xxiii.  4."  III.  "  For  I  have 
redeemed  thee."  The  obstacle  is  not  removed  by  a 
fiat,  but  by  a  redeeming  work.  The  comparison 
of  the  cloud  has  one  point,  viz. :  the  utter  disap- 
pearance. Redemption  costs  a  Redeemer,  Jno. 
iii.  16 ;  Rom.  viii.  32.  See  M.  HENRY.  GILL, 
J.  A.  A.— TR.]. 

4.  On  xliv.  23-28.  The  LORD  His  church's  se- 
cure retreat.  1)  As  He  prepares  heaven  and 
earth,  so  He  does  past,  present  and  future ;  2) 
He  promises  His  church  a  future  full  of  salva- 
tion (vers.  26,  28);  3)  He  will  fulfil  this  promise 
and  so  confirm  the  word  of  His  messengers,  but 
the  wisdom  of  the  wise  of  this  world  He  will  put 
to  shame  (vers.  25,  26). 


VI.— THE  SIXTH  DISCOURSE. 
The  Crowning  Point  of  the  Prophecy.     Cyrus  and  the  Effects  of  his  Appearance. 

CHAPTER  XLV. 
1.  THE  DEEDS  OF  CYRUS.    THEIR  REASON  AND  AIM. 


5 


CHAPTER  XLV.  1-7. 


1  THUS  saith  the  LORD  to  his  anointed, 
To  Cyrus,  whose  right  hand  I  have  Golden, 
To  subdue  nations  before  him  ; 

And  I  will  loose  the  loins  of  kings, 

To  open  before  him  the  two  leaved  gates ; 

And  the  gates  shall  not  be  shut ; 

2  I  will  go  before  thee, 

And  make  the  "crooked  places  straight : 
I  will  break  in  pieces  the  gates  of  brass, 
And  cut  in  sunder  the  bars  of  iron  : 

3  And  I  will  give  thee  the  treasures  of  darkness, 
And  hidden  riches  of  secret  places, 

That  thou  mayest  know  that  I,  the  LORD, 
Which  call  thee  by  thy  name, 
Am  the  God  of  Israel. 

4  For  Jacob  my  servant's  sake, 
And  Israel  mine  elect, 

I  have  even  called  thee  by  thy  name : 

I  have  surnamed  thee,  though  thou  hast  not  known  me. 

I  am  the  LORD,  and  there  is  none  else, 

There  is  no  God  beside  me  : 

I  girded  thee,  though  thou  hast  not  known  me : 


490 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


6  That  they  may  know  from  the  rising  of  the  sun, 
And  from  the  west,  that  there  is  none  beside  me. 
I  am  the  LORD,  and  there  is  none  else. 

7  bl  form  the  light,  and  create  darkness  : 
I  make  peace,  and  create  evil : 

I  the  LORD  do  all  these  things. 


1  Or,  strengthened. 
»  uneven. 


b  Forming — creating — making  peace — creating — making. 


TEXTUAL   AND 
Ver.  1.  11  infin.  for  "I1"!;  only  here  in  Isaiah;  comp. 

Ps.  cxliv.  2. Regarding  the  structure  of  the  sentence, 

notice  that  first  the  Prophet  speaks,  but  immediately 
surrenders  the  word  to  tne  LOUD;  then  both  infinitive 
clauses  'Ul  "1  w  and  'Ul  H.HD  7  according  to  common 
usage  change  to  the  finite  verb. 

Ver.  2.  ItflX,  Piel  as  xl.3;  xlv.  13;  Prov.  iii.  6;  xi.  5; 
xxv.  21 ;  the  reading  of  K'thibh  "lt!/ix  is  suspected  here, 
as  in  Ps.  v.  C,  because  the  Jod  in  all  other  forms  of  this 
verb,  (comp.  Prov.  iv.  25  and  the  foregoing  citations)  is 
treated,  not  as  quiescent,  but  as  a  strong  consonant. 

Ver.  3.  -\Vir\  miXIX  and  D^HDO  'JOfDD  are  ex- 
pressions that  occur  only  here;  see  List. In  the  last 

clause   ''JN   is    subject,    HliT    in   apposition  with  it, 


GRAMMATICAL. 

TOtJfa    K"llpn  is  predicate  and  '1   ^nStf  supplemental 
apposition  with  the  subject.    All  emphasis  here  rests 


Vers.  4,  5.  The  imperfects  '"]3DJ<  and  HTTXK  stand 
with  a  past  sense,  because  the  whole  context,  dominated 
by  SOpXI,  translates  the  reader  into  the  past,  or  be- 
cause the  Vav.  consec.  in  JOpfcO  also  dominates  the  sub- 
ordinate verbs. 

Ver.  6.  '1J1  rPTOD  is  subject;  the  M  at  the  end  of 
nD~\J70  is  suffix,  cotnp.  xxiii.  17,18;  xxxiv.  17,  since  ac- 
cident elsewhere  is  always  ^y~2. 

Ver.  7.  The  participles  liV,'  5013,  ntPp,  tO13  stand 
in  apposition  with  the  subject  of  the  foregoing  clause. 


EXEGETICAL  AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  We  are  here  pretty  near  the  middle  of  the 
prophetic   cycle,  chapters   xl.-xlviii.     All   that 
precedes  was  a  gradual  ascent  to  the  culmination 
point,  to  which  the  name  of  Cyrus,  xliv.  23,  im- 
mediately leads  over.     On  this  elevated  point  the 
Prophet  pauses  in  chap,  xlv.,  in  order  to  repre- 
sent the  deeds  of  Cyrus,  the  reason  and  aim  of 
his  calling,  and  in  a  comprehensive  view  to  ex- 
hibit the   effects  of  his   appearance.     He   calls 
Cyrus  the  anointed  of  the  LORD  whom  the  LORD 
has  grasped  by  the  hand,  and  to  whom  He  will 
bring  in  subjection  nations  and  kings,  Himself 
going  before   and   removing  all   obstacles,    and 
handing  over  to  him  all  hidden  treasures  (vers.  1, 
2).     This  the  LORD  prophesies  and  fulfils  for  a 
threefold  reason:    1)   That  Cyrus  himself  may 
know  Jehovah,  that  the  God  of  Israel,  who  cen- 
turies before  called  him  to  be  His  instrument, 
mentioning  his  name,  is  the  true  God  (ver.  3) ; 
2)  that  Israel  might  be  delivered  by  him  (vers. 
4,  5);  3)  that  all  nations  also  might  acknowledge 
Jehovah  as  the  only  God,  Creator  of  light  and 
darkness,  good  and  evil  (vers.  6,  7). 

2.  Thus  saith secret  places.— Vers.  1- 

3  a.  All  that  the  Prophet  from  chap.  xl.  on  has 
said  concerning  the  infinite  power,  wisdom,  and 
glory  of  Jehovah,  and  in  contrast  concerning  the 
nothingness  of  idols,  was  intended  to  prepare  for 
the  great  act  that  is  accomplished  by  the  mention 
of  ^the  name  of  Cyrus.     And,  when  we  recall  the 
things  there  declared  of  Jehovah,  shall  not  such 
an  one  be  able  to  call  Cyrus,  as  a  particularly  im- 
portant and  chosen  instrument,  centuries  in  ad- 
vance, with  the  mention  of  his  name?     No  one 
will  deny  that  He  can  do  this  if  He  can  do  the 
other  things  the  Prophet  has  affirmed  of  Him 
from  chap.   xl.  on.     Those  who  controvert  the 
former  because  they  also  regard  the  other  things 


affirmed  as  impossible,  in  other  words :  those  who 
dsny  a  personal,  omniscient,  and  almighty  God, 
must  at  least  admit  that  the  author  of  these  dis- 
courses, whoever  he  may  have  been,  believed  in 
such  a  God.  Therefore  he  represents  his  God  as 
prophesying  something  great  and  quite  extraor- 
dinary. Did  he  then  write  something  not  di- 
vinely prophesied,  but  something  already  hap- 
pened ex  eventu,  would  that  not  be  a  wicked 
sporting  with  the  holy  name  of  God  ?  Is  it  not 
blasphemy?  But  does  what  we  read  in  chapters 
xl.-lxvi.  give  the  impression  of  having  been  the 
work  of  an  impostor  and  blasphemer?  If  now 
the  living,  psrsonal  God  could  know  the  name  of 
Cyrus  centuries  beforehand  and  put  it  on  record, 
the  only  question  is  whether  He  car.  have  willed 
to  do  this?  Of  this  we  will  speak  below  in  con- 
sidering the  three  reasons  the  Prophet  himself 

assigns  for  God's  so  willing  (comp.  the  J257 
thrice,  vers.  3,  4,  6). 

Cyras  is  not  called  "  Servant  of  Jehovah,"  al- 
though in  a  certain  sense  he  was  such.  On  the 
other  hand  Israel,  both  the  nation  in  general  and 
the  spiritual  Israel,  is  never  called  "Messiah," 
•"anointed,"  whereas  the  Saviour  of  Israel  is  called 
both.  From  this  I  must  infer  that  in  "  Servant 
of  the  LORD"  there  lies  as  much  the  idea  of  low- 
liness as  there  lies  the  idea  of  royal  dignity  and 
elevation  in  "anointed"  or  Messiah.  Hence  Is- 
rael is  called  only  "  servant  of  the  LORD,"  Cyrus 
only  ''  anointed,"  but  the  Redeemer  bears  both 
names,  inasmuch  as  He  was  both  the  lowly  ser- 
vant and  the  anointed  king.  Moreover  Cyrus  is 
the  sole  heathen  king  whom  the  Scripture  calls 
''anointed."  We  learn  from  this  that  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  who  gives  the  anointing,  must 
in  him  have  been,  not  merely  indirect,  but  direct 


CHAP.  XLV.  1-7. 


491 


and  especially  intensive.  The  word  JT$0  in 
fact  occurs  only  here  in  Isaiah,  and  therefore  only 
in  reference  to  Cyrus,  p'tnn  is  used  here  as  in 
xli-  9, 13 ;  xlii.  6.  Jehovah  strengthens  Cyrus  by 
holding  him  by  the  right  hand,  and  thereby 
he  subdues  the  nations  to  him  and  thereby 
he  looses  the  loins  of  kings.  The  latter  ex- 
pression is  figurative.  The  girdle  binds  and  holds 
the  strength  of  the  man  (xi.  5;  Prov.  xxxi.  17). 
By  removing  the  girdle  the  strength  is  weakened, 
and  also  the  sword  that  hangs  at  the  girdle  is 
taken  from  the  warrior.  Moreover  the  expres- 
sion ''to  open  the  loins"  (cornp.  v.  27)  is  meto- 
nymic  like  D'T?N  J~iri£)  (xiv.  17).  If  the  strength 
of  men  is  broken,  they  can  neither  hold  the 
doors  of  their  houses,  noi  hold  the  gates  of  their 
cities  closed  against  the  hero,  although  it  is  not 
to  be  denied  that  the  unclosed  gates  may  have 
also  other  reasons.  [Are  not  gates  closed  and 
barred  the  girdles  that  bind  the  loins  of  kings? — 
TR.]  J.  DAY.  MICHAELIS  (Anmerk.J.  Ungd,  p. 
235)  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that  Cyrus  actually 
found  the  gates  leading  out  to  the  river  from  the 
shore  unclosed,  and  HERODOTUS  remarks  that 
had  not  this  been  the  case,  the  Babylonians  could 
have  caught  the  Persians  as  in  a  weir-basket 

(I.,  191).     Notice  that  the  words  from  TV?   to 

oSo  recall  the  first  half*  of  xli.  26.  I 
go  before  thee,  so  the  LORD  begins  his 
direct  address  to  Cyrus,  that  of  ver.  1  being  in  the 
3d  pers.  This  is  probably  an  allusion  to  that  pro- 
mise that  Moses  gives  Joshua  (Dent.  xxxi.  8), 
"  the  LORD  He  it  is  that  doth  go  before  thee,"  and 
to  Deborah's  word  to  Barak,  Judg.  iv.  14.  Cer- 
tainly it  is  a  great  word  that  the  LORD  here  speaks 
to  Cyrus.  By  this  He  makes  the  cause  of  the 
latter  His  own.  He  will  make  level  the  loca  tu- 
mida  p*"in  again  only  Ixiii.  1,  "  the  swelled  up, 
proud,  self-inflated"),  i.  c.,  the  obstacles  that  pile 
up  like  mountains,  and  will  break  down  all  re- 
sistance, even  of  brazen  doors  and  bars  of 
iron.  Here  too  J.  D.  MICH,  calls  attention  to  the 
fact  that  Babylon  had  a  hundred  brazen  doors, 
but  not  in  Isaiah's  time.  For  Nebuchadnezzar 
was  the  first  to  fortify  the  city  in  this  way  (ac- 
cording to  MEGASTHEXES  in  EusEBius,Pra<>p.  ev. 
IX.,  41,  comp.  HEROD.  I.,  179).  The  second 
half  of  ver.  2  is  reproduced  in  Ps.  cvii.  16. 

Ver.  3  a.  The  ancients  give  great  accounts  of 
the  prodigious  treasure  that  Cyrus  obtained  in 
Sardis  and  Babylon  (HEROD.  1.  84,  88  sq.,  183; 
Oi/rop.  VII.  2,  5sqq.,  4,  12  sq.,  5,  57;  VIII.  2, 
15  ;  PLINY,  Hist,  nat.,  33,  2  sq.,  15).  GESENIUS 
cites  the  Englishman  BREREWOOD  (in  his  book 
Deponderebns  et  mensuris,  Cap.  X.)  as  computing 
the  sum  of  this  gold  and  silver  [taken  from  Croe- 
sus of  Sardis  alone— TR.]  at  £126,224,000.  And 
Babylon  was  celebrated  above  all  cities  in  point 
of  riches  (comp.  Jer.  1.  37;  li.  13;  Ba/M«i>  // 
irohvxpvant;  (AESCH.  Pers.  2),  but  Sardis  as  the 
nlnvaiurciTT)  TUV  iv  TTJ  'Aaia/jETa  Bafivhuva  (Oyrop. 
VII.  2.  11). 

3.  That  thou  mayest  know  these 

things.    Vers.  3  6-7.     What  we  have  read  vers. 
1-3  a  is  prophecy.     The  prophecy  alone  without  j 
fulfilment    were"  empty   talk.      The    fulfilment  i 
without  the  prophecy  were  a  fact  whose  author  , 
could  not  be  recognized.     Only  when  the  fact  is  ; 


previously  announced  by  its  author  does  it  prove 
the  author  of  the  prophecy  and  fulfilment  to  be 
an  omniscient   and   omnipotent   being,  and,  a( 
cordingly,  the  true  God.     This  chief  aim  is  real 
ized  in  a  three-fold  respect:  1)   in   reference  t 
Cyrus,  2)  to  Israel,   3)   to   all   nations.     Hem 


follows  thrice,  introducing  each  time  tl- 
statement  of  a  purpose.  First.  We  read  ver.  3 
that  thou  mayest  know  that  I  (am)  tt 
Lord  which  called  thee  by  thy  name,  the 
God  of  Israel  (see  T.and  Gr.).  Therefore  Jeho- 
vah had  regard  to  Cyrus  directly  and  personally. 
This  man  is  so  important  to  him  that  he  makes 
a  special  arrangement  for  bringing  him  to  the 
knowledge  that  the  God  of  Israel  is  the  true 
God.  All  the  emphasis  here  is  on  "  which  call 
thee  by  thy  name."  Precisely  this  fact,  that  he 
found  his  name  in  such  a  remarkable  connection 
with  grand  events,  must  have  made  the  deepest. 
impression  on  Cyrus.  But  the  book  containing 
this  wonderful  call  to  him  must  of  necessity 
prove  its  antiquity.  Cyrus  would  easily  suspect 
deception,  and  would  be  aware  of  this  being  pos- 
sibly a  flattering  imposture  meant  to  purchase 
his  favor  for  the  Jews.  The  proofs  of  genuineness 
that  he  might  demand  could  easily  be  presented, 
e.  g.  witnesses  (comp.  xliii.  9,  10;  xliv.  8,  9),  old 
men,  not  Jews,  who  fifty  years  and  more  before 
had  read  these  prophecies  in  the  books  of  the 
Jews.  Cyrus  then  must  regard  it  as  a  fact  that 
the  God  of  the  Jews  had  him  personally  in  view, 
and  destined  him  to  greatness,  and  had  called 
him  by  name.  Why  may  not  divinity  that 
knows  all  things,  know  also  the  names  of  all 
His  creatures?  Was  that  less  possible  than  that 
Cyrus  knew  the  names  of  all  his  soldiers  (see 
RAMBACH  in  loc)  f  If  the  latter  was  a  fact,  then 
Cyrus  knew  by  experience  how  valuable  it  is  to 
a  man,  who  fancies  he  is  lost  in  the  great  mass, 
to  be  known  by  the  one  highest  in  authority,  and 
to  be  called  by  name. 

Second.  Jehovah  must  be  recognized  byCyrusas 
the  true  God  in  the  interest  of  the  people  of  Israel. 
For  this  distinction  put  on  Cyrus  of  being  named 
by  God  by  all  his  names,  name  and  surname, 
and  that  before  he,  Cyrus,  could  know  anything 
of  the  LORD,  this  was  to  be  for  the  special  advan- 
tage of  that  people  whom  Jehovah  here  calls  His 
servant  and  His  elect  (see  on  xlii.  1).  The  con- 
struction JOpfcO  is  like  fliTl,  xliv.  14,  which  see. 
N~<p  and  HJD  are  conjoined  as  in  xliv.  5. 
If  DE/  is  the  principal  name,  and  HJD  denotes 
an  attributive,  additional  name,  then  may  likely 
be  meant  the  honorable  predicates  '"Up  and  ITiyO 
that  are  given  to  Cyrus,  xliv.  28;  xlv.  1.  — 
'jn^T  N1?,  which  recurs  vers.  4,  5,  like  a  refrain, 
stands,  in  a  certain  sense,  in  antithesis  with 

jnn  ji'O/,  ver.  3.  The  LORD  knew  and  named 
Cyrus  before  Cyrus  knew  the  LORD  (or  even 
could  know,  Jer.  i.  5)  in  order  that  Cyrus  might 
learn  to  know  the  LORD.  The  chief  object, 
which  dominates  the  subordinate  aims,  appears 
in  ver.  5.  He  who  called  Cyrus  is  witli  empha- 
sis called  Jehovah,  the  only  true  God.  This  is 
so  done  that  niiT  "J5<  is  put  as  in  apposition 
with  the  subject  of  KIpNI  and  "]J3X  of  ver.  4. 
This  niiT  'JX  stands  parallel  with  the  same 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


words  vers.  3,  6,  so  that  thus  the  assignment  of 
the  chief  object  recurs  with  each  assignment  of 
the  subordinate  object.  In  ver.  5  HI  IT  and 

DTlbx  correspond  in  the  parallelism ;  the  former 
manifestly  making  prominent  its  appellative 
meaning:  I  the  absolutely  Existent  (in  the  sense 
of  Exod.  iii.  14). — I  girded  thee  is  in  antithe- 
sis with  the  ungirding  of  kings,  ver.  1.  More- 
over, the  Prophet  had  evidently  in  mind  the 
passage,  Hos.  xiii.  4.  The  third  subordinate 
aim  is  (vers.  6  and  7)  that  all  nations  may  know 
Jehovah  as  the  only  true  God.  Here,  too,  as 
already  remarked,  the  chief  object  is  made  pro- 
minent in  I  am  the  LORD  in  both  verses. 
East  and  west,  i.  e.  all  nations  of  the  entire  earth 
shall  know  the  LORD.  From  this  we  see  that 
Cvrus  is  conceived  of  as  the  medium  of  a  world- 
historical  progress  of  the  true  knowledge  of  God 
that  shall  be  coincident  with  the  rehabilitation 
of  the  Theocracy,  The  book  of  Daniel  gives  evi- 
dence of  revelations  of  God  that  had  the  same 
object.  As  the  appearance  of  Christ  did  not 
effect  the  entire  disappearance  of  heathenism, 
just  as  little  and  even  much  less  could  those 
manifestations  of  the  true  God  in  the  centres  of 
heathenism  produce  any  enduring  effect.  But 
they  could  operate  inwardly  and  secretly,  and 
prepare  for  the  appearance  of  the  Saviour  of  the 
world.  The  appearance  of  the  Magi  (Matth.  ii.) 
is  a  proof  of  this. 

Most  expositors  admit  that  this  strong  empha- 
sizing of  monotheism  has  relation  to  the  Persian 
dualism.  Would  the  LORD  bring  Cyrus  to  a 
correct  knowledge  of  him  as  the  only  true  God, 
it  could  not  be  without  pointing  to  the  funda- 
mental error  of  the  Persian  view  of  the  world. 
If  hence  one  would  admit  that  Cyrus  regarded 


the  God  of  Israel  as  identical  with  his  own  chief 
divinity,  and  recognized  in  the  name  Jehovah 
only  another  word,  and  that  a  kindred  one  in 
sense,  for  Ahura-mazda  (comp.  FR.  W.  SCHULTZ 
on  Ezra  i.  2),  and  generally  looked  on  the 
worship  of  the  Israelites,  with  its  absence  of 
images,  as  being  like  that  of  the  Persians,  still 
one  must  beware  of  supposing  that  the  Prophet 
of  Jehovah  would  awake  in  the  mind  of  Cyrus 
the  view  that  Jehovah  was  the  same  as  Ahura- 
mazda.  Our  passage  shows  plainly  that  tc  Cyrus 
it  would  be  said,  Jehovah  stands  high  above 
Ahura-mazda.  The  latter  was  only  creator  of 
light.  But  Jehovah  says  of  Himself  here :  I 
form  the  light,  and  create  darkness.  That 
primarily  light  and  darkness  in  a  physical  sense 
are  meant,  appears  from  what  follows.  For  it  is 
more  natural  to  think  that  peace  and  evil  say 
something  additional,  than  that  they  merely  ex- 
plain "light"  and  "darkness"  (ix.  1).  The 
latter  moreover  would  not  suit  because  "  light " 
and  "darkness"  as  designations  of  light-sub- 
stance, are  per  se  much  more  comprehensive  no- 
tions than  "  peace  "  and  "  evil,"  and  it  cannot 
be  meant  that  the  LORD  creates  light  and  dark- 
ness only  in  the  sense  of  salvation  and  evil.  On 
the  other  hand,  from  the  fact  that  He  does  not 

say  31C3  and  JP,  but  Dv7I!P  and  JH,  it  is  seen  that 
nothing  is  meffnt  to  be  affirmed  concerning  the 
origin  of  moral  evil.  The  LORD  would  evidently 
present  Himself,  not  as  theabsoluteauthor  of  evil 
and  good,  but  as  the  Judge  of  them,  who  pre- 
pares salvation  for  the  pious,  and  destruction  for 
the  bad.  To  conclude,  the  Prophet  once  more 
emphasizes  the  fundamental  thought  of  his  dis- 
course, with  the  words :  I  the  LORD  do  all 
these  things. 


2.  THE  FUTUKE  SALVATION  FOUNDED  THROUGH  CYRUS  IN  CONTRAST  WITH 
THE  FAINT-HEARTEDNESS  OF  ISRAEL. 

CHAPTER  XLV.  8-13. 

8  Drop  down,  ye  heavens,  from  above, 
And  let  the  skies  pour  down  righteousness  : 

Let  the  earth  open,  and  let  them  bring  forth  salvation, 
And  let  righteousness  spring  up  together; 
I  the  LORD  have  created  it. 

9  Woe  unto  him  that  strivcth  with  his  Maker! 

*Let  the  potsherd  strive  with  the  potsherds  of  the  earth. 

Shall  the  clay  say  to  him  that  fashioneth  it,  What  makest  thou? 

Or  thy  work,  He  hath  no  hands? 

10  Woe  unto  him  that  saith  unto  his  father,  What  begettest  thou  ? 
Or  to  the  woman,  What  hast  thou  brought  forth  ? 

11  Thus  saith  the  LORD, 

The  Holy  One  of  Israel,  and  his  Maker, 

Ask  me  of  things  to  come  Concerning  my  sons, 

And  concerning  the  work  of  my  hands  command  ye  me. 

12  I  have  made  the  earth, 
And  created  man  upon  it : 

I,  even  my  hands,  have  stretched  out  the  heavens, 


CHAP.  XLV.  8-13. 


493 


And  all  their  host  have  I  commanded. 
13  I  have  raised  him  up  in  righteousness, 
And  I  will  i  "direct  all  his  ways : 

He  shall  build  my  city,  and  he  shall  let  go  my  captives, 
Not  for  price  nor  reward, 
Saith  the  LORD  of  hosts. 


1  Or,  make  straight. 
»  A  potsherd  among  the. 


b  put;  after  come. 


level. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words:    Ver.  8. 

ma—  yvr.  ver.  11.  banter  tf'np—  w. 

T  T          -V  |: 

Ver.  8.  The  subject  of  113'  is  neither  the  JJET  taken 
collectively  (GESEN.,  EWALD,  KXOBEL,  et  at.},  nor  VET, 
together  with  the  following  Hpltf  (Huzio,  DELITZSCJI), 
but  the  before  named  heaven  and  earth.  The  heaven 
is  treated  as  the  masculine  fructifying  potency  and  the 
earth  as  the  one  conceiving  and  bearing.  -  7n3  does 
not  mean  provenire,  but  prof  crre  (comp.  <j>e'pia,fcro,  baren, 
baercn,  to  bear).  -  TVO^'H,  it  is  true,  is  elsewhere  used 
either  of  God  (Gen.  ii.  9  ;  Ps.  civ.  14,  etc.),  or  of  the  earth 
(Gen.  iii.  18,  etc.).  But  it  is  grammatically  possible  to 
use  it  in  the  sense  of  "  to  make  PlOtf.  to  germinate,  to 
sprout,"  and  therefore  to  apply  it  to  the  sprouting  plant 
itself  (in  a  causative  sense).  The  ancient  versions,  too, 
understood  it  so,  if  perhaps  HDiTI  did  not  actually 
stand  in  the  original  text;  thus  the  LXX.  apareiAareo 
Stxauxntci]  (or  SIXCUOOT/CTJI')  ;  VULQ.  justitia  oriatur  ;  SYR. 
egcrminr.t;  TARG.  reveletur  ;  AR.  crescat.  The  meaning 
is  similar  to  that  in  Ps.  Ixxxv.  12. 


Ver.  9.  Repeat  1DXTI  before 

Ver.  10.      TTMI  the  sole  example  in  Isaiah  of  the  ar- 


GRAMMATICAL. 

chaic  feminine  ending  V  :  comp.  OLSHAUSEN,  §  262,  e, 
Anm. ;  §  244,  e. 

Ver.  11.  'J17Xty  is  imperative;  comp.  Ps.  cxxxvii.  3, 
where  the  perfect  form  IJlbxjJ?  is  used.    The  context 

altogether  demands    this. just  so   'J-IVjl  must  be 

taken  as  imperative. r\W  with  accusative  of  the  per- 
son and  7y  of  the  object  occurs  x.  6;  2  Sam.  vii.  11 ;  1 
Chron.  xxii.  12 ;  Neh.  vii.  2,  etc.  -Comp.  the  somewhat 
extended  construction  1  Sam.  xiii.  14;  xxv.  30;  2  Sam. 
vi.  21. 

Ver.  12.  In  'T  'JX  the  personal  pronoun  is  to  be  re- 
|  garded  as  strengthening  the  suffix.  For  according  to 
I  Ezek.  xxxiii.  17  it  is  possible  for  the  pron.  separatum 

that  intensifies  the  suffix  to  be  put  before. HIV  stands 

partly  with  double  accusative,  partly  with  the  accusa- 
tive of  the  person  and  a  preposition  or  an  infinitive 
following  (Gen.  1.  2)  or  lbxS.  But  when  it  stands  with 
the  simple  accusative,  with  no  mention  of  what  is  com- 
manded, it  means  "to  appoint,  to  order,  to  commis- 
sion," and  is  used  both  of  persons  and  of  things.  Thus 
it  could  be  said  here  TV12f  OK3V  73,  whether  one 
thinks  of  the  JOi*  of  heaven  personally  (comp.  xxiv. 
I  21)  or  impersonally  (xlviii.  5). 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  With  the  mention  of  the  name  of  Cyrus  and 
the  description  of  his  doings  the  Prophet  has  at- 
tained  the  culmination  of  his  prophetic  cycle. 
He  pauses  now  a  while  on  this  elevation,  first  to 
sum  up  the  future  that  is  to  follow  the  appear- 
ance of  Cyrus  in  a  word  of  prophecy  that  pre- 
sents a  glorious  Messianic  prospect  (ver.  8)  ;  but 
he  contrasts  with  this  Israel's  faint-hearted  un- 
belief, that  despairingly  wrangles  with  the  Crea- 
tor (vers.  9,  10).     Opposed  to  this  unbelief  the 
LORD  admonishes  them  to  inquire  of  Him  re- 
specting the  future,  and  to  commend  to  Him  the 
care  of  His  people  (ver.  11),  urging  this  not  with 
new  grounds  of  comfort,  but  only  repeating  em- 
phatically the  old,  viz. :  that  He  who  can   make 
heaven  and  earth  (ver.  12)  has  also  raised  up 
Cyrus  to  build  His  city  and  release  His  prisoners 
without  receiving  an  outward  reward  (ver.  13). 

2.  Drop    down created    it.— Ver.    8. 

These  words  characterize  in  general  the  conse- 
quences that  will  follow  the  appearance  of  Cyrus 
on  the  theatre  of  the  world's  history.     It  is  Mes- 
sianic salvation  that  he  will   bring.     It  was  not 
in  vain  that  ver.  1  He  was  called  Messiah.     He 
is  such  really,  though  only  in  a  lower,  typical 
degree.     If  the  Exile  is  the   (relatively)   lowest 
point  of  Israel's   humiliation,  then  deliverance 


out  of  Exile  is  the  beginning  of  their  salvation. 
And  even  if  later  the  way  of  salvation  still  sinks 
down  low,  even  below  the  level  of  the  Babylonian 
exile,  still  on  the  whole  it  ascends.  By  the  will 
and  power  of  God,  Cyrus  is  the  pole  on  which 
this  turning  to  salvation  rests,  and  is  accom- 
plished. With  one  look  the  Prophet  (ver.  8) 
surveys  the  entire  future  and  observes,  as  the 
pith  of  it,  an  all-comprehending  salvation,  (hat 
involves  also  the  regeneration  of  nature.  For 
blessing  is  not  to  bloom  only  in  single  places  of 
the  earth,  but  all  heaven  is  to  influence  fruit- 
fully the  whole  earth,  so  that,  therefore,  all  nature 
will,  as  it  were,  become  a  single  field  bearing  the 
fruit  of  salvation.  Under  the  figure  of  rain  ia 
represented,  in  oriental  fashion,  the  fructifying  in- 
fluence of  the  heaven  on  the  earth  (comp.  L>eut. 
xxxii.  2).  According  to  the  laws  of  parallelism, 
that  which  operates  from  above  is  expressed 
by  two  notions — heaven  and  clouds.  These 
two  notions  are  not  co-ordinated,  but  subordi- 
nated. For  precisely  by  the  clouds  docs  heaven 
pour  out  its  fructifying  moisture.  In  the  second 
clause,  as  often,  there  is  a  change  in  the  person . 
Although  in  consequence  of  this,  each  of  the  two 
clauses  stands  independent,  thus  the  construction 
does  not  point  to  a  common  object,  still  right 


494 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


eousness  must  be  regarded  as  that  which 
drops  or  drizzles  down  from  above,  especially  as 
clouds  is  but  a  nearer  definition  of  "heavens." 
But  by  "righteousness"  is  not  at  all  to  be  under- 
stood the  fruits  of  blessing  that  appear  on  earth, 
but  much  rather  the  pure,  spiritual,  heavenly 
life-potencies  that  have  their  foundation  in  the 
holy  being  of  God,  and  hence  may  be  called 
"righteousness."  The  earth,  moistened  and  fe- 
cundated shall  open  up  (causative  Kal  =  to 
make  an  opening,  viz. :  lor  the  germs  awakened 
by  fecundation,  comp.  Ps.  cvi.  17).  Therefore 
heaven  and  earth  are  in  common  to  bring  forth 
salvation,  i.  e.,  good  in  the  objective  sense,  and 
"  righteousness,"  i.  e.,  subjective  being  good, 
moral  salvation  (compare  the  relationship  of 
He'd  and  heiliy)  shall  germinate.  (See  Text,  and 
Gram.).  The  prospects  opened  up  by  the  Pro- 
phet are  as  sure  and  reliable  as  they  are  glorious, 
as  is  intimated  by  I  the  LORD  have  created 
it. 

3.  Wo3   unto    him brought    forth. — 

Vers.  9,  10. — The  Prophet  knows  tiiat  this  great 
salvation  must  develop  slowly  and  with  great 
alternations,  and  that  hence  many,  in  the  mo- 
ments of  apparent  standing  still  or  even  of  retro- 
gression, will  become  faint-hearted.  Elsewhere 
also  he  reproves  this  despondency  :  xl.  27 ;  li.  12 
sq.  The  whole  book  of  the  chapters  xl.-lxvi.  is 
a  book  of  consolation.  Hence  it  begins  xl.  1  with 
the  double  ''comfort  ye."  But  the  Prophet 
knows  the  human  heart  too  well  not  to  know, 
that  among  those  for  whom  this  book  of  consola- 
tion is  written,  ther'e  are  many  who  will  be  content 
neither  with  the  quality  nor  quantity  of  the  com- 
fort that  is  offered,  and  who  strive  -with  their 
Maker  as  if  no  comfort  were  there.  Against  these 
he  justly  utters  a  woa,  for  nothing  offends  Go;l 
so  much  as  unbelief.  Thus  there  is  an  incisive 
contrast  between  ver.  8  and  ver.  9  sqq.  Inver.  8 
we  see  the  future  beaming  in  clear  light.  But 
this  clear  light  exists  not  for  those  who,  when 
things  are  not  as  they  wish,  immediately  despair, 
bec:nne  they  see  no  human  help,  and  will  not  see 
the  divine  help.  Yet  what  is  man  in  comparison 
with  God?  Nothing  more  than  an  image  of 
clay  in  comparison  with  the  potter  p?fl'  comp. 
Jer.  xviii.  1-5 ;  xix.  1  sqq.).  This  comparison  is 
all  the  more  fitting  in  view  of  Gen.  ii.  7,  where 
man  has  just  this  resemblance.  He  is  a  iTDlX  ^.H 
"potsherd  of  earth,"  and  in  fact  this  is  the 
original  and  foundation  stuff  common  to  all  men, 
and  not  of  some  specially  weak  one.  In  the 
weakness  of  others,  each  should  become  thorough- 
ly conscious  of  his  own  weakness.  Thus  it  is  an 
aggravating  circumstance  in  him  who  would  strive 
with  God  that  he  is  a  potsherd  among  pot- 
sherds (comp.  D1XO  xliv.  11),  and  not  an  iso- 
lated sherd.  An  isolated  case  might  more  easily 
be  excused  for  self-deception.  And  if  man  is  a 
potsherd  and  God  his  Maker,  then  he  may  as 
little  strive  with  God  as  the  clay,  could  it  speak, 
may  say  to  the  potter  what  makest  thou  (i.  e., 
thou  makest  not  the  right  thing;  thou  mtsshapest 
me),  or  as  any  work  which  thou,  O  man,formest, 
may  say:  he  hath  no  hands,  i.e.,  no  power  or 
capacity  to  form.  This  clause  generalizes  the 
thought  by  extending  it  to  any  human  work. 


The  suffix  '"}  assumes  that  God  would  involve 
him  who  would  strive  with  Him  in  an  absurdity 
by  a  deriionstratio  ad  hominem:  will  then  thy 
work,  whatever  it  may  be,  say  to  thee  whoever 
thou  mayest  be:  he  can  do  nothing?  D'T 
"hands"  by  metonymy  for  that  to  which  the 
hand  is  applied,  viz.,  the  exercise  of  power  and 
skill  (comp.  xxviii.  2:  Ps.  Ixxvi.  6;  also  the 
analogous  use  in  passages  like  Josh.  viii.  20,  and 
of  ^'lil  cornp.  xlviii.  14).  The  expression  seems 
to  be  of  a  proverbial  nature.  DELITZSCH  cites 
the  Arabian  Id  jadai  lahu,  it  is  not  in  his  power. 
Paul  makes  a  well  known  use  of  this  passage 
Rom.  ix.  20  sq.  Comp.  Wisd.  xv.  7  sq. 

Ver.  10.  The  Prophet,  by  another  comparison, 
expresses  the  disconsolate  murmuring  of  the  de- 
sponding creature,  which,  like  ver.  9,  also  con- 
sists of  two  members.  It  happens  (comp.  Job 
iii.  1  sqq. ;  x.  18  sq. ;  Jer.  xx.  14  sqq.)  that  one 
oppressed  by  sufferings  wishes  he  had  never  been 
born.  This  is  also  the  idea  of  ver.  10,  only  modi- 
fied so  that  to  the  despairing  one  is  imputed  a 
complaint  against  his  parents  that  they  have  be- 
gotten him. 

4.  Thus  saith  the  Lord of  hosts. — 

Vers.  11-13.  To  this  sinful,  blasphemous  conduct 
the  Prophet  now  opposes  what  the  true  Israelite 
ought  to  do  in  times  of  the  Theocracy's  apparent 
ruin  :  he  ought  to  inquire  of  the  LORD  and  com- 
mend to  the  LORD  the  destiny  of  his  people. 
Yet  the  LORD  will  and  cannot  help  this  unbelief 
by  new  and  would-be  better  grounds  of  comfort. 
He  can  only  repeat  the  old,  viz.,  that  he  who  made 
the  world  has  now  in  the  person  of  Cyrus  irrevo- 
cably appointed  the  instrument  of  the  deliverance. 
The  Holy  One  of  Israel  and  his  Maker. — 
So  the  LORD  is  named  ver.  11  in  a  way  well  be- 
fitting the  context.  For  it  becomes  His  holiness 
to  keep  His  word,  and  His  character  as  Maker  to 
remain  consistent  and  not  suffer  His  work  to  come 
to  disgrace.  Beside  the  expression  1¥V,  ''for- 
mer," "Maker"  is  occasioned  by  the  comparison 
of  ver.  9.  This  holy  God  and  Almighty  Creator 
therefore  commands  the  Israelite  who  is  in  deep- 
est distress  to  tnrn  to  him  in  respect  to  the  dark 
future,  and  to  inquire  of  htm. — For  such  was  of 
old  His  will  (Exod.  xxxiii.  7  ;  Num.  xxvii.  21 ; 
2  Kings  i.  6,  16),  and  also  the  custom  and  prac- 
tice in  Israel  (Josh.  ix.  14;  Judg.  i.  1  ;  1  Sam. 
xxviii.  6, 15,  etc.).  Even  this  may  be  done  in  a 
very  improper  way,  Iviii.  2. — nvnx,  comp.  xli. 
23;  xliv.  7.  Concerning  my  children  and 
the  work  of  my  hands  (allusion  to  112TV) 
command  ME  (see  Text,  and  Gram.).  The 
commission,  the  office  of  caring  for  Israel  they 
should  give  to  the  LORD. 

Ver.  12.  That  in  these  hands  Israel  will  be 
well  secured  must  appear  from  the  fact  that  these 
same  hands  prepared  heaven  and  earth.  Thus 
here  also,  as  constantly  before  and  after  (xl.  12. 
21,  28;  xlii.  5;  xliv.  24;  xlv.  18;  xlviii.  13;  li. 
13)  the  LORD  proves  His  ability  to  accomplish 
deliverance  by  a  reference  to  His  character  as 
Creator.  Doubtless  in  My  hands  there  is  an 
allusion  to  ver.  9  b  (see  Text,  and  Gram.).  There 
it  is  assumed  that  no  human  workmanship  can 
say  of  him  that  formed  it :  he  has  no  hands.  In 
allusion  to  this,  the  LORD  calls  Israel  here  (ver. 


CHAP.  XLV.  14-17. 


495 


11)  the  work  of  His  hands.  It  is  impossible  that 
it  can  mean :  I,  i.  e.,  not  My  feet,  mouth  or  other 
organ,  but  My  hands  have  spread  out  the  heavens; 
but  He  would  say  :  not  the  hands  of  another,  but 
My  hands  have  done  this  ('T  'JN  and  Hltf,  see 

Text,  and  Gram.). 

The  almighty  Creator  is  also  the  almighty  Re- 
deemer. And  lie  is  such  through  Cyrus,  the  raising 
up  of  whom  (xli.  2,  25)  even  now  to  Him  stands 
as  an  accomplished  fact.  All  faint-heartedness 
that  comes  from,  any  sinking  of  Israel  in  the 
world-power,  whether  apprehended  or  experi- 
enced, the  Prophet  represses  by  the  announce- 
ment that  the  LORD  has  raised  up  a  deliverer  in 
righteousness  (comp.  on  xlii.  6).  Because  this 
one  shall  realize  all  God:s  intentions,  the  LORD, 
too,  will  make  level  all  his  ways  (ver.  2).  And 
so  he  will  rebuild  the  holy  city  (xliv.  26,  28) 
and  let  the  prisoners  go  (Hi.  3).  He  will 
do  so  not  for  price  or  any  outward  advan- 
tage. In  fact  one  cannot  see  what  motive  of 
policy,  or  of  national  economy  or  worldly  mo- 
tive of  any  kind  could  have  determined  Cyrus 


to  restore  the  Israelitish  nation  and  its  religious 
worship.  It  has  been  said  that  he  would  make 
room  for  other  exiles.  But  then  why  did  he  not 
send  the  latter  to  Judea?  And  why  did  he  make 
the  return  of  the  Jews  optional?  This  last  con- 
sideration shows  that  he  had  no  interest  to  pro- 
mote by  it.  Indeed  this  restoration  may  be  pro- 
nounced a  political  mistake.  There  was  some 
truth  in  the  reproach  that  Jerusalem  was  ''  a  re- 
bellious city  and  hurtful  unto  kings  and  pro- 
vinces— of  old  time"  (Ezra.  iv.  15).  For  the 
world-power  must  ever  leel  that  the  kingdom  of 
God  in  the  midst  of  it  is  a  disturbing  and  hurtful 
element.  Add  to  this  the  surrender  of  the  holy 
vessels  (Ezra  i.  7  sqq.),  and  the  requisition  to 
help  the  Jews  ''with  silver,  and  with  gold,  and 
with  goods,  and  with  beasts"  (Ezra  i.  4),  and  one 
must  confess  that  the  conduct  of  Cyrus  was  very 
surprising  and  inexplicable  by  natural  causes. 
This  sort  of  sending  away  reminds  one  very  much 
of  that  from  Egypt  ( Kxod.  xii.  31  sqq.).  In  both 
cases  the  letting  go  free  was  not  man's  work,  but 
God's  work. 


3.  THE  SOUTHERN  WORLD-POWER  IS  ALSO  CONVERTED  TO  JEHOVAH. 

CHAPTER  XLV.  14-17. 

14  Thus  saith  the  LORD, 

The  labour  of  Egypt,  and  merchandise  of  Ethiopia 

And  of  the  Sabeans,  men  of  stature, 

Shall  come  over  uuto  thee,  and  they  shall  be  thine : 

They  shall  come  after  thee  ;  in  chains  they  shall  come  over, 

And  they  shall  fall  down  unto  thee,  they  shall  make  supplication  unto  thee, 

Saying,  Surely  God  is  in  thee ;  and  there  is  none  else, 

There  is  no  God. 

15  Verily  thou  art  a  God  that  hidest  thyself, 
O  God  of  Israel,  the  Saviour, 

16  They  "shall  be  ashamed,  and  also  confounded,  all  of  them: 
They  shall  go  to  confusion  together 

That  are  makers  of  idols. 

17  Bid  Israel  shall  be  saved  in  the  LORD  with  an  everlasting  salvation: 
Ye  shall  not  be  ashamed  nor  confounded  world  without  end. 

•  ore.  b  They  go. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  having  discharged  the  painful 
duty  of  reproving  Israel's  pusillanimity  (vers.  8, 
13),  now  turns  to  the  pleasant  task  of  showing 
what  will  be  the  effect  of  the  salvation  instituted 
in  the  northern  world-power  on  the  world-power 
Iving  south  of  Palestine.  The  holy  nation  lay  in 
the  middle  between  these  two  world-powers. 
Again  and  again  it  had  suffered  from  the  friend- 
ship and  the  enmity  of  both.  It  had  oscillated 
back  and  forth  between  them  both,  seeking  sup- 
port against  the  enmity  of  the  one  in  the  friend- 
ship of  the  other.  Both,  too,  had  contended  with 
each  other  for  Palestine,  and  more  or  less  made 
Palestine  their  battle-field.  Recall  Tirhaka  and 
Sennacherib,  Pharaoh  Necho  and  Nebuchadnez- 


zar. Now  Israel  is  in  bondage  to  Babylon  as  It 
was  in  its  youth  to  Egypt.  But  it  is  to  be  deli- 
vered from  the  Babylonian  bondage  by  Cyrus. 
Will  it  also  thereby  be  delivered  from  the  assaults 
of  the  sinful  world-power?  Already  in  xliii.  3 
the  Prophet  presented  the  prospect  of  the  north- 
ern world-power  being  in  a  certain  sense  indemni- 
fied by  the  surrender  of  the  southern  for  mildness 
displayed  towards  Israel.  And  in  reality  Egypt 
became  a  prey  to  Cambyses.  But  the  Prophet 
sees  still  more.  He  sees  Egypt,  Ethiopia,  and 
Seba  not  merely  in  chains,  but  turning  in  their 
chains  to  Israel  to  worship  the  God  of  Israel 
(ver.  14).  They  [but  see  below,  TR.]  recognize 
Him  as  the  true  God,  who  had  hitherto  remained 


496 


THE  PROPHET  IrfAIAH. 


hidden  (ver.  15).  Thej  recognize  that  idolatry 
was  a  false  way,  and  that  all  idol-makers  hav 
come  to  shame  (ver.  16),  whereas  Israel  may  con 
fidcntly  expect  through  Jehovah  everlasting  sal 
vation  and  honor  (ver.  17).  From  this  it  appear 
that  the  Prophet  makes  the  southern  world-powe 
join  together  with  Israel  in  honoring  Jehovah 
and  hence  also  with  the  northern  world-power 
just  as  happens  in  xix.  23  sqq.  If  the  South  anc 
the  North,  united  by  Israel,  have  become  brothers 
then  the  chains  fall  of  themselves. 

2.    Thus  saith in   chains  shall  they 

come   over. — Yer.  14  a.    To  understand   thu 
passage  we  must  take  Egypt,  Ethiopia,  and  Seba 
not  as  representing  the  heathen  world  in  genera 
[BARNES,  J.  A.  ALEX.,  DELJTZSCH  and  others 
TR.],  but  as  representing  specially  the  southern 
world-power  that  was  the  rival  of  the  northern. 
For  why  should  just  the  nations  about  the  Nile 
represent  the  heathen  world  ?     The  general  hea- 
then world  has  its  turn,  ver.  22.     The  present 
text  deals  with  an  eminently  important  centre  of 
the  heathen  world,  viz.,  with  that  which  corres- 
ponds to  what  in  the  south  is  now  friendly  to  Is- 
rael.    In  xliii.  3  the  subjection  of  those  nations 
of  the  Nile  to  Cyrus  is  announced.     Hence  they 
appear  here  as  bearing  chains.     But  the  dominion 
of  the  messiah  Cyrus  is  to  be  one  of  universal 
peace   and   blessing   (ver.  8).     In   a   prophetic 
sense,  i.  e.,  potentially  it  shall  be  such,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  influence  that  the  world-power  itself 
will  experience  from  the  spirit  of  the  kingdom 
of  God  in  the  person  of  Cyrus.     Hence  the  Pro- 
phet sees  here  in  the  subjugation  of  those  nations 
of  the  Nile  also  the  bridge  to  their  conversion. 
They  are  the  same  thoughts  that  we  find  above, 
chap,  xix.,  from  ver.  19  on.     There  it  is  said,  ver. 
23,  that  Egypt  shall  serve  Assyria.     But  Assyria 
denotes   the  northern   world-power,  which   was 
then   represented   by  Assyria,   was  later  repre- 
sented  by    Babylon,  and  then    by  Cyrus.      But 
Egypt  will  also  worship  Jehovah.     The  Prophet 
only  indicates  in   general   how  this  will   come 
about.     We  see  in  both  passages  that  Israel  is 
the  medium.     From  our  passage,  in  connection 
with  xliii.  3,  we  learn  that,  proceeding  from  Is- 
rael, first  Cyrus  comes  to  the  knowledge  of  Jeho- 
vah, then  from  Cyrus  (whether  directly  or  indi- 
rectly does  not  appear)  Egypt,  so  that  these  three, 
Israel  in  the  middle,  on  the  left  the  north  (Assy- 
ria), on  the  right  the  south  (Egypt),  shall  be  as 
a  glorious  tritono  and  a  blessing  to  the  whole 
earth  (xix.  24,  23).     As  in  general,  taking  spoil 
and  receiving  tribute  are  signs  and  fruits  of  vic- 
tory, so  in  many  places  the  Messiah  or  His  types 
are  represented  as  those  to  whom  nations,  hitherto 
hostile  but  now  converted,  bring  their  treasures 
or  tribute  (comp.  Ps.  xiv.   13;   Ixviii.   30,   32; 
Ixxii.  10,  15;  Isa.  Ix.  6;  Matth.  ii.  11).     Thus  it 
is  said  here  that  Egypt's  acquisitions  of  labor 
(jVJ',  "  labor,"  metonym.  for  what  is  acquired  ; 
again  only  Iv.  2),  and  Ethiopia's  and  Seba's  ac- 
quisitions of  commerce  pHD,  ''  mercalura,"  also 
mstonvm.,  cornp.  xxiii.  3),  shall  come  to  Israel. 
The  Egyptians  were  originally  strictly  exclusive, 
hence  from  the  first  not  a  commercial  people,  but 
they  had  branches  of  industry,  xix.  9.     Ethiopia 
was  of  old  famed  for  great  riches,  comp.  HEROD. 
III.,  17  sqq.,  and  GiiSEX.  in  loc.     On  Seba  see 


xliii.  3.  There  is  no  ground  for  separating  Ethi- 
opia and  the  Sabeans,  and  connecting  *'  merchan- 
dize" only  with  the  former.  For  1)  it  is  gram- 
matically allowable"  to  subordinate  one  word  in 
the  construct  state  to  several  words  (Gen.  xiv.  19  ; 
Ps.  cxv.  15;  2  Chron.  ii.  7,  etc.);  2)  Ethiopia  and 
Seba  are  the  same  people,  both  may  equally  be 
called  "men  of  stature;"  3)  the  plural  H3JT  does 
not  conflict,  because  in  compound  subjects  the 
predicate  is  very  often  ruled,  not  by  the  gramma- 
tical subject,  but  by  the  primary  logical  idea 
(comp.  ii.  11  with  v.  15;  Gen.  iv.  10;  Jer.  ii.  34, 
etc.).  Thus  here,  as  undoubtedly  appears  from 
what  follows,  the  chief  matter  with  the  Prophet 
is  the  passing  over  of  the  men,  not  of  their  trea- 
sures. Hence  he  says  113JT  and  hence  lie  expresses 
still  this  thought  by  three  verbs  following.  Con- 
cerning men  of  stature,  comp.  on  xviii.  2. 
HEKOD.  III.  20:  "The  Ethiopians  are  said  to 
be  the  tallest  and  finest-looking  of  all  men." 
SOLIN.,  cap.  30 :  Acthiopes  duodccim  pedcs  longi 
(GESEN.).  The  Egyptians  and  Ethiopians  will, 
indeed,  still  come  in  chains.  They  are  con- 
quered, but  precisely  by  their  defeat  they  have 
learned  to  know  the  nothingness  of  their  idola 
(ver.  1C),  and  the  divinity  of  Jehovah.  But  by 
their  confession  (vers.  14  6-17)  they  acquire  a 
claim  to  release  from  the  chains. 

3.  And  they  shall  fall without  end. 

Vers.  14  6—17.  "And  they  shall  fall,"  etc.,  does 
not  say  that  they  shall  worship  Israel,  but  that 
they  shall  worship  in  the  direction  of  the  land 
of  Israel,  for  they  know  the  Temple  and  the 
throne  of  the  true  God  to  be  there  (comp.  Dan. 
vi.  10).  In  what  follows  we  learn  the  content* 
of  their  prayer.  The  three  brief  but  weighty 

words  Sx   13  -]X,  "surely  God  is  in  thee, 

form  the  fundamental  thought.  It  is  understood 
of  course  that  ''in  thee"  refers  to  the  same  person 

as  the  feminine  suffixes  in  "p  /y  and  T  ?X,  viz. : 
:o  Israel  or  Zion.  The  knowledge  that  the  right 
God  is  in  Zion  (Ps.  Ixxxiv.  8)  is  herewith  ex- 
pressed positively.  1  Cor.  xiv.  25,  is  a  quotation 
of  our  text.  The  same  is  expressed  negatively 
and  there  is  none  else,  there  is  no  God. 
But  this  last  thought  must  be  made  very  em- 
phatic. Hence  D2X  is  added  to  strengthen  j'50 

y,  of  which  the  present  is  the  only  instance. 
If  DDK  (comp.  D2X  Xvi.  4 ;  xxix.  20  and  "DtJX 

^K  ver.  22,  etc.),  means  cessatio,  finis,  then,  be- 
side other  modifications  of  this  meaning,  it  can 
)e  construed,  as  ace.  localis,  and  may  also  have 
the  sense  of  in  fine.  But  then  it  says  (comp.  on 
xlvii.  8,  10) :  "  That  not  at  that  (unthinkable) 
joint  where  God  ceases,  does  another  appear." 
ji  other  words:  DDK  involves,  indeed,  the  sense 
ofpraeter,  praeterca.  Therefore  one  does  not  need 

o  take  DTPX  D2X  as  a  genitive  relation  ;  but 
:onstrue  :  "  and  there  is  not  still  in  fine  or  in  loco 

cessandi  (viz.:  of  the  before  mentioned  ^N)  a 
3od." 

In  ver.  15  the  heathen  address  the  God  of 
srael  directly.  ["  it  is  far  more  natural  to  take 
he  verse  aa  an  apostrophe,  expressive  of  the 
/'rophet's  own  strong  feelings  in  contrasting  what 
Jod  had  done  and  would  yet  do,  the  darkness 


CHAP.  XLV.  18-25. 


497 


of  the  present  and  the  brightness  of  the  future. 
If  these  things  are  to  be  hereafter,  then  O  Thou 
Saviour  of  Thy  people,  Thou  art  indeed  a  God 
that  hides  Himself  j  that  is  to  say,  conceals  His 
purposes  of  mercy  under  the  darkness  of  His 
present  dispensations."  —  J.  A.  ALEX.  So,  too, 
BARNES,  and  DELJTZSCII.  The  latter  says  ''The 
exclamation  in  Rom.  xi.  33,  '  O  the  depth  of 
the  riches,'  etc.,  in  a  similar  one."  —  TR.].  They 
now  pray  to  Him  themselves  as  was  intimated 


by  linrrtf  '  and  lfliV.  First  of  all  they  utter 
the  conviction  that  Jehovah  is  a  God  who  aides 
Himself  (cotnp.  xxix.  U  ;  1  Sam.  xxiii.  19  ; 
xx  vi.  1),  i.  e.,  a.  God  who  has  hitherto  been  hid- 
den from  them.  [The  LXX.  favors  this  inter- 
pretation. It  reads  :  "  for  tliou  art  God,  though 
we  did  not  know  it,  O  God  of  Israel  the  Sav- 
iour.'1 —  TR.].  In  that  lies  a  trace  of  the  know- 
ledge never  quite  extinguished  among  the  hea- 
then, that  beyond  and  above  the  multitude  of 
gods  representing  the  forces  of  nature,  there  is  a 
highest  Being  ruling  over  all.  The  language  re- 
calls, at  least  as  to  sense,  the  #e«c  dyvwcrrof  of  the 
Athenians,  Acts  xvii.  23.  It  seems  to  me,  there- 
fore, that  the  designation  of  God  as  "IfirOD  suits 
much  better  in  the  mouth  of  the  heathen  than 
of  Israel.  f3K  see  Lint.  This  hitherto  con- 
cealed God  is  identical  with  the  God  of  Israel 
(thus  for  the  latter  no  concealed  God),  and  also 
a  "saving"  God,  i.  e.,  that  is  willing  to  help  and 
can  help  and  actually  does  help.  In  verse  15 


is     subject,   "infiDD      X    predicate,    Tlx 
apposition  with  the  subject,  and  #'BftD  as 
second  predicate  put  after  in  the  form  of  an  ap- 


position. In  ytitt  (see  List)  there  lies  also  an 
antithesis  to  the  heathen  idols  and  in  so  far  a 
transition  to  ver.  16. 

The  necessary  reverse  side  of  the  correct  know- 
ledge of  God  is  to  know  the  false  gods  as  such.  Ver. 
16  expresses  this  knowledge  by  emphasizing  that 
they  come  to  confusion.  The  gods  of  Egypt  could 
not  help  Egypt;  for  Egypt  succumbed  to  that 
power  that  opposed  it  by  the  commission  and 
power  of  the  God  of  Israel.  They  are  ashamed 
and  also  confounded,  see  ver.  17;  xli.  11 
and  the  borrowed  passages  Jer.  xxxi.  19  ;  Ezra 
ix.  6.  The  expression  they  go  to  confusion 
(which  equally  affirms  their  going  into  disgrace, 
and  going  about  in  disgrace)  occurs  cnly  here. 
TX  (from  1¥  =  12T),  "  the  image,"  occurs  in  this 
sense  only  here,  and  Ps.  xlix.  15.  The  LORD 
having  been  called  "  Saviour"  in  ver.  15,  and 
ver.  16  having  said  that  idols  are  not  this,  it  is 
now  said,  ver.  17,  of  Israel  that  Jehovah  has 
showed  Himself  such  a  Saviour  and  how  He  has 
done  so.  For  Israel  is  saved  in  the  LORD 
with  an  everlasting  salvation  (acc.modalis; 
Heb.  ix.  12).  Finally  the  speakers  turn  their 
discourse  to  Israel  as  in  the  beginning  of  it 
(''surely  God  is  in  thee'1).  These  shall  not  ex- 
perience what  the  others  have  with  their  idols: 
Ye  shall  not  be  ashamed  nor  confounded 

world  without  end.  The  plural  O'oSlp  oc- 
curs xxvi.  4  ;  li.  9,  and  excepting  Ps.  Ixxvii.  6, 

only  in  later  writings.  The  expression  %D  71^'  TJ7 
"\y  occurs  only  here.  Shall  those  who  have 
learned  so  to  speak  be  still  kept  in  chains  by 
Israel? 


4.  AFTER  THE  WORLD-POWERS,  ISRAEL,  TOO,  FINALLY  RENOUNCES  IDOLS 
AND  GIVES  ITSELF  WHOLLY  TO  ITS  GOD,  SO  THAT  NOW  ALL  HUMAN 
KIND  HAS  BECOME  A  SPIRITUAL  ISRAEL. 

CHAPTER  XLV.  18-25. 

18  For  thus  saith  the  LORD  that  created  the  heavens ; 

"God  himself  that  formed  the  earth  and  made  it ;  he  hath  established  it, 
He  created  it  not  hin  vain,  he  formed  it  to  be  inhabited  ; 
I  am  the  LORD  ;  and  there  is  none  else. 

19  I  have  not  spoken  in  secret,  in  a  dark  place  of  the  earth: 
I  said  not  unto  the  seed  of  Jacob,  Seek  ye  me  in  vain  : 

I  the  LORD  speak  righteousness,  I  declare  things  that  are  right. 

20  Assemble  yourselves  and  come ; 

Draw  near  together,  ye  that  are  escaped  of  the  nations : 

They  have  no  knowledge  that  cset  up  the  wood  of  their  graven  image, 

And  pray  unto  a  god  that  cannot  save. 

21  Tell  ye,  and  bring  them  near; 

Yea,  let  them  take  counsel  together: 

Who  hath  declared  this  from  ancient  time? 

Wlio  hath  told  it  from  that  time  ? 

Have  not  I  the  LORD?  and  there  is  no  God  else  beside  me; 

A  just  God  and  a  Saviour  ;  there  is  none  beside  me. 

22  dLook  unto  me,  and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  : 
For  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else. 

32 


498 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


23  I  have  sworn  by  myself, 

The  word  is  gone  out  of  my  mouth  in  righteousness, 

And  shall  not  return, 

That  unto  me  every  knee  shall  bow, 

Every  tongue  shall  swear. 

24  leSuroly,  shall  one  say, 

In  the  LORD  have  1  "righteousness  and  strength : 

Even  to  him  shall  men  come  ; 

And  all  that  are  incensed  against  him  shall  be  ashamed. 

25  In  the  LORD  shall  all  the  seed  of  Israel  be  justified, 
And  shall  glory 


1  Or,  Surely  he  shall  say  of  me,  In  the  LORD  is  all  righteoueness  and  strength 


He  is  God  —  who  formed  the  earth  and  made  it — he  ordered  it. 
Turn. 


b  to  be  empty. 
«  Only. 


*  Heb.  righteousnesses. 
'  carry. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  forrecurrence  of  the  words  used.particularly : 
Ver.  20.  tfJJ  Ilithp.— So3—  SSiJ  Hithp.  see  ver.  14. 

-T  VV  -T 

Ver.  23.  13T  Dp'TC  may  not  be  construed  as  one  no- 
tion ("word  of  truth  ''),  for  then  it  must  read  '%  "O^- 
Nor  may  one  take  np"l¥  as  nominative  in  an  attribu- 
tive sense  ("as  righteousness,  a  word"")  connecting  it 
with  "131,  for  that  would  be  a  contorted,  unnatural  ex- 

T  T 

pression.  "  Ont  of  the  mouth  of  righteousness  "  [J.  A. 
ALEX.,  DEL.],  is  indeed  grammatically  correct,  but  this 
personifying  of  righteousness  and  this  distinction  of 
it  as  a  speaking  person  from  Jehovah  Himself  were 
something  very  peculiar.  For  are  not  the  one  swearing 
and  the  one  speaking  this  word  that  cannot  be  frus- 
trated one  and  the  same?  We  must  construe  '3  paral- 
lel with  '3  and  ""11^31^3  as  a  noun  with  the  suffix  of 
the  first  person.  But  then  HpTjf  must  be  taken  as  ac- 
cusative. It  is  the  accusat.  advcrbialis,  that  stands  for 


GRAMMATICAL. 

the  substantive  with  a  preposition  and  expresses  the 
modality,  of  whatever  sort  it  may  be.  Thus,  as  is  well 
known,  substantives  often  stand,  as  flptf  (Jer.  xxiii.  28), 
-,p$  i'Ps.  cxix.  78i,  tftpn  (Isa.  xxxi.  ?)',  bpH  (Job  xxi. 
34X  D'Ti^O  (Ps.  Ixxv.  3),  etc. Xtf"1  and  3lijr  stand  in 

•  T      " 

pointed  antithesis.  1  before  31  UP  stands  according  to 
the  peculiar  Hebrew  paratactic  mode  of  expression.  In 
our  idiom  we  would  say:  which  will  not  go  back, — or, 
less  exactly:  that  will  not  go  back. 

Ver.  24.  '7  =  "in  regard  to  me,"  comp.  v.  1;  xli.  7; 
Gen.  xx.  13. T"2X  ="they  say."  comp.  xxv.  9;  Ixv. 

~    T 

8,  etc. X131"  —  "  let  one  come."     It  is  the  same  imper- 

T 

sonal  construction  as  in  T^X  comp.  vi.  10;  x.  4;  xiv. 

-  T 
32;  xviii.  5;  xxxiii.  20,  etc.    It  is  indeed  not  impossible 

that  a  1  before  fcO3*  has  fallen  out  because  of  the  follow- 
ing 1  before  1E/31 ;  but  grammatical  reasons  by  no 
means  compel  such  an  assumption. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  With  these  words  the  Prophet  concludes  his 
contemplation  of  the  future  salvation  that  is  con- 
nected with  Cyrus.  It  is  assuredly  not  an  accident 
that  only  after  Cyrus  and  the  northern  world-power 
represented  by  him  and  after  the  southern  world- 
power  are  noticed,  does  he  turn  to  Israel  in 
order  to  announce  also  to  it  what  shall  be  its  part 
in  that  future  salvation.  Here,  too,  the  chief 
point  is  again  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah  as  the 
only  true  God.  Jehovah,  who  made  the  heavens, 
even  that  suffices  to  prove  Him  to  be  the  God ; 
Jehovah,  who  also  formed  the  earth,  of  which  He 
is  also  the  orderer  and  disposer,  but  who  accord- 
ing to  His  goodness  prepared  the  earth  as  a 
friendly  dwelling  for  men,  justly  says  of  Himself: 
I  am  the  absolute  Being,  and  another  beside  Me 
there  is  not  (ver.  18).  But  this  same  Jehovah 
has  chosen  a  people  out  of  mankind  for  His  par- 
ticular inheritance  and  property,  and  from  the 
first  He  has  clearly  and  publicly  proclaimed 
what  He  purposes  to  do  with  this  people.  And 
He  has  in  that  plainly  expressed  that,  as  with  the 
creation  He  had  in  mind  the  salvation  of  man- 
kind, so,  (oo,  He  had  in  mind  the  salvation  of 
this  people,  as  the  reward  that  a  just  and  right 
thinking  lord  gives  his  servants,  when  He  made 
those  arrangements  in  which  this  people  were  to 


serve  as  means  and  instrument  (ver.  19).  This 
people  is  to  receive  salvation  through  Cyrus. 
This  having  happened,  Israel  delivered  from  the 
heathen  may  be  summoned  to  acknowledge  idol- 
atry to  be  a  foolish  and  ruinous  error  (ver.  20). 
After  being  summoned,  too,  to  give  information 
and  to  settle  by  consultation  what  they  have 
lived  through  and  experienced,  they  must  con- 
fess :  Jehovah  foretold  oil  that  would  come  about ; 
as  He  foretold  so  it  has  turned  out.  Jehovah  alone 
is  the  true  God  (ver.  21).  The  world-powers  and 
Israel  having  so  acknowledged  Jehovah,  He  can 
now  call  to  all  mankind  :  turn  to  Me  as  to  Him 
who  blesses  you  (ver.  22).  Thus  will  be  fulfilled 
what  the  LORD  hath  sworn  and  announced  as  not 
to  be  frustrated,  that  to  Him  every  knee  shall  bow 
and  every  tongue  shall  swear  (ver.  23).  All  will 
then  acknowledge  that  only  in  Jehovah  is  salva- 
tion, and  that  hostility  to  Him  brings  only  ruin 
(ver.  24).  All  mankind,  become  one  in  the  glory 
and  praise  of  the  LORD,  will  then  have  become 
"seed  of  Israel." 

2.  For  thus  saith  the  Lord — -none  be- 
side Me. — Vers.  18-21.  "For,"  beginning  ver. 
18,  connects  with  ver.  17.  There  it  is  said  "  Israel 
is  saved  in  the  LORD  with  an  everlasting  salva- 
tion." This,  spoken  by  the  heathen,  is  here  con- 


CHAP.  XLV.  18-25. 


499 


firmed  by  the  LORD  as  correct,  by  saying  that  of 
course  He  did  not  call  Israel  to  a  fruitless  ser- 
vice (^illtfpa   liVI   &O  ver.  19),  but  promised  him 
a  just  reward.    For  now  the  LORD  turns  to  Israel 
to  say  to  him  wherein  the  blessing  promised  to 
them  in  Cyrus  will  culminate.      The   Prophet 
knows  that  Israel  still  inclines  to  idolatry,  that 
fundamental  evil  of  the  natural    man.     But  he 
also  knows  that   Israel,  utterly  broken   by   the 
Exile,  and  wholly  convinced,  by  the  way  of  pro- 
phecy and  fulfilment,  of  Jehovah's  being  the  only 
God,  will,  from  the  time  of  their  deliverance  by 
Cyrus,   renounce  idolatry.     We   know  that   the 
Exile  made  a  decisive  turning-point  in  the  reli- 
gious life  of  the  Israelites.     Coarse  idolatry  they 
renounced  from  that  time  on.    Yet  the  inward  as 
well  as  the   outward  deliverance  by  Cyrus  was 
only  a   beginning.     But   in  this  beginning  the 
Prophet  sees  already  the  completion,  according 
to  his  complex  way  of  regarding  history.     Thus 
in  ver.  18  he  telis  how  that  "everlasting  salva- 
tion" will  come  about.     A  fundamental  condition 
is  for  Israel  to  attain  to  the  lively  knowledge  ex- 
pressed  by  the  words:  I  am  the   Lord,  and 
there  is  none  else.     The  foundation  of  this  is 
double;  what  pertains  to  the  history  of  the  world 
and  what  to  the  history  of  salvation.   The  former 
consists  in  this,  that  Jehovah  before  all  made  the 
heavens,  which  is  proof  enough  that  He  alone  is 
God.     For  He  who  made  the  world  to  come,  the 
abode  of  spirits,  of  elohim,  must  He  not  Himself 
be  Elohim  ?  yea,  as  the  Creator  of  the  elohim 
world,  he  is  exalted  above  all  elohim,  therefore 
the  Elohirn  i<ar'  efo^v  (comp.  e.  y.,  Ps.  xcvii.  9). 
Such  is  the  sense  of  the  parenthesis:  "He  is 
God,"  ver.  18.     In  the  second  place  the  LORD 
proves  His  sole  divinity  by  the  fact   that   He 
formed  the  earth,  and  made  it   (ready),   comp. 
xliii.  7.     As  to  ''that  created  the  heavens" 
there  is  added  in  parenthesis  a  nearer  definition, 
BO  there  is  to  "that  formed  the  earth  and 
made  it."    In  both  cases  the  parenthesis  begins 
with  Kin.     The  first  consists  of  two  words  ;  the 
second  of  two  words   HJJO   Nin,    "He   estab- 
lished it,"  and  a  nearer  explanation.     For  at 
first  sight  this  HJJO  seems  redundant  after  ")¥' 
and  iMyp.      But   we   learn   from   the   following 
words  to  '"^^  that  JJ'13  is  not  used  in  the  sense 
of  fundare,   which  is  its  common  meaning  else- 
where, but  in  the  sense  of  eroi/m^eiv  (LXX.)  "to 
equip,   prepare"    (comp.   Deut.  xxxii.  6,  where, 
too,  JJO  follows  njy>>;  and  especially  the  Hiphil 

of  like  meaning,  xiv.  21 ;  Gen.  xliii.  16;  1  Kings 
V.  32 ;  vi.  19,  etc.}.  By  this  is  expressed  the  final 
equipment  or  adaptation  to  an  object,  in  contrast 
with  the  original  making.  That  such  is  the 

Bense  is  expressly  paid  by  the  words  'U1  inn  R?i 
"  not  empty  did  He  create  it."  For  these 
words  affirm  that  the  object  of  "creating"  and 
''forming"  was  not  that  the  earth  might  remain 
inn  "empty,"  but  that  it  might  become  fit  for 
dwelling,  and  the  Prophet  designates  by  |3'13  the 
activity  that  prepares,  sets  in  order  the  product 
of  the  "creating."  ''forming,"  "making."  Thus 
men  prepare  a  friendly  dwelling  for  their  chil- 
dren, friends,  dear  guests.  Therefore  this  ''pre- 
paration" is  a  proof  of  the  goodness  and  kindness 
of  our  God. 


But  for  this  I  am  Jeljovah  and  there  is 
none  beside  there  is  also  a  foundation  in 
what  pertains  to  the  history  of  salvation.  God 
had  sought  out  Israel  as  a  peculiar  treasure  to  be 
the  medium  of  His  thoughts  of  salvation,  and 
lifted  them  high  up  and  then  cast  them  down. 
He  did  not  choose  them  that  they  might  end  in 
wild  chaos,  any  more  than  He  made  the  earth  to 
be  empty.  He  had  never  required  this  people  to 
seek  Him  in  vain,  for  nothing,  as  it  were  in  the 
emptiness  (so  to  speak,  to  trace  out,  find  out  the 
hidden,  ver,  15).  But  He  had  said:  "what  in 
right  and  proper,  shall  be  to  you."  Dli"  here  is 
not  the  abstract,  subjective  righteousness,  but  the 
concrete,  objective  right,  as  in  the  expressions 

pIX  V3  (P8.  xv.  2,  etc.)  pTf  nfc£  (lea.  Ixiv. 
4,  etc).  "m  comp.  xxxiii.  15.  Also  D'Ht^'D  is 
to  be  taken  in  the  concrete  and  objective  sense 
(oomp.  xxxiii.  15).  This  promise:  "what  is 
right  shall  be  yours,"  God  did  not  make  in  secret 
(n{)?l  xlviii.  16  ;  Ps.  cxxxix.  15)  so  that  it  can 
come  under  no  investigation,  and  cannot  be 
proved  to  have  actually  happened.  For  He  did 
not  speak  in,  say,  caves  and  hiding-places,  such 
as  the  heathen  oracles  let  themselves  be  heard 
from,  but  He  spoke  before  all  the  world.  If  now 
the  LORD  has  given  His  people  the  promise  of  a 
good  time  and  happy  dwelling  after  the  chaos, 
and  the  promise  is  fulfilled  exactly  as  it  runs, 
there  is  the  proof  that  Jehovah  is"  omniscient. 
As  by  the  creation  He  has  shown  Himself  the 
Almighty  and  the  All-good  to  ail  mankind,  so, 
by  the  promise  given  to  Israel  and  by  its  fulfil- 
ment He  showed  Himself  to  the  people  whose 
history  is  that  of  redemption  to  be  the  Omni- 
scient and  All-good.  But  as  the  All-good,  All- 
mighty  and  All-knowing  He  is  theGod,  Jehovah, 
the  Absolute. 

According  to  ver.  19  the  Prophet  assumes  that 
all  will  come  to  pass  as  promised  so  publicly, 
and  that  by  means  of  Cyrus.  For  ver.  20  sqq. 
we  find  ourselves  translated  into  the  time  after 
the  emancipation.  Hence  the  Israelites  are 
called  escaped  of  the  nations,  and  he  that 
helped  them  to  this  title  can  be  no  other  than 
Cyrus.  Therefore  in  the  time  of  the  deliverance 
effected  by  Cyrus  the  redeemed  are  to  assem- 
ble, and  come  and  draw  near  in  order  to 
elicit  the  facts  resultant  from  the  preceding  course 
of  history.  The  resultant  is  negative  and  posi- 
tive. The  negative  is  stated  ver.  20  b,  viz.  They 
know  nothing  those  cariying  the  wood 
of  their  graven  image,  and  praying  to  a 
god  that  will  not  save. — J^T,  comp.  xliv.  9, 
18;  Ivi.  10,  a  kind  of  causative  Kal,  comp.  on 
nnsn  ver.  8,  therefore  properly :  not  to  exercise 
knowledge.  NtfJ,  comp.  xlvi.  1,  7.  J£E^,  comp. 

Lam.  iv.  17. By  this  is  expressed,  that  after 

the  deliverance  by  Cyrus  Israel  will  at  last  defi- 
nitely come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  folly  and 

nothingness  of  idolatry. ;We  learn  in  ver.  21 

the  positive  result  of  that  counseling.  But  the 
announcement  of  it  is  again  introduced  by  a  sol- 
emn summons  to  use  the  needful  deliberation 
(comp.  xli.  22,  23).  Tell  ye,  and  bring  near 
means  as  much  as  bring  on  information.  The 
thought  is  completed  by  adding  another  verb. 
The  necessary  facts  must  first  be  produced  ;  then 


500 


counsel  may  be  taken  about  them  (change  of 
person  as  in  ver.  8;  xli.  1,  etc.).  The  LORD 
himself  announces  the  result.  In  the  consulta- 
tion he  made  his  right  felt,  and  what  he  said 
must  be  accepted,  for  it  was  the  truth.  It  was  as 
follows:  Who  has  caused  this  (viz.  what  is 
intimated  ver.  19,  and  whose  fulfilment,  after 
ver.  19,  is  assumed)  to  be  heard  of  old,  and 
long  ago  declared  it?  Not  I,  Jehovah? 
etc.,  ver.  21.  Therefore,  here  again  the  LORD 
proves  His  divinity  from  His  omniscience.  One 
might  say,  that  this  is  that  divine  attribute  that 
can  be  most  easily  inspected  even  by  those  not 
eye-witnesses.  For  let  the  prophecy  as  such  and 
the  fulfilment  be  verified,  and  the  necessary  con- 
clusion for  every  one  is  a  superhuman  knowing, 
willing  and  ability,  even  for  such  as  are  ever  so 
remote  in  respect  to  time  and  place.  When  the 
LORD  designatesHimself  here  especially  as  a  just 
God,  it  is  with  reference  to  vers.  13  and  19.  He 
calls  Himself  Saviour  in  contrast  with  a  god 
that  cannot  save,  ver.  20. 

3.  Look  unto  me shall  glory,  vers.  22- 

25.  In  this  concluding  word  the  LORD,  by  the 
expression  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth,  compre- 
hends all  previously  named,  viz.  the  nations  of 
the  northern  (ver.  6)  and  of  the  southern  (vers. 
14  sqq.)  world-power,  along  with  Israel.  One 
might  be  tempted  to  take  vers.  22-25  as  an  inde- 
pendent section,  parallel  with  vers.  14-17  and 
18-21.  But  then  it  would  doubtless  have  begun, 
like  the  others  mentioned,  with  "  thus  saith  the 
LORD."  Moreover  we  see  from  all  the  seed 
of  Israel,  ver.  26,  that  after  Israel  has  been 
entirely  converted  to  the  LORD,  the  Prophet  sees 
in  all  mankind  still  only  a  seed  of  Israel.  It  is 
perhaps  highly  significant  that  only  after  the 
northern  and  southern  world-power,  or  after  the 
fulness  of  the  Gentiles  represented  by  them,  does 
he  let  the  escaped  of  the  nations  become 
partakers  of  the  salvation  inaugurated  by  Cyrus. 
Is  that  not  an  intimation  of  the  fact  so  emphati- 
cally confirmed  by  Paul  (Rom.  xi.)?  Thus 
by  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  we  are  not  to 
understand  those  nations  that  remained  beside 
those  mentioned  in  vers.  6,  14  sqq.  and  18  sqq. 
For  thos3  thus  mentioned  by  the  Prophet  repre- 
sented already  all  mankind.  Therefore  the  same 
are  meant,  only  here  they  are  mentioned  com- 
prehensively instead  of  singly  as  before.  All 
together  they  constitute  the  entire  (all  the) 
seed  of  Israel  in  a  spiritual  sense.  To  all  of 
these,  after  salvation  is  prepared  for  them  and 
they  for  salvation,  tlie  LORD  addresses  the  final, 
decisive  word  of  calling:  turn  unto  me  and 
be  saved.  Of  the  Imperatives  the  first  is  com- 
manding, the  second  promissory.  The  inviting 
call  reminds  of  Matth.  xxii.  4 :  ''  I  have  prepared 

my  dinner,  etc., all  things  are  ready,   come 

unto  the  marriage." I>'i9"in  (comp.  xxx.  15) 

is  =  be  saved,  become  partakers  of  the  perfect 
and  everlasting  salvation  (ver.  17). — The  causa- 
tive clause :  for  I  am  God,  etc.,  ver.  22  6,  proves 
the  possibility,  yea  the  necessity  of  the  salvation, 
by  reference  to  the  irrefragable  truth,  doubted 
since  the  fall,  but  now  acknowledged  on  all  hands 
(vers.  6,  14  sqq.,  21)  that  Jehovah  alone  is  God. 
Only  God  can  warrant  everlasting  salvation. 

Jehovah  alone  is  God.     Ergo! When  all  turn 

to  Jehovah  and  find  in  Him  salvation,  then,  too, 


the  eternal  decree  of  God  is  fulfilled  that  all 
shall  bow  to  him  and  serve  him. — This 
decree  has  great  importance  as  appears  from  : 
I  have  swoin  by  myself,  and  he  could  swear 
by  no  greater  (Heb.  vi.  13  sqq.).  The  oath  thus 
acquires  an  abstract  right,  so  that  under  no  cir- 
cumstances can  it  go  back,  be  revoked  or  de- 
clared null.  'JTJOiyj  "3  as  in  Gen.  xxii.  16 ; 

Jer.    xxii.    5;    xlix.    13;    comp.   xliv.   26 I 

had  rather  translate  np*l¥  (see  Text,  and  Grant.)  : 

" for  the  sake  of  righteousness,"  or  "of  right." 
This  word,  being  an  emanation  of  the  divine 
righteousness,  bears  in  itself  the  guaranty  of  its 
realization,  and  therefore  cannot  go  back  (comp. 
the  very  similar  passage,  Iv.  11).  The  contents 
of  the  oatli  is  that  every  knee  shall  bow  to  the 

LORD,  and  toHim  (*7  belongs  also  to  the  second 
clause ;  comp.  xix.  18)  every  tongue  shall  swear. 
Therefore  the  -rrpoanvvrjaif,  as  outward  expression 
of  homage  (Ps.  xcv.  6),  and  the  t^ofio^dy^uif 
(Rom.  xiv.  11;  Phil.  ii.  10,  11),  as  expression 
of  the  confession  that  God  is  the  All-wise,  All- 
righteous  and  Almighty,  shall  be  accorded  to 
Him  as  His  divin  right,  that  He  does  not  suffer 
to  be  wrested  from  him.  But  every  oath  by  God 
involves  the  confession,  not  only  that  there  is  a 
God,  but  also  that  this  God  knows  the  truth,  and 
has  the  will  and  the  power  to  avenge  the  untruth. 
An  oath  is,  indeed,  a  divine  worship  (GoES- 

CHEL). The   Prophet,  moreover,  is   very   far 

from  believing  that  (to  say  it  with  one  word)  the 
conversion  of  the  heathen  and  of  Israel  will  be 
sudden  and  universal.  Rather  this  conversion 
will  progress  by  successive  stages,  and  many 
—  will  make  decided  resistance.  To  this  ver. 
24  refers. 

Ver.  24.  In  this  verse  we  perceive  the  cheer- 
ing call  of  the  converted  to  their  still  hesitating 
or  even  decidedly  resisting  brethren  (see  Text. 
and  Gram.).  First,  they  point  to  their  own  ex- 
perience :  Only  in  Jehovah  are  righteous 
deeds  and  strength.  nijTTC  (comp.  xxxiii. 
15;  Ixiv.  5  and  Ps.  xi.  7;  ciii.  6;  Judg.  v.  11, 
etc.),  are  juste  facta.  The  speaker  would  say, 
therefore :  displays  of  righteousness  (i.  e.,  of  a 
disposition  conformed  to  the  will  of  God)  and 
strength  (i.  e.,  the  power  to  do  great  things  and 
bear  hard  things)  are  only  in  Jehovah,  i.  e.,  are 
only  possible  where  God  gives  ability.  Second, 
there  is  joined  to  this  the  exhortation  to  conic  to 
Jehovah  as  the  only  source  of  right  inward  life. 

Regarding  the  expressions  V"\J?  and  r?K,  the 
Prophet  would  evidently  intimate  by  IT  that  Je- 
hovah represents  the  loftiest  goal  of  human  ef- 
fort, and  that  it  concerns  us  to  penetrate  as  far  as 
to  Him.  The  notion  of  '' progredi-  ad  fastigium 
quoddam"  (GESEN.),  is  expressed  in  many  modi- 
fications by  "TJ7.  Comp.  2  Sam.  xxiii.  19  ;  Job 
xi.  7;  Nah.  i.  10;  1  Chr.  iv.  27,  etc.  Finally, 
those  converted  do  not  fail  to  add  a  threat  for 
those  that  oppose  themselves:  and  all  that  are 
incensed  against  Him  shall  be  ashamed. 
The  same  expression  again  only  xli.  11;  Song 
of  Solomon  i.  6.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  expres- 
sion ''those  inflamed  with  anger"  points  to  the 
psychological  fact,  that  in  the  hearts  of  those  filled 
with  hatred  the  display  of  love  provokes  anger 


CHAP.  XLV.  18-25. 


501 


and    not    love.       Compare    Judas,    John    xiii. 
—  i . 

Ver.  25  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  either  the 
word  of  Jehovah  or  of  the  converted  ver.  23.  In 
the  former  case  we  would  have  '2  ;  in  the  latter 
Ipli"1  niiT3  would  say  only  what  had  been  al- 
ready said  in  H1pl¥  !"lliT3.  Hence  I  regard  this 
verse  as  the  word  of  the  Prophet,  added  in  con- 
clusion by  way  of  confirming,  explaining  and 
also  of  praise.  By  shall  be  justified  he 
verifies  that  men  are  not  able  to  find  the  grounds 
of  their  justification  in  themselves,  but  only  in 
God.  This  is  a  New  Testament  evangelical 
thought,  that  well  befits  "  the  Evangelist  of  the 
Old  Testament."  And  shall  glory  contains 
a  doxology  as  an  ingredient.  It  is  as  a  finger 
board  to  the  praising  choir  of  which  John  speaks 
in  Rev.  iv.  8  sqq. ;  v.  9  sqq. ;  vii.  9  sqq. ;  xi.  16; 
xii.  10  sqq  ,  etc.  Finally,  all  the  seed  of 
Israel  is  an  explanation,  showing  us  that  we 
are  to  construe  verses  22-25,  not  as  a  new  co-or- 
dinate member  of  the  discourse,  but  as  the  sum 
of  the  whole  discourse,  so  that  the  "  ends  of  the 
earth"  are  not  new  nations  hitherto  unmen- 
tioned,  but  the  totality  of  those  previously  named. 
All  those  who  according  to  vers.  6  and  14  have 
been  converted  to  Jehovah  are  become  Israel,  i. 
e.,  spiritual  Israel.  All  "  they  which  are  of  faith 
the  same  are  the  children  of  Abraham."  Gal.  iii.7. 

DOCTRINAL    AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xlv.  The  Egyptian  and  the  Babylonian 
captivities  correspond  to  one  another.  Both 
times  the  holy  nation  were  outside  of  the  Holy 
land  and  in  the  service  of  a  heathen  world- 
power.  In  each  case,  too,  this  happened  in  the 
resplendent  period  of  the  world-power  concerned. 
Egypt,  at  the  time  it  was  compelled  to  let  Israel 
go,  stood  foremost  ^mong  all  nations  in  respect 
to  culture  and  political  power.  "  Those  were  the 
most  glorious  times-  of  all  Egyptian  history " 
(LEPSius,  Chronology  of  the  Egyptians,  I.  p.  359). 
Cyrus  was  the  conqueror  of  the  Babylonian  king- 
dom, which  itself  had  conquered  the  old  Assy- 
ria, and  he  had  appropriated  its  power  so  that  he 
represented  the  northern  world-power  in,  as  it 
were,  its  third  power  or  degree.  In  both  instances 
the  inconsiderable,  despised  Jews  were  slaves 
without  power  or  rights  in  the  territory  and  ser- 
vice of  the  world-power.  Yet  how  superior  the 
powerless  appears  in  contrast  with  the  mighty  ! 
God  declared  it  to  be  His  express  purpose,  in 
leading  His  people  miraculously  out  of  Egypt, 
"  to  show  His  power  to  Pharaoh,  and  that  His 
name  might  be  declared  throughout  all  the 
earth  ;  and  to  execute  judgment  against  all  the 
gods  of  Egypt"  (Exod.  ix.  16;  xii.  12,  comp. 
viii.  10,  19  ;  xiv.  4,  17,  18,  25).  The  entire  first 
half  of  Daniel  informs  us  of  those  miraculous 
measures  of  God  whose  common  object  and  effect 
was  that  confession  of  Nebuchadnezzar :  "  Of  a 
truth  it  is,  that  your  God  is  a  God  of  gods,  and  a 
Lord  of  kings"  (Dan.  ii.  47  ;  comp.  iii.  28  sqq.  ; 
iv.  31  sqq.;  vi.  25  sqq.).  Therefore,  twice  in  that 
period  between  the  apostacy  from  the  true  God 
(Gen.  xi.  8)  and  the  appearance  of  Christ,  there 
took  place  grand  testimonies  from  the  LORD  to 
the  heathen  world.  And  in  both  instances  the 
medium  of  testimony  was  an  exile  of  Israel,  and 


it  was  received  by  the  world-power  that  at  the 
time  was  dominant:  first  Egypt  the  southern 
world-power,  and  then  the  northern,  the  Babylo- 
nian-Persian kingdom  of  which  Cyrus  must  be 
regarded  as  the  head.  The  object  of  this  revela- 
tion to  the  heathen  world  was  in  general,  not  the 
extermination  of  idolatry  (for  then  the  object 
were  not  attained),  but  the  preservation  and  re- 
vival of  the  remembrance  of  the  highest  Creator, 
Ruler  and  Judge,  of  the  One  ruling  over  all  that 
is  visible  and  invisible,  a  remembrance  ever  pre- 
sent in  the  most  secret  part  of  the  human  breast. 
This  remembrance  may  not  be  extinguished,  for 
it  is  the  connecting  point  for  the  final  and  highest 
revelation  that  is  accomplished  by  the  Son  of  God 
becoming  man  for  the  purpose  of  redemption. 
But  especially  the  testimony  imparted  to  Cyrus 
was  intended  to  free,  from  the  Exile,  the  na'tion 
that  was  to  be  the  medium  of  salvation  and  thereby 
to  make  shine  the  first  beams  of  Messianic  salva- 
tion to  Israel  and  the  world. 

2.  On  xlv.  PRESSEL  (in  HERZ.  R.-Enc.  III. 
p.  231)  gives  a  list  of  the  data  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment in  regard  to  Cyrus,  which,  with  some  modi- 
fication, is  as  follows:  1)  He  was  a  Persian  (Dan. 
vi.  29)  ;  2)  he  was  king  in  Persia  (2  Chr.  xxxvi. 
22  ;  Ezra  i.  1  sq.;  iv.  5  ;  Dan.  xx.  1)  ;  3)  he  was 
king  of  Media  and  Babylon  (Ezra  v.  13,  17  ;  vi. 
2,  3) ;  4)  he  was  a  conqueror  and  founder  of  a 
world-monarchy  (Isa.  xlv.  1-3,  14)  ;  5)  he  was 
the  fourth  ruler  before  Xerxes  (Dan.  xi.  2) ;  6) 
he  was  the  destroyer  of  the  Babylonian  dynasty 
and  of  the  Chaldean  idolatry  (Isa.  xlvi.  1 ;  xlviii. 
14 ;  Dan.  ii.  39  ;  viii.  3,  4,  20) ;  7)  he  was  a  wor- 
shipper of  the  true  God  (2  Chron.  xxxvi.  23  ;  Ezra 
i.  2);  8)  he  was  the  liberator  of  the  Jews,  and 
promoted  the  building  of  the  city  and  Temple 
(Isa.  xliv.  28;  xlv.  13;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  23;  Ez. 
i.  2  sqq.;  v.  13;  vi.3sqq.);  9)  he  was  a  shepherd 
of  God  who  was  to  fulfil  God's  will  concerning 
Israel,  yea,  an  anointed  of  the  LORD  (Isa.  xliv. 
28;  xlv.  1),  whose  spirit  the  LORD  raised  up  (2 
Chron.  xxxvi.  22  sq.;  Ezra  i.  1 ;  Isa.  xlv.  13). 

What  was  it  that  made  so  deep  an  impression 
on  Cyrus,  and  one  so  favorable  for  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth?  PRESSEL  (/.  c.)  in  answer  to  this 
question  mentions  in  substance  the  following:  1) 
The  part  that  Daniel  played  in  the  downfall  of 
the  Babylonian  kingdom,  by  foretelling  the  event 
the  very  night  of  its  taking  place  ( Dan.  v.  28,  30) ;  ' 
2)  the  high  position  that  Daniel  occupied,  with 
miraculous  divine  support,  at  the  court  of  Darius 
the  Mede,  whose  general  Cyrus  was  still  at  that 
time  (Dan.  vi.)  ;  3)  the  experience  Cyrus  might 
have  of  the  nothingness  of  idolatry  in  contrast 
with  the  faith  of  Daniel,  in  respect  to  which  less 
account  must  be  made  of  the  history  of  Bel  and 
the  Dragon  than  of  the  inability  of  the  heathen 
idols  to  protect  their  nations  against  Cyrus,  who 
acted  under  commission  from  Jehovah  (Isa.  xlv. 
1-3) ;  4)  the  reading  of  Isaiah's  prophecies  in 
respect  to  himself,  according  to  the  testimony  of 
Josephus  cited  above ;  see  Doct.  and  Eth.  on 
xliv.  24-28. 

But  if  it  be  further  asked :  how  does  it  come 
that  the  descriptions  of  profane  authors  are  far 
from  coming  up  to  the  picture  of  Cyrus  that  we 
get  from  Daniel  and  Isaiah  ?  I  would  reply,  by  a 
modification  of  PRESSEL'S  views :  1 )  the  fact  that 
Cyrus,  as  soon  as  he  began  to  reign,  extended  to 


502 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  captive  Jews  special  favor,  and  exhibited  a 
lively  interest  in  the  restoration  of  the  worship 
of  Jehovah  in  Jerusalem  is  a  notorious  proof  that 
he  must  have  received  a  strong  impulse  in  this 
direction  (comp.  OEHLER,  in  HERZ.,  R.-Enc. 
XII.,  p.  230  sq.).  For  how  otherwise  may  it  be 
explained,  that  this  mighty  ruler,  whose  sway 
was  so  extended,  and  who  was  busied  with  great 
plans  for  war  and  peace,  gave  his  attention  to 
this  matter  long  since  settled,  and  took  mea- 
sures that  from  his  stand-point  were  inconsistent 
and  a  mistake?  2)  That  profane  history  says 
nothing  about  those  mysterious  transactions  be- 
tween Cyrus  and  his  God  (we  may  surely  be  al- 
lowed, in  an  objective  sense,  to  call  the  LORD  so), 
is  to  be  explained  partly  from  the  nature  of  the 
subject  in  itself,  partly  from  these  extraordinary 
manifestations  of  divinity — apart  from  the  resto- 
ration of  the  Jews — not  being  intended  for  out- 
ward effects  that  could  have  been  the  subject  of 
historical  writing,  but  only  for  such  inward  effects 
as  spin  out  their  mysterious  threads  in  the  depths 
of  human  consciousness,  and  withdraw  themselves 
from  outward  observation  and  representation. 
Notwithstanding  what  has  been  remarked,  pro- 
fane history  still  gives  us  so  far  an  indirect  testi- 
mony, that  it  draws  a  remarkably  grand,  and 
even  unique  picture  of  Cyrus.  Thus  HERODOTUS 
relates  (III.,  89)  that  the  Persians  called  "Da- 
rius a  merchant,  Cambyses  a  despot,  but  Cyrus  a 
parent.  Darius  seemed  to  have  no  other  object 
than  tlie  acquisition  of  gain ;  Cambyses  was  negli- 
gent and  severe;  whilst  Cyrus  was  of  a  mild  and 
gentle  temper,  ever  studious  of  the  good  of  his 
subjects."  He  further  mentions  in  the  account 
of  the  taking  of  Babylon  by  the  cunning  of  Zo- 
pyrns :  "  With  respect  to  the  merit  of  Zopyrus, 
in  the  opinion  of  Darius,  it  was  exceeded  by  no 
Persian  of  any  period,  unless  by  Cyrus;  to  him, 
indeed,  he  thought  no  one  of  his  countrymen 
could  possibly  be  compared"  (III.,  160).  Not- 
withstanding HERODOTUS  speaks  so  highly  of 
Cyrus,  he  is  still  sharply  called  to  account  for 
making  it  appear  that  Cyrus  was  "  tutored  and 
corrected"  (iraidayuyetodai  KO.I  vov&ETtladai)  by 
Croesus,  which  latter  he  had  yet  previously  de- 
scribed as  an  "uncultivated,  boastful,  absurd" 
man,  as  Cyrus  ''  (jipovi/cei  nal  apery  /cat  /iKyahovo'ta 
irnXv  rravruv  donel  TretrpurevKsvai  ruv  fiarriAeuv." 
DIODOR.  SICULUS  (Hist.  XIII.,  p.  342)  relates 
that  the  Syracusan  Nikolaos  recommended  his 
countrymen  to  use  gentleness  toward  the  captive 
Athenians,  citing  for  example  the  evyi>uuoavv?j  of 
Cyrus,  of  wliom  he  proceeds  to  say:  " roiyapovv 
diafio&siarji;  eif  TrdiTa  ro~ov  rfft  J/n£p6r?]7o<;  a-avTei; 
ol  Kara  rrjv  'Af'av  6]&ffloyf  Q&avovrcf  nt;  ~t/v  TOV 
fliaiAeur  ffvfina^lav  TrapzyivovTo." — JuSTlNUS  (I., 
8)  calls  Cyrus  '•  admirabiliter  insignis."  AMMIA- 
NU3  (XXIII.,  6)  says:  ''  Antiquior  Cyrus  rex  ama- 
bilis."  Sac  VITRIXGA  on  I*a.  xlii.  2andxlv.  1.  But 
especially  it  is  to  be  emphasized  here,  that  XENO- 
PHOX  did  not  write  his  Cyropaedia  in  order  to  pre- 
sent his  ethieo-political  ideals  in  the  form  of  a 
romance,  choosing  Cyrus  for  the  hero,  because  his 
historical  reality  most  agrees  with  those  ideals, 
and  needed  only  a  little  idealizing  embellish- 
ment. On  the  contrary  he  was  astounded  by  the 
fact  that  Cyrus  found  it  so  easy  to  rule  over  so 
many  nations  differing  so  extraordinarily  from 
one  another,  easier  than  any  other  ruler  had 


ever  found  it,  whereas  ruling  over  men,  even  a 
few  and  those  of  the  same  kind,  had  else  been 
proved  to  be  harder  than  ruling  over  beasts.  And 
he  notices  as  an  especially  important  circum- 
stance, that  even  the  most  remote  nations  would 
willingly  and  voluntarily  have  obeyed  Cyrus. 
It  was  this  wonder  at  such  extraordinary  facts 
that  determined  him  to  investigate  the  circum- 
stances of  parentage,  nature,  and  education,  that 
made  it  possible  for  Cyrus  to  distinguish  himself 
so  as  a  ruler  of  men.  Such  is  the  occasion  and 
object  of  his  writing,  that  XENOPIION  himself 
gives  in  the  introduction  to  it.  Does  not  this  re- 
markable fact  that  XENOPHON  thus  singles  out 
find  its  proper  explanation  in  the  words  of  our 
Prophet:  "whose  right  hand  I  have  holden,  to 
subdue  nations  before  him,"  xlv.  1  ? 

3.  On  xlv.  Isqq.  Unbelieving  Israel  is  judged  by 
the  LORD,  and  it  appears  to  be  given  up  by  the 
Exile  to  ruin   forever.     But  the  Exile  is  only 
momentary,   and    must   itself  serve   to   bring  it 
about  that  Israel  shall  lastingly  penetrate  to  the 
light  of  true  knowledge  of  God.      It  shall  not 
only  do  so  itself,  but  also,  as  servant  of  Jehovah, 
it  shall  become  the  means  of  the  heathen  receiv- 
ing this  light.     But  the  latter  shall  chiefly  hap- 
pen by  a  heathen  prince  of  eminent  power  and 
importance  being  brought  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  true  God  and  to  the  consciousness  of  having 
received  from  Him  a  grand   religious  mission. 
As  this  prince  on  the  one  hand  terminates  the 
deepest  humiliation  of  Israel  and  prepares  the 
way  for  its   being   lifted  up  again,  and  on  the 
other  hand  introduces  into  the  heathen  world,  at 
least  as  to  principle,   the  first  rays  of  the  true 
knowledge  of  salvation,  he  is  a  forerunner  and 
type  of  the  Messiah,  and  stands  under  quite  a 
peculiar  guidance  of  God,  who  equips  him  and 
makes  the  way  even  before  him.    So  far  Cyrus  is 
no  disconnected,  unnecessary  and  hence  incredi- 
ble miracle,  but  he  is  an  appearance  organically 
connected  with  the  development  of  salvation.    It 
was  he  that  was  to  restore  Israel  from  physical 
and  spiritual  estrangement  to  its  centre  of  salva- 
tion, and  prepare  the  heathen   for  faith  in  God 
and  his  Saviour.     P\>r  this  double  purpose  the 
nothingness  of  idolatry  must  be  made  patent  and 
brought  to  the  consciousness  of  Jew  and  Gentile. 
As  regards  Israel,  it  is  of  special  importance  here 
for  it  to  see  this  prince  announced  beforehand, 
indeed  named  beforehand,  and  to  hear  from  his 
mouth  and  that  of  his  predecessor  the  confession 
that  the  idols  are   nothing,    and   that   Jehovah 
alone  is  God.     How  far  the  effect  on  the  heathen 
was  real  and  lasting,  we  can,  of  course,  not  deter- 
mine, on  account  of  the  inwardness  of  the  effect 
and  the  want  of  witnesses  concerning  it.     Yet  we 
will  not  err  if  we  assume  that  the  later  readiness 
of  the  heathen  to  accept  the  apostolic  preaching, 
indeed  the  precedence  of  the  heathen  world  in 
this  respect  to  the  Jews  rested   on  that  prepara- 
tory influence.     It  is  especially  to  be  noted  in 
this  respect  that  the  Magi  that  came  from  the 
East  openly  inquired  in  Jerusalem  for  the  stop- 
ping place  of  the  new-born  King,  whose  birth 
they  took  for  granted,  whereas  in  Israel  itself 
this  birth  appears  to  have  been  treated  as  a  secret 
in  the  narrow  circle  of  the  initiated.     Else  why 
had  Herod  heard  nothing  of  it? 

4.  On   xlv.  7.     "  Fanatici  homines  hanc  mali 


CHAP.  XLV.  1-7. 


503 


vocem  detorquent,  acsi  Dens  mail,  i.  e,  peccati  auctor 
esset.  Sed  facile  apparel,  quam  praepostere  hocpro- 
phetae  testimonio  abutantur.  Antithesis  enim  id 
satis  explicat,  cujus  membra  inter  se  referri  debent. 
Nam  opponit  pacein  malo  i.  e.  aerutnnis,  bellis,  re- 
busque  omnibus  adversis.  Quod  si  justitiam  malo 
opponeret,  aliquid  haberent  coloris;  verum  haec  con- 
trarium  inter  se  rerum  oppositio  a-perta  est.  Idea 
vulgaris  distinctio  non  improbanda  est,  Deum  mali 
esse  auctorem,  non  ciilpae  sed  poenae."  CALVIN. 
*'  Alria  Toy  &.ofi!Vtru  Oeof  6e  avairiot"  PLATO. 
"  Is  all  in  the  world  well-ordered  and  sure,  then 
not  a  single  thing  can  be  taken  away  without  all 
collapsing  or  losing  its  harmony,  just  as  little  as 
in  a  well-ordered  building.  Therefore  the  Scrip- 
ture has  often  declared  that  misfortune  as  well  as 
fortune,  evil  as  well  as  good  is  under  the  govern- 
ment of  God.  'I  form  the  light,  and  create  dark- 
ness ;  I  make  peace  and  create  evil ;  I  the  LORD 
do  all  these  things.'  Says  another  Prophet : 
''Shall  there  be  evil  in  a  city,  and  the  LORD  hath 
not  done  it?'  Amos  iii.  6.  Comp.  also  Lam.  iii. 
37,  38.  So,  too,  in  the  New  Testament  the  Lord 
and  His  disciples  declare  in  the  case  of  the 
blackest  iniquity,  that  all  happens  according  to 
the  will  of  God.  '  For  of  a  truth  against  thy 
holy  child  Jesus,  Pontius  Pilate,  with  the  Gen- 
tiles and  the  people  of  Israel  were  gathered 
together,  for  to  do  whatsoever  thy  hand  and  thy 
counsel  determined  before  to  be  done,'  Acts  iv. 
27,28."  THOLUCK. 

5.  On  xlv.  8.     "  Ccleber  hie  locus  est  in  ecclesia 
Papistarum  et  illustre  cu-gumentum  ignorantiae,  quod 
ad  beatam  virr/inem  eum  accomodarunt.     Nos  autem 
scimus,  agi  in  hoc  capite  de  promissa  liberatione  per 
C'i/rum.    Hie  igitur  locus  mimeticus  est.  .  .  .     Quasi 
dicant  Israclitae :  Ecce  sumus  privati  sacerdotio  et 
regno,  tcmplo  et  omni  cultu-  Dei,  translati  sumus  in 
gentes.     Ibi  respondent  nobis  pcccata   nostra.  .  .  . 
Quare  0  coeli  rorate  et  depluite  junlitiam,  quae  nisi 
desuper  in  nos  effundalur,  actum  est."  LUTHER. 
The   Roman   Catholic   church,  on  the  18th  of 
December  (the  Festival  of  ''  the  expectation  of 
the  lying-in  of  Mary")  celebrates  the  so-called 
Rorate-mass,  named  thus  from  the  introductory 
words :  Rorate  Coeli  desuper,  etc.     Comp.  HERZ. 
B.-Enc.  I.  p.  134. 

6.  On  xlv.  11.     "The   peculiar  and   greatest 
gift  that  parents  can  bestow  on  their  children  is 
the  discipline  of  the  inner  man  and  a  bringing  up  to 
God's  word.     It  is  written  :  '  And  the  LORD  said, 
Shall  I  hide  from  Abraham  that  thing  which  I 
do ;  seeing  that  Abraham  shall  surely  become  a 
great  and  mighty  nation,  and  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth  shall  be  blessed  in  him  ?     For  I  know 
him  that  he  will  command  his  children  and  his 
household  af;er  him,  and  they  shall  keep  the  way 
of  the  LORD,  to  do  justice  and  judgment,'  Gen. 
xviii.  17-19.     So  highly  did  God  esteem  in  His 
servant  Abraham  the  nurture  of  his  children  in 
piety !   Thus  parents  may  deserve  heaven  or  hell 
merely  by  the  education  of  their  children.     And 
when  the  apostle  says  of  the  woman  :  '  Notwith- 
standing she  shall  be  saved  in  child-bearing,  if 
they  continue  in  faith  and  charity  and  holiness 
with   sobriety'    (1    Tim.   ii.  15),   he  means  not 
merely  that  she  bear,  but  also,  as  essentially  a  part 
of  it,  that  she  educate,  if  she  therefore  herself 
continue  in  the  faith,  and  thus  also  may  under- 


stand how  to  bring  her  children  up  to  faith." 
THOLUCK. 

7.  [On  xlv.  14.     "  The  idea  indicated  by  this 
is,   that  there  would  be  a  condition   of  anxious 
solicitude  among  heathen  nations  on  the  subject 
of  true  religion,  and  that  they  would  seek  coun- 
sel and  direction  from  those  who  were  in  posses- 
sion of  it.     Such  a  state  has  already  existed  to 
some  extent  among  the  heathen  ;  and  the  Scrip- 
tures, I  think,  lead  us  to  suppose  that  the  final 
spread  and   triumph   of  the  gospel  will  be  pre- 
ceded by  such  an  inquiry  prevailing  extensively 
in  the  heathen  world.     God  will  show  them  the 
folly  of  idolatry  ;     He   will   raise  up  reformers 
among  themselves  ;  the  extension  of  commercial 
intercourse  will  acquaint  them  with  the  compara- 
tive happiness   and   prosperity  of  Christian  na- 
tions ;    and  the  growing    consciousness  of  their 
own   inferiority    will    lead    them   to   desire  that 
which    has    conferred    so    extensive    benefits   on 
other  lands,  and  lead  them  to  come  as  suppliants 
and  ask  that  teachers  and  the  ministers  of  reli- 
gion may  be  sent  to  them.     One  of  the  most  re- 
markable characteristics  of  the  present  time  is, 
that  heathen  nations  are  becoming  increasingly 
sensible  of  their  ignorance  and  comparative  de- 
gradation ;  that  they  welcome  the  ministers  and 
teachers  sent  out  from    Christian  lands ;  the  in- 
creased commerce  of  the  world  is  thus  preparing 
the  world  for  the   final   spread  of  the  Gospel." 
BARNES.     Some  of  the  most  wonderful  illustra- 
tions of    the  foregoing    remarks   have   occurred 
since  they  Were  penned,  e.g.,  Japan. — TR.]. 

8.  On  xlv.  15.     "As  God   the  LORD  is  Him- 
self a  hidden  God,   and  said   He  will  dwell  in 
darkness,  it  has  therefore  seemed  good  to  Him  to 
hide  llii?  children  in  this  world  under  so  much 
affliction,    contumely,    contempt,    poverty,    sick- 
ness, simplicity,  weakness,  sin,  etc.,  that  often  not 
only  the  world,  but  believers   themselves  cannot 
reconcile  themselves  to  it."   SCRIVER,  Seelcnsclialz, 
Theil   II.  10,  Pred.  §26. 

9.  On  xlv.  17.     "  Even   the  ancient  Jews  ex- 
plained this  to  refer  to  the   Messiah.     But  what 
is  said  here  of  Israel  applies,  according  to  the 
quality  of  the  New  Testament,  to  the  whole  hu- 
man race  (xliii.  24).     The  grace  on  Israel  shall 
be  everlasting,  and  as  it  has  been  from  everlast- 
ing, so  through  the  Messiah  it  shall  be  continued 
to  everlasting.     For  the  religion  of  the  Messiah 
leads  -everything  out  of  time  into  the  blessed  eter- 
nitv.     Hence   He   is   called   the  Rock  of  Ages 
(xxvi.  4)  that  gives  to  the  redeemed  everlasting 
joy  (xxxv.  10),  an  everlasting  name  that  shall 
not  be  cut  off  (Ivi   5),  everlasting  glory  (lx.  15), 
the  ground  of  which  is  the  everlasting  righteous- 
ness (Dan.  ix.  24)."  STARKE. 

10.  On  xlv.  19.  "The  heavenly  wisdom  would 
have  itself  proclaimed  in  clear  light,  and  not  in 
the  darkness.     Hence  Christ  also  said  that  what 
his  disciples  heard  in  the  ear   they  should  pro- 
claim  from  the  house-top    (Matth.  x.  27).     As, 
on   the  contrary,   all   false   teachers  are  sneaks, 
they  do  not  go  straight  forward,   but  cloak  their 
doing  and  doctrine  with  a  false  appearance  and 

sheep-clothing  (Matth.  vii.  15)."  CRAMER. 

["In  the  language  here,   there  is  a   remarkable 
resemblance  to  what  the  Saviour  said  of  Himself, 
and  it  is  not  improbable  that  he  had  this  passage 
in  His  mind :  '  I  spake  openly  to  the  world ;  I 


504 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


ever  taught  in  the  synagogue,  and  in  the  temple, 
whither  the  Jews  always  resort;  and  in  secret 
have  I  said  nothing.'  Jno.  xviii.  20."  BARNES.] 

11.  On  xlv.  22-25.  "This  text   is   one  of  the 
most   important    in    Isaiah.      The   person   that 
speaks  in  it  is  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of  God,  be- 
cause He  calls  Himself  in  the  context  (ver.  15) 
the  Saviour  and  attributes  to  Himself  the  everlast- 
ing redemption  (ver.  17);  because  through  Him 
all  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed  (John 
iii.  16 ;  Acts  iv.  12) ;  because  what  is  said  here  in 
ver.  23  of  the  oath,  the  Son  of  God  certifies  of 
Himself  (Gen.  xxii.  16) ;  because  in  Christ  we 
have  righteousness  and  strength  (ver.  24 ;  1  Cor. 
i.  30) ;  because  that  every  knee  shall  bow  to  Him 
is  declared  to  refer  to  Christ  (Phil.  ii.  9  sqq.). 
STARKE. 

12.  On  xlv.  23.  "  Concessum  est  homini  christi- 
ani  jurare.      Fundamenta   adversus   Anabaptistas 
haec  sunt:  1)  Mandatum   Dei:  Deut.  vi.  13; 
2)  Exempla  a.   Jehovae:    Gen.    xxii.    16;  Jer. 
xxii.  5;  li.  14;  Amos  vi.  8;  b.  Christi:  hoc  loco 
itemque,  Joh.  xvi.  23;  c.  Anyeli:  Apoc.  x.  6;  d. 
Sanctorum:  Abrahami,  Gen.  xiv.  22  ;  Davidis,  1 
Kgs.  i.  13;  Pauli,  2  Cor.  i.  23.     3)  Ratio,  quid 
juramentum  est  species  cultus  Dei  ut  iterum  hoc  loco 
et  infra  cap.  xlviii.  1  et  quidem  talis,  qui  maxime 
commendatur  (Ps.  Ixiii.  12)."  FOERSTER. 

HOMILETICAL,   HINTS. 

1.  On  xlv.  1-7.  THE  MISSIONARY  WORK  OF 
CYRUS  A  TYPE  OF  OUR  OWN.     1)  The  task  of 
Cyrus  is  also  our  own.     For  Cyrus  was  o.  to  lead 
back  Israel  inwardly  to  its  God,  and  also  to  re- 
store outwardly  the  service  of  the  LORD  among 
the  people  that  returned  home.     So,  too,  must 
we  convert  Israel  inwardly  to   its  Saviour  (the 
testimony  of  the  heathen  must  provoke  Israel  to 
zeal,  Rom.  xi.  11),  and  contribute  to  the  restora- 
tion of  the  true  worship  of  Jehovah  (Jno.  iv.  23 
eq.)  and  of  the  spiritual  kingdom  of  David.     6. 
Cyrus  was  to  bring  also  the   heathen,   East  and 
West,  to  the  knowledge  of  the  true  God  (vers.  6, 
7).     We  should  do  the  same  by  bringing  to  them 
the  knowledge  of  the  Triune  God  and  of  salva- 
tion, that  is  come  to  all  men  by  the  Son  becoming 
man. — 2)  The  promise  given  to  Cyrus  in  regard 
to  the  execution  of  his  task.     All  opponents  will 
bow  before  him,   all   gates  open,  etc.,  vers.  1-3. 
So,  too,  our  work,  as  the  cause  of  God,  will  con- 
quer in  spite  of  all  resistance ;  the  doors  of  hearts 
will  open,  and  we  shall  gain  those  hearts  that 
are  born  of  God  and   made   susceptible   of  the 
truth  as  precious  spoil. 

["  Now  that  which  God  here  promised  to  do 
for  Cyrus,  He  could  have  done  for  Zerubbabel  or 
BOine  of  the  Jews  themselves  ;  but  the  wealth  and 
power  of  this  world  God  has  seldom  seen  fit  to 
entrust  His  own  people  with  much  of,  so  many 
are  the  snares  and  temptations  that  attend  them. 
But  if  there  has  been  occasion,  for  the  good  of 
the  Church,  to  make  use  of  them,  God  has  been 
pleased  rather  to  put  them  into  the  hands  of 
others,  to  be  employed  for  them,  than  to  venture 
them  in  their  own  hands."  M.  HENR^] 

2.  On  xlv.  8.  A  great  favorite  in  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  as  an  Advent  text  (on  account 
of  their  reference  of  the  Rorate  to   the   Virgin 
Mary),  but  which  has  been  much  and  variously 


used  by  Protestant  preachers.  Comp.  e.  g.  the 
Rorate  propheticum  of  JOH.  FORTUMANNUS  (in 
Wernigerode)  three  Advent  sermons  on  Isa.  xlv. 
8,  Wittenberg,  1625. — The  salvation  of  men  de- 
pends on  heaven  and  earth  continuing  in  right 
relation  to  one  another.  They  must  not  be  sepa- 
rated, but  must  co-operate.  The  heaven  must 
incline  to  the  earth,  fructifying  it;  the  earth 
must  open  up  receptively.  A"S  fruits  of  the  field 
are  conditioned  on  the  ground  being  fruitful  and 
well  plowed,  while  the  heaven  gives  rain  and 
sunshine ;  so  the  salvation  of  souls  depends  on 
hearts  rightly  opening  themselves  to  the  fructi- 
fying influences  from  above.  This  thought  is 
especially  brought  home  to  us  by  the  Advent. 
The  Lord's  Advent  is  heavenly  dew  for  a  thirsty 
land.  I )  The  Lord  came  once  with  His  holy  per- 
son as  Lamb  of  God  and  Second  Adam.  2)  He 
conies  continually  with  His  Spirit  and  gifts,  a.  by 
the  daily  bread  of  His  grace  in  the  word  and  sac- 
rament ;  b.  by  the  annual  bread  of  the  Church's 
feasts,  especially  now  of  the  feast  of  the  Advent, 
by  which  He  quite  especially  extends  to  us  the 
blessing  of  His  personal  coming.  3)  We  only 
become  truly  partakers  of  this  blessing  if  we  are  ''  a 
thirsty  land,"  i.  e.  if  we  hunger  and  thirst  after 
righteousness.  Conclusion :  Therefore  where 
heaven  above  drops  down  and  the  clouds  rain 
righteousness,  and  the  earth  on  the  other  hand 
opens  itself  up,  there  righteousness  grows  and 
salvation  will  be  brought  forth. 

3.  On  xlv.  9-13.  In  great  distress  and  conflict 
one  is  often  tempted  to  strive  witli  his  Maker 
and  to  say :  Ah,  why  was  I  born  ?     This  is  wrong. 
We  ought  never,  even  in  the  greatest  distress,  to 
forget  that  we  have  a  God  that  can  help  and  will 
help.     1)  God  can  help,  for  a.  He  made  heaven 
and  earth  (ver.  12) ;  b.  He  especially  made  known 
His  power  to  the  people  of  Israel  in  their  greatest 
distress  by  raising  up  the  heathen  prince  himself, 
in  whose  land  they  were  captives,  to  be  their 
friend  and  deliverer  (ver.  13).     2)  He  will  help, 
for  we  are  His  children  and  the  work  of  His  hands 
(ver.  11).     Therefore  in  every  distress  we  ought 
believingly  to  let  ourselves  be  pointed  to  Him. 

4.  [On  xlv.  15.     l'l)    God  hid  Himself  when 
He  brought  them  into  the  trouble,  hid  Himself 
and  was  wroth,  Ivii.  17.     Note :  Though  God  be 
His  people's  God  and  Saviour,  yet  sometimes, 
when  they  provoke  Him,  He  hides  Himself  from 
them  in  displeasure,  suspends  His  favors,  and  lays 
them  under  His  frowns :  but  let  them  wait  upon 
the  Lord  that  hides  His  face,  viii.  17.     2)  He  hid 
Himself  when  He  was  bringing  them  out  of  the 
trouble.     Note :  When  God  is  acting  as  Israel's 
God  and  Saviour  commonly  -His  way  is  in  the  sea, 
Ps.  Ixxvii.  19.     The  salvation  of  the  Church  is 
carried  on  in  a  mysterious  way,  by  the  Spirit  of 
the  LORD    of    hosts   working  on   men's  spirits 
(Zech.  iv.  6),  by  weak  and  unlikely  instruments, 
small  and  accidental  occurrences,  and  not  wrought 
till  the  last  extremity ;  but  this  is   our  comfort, 
though  God  hide  Himself,  we  are  sure  He  is  the 
God  of  Israel,  the  Saviour.     See   Job  xxxv.  14. 
M.  HENRY.] 

5.  [On  xlv.  18,  19.     That  the  Lord  we  serve 
and  trust  in  is  God  alone  appears  by  the  two  great 
lights,  that  of  nature  and  that  of  revelation.     I.  By 
the  light  of  nature :  for  He  made  the  world,  and 
therefore  may  justly  demand  its  homage.     1)  He 


CHAP.  XLVI.  1-4. 


505 


formed  it.  It  is  not  a  rude  and  indigested  chaos, 
out  cast  into  the  most  proper  shape  and  size  by 
Infinite  Wisdom.  2)  He  fixed  it,  Ps.  xxiv.  2 ; 
Job  xxvi.  7.  3)  He  fitted  it  for  use  and  for  the 
service  of  man.  He  did  not  create  it  to  be  empty. 
Ps.  viii.  II.  It  appears  by  the  light  of  revela- 
tion. His  oracles  far  exceed  those  of  Pagan  dei- 
ties, as  well  as  His  operations  (ver.  19).  The 
preference  is  here  placed  in  three  things :  All 
that  God  has  said  is  plain,  satisfactory  and  just. 
1)  In  the  manner  of  its  delivery  it  is  plain  and 
open.  Not  in  mutterings  and  ambiguities  issuing 
from  dens  and  caverns  (viii.  19),  but  like  the 
law  was  given  from  the  top  of  Mt.  Sinai.  Prov. 
i.  20;  viii.  1-3;  Hab.  ii.  2;  Jno.  xviii.  20.  2) 
In  the  use  and  benefit  of  it  it  was  highly  satis- 
factory. I  said  not:  Seek  ye  me  in  vain.  3)  In 
the  matter  of  it  it  was  incontestably  just,  conso- 
nant to  the  eternal  rules  and  reasons  of  good  and 
evil.  The  heathen  deities  dictated  those  things 
to  their  worshippers  which  were  the  reproach  of 


human  nature  and  extirpated  virtue.  See  Comm- 
above  on  ver.  19,  last  clause.  Comp.  Rom.  iii. 
26.  After  M.  HENKY.— TK.] 

6.  On  xlv.  22-25.  MISSIONARY  SERMON. 
''  Whither  must  every  missionary  anniversary 
turn  our  eyes?  1)  To  the  interior  of  Christen- 
dom for  proper  examination  ;  2)  to  the  heathen 
world  for  urgent  warning;  3)  to  Israel  for  cheer- 
ing comfort."  LANGBEIN.  [On  ver.  22.  "The 
invitation  proves,  1)  That  the  offers  of  the  gospel 
are  universal ;  2)  That  God  is  willing  to  save  all, 
or  He  would  not  give  the  invitation ;  3)  That 
there  is  ample  provision  for  their  salvation — 
since  God  would  not  invite  them  to  accept  of 
what  was  not  provided  for  them.  4)  That  it  is 
His  serious  and  settled  purpose  that  all  the  ends 
of  the  earth  shall  be  invited  to  embrace  the  offers 
of  life  (Mar.  xvi.  15).  And  now  it  appertains  to 
His  Church  to  bear  the  glad  news  of  salvation 
around  the  world,  and  on  it  rests  the  responsibility 
of  seeing  this  speedily  executed."  BARNES.] 


VII.— THE  SEVENTH  DISCOURSE. 

The  overthrow  of  the  Babylonian  idols,  and  the  gain  that  Israel  shall  derive  from  it 

for  its  knowledge  of  God. 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 

1.    ISRAEL   SHALL   KNOW   ITS  GOD   FROM   THE   DIFFERENCE  BETWEEN  HIM 
WHO  BEARS  AND  THE  IDOLS  THAT  ARE  BORNE. 

CHAPTER  XLVI.  1-4. 

1  BEL  boweth  down,  Nebo  stoopeth, 

Their  idols  "were  upon  the  beasts,  and  upon  the  cattle : 
bYour  carriages  were  heavy  loaden  ; 
They  are  a  burden  to  the  weary  beast. 

2  They  stoop,  they  bow  down  together  ; 
They  could  not  deliver  the  burden, 
But  Hhemselves  are  gone  into  captivity. 

3  Hearken  unto  me,  O  house  of  Jacob, 

And  all  the  remnant  of  the  house  of  Israel, 
Which  are  borne  by  me  from  the  belly, 
Which  are  carried  from  the  womb : 

4  And  even  to  your  old  age  I  am  he  ; 

And  even  to  hoar  hairs  will  I  carry  you : 

I  have  made,  and  I  will  bear  ; 

Even  I  will  carry,  and  I  will  deliver  you. 


i  Heb.  their  soul. 

»  are  to  the  beast  and  to  the  cattle. 

TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :    Ver.  1. 

y-o-D-ip-rnK^J-  ver.  3.  lyntf. 

'  -  T          -IT  ••„   : 

Ver.  1.  J7^D  and  Dip  mean  "to  bow,  bend  one's-self, 
to  fall  down."  D">p  is  kindred  to  the  unused  root  tJH3 
from  which  comes* 'W13  "belly,"  (Bauch,comp.  beugen) 
Jer.  li.  34.— It  is  likely  no  accident  that  after  73  JH3 tne 


*  Your  carried  images  are  loaded  up. 

GRAMMATICAL. 

discourse  does  not  continue  with  133   D^p,  but  we  have 

-IT 
instead  the  particip.  D"^P-    I*  seems  to  me  nearly  ae- 

fordant  with  Isaiah's  way,  to  assume  that  he  intends  by 
this  participle  an  allusion  to  CH3,  an  allusion  whose 
justification  is  still  more  strengthened  by  the  addition 
of  VT3  and  tj?13-  Then  the  sense  becomes,  that  to 

*  -  - 


506 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


who  attacks,  there  will  be  a  corresponding 

*3)  and  a_jp3  on  the  part  of  the  attacked. X'i 

n2\i' 7  an  appositional  added  clause;  thefem.  is  likely 
occasioned  by  the  preceding  HTl  and  DDrQ;  unless 
one  takes  the  fern,  in  n  neuter  sense. 

Ver.  2.  gSo  originally  signifies  "  to  be  smooth,  slip- 
pery "   (comp.   £0"O   and   D/3),  the    Piel  then  means 

-  T  -T 

"  to  make  smooth,  slippery,"  and  thus  to  make  fit  for 
slipping  away,  falling  out.  Hence  the  meaning  "  to  let 


slip  away,"  of  eggs  (xxxiv.  15)  and  of  the  foetus  (in  the 

Hiph.  Ixvi.  7). $2J  means  here  the  life-centre  in 

antithesis  to  the  periphery :  the  person,  the  proper  I  or 
self.  Thus  $3J  is  n°t  unfrequently  used  to  strengthen 
the  pronoun,  in  order  to  express  the  notion  "self,"  or 
to  emphasize  it  (comp.  e.g.,  Hos  ix.  4;  Jer.  xxvi.  19; 
xxxvii.  9). 

Ver.  3.  D'DOJ,'!!  and  D'NtJOn  are  in  apposition  with 

ivyi  Ira  and  "  '2 


EXEGliTICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  reverse  of  the  foregoing  picture  is  now 
presented.     There  we  have  the  victor;  now  we 
see  the  fate  of  the  vanquished.    But  first  it  is  the 
central  point  and  refuge  of  the  vanquished  whose 
disgraceful  end  is  set  before  us.     The  idols   of 
Babylon,  of  which  Bel  and  Nebo  are  named  as 
the  chief  representatives,  must  come  down  from 
the  places  of  honor  where  they  were  enthroned. 
Their  images  are  loaded  on  beasts  of  burden  to 
go  into  captivity  (vers.  1,  2).     From  the  contrast 
Israel  may  learn  the  lofty  nature  of  its  God.    No 
one  bears  Him  forth.     On  the  contrary  He  has 
borne  Israel  with  maternal  love  from  the  time  of 
its  birth,  and  will  continue  to  carry  it  when  no 
longer  a  child,  but  an  old  man  (vers.  3,  4). 

2.  Bel  boweth into  captivity. — Vers. 

1,  2.     There  have  been  found  in  the  library  of 
king  Asurbanipal  two  tablets  of  terra  cotta,  which 
contain  two  lists,  one  of  the  Assyrian,  the  other 
of  Uie  Babylonian  superior  gods  (see  SCHRADER, 
Assyrisch-IJiblisches  in  Stud.  u.   Kr.,  1874,  p.  324 
sqq.).     From  these  it  appears  that  the  Assyrians 
and  Babylonians  had  a  system  of  gods  ranged  in 
four  grades.      At  the  summit  was  the  highest, 
transcendent  god,  by  the  Assyrians  called  Asur, 
by  the   Babylonians  Ilu,  El    (with   the  female 
deity  Istar,  Astarte).     Following   these,  in   the 
second  grade,  are  three  gods,  also   belonging  it 
would  seem  to  the  unseen  world  :  Ann,  Bel  or 
Bil  and  I — o  (Ao).     In  Babylonian  and  Assy- 
rian these  three  bsar  the  same  names.     Then  in 
a  third  grade,  follow  three  gods  of  heaven   be- 
longing to  the  visible  world,  which  again   are 
named  alike  in  both  languages :  Sin,  the  moon- 
god,  Samoa,  the  sun-god   and   Bin,  the  air-god. 
Finally,  in  the  fourth  degree  appear  the  planet- 
gods,  of  which  the  Assyrian  list  names  five  (Mar- 
duk,  Merodach,  i.  e.,  Jupiter;  Istar,  i.  e.,  Astarte, 
Venus;  Adar  =  Saturn;  Nirgal  =  Mars;  Na- 
bu,  Nebo  =  Mercury),  the  Babylonian  however 
names   only  two   male  and    two  corresponding 
female    divinities:     Marduk    (Merodach)    with 
Zarpanituv  (Zirbanit)  and  Nabiuv  (Nebo)  with 
Tasmituv  (Tasmit).     From  this  it  appears  that 
Bel  has  the  second  place  in  the  second  degree, 
and  Nebo  the  last  place  in   the  lowest  degree. 
Bel  (comp.  further  on  it  SCHRADER,  Die  Keilin- 
schri/t.  etc.,  p.  80  sq.),  belongs  to  the  divinities  of 
the  transcendent,  invisible  world,  whereas  Nebo 
as  a  planet-god  corresponds  to  Mercury.     He  is 
the  X'JJ,  the  "  revealing  "  god,  and  was,  in  the 
period  of  the  later  Chaldean  kingdom  along  with 
Merodach,  the  chief  god  of  the  Babylonians,  so 
that  most  of  the  kings  named  themselves  after 
him  (Nabopolassar,  Nebuchadnezzar,  Nabonned). 
Comp.  SCHRADER,  I.  c.  p.  272. 


The  highly  honored  images  of  the  gods,  else 
only  served  by  human  hands,  are  now  distributed 
among  the  beasts  and  the  cattle,  i.  e.,  partly  the 
tamed  wild  beasts,  as  elephants  and  partly  the 
tame  domestic  beasts,  as  the  camel  and  the  ass. 
!"rn  as  designation  of  the  animalia  ar/restia  and 
riOPl3  as  designation  of  animalia  domestica  recur 
often  conjoined  :  Gen.  i.  24,  25  ;  iii.  14  ;  vii.  14, 
21 ;  viii.  1 ;  Lev.  xxv.  7,  etc.  The  cattle  have 
therefore  the  chief  work  to  do  with  them,  which 
consists  in  toilsome  bearing.  What  a  shame  for 
a  god  to  be  so  heavy  !  A  god  ought  to  be  spirit 
and  light,  and  therefore  imponderable !  There 
is  frequent  mention  of  carrying  forth  the  gods  of 
a  conquered  nation,  partly  as  spoil,  partly  out  of 
religious  policy :  x.  10  sq. ;  Jer.  xlviii.  7  ;  xlix. 
3  (comp.  1  Sam.  v.  1  sqq.).  Comp.  also  the  in- 
scription of  Sargon  quoted  under  xx.  1.  filXtyj, 
"  gestata,  gestamina,  carried  images,"  comp.  ver. 
7;  xlv.  20;  Amos  v.  26;  Jer.  x.  5.  NtfJ 
means  carrying  in  general.  Dp.J?  only  "to  carry, 
load  up  a  heavy  burden  (freight)  ;"  comp.  Gen. 
xliv.  13  ;  Ps.  Ixviii.  20  ;  Zech.  xii.  3.  Thus  the 
Prophet  says,  "your  HlXfrj  are  become  rODO;?," 
and  designates  thereby  a  progress  in  deterius. 
How  this  is  so  he  says  by  the  appositional  clause 
a  burden  to  the  weary,  viz.:  beast. 

What  is  said  ver.  1  of  Bel  and  Nebo  is  gen- 
eralized in  ver.  2.  All  the  gods  together  must 
bow  and  fall  down.  They  are  not  able  to  slip 
off,  let  go  the  load.  (See  Text,  and  Gram.}. 
In  these  words  and  in  the  following  their  soul 
(person)  is  gone  into  captivity  (see  Text,  and 
Gram.),  the  Prophet  proceeds  on  the  distinction 
between  the  idols  themselves,  the  (relatively) 
transcendent  numinibus  and  the  simulacris  repre- 
senting these ;  a  distinction  that  heathen  belief 
made  in  thesi  at  least  originally,  but  gradually 
in  praxi  carried  out  with  as  little  consistency  as 
does  the  Romish  church  with  its  images  of  the 
saints  (comp.  FRIEDR.  NAEGELSBACH,jVacAAo?ner, 
Theol.  des  griech.  Volksglaubens,  I.  §  3,  and  V. 
\  11).  Thus  the  meaning  of  our  passage  is  they 
are  not  able  to  bring  it  about  that  the  burden  of 
the  images  shall  slip  away  (viz. :  from  the  hands 
of  the  enemy)  as  some  smooth,  slippery  object. 
Were  the  gods  of  the  heathen  really  gods,  the 
Prophet  would  say,  then  they  would  be  able  to 
effect  this,  massive  as  they  are.  In  that  case  the 
distinction  between  the  god  and  his  image  would 
be  justified.  But  as  the  gods  do  not  deliver  their 
images,  it  results  that  there  is  no  distinction  be- 
tween them,  and  the  gods  are  not  something 

better  and   higher.      They  are  in   fact  D1  T?N. 


CHAP.  XLVI.  5-7. 


507 


nothings.  If  the  image  goes  into  captivity,  then 
in  fact  the  idol  himself  is  dragged  forth,  all  that 
belongs  to  his  substance,  for  out  of  the  image  he 
does  not  exist.  Babylon  was  especially  rich  in 
extraordinarily  costly  images  of  the  gods.  Read 
e.  g.,  in  HERODOTUS  (I.  183)  the  description  of 
the  colossal,  golden  images  in  the  temple  of  Bel, 
which  moreover  neither  Cyrus  nor  Darius  Hy- 
staspis  touched,  notwithstanding  the  Persian  re- 
ligion recognized  no  worship  of  images.  It  was 
Xerxes  that  lirst  took  away  the  massive  golden 
image  twelve  yards  high  I^HEROD.  /.  c.). 

3.    Hearken  unto  me deliver  you. — 

Vers.  o,  4  These  verses  form  an  admirable  con- 
trast with  vers.  1,  2.  The  gods  are  carried  to 
their  disgrace;  Jehovah  carries  His  people.  And 
He,  the  strong  One,  carries  them  as  tenderly  and 
lovingly  as  a  mother  her  child.  Because  He 
would  say  something  earnest  and  important, 
He  summons  the  people  to  give  special  heed  : 
hearken  unto  me.  It  is  little  probable,  in 
my  opinion,  that  ''house  of  Jacob"  means 
Judah,  while  all  the  remnant  of  the  house 
of  Israel  means  Israel  that  in  the  Assyrian 
Exile  was  already  for  the  most  part  denational- 
ized. First,  /3  seems  to  me  to  conflict  with  that, 
and  then  the  Prophet  no  where  else  designates 
the  Israel  exiled  in  Assyria  as  IVIIUtf.  This  ex- 
pression ("remnant")  is  an  honorable  title  de- 
signating the  quintessence  of  the  whole  nation, 
without  distinction  of  tribe,  that  remains  after 
all  siftings  (comp.  vi.  13 ;  x.  20  sqq.).  This 
quintessence  belongs  to  the  last  time,  the  old  age 
of  the  nation.  I  find,  therefore,  a  reference  in 

the  expression  to  ver.  4  c,  and  that  by  73  the 
thought  is  expressed  that  we  find  e.  g.,  Jer.  iii. 
14,  viz. :  that  no  one  belonging  to  the  ''remnant," 


even  though  he  may  dwell  most  concealed  and 
solitary,  will  be  forgotten.  In  what  follows,  the 
motherly  love  of  God  is  described.  For  God  is 
Father  and  Mother  in  one  person,  and  His  love 
bears  not  only  a  masculine  but  also  a  feminine 
character  (comp.  xlii.  14  ;  xlix.  15  ;  Ixvi.  9,  13). 
AIL  Israel,  at  once  after  its  birth,  "  from  the 
belly"  or  "womb,"  thus  immediately  after  its 
entrance  on  history  as  a  nation  (Jer.  ii.  2j,  has 
been  born  in  the  arms  by  the  LORD,  as  a  mother 
carries  her  little  child  (comp.  Ixiii.  9).  The 
form  :  'JO  (only  here  in  Isaiah  comp.  \3O  xxx. 
11)  is  meant  likely  to  impart  an  emphasis  to  the 
notion  involved  in  the  preposition  :  as  if  from 
the  mother's  womb.  But  Jehovah  was  not  a 
mother  only  to  the  youthful  Israel ;  He  con- 
tinues so  when  it  has  become  old  ;  and  even  to 
old  age  (Israel's  of  course)  I  am  the  same, 
ver.  4  (comp.  xli.  4).  This  is  something  that  does 
not  otherwise  happen.  Only  small  children  are 
carried,  not  men  and  the  old.  But  Jehovah  de- 
votes to  Israel  this  maternal  care,  mutatis  mu- 
tandis, to  the  very  last.  Did  He  not  make  Israel, 
as  He  repeatedly  assures  them  (xliii.  7,  comp. 
xliii.  1,  21;  xliv.  2,  21,  24;  xlv.  11)?  The 
LORD,  says  the  Prophet,  will  not  forsake  His  oun 
work.  As  a  mother  at  one  moment  lifts  her  child 
over  an  obstacle,  at  another  even  carries  it  a 
stretch  in  her  arms,  until  every  difficulty  and 
danger  is  overcome,  so  the  LORD  will  do  to  Hia 
people  even  to  their  old  age,  i.  e.,  till  they  have 
reached  the  end  of  their  course.  Therefore  what 
a  difference  between  Jehovah  and  idols  !  The 
latter  let  themselves  be  borne  by  their  wor- 
shippers, and  then  they  are  borne  on  beasts  of 
burden  to  go  into  captivity.  But  Jehovah  carries 
His  people  with  maternal  tenderness  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end.  Now  who  is  God  ?  Whom 
shall  one  fear  and  love  ?  Whom  trust  ? 


2.  ISRAEL  SHALL  LEARN  TO  KNOW  ITS  GOD  BY  THE  DIFFERENCE  BE- 
TWEEN HIM  AND  THE  IMAGES  THAT  REPRESENT  HIM,  WHICH  ALSO 
MUST  BE  CARRIED. 

CHAPTER  XLVI.  5-7. 

5  To  whom  will  ye  liken  me,  and  make  me  equal, 
And  compare  me,  that  we  may  be  like? 

6  They  lavish  gold  out  of  the  bag, 
And  weigh  silver  in  the  balance, 

And  hire  a  goldsmith  ;  and  he  maketh  it  a  god : 
They  fall  down,  yea,  they  worship. 

7  They  bear  him  upon  the  shoulder,  they  carry  him, 
And  set  him  in  his  place,  and  he  standeth; 
From  his  place  shall  he  not  remove : 

Yea,  one  shall  cry  unto  him,  yet  can  he  not  answer, 
Nor  save  him  out  of  his  trouble. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words  :    Ver.  5. 

vor.  G.  Q'Sr. 

Ver.  5.  The  suffix  of  'JVD1H  is  to  be  supplied  for 


;  also 


relates  to 


HO1J1  has  for 


common  subject  the  LORD  and  the  image  that  repre- 
sents Him. 
Ver.  6.  The  entire  first  half  of  the  verse  is  subject, 


only  that  with 


there  is  a  return  from  the  parti- 


503 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


ciple  to  the  finite  verb  Q'  /I  is  derived  from  711,  "  to 
pour  out,  pour  away,  throw  away,"  from  which  there 
comes  only  a  Hiphil  form  (Lam.  i.  8),  and  the  substan- 
tive H71T  "  remotio  "  (hence  phtf  praeter). 


Ver.  7. 


(oomp.  xxv.  10)  is  conceived  of  sub- 


stantively  =  inferior  a  ejut,  the  place  lying  under  it. 
The  accusative  is  the  ace.  loci,  denoting  whither.—— 
pj?¥'  has  an  ideal,  indefinite  subject  ("  one  "  or  ';  they  "> 
to  which  the  suffixes  in  1fH3f  and  UjTEfl1  relate. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


Now  the  Prophet  shows  up  the  folly  of  that 
idolatry,  which  would  make  images  of  Jehovah 
Himself.  The  prohibition  of  this  was  impliedly 
contained  in  the  general  prohibition  of  images 
(Exodus  xx.  4;  comp.  Deut.  iv.  12,  15;  v.  8). 
Even  Aaron  trangressed  this  by  setting  up  the 
golden  calf,  which  pretended  to  be  a  symbol  of 
Jehovah  Himself  (Exod.  xxxii.  5).  The  image 
of  Gideon  (Judg.  viii.  27)  and  of  Micah  (Judg. 
xvii.  4,  13)  and  the  two  golden  calves  of  Jero- 
boam at  Bethel  and  Dan  (1  Kings  xii.  26  sqq.) 
were  trangressions  of  the  same  sort.  Comp. 
MICIIAELJS,  Laws  of  Moses,  V.,  \  245.  HENG- 
STENBERQ,  Introduc.  to  O.  Test.  II.  All  these 
symbolical  figures  of  beasts  were  of  gold  or  silver. 
It  was  only  exceptional  where,  according  to  xl. 
20,  poorer  people  contented  themselves  with 
wooden  images.  But  all  were  in  conflict  with 
the  eternal  truth  that  it  is  impossible  to  make  a 
likeness  of  the  incomparable,  invisible  God. 


It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  Prophet  began  in 
xl.  17  sqq.  his  polemic  against  idolatry  by  an  at- 
tack on  this  finer  form  of  it,  and  here  concludes 
with  just  such  an  attack.  For  in  the  Ennead  xl. 
— xlviii.,  after  our  passage,  there  does  not  occur 
again  any  actual  polemic  against  idolatry.  The 
words  of  ver.  5  recall  xl.  18,  25.  The  words 
hire  a  goldsmith  and  he  maketh,  etc.,  ver. 
6,  recall  Judg.  xvii.  4. 

In  ver.  7  the  idea  of  carrying  is  emphasized, 
not  without  reason:  that  image,  too,  made  in  the 
likeness  of  Jehovah  is  nothing  but  heavy,  vulgar 
matter,  that  needs  as  much  to  be  carried  as  those 
Babylonian  images  of  imaginary  gods.  Mani- 
festly the  Prophet  would  here  obviate  the  objec- 
tion that  images  of  Jehovah  were  not  to  be  re- 
garded like  other  idol  images.  He  answers :  Since 
they  must  be  borne,  they  are  no  better  than  the 
others. 


3. 


ISEAEL  SHALL  LEARN  TO  KNOW  THE  TRUE  GOD  FROM  HIS  PROPHESYING 
AND  FULFILLING.    CHAPTER  XLVI.  8-11. 


8  Remember  this,  and  "show  yourselves  men: 
Bring  it-  again  to  mind,  O  ye  Hransgressors. 

9  Remember  the  former  things  of  old  : 
°For  I  am  God,  and  there  is  none  else 
/  am  God,  and  there  is  none  like  me, 

10  Declaring  the  end  from  the  beginning, 

And  from  ancient  times  the  things  that  are  not  yet  done, 
Saying,  My  counsel  shall  stand, 
And  I  will  do  all  my  pleasure  : 

11  Calling  a  ravenous  bird  from  the  east, 

lfrhe  man  that  executeth  my  counsel  from  a  far  country  : 
Yea,  I  have  spoken  it,  I  will  also  bring  it  to  pass  ; 
I  have  purposed  it,  I  will  also  do  it. 


1  Hob.  The  man  of  my  counsel. 
»  be  firm. 


apostates. 


o  That. 


EXEGETICAL 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words:    Ver.  8. 
IDT  —  DV^3-     Ver.  10.   jVtftO—  and  comp 
Ver.  11.  W. 


Ver.  8.  V^C'Xnn  is  any  way  an.  Aey.  It  is  certain  that 
it  does  not  come  from  U/X,  as  Jos.  KIMCHI  maintains, 
and  after  him  VITRINGA,  ROSENMUELI.ER  (ed.  II.),  etc.  For 
what  can  '•  inflammamini,  inccndimini  "  mean  ?  The 
meanings  "  confundamini  "  "be  ashamed"  (JEROME),  or 
"be  full  of  zeal  "  (  VITBINOA)  are  certainly  much  forced. 


AND   CRITICAL. 

The  derivation  from  ^^(avSpi^ea-Oe,  comp.  1  Cor.  xvi.13) 
is,  grammatically  and  as  to  sense,  not  impossible.  For  if 
tftftffin  be  taken  as  adenominativum,  it  does  not  matter 
that  no  trace  remains  in  it  of  the  original  J  (iTX=tyjX, 
comp.  n$X).  In  the  case  of  weak  roots  Hithpalel 
(DfDlpnn,  becomes  DDIpJVI)  is  the  usual  formation. 
And'the  Prophet  might  fittingly  say,  that  Israel  ought 
at  last  to  be  a  man,  to  press  on  to  tjAiKi'a,  and  no  longer 
waver  between  Jehovah  and  idolg  (1  Kings  xviif.  21). 


CHAP.  XLVL  8-11. 


509 


cannot  be  made  out  of  t^'X  just  as  well 
may  be  made  from  p3,  because  in  the  latter 
there  was  actually  at  first  a  1,  whereas  there  was  not  in 
tJTjrt.  I  agree,  therefore,  with  those  (D.  KIMCHI,  HITZIG, 
KNOBEL,  DELITZSCH,  comp.  OLSH.,  jj  '272,  a,  and  274)  who 


derive  ^Knn  from  &&$  (Arabic  assa)  "funtavit,  sta- 
bilivit."    Of  this  tpt?K  Isaiah  uses  also  the  substantive 
D'ETttfX  xvi.  7  =  fundamenta,  i.  e.,  the  foundations  lying 
bare  as  ruins. 
Ver.  9.  ^03  stands  after  D3K  only  here.  Ccmp.  xlv.  6. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


We  have  had  what  I  may  call  two  negative 
arguments  for  the  divinity  of  Jehovah  from  the 
case  of  the  Babylonian  idols  (vers.  l-4j,  and  from 
the  symbolic  images  of  Jehovah,  that  are  no  bet- 
ter (vers.  5-7).  Here  that  positive  argument  is 
pressed  very  emphatically,  which,  by  its  being 
five  times  repeated,  prepared  for  the  mention  of 
the  name  of  Cyrus,  and  is  now  finally  mentioned 
as  the  chief  result  gained  by  that  naming.  This 
argument  is  based  on  the  assumption  that  only 
God  can  prophesy  and  fulfil  (vers.  8-10),  and  He 
will  certainly  bring  into  existence  that  bird  of 
prey  that  He  has  called  out  of  the  East  to  be  the 
executor  of  His  counsel.  Because  the  Prophet 
passes  to  another  kind  of  argument,  he  makes 
here  a  (relative)  conclusion  by  exhorting  the  peo- 
ple to  impress  well  on  their  memory  what  they 
have  just  heard  (xliii.  18  ;  xliv.  21),  and  to  lay 
it  to  heart.  This  they  were  to  do  in  order  to  be 
fixed.  (See  Text,  and  Gram.).  For  Israel  in  the 
Exile  it  was  assuredly  the  chief  task,  to  whose 
accomplishment  our  chaps,  xl.-lxvi.  were  greatly 
to  contribute,  to  be  at  last  firmly  grounded  in  the 
knowledge  of  Jehovah  and  in  His  exclusive  wor- 
ship. On  bring  it  again  to  mind  see  on  xliv. 
19.  By  a  second  Remember,  ver.  9,  the  Pro- 
phet requires  one  to  recall  the  old  prophecies  in 
the  sense  of  the  argumentation  often  used  by  him 
(comp.  xli.  21  sqq. ;  xlii.  9  ;  xliii.  8-13,  19-21  ; 
xliv.  6-10,  24-28),  by  which  as  here,  he  infers 
the  divinity  of  Jehovah  from  His  ability  to  fore- 
tell the  future,  and  that  idols  are  nothing  because 
of  their  inability  in  this  respect.  By  flUB/K"! 
and  D?1j?D,  therefore,  I  understand  things  that 
occurred  in  the  period  of  the  JVCftO  (comp.  ver. 
10)  which  look  over  hither  from  an  immeasur- 
ably distant  past  (D?iyO).  But  by  these  old 
things  the  Prophet  understands  ancient  pro- 
phecies (comp.  on  xli.  22),  as  clearly  appears 
from  ver.  10.  The  clause  with  '3  contains  what 
will  be  verified  by  looking  back  to  those  old  pro- 
phecies, viz.,  that  Jehovah  alone  is  God.  '3  is 
thus  no  causal  particle,  but=  that.  The  partici- 
pial clauses  vers.  10,  11,  declaring  from  the 
beginning  the  issue,  etc.,  contain  the  proofs  : 
remember  what  is  old,  viz.,  that  I  am  God,  as  He 
that  announces  from  the  beginning  and  fulfils  in 
its  time.  If  then  the  clause  with  '3  ver.  9  b  is 
explanatory  of  "  remember,"  etc.,  and  if  this  ex- 
planation consists  in  this,  that  the  divinity  of 
Jehovah  should  be  known  from  His  prophesying 


and  fulfilling,  then  it  is  manifest  that  one  must 
actually  tear  the  words  "  remember  the  former 
things  of  old"  from  the  context  if  he  would  have 
them  mean  an  exhortation  to  "  earnestly  search 
out  history  "  in  general,  liy  JW  see  xlv.  5,  6, 

14,  18,  21.  7X  and  DTr7N  correspond  here  in 
parallelism  as  they  do  often  not  in  parallelism 
(Exod.  xx.  5  ;  Num.  xvi.  22  ;  Josh.  xxii.  22  ;  Ps. 
1.  1,  etc.).  Apart  from  the  meaning  of  the  word 
in  itself,  the  plural  has  more  an  abstract  meaning 
=  divinity,  highest  being  (comp.  rv#p  D'JIK 
xix.  4).  Ver.  10.  The  participles  TJD,  SON,  &Op 
depend  on  the  chief  notion  to  be  proved,  thus  on 
vX  and  DTT7X,  not  on  the  secondary  notion 
For  Jehovah  is  God  as  He  who  from  the 


beginning  (before  it  germinated  xlii.  9  ;  xliii.  19  ) 
announced  the  issue. 

The  second  part  of  ver.  10  enhances  what  pre- 
cedes by  declaring  the  firm  purpose  of  carrying 
out  what  has  been  announced.  Finally  ver.  11 
presents  to  view  this  execution.  He  that  is  called 
from  the  East  (xli.  2,  25)  is  Cyrus.  He  is  com- 
pared to  a  bird  of  prey  that  swoops  on  its  quarry. 
Doubtless  the  noblest  of  the  kind,  the  eagle  is 
meant.  It  is  possible  that  tt'£'  is  radically 
kindred  to  atrbc,  but  it  is  not  proved.  The  eagle 
was  a  sacred  bird  to  the  Persians.  According  to 
XENOPHON  (Cyrop.  VII.  1,  4)  the  standard  of 
Cyrus  and  also  of  his  successors  was  an  "  aero? 
Xpovaovq  fTri  d6pa.Toc;  /LiciKpov  ai'arerafjh'Of."  Still 
in  the  time  of  the  younger  Cyrus  the  royal  stan- 
dard of  the  Persians  was  an  «erof  ^povaovf  enl 
TTfAr^f  (fTTi  f/'/loti)  avarera^vof  (XENOPH.  Anab. 
I.  10,  12).  AESCHYLUS  also  (Pers.  205-210), 
into  a  portentous  sign  that  Atossa  sees,  intro- 
duces the  Persians  under  the  image  of  an  eagle, 
the  Greeks  under  the  image  of  a  falcon.  Comp. 
DUNCKER  Gcsch.  d.  Alterth.  II.  p.  368  sq. 
1HXJ7  t^'K  is  not  here  as  in  xl.  13  the  fellow- 
counsellor,  but  the  one  called  by  God  Himself  to 
execute  His  counsel.  In  conclusion,  by  a  double 
disjunctive  clause,  the  assurance  is  emphatically 
given,  that  what  the;  LORD  has  said  and  projected 
p¥'  xxxvii.  26;  xxii.  11)  in  spirit  He  will 
surely  bring  to  pass.  Here  again,  also,  the  LORD 
pledges.  His  honor  that  His  prophecy,  long  be- 
fore announced,  shall  be  fulfilled  by  Cyrus,  and 
that  thereby  His,  Jehovah's  divinity  will  be 
proved. 


510 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


4.    GOD'S   RIGHTEOUSNESS  AND  SALVATION   MUST   COME   SPITE  OF  ISRAEL'S 
HARDNESS  OF  HEART.     CHAPTER  XLVI.  12,  13. 

12  Hearken  unto  me,  ye  stout  hearted, 
That  are  far  from  righteousness: 

13  I  bring  near  my  righteousness  ;  it  shall  not  be  far  off, 
And  my  salvation  shall  not  tarry  : 

And  I  will  aplace  salvation  in  Zion 
bFor  Israel  my  glory. 


»  give. 


t>  To. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


These  two  verses  respond  briefly  but  plainly  to 
an  objection  or  doubt  that  might  be  raised  against 
the  representations  of  vers.  1-11.  Will  Israel 
suffer  itself  to  be  led  to  the  right  knowledge  of 
God  by  the  positive  and  negative  proofs  just  pre- 
sented (vers.  1-4,  5-7),  or  even  By  the  positive 
demonstration,  when  the  prophecy  about  Cyrus 
is  fulfilled  (vers.  8-11)  ?  The  LORD  knows  that 
Israel  is  stout-hearted.  This  is  meant  in  a  bad 
sense,  like  that  described  xlviii.  4,  ''because  I 
knew  that  thou  art  obstinate,  and  thy  neck  is  an 
iron  sinew,  and  thy  brow  brass;"  comp.  Ivi.  11. 
The  obstinate,  haughty,  self-righteous  heart  is 
naturally  far  from  the  righteousness  of  God,  for 
it  has,  for  the  purpose  of  being  right,  not  the  ob- 
jective, divine  norm,  but  only  a  subjective,  self- 
made  norm.  There  were  many  such  hard,  proud 
hearts  in  Israel.  Proud  self- righteousness  charac- 
terizes the  nation  (Rom.  x.  3).  Still  the  LORD, 
whose  gifts  and  calling  are  without  repentance 
(Rom.  xi.  29),  will  fulfil  His  promises.  Note 
that  ver.  12  begins  with  hearken  unto  me,  as 
does  ver.  3.  Thus  it  appears  that  the  two  verses 
are  co-ordinated.  With  ver.  3  begins  the  proof 
of  the  threefold  gain  that  shall  come  to  Israel  by 
the  destruction  of  Babylon.  Ver.  12  mentions 
the  doubt  that  may  be  raised  against  it.  This 
close  relation  to  ver.  3  is  indicated  by  their  be- 
ginning in  the  same  way.  Ver.  13  resolves  the 
doubt  briefly  and  effectively.  The  almighty, 
gracious  will  of  God  toward  Israel  as  a  whole  is 
not  to  be  frustrated  by  the  unworthiness  of  indi- 
viduals. Spite  of  the  evil  condition  referred  to, 
ver.  12,  He  will  bring  in  his  righteousness. 
As  the  Prophet  here  expressly  distinguishes  be- 
tween righteousness  and  salvation,  we  must  take 
'•righteousness"  herein  the  sense  of  the  "quality 
cf  righteous,"  conformity  to  the  divine  will. 
["One  denotes  the  cause  and  the  other  the. effect, 
one  relates  to  God,  and  the  other  to  man.  The 
sense  in  which  salvation  can  be  referred  to  the 
righteousness  of  God  is  clear  from  chap.  i.  27. 
(See  Vol.  I.,  p.  93.)  The  exhibition  of  God's 
righteousness  consists  in  the  salvation  of  His  peo- 
ple and  the  simultaneous  destruction  of  His  ene- 
mies. To  these  two  classes  it  was  therefore  at  the 
same  time  an  object  of  desire  and  dread. — J.  A. 
ALEX.]  The  LORD  will  yet,  spite  of  the  natural 
unrighteousness  of  Israel,  raise  up  in  Israel  the 
righteousness  that  avails  with  Him.  But  thia 


is  the  precedent  condition  of  salvation. — Both 
will  come  at  the  right  time;  if  perhaps  late,  still 
not  too  late.  Then  the  city  of  Zion  will  be  full 
of  salvation,  and  the  people  full  of  the  glory  of 
Jehovah.  Thus  God's  gracious  will  toward  Is- 
rael will  be  fulfilled  under  all  circumstances. 
Even  Israel's  sins  will  not  be  able  to  prevent  its 
salvation. 

DOCTRINAL,  AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xlvi.  3,  4.  "It  is  something  that  God 
will  be  with  us,  will  strengthen  us,  help  and  pre- 
serve us  by  the  right  hand  of  His  righteousness 
(xli.  10) ;  it  is  something  that  He  calls  us  by  our 
name,  and  is  with  us  in  water  and  fire  (xliii.  1); 
it  is  something  that  He  holds  us  as  a  seal  and 
signet  ring  (Hag.  ii.  23) ;  it  is  something  that  He 
holds  us  as  the  apple  of  His  eye  (Ps.  xvii.  8), 
that  He  carries  us  on  His  wings  (Deut.  xxxii.  11), 
yea,  that  He  gathers  us  under  His  wings  ( Matth. 
xxiii.  37), — but  this  exceeds  all,  that  God  is  will- 
ing to  be  so  nearly  related  to  us,  that  He  will 
carry  us  under  His  heart,  like  a  mother  does  the 
fruit  of  her  body,  and  that  not  only  like  a  mother, 
who  carries  the  fruit  no  longer  than  nine  months, 
but  to  the  greatest  and  grayest  age.  Thus  the 
love,  fidelity,  and  services  of  God  far  exceed  all 
motherly  love,  fidelity  and  services,  great  as  these 
may  be  (xlix.  15)." — CRAMER. 

2.  On  xlvi.  5-8.  It  is  remarkable  how  deep- 
seated  in  the  natural  man  is  the  desire  to  compre- 
hend the  divinity  visibly,  in  a  corporeal  form.  But 
God  forbids  it.  First,  because  it  is  impossible  to 
represent  divinity  under  any  adequate  and  worthy 
image;  second,  because  the  danger  is  so  great 
that  the  image  will  be  taken  for  the  divinity  itself. 
God  would  be  worshipped  as  a  spirit  in  spirit 
(Jno.  iv,  24).  The  Son  of  God  appeared  in  the 
flesh,  and  if  there  ever  was  a  corporeal  form  that 
was  worthy  and  able  to  be  to  divinity  the  medium 
of  its  visible  manifestation,  then  it  was  the  corpo- 
rality  of  Christ.  But  this  was  only  visible  to  His 
contemporaries.  Were  it  necessary  to  the  church 
ever  to  have  before  its  eyes  the  bodily  figure  of 
the  LORD,  the  LORD  would  surely  have  provided 
for  that,  as  He  has  indeed  provided  that  His 
Spirit  and  word  shall  continue  preserved  to  us. 
But  men  would  certainly  have  made  an  idol  of 
the  image  of  the  LORD.  The  Roman  Catholic 


CHAP.  XL VII.  1-7. 


511 


Church  has  succeeded  in  heathenizing  what  is 
most  Christian  of  all,  by  making  the  host  in  the 
LORD'S  Supper  to  be  a  transmutation  into  the 
visible  body  of  the  LORD.  There  that  deep-seated 
heathen  tendency  finds  then  its  gratification. 
There  we  have  a  visible  image,  that  would  how- 
ever represent  the  LORD  as  an  object  of  worship. 
There  God  Himself  is  made  an  idol  1 

3.  On  xlvi.  12  sq.  Were  it  necessary  for  us 
men  to  deserve  the  coming  of  the  Redeemer  He 
would  never  come.  Can  the  physician  only 
come  when  the  sick  man  has  disposed  himself  to 
recovery  (Luke  v.  31)?  No,  it  is  just  sinners 
that  attract  the  LORD.  They  need  Him.  He 
calls  them  to  repentance,  with  them  His  right- 
eousness finds  a  place.  Bat  a  distinction  is  to  be 
made  here  between  the  heard-hearted  sinners  that 
will  not  hear  of  the  righteousness  of  God,  and 
those  sinners  that  would  willingly  be  quit  of  it. 
Were  we  men  only  of  the  former  sort,  the  door 
would  be  closed  here  on  earth  against  all  God's 
purposes  of  salvation. 

IIOMILETICAL   HINTS- 

1.  On  xlvi.  3,  4.     "  Every  Christian  ought  to 
believe  that  God  will  do  this  for  Him.     For  His 
mercies,  promised  to  us  in  Christ,  are  neither 
small  nor  few.     Far  as  the  heaven  is  from  the 
earth,  and   the  east  from  the  west,  such  is  the 
mercy  of  God,  if  we  only  abide  therein  and   do 
not  tear  ourselves  away  from   it  by  wanton  sin- 
ning.    For  we  were  not  baptized  that  we   might 
have  a  gracious  God  for   ten    or  twenty  years. 
He  would  be  our  God  in  eternity,  and  forever 
and  ever,  most  of  all  when  we  are  in  distress  and 
need  a  God  and  Helper,  as  in  the  straits  of  death 
and  other  clanger.  Therefore  we  should  be  afraid 
of   nothing,  but  have    the    certain    hope:    the 
greater  the  distress  we  encounter,  the   more  will 
God  be  near  us  with  His  help."  VEIT  DIETRICH. 

2.  On  xlvi.  3,  4.     THE  MATERNAL  LOVE  OF 
GOD.     1)  It  provides  for  all   (great  and  small). 
2)  It  ever  provides  (even  to  old  age). 

3.  On  xlvi.  5.      ''  What  we  are  and  what  we 
arc  not  wa  ever  best  learn  when  we  men  contrast 
ourselves  with  God.  Who  can  measure  how  small 
our  time  is  compared  with  His  eternity.    He  can 


and  will  challenge  us  in  everything  and  say  : 
'  to  whom  will  ye  compare  me,  that  we  may  be 
like?'  Yet  the  Psalm  attempts  it:  'A  thousand 
years  in  Thy  sight  are  but  as  yesterday  when  it 
is  past,'  and  what  to  Him  is  the  succession  of 
generations  of  men  ?"  THOLUCK. 

4.  [On  xlvi.  10.     My  counsel  shall  stand.    This 
proves,  (1.)  That  God  has  a  purpose  or  plan  in 
regard  to  human  affairs.     If    He  had  not,  He 
could  not  predict  future  events ;  (2).  That  God'p 
plan  will  not  be  frusti-ated.  He  has  power  enough 
to  secure  the  execution  of  His  designs,  and  He 
will  exert  that  power  in  order  that  all  His  plans 
may  be  accomplished.     We   may  observe,  also, 
that  it  is  a  matter  of  unspeakable  joy  that   God 

I  has  a  plan,  and  that  it  will  be  executed.  For  (1) 
if  there  were  no  plan  in  relation  to  human  things, 
the  mind  could  find  no  rest.  If  there  was  no 
evidence  that  One  Mind  presided  over  human  af- 
fairs ;  that  an  infinitely  wise  plan  had  been 
formed,  and  that  all  things  had  been  adjusted  so 
as  best  to  secure  the  ultimate  accomplishment  of 
that  plan,  everything  would  have  the  appearance 
of  chaos,  and  the  mind  must  be  filled  with  doubts 
and  distractions.  But  our  anxieties  vanish  in 
regard  to  the  apparent  irregularities  and  dis- 
orders of  the  universe,  when  we  feel  that  all 
things  are  under  the  direction  of  an  Infinite 
Mind.  (2)  If  His  plans  were  not  accomplished 
there  would  be  occasion  of  equal  doubt  and  dis- 
may. If  there  was  any  power  that  could  defeat 
the  purposes  of  God  ;  if  there  was  any  stubborn- 
ness of  matter,  or  any  inflexible  perverseness  in 
the  nature  of  mind ;  if  there  were  any  unex- 
pected and  unforeseen  extraneous  causes  that 
could  interpose  to  thwart  His  plans,  then  the 
mind  must  be  full  of  agitation  and  distress.  But 
the  moment  it  can  fasten  on  the  conviction  that 
God  has  formed  a  plan  that  embraces  all  tilings, 
and  that  all  things  which  occur  will  be  in  some 
way  made  tributary  to  that  plan,  that  moment 
the  mind  can  be  calm  in  resignation  to  His  holy 
will."  BARNES]. 

5.  On   xlvi.    12,  13.     THE    RIGHTEOUSNESS 
THAT  AVAILS  WITH  GOD.      1)  Who  brings  it 
about  (ver.  13  a) ;    2)  who  lays  hold   on  it  (not 
the  proud  and  self-righteous  ver.  12,  but  the  be- 
lieving) ;  3)  what  are  its  effects  (ver.  13  b,  salva- 
tion and  glory). 


VIII.— THE  EIGHTH  DISCOURSE. 
The  Fall  of  Babylon,  the  Causes  of  it,  and  the  Uselessness  of  the  Means  to  prevent  it. 

CHAPTER  XLVII. 

1.    THE  FALL  OF  BABYLON  AND  THE  CAUSES  OF  IT. 
CHAPTER  XLVII.  1-7. 

1  COME  down,  and  sit  in  the  dust,  0  virgin  daughter  of  Babylon, 
Sit  on  the  ground  : 

*  There  is  no  throne,  O  daughter  of  the  Chaldeans  : 
For  thou  shalt  no  more  be  called  tender  and  Melicate. 

2  Take  the  millstones,  and  grind  meal : 
Uncover  thy  "locks,  dmake  bare  the  leg, 


512 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Uncover  the  thigh,  pass  over  the  rivers. 

3  Thy  nakedness  shall  be  uncovered, 
Yea,  thy  shame  shall  be  seen : 

I  will  take  vengeance, 

"And  I  will  not  meet  thee  as  a  man. 

4  'As  for  our  redeemer,  the  LORD  of  hosts  is  his  name, 
The  Holy  One  of  Israel. 

5  Sit  thou  silent,  and  get  thee  into  darkness,  O  daughter  of  the  Chaldeans : 
For  thou  shalt  no  more  be  called,  The  lady  of  kingdoms. 

6  I  was  wroth  with  my  people, 

I  ghave  polluted  mine  inheritance, 

And  ggiven  them  into  thine  hand : 

Thou  didst  shew,  them  no  mercy ; 

Upou  the  hancieut  hast  thou  very  heavily  laid  thy  yoke. 

7  And  thou  saidst,  I  shall  be  a  lady  forever : 

So  that  thou  didst  not  lay  these  things  to  thy  heart, 
Neither  didst  remember  the  latter  end  of  it. 


•  without  a  throne. 
d  lift  up  thy  train. 
{  omit  As  for. 


voluptuous. 

And  appeal  to  no  man  about  it. 

polluted — gave. 


•  veil. 

*  aged. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Babylon,  hitherto  shining  in  splendor  and 
luxury,  is  threatened  with  extreme  degradation 
and  exposure  (vers.  1-3).     Israel  confesses  with 
joy  that  it  recognizes  its  Redeemer  in  Him  that 
does  this  (ver.  4).     The  cause  of  this  deep  down- 
fall  is  (wo-fold:  1)    the  severity  against    Israel 
that  has  exceeded  the  purpose  of  the  LORD  ;  2) 
Babylon's  secure  defiance  and  haughtiness  (vers. 
5-7). 

2.  Come  down Holy  One  of  Israel. — • 

Vers.  1-4.     The  curt,  monosyllabic   imperatives 
'3Sn  "n  are  the  expression  of  a  decided,  relent- 
less purpose.     Babylon  must  come  down,  hard  as 
it  will  be  for  it.   In  the  dust,  on  the  bare  ground, 
without  a  throne  it  must  sit,  that   hitherto  was 
used  to  be  high  enthroned.    For  from  an  empress 
it  has  become  a  slave.      But  the   slave,  as  the 
wretched  and  lowly  generally,  sits  in  the  dust 
(comp.iii.   23,  and   the  contrary  description  Hi. 
2).     Hence  the  expressions  "to  lay,  cast  in  the 
dust "  (xxvi.  5  sq. ;  Job  xvi.   15 ;    xxx.  19  ;  Ps. 
vii.  6),  "  to  lie  in  the  dust"   (Ps.  xxii.  30;  cxix. 
25),  "to  raise  from  the  dust"  (Ps.  xliii.  7;  1  Sam. 
ii.  8 ;  1  Kings  xvi.  2) ;  '-to  lick  the  dust  before 
one"  (xlix.  23;  Ps.  Ixxii.  9).     In  the  same  way 
it  is  said  that  the  mo:irner  does  not  sit  on  an  ele- 
vated seat,  but  on  the  earth  (Job  ii.  13  ;  Lam.  ii. 
10).      The  expressions  tendar  and   delicate 
(''abounding    in    voluptuousness")    are    taken 
from  Diut.  xxviii.  53,  51.     Babylon  is  described 
as  a  city  very  greatly  given  up  to  luxury  and 
voluptuousness,  not  only  in  the  Bible    (Jer.  Ii. 
39;  Dan.  v.  1  sqq. ;  comp   xxi.  5)  but   more  still 
by  profane  ^writers.     For  instance  CURTIUS,  (V. 
I.)   says:    "Nihil  urbis    ejus    corruptius   moribiis, 
nikil  ad  irritandrts  illi^iendasque  immodicas  volup- 
tates   instructi.us."     Comp.  HEROD.    I.   195,   199. 
Grinding  grain  with  a  hand  mill  was  chiefly  the 
labor  of  female  slaves,  and  it  was  even   regarded 
as  the  hardest  labor  (Exod.  xi.  5;  Matt.   xxiv. 
41;   Luke  xvii.  35).     Comp.  HERZ.  R.-Encyd. 
X.  p.  82  sq.    n)3¥  (from  unused  root  DOV,  Chald. 


DOlf,  "  operuit,  velavit")  is  the  veil  (comp.  Song  of 
Solomon  iv.  1,  3  ;  vi.  7).  As  is  well-known,  the 
women  in  parts  of  the  Orient  consider  it  a  greater 
disgrace  to  let  their  face  be  seen  than  other  parts 

of  their  bodies.  '2W  (from  7380  unused  = 
fluxit,  defluxit,  comp.  fl  72$  xxvii.  12 ;  Judg.  xii. 
6)  is  the  flowing  garment,  "  border,  train." 
When  the  female  slave  comes  to  a  stream  in  the 
way  that  can  be  forded,  she  is  not  carried  over, 
as  are  ladies.  She  must  wade  through  ;  no  re- 
gard is  paid  to  her  womanly  modesty.  ""N"1.^ 
and  HD"in  correspond  in  the  parallelism  ;  hence 
the  latter  must  be  taken  in  essentially  the  same 
sense  as  the  former.  That  the  ni"\y  is  seen  is  a 
ninn.  Comp.  iii.  17  ;  Jer.  xiii.  22,  26 ;  Ezek. 
xvi.  37  ;  Nah.  iii.  5.  Thus  the  LORD  threatens 
the  Babylonians.  What  He  intends  by  these  judg- 
ments He  says  ver.  36:1  will  take  ven- 
geance. The  negative  clause  'X  #J3X  «Sl  is 
understood  in  a  great  variety  of  ways.  J?J3 
means  "  irruere,  incidere,  obviam  ire,  pertinere," 
then  also,  in  a  friendly  sense  "  precibus  insistere, 
to  apply  to  one."  It  does  not  suit  here  to  take 
the  word  in  a  hostile  sense:  "I  will  run  on 
none"  (SxiER),  which  only  makes  sense  by  arbi- 
trarily supplying:  "out  of  whose  way  I  must 
get."  [•'  The  true  sense  is  that  expressed  by 
ROSENMUELLER,  I  shall  encounter  no  man,  i.  e., 
no  man  will  be  able  to  resist  me.  This  simple 
explanation  is  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  most 
ancient,  as  we  find  it  distinctly  expressed  by 
SYMMACHDS  (owe  avrLTfjaerai  (ioi  tbifywTOf)  and 
in  the  VULGATE  (non  resistet  mihi  homo. — J.  A. 
ALEX.].  I  do  not  think  it  right  to  take  the  word 
in  the  sense  of  "  to  protect,  pardon "  for  the 
reason  that  there  ever  lies  in  ^'JD  the  meaning 
obvenire,  thus  the  notion  of  "going  against,  get- 
ting in  the  way  of."  I  cannot  see  why  the  well- 
approved  meaning  "to  apply  to  one  with  peti- 
tion or  intercession"  (Job  xxi.  15;  Ruth  ii.  22; 


CHAP.  XLVH.  8-15. 


513 


Jer.  vii.  16;  xxvii.  18)  may  not  suit  our  context. 
Jehovah,  as  the  only  true  <  iod,  neither  desires  nor 
uses  human  help.  The  taking  of  Babylon  must 
appear  as  God's  doing,  not  as  a  fact  accomplished 
by  human  power.  And  if  it  be  asked,  what  God 
has  showed  Himself  stronger  than  the  gods  of 
Babylon,  thus  who  is  the  accomplisher  of  the 
said'  divine  doing,  Israel  alone  has  the  correct 
reply  when  it  cries  out:  Our  Redeemer,  Je- 
hovah of  nosts  is  His  name  (comp.  xlviii. 
2;  liv.  5j,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel  (see  List). 
These  words  do  not  tit  to  what  follows,  and  as 
little  are  they  suited  to  be  an  antiphonal-like 
conclusion  of  "the  preceding  strophe.  They  give 
the  impression  of  a  joylul  welcome  greeting, 
which  meets  one  approaching,  and  who  is  recog- 
nized as  a  friend. 

3.  Sit  thou   silent end    of  it.— Vers. 

5-7.  The  Prophet,  ver.  5,  declares  once  again 
in  general  the  downfall  of  Babylon,  as  in  ver.  1, 
but  makes  prominent  another  contrast.  There 
the  contrast,  was  between  the  loftiest  height  and 
the  lowest  humiliation  ;  here  it  is  between  shin- 
ing and  darkness.  Babylon  shall  now  sit  down 
in  a  still,  dark  place,  she  that  before  was  the  bril- 
liant, far  shining  empress  of  kingdoms  (xiii.  19). 
This  repeated  announcement  of  punishment  finds 
its  reason  in  vers.  6,  7.  The  Prophet  assigns  a 
double  reason.  First,  Babylon  abused  the  right 
of  discipline  deputed  to  it.  The  LORD  was 
wroth  with  His  people,  and  polluted  His 


inheritance,  by  permitting  profane  heathen 
nations  to  trample  land,  city  and  Temple,  and  to 
carry  away  the  holy  people  into  captivity  (comp. 
Lam.  ii.  2;  Ps.  Ixxtv.  7,  etc.).  But  He  would 
only  discipline  His  people,  not  destroy  them ; 
whereas  Babylon  sought  to  do  the  latter  by  everv 
means  (comp.  Jer.  1.  11,  24,  28,  29,  31  sq. ;  li.  6, 
11,  24,  34  sqq.  56;  Zech.  i.  15).  For  it  shewed 
them  no  mercy  (the  expression  D'on^_  DViy 
only  here).  Even  old  age  was  not  spared  (comp. 
Lam.  iv.  16 ;  v.  12).  1  am,  with  DELITZSCH, 
of  the  opinion  that  by  jp_^  we  are  not  to  under- 
stand the  nation  as  one  grown  old.  The  Pro- 
phet that  wrote  xl.  28  sqq.,  could  hardly  repre- 
I  sent  Israel,  even  in  the  Exile,  as  a  worn-out  old 
man.  The  second  reason  for  the  humiliation  that 
threatens  Babylon  is  its  haughtiness.  This  mir- 
rors to  it  the  illusion  of  its  dominion  lasting 
forever.  And  by  reason  of  this  illusion  ("'^  = 
''so  that,"  comp.  1  Sam.  xx.  41  ;  Job  viii.  21; 
xiv.  6)  Babylon  does  not  lay  to  heart  the 
guilt  with  which  it  is  loaded  because  of  its  treat- 
ment of  Israel,  therefore  it  does  not  in  the  least 
think  (comp.  xlvi.  8)  on  the  consequences  of  that 
treatment,  viz:  the  vengeance  (comp.  /.  c.,  and 

Jer.  1.  li.),  it  must  provoke.— 3;  7JJ  D't^  xlii. 
25  ;  Ivii.  1,  11.      ^>  *">$  3'^H    xliv.  19  ;  xlvi.  8. 

ia1?  D'ir  xii.  22.   ^i  ~\y  nSy  ixv.  17. 


2.    THE  FEUITLESSNESS  OF  THE  MEANS  EMPLOYED  TO  SAVE  BABYLON. 

CHAPTER  XLVII.  8-15. 

8  "Therefore  hear  now  this,  thou  that  art  given  to  pleasures, 
That  dwellest  carelessly, 

That  "sayest  in  thine  heart, 

I  am,  and  none  else  beside  me ; 

I  shall  not  sit  as  a  widow, 

Neither  shall  I  know  the  loss  of  children  : 

9  But  these  two  things  shall  come  to  thee  in  a  moment  in  one  day, 
The  loss  of  children,  and  widowhood  : 

They  shall  come  upon  thee  in  their  perfection 

"For  the  multitude  of  thy  sorceries, 

And  cfor  the  great  abundance  of  thine,  enchantments. 

10  dFor  thou  hast  trusted  in  thy  wickedness : 
Thou  hast  said,  None  seeth  me. 

Thy  wisdom  and  thy  knowledge,  it  hath  'perverted  thee ; 

And  thou  hast  said  in  thine,  heart,  I  am,  and  none  else  beside  me. 

11  therefore  shall  evil  come  upon  thee; 
fThou  shalt  not  know  2from  whence  it  riseth : 
And  mischief  shall  fall  upon  thee  ; 

Thou  shalt  not  be  able  to  3put  it  off: 

And  desolation  shall  come  upon  thee  suddenly,  which  thou  shalt  not  know. 

12  Stand  now  with  thine  enchantments, 
And  with  the  multitude  of  thy  sorceries, 
Wherein  thou  hast  laboured  from  thy  youth ; 
glf  so  be  thou  shalt  be  able  to  profit, 

33 


614 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


elf  so  be  thou  mayest  "prevail. 

13  Thou  art  wearied  in  the  multitude  of  thy  counsels. 
Let  now  the  4astrol9gers,  the  stargazers, 

5 'The  monthly  prognosticators, 

Stand  up,  and  save  thee 

From  these  things  that  shall  come  upon  thee. 

14  Behold,  they  shall  be  as  stubble ; 
The  fire  "shall  burn  them ; 

They  shall  not  deliver  themselves  from  the  power  of  the  flame: 
1  There  shall  not  be  a  coal  to  warm  at. 
Nor  fire  to  sit  before  it. 

15  Thus  shall  they  be  unto  thee  with  whom  thou  hast  laboured, 
Even  thy  merchants,  from  thy  youth : 

They  shall  wander  every  one  to  his  quarter ; 
None  shall  save  thee. 


1  Or,  caused  thee  to  turn  away. 

3  Heb.  expiate. 

6  Heb.  that  give  knowledge  concerning  the  months. 

»  And  now  hear  this,  thou  delicious. 

d  And  thou  want  secure  in. 

'  Which  they  shall  not  know  how  to  exorcise. 

1   Who  cae.ry  month  give  report  from  them  what  shall  come  on  thee. 

1  Which  is  no  glow  of  coals  for' their  bread. 


*  Heb.  the  morning  thereof. 

*  Heb.  viewers  of  the  heavens. 
6  Heb.  their  souls. 


b  si.ii/s  in  her  heart. 
e  but  evil  comes. 
s  Perhaps. 
k  has  burned. 


Spite  of. 
h  terrify. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :  Ver.  8. 
nryyi— nj"1>* — '33^,  which  occurs  forty-three  times  in 
the  Old  Testament.  Especially  the  turn  of  expression 

"liy  D3X1  or  Tljr73  D3N  is  encountered  relatively 
so  often  in  these  chapters  (xlv.  6,  14;  xlvi.  9;  xlvii.  8, 
10),  that  it  may  be  regarded  as  a  peculiarity  of  them. 
Only  2 Sam.  ix.3  does  the  expression  again  occur.  Hence 
we  are  justified  in  regarding  it  as  an  Isaianic  expres- 
sion, and  thus  a  proof  of  our  passage  being  genuine 
Isaianic.  Ver.  9.  ^JT-^C73— Qnpn.  Ver.  11.  mri- 
Ver.  12.  -an.  Ver.  15.  TO;?1?. 

Ver.  9.  nnj7  fl'om  py,  only  Neh.  ix.  25,  an  adjec- 

T      •  -:  I-    T  , 

live  corresponding  to  the  substantive  pj?. — H£DD7  3iy 
occurs  only  here  in  Isaiah  ;  but  comp.  xiv.  30.  The  ex- 
pression is  in  the  Pentateuch:  Lev.  xxv.  18,  19;  xxvi. 
6  ;  comp.  Judg.  xviii.  7.  It  is  more  common  in  the  later 
prophets:  Jer.  xxxii.  37;  xlix.  31;  Ezek.  xxviii.  26; 
xxxiv.  25,  etc.  Especially  Zeph.  ii.  15  is  to  be  noted, 

where  the  expression  nr/J?  Vj?  is  borrowed  from  Isa. 
xxii.  2;  xxxii.  13,  and  the  remainder  of  the  verse  from 
our  passage.  Even  Vj7n  j"\XT  in  Zeph.  shows  that 

•     T  » 

what  follows  is  a  citation.  Hr/J?  is  undoubtedly  taken 
from  the  undisputed  Isaianic  passages  xxii.  2;  xxxii. 
13;  for  beside  Zeph.  ii.  15  ;  iii.  11,  the  expression  occurs 
only  in  Isaiah. The  '_  in  'D3K  is  very  difficult  to  ex- 
plain. Most  expositors  take  it  as  *  compaginis  (thus  = 
"ity  D3X).  But  this  '  is  superfluous,  and  at  the  same 
time  incorrect  where  there  is  no  genitive  relation. 
HAHN  takes  it  ag  a  feminine  \  as  in  T\X,  'Sop,  SD- : 
but  the  Hebrew  knows  no  distinction  of  gender  in  the 
first  person.  T>v  Dir.u  and  COCCEJUS  take  the  clause  as 
a  question  ,  VIIBINGA  and  NOLDE  regard  'D3N  as  repre- 
senting a  doubled  D3X  (et  non  est  praeter  me  alia).  But 
the  question  is  not  self-evident  and  must  be  indicated, 
and  the  absence  of  D3K  or  VX  is  unexampled.  It  is 
best,  with  DELITZSCH,  to  take  'D3K  in  the  sense  of 


GRAMMATICAL. 

'  J'X  CSJ'K)  :  e9°  utique  non  sum  arnplius  ;  therefore  :  I 
am  not,  as  it  were,  found  again  in  another  sample.    The 


sense  would  then  be  the  same  as  'J1*DD  D3X  xlvi.  9. 

Ver.  9.  ^1^3,  from  ^luO,  of  uncertain  meaning,  Piel, 
"to  bewitch,  conjure,"  (Exod.  vii.  11;  xxii.  17;  Deut. 
xviii.  10,  etc.),  occurs  only  in  the  plural,  and  in  Isaiah 
only  here  and  ver.  12  (comp.  Mic.  v.  11;  Nah.  iii.  4;  2 
Kings  ix.  22).  Also  D""13n  from  "Ofl  "  ligare,  faaci- 
nare,  to  bind,"  especially  to  bind  by  enchantment,  thus 
"to  exorcise  "  (Deut.  xviii.  11;  Ps.  Iviii.  6)  occurs  only 
here  and  ver.  12.  -  1JO  riOX>*  is  explained  1)  from 
the  verbal  construction,  and  2)  from  the  qualitative 
meaning  of  nrOi'>'  (xl.  29). 

Ver.  10.  'JxS  stands  in  pause  for  'JX^  and  this  for 
•JX1!  (1  Chron.  xii.  17). 

Ver.  12.  3,  with  which  ~]"3y  is  here  conjoined,  is  that 
of  accompaniment  :  in  the  midst  of  her  witchcrafts,  etc., 
therefore,  according  to  our  idiom  with  her  witchcraft, 
etc.,  shall  Babylon  stand  up  (comp.  vii.  24;  xxiv.  9;  xxx. 
29,  etc.).  -  "^&*2  stands  here  oddly  instead  of  the  nor- 
mal D3  r\VT  "ii^X-  This  is  one  of  the  rave  instances 

T     T    :    -T         "-: 

in  which  the  adverbial  "!t!?fc<  appears  in  transition  to  an 
actual  pronoun  (Gen.  xxxi.  32  ;  GESEN.,  g  123,  2  ;  Comm. 
in  loc.).-  —  y^  with  3  as  in  xliii.  22,  23,  24;  Ixii.  8. 

Ver.  13.  1P.ni'>r  is  an  abnormal  formation,  the  plural 
suffix  being  attached  to  the  nom.  singular.  Analogous 
examples  occur  Ps.  ix.  15;  Ezek.  xxxv.  11  ;  Ezra  ix.  15. 
If  it  is  not  an  error  of  writing,  the  abnormal  suffix  form 
is  to  be  explained  by  the  plural  meaning  of  the  collec- 
tive in  connection  with  the  j"\  of  the  connecting  form, 
as  also  other  feminine  endings  in  fi  that  are  not  plurala 

(as  rrt  in  rnntf.  n'ua  infin.,  rii,  rv_  in  nijj,  n'3i^ 

etc.),  occur  with  plural  suffixes.  -  D'Oty  '"Oh.so  K'ri; 
K'thibh  reads  n3n  =  O3n  *ltf*t—  13n'.  5)r-  AeV- 
means,  according  to  the  dialects,  ''  to  divide,  distri- 
bute." Still  this  meaning  is  not  quite  assured.  Henc* 


CHAP.  XLVII.  3-15. 


515 


KNOBEL  would  take  the  word,  according  to  the  Arab,  chct- 
bara,  in  the  sense  of  "priori,  those  acquainted  with  the 
heavens ;"  but  HAIIN,  following  HITZ.  on  Dan.ii.  26,  would 
read  1~OH  (~n3  "to  investigate,"  Eccl.  iii.  13;  ix.  1). 
Ver.  14.  To  take  DOTI1?  for  DDH1?  ("for  warming") 


seems  to  me  forced.  Moreover,  what  follows  would 
then  be  -tautology.  I  side  with  those  who  explain 
DDn_7  fl^rU  according  to  xliv.  19  :  the  coals  of  their 
bread,  i.  e.,  the  glow  of  the  coals,  on  which  they  bake 
their  bread. "1C/X  accusative  of  nearer  definition. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Therefore  hear beside    Me. — Vers. 

8-10.  The  whole  section  vers.  8-15  is  mainly 
intended  to  show  how  ill-founded  is  that  confi- 
dence of  Babylon  expressed  in  ver.  7,  "  I  shall  be 
a  lady  forever."  First,  the  Prophet  makes  Baby- 
lon repeat  the  assertion  in  an  amplified  form  (ver. 
8).  With  the  contrastive  "  now  however 
(comp.  xliii.  1;  xliv.  1)  hear  this"  he  intro- 
duces an  address  to  Babylon,  whom  he  here  desig- 
nates as  a  delicious  one,  us  in  ver.  1  he  calls 
it  "  delicate  and  voluptuous."  Then  he  calls  it 
"the  one  dwelling  in  security"  because  it 
knows  no  superior  power,  and  thus  no  possibility 
of  molestation  (see  Text,  and  Gram.).  I,  and 
none  else  ;  by  this  Babylon  affirms  that  it  is 
solitary  of  its  kind,  its  like  will  no  more  be  found. 
This  is  justly  regarded  as  blasphemous  pride. 
For  the  expression  employed  here  recalls  xlv.  5, 
6,  18,  22-  xlvi.  9,  where  God,  who  alone  has  the 
right  to  do  it,  afSrms  His  iucomparableness. 
Babylon  affirms  that  it  shall  be  neither  a  widow 
nor  childless.  Most  expositors  understand  by 
widowhood  the  a^aai'Aeia.  But  KNOBEL  and  DE- 
LITZSCII  justly  object,  that  in  ancient  times  kings 
were  by  no  means  regarded  as  the  husbands  of 
their  cities  or  nations.  Hence  the  widowhood  is 
rather  the  being  forsaken  of  the  nations  with 
which  it  had  hitherto  had  active  commerce 
(according  to  the  Biblical  view  iropne'ia  xxiii.  16 
sq. ;  Rev.  xviii.  9),  thus  sad  loneliness,  exclusion 
from  intercourse  with  the  world  (Lam.  i.  1). 
HAHN  understands  the  widowhood  to  mean,  for- 
saken of  God,  or  the  gods  (comp.  liv.  4  sqq.). 
But  one  must  guard  against  transferring  theocra- 
tic representations  to  heathen  relations.  It  is 
agreed  by  all  that  being  childless  means  de- 
population (comp.  liv.  1  sqq.).  Yet  these  strokes, 
so  undreaded,  will  still  come ;  and  that  not  slowly, 
by  degrees,  but  suddenly  and  in  one  day  (ix.  13  ; 
x.  17  ;  Ixvi.  8),  i.  e.,  not  in  intervening  periods 
one  after  another,  but  all  at  once.  DDfG,  l'ac- 

T  \  :  ' 

cording  to  the  measure  of  its  completion,"  i.  e., 
completely  and  totally  (comp.  BBfn  1  Kings 
xxii.  341)  they  are  come  upon  thee  (perf. 
prophet.}  spite  of  thine  arts  of  sorcery  and  the 
great  abundance  of  thine  enchantments. 
Almost  all  expositors  agree  that  3  signifies,  with 
a  certain  irony,  the  useless  presence,  the  unsuc- 
cessful connection  and  application,  and  thus  cor- 
responds to  our  "  spite  of,  for  all  your."  Comp. 
v.  25  ;  ix.  11,  16.  20  ;  x.  4  ;  Num.  xiv.  11 ;  Deut. 
i.  32;  Ps.  Ixxviii.  32.  There  lies  in  this  the 
characteristic  ingredient  of  this  strophe  :  spite  of 
all  the  means  resorted  to,  Babylon  must  fall. 

Babylon  is  celebrated  as  the  home  of  astronomy, 
astrology  and  magic  (comp.  IDELER,  Sternkunde 
der  Chald.  in  den  Abhandl.  d.  Berl.  Akad.  d.  Wis-  \ 
sensch.,  1814,  1815,  Berlin,  1818;  GESEN.  im 
Komm.  zu  Jes.  Beilage  II.}.  Just  these  secret 
sciences  aud  arts  were  relied  upon  as  important 


means  of  protection  against  misfortunes  of  all 
kinds.  Ver.  10  may  not  be  translated :  "  and 
thou  reliest  on  thy  wickedness,"  as  is  done  by 
most  exegetes.  For  if  by  wickedness  be  un- 
derstood tyranny  and  craft,  that  will  not  com- 
port with  :  none  seeth  me.  In  fact  this  latter 
expresses  just  the  ground  of  confidence.  The 
same  objection  holds  against  our  understanding 
by  ''wickedness"  the  false  wisdom.  But  if  Hjn 
be  understood  to  mean  godlessness  itself,  i.  e.,  the 
belief  that  there  is  no  God,  all-wise,  all  holy,  and 
all-mighty,  then  again  it  could  not  be  said :  thou 
reliest  on  thy  godlessness ;  just  as  little  as  it  may 
be  said  :  the  pious  man  relies  on  his  faith.  As 
one  must  say  :  the  pious  man  is  confident  in  or  by 
his  faith,  so,  too,  the  Prophet's  meaning  here  must 
be:  and  thou  wast  secure  in  thy  godless- 
ness,  thou  saidst,  There  is  none  that  sees 
me.  Of  course,  there  is  here  the  underlying  as- 
sumption, that  the  idols  are  no  proper  gods,  all- 
wise,  just  and  almighty  avengers  of  the  wicked. 
For  the  Prophet  sec-ms  not  to  think  at  all  of 
Babylon's  idols  being  present.  According  to  his 
view,  they  do  not  disturb  the  wicked.  But  Baby- 
lon was  secure  in  all  its  wickedness  and  godless- 
ness  because  it  believed  it  dared  say:  no  one  is 
present  that  sees  me.  By  this  can  only  be  meant 
a  seeing  higher  than  that  of  idols.  I  construe 
1~llp3  absolutely :  securum  esse,  which  is  undoubt- 
edly its  meaning  (Judg.  xviii.  7,  10,  27  ;  Jer.  xii. 
5 ;  Job  xl.  23 ;  Prov.  xi.  15).  Therefore,  we 
learn  from  these  words  that  Babylon  trusted,  not 
only  in  outward  things,  as  intimated  in  ver.  8, 
but  that  its  proud  confidence  had  also  the  inward 
ground,  that  it  believed  it  might  hold  the  con- 
viction of  there  being  no  all-seeing  God.  So 
partly  HAIIN.  The  words :  ''  there  is  none 
that  seeth  me,"  express  the  result  of  a  reflec- 
tion on  things  religious.  There  were  also  in 
Babylon  theologians  and  philosophers  whose 
wisdom  and  knowledge  amounted  to  that 
1JK1  j'N,  whence  the  Prophet  says  to  Babylon: 
thy  wisdom  and  thy  knowledge  it  hath 
perverted  thee.  Hence,  when  here  a  second 
time  the  words  "  I  and  none  else  "  are  ascribed 
to  Babylon,  it  is  to  intimate  that  it  so  speaks,  not 
only  with  reference  to  men,  but  even  with  refer- 
ence to  divinity.  Babylon  deifies  itself,  by  exalt- 
ing itself,  not  only  above  all  men,  but  also  above 
the  gods. 

2.  Therefore    shall   evil come    upon 

thee. — Vers.  11-13.  Babylon's  overthrow  is 
described  as  something  that  could  neither  be 
foreseen  nor  prevented,  mni?  rhymes  with 
rn£)3,  and  hence  is  likely  the  same  grammatical 
form,  viz.,  inf.  Piel.  The  meaning  "  dawn," 
though  at  first  sight  the  most  likely,  does  not 
commend  itself,  because  the  dawn  of  a  misfor- 
tune cannot  be  the  first  moment  of  its  appear- 


516 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


ance,  for  that  would  be  a  contradiction ;  nor  can 
it  be  the  first  moment  of  its  disappearance,  for  the 
end  of  a  tiling  cannot  be  its  dawn.  HAHN'S  pro- 
posed rendering  :  "  unblacken,"  is  far-fetched. 
The  rendering  proposed,  first  by  J.  D.  MICIIAELIS, 
and  accepted  by  most,  best  suits  the  context. 
This  identifies  ~^r\\!f  with  the  Arabic  Sachara, 
inca.r>Javit,  and  gives  the  translation :  and  evil 
•will  come  upon  thee  which  thou  wilt  not 
know  how  to  exorcise.  Thus  ver.  11  says 
in  three  clauses  that  Babylon  will  have  no  means 
of  warding  off  the  misfortune.  The  first  declares 
the  inadequacy  of  magic,  the  second  of  idol-sacri- 
fices, the  third  exposes  the  disgrace  of  astrology, 
which  will  not  even  be  able  to  know  of  the  evil 
in  advance. 

The  vers.  12,  13  explain  what  is  said  in  ver.  11. 
For  the  words:  "thou  shall  not  know  how  to 
exorcise  it"  are  evidently  elucidated  by  ver.  12: 
try  now  the  ^HI?  (exorcism)  by  D'~On  (enchant- 
ments^ and  D'Dl^D  (charms) ;  may-be  something 
will  come  of  it !  At  the  same  time  it  seems  to  me 
that  the  133  is  elucidated  in  ver.  12.  For  con- 
juring demons,  as  in  general  all  sorts  of  sorcerv 
were  often  joined  with  the  offer  of  sacrifices, 
sometimes  of  pleasure,  sometimes  atrocious. 
"  The  relation  of  all  idolatry  with  sorcery  lies  in 
this  that  in  the  names  of  the  gods  the  name  of 
God  is  abused  for  egoistic,  sinful  ends,  with  the 
application  of  self-elected,  senseless  and  merce- 
nary forms  of  religion,"  says  LAXGE  in  the 
article  on  witchcraft  in  HERZ.  H.  Enc.  XVIII. 
p.  395.  The  second  half  of  ver.  11  is  elucidated 
by  ver.  13.  We  will  need  to  take  1U1  *U  HOtf 
ver.  12  in  the  same  sense  as  XJ~1"OJV  ver.  13. 
The  latter  can  hardly  be  taken  in  the  sense  of 
"  to  remain  standing."  Hence  we  must  also  take 
"1'V  ver.  12  in  the  sense  of  '•  to  stand  forth,  come 
on,  stand  up"  (comp.  GESEN.  Thes.  p.  1038),  in 
which  sense  it  is  undeniably  often  used:  1  Sam. 
xvii.  51;  1  Kings  xx.  33;  Hab.  iii.  11;  Ezek. 
xxii.  30.  From  thy  youth,  thus  from  its  first 
beginning  Babylon  had  been  busied  with  astro- 
logy, divination  and  magic.  (Comp.  DUXCKER, 
Gesch.^d.  Alterth.  I.  p.  124,  127  sq.).  The  Pro- 
phet ironically  concludes  his  challenge  to  try 
what  help  they  can  find  in  their  secret  arts  with 
a  double  "perhaps,  if  so  be:"  perhaps  thou 
mayest  be  able  to  profit  (positive),  perhaps 
thou  wilt  terrify,  viz.  the  enemy  (negative). 
Ver.  13  relates  to  knowing  future  evil  in  ad- 
vance, with  reference  to  which  the  Prophet  says 
ver.  11  b  it  shall  not  be.  This  is,  of  course, 
Btrange.  For  Babylon,  from  the  earliest  an- 
tiquhy,  practised  divination,  and  especially 
astrological  divination.  The  challenge  of  ver.  12 
was  attended  with  ill-success.  Babylon  worried 
itself  in  vain  with  its  sorceries  and  enchantments. 
Thou  art  wearied  by  the  multitude  of  thy 
counsels  (see  Text,  and  Gram.)  i.  e.,  by  thy 
methodically  arranged  attempts  (viz.  in  the 
sphere  of  enchantment) ;  so  the  Prophet  calls 
mockingly  to  the  totality  of  the  Babylonians. 
Therefore  let  some  one  Aelpthee  (Tjn^ri  ver.  13), 
he  continues.  Let  the  astrologers  appear  now. 
This  exposition  results  necessarily  from  the  anti- 
thesis of  n'K^j  an(J  Yi"l?n.  D'Otf  n3tl  arc 
those  that  divide  the  heavens,  i.  e.,  who  mark  off 


the  heavens  into  fields  (the  so-called  "houses") 
for  the  purpose  of  their  observations  (see  Text. 
and  Gram.).  In  any  case  astrologers,  "  masters 
of  the  course  of  heaven  "  are  meant.  They  are 
also  called  D'33133  DTPl.  I  doubt  very  much 
whether  run  with  3  has  here  the  meaning  "  to 
contemplate,  look  with  pleasure."  H?n  is  used 
of  prophetic  seeing  generally  (i.  1;  ii.  1;  Amos 
i.  1  ;  Mic.  i.  1),  and  Hin  is  "a  seer."  Therefore 
O3  D'jn  may  very  well  mean  :  those  that  look 
(viz.  at  the  future)  in  the  stars,  or  by  means  of 
the  stars.  In  the  words  'U1  DMV11D  the  Prophet 
seems  to  intimate  an  arrangement  whereby  the 

astrologers  monthly  (JFBfTTv?  comp.  xxvii.  3  ; 
xxxiii.  2)  made  communication  to  the  people  out 
of  that  which  they  had  read  in  the  stars  (hence 
1X3'  "^JO).  We  have  here  perhaps  the  first 
trace  of  the  calendar  of  later  times  ^ap 


3.  Behold  they  shall  be  -  shall  save 
thee,  vers.  14,  15.  In  these  verses  is  announced 
the  final  destiny  of  all  those  in  whom  Babylon 
trusted,  and  also  its  own  destiny.  The  wise 
masters  of  Babylon  are  compared  to  stubble. 
Fire  consumes  them.  Not  precisely  actual  fire 
is  meant.  He  only  compares  generally  the  power 
that  overthrows  Babylon  to  a  fire  that  devours 
stubble.  They  will  not  be  able  to  save  even 
themselves,  much  less  others.  For  the  fire  will 
be  no  moderate  glow  like  that  used  for  baking 
bread,  or  for  a  genial  hearth-fire,  before  which 
one  sits  to  get  warm  (see  Text,  and  Gram.). 
Such  are  they  become  (continues  ver.  15),  re- 
specting whom  t  iiou  hast  taken  pains.  This 
is  said  in  reference  to  ver.  12.  The  home  resources 
of  power  and  deliverance  so  carefully  cultivated 
in  Babylon  are  meant.  But  the  allies  from 
abroad  also,  its  business  friends,  the  numerqus 
admirers  and  worshippers,  that  of  old  ("j"VJO 
to  be  referred  to  T^FID)  came  to  Babylon  to 
carry  on  trade  and  delight  themselves,  wander 
(involuntary  departure  from  the  way,  being 


dispersed)  off  each  to  his  vis-a-vis  (1^3jn  only 
here;  "13J£  is  what  lies  directly  before  one),  i.  e. 
straight  out.  The  word,  therefore,  does  not 
mean  :  each  to  his  home  ;  but,  as  dispersed,  they 
wander  each  his  way  in  front  of  him  (comp.  1 
Sam.  xiv.  1,  4,  40;  Ezek.  i.  9,  12;  x.  22,  etc.). 
That  one  may  help  Babylon  is  not  to  be  thought 
of.  —  Therefore  in  the  section  vers.  8-15  it  is 
proved  in  every  direction  that  all  props  for  Baby- 
lon give  way,  that  all  means  of  deliverance  in 
which  it  hoped  are  refused. 

DOCTRINAL   AXD   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xlvii.  1  sqq.  "  Fortune  is  round  and 
unstable  in  the  world,  and  all  transitory  things 
must  have  an  end,  and  they  that  go  about  them 
pass  away  with  them  (Ecclus.  xiv.  19).  For  if 
the  great  Assyro-Babylonian  empire  could  not 
last,  but  from  a  virgin  and  lady  was  made  a 
serving  maid,  what  must  happen  to  other  worldly 
things  that  can  by  no  means  be  compared  with 
it?"  CRAMER.  —  ["Let  those  that  have  power 
use  it  with  temper  and  moderation,  considering 
that  the  spoke  which  is  uppermost  will  be  under." 
M.  HEJSKY.] 


CHAP.  XLVIII.  1-2. 


517 


2.  On  xlvii.  6  sq.     The  minister  of  righteous- 
ness may  himself  become  a  transgressor  if  he 
does  not  execute  the  punishment  according  to 
the  will  of  righteousness,  but  abuses   his  power 
of  punishment  for  the  gratification  of  his  own 
love  of  violence.     Thus  there  arises  a  chain-like 
connection  of  right  and  wrong  that  passes  through 
all  human  history,  till  God,  the  only  just  One, 
solves  all  the  discords  of  worldly  judgments  in 
the  harmony  of  the  world's  judgment. 

3.  On  xlvii.  9  sqq.     Sorcery   is   devil-service. 
For  he  that  uses  any  sort  of  enchantment  seeks 
to  attain  some  object   by  means  of  supernatural 
powers  that  are  not  the  powers  of  God.     For  we, 
too,  by  God's  power  may  do  miracles  and  signs, 
as  the  holy  men  of  God  of  the  Old  and  New  Tes- 
tament show.     But  the  power  of  God  puts  itself 
at  the  disposal  of  the  office  borne  in  God's  name 
and  by  His  commission,  or  of  believing  prayer 
(Matt.  xvii.  20).     But  whoever  would  do  mira- 
cles by  hocus  pocus  of  any  kind,  lets  it  be  under- 
stood that  he  would  make  powers  of  the  invisible 
world  subservient  to  him,  that  are  not  the  powers 
of  God.     But  in  the  invisible  world  there  are 
beside   God's    powers   only   the   powers   of  the 
devil.     That   is   the   great   peril    of    witchcraft. 
For  the  devil  never  works  for  nothing.     He  ex- 
acts the  soul  for  it. 

4.  On  xlvii.  10.     The  omnipresence  and  om- 
niscience of  God  are  quite  extraordinarily  one- 
rous to  the  natural  man.     He  can  never  enjoy  his 
life  for  it.     If  he  lives  along,  as  he  pleases,  genio 
indvdye.ns,  there  still  comes  to  him  ever  and  anon 
the   secret   voice   that   whispers:    God    sees    it. 
Hence,  to-day,  as  the  Babylonians  did,  he  em- 
ploys all  his  knowledge  and  wisdom  to  make 
himself  white,  so  that  he  may  say :  ^J&O  j'X,  no 
one  sees  me.     He  would  rather  let  the  laws  of 
nature  grind  him  to  pieces,  than  acknowledge  a 
personal  God  that  sees   and  judges   all    things. 
This  endeavor  to  get  the  personal  God  out  of 
the  world,  that  has  its  source  equally  in  fear  and 
hatred,  has  not,  however,  its  roots  in  human  nature 
as  such.     For  then  it  must  be  found  in  all  men.     It 
is  rather  the  hatred  and  fear  of  the  devil  that  reflect 


themselves  in  those  men  who,  according  to  Jno. 
viii.  41-48,  have  the  devil  for  their  father. 

["  Thou  hast  trusted  in  thy  wickedness,  as  Doeg, 
Ps.  iii.  7.  Many  have  so  debauched  their  own 
consciences,  and  have  got  to  such  a  pitch  of 
daring  wickedness,  that  they  stick  at  nothing ; 
and  tliis  they  trust  to  carry  them  through  those 
difficulties  which  embarrass  men  who  make  con- 
science of  what  they  say  and  do.  They  doubt 
not  but  they  shall  be  too  hard  for  all  their  ene- 
mies, because  they  dare  lie,  and  kill,  and  fore- 
swear themselves,  and  do  anything  for  their  in- 
terest. Thus  they  trust  in  their  wickedness  to 
secure  them,  which  is  the  only  thing  that  will 
ruin  them."  M.  HENRY.] 

5.  [On  xlvii.  13.  "  I  confess  I  see  not  how 
the  judicial  astrology  which  some  now  pretend 
to,  by  rules  of  which  they  undertake  to  prophesy 
concerning  things  to  come,  can  be  distinguished 
from  that  of  the  Chaldeans,  nor  therefore  how  it 
can  escape  the  censure  and  contempt  which  this 
text  lays  that  under.  Yet  I  fear  that  there  are 
some  who  study  their  almanacs,  and  regard  them 
and  their  prognostications  more  than  their  Bibles 
and  the  prophecies  there."  M.  HENRY.] 

HOMILETICAL    HINTS. 

1.  On  xlvii.  1-7.     The   mighty  in   this  world 
should  guard  well  against  two   H's :   1)  against 
Hardness   toward    the   weak    (ver.    6),   for   He 
avenges  them  (ver.  3);  2)  against  Haughtiness, 
for  He  humbles  it  (vers.  1-5,  7). 

2.  On  xlvii.  12  sqq.     WARNING  AGAINST  SU- 
PERSTITION.— 1)  The  essence  of  superstition:  it 
is  brother  to  unbelief  (the  unbeliever  and  super- 
stitious) because  it  has  lost  what  is   truly  tran- 
scendent, and  hence,  by  reason  of  the  ineffaceable 
drawing  of  men  to  what  is  super-terrestrial,  falls 
into  the  hands  of  that  which  is  false  ;  the  believer, 
on  the  other  hand,  is  never  superstitious,  because 
as  a  child  of  God  he  knows  that  he  is  under  the 
protection  of  the  true,  highest,  super-terrestrial 
power.     2.  The  effects  of  superstition  :  a.  it  fos- 
ters coarse  and  refined  idolatry;  b.  it  robs  men 
of  the  right  comfort  and  the  right  help. 


IX.— THE  NINTH  DISCOURSE. 
Recapitulation  and  Conclusion.    CHAPTER  XLVIII. 


This  chapter  reproduces  the  chief  ingredients 
of  the  foregoing  discourses  from  chap.  xl.  on. 
By  this  brief  recapitulation,  it  aims  at  a  mighty 
effect  on  the  spirits  of  the  hearers  by  means  of  a 
total  impression.  A  glorious  redemption,  analo- 
gous to  that  wrought  by  Moses,  is  presented  to 


the  view  of  the  people  of  the  Exile,  from  whose 
blessings,  of  course,  the  wicked  are  excluded.  The 
last-named  thought  recurs  like  a  refrain  after  nine 
more  chapters,  at  the  close  of  chap.  Ivii.  All  this 
shows  that  in  chap,  xlviii.  we  have  before  us  the 
concluding  discourse  of  the  first  third. 


1.    THE  ADDRESS  GIVING  THE  MOTIVE. 

CHAPTER  XLVIII.  1,  2. 
HEAR  ye  this,  O  house  of  Jacob, 
Which  are  called  by  the  name  of  Israel, 
And  are  come  forth  out  of  the  waters  of  Judah, 


518 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


Which  swear  by  the  name  of  the  LORD, 
And  make  mention  of  the  God  of  Israel, 
But  not  in  truth,  nor  in  righteousness. 
2  For  they  call  themselves  of  the  holy  city, 
And  stay  themselves  upon  the  God  of  Israel ; 
The  LORD  of  hosts  is  his  name. 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  begins  his  recapitulation  by 
designating  the  object  of  his  address  which  he 
describes  as  that  nation  which  descended  from 
Jacob-Israel,  more  nearly  from  Judah,  but  in  re- 
spect to   religion  officially  confessed  Jehovah  as 
its  God  ( ver.  1 ),  for  it  is  the  nation  that  has  the 
holy  city  of  Jehovah  for  its  central  point,  and 
all  whose  permanence  is  objectively  founded  on 
Jehovah -(ver.  2).     With  this  the  Prophet  has  de- 
signated all  the  particulars  that  explain  the  unique 
interest  of  Jehovah  in  precisely  this  people. 

2.  Hear  ye  this his  name. — Vers.  1,  2. 

n«T  liOtf  comp.  ver.  1C;  xlvii.  8;  li.  21.     Jacob 
was  the  natural  name  of  the  second  son  of  Isaac, 
Israel  was  his  spiritual  name,  according  to  Gen. 
xxxii.  2  sq. ;  xxxv.  10.     In  the  same  manner, 
too,  house   of  Jacob  will  designate  the  nation 
according   to   its   natural    descent,    whereas   the 
same  nation  bears  the  name  Israel  as  heir  of  the 
spiritual  significance  of  its  ancestor.     But  when 
the  Prophet  so   addressed   the  nation  it  was  no 
longer  entire.     The  Ten  Tribes  were  become  the 
prey  of  an  exile  of  immeasurable  duration,  with 
no  hope  of  immediate  deliverance.    The  promise 
of  deliverance  by  Cyrus  relates  only  to  the  people 
of  the  kingdom   of  Judah,  thus  chiefly  only  to 
those  who  are  come  forth  out  of  the  waters 
of  Judah.     The  expression  is  a  designation  of 
the  semen  virile  as  in  3N1D  (Gen.  xix.  37  comp. 
on  xv.  2  and  xxv.  10).     In  the  same  sense  D]5 
is  used  Num.  xxiv.  7  ;  "VlpO  Ps.  Ixviii.  27  ;  Prov. 
v-  16,  18.      This  people,  descended  from  Jacob 
and  Judah,  and  thus  dear  to  the  LORD  "  for  the 
fathers'  sakes"   (Rom.  xi.  28)  was  bound  to  Him 
by  still  another  tie :  Israel  swore  by  the  name 
of  Jehovah  (Deut.  vi.  13;  x.  20).      That  was 
continually  a  confession  to  Jehovah  and  an  ac- 
knowledgment of  His  godhead  (xlv.  23),  but  it 
was  not  necessarily  an  act  of  true  living  faith. 
Knowledge    and    approval   sufficed    for    that,  to 
speak  dogmatically.     The  case  was  similar  with 
making  mention  of  God,  i.  e.,  making  "O? 


by  means  of  God  (comp.  0^3  ^P)-  Whoever 
performs  an  act  of  remembrance  (in  praise  and 
acknowledgment),  by  naming  Jehovah  (comp. 
Josh,  xxiii.  7;  Ps.  xx.  8;  Amos  vi.  10),  lays 
down,  indeed,  a  praiseworthy  confession  to  Jeho- 
vah, but  this  may  happen  in  a  very  outward  and 
lifeless  way.  Israel  ought  not  to  take  the  names 
of  idols  in  its  mouth  even  (Exod.  xxiii.  13).  In 
contrast  with  this,  every  honorable  mention  of 
Jehovah,  indeed  every  naming  of  His  name  that 
was  joined  with  suitable  reverence  was  a  confes- 
sion to  Him,  hence  it  is  not  necessary  to  under- 
stand by  'SO  VDTn  a  solemn  ascription  of  praise, 
though  such  is  not  to  be  excluded.  Just  because 
this  swearing  and  mention  could  and  did  happen 
without  living  faith,  the  Prophet  adds  :  "  not  in 
truth  and  not  in  righteousness."  But  how 
could  the  people  of  Judah,  though  inwardly 
fallen  away,  still  outwardly  confess  the  name  of 
Jehovah,  except  they  were  in  a  manner  stamped 
with  the  name  of  the  city  in  which  is  the  sanc- 
tuary of  Jehovah?  As  long  as  Jerusalem  is  ac- 
counted the  worthy  dwelling  of  Jehovah  —  and  it 
is  so  accounted  even  in  the  worst  times,  as  that 
*•'  /3'H  Jer.  vii.  4  proves  —  so  long  He  is  still  re- 
cognized as  God.  Hence  the  Prophet  can  say, 
that  Israel  swears  by  Jehovah  because  it  calls 
itself  by  the  name  of  the  city  of  its  sanctuary.  It 
seems  to  me  that  the  expression  common  in  Jere- 

miah D'Stf  n-    OiTl    mirr    ETX  has  its  roots  in 

•  "  • 


this  view.  Moreover  the  expression 
occurs  here  for  the  first  time.  It  occurs  beside 
only  lii.  1  ;  Neh.  xi.  1,  18  ;  Dan.  ix.  24.  The 
Prophet  assigns  as  a  second  reason  for  what  is 
said  ver.  1  6,  that  those  there  named  are  stayed 
or  grounded  upon  the  God  of  Israel.  For  133DJ 
may  not  be  taken  subjectively  ^  *'  to  stay  oneself, 
niti,  confidere,"  for  "  not  in  truth  and  not  in 
righteousness  ''  directly  denies  that  Israel  has  the 
proper  confidence.  It  is  Jehovah  that  objectively 
raises  and  bears  Israel  by  His  election,  and  con- 
tinued protection  and  support. 


2.    THE  FORMER  THINGS  AS  FOUNDATIONS  OF  THE  NEW. 
CHAPTEB  XLVIII.  3-11. 

I  have  declared  the  former  things  "from  the  beginning  ; 
And  they  went  forth  out  of  my  mouth,  and  I  bshewed  them; 
I  did  them  suddenly,  and  they  came  to  pass. 
Because  I  knew  that  thou  art  'obstinate, 
And  thy  neck  is  an  iron  sinew, 
And  thy  brow  brass  ; 


CHAP.  XLVIII.  3-11. 


519 


5  I  have  even  from  the  beginning  declared  it  to  thee ; 
Before  it  came  to  pass  I  "shewed  it  thee : 

Lest  thou  shouldest  say,  Mine  idol  hath  done  them, 

And  my  graven  image,  and  my  molten  image,  hath  commanded  them. 

6  Thou  hast  heard,  see  all  this ; 
And  will  not  ye  declare  it  f 

I  have  "shewed  thee  new  things  from  this  time, 
Even  hidden  things,  and  thou  didst  not  know  them. 

7  They  are  created  now,  and  not  afrom  the  beginning ; 
Even  before  the  day  dwhen  thou  heardest  them  not ; 
Lest  thou  shouldest  say,  Behold,  I  knew  them. 

8  Yea,  thou  heardest  not ;  yea,  thou  knewest  not ; 
Yea,  "from  that  time  ethat  thine  ear  was  not  opened : 
For  I  knew  that  thou  wouldest  deal  very  treacherously, 
And  wast  called  a  transgressor  from  the  womb. 

9  For  my  name's  sake  will  I  defer  mine  anger, 
And  for  my  praise  will  I  refrain  for  thee, 
That  I  cut  thee  not  off. 

10  Behold,  I  have  refined  thee,  but  not  2with  silver ; 
I  have  chosen  thee  in  the  furnace  of  affliction. 

11  For  mine  own  sake,  even  for  mine  own  sake,  will  I  do  it: 
For  how  should  my  name  be  polluted  ? 

And  I  will  not  give  my  glory  unto  another. 


i  Heb.  hard. 

•  from  then. 
4  and. 


*  Or,  for  silver. 

b  caused  them  to  be  heard. 
«  omit  that. 


«  caused  them  to  hear. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List   for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :    Ver.  3. 
— tXO-    Ver.  5.  bD3.    Ver.  9.   DC3H.    Ver.  10. 


Ver.  1.  TX*D  is  properly  —  "  from  that  time  hitherto." 

T  " 

But  ?0  stands  here,  according  to  Hebrew  usage,  as  de- 
signation of  the  term,  a  quo.  We  rnay  therefore  boldly 
translate  JJO  by  •'  then,  at  that  time,"  as  a  reference  to 
time  long  past. 

Ver.  7.  DV  ""  J3  7  is  =  ante  hunt  diem,  comp.  xliii.  13.    1 
before  &O  is  demonstrative. 
Ver.  8.  nnPD  is  causative  Piel  =  "  to  make  an  open- 

T  :    • 

ing,"  t.  e.,  to  open  one's-self  to  the  report,  to  hear  the  re- 
port, comp.  for  the  causative  use  Ix.  11 ;  Ps.  cxvi.  6. 

The  expression  "p    X"lp  as  in  Iviii.  12 ;  Ixi.  3  ;  Ixii.  2. 

Ver.  9.  F|X    TIXH  only  Prov.  xix.  11;  comp.  Job  vi. 
11  and  the  expression  in  the  Pentateuch  D'3X    IPX 


GRAMMATICAL. 
Exod.  xxxiv.  6;  Num.  xiv.  18,  etc. jj/'O7  is  to  be  sup- 


plied  before 


,  xliv.  28  ;  xlvi.  5.  -  DDfl,  Arab,  cho- 


tama,  Aram.  DDP,  coercere,  D0r\frenum,  nose-ring. — 7!7 

-  -:  T  T  IT 

dat.  corn-modi ;  xl.  10. 

Ver.  10.  It  is  plain  that  the  3  can  neither  be  3  pretii, 
nor  that  of  accompaniment.  It  is  (HITZIG,  DELITZSCH) 
the  3  essentiae  =  in  qualitate  argentt,  in  the  quality  of 
silver,  i.  e.,  as  silver.  The  only  peculiarity  here  is  the 
placing  of  the  3  with  the  object  (comp.  Ezek.  xx.  41 ;  Ps. 
Ixxviii.  55,  DEL.). "1PI3  properly  means  "to  choose." 

-  T 

But  as  to  choose  presupposes  a  testing  and  confirma- 
tion, so  in  the  Aram.  *H"13  stands  directly  for  rfl3  (Syr. 

-    :  I  -  T 

bochuro  =  T1H3  explorator).  In  Latin,  too,  probart 
means  not  only  to  hold  something  to  be  good,  but  also 
to  investigate  whether  it  is  good.  So  also  here  "in.D  is 
used  in  the  sense  of  JH3  (comp.  Job  xxxiv.  4). 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  I  have  declared commanded  them. 

Vcrs.  3-5.  These  three  verses  express  the  thought, 
that  from  ancient  times  on,  and  before  He  gave 
this  new  prophecy  that  culminates  in  the  name 
of  Cyrus,  the  LORD  had  by  prophecy  and  fulfil- 
ment proved  Himself  to  be  the  true  God.  This 
is  the  seventh  time  the  Prophet  presents  this  ar- 
gument. By  niJl75O,  therefore,  I  understand 
priora,  antefacta.  The  Prophet,  as  it  were,  divides 
history  into  two  parts:  the  old  and  the  new.  The 
new  begins  with  the  first  prophetic  announcements 
of  events  relative  to  Cyrus.  The  matter  is  impor- 
tant to  the  LORD  :  hence  he  divides  Tnjn, "  I  have 


announced,"  into  two  natural  component  parts : 

I)  the  prophecy  went  out  of  His  mouth,  2)  it  en- 
tered into  Israel's  ear.     Thus  the  fact  of  the  pro- 
phecy is  proved.     And  also  the  fulfilment.     For 
suddenly  (DXP3  is  wont  to  stand  for  the  initiation 
of  the  fulfilment,  because  the  inward  connection 
is  hid  from  the  eyes  of  Men,  comp.  xxix.  5;  xlvii. 

II)  the   LORD  performed  what   was  announced 
and  the  thing  prophesied  came  about  (comp.  xliv. 
7  ;  xlvii.  9).     This  course  was  necessary  from  the 
very  first.     It  had  always  an  eminently  practical 
object.    Because  I  know,  says  the  LORD,  that 
thou  art  hard,  t.  e.,  stiff-necked,  hard  to  con- 


520 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


vince  and  that  thy  neck  is  an  iron  sinew 

(TJ  nervus,  tendo,  spring,  ressort),  therefore  hard 
to  bend  and  thy  brow  brass,  thus  impene- 
trable obstinate, — for  this  reason  I  announced  to 
thee  at  that  time,  long  ago,  so  that  thou  mightest 
not  say  my  idol  (3$j?t  general  word,  dew  ficti- 
cius  in  general,  Ps.  cxxxix.  24)  did  it,  my  graven 
image  and  my  molten  image  ("|DJ,  xli.  29)  com- 
manded it  here  (made  it  come,  xlv.  11).  There- 
fore the  LORD  here  declares  that  in  the  past  even, 
thus  in  what  has  been  indicated  as  the  first  period 
of  history,  by  reason  of  Israel's  hardness  of  heart, 
and  its  being  unimpressible  by  purely  inward, 
spiritual  proofs,  and  because  of  its  desire  for  argu- 
ments that  may  be  seized  outwardly,  He  had  found 
Himself  obliged  to  establish  His  claim  to  be  the 
only  true  God,  by  prophesying  the  future,  and 
bringing  to  pass  what  was  prophesied.  In  this 
the  Prophet  says  nothing  new.  He  only  repeats 
what  he  has  before  set  forth  in  various  places  (xli. 
4,  21  sqq.,  26;  xliii.  9  sqq. ;  xliv.  7  sqq.;  xlvi.  9 
sq.). 

2.  Thou  hast  heard from  the  womb. 

Ver.->.  6-8.  With  these  words,  too,  the  Prophet  re- 
peats essentially  only  something  said  before,  viz., 
what  he  had  announced  in  reference  to  the  new 
periol  of  salvation  to  be  inaugurated  by  Cyrus. 
The  words  r\yiVi  to  ITjn,  ver.  6,  form  the  tran- 
sition. JVOty  manifestly  refers  to  OjTDtJte,  ver. 
3,  and  "pflJJOtfn,  ver.  5.  It  must  be  established 
that  not  only  did  the  LORD  bring  those  old  pro- 
phecies to  a  hearing,  but  that  they  were  actually 

heard.  And  H7p  would  express  that  all  relating 
to  that,  therefore  the  fulfilment  also,  has  been 
heard.  The  emphatic  nrn  (comp.  xxxiii.  20*; 
xxx.  10)  would  warn  Israel  not  to  treat  the  mat- 
ter lightly.  Only  let  it  look  narrowly,  and  it 
must  confess  that  all  in  the  previous  period  of 
histqry  relative  to  prophecy  and  fulfilment  was 
fully  known.  Will  they  not  on  their  part  feel  im- 
pelled to  declare  and  proclaim  aloud  what  they 
have  undoubtedly  heard?  In  the  entire  section, 
vers.  3-11,  the  Prophet  steadily  addresses  Israel 
in  the  second  pers.  masc.  sing.  Suddenly  in  the 

single  clause,  H'Jn  N%L>n  onto,  he  passes  to  the 
second  pers.  masc.  plur.  The  reason  for  this 
seems  to  me  to  be,  that  he  has  in  mind  here,  no 
longer  the  ideal  total  Israel,  but  the  concrete  per- 
sons of  his  contemporaries  and  immediate  hearers 
or  first  readers. 

This  appears  to  me  to  be  one  of  the  passages 
where  the  Prophet,  who  else  lives  wholly  in  the 
Exile,  cannot  help  casting  a  glance  at  the  actual 
present.  If  we  might  assume  that  chapters  xl.- 
Ixvi.  were  to  remain  a  sealed-up  prophecy  until 
the  time  of  the  Exile,  then  we  would  be  warranted 
in  saying  that  the  words  and  will  ye  not  de- 
clare it  applied  only  to  the  exiles.  But  the  nu- 
merous citations  from  chapters  xl.-lxvi.,  that  oc- 
cur in  prophets  after  Isaiah  but  before  the  Exile, 
show  that  our  prophecy  even  before  the  Exile 
must  have  been  publici" juris.  Hence  I  can  only 
see  in  these  words  an  exhortation  that  Isaiah  gives 
to  his  actual  contemporaries,  viz.,  to  confess  openly 
that  the  history  of  Israel  hitherto  is  a  proof  that 
Jehovah  can  prophesy  and  fulfil.  ["And  ye 
(idolaters  or  idols),  will  not  ye  declare,  the  same 


word  used  above  for  the  prediction  of  events,  and 
therefore  no  doubt  meaning  here,  will  not  ye  pre- 
dict something '!  This  is  HITZIG'S  explanation 
of  the  words.  In  favor  of  this  view  is  its  taking 
TJn  in  the  sense  which  it  has  in  the  preceding 
verse,  and  also  the  analogy  of  xli.  22,  23,  where 
the  very  same  challenge  is  given  in  nearly  the 
same  form ;  to  which  may  be  added  the  sudden 
change  to  the  plural  form,  and  the  emphatic  in- 
troduction of  the  pronoun,  implying  a  new  object 
of  address,  and  not  a  mere  enallage,  because  he 
immediately  resumes  the  address  to  the  people  in 
the  singular"  J.  A.  ALEX.].  As  Israel  itself 
must  confess  that  it  has  learned  to  know  its  God 
as  a  prophesier  and  fulfiller,  the  LORD  bases  on 
that  the  further  demand  that  they  believe  also  the 
present  new  prophecy,  and  infer  from  it  the  pro- 
per consequences.  Manifestly  the  *"W"in,  new 

things,  are  the  prophecy  relating  to  Cyrus  and  the 
period  of  salvation  initiated  by  him.  The  Prophet 
referstoxlii.Osqq.;  xliii.  19sqq.;  xliv.  24sqq.;  xlv. 
Isqq.,  llsqq.,  19sqq.;  xlvi.  11.  He  particularly 
emphasizes  that  this  prophecy  as  such  is  also  quite  a 
new  thing.  Had  Israel  obtained  report  of  those 
future  events  in  any  other  way,  natural  or  super- 
natural, then,  of  course,  their  proclamation  by  the 
Prophet  would  have  been  met  by  the  reply : 
"  Nothing  new,  we  know  it  already."  That  would 
have  been  ruinous  for  the  reputation  of  Jehovah 
and  His  prophet.  But  there  is  no  mention  of 
that.  The  prophecy  relates  to  hidden  things 
(i.  8;  xlix.  6;  Ixv.  4),  to  things  tbat  have  just 
been  created.  The  expression,  are  created 
(comp.  xli.  20;  xliii.  7;  xlv.  8)  is  to  be  judged  of 
b v  the  measure  of  what  is  divinely  real.  The  word 
Or  prophecy  has  changed  the  divine  decree  from 
being  a  ^6yo^  evdid-&EToq  to  being  a  Myoe  trpotyo- 
f>/.i<6£.  The  divine  idea  is  thereby,  as  it  were, 
born  into  the  world.  Even  though  it  only  exists 
us  a  mere  word,  still  a  word  so  uttered  is  a  creative 
word.  If  God  has  spoken  it,  it  also  comes  to  pass. 
So  far  what  God  has  spoken,  announced,  prophe- 
sied, is  as  good  as  created.  It  is  real  even  if 
for  the  time  being  it  is  only  a  divine  decree  (comp. 
under  Doctr.  and  Eth.  on  ver.  7).  But  its  reality 
rests  only  on  this  act  of  the  divine  will,  and  the 
knowledge  of  it  only  on  the  revelation  of  it  by 
means  of  the  prophet  of  Jehovah.  No  one  in  the 
world  would  have  thought  of  it,  and  no  one  in  the 
world  would  have  received  intelligence  of  the  di- 
vine thought  without  the  revelation  through  the 
Prophet.  God  thinks  it,  God  says  it,  God  does  it. 
It  is  only  and  altogether  a  fruit  of  God,  and  hence 
a  proof  that  God  is,  and  what  He  is.  God  re- 
vealed it  to  Israel,  and  He  did  it  with  the  inten- 
tion of  curing  Israel  of  its  deep-rooted  tendency 
to  faithlessness  (comp.  Jer.  iii.  7,  10),  from  its 
native  tendency  to  apostacy. 

3.  For  my  name's  sake unto  another, 

vers.  9-11.  These  verses  are  related  to  what  pre- 
cedes as  giving  a  reason.  The  new  things  (ver. 
6),  previously  concealed,  but  now  entered  on 
existence  as  to  principle  by  the  word  of  pro- 
phecy, involve  salvation  and  deliverance  for  Is- 
rael on  the  assumption  that  Israel  will  let  itself 
be  cured  of  its  deep-rooted  tendency  to  apostacy. 
For  this  continued  rebelliousness  it  had  properly 
merited  extinction.  But  the  LORD  desires  not 
the  death  of  the  sinner,  but  that  he  should  re- 


CHAP.  XLVIII.  12-15. 


521 


pent  and  live.  For  the  sake  of  His  own  honor, 
also,  He  desires  not  the  death  of  the  sinner.  For 
the  rejection  of  Israel  after  its  election  would 
even  compromise  the  LORD  Himself.  It  would 
make  Him  appear  as  one  who  would,  but  could 
not.  Hence  the  LOUD  will  make  His  anger  long, 
i.  e.  He  will  postpone  the  destructive  blow  that 
His  anger  properly  demands  (see  Text,  and 
Gram.).  In  fact  He  postponed  it  until  the  rejec- 
tion of  His  Son  (Matth.  xxi.  39  sqq.).  There- 
fore, for  His  name's  sake  He  will  defer  His 
anger,  and  for  the  sake  of  His  honor  He 
will  restrain  it,  for  Israel's  advantage  (see  Text, 
and  Gram.),  so  that  it  will  not  be  destroyed.  He 
will  only  purify,  refine  Israel,  yet  not  as  silver; 
but  He  will  confirm  it  in  the  furnace  of  afflic- 
tion. The  Prophet  makes  a  difference  between 
the  refining  furnace  and  the  furnace  of  affliction. 
The  difference  cannot  relate  to  the  effect,  since 
that  is  the  same  in  both.  For  I  do  not  think 
that  the  Prophet  assumes  an  unfavorable  result 
in  the  smelting  process,  viz.  that  dross  will  come 


of  it.  According  to  the  context  the  honor  of 
God  demands  that  Israel  be  purified  and  saved. 
But  the  smelting  furnace  is  for  the  silver  no  mis- 
fortune, no  disgrace  ;  it  is  the  natural  and  neces- 
sary means  for  restoring  the  silver.  Properly 
Israel  ought  not  to  need  this  smelting  process. 
So  far  the  furnace  of  affliction  is  for  Israel  a  pun- 
ishment and  disgrace,  which  the  smelting  fur- 
nace is  not  for  silver.— Finally  the  Prophet  re- 
peats the  thought  with  emphasis,  that  the  pre- 
servation of  Israel  was  in  the  proper  interest  ot 
Jehovah.  Did  He  forsake  Israel,  He  would 
then  surrender  them  to  the  idols,  and  thereby 
permit  the  honor  belonging  to  Him  alone  to  be 
given  to  them.  The  words :  and  I  will  not 
give  my  honor  to  another,  ver.  11  6,  in 
which  manifestly  the  thought  of  vers.  9-11  cul- 
minates, is  a  literal  repetition  of  xlii.  8.  By  this 
the  Prophet  intimates  that  in  these  words,  too 
(vers.  9-11),  he  only  repeats  what  he  had  said 
before.  DELITZSCH  very  fittingly  at  ver.  11  re- 
fers to  Ezek.  xxxvi.  19-23. 


3.    THE  CONTENTS  OF  THE  NEW  THINGS  IS  EEPEATED. 
CHAPTER  XLVIII.  12-15. 

12  Hearken  unto  me,  O  Jacob 
And  Israel,  my  called  ; 

I  am  he  ;  I  am  the  first,  I  also  am  the  last. 

13  Mine  hand  also  hath  laid  the  foundation  of  the  earth, 
And  ^y  right  hand  hath  spanned  the  heavens : 
When  I  call  unto  them,  they  stand  up  together. 

14  All  ye,  assemble  yourselves,  and  hear  ; 
Which  among  them  hath  declared  these  things  f 

The  LORD  hath  loved  him  :  he  will  do  his  pleasure  on  Babylon,' 
And  his  arm  shall  be  on  the  Chaldeans. 

15  I,  even  I,  have  spoken ;  yea,  I  have  called  him  : 

I  have  brought  him,  and  he  shall  make  his  way  prosperous. 

1  Or,  the  palm  of  my  right  hand  hath  spread  out. 

TEXTUAL   AND 

On  ver.  14.  Expositors  have  made  difficulty  about  con- 
struing l°y*V  as  accusative,  because  "  to  perform  Jeho- 
vah's or  His  own  arm  "  is  an  incomprehensible  mode  of 
speech  even  taken  as  zeugmatic  (DELITZSCH),  KI.OSTEK- 
MANN,  too,  (1.  c.,  pp.  7, 19)  is  of  the  opinion  that  to  trans- 
late "He  will  accomplish  his  will  on  Babylon  and  his 
punitive  work  on  the  Chaldeans  "  needs  a  dispensation 
from  Hebrew  MSMS  loquendi.  Jj'HT  does,  indeed,  not 
mean  "  punitive  work,"  and  this  is  not  an  instance  of 
mere  zeugma,  but  zeugma  and  metonymy.  It  is  surely 
one  of  the  most  usual  metonymical  forms  of  expression 
in  the  Old  Testament  to  put  the  arm  for  what  is  mani- 
fested by  the  arm,  t.  e.,  for  the  power  or  the  might. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Comp.  xxxiii.  2;  Jer.  xvii.  5;  Ezek.  xxxi.  17;  Ps.  Ixxxiil. 
9,  etc.  Moreover  xliv.  12  proves  that  the  Prophet  con- 
ceives of  the  arm,  as  also  in  xlv.  9  of  the  hand,  as  the 
seat  of  power.  Might  not  our  passage  read:  nt^y' 
D'Ttf  3  imi3  J*  S:p3  (or  iVn,  "IPS)  ft£)n  ?  For  "one 
may  very  well  say  rPO  J  Hf-vy  for  "  to  display  strength, 

T        :         T    r 

power"  (1  Kings  xvi.27).  Accordingly,  if  taken  strictly, 
one  need  not  even  assume  a  zeugma,  if  the  slight  dif- 
ference be  not  urged  that  exists  between  ntyjj  i;l 

V2n    T\&y  and  nt?^  in  m?3J    r\t?y. There  can 

be  no  doubt  that  the  prefix  3  should  be  repeated  be- 
fore 


522 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Hearken    unto   me  --  up   together, 
vers.  12,  13.     The  verses  of  this  section  are  al- 
most wholly  a  compilation  of  the  chief  elements 
of  chapts.  xl.-xlvir.     The  words  #0^  as  far  as 
'JOpO  are  only  a  solemn  introductory  formula, 
containing  an  emphatic  summons  to  give  atten- 
tion, in  order  to  intimate  the  importance  of  the 
subject.      Comp.   ver.    1  ;    xliv.    1  ;    xlvi.   3.  — 
fcOpp,  "  the  called,"  as  regards  the  word,  occurs 
only  here;  but  as  regards  the  sense  it  is  essen- 
tially one  with  what  we  read  xli.  9;  xliii.   ]. 
A  double  calling  is  spoken  of  here:  Of  the  an- 
cient and  original  one  which  Israel  received  in 
the  person  of  its  ancestor  (xli.  9),  and  of  the  fu- 
ture one  when  the  LORD  calls  back  His  people 
from   the   Exile   (xliii.   1  ;  comp.   ver.    5   sqq.  ; 
xliv.  22).     Thus  Israel  is  named  N"^p?3   as  the 
doubly  called  people.     In  what  follows  the  Pro- 
phet calls  to  mind  first  those  fundamental  facts 
that  are  a  guaranty  that  Jehovah   can   foretell 
and  fulfil  the  deliverance  by  Cyrus.     They  are  1) 
His  absoluteness  and  uniqueness.     As  such  He  is 
twn,  the  He  par  excellence,  the  absolute  subject. 
As  such  the  Prophet  has  already  named  Him, 
xliii.  10,  13,  25;  xli.  4;  xlvi.  4.   2)  His  eternity, 
by  virtue  of  which  He  is  the  first  and  the  last. 
He  has  already  been  so  called  xli.  4  ;  xliv.  6  ; 
comp.  xliii.  13.     3)  The  creation  of  heaven  and 
earth,  which  also  has   been  spoken  of  in   what 
precedes,  in  the   same  sense,  viz.  that  He  who 
created  the  world  can  also  foretell  and  fulfil  Is- 
rael's deliverance:  xl.  12  sqq.,  22,  26,  28;  xlii. 
5;  xliv.  24;  xlv.  12,  18. 

2.  All  ye,  assemble  -  his  way  prosper- 
ous, vers.  14,  15.     The  words  1¥3pn  as  far  as 


(''All  ye  assemble  --  these  things")  rep- 
resent here  all  those  passages  in  which  the  Pro- 


phet has  variously  uttered  the  thought,  that 
Jehovah,  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth,  has 
challenged  all  idols  to  a  contest  in  prophesying 
in  order,  by  exposing  their  impotency,  to  prove 
their  nothingness  and  His  divinity.  The  pas- 
sages are  xli.  1  sqq.,  21  sqq.,  26  sqq.;  xliii.  9; 
xliv.  7  sqq.,  24  sqq. ;  xlv.  20  sqq. ;  xlvi.  9  sqq. 
Especially  our  passage  recalls  xliii.  9  and  xlv. 
20.  In  xliii.  9  the  interrogatory  clause  occurs 
almost  verbatim,  except  the  Niph.  of  ^3p.  For 
there  it  reads  HN1  T-P  D713  '0.  In  xlv.  20,  as 

V  T 

here,  the  first  word  is  1¥3pn.  It  is  self-evident 
that  DH3  in  our  passage,  as  in  xliii.  9,  is  to  be 
referred  to  the  idols,  as  that  HyX  refers  to  the 
things  concerning  Cyrus.  This  appears  from 
what  immediately  follows.  For  there  again  we 
have  a  collective  citation,  if  I  may  so  express 
myself.  For  there  all  that  has  been  previously 
said  of  Cyrus  is  recalled  by  the  brief  words,  ver. 
14  b,  15,  that  emphasize  the  chief  particulars. 
Jehovah  hath  loved  him  is  said  first.  It  is 
true  this  statement  has  not  occurred  literally  be- 
fore ;  but  it  has  as  to  sense.  For  that  the  LORD 
loves  Cyrus  underlies  all  those  passages  that 
speak  of  him;  xli.  2  sq.,  25;  xliv.  28;  xlv.  1-7, 
13  sq.;  xlvi.  11.  Moreover  the  words :  He  will 
do  His  pleasure  on  Babylon,  and  His  arm 
on  the  Chaldeans,  though  not  literally,  occur 
as  to  sense  in  what  precedes  (comp.  xli.  25 ; 
xliii.  14;  xliv.  28,  where,  moreover,  the  words 

D'7^  'V?n  -^  occur;  xlv.  1  sqq.;  xlvi.  1  sq., 
10;  xlvii.  entire). — In  ver.  15  the  LORD  Him- 
self speaks,  confirming  the  word  of  His  Prophet. 
HE,  the  LORD,  has  foretold  that  which  concerns 
Cyrus  (xlv.  21)  ;  He  called  him  (xlv.  4),  He 
brings  him  on,  taking  him  by  the  hand  (xlv.  1), 
and  sees  to  it  that  he  completes  his  way  (xli.  3). 


4.  TWO  INSEKTIONS.    CHAPTER  XLVIII.  16,  17-19. 


Verses  20,  21  connect  naturally  with  vers.  14, 
15.  For  ver.  14  foretells  the  victory  of  Cyrus 
over  Babylon ;  ver.  20  summons  Israel  to  flee  out 
of  vanquished  Babylon  as  a  prison  opened  by 
Cyrus.  Verse  16,  however,  contains  a  personal 
remark  of  the  Prophet;  and  though  vers,  17-19 
are  a  revealed  word  of  God  (com.  0  ">?3X  H3  ver. 
17),  they  are  yet  of  so  general  a  nature,  that  they 
would  be  perfectly  in  place,  indeed,  after  ver. 
21,  as  expressive  of  a  regret  that  Israel  did  not 
follow  the  direct  way  to  salvation,  but  had  made 
necessary  the  detour  through  the  Exile;  but 
coming  between  vers.  15  and  20,  they  can  only 
be  regarded  as  a  break  of  the  connection.  How 
vers.  16  and  17-19  came  where  they  are  will 
hardly  be  made  out  by  any  one.  Their  proper 
place  would  be  between  vers.  21  and  22.  Per- 


haps they  first  stood  in  the  margin  (occasioned 
by  the  personal  nature  of  ver.  16  and  the  retro- 
spective nature  of  vers.  17-19  in  the  midst  of  the 
current  of  prospective  prophecy),  and  then  they 
were,  through  misunderstanding,  inserted  before 
instead  of  after  ver.  21.  [The  Author's  difficulty 
as  to  the  order  of  the  verses  will  not  be  felt  by 
many,  any  more  than  they  are,  e.  g.,  by  LOWTII, 
MAURER,  BARNES,  J.  A.  ALEX.,  who  comment 
right  on  without  being  aware  of  anything  to 
stumble  at.  Yet  J.  A.  A.  pauses  to  say,  that 
the  objection  as  presented  by  others  is  entirely 
unfounded ;  vide,  his  comm.  on  ver.  18.  Those 
that  fail  to  see  the  difficulty  with  the  Author,  will 
equally  discard  the  caption  he  adopts,  by  which 
he  stamps  these  verses  16-19  as  interpolations. — 


CHAP.  XIAIII.  16. 


523 


a)    FIRST  INSERTION.    CHAPTER  XL VIII.  16. 
A  personal  remark  of  the  Prophet. 

16       Come  ye  near  unto  me,  hear  ye  this  ; 

I  have  riot  spoken  in  secret  from  the  beginning  ; 

From  the  time  that  it  was,  there  am  I : 

And  now  the  LORD  God,  "and  his  Spirit,  hath  sent  me. 


hath  sent  me  and  his  Spirit. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


These  words  are  enigmatical,  and  I  despair  of 
explaining  them  in  a  convincing  way.  I  do  not 
believe  that  "  come  ye  near  unto  me,  hear  ye 
this "  are  in  parallelism  with  "  all  ye  assemble 
yourselves  and  hear"  ver.  14,  and  that  therefore 
they  are  to  be  construed  also  as  words  of  Je- 
hovah. ["  As  certainly  now  as  W3pn  ver.  14  is 
the  word  of  Jehovah,  so  certain  is  it  that  '3"]p_ 
*7?  is  the  same.  He  summons  to  Himself  the 
members  of  His  nation,  that  they  may  hear  still 
further  His  own  testimony  concerning  Himself." 
DELITZSCH].  For,  as  has  been  shown,  the  initial 
words  of  vex.  14  are  references  to  something  said 
before.  But  ver.  16  begins  a  thought  of  another 
sort.  It  makes  on  me  the  irupres,-;ion  of  a  separ- 
ate remark,  which  the  Prophet  had  directed  to  a 
narrower  circle  of  immediate  hearers,  such  as, 
say,  the  narrower  circle  of  his  disciples  may  have 
been  (comp.  on  viii.  16  sqq.).  Some  might  be 
surprised  regarding  the  prophecies  beginning 
with  chap,  xl.,  that  the  Prophet  foretells  so  posi- 
tively a  Babylonian  Exile,  and  the  deliverance 
by  a  prince  by  the  name  of  Cyrus.  The  Prophet 
explains  this  ver.  16.  By  "come  ye  near  unt^o 
me "  he  intimates  that  he  would  make  a  par- 
ticularly confidential  communication.  It  consists 
in  the  statement  that  he  must  not  be  supposed  to 
have  known  of  these  things  already,  say  from  the 
beginning  of  (E^HID)  his  prophetic  activity,  and 
to  have  announced  or  may-be  made  a  written 
record  of  them,  as  esoteric  secrets,  only  in  the 
narrowest  circle.  Rather  he  did  not  himself  know 
of  these  things  from  the  beginning.  Only  P>'0 
nnm,  "  from  the  time  that  it  was,"  was  he 
there.  That  is,  only  since  these  things  ''  were 
created"  (^~QJ  ver.  7)  in  the  sense  that  we  have 
explained  ver.  7,  did  he  become  familiar  with 
them  and  they  stand  visible  before  his  prophetic 
eye.  HHVn  seems  to  me  to  remind  one  of  ""rn  "I3X 
and  of  TV!"!  ~mn.  The  Prophet  regards  as 
created,  as  come  to  pass,  what  has  been  an- 
nounced to  him.  Hence  he  says  here,  he  for  his 
person  was  present,  as  an  inward,  spiritual  wit- 
ness and  spectator,  when  these  things,  in  a  pro- 
phetic sense,  came  to  pass.  But  now  the 
LORD  Jehovah  (see  List)  has  sent  him,  i. 
e.,  has  sent  him  with  the  commission  of  announc- 
ing, and  His  Spirit.  Therefore  he  distinguishes 
between  the  moment  of  prophetic  seeing  and 
that  of  prophetic  announcement.  I  cannot  con- 
strue irPI  as  accusative.  For  then  he  would 
make  himself  like  the  Spirit,  or  put  himself  on 
a  level  with  the  Spirit.  He  can  only  make  the 
Spirit  equal  with  the  LORD.  But  he  distin- 


guishes the  LORD  and  His  Spirit,  by  recognizing 
the  first  as  the  one  from  whom  the  Spirit  pro- 
ceeds (1  Kings  xxii.  22)  or  is  sent. 

This  is  an  attempt  at  exposition,  which  how- 
ever I  by  no  means  set  forth  as  an  assured  asser- 
tion. As  I  cannot  hold  it  to  be  satisfying,  I  can- 
not pretend  to  have  solved  the  enigma  by  it. 
For  a  Prophet  to  interrupt  his  official  prophecy 
by  a  private  remark  is,  of  course,  against  the 
rule.  Still  it  is  not  unexampled.  I  regard  Jer. 
xxxi.  26  as  such,  where  see  my  comment.  In 
Jeremiah,  the  occasion  of  that  personal  remark 
was  the  circumstance,  that  that  moment  of  awak- 
ing out  of  sleep  was  for  him  the  brightest  point 
in  all  his  trying  prophetic  career.  For  Isaiah 
the  occasion  was,  that  he  regarded  it  as  necessary 
to  give  his  immediate  hearers  an  explanation 
why  he  now  announced  things  the  like  of  which 
no  one  had  ever  before  heard  from  him.  It 
might  seem  as  if  hitherto  he  had  preserved  silence 
about  what  he  had  long  known.  But  he  says : 
The  new  thing  that  ye  have  heard,  I  myself  did 
not  know  earlier.  It  has  only  now  come  to  pass 
(in  a  prophetic  sense),  and  only  after  it  came  to 
pass  did  I  receive  commission  to  reveal  it.  Of 
course,  this  exposition  is  only  possible  if  the 
Prophet  that  speaks  is  Isaiah  himself,  and  if 
Isaiah  here  for  once  speaks  out  of  the  historical 
moment  in  which  he  prophesied.  But  does  not 
the  whole  weight  of  his  discoures  rest  on  this, 
that  he  is  even  prophesying,  i.  e.,  announcing  fu- 
ture things,  not  present  or  past  ?  If  so,  then  he 
must  be  conscious  of  the  interval  between  pro- 
phecy and  fulfilment.  He  must  know  that  what 
is  prophesied  lies  far,  far  before  him,  too  far  for 
any  human  eye  to  recognize  what  lies  beyond 
that  interval.  Hence  I  cannot  agree  with  DE- 
UTSCH  in  considering  that  the  Prophet  lives  only 
in  the  Exile  with  his  spirit.  This  were  only 
possible,  did  he  forget  that  he  prophesied. 

[The  comment  of  DELITZSCH  directly  following 
his  words  quoted  above  is :  "  From  the  beginning 
He  has  not  spoken  in  secret  (see  xlv.  19) ;  but 
from  the  time  that  all  which  now  lies  before  their 
eyes — namely,  the  victorious  career  of  Cyrus — 
has  unfolded  itself,  He  has  been  there,  or  has 
been  by  (DCf,  'there,'  as  in  Prov.  viii.  27),  to 
regulate  what  was  coming  to  pass,  and  to  cause 
it  to  result  in  the  redemption  of  Israel.  '  I  was 
there'  affirms,  that,  at  the  time  when  the  revolu- 
tion caused  by  Cyrus  was  preparing  in  the  dis- 
tance, He  caused  it  to  be  publicly  foretold,  and 
thereby  proclaimed  Himself  the  present  Author 
and  Lord  of  what  was  then  occurring.  Up  to 
this  point  Jehovah  is  speaking ;  but  who  is  it 
that  now  proceeds  to  say,  'And  now' — namely, 
now  that  the  redemption  of  Israel  is  about  to 


524 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


appear  (DFUM  being  here,  as  in  many  other  in- 
staa333,  e.  g.,  xxxiii.  10,  the  turning-point  of 
salvation) — 'now  hath  the  Lord  Jehovah 
sent  me  and  His  Spirit.'  The  majority  of 
the  commentators  assume  that  the  Prophet  comes 
forward  here  in  his  own  person,  behind  Him 
whom  he  has  introduced,  aud  interrupts  Him. 
But  since  the  Prophet  has  not  spoken  in  his  own 
person  before,  whereas,  on  the  other  hand,  these 
words  are  followed  in  xlix.  1  sqq.  by  an  address 
concerning  himself  from  that  Servant  of  Jehovah 
who  announces  Himself  as  the  restorer  of  Israel 
and  light  of  the  Gentiles,  and  who  cannot  there- 
fore be  Israel  as  a  nation  or  the  Author  of  these 
prophecies,  nothing  is  more  natural  than  to  sup- 
pose that  the  words,  'And  now  hath  the 
Lord,'  etc.,  form  a  prelude  to  the  words  of  the 
One  unequalled  Servant  of  Jehovah  concerning 
Himself  which  occur  in  xlix.  The  surprisingly 
mysterious  way  in  which  the  words  of  Jehovah 
suddenly  pass  into  those  of  His  messenger,  which 
is  only  comparable  to  Zech.  ii.  12  sqq. ;  iv.  9 
(where  the  speaker  is  also  not  the  prophet,  but  a 
divine  messenger  exalted  above  him),  can  only 
be  explained  in  this  manner.  And  in  no  other 
way  can  we  explain  the  nnjM,  which  means,  that 
after  Jehovah  has  prepared  the  way  for  the  re- 
demption of  Israel  by  the  raising  up  of  Cyrus,  in 
accordance  with  prophecy,  and  by  his  success  in 
arms.  He  has  sent  him,  the  speaker  in  this  case, 
to  carry  out,  in  a  mediatorial  capacity,  the  re- 
demption thus  proposed,  and  that  not  by  force  of 
arms,  but  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God  (xlii. 
1 ;  comp.  Zech.  iv.  6).  Consequently  the  Spirit 
is  not  spoken  of  here  as  joining  in  the  sending  (as 
UMBREIT  and  STIER  suppose,  af:er  JEROME  and 
the  TARGUM  ;  the  LXX.  is  indefinite,  KO.I  TO 
Kvsvua  avTov) ;  nor  do  we  ever  find  the  Spirit 
mentioned  in  such  co-ordination  as  this  (see,  on 
the  other  hand,  Zech.  vii.  12,  per  spiritum  suum). 
The  meaning  is,  that  it  is  also  sent,  i.  e.,  sent  in 
and  with  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  who  is  speak- 
ing here."  DEL.  on  Isa.,  vol.  II.  p.  252  sq. 
CLARK'S  For.  Theol.  Lib. 

We  may  anticipate  here  the  comment  on  vers. 
17-19  for  the  purpose  of  saying,  in  support  of  the 
above  exposition  of  DELITZSCH,  that  our  vers. 
16-19  seem  to  be  the  scripture  (TJ  ypaqfj)  referred 
to  in  John  vii.  37-39.  In  our  text,  the  messen- 
ger and  the  Spirit  sent  with  or  after  him  (ver.  16) 
are  presented  as  the  source  of  the  blessings  con- 
ditionally guaranteed  in  vers.  17-19.  The  em- 
phatic way  in  which  (be  mention  of  the  Spirit  is 
introduced  (ver.  16),  and  the  mention  of  "teach- 


ing," "  hearkening  to  commandments,"  "  peace  " 
and  "righteousness"  (vers.  17, 18),  make  it  plain 
that  the  agent  of  the  blessings  described  (vers.  18, 
19)  must  be  the  Spirit ;  not,  however,  excluding 
the  priority  of  the  Redeemer  who  is  the  speaker. 
The  blessing  described  is  the  blessing  of  Abra- 
ham, as  our  Author  shows  below;  and  (against 
DEL.  who  translates  ''grains  of  sand")  we  may, 
with  our  Author,  translate  ftfjPO  =  "  viscera, 
bowels"  (BARNES  and  J.  A.  ALEX,  do  the  same). 
Of  course  we  must  understand  the  blessing  of 
numerous  offspring  in  a  spiritual  sense,  such  as 
the  Spirit  will  generate,  i.  e.,  a  spiritual  Israel. 
Our  Author  has  shown  this  in  cognate  passages, 
e.  g.,  see  under  xliv.  3-5.  Moreover  the  very 
parallelisms  of  ver.  18,  "  peace  as  the  river," 
"  righteousness  as  the  waves,"  show  this.  In 
John  vii.  38  the  Lord  Jesus  says:  "He  that  be- 
lieves on  Me,  as  the  Scripture  said:  rivers  of 
living  water  shall  flow  from  his  bowels  (t/c  rrjf 
KoM/af  avTov)."  This  is  an  allusion  and  inter- 
pretation, rather  than  a  quotation.  It  combines 
the  spiritual  figures  of  ver.  18  with  the  figure  of 
offspring  in  ver.  19,  where  the  LXX.  has:  KOI 
rd  inyova  TTJ<;  KotAia^  cov.  By  saying  this,  our 
Lord  claims  that  He  is  the  source  of  the  Abra- 
hamic  blessing,  and  reproduces  in  Himself  the 
speaker  of  our  text.  To  relieve  the  obscurity  of 
the  allusion  the  Evangelist  adds  his  comment 
(John  vii.  39):  ''But  this  He  spake  of  the  Spirit, 
which  they  that  believe  on  Him  should  receive : 
for  the  Holy  Ghost  was  not  yet  given ;  because 
that  Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified."  By  thin  John 
completes  the  allusion  to  our  text,  referring  to 
the  Spirit  which  our  ver.  16  represents  as  sent 
with  the  messenger — but  after;  "and  His  Spirit 
(inni),"  curiously  subjoined  grammatically, 
seeming  to  express  an  after-thought,  but  really 
expressing  an  after-act.  The  day  of  Pentecost 
witnessed  this  sending,  and  the  promised  effect 
of  it  in  the  multiplication  of  offspring  to  those 
that  believed  on  Christ,  in  the  vast  increase  of 
the  spiritual  Israel,  rivers  of  living  waters, 
righteousness  like  waves,  and  seed  like  the  off- 
spring of  the  sea. 

The  view  here  given  of  the  correlation  of  our 
text  and  John  vii.  37-39,  if  correct,  is  invaluable 
as  aid  in  understanding  the  former,  confirming 
the  exposition  of  DELITZSCH.  At  the  same  time 
it  identifies  the  reference  of  rj  ~ypa$f)  in  John  vii. 
38,  which,  so  far  as  we  know,  has  never  been 
satisfactorily  done  by  any  commentator,  and  at 
the  same  time  must  imperatively  control  the  inter- 
pretation put  upon  ''  rivers  of  living  water."  TR.] 


b)    SECOND  INSERTION. 
Lament  that  Israel  would  not  hear  at  the  right  time. 

CHAPTER  XLVIII.  17-19. 

17  Thus  saith  the  LORD, 

Thy  Redeemer,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ; 

I  am  the  LORD  thy  God  which  teacheth  thee  to  profit, 

Which  leadeth  thee  by  the  way  that  thou  shouldest  go. 

18  O  that  thou  hadst  hearkened  to  my  commandments  1 
Then  had  thy  peace  been  as  a  river, 


CHAP.  XLVIII.  17-19. 


525 


And  thy  righteousness  as  the  waves  of  the  sea: 
19  Thy  seed  also  had  been  as  the  sand, 

And  the  offspring  of  thy  bowels  "like  the  gravel  thereof; 

His  name  bshould  not  have  been  cut  off  nor  destroyed  from  before  me. 


like  that  of  its  (the  sea's)  bowels. 


shall  not  be. 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 


These  words  interrupt  the  connection  just  as 
does  ver.  16,  and  make  the  impression  of  belong- 
ing to  the  time  when  the  Prophet  was  prophesy- 
ing. For  chap,  xliii.  is  a  recapitulation  of  the 
thoughts  of  chaps,  xl.-xlvii.  This  recapitulation 
continues  in  vers.  20,  21,  as  we  shall  show  after- 
wards. But  in  these  vers.  17-19  there  is  not  a 
trace  of  recapitulation.  [It  is  hard  to  resist  the 
conviction,  that  were  our  Author  less  dominated 
by  this  notion  of  recapitulation,  he  would  see 
more  clearly.  See  in  the  Introduction,  p.  17,  the 
remarks  quoted  from  J.  A.  ALEX.  —  TR.]  They 
bear  a  retrospective  character.  After  announcing 
the  deliverance  by  Cyrus,  the  Prophet  is  con- 
strained to  make  the  mournful  remark,  that  Israel 
might  have  come  to  the  same  goal  of  salvation  by 
the  normal  and  direct  way.  This  thought  was 
perhaps  in  place  after  the  recapitulation,  bat  not 
during  it,  as  a  break  in  the  context. 

Jehovah,  the  Redeemer,  the  Holy  One, 
the  God  of  Israel,  is  naturally,  as  such,  the 
teacher  and  leader  also  of  the  nation,  and  has  the 
right  to  demand  that  the  nation  let  itself  be  taught 
and  led  by  Him.  Vjnn1?  paSo  (see  List);  Vjnn 
is  frugi  esse,  and  is  used  of  being  able,  ability  in  re- 
gard to  useful  things  generally  (comp.  xxx.  5,  6  ; 
Jer.  ii.  8,  etc.).  Here  it  stands  particularly  for  doing 
that  which  is  morally  profitable.  'Ul  n3$pn  HI1? 
(ver.  18)  can  only  mean:  if  thou  hadst  regarded, 
then  thy  salvation  had  been,  etc.  Comp.  EWALD,  \ 
329,  b  ;  338,  a.  Ch.  Lxiii.  19  reads  exactly  and  lite- 
rally :  if  thou  hadst  rent  the  heavens,  and  were  come 
down.  Of  course  in  that  passage  it  is  not  essen- 
tially important  if  one  translate  (inexactly)  O 
that  thou  mightest  rend  the  heavens  and  mightest 
come  down.  For  the  only  difference  is  that  the 
more  exact  construction  expresses  the  impatient 
wish  that  the  rending  and  coming  down  had  al- 
ready taken  place.  But  in  our  passage  one  can- 
not say,  that  the  LOED,  if  the  words  must  relate 
to  the  future,  wishes  Israel  might  already  have 
completed  giving  its  attention.  Every  one  would 
expect  the  wish  to  be  that  Israel  would  give  atten- 
tion now  and  in  all  the  future.  But  to  express 
that  requires  the  imperfect  or  the  imperative, 
and  in  the  apodosis  'PI'l  or  TV  HI.  To  be  gram- 
matically exact,  therefore,  one  can  only  construe 
the  words  as  retrospective.  Had  Israel  regarded 
the  commandments  of  the  LORD,  then  its  sal- 
vation had  been  as  the  river  (the  Euphrates, 
comp.  lix.  19  ;  Ixvi.  12,  where  "inj3  is  used), 
and  its  righteousness  as  waves  of  the  sea. 
Corporeal  and  spiritual  salvation  would  have  ex- 
tended over  Israel  in  measureless  abundance 


(comp.  x.  22,  and  on  the  relation  of  Dlty  t 
xxxii.  16;  xlvi.  13).  All  promises  of  salvation 
contain  the  benedictio  vere  theocratica  of  numerous 
posterity;  for  power  and  developed  civilization 
presuppose  a  numerous  people.  A  people  few  in 
numbers  can  neither  be  powerful  nor  enjoy  in 


spiritual  respects  an  all-sided  development.  Our 
passage  is  founded  on  Gen.  xxii.  17;  xxxii.  13; 
comp.  xii.  2;  xiii.  16;  xv.  5,  etc.  D'Xi'tW  occurs 
only  in  Job  (v.  25;  xxi.  8;  xxvii.  14;  xxxi.  8), 
and  in  Isa.,  see  List,  fi'U??  is  of  uncertain  mean- 
ing. It  occurs  only  here.  The  ancient  versions 
convey  the  notion  of  ''gravel,  lapilli."  Gesenius, 
on  the  other  hand,  translates:  propagin&S  visce-' 
rum  tuoram  ut  (propagines)  viscerum  ejus,"  and  by 
propagines  viscerum  marts  are  to  be  understood  the 
fish  (sea-animals).  [The  invariable  usage  of  the 
Bible  is  to  refer  to  "the  sand  of  the  sea"  as  the 
figure  for  multitude ;  we  think  there  is  not  an  in- 
stance of  the  animal  life  of  the  sea  being  so  used. 
As  a  combined  figure  of  multitude  and  ojf-spring 
the  sand  is  more  appropriate  than  the  fish.  It  is 
beside  the  standing  comparison  for  the  Abra- 
hamic  blessing,  TR.]  HITZIG,  MATJRER,  KNO- 
BEL  [BARNES,  J.  A.  ALEX.]  follow  the  exposi- 
tion of  GESENIUS  [J.  A.  A.  ascribes  it  to  J.  D. 
MICHAELIS,  TR.].  Both  interpretations  have  a 
weak  foundation.  Yet  the  latter  has  in  its  favor, 
that  JVUfp,  viscera  =  D'jJO,  after  the  analogy  of 
nnnj  along  with  D^HJ,  etc.,  is  more  probable 
than  the  ingeniously  deduced  lapilli. 

Therefore  the  Prophet  here  expresses  the 
thought,  that,  had  Israel  followed  the  command- 
ments of  Jehovah,  then  the  promises  given  the 
fathers  would  have  been  fulfilled  without  the 
mournful  intervening  stadium  of  the  Exile.  [It 
seems  better,  with  most  commentators,  to  regard 
vers.  16-19  as  spoken  from  the  stand-point  of  the 
foregoing  and  subsequent  context,  i.  e.,  of  the 
Exile.  This  is  involved  in  interpreting  ''  the 
river"  to  mean  the  Euphrates.  "  Nothing  could 
well  be  more  appropriate  at  the  close  of  this  divi- 
sion of  the  prophecies,  than  such  an  affecting 
statement  of  the  truth,  so  frequently  propounded 
in  didactic  form  already,  that  Israel,  although  the 
chosen  people  of  Jehovah,  and  as  such  secure 
from  total  ruin,  was  and  was  to  be  a  sufferer,  not 
from  any  want  of  faithfulness  or  care  on  God's 
part,  but  as  the  necessary  fruit  of  its  own  imper- 
fections and  corruptions."  J.  A.  ALEX,  on  ver. 
18.  "  His  name  shall  not  be  cut  off  nor  de- 
stroyed before  me."  "  We  may  suppose  that 
the  writer,  after  wishing  that  the  people  had 
escaped  the  strokes  provoked  by  their  iniquities, 
declares  that  even  now  they  shall  not  be  entirely 
destroyed.  This  is  precisely  the  sense  given  to 
the  clause  in  the  LXX.  (ova's  vvv  aTrofairai),  and 
is  recommended  by  two  considerations:  first,  the 
absence  of  the  Vav  conversive,  which  in  the  other 
clause  may  indicate  an  indirect  construction ;  and 
secondly,  its  perfect  agreement  with  the  whole 
drift  of  the  passage,  and  the  analogy  of  others 
like  it,  when  the  explanation  of  the  sufferings  of 
the  people  as  the  fruit  of  their  own  sin  is  com- 
bined with  a  promise  of  exemption  from  complete 
destruction,"  ibid,  on  ver.  19.  DELITZSCII  simi- 
larly.—TB.] 


526 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


5.    SUMMONS  TO  ISRAEL  TO  FLEE  OUT  OF  BABYLON. 

CHAPTER  XL VIII.  20,  21. 

20  Go  ye  forth  of  Babylon. 

Flee  ye  from  the  Chaldeans,  with  voice  of  singing 

Declare  ye,  tell  this, 

Utter  it  even  to  the  end  of  the  earth  ; 

Say  ye,  The  LORD  hath  redeemed  his  servant  Jacob. 

21  And  they  thirsted  not  when  he  led  them  through  the  deserts : 
He  caused  waters  to  flow  out  of  the  rock  for  them : 

He  clave  the  rock  also,  and  the  waters  gushed  out. 

EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


Both  these  verses  bear  entirely  the  character 
of  the  representation  in  vers.  1-15;  that  is  to  say, 
the  chief  particulars  of  chaps,  xl.-xlvii.  are  reca- 
pitulated. They  especially  correspond  to  chaps, 
xlvi.,  xlvii.,  which  are  principally  occupied  with 
Babylon.  That  Babylon  must  be  destroyed,  and 
that  redeemed  Israel  must  go  free  from  the  de- 
stroyed prison,  has  been  variously  declared  in 
preceding  chapters.  It  is  to  be  especially  noted 
that  wherever  the  deliverance  of  Israel  and  Je- 
hovah as  their  Redeemer  are  spoken  of,  it  is  al- 
ways primarily  the  deliverance  from  Babylon 
that  is  meant  (xli.  14;  xliii.  1,  14;  xliv.  6,  22, 
24sqq.;  xlv.  13,  17;  xlvii.  4).  We  read  in  xlii. 
22  that  Israel  is  held  captive  as  in  a  prison.  Ba- 
bylon's fall  is  specially  announced  xliii.  14;  xlvi. 
1,  2;  xlvii.  1  sqq.  It  is  said  in  xlii.  10-12;  xliv. 
23 ;  xlv.  6,  22-24  that  the  praise  of  Jehovah's  acts 
of  deliverance  must  be  sounded  to  the  end  of  the 
earth,  and  be  to  all  nations  a  guaranty  of  their 
own  salvation.  That  on  the  way  the  Israelites 
shall  have  water  in  great  abundance  is  promised 
xli.  17-19;  xliii.  19  sq.;  xliv.  3sq.  That  the 
return  from  Babylon  shall  not  be  inferior  to  the 
return  out  of  Egypt  in  miraculous  displays  of  the 
saving  hand  of  God  is  stated  xlii.  16;  xliii.  16; 
xliv.  27.  Thus  verses  20,  21  also  bear  the  cha- 
racter of  recapitulation.  And  hence  I  believ3 
that  ver.  16  and  the  verses  17-19  were  originally 


supplements,  but  through  misunderstanding  were 
inserted  out  of  place.  As  regards  particulars,  it 
must  be  noticed  that  what  is  to  be  proclaimed  to 
the  end  of  the  earth  begins  with  The  Lord  hath 
redeemed  and  ends  with  -waters  gushed  out. 
The  redemption  of  Israel  and  its  joyful  return 
home  must  be  proclaimed  to  all  nations  as  a  pledge 
of  their  own  sal  vation(comp.  especially  xlv.  22  sqq.) 
And  particularly  this  point  must  be  emphasized, 
to  them,  that  the  LORD  had  now  a  .second  time 
given  such  a  miraculous  deliverance  to  the  people 
Israel.  For  in  that  lies  even  a  confirmation  of 
His  methodical  willing  and  ability  to  do.  And 
the  waters  gushed  out  occurs  again  Psalm 
Ixxviii.  20;  cv.  41.  Moreover  see  List.  ["Unless 
we  are  prepared  to  assume  an  irrational  confusion 
of  language,  setting  all  interpretation  at  defiance, 
our  only  alternative  is  to  conclude,  on  the  one 
hand,  that  Isaiah  meant  to  foretell  a  miraculous 
supply  of  water  during  the  journey  from  Babylon 
to  Jerusalem,  or  that  the  whole  description  is  a 
figurative  one,  meaning  simply  that  the  wonders 
of  tte  Exodus  should  be  renewed.  Against  the 
former  is  the  silence  of  history;  against  the  lat- 
ter nothing  but  the  foregone  conclusion  that  this 
and  other  like  passages  must  relate  exclusively 
to  Babylon  and  the  return  from  exile." — J.  A. 
ALEXANDER.] 


6.  THE  CONTRASTIVE  CONCLUSION. 

CHAPTER  XLVIII.  22. 
22       There  is  no  peace,  saith  the  LORD,  unto  the  wicked. 

EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


These  words  do  not  fit  on  to  vers.  20-21.  They 
could  better  connect  with  ver.  19  as  the  negative 
proof  of  the  thought,  that  Israel,  had  it  hearkened 
to  the  commandments  of  the  LORD,  would  have 


meant  to  form  a  similar  and  hence  the  like-sound- 
ing conclusion  of  the  first  two  Enneads.  Indeed 
even  chap.  Ixvi.  concludes,  not  with  the  same 
words,  yet  with  the  same  thought,  and  that  in  an 


found  abundant  salvation  (comp.  especially  "thy  I  enhanced  and  drastic  form.  It  is  certainly  not 
peace  had  been  as  a  river,"  ver.  18).  But  if  ver.  accidental  that  chaps,  xl.-lxvi.  arc  in  general  a 
22  were  only  to  belong  to  vers.  17-19,  then  the  [  book  of  consolation,  that  the  three  chief  parts  be- 
words  would  not  occur  in  another  place  and  con-  !  gin  with  words  of  consolation,  and  yet  all  of  them 


nection.     But  such  is  the  case  at  the  close  of  Ivii. 


This   circumstance    proves  that  the   words   are    less  the  Prophet  would  thereby  impress  on  his 


conclude  with  the  words  so  threatening.     Doubt- 


CHAP.  XLVIII.  15-22. 


527 


readers  that  the  consolation  is  not  unconditional  for 
all,  but  that  only  the  pious  shall  partake  of  it.  This 
threatening  earnestness  of  the  respective  conclu- 
sions, so  harshly  emphasized  and  directly  in  con- 
trast with  the  predominating  consolatory  charac- 
ter of  the  book,  should  lead  the  wicked  to  a  tho- 
rough introspection. 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xlviii.  2.  Tnnitebantur  Israelitae  urbi  Hie- 
rosolijmae  et  templo,  cui  Deus  se  sua  cum  praesentia 
gratiosa  addixerat  (Psalm  cxxxii.  13,  14).     Huic 
autem  fiduciae  propheta  opponit  ejus  vanitatem.    Nos 
inde  petimus  e/isyx™  adversus  pontificios,  qui  papas 
suos  continua  successions  ex  apostolo  Petro  tanquam 
fonte  perenni  proftuxisse,  Homaeque  in  cathedra  Pe- 
tri  sedisse   et   adhuc   seders  gloriosissime  jactitant. 
Sed  hanc  jactationem   hoc   loco   confutal  propheta. 
Nos  addimus  hasce  patrum  sententias.     NAZIANZE- 
NUS  in  orat.  de  laudibus  ATIIAN.  :  "Qui  in  pietate 
succedit,  in  cathedra  vera  succedit;  qui  autem  con- 
trariam  tenet  sententiam,  in  contraria  sedet   cathe- 
dra."    HIERONYMUS  referente  GRATIANO  injure 
pontifico  part.   1   deer.  dist.  40    Can.  2:    "  Non  est 
facile  stare  loco  Pauli  et  tenere  gratiam  Petri  cum 
O'iristo  in  codis  regnantium.   Hint  dicitur.  sancti  non 
sunt  qui  tenent  loca  sanctorum,  sed  qui  faciunt  opera 
sanctorum."   FOERSTER. 

2.  On  xlviii.  7.    "  Create  means  here  to  reveal 
something;   what  hitherto,  so  to  speak,  was  still 
a  nothing,  or  something  unconjectured  and  un- 
known to  all  men,  but  was  on  the  other  hand 
shut  up  and    concealed    in    God's   knowledge." 
STARKE.     ''  Tune  res  dicitur  fieri,  quando  incipit 
manifestins  patefieri."   AUGUSTINUS,  referente  LOM- 
BARDO,  1.  3,  dist.  18.     FOERSTER. 

3.  On  xlviii.  8-     "  Fiunt,  non  nascuntur  Chris- 
tiani  said  that  same  TERTCLLIAN,  that  designates 
the  soul  of   a  man  as  a    naturalitur  Christiana. 
There  is  no  contradiction.  For  one  would  neither 
become  a  Christian,  did  he  not  bear  in   himself 
the  possibility  of  it,  nor  would   the  possibility 
alone  suffica  for  the  becoming.     From  the  grain 
of  corn  alone  without  the  fruit-bearing  ground, 
rain  and  sunshine,  there  will  come  no  ears  ;  and 
just  as  little  from  the  ground,  rain  and  sunshine 
alone  without  the  grain  of  corn. 

4.  On  xlviii.    17,  18.     "  Est  insignis  locus,  qui 
nobis  verbum  commendat  et  minatur  impiis  verbi  con- 
temtoribus  omnia  mala."     LUTHER. 

5.  On    xlviii.    20.      "  Babylon    has    a    double 
meaning:    1)  the   world;    2)  the  anti-Christian 
kingdom.     We  should   go  out  of  the  world   by 
not   having   our  walk    according  to  it  (1    Jno. 
ii.   15  ;  1  Pet.  iv.   3 ;    Jas.  iv.  4).     So,   too,  we 
ought    to    flee   the    anti-Christian    Babylon    ac- 
cording to  the  voice  from  heaven,  Rev.  xviii.  5." 
CRAMER. 

HOJIILETICAL  HINTS. 

1.  On  xlviii.  1,  2.  "  We,  for  our  part,  are  also 
quite  fallen  into  Jewish  security.  For  we  take 
great  comfort  from  this,  that  we  know,  that  we 
have  God's  word  simple  and  pure,  and  the  same 
is  indeed  highly  to  be  praised  and  valued.  But 
it  is  not  enough  for  one  to  have  the  word.  One 
ought  and  must  live  according  to  it,  then  will 
God  make  account  of  us.  But  where  one  lives 


without  the  fear  of  God  and  in  sin,  and  hears  the 
word  without  amendment,  there  God  will  punish 
all  the  harder,  as  Christ  shows  in  the  parable  of 
the  servant  that  knew  his  Lord's  will  and  did  it 
not.  Therefore  one  should  let  go  such  fleshly 
confidence,  and  labor  to  live  in  the  fear  of  God, 
and  hold  faithfully  to  His  word.  Then  if  we  fall 
into  distress  and  pray  for  deliverance,  it  will 
surely  be  granted  to  us.  But  those  who  brag 
about  God  as  do  the  Jews,  and  yet  fear  Him  not, 
nor  will  live  according  to  His  word,  will  boast 
in  vain.  God  will  single  them  out  and  punish 
them  as  He  did  the  Jews.  For  these  two  things 
must  go  together:  trusting  God,  and  fearing  God. 
Neither  can  be  right  without  the  other.  If  thou 
fearest  not  God,  thou  becomest  proud  and  pre- 
sumptuous as  the  Jews.  But  if  thou  believest 
not,  and  only  fearest,  thou  wilt  become  anxious 
and  fall  into  despair.  Therefore  the  Psalm  says: 
"  The  LORD  taketh  pleasure  in  them  that  fear 
Him,  in  those  that  hope  in  His  mercy,"  Pa. 
cxlvii.  10.  VEIT  DIETRICH. 

2.  [On  xlviii.  3-8.     The  doctrine  of  providence 
supported   by  prophecy.     1)    The    method    stated 
vers.  3,  6,  7.      2)  The  reasons  for  God's  taking 
this  method  with  them.     a.  He  knew  how  ob- 
stinate they  would  be  (ver.  4).     b.  How  deceitful 
they  would  be.     c.  That  they  would   be  giving 
His  glory  to  idols  (ver.  5).     After  M.  HENRY.]. 

3.  On  xlvii.  9-11.     THE  DIVINE  DISCIPLINE 
OF  CHILDREN.     1)  Its  course  of  procedure:   a. 
God  is  patient  (ver.  9) ;  6.  God  punishes  severely 
(ver.  10).    2)  Its  aims:  a.  God  is  patient  a.  for  the 
sake  of  His  honor  (in  order  to  reveal  Himself  as 
the  "good");  ,3.  for  our  sakes  (ver.  9  b  that  we 
may  not  be  exterminated);  6.  God  is  severe  a. 
for  the  sake  of  His  honor  (that  He  may  not  be 
blasphemed,  ver.  11);  (3.  for  our  sakes  (that  we 
may  be  purified  and  confirmed  in  the  furnace  of 
affliction). 

4.  On  xlviii.  17-19.  "That  is  our  most  blessed 
knowledge  that  we  know  God  through  His  self- 
witness,  and  who,  as  one  veiled,  speaks  from  the 
prophets  as  the  One  Eternal  Prophet ;  as  the  re- 
flected splendor  of  the  invisible  Divinity  that  be- 
came flesh  and  blood  in  Jesus,  and  is  now  as  our 
Brother    constantly  with  us.     Yea,  blessed  and 
forever  safe  is  he  that  pays  heed  to  God's  testi- 
mony of  the  very  gracious  condescension  of  God 
to  us!     God  makes  such  heedful  ones  forever  at 
peace  in  Himself,  whose  peace  becomes  overflow- 
ing and  overwhelming  as  a  river,  because  God  in 
it  imparts  to  us  pardon  and  justification.     Our 
righteousness  in  God  is  as  waves  of  the  sea,  that 
continually  swell  up  in  great  abundance,  for  God's 
grace  that   works   in   us   and  accomplishes  our 
righteousness  is,  in  fact,  infinite.     Dost  thou  lack 
peace  and  righteousness,  then  believe  assuredly 
that  the  only  reason  is  that  thou  hast  despised 
the  word  of  'thy  God.     Yea,  whoever  stablishes 
himself  in   God  by  believing  acceptance  of  His 
word,  he  is  forever  established,  and  also  has  eter- 
nal  bloom.      He    belongs   to   the   innumerable 

i  family  of  God,  that  moves  on  through  all  times. 
'  How    can    he   ever    want    for    posterity?"     J. 
DIEDRICH. 

5.  On  xlviii.  20.     "So  God   is   wont   to  do: 
when  the  enemies  of  the  churches  pull  hardest 
on  the  rope,  it  must   break.      We  should  mark 
this  well,  and  comfort  ourselves  by  it.     For  else 


528 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


we  will  become  faint-hearted  and  despond,  when 
matter*  go  so  ill."  VEIT  DIETRICH. 

6.  On  xlviii.  20-22.  Israel's  Egyptian  and 
Babylonian  captivity  is  a  type  of  the  church  in 
the  world,  ana  of  individual  believing  souls  in 
the  body  of  this  death.  But  we  are  to  a  certain 
degree  ourselves  to  blame  for  the  pressure  of  this 
captivity.  There  is  even  very  much  that  holds 
us  back  to  the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt.  We  are  often 
wanting  in  proper  love  for  the  one  thing  needful, 
in  proper  faith,  in  courage,  in  fidelity,  in  dili- 
gence in  good  works.  Yet  the  Lord  has  deprived 
the  devil  of  his  power.  The  enemy  is  even  really 
conquered  already ;  "  ein  Woertlein  kann  ihn 
faellen."  Hence  the  Christian  must  be  exhorted 
to  depart  from  Babylon  courageously  and  in- 
trepidly. This  the  Prophet  does  in  our  text. 
We  see  in  it  a  warning  call  to  depart  out  of  Baby- 
lon. 1)  The  possibility  of  going  out  is  a.  objec- 
tively presented  by  redemption  "  that  is  by  Jesus 


Christ;"  but  6.  depends  subjectively  on  our  love 
to  God  and  our  faith.  2)  The  return  home  is 
difficult,  indeed,  as  it  was  with  Israel.  It  is 
through  deserts  of  distress  and  danger.  But  God 
will  not  forsake  His  own.  The  spiritual  rock  (1 
Cor.  x.  4)  follows  along  with  them.  3)  At  home, 
with  the  Lord,  in  communion  with  Him,  they 
find  peace,  whereas  the  wicked  nowhere  and  never 
shall  find  peace,  not  even  in  all  the  power,  splen- 
dor and  glory  of  this  world. 

7.  [On  xlviii.  22.  "The  wicked,  as  a  matter 
of  sober  truth  and  verity,  have  no  permanent  and 
substantial  peace  and  joy.  (1)  In  the  act  of 
wickedness ;  (2)  in  the  business  or  the  pleasures 
of  life;  (3)  no  peace  of  conscience;  (4)  on  a 
death  bed  ;  (5)  there  is  often  not  only  no  peace, 
but  the  actual  reverse,  apprehension ;  despair : 
(6)  beyond  the  grave,  a  sinner  CAN  have  no  peace 
at  the  judgment  bar  of  God;  he  CAN  have  no  peace 
in  hell"  Abbreviated  from  BARNES.] 


B.— THE  PERSONAL  SERVANT   OF  JEHOVAH. 
CHAPTERS  XLIX.— LVII. 


The  second  Enncad  of  chapts.  xl.-lxvi.  has  for 
its  all-controlling,  central  point  the  personal  Ser- 
vant of  Jehovah,  in  whom  all  the  typical  forms 
already  encountered  under  this  name  in  chapts. 
xl.-xlviii.  combine  as  in  their  higher  unity. 
Hence  in  xlix.-lvii.  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  is 
no  longer  the  people  of  Israel,  nor  the  Prophet, 
nor  the  prophetic  institution,  but  only  the  Mes- 
siah in  His  servant-form.  But  these  chapters  do 
not  speak  only  of  the  suffering  and  enduring  Ser- 
vant, but  also  of  Israel's  sin  and  of  the  redemp 
tion  that  the  Servant  effects  by  His  suffering. 
Thus  it  happens  that  the  element;  of  announcing 
the  suffering,  of  punishment  and  consolation  cross 
one  another  artistically  as  the  various  colored 
threads  of  a  woven  web.  Yet  this  crossing  occurs 
only  in  the  first  half.  For  as  in  the  first  Ennead 
Cyrus  appears  from  xli.  on  successively  growing, 
until  in  the  middle  (xliv.  28;  xlv.  1)  he  appears 
as  the  ripe  fruit,  so  from  xlix.  on  we  see  the  Ser- 
vant of  Jehovah  developing  in  ever  greater  dis- 
tinctness, until  in  the  middle  (Hi.  13-liii.  12)  he 
meets  us  in  the  complete  Ecce-homo  form.  But 
witli  the  laying  in  the  grave  He  disappears. 
From  liv.  on  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  is  spoken 
of  no  more.  What  then  follows  is  a  description 
of  the  salvation  effected  by  the  Servant  in  its 
objective  and  subjective  aspects.  This  descrip- 
tion extends  to  Ivi.  9,  where  it  breaks  off  with  a 
distant  view  of  the  final  and  highest  fruits  of 
salvation,  the  glorification  of  nature.  With  Ivi. 
10  begins  a  section  in  strongest  contrast  with 
what  precedes.  For  the  Prophet,  having  finished 
his  description  of  the  glorious  future,  turns  his 
pye  to  the  present.  In  this  he  sees  mournful 
things  in  the  leaders  of  the  people  and  in  the 
nation  itself.  Still  he  cannot  conclude  without 
giving  the  comforting  assurance,  that  even  the 
present  deep  degradation  will  not  hinder  the  ful- 
filment of  the  promises  of  salvation.  For  the 


LORD  will  heal  those  that  let  themselves  be 
healed.  Only  for  the  wicked,  that  persistently 
oppose  themselves,  there  will  be  no  salvation. 
Thus  the  second  Ennead  concludes  with  the 
same  words  as  the  first. 

As  to  particulars,  the  following  plan,  in  my 
opinion,  underlies  these  nine  chapters.  The  first 
discourse  comprises  ch.apt.  xlix.  In  this  the 
Prophet  draws  a  parallel  between  the  Servant 
of  God  and  Zion.  Both  are  alike  in  this,  that 
they  begin  small  and  end  great.  The  chapter 
divides  accordingly  into  two  halves,  the  first  of 
which  gives  a  total  survey  of  the  person  and 
work  of  the  Servant  of  God  (xlix.  1-13),  while 
the  second  shows  how  Zion  arises  out  of  deepest 
forsakenness,  rebuilds  itself  anew  by  the  heathen, 
and  finally  soars  aloft  to  the  highest  elevation 
and  glory  (xlix.  14-26). — In  the  second  discourse 
also  (chapt.  1.)  the  Prophet  opposes  Zion  and  the 
Servant  of  God,  indicating  the  connection  between 
the  guilt  of  Israel  and  the  suffering  of  the  Servant, 
and  the  deliverance  from  the  former  by  faith  in  the 
latter.  He  shows  in  the  first  part  (1.  1-3),  namely, 
that  just  the  not-receiving  of  the  Lord  when  He 
came  to  His  possession,  had  as  its  consequence 
the  temporary  rejection  of  Israel.  To  this  guilti- 
ness of  Israel  corresponds  (in  the  second  part  1. 
4-9)  the  suffering  which  the  Servant  declares 
Himself  willing  to  undertake  with  the  conscious- 
ness that  He  still  cannot  come  to  disgrace. 

Then  in  the  third  part  (1.  10,  11),  by  a  brief 
alternative,  is  shown  to  the  people  the  possibility 
of  their  being  accepted  again.  In  the  third  dis- 
course (chap,  li.),  we  encounter  a  dialogue,  in 
which  the  Servant,  Israel,  Jehovah  and  the  Prophet 
appear  one  after  another  as  actors,  and  that  has 
for  subject  the  final  redemption  of  Israel.  In  the 
first  part  (li.  1-8)  the  Servant,  appearing  incog- 
nito as  if  veiled,  and  just  by  that  intimating  the 
highness  of  His  being,  holds  out  to  the  people 


CHAP.  XLIX.  1-13. 


529 


of  Israel  the  conditions  of  its  redemption.  In  the 
second  part  (li.  9-11)  Israel  exhorts  the  LORD  to 
give  new  proofs  of  His  ancient  power.  In  the 
third  Jehovah  replies  to  Israel's  exhortation  with 
exhortation,  and  at  the  same  time  holds  up  to 
His  Servant  the  origin,  means  and  end  of  His 
efficiency  (li.  12-16).  In  the  fourth  part  the 
Prophet  speaks.  He  promises  Jerusalem,  drunk 
with  the  cup  of  wrath,  that  the  cup  of  wrath 
shall  pass  from  its  hand  to  the  hand  of  its  ene- 
mies (li.  17-23).  The  fourth  discourse  (chap. 
Hi.),  treats  of  the  restoration  of  Jerusalem  to 
glory.  In  the  first  part  of  it  (Hi.  1-6)  it  is  stated 
that  Jehovah  must  restore  Jerusalem  for  the  sake 
of  the  honor  of  His  name.  In  the  second  part 
(Hi.  7-12)  the  accomplishment  of  the  restoration 
is  described.  The  fifth  discourse  (Hi.  13— liii. 
12),  which  represents  the  culminating  point  of 
the  second  Ennead,  can  hardly  have  a  better  su- 
perscription given  it  than  that  which  DELITZSCH 
has  given  :  Golgotha  and  Ssheblimini  •  [the  second 
term  is  from  the  Hebrew  of  Ps.  ex.  1,  meaning 
"sit  at  my  right  hand."— TR.].  Here  the  Ser- 
vant's lowliness,  luminous  with  divine  majesty, 
appears  in  its  highest  degree.  The  discourse  has 
three  parts.  The  first  (Hi.  13-15)  contains  the 
theme  of  the  prophecy.  The  second  (liii.  1-7) 
portrays  the  lowliness  of  the  Servant  as  the  Lamb 
that  bears  the  sin  of  the  people.  Finally  the 
third  (liii.  8-12)  treats  of  the  exaltation  of  the 
Servant  to  glory.  The  sixth  discourse  (chap, 
liv.),  describes  the  new  salvation  as  the  glorious 
fruit  of  all  that  the  Servant  of  God  has  done  and 
suffered.  In  the  first  part  of  it  (liv.  1-10)  is  de- 
scribed the  wonderfully  rich  blessing  of  posterity, 


i.  e.,  the  incorporation  of  the  Gentile  world  in 
Zion  an  the  first  fruit  of  the  grace  of  Jehovah. 
In  the  second  (liv.  11-17)  the  Prophet  describes 
the  new  estate  of  salvation  as  an  universal  one. 
Theseventhdiscour.se  (chap.  Iv.)  treats  of  this: 
that  for  the  new  salvation  there  must  supervene 
an  entirely  new  way  of  appropriating  salvation. 
First  (Iv.  1-5)  it  is  shown  positively,  wherein 
consists  the  essence  of  this  new  appropriation  of 
salvation  ;  then  (Iv.  6-13)  negatively,  what  ob- 
stacles and  scruples  are  to  be  overcome  in  order 
that  this  new  mode  of  appropriating  salvation 
may  be  established.  The  short  section  (Ivi.  1— 
9),  the  eighth  discourse,  describes  the  moral,  social 
and  physical  fruits  of  the  new  way  of  salvation. 
Finally,  in  the  ninth  discourse  (chap.  Ivi..  10 — 
Ivii.  21)  we  see  a  word  of  conclusion.  After  the 
Prophet's  glance  had  penetrated  into  the  re- 
motest future,  he  returns  to  the  present.  But  it 
is  to  be  noticed  that  by  the  present  he  under- 
stands the  whole  time  previous  to  the  beginning 
of  redemption,  therefore  the  time  previous  to  the 
end  of  the  Exile.  The  mournful  state  of  this 
present  makes  him  reflect  whether  the  atrocities 
of  the  present  must  not  make  impossible  the  ful- 
filment of  the  glorious  promises  of  the  future. 
For  this  reason  he  describes  first  the  mournful 
situation  prevailing  at  present  among  the  shep- 
herds (Ivi.  10 — Ivii.  2)  and  among  the  people 
(Ivii.  3-14),  but  conies  to  the  conclusion,  that 
God's  love  will  really  heal  those  that  let  them- 
selves be  healed,  and  that  only  for  the  wicked, 
who  persistently  oppose  the  divine  love,  there 
can  be  no  peace  (Ivii.  15-21). 


I.— THE  FIRST  DISCOURSE. 

Parallel  between  the  Servant  of  God  and  Zion. 

CHAPTER  XLIX. 


In  a  sketchy  way  the  Prophet  draws  a  picture 
of  the  similar  course  of  development  in  the  case 
of  the  Servant  of  God  and  that  of  Israel,  which, 
in  consequence  of  its  rejecting  the  Servant,  is 
repudiated  unto  the  extremest  misery,  yet  shall 
arise  again  to  the  full  glory  of  the  church  of  God. 
The  Seivant  of  God  begins  His  course  as  a  little 


child  in  the  body  of  his  mother,  but  Israel, 
as  a  repudiated  wife,  must  begin  an  entirely 
new  course  of  life.  Both  come  also  to  the  most 
glorious  goal.  The  chapter  has  accordingly  two 
parts;  the  first  comprising  vers.  1-13,  the  sec- 
ond vers.  14-26. 


1.  TOTAL  SURVEY  OF  THE  PERSON  AND  WORK  OF  THE  SERVANT  OF  GOD. 

CHAPTER  XLIX.  1-13. 

1  LISTEN,  O  isles,  unto  me ; 
And  hearken,  ye  people,  from  far ; 

The  LORD  hath  called  me  from  the  womb  ; 

From  the  bowels  of  my  mother  hath  he  made  mention  of  my  name. 

2  And  he  hath  made  my  mouth  like  a  sharp  sword ; 
In  the  shadow  of  his  hand  hath  he  hid  me, 

And  made  me  a  polished  shaft ; 
In  his  quiver  hath  he  hid  me ; 
34 


530  THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


3  And  said  unto  me,  Thou  art  my  servant, 

0  Israel,  in  whom  I  will  be  glorified. 

4  Then  I  said,  I  have  laboured  in  vain, 

1  have  spent  my  strength  for  nought,  and  in  vain : 
Yet  surely  my  judgment  is  with  the  LORD, 

And  'my  work  with  my  God. 

5  And  now,  saith  the  LORD 

That  formed  me  from  the  womb  to  be  his  servant, 

To  bring  Jacob  again  to  him, 

2Though  Israel  be  not  gathered, 

Yet  shall  I  be  glorious  in  the  eyes  of  the  LORD, 

And  my  God  shall  be  my  strength. 

6  And  he  said,  3It  is  a  light  thing  that  thou  shouldest  be  my  servant 
To  raise  up  the  tribes  of  Jacob, 

And  to  restore  the  preserved  of  Israel : 

*I  will  also  give  thee  for  a  light  to  the  Gentiles, 

That  thou  mayest  be  my  salvation  unto  the  end  of  the  earth. 

7  Thus  saith  the  LORD, 

The  Redeemer  of  Israel  and  his  Holy  One ; 

6To  him  whom  man  despiseth,  to  him  whom  the  nation  abhorreth, 

To  a  servant  of  rulers, 

Kings  shall  see  and  arise, 

Princes  also  shall  worship, 

Because  of  the  LORD  that  is  faithful, 

And  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  and  heb  shall  choose  thee. 

8  Thus  saith  the  LORD, 

In  an  acceptable  time  have  I  heard  thee, 

And  in  a  day  of  salvation  have  I  helped  thee : 

And  I  will  preserve  thee,  and  give  thee  for  a  covenant  of  the  people, 

To  "establish  the  earth,  to  cause  to  inherit  the  desolate  heritages  ; 

9  That  thou  mayest  say  to  the  prisoners,  Go  forth ; 
To  them  that  are  in  darkness,  Show  yourselves. 
They  shall  feed  in  the  ways, 

And  their  pastures  shall  be  in  all  high  places. 

10  They  shall  not  hunger  nor  thirst ; 
Neither  shall  the  cheat  nor  sun  smite  them  : 

For  he  that  hath  mercy  on  them  shall  lead  them, 
Even  by  the  springs  of  water  shall  he  guide  them. 

11  And  I  will  make  all  my  mountains  a  way, 
And  my  highways  shall  be  exalted. 

12  Behold  these  shall  come  from  far  : 

And,  lo,  these  from  the  north  and  from  the  west ; 
And  these  from  the  land  of  Sinim. 

13  Sing,  O  heavens  ;  and  bo  joyful,  O  earth  ; 
And  break  forth  into  singing,  O  mountains : 
For  the  LORD  hath  comforted  his  people, 
And  will  have  mercy  upon  his  afflicted. 

*  Or,  my  reward.  »  Or,  That  Israel  may  be  gathered  to  him,  and  I  may,  etc. 
8  Or,  Art  thou  lighter  than  that  thou  shouldest,  etc.  *  Or,  desolations. 

*  Or,  To  him  that,  is  despised  in  souL  «  Or,  raise  up. 

»  1  have  made  thee.  b  hath  chosen.  «  the  mirage. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words:    Ver.  1.  |  as  well  on  D^OxS  (comp.  v.  26 ;  xxii.  3;  xxiii.7;  IviL  9) 
jM?.    Ver.  4.  Sam    innS,   San  comp.  xxx.  7;  Job  i  according  to  familiar  usage, 
ix.  29. nS;'3.    Ver.  5.  :»$— fjj,  xii.  2;  Ps.  xxvlii.  7.        Ver.  5.  Instead  of  tfS  before  tpN',  the  K'ri  reads 


ver.  7.  itf'rn  Santr  S&o— rt 


Ver.  L  DirP*3  cau  ke  dependent  on  13't9pn,  but  just 


The  same  is  the  case  in  ten  other  passages  :  Exod.  xxi. 
8 ;  Lev.  Xi.  21 ;  xxv.  30 ;  2  Sam.  xvi.  8 ;  xix.  7 ;  Isa.  ix.  2  ; 
Ixiii.  9;  Job  vi.  21 ;  xiii.  15 ;  xli.  4.  In  only  one  passage. 


CHAP.  XLIX.  1-13. 


531 


K'ri  reads  X7,  while  K'thibh  has  17  :  1  Sam.  xx.  2.  In 
two  passages  K'thibh  reads  X7,  but  K'ri  X71 :  Lam.  ii. 
2 ;  v.  5.  As  regards  our  text,  the  LXX.  translates,  and 
after  it  the"  Fetus  Latinus,  "  congregabor  et  glorificabor  co- 
ram  Domino"  from  which  one  sees  that  they  read 
133X1  flDXX;  thus,  probably,  they  drew  the  first  let- 

••  TV:         I"  T  "  , 

ter  of  the  word  X;  to  the  foregoing  7X"lty,  and  the 
second  to  the  following  ^DX',  or  substituted  it  for  the  *. 
JEROME  is  very  much  discontented  with  this  translation, 
which  SYMMACHTJS  and  THEODOTION  also  have,  because  it 
surrenders  a,  fortissimum  contra  Judaeorum  perfidiam  tcs- 
timonium.  AQUILA  translates:  "et  Israel  ei  eongregabi- 
tur."  Therefore  he  read  17.  It  seems  therefore  that 
party  stand-point  had  an  influence  on  the  reading. 
Among  moderns  HITZIG  translates  "  in  that  he  leads  Ja- 
cob back  to  himself,  and  Israel  will  not  be  carried  off." 
HOFMANN  :  "  Israel  that  will  not  be  carried  away."  B. 
FB.  OEHLER  :  "  And  that  Israel  be  not  carried  away."  All 
these  take  ^OX  in  the  sense  of  "  to  carry  away."  Though 
I  will  not  deny  that  it  may  be  taken  so,  yet  this  nega- 
tive thought  partly  disturbs  the  sense,  partly  it  is  flat 
and  superfluous.  It  suits  the  parallelism  much  better 
to  construe  the  clause  as  a  positive  statement.  Then 
the  finite  verb  stands  instead  of  the  infinitive  with  7 
according  to  the  grammatical  usage  that  demands  the 
speedy  return  from  the  subordinate  forms  to  the  chief 
forms.  7  for  7X  or  7^  is  not  suspicious,  as  Hrrzio  sup- 
poses. For  beside  HDX'  17  being  quite  as  admissible 
as  'H7  1K3  ver.  18,  it  is  quite  common  for  a  preposition 

'T  T 

to  be  superseded  by  a  kindred  one  in  the  second  clause 

(comp.  Jer.  iii.  17;  Ps.  xxxiii.  18). The  clause  133X1 

as  far  as  ifjj  is  a  parenthesis.  The  latter  part  of  it  is  in 
the  perfect  nTIl,  because,  according  to  Hebrew  gram- 

T  T  : 

mar,  two  future  things  are  not  as  such  made  to  follow 
one  another  in  like  verbal  form,  but  only  the  first  stands 
in  the  future,  while  the  second  is  expressed  by  the  per- 
fect as  being  directly  present  viewed  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  future.  Therefore  here  :  I  will  be  honored 
and  then  is  (as  immediate  consequence)  my  God  my 
strength. 

Ver.  6.  JO  before  "Tjivn  is  properly  superfluous,  or 
rather  it  ought  to  stand  before  the  member  that  utters 
the  intenser  notion:  considered  from  this,  that  I  will 
make  thee  a  light  to  the  heathen,  it  is  a  small  thing  that 
thou  art  my  servant  to  raise  up  the  tribes  of  Israel. 
But  j!p  stands  here  to  intimate  generally  a  comparative 
relation,  and,  as  DELITZSCH  also  observes,  one  may  not 


press  the  matter  of  its  position.  In  Ezek.  viii.  17  also, 
the.  only  other  place  where  7pJ  occurs  impersonally 

I"T 

with  [0  (comp.  2  Sam.  vi.  22),  this  preposition  does  not 
stand  in  the  logically  correct  place.  Probably  there 
hovered  before  the  Prophet  the  thought  '"TOO  7pJ 

,  '  I    •  I"T 

'ui  *7  H^T!'  *'•  e-> jt  is  from  tnee' from  tny  stand- 

point  or  in  comparison  with  thy  claims,  a  small  thing 
that  thou  art  my  servant  to  raise  up  Israel,  I  will  make 
thee  a  light  to  the  heathen.  That  fljYvn  H'SD  would  ac- 
cordingly be  contracted  into  ^TfYrnp- In  placing  the 

infln.  yyfrn  after,  there  is  a  certain  poetic  effect:  the 
two  infinitive  clauses  form  a  whole  with  corresponding 
beginning  and  end.  Comp.  xliv.  10  ;  Ps.  vi.  10. 

Ver.  7.  In  ty£)J"~rtT3  the  HT3  is  simple  infinitive,  which 
is  however  to  be  construed  here  as  abstractum  pro  con- 
crete. tJ?£)J  is  not  to  be  conceived  of  as  in  the  accusa- 
tive (of  nearer  definition),  but  as  standing  in  the  geni- 
tive. For  it  is  not  the  soul  of  the  Servant  that  is  meant, 
but  the  soul  of  the  despiser.  For  not  merely  outwardly, 
with  words,  but  truly,  inwardly,  with  their  whole  soul. 
He  is  to  them  an  object  of  contempt  (comp.  pntl?  Job 

xii.  4;   7!#0   Job  xvii.  6. In    regard  to  the  order 

10D1  1X"V  comp.  the  remarks  on  the  parenthesis  in 
ver.  5.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  it  does  not  read  D'lty 
linnt^rp-  For  the  1  after  D'Hif  does  not  stand  paral- 
lel with  the  1  before  ^Op,  and  moreover  1X"V  is  not  to 

IT 

be  supplied  before  it,  but  the  1  after  D^E?  has  demon- 
strative force  =  princes,  they  shall  worship  him  (comp. 
EWALD.  ?  344,  b ;  Gen.  xxii.  4,  24  ;  Exod.  xvi.  6,  7,  etc.).— 
The  1  before  "pn3'  is  to  be  taken  in  the  same  way.  It 
stands  demonstratively,  corresponding  to  the  1C/X  be- 
fore JDXJ,  and  rhetorically  substituted  for  it  for  the 
sake  of  variety.  We  could  say  not  more  correctly,  yet 
more  intelligibly  and  by  a  really  more  common  con- 
struction :  for  Jehovah's  sake  who  is  faithful,  for  the 
sake  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  who  has  chosen  thee. 

Ver.  9.  To  take  "1QX7  gerundively  (DELITZSCH)  is  not 
impossible,  but  it  is  also  not  necessary.  For  what  fol- 
lows is  the  specification  of  what  precedes,  as  now  there 
is  said  after,  what  all  must  previously  happen  to  make 
possible  that  |>1X  D'PH  and  7'Hjn.  Yet  10X7  is 
here  more  than  a  mere  sign  of  quotation.  It  denotes 
an  actual,  audible  speaking,  without  which  the  captives 

would  not  be  able  to  hear  the  summons. D3'  zeugma, 

comp.  Ps.  cxxi.  6. 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  one  who  forms  the  chief  person  of  the 
second  Ennead,  the  personal  Servant  of  Jehovah, 
is  also  the  first  that  enters  here  as  speaker.  What 
He  says  and  hears  affords  us  a  panoramic  image 
of  His  life  and  labor  from  their  first  mysterious 
beginning  to  the  remotest  glorious  end.  As  the 
Servant  of  God  begins  by  summoning  all  lands 
of  the  earth  to  give  heed,  He  lets  it  be  under- 
stood that  what  is  now  to  be  heard  concerns  all 
(ver.  1  a).  Then  He  designates  Himself  as  one 
called  from  His  mother's  womb  (ver.  1  6),  and  as 
an  instrument  equipped  for  a  successful  contest 
(ver.  2),  to  whom  Jehovah  has  given  the  honor- 
able name  ''  Servant  of  God  "  and  "  Israel,"  and 
by  whom  He  has  determined  to  glorify  Himself 
(ver.  3).  The  present  out  of  which  the  Servant 


of  God  speaks  does  not  correspond  to  these  gra- 
cious declarations.  For  He  is  constrained  to 
say:  I  have  labored  and  suffered  in  vain  (ver. 
4  a).  But  He  instantly  consoles  Himself  again 
with  the  thought  that  His  right  and  His  reward 
are  in  the  hands  of  God,  thus  in  good  hands  (ver. 
46).  And  then  Jehovah  Himself  confirms  this 
ground  of  comfort  by  a  threefold  declaration:  1) 
that  the  work  of  His  chosen  Servant,  so  far  from 
being  unsuccessful,  will  attain  a  much  higher  end 
than  what  was  originally  determined.  That  is,  He 
shall  not  only  bring  back  the  people  of  Israel  to 
its  God,  but  "also  bring  light  and  salvation  to  all 
nations  (ver.  5,  6).  2)  The  Servant  of  God,  be- 
come an  object  of  contempt  and  aversion,  shall 
become  an  object  of  the  highest  veneration  evea 


532 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


for  kings  (ver.  7).  3)  The  Servant  of  God,  to  a 
certain  time  seemingly  repudiated,  shall  yet,  when 
the  time  for  it  arrives,  be  raised  aloft  and  made 
the  mediator  of  a  new  Covenant,  in  consequence 
of  which  the  Holy  Land  shall  be  restored  and 
newly  divided,  the  people  redeemed  and  brought 
home  under  divine  protection  and  support  from 
all  nations  and  regions  of  the  warld  (vers.  8-12). 
On  account  of  this  glorious  redemption,  heaven 
and  earth  are  summoned  to  praise  God  (ver.  13). 

2.   Listen,    O    isles --with   my   God.— 

Vers.  1-4.  Islands  and  nations  are  here  in  paral- 
lelism, as  in  xli.  1.  As  what  follows  concerns  all, 
we  have  here  a  discourse  of  universal  importance 
(comp.  i.  2;  xxxiv.  1).  This  introduction  quite 
corresponds  to  the  statement  of  ver.  G,  that  the 
Servant  of  God  shall  be  the  light  of  the  heathen 
and  salvation  of  God  to  the  end  of  the  earth.  But 
who  is  here  the  Servant  of  God?  At  first  sight 
the  Prophet  himself  seems  to  speak  in  vers.  1,  2, 
declaring  his  call  from  his  mother's  womb  (comp. 
Jer.  i.  5),  his  equipment  for  the  prophetic  calling 
and  the  protection  experienced  in  its  exercise. 
But  instantly  ver.  3  contradicts  this.  For  it  is 
incomprehensible  how  the  Prophet  alone  can  be 
called  Israel.  Added  to  this  the  Prophet  cer- 
tainly cannot  say  that  the  LORD  has  made  him 
a  light  to  the  Gentiles,  etc.  (ver.  6).  As  little 
can  it  be  said  of  him  that  kings  shall  worship 
him  (ver.  7),  or  that  he  is  set  for  a  covenant  of 
the  people  (ver.  8). — The  designation  of  the  one 
addressed  as  ''Israel"  in  ver.  3  suggests  the 
thought  that  Israel  is  meant,  cither  as  a  nation 
or  as  the  nucleus  of  the  nation  (the  spiritual 
Israel).  But  vers.  5,  G,  conflict  with  this,  where 
both  Israel  in  general  and  also  the  mucleus  of 
Israel  are  expressly  distinguished  from  theServant 
of  God  (see  below).  Bin  how  can  one  say  with 
OEHLER  (I).  Knecht  Jehovah's,  p.  87) :  "  the  na- 
tion as  an  ideal  Israel  leads  back  the  people  in 
their  empirical  manifestion  ?''  Where  is  it  ever 
said  in  any  sense  whatever  that  the  nation  led 
itself  back?  And  was  then  the  ideal  Israel,  that 
would  yet  be  the  one  to  lead  back,  only  among 
the  returned  ?  And  did  not  those  that  remained 
in  the  Exile  also  belong  to  empirical  Israel  ?— 
By  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  in  our  text  I  can 
only  understand  the  personal  Servant.  He  con- 
stitutes in  the  whole  second  Ennead  the  principal 
person.  What  was  said  of  Him  in  the  first  En- 
nead by  way  of  prelude  now  comes  to  its  full 
development.  The  Servant  of  Jehovah  is  also  a 
man  who  lay  in  the  womb  of  his  mother.  The 
Prophet  portrays  his  life  db  ovo.  It  is  'perhaps 
;not  superfluous  to  remark  that  while  the  Prophet 
.says  of  the  people  of  Israel,  God  chose,  formed, 
Brought  on,  kept,  bore  them  from  the  womb  on 
(|i33D,  xliv.  2,  24;  xlvi.  3;  xli.  8,  9,  10),  of  the 
personal  Servant,  he  formed  and  called  him  from 
the  womb  (xlix.  1,  5),  he  says  of  Cyrus,  only,  he 
called  him  by  his  name  and  brought  him  on  (xlv.  1, 
3,  4).  From  this  it  is  seen  that  the  Servant  of 
Jehovah  in  both  senses  stands  nearer  Jehovah 
than  does  Cyrus.  lor  in  the  two  first  named 
the  LORD  claims  a  certain  paternity.  But  Israel 
gives  him  most  care.  It  must  also  be  kept, 
borne  and  supported.  The  personal  Servant  does 
not  need  this  help.  He  is  merely  formed,  then 
called.  Cyrus,  however,  appears  as  originating 
from  a  region  that  lies  more  remote  from  the 


LORD.  From  that  he  is  called  up  by  his  name 
(and  in  fact  by  DE/  and  "TJ3,  xlv.  4). 

It  is  even  self-evident  ^liat  "UiOp  J33D  does 
not  mean :  he  has  called  me  out  of  my  mother's 
womb  (HAIIN).  For  thus  understood  the  ex- 
pression suggests  absurd  ideas.  But  it  were 
quite  in  place  to  say,  that  the  personal  Servant 
of  Jehovah  was  also  an  instrument  formed  ad  hoc, 
and  led  as  it  were  by  the  voice  of  God  from  birth 
on.  The  parallel  expression  ""p^  ** '-?'!'?  means 
''to  make  memory,  remembrance  of  the  name." 
It  is  used  of  places  of  worship  intended  for  call- 
ing on  the  divine  name  (Exod.  xx.  21);  of  a 
monument  intended  to  perpetuate  a  name  (2 
Sam.  xviii.  18) ;  of  a  tribute  of  praise  meant  to 
keep  the  memory  of  a  name  for  all  times  (Ps. 
xlv.  18  ;  Isa.  xxvi.  13).  On  DK/3  VJDin,  Comp. 
xlviii.  1.  Here,  where  the  expression  is  parallel 
with  NTp,  which,  however,  can  happen  only  by 
means  of  the  name,  it  seems  to  designate  a  more 
enduring  keeping  of  the  name  in  mind :  the 
LORD  has  not  only  called  me  once,  He  has  also 
afterwards  continually  thought  of  my  name;  He 
has  never  lost  sight  uf  me  from  the  bowels  of 
my  mother  (comp.  OrpO,  xlvi.  3). 

Next  the  life  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  is 
sketched  with  only  two,  yet  two  double  strokes. 
On  the  one  hand  it  is  said  that  the  LORD  has 
made  His  mouth  like  a  sharp  sword,  and 
that  He  has  made  Him  (the  Servant)  like  a 
polished  shaft.  The  prominent  mention  of 
the  mouth  of  the  Servant  shows  that  His  task 
consisted  eminently  in  speaking.  It  is  clear  that 
here  only  a  speaking  of  divine  things  according 
to  his  calling  is  meant.  Thus  the  Servant  of 
God  is  characterized  as  a  prophet.  God  called 
and  equipped  him  that  he  might  give  sharp,  in- 
cisive testimony  to  the  divine  truth.  The  ex- 
pression: "he  made  my  mouth  a  sharp  sword," 
is  really  a  metonymy.  For  what  produces  the 
effect  of  a  sharp  sword  is  not  the  mouth  in  itself, 
but  the  word  that  proceeds  from  it  (comp.  xi.  4; 
Eev.  i.  16;  Heb.  iv.  12).  In  the  words:  "he 
made  me  a  polished  P^3|  "smooth,  polished  to 
gleaming,"  hence  easily  penetrating,  comp.  Job 
xxxiii.  3;  Zeph.  iii.  9)  shaft,"  the  metonymy  is 
pushed  still  further,  as,  not  only  the  mouth,  but 
(for  the  sake  of  brevity  and  manifoldness)  the 
whole  person  stands  for  the  word  that  proceeds 
from  it.  Thus  is  ascribed  to  the  Servant  a  pene- 
trating effectiveness  that  seizes  and  arouses  men  to 
their  inmost  souls.  The  experience  of  such  inward 
operation  is  not  agreeable  to  such  as  are  not  born 
from  that  Spirit  whose  sword  and  shaft  by  the 
Servant  penetrate  their  hearts.  These,  according 
to  the  spirit  that  rules  tljem,  react  against^  it 
with  murderous  wrath.  For,  incapable  of  meeting 
the  thrusts  of  the  Servant  of  God  with  like  spirit- 
ual weapons,  they  seek  with  fleshly  ones  to 
silence  the  mouth  that  molests  them.  And  they 
would  soon  succeed  were  not  that  mouth  under  a 
higher  protection.  Hence  the  Prophet  here 
represents  the  sword  and  shaft  as  at  once  sharp- 
cutting  and  well  protected.  It  is  not  otherwise 
usual  to  describe  the  cutting  sword  as  one  well 
concealed,  and  the  pointed  fhaft  as  one  safely 
hid  in  the  quiver.  For  sword  and  shaft  are  in 
nowise  there  in  order  to  be  hid  under  the  hand 


CHAP.  XLIX.  1-13. 


533 


or  in  the  quiver.  But  the  Prophet  does  not  carry 
out  his  figure  consistently.  Having  ver.  2,  1  a, 
compared  the  mouth  to  a  sharp  sword,  the  sword 
designates  in  1  6  the  whole  person.  For  when 
he  says:  in  the  shadow  of  Hia  hand  hath 
He  hid  me,  he,  of  course,  means  primarily  the 
sword,  which,  as  the  shaft  in  the  quiver,  is  hid 
in  the  sheath  under  the  hand  held  over  it.  But 
here  the  concealed  sword  is  no  longer  image  of 
the  word,  but  of  the  person  from  which  the 
sword-like,  effective  word  proceeds.  But  in  ver. 
2,  2  a,  it  is  not  said,  as  according  to  1  a,  one 
might  expect,  "  He  made  my  mouth  a  shaft." 
That  is  said  under  the  influence  of  1  b,  and,  as 
remarked,  presses  the  metonymy  further.  Still, 
by  the  polished  shaft  the  word  is  meant,  whereas 
'jvron  in  2  b  again  refers  to  the  person.  Evi- 
dently the  Prophet  would  say,  that  the  one  whose 
word  will  work  on  men  as  sword  and  shaft,  shall 
at  the  same  time  be  protected  against  the  hostile 
opposition  of  those  that  are  struck,  as  a  sword 
over  whose  hands  its  mighty  Lord  holds  His 
sheltering  hand  (comp.  li.  16),  as  a  shaft  that  is 
hid  in  the  quiver  (comp.  Ps.  cxxvii.  5).  I  can- 
not believe  that  the  "hiding"  refers  to  the 
"  time  preceding  the  period  of  appearing,  or 

eternity."  Why  then  would  the  clauses  IT  7¥3 
'JX'Snn  and  'JVPon  inStfW  stand  after?  And 
did  the  thought  require  prominence,  that  the 
Servant  before  His  appearance  was  protected  ? 
Certainly  not.  But  it  did  need  to  be  made  pro- 
minent that  the  Servant,  whilst  He  roused  the 
world  to  bitter  wrath,  was  at  the  same  time  hid 
safely. 

Tn  ver.  3  the  motive  of  this  protection  is  given. 
The  LORD  cannot  leave  unprotected  the  Servant 
by  whom  He  will  glorify  Himself.  Thus  "10JO  is 
to  be  construed  as  explanatory.  The  LORD  not 
only  actually  affords  His  protection:  He  says  to 
him  also  why.  He  protects  him  because  he  is 
His  servant,  His  instrument,  and  in  fact  one  that 
in  strife  and  victory  shall  reveal  and  glorify  the 
power  of  God.  Israel  is,  of  course,  not  in  appo- 
sition with  the  subject,  but  a  second  predicate,  pa- 
rallel with  my  servant.  But  here  one  may  by 
no  means  take  "  Israel "  as  a  designation  of  the 
nation.  For  the  expression  is  to  be  explained  as 
an  allusion  to  Gen.  xxxii.  28:  "Thy  name  shall 
be  called  no  more  of  Jacob,  but  Israel:  for  thou 
hast  striven  with  God  and  men  and  hast  pre- 
vailed." As  there  is  a  second  Adam,  a  second 
David,  and  Solomon,  so  there  is  a  second  Israel. 
Jacob,  at  the  time  he  received  the  name  Israel, 
had  sustained  not  only  many  perilous  conflicts 
with  men,  but  also  the  conflict  with  the  myste- 
rious appearance  of  the  angel.  We  may  not 
doubt  that  this  his  contending  with  God  was  also 
typical.  Also  He,  whose  type  he  was,  must  pass 
through  conflict  to  victory,  through  pains  and 
labor  to  rest,  through  shame  to  glory.  Ver.  2 
designates  the  conflicts  that  the  Servant  of  God 
had  to  sustain  with  men.  That  He  had  also  to 
contend  with  God,  who  was  at  the  same  time  His 
protector,  we  see  from  Matth.  xxvi.  36  sqq.  Con- 
flict and  strife  is  the  task  of  His  earthly  existence, 
but  in  the  contender  with  Go'd  and  by  Him  Jeho- 
vah glorifies  Himself.  For  His  decree  of  salvation 
realizes  itself  in  the  whole  fullness  of  its  love,  wis- 
dom and  glory  only  in  and  through  the  second 


Israel.  Of  course  not  at  once.  For  the  Servant 
of  God,  during  the  period  of  His  conflict,  has  dark 
hours,  in  which  it  appears  as  if  He  had  labored  in 
vain  (ver.  4;  cornp.  xxx.  7;  Ixv.  23;  Job  xxxix. 
16),  consumed  His  strength  for  emptiness  and  a 
breath  (see  Text,  and  Gramm.). 

When,  spite  of  all  mighty  operations  of  the  Spi- 
rit, only  inferior  success,  or  even  decided  miscar- 
riage, evidenced  by  the  hatred  of  the  majority  of 
tiie  people,  is  His  reward,  such  despondency  might 
well  come  over  Him.  But  He  consoles  himself  that 
His  right  is  still  with  (r\#=penes,  kept  preserved 
by)  Jehovah,  and  His  reward  (comp.  xl.  10)  with 
His  God.  With  this  the  course  of  life  of  the  Ser- 
vant of  Jehovah  is  briefly  sketched,  and  the  out- 
wardly observable  fruit  of  it  designated.  In  both 
respects  the  result  is,  indeed,  unfavorable,  but 
the  faith  and  hope  of  the  Servant  of  God  is  not 
shaken. 

3.  And  now  saith — end  of  the  earth. — 
Vers.  5,  6.  In  ver.  4  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  ex- 
presses the  assured  hope  that,  spite  of  past  miscar- 
riage, His  cause  will  yet  have  a  good  issue.  That 
this  hope  is  well  founded  is  declared  by  all  that 
follows  to  ver.  13.  For  in  these  verses  the  LORD 
gives  His  Servant,  in  threefold  gradation,  the 
consoling  promise  that  from  lowliness  He  shall  be 
raised  to  great  glory.  Therefore  n/lj?l  here  is 
not  contrastive,  but  is  to  be  construed  as  confir- 
matory: "and  now  also  really''  (comp.  v.  3,  5). 
With  joyful  emotion  the  Servant  repeats  ver.  5 
first  of  all  the  facts  that  had  served  as  the  basis 
of  His  hope,  and  now  after  a  momentary  shaking 
prove  to  be  actually  steadfast.  First  He  refers 
to  the  LORD'S  having  prepared  Him  for  Hia 
Servant  even  from  His  mother's  womb  (comp.  on 
ver.  1  b).  And,  indeed,  He  was  prepared  as  a 
Servant  for  the  sake  of  a  work,  whose  accomplish- 
ment the  LORD  must  very  pressingly  desire  in 
His  own  interest.  For  how  often  has  not  the 
LORD  given  assurance  that  for  His  own  sake  He 
will  accomplish  the  redemption  of  Israel  (comp., 
e.  g.,  xlviii.  9,  11) !  This  work  is  the  restoration 
of  Israel  to  its  God.  We  encounter  here  there- 
fore the  so  important  notion  of  31$,  concerning 
which  see  above  Text,  and  Gram.  Yet  shall 
I my  strength.  These  words  form  a  paren- 
thesis. What  the  Servant  of  God  hoped  for,  ac- 
cording to  ver.  4  a,  which  in  ver.  5  a  the  LORD 
holds  out  to  Him  indirectly,  He  here  describes  aa 
a  second  possession :  He  shall  be  honored,  if  not 
in  the  eyes  of  men,  yet  in  God's  eyes  (TJ?3  dif- 
ferent from  T^S,  comp.  v.  21).  Who  does  not 
recall  here  Jno.  v.  41-44 ;  viii.  50)  ?  His  calling 
the  LORD  His  strength  forms  the  antithesis  to  the 
previously  expressed  (ver.  4  a)  sense  of  His  own 
weakness  (comp.  xii.  2;  Ps.  xxviii.  7). 

"And  he  said,"  (ver.  6),  resumes  the  discourse 
interrupted  by  the  parenthesis,  in  order  to  add 
something  stronger  to  what  is  said,  ver.  5.  For 
the  Servant  having  stated  fver.  5)  that  His  task 
was  the  restoration  of  Israel  to  Jehovah,  He  now 
announces  that,  in  the  moment  of  His  despon- 
dency, Jehovah  has  promised  that  that  original 
task  shall  be  small  compared  with  (see  Text,  and 
Gram.}  what  henceforth  is  to  be  the  aim  of  His 
activity:  the  Servant  shall  become  the  light  of 
the  Gentiles,  and  bear  the  salvation  to  the 
end  of  the  earth.  The  expression,  "raise  up 


534 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  tribes  of  Jacob,  says  more  than  one  at  first 
sight  supposes.  For  it  implies  that  the  nation 
shall  be  restored  according  to  its  original  distri- 
bution into  twelve  tribes.  But  after  the  deporta- 
tion of  the  Ten  tribes  into  the  Assyrian  captivity 
this  never  happened.  For  the  great  mass  of  the 
Ten  tribes  disappeared  in  the  exile.  The  two 
tribes  of  Judah  and  Benjamin  did  indeed  in 
greater  number  return  ;  but  after  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  by  Titus  all  knowledge  of  tribal  be- 
longings ceased.  First  in  Rev.  vii.  4  sqq.  do  we 
encounter  again  the  sharp  distinction  of  the 
Twelve  tribes,  and  in  Matth.  xix.  29  it  is  said 
that  the  Twelve  Apostles  shall  sit  on  twelve 
thrones  to  judge  the  Twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  ] 
Therefore  the  restoration  of  the  Twelve  tribes 
can  be  ascribed  neither  to  the  people  of  Israel  as  > 
a  whole,  nor  to  the  ideal  Israel,  nor  to  the  Pro- 
phet, nor  to  the  prophetic  institution.  Only  He 
shall  also  restore  again  the  Twelve  tribes  who 
restores  Israel  generally,  therefore  the  one  who 
performs  the  work  of  2'^n  (comp.  on  22'IK?,  ver.  5) 


in  relation  to  the      T^;  n«  J,  {.  e.,  to  the 


the  m.Ktf  or  nW'a  (comp.  iv.  2,  3  ;  vi.  13  ;  x. 
20  sqq.)  in  its  full  comprehensiveness.  For  a 
light  to  the  Gentiles,  therefore  for  all  nations, 
shall  the  Servant  of  God  be  made,  as  is  also  said 
xlii.  6.  Comp.  Luke  ii.  32;  Acts  xiii.  47.  He 
that  is  the  light  of  the  nations  shall  also  be  their 
salvation  (by  metonymy  for  Saviour,  bringer  of 
salvation).  In  fact,  by  being  their  light,  He  be- 
comes their  salvation.  The  Prophet  likely  has 
in  mind  passages  like  Exod.  xv.  2;  2  Sam.  x.  11. 
4.  Thus  saith  --  chose  thee.  —  Ver.  7.  The 
Prophet  confirms  the  hope  expressed  with  grow- 
ing certainty  by  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  (vers.  4 
6-6),  by  introducing  (vers.  7,  8)  the  LORD  Him- 
self as  "speaker,  to  repeat  to  the  Servant  the  pro- 
mise of  his  deliverance  and  exaltation.  The 
LORD  designates  Himself  as  the  Redeemer  of 
Israel,  and  his  Holy  One,  because  the  things 
spoken  of  in  the  words  that  follow  shall  reveal, 
not  only  the  redemption  of  the  Servant,  but  also 
of  Israel,  and  not  only  God's  gracious  will,  but  also 
His  holiness.  But  the  LORD  names  His  Servant 
by  three  predicates  descriptive  of  His  humiliation. 
This  particular  finds  a  stronger  expression  here 
than  before  or  after.  We  hear  sounds  that  evi- 
dently serve  as  a  prelude  to  what  we  hear  in 
chap,  liii.,  especially  ver.  3.  The  W3  3  is  here  con- 
ceived of  as  the  seat  of  pleasure  and  displeasure, 
longing  and  contempt  (comp.  DELITZSCH,  Psy- 
chologic, IV.  \  6,  p.  160  ;  Prov.  xxiii.  2  ;  Ps.  xxvii. 
12;  xxxv.  25;  Num.  xxi.  5;  Job  vi.  7,  etc.)  HT3 

(see  Text,  and  Gram.)  is  only  used  as  here  this 
once.  The  fact  that  the  word  occurs  again  only 
in  liii.  3  (bis)  is  perhaps  a  not  unimportant  sign 
of  the  relation  of  our  text  to  that.  'U'SJ^O  is 


qualitatively  the  same  as  KJ2J~nn,  only  quanti- 
tatively different.  For  the  expression  means : 
"  he  who  makes  the  nation  feel  disgust,  aver- 
sion." It  is  easily  seen  how  here,  too,  the  al- 
lusion is  to  the  ''sensation"  of  the  soul.  But 
while  l?3J~nTD  designates  an  aversion  felt  in 
the  inmost  soul,  '1J  (meaning  here  neither  the 
Israelite  nor  a  heathen  nation)  expresses  that  the 
aversion  is  general,  felt  in  the  entire  nation,  in  the 


entire  natural  community.  For  'U  is  a  people  as 
a  natural,  worldly  tribal  communion  (confluxus 
hominum).  Hence  the  word  designates  the  hea- 
then nations,  but  also  Israel,  where  it  is  spoken 
of  in  the  sense  just  referred  to  (comp.  i.  4 ;  ix. 
2).  A  servant  of  rulers  the  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah is  called  because  by  men  in  power  gen- 
erally, and  thus  not  kings  only,  He  is  regarded 
as  a  slave,  as  an  individual  with  no  rights. 
Every  one  of  any  command  or  consideraiion, 
deals  with  Him  arbitrarily.  But  this  relation 
shall  undergo  a  mighty  change.  The  Servant 
shall  be  raised  to  such  a  height  and  considera- 
tion, that  even  those  possessed  of  the  greatest 
power,  the  kings,  shall  rise  up  at  the  sight  of 
Him  (xiv.  9)  and  worship  Him.  Because  of 
the  LORD,  etc.,  assigns  a  reason,  and  does  not 
express  the  aim.  The  words  recognize  the  con- 
nection between  Jehovah  and  His  Servant. 
Therefore  for  Jehovah's  sake,  i.  e.,  inwardly  de- 
termined by  Him  who  stands  true  to  His  word, 
and  hence  helps  His  Servant,  for  the  sake  of 
the  Holy  One  in  Israel,  who  does  not  suffer  him 
who  is  once  chosen  to  fall,  they  do  that  expressed 
in  the  words  ''  kings  shall  see — worship  : 

5.  Thus    saith upon  His    afflicted. — 

Vers.  8-13.  In  this  section,  too,  the  LORD  con- 
firms with  His  own  words  the  hope  of  His  Ser- 
vant. The  particular  of  the  humiliation,  made 
so  prominent  in  ver.  7,  is  here  only  alluded  to. 
For  I  have  heard  thee  and  I  have  helped 
thee  imply  that  the  Servant  was  in  a  situation, 
out  of  which  He  must  implore  help.  On  the 
other  hand  the  particular  of  mediation  and  ef- 
fecting salvation  is  unfolded  m^st  gloriously. 
Everything  must  have  its  time.  Also  the  LORD'S 
display  of  grace.  It  belongs  only  to  the  wisdom 
of  God  to  know  the  right  time  for  everything. 
Thus  He  did  not  let  the  Saviour  of  the  world 
come  before  the  time  was  fulfilled  (Gal.  iv.  4). 
So  Paul  understood  our  text  (2  Cor.  vi.  2).  And 
Christ  Himself  (Luke  iv.  4),  by  taking  Isa.  Ixi. 
1  sq.,  for  a  text,  in  general  explains  the  time  of 
His  appearing  as  "  the  acceptable  year," 
which  must  be  identical  with  the  "acceptable 
time  "  of  our  text.  The  prophetic  gaze,  how- 
ever, in  the  "  year  of  salvation "  sees  compre- 
hensively all  those  points  of  time  that  belong,  by 
way  of  preparation  and  development,  to  this  cen- 
tral point  of  the  redemption  of  Israel.  It  begins 
with  the  deliverance  from  the  Babylonish  cap- 
tivity and  only  ends  in  the  completion  of  salva- 
tion in  the  world  beyond.  But  it  must  he  noted 
in  our  text,  that  the  Prophet  by  no  means  has  in 
mind  the  period  of  the  redeeming  appearance 
of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  in  relation  to  the  pre- 
cedent suffering  of  Israel.  But  the  time  when 
He  may  appear  to  save  is  for  the  Servant  Him- 
self a  time  of  salvation,  in  contrast  with  a  pre- 
cedent time  of  suffering,  wherein  He  could  not 
save  because  He  Himself  needed  salvation  in  the 
highest  degree.  This  appears  from  the  antithesis 
of  our  ver.  to  vers.  7  and  4  a,  and  from  the  suf- 
fix ["thee"]  inymy  and  ymij',  which  can 
refer  to  no  one  but  the  Servant  of  Jehovah. 
Therefore  this  Servant  must  also,  in  the  deep 
sufferings  He  must  undergo,  await  the  time  that 
the  wisdom  of  God  has  determined  for  His  own 
deliverance.  Beside  an  "  accep'able  time"  and 
an  "acceptable  year"  the  Prophet  also  mentions 


CHAP.  XLIX.  1-13. 


535 


an  •'  acceptable  day  "  Iviii.  5,  where  see.  The 
acceptable  day  will  be  for  the  Servant,  naturally 
a  day  of  salvation,  of  deliverance.  On  njJIE^ 
see  immediately  beiow.  "]'/mj?  comp.  xli.  14. 
With  "ni'Nl  "I  will  preserve  thee"  the  dis- 
course receives  a  direction  toward  the  future. 
The  rescued  shall  at  once  become  a  rescuer.  To 
this  end  He  must  Himself,  first  of  all,  be  pre- 
served from  all  further  assaults.  Then  the  LORD 
will  make  Him  a  covenant  of  the  people. 
The  words:  And  I  will  preserve  thee — peo- 
ple are  repeated  verbatim  from  xlii.  6,  where  also 
see  the  explanation  of  the  expression  "  covenant 
of  the  people."  This  identity  of  language  makes 
it  evident  that  He  who  is  made  the  covenant  of 
the  people  is  in  both  passages  the  same.  Were 
the  people  of  Israel  meant  by  the  mediator  of 
the  new  covenant,  then  it  would  need  to  read 
O^J  instead  of  DJJ.  For  Israel  cannot  be  at  the 
same  time  the  one  covenanted  and  the  mediator, 
of  the  covenant.  Nor  can  Israel  be  the  one  to 
distribute  the  land,  for  the  land  is  to  be  distri- 
buted among  the  Israelites.  Nor  does  Israel 
raise  up  the  land.  For  this  raising  up  happens 
only  by  the  raising  up  of  the  people,  i.  e.,  Israel 
itself.  Nor  can  one  say  that  this  restorer  and 
divider  is  the  ideal  Israel.  For  precisely  this 
latter  is  the  one  which,  as  possessor  of  the  new 
covenant  is  put  in  possession  of  the  renovated  inhe- 
ritance, and  which  thereby  raised  up,  will  be  made 
a  glorious  and  mighty  nation.  To  this  there  is 
something  additional.  Who  does  not,  with  "raise 
up  the  land,"  and  ''cause  to  inherit  the  inherit- 
ances "  recall  Joshua,  who  raised  up  the  land  of 
Canaan  to  the  honor  of  being  the  dwelling-place 
of  the  holy  people  and  distributed  it  among  the 

tribes  of  Israel  (comp.  Josh.  i.  6,  D^H-flX  S'HJn 
•ptfrrnx)?  This  makes  it  natural  for  us  to  re- 
gard the  one  that  is  helped  in  a  day  of  salvation 
and  who  is  to  be  a  second  restorer  and  divider  of 
the  land  as  a  second  Joshua,  as  in  ver.  3,  we 
learned  to  know  him  as  a  second  Israel.  The 
first  Joshua  had  to  divide  the  land  as  one  already 
inhabited  and  cultivated.  The  second  will  dis- 
tribute it  to  the  returning  exiles  as  one  hitherto 
lying  waste.  From  this  it  appears  that  the  Pro- 
phet has  in  mind  primarily  those  returning  from 
the  Babylonish  exile.  These,  too,  came  back 
under  the  conduct  of  a  .JW.'  to  Palestine  (Ezr. 
ii.  2 ;  iii.  2,  8,  9,  etc.}.  But  this  was  not  the  right 
fulfilment  of  this  promise  (comp.  the  remarks  on 
o  'entjrn«  D'pn  ver.  6).  Here,  again,  the  Pro- 
phet contemplates  together  beginning  and  end, 
and  correctly  describes  what  must  happen  as  a 
preliminary  meager  fulfilment  before  the  histori- 
cal appearance  of  the  personal  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah, as  also  His  work. 

In  ver.  9  a  (comp.  xlii.  7)  the  captives  are  ad- 
dressed as  persons  ;  but  in  what  follows  they  ap- 
pear as  a  flock.  The  Prophet  describes  here,  as 
often  repeatedly  in  what  has  preceded,  the  all- 
important  way  home  (xl.  11;  xli.  17  sqq. ;  xliii. 
2,  15  sqq. ;  xliv.  27;  xlviii.  20  sq.).  As  in  xl. 
11,  he  represents  Israel  as  a  flock  that  finds  pas- 
ture, both  in  the  way,  and  on  the  high  places 
(xlvi.  18)  that  are  more  arid  than  the  valleys,  so 
that  they  shall  neither  hunger  nor  thirst, 
nor  suffer  from  the  treacherous  Fata  Morgana 


(see  on  xxxv.  7).  For  Israel  shall  be  under  the 
best  of  leadership:  "he  that  hath  mercy  on 
them  shall  lead  them,"  (that  is  of  course,  in- 
directly, by  the  Servant  according  to  ver.  8  6), 
even  by  springs  of  water  shall  He  guide 
them. 

Ver.  11  is  to  be  explained  according  to  xl.  4. 
Jehovah  will  lead  His  people  the  next  and  di- 
rectest  way.  To  this  end  the  mountains,  exempt 
from  human  power,  but  subject  to  the  LORD  as  His 
mountains,  i.  e.,  as  His  creatures,  must  submit  to 
be  a  way,  i.  e.,  doubtless  where  necessary  lower 
themselves,  while  the  valleys  must  till  up,  and  be- 
come elevated  causeways  (finOD).  To  the  parti- 
cular that  the  return  shall  be  happily  accomplished 
by  God's  help,  the  Prophet  adds,  as  in  xliii.  5  sq., 
that  the  return  shall  take  place  from  every 
quarter.  Having  begun  with  the  general  plPPTD, 
and  added  afterwards  the  more  exact  designa- 
tions of  the  quarters  of  the  heavens,  he  prompts 
the  conjecture  that  only  after  the  word  of  general 
contents  was  written,  did  the  thought  of  the 
plagae  coeli  come  to  him.  Hence  we  will  not 
press  pirPD,  nor  venture  to  give  it  the  meaning 
''  south"  in  antithesis  to  J12¥.  For  it  never  has 
it  elsewhere.  The  passage  Ps.  cvii.  3,  may  not 
be  cited  as  proof  that  D^  in  antithesis  to  J13i* 
means  the  south.  For  the  latter  passage  appears 
just  to  rest  on  ours,  and  only  proves  that  the 
author  of  that  Psalm  thought  he  must  make  D'D 
in  our  text  denote  ''  from  the  south."  Therefore 
I  believe  that  D'O  here  as  everywhere  else  means 
"from  the  west."  To  this  is  put  in  antithesis 
the  land  of  Sinim,  as  the  remotest  eastern  land. 
This  name  must  any  way  represent  an  entire 
quarter  of  the  heavens  and  probably  the  east. 
Neither  the  people  "'J'p  mentioned  Gen.  x.  17, 
who  belonged  to  the  Phoenicians  and  dwelt  in 
the  north  of  Lebanon  (comp.  KNOBEL  on  Gen. 
x.  17),  nor  Sin-Pelusium  (SAAD.  BOCHART, 
EWALD),  and  still  less  the  Kurd  clan  Sin  (EoLi, 
Ze.itschr.  fur  wissensch.  Theol.  VI.  p.  400  sqq.), 
meets  these  demands.  Hence  the  majority  of 
opinion  inclines  to  understand  the  Chinese  to  be 
meant  by  the  Sinim. .  [See  a  very  copious  note 
of  J.  A.  ALEX.,  in  loc.,  who  holds  the  same 
view. — TR.].  It  has  been  abundantly  shown  that 
already  in  very  remote  times  wares  from  India 
and  China  were  received  by  the  Phosnicians  in 
the  emporiums  of  the  Euphrates  and  Arabia,  and 
brought  by  them  to  the  west  (comp.  beside  GE- 
SENIUS  in  his  Thes.,  and  Comm.,  and  LASSEN, 
Ind.  Alterthumsk.  especially  MOVERS  Phoen.  II. 
3,  p.  240  sq.).  But  if  one  ask  how  the  Prophet 
came  to  call  the  Chinese  by  the  name  E'3'p,  it  is 
much  questioned  whether  already  in  Isaiah's 
time  they  could  be  named  Sinim  as  inhabitants 
of  a  land  Thsin  or  Tsin  (comp.  WUTTKE,  Die 
Entstehung  der  Schrift.,  p.  241).  VICTOR  v. 
STRAUSS  (in  an  excursus  in  DELITZSCH,  p.  712) 
consequently  takes  the  view  that  the  name  pD  is 
to  be  derived  from  the  Chinese  sjin,  i.  e.,  man. 
The  extraordinarily  frequent  use  that  the  Chinese 
made  of  this  word,  not  only  to  designate  all 
possible  qualities,  conditions,  sorts  of  business, 
but  also  the  relations  of  descent,  moved  foreigners 
to  call  the  nation  itself  by  this  name.  A  deci- 


536  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


eion  on  this  point  must  be  waited  for.  In  con- 
clusion the  Prophet  summons  heaven  and  earth 
to  rejoice  at  the  important  fact,  so  interesting 
also  to  them,  that  the  LOKD  has  again  had  mercy 


on  His  chosen  people  (comp.  xliv.  23 ;  lii.  9 ;  lv. 
12).  The  Prophet  closes  here  in  an  artistic  way 
as  with  a  forte  allegro,  while  the  following  strophe 
begins  with  a  piano  maestoso. 


2.  FOESAKEN  ISRAEL  BUILT  AFRESH  FROM  THE  GENTILES. 
CHAPTER  XLIX.  14-26. 

14  But  Zion  said,  The  LORD  hath  forsaken  me, 
And  amy  Lord  hath  forgotten  me. 

15  bCan  a  woman  forget  her  sucking  child, 

lfrhat  she  should  not  have  compassion  on  the  son  of  her  womb  ? 
Yea,  they  may  forget, 
Yet  will  I  not  forget  thee. 

16  Behold,  I  have  graven  thee  upon  the  palms  of  my  hands ; 
Thy  walls  are  continually  before  me. 

17  Thy  children  °shall  make  haste ; 

Thy  destroyers  and  they  that  made  thee  waste  shall  go  forth  of  thee. 

18  Lift  up  thine  eyes  round  about,  and  behold  : 

All  these  gather  themselves  together,  and  come  to  thee. 

As  I  live,  saith  the  LORD, 

Thou  shalt  surely  clothe  thee  with  them  all,  as  with  an  ornament, 

And  bind  them  on  thee,  as  a  bride  doeth. 

19  For  thy  waste  and  thy  desolate  places,  and  the  land  of  thy  destruction, 
dShall  even  now  be  too  narrow  by  reason  of  the  inhabitants, 

And  they  that  swallowed  thee  up  shall  be  far  away. 

20  The  children  'which  thou  shalt  have,  after  thou  hast  lost  the  other, 
Shall  say  again  in  thine  ears,  Thevplace  is  too  straight  for  me: 
'Give  place  to  me  that  I  may  dwell. 

21  Then  shalt  thou  say  in  thine  heart, 
Who  hath  gbegotten  me  these, 

Seeing  I  have  lost  my  children,  and  am  desolate, 

hA  captive,  and  removing  to  and  fro  ?  and  who  hath  brought  up  these? 

Behold,  I  was  left  alone ;  these,  where  had  they  been  f 

22  Thus  saith  the  Lord  'God, 

Behold,  I  will  lift  up  mine  hand  to  the  Gentiles, 

And  set  up  my  standard  to  the  jpeople  : 

And  they  shall  bring  thy  sons  in  their  2arms, 

And  thy  daughters  shall  be  carried  upon  their  shoulders. 

23  And  kings  shall  be  thy  3nursing  fathers, 
And  their  4queens  thy  nursing  mothers : 

They  shall  bow  down  to  thee  with  their  face  toward  the  earth, 

And  lick  up  the  dust  of  thy  feet ; 

And  thou  shalt  know  that  I  am  the  LORD  : 

kFor  they  shall  not  be  ashamed  that  wait  for  me. 

24  Shall  the  prey  be  taken  from  the  mighty, 
Or  5the  'lawful  captive  delivered  ? 

25  But  thus  saith  the  LORD, 

Even  the  "captives  of  the  mighty  shall  be  taken  away, 
And  the  prey  of  the  terrible  shall  be  delivered : 
For  I  will  contend  with  him  that  contendeth  with  thee, 
And  I  will  save  thy  children. 

26  And  I  will  mfeed  them  that  oppress  thee  with  their  own  flesh  ; 

And  they  shall  be  drunken  with  their  own  blood,  as  with  7sweet  wine : 
And  all  flesh  shall  know 


CHAP.  XLIX.  14-26. 


537 


That  I  the  LORD  am  thy  Saviour  and  thy  Redeemer, 
The  mighty  One  of  Jacob. 


1  Heb.  From  having  compassion, 
*  Heb.  princesses. 
7  Or,  new  wine. 

»  the  LORD. 

d  1  say  thou  shalt  be  too  narrow  for  the. 

i  borne. 

)  peoples. 

">  make  them  eat. 


*  Hob.  bosom. 

*  Heb.  the  captivity  of  the  just. 

i>  Will. 

•  childlessness,  or  bereavement 

h  An  exile,  and  banished. 

k  Whose  expectants  shall  not  be  ashamed. 


8  Heb.  nourishers. 
•  Heb.  captivity. 

*  omit  shall. 
f  Move  for  me, 
1  Jehovah. 
1  righteous. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words  :    Ver.  15. 
Siy.    Ver.  16.  ppn.    Ver.  17.  1HD.    Ver.  20. 
Ver.  21.    nVj  parJ  fern,  from   fl*?!—  iVMO 

T  TT     .         T  T  T 

again  only  Jer.  xvii.  13.  Ver.  22.  {¥!">•  Ver.  23,  gen- 
erally. 

Ver.  15.  |3  before  DHT  has  the  sense  of  a  negative 
conjunction  =  so  that  not.  —  In  the  clause  '1J1  H  7X  D  J. 
as  is  often  the  case,  the  conditional  particle  is  omitted. 

Ver.  19.  I  construe  the  first  '3  as  causal,  but  the  se- 
cond as  the  pleonastic  '3  that  is  wont  to  stand  after  a 
verbum  dicendi  (here  to  be  supplied,  comp.  vii.  9).  - 
OkJ/VD  '"l^n  is:  thou  wilt  be  strait  from  the  view- 
point of  the  dweller,  i.  e.,  thou  wilt  be  too  strait  for 

dwelling,    nvn  from  11  ¥  ;  comp.  OLSH.,  §  243,  6.   [Fu- 
....  -  T 

ERST,  Lex.  derives  it  from  ~\¥\  —  TB.]. 


Ver.  20.  The  im'perat.  nt^  relates  necessarily  to  the 
same  person  as  the  suffixes  in  7TJIK  and  T7.3E/.  -  '7 

'•-I  T  I  .-  •    . 

Is  not  dat.  loci,  but  dat.  comrnodi. 

Ver.  22.  The  expression  T  Nt#3  occurs  in  Isaiah  only 
here.  It  plainly  means  "  with  uplifted  hand  to  give  a 
sign."  For  similar  expressions  comp.  x.  32;  xi.  15; 
xiii.  2;  xix.  16.  On  the  other  hand  DJ  D^IH  occurs 
again  Ixii.  10  ;  yet  more  frequently  D  J  NEO,  (v-  26  ;  xi. 
12;  xiii.  2;  xviii.  3). 

Ver.  24.  Great  difficulty  is  presented  by  pH3f  'I35t>, 
which  seems  to  correspond  to  113J  'Sty  of  ver.  25.  Is 
p1"^  ^fcy  the  capti  vitas,  i.  e.,  captive  of  the  righteous,  or 
is  it  the  troop  of  captives  taken  from  the  righteous,  i.  e., 
the  righteous  nation,  Israel  (comp.  'J^PI  H  /TJ  the 
plunder  taken  from  the  poor,  iii.  14),  or  is  it  the  captive 
righteous,  or,  finally,  is  T""lj?  "^i?  to  bo  read  instead  of 
p'ly  "'litf,  which  the  SYR.  rendering  "  captivitas  herois." 
the  VULG.  "  captum  a  robusto,"  the  LXX.,  edi/  oixnaAco- 
TevVj;  Tis  dStKuj  seem  to  justify  ?  First,  in  regard  to 
the  change  of  reading,  I  do  not  think  we  can  rely  here 
on  the  ancient  versions,  for  they  were  evidently  uncer- 
tain about  the  sense,  and  guessed  at  it.  The  SYK.  with- 
out more  ado,  felt  justified  in  making  the  corresponding 
members  of  the  parallel  conform,  since  it  translates  . 
num  auferetur  praeda  gigantis  aut  captivitas  herois  enpi- 


GRAMMATICAL. 

eturt  Immo  sic  ait  Dominus :  praeda  gigantis  auferetur 
et  captivitas  herois  cripietur."  We  would,  therefore,  be 
only  continuing  the  arbitrariness  of  the  ancients  did 
we  read  V'~\J7  for  p1Tt¥. If  we  translate  ''the  cap- 
tives of  the  righteous  one,"  then  it  must  cither  be  ad- 
mitted that  he  is  called  a  righteous  one  who  still  holds 
captive  the  people  of  God  (at  the  very  time  when,  ac- 
cording to  ver.  23  sq.,  other  heathen  powers  have  begun 
to  bring  them  back  with  great  honor),  and  is  fearfully 
punished  for  it  (ver.  25  sq.),  or  all  sorts  of  far-fetched 
meanings  must  be  given  to  p^li'  (as  e.  g ,  J.  D.  MICH. 
makes  it  mean  "  victor,"  or  PAUI.US,  after  SCHULTENS,  =- 
one  who  is  right,  what  he  ought  to  be,  viz.,  a  brave  sol- 
dier).  But  if  we  take  pH}f  '3E/  as  genitive  of  the  oB- 

ject  according  to  iii.  14,  then  we  must  either  take  it  in 
the  sense  of  "plunder"  (GESENIVS*,  which  however  is 
poorly  supported  by  appeal  to  2  Chron.  xxi.  17,  or  else  it 
is  forgotten  that  when  I  say  "to  pillage  the  poor," 
what  is  pillaged  is  not  the  poor  man  himself  but  his 
goods.  But  if  I  say  "  to  lead  the  righteous  man  cap- 
tive," then  the  object  of  capture  is  the  righteous  man 
himself.  Hence  p"1j'  '31^  were  then  nothing  else  than 
a  troop  of  captives  consisting  of  righteous  persons.  But 
then  one  would  expect  0^'"!^  *2E?,  since,  indeed,  the 
notion  '3$,  quite  differently  from  rP?J,  refers  to  a  plu- 
rality. But  since  it  reads  simply  p'"^  '3$,  I  think  it 
is  to  be  translated  simply  :'  captivitas  justa  "  (compare 
p'"li'  l!IJ  xxvi.  2)  f.  e.,  "  righteous  prisoner."  The  quali- 
fication r)'~\'J  is  prompted  by  Israel  being  the  predomi- 
nant thought  in  mind. 

Ver.  25.  f!X  before  "p'"V  can  be  a  preposition  as  in  1. 
8 ;  Jer.  ii.  9  ;  comp.  Hos.  iv.  1 ;  xii.  3 ;  but  also  sign  of 
the  accusative,  as  in  xxvii.  8;  Dent,  xxxiii.  8 ;  Job  x.  2. 
The  accusative  expresses  more,  and  better  suits  tho 
context. 

Ver.  2G.  njlD  part.  Hiph.  from  nr  (oppressit,  comp. 

TT 

Lev.  xix.  33 ;  xxv.  14;  Dent,  xxiii.  17)  occurs  only  here. 

"V3X  =  "V3Xi  occurs  only  in  the  connection  TUX 

3T  Gen.  xlix.  24;  Isa,  Ix.  16;  Ps.  cxxxii.  2,  5,  and 
TUN  Isa.  i.  24. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  In  the  second  half  of  the  chapter,  in  antithe- 
sis to  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  the  Restorer,  ap- 
pears Zion,  that,  according  to  ver.  8  sqq.,  was  to 
be  restored  hy  Him,  and  ia  restored.  Accord- 
ingly, from  ver.  14  on  nothing:  more  is  said  of  the 
Servant  of  the  LORD,  but  the  discourse  is  only  of 
Zion  as  the  married  wife  that  is  apparently  for- 
saken, yet  is  still  tenderly  beloved  by  the  LORD, 


of  her  new  upbuilding  by  countless  children  that 
are  born  to  her,  she  knows  not  where  or  how,  and 
(in  contrast  with  this),  of  the  judgments  of  God 
that  shall  come  on  the  nations  hostile  to  Israel. 

2.  But  Zion  said continually  before 

me. — Vers.  14-16.  Zion  can  only  say  "the  LORD 
hath  forsaken  me,  and  my  Lord  hath  forgotten 
me,"  when  the  Theocracy  seems  broken  and 


538 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


irrevocably  destroyed.  The  time  after  the  de- 
struction by  Nebuchadnezzar  was  such.  But 
with  as  much  justice  the  time  after  the  destruc- 
tion by  Titus  may  be  regarded  as  such.  The 
Prophet  sees  both  together,  as  previously  (ver.  8 
sqq.)  he  had  seen  together  the  return  out  of  the 
Babylonian  and  the  Roman  exile.  Therefore 
these  words  of  Zion  also  fall,  and  that  very  par- 
ticularly, in  the  time  when  the  Servant  of  Jeho- 
vah must  lament  that  He  has  labored  in  vain  (ver. 
3).  Is  it  an  accident  that  the  lament  of  Zion,  ver. 
14,  follows  immediately  after  the  lament  of  the 
Servant  of  Jehovah  ?  Did  the  Servant  not  need 
to  lament  that  He  labored  in  vain,  then  Zion  would 
not  have  had  to  lament  that  it  was  forsaken.  Both 
stand  in  the  closest  causal  connection.  To  Zion's 
complaint  Jehovah  returns  a  wonderfully  con- 
soling reply.  Here,  too,  as  in  xlii.  14;  xlvi.  3 
sq.:  Ixvi.  13,  there  is  ascribed  to  Jehovah  a  femi- 
nine sensibility,  a  more  than  maternal  love.  How 
could  the  LORD  forget  Zion,  seeing  that  her  image 
was  not  merely  in  His  heart,  but  also  inscribed 
upon  His  hands,  as  a  continual  souvenir  always 
before  His  eyes  !  In  general  these  words  call  to 
mind  Deut.  vi.  8  sq. ;  xi.  18,  comp.  Prov.  iii.  3 ; 
vii.  3.  Others  refer  to  the  custom  of  branding 
or  tattooing  on  the  forehead,  arm,  or  wrist  of  a 
slave  the  name  of  his  master,  of  a  soldier  the 
name  of  his  general,  of  an  idolater  the  name  of 
his  divinity  (comp.  GESEN.  on  xliv.  5).  Also 
Rev.  xiii.  16  alludes  to  this  custom.  From  "  thy 
•walls  are  continually  before  me,"  it  is  seen 
that  the  LORD  would  say  He  has  the  image  of  the 
city,  not  its  name,  always  before  His  eyes.  For 
the  walls  represent  the  outlines  of  the  figure. 

3.  Thy  children where  had  they  been. 

Vers.  17-21.  Zion,  forsaken  and  repudiated  by 
her  husband,  and  thus  supposing  herself  debarred 
from  bearing  children,  is  in  a  wonderful  way  sud- 
denly surrounded  by  the  most  numerous  fresh 
growth,  the  richest  blessing  of  children  and  or- 
nament of  children.  Thy  children  hasten 
hither,  says  ver.  17.  Manifestly  there  is  in  ^J3 

an  allusion  to  ^'J3,  as  also  the  LXX.,  VTJLG. 
TARG.  AR.  actually  seem  to  have  read.  LUTHER, 
too,  translates  "thy  builders  will  hasten".  Though 
this  reading  is  neither  justifiable  nor  a  necessity, 
still  the  contrast  with  the  second  half  of  the  verse 
demands  that  we  press  the  radical  notion  in  "]'J3, 
viz.  H  J3,  and  recognize  in  it  an  allusion  to  the  fact 
that  it  is  the  children  which,  so  to  speak,  as  the 
living  stones  build  the  house,  the  family,  the 
generation  (comp.  Gen.  xvi.  2;  Exod.  i.  21  ;*Deut. 
xxv.  9 ;  1  Sam.  ii.  35  ;  xxv.  28  ;  2  Sam.  vii.  27  ; 
Ruth  iv.  11).  Therefore,  those  who  join  stone  to 
stone,  that  the  house  of  Israel  may  grow  endlessly, 
shall  come  on  in  haste,  but  those  that  destroy  and 
desolate  it  shall  make  off.  Israel,  however,  the 
mother,  shall  look  around.  She  sees  a  great  crowd. 
It  has  one  goal:  Zion.  Thither  all  hasten.  At  first 
Zion  cannot  credit  it,  that  all  these  press  on  to  her 
as  their  maternal  centre.  But  the  LORD  assures  her 
of  the  important  fact  with  an  oath  ('JN  Tl,  first, 
Num.  xiv.  21, 28  ;  Dt.  xxxii.  40 ;  only  here  in  Isa, ; 
Jer.  xxii.  24 ;  xlvi.  18 ;  most  frequent  in  Ezek.  v. 
11 ;  xiv.  16;  xvi.48,efc.  Comp.  Isa.xlv.  23).  Zion 
may  regard  all  this  as  her  own  ;  she  may  put  on 
the  glorious  crown  of  children  as  an  ornament ;  she 
may  gird  herself  with  them  as  with  the  splendid 


girdle  of  the  bride  (D*"?jfj?,  iii.  20).  But  Zion 
makes  objection.  She  points  to  the  ruins  of  her 
cities,  her  wasted  land.  And,  in  fact,  is  there  no 
contradiction  in  this  double  act  of  God  ?  On  the 
one  hand  He  destroys  the  land  and  decimates  the 
people,  and  then  He  brings  on  a  countless  multi- 
tude as  children.  And  then  what  is  a  great  mul- 
titude to  do  in  a  desert?  In  reply,  the  LORD 
persists  in  His  assertion  that  Zion  is  to  regard  this 
crowd  as  her  blessing  of  children.  For,  He  says: 
as  regards  thy  ruins  and  desolations  and  thy  de- 
vastated land,  I  say  to  thee,  that  now  thou  shall 
be  too  contracted  to  dwell  in  (see  Text,  and  Gram.}. 
Therefore,  far  from  being  frightened  off  by  ruins 
and  desolations,  the  new  people  even  press  on. 
Here  is  a  straitened  distress  of  a  new  sort !  For- 
merly it  was  the  Philistines,  Ammonites,  Syrians, 
Assyrians,  etc.,  that  took  away  the  bread  from  the 
Israelites  in  their  own  land  (comp.  xxxiii.  30). 
Now  it  is  her  own  children  !  On  the  other  hand, 
the  ancient  E^Y?'?>  the  ancient  devourers  have 
disappeared  !  That  3E/ VD  "HXfl  is  more  exactly 
explained  ver.  20.  The  D"?^  'J3  appear  as 
speakers,  and  beg  the  mother  to  make  room  for 
them.  It  is  especially  to  be  noted  that  the  mother 
is  addressed  as  the  representative  of  the  family 
(see  Text,  and  Gram.).  The  individual  crowded 
inhabitants,  one  might  think,  ought  to  apply  to 
their  individual  neighbors.  But  such  a  moving 
act  can  only  be  possible  as  the  act  of  the  totality. 
Hence  the  Prophet  lets  the  demand  be  addressed 
to  the  ideal  representative  of  the  totality.  So 
that  it  is  to  be  remarked  respecting  Htyj,  that  the 
word  evidently  means,  not  a  moving  to  the 
speaker,  but  to  the  one  dwelling  in  the  opposite 
direction,  thus  not  a  moving  to  but  away  (comp. 
Gen.  xix.  9). 

Zion,  destroyed  by  Assyrians,  Babylonians, 
Romans  (for  the  Prophet  contemplates  all  these 
together),  stands  at  last  solitary,  robbed  of  all 
her  children.  The  ideal  Zion  has  become  essen- 
tially an  abstraction,  devoid  of  being.  For  when 
all  single  individuals  have  disappeared,  as  was 
the  case  after  the  final  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
by  Titus,  then,  indeed,  the  representative  of  the 
totality  has  nothing  more  to  represent,  she  no 
more  has  anything  real  on  which  to  lean.  If 
now  a  numerous  Israel  comes  on,  then  the  ques- 
tion of  ver.  21  is  quite  natural :  who  hath 
borne  me  these  ?  IT  may  not  be  rendered 
''begotten."  For  then  Zion  would  know  who 
had  borne  these  children,  but  not  who  had  be- 
gotten them.  She  rather  says :  I  have  not  borne 
them ;  who  then  has  borne  them  for  me  ? — 
"U1  'JK1  is  a  causal  clause :  for  I  was  childless 
(n^lDtf  only  here  in  Isa.),  unfruitful  (mioSj, 
sterilis,  again  only  Job  iii.  7;  xv.  34;  xxx.  3), 
banished,  driven  away.  Since  the  children 
stand  before  her,  not  as  new  born,  but  as  grown 
up,  she  asks  further:  Who  hath  brought 
them  up  for  me  ? 

4.  Thus  saith that  wait  for  me.  Vers. 

22,  23.  Now  the  LORD  solves  the  riddle.  The 
countless  children  are  those  converted  to  Jehovah 
from  the  Gentiles,  and  thus  primarily  become 
members  of  the  spiritual  Israel.  But  the  spiritual 
Israel  is  the  inward,  everlasting  core  of  the 
fleshly  Israel.  As  the  leu  avtfpu-oc  is  the  ever- 


CHAP.  XLIX.  14-26. 


539 


lasting,  abiding  core  of  men  in  general ;  as  therefore 
after  the  new  birth,  after  death  and  the  resurrec- 
tion, the  core  of  the  personality  remains  ever  the 
same,  spite  of  all  the  changes  of  the  outward 
manifestation,  so  is  the  "spiritual  Israel"  ever 
the  same  ideal  personality  that  had  already 
formed  the  centre  of  the  "  fleshly  Israel."  Hence, 
with  our  Prophet,  it  is  the  same  subject  that 
complains  of  the  ruin  of  the  outward  Theocracy 
and  the  loss  of  motherhood  ascribed  to  that,  and 
then  still  is  required  to  regard  the  converts  from 
the  Gentile  world  as  its  children.  Hence  I  do 
not  believe  that  by  the  children  coming  out  of 
the  Gentiles  we  are  to  understand  the  returning 
Israelites.  For  Israel  could  not  ask,  with  refer- 
ence to  these :  Who  hath  borne  me  these  ? 
Though  for  a  time  they  might  have  been  lost  to 
the  sight  of  the  ideal  mother,  still  must  she  have 
known  them  again  and  recognized  them  as  chil- 
dren of  her  own  body.  Whence  so  many  chil- 
dren, whom  I  have  yet.  not  borne  myself!'  is  Israel's 
inquiry.  The  LORD  replies :  at  my  sign  the 
Gentiles  bring  thy  children  hither.  Two  things 
are  new  here:  first,  that  the  streaming  hither  of 
the  children  of  Zion  happens  at  the  command 
(see  Text,  and  Gram.)  of  Jehovah ;  second,  that 
the  Gentiles  bring  them  hither  with  the  greatest 
care  and  reverence.  The  first,  already,  shows 
that  Jehovah  and  Zion  have  a  common  interest 
in  the  matter.  They  are  in  fact  children  of 
Jehovah  and  of  Zion,  viz.  spiritual  children  that 
have  received  the  spiritual  Zion  from  its  Lord, 
and  are  now  come  on  to  build  again  Zion  corpo- 
rally, in  a  certain  sense  (ver.  17).  This  con- 
struction is  confirmed  by  what  follows :  And 
they  shall  bring  thy  sons  in  their  bosom, 
and  thy  daughters  shall  be  carried  upon 
their  shoulders.  Therefore  these  children 
born  in  the  heathen  nations  are  called  Zion's, 
the  children  of  the  spiritual  Israel.  Or,  as  Paul 
says,  Gal.  iv.  26 :  "  But  Jerusalem  which  is  from 
above  is  free,  which  is  the  mother  of  us  all." 
Whether  he  himself  understood  that  correctly  or 
not,  still  the  Prophet  sees  in  the  spirit  that  the 
outward,  corporeal  Zion  ("the  Jerusalem  that 
now  is")  must  be  repudiated,  (Gal.  iv.  30;  Gen. 
xxi.  10,  12),  destroyed  ;  but  that  in  place  of  it  shall 
come  out  of  the  spirit  of  Zion  (now  truly  made 
free  and  far  extended)  a  countless  posterity,  that 
shall  build  itself  up  a  new,  greater  and  more 
glorious  Zion  even  in  the  corporeal  sense  (com p. 
liv.  1  sqq.).  {¥''  is  the  sinus  formed  by  the  wide 
upper  garment,  in  which  one  may  even  carry 
small  children.  For  this  expression,  as  also  the 
one  following:  they  shall  be  carried  on  the 
shoulder,  denotes  such  children  as  demand 
careful  watch  and  culture.  Such  care  the  new 
Zion  shall  receive  even  on  the  part  of  princes, 
i.  e.  states  (comp.  Ix.  16;  Ixvi.  12).  We  need 
not  here  explain  how  this  prophecy  has  been 
realized  in  a  good  as  well  as  an  evil  sense.  But 
fact  it  is,  that  tiie  Zion  here  meant  by  the  Prophet 
has  received  from  the  rich  of  this  world  not  only 
nurture,  but  also  reverence,  that  partly  went  the 
length  even  of  idolatry  (|'"^  D'3X ;  comp.  Gen. 
xix.  1 ;  xlii.  6;  1  Sam.  xxiv.  9,  etc.).  The  Pro- 
phet distinguishes  here  as  little  the  individual 
princes  as  he  does  the  gradations  of  the  fulfil- 
ment. He  does  not  know  that  he  portrays  the 


mutual  relation  of  the  Christian  church  and  the 
Christian  state,  and  comprehends  in  one  expres- 
sion blessing  and  curse,  the  earthly  beginnings 
and  the  heavenly  completion  of  this  relation. 
The  mention  of  princesses  along  with  the  kings 
has  likely  only  a  rhetorical  significance.  In  a 
picture  of  well-nurtured  little  children,  the  nurses 
must  not  be  wanting.  Thus  Zion  will  experience 
that  its  God  is  the  true  God,  the  eternally  exist- 
ent One,  whose  divinity  evidences  itself  to  men 
in  this,  that  those  who,  even  in  the  deepest  dis- 
tress, do  not  lose  their  trust  in  Him,  will  not  be 
brought  to  shame  (comp.  xl.  3;  Ps.  xxv.  3). 

5.  Shall   the   prey  mighty   One   of 

Jacob,  vers.  24-26.  The  verses  22,  23,  testify 
to  a  surprising  turn  in  the  sentiment  of  the 
world-powers  toward  Israel.  The  inquiry  is 
suggested :  Will  all  Gentile  powers  be  converted 
to  such  a  recognition  of  the  high  significance  of 
Israel  ?  And  if  not,  what  is  the  prospect  for 
those  Israelites  that  are  held  fast  by  such  nations 
as  persist  in  their  hostility.  To  this  the  Prophet 
replies  in  these  verses,  24-26.  He  says,  to  begin 
with  :  a  strong  man  will  not  allow  his  plunder  or 
captives  to  be  taken  from  him.  In  Luke  xi.  21 
the  Lord  evidently  has  in  mind  our  passage 
when  He  speaks  of  ''  the  strong  man  armed  keep- 
ing his  palace."  (On  p"t¥  '3t^,  see  Text,  and 
Gram.).  Israel,  ready  for  the  return  home,  is, 
any  way  P'"^,  however  it  may  have  been  with 
respect  to  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  those  that 
were  led  away  into  exile.  With  reference  to 
Israel  it  is  therefore  asked,  whether  perhaps 
righteous  prisoners  are  easier  to  free  than  others. 
Of  course  one  would  think  that,  with  a  strong 
man,  it  mattered  little  whether  his  captives  came 
into  his  power  justly  or  unjustly,  that  thus  under 
any  circumstances  it  were  impossible  to  take  his 
captives  from  him.  But  the  Prophet,  notwith- 
standing, answers  the  question  whether  this  be 
possible,  with  yes.  For  the  LORD  has  said  so, 
in  case  Israel  is  this  captivitas,  this  spoil.  In 
that  case  the  LORD  Himself  will  be  the  champion 
for  Israel  against  those  contending  against  it 
(3'"y,  comp.  Ps.  xxxv.  1 ;  Jer.  xviii.  19  and 
3^,  Hos.  v.  13;  x.  6),  and  will  redeem  his  chil- 
dren (see  Text,  and  Gram  ).  In  ver.  26  a,  by  a 
strong  figure,  it  is  described  how  the  LORD  will 
contend  with  the  contenders;  He  will  reduce  them 
to  a  condition  where  they  will  eat  their  own 
flesh  and  make  themselves  drunk  with 
their  own  blood  as  with  new  wine.  Itseems 
absurd  to  point  to  an  historical  realization  of  this 
as  e.  g.  KNOBEL  does  by  referring  our  passage  to 
"dissensions  among  the  enemies  of  Cyrus,"  and 
especially  to  the  desertion  of  the  Hyrcanians  and 
of  the  Babylonian  subject-kings  Gobrvas  and 
Gadatas  from  the  Babylonian  cause  (.Cyrop.  iv. 
2;  iv.  6;  v.  1-3).  Our  entire  prophecy  has  an 
eschatological  character.  It  presupposes  the  final 
judgment  of  the  "  fleshly  Israel,"  and  describes 
how,  like  a  phoenix,  the  new  spiritual  Israel  will 
arise  out  of  its  ashes.  The  strong  figure  of  eating 
one's  own  flesh,  etc.,  recalls  such  texts  as  ix.  19 
sq.;  Zech.  xi.  9;  ix.  15.  Thus  shall  the  whole 
world  know  that  the  alone  true,  eternally  exist- 
ent God,  Jehovah,  and  the  Deliverer  and  Re- 
deemer of  Israel,  the  Mighty  One  of  Jacob,  is 
one  and  the  same.  For  Israel's  deliverance  is 


640 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


also  only  a  means  to  attain  the  highest  end,  viz. 
that  all  the  world  may  be  blessed,  and  God's 
holy  name  may  be  known  and  praised.  There 
occurs  a  repetition  of  ver.  26  6  in  Ix.  16. 

DOCTRINAL,  AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  xlix.  1.  "  J octal  wcationem  suam  ad  con- 
firmdos  gentium  animos,  ne  offendantur  stulta  et  in- 
firma    Christi    specie,   qui    praedicatur   crucifixus. 
Nolite  me  idea  contemnere,  inquit.      Venio  divina 
auctoritate." — LUTHER. 

2.  On  xlix.  1,  2.  "  When  Jesus  says  here,  God 
has  called  Him  by  name  from  His  mother's  womb 
on,  it  may  be  seen  that  no  one  should  press  into 
an  office  without  regular  commission  (Heb.  v.  4), 
and  how  no  man  can  receive  any  thing  unless  it 
be  given  him  from  heaven  (Jno.  iii.  27).     The 
power  of  the  divine  word  is  this,  that  it  cuts  as  a 
sharp  sword  and  pierces  as  an  arrow  and  wounds 
tiie  hearts  of  men,  on  the  one  hand  so  that  they 
know   their  sin,   accept   the   offered   pardon   in 
Christ,  are  inflamed  with  love  towards  God,  and 
receive  everlasting  life,  on  the  other  hand,  how- 
ever, so  that  they  wilfully  oppose  the  word,  and 
are  thus  wounded  to  everlasting  death.     For  this 
sword  of  the  word  can  do  both,  can  kill  and  make 
alive,  as  also  Paul  says,  it  is  to  some  a  savor  of 
deatli  unto  death,  but  to  some  a  savor  of  life  unto 
life  (2  Cor.  ii.  16)."— RENNER. 

3.  On  xlix.  3.     "Jesus  is  the  true,  perfect  Ser- 
vant of  God,  by  whom  the  Father  perfectly  car- 
ries out  all  His  gracious  purpose.    He  is  the  true 
Israel,  hero  of  God,  and  contender  with  God  in  one 
person,  and  only  in  and  through  Him  do  other 
men  belong  to  the  true  Israel.     Tli rough   Him 
God  performed  His  highest  work  ;  for  He  con- 
quered sin  and  death,  and  won  peace  with  God 
by  His  soul-struggle  and  His  bitter    suffering. 
So   God    is   now  rightly  known    in   Him,  and 
praised  as  love."     DIEDRICH. 

4.  On  xlix.  4.    "  Christ  Himself  does  not  sup- 
pose.    But  we,  when  we  see  the  beginning  of 
Christ,  must  think  and  suppose,  Christ  labors  in 
vain.     For   if   one   looks  to  His    birth,   to  His 
preaching,  to  His  suffering,  to  His  death,  to  His 
poor  twelve  fisher  servants  by  whom  He  would 
reform  and  take  possession  of  the  whole  world, 
one  must  suppose,  for  the    life   of   him  it  will 
never  do.      Yet  the  LORD'S  purpose  will  still 
prosper  in  His  hand  (liii.  11),  and  His  counsel  is 
wonderful    and    gloriously  accomplishes    itself 
(xxviii.  29).     But  if  a  preacher  happens  to  think 
that  his  labor  is  in  vain,  let  him  consider,  first, 
that  the  affair  is  not   his,  but  God's,  who  will 
carry  it  out  (Ps.  Ixxiv.  22),  for  it  would  be  a  re- 
proach to  him  to  let  it  fail.    Second,  let  him  con- 
sider, that  God  has  called  him.     He  that  has  put 
him  into  the  regular  office,  will  doubtless  also 
make  him  prosper."     CRAMER. 

5.  [On  xlix.    6.     ''We  may  learn  hence,  (1) 
that  God  will  raise  up  the  tribes  of  Jacob ;  that 
is,  that  large  numbers  of  the  Jews  shall  yet  be 
'preserved'  or  recovered  to  Himself;    (2)  that 
the  gospel  shall  certainly  be  extended  to  the  ends 
of  the  earth  ;  (3)  that  it  is  an  honor  to  be  made 
instrumental  in  extending  the  true  religion.     So 
great  is  this  honor,  that  it  is  mentioned  as  the 
highest  which  could  be  conferred  even  on   the 
Redeemer  in  this  world.     And  if  He  deemed  it 


an  honor,  shall  we  not  also  regard  it  as  a  privilege 
to  engage  in  the  work  of  Christian  Missions,  and 
endeavor  to  save  the  world  from  ruin?  There  is 
no  higher  glory  for  man  than  to  tread  in  the  foot- 
steps of  the  Son  of  God ;  and  he  who,  by  self- 
denial  and  charity,  and  personal  toil  and  prayer, 
does  most  for  the  conversion  of  this  whole  world 
to  God,  is  most  like  the  Redeemer,  and  will  have 
the  most  elevated  seat  in  the  glories  of  the 
heavenly  world."  BARNES.]. 

6.  On  xlix.  7.      He  who    among    all  beings 
unites  the  greatest  contrasts  in  Himself  is  that 
one  Mediator  between  God  and  man.     For  He 
alone  belongs  to  two  worlds,  and  He  alone  stands 
on  the  lowest  and  the  highest  step.     Many  have 
been  born  in  a  stall,  and  have  hung  on   a  cross, 
but  in  no  one  case  was  contempt  so  contemptible 
as  in  His,  and  no  one  felt  it  so  keenly  as  He.     To 
none  however  but  to  Him,  is  given  a  name  that  is 
above  every  name   (Phil.   ii.  9  sqq.).     "  Eo  ipso 
vocabido,  quo   se   commendut,   significat  fact  em  ec- 
clesiae  ....   Coram  mundo  enim  nihil  ecclesia  est 
calamitosius,  nihil  improbius,  nihil  magis  profanum. 
Qaare  vocat   earn   animam   contemptibilem,  genlem 
abominabUem  et  servum  lyrranorum.  Hi  sunt  mayni 
tituli  Christianorum,  quorum  si  quospudet,  illi  cogi- 
tent,  se  frusfra  Christum  quaerere."     LUTHER. 

7.  On  xlix.  8.     The  time  of  Christ's  sufferings 
is  here  called  the  time  of  the  gracious  hearing 
of  the   Messiah  ;  the  great  day  of  salvation,  in 
which   the    salvation  of  men   was    acquired   by 
Christ ;  the  time  of  help  and  deliverance  of  the 
Saviour  calling  for  help  in  deep  waters  of  suffer- 
ing (Ps.  Ixix.  2,  3),  the  time  of  mighty  preserva- 
tion and  protection  of  the  Redeemer  pressed  down 
to  the  ground   by  the  burden  of  sin,  the   time 
when  God  set  Him  for  a  covenant  among  the 
people."     STARKE. 

8.  On  xlix.  12.     Although  even   in  the  Old 
Testament,  some  of  the  heathen  were  scattt  ringly 
added  on,  as  is  seen  in  the  case  of  Jethro,  Ruth, 
Rahab,  the  Gibeonites,  Ittai  the  Gittite  (2  Sam. 
xv.  19)  and  others  beside;   yet  this  was  first  to 
take  place  in  full  measure  in  the  time  of  the  com- 
ing of  the  Messiah,  who  is  especially  the  consola- 
tion of  all  Gentiles  (Hag.  ii.  8)."     CRAMER. 

9.  On  xlix.  14.    "  If  thou  thickest,  God  has 
wholly  forsaken  thee,  then  He  has  thee  in  His 

arms  and  fondles  thee." — LUTHER. "  We  are 

not  forgotten  of  God,  for  there  is  a  memorandum 
written  before  Him  of  those  that  love  the  LORD 
(Mai.  iii.  16).     Yea,  He  has  a  fatherly  and  mo- 
therly love  for  us,  seeing  we  are  borne  by  Him  in 
His  body  (xlvi.  3).     We  ought,  for  this  reason, 
not  to  judge  by  outward  fortune  and  looks,  how 
God  is  minded  toward  us,  but  hold  exclusively 
to  the  word  and  promises." — CRAMER. 

10.  On  xlix.  15.  "God  compares  Himself  to  a 
father  (Ps.  ciii.  13;  Mai.  iii.  17),  and  if  that  were 
not  enough,  also  to  a  mother.     Now  as  to  how  a 
father's  and  mother's  heart  is  affected,  a  father 
and  mother  can  easily  measure  with  respect  to 
their  children.     Examples:    Hagar  cannot  bear 
to  see  her  son  Ishmael  die  (Gen.  xxi.  16);  the 
real  mother  before  Solomon's  judgment  seat  can- 
not suffer  her  son  to  be  divided  (1  Ki.  iii.  26). 
Therefore,  now  God  breaks  His  heart  over  us,  so 
that  Pie  must  have  mercy  on  us  (Jer.  xxxi.  20). 
Yea,  God's  love  far  excels  the  fatherly  and  mo- 
therly aTopyi],     For  there  are  cases  where  pitiful 


CHAP.  XLTX.  14-26. 


541 


women  have  even  boiled  their  children  (Lam.  iv. 
10).  Examples:  In  the  siege  of  Samaria  (2Ki. 
vi.  20),  and  in  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Ro- 
mans (  JOSEPHUS).  But  God  is  very  differently 
affected  toward  us,  for  He  is  love  itself,  grace 
itself,  compassion  itself." — CRAMER. 

11.  On  xlix.  22,  23.  It  was  known  to  ihe  Gen- 
tiles that  the  Jews  called  themselves  the  chosen 
people  of  God.     How  they  made  sport  of  it  may, 
among  other  instances,  be  seen  from  Cicero's  ora- 
tion pro  Flacco,  chap.  28.     This  Flaccus,  while 
administering  the  province  of  Asia,  had  prohib- 
ited the    Jews  from  sending  the  annual  temple 
tax  to  Jerusalem.     This  constituted  one  of  the 
points  of  complaint  against  him.     For  the  Jews 
must  even  at  that  time  have  had  not  inconsidera- 
ble influence  in  Rome.     This  appears  from  Cicero 
giving  it  to  be  understood  that  the  matter  was 
dealt  with  "non  longe  a  gradibus  Aureliis''  (proba- 
bly the  Jews'  quarter  for  dwelling  or  business  at 
that   time).      He   adds: 'Wet's  quanta  tit  manus, 
quanta  concordia,  quantum  valeat  in  concionibus" . 
Then  he  continues  to  speak  summissavoce,  in  order 
to  be  understood  only  by  the  judges,  and  not  by 
such  as  would  set  the  Jews  on  him.     He  justifies 
the  procedure  of  his  client  as  quite  legal.     Fi- 
nally he  concludes  with  the  words:   Sua  cuique 
civitati  reliyio  est,  nostra  nobis.     Stantibus  Hicro- 
solymii,  pacatisque  Judaeis,  tamen  istorum   religio 
sacrorum  a  splendore  hujus  imperil,  gravitate  nominis 
nostri,  majorum  institutes  abhorrcbat;  nunc  vero  hoc 
miyis,  quod  ilia  gens,  quid  de  impcrio  nostro  sentiret, 
osten'lit  armis.     Quam  cara  I)iis  immor tali- 
bus  esset,  docuit,  quod  est  victa,  quod  elo- 
cata,  quod  servata.    This  last  clause  evidently 
contains  mockery.     Cicero  starts  with  saying  that 
the  Jews  were  described  as  especially  dear  to  the 
gods.     But  how  much  there  is  in  this  special  fa- 
vor of  the  gods  may  be  seen  from  the  gensjudaica 
being  victa,  elocata  servata.     This  language  seems 
to  be  a  play  on  words.     For  the  words  can  mean : 
"conquered,  hired  out,  saved," — but  also:  ''con- 
quered, transplanted  (from  their  home  to  some 
other  place),  made  slaves."     Then  srrvare  would 
be  formed  ad  hoc  from  servm,  as,  e.  g.,  sociare  from 
socius,  filiare  from  fili.us,  etc.     Pompcius  brought 
many  thousands  of  the  Jews  to  Rome,  who  being 
found  useless  as  slaves,  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
Jewish  congregation  of  after  times.    Comp.  PRES- 
SEL  in  HERZ.,  R.-Em.,  XVII.,  p.  253. 

12.  On  xlix.  23.     "  Worldly  dominion  should 
tend  to  this,  viz.,  to  seek  the  best  advantage  of 
the  Church  of  God,  and  maintain  its  protection. 
Otherwise,  if  God  were  not  concerned  about  His 
Church,  kings  and  princes  would  be  of  no  use  on 
earth.     And  just  that  they  ought  even  to  know." 
CRAMER. 

13.  On  xlix.  24  sqq.     Whether  we  understand 
by  the  "strong  one"  the  devil,  or  the  power  of 
carnal  Judaism,  or   political   powers  hostile  to 
Christianity,  it  is  in  any  case  certain  that  the 
LORD  will  conquer  the  strong  one  in  all  these 
forms,  and  wrest  his  plunder  from  him.     In  re- 
ference to  the  oppressors  eating  their  own  flesh 
and  intoxicating  themselves  with  their  own  blood, 
it  is  to  be  remembered  how  all  enemies  of  the 
truth  must  finally  fall  out  with  one  another  and 
tear   each    other's   flesh,  and   even   devour  one 
another  ( Judg.   vii.   22 ;    1  Sam.  xiv.   20 ;    Ps. 
Ixxxiii. ).     Recall  the  many  judgments  of  God  : 


Christ  and  unbelieving  Israel  (especially  the  con- 
tests of  the  zealots  in  the  siege  of  Jerusalem) ; 
Nero,  who  was  by  the  senate  declared  to  be  an 
enemy  of  the  state ;  the  heroes  of  the  French 
Revolution,  etc. 

HOMILETICAL  HINTS. 

1.  On  xlix.  1-G.    In  times  of  the  Church's  dis- 
tress and  conflict,  when  it  seems  as  if  the  Church 
of  the  LORD  must  be  destroyed  by  its  enemies, 
this  passage  can  be  held  up  to  the  congregation 
as  a  glorious  word  of  consolation.     For  what  is 
here  said  primarily  of  the  Servant  of  God   may 
be  so   applied   to  the  Church  of   the  LORD   to 
show  :   The  grounds  of  comfort  that  assure  us  that 
the   Church  of   Christ  can   never  perish.     1)   The 
Church  in  its  beginnings  was  willed  and  prepared 
by  the  LORD  (ver.   1);   2)  It  is  equipped  with 
weapons  that  are  effective   for  all  times   (sharp 
sword,  clean  arrow  ^  word  of  God,  Heb.  iv.  12) ; 
3)  It  always  enjoys  the  divine  protection  (shadow 
of  the  hand,  quiver  ver.  2)  ;  4)  God's  honor  and 
the  salvation  of  the  world  is  its  task  (vers.  3,  G), 
which,  a.  amid  many  conflicts   and    infirmities 
(ver.  4),  yet  b.  in  the  power  of  God   (ver.  5),  it 
will  at  last  gloriously  execute  (vers.  5,  6). 

2.  On  xlix.  6.     "  The  Lord  Jesus  in  the  halo  of 
the  world-mission.     1)   It  is  a  small  thing  for  the 
LORD  to  be  the  consolation  of  Israel,  He  is  also 
a  light  to  the  Gentiles;  2)  It  is  also  a  small  thing 
for  the  LORD  to  be  the  light  to  the  Gentiles,  He 
is  also  their  salvation  to  the  end  of  the  earth.     3) 
It  is  a  small  thing  for  the  LORD  to  be  light  and 
salvation  to  the  world,  He  is  also  thy  light  and 
thy  salvation  "     E.  QUANDT. 

3.  On  xlix.  7.     Even  if  the  Church  of  Christ 
be  often  quite  despised,  and  an  object  of  aversion 
and  trodden  under  the  feet  of  tyrants  like  a  slave, 
yet  it  must  never  forget  that  it  is  where  it  is  for 
the  LORD'S  sake.     The  LORD  can  as  little  give 
Himself  up  as  forsake  His  Church.    He  must  be 
faithful  to  it,  and  so  the  time  shall  at  last  come 
when  kings  shall  see  and  shall  rise  up,  princes 
shall  worship  for  the  LORD'S  sake. 

4.  On  xlix.  7-13.   The  salvation  of  God.     1)  It 
is  well  founded,  for  it  rests  on  the  Mediator  of 
the  Covenant,  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  (ver. 
8).     2)  It  is  universal,  for  it  consists  a.  in  salva- 
tion from  all  distress  (vers.  8-11) ;  b.  it  is  destined 
and  prepared  FOR  ALL  (ver.  12).     3)    It  is  ex- 
ceeding  glorious    (ver.   13).     4)_  But  it  has   its 
appointed  day,  the  day  of  salvation  (ver.  8),  and 
that  must  be  waited  for  with  patience  and  hope. 

5.  On  xlix.  14-16.     The  motherly  love  of  God. 
1)   It  hides  itself  at  times  (ver.   14);  2)   it  is 
founded  on  our  being  children  of  His  body  (ver. 
15);  3)    it    leads   all   to   a  glorious   end   (vers. 
15,  16). 

6.  On  xlix.  17-23.     This  passage  must  be  re- 
garded in  the  light  of  Gal.  iv.  22-31.     According 
to  that,  we  know  that  the  ruined  and  shattered  city, 
the  desolate  land,  is  the  earthly  Jerusalem,  that 
is  judged  by  God,  whose  children  are  given  up 
to  death  and  destruction.     But  in  this  Jerusalem 
is  concealed,  as  the  abiding  kernel,  that  Jerusa- 
lem that  is  above,  the  free.     This  is  the  mother 
of  us  all,  viz.  us  Christians.     All  out  of  all  na- 
tions that  come  to  Christ  become  children   of 
this  heavenly  Jerusalem.     Dead  as  the  earthly 
Jerusalem  is,  conscious  of  having  lost  her  hua- 


542 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


band  and  her  children,  Zion  arises  again  as  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  is  now  visibly  surprised 
to  see  innumerable  hosts  of  children  hasting  to 
her,  and  herself  the  recipient  of  every  sign  of 
honor  from  the  rich  of  this  world. 

7.  On  xlix.  24-26.  The  redemption  that  comes 
by  Christ  is  also  a  victory  over  Satan.  Hence 
we  also  praise  Christ  as  the  one  who  has  redeemed 
us  from  the  power  of  the  devil.  1)  By  what  has  He 


redeemed  us  ?  (He  quarreled  with  the  quar- 
reler,  and  on  the  cross  conquered  the  strong  one, 
Heh.  ii.  14,  15;  Eph.  iv.  8;  Col.  ii.  14,  15). 
2)  How  far  did  He  redeem  us?  (He  freed  us, 
a.  from  the  guilt  and  punishment  of  sin ;  6.  from 
the  dominion  of  sin.)  3)  To  what  purpose  did 
He  redeem  us?  (That  we  should  experience 
and  taste  the  grace  of  our  God,  ver.  26.) 


II.— THE  SECOND  DISCOURSE. 

The  Connection  between  the  Guilt  of  Israel  and  the  Suffering  of  the  Servant,  and 
the  Deliverance  from  Guilt  by  Faith  in  the  Latter. 

CHAPTER  L. 


With  reference  to  xlix.  14  the  Prophet  in- 
quires: Where  is  Zion's  writing  of  divorcement? 
Zion  is  not  repudiated,  but  only  punished,  be- 
cause when  its  Lord  came  it  did  not  receive 
Him.  But  that  is  the  connection  between  the 
guilt  of  Israel  and  the  sufferings  of  the  Servant, 
who  willingly  takes  them  on  Himself  because 
He  is  strong  in  God  and  assured  of  His  final 


victory.  Also  Israel  can  become  free  from  its 
guilt  and  the  punishment  of  it  by  turning  again 
to  the  LORD  in  the  exercise  of  faith.  Of  course 
those  that  persevere  in  their  sin  must  be  destroyed 
in  it  as  in  a  self-kindled  flame. 

The  discourse  accordingly  subdivides  into 
three  parts :  1)  vers.  1-3 ;  2)  vers.  4-9 ;  3)  vers. 
10,  11. 


1.    TO  WHAT  EXTENT  AND  WHY  ZION  IS  A  FORSAKEN  WIFE. 
CHAPTER  L.  1-3. 

1  THUS  saith  the  LORD, 

Where  is  the  bill  of  your  mother's  divorcement, 
"Whom  I  have  put  away  ? 

Or  which  of  my  creditors  is  it  to  whom  I  have  sold  you  ? 
Behold,  for  your  iniquities  have  ye  bsold  yourselves, 
And  for  your  transgressions  is  your  mother  put  away. 

2  Wherefore  when  I  came,  was  there  no  man  ? 
When  I  called  was  there  none  to  answer  ? 

Is  my  hand  shortened  at  all,  that  it  cannot  redeem? 

Or  have  1  no  power  to  deliver  ? 

Behold,  cat  my  rebuke  dl  dry  up  the  sea, 

dl  make  the  rivers  a  wilderness : 

Their  fish  estinketh,  because  there  is  no  water, 

And  fdieth  for  thirst. 

3  dl  clothe  the  heavens  with  blackness, 
And  dl  make  sackcloth  their  covering. 


•  With  which  I  put  her  away. 
a  I  will. 


b  been  sold. 
•  shall  stink. 


•  to. 

'  shall  die. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


See  Li&t  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words:    Ver.  2. 
often  used  of  dividing  waters,  Ps. 


J71T3—  nna— 
xviii.  16;  civ.  7.  Ver.  3.  r\1"np,  comp.  Joel  ii.  10;  iv. 
15.  -  pli'.  Note  the  comparatively  numerous  relative  or 
absolute  air.  Aey.  ending  in  HI,  occurring  in  verses  1-3. 
There  are  four  :  Dl/VU,  nH3,  fim  and 


Ver.  1.  ~\W$  after  DDttN  filJVO  13D  is  the  ace. 
instrument^  =  "  wherewith.'1 

Ver.  2.  nnDO  (comp.  ExoJ.  viii.19;  Ps.  cxi.9;  cxxr. 
7).  The  construction  with  p  is  as  in  xlix.  19;  vii.  13; 

xxxiii.19. r\0)11  is  the  jussive  form  without  jussive 

meaning.  The  like  often  occurs:  xxvii.  6;  1  Sam.  ii. 
10;  Ps.  ix.  10;  xi.  6;  civ.  20. 


CHAP.  L.  1-3. 


543 


EXEGETTCAL,   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  here  introduces  the  LORD  as 
the  speaker,  letting  Him  explain  Himself'  His 
relation  to  Zion,  which  all  through  these  chap- 
ters He  has  in  mind,  viz.  to   the  Zion  that  has 
rejected  the   Servant  of  God,  and  thus  is  self- 
rejected,  still  not  on  that  account  repudiated  for- 
ever.    This  Zion  has  exclaimed,  xlix.  14 :  "  The 
LORD  hath  forsaken  me,  the  LORD  hath  forgot- 
ten me."     The  LORD  has  already  replied  to  this 
xlix.  15  by  emphasizing  His  paternal  or  rather 
His  maternal  position,  but  not   His  position  as 
husband.     Here  He  replies  to  that  complaint  as 
Zion's    husband.     He  does  not  deny  that  in   a 
certain  sense  Zion  is  a  divorced  wife,    her  chil- 
dren sold   into   captivity.     But  He  denies  that 
Zion  is  definitively  divorced  by  a  writing  of  di- 
vorcement, and  that  the  children  are  sold  to  a 
creditor  as  equivalent  for  a  debt.     Rather  both, 
the  divorce  and  the  sale  are  come  on  them  only 
as  a  means  of  chastisement,  as  punishment  for 
their  sins  (ver.  1).     This  punishment,  of  course, 
needed  to  be  because  the  LORD,  in  coming  to 
His  own   possession,   found   no   one   to   receive 
Him,  because  when  He  called,  no  one  answered, 
although  His  redeeming  power  was  in  no  way 
exhausted.     For  He  is  and  continues  under  all 
circumstances   the   Lord   of  heaven   and   earth, 
who  can  dry  up  sea  and  river  (ver.  2),  and  can 
clothe  the  heavens  with  darkness  (ver.  3). 

2.  Thus  saith put   away,    ver.    1.     Of 

course  this  verse  refers   to   xliv-  14.     But  one 
must  not  on  that  account  separate  vers.  1-3  from 
what  follows  and  join  them  to   chap,   xlix,   as 
many  do.     For  apart  from  chap.  xlix.  being  well 
rounded  and  complete  in  itself  in  its  homogene- 
ous parts,   vers.  1-3,   after  a  joyous  beginning, 
have  a  very  serious  meaning  that  points  to  what 
follows.     Zion  has,  indeed,  received  no  writing 
of  divorcement;  but  still  it  needed  to  be  pun- 
ished for  its  sins  (see  under  \   1  above).     The 
manner  of  the  coming  is  described  vers.  4-9,  and 
the  unavoidable  punishment,  vers.  10,  11. 

Some  have  found  in  ver.  1  an  "  apparent  con- 
tradiction," and  would  explain  it  away  by  say- 
ing: Jehovah  had,  indeed,  given  Israel  a  writing 
of  divorcement,  but  not  a  usual  one,  in  which 
the  cause  of  separation  needed  not  to  be  assigned 
(Deut.  xxiv.  1),  but  one  in  which  the  sin  of  Is- 
rael was  named  as  the  cause.  But  the  Rabbins, 
JEROME,  ROSENM.,  HAHN,  DEL.,  and  others 
justly  remark,  that  the  question  of  the  LORD,  'K 
'"1J1  HI,  evidently  involves  the  meaning,  Israel  has 
in  fact  no  writing  of  divorcement  to  show.  It 
was  sent  away  without  a  bill  of  divorcement,  which, 
according  to  Deut.  xxiv.  1,  was  necessary  to  give 
the  divorcement  legal  force, — therefore  it  was  not 
definitively  sent  away,  but  only  provisionally, 
with  the  prospect  of  being  received  back  again. 
["  The  simplest  and  most  obvious  interpretation 
of  the  first  clause  is  the  one  suggested  by  the  sec- 
ond, which  evidently  stands  related  to  it  as  an 
answer  to  the  question  which  occasions  it.  In 
the  present  case,  the  answer  is  wholly  unambigu- 
ous, viz. ;  that  they  were  sold  for  their  sins,  and 
that  she  was  put  away  for  their  transgressions. 
The  question  naturally  corresponding  to  this  an- 
swer is  the  question,  why  the  mother  was  di- 
vorced, and  why  the  sons  were  sold?  Supposing 


|  this  to  be  the  substance  of  the  first  clause,  its 
form  is  very  easily  accounted  for.  Where  is  your 
mother's  bill  of  divorcement?  produce  it  that  we 
may  see  the  cause  of  her  repudiation.  Where  is 
the  creditor  to  whom  I  nold  you  ?  let  him  appear, 
and  tell  us  what  was  the  occasion  of  your  being 
sold." — J.  A.  ALEX.].  In  the  same  manner  the 
Prophet  would  say,  that  the  LORD  has  not  sold 
the  children  of  Zion,  His  children,  to  a  creditor 
as  the  equivalent  for  a  debt,  in  which  case  He 
would  have  lost  all  right  to  them.  Thus  both 
divorce  and  sale  were  temporary,  and  with  the 
right  of  repurchase.  It  is  of  course  to  be  re- 
marked here,  that  according  to  Jer.  iii.  8,  the 
LORD  did,  indeed,  give  Israel  of  the  Ten  Tribes  • 
a  bill  of  divorce.  Yet  the  same  Prophet  makes 
in  ver.  1  the  extraordinary  statement  that  the. 
LORD  will  receive  again  His  divorced  wife  spite 
of  the  legal  enactment  Deut.  xxiv.  4.  [This  re- 
ference to  Jeremiah  seems  fatal  to  the  Author's 
interpretation,  and  completely  to  confirm  that  of 
J.  A.  A.,  given  above. — TR.]. 

The  distinction  that  the  Prophet  mak?s  be- 
tween mother  and  children  in  the  two  clauses  of 
this  comparison  is  intended  only  to  emphasize 
the  notion  of  totality ;  not  merely  the  abstract 
communion  shall  be  preserved,  but  it  shall  retain 
its  natural  members.  For  it  were  conceivable 
that  the  LORD  would  restore  an  Israel  community 
with  the  institutions  of  the  old,  but  with  a  non- 
Israeliti.sh  population,  with  foreign  born,  branches 
only  grafted  into  the  olive  tree  Israel  (Rom.  xi. 
17  sqq.).  This,  says  the  Prophet,  shall  not  be  ; 
but  to  the  olive  tree  shall  be  given  also  the 
natural  branches,  to  the  national  communion  the 
natural  children  shall  be  given  back.  Not  all ! 
For  only  the  "IN5?,  the  e/cAoy?)  is  worthy  and  capa- 
ble of  being  the  heir  to  this  promise.  This  dis- 
tinction is  further  marked  by  representing  the 

;  mother  as  divorced,  the  children  as  sold.  In 
Matt,  xviii.  25,  Jesus  speaks  of  selling  wife  and 
children  to  pay  debts.  The  Old  Testament  indeed 
speaks  of  a  man  selling  himself  with  wife  and  chil- 
dren (Exod  xxi.  1-6;  Lev.  xxv.  39  sqq. ;  Deut. 
xv.  12  sqq.).  But  it  is  controverted  that  a  man 
might  legally  sell  his  wife  or  his  children  in 
order  to  pay  his  debts  (comp.  SAALSCHUETZ, 
Mos.  Eecht.  p.  860,  and  (EHLER  HERZ.  R.-Encyd. 
XIV.  p.  465  sq.,  against  MICHAELIS,  Mos.  Recht. 
III.  p~  36  sqq.).  But  whether  legal  or  not,  it 
seems  as  a  matter  of  fact  to  have  been  a  practice 
to  sell  children  or  to  take  them  by  force  from 
their  father  in  discharge  of  a  debt,  and  I  think 
that  in  this  sense  MICHAELTR  not  unjustly  ap- 
peals to  2  Kings  iv.  1  ;  Job  xxiv.  9;  Neh.  v.  1. 
Naturally  the  selling  of  children  would  occur 
oftener  than  the  selling  of  a  wife.  How  deep- 
rooted  a  law  of  custom  may  become,  even  when 
contrary  to  statute  law,  is  seen  in  the  analogous 
case  related  in  Jer.  xxxiv.  8  sqq.  n$J  (comp. 
xxiv.  2)  is  the  creditor  that  loans  money  and  de- 
mands repayment.  The  Babylonian  Exile  was 
such  a  temporary  sending  away  of  the  wife  and 
sale  of  children.  But  also  the  Roman  Exile  is 
such  ;  for  both  are  of  a  sort,  and  the  Prophet 
contemplates  both  together.  Israel  is  never  to 
be  entirely  and  definitively  repudiated. 


544 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


3.  "Wherefore    when    I   came 


their 


covering. — Vers.  2,  3.  The  sin  for  which  Israel 
must  be  punished  consisted  in  this,  that  "the 
LORD  came  to  His  own  and  His  own  received 
Him  not"  (Jno.  i.  11).  It  was  as  if  a  stranger, 
unknown  and  without  rights  had  come.  The 
servants  went  each  his  way;  He  called.no  one 
answered  Him  (Ixv.  12;  Ixvi.  4).  Most  recent 
commentators  understand  this  to  refer  to  the 
LORD'S  coming  by  the  Prophets.  Without  saying 
that  this  is  impossible,  I  must  still  maintain  that 
it  is  unusual,  on  which  account  it  is  not  by  the 
commentators  supported  by  examples.  That  the 
LORD  unceasingly  sent  His  prophets  to  call  Israel 
to  repentance,  that  Israel  would  not  hear,  and 
that  therefore  the  Babylonian  Exile  must  come 
on  them,  became,  especially  in  Jeremiah,  almost 
a  standing  expression.  But  the  word  mi^  is 
always  used  with  emphasis:  Jer.  vii.  25  ;  xxv.  4  ; 
xxvi'  5;  xxix.  19;  xxxv.  15;  xliv.  4.  That. 
Isaiah  writes  Tl>G  and  not  "fin1?!!/  has  doubtless 
its  reason.  And  it  is  precisely  this,  that  he  really 
meant  a  personal  coming  of  the  LORD,  and  con- 
ceives of  it  as  mediated  by  the  Servant  of  the 
LORD,  whose  appearance  forms  the  chief  con- 
tents of  this  second  Ennead. 

Israel's  not  receiving  the  LORD,  might  be 
explained  were  the  LORD  grown  powerless. 
But  such  is  not  the  case.  Therefore  it  has  no 
reasonable  ground.  It  is  base  contempt,  de- 
serving punishment.  As  the  long  hand  is  a 
figure  for  wide-reaching  power  (num  nescis  lonyas 
reyibus  esse  manusf  comp.  GESEN.  in  loc.),  so  the 
short  hand  is  of  a  power  confined  to  a  narrow 
sphere.  The  expression  is  founded  on  Num.  xi. 
23,  and  occurs  again  only  xxxvii.  27  ;  lix.  1.  In 


proof  that  Israel  had  no  reason  for  rejecting  Him 
as  weak  and  powerless  because  He  came  in  the 
form  of  a  servant,  the  LORD  urges  that  He  is 
still  able  to  do  what  He  could  do  at  that  time 
when  He  appeared  in  majesty  before  the  eves  of 
Israel,  when  the  people  did  not  dare  to  "refuse 
Him.  For  ''at  my  rebuke  I  dry  up  the 
sea,  etc.,  recalls  the  passage  through  the  dead  sea 
and  the  Jordan,  and  I  clothe  the  heavens 
with  blackness,  etc.,  recalls  the  black  cloud 
on  Sinai  that  veiled  the  sight  of  God  from  the 
people.  One  ought  to  see  the  dof'ra  under  the 
present  Ta-uvorw.  The  Prophet  had  repeatedly, 
in  what  precedes,  used  the  deliverance  out  of  the 
Egyptian  captivity  as  a  type  and  pledge  of  future 
deliverance  (xliii."  2,  16,  17;  xliv.  27).  He  does 
the  same  here.  As  regards  the  passage  of  the 
Red  Sea,  Ps.  cvi.  9  has  a  manifest  connection 
with  our  passage,  the  latter  clause  of  which  cor- 
responds with  the  words  ''I  make  the  rivers  a 
•wilderness."  These  same  words  occur  verbatim 
Ps.  cvii.  33,  as  proof  of  the  divine  omnipotence 
in  general  that  can  both  make  waters  a  desert 
and  the  desert  waters.  The  latter  is  expressed 
by  a  word  drawn  from  Isa.  xli.  18.  The  stink- 
ing and  dying  of  the  fish  are  cited  as  proof  of 
the  entire  drying  up  of  the  waters.  This  trait, 
which  is  no  where  mentioned  in  reference  to  the 
passage  of  the  Red  Sea  and  Jordan,  seems  to  me 
to  be  drawn  from  the  events  attending  the  turning 
the  Nile  water  into  blood  (Exod.  vii.  18,  21). 
In  this  case  there  would  be,  in  some  sense,  a 
confiisio  duarumfiyurarum,  the  poetic  transference 
of  an  Egyptian  event  to  a  fact  of  later  date  con- 
nected with  it.  Also  the  words  of  ver.  3  remind 
one  of  the  exodous  from  Egypt ;  comp.  Exod. 
xix.  9,  16  ;  xx.  18 ;  xxiv.  15  sqq. 


2.    THE    OFFENSE    OF   ISRAEL   CORRESPONDS   TO   THE    SUFFERING    OF 
SERVANT,  WHO  WILLINGLY  SUFFERS,  YET  IS  STRONG  IN  GOD. 

CHAPTER  L.  4-9. 

4  'The  LORD  God  hath  given  me  the  tongue  of  "the  learned, 

That  I  should  know  how  to  speak  a  word  in  season  to  him  that  is  weary : 
He  wakeneth  morning  by  morning, 
He  wakeneth  mine  ear 
To  hear  as  "the  learned. 

5  'The  Lord  God  hath  opened  mine  ear, 
And  I  was  not  rebellious, 

Neither  turned  away  back. 

6  I  gave  my  back  to  the  smiters, 

And  my  cheeks  to  them  that  plucked  off  the  hair : 
I  hid  not  my  face  from  shame  and  spitting. 

7  'For  the  Lord  God  "will  help  me ; 
Therefore  "shall  I  not  be  confounded : 
Therefore  have  I  set  my  face  like  a  flint, 
dAnd  I  know  that  I  shall  not  be  ashamed. 

8  He  is  near  that  justifieth  me ; 

Who  will  Contend  with  me  ?  let  us  stand  together : 
Who  is  'mine  adversary  ?  let  him  come  near  to  me. 


THE 


CHAP.  L.  4-9. 


545 


9  Behold,  ethe  Lord  God  will  help  me; 
Who  is  he  that  shall  condemn  me  ? 
Lo,  they  all  shall  wax  old  as  a  garment ; 
The  moth  shall  eat  them  up. 


1  Heb.  the  master  of  my  cause. 

»  disciples.  b  helps. 


The  Lord  Jehovah. 

0  /  am  not. 


4  For  I  knew. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words:    Vers.  4,  i  from  riny,  denomin.  from  fltf,  ABULWALID,  KIMCHI,  Lu- 
i,  7,  9.  i"lir"P    ^J"1X      Ver    4     PUT?      Ver   5     "T^*^      Ver 

,  '  'T  'T  THER,  et  al.)  is  on  the  contrary  quite  uncertain.    The 

•  D'EPD-    Ver.  7.  D;2— ETnSn,  comp.  Ezek.  iii.  8.  9.     ,*„..,•„..*.• t -...L  , U_ 


Ver.  4.  For  j"U_j;  an  analogous  Arabic  root  gives  suffi- 
cient reason  for  adopting  the  meaning  "  succurrere,  sus- 
tentare."  The  combination  with  fr 


derivation  from  T\yh  (H^J.'1?  substantive,  as  nn-5,  etc.), 

T  T  i    T  : 

is  impossible  because  r\V  7  is  used  only  in  a  bad  sense 

T   T 

=  "  to  babble, /SaTToAo-yeli'." "^DT  is  =  with  the  word. 

T  T 

It  is  the  same  accusative  that  we  had  in  J"Ti 
verse  1. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  form  of  the  Servant  of  God  develops 
with  increasing  distinctness.     The  Prophet  cha- 
racterizes Him  here  in  a  double  aspect.     First  he 
describes  Him  as  docile  in  respect  to  learning 
what  He  was  called  to  perform  actively:   viz., 
raising  up  the  weary  by  means  of  the  word.     By 
this  the  schoolmaster  (pedagogical)  activity  of  the 
Servant  of  God  is  intimated  (ver.  4).     But  the 
Servant  of  God  is  docile  in  another  sense.     He  is 
obedient  and  willing  to  suffer  according  to  God's 
will.     He  does  not  elude  the  abuse  to  which  men 
subject  Him,  and  which  answers  to  just  that  unsus-  j 
ceptibility  of  Israel  intimated  in  ver.  2  (vers.  5,  6).  I 
But  He  knows,  too,  that  the  LORD  will  sustain  j 
Him,  and  He  shall  not  come  to  shame,  and  this  I 
enables  Him  to  harden  His  face  like  a  flint  (ver. 
7).     He  knows  that  the  LORD  will  conduct  His 
cause  and  justify  Him,  and  can,  therefore,  boldly 
summon  His  adversaries  before  the  bar  of  judg- 
ment.    They  shall  pass  away  as  a  moth-eaten  gar- 
ment (vers.  8.  9). 

2.  The  Lord  God as  the  learned. — 

Ver.  4.  The  divine  name  mm  'J1X  (The  Lord 
Jehovah)  occurs  in  this  chapt.  relatively  oftener 
than  in  any  other  Isaianic  passage,  viz.,  four  times, 
vers.  4,  5,  7,  9-     The  tongue  of  a  disciple  is  a 
docile  tongue,  willing  and  capable  of  learning. 
The  Prophet,  therefore,  sees  in  the  Servant  of 
God  one  who  must  learn,  and  who  likes  to  learn.  ; 
The  picture  of  the  Servant  of  God  that  appears 
before  the  spiritual  eye  of  the  Prophet  has  not 
entirely  clear  and  complete  outlines.     It  is  one 
that  is  prophetically  ob.scure,  not  wholly  compre- 
hensible to  the  Seer  himself.     One  learns  from  it 
only  (his  much,  that  the  Prophet  sees  the  Ser- 
vant of  God  active  in  the  service  of  the  ''weary 
and  heavy  laden."     For  those  described,  Matth. 
xi.  28,  best  answer  to  the  ^JT. 

According  to  the  accents,  "1pH3  p"OU  should 
be  joined  together  as  in  xxviii.  19.  But  it  seems 
to  me  more  fitting  to  arrange  them  palindromi- 

cally  after  the  example  of  xxvii.  5  ("7  Dl1?^  >"^>" 

'.  ri^._D1 '^)-     DELITZSCH  well  remarks  that 

the  Servant  is  here  plainly  distinguished  from  the 

prophets.     For  the  latter  receive  their  revelations 

35 


mostly  by  night.  But  the  Servant  of  God  says 
that  His  ear  is  every  morning  awakened  in  order 
to  hear  after  the  manner  of  a  disciple.  He  is 
thought  of,  therefore,  not  as  under  the  influence 
of  a  momentary  inspiration  repeated  at  intervals, 
coming  upon  Him  in  the  condition  of  sleep,  but 
as  under  the  constant  influence  of  the  Spirit  that 
gives  testimony  of  itself  to  Him  every  day  from 
the  moment  He  awakes  to  consciousness  in  the 
morning  and  on.  Evidently  the  latter  is  a 
higher  form  of  spiritual  communication;  it  im- 
plies a  more  intimate  relation  between  God  and 
him  who  receives  it.  But  this  communication 
concerning  the  way  in  which  the  Servant  of  God 
receives  the  revelation  of  the  Spirit  stands  be- 
tween the  descriptions  of  His  active  (ver.  4  a) 
and  passive  obedience  (ver.  5  sqq.),  if  I  may  use 
the  expression.  Is  it,  then,  to  be  referred  to  both 
kinds  of  obedience?  At  least  it  is  not  to  be  con- 
ceived why  ''opening  my  ear"  should  accom- 
plish itself  in  another  way. 

3.  The  Lord  God eat  them  up. — Vers. 

5-9.  The  revelation  and  instruction  that  the  Ser- 
vant of  God  receives  relate  more  to  the  will  than 
to  knowledge.  The  ear  that  is  opened  is  that  in- 
ward ear  where  the  voice  of  God  is  audible  arid 
welcome  to  the  soul,  and  where,  therefore,  hear- 
ing and  obeying  are  one.  For  what  is  spoken  of 
here  is  how  the  Servant  of  God  lias  learned  obe- 
dience, how  He  Ifiaftev  a£>'  uv  £~en9;  ri/v  i>~aKoiji', 
as  is  said,  Heb.  v.  8,  with  evident  reference  to  our 
text,  and  a  modification  of  its  thought.  I  was 
not  disobedient  and  I  turned  not  back, 
show  that  demands  were  made  on  His  patientia, 
His  willingness  to  suffer,  and  capacity  for  suffer- 
ing. This  is  instantly  confirmed  by  ver.  6.  For 
there  the  Servant  of  God  enumerates  what  was 
expected  of  Him.  He  gave  his  back  to  the 
blows  (properly  to  the  Fruiters,  Matth.  xxvii. 
26),  his  cheeks'to  the  plucking,  he  hid  not 
his  face  from  shame  and  spit  (doubtless  a. 
hendiadys;  corny).  Matth.  xxvi.  27;  xxvii.  30). 
And  these  sufferings  must,  by  the  connection  of 
this  discourse,  answer  just  to  that  offence  of  Israel 
for  the  sake  of  which  it  was  sold  and  put  away 
(ver.  1).  By  inflicting  them  it  displayed  that  in- 
susceptibility in  consequence  of  which  it  would 


546 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


not  receive  its  LORD  nor  follow  His  call  (ver.  2). 
But  not  merely  obedience  gives  the  Servant  of 
God  the  power  to  submit  to  the  severe  sufferings. 
He  is  also  mightily  strengthened  in  this  self-sur- 
render by  the  firm  belief  that  God  supports  Him. 
To  understand  the  two  halves  of  ver.  7  in  their 
right  relation,  the  first  must  be  referred  to  the 
past,  the  second  to  the  future.  The  first  "UJT  is 
to  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  continuance :  But  tbe 
Lord  helps  me,  hence  I  have  not  (hitherto) 
come  to  shame. — Just  because  by  this  support 
hitherto  experienced  I  have  been  strengthened  and 
encouraged,  I  am  become  all  the  more  firm,  and  in- 
sensible to  persecutions.  I  have  made  my  face 
like  flint,  because  (1  in^HKl  is  causal)  I  knew 
that  I  would  not  be  put  to  shame. — The  Ser- 
vant of  the  LOUD  knows  that  He  is  hated  of  the 
world,  in  many  ways  censured  and  persecuted.  But 
He  knows,  too,  that  the  LORD,  His  legal  assistant, 
will  bring  Hii  innocence  to  light,  and  will  destroy 
the  adversaries.  Confident  in  His  support  who 
will  prove  Him  to  be  a  righteous  one,  lie  boldly 


challenges  His  adversaries.  "  Who  will  con- 
tend with  me?"  He  says  (cornp.  on  xlix.  25). 
Let  us  stand  together  (cornp.  xliii.  26)  ! 
Who  is  my  adversary?  (£33t^D  7>O  only 
here,  cornp.  xli.  11  and  Exod.  xxiv.  14,  which 
passages  perhaps  hovered  in  the  Prophet's  mind). 

In  ver.  9,  '/  "UJT  is  decidedly  to  be  taken  in  the 
future.  JT^ir1'  in  the  sense  of  "  to  make  bad, 
guilty,  i.  e.,  to  condemn,"  is  found  in  Isa.  again 
only  liv.  17.  Comp.,  moreover,  Job  xxxiv.  29  ; 
Rom.  viii.  34.  ["  Rom.  viii.  33,  34  is  an  obvious 
imitation  of  this  passage  as  to  form.  But  even 
VITRINGA,  and  ihe  warmest  advocates  for  letting 
the  New  Testament  explain  the  Old,  arc  forced 
to  acknowledge  that  in  this  case  Paul  merely  bor- 
rows his  expressions  from  the  Prophet,  and  applies 
them  to  a  different  object." — J.  A.  ALEX.].  The 

words  1/3'  "1JQH  D  ?D  are  quoted  from  our  text  in 
Ps.  cii.  27.  Comp.,  moreover,  li.  6,  8 ;  Job  xiii. 
28,  and  the  List. 


3.    THE  CONDITION  ON  WHICH  ISRAEL  MAY  BE  RECEIVED  TO  GRACE. 

CHAPTER  L.  10,  11. 

10  Who  is  among  you  that  feareth  the  LORD, 
That  obeyeth  the  voice  of  his  servant, 

"That  walketh  in  darkness,  and  hath  no  blight? 
Let  him  trust  in  the  name  of  the  LORD, 
And  stay  upon  his  God. 

11  Behold,  all  ye  that  kindle  a  fire, 

That  "compass  yourselves  about  with  dsparks : 

Walk  in  the  light  of  your  fire, 

And  in  the  dsparks  that  ye  have  kindled. 

This  shall  ye  have  of  mine  hand  ;  ye  shall  lie  down  in  esorrow. 


Wlw. 


b  splendor  about  him. 


gird. 


d  fiery  darts. 


*  torment. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words:  Ver.  11. 
!TJp,  comp.  Deut.  xxxii.  22  ;  Jer.  xv.  It ;  xvii.  4.— n'lpT 
comp.  D'pT  xlv.  14. 

Ver.  10.  The  passage  at  first  sight  seems  to  admit  of  a 
double  construction.  Either  one  may  understand  the 
question  OJ1  DJ3  ''D  as  one  that  requires  the  answer 
"  no  one ;"  then  the  second  half  of  the  verse  must  be 
referred  to  the  Servant  of  Jehovah.  Or  one  takes  'D  in 
the  sense  of  " quisquis,"  and  '1J1  HMT  as  a  comforting 
call  to  those  who  incline  to  put  their  trust  in  the  Ser- 
vant of  God  spite  of  his  humble  condition.  I  regard 
the  latter  construction  as  the  correct  one,  for  the  fol- 
lowing reasons:  First,  according  to  the  former  con- 
struction, (he  whole  characteristic  of  the  Servant 
H#X  as  far  as  Vr6x3)  is  superfluous,  for  it  contains 
nothing  but  a  needless  repetition  of  what  is  said  imme- 
diately before  in  vers.  5-!)  For  it  is  said  in  vers.  G,  7, 
that  the  Servant  of  the  LORD  walks  in  rayless  darkness; 
and  he  himself  testifies  in  vers.  7-9  that  he  trusts  in  the 
LORD.  Why  this  repetition? Second,  in  that  case 


GRAMMATICAL. 

ver.  10  6  must  read  '1J1  nBT  Nini.  For  there  is  no 
justification  of  what  HAHN  says :  viz.,  that,  by  the  use  of 
the  perfect,  the  clause  is  subordinated  to  that  begin- 
ning with  nt^'i  so  that  we  are  to  translate  :  "  who  trusts, 
although  he  walks."  If  the  notion  "  although  "  needed 
to  be  expressed,  it  could  not  be  done  by  means  of  the 
perfect  -iSn,  but  it  must  then  read  :  OJ1  HtDT  K^Hl- 

I-  T  -  :  •  : 

Hence  I  share  the  view  of  GKSENIUS,  MAUUEB,  KNOBEL. 
DELITZSCH,  that  the  question  '1J1  DD3  'D  singles  out  of 
the  totality  of  Israel  all  the  individuals  to  whom  apply 
the  predicates  "  XT  and  nS;?  *71p3  y3W.  The 
words  'D  as  far  as  V?  are  subject  of  the  whole  clause, 
as  KNOBEL  correctly  says.  It  is  quite  natural  that  "  NT 
should  stand  first;  for  only  he  that  fears  God  hears  also 
the  voice  of  His  Servant  fjno.  viii.  47).  The  relative 
sentence  Tt^tf  as  far  as  \~>  rUJ  is  regarded  by  many  as 
a  continuation  of  the  particip.  construction  NT— y^Wt 
so  that  it  describes  the  situation  of  the  God-fearing,  that 
makes  them  appear  as  those  that  need  help.  But,  first 


CHAP.  L   10,  11. 


547 


one  looks  in  that  case  for  IPm,  and,  second,  the  nega- 
tive I1?  I"UJ  PHI  would  be  too  weak  a  description  of  the 

mournful  condition  implied  in  their  case.  Hence  I 
think  the  relative  clause  is  to  be  referred  to  the  Servant. 
Then  "WX  involves  a  significant  contrast:  he  who  fears 

Jehovah  and  hearkens  to  the  voice  of  His  Servant, 
which  (i.  c.,  although  the  same)  walks  in  darkness  and 
dispenses  with  all  splendor,  —  let  him  trust,  etc. — 

DOU/n  'ijvn,  comp.  ix.  1;  the  accusative  is  the  ace.  lo- 
calis  according  to  analogy  of  m'piy,  ppn  aSil. 


Ver.  11.  Instead  of  "H-TKQ  some  would  read  '"VNO 
according  to  the  Syriac ;  or  even  arbitrarily  change  the 
reading  (Hrrz.)  to  'H-IN'p  (a  non-Hebrew  word  formed 
from  the  Arabic).  Both  are  unnecessary.  TTK  is  the 

direct  causative  Piel  =  "  to  make  compass  about." 

'Ul  nSYyob  is  not  =  ye  shall  lie  in  torment ;  S  de- 
notes the  terminus  in  quern  of  the  laying  (Job  vii.  21; 
Lam.  ii.  21,  cornp.  2  Sam.  via.  2  ;  xii.  16 ;  xiii.  31). 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  As  the  discourse  of  the  Servant,  which 
forms  the  pith  of  this  chapter,  was  introduced 
by  a  word  of  Jehovah's,  so  now  it  is  concluded 
in  the  same  way.  For  that  vers.  10,  11,  are  the 
words  of  Jehovah  appears  from  this  ye  shall 
have  from  my  hand.  He  turns  to  the  two 
classes  into  which  Israel  separates  in  relation  to 
the  Servant  of  God.  Even  after  Israel,  for  the 
most  part,  has  rejected  the  Servant  of  Jehovah, 
those  that  fear  God  and  hearken  to  the  voice  of 
the  Servant  spite  His  lowliness  and  obscurity, 
and  lean  on  Him,  may  still  be  blessed  (ver.  10). 
But  those  who  with  flaming  torches  and  burning 
arrows  raged  against  the  Servant  of  God  and  His 
cause  are  told  that  the  fire  kindled  by  them  shall 
devour  themselves.  That  will  be  the  painful 
punishment  prepared  for  them  by  the  LORD 
(ver.  11). 

2.  Who  is  among in  sorrow,  vers.  10, 

11.  As  ver.  6  in  a  measure  formed  a  prelude  to 
the  positive  statements  concerning  the  suffering 
of  the  Servant  contained  in  liii.,  so  hath  no 
light  (splendor)  are  a  prelude  to  the  negative 
ones  (liii.  2  b).  Walketh  in  darkness  along 
with  hath  no  light,  which  is  the  reverse  side, 
is  the  Biblical  expression  for  the  deepest  misery, 
unalleviated  by  a  ray.  Therefore  whoever,  spite 
of  this  miserable  exterior  (see  Text,  and  Gram.), 
still  heeds  the  voice  of  the  Servant,  may  trust  in 
the  name  of  Jehovah  (Ps.  xxxiii.  21)  and  lean 
on  his  God  (x.  20;  comp.  xxx.  12;  xxxi.  1); 
therefore  he  may  comfort  himself  by  the  promises 
of  grace  given  vers.  1-3. — The  enemies  of  the 
Servant  are  called  fire-kindlers.  Doubtless  a 
fire  is  meant  that  burns  in  them  and  by  which 
they  then  set  the  outward  world  on  fire.  For 
wickedness  is  a  fire,  and  the  wicked,  poisonous 
tongue  (which  we  are  specially  to  understand  by 
rnp'T)  is,  in  Jas.  iii.  5,  6,  expressly  called  a 
little  fire  that  yet  sets  a  world  on  fire,  and  a 
world  of  iniquity.  Making  one's  girding  of 
fiery  darts  may  be  said  in  the  same  sense  as 
one  speaks  of  girding  witli  strength  (Ps.  xviii. 
33,  40),  or  with  joy  (Ps.  xxx.  12),  i.  e.  figura- 
tively. Fiery  darts  are  their  favorite  weapons. 
GESEXIUS  seems  to  think  of  a  fire  inadvertently 
kindled,  because  in  ver.  11  a  he  finds  only  the 
continuation  of  the  figure  of  the  darkness  and 
the  thought  of  arbitrary  self-help.  Others  refer 
the  kindling  of  a  fire  to  the  persecutions  of  the 
prophets,  or  to  the  insurrections  of  the  Jews 
against  the  Romans.  Of  course  events  of  this 
sort  may  contribute  to  the  accomplishment  of 
what  the  Prophet  would  say.  But  it  is  perverse 
to  think  exclusively  of  special  events.  All  that 
wicked  Israel  did,  directly  and  indirectly,  against 


the  Servant  of  God,  with  fiery  darts  kindled  with 
hell  fire,  only  kindled  a  fire  that  consumed  them- 
selves. Thus  their  own  fire  turned  into  a  fire  of 
divine  wrath,  and  into  that  they  were  constrained 
to  enter.  Jerusalem  with  the  Temple  perished 
in  it.  Of  that  day  when  this  fire  must  burn,  the 
LORD  says  in  advance  to  them  :  from  my  hand 
is  this  "come  upon  you;  in  torment  ye 
shall  lay  yourselves  down.  The  day  when 
Israel  shall  experience  that  fiery  judgment  from 
the  LORD  is  the  day  when,  after  having  played 
their  part,  they  shall  lie  down  ;  but  they  then 
lie  down  not  in  repose,  but  in  torment. 

DOCTRINAL   AND    ETHICAL. 

1.  On  1.  1.     The  church  of  the  Lord  may  be 
sorely   punished,  it   may  be  overrun  with  ene- 
mies, partly  destroyed,  reduced,  as  in  the  days 
of  Elijah,  to  7,000  that  are  invisible,  but  it  can 
never  receive  a  bill  of  divorce.     For  what  God 
has  joined  together  men  shall  not  put  asunder. 
If  this  be  true  of  the  original  and  Christian  mar- 
riage, why  not  still  more  of  the  original  type  of 
marriage?  Eph.  v.  23  sqq. 

2.  On  1.  2.     ''  Quia   veni   et   non   erat  vir> 
Veni  in  carnem,   inquit,  sum   mortuus  pro   vobis, 
resurrexi,  implevi  et  exfiibui  praesens  omnes  promis- 
siones.      Verum  vos  me  non  recepistis.      Sicut    est 
Joh.  i. :  '  venit  in  propn'a  et  sui  eum  non  receperunt.' 
— Numquid    abbreviata    et    parvula,     etc. 
Jactat  potentiam  suam  contra  Judaeos  et  objurgat 
eos.     Quasi  dicat :  vos  me  ideo  negligitis,  quod  sine 
aliqua  pompa  veniam.   Spectatis  corporate  regnum  et 
hanc  infirmitatem  contemnitis.     Verum  ego  sicsoleo; 
numquam  liberavi  vos  per  virtutem,  sed  semper  per 
infirmitatem,  in  qua  summa  virtus  et  potentia  est,  et 
turn  soleo  esse  potentissimus,  cum  prorsus  nihil  posse 
existimor."  LUTHER. 

3.  On   1.  2.      At  My  rebuke.     "God   can   de- 
stroy the  wicked  by  a  rebuke  (Ps.  ix.  6).    When 
He  rebuked  the  Ked  sea  it  became  dry  (Ps.  cvi. 
9).     And  when  Christ  threatened  the  wind  it  be- 
came still  (Luke  viii.  24).     If  God  can  then  do 
so  much  by  chiding,  what  will  happen  when  He 
joins  the  deed  to  the  word,  and   takes  the  iron 
sceptre  or  the  goad  in  hand  (Ps.  ii.  9;  Acts  ix. 
5)  ?"  CRAMER.  , 

4.  On  1.  4  sqq.     LUTHER,  who  renders   [WTJ 

OHIO?  by  "  learned  tongue  "  still  gives  in  his 
commentary  the  explanation  that  thereby  is  not 
to  be  understood  a  "  lingua  magistri,"  but  a 
'' lingua  discipuli"  or  a  "lingua  discipulata,  quae 
nihil  loquitur,  nisi  quod  a  Deo  didicit."  And  with 
this  agrees  admirably  what  the  Lord,  especially 
in  the  Gospel  by  John,  so  often  affirms,  that  He 
says  nothing  but  what  He  has  heard  from  His 


548 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Father,  that  He  does  nothing  but  what  He  has 
received  from  the  same,  wills  nothing  but  what 
He  wills  (John  iii.  11,  32;  iv.  34 ;  v.  19,  30 ;  vi. 
38;  vii.  16;  viii.  16,  38;  x.  18,  37,  38;  xii.  49, 
50;  xiv.  10,  31 ;  xv.  15;  xvi.  32).  But  that  the 
Lord  was  not  docile  only  with  reference  to  speak- 
ing and  doing,  but  also  with  reference  to  suffer- 
ing,  He  says  Himself  in  the  words  :  "  My  Father, 
if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  pass  from  Me ; 
nevertheless,  not  a«  I  will,  but  as  Thou  wilt," 
Matth.  xxvi.  39.  And  hence,  Paul  testifies  that 
Christ  was  obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death 
on  the  cross  (Phil.  ii.  8). 

5.  On  1.  6.  The  Lord  said,  Luke  xviii.  31-33: 
"  Behold  we  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  all  things 
that  are  written  by  the  prophets  concerning  the 
Son  of  man  shall  be  accomplished.  For  He  shall 
be  delivered  unto  the  Gentiles,  and  shall  be 
mocked,  anil  spitefully  entreated,  and  spitted  on  : 
and  they  shall  scourge  Him,  and  put  Him  to 
death :  and  the  third  day  He  shall  rise  again." 
Regarding  this  it  must  be  noted,  that  there  is  no 
other  Old  Testament  passage  that  declares  that 
the  Servant  of  God  would  be  spit  upon.  More- 
over no  other  passage  speaks  at  least  so  plainly 
of  scourging  and  smiting.  It  is  further  very  pro- 
bable that  '•  vfipiatirjasrai"  especially  answers  to 

O'tDTD?  "n?  ;  for  if  anything  can  be  an  vfipie,  it 
is  this  ill-treatment  of  the  face.  It  is  accordingly 
in  the  highest  degree  probable  that  in  Luke  xviii. 
31  sqq.  the  Lord  had  especially  in  mind  our  pas- 
sage. It  then  appears  also  what  good  reason  we 
have  for  referring  our  passage  to  the  Servant  of 
Jehovah. 

On  1.  7-9.  ''  Spes  confisa  Deo  nunquam  confusa 
recedit."  -"He  who  holds  out  through  Passion- 
week  with  Christ  alone,  must  and  shall  also  keep 
Easter  there  with  Him."  FOERSTER. 

7.  On  1.  11.  Regarding  the  meaning  and  the 
fulfilment  of  this  passage,  both  may  be  best 
learned  from  what  JOSEPHUS  (bell.  jud.  VI.  4, 
5  sqq.)  relates  concerning  the  taking  of  Jerusalem 
and  the  destruction  of  the  Temple.  Titus  had 
commanded  to  preserve  the  Temple.  But  "  TOU 
(5£  (viz.,  TOV  va»>>)  KaT£^f]tl>taro  rh  Trvp  6  i?£of  Trdhai." 
A  Roman  soldier,  "Aat/nnviu  op/iy  TLVL  ^pfj^evoj " 
casts  a  fire-brand  through  the  golden  window  into 
the  Temple.  Titus  hastens  up  and  commands  to 
extinguish  the  conflagration.  He  is  not  heard, 
or  men  will  not  hear.  A  soldier  secretly  applies 
fire  to  the  door-posts  of  the  Temple  building 
proper.  The  Temple  was  consumed  "  d/cwrof 
Kaiaapof."  JOSEPHUS  repeatedly  testifies  that  it 
was  the  LOUD  that  gave  the  Temple  to  the 
flames,  and  thereafter  the  whole  city  of  Jeru- 
salem. One  might  fancy,  while  reading  his  ac- 
count, that  he  had  in  mind  the  words  of  our  text: 
''This  shall  ye  have  of  Mine  hand."  And  who 
does  not  think  also  of:  "ye  shall  lie  down  in 
sorrow"  (torment)  when  reading  of  the  surviving 
Jews,  how  some  were  sent  off  to  the  mines,  some 
kept  to  contend  as  gladiators  and  with  wild  beasts 
in  the  theatres,  the  rest  sold  as  slaves  (  JOSEPHUS, 
1.  c.  VI.  9,  2). 

• 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

7.  On  1.  1-3.  Sermon  of  consolation  in  times 
of  the  Church's  distress.  What  are  we  to  think  of 


the  present  conflicts  of  the  Church?  1)  We  must 
regard  them  as  a  divine  chastisement  for  the  sins 
of  the  church,  and  suffer  ourselves  to  be  led  by 
them  to  repentance  (behold  for  your  iniquities 
are  ye  sold — and  no  one  answered  vers.  1,  2) — 
2)  We  ought  not  to  despair  in  these  conflicts,  but 
comfort  ourselves  in  the  expectation  of  a  gracious 
deliverance.  For  God  a.  is  willing  for  it,  because 
He  has  neither  given  the  church  a  bill  of  divorce, 
nor  can  "give  it  (ver.  1,  where  is  the  bill,  etc.)  ; 
6.  He  has  also  the  power  to  do  it  (is  my  hand 
shortened,  etc.,  ver.  1,  I  clothe  the  heavens,  etc., 
ver.  3). 

2.  On  1.  4.      The  LORD   says    Matt.    xi.  28: 
"Come  unto  me  all  ye  that  are  weary,"  etc.   That 
is  a  right  well-intended  summons  and  worthy  of 
all  confidence.     For  no  one  can  in  fact  so  refresh 
the  weary  as  He.     Has   not  Goii  just  for  this 
given  Him  an  instructed   tongue  ?     ''  This  too 
may  serve  to  comfort  (the  weary)  when  they  pour 
out  their  hearts  toward  the  servants  and  children 
of  the  LORD,  who,  mighty  in  His  word,  tried  and 
preserved  under  many  a  cross,  have  learned  by 
experience,  after  their  Redeemer's  example,  to 
speak  a  word   in    season    to  the  weary  (weak, 
wretched,  comfortless,  that    bear  away  at  their 
cross  nearly  tired  out,  and   nearly  unable  to  get 
on)."    SCHRIVER,  Seelenschatz,  Theil.  IV.  9  Pred. 
$  6.     If,  by  the  waters  of  such  distress  and  tribu- 
lation, there  remain  still  a  little  spark  of  faith, 
apply  yourself  diligently  to  consider  the  word  of 
God,  that  it  may  not   be  utterly  quenched,  al- 
though the  devil  will  be  marvellously  glad  to 
hinder  it.     How  Christ  comforts  one  by  His  dear 
word  !  As  also  it  is  said  :  ''The  LORD  hath  given 
me   a  learned  tongue,  '  etc.     THOLUCK,  "Hours 
of  Devotion,''  p.  252. 

3.  On  1.  4-9.     PASSION  SERMON.     The  suffer- 
ings of  the  Lord.     1)  The  ground  of  them  (obedi- 
ence, vers.  4,  5) ;  2)  The  nature  of  them  (ill-use 
of  every  sort  on  the  part,  of  those  that  hated  the 
LORD,  vers.  6,  7) ;  3)  The  use  of  them  (that  we 
may  boldly  say:    who  will    contend  with  me? 
who  is  He  that  condemneth?  [Rom.  viii.  33,  34] 
vers.  8,  9). 

4.  On  1.  6.     "  O  Lamb  of  God,  how  hast  Thou 
tasted  to   their  full   extent  the    impositions  of 
human  sinfulness  !     The  blindness  and  wicked- 
ness of  the  human  heart  could  only  become  mani- 
fest by  contrast  with  Thy  holiness,  as  night  is  only 
known  in  its  entire  darkness  by  contrast  with  the 
spotless  light;  and   thus   it   has  now  even  hap- 
pened.    And  thou  wast  silent,  and  Thou  hast  en- 
dured all  contradiction  of  sinners,  silent  when 
they  struck  Thee  with  their  fists,  when  they  spit 
in  Thy  face — the  unjust  thus  treating  the  Just 
one,  the  servants  their  LORD,  the  creature  the 
Only  Begotten  of  the  Father !     "  I  gave  my  back 
to  the  smiters,  and  my  cheeks  .  .  .  shame  and 
spitting  :"  thus  it  is  written  of  Thee.     Innocent 
Lamb  of  God,  how  hast  Thou  borne  the  sins  of 
the  world,  and  been  obedient  unto  the  depths  of 
liu  in  illation  !    THOLUCK,  I.  c.  493. 

5.  On  1.  10,  11.     PENITENTIAL  SERMON.  God 
is  love,  and  at  the  same  time  holiness  and  justice. 
He  bears  the  rod  Gentle  and  the  rod  Woe.     He 
announces  to  us  the  law  and  the  gospel.     To-day 
also  He  turns  to  the  pious  and  the  wicked,  and 
offers  to  each  His  own.     The  Lord  to-day  presents 


CHAP.  LI.  1-8. 


549 


to  us  life  and  death.  1)  He  offers  life  to  those 
that  fear  Him  (ver.  10).  2)  But  He  presents 
death  to  those  who  have  kindled  their  heart, 


word  and  work  at  the  flames  of  hell,  and  thereby 
set  ablaze  a  fire  in  which  they  shall  themselves 
perish  (ver.  11). 


III.— THE  THIRD  DISCOURSE. 

The  Final  Redemption  of  Israel.     A  Dialogue  between  the    Servant    of  Jehovah 
who  appears  as    one  veiled,  Israel,  Jehovah  Himself  and  the    Prophet. 

CHAPTER  LI. 


This  chapter  speaks  of  high  and  mighty  things. 
We  hear  four  persons  speak  one  after  the  other. 
Eacli  of  the  speakers  from  his  view-point  an- 
nounces what  he  has  to  produce  in  reference  to 
the  chief  subject-  The  Servant  of  God,  appear- 
ing significantly  veiled,  presents  to  Israel  the 
condition  of  its  redemption  (vers.  1-8).  Israel 
then  turns  with  believing  supplication  to  its 
LORD,  praying  for  a  display  of  power  as  of  old 


(vers.  9-11).  The  LOKD  answers  Israel  with 
comfort  and  exhortation,  but  then  turns  to  the 
Servant,  who  is  called  to  execute  the  work  of  re- 
demption, in  order  to  set  before  Him  the  origin, 
means  and  goal  of  His  work  (vers.  12-16). 
Finally  the  Prophet  himself  takes  up  the  word 
in  order  to  exhort  Israel  that  it  would  take  to 
heart  the  consolation  given  by  Jehovah  (vers. 
17-23). 


1.   THE  (VEILED)  SERVANT  OF  JEHOVAH  PRESENTS  TO  ISRAEL  THE  CONDI- 
TION OF  THE  REDEMPTION. 

CHAPTER  LI.  1-8. 

1  HEARKEN  to  me,  ye  that  follow  after  righteousness, 
Ye  that  seek  the  LORD  : 

Look  unto  the  rock  whence  ye  are  hewn, 

And  to  the  hole  of  the  apit  whence  ye  are  digged. 

2  Look  unto  Abraham  your  father, 
And  unto  Sarah  that  bare  you  : 
bFor  I  called  him  alone, 

And  blessed  him,  and  increased  him. 

3  For  the  LORD  shall  comfort  Zion : 
He  will  comfort  all  her  waste  places ; 

And  he  will  make  her  wilderness  like  Eden, 
And  her  desert  like  the  garden  of  the  LORD  ; 
Joy  and  gladness  shall  be  found  therein, 
Thanksgiving,  and  the  voice  of  melody. 

4  Hearken  unto  me,  my  people  ; 

And  give  ear  unto  me,  O  my  nation  : 

For  a  law  shall  proceed  from  me, 

And  I  will  make  my  judgment  to  rest  for  a  light  of  the  people. 

5  My  righteousness  is  near  ;  my  salvation  is  gone  forth, 
And  mine  arms  shall  judge  the  people  ; 

The  isles  shall  wait  upon  me, 
And  on  mine  arm  shall  they  trust. 

6  Lift  up  your  eyes  to  the  heavens, 
And  look  upon  the  earth  beneath  : 

For  the  heavens  shall  vanish  away  like  smoke, 

And  the  earth  shall  wax  old  like  a  garment, 

And  they  that  dwell  therein  shall  die  in  like  manner: 

But  my  salvation  shall  be  forever, 

And  rny  righteousness  shall  not  °be  abolished. 

7  Hearken  unto  me,  ye  that  know  righteousness, 


550 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


The  people  in  whose  heart  is  ray  law  ; 
Fear  ye  not  the  reproach  of  men, 
Neither  be  ye  afraid  of  their  revilings. 
8  For  the  moth  shall  eat  them  up  like  a  garment, 
And  the  worm  shall  eat  them  like  wool : 
But  my  righteousness  shall  be  forever, 
And  my  salvation  from  generation  to  generation. 


»  well. 


For  he  was  alone  when  I  called  him. 


'perish. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words  :  Ver.  3. 
nnptyi  \WV  which,  beside  Ps.  li.  10,  occurs  only  in 
Isaiah  ;'jer.  xv.  16  ;xxxi.  13,  uses  '331?  DHO^S?  $&&?> 
and  vii.  24;  xvi.  9  '&  Slpl  jlfrfr  S>p-  '  Co'mp.  Zech. 
riii.  19.  Ver.  5.  Q"N—  jpT-  Ver.  6.  nHo.  Ver.  8. 
ipy—  DD—  D"Yn  *VhSi  comp'.  Ps.  Ixxii.  5  ;  cii.  25. 

Ver.   1.    DrOXn    abbreviated    relative    clause    for 


Ver.  2.  The  imperf/DDHSinfl,  before  which 
likewise  to  be  supplied,  occasions  surprise.  Why  is  the 
perf.  not  employed  ?  Had  the  Prophet  had  in  mind  the 
one  act  of  physical  birth  he  must  have  put  the  perf. 
As  tne  word  cannot  be  treated  as  a  substantive  (comp. 
TODIpn  Ps.  cxxxix.  21),  the  choice  of  the  word  and 
the  verbal  form  must  be  explained  by  understanding 
the  Prophet  to  be  thinking,  not  merely  of  the  torqueri 
that  accompanies  the  act  of  birth,  but  also  of  that  tor- 
queri spe  (comp.  Gen.  viii.  10;  Job  xxxv.  14:  Ps.  xxxvii. 
7)  that  Sarah  had  to  endure  through  so  many  years.  - 
The  punctuation  of  the  verbs  1H31DX  and  1HD1K  with 
the  mere  Vav,  copulative  indicates  that  we  are  to  con- 
strue the  Vav  as  denoting  intention  (EWALD.  §  347,  a). 

Ver.  3.  DFU  and  Dt^'l  are  praeterita  prophetica.  - 
The  expression  rprP  IJ  occurs  only  here.  D'H/X  ?J 
occurs  several  times  in  Ezek.:  xxviii.  13;  xxxi.  8,  9,  - 
7"PDT  Sip  occurs  beside  here  in  Ps.  xcviii.  5.  Isaiah 

T    :  • 

uses  PHOT  again  xii.  2;  xxiv.  16. 

Ver.  4.  It  is  needless  and  conflicting  with  the  context 
to  read  Q'Tpy  and  D'SK1?  (CODD.,  SYR.),  instead  of  ^y 
and  'DSO,  or  even  to'take  ^y  and  'QN7  as  plural 
endings  (GESEN.)  and  to  refer  both  to  the  Gentiles.  For 
these  verses  contain  an  exhortation  to  Israel  not  to  re- 
nounce its  privilege.  QJO  is  indeed  nowhere  else  used 
for  Israel.  Yet  the  use  of  '"ij  Zeph.  ii.  9  Is  analogous. 
In  this  case  as  there,  the  want  of  a  second  word  fitted 
to  correspond  in  parallelism  with  Qy  occasions  the  ab- 
normal use.  —  The  diversities  of  meanings  encountered 
iu  the  root  J7JH,  (e.  g.,  the  meanings  of  emotion,  trem- 
bling, resting  seem  to  combine  in  the  same  root),  is  pro- 
bably to  be  explained  thus  :  we  must  distinguish  be- 
tween &yy~\  with  original  y,  and  another  with  an  y  that 
is  derived  from  a  hissing  consonant.  Probably  VJT, 

-T 

denoting  tremefecit,  terruit,  and  from  which  is  derived 
y^  momentum  (movimentum,  moment  of  the  trembling 


GRAMMATICAL. 

emotion),  is  softened  fiom  TJ"\  t^JT  (as  e.  g.,  the  He- 

-  T          ~^ 

brew  ¥  becomes  y  in  Aramaic,  comp.  KJ?"l!rt,  5O>',  =• 
?X¥,  etc.).  But  j?  J1  that  involves  the  meaning  "  to  rest " 

-T 

has  an  original  y.  The  Hiph.  JTJ")n  in  our  text  means 
"  to  make  rest,"  and  that  in  a  similar  sense  to  IV  JH  and 
TT3n,  which  forms,  as  is  well  known,  in  like  manner 
acquire  the  meaning  "deposuit,  demisit,  posuit,  collo- 
cavit"  (comp.  xxx.  32;  xiv.  1;  xlvi.  7,  etc.).  ThusJTJPij. 
would  involve  the  meaning  of  "  settling  permanently." 
For  this  right  is  that  which  from  now  on  remains  per- 
manently, everlastingly. 

Ver.  6.  It  is  uncertain  whether  n_?O  is  radically  re- 
lated to  rPO  "conterere,"  hence  nSp  contntum,  what 
is  broken  small,  both  salt  and  rags  (Jer.  xxxviii.  11, 12); 
or  whether  n^O  has  the  fundamental  meaning  "to 
flood,  to  flow,"  hence  fl  70  =  fl°w,  salt-flux,  salt  and  =- 

that  which  has  flowed,  passed  away. jD~103  is  taken 

by  the  ancient  translators  and  expositors  in  the  sense 
of  "just  as,"  which  grammatically  is  quite  correct,  but 
is  thought  to  be  flat  as  to  sense.  Hence,  after  the  ex- 
ample of  LOWTH  and  VITBINGA,  mosc  recent  expositors 
take  |3  to  mean  "  gnat."  But  ?3  does  not  occur  in  this 
sense  in  the  singular ;  and  the  plural  D'33  Exod.  viii. 
12  sqq. ;  Ps.  cv.  31  is  without  doubt  to  be  referred  to 
H3J3  (comp.  D23  Exod.  viii.  13,  14)  and  not  to  p.  Hence 

T   '  T  " 

DELITZSCH  is  of  the  opinion  that  |2)-1)03  is  to  be  taken 
in  the  sense  of  a  "  so"  to  which  an  accompanying  ges- 
ture imparts  a  contemptuous  meaning.  But  for  this  he 
can  only  appeal  to  classic  analogies  ;  for  2  Sam.  xxiii.  5; 
Num.  xiii.  33;  Job  ix.  35  are  not  fitting  comparisons.  I 
am  of  the  opinion  that  if  jp-JDp  is  not  taken  in  the 
sense  of  "just  as,"  the  application  of  the  comparison  is 
wanting.  For  whether  J3  be  taken  =  "  gnat,"  or  =  con- 
temptuous "  so,"  in  either  case  the  clause  flOE^!  to 
jimO1"  still  belongs  to  the  comparison  and  the  applica- 
tion is  wanting.  Thus  the  discourse  becomes  obscure; 
whereas  it  is  quite  clear  if  the  clause  MJI  JT.3EP1  con- 
tains the  application.  For  then  it  is  said  that  all,  that 
is  nothing  more  than  citizen  of  the  earth,  will  pass  away 
just  as  heaven  and  earth. 

Ver.  7.  t^lJK  .H3"in  comp.  Ps.  xxii.  7 ;  and  concern- 
ing ii/IJK  the  remarks  on  viii.  1. rVl^J  with  fern. 

ending  only  here;  yet  comp.  D'^nj  Ezek.'  T.  15;  with 
masc.  ending  xliii.  28 ;  Zeph.  ii.  8. 


CHAP.  LI.  1-8. 


551 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Connecting  with  the  exhortation,  1.  10,  to 
hearken  to  the  voice  of  the  Servant  of  God,  the 
Prophet  first  lets  a  speaker  enter  of  whom  one 
does  not  exactly  know  whether  he  is  Jehovah  or 
one  closely  connected,  indeed,  with  Jehovah,  yet 
a  distinct  person  from  Him.     If  he  is  the  latter, 
he  can  be  no  other  than  the  Servant  of  Jehovah, 
who,  veiling  here  His  servant-form,  already  suf- 
fers His  unity  with  Jehovah  to  appear.     The  fol- 
lowing are  reasons  for  thinking  that  it  is  the 
Servant  of  Jehovah  that  speaks  in  vers.  1-8 :  1) 

the  reference  of  "Sx  yrotf,  li.  1,  to  Vlp3  £3# 
113^.,  1.  10;  2)  li.  1,  3,  speak  of  Jehovah  in 
the  third  person ;  3)  xlii.  4,  the  Zionitic  law  is 
called  the  law  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  and 
the  speaker  in  these  verses  describes  the  same 
law  as  proceeding  from  him  (ver.  4)  and  as  his 
law;  4)  in  ver.  16  the  Servant  is  evidently  ad- 
dressed, and  thus  is  assumed  to  be  a  participator 
in  the  dialogue,  as  Tr/j6au7rov  TOV  titaMyov.  This 
discourse  divides  into  three  sections,  each  of 
which  begins  with  an  emphatic  summons  to  give 
heed:  IJKJtf  (ver.  1),  U'TKH,  D'tfpn  (ver.  4), 

lyotf   (ver.  7). 

2.  Hearken  to  me voice  of  melody, 

vers.  1-3.     The   exhortation    "hearken  to  me" 
refers  back  to  ''who  hearkeneth  to  the  voice  of 
my  Servant,"  I.  10.     Although  li.  2  is  proof  that 
Jehovah  is  the  speaker,  still  on  the  other  hand 
Jehovah  in  ver.  1  a  once  and  in  ver.  3  twice  is 
spoken  of  in  the  third  person.     Should  not  the 
Servant  of  Jehovah  Himself  be  regarded  as  the 
speaker?     His  unity  with  Jehovah  and  His  glory 
begin  to  shine  through  here ;    but  because  the 
servant-form   and  glory  still   stand  uncombined 
side  by  side,  He  does  not  here  appear  plainly  as 
the  bearer  of  the  latter.     Those  whom  He  sum- 
mons to  hear  Him  are  the  same  that,  1.  10,  are 
described  as  those  that  "  fear  the  LORL>."     The 
last  expression  is  a  general  one.     "  Tiie  fear  of 
the  LORD  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom"  (Prov.  i. 
7).     "To  fear  God"  includes  earnest  endeavor 
after  righteousness  in  the  widest  sense,  involving 
being  right  and  having  salvation  (proof-text  for 
pT^  tpl,  Deut.  xvi.  20;  comp.  Prov.  xxi.  21). 
But  the  possession  of  salvation  is  assured  to  those 
that  seek  and  find  the  LORD  Himself,  the  highest 
good  ("  $P3  said  with  reference  to  Exod.  xxxiii. 
7 ;  Deut.  iv.  20,  especially  in  Hos.  iii.  5 ;  v.  6 ; 
vii.   10).     These  upright  souls  that  strive  after 
true   righteousness   and    communion  with   God, 
and  who  are,  hence,  inclined  and  fitted  ''to  trust 
in  the  name  of  the  LORD  and  stay  upon  their 
God "   (1.  10),  the  Servant  of  the  LORD  would 
strengthen   and   confirm   by   referring    them    to 
Abraham   and   Sarah.     He  compares  Abraham 
to  a  rock  from  which  building-stones  are  hewn, 
and  Sarah  to  a  well-hole  ("VQ  rapO,  the  latter 
reminding  one  of  ^3pJ,   comp.  xlviii.  1),  from 
which  earth,  clay,  etc.,  are  taken.     There  lies  in 
the  figure  the  notion  of  the  primitive  paternal  and 
maternal    ancestry.      Ancestors    are    authority. 
Their  posterity  ought  to  resemble  them,  not  only 
physically,  but  spiritually.     Israel,  then,  ought 


to  look  back  to  its  ancestors  in  order  to  imi- 
tate their  example.  It  is  to  be  noticed  that 
Sarah  is  named  here,  as  in  Heb.  xi.  11,  along 
with  Abraham,  as  the  companion  of  his  faith 
(see  Text,  and  Gram.).  Sarah's  pains  in  bearing 
the  son  of  promise  were  two-fold :  first,  the  in- 
ward struggles  of  faith,  the  sorrows  of  a  hope 
again  and  again  deceived,  and  yet  not  given  up, 
joyfully  ended  at  last  by  the  physical  sorrows  of 

the  birth.  Thus  DD^Sinn  leads  over  to  the  fact 
in  which  Abraham  approved  himself  as  an  ex- 
ample of  faith:  the  LORD  called  him  as  standing 
alone,  as  it  were  a  solitary  tree,  but  of  course  in 
order  to  bless  and  multiply  him  (see  Text,  and 
Gram.).  The  verbs  "to  bless  and  multiply" 
play  a  chief  part  in  the  promise  given  to  Abra- 
ham. Therefore  the  Prophet  points  to  these 
here  (comp.  Gen.  xxii  17 ;  xii.  2,  3 ;  xiii.  15, 
16;  xviii.  18,  etc.).  Through  long  decennials 
and  up  to  years  when  posterity  was  no  longer 
naturally  to  be  expected,  Abraham  had  stood 
alone  like  a  tree  in  a  wide  field,  about  which, 
even  after  long  years,  there  appeared  no  sign  of 
young  growth  from  seeds  falling  from  it.  But 
he  was  not  on  that  account  weak  in  faith.  And 
thus  he  is  a  comforting  example  to  his  posterity. 
For  that  Zion  that  the  Prophet  has  in  mind, 
which  will  be  contemporary  with  the  Servant  of 
God,  and  wasted  and  forsaken  (comp.  xlix.  14 
sqq.j,  shall  also  grow  up  again  and  have  a  nume- 
rous seed  and  become  a  glorious  garden  of  the 
LORD.  By  pointing  to  believing  Abraham,  the 
Prophet  lets  it  be  understood  that  just  and  only 
on  the  condition  of  a  faith  like  Abraham's  can 
wasted  Zion  become  again  a  paradise  (}"$,  Gen. 
ii.  15;  Joel  ii.  3).  Unbelieving  Israel,  however, 
remains  a  waste  I 

3.  Hearken  unto  me not  be  abo- 
lished.— Vers.  4-6.  This  section  begins  with  a 
summons  to  hearken,  still  more  emphatic  than 
the  preceding.  It  reminds  one  of  xlix.  1.  The 
LORD  will  let  a  new  law  go  forth,  He  will  pro- 
mulgate a  new  right  to  the  nations.  According 
to  xlii.  1-4;  xlix.  6,  it  is  the  Servant  of  God  that 
is  the  medium  of  this  new  revelation  of  Jeho- 
vah's. The  Thorah  here  spoken  of  is,  therefore, 
the  Zionitic  law,  or  the  Gospel,  and  the  right 
that  will  be  set  for  a  light  to  the  nations  is  the 
new  ordinance  which,  resting  on  the  fact  of  the 
offering  made  on  Golgotha,  makes  faith,  and  no 
longer  works,  the  central  point  of  subjective  per- 
formance. I  repeat  here  expressly,  that  I  do  not 
ascribe  to  the  Prophet  this  knowledge,  but  that 
I  only  explain  here  what  is  objectively  implied 
in  the  Prophet's  words,  but  not  clearly  known 
by  him. 

If  this  new  Thorah  is  promulgated,  then,  on 
the  one  hand,  ''  righteousness  is  come 
near"  that  avails  with  God  (xlvi.  12,  13),  and 
with  it  salvation  is  gone  forth  (i.  e.,  given 
out,  offered  to  all) ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
time  also  of  universal  judgment  has  arrived.  For 
when  the  Saviour  of  the  world  has  appeared,  then 
the  time  of  judgment  has  come.  But  the  judg- 
ment begins  at  the  house  of  God.  The  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans  is  the  first  act 


552 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


of  the  world's  judgment  (Matth.  xxiv.).  We 
men  living  at  present  are,  therefore,  already  in 
the  world's  judgment.  In  this  time,  then,  of  the 
publishing  of  the  Zionitic  law  on  the  one  hand, 
and  of  the  world's  judgment  on  the  other,  the 
isles  shall  hope  in  tne  Lord,  and  wait  on 
his  arm  (jTU  symbolically  =  protection,  sup- 
port, hence  singular;  whereas  before  in  \J7~U 
10D2T  the  word  is  taken  in  the  physical  sense, 
therefore  the  plural).  Here  it  is  intimated,  there- 
fore, that  just  the  isles,  i.  e.,  the  remote,  heathen 
nations,  especially  of  the  West,  in  that  last  time, 
that  is  to  be  both  a  time  of  salvation  and  of  judg- 
ment, will  accept  salvation.  It  is  to  be  noted 
that  the  Prophet  says  nothing  of  Israel's  believing 
on  the  Servant  of  the  LORD  and  on  His  law. 
Here,  therefore,  is  a  hint  of  that  conflict  in  which 
Israel  stood  after  the  appearance  of  the  Servant 
and  still  stands:  either  to  cleave  to  the  gospel 
with  the  Gentiles  and  thereby  to  disappear  as  a 
nation,  or  to  reject  the  gospel  and  thereby  to  be 
themselves  rejected,  yet  to  be  preserved  as  a  na- 
tion for  the  time  when,  without  jealousy  or  com- 
petition, the  kingdom  of  God  shall  appear  as  the 
kingdom  of  David,  and  will  be  still  one  flock 

under  one  Shepherd.     On  p /H"  comp.  on  xlii.  4. 

Of  course  Israel  acts  thus  from  no  praiseworthy 
motives,  but  from  obstinacy  and  pride.  And 
hence  fleshly  Israel  shall  be  destroyed  in  the 
judgment.  In  ver.  6  the  Prophet  commands  to 
consider  heaven  and  earth.  The  heavens,  seem- 
ingly so  firm  (firmamentwn,  arepEuua)  shall  vanish 
away  like  smoke,  the  earth  that  bears  all,  will 
become  worm-eaten  and  rotten  and  pass  away  as 
an  old  garment,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth 
shall  perish  just  so.  But  the  salvation  of  Jeho- 
vah shall  be  forever  and  his  righteousness 
shall  not  perish.  Therefore  whoever  possesses 
this  salvation  and  this  righteousness  shall  be  pre- 
served. It  is  not  said  that  whoever  is  dug  out  of  the 
fountain  of  Abraham  shall  be  blessed.  But  he  that 
will  follow  the  call  of  the  LORD  as  Abraham,  he 
that  takes  His  law  and  believes  Him,  he  shall  be 
blessed,  though  he  were  a  heathen.  Whoever 
does  not  believe,  though  of  the  seed  of  Abraham 
after  the  flesh,  shall  perish  away  just  as  (see 
Text,  and  Gram.)  the  heaven  and  earth.  Thus 
the  difference  between  Israel  and  Geniiles  disap- 
pears. He  that  has  not  the  ''salvation"  and 
"righteousness"  of  the  LORD  is  a  mere  earth 
inhabitant,  whether  of  the  race  of  Israel  or  not, 
and  as  such  he  shall  perish  with  the  earth. 

4.  Hearken  unto  me generation. — 

Vers.  7,  8.  For  the  third  time  we  hear  the  sum- 
mons to  hearken.  This  time  it  is  not  addressed 


to  Israel,  but  to  all  those  that  know  the  true 
righteousness,  and  have  the  law  of  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah  in  their  hearts.  "  Those  that  know 
righteousness"  difler  from  "those  that  follow 
after  righteousness"  only  so  far  as  that  one  must 
h'rst  know  righteousness  before  he  can  follow  alter 
it.  It  is  implied  that,  not  a  mere  outward  ac- 
quaintance is  meant,  but  one  truly  inward  and 
experimental.  With  this  agrees  the  additional 
clause  the  people  in  whose  heart  is  my  law. 
From  this  is  seen:  1)  That  not  the  outward  Israel 
is  meant,  that  received  the  Mosaic  law  outwardly. 
The  words  manifestly  contain  an  express  antithe- 
sis (comp.  Jer.  xxxi.  33,  which  seems  to  rest  on 
our  text).  2)  That  here,  too,  the  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah is  thought  of.  For  this  new,  higher  law 
is  in  xlii.  4,  expressly  called  His  law,  and  the 
Thorah  of  which  ver.  4  speaks,  can  be  no  other 
than  that  of  which  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  is 
called  to  be  the  mediator.  Just  on  this  account, 
however,  the  nation,  in  whose  heart  is  the  law  of 
the  Servant  of  Jehovah  cannot  be  regarded  here 
as  itself  appertaining  to  the  "  Servant  of  Jehovah," 
as  DEL.  [also  J.  A.  A.]  supposes.  The  people  that 
has  the  righteousness  and  the  law  of  the  Servant  of 
Jehovah  in  their  hearts  is  not  the  people  of  Israel. 
It  is  a  great  people,  a  more  numerous  congrega- 
tion. It  is  believing  mankind,  the  congregation 
of  those  born  again,  the  spiritual  Israel,  in  dis- 
tinction from  unbelieving  mankind,  the  world. 
This  believing  congregation  has  ever  and  every- 
where to  contend  with  the  world.  It  is  hated 
and  persecuted  by  the  world  (Matth.  x.  34  sqq. ; 
2  Tim.  iii.  12).  But  it  can  rest  assured  of  the 
protection  of  its  LORD  Hence  the  exhortation: 
fear  ye  not  the  reproach  of  men,  neither 
be  ye  afraid  of  their  revilings.  For  the 
moth  shall  eat  them  up  as  a  garment,  and 
the  worm  shall  eat  them  like  wool.  There 

is  a  play  of  sound  in  the  original  ^  D7DX'  and 
DO  D7DX'  that  cannot  be  well  reproduced  in  an- 
other language.  This  is  the  third  time  that  the 
figure  of  the  garment  recurs  (1.  9;  li.  6),  and  the 
second  time  for  that  of  the  moth  (1.  9).  Both  are 
here  combined  and  strengthened  by  the  rhetori- 
cal variation,  ''the  worm  shall  eat  them  like 
wool."  DO,  probably  from  the  fundamental  mean- 
ing of  ''to  spring",  allied  to  WD,  is  the  Greek 
offa  (Matth.  vi.  19,  comp.  BOCHART.  Hieroz.,  Lib. 
IV.,  cap.  25).  The  concluding  clause,  but  my 
righteousness,  etc.,  ver.  8  6,  corresponds  in 
part  verbatim  to  the  close  of  ver.  6 ;  only  that 
here,  too,  for  the  sake  of  variety  there  occurs  a 
transposition  of  the  notions. 


2.   ISRAEL  EXHORTS  THE  LORD  TO  A  NEW  DISPLAY  OF  HIS  ANCIENT  POWER, 
AND  HOPES  FOR  THE  BEST  FROM  IT. 


9 


CHAPTER  LI.  9-11. 

Awake  !  Awake  !  put  on  strength,  O  arm  of  the  LORD  ; 
Awake  !  as  in  the  ancient  days,  in  the  generation  of  old. 
Art  thou  not  it  that  hath  cut  Rahab, 
And  wounded  the  dragon  ? 


CHAP.  LI.  9-11. 


553 


10  Art  thou  not  it  which  hath  dried  the  sea, 
The  waters  of  the  great  deep  ; 

That  hath  made  the  depths  of  the  sea  a  way  for  the  ransomed  to  pass  over  ? 

11  Therefore  the  redeemed  of  the  LORD  shall  return, 
And  come  with  singing  unto  Zioii ; 

And  everlasting  joy  shall  be  upon  their  head : 
They  shall  obtain  gladness  and  joy  ; 
And  sorrow  and  mourning  shall  flee  away. 


TEXTUAL  AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :  Ver.  9. 
D'DSljf-t'Jfl— SSn  Poel- 3¥H  Hiph. 

Ver.  9.  D'O/lj?  fUlll  depends  on  the  2  before  'Q', 
and  not,  as  HITZIQ  and  HAHN  suppose,  on  T3';  for  the 
expression  H'Tin  'D'  never  occurs,  and  the  absence  of 
the  preposition  before  miVI  is  according  to  common 
usage  (comp.  xlviii.  9,  14;  xlvi.  5;  xliv.  28,  etc.).  On  the 

other  hand  the  DTP  ''D'1  is  a  frequent  expression  (xxiii. 

vlv 

7 ;  xxxvii.  26  ;  Mich.  vii.  20 ;  Jer.  xlvi.  26 ;  Ps.  xliv.  2  ;  2 
Kings  xix.  25;  Lam.  i.  7;  ii.  17).  The  expression 
D^O  ?}]}  rmVl  does  not  occur  again.  The  plural, 
D^D/IJJ,  expressing  the  relative  notion  of  an  immea- 
surable duration  of  time  past  or  to  come  (comp.  Ixiii. 
11),  belongs  to  the  words  that  occur  only  in  Part  Second. 
Ver.  10.  DOt^rii  according  to  the  Masoretic  pointing 

TT    — 

with  double-Pashta  (comp.  OLSH.,  §  41,  k,  47,  c.  Anm.), 
should  be  read  as  Milel  [accented  on  the  penult. — TB.], 
consequently  regarded  as  third  pers.  fern.  perf.  Then 


the  expression  must  be  taken  in  a  relative  sense  (Gs- 
SEN.,  JS  100,  Rem.).  But  this  punctuation  seems  to  me  a 
needless  refinement.  For  there  is  no  grammatical  or 
logical  ground  for  departing  from  the  simple  and  natu- 
ral construction  of  the  verse,  according  to  which  the 
word  is  a  parallel  participle  to  the  foregoing  ro^n^n. 
Ver.  11.  The  verse  is  repeated  almost  verbatim  from 
xxxv.  10.  The  only  difference  is  the  small  one  of  JU"1^' 
1DJ  in  our  text  instead  of  the  1DJ1  ITKT  of  xxxv.  10, 
which  may  be  referred  to  an  error  of  transcription.  In 
xxxv.  ver.  9  concludes  with  the  words  D'/INJ  ID/HI- 

:  :  T  : 

Our  ver.  10  also  concludes  with  D*  71X1  It  is  possible, 
indeed,  that  thus  ending  ver.  10,  the  Prophet  was  re- 
minded of  xxxv.  9,  and  that  occasioned  his  repeating 
here  the  words  that  there  follow,  viz.,  xxxv.  10.  But  it 
is  not  correct,  when  HITZIG  remarks,  that  ver.  11  does 
not  suit  the  context  because  here  those  delivered  from 
Egypt  are  meant.  For  the  deliverance  out  of  Egypt  is 
only  a  type  of  that  of  final  history. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


Awake flee  away. — Vers.  9-11.  In  ac- 
cordance with  the  almost  dramatic  arrangement 
that  the  Prophet  observes,  Zion  now  takes  up  the 
discourse.  It  is  so  bold  as  to  return  exhortation 
for  exhortation.  For  if  Israel  was  reminded  in 
vers.  1-6  of  what  it  needed  to  do  for  its  salvation, 
it  in  turn  summons  the  LORD  to  do  His  part  now, 
i.  e.,  in  the  time  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  in  the 
last  time,  as  He  did  in  the  beginning  time,  in 
Egypt.  There  is  in  ^W  "  awake"  a  slight  in- 
timation that  the  arm  of  the  LORD  has  slept,  i.  e., 
that  there  has  been  a  pause  in  the  display  of  its 
power.  How  else  could  the  destruction  and  deso- 
lation (ver.  3)  of  Zion,  and  its  consequent 
second  and  greatest  exile  have  come  about? 
Thrice  is  the  cry  "awake"  called  out  to  the 
arm  of  the  LORD,  as  to  one  lying  in  deepest 
slumber,  and  that  can  only  be  wakened  by  re- 
peated calling.  Comp.  Hi.  1;  Jud.  v.  12.  Put 
on  strength,  equip  one's  self  with  strength,  is  a 
figure  drawn  from  the  arming  of  a  warrior  with 
pieces  of  armor.  The  naked  arm  is  thought  of 
as  weaker,  that  covered  with  brazen  bands  as 
stronger,  firmer,  better  able  to  resist  (coinp.  lii. 


1;  Ps.  xciii.  1).  HITZIG  cites  HOMER,  H.  19,  36, 
6vaeo  6'a^v  ;  DELITZSCH,  Rev.  xi.  17,  Xa/nfidveiv 
6vvap.iv.  And  now  the  LORD'S  former  doings  are, 
as  it  were,  held  up  to  Him  as  an  example .  Art 
thou  not  He  that  cut  Rahab  asunder,  etc. 
Eahab,  properly  ferocia,  then  designation  of  a 
monstrum  marinum,  in  which  sense  it  corresponds 
to  |'5P,  and  thence,  like  the  latter,  which  = 
"the  crocodile,"  a  symbolical  name  for  Egypt 
(comp.  on  xxx.  7).  On  J'Sn  comp.  List  and 
Ezek.  xxix.  3;  Pa.  Ixxiv.  13,  14. 

Tn  ver.  10,  reference  is  further  made  to  the 
drying  up  of  the  Red  sea  and  the  passage  of  the 
Israelites  through  it.  Therefore  here  again  we 
find  the  deliverance  out  of  Egyptian  bondage  as 
a  tvpe  of  the  last  and  final  redemption.  In  ver. 
11  "(see  Text,  and  Gram.)  the  Prophet,  in  entire 
agreement  with  the  context,  expresses  the  confi- 
dence that  the  arm  of  the  Lord  will,  indeed,  in 
the  last  time  give  proof  again  of  its  power  dis- 
played in  ancient  time,  and  that  therefore  the  re- 
deemed of  the  LORD  shall  return  home  to  Zion 
with  rejoicings  and  to  everlasting  joy. 


554 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


3.  JEHOVAH  SPEAKS:  HE  REPLIES  TO  ISRAEL'S  EXHORTATION  WITH  EX- 
HORTATION, AND  HOLDS  UP  TO  HIS  SERVANT  THE  ORIGIN,  MEANS  AND 
GOAL  OF  HIS  LABOR. 

CHAPTER  LI.  12-16. 

12  I,  even  I,  am  he  that  comforteth  you  : 

Who  art  thou,  that  thou  shouldest  be  afraid  of  a  man  that  shall  die? 
And  of  the  sou  of  man  which  shall  be  "made  as  grass  ; 

13  And  forgettest  the  LORD  thy  Maker, 

That  hath  stretched  forth  the  heavens,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the  earth  ; 

And  hast  feared  continually  every  day 

Because  of  the  fury  of  the  oppressor, 

bAs  if  he  'were  ready  to  destroy  ? 

And  where  is  the  fury  of  the  oppressor  ? 

14  "The  captive  exile  hasteneth  that  he  may  be  loosed, 
And  dthat  he  should  not  die  in  the  pit, 

Nor  that  his  bread  should  fail. 

15  "But  I  am  the  LORD  thy  God, 

That  'divided  the  sea,  whose  waves  roared  : 
The  LORD  of  hosts  is  his  name. 

16  And  I  have  put  my  words  in  thy  mouth, 

And  I  have  covered  thee  in  the  shadow  of  mine  hand, 

gThat  I  may  plant  the  heavens,  and  lay  the  foundations  of  the  earth, 

And  say  unto  Zion,  Thou  art  my  people. 


1  Or,  made  himself  ready. 

»  given. 

d  he  will  not  die  away  to  the  pit,  and  will  not  wan 

*  [stilleth,  LOWTH. — TE.] 


b  As  he  took  aim. 

t  his  bread. 


«  The  one  bowed  down  hastens. 

•  And. 

s  To  plant — to  lay,  etc. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words:  ver.  14, 
ni?¥,  comp.  Jer.  ii.  20;  xlviii.  12;  ver.  15  1017  'X  niiT  ; 

T  T  : 

the  expression  occurs  in  the  same  form  in  Jer.  x.  16; 
xxxi.  35:  xxxii.  18;  xlvi.  18;  xlviii.  15;  1.  34;  ]i.  19,57. 
It  seems  original  with  Amos,  where  it  appears  now  in  a 
simpler  form  (v.  8 ;  ix.  6),  now  in  a  more  extended 
form  (iv.  13 ;  v.  27). 

Ver.  12.  In  ptf-'D  the  ip  is  self-evidently  qualis. 
The  expression  also  corresponds  in  sound  to  KT)~nX 
ver.  9.  The  Prophet  uses  freedom  in  respect  to  gender 
and  number.  After  DJOHJO  he  put-i  the  sing.  nX~TD, 
and  after  the  feminine  'NVfil  JIX-'D  the  masculines 
rOt^ni  and  "in£)m,  according  as  the  notion  Zion  or 
Israel  is  uppermost.  The  Vav  consec.  after  r>N~"D  ex- 
presses the  effect,  and  hence  is  =  ut ;  qualis  eras,  ut 
timeres.  Thus  fiX~'D  by  no  means  signifies  "  how  little 


GRAMMATICAL. 

art  thou  ?"  (KNOBEL).  For  the  same  interrogative  form 
may  mean  :  "  how  great  art  thou  ?"  comp.  Judg.  ix.  28. 
And  any  way  'D  may,  regardless  of  size  great  or  small, 
inquire  for  the  occasioning  quality  generally.  Comp. 
ver.  19  and  JIN^D  Ruth  iii.  10  with  the  same  phrase, 
Ruth  iii.  9  ;  Isa.  Ivii.  4, 11. 
Ver.  13.  One  may  supply  V2fn  "  his  arrows  "  after 

T      • 

|31'3  (Ps.  xi.  2;  comp.  Isa.  vii.  13);  still,  without  an  ex- 
pressed object,  the  word  also  means  "to  aim"  (Ps. 
xxi.  13). 

Ver.  14.    nnflnS  "iriO  is  construed  as  e.  g.,  filHD 
N¥ D  7  Gen.  xxvii.  20.    pt yH  is  "  to  bow  "  transitive  and 

:    •  *r  T 

intransitive.  Here  it  means  the  one  bowed  down  by 
chains  or  the  rOSHD  (Jer.  xx.  2;  xxix.  26;  2  Chron. 
xvi.  10).  nnsn  is  a  metonymy  as  in  xiv.  17,  etc. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  I,  even  I should  fail.— Vers.  12-14. 

Jehovah  enters  here  as  the  third  and  most  ex- 
alted person  of  the  dialogue.  The  "  I,  even  I " 
corresponds  to  the  "  awake,  awake"  of  ver.  9  and 
replies  to  it.  It  seems  to  me  that  "He  that 
comforteth  you"  refers  back  to  the  double 
Dnj  ''comforted"  ver.  3.  It  is  as  if  the  LORD 
would  say :  Have  ye  not  heard  that  I,  I  Jehovah 
am  He  that  comforts  Zion?  Are  ye  not  com- 
petently assured  of  this?  Who  art  thou,  now, 


that  thou  fearest  a  man  that  will  die  ?  (See  Text, 
and  Gram.).  Man  that  dies,  the  son  of  man  who 
is  given  away  as  grass,  such  is  the  enemy  that 
Israel  ought  not  to  fear.  There  could  be  no  men- 
tion of  this  fear,  were  it  not  that  Israel  forgot 
Jehovah,  who,  as  Maker  of  His  people  (xliii.  1) 
stretcher  forth  of  the  heavens  and  founder 
of  the  earth  (xl.  22  ;  xlii.  5  ;  xliv.  24;  xlv.  12) 
surely  offered  a  sufficient  guaranty  for  trusting  in 
Him.  Forgetting  Jehovah  is  really  the  cause 


CHAP.  LI.  12-16. 


555 


both  of  fearing  men  (ver.  12)  and  of  the  continual 
trembling  (ver.  13).  The  mention  of  one  effect 
before  and  of  the  other  after  the  cause,  thus  pro- 
ceeding in  the  one  case  from  effect  to  cause,  and 
in  the  other  from  cause  to  effect,  though  not  quite 
exact,  is  still  a  common  way  of  speaking  (comp. 
Amos  v.  10-12;  Jer.  ii.  9  sq. ;  xlix.  19  sq. ;  2 
Sam.  xii.  9).  Evidently  and  hast  trembled 
every  day,  etc  ,  ver.  13,  makes  stronger  the  ex- 
pression of  ver.  12,  both  qualitatively  and  quanti- 
tatively. To  understand  by  "the  oppressor" 
the  Babylonian  oppressor  (KNOBEL)  is  only  pos- 
sible to  one  that  has  no  conception  of  the  wide 
reach  of  the  prophetic  gaze.  Though  Babylon 
may  be  included,  it  cannot  be  all  that  is  meant, 
for  the  Prophet  sees  together  all  that  Israel  feels 
as  an  oppressor  until  the  end.  Moreover  the 
expression  is  founded  on  Deut.  xxviii.  53,  55,  57, 
and  is  used  by  Isaiah  here  and  xxix.  2,  7  in  this 
sense,  and  besides  only  by  Jer.  xix.  9.  "WfO  = 
"  according  as,"  and  thus  expresses  that  the 
trembling  is  in  proportion  to  the  aiming  of  the 
oppressor. 

"  But  where  is  the  fury  of  the  oppres- 
sor ?"  asks  the  LORD,  anticipating,  as  it  were, 
the  future.  The  question  intimates  that  a  time 
will  come  when  that  fury  shall  suddenly  vanish. 
With  this  wondrously  quick  disappearance  of  the 
oppressor  connects  the  instant,  and  unhindered 
release  of  the  captives.  Prison  scenes  appear 
here  before  the  Prophet's  mind:  he  sees  captives 
bent  under  the  weight  of  chains,  or,  worse  still, 
by  racking  instruments,  who  are  now  quickly  let 
go,  and  thus  escape  a  dreadful  fate  of  slow  dying 
to  the  pit  (a  pregnant  construction)  for  want  of 
necessary  food. 

2.  But  I  am My  people. — Vers.  15,16. 

I  regard  both  these  verses  as  the  address  of  Je- 
hovah to  His  Servant.  Such  an  address  is  not 
out  of  place,  but  the  contrary,  if  we  were  right  in 
regarding  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  as  taking  part 
in  the  dialogue  and  the  vers.  1-8  as  His  words. 
OJX1  "and  I"  answers  to  the  doable  O3X  ver. 
12  as  a  similar  beginning.  The  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah has  also  great  conflicts  to  endure.  The 
world  storms  against  Him  like  a  raging  sea  (Ps. 
ii.  1;  Isaiah  Ivii.  20).  Hence  Jehovah,  to 
strengthen  Him,  calls  Himself  in  relation  to  Him 
His  God,  that  has  power  over  the  sea,  to  raise  it 
up  and,  naturally,  to  quiet  it  again  (xvii.  12,  13  ; 
xxiii.  11;  1.  2;  Ii.  10).  Jehovah  Sabaoth  is 
this  God  called,  as  Lord  of  the  heavenly  hosts 
Shall  He  that  has  dominion  over  the  powers  of 
heaven  not  have  dominion  also  over  the  powers 
of  the  earth? 

The  expression  D'H  yr\  "  to  arouse  the  sea" 
occurs  first  Job  xxvi.  12.  Afterwards  comes  our 
text,  and  our  text  is  literally  reproduced  by  Jer. 
xxxi.  35.  [The  Author  has  an  argument  that 
follows  here  to  prove  that  the  language  is  origi- 
nal with  Isaiah,  and  borrowed  by  Jeremiah. 
This  is  reproduced  in  brief  in  the  Introduction, 
pp.  23,  24.  The  present  amplification  adds 
nothing  to  the  clearness  of  it,  and  is  omitted  to 
save  space.  As  an  argument  it  is  not  forcible. 
His  explanation  is  that  Jeremiah  uses  the  lan- 
guage in  question  to  denote  "  a  regularly  recurring 
motion  of  the  sea,"  and  that  the  ebb  and  flow  of 
the  tide  must  be  meant,  because  that  is  the  only 


firmly  established  ordinance  for  the  sea's  motion 
that  can  be  classified  with  the  sun,  moon  and 
stars,  and  made  a  type  of  the  stability  of  God's 
covenant  with  His  people.  But  the  context  of 
Jer.  xxxi.  35  does  not  require  us  to  think  that 
Jeremiah  gives  this  application  to  the  language. 
Moreover  J?jH  in  any  of  its  accepted  meanings 
is  unsuitable  to  express  such  motion  as  the  tide. 
Besides,  to  Hebrews,  remote  as  they  were  from 
the  ocean,  the  tide  was  an  unfamiliar  pheno- 
menon, and  thus  does  not  appear  in  their  litera- 
ture. And  it  may  be  said  that,  in  relation  to  our 
ver.  13  a.  the  notion  of  phenomenal  stability  is 
as  much  demanded  for  ver.  15  as  in  Jer.  xxxi.  35. 

The  best  treatment  of  the  attempt  to  prove 
that  our  text  is  borrowed  from  Jeremiah,  and 
therefore  not  genuine  Isaianic,  is  to  ignore  it  as 
frivolous.  Still,  perhaps,  the  scrutiny  which  the 
debate  occasions  may  lead  to  a  more  exact  under- 
standing of  the  language  in  question.  The  LXX. 
render  Job  xxvi.  12,  D'H  £'J~i,  Karliravae  rfjv 
dd/(aaaai>.  The  Author's  discussion  of  y^ 
under  Ii.  4  shows  how  ambiguous  the  word  is  in 
itself,  and  that  we  must  rely  on  our  tact  and  the 
context  to  determine  its  meaning.  The  general 
scriptural  appeal  to  the  sea  as  proof  of  God's 
power,  is  to  the  evidence  it  gives  of  His  control- 
ling it.  It  is  the  sea  that  rages,  He  settles  it  and 
holds  it  in  bounds.  Comp.  Job  xxxviii.  8-11, 
and  Christ  stilling  the  tempest  Mark  iv.  35  sqq. 
It  seems  preferable  therefore  to  accept  LOWTH'S 
rendering .  ''  He  who  stiileth  the  sea,  though 
the  waves  thereof  roar,"  which  also  BARNES 
adopts.  TR.] 

The  words  ver.  16  can  only  be  spoken  to  the 
Servant  of  God.  "  I  have  put  My  words  in 
Thy  mouth"  designates  both  the  task  and  the 
equipment  the  Servant  of  God  receives.  The 
words  recall  xlix.  2,  where  it  is  said  :  "  And  He 
hath  made  My  mouth  like  a  sharp  sword."  The 
Servant  of  God  must  proclaim  the  will  of  God. 
To  be  able  to  do  this,  He  must  be  able  to  find 
the  proper,  powerful,  incisive  words  (Heb.  iv.  12). 
This  comes  about  by  God's  word  being  put  into 
His  mouth.  If  the  wrath  of  men  that  are  ene- 
mies to  the  truth  be  thereby  aroused,  the  LORD 
protects  Him  :  "  I  have  covered  Thee  in  the 
shadow  of  My  hand."  The  same  is  said  xlix. 
2,  in  almost  the  same  words  of  the  Servant  of  the 

LORD,  viz.,  'J^Snn  ^'  *?*«  By  this  means 
the  Servant  of  God  will  be  preserved  and  enabled 
to  carry  out  His  work-  Tiie  aim  of  this  work  is 
that  He  may  plant  the  heavens  and  lay 
the  foundations  of  the  earth.  Who  must 
this  Servant  of  God  be  to  whom  is  assigned  such 
a  task?  What  heaven  shall  He  plant?  what 
earth  shall  He  found?  Certainly  not  the  old 
heaven  and  the  old  earth  that  have  already  been 
planted  and  founded,  but  which,  too,  are  des- 
tined, according  to  ver.  6  "  to  vanish  away  like 
smoke,  and  wax  old  like  a  garment,"  in  that 
assize  that  the  Servant  of  God  will  hold.  But 
the  Servant  of  God  will  plant  a  new  heaven  and 
found  a  new  earth  (Ixv.  17 ;  Ixvi.  22 ;  Rev.  xxi. 
1).  Concerning  the  way  in  which  He  has  done 
this  see  under  Doctrinal  and  Ethical,  p.  559,  \  6. 
But  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth  are  also  a 
dwelling  for  the  people  of  God,  the  'lopafo  nvev- 


556 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


na.riK.6i;,  which  of  course  has  not  proceeded  merely 
from  the  Twelve  Tribes.  Nevertheless  the  his- 
torical Israel  constitutes  the  frame  into  which 
the  new  humanity  will  be  joined  on  as  members. 
Hence,  as  is  said  ixvi.  22:  ''For  as  the  new 
heavens  and  the  new  earth,  which  I  will  make, 
shall  remain  before  Me, — so  shall  your  seed  and 
your  name  remain,"  so  here  the  people  that  is  to 
populate  the  new  heaven  and  new  earth  is  called 
Zion.  Jerusalem,  which  is  from  above  is  the 
mother  of  us  all,  says  Paul  (Gal.  iv.  26). 

Those  that  do  not  recognize  the  Servant  of 
God  as  the  speaker  in  vers.  1-8,  must,  in  order 
to  get  tolerable  sense  out  of  our  passage,  assume 
that  Jehovah  is  the  subject  of  ''to  plant,"  ''  to 
found"  and  ''to  say."  Let  this  even  be  justified 
respecting  ''to  plant"  and  "to  found,"  yet  it  re- 
mains inexplicable  how  Jehovah  should  put  His  j 
word  in  Zion's  mouth,  in  order  that  He,  Jehovah, 
may  say  :  thou  art  My  people. — Others,  as  HIT- 
ZIG,  take  the  three  infinitives  in  a  gerundive 
sense :  in  planting  a  heaven,  and  founding  an 
earth,  and  saying  to  Zion,  etc.  Apart  from  the 
planting  and  founding  of  heaven  and  earth  being 
made  to  mean  only  a  new  order  of  things  on  this 
earth,  or  even  a  new  founding  of  Israel  as  a  state, 


one  can  never  prove  that  the  LORD  thereby  put 
His  word  into  the  mouth  of  His  Servant,  and 
thereby  protected  Him,  in  that  He  renewed  heaven 
and  earth.  For  it  is  inconceivable  that  the  Ser- 
vant of  the  LORD  will  still  stand  in  need  of  inspira- 
tion after  heaven  and  earth  are  become  new. — 
Less  justifiable  still,  grammatically,  is  the  expo- 
sition of  HAHN,  who  would  take  '1J1  y®Y7 
simply  as  a  paraphrase  of  the  future  :  I  will 
plant.  He  appeals  to  the  usage  that  permits  the 
use  of  rrn  with  following  7  and  the  infin. 
constr.  to  paraphrase  the  verb.  fin.  But  there  can 
be  no  mention  of  this  here,  not,  indeed,  because 
i"rn  is  wanting,  which  would  make  no  difference, 
but  because  the  subject  is  wanting.  For  accord- 
ing to  HAHN  'Ui  JJttJ/  should  represent  an  in- 
dependent sentence.  But  for  that  at  least  a  sub- 
ject were  requisite.  It  must  at  least  read 

^C3J7  OJK.  But  as  a  subject  is  every  way 
wanting,  it  follows,  necessarily,  that  "Ul  >'DJ7 
can  only  be  construed  as  a  dependent  infinitive 
clause. 


4.    THE  PROPHET  SPEAKS.    HE  EXHOKTS   ISRAEL  TO  TAKE  TO  HEART  THE 
COMFORT  THAT  JEHOVAH  DISPENSES. 

CHAPTER  LI.  17-23. 

17  Awake  !  Awake !  stand  up,  O  Jerusalem, 

Which  hast  drunk  at  the  hand  of  the  LORD  the  cup  of  his  fury ; 
Thou  hast  drunken  the  'dregs  of  the  cup  of  Hrembling, 
And  awrung  them  out. 

18  There  is  none  to  guide  her 

Among  all  the  sons  ivhom  she  hath  brought  forth  ; 
Neither  is  there  any  that  taketh  her  by  the  hand 
Of  all  the  sons  that  she  hath  brought  up. 

19  These  two  things  'are  come  unto  thee ; 
Who  shall  be  sorry  for  thee  ? 

bDesolation,  and  "destruction,  and  the  famine,  and  the  sword : 
"By  whom  shall  I  comfort  thee  ? 

20  Thy  sons  dhave  fainted. 

They  lie  at  the  head  of  all  the  streets,  as  a  ewild  bull  in  a  net: 
f  They  are  full  of  the  fury  of  the  LORD, 
The  rebuke  of  thy  God. 

21  Therefore  hear  now  this,  thou  afflicted, 
And  drunken,  but  not  with  wine : 

22  Thus  saith  thy  Lord  the  LORD, 

And  thy  God  that  8pleadeth  the  cause  of  his  people, 
Behold,  I  have  taken  out  of  thine  hand  the  cup  of  Hrembling, 
Even  the  'dregs  of  the  cup  of  my  fury  ; 
Thou  shalt  no  more  drink  it  again  : 

23  But  I  will  put  it  into  the  hand  of  them  that  afflict  thee  : 
Which  have  said  to  thy  soul,  Bow  down,  that  we  may  go  over : 
And  thou  hast  laid  thy  body  as  the  ground, 

And  jas  the  street,  to  them  that  went  over. 


1  Heb.  happened. 

•  sipped  it 
«  antelope. 
1  [convex]  top  of. 


2  Heb.  breaking. 


b  The  blow  and  the  downfall. 

t  They  that. 

i  as  a  street  for  passengers. 


•  How. 
(  avengeth. 


1  are  benighted. 
*  r»eling. 


CHAP.  LI.  17-23. 


557 


TEXTUAL  AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words:    Ver.  17. 

n*o.  ver.  19.  -atfm  i$n-3jn-:nn.  ver.  20. 

T  T  V  V  -  I 

*nO— *10DD.    Ver.  21.   rpJlP.    Ver.  22.  D'j'tK.    Ver. 

I-*T        .  T  :    •  T  \:  '      -: 

23.  D'JID. 

Ver.  18.  Note  the  many  liquidae,  and  the  likeness  in 
sound  of  the  conclusion  of  both  halves  of  the  verse. 
Both  impart  to  the  words  a  character  of  tenderness, 
sadness. 

Ver.  19.  Here,  too,  both  halves  of  the  verse  have  a 
similar  conclusion.  For  the  two  interjection-like  pa- 
rentheses -jS  "py  'D  and  -jDnjX,  each  beginning  with 
'O,  are  two  rhymes  in  sentiment.  The  form  of  expres- 
sion H  JD  D'Hi!'  recalls  Job  xiii.  20 ;  Prov.  xxx.  7;  comn. 
Jer.  ii.  13;  xv.  3.  fliop  (from  JOp  =  FPp  !*•  18),  and 

I  :l  T|T  T  IT 

also  -0  ny  'O,  "li?  and  "pnjX  'D  are  undeniable 
points  of  contact  between  our  text  and  Nahum  iii.  7. 
For  our  TjlJOp  answers  to  the  I^N4!  there;  our  1#  to 
rmi?  there  ;  otu"pnJK  'D  to  the  D'DfUO  J2/p3M  T'JO 

.   T  :  T  '    ~ :       I 

•J7   there. 'D  in  the  concluding  question  "JOT1JN  'D 

ran  only  mean  qualis.  It  is  properly  an  abbreviation 
ofTmnjXl  'DJX  '0,  answering  to  the  'fcOTn  flX-'D, 

I"  -:--:-•      T  •:•-:-• 

ver.  12. 
Ver.  20.  "1D3D  means  the  same  as  rODDD  (xix.  8; 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Hab.  i.  15,  16)  and  "iODO  Ps.  cxli.  10). n"Ol9  par«. 

pass,  only  here,  comp.  xxix.  9 ;  the  st.  eons'tr.  is  ex- 
plained by  all  that  follows  being  conceived  of  as  one  no- 
tion, a  very  common  construction  in  Isaiah:  v.  11;  viii. 
6;  ix.  2;  xxviii.  9;  xiv.  6, 19;  Ivi.  9, 10,  etc. 

Ver.  22.  D'JTX  of  Jehovah  only  here. yi  with  that 

for  which  God  contends  in  the  accusative  as  in  i.  17 ; 
comp.  on  xlix.  25. 

Ver.  23.  D'jiO  "tormentors,"  occurs  only  here  in 
Isaiah,  but  occurs  oftenest  in  Lamentations,  where, 
however,  it  is  used  only  of  God  who  visits  men  with 
tribulation  (Lam.  i.  5,  12;  iii.  32,  33).  Only  in  Job  xix.  2, 
is  it  used,  as  here,  of  men  who  torment  the  souls  of 
their  fellow-men.  Perhaps  the  latter  passage  was  in 
the  mind  of  the  Prophet.  It  favors  this  that  he  con- 
tinues :  "  Which  have  said  to  thy  soul." Our  text  is 

the  only  one  in  all  the  Old  Testament  where  the  Kal. 
nPty  occurs.  With  this  exception  the  verb  is  only 

T  T  .1 

usedinHithp. D'T3J?7  may  depend  on  'D'l^fl,  but 

also  on  VirO-  The  latter  is  more  likely  :  first,  because 
of  the  position ;  second,  because  just  in  the  connection 
with  Vin  there  is  a  strengthening  of  the  thought.  For 
the  earth  is  not  chiefly  destined  to  serve  the  use  of  the 
D'13? ;  Dut  such  is  the  special  destination  of  a  street. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  reverse  side  of  the  redemption  of  Israel 
is  here  presented,  viz.,  the  judgment  on  the  ene- 
mies of  the  Theocracy  (comp.  xi.   14  ;   xiv.  2  ; 
xxv.  10  sqq.  ;  xxxiv.  1  sqq.,  etc.),  as  if  to  strength- 
en the  etfect  of  light  by  contrast  with  its  cor- 
responding shadow.     But  now  it  is  the  Prophet 
that  speaks,  as  if  he,  too,  on  his  part  would  in- 
duce Israel  to  take  cheerful   courage  from  God's 
word.     Perhaps  this  section  is  meant  to  form  a 
transition  to  chap.  Hi.     For  instance,  in   this  li. 
17-23  the  population  of  Jerusalem  is  addressed, 
whereas  chap.  Iii.  speaks  of  the  holy  nation  re- 
united to  the  holy  places. 

2.  Awake  —  -rebuke  of  thy  God.  —  Vers. 
17-20.     The  double  '"nij?nn  corresponds  to  the 
double  ^U-'  (ver.  9)  and  OJK   (ver.  12).     In  re- 
lation to  '"IM?!  the  Hithp.  involves  the  idea  of 
self  as  an  object,  =  "  rouse  thyself."     Jerusalem 
must  not  persist  in  a  state  devoid  of  comfort  and 
courage  ;  it  must  wake  itself  up,  cheer  np,  rouse 
itself  (comp.  Ixiv.  6).     It  has  received  from  the 
hand   of   its   LORD  the   cup   of   His  fury, 
which  by  its  intoxicating  contents,  is  also  a  cup 
of  reeling,  and  has  drunk  it  to  the   dregs, 
even  sipped  it  empty.     The  figure  of  the  cup 
of  wrath  is  foun'd  also  Ps.  Ixxv.  9  ;  Jer.  xxv.  15, 
17,  28;  xlix.  12;  li.  7;  Hab.  ii.  16;  Ezek.  xxiii. 
31  sqq.:  Lam.  iv.  21.     The  figure  of  drinking 
divine  fury  occurs  already  Job  xxi-  20,  and  be- 
side that  Obad.  16;  Jer.  xlviii.  26.   AP||?  (comp. 
jnip,  £5'13    "  a  helmet,"  /c£/fy,  cupa,  PASSOW,  s. 
».),  the  helm-like,  rounded  [convex]  top  of  the 
cup,  occurs  only  here  and  ver.  22.  flTJpfi  (comp. 


Mp  iii.  19)  that  denotes  the  effect  of  the  drink, 
beside  here  and  ver.  17,  occurs  only  Ps.  Ix.  5. 


The  intensifying  of  the  figure  by  /VXD?  occurs 
for  substance  Obad.  16,  by  the  same  word  Ps. 
Ixxv.  9  (8),  and  (which  is  probably  an  imitation 
of  our  text)  Ezek.  xxiii.  34.  In  ver.  18  the 
figure  of  the  drunken  woman  is  continued  by 
saying,  that  none  of  the  sons  of  Zion  have  been 
in  condition  to  lead  their  drunken  mother.  What 
the  Prophet  means  by  this  figure  appears  from 
ver.  20.  What  is  said  figuratively  in  vers.  17, 
18,  is  said  without  figure  in  vers.  19,  20.  An- 
swering to  the  full  cup,  Jerusalem's  misfortune 
is,  ver.  19,  represented  as  a  double  one,  each  half, 
of  which  is  again  divided  into  two  parts,  so  that 
there  results  a  sort  of  arithmetical  progression. 
See  Text,  and  Gram.  Whether  our  text  or  ths 
similar  one  in  Nah.  iii.  7  is  the  original,  in  my 
opinion,  cannot  be  doubtful.  Manifestly  the  pas- 
sage in  Isaiah  is  bolder,  of  more  original  con- 
struction, it  even  sounds  harsh  compared  with 
the  smooth  form  in  which  it  appears  in  Nahum. 
The  two  interjectional  clauses  have  disappeared. 
The  bold,  and  difficult  ]OnjN  '0  is  resolved  into 
the  sober  :  "  whence  shall  I  seek  comforters  for 
thee?"  And  it  may  be  further  remarked,  that 
"0  appears  to  be  referred  to  a  human  subject  and 
not  to  the  person  of  Jehovah.  Thus  it  may  be 
said,  that  the  modern  expositors,  who  following 
the  LXX.  and  VULQ.  take  "prUN  without  further 
ado  for  TDHr  (BOETTCHER,  N.  ex.  krit.  JVhren- 
lese,  Nr.  765),  or  construe  "?  as  ace.  instrument. 
(HrrziG.),  have  their  predecessor  already  in  Na- 
hum. "1U  is  "  commiserari,  to  compassionate, 

sympathize  with,"  and  occurs  with  following  7 
and  DFU  also  Job  ii.  11 ;  xlii.  11;  comp.  Jer.  xv. 
5 ;  xvi.  5  ;  xxii.  10  ;  xlviii.  17- 


558 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Each  of  the  two  evils  that  come  on  Jerusalem 
is,  according  to  the  parenthesis,  represented  as  a 
whole  consisting  of  two  parts.  The  first  whole 
is  called  "1?.^'']\  I^Q  ''  the  blow  and  the  down- 


fall "  [E.  V.,  "desolation  and  destruction"]. 
The  two  words  occur  together  as  here  lix.  7  ;  lx. 
18  ;  Jer.  xlviii  3,  which  last  text  seems  to  lean 
on  Isa.  lx.  18,  because  in  both  "QtlM  Tii/  is  spoken 
of  as  something  audible.  While  ''  the  blow  " 
and  "the  downfall  "  primarily  concern  the  city 
as  a  complex  of  buildings,  3>H  and  3~in  ''hunger 
and  sword"  relate  to  the  persons.  The  conjunc- 
tion of  these  words  occurs  in  Isaiah  only  here.  It 
occurs  more  frequently  in  Jer.,  and  Ezek.  (Jer. 
xiv.  15,  16;  xxi.  7,  etc.  ;  Ezek.  xiv.  21  ;  vi.  11  ; 
xii.  16).  Ver.  20  corresponds  to  ver.  18,  ex- 
plaining what  has  rendered  the  sons  of  Jcru- 
sulem  incapable  of  helping  their  mother.  They 
were  themselves  overtaken  by  the  destroying 

woe.  H!?  &  which  occurs  only  in  Pual  and  Hithp. 
means  "  to  be  enveloped,  especially  by  a  night 
of  tribulation"  (comp.  Amos  viii.  13).  The 
Prophet  graphically  describes  the  scenes  that 
took  place  in  the  city  just  taken.  Thy  sons 
are  not  small  children  as  in  Lam.  ii.  11,  12;  iv. 
4,  but  children  in  general,  and  especially  the 
Rons  that  ought  to  be  able  to  help  their  mother. 
At  the  corner  of  all  the  streets  these  un- 
fortunate children  lie.  This  expression,  also, 
appears  in  Nah.  iii.  10,  as  if  borrowed  from  our 
passage  (comp.  Lam.  ii.  19;  iv.  1),  and  Nahum 
seems  to  have  taken  our  passage  in  the  sense  of 

xiii.  16,  in  as  much  as  he  writes  ^i3V  iT77J?  DJ 

'  :    \  :   T    V  T 

r\1¥in~73  $502.  The  vigorous,  and  genuinely 
Isaianic  expression  "l^p?  Kifi3  proves  the  origin- 
ality of  our  passage.  The  children  of  Jerusalem 
are  compared  to  an  antelope  entangled  in  a  net, 
and  making  desperate,  but  vain  efforts  to  free 
itself.  Nin  occurs  again  only  Deut.  xiv.  5,  and 
is  there  pointed  1Kf\  It  signifies  a  large  kind 
of  antelope,  classified  among  the  clean  beasts,  fit 
for  food.  Comp.  BOCIIART,  HIEROZ.  Tom.  II.  p. 
367,  ed.  Lips.,  and  especially  the  remarks  of 


KOSENMUELLER,  pp.  309,  281.  xo  s  n  ap- 
position with  ^|'J3.  The  words  form,  so  to  speak, 
the  bridge  between  the  figure  of  the  cup  of  fury, 
ver.  17  and  the  literal  description  in  ver.  20  a. 
so  that  ver.  20  a.  is  a  description  of  the  effect  of 
the  cup  of  fury. 

3.  Therefore  hear  --  went  over.  —  Vers. 
21-23.  Having,  from  ver.  17  on,  described  the 
effect  of  the  cup  of  fury,  the  Prophet  now  gives 
his  reason  for  calling  to  Jerusalem  "rouse  thy- 
self." Jerusalem,  that  hitherto  waa  wretched 
(x.  30;  liv.  11),  that  was  drunken  but  not 
with  wine,  but  with  misery,  shall  hear  (xlvii. 
8)  that  its  Lord,  Jehovah,  its  God,  who  repre- 
sents His  people  in  the  judicial  contest  (3"1"]  see 
Text,  and  Gram.),  takes  the  cup  of  fury  out  of 
their  hand,  and  gives  it  into  the  hand  of  their 
enemies.  The  thought  is  the  same  as  Obad.  16; 
Jer.  xlix.  12  ;  xlviii.  26.  By  the  departure  of 
the  cup  of  fury  from  the  hand  of  Jerusalem  into 
the  hand  of  its  enemy  is  revealed  the  rule  of  the 
divine  nemesis.  The  enemies  had  provoked  this 


by  the  arrogance  with  which  they  had  ill- 
treated  and  abused  Jerusalem.  The  expression  : 
which  said  to  thy  soul,  bow  down,  be- 
side being  an  echo  of  Job  xix.  2,  is  a  sort  of 
metonymy.  For  what  the  humiliation  feels  is 
named  as  that  which  the  outward  act  suffers. 
The  figure  indicates  how  wicked  and  excessive 
had  been  the  ill  usage  inflicted  on  Israel  (comp. 
x.  5  sqq. ;  Jer.  Ii.  20  sqq).  [See  BARNES  in  lor.., 
for  rich  illustration  of  the  final  clause  from  ori- 
ental usages. — TR.]. 

DOCTRINAL  AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  Ii.   1-3.     Here   one   clearly  recognizes 
the  evangelist  of  the  Old  Testament.     Is  it  not 
as  if  we  heard  Paul,  who  wrote  Rom.  iv.  11  sqq. ; 
Gal.  iii.  6  sqq.?  Abraham,  says  Isaiah,  is  not  merely 
the  rock  from  which  ye  are  hewn,  i.  e.  he  is  not 
merely  your  fleshly  ancestor.     Look  also  on  his 
faith.      Become    also     his    spiritual     children ! 
"  And  being  not  weak  in  faith,  he  considered  not 
his  own  body  now  dead,  when  he  was  about  an 
hundred  years  old,  neither  yet  the  deadness  of 
Sarah's  womb;  but  was  strong  in  faith,  giving 
glory  to    God,   and  being  fully  persuaded  that 
what  He  had  promised  lie  was  able  to  perform  " 
(Rom.  iv.  19-21).     So  ye  should  have   a   firm 
faith  that  God  can  make  also  the  ruins  of  Zion 
into  an  Eden,  and  her  waste  places  into  a  garden 
of  God.     And  this  hope  we  ought  ever  to  have 
respecting  the  Church  of  the  LORD.     If  it  has 
even  become  a  "  solitaries  Abraham  ct  sicut  deser- 
tum  ct  ruina,"  still   it   may  hope  to  become  a 
paradise  and  garden  of  God.     And  just  so  may 
the  individual  "episcopus  et  pastor"  cheer  him- 
self in  such  away,  "ut  crcdat,  ministeriam  suum 
non  esse  inefficax,  eliamsi  in  specie  nullus  fructus 
videaiur  sequi"  (LUTHER). 

2.  On  Ii.  4-6.     The  time  when  the  gospel,  the 
tidings  of  justification  by  faith,  went  forth  into 
the  world  was  at  once  a  time  of  salvation  and  of 
judgment.     For  these  tidings  were  despised  by 
the  Jews  and  received  with  joy  by  the  Gentiles. 
Hence  Jerusalem  was  destroyed.     That  was  the 
beginning  of  the  judgment  of  the  world,  which 
needed  to  happen  to  the   house  of  God.     Had 
Israel  received  the  gospel,   it  would  have  disap- 
peared among  the  Gentiles.     We  see  this  daily 
in  the  case  of  single  Israelitish  families  that  are 
converted  to  Christianity.     They  mix  with  the 
Gentiles   and  disappear    in    their    preponderant 
numbers.     Such  would  have  been  the  case  with 
all  Israel  had  the  nation  en  masse  believed  on 
Christ.     Just  by  its  unbelief  it  was  preserved  as 
a  nation.     At  last,  when  the  fulness  of  the  Gen- 
tiles shall  have  entered  in,   all  Israel,  too,   will 
become  believing.     That  is,  the  fK^o-yq,  the  rem- 
nant, will  become  so.     All  the  rest  of  Israel,  all 
the  'Irrpafo  capKiK6c}  will  be  overtaken  by  the 
judgment,  and,  with  the  earthly  heaven  and  the 
earthly  earth  and  all  earthly  minded  men  on  it, 
they  shall  pass  away  like  smoke  in  the  wind,  or 
like  a  garment  consumed   by  fire.     But  every- 
thing that  will  have  laid  hold  on  the  salvation 
of  the  Servant  of  God   and   His    righteousness 
shall  be  called  Zion,  and  will  belong  to  the  Bride 
of  the  LORD,  whose  wedding-day  will  then  have 
come.     The  people  of  Israel  will,  indeed,  even 
then  retain  their  individuality,  as  generally  every 


CHAP.  LI.  17-23. 


559 


creature  that  becomes  new  in  the  kingdom  of 
God  will  retain  its  specific  peculiarity.  Indeed, 
Israel  will  ever  remain  what  it  was :  the  son  of 
the  house,  the  first-born.  But  then  it  will  as- 
sume this  position  without  prejudice  or  disregard 
of  the  Gentile  world,  and  without  danger  for 
itself.  For  no  one  will  then  any  more  be  able  to 
make  of  any  avail  personal  reputation  or  personal 
merit,  but  all  will  recognize  that  they  are  what 
they  are  by  God's  grace. 

3.  On  li.  7,  8.    JEROME  says  of  the  plV  '3-p 
and   the   D|S3  'rnin  D£,   that   they   are   those 
<lqui  habeant  legem,  quam  per  Jeremiam  Dominus 
pollicitur,  dicens,  'statucm  tcstamentum  novum,  non 
juxta  tcstamentum,  quod  deposai  patribus  eorum; 
sed  statuam  testamentum,  dans  leges  meas  in  menti- 
bus   eorum    (Jer.  xxxi.  31  sqq.),'  ut   nequaquam 
vivantjiLxta  literam,  sed  juxta  spiritum  instaurantes 
naturalem  legem  in   cordibus   suis   (Rom.   ii.  14; 
Ps.  xxxvii.  30,  31)."     But  those  who  have  the 
law  of  the  Servant  of  God  in  their  hearts,  stand 
in  the  directest  opposition  to  the  world,  and  have 
only  to  expect  the  hatred  of  the  world  in  the 
highest  degree ;  yet  even  alone  they  are  strong 
against   the  world,   and   need  not   fear  its  rage 
(Matth.  v.  11,  12;  x.  28). 

4.  On  li.  9-11.    '*  Dicit  '  consurge,'  perinde  atque 
si  Deus  altum  somnum  dormiat."  LUTHER.  Cotup. 
the  sleeping  of  Jesus  in  the  boat  (Matth.  viii.  24 
sqq. — "  Arise  !     So  the  pious  pray,   not  because 
they  believe  God  is   lyinj  idle  in  heaven,   but 
because  they  confess  meir  slothfulness  and  their 
ignorance,  inasmuch  as  they  are  unable  to  think 
of  God  as  long  as  they  do  not  feel  His  help. 
But  although  the  flesh  supposes  He  sleeps,  and 
that  He  does  not  concern  Himself  about  our  suf- 
fering, yet  faith  raises  itself  higher  up  and  lays 
hold   on   God's    everlasting   power."     HEIM   u. 
HOFFMANN. — "Sentit  ecclesia  suam  Aegyptum  et 
premitur   variis    tentationibiis   mundi,  Satanae   et 
conscientiae.      Chrislus    tamen   promiltit:    tristitia 
vestra  vertctur  in  gaudiam.  .  .  .  Sed  hoc  molestum 
est,  quod  Giristiis  et  Petras  dicunt,  modicum  expect- 
andum  esse.      Videtur  enim  hoc  modicum  turn,  cum 
in  tentatione  sumus,  aeternitas  quar.dam  esse,   quare 
opus  habemus  his  consolationibus  verbi.''   LUTHER. 
— "As  the  Prophets  appeal  to  previous  exam- 
ples, and,  as  has  happened  a  little  before,  the 
Prophet  Isaiah  quotes  Abraham's  history,   and 
here  recalls   that  of  Pharaoh,   thus  the  ancient 
books  of  Moses  are  canonized  and  confirmed,  so 
that  one  may  not  doubt  their  certainty."  CRAMER. 
— "As  the  people  of  Israel  in  the  Babylonian 
captivity  sighed  for  deliverance  and  said :  If  the  ! 
LORD  will  redeem  the  captives  of  Zion,  then  we  | 
will  be  like  those  that  dream;  then  our  mouth  j 
shall  be  full  of  laughter,  and  our  tongue  full  of 
singing  (Ps.  cxxvi.  1,  2) ;  and  as  the  most  ardent 
longings  of  the  believers  in  the  ancient  world 
were  for  the  coming  of  Christ  in  the  flesh,  as  old 
Jacob  says:   'I  have  waited  for  thy  salvation,  O 
LORD'  (Gen.xlix.  18),  so  we  are  to  long  for  nothing 
more  than  for  the  coming  of  Christ  to  judgment, 
in  which  also  John  precedes  us  with  the  words : 

'  Even  so  come,  Lord  Jesus !'  after  it  was  said : 
'I  come  quickly.  Amen'  (Rev.  xxii.  20). 
When,  therefore,  we  hear  of  the  signs  of  the 
coming  of  Christ,  we  should  raise  up  our  heads 
because  our  salvation  draws  near  (Luke  xxi.  18). 


There  will  be  no  more  suffering,  cry,  pain  (Rev. 
xxi.  4),  but  fulness  of  joy  and  lovely  existence  at 
the  right  hand  of  God  forevermore  (Ps.  xvi. 
11)."  RENNER. 

5.  On   li.   12-14.     "I,   I   comfort   thee.     Not 
gold,  not  silver,  not  honor,   not  the  world,  but 
my  word,  my  Spirit,  shall  keep  and  protect  thee. 
Thou  fearest  men  that    terrify  thee.     Why  then 
dost  thou  not  let  thyself  be  raised  np  w'hen  / 
comfort  ?     For  I  am   God  that  fill  heaven  and 
earth.     They  are  water-bubbles,  moths,  stalks  of 
straw,  drops  in  the  bucket,  dust  in  the  balance, 
burning  thorns.     I  am  a  comforter,  not  alarmer, 
although  the  flesh  in  time  of  tribulation  so  judges. 
I  am  thy  Creator,  not  thine  executioner   or  tor- 
mentor, and  my  power  is  so  great  that   I  have 
spread  out  the  heavens  and  founded  the  earth. 
Hence  thou  hast  no  cause  to  fear  that  I  have  not 
strength    enough    to   redeem   thee."    HEIM   and 
HOFFMANN. —  "God    often   withdraws   from   us 
consolationes  rerum,  so  that  the  consolatio  verbi  may 
have  room  and  operation  with  us."  FOERSTER. — 
•'What  is  man?     What  is  he  good  for?     What 
can  he  profit,  or  what  harm  can  he  do   (Ecclus. 
xviii.  7;  Ps.   Ivi.   12;  cxviii.  6)?     And  if  God 
be  for  us,  who  can  be  against  us  (Rom.  viii.  31)? 
As  is  to  be  seen  in   the  examples  of  Pharaoh, 
Sennacherib  and  countless  others."  CRAMER. 

6.  On  li.  15,  16.     In  the  second   Psalm   it  is 
said :  ''  Why  do  the  heathen  rage  and  the  people 
imagine  a  vain  thing  ?  The  kings  of  the  earth  .  .  . 
cast  away  their  cords  from  us."  And  in  Ps.  xvi. : 
"  God  is  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help 
in  trouble.     Therefore  will  not  we  fear  though  the 
earth  be  removed,  and  though  the  mountains  be 
carried  into  the  midst  of  the  sea;   though   the 
waters  thereof  roar,"  etc.      The  LORD  who  has 
power  over  the  sea,  and  over  those  powers  that 
rage  like  the  sea,  protects  His  servant  against  this 
raging.     The  Servant  of  the  LORD  does  not  speak 
of  himself,  but  what  He  speaks  He  speaks  as  the 
Father  has  said  to  Him  (Jno.  xii.  49,  50).     And 
even  if  what  He  has  spoken  and  done  according 
to  the  Father's  will  bring  Him  on  the  cross,  still 
this  bitter  day  of  death  is  followed  by  a  glorious 
day  of  resurrection.     And  this  day  of  the  resur- 
rection is  a  second  creative  day.     It  is  the  begin- 
ning cf  a  new  and  better  world.    The  glorified 
life,  which  in  Christ  entered  into  this  world  out 
of  the  cavern  of  the  grave,  was  not  confined  to  His 
person.       Rather    it   has  penetrated    from   Him 
forth,  by  word  and  sacrament,  to  all  men.     As 
through"  the  first  Adam  death  seized  also  the  cre- 
ation, so  through  the  second  Adam  the  glorified 
life  communicates  itself  to  the  whole  creation. 
Not  only  a  new  humanity  will  be  formed  from 
Him,  but  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth.     Thus 
it  can  be  said   of  the  Servant  of  God,  that  He 
plants  the  heaven  and  lays  the  foundation  of  the 
earth. 

7.  On  li.  15,  16.     "Comfort  for  the  sacred  office 
of  the  ministry.     1)  On  account  of  the  founder, 
who  is  God  Himself.     As  the  great  lords,  when 
they  issue  commands,  use  their  titles  in  advance, 
and  subscribe  themselves  by  their  lands  and  peo- 
ples, so  God  does  also,  who  is  the  LORD  of  hosts. 
He   is  strong   and   reputable  enough.      2)  This 
founder  and  beginner  Himself  makes  those  in  the 
gospel  ministry  capable  persons  to  discharge  the 
office  of  the  Spirit.     For  our  ability  is  of  God  (2 


560 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Cor.  iii.  5).  3)  The  word  that  they  preach  is  not 
their  own,  but  God's  word,  which  He  Himself 
puts  into  their  mouths  (Matth.  x.  20).  4)  God 
takes  the  preachers  under  His  guidance,  protec- 
tion and  shelter,  and  covers  them  under  the  sha- 
dow of  His  hand,  hides  them  secretly  with  Him- 
self against  every  man's  arrogance  (Ps.  xxxi.  21). 
5)  Their  office  is  dear  and  precious  before  God, 
because  through  them  not  only  are  the  founda- 
tions of  the  earth  laid,  but  also  heaven  is  set  with 
glorious  plants  of  honor  that  shall  grow  and 
bloom  in  all  eternity  to  the  glory  of  God." — 
CRAMER. 

HOMILETICAL  HINTS. 

1.  On  li.  4-6.  Missionary  Sermon.  The  LORD 
says:  ''This  gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall  be 
preached  in  all  the  world  for  a  witness  unto  all  na- 
tions ;  and  then  shall  the  end  come."  Matth.  xxiv. 
14.  According  to  this,  there  is  a  close  connection 
between  missions  and  the  judgment  of  the  world. 
The  former  belongs  to  the  preliminary  conditions 
of  the  latter.  The  judgment  of  the  world  does  not 
come  before  missions  have  accomplished  their 
task,  and  at  the  same  time  missions  offer  to  men 
what  they  must  have  in  order  to  be  able  to  stand 
in  judgment.  If  now,  beside  this,  all  believing 
souls  long  for  the  second  coming  of  the  Lord,  be- 
cause only  by  that  will  our  redemption  be  accom- 
plished (Luke  xxi.  18),  and  the  first  three  peti- 
tions of  the  Lord's  Prayer  be  heard,  so,  from  the 
view-point  of  Christianity,  the  wish  is  justified, 
that  missions  may  soon  accomplish  their  work, 
that  the  day  of  the  Lord  may  soon  come.  In 
this  lies  a  motive  to  be,  not  neglectful,  but  dili- 
gent and  zealous  in  missionary  labor.  Thus  we 
may  discourse  in  this  wise  on  the  connection  be- 
tween the  last  judgment  and  missions,  and  show  :  1) 
how  the  coming  of  the  judgment  depends  on  mis- 
sions accomplishing  their  task  (vers.  4,  5,  the  law 
of  the  Lord  and  His  righteousness  are  here ;  the 
isles  wait.  Let  us  bring  to  them  the  former;  the 
sooner  they  come  to  all  nations,  the  sooner  will 
the  Lord  come  also,  and  with  Him  our  redemp- 
tion). 2)  How  standing  in  judgment  depends  on 
the  acceptance  of  what  missions  offer  (ver.  6,  he 


that  has  the  righteousness  of  Christ  will  not  de- 
spond ;  he  that  has  it  not,  will  perish). 

2.  On  li.  7,  8.     Consolation  in  time  of  persecution. 
Why  the  children  of  God  need  not  fear  the  hos- 
tility of  the  world.     1 )  Because  they  are  strong 
(the  law  of  God  is  in  their  hearts,  they  have  the 
righteousness  that  avails  with  God;   God  Him- 
self  lives   in    them   with   His   Spirit   and   His 
strength ;  their  cause  is  God's  cause,  therefore  the 
power  of  God  is  on  their  side).     2)  Because  the 
world  is  weak  (its  power  is  only  apparent ;  the 
world  is  inwardly  hollow,  untrue,  therefore  for- 
saken of  God,  and  judged,  and  this  condition  of  be- 
ing judged  must  in  a  short  time  become  manifest). 

3.  On  li.  9-11.     These  words,  too,  can  be  ap- 
plied to  address  consolation  to  the  Church.     The 
appeal  is  to  the  facts  by  which  the  LORD  even  in 
ancient  time  proved  His  saving  power,  especially 
by  redeeming  the  people  of  Israel  out  of  Egyptian 
bondage,  and  by  leading  them  through  the  Red 
Sea.  God  is  still  the  same  that  He  was  then.  His 
arm  is  still  just  as  strong.     Therefore  He  can  do 
again  what  He  did  then.     Hence  the  children  of 
God,  to-day  also,  have  nothing  to  fear  from  the 
fury  of  the  dragon,  from  the  deep  waters  through 
which  they  must  pass.     They  shall  arrive  pros- 
perously at  their  goal,  and  everlasting  joy  shall 
be  their  portion  (Ixvi.  14 ;  Jno.  xvi.  22). 

4.  On  li.  12-14.      Warning  against  the  fear  of 
man.    1)  It  is  a  sin.    For  it  is  to  forget  what  God 
has  already  done  for  us,  and  what  He  promises. 
2}  It  is  folly;  for  men  are  powerless  and  per- 
ishing. 

5.  On  li.  15,  16.     Even  though  the  world  tosses 
and  rages  ever  so  much,  still  let  us  hold  fast  to 
Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of  God  ;  for  in  Him  we  find 
1)  the  divine  truth,  2)  the  most  powerful  protec- 
tion, 3)  participation   in  divine  glory  (the  new 
heaven  and  new  earth). 

6.  On  li.  17-23.     A  call  to  the  Church  mili- 
tant.   Two  things  are  certainly  in  prospect  for  it: 
1)  That  here  on  earth,  for  its  trial  and  purifica- 
tion, it  must  empty  the  cup  of  wrath ;  2)  That, 
after  it  has  drunk,  the  cup  of  wrath  shall  be  put 
into  the  hands  of  its  enemies  that  they  may  be 
judged,  while  it  is  saved. 


IV— THE  FOURTH  DISCOURSE. 

The   Restoration   of   the    City    Jerusalem. 
CHAPTER  LIL 


This  chapter  closely  connects  with  li.  We  see 
this  even  outwardly  by  "Awake,  Awake,"  ver. 
1,  which  plainly  refers  back  to  the  same  words, 
li.  9.  The  vers.  li.  17-23  we  have  already  recog- 
nized as  a  transition  to  chap.  Hi.  from  the  fact 
that  in  them  the  discourse  of  Jehovah  exchanges 
with  that  of  the  Prophet,  and  that  Jerusalem  is 
addressed.  But  by  Jerusalem,  then,  we  must 
understand  the  population  of  Jerusalem,  whereas 
chap.  Iii.  deals  entirely  with  the  city  as  such,  i.  e., 
with  the  holy  places  (KHH  Tj;).  At  the  same 


time  in  chap.  Hi.  the  Prophet  alone  speaks,  or  at 
least  only  as  the  publisher  of  the  words  of  Jeho- 
vah. The  chapter  divides  into  two  parts.  In 
the  first  (vers.  1-6)  the  Prophet  shows  why  the 
city  of  the  sanctuary  must  be  restored.  The 
name,  i.  e.,  the  honor  of  Jehovah  demands  it. 
In  the  second  part  (vers.  7-12)  the  holy  place 
looks  forward  immediately  to  the  entrance  of  its 
holy  inhabitants,  who  come,  under  Jehovah's 
guidance,  from  the  unholy  land.  We  observe 
the  accomplishment  of  the  restoration. 


CHAP.  L1I.  1-6. 


561 


1.    THE  NAME  OF  JEHOVAH  DEMANDS  THE   RESTORATION  OF   JERUSALEM. 

CHAPTER  LII.  1-6. 

1  Awake !  awake !  put  on  thy  strength,  O  Zion  ; 

Put  on  thy  beautiful  garments,  O  Jerusalem,  the  holy  city : 
For  henceforth  there  shall  no  more  come  into  thee 
The  uncircumcised  and  the  unclean. 

2  Shake  thyself  from  the  dust ; 
Arise,  *and  sit  down,  O  Jerusalem  : 
Loose  thyself  from  the  bands  of  thy  neck, 
O  captive  daughter  of  Zion. 

3  For  thus  saith  the  LORD, 

Ye  have  bsold  yourselves  for  nought ; 
And  ye  shall  be  redeemed  without  money. 

4  For  thus  saith  the  Lord  God  [Jehovah], 

My  people  went  down  aforetime  into  Egypt  to  sojourn  there ; 
And  the  Assyrian  oppressed  them  without  cause. 

5  Now  therefore,  what  have  I  here,  saith  the  LORD, 
°That  my  people  is  taken  away  for  nought  ? 

dThey  that  rule  over  them  make  them  to  howl,  saith  the  LORD  ; 
And  my  name  continually  "every  day  is  blasphemed. 

6  Therefore  my  people  shall  know  my  name : 

Therefore  they  shall  know  in  that  day  that  I  am  he  that  doth  speak  : 
'Behold  it  is  I. 


•  dwell  as  Jerusalem. 
d  Their  rulers  howl. 


*  b'en  sold  for. 

•  all  day. 


"for. 
'Here  am  /. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :  ver.  2,  ^y  J 

— nn3  Hithp. n'3^,  of  like  meaning  with  rr:)K£ 

"3U,  nOtf,  jTUtf ;  vera.  3,  5,  D3H- 

:  •    :  T  • 

Ver.  2.  '32?  cannot  bo  construed  with  'Olpf  so  as  to 
read  :  "  sit  upright "  (GESEN.).  For  the  Prophet  cer- 
tainly does  not  mean  that  Jerusalem  shall  sit  up;  it 
must  stand  up,  i.  e.,  raise  itself  up  wholly.  Nor  can  OK? 
(with  KOPPE,  HITZIO),  be  rendered  "  captive  people ;"  for 
then  there  must  be  JV3$  between  'Dip  and  D'SuNV. 

T:  •  • -  T 

Rather  OtJ?  is  imperative  from  3K?\ From  this  it 

appears  that  I  do  not  take  D'|17iyi"V  in  ver.  2,  a,  as  sub- 
ject, but  as  in  apposition  with  the  subject.    The  sub- 


GRAMMATICAL. 

ject  is  fry  I'D  iT3Ef.  One  might  also  regard  D'S^W 
as  the  object  of  "312J-  But  it  seems  to  me  better  to  suit 
the  context  and  also  Isaiah's  style  of  thought  generally, 
to  take  Jerusalem  as  meaning  the  unity  of  city  and  in- 
habitants. Then,  too.  it  results  that  the  clause  innSnn 
"p>5Vi"  ^ulO  is  to  be  construed  as  a  parenthesis, 
and  that  K'ri  is  the  correct,  original  reading. 
Ver.  5.  VX^rD  is  part.  Hithpoel  or  Hithpoal,  with  assi- 

'    T 

milated  fl- 
Ver.  6.  In  the  second  clause  }37  is  repeated  (comp. 

L  T 

the  repetition  of  7^3  lix.  IS)  but  not  J7T,  which  must 

be  supplied. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  first  two  verses  contain  the  theme.  In 
ver.  1  the  holy  city  is  summoned  to  awake  to  con- 
sciousness of  new  strength  and  new  glory,  for 
from  henceforth  it  will  be  preserved  from  all 
desecration.  In  ver.  2  the  captive  people  of  Jeru- 
salem is  summoned  to  shake  itself  from  the  dust 
of  the  captivity,  to  cast  away  the  chains  and  now 
again  to  dwell  as  Jerusalem.  On  the  promise  fol- 
lows an  historical  proof  (vers.  3,  4).  Jerusalem 
is  like  a  worthless  possession,  given  away  to  the 
enemy  without  gain  or  compensation  ;  so  it  shall 
without  gain  for  the  enemy  he  redeemed  (ver.  3). 
For  what  gain  had  the  LORD  when  His  people 
languished  in  Egyntian  bondage,  and  when  As- 
36 


syria  oppressed  it  (ver.  4)  ?  And  now,  too,  i.  e., 
after  the  deportation  of  the  nation  by  the  Babylo- 
lonians,  the  LORD  has  in  Jerusalem  nothing  but 
an  empty  place.  The  people  are  dragged  away 
into  exile;  its  oppressors  howl  in  cruelty  and 
haughtiness,  while  the  name  of  the  LORD  is  con- 
tinually blasphemed  as  that  of  a  powerless,  con- 
quered" God  (ver.  5).  But  as  it  is  impossible  for 
the  name  of  the  LORD  to  remain  covered  with 
this  infamv,  the  LORD  will  again  reveal  His 
name  to  His  people.  They  shall  at  the  right 
time  know  who  is  their  God,  and  what  it  means 
when  He  says:  "here  am  I"  (ver.  6). 
2.  Awake daughter  of  Zion.— Vurs.  1, 


562 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


2.  This  address  to  Zion  begins  with  the  same  words 
that  li.  9  begin  the  address  to  the  arm  of  Jeho- 
vah. It  is  like  an  echo  which  that  call  has  found 
in  the  heart  of  Jehovah.  It  seems  to  me  incor- 
rect to  take  l'y  (with  DATHE,  GESEN.,  HITZIG, 
etc.],  in  the  sense  of  ornament,  splendor,  accord- 
ing to  Ps.  xcvi.  G ;  cxxxii.  8.  Why  should  Jeru- 
salem become  merely  glorious  again  ?  Why  not 
strong  and  glorious,  after  having  been  weak  and 
covered  with  infamy?  The  figurative  expression 
rnXDH  'TD  occurs  only  here  (comp.  Ixi.  10). 
That  by  Zion  is  to  be  understood  the  city,  as  also 
HITZIG,  KNOBEL,  DELITZSCH  have  recognized, 
appears  plainly  from  EHpn  Tj?.  This  expres- 
sion (comp.  on  xlviii.  2)  intimates  wherein  the 
strength  and  glory  of  Jerusalem  consists.  As  the 
earthly  dwelling-place  of  Jehovah,  Jerusalem 
stands  high  in  power  and  honor  above  all  other 
dwelling-places  of  men  on  earth.  But  hitherto 
the  holy  city  was  only  too  often  exposed  to  dese- 
cration by  the  uncircumcised  and  the  unclean 
(the  heathen)  coming  into  the  city,  not  with  the 
intent  of  paying  humble  homage,  but  with  a  hos- 
tile intent.  As  often  as  this  happened,  it  was  a 
proof  that  Jerusalem  had  so  far  lost  its  "  strength" 
as  not  to  be  able  to  protect  its  mtfSH,  "magnifi- 
cence." In  the  future  that  shall  not  happen 
again.  The  strength  of  Jerusalem  shall  ever  be 
so  great  that  it  will  be  able  to  preserve  its  "mag- 
nificence". The  words  "1\P  ^'DV  X?  O  are  re- 
peated, Nah.  ii.  1,  in  which  verse  the  initial 
words  of  both  clauses  are  taken  from  our  text  and 
ver.  7  (comp.  on  li.  19,  20).  Into  Jerusalem, 
now  clothed  with  new  power  and  honor,  the  ba- 
nished people  shall  enter  again.  They  had  lan- 
guished in  slavery.  They  had  lain  in  the  dust 
(xlvii-  1).  Jerusalem  must  rise  up  from  the  dust 
(xxxiii.  9,  15),  shaking  it  oft)  and  stand  up,  and 
dwell  again  as  Jerusalem  (see  Text,  and  Gram.). 
Neither  the  city  without  people,  nor  the  people 
without  city  is  the  true  Jerusalem.  The  chief 
thing  is  that  Jerusalem  will  cease  to  be  a  desert, 
and  become  inhabited  again  by  its  people  as  it 
ought  to  be. 

3.    For   thus   saith it  is  I.— Vers.  3-6. 

The  foregoing  promise  of  a  restored  Jerusalem 
is  now  accounted  for  by  explaining  that  the  honor 
of  Jehovah  Himself  demanded  the  restoration. 
For,  says  the  LORD,  ye  were  sold  for  nothing. 
DJT1  here  can  only  mean  that  in  surrendering  the 
holy  people,  the  holy  land,  and  the  holy  city, 
the  LORD  received  no  corresponding  indemnifi- 
cation. [Comp.  Ps.  xliv.  12.]  For  there  was  given 
to  Him  no  other  holy  people,  land,  or  city  for 
them.  Therefore  He  had,  as  it  were,  in  respect 
to  earthly  possession,  got  only  injury,  yea,  as  ver. 
5  even  says,  mockery  and  scorn  to  boot  (comp. 
xlviii.  9  sqq.).  That  cannot  go  on  so.  The  in- 
famy, that  has  in  this  way  come  on  the  name  of 
the  LORD,  must  be  washed  out  by  His  making 
those  nations,  (who  might  mock  after  the  fashion 
intimated  Num  iv.  15  sq. ;  Deut.  ix.  28  ;  Ezek. 
xx.  14),  feel  His  power  in  such  a  way  as  simply 
to  compel  them  to  surrender  the  people  of  Israel. 
This  is  the  meaning  of  and  ye  shall  be  re- 
deemed without  money.  Vers.  4,  5  give 
the  historical  proof  that  Israel  was  sold  for 
nothing.  The  first  time  was  in  Egypt,  while  Is- 


rael dwelt  there  as  a  stranger.  The  Prophet 
merely  intimates  this.  Regarding  the  Egyptian 
bondage  one  sees  this  from  the  fact  that  he  de- 
signates the  entire  Egyptian  episode  by  the  words 

DIP  11J1?  'Dy  IT.  By  DIP  nu1?  (according  to 
Gen.  xii.  10,  where  it  is  said  of  Abraham)  he 
seems  to  allude  merely  to  the  original  object  of 
the  going  down  to  Egypt.  But  we  see  from  'Ej7 
that  he  means  all  that  Israel  experienced  in 
Egypt.  For  those  that  went  down  were  as  yet 
no  nation.  But  it  was  just  the  nation  that  must 
suffer  all  that,  on  account  of  which  their  stay  in 
Egvpt  is  called  the  first  example  of  being  sold. 
Also  the  expression  and  the  Assyrian  op- 
pressed them  is  merely  an  intimation.  Every 
sort  of  injury  that  Assyria  did  both  to  the  king- 
dom of  Israel,  and  to  the  kingdom  of  Judah  is 
included  in  it.  What  did  the  LORD  get  by  that 
first  Egyptian  exile  ?  Nothing,  but  that,  for  the 
time  being,  the  already  chosen  and  consecrated 
land  stood  empty.  The  plan  of  the  LORD  to 
provide  for  Himself  a  place  of  revelation  and 
worship,  which  He  had  already  begun  to  realize 
through  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  suffered  by 
that  a  postponement  of  several  hundred  years. 
Assyria,  too,  ill-treated  Israel  D2X3,  {.  e.,  "  for 
nothing"  (D3X  ''  defectus,  not  being,"  comp.  on 
xli.  29,  with  the  3  pretii  only  here,  yet  comp.  Job 
vii.  6).  For  what  equivalent  in  goods  of  like  sort 
was  given  to  the  LORD  in  place  of  what  He  lost  by 
Assyria?  Third,  the  LORD  looks  on  the  condi- 
tion He  sees  created  by  the  Babylonian  Exile. 

nfi~*7~TIDi  in  my  opinion,  can  be  referred  neither 
to  heaven  (HiTZiG),  nor  to  the  lands  of  the  Baby- 
lonian exile  (ROSENMUELLER,  STIER,  EWALD, 
UMBREIT,  DELITZSCH  and,  in  another  sense, 
KNOBEL).  Was  then  Jehovah  transported  to 
Babylon  along  with  the  people?  The  context 
every  way  demands  that  we  refer  H2  to  Jeru- 
salem. For  1)  the  holy  city  (BHpn  Vj?  Ver.  1), 
is  the  fundamental  thought  of  the  chapter.  It 
treats  of  the  reinhabiting  of  it,  as  its  standing 
empty  was  opposed  to  Jehovah's  interests.  To 
this  standing  empty  there  is  plain  enough  allusion 
in  '•'  My  people  went  down  into  Egypt  "  ver.  4  ; 
less  plainly  in  "the  Assyrian  oppressed  them.'' 
But  Assyria  had  only  wished  to  empty  the  holy 
city,  and  only  partly  emptied  the  holy  land.  2) 
It  "is  quite  plain  that  in  for  my  people  is 
taken  away  the  LORD  has  before  His  eyes  the 
desolation  of  the  holy  land  and  city.  If  the  peo- 
ple are  taken  away,  then  the  land  and  city  are 
empty.  In  that  case  what  does  the  LORD  find 
there?  Shall  the  beasts  and  the  land  do  Him 
honor  ?  Is  it  not  His  will  to  reveal  Himself  to 
men,  and  to  be  known  and  honored  by  them? 
No ;  more  extendedly  than  He  does  in  regard  to 
Egypt  and  Assyria,  the  LORD  shows  that  Babylon 
has  emptied  His  land  and  city  D-jH,  i.  e.,  without 
a  corresponding  equivalent  of  like  sort.  _And, 
indeed,  they  do  this  with  wicked  haughtiness. 
They  are  rough,  savage  drivers,  that  with  wild 
howls  use  their  power  over  Israel.  With  most 
commentators,  I  refer  those  that  rule  over 
them  to  the  Chaldeans  (xiv.  5  ;  xlix.  7).  The 

Israelitish  princes  would  hardly  be  called  D'/lPO, 
seeing  they  had  nothing  more  to  command. 


CHAP.  LIT.  7-12. 


563 


They  were  at  most  0'"^-  The  meaning  "singers" 
is  not  adequately  supported  by  Num.  xxi.  27, 
and  moreover  does  not  suit  the  context.  7*T*rji 
rendered  by  the  LXX.  sometimes  aAa/.d£tw,  some- 
times bXoAtj^Eii>>  occurs  only  thirty  times  in  the 
Old  Testament  (nine  of  these  in  Isaiah  see  List], 
and  means  chiefly  the  howl  of  woe.  But  I  can't 
see  why  it  may  not  signify  other  sorts  of  howling, 
as  howl  of  rage,  howl  of  vengeance,  howl  of  vic- 
tory, just  as  well  as  our  German  heulen  and  the 
Latin  ululare,  with  which,  moreover,  it  is  radi- 
cally related.  It  is  certainly  no  nattering  ex- 
pression. The  overweening  conquerors,  that  do 
not  spare  ths  people,  spare  their  God  as  little. 
They  praise  their  idols  as  being  more  powerful 
(x.  10  sq.).  Hence  the  LORD  must  complain  that 
His  name  is  blasphemed  the  whole  day  (comp. 
li.  13;  xxviii.  24;  bdi.  6 ;  Ixv.  2,  5). 


The  conclusion  is  drawn  in  ver.  6  :  because 
Jerusalem's  desolation  is  of  no  profit  to  the 
LORD,  but  rather  an  injury  to  His  honor,  the 
LORD  will  reveal  His  name,  i.  e.,  His  being  (xxx. 
27).  Israel  shall  know  what  his  name  is, 
i.  e.,  what  it  means,  or  what  sort  of  a  name  it  is. 


Whether  one  think  of  x  or  DTIK  or  fllTT,  in 
each  of  these  names,  and  still  more  in  all  to- 
gether, there  lies  the  meaning  of  the  absolute, 
eternal,  powerful  being.  In  that  day  points 
to  the  time  in  which  the  LORD  has  concluded  the 
restoration  of  Jerusalem.  When  this  time  ia 
fulfilled,  one  will  appear  and  say  :  here  am  I. 
Then  Israel  shall  know  that  this  is  its  God,  Je- 
hovah. For  He  will  speak  His  here  am  I  so 
powerfully,  so  precluding  all  opposition,  that 
all  will  recognize  the  LORD  and  Master  of  the 
world.  Thus  the  Prophet  has  proved  that  the 
restoration  of  Jerusalem  must  necessarily  follow. 


2.    THE  KESTORATION  ACCOMPLISHED. 
CHAPTER  LII.  7-12. 

7  How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains 

Are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth  good  tidings,  that  publisheth  peace ; 
That  bringeth  good  tidings  of  good,  that  publisheth  salvation; 
That  saith  unto  Zion,  Thy  God  reigneth  ! 

8  *Thy  watchmen  shall  lift  up  the  voice ; 
With  the  voice  together  shall  they  sing  : 
bFor  they  shall  see  eye  to  eye, 

When  the  LORD  shall  bring  again  Zion. 

9  Break  forth  into  joy,  sing  together, 
Ye  waste  places  of  Jerusalem  : 

For  the  LORD  hath  comforted  his  people, 
He  hath  redeemed  Jerusalem. 

10  The  LORD  hath  made  bare  his  holy  arm 
In  the  eyes  of  all  the  nations  ; 

And  all  the  ends  of  the  earth 
Shall  see  the  salvation  of  our  God. 

11  Depart  ye !  Depart  ye !  go  ye  out  from  thence, 
Touch  no  unclean  thing  ; 

Go  ye  out  of  the  midst  of  her ; 

°Be  ye  clean,  that  bear  the  vessels  of  the  LORD. 

12  For  ye  shall  not  go  out  with  haste, 
Nor  go  by  flight : 

For  the  LORD  will  go  before  you ; 

And  the  God  of  Israel  will  lbe  your  rereward. 

1  Heb.  gather  you  up. 

»  Hark,  thy  watchmen  !  Then  raise  the  voice!  Together  they  rejoice. 
*  For  eye  in  e>/e  they  see,  as  Jehovah  returns  to  Zion. 
'  Cleanse  yourselves. 

TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :  ver.  7,  HKJ-   '    Ver.  7,  niKJ  is  PHel  from  J1&O,  for  according  to  the 

T  T  T     T  TT 

law  underlying  the   formation    of  these  verbs,  n&O 

1$3  particip.;  ver.  11,  113,  imper.  Niph.;  ver.  12,  TT 

-  T  stands  for  1X3.  and  H1XJ  for  11N3  ;  [see  GRBEN  §  174, 1J 

flDUp-  Ver.  11.  113H  is  imper-  Niph.  from  113. 


664 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  In  an   exalted    poetic   personification    the 
Prophet  describes  the  actual  accomplishment  of 
the  restoration  of  Jerusalem.    He  sees  Jerusalem 
in   ruins   and   uninhabited,   yet    the    ruins   are 
watched  by  spirit-spies  that  wait  for  the  resur-  i 
rection  of  the  city.     And  look !     A   messenger 
comes  with  the  glad   news :    Jehovah   is    King 
(ver.  7).     And  then  the  spies  rejoicing  see  eye 
in   eye  the   LORD   returning   to   Zicn   (ver.  8). 
Then  the  ruins  of  Jerusalem  are  summoned  to 
rejoice  that  the  LORD  has  redeemed  His  people 
and  His  city  (ver.  9),  and  has  shown  the  strength 
of  His  arm  and  His  salvation  to  all  nations  (ver. 
10).     Now  also  there  issues  at  length  to  the  peo- 
ple of  Jerusalem  the  summons  to  return  home 
from  the  land?  of  exile.     But,  since  Jerusalem  is 
now  cleansed   and   sanctified   anew,    they   must 
touch    nothing   unclean,   and    must    be  cleansed 
themselves  and  bear  the  vessels  of  Jehovah  (ver. 
11).   For  this  cleansing  they  will  have  time.    For 
they  will  not  go  out  in  haste  as  in  the  flight  from 
Egypt,  since  Jehovah   Himself  will    both    lead 
their  expedition  and  protect  their  rear  against  at- 
tack (ver.  12).     It  is  seen  that  here,  too,  the  Pro- 
phet distinguishes  between  the  city  and  the  in- 
habitants, and  sees  in  the  reunion   of  both   the 
salvation  of  the  future. 

2.  How  beautiful of  our  God. — Vers. 

7-10.     The  words:    "upon  the  mountains  .  .  . 
publisheth  peace"  occur  again  Nah.  ii.  1  (i.  15), 
where  also,  in  the  second  half  of  the  verse,  are 
found  the  words  "  for — shall  no  more  pass  through 
thee,"  which  are  a  modification  of  the  language 
of  Hi.  1.     If  we  were  correct  in  pronouncing  the 
passage  li.  19  to  be  the  original  in  comparison 
with  Nah.  iii.  7,  it  follows  that  there  is  a  like  re- 
lationship in  the   present   instance.     But  apart 
from  that,  Nahum  in  the  present  instance  appears 
as  a  dilution  of  our  text.     How  flat  is  his    i"V3n 
instead  of  the  very  poetical   3lN3~no  !     LOWTH 
remarks  that,  "  the  imitation  does  not  equal  the 
beauty  of  the  original."     And  does  not  this  run 
have  the  appearance  of  an  attempt  to  avoid  the 
difficulty  of  the  proper  signification  of  HXJ~no  7 

Moreover  "VlJfS  ^'DV  tfS  is  manifestly  a 
smoother  mode  of  expression,  more  accordant 
with  common  usage,  than  the  harsher  and  less 

frequent  KIT  ^pi"  N1?  (Iii.  1).  And  it  may 
be  further  noted,  that  "G^.  which  Nahum  uses 
for  «3,  ocrurs  shortly  before  in  Isaiah  (li.  23), 
so  that  Nah.  ii.  1  b  (i.  15  b)  appears  to  be  com- 
bined from  the  elements  of  Isa.  li.  23  and  Hi.  1. 

How  beautiful  (lovely)  are  the  feet. 
The  expression  refers  neither  to  the  sound  nor  to 
the  sight  of  the  feet  ("that  bound  like  gazelles 
over  the  mountains"  DELJTZSCH)  ;  but  is  a  poeti- 
cal metonymy.  The  feet  stand  for  what  they  do. 
The  feet  walk,  come.  The  coming,  the  advent  of 
the  messenger  of  good  tidings  is  lovely  (so 
LOWTH).  The  coming  over  the  mountains  is  also, 
poetic  embellishment  (comp.  on  xiii.  4).  It  is 
not  probable  that  1&33  is  tobe  taken  collectively, 
Why  not  use  the  plural  directly?  And  why 
suppose  a  plurality  of  messengers  ?  It  would  be 


neither  more  poetical,  nor  historically  more 
likely.  The  contents  of  the  glad  tidings  is  pre- 
sented in  a  sacred  triad.  One  might  say  that 
"  peace  "  is  most  general  (comp.  ix.  5,  6  and  the 


gresting  Vj~>  D/t),  "  good "  refers  more  to 
corporeal  goods  (comp.  1  Kings  x.  7 ;  Job  xxii. 
18;  Ps.  civ.  28),  salvation  more  to  spiritual 
salvation  (aur?/pia,  hence  the  name  of  the  Ee- 
deemer  'Ir/aovf).  But  all  are  comprehended  in 
the  words  thy  God  reigneth.  The  antithesis 
to  this  is  the  dominion  of  the  world-power. 
"The  kingdom  of  God"  denotes  the  sole  do- 
minion of  Jehovah  on  earth,  that  implies  the 
discontinuance  of  the  dominion  of  all  that  is 
world-power.  The  return  from  the  Exile  repre- 
sents only  the  feeble  beginning  of  the  restoration 
of  God's  reign.  "When  John  the  Baptist  and 
Jesus  Himself  proclaimed  that  *'  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  at  hand"  (Matth.  iii.  2;  iv.  17),  the 
latter  was  about  to  lay  the  immediate  foundation 
of  it.  But  the  whole  period  of  the  Church  is  as 
a  pause,  during  which,  along  with  many  outward 
retrogressions,  there  is  only  a  quiet,  inward  ex- 
tension and  deepening,  and  a  weak,  partial  out- 
ward progress  (comp.  Bom.  x.  15  [where  Paul 
quotes  our  Text.  TR.]  ).  The  completion  will 
only  take  place  when  the  Lord  will  come  again 
visibly  to  realize  His  inward  and  outward  sole- 
dominion  on  earth  (Rev.  xii.  10;  xix.  6).  All 
these  periods  of  time  are  comprehended  in  the 
gaze  of  the  Prophet. 

The  cry  of  the  messenger  of  good  news  comes 
from  without.  It  is  heard  in  Jerusalem  by  the 
D'3¥  {"  watchers"].  As  Jerusalem  still  lies 
waste,  these  must  be  invisible,  spirit- watchers,  as 
it  were  the  genii  of  the  place.  1  do  not  compre- 
hend how  any  one  can  think  that  the  prophets 
are  meant  here.  Were  there  then  prophets  in 
Jerusalem  while  it  lay  waste?  And  yet  the 
message  came  to  Jerusalem  and  not  to  the  exiles. 
[The  Author's  own  conception  must  be  regarded 
as  inferior  to  any  other  that  has  been  entertained. 
It  is  objectionable  even  as  introducing  heathenish 
imagery  which  is  wholly  foreign  to  Bible  pcetry. 
If  these  watchers  are  "genii  of  the  locality  as  it 
were,"  then,  as  in  effect  is  said  below,  the  mes- 
senger of  good  news  is  a  similar  genius?  But 
the  persons  of  the  scene  are  all  personifications, 
and  Jerusalem  itself  is  treated  dramatically.  It 
is  represented  as  looking  for  the  good  things  to 
come.  Watchers  are  on  the  look-out,  and  the 
expected  messenger  appears.  The  language 
paints  the  emotions  of  such  a  crisis.  The  Jeru- 
salem of  this  picture  is  not  a  solitude,  as  the 
Author  says,  but  is  expressly  peopled.  It  is 
Jerusalem  'ideally  conceived  to  suit  the  spiritual 
realities  of  this  prophecy.  To  identify  the  mes- 
sengers or  watchers  as  prophets  or  the  like  is  '  an 
unnecessary  restriction  and  objectionable,  as  it 
mars  the  unity  and  beauty  of  the  scene  presented, 
which  is  simply  that  of  a  messenger  of  good  news 
drawing  near  to  a  walled  town,  whose  watchmen 
take  up  and  repeat  his  tidings  to  the  people 

within"  (J.  A.  ALEX.).— TR.]  T3*  ^P  »  an 
exclamation  as  xiii.  4 ;  xl.  3,  6 ;  Ixvi.  6.  Like  a 


CHAP.  LII.  7-12 


565 


joyful  echo  .the  rejoicing  of  the  spies*  responds 
to  the  shout  of  the  messenger.  But  they  rejoice 
not  merely  at  the  message,  but  more  that  they 
may  behold  the  instant  fulfilment  of  it.  For 
"eye  in  eye"  (J'^3  j"^  Num.  xiv.  14)  they 
see  Jehovah's  return  to  Jerusalem.  That 
3*t?  may  not  be  translated  here  "to  lead  back" 
[ENG.  V.  " bring  again "]  appears  from  the  fact 
that  the  bringing  back  of  the  people  is  not  yet 
spoken  of,  but  only  the  return  of  Jehovah  to 
Jerusalem,  which  He  had  forsaken  as  a  desolate 

and  desecrated  place  (comp.  H3  ' 7~no  ver.  5). 
The  spies  see  the  LORD  take  possession  again  of 
the  place  of  His  sanctuary.  No  man  sees  that. 
As  the  1BOD  and  the  D'2¥  are  spirits,  there- 
fore, that  return  is  one  invisible  to  human  eyes, 
but  quite  within  the  cognizance  of  the  eyes  of 
Spirits  (hence  J\J73  T^)-  It  is  accomplished  in 
transcendent,  spirit-corporeal  reality.  The  deso- 
late ruins  of  Jerusalem,  however,  are  summoned 
to  burst  forth  into  joy  because  Jehovah  has  com- 
passionated His  people  (li.  3),  has  redeemed 
Jerusalem.  The  Prophet  sees  in  that  transcen- 
dental occupation  of  Jerusalem  the  guaranty  and 
principle  of  the  redemption.  The  perfects  DT1J 

and  <KJ  are  perfecta  prophetica.  And  parallel 
with  these  perfects  stands  also  ^T\  ver.  10. 
For  by  the  redemption  of  Jerusalem  the  spiritual 
eye  sees  unveiled  also  to  the  nations  what  hitherto 
was  manifest  only  to  the  former.  The  Lord 
hath  made  bare  His  holy  arm  means,  that 
that  redemption  shall  be  made  manifest  to  the 
nations  as  Jehovah's  act.  I  do  not  think,  there- 
fore, that  the  expression  here  is  to  be  compared 
to  that  baring  of  the  arm  that  the  warrior  does  in 
order  to  fight  with  more  freedom.  But  the  sense 
is  as  in  liii.  1 ;  Exod.  viii.  15  (19);  Luke  xi.  20. 
Jehovah  reveals  Himself  to  the  nations  as  the 
originator  of  the  events  by  which  the  redemption 
of  Israel  is  accomplished,  that  all  the  ends  of 
the  earth  (xlv.  22)  may  see  with  eyes  the 
salvation  that  the  LORD  has  prepared  for  His 
people. 

3.  Depart  ye—  — your  rereward. — Vers. 
11.  12.  Now  that  the  LORD  has  again  seized 
possession  of  His  anciently  chosen  holy  place,  the 
people  of  Israel  also  is  summoned  to  return  thither 
from  the  lands  of  exile.  They  must  get  away 
(111D  comp.  xxx.  11  ;  Lam.  iv.  15)  and  go  out. 
But  as  they  are  to  come  to  "  the  holy  city,"  into 
which  nothing  unholy  must  come  (comp.  ver.  1), 
they  must  not  make  themselves  unclean  by  con- 
tact with  what  is  unclean.  Yea,  as  the  holy  ves- 
sels, (which  the  Prophet  implies  have  been  taken 
away  as  spoil,)  are  to  be  brought  back  along  with 
them  (comp.  Ezr.  i.  7  sqq.),  they  must  undergo 


[*The  Author  uses  the  word  Spiiher.  Its  common 
meaning  is  "  spies"  or  "scouts."  It  is  therefore  so 
rendered  in  the  text,  and  also  because  he  interprets 
the  scene  as  a  solitude,  and  the  DOX  as  look-outs 
watching  for  the  resurrection  of  the  city  (see  ab.  p.  565). 
They  are  therefore  no  watchmen  in  any  ordinary  sense ; 
not  even  guardian  genii,  but  only  "as  it  were"  ghostly 
videttes.  One  must  wonder  why  the  service  would  re- 
quire many,  i.  e.,  enough  to  get  up  a  scene  of  popular 
rejoicing  such  as  the  passage  depicts.  The  entire  con- 
ception is  so  extraordinary  that  the  tetnptation  has 
been  strong  to  translate  Sp'dher  "  watchers,"  and  thus 
gloss  over  .what  seems  to  be  the  Author's  peculiar  idea. 
He  amplifies  it  below.— Te.J 


the  legal  requirements  of  purification.  The  Pro- 
phet has  certainly  in  mind  here  the  Levites  and 
the  purification  prescribed  for  them  (Num.  viii. 
6  sqq.)  since,  during  the  journey  through  the  de- 
sert, the  service  of  bearing  devolved  especially  on 
them  (Num.  iv.  47,  comp.  ver.  24  sqq.,  ver.  49). 
Our  passage  recalls  xxxv.  8,  where  the  way  on 
which  the  redeemed  return  is  called  a  holy  way, 
that  nothing  unclean  shall  go  on,  Abundance  of 
time  and  opportunity  will  be  given  to  prepare  for 
the  holy  expedition  by  suitable  purification.  For 
this  departure  shall  differ  from  the  departure  out 
of  Egypt  in  not  being  in  haste  and  like  a  flight. 
The  latter  was  like  a  flight,  because  those  long 
detained  by  Pharaoh  were  obliged  to  avail  them- 
selves of  the  moment  he  was  willing  to  let  them 
go.  For  he  might  suddenly  change  his  mind, 
even  though  at  that  time  men  were  urging  their 
departure  (Exod.  xii.  33,  39).  But  from  the 
second  exile  Israel  should  go  forth  as  lord  and 
conqueror  (comp.  xlvi.  1,  2 ;  xlvii.  1  sqq.). 
|i?3n  "haste,"  which  Isaiah  uses  nowhere  else,  is 
manifestly  an  allusion  to  Exod.  xii.  11,  where  it 
is  said  of  "eating  the  Passover  :  "and  ye  shall  eat 
it  jiT3n3,"  and  Deut.  xvi.  3,  where  in  reference 
to  the  unleavened  bread  it  is  said:  "for  in  haste 
(|lT2n3)  thou  earnest  forth  from  the  land  of 
Egypt."  As  |1T2n  only  occurs  in  our  text  and 
the  two  passages  in  Deut.,  so,  too,  HD^D  occurs 
again  only  Lev.  xxvi.  36,  where  of  wicked  and 
exiled  Israel  it  is  said,  that,  in  the  land  of  its  ene- 
mies, it  shall  become  cowardly  and  inclined  to 
groundless  3^n~nD  JO.  Thus  in  the  choice  of  the 
word  nDU3.  there  appears  to  be  an  allusion  in- 
tended. Israel  went  out  from  Egypt  also  under 
the  protection  and  guidance  of  its  God.  But  it 
was  in  haste  and  as  if  fleeing.  If  then  it  is  prom- 
ised here  that  the  departure  from  Babylon  (the 
suffix  ro'lfilp  refers  to  Babylon)  shall  not  be  sot 
and  that  because  the  LORD  will  go  before  the  ex- 
pedition and  close  it  up  (^.^  agmen  claudens, 
alluding  to  Josh.  vi.  9,  13;  Num.  x.  25),  we  must 
suppose  that  the  Prophet  implies  an  activity  of 
God  in  guiding  and  protecting  in  reference  to 
their  enemies,  such  as  is  described  in  the  passages 
cited  above:  xlvi.  1,  2;  xlvii.  1  sqq. ;  comp.  xlv. 
1,  2;  xlviii.  14,  20. 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  Hi.  1-6.  "This  comforting  assurance 
applies  especially  also  to  the  spiritual  Zion,  the 
Church  of  Christ.  It  should  ever  arouse  itself  to 
be  courageous  and  joyous  in  the  midst  of  outward 
distress  and  weakness.  The  true  Church  is  the 
holy  city  of  God  in  which  are  found  nothing  but 
righteous  and  holy  ones,  gloriously  adorned  with 
the  robe  of  Christ's  righteousness  and  with  gar- 
ments of  salvation  (Ixi.  10),  strong  in  the  LORD 
and  in  the  power  of  His  might,  (Eph.  vi.  10), 
able  to  do  all  things  through  Christ  who  strength- 
eneth  them,  (Phil.  iv.  13),  whose  strength  is 
mighty  even  in  the  weak  (2  Cor.  xii.  9),  whereby 
the'y  are  strengthened  with  all  might  according  to 
His  glorious  power  unto  all  patience  and  long-Mil- 
fering  with  joyfulness  (Col.  i.  11),  free  from  the 
bands  of  their  neck— from  sins  as  the  snares  of 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAPI. 


the  devil  by  whom  they  were  taken  captive  at  his 
will  (2  Tim.  ii.  26).  (For  because  they  were 
sold  for  nothing  under  sin,  i,  e.  to  the  pure  loss  of 
their  Creator  and  LORD — they  shall  also  be  re- 
deemed for  nothing,  i.  e.,  without  their  robber  and 
oppressor  receiving  any  indemnity).  So  the 
church  becomes  a  congregation  that  has  neither 
spot  nor  wrinkle  nor  any  such  thing,  but  is  holy 
and  unblameable  (Eph.  v.  27).  In  the  visible 
church  (of  the  called)  there  are  indeed  many  un- 
clean, unholy  hypocrites,  like  chaff  amid  the  corn 
(Matth.  iii.  12),  like  bad  fish  in  a  net  (Matth.  xiii. 
48),  these  will  in  due  time  be  separated  from  the 
believers  and  elect  and  be  cast  into  everlasting 
fire.  Whereas  the  others  shall  be  led  into  ever- 
lasting life,  into  the  kingdom  of  everlasting  glory 
(Matth.  xxv.  46).  Let  us  therefore  gratefully 
acknowledge  and  lay  hold  on  the  precious  grace 
of  Christ  that  we  may  be  found  among  the  num- 
ber of  the  elect." — EENNER. 

2.  On  Iii.  1-6.     ''  If  God  has  promised  us  re- 
demption  from   the  wicked  world,    as   He   has 
doubtless  done,  so  ought  we  to  flee  out  of  it  every 
day  with  all  our  thinking  and  imagining  and 
doing.     Israel  had  the  command  never  to  settle 
firmly  forever  in  Babylon,  but  to  await  in  faith 
their  departure  and  to  be  ready  for  it.     To  this 
end  Zion  should  put  on  her  divine  strength,  her 
spiritual  adornment,  i.  e.  the  faith  unto  righteous- 
ness, that  she  may  become  as  a  new,  purified  con- 
gregation free  for  herself.     That   came   to  pass 
first  in  the  New  Testament  when  God's  people 
were  founded   not  any  more  on  things  earthly, 
but  only  upon  the  gracious  word  of  God  which 
each  one  can  receive  in  faith.     Faith  is  the  great- 
est power  on  earth,  for  it  partakes  of  the  omnipo- 
tence  of  God-     Therefore   God's   people,   when 
they  strengthen  themselves  in  faith,  will  break 
their  bondage,  and  the  world  (which  lias  indeed 
never  paid  God  for  the  dominion  with  which  it 
has  long  plagued  us,  but  was  only  used  for  a  sea- 
son against  us  as  a  rod  of  anger)  must,  against  its 
will,  let  the  church  go  free.     Israel  was  indeed  a 
guest   in   Egypt,  and   later  Assyria  ill-used   it. 
But  now  it  is  still  worse ;  the  world  is  ever  more 
enraged  against  us.     God  will  not  always  let  it 
go  on  so ;  but  because  the  heathen,  in  their  con- 
ceit, boast  and  triumph  over  Israel,  as  if  by  their 
own  might  they  had  them  and  even  their  Goi  in 
their  power,  God  will  reveal  Himself  to  His  peo- 
ple with  glorious  help."  DIEDRICH. 

3.  On  Iii.  7.     "  Est  collatio  legis  ei  evangelii  et 
commendatio    Christi   loquenlis  per  apostolos  suos. 
Qui  docent  legem,  sunt  tristes  bubones  et  terrent   ulu- 
latu  suo,  sed  nuntii  evangelii  habent  amabiles  pedes, 
afferunt   enim  laetissimum  verbum  pro  conscientiis 
turbatis."  LUTHER. 

4.  On  Hi.  7.     Such  poor  wretched  people,  who 
know  nothing  of  God,  are  not  aware  of  their  own 
misery  and  everlasting  need,  who  are  over  head 
and  ears  in  sin,  and  know  not  how  to  help  the  | 
least  of  them, — I  say,  what  better,  greater,  more 
joyful,  can  happen  to  such  people  than  such  a 
measenger,  who,   in   the  first   place,   announces 
peace,  i.  e.  who  brings  the  certain  tidings  that  | 
God  would  be  at  peace  with  us,  and  neither  con- 
demn nor  be  angry  with  us  on  account  of  our 
sins.     On   the  other  hand,  who   preaches  good 
tidings  of  good,  i.  e.  he  gives  the  comfort  that 
God  will  not  only  not  punish  according  to  our 


desert,  but  will  give  and  vouchsafe  to  us  His 
Spirit,  His  righteousness  and  all  grace.  In  the 
third  place,  who  proclaims  salvation,  i.  e.  who  pro- 
mises and  comforts  us  with  the  assurance  that 
we  shall  be  helped  against  the  devil  and  death 
forever.  And  to  comprehend  all  in  one  morsel, 
who  can  say  in  truth  to  Zion,  i.  e.,  to  believers, 
thy  God  is  king,  i.  e.  God  Himself  will  receive 
thee,  He  will  Himself  be  thy  Lord  and  King ; 
He  Himself  will  teach  and  instruct  thee  with 
His  mouth,  He  Himself  will  protect  thee,  and 
neither  office  will  He  any  longer  devolve  on  men, 
but  will  execute  Himself."  VEIT  DEITRICH. 

5.  On  Iii.  8.     "  Preachers  ought  to  be  watchers 
(Ezek.  iii.  17).     Therefore  they  ought  neither  to 
be  silent  about  sins  and  a  scandalous  life,  nor 
about  spreading  doctrine  that  is  false.     If  they 
are  so,  they  are  dumb  dogs  (Ivi.  9)."  CRAMER. 

6.  On  Hi.  9,    10.     "When    the  conversion   of 
the  Jews  takes  place,  it  will  not  happen  in  a  cor- 
ner, but   be   so   glorious   and   conspicuous   that 
every   one   must   confess:   the   LORD   has   done 
that."  STARKE. 

7.  On  Hi.  11,  12.     "Dost  thou  like  to  keep 
company  with  the  wicked,  and  wouldst  yet  be  a 
Christian  ?     That   cannot   be ;  for  what  commu- 
nion has   light  with   darkness  (2  Cor.  vi.  14)? 
Christians  are  holy  people.     How  would  it  ever 
do   to   make   one's   self  unclean   with   sinners  ? 
Therefore  sigh  in  all  earnestness:    '  Create  in  me 
a  clean   heart,   O   God,'     etc.  (Ps.  li.  12).— The 
Church  of  Christ  and  every  true  believer  has  in 
Christ  a  faithful  guide  and  leader,  a  mighty  pro- 
tector in  distress.     If  they  journey  at  His  com- 
mand and  in  their  calling,  He  goes  before  them." 
STARKE. 

8.  On  Hi.  11.     This  passage  is   cited   by   the 
Roman  Catholics  as  authority  for  the  celibacy  of 
the  priests.     The  Apology  of  the   Con/.  August. 
remonstrates  against  this  application  of  the  pas- 
sage in  Art.  XI.  De  conjugio  sacerdotum,  p.  248, 
ed  HASE  ;  comp.  pp.  241,  27 ;  244,  41. 

On  Hi.  1 2.  "  Est  insignis  exhortatio,  ut  simplici 
fide  in  solum  Christum,  ducem  nostrum,  respieiamus, 
qui  nos  colliget,  ut  maneamus  in  verbo  et  simus  tuti 
ah  omnibus  peccatis.  Sic  legimus  de  quadam  Sancta 
Moniali.  Ea  cum  tentaretur  ob  admissa  peccata, 
nikil  aliud  respondit,  quam  se  Chrixtianam  esse. 
Sensit  enim,  se  nee  suis  malis  operibus  damnari, 
quod  haberet  Christum,  nee  bonis  operibus  sulvari 
posse,  sed  Christum  pro  se  traditam  victimam  satis- 
fecisse  pro  peccatis  suis."  LUTHER. 

HOMILETICAIi   HINTS. 

1.  On  Hi.  1-6.  Comfort  and  admonition  to  the 
church  in  time  of  distress.  1)  Wherein  the  present 
distress  consists  (vers.  4,  5 :  how  the  world-power 
has  ever  been  hostile  to  the  kingdom  of  God) ; 
2)  What  the  church  in  this  distress  must  correct 
in  itself  (ver.  2:  it  must  make  itself  inwardly 
free  from  worldliness) ;  3)  What  the  church  has 
to  hope  in  this  distress:  a.  that  the  LORD  will 
defend  His  own  honor  (ver.  6);  b.  that  He  will 
not  suffer  His  enemies  to  have  the  advantage 
(ver.  3 :  He  can  for  a  while  let  them  appear  to 
have  it  by  seeming  to  surrender  His  church  to 
their  enemies;  but  He  will,  at  the  right  ^moment, 
take  it  away  from  them  again) ;  c.  that  'in  conse- 


CHAP.  LI  I.  13— LIII.  12. 


567 


quence  of  this  the   church   will   again   become 
strong  and  glorious  (ver.  1). 

2.  On  lii.  7-10.  "The  lovely  harmony  brought 
about  in  the  church  by  the  glad  tidings  of  Christ ; 
1)  In  the  messengers  who  start  it;  2)  In  the 
doctrines  that  continue  its  sound ;  3)  In  the 
hearts  that  re-echo  it."  LAUXMANN,  in  "  Zeug- 
nissen  ev.  Glaubens  von  V.  F.  OEIILEK,  Stuttgart, 
1869." 


3.  On  lii.  11,  12.  The  church  of  the  LORD 
may  come  to  a  situation  that  will  compel  it  to  go 
out  of  its  previous  relations.  In  that  case  it  is 
important  to  observe  three  things:  1)  Not  to 
defile  itself  by  participating  in  the  nature  and 
practices  of  the  world ;  2)  Not  to  act  with  im- 
prudent haste  or  cowardly  fear;  3)  To  confide 
in  the  guidance  and  protection  of  the  LORD. 


V.— THE  FIFTH  DISCOURSE. 

Golgotha  and  Sheblimini  [sit  at  my  right  hand. — TK.]. 
CHAP.  LII.  13— LIII.  12. 


The  transition  from  lii.  12  to  lii.  13  is  abrupt 
only  in  outward  appearance.  The  attentive 
reader  will  see  that  inwardly  there  has  been  due 
preparation  for  it.  For  it  was  said  already,  xlix. 
3,  4,  that  the  Servant  of  the  LORD,  by  whom  the 
LORD  will  glorify  Himself,  will  be  surprised  by 
this  success  as  the  unexpected  reward  of  His 
afflictions.  It  is  said,  moreover,  xlix.  5,  6,  8 
sqq.,  that  the  restoration  of  Jerusalem  will  be 
accomplished  by  the  Servant  of  the  LORD.  Also, 
1.  1,  it  is  snid,  that  Israel's  sin  was  the  ground 
of  its  repudiation.  In  the  same  chapter,  ver.  4 
sqq.,  is  described  the  readiness  of  the  Servant  of 
the  LORD  to  endure  the  sufferings  laid  on  Him. 
Our  present  section  (lii.  13 — liii.  12;  the  erro- 
neous division  of  chapters  arose  from  supposing 
that  lii.  13-15  continues,  as  the  foregoing  context, 
to  speak  of  the  people  of  Israel)  shows  us  how 
these  two  particulars  are  inwardly  connected  : 
the  sufferings  that  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  must 
bear,  and  which  make  Him  appear  as  a  refuse 
of  mankind  (xlix.  7)  are  nothing  else  than  the 
atoning  sufferings  that  He  representatively  takes 
on  Himself,  but  from  which  He  will  issue  as  the 
high,  glorious  and  mighty  Ruler  (comp.  xlix.  7 
with  lii.  13,  15;  liii.  12). 

Chapters  xlix. — Ivii.  are  like  a  wreath  of  glo- 
rious flowers  intertwined  with  black  ribbon,  or 
like  a  song  of  triumph,  through  whose  muffled 
tone  there  courses  the  melody  of  a  dirge,  yet  so 
that  gradually  the  mournful  chords  merge  into 
the  melody  of  the  song  of  triumph.  And  at  the 
same  time  the  discourse  of  the  Prophet  is  ar- 
ranged with  so  much  art  that  the  mourning  rib- 
bon ties  into  a  great  bow  exactly  in  the  middle. 
For  chap.  liii.  forms  the  middle  of  the  entire 
prophetic  cycle  of  chaps,  xl. — Ixvi.  It  has  four 
chapters  of  the  second  Ennead,  and  thirteen 
chapters  of  the  second  and  first  Enneads  before 
it,  and  four  chapters  of  the  second  Ennead  and 
thirteen  chapters  of  the  second  and  third  Enneads 
after  it. 

Who  is  the  Servant  of  God,  that  forms  the  chief 
object  of  our  prophecy?  That  we  are  not  to  think 
of  Uzziah,  Hezekiah.  Josiah,  Jeremiah  (SAADIA, 
GROTIUS,  BUNSEN,  K.  A.  MENZEL,  Stoats  u.  Relig. 
Gesch.  der  Komigr.  Israel  u.  Juda.,  Breslau,  1853,  | 
p.  298  sq.),  or  even  of  Isaiah  himself,  hardly  re-  j 
quires  proof  at  the  present  day  (comp.  GESENIUS  | 
Komm.  p.  170  sqq.).     Or  need  we  pause  to  refute 
the  view,  that   the  whole  Jewish    people  is  the 
Servant  of  God,  that  therefore  the  speakers  liii.  2 


sqq.  are  the  heathen  who  recognize  that  Israel  has 
borne  their  (the.  heathen)  sins  ?  This  is  the  view 
that  the  Rabbins  put  forward  since  they  have  be- 
gun to  carry  on  polemics  with  Christians.  Rut 
even  Christian  expositors  have  joined  them, 
among  whom  HITZIG  is  to  be  named  foremost. 
But  it  has  often  been  shown,  that  Israel  did  not 
suffer  as  an  innocent  for  the  guilty  heathen,  but 
that  it  suffered  for  its  own  guilt;  and  that  it  has 
not  borne  its  sufferings  meekly,  but  with  sullen 
anger,  and,  as  far  as  possible,  with  obstinate  re- 
sistance. Corap.  especially  McCAUL,  The  doctrine 
and  exposition  of  the  liii.  of  Isaiah. — V.  FR.  OEH- 
LER,  Der  hnechl  Jehovah's  im  Deuterojesaja  II.,  p. 
66  sqq. — WUENSCHE,  Die  Leiden  des  Jlessias,  Leip- 
zig, 1870,  p.  35  sqq.  Many  Rabbins,  indeed,  as 
DAVID  KIMCHI  and  ISAAK  TROKI,  have  modified 
this  view,  saying,  that  not  Israel  thinks  thus  of 
itself,  but  the  heathen  will  so  say, ''  when  they  see 
that  the  faith  of  Israel  is  the  truth,  and  on  the 
contrary  their  faith  is  error"  (WuENSCHE,  1.  c., 
p.  36).  On  the  other  hand,  McCAUL  has  called 
attention  to  the  fact  that  liii.  11,  12,  Jehovah 
Himself  describes  the  suffering  of  His  Servant  as 
expiatory. — Others  understand  that  by  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah  is  meant  the  ideal  Israel,  i.  e.,  the 
higher  unity  of  the  nation.  This  higher  unity 
suffered,  not  because  it  consisted  of  nothing  but 
guilty  ones,  but,  on  the  contrary,  in  spite  of  its 
consisting  only  partially  of  such.  It  suffered 
therefore,  because  not  all  had  sinned  and  yet  all 
must  suffer,  in  a  certain  sense  innocently,  and  is  so 
far  a  prophecy  (not  prediction)  relating  to  Christ. 
So  VATKE  ('Religion  des  Alien  Test.,  1835).  But 
to  this  it  is  to  be  objected,  that  this  view  amounts 
to  a  distinction  between  the  better  and  worse  part 
of  the  nation  to  which  the  text  makes  no  reference 
whatever.  For  it  manifestly  does  not  contrast  one 
part  of  the  nation  with  another  part,  but  the  en- 
tire nation  with  the  one  Servant  of  God.  The 
Prophet  does  not  distinguish  guilty  and  innocent 
in  the  nation.  He  sees  in  the  nation  only  guilty 
ones.  This  he  utters  plainly,  ver.  6:  "all  we  like 
lost  sheep  have  gone  astray ;  we  have  turned 
every  one  to  his  own  way ;  and  the  LORD  hath  laid 
on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all." — Others  understand 
"  the  true  worshippers  of  Jehovah  "  to  be  meant 
bv  the  Servant  of  God.  This  is  the  view  that 
KNOBET,  represents.  According  to  this  the  Pro- 
phet in  liii.  2-6  speaks  in  the  first  person  plural, 
"  because  he  puts  himself  among  the  people,  and 
would  be  a  voice  out  of  the  midst  of  the  totality." 


568 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


His  view  of  the  sufferings  of  the  Servant  was  only 
partially  that  of  the  nation,  for  the  rest  (viz.,  in  re- 
spect to  the  cause  of  their  sufferings)  this  ought 
to  have  been  their  view.  That  is,  the  sufferings 
of  the  Exile,  which  were  regarded  as  punishments 
for  the  sins  of  the  nation,  concerned  (according  to 
KNOBEL)  especially  the  true  worshippers  of  Je- 
hovah, who  obstinately  clung  to  their  nationality, 
and  were  very  zealous  for  Jehovah  and  opposed 
to  idols.  They  were  especially  the  E"J#-  The 
mass  of  the  people,  on  the  other  hand,  that  did 
not  cling  strictly  to  the  ancestral  religion,  stood  in 
good  terms  with  the  heathen,  and,  on  the  whole, 
found  themselves  in  tolerable  relations.  This  ex- 
planation is  so  unnatural  and  inwardly  conflicting 
that  it  refutes  itself.  It  would  have  the  suffering 
Servant  of  Jehovah  represent  the  true  worshippers 
of  Jehovah,  and  those,  that  in  vers.  2-6  speak  of 
the  Servant  in  the  first  person  plural,  to  be  the 
apostate  Israelites,  constituting  the  great  mass  of 
the  nation.  Then  the  worshippers  of  Jehovah 
and  those  apostates  are  opponents.  Yet  verily 
the  apostates  can  not  speak  of  the  worshippers  of 
Jehovah  with  great  reverence  and  deep  sympathy. 
In  their  mouth  the  name  "  Servant  of  Jehovah" 
could  only  be  used  in  mockery.  They  could  only 
be  supposed  to  say  :  It  is  well  that  such  fools  are 
among  us:  then  the  hatred  of  the  heathen  will 
discharge  itself  on  them  without  hurting  us.  But 
that  serves  them  right.  Why  do  they  not  do  as 
we  ?  Why  do  they  not  howl  along  with  the 
wolves?  They  might  fare  as  well  as  we,  were  they 
only  prudent.  In  some  such  way  must  the  apos- 
tates speak  of  the  worshippers  of  Jehovah,  if  their 
real  sentiments  were  to  appear.  But  the  words 
sound  quite  otherwise,  that,  according  to  KNOBEL, 
come  out  of  the  midst  of  the  nation.  They  are 
words  of  the  highest  reverence.  KNOBEL  feels 
this  himself,  and  hence  he  makes  the  Prophet 
speak  these  words,  expressing  thereby,  not  what 
the  mass  of  the  people  actually  thought,  but  what 
they  ought  to  have  thought  !  How  unnatural !  The 
Prophet  of  Jehovah,  who  can  only  be  thought  of 
as  a  worshipper  of  Jehovah,  speaks  as  the  repre- 
sentative, not  of  such  worshippers,  but  of  the  great 
apostate  mass  of  the  nation.  He  expresses,  how- 
ever, not,  indeed,  the  sentiments  that  these  actual- 
ly harbored,  but  such  as  they  ought  to  harbor! 
What  comedy  is  this  ?  Verily,  if  such  a  distinc- 
tion between  apostates  and  worshippers  of  Jehovah 
be  allowed,  the  Prophet  could  only  meet  the  form- 
er with  rebuke.  He  could  only  hold  up  to  them 
their  apostacy  and  admonish  them  to  bear  the  in- 
famy of  Jehovah  with  the  true  Israelites,  rather 
than  to  roll  it  off,  in  craven  treachery,  on  their 

fellow-countrymen. Accordingto  another  view 

the  Servant  of  Jehovah  represents  the  prophetic 
doss  or  the  prophetic  institution.  Thus  in  various 
modifications  especially  GESENITJS  and  UMBREIT; 
whereas  HOPMANN  understands  that  by  the  Ser- 
vant of  God  is  meant  Christ  indeed,  but  only  as  a 
prophet.  What  is  said  of  the  sufferings  of  the 
Servant  does,  indeed,  in  a  general  way,  apply 
well  enough  to  the  prophetic  calling;  for  the  pro- 
phets were  often  enough  obliged  to  suffer  distress, 
judgment,  contempt,  death  for  the  sake  of  that 
calling.  Yet  one  thing  remains,  that  under  no 
circumstances  can  be  said  of  a  prophet,  viz.,  that 
God  the  Lord  cast  on  Him  the  guilt  of  the  people, 
that  He  bore  the  sin  of  the  people,  that  by  His 


wounds  the  people  were  healed  and  made  well. 
If,  indeed,  one  is  determined  to  find  in  our  pass- 
age only  the  idea  of  suffering  in  a  calling  and  not 
suffering  as  a  representative,  I  must  say  that  this 
is  only  possible  by  means  of  an  artful  exegesis, 
and  refer  to  the  following  exposition  for  the  proof 
of  this  opinion.  Comp.  moreover  the  Doctrinal 
and  Ethical  thoughts. 

I  hold  the  Messianic  interpretation  to  be  the 
j  only  one  that    is  natural    and    founded  on   the 
I  sound  of  the  words.     When  KNOBEL  affirms  that 
I  the  Old  Testament  knows  nothing  of  a  suffering 
'  Messiah,  and  that  Deutero-Isaiah  knows  nothing 
|  of  a  Messiah  at  all,  it  just  depends  on  the  way  one 
I  expounds  the  passages  in  question.     If  one"  does 
I  this  in  the  way  exhibited  in  the  above  sample  of 
KNOBEL'S  style  of  exegesis,  then  one  can  interpret 
away  from  every  passage  whatever  he  dislikes, 
|  and  interpret  whatever  he  likes  into  it.     Who- 
j  ever  sees  that  Christ  is  the  Lamb  of  God  that  bears 
|  away  the  sin  of  the  world  according  to  the  eter- 
nal counsel  of  God  already  revealed  in  the  Old 
covenant,  must  recognize  the  connection  between 
this  fact  and  Old  Testament  prophecy;  he  must 
especially  recognize  in  Isa.  liii.  the  outline  of  that 
plan  of  salvation. 

As,  speaking  generally,  all  types  of  the  old 
covenant  combine  in  the  one  image  of  the  TVEto, 
so  also,  in  a  narrower  sphere,  the  various  typical 
forms  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  given  partly  in 
the  nation  of  Israel  generally  (xli.  8  sqq.),  partly 
iu  the  pious  core  of  the  nation  (xiv.  1-5), 
partly  in  the  prophets  (xliv.  26),  finally  unite  in 
the  one  figure  of  the  personal  Servant  of  Jehovah. 
As  the  species  of  primitive  rock  form  both  the 
deepest  foundation  and  the  highest  summit  of  the 
earth's  body,  so  is  Christ  at  once  the  original  and 
fulfilment  of  all  prophecy.  He  is  in  particular 
both  the  inmost  core  and  the  crowning  summit 
of  all  typical  forms  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah. 
It  is  to  be,  observed,  however,  that  the  Servant  of 
Jehovah  is  not  a  type-form  co-ordinate  with  the 
types  of  the  prophet,  priest,  and  king.  But  He 
represents  alone  the  character  of  the  lowly,  un- 
sightly, pitiable  "Servant-form"  or  the  "sorrow- 
ful form"  as  far  as  that  is  common  to  all  those 
type-forms.  For  that  the  Old  Testament  knows 
also  a  king  "of  the  sorrowful  form"  is  evident 
from  Zech.  ix.  9.  Hence  it  is,  of  course,  not  cor- 
rect to  say,  that  in  Isa.  liii.  is  drawn  the  form  of 
the  messianic  Priest,  King,  or  Prophet.  For  Isa. 
liii.  treats  only  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah,  and 
only  of  the  Priest,  King,  or  Prophet,  so  fur  as 
even  in  these  also  the  poor,  lowly  Servant  appears. 
Hence,  too,  one  may  not  say  that  all  the  persons 
of  the  old  covenant  that  have  ever  been  designated 
(as  servants  and  instruments  of  God)  by  the  name 
Servant  of  Jehovah,  are  servants  of  God  in  the 
Isaianic  sense.  This  specific  Servant  of  Jehovah, 
that  we  find  in  Isa.  xl.-liii.  as  type  of  the  poverty 
and  lowliness  of  the  Messiah,  does  not  appear  at 
all  in  the  older  writing.  When  Moses  (Exod. 
xiv.  31;  Josh.  i.  1,  2,  13;  Ps.  cv.  26;  2Ki.xviii. 
12,  etc.),  Jacob  (Gen.  xxxii.  10),  the  Patriarchs 
(Exod.  xxxii.  13;  Deut.  ix.  27)  are  designated 
by  this  name,  it  is  as  the  servants  of  Jehovah, 
without  giving  prominence  to  the/onn  of  the  ser- 
vant. What  servant-form  would  one  find  in  the 
angels,  who  are  also  called  the  servants  of  God  in 


CHAP.  LIT.  13-15. 


569 


Job  iv.  18?     It  is,  indeed,  possible  that  the  idea  | 
of  a  servant-form  veiling  the  inward  glory  gra-  | 
dually  developed  from  observing  the  contrasts  in  i 
the  life  of  a  David  (comp.  Ps.  xviii.  1;  Ixxxix.  j 
4,  21;  cxxxii.  10;  oxliv.  10;  2  Sam.  vii.  5,  8,  18, 
20  sqq.,  etc.),  of  a  Job  (i.  8  ;  ii.  3  ;  xlii.  7,  8)  of  the 
prophets  (2  Ki.  ix.  7,  36;  x.  10;  xiv.  25;  xvii. 
23,  etc.),  yea,  of  the  pious  in  general  (Ps.  xix.  12, 
14;  xxxi.  17;  xxxv.  27,  etc.).     But  we  first  find 
this  idea   crystallized  into  a  fixed  form   in  the 
second  part  of  Isaiah.     Later  writers  may  have 
taken  the  expression  from  Isaiah,  and  applied  it 
in   his  sense,  especially  to  the  people  of  Israel 
(comp.  Jer.  xxx.  10;  xlvi.  27,  28;  Ps.  cxxxvi. 
22).     But  one  must  be  on  his  guard  about  taking 


every  use  of  the  word  by  later  writers  in  the 
Isaianic* sense.  Thus  Nebuchadnezzar  ( Jer.  xxv. 
9)  is  called  servant  of  Jehovah,  but  certainly 
not  in  Isaiah's  sense.  Before  and  in  Isaiah,  ~\3£ 
is  never  found  conjoined  witli  any  other  name  of 
God  than  HlIT.  It  is  remarkable,  that  Moses,  in 
later  writings,  beside  being  called  i~lliT  "Qj,*  (2 
Chr.  i.  3;  xxiv.  9),  is  also  called  D'nSxn  -QJ;  (1 
Chr.  vi.  34;  2  Chr.  xxiv.  9;  Neh.  x.  30;  Dan.  ix. 
11). 

Our  prophecy  subdivides  into  three  parts.  The 
first  (lii.  13-15)  contains  the  theme  of  the  pro- 
phecy; the  second  (liii.  1-7  treats  of  the  lowli- 
ness of  the  Servant;  the  third  (liii.  8-12)  treats 
of  his  exaltation. 


1.    THE  THEME  OF  THE  PKOPHECY. 
CHAPTER  LII.  13-15. 

13  Behold,  my  servant  shall  Meal  prudently, 

He  shall  be  exalted  and  extolled,  and  be  very  high. 

14  As  many  were  "astoaied  at  thee; 

His  visage  was  so  marred  more  than  any  man, 
And  his  form  more  than  the  sons  of  men  : 

15  So  shall  he  bsprinkle  many  nations  ; 

The  kings  shall  shut  their  mouths  at  him  : 

"For  that  which  had  not  been  told  them  shall  they  see ; 

And  that  which  they  had  not  heard  shall  they  consider. 

1  Or,  prosper. 

•  horrified.  b  make  sprinq  up. 

«  For  those  to  whom  nothing  was  told,  they  see  it,  and  those  who  have  heard  nothing,  they  understand  it. 


TEXTUAL   AND 
Ver.  13.  73fe?— H3J  see  List.   The  three-degree  climax 

~  T  TT 

("13  Jl  X^Jl  Dl  V  must  neither  be  pressed,  nor  regarded 
as  without  significance.  It  is  a  rhetorical  expedient  for 
expressing  the  superlative  (comp.  virepv^taa-e  Phil.  ii.  9; 

Acts  ii.  33;    v.  31;  Eph.  i.  20  sqq.). That   Dip  may 

mean  "  to  raise  one's-self "  may  be  seen  xxx  18. The 

conjunction  of  Xtyjl  Q1T  and  in  that  order  is  Isaianic: 
ii.  12,  13, 14 ;  x.  33. 
Ver.  14.  ?3— "Iji'JO  is  used  here  as  in  Exod.  i.  12  (Gjs- 

SEN.).  Therefore,  with  most  expositors,  I  hold  the  clause 
D1K— f\rWD~?3  to  be  a  parenthesis,  that  explains  why 

TT  -  :     •        I" 

many  are  astonished  at  the  Servant.  In  regard  to  the 
change  of  person,  there  is  notoriously  great  freedom  in 
Hebrew,  and  also  in  Isaiah:  i.  29;  ii.  6;  xiv.  30;  xxxiii. 
2,6;  xli.l;  xlii.  20;  xiv.  8,  21).  HAEVEUNICK,  (Theol.  d.  A. 
T.,  p.  248),  HAHN  and  V.  F.  OEHLER  regard  the  two  clauses 
with  |3  as  the  two  degrees  of  the  apodosis.  HAEVERXICK 
urges  that  O  does  not  mean  adeo,  and  in  that  he  is  of 
course  correct.  It  is  only  the  comparative  ita,  not  the 
intensive  tarn  or  adeo.  But  he  is  wrong  in  urging  the 
rarity  of  the  parenthesis  in  Hebrew,  and  asserting  that 
|3  can  only  introduce  the  apodosis.  HAIIN,  who  pro- 
nounces the  change  of  persons  carelessness,  which  one 
has  not  the  least  right  to  assume  (he  does  not  reflect, 
however,  on  the  frequency  of  this  usage  !)  is  of  the  opi- 
nion, that  as  vers.  11, 12  speak  of  Israel,  aud  ver.  13  of 


GRAMMATICAL. 

the  Servant,  so,  too,  ver.  14  speaks  first  of  Israel,  and 
then  of  the  Servant.  But  that  is  quite  a  superficial  con- 
struction. For  there  is  a  chasm  between  vers.  12  and 
13.  With  ver.  13  there  begins  a  new,  specifically  differ- 
ent section,  and  it  is  on  the  contrary  quite  unnatural 
and  against  the  context  to  refer  T7j?  again  to  the  na- 
tion. V.  FR.  OEHLEU  apparently  avoids  this  unnatural- 
ness  by  referring  also  ver.  13  to  the  nation,  and  letting 
the  transition  to  the  servant  begin  with  .nntJ/O  |D-  But 

this  construction  also  does  violence  to  the  text. 

nntJ^O  from  nnty,  Kal  unused,  Piel  "  corrupit,  pessum 
dedi't,"  is  any  way  air.  Aey.  Analogous  formations  nnCO 

T    :     T 

"  corruptio.  corruptum,"  Lev.  xxii.  25  and  rin^O  "per- 
nicies,"  Ezek.  ix.  1.  It  is  uncertain  and  indifferent  a? 
to  sense  which  is  the  chief  form,  PHE'D  or 

T    :     ' 

(syncopated  from  nnnt^rD  (HAEVEHNICK,  et  al.)  or 
as  e.  g.,  DO^O,  2 .3 "10."  The  expression  CTN 
is  explained  from  the  capability  of  the  preposition  |?p 
to  express  a  negation.  Deformity  away  from  the  man 
is  deformity  or  disfigurement  to  an  appearance  no 
longer  human.  JO  has  an  analogous  meaning  in  the 
clause  DIN  'J30  nKHV  For  here  also  the  literal 
meaning  is  :  his  form  is  away  from  men,  i.  e.,  no  longer 
human. 


570 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  These  verses,  which  by  their  contents  ne- 
cessarily belong  to  chap.   liii.  according  to  the 
common  manner  of  the  Prophet,  stand   in  front 
as  giving  the  theme.     Ver.  13  sets  forth  the  final 
goal  :  the  glory  and  sublimity  of  the  Servant  of 
Jehovah.      But  in  roughest    contrast  with   this 
stands  the  way  that  He  must  go  in  order  to  reach 
that  goal:    deepest   suffering,  by  which   He  al- 
most loses  His  human  appearance  (ver.  14).   But 
as  the  humiliation  is  deep,  so  is  the  exaltation 
high  :  the  Gentile  world  and  its  kings  will  wor- 
ship Him  that  is  exalted   out  of  suffering,  for 
they,  for  whom  the  salvation  appeared  not  to  be 
destined,  will  also  have  a  share  in  it  (ver.  15). 

2.  Behold  my  Servant  -  they  consider. 

—  Vers.  13-15.  The  expression  7'Dty  points  to 
the  reciprocal  relation  of  means  and  end.  He 
that  uses  the  means  that  lead  to  the  end  is  wise. 
The  Servant  of  God  will  use  no  false  means, 


therefore  He  is  wise.  TDtyn  never  of  itself  has 
the  meaning  of  O'TUI  ;  but  in  the  sapienter  rem 
gerere  there  is  impliedly  the  bene  rem  gerere 
(comp.  Jer.  x.  21  ;  Prov.  xvii.  8).  HENGSTEN- 

BERG  sees  in  TDftT  a  ''  retrospect  "  to  1  Sam. 
xviii.  14,  15  where  this  word  is  used  of  David 
(comp.  1  Kings  ii.  3  ;  Ps.  ci.  2  ;  2  Kings  xviii. 
7).  But  he  seems  to  me  to  go  too  far  when,  ac- 
cording to  the  parallel  passage  cited,  he  under- 

stands TDty  to  mean  the  wise  administration  of 
government,  and  STIER  has  properly  protested 
against  this  construction.  Yet  we  may  suppose 
there  is  an  allusion  involving  only  comparison 
and  not  equalization.  For  the  Servant  of  God 
appears  here,  not  indeed  as  king,  but  as  one  that. 
like  David,  from  a  small,  mean  beginning  worked 
himself  aloft  to  high  honor. 

But  the  splendid  description  of  ver.  13  antici- 
pates merely  the  end.  This  end  crowns  a  course 
of  development  of  the  contrary  character.  It 
passes  through  night  to  light,  per  ardua  ad  astra. 
The  vers.  14,  15  say  this.  For  many  the  Ser- 
vant of  God  became  an  object  of  horror  (00$ 
comp.  Lev.  xxvi.  32  ;  Ezek.  xxvii.  35  ;  xxviii. 
19).  But  in  the  same  proportion  that  He  first 
provokes  horror  by  the  deformity  of  His  appear- 
ance, He  will  later  provoke  wondering  reverence. 
His  visage  was  so  marred,  etc.  ["His  look 
however  was  in  that  degree  disfigured  to  the  in- 
human, and  His  form  not  like  a  son  of  man's." 
DR.  NAEGELSBACH'S  translation.  —  TR.].  These 
words  are  a  parenthesis  (see  Text,  and  Gram.}. 
There  occurs  accordingly  a  change  of  person, 
which,  as  HENGSTENBERG  remarks,  is  explained 
by  the  parenthesis  containing  a  remark  of  the 
P'rophet,  in  which,  naturally,  the  Servant  is 
spoken  of  in  the  third  person.  But  by  this  the 
continuation  of  Jehovah's  discourse  in  ver.  15  is 
also  diverted  from  the  second  to  the  third  person 
(see  Text,  and  Gram.). 

Since  1.  10  the  expression  12}?  "servant"  has 
not  been  used.  Chapters  li.  lii.  spoke4  of  the 
people  of  Israel  without  applying  to  them  the 
designation  "  Servant  of  GodV'  According  to 
CEiiLER's  exposition,  in  lii.  14  —  liii.  12  also  the 


!  personal  Servant  of  God  is  not  spoken  of ;  and 
I  now  ver.  13  must  not  be  introduction  to  what 
follows,  but  recapitulation  of  what  precedes ! 
After  previously  speaking  of  Israel's  elevation, 
and  bringing  this  contemplation  to  a  close  in 
every  respect,  is  it  now  again  to  be  discoursed 
on  ?  A  section  treating  of  the  personal  Servant 
of  God  ought  to  begin  with  a  statement  having 
the  Servant  of  God  for  subject,  and  yet  this  Ser- 
I  vant  of  God  must  not  be  the  one  of  whom  the 
|  new  section  treats,  but  the  one  of  which  the  fore- 
going section  treated,  yet  without  designating  it 
as  the  Servant  of  God !  In  this  way  ver.  13, 
from  being  a  most  suitable  and  artistic  beginning 
of  the  new  section,  becomes  an  unsuitable  con- 
clusion of  the  foregoing  one.  Of  course  one  will 
not  venture  to  take  J3  in  the  sense  of  "adeo," 
which  it  does  not  have.  But  it  is  equivalent  to 
"  corresponding  to,  in  that  degree  that,"  and  in- 
volves tlie  meaning  that  the  horror  of  the  people 
answers  to  the  looks  of  the  Servant,  so  that  the 
former  is  prompted  by  the  latter.  There  will  be 
a  certain  equality  between  fortunate  and  unfortu- 
nate consequences ;  in  the  same  degree  that  one 
was  horrified  at  Him,  He  will  also  provoke  joy- 
ful wonder  and  reverence  (ver.  15).  HfJ  is  "  to 

TT 

spring,''  and  witli  the  exception  of  our  text  is 
used  in  the  Old  Testament    (in  twenty  places) 
only  of  the  springing  or  spurting  of  fluids.     It 
occurs  in  this  sense  also  Ixiii.  3.     This  use  is  es- 
pecially frequent  in  the  Pentateuch,  where  the 
i  various  acts  of  purification   and  consecration  are 
!  spoken  of,  which  were  performed  by  sprinkling 
i  with  blood  or  water.     Hence  very  many  exposi- 
!  tors,  following  the  VULG.,  and  SYR.,  as  LUTHER, 
VATABL.,  FORER.,  GROTIUS  (who  yet  also  ap- 
proved the  davfjdaovrai  of  the  LXX.  since  he 
says,  "minari  est  veluti  aspergi  fulgore  alicujus,"  for 
which  VITRINGA  reproves  him  sharply),  LOWTH 
(whom  however  this  exposition  does  not  satis- 
fy), RAMBACH,  HENGSTENBERG,  HAEVERNICK, 
HAHN,  etc.     [BARNES,  J.    A.    ALEX.,   BIRKS, 
eic.],  have  taken  HfJ   in  the  sense  of   asperget, 

["  to  asperse,  besprinkle  "]  and  have  considered 
the  reference  to  be  to  the  atoning  power  of  the 
blood  of  Christ  ("  Christ  us  virtutem  sanguinis  a  se 
fusi  instar  Magni  Pontificis  domus  Dei  applicabit 
ad  purificationem  conscientiarum  gentium  mul- 
1  tarnm."  VITRINGA).  This  explanation  was  the 
[  one  generally  received  by  the  church.  But  it  is 
correctly  objected  to  it,  that  D-TH  never  means 
"to  be-sprinkle"  but  always  "to  spout,"  "to  make 
burst,"  and  is  always  followed  by  the  accusative  of 

the  spurted  fluid,  with  Tg  or  /X  of  the  remoter 
object  that  is  spurted  on.  Perhaps  on  this  ac- 
count the  TARG.  JONAT.,  then  SAADIA  and 
ABENEZRA  gave  the  rendering  disperget.  But  apart 
from  this  meaning  not  being  grammatically  es- 
tablished, it  does  not  at  all  suit  the  context. 
There  has  been  an  effort  to  change  the  reaiiing. 
Thus  the  Englishmen  DURELL  and  JUBB,  whom 
LOWTH  quotes,  would  read  '-'|T,  which  they  then 
take  in  the  sense  of  the  Qavft&aovrat  of  the  LXX.: 
so  shall  many  nations  wonder  at  him."  But  Piel 
of  nin  never  occurs,  and  the  meaning  "  tiavfid- 


CHAP.  LIT.  13-15. 


571 


i "  would  be  dragged  in.  J.  DAV.  MICHA- 
ELIS  would  point  i"\T  after  the  Arabic  naziha 
(amoenus  fuit,  oblectavit),  accordingly  the  sense 
would  be:  ''so  shall  He  be  the  delight  of  many 
Gentiles."  This  conjecture,  also,  must  be  called 
too  far-fetched.  The  most  satisfactory  explana- 
tion is  the  one  now  approved  by  most  expositors 
(since  CH.  DAV.  MARTINI,  Comment,  philol.  crit. 
in  Jes.  cap.  liii.  Rout.  1791):  "He  will  make 
spring  up,"  which  springing  up  is  taken  either 
as  the  expression  of  joy  or  of  astonishment,  sur- 
prise, or  of  reverence,  and  is  construed  in  anti- 
thesis to  "Y/y  IDOty  ver.  14.  Also  STIER,  DE- 
UTZSOH,  V.  FR.  (EHLER  share  this  view.  I  side 
with  them  because  1  know  of  nothing  better. 
The  thought  in  itself,  indeed,  seems  to  me  suita- 
ble. For  one  can,  of  course,  suppose  that  the 
Prophet  means  to  oppose  to  that  horror  with 
which  the  suffering  Servant  was  regarded,  a  sur- 
prised springing  up  proceeding  from  respectful 
astonishment.  One  might  quote  as  a  parallel 
iinfiKh  D'lfc'  VDp  Isa.  xlix.  7.  And  one  might 

-:  i-  :   •:          -T          IT 

also  fittingly  refer  to  Jer.  xxxiii.  9  01H3  D]U 
HJll)  and  Hab.  iii.  6  (D'U  1JV1).  But  neverthe- 
less it  remains  an  unfortunate  affair,  that  HO  is 
used  in  the  Old  Testament  only  of  the  springing 
or  spurting  of  fluids,  and  never  of  persons,  and 
that  for  the  latter  use  one  can  only  appeal  to 
Arabic  analogies  (naza,  see  GESEN.  fhes.  p.  868 
a).  In  my  opinion,  it  is  possible  that  the  read- 
ing 7TP  is  not  correct.  Perhaps  we  ought  to  read 
D^l'J  Ijv  as  in  Hab.  iii.  6.  That  would  give  the 
same  sense  by  means  of  a  genuine  Hebrew  word, 
though  one,  indeed,  not  frequently  used.  For 
iru  ''  tremuit,  subsilivit "  occurs  beside  only  Lev. 
xi.  12  ;  Job  xxxvii.  1.  If  1£^  was  the  original 
reading  in  our  text,  it  were  alowable  to  think 
that  the  contents  of  chap.  liii.  occasioned  the 
substitution  of  the  priestly  word  HP  for  the  one 
that  may  have  fallen  out  in  some  way,  or  have 
become  indistinct.  [The  foregoing  review  of  the 
state  of  the  question  concerning  fir,  and  the 
Author's  own  despairing  attempt,  dispose  one  to 
say  ''  the  old  is  better "  and  to  adhere  to  the 
English  accepted  version.  J.  A.  ALEX.,  says  of 
the  other  views  and  especially  of  that  stated 
above  to  be  the  most  generally  adopted  by  mo- 
dern expositors :  "  The  explanation  is  in  di- 
rect opposition  to  a  perfectly  uniform  Hebrew 
usage,  and  without  any  real  ground  even  in 
Arabic  analogy.  The  ostensible  reasons  for  this 
gross  violation  of  the  clearest  principles  of  lexi- 
cography are :  first  the  chimera  of  a  perfect 
parallelism,  which  is  never  urged  except  in  cases 
of  great  necessity;  and  secondly,  the  fact  that  in 
every  other  case  the  verb  is  followed  by  the  sub- 
stance sprinkled,  and  connected  with  the  object 
upon  which  it  is  sprinkled  by  a  preposition. 
But  since  both  constructions  of  the  verb  "to 
sprinkle"  are  employed  in  other  languages  (as 
we  may  either  speak  of  sprinkling  a  person  or  of 
sprinkling  water  on  him),  the  transition  must  be 
natural,  and  no  one  can  pretend  to  say,  that  two 
or  more  examples  of  it  in  a  book  of  this  size  are 
required  to  demonstrate  its  existence.  The  real 


motive  of  the  strange  unanimity  with  which  the 
true  sense  has  been  set  aside,  is  the  desire  to 
obliterate  this  clear  description,  at  the  very  cut- 
set, of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  as  an  expiatory 
purifier,  one  who  must  be  innocent  Himself  in 
order  to  cleanse  others. — Another  objection  to 
the  modern  explanation  of  the  word  is,  that  it 
then  anticipates  the  declaration  of  the  next 
clause,  instead  of  forming  a  connecting  link  be- 
tween it  and  the  first." — Some  that  hold  the 
modern  view,  as  our  AUTHOR  and  DELITZSCH, 
may  not  be  charged  with  what  J.  A.  ALEX,  pro- 
nounces the  real  motive  of  it.  See  above  the  in- 
troduction to  this  section.  But  surely  it  is  easier 
to  conjecture  that  Jir  has  the  force  and  construc- 
tion involved  in  the  old  view  (if  that  rendering  can 
be  charged  with  being  no  better  than  conjecture) 
than  to  resort  to  such  a  conjecture  as  that  of  the 
Author. — TR.]. — The  added  D/U  by  no  means 
represents,  in  relation  to  ver.  14  a,  merely  a 
(quantitative)  intensification  (see  immediately  be- 
low on  ver.  14  6).  Shall  shut  their  mouths 
is  a  sign  of  reverence  (comp.  Matth.  vii.  10,  and 

in  general  Isa.  xlix.  7).  V /#  is  causal:  on  ac- 
count of  His  surprisingly  imposing  appearance 
they  are  dumb.  To  understand  the  causal  clause 
'1J1  130  tO  lUto  'D  as  DELITZSCH  does  ("  what 
was  never  told  they  see,  what  was  never  heard  they 
hear")  the  text  must  read  IKi  13?  «S  itfK  \3. 
But  the  additional  -OH;,  of  which  that  explana- 
tion makes  no  account,  intimates  rather  that  the 
Prophet  lays  the  emphasis  on  the  antithesis  be- 
tween the  Jews  and  the  Gentiles.  Hence  he  adds 
before  D'31  the  word  DMJ.  Many  heathen  na- 
tions trembled  before  Him  in  reverence,  and 
their  kings  were  dumb  before  Him,  whereas 
Israel  felt  only  aversion  for  Him.  Thus  it  hap- 
pened that  those  did  not  recognize  Him  to  whom 
He  was  announced  in  advance,  whereas  those  to 
whom  nothing  about  Him  was  announced  saw 
Him  and  understood  (Ixv.  1 ;  Ixvi.  19).  It  is 
clear,  therefore,  that  130  and  tyOEJ  refer  to  the 

~  '.  :     IT 

prophetic  announcement  that  preceded  the  his- 
torical appearance  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah, 
and  prepared  the  way  for  it.  It  was  just  that 
Israel,  prophetically  acquainted  with  Him  in  ad- 
vance, that  did  not  receive  Him  ;  whereas  the 
heathen,  that  yet  were  without  such  preparation, 
made  Him  welcome.  [''  The  last  clause,  in  gram- 
mar, admits  equally  the  received  version  or  that 
of  the  LXX.  given  above  (  BIRKS  translates  as 
Dr.  NAEGELSBACH  does. — TR.).  But  St.  Paul's 
quotation,  Rom.  xv.  20,  21,  where  this  very  pro- 
mise, as  rendered  above,  is  made  the  rule  and 
law  of  his  own  conduct  as  the  Apostle  of  the 
Gentiles,  seems  decisive  in  favor  of  the  latter 
meaning  (LXX.,  VULG.,  LUTH.,  CRUSIUS,  STIER). 
Beside  the  authority  of  an  inspired  comment,  the 
context  favors  this  construction.  That  wide  pub- 
lication of  the  gospej,  to  which  Paul  applies  the 
words,  and  in  which  he  was  the  chief  instrument, 
explains  how  it  would  be  that  many  nations  and 
kings  should  come  to  do  homage  to  Messiah. 
BIRKS.— TB.] 


572 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


2.   THE  LOWLINESS  OF  THE  SERVANT  AS  THE  LAMB  THAT  BEARS  THE 

PEOPLE'S  SIN. 

CHAPTEB  LIU.  1-7. 

1  WHO  hath  believed  our1  2report? 

And  to  whom  is  the  arm  of  the  LORD  revealed  ? 

2  For  ahe  shall  grow  up  before  him  as  a  tender  plant, 
And  as  a  root  out  of  a  dry  ground  : 

He  hath  no  form  nor  comeliness ;  and  when  bwe  shall  see 
There  is  no  beauty  that  we  should  desire  him. 

3  °He  is  despised  and  rejected  of  men; 

A  man  of  soirows,  and  dacquainted  with  grief: 
And3  4we  hid  as  it  were  our  faces  from  him ; 
He  was  despised,  and  we  esteemed  him  not. 

4  Surely  he  hath  borne  our  griefs, 
And  carried  our  sorrows : 

Yet  we  did  esteem  him  stricken, 
Smitten  of  God,  and  afflicted. 

5  But  he  was  5 wounded  for  our  transgressions, 
He  ^vas  bruised  for  our  iniquities  : 

The  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him ; 
And  with  his  Stripes  we  are  healed. 

6  All  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray; 

We  have  turned  every  one  to  his  own  way ; 

And  the  LORD  'hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all. 

7  He  was  oppressed,  and  he  ewas  afflicted, 
rYet  he  opened  not  his  mouth : 

gHe  is  brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter, 
And  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is  dumb, 
So  he  "openeth  not  his  mouth. 

i  Or,  doctrine.  2  Heb.  hearing.  3  Or.  he  hid  as  it  were  Us  face  from  vs. 

*  Heh.  as  an  hiding  of  faces  from  him,  or  from  vs.  6  Or,  tormented. 

•  Heb.  bruise.  7  Heb.  hath  made  the  iniquities  of  us  all  to  meet  on  him. 


»  he  came  up.  b  toe  saw. 

d  noted  for  pain.  •  willingly  bowed  himself. 

t  As  a  iamb  is  brought  to  Ihe  slaughter. 


*  Despised  and  ceasing  to  be  man. 

'And. 

h  opened. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words:  Ver.  3. 
riT33(comp.  Ps.  xv- 4;  Jer.  xxii.  2S ;  Mai.  i.  7,  12;  Dan. 
xi.  21).  Ver.  4.  px.  Ver.  5.  SSjlD  —  rP3H  every- 
where else  7P3n  comp.  Gen.  iv.  23;  Exodus  xxi.  25. 
K3T3  Ver.  GTi»J3. 

T  \  :  .  -  T 

Ver.  2.  IKfl  like  the  Latin  forma  with  the  special 
meaning  of  the  beautiful  form,  comp.  Jer.  xi.  16;  1  Sam. 

xvi.  18. Tin  in  parallelism  with  "IKH  spoken  of  the 

nature  of  the  environment. JnNTJl  is  neither  the 

Bame  a«  snjOSV  nor  to  be  rendered  :  "  that  we  may  see 
him,"  for  the  latter  words  express  mich  an  absence  of 
"!Jtr\  and  Tin  that  the  Servant  would  be  altogether 
invisible.  But  inNTjl  is  protasis  of  a  hypothetical 
clause  :  and  did  we  look  at  him,  there  was  no  such  form 
that  we  would  have  had  pleasure  in  him.  Ver.  3  gives 
the  meaning  of  the  figure  used  in  ver.  2  a,  and  a  nearer 
definition  of  the  homely  appearance  of  the  Servant  de- 
scribed in  ver.  2  6.  We  may  therefore  regard  ver.  3  as 


GRAMMATICAL. 

in  apposition  with  the  logical  chief-subject  of  ver.2, 
which  is  also  at  the  same  time  the  grammatical  subject 
in  the  first  clause  of  ver.  2  a. 

Ver.  3.  ni33.  which  is  repeated  by  way  of  recapitula- 
tion in  the  last  clause  of  the  verse,  forms  the  chief  con- 
ception. Comp.  t^3J~7li3  xlix.  7,  DJ.*  VT3  Ps.  xxii.  6; 

:  .    T      ,      : 

Obad.  2;    Jer.  xlix.  15. In   D'l^'N    7in   DEHTZSCH 

would  take  D't^'X  in  the  sense  of  viri  spectabiles.  This 
plural  occurs  again  only  Ps.  cxli.  4  and  Prot.  viii.  4.  In 
the  Psalm  it  is  used  of  the  wicked.  In  the  Proverbs  it 
is,  indeed,  used  in  parallelism  with  D1X  'J3-  But  in 

T  T       "  : 

our  text  the  Prophet  can  hardly  intend  to  say,  that  the 
Servant  is  forsaken  only  by  men  of  respectability,  but 
not  by  inferior  people.  He  would  represent  him  rather 
as  forsaken  of  all,  as  appears  from  what  follows  and 
xlix.  7.  But  it  is  very  much  a  question  whether  71PI 
may  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  "  de&ertus."  For  Job  xix. 
14  it  is  said  •'D'Hp  ibin,  i.  e.,  my  neighbors  have  for- 


CHAP.  LIII.  1-7. 


573 


saken  me.    Therefore  Sin  is  not  desertus  but  deserens. 

"  T 

It  has  an  active  intransitive  sense  also  in  Ps.  xxxix.  5 
(let  me  know  what  a  transitory  thing  I  am)  and  in  Ezek. 
iii.  27  (he  that  hears  let  him  hear ;  and  he  that  forbear- 
eth  let  him  forbear).  I  therefore  agree  with  HENGSTEN- 
BERQ,  who  regards  the  expression  "as  corresponding 
exactly  to  the  '  from  a  man '  and  '  from  the  sons  of 
men,' Iii.  14."  Then  the  plural  would  be  chosen  in  or- 
der to  intimate  by  the  sound  of  the  word  the  relation  to 
the  ETK3  Hi.  14.  Sin  is  desinens,  D'l^'X  Sin  there- 

"  T 

fore  desinens  hominum,  i.  e.,  he  of  men  that  ceases  scil.  to 
be  a  man.  Thus  the  LXX.  render  it  as  regards  the 
sonse:  e'Sos  ex^elnov  irapa  ira-vms  di'CpcoTrovs ;  SYMM.  : 
eAaxtcTTos  avSpiav  •  VuLG.  novissimus  virorum.  The  expla- 
nation of  H\HX:  avoidance  of  men  (inf.  const,  as  in 
t!?DJ~n?3  xlix.  7),  if  not  exactly  ungrammatical,  is  still 

very  far-fetched. 31JO3   occurs  in  Isaiah  only  in 

vers.  3,  4  of  this  chapter;  in  ver.  3  it  has  the  feminine 
ending  that  never  occurs  elsewhere  ;  in  ver.  4  it  has  the 
common  masc.  plural  ending  (Gen.  iii.  7;  Ps.  xxxii.  10\ 

*Sn    J?1T  can,  of  course,  mean  "the  confidant  of 

sickness,"  if  JNT  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  J?TO  Ps. 
xxxi.  12;  Iv.  14,  etc.,  JH10  I?a-  xii-  5>  JH3  Ruth'ii.  1; 
Prov.  vii.  4  or  flJHO  Ruth  iii.  2.  But  in  the  only  pas- 
sage where  j^T  occurs  beside  the  present  (Deut.  i.  13, 
15)  it  means  "the  acquaintance,"  not  in  the  sense  of  fa- 
miliarity, but  the  man  known  and  respected  by  all,  the 
virillustris  or  insignis.  The  genitive  construction  re- 
solves itself  into  the  construction  of  the  verb  with  the 
accusative  of  nearer  definition.  For  'S'n  JNT  = 
'Sn  J^T,  i.  e.,  who  is  known  in  respect  to  sickness,  as 

•  T:    -        T 

one  may  say  D^JS  X-V^J  sublatus  faciem  2  Kings  v.  1. 
fiiX#  "12N  ^"0?  *»*A»A««fc  (SovArjx  (LXX.)  Deut.  xxxii. 

28.     3^S     ' yr\  Tr^OLVu>fj.evoi  Tr)v  Kap&iav  Ps.   XCV.  10,  etc. — 

T"  •• 

The  explanation  "  scitus  morbi  (better  edoctus  morbum\ 
i.  e.,  as  one  put  in  the  condition  of  knowing  about  sick- 
ness "  (DELITZSCH)  seems  to  me  too  uncertain  and  far- 
fetched.  If  we  were  warranted  in  reading  T.HDO3, 

as  indeed  4  CODD.  do,  or  in  taking  "1PD3  in  the  sense  of 
VrOD.  we  must  translate  and  explain  as  HENGSTENBERG 
does,  according  to  Lev.  xiv.  45 :  "  as  one  that  hides  the 
countenance  from  us."  But  this  usage  of  "1J1D3  is  not 
sufficiently  attested.  It  must  therefore  be  taken  as  sub- 
stantive (ad  form.  N3~1O  sanatio,  riflEO  vastatio  (OtSH. 
f>  199  a)  in  the  abstract  sense  of  "  veiling."  But  the  fur- 
ther question  arises,  whether  the  abstract  meahing 
applies  directly  or  indirectly,  and  whether  the  words 
1J03  D^JS  ir\DDD1  are  to  be  construed  as  an  inde- 


pendent sentence,  or  are  to  be  joined  with  HI33.  If 
"1/1D3  be  taken  directly  as  abstract,  i.  e.,  if  it  be  left  in 
its  abstract  meaning,  then  one  must  connect  the  whole 
clause  with  niDJ.  For,  "according  to  the  veiling  of 
the  countenance  from  him,"  would  be  a  sentence  with- 
out a  predicate,  to  gain  which  the  words  must  lean  on 
HT3J.  But  then  their  position  bf/o-e  HI3J  is  surprising. 
One  would  expect  '1J1  1HDO3  Hrpjl,  so  that  the  sec- 
ond half  of  the  verse  would  begin  with  DID  J  as  does  the 
first.  But  n?2J  comes  after,  and,  as  remarked  above, 
it  corresponds  to  the  HT3J  beginning  the  verse,  as  a 
sort  of  relative,  recapitulating  conclusion,  therefore  we 
must  take  the  words  1J3O  D^JS  "1HDO31  as  an  inde- 
pendent clause,  which  is  also  demanded  by  the  accents. 
Then  we  must  take  1/1DO  as  the  abstract  for  the  con- 
crete. Veiling  the  countenance  from  him  would  be  = 
the  object,  before  which  one  veils  the  countenance. 
Thus  'U1  ")fiD33  would  be  the  same  as  VflD3 


Ver.  5.  joni  is  opposed  to  UnjXl  ver.  4  6,  and  this 
in  turn  to  the  Xlil  before  XX'J  ver.  4  a  ;  so  that  here  we 
have  such  a  chain  of  adversative  clauses  as  in  li.  12,  13f 
where  see.  -  SSn3  is  part.  Poal,  passive  to  fiSSl'np 
li.  9.  -  The  expression  1J01  Sl^  "1D1D  is  to  be  judged  as 
h3&r\  1D13  Prov.  i.  3,  i.  e.,  "chastisement,  education 
to  reason,  to  a  reasonable  being"  (Hiizia,  ZOECKLER); 
nD^n  ID^O  Prov.  xv.  23,  "chastisement  to  wisdom." 
D""1!"!  nriDin  Prov.  xv.  31  "reproof  to  life."  The  con- 
struction is  analogous  to  that  of  the  participle  in  the 
construct  state  instead  of  the  connection  by  a  preposi- 
tion. -  n~On.  One  properly  looks  for  a  plural,  which 

r  '•    ~: 

also  occurs  elsewhere  (Ps.  xxxviii.  9;  Prov.  xx.  30). 
For  one  cannot  suppose  that  the  Prophet  would  speak 
only  of  one  mark  of  a  blow.  We  must  then  take  the 
word  collectively.  Its  meaning  is  "  vibex,  wale,"  the 
marks  left  by  a  blow.  -  !|jS  X3^J  "  healing  is  to  us," 

7          T     :  - 

is  explained  as  passive  of  the  causative  Kal  N3"1  =  "  to 

T  T 

do  healing."  On  this  meaning  is  founded  the  construc- 
tion of  X3T  with  the  dative  of  the  person  (e.  g.  Num.  xii. 
13  ;  2  Kings  xx.  5,  8)  and  (more  rarely)  of  the  thing  (Ps. 
ciii  3),  which  occurs  along  with  the  construction  with 
the  accusative  (xix.  22;  xxx.  20  ;  Ivii.  18,  19,  etc.).  The 
word  is  found  used  impersonally  (i.e.,  with  indefinite 
subject)  in  vi.  10,  where  we  translate  :  one  brought  him 
healing.  Then  K3"U  is  passive. 

Ver.  7.  HoSfcO  is,  according  to  the  accents,  to  be 
treated  as  a  perfect  and  not  as  a  participle.  The  perfect 
is  used  because  it  expresses  here  not  a  transaction  ac- 
complished successively,  like  the  being  led,  but  an  ac- 
complished, continuing  state,  the  being  dumb,  standing 
dumb. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Having  stated  the  theme  in  Iii.  13-15,  the 
Prophet  introduces  the  people  as  speaking.  They 
testify  what  was  said  by  implication  Iii.  15  6,  viz. 
that  they  have  not  believed  the  announcement 
of  the  prophets  concerning  the  Servant  that  they 
have  heard,  and  have  not  understood  the  revela- 
tion of  the  divine  power  imparted  to  them  (ver. 
1).  Thus  it  came  about  that  they  treated  as  of 
no  account  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  who  sprang 
up  like  a  root-sprout  out  of  dry  ground  (vers.  2, 
3).  This  mean-looking  form  of  the  Servant  of 


God  is  explained  by  the  punishment  of  our  sins 
being  laid  on  Him,  that  through  His  Buffering 
we  might  find  peace  and  healing  (vers.  4,  5). 
While  we  wearied  ourselves  in  vain  to  find  the 
way  to  salvation,  Jehovah  cast  our  guilt  on  Him 
(ver.  6) ;  yet  He  bore  it  patiently  like  a  pheep, 
that  mutely  suffers  itself  to  b~  led  to  the  slaughter 
or  to  shearing  (ver.  7). 

2.  Who  hath  believed revealed,  ver. 

1.     At  first  sight  that  explanation  (commended 


574 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


also  by  Jno.  xii.  38;  Rom.  x.  16*),  seems  to 
deserve  the  preference,  that  construes  ver.  1  as 
the  language  of  the  Prophet,  by  which  he  ex- 
presses the  consciousness  of  having  said  some- 
thing incredible  to  the  world.  Yet  on  closer 
examination  we  admit  that  those  are  right  who 
construe  ver.  1  as  the  utterance  of  Israel.  For 

1 )  the  perfect  would  be  very  surprising  in  the 
mouth  of  the  Prophet.     One  looks  for  j'DK'  from 
him,  whereas  in  the  mouth  of  the  people,  who, 
according  to  ver.  2  sqq.,  have  the  historical  ap- 
pearance of  the  Servant  before  them,  the  perfect 
is  quite  in  place.     By  this  Israel  gives  confirma- 
tion that  it  has,  indeed,  not  believed  the  prophetic 
pre-announcement,   and    assigns    thereby,  at  the 
same  time,  the  reason  why,  in  His  lowliness,  it 
regarded  the  manifested  Servant  as  of  no  account. 

2)  The   word   IjnjfOBf   likewise   is   much   more 
appropriate  in  the  mouth  of  Israel  than  of  the 
Prophet.     The  choice  of  the  word  is  explained 
by  U'Ojy,   Hi.  15.     With   reference  to  this  they 
designate  the  prophetic  announcement  imparted 
to  them  as  r\yv&,  as  a  thing  heard.     This  is  the 
fundamental  meaning  properly  corresponding  to 
the  form  of  the  word.     The  same  underlies  di- 
rectly the  meaning  "  knowledge  report"  (xxxvii. 
7).     But  as   the   something   heard  must  at  the 
same  time  be  a  something  said,   the  word  can, 
like  the  Greek  aKofj,  receive  the  meaning  "  an- 
nouncement, preaching,"  in  which  sense  we  have 
already  had  it,  xxviii.  9,  19.     Yet  in  our  text 
we  do  not  need  to  have  recourse  to  this  meaning, 
as   the   original   sense   suffices   perfectly.     [The 
view  presented  here,  taken  in  close  connection 
with  the  explanation  of  lii.  15  given  above,  leads 
consistently  to  the   following  logical  connection, 
viz.  It  is  declared  lii.  15  b :  for  they  to  whom  ?.< 
had  not  been  told  shall  see,  and  those  who  had  not 
he:ird  shall  consider.     Thereupon  the  Jews  are 
introduced  saying:   Who  has  believed  our  report 
(i.  e.,  what  was  reported  us,  ivhat  we  had  heard)  ? 
and  to  whom  is  the  arm  of  the  LIRD  revealed 
(i.  e.,  to  whom  has  it  been  made  plain  that  the 
LORD  sent  this  Servant  and  had  a  hand  in  all 
that  He  was  and  did)?    So  connected  the  lan- 
guage of  liii.  1  appears  as  an  exclamation,  which, 
with  what  follows,  marks  the  contrast  between 
those  that  heard  and  believed  a  revelation  made 
to  others  (lii.  15),  and  those  that  did  not  believe 
that  revelation,  though  it  was  their  own  pJfi>;Dty 
liii.  1,  a  thing  heard  by  us).     The  language  fol- 
lowing (liii.  2  sqq.)  proceeds,  as  the  author  says, 
to  give  the  reason  why  the  speakers  did  not  be- 
lieve, or  rather  it  describes  how  they  who  were 
told  did  not  believe  what  others  did  believe  who 
were  not  the  direct  recipients  of  the  prophetic 
announcement  of  what  was  to  be.     And  the  de- 
scription is  in  terms   that  show  how  aggravated 
and  perverse  the  unbelief  was.     Thus  ver.  1  is  not 
simply  an  indirect  statement  that  none  believed, 
but  a  double  intimation  of  how  some  believed, 

*  [There  is  no  need  of  making  it  appear  as  if  one 
must  choose  between  the  interpretation  of  John  and 
FttHl  on  the  one  hand  and  that  of  the  Author  and  other 
commentators  on  the  other.  For  as  DELITZSCH  in  lor. 
says :  "  The  references  to  this  passage  in  John  and 
Komans  do  not  compel  us  to  assign  ver.  1  to  the  Pro- 
pnet  and  his  comrades  in  office."— TE  ] 


and  others,  the  very  ones  of  whom  the  contrary 
was  to  be  expected,  did  not.  This  explanation 
is  quite  consistent  with  the  facts  of  salvation,  and 
these  facts  are  so  set  forth  by  Isaiah  himself  and 
reiterated  in  the  New  Testament  (comp.  Isa.  Ixv. 
1-3  ;  Rom.  x.  19-21 ;  xi.  11,  12).  And  this  con- 
sideration gives  great  countenance  to  the  view, 

-TK.J 

The  arm  of  the  Lord  is  a  metonymy  for 
that  of  which  the  arm  is  the  organ,  viz.  the  al- 
mighty power  of  God  (lii.  10).  The  arm  of 
Jehovah  is  not  only  revealed  to  him  who  has 
seen  its  mighty  efficiency  a  posteriori,  but  also  to 
him  who  has  recognized  a  priori  what  that  arm 
can  do.  There  is,  therefore,  an  outward  and  an 
inward  revelation  of  the  divine  power.  The  ex- 
pression has  the  latter  meaning  here. 

3.  For  He  shall  grow esteemed  Him 

not.  Vers.  2, 3. — Israel  was  ill-prepared  to  receive 
the  Servant  of  God  when  He  came.  The  Rab- 
bins, who  in  polemics  with  Christians  refer  our 
chapter  to  the  Jewish  nation  or  to  individual 
persons,  must,  indeed,  admit  that  the  ancient 
Synagogue,  who.se  exegesis  was  as  yet  unaffected 
by  these  polemics,  knew  very  well  of  a  suffering 
Messiah  (comp.  the  proofs  of  this  in  the  writing 
of  CONSTANTIN  L'EMPEREUR,  D.  Isuaci  Abroba- 
nelis  et  R.  Mosis  ALSCHECHI,  Comment,  in  Jesajae 
prophetiam  30,  etc.  Lugd.,  Batav.,  1631,  in  WTUEN- 
SCHE,  I.  c.,  and  in  MeCAUL,  L  c.,  p.  14  sqq.). 
Yet  all  quotations  from  the  writings  of  the  an- 
cient Synagogue  given  by  the  authors  named 
prove  at  the  same  time  that  even  the  most  an- 
cient authorities  acknowledged  the  suffering 
Messiah  only  very  reluctantly  and  with  all  pos- 
sible artful  turns  and  distortions.  As  an  ex- 
ample we  may  cite  how  JONATAN  BEN  USIEL, 
the  Targumist,  translates  Isa.  liii.  2,  3,  4,  7. 
Ver.  2.  lit  maynificabitur  Justus  coram  eo  sicut  sur- 
culi,  qui  Jlorent,  et  sicut  arbor,  quae  mittit  radices 
suas  juxta  torrentes  aquarum;  sic  nultiplicabitur 
gens  sancta  in  terra,  quae  indigebat  eo.  Non  erit 
aspectus  ejus  sicut  aspectus  communis,  nee  timor  ejus 
sicut  idiotae,  sed  erit  decor  ejus  decor  sanctitatis,  ut 
omnis,  qui  viderit  eum,  contempletur  eum.  Ver.  3. 
Erit  quidem  contemtus,  verum  auferet  gloriam  omni- 
um regum :  erunt  infirmi  et  dolentes  quasi  vir  dolo- 
ribus  el  infirmitatibus  expositus.  Et  cum  subtrahe- 
bat  vultum  majestatis  a  nobis,  eramus  decpecti  et  in 
nihilum  reputati.  Ver.  4.  Proptcrea  ipse  deprecabi- 
tur  pro  peccatis  nostris  el  deJicta  nostra  propter  eum 
dimittenter;  et  nos  reputati  sumus  vulnerati,  percussi 
afafie  Domini  et  afflict  i.  Ver.  7.  Deprecatus  est,  ipse 
exauditus  est,  et  antiquam  aperiret  os  snum,  acceptus 
est.  Eobvstos  popuhrum  quasi  agnum  ad  victimam 
tradet,  et  sicut  ovem,  quae  facet  coram  tondente  se,  et 
non  erit,  qui  aprriat  os  suum  in  conspectu  ejus  et 
loquatur  verbum."  One  sees  that  this  paraphrase 
pretty  much  makes  the  text  say  the  very  opposite 
of  what  it  intends.  The  insignificant  sprig  be- 
comes the  splendid,  flourishing,  holy  nation;  the 
homely  look  of  the  Servant  becomes  an  aspeclus 
non  communis ;  ver.  3,  it  is  indeed  confessed  that 
He  will  be  despised,  but  at  the  same  time  He 
will  deprive  kings,  of  their  fame,  and  by  with- 
drawing His  countenance  draw  contempt  to  the 
nation.  Ver.  4.  The  substitutionary  suffering  is 
transformed  into  intercession,  and  those  smitten 
by  God  are  the  Israelites.  Ver.  7.  Finally,  the 
Servant  prays,  and,  before  He  opens  His  mouth, 


CHAP.  LIU.  1-7. 


575 


He  is  heard ;  the  strong,  however,  among  the 
nations  He  sacrifices  like  sheep,  and  no  one  dares 
to  open  His  mouth  before  Him.  Here  the  suf- 
fering Messiah  is  directly  transformed  into  a  vic- 
torious and  triumphant  Messiah.  And  it  is  not 
in  a  way  that  makes  one  say  the  translator  must 
have  had  a  different  reading  or  have  misunder- 
stood. For  that  neither  was  the  case  appears 
partly  from  the  fact  that  the  other  ancient  ver- 
sions agree  exactly  with  the  Masoretic  text  (see 
LOWTH  in  loc.),  and  partly  from  the  Paraphrast 
translating  quite  correctly  when  it  suits  him. 
But  he  simply  substitutes  a  Messiah,  such  as  He 
must  be  according  to  his  fancy,  for  the  one  de- 
scribed in  the  text,  by  which  he  involuntarily 
testifies,  that  in  his  day  men  indeed  found  the 
information  of  the  suffering  Messiah  in  the  pro- 
phetic writing,  but  would  not  understand  it. 
With  this  agrees  admirably  the  manner  in  which 
the  disciples  of  Jesus  received  the  announcement 
of  His  impending  passion  (Luke  ix.  45;  xviii. 
34).  Just  on  this  account  we  say,  that  the  people 
of  Israel  were  badly  prepared  when  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah  appeared  in  the  midst  of  them. 

Thus  the  Servant  came  up  like  a  sprout 

before  him.  VJ37  is  to  be  referred  to  Jehovah, 
ver.  1,  and  not  to  the  subject  of  the  interrogative 
clause  in  ver.  1.  For  the  latter  mode  of  expression, 
even  if  not  exactly  incorrect  logically,  would  be 

very  artificial.     One  would  expect  'J'J.^7-     The 

meaning  of  VJS1?,  however,  is  that  the  Servant  of 
God  so  grew  up  before  God  according  to  His 
counsel  and  will.  pJV  is  properly  "  the  suckling" 
(xi.  8),  but  is  here  used  of  the  tender  offshoot  of 
a  plant  ["precisely  like  the  cognate  English  word 
sucker,  by  which  LOWTH  translates  it." — J.  A. 
ALEX.].  flP-rt'  is  every  where  else  used  in  the 
latter  sense  (Job  viii.  16;  xiv.  7;  Ps.  Ixxx.  12, 
etc.).  The  choice  of  the  expression  here  is  per- 
haps influenced  by  the  Prophet  having  in  mind 
the  prophecy  of  xi.  1  sqq.  There  he  spoke  of  the 
revirescence  of  the  Davidic  house  reduced  to  an 
insignificant  root-stock,  and  how  this  renewing 
would  be  by  means  of  "  a  rod  of  the  stem  of  Jesse" 
and  ''a  Branch  from  his  roots."  Although  he  does 
not  use  there  the  expression  pJV,  and  only  by  the 
way  mentions  the  suckling  that  plays  on  the  hole 
of  the  adder  (xi.  8),  still  one  sees  that  in  general 
the  Prophet  transposes  himself  back  into  the 
sphere  of  thought  of  that  prophecy.  Hence,  more 
plainly  than  pJV,  does  KntZO  recall  that  prophecy 
(comp.  xi.  1-10).  As  a  root  can  be  said  to  mount 
up  only  in  the  sense  of  sending  forth  a  sprout  or 

shoot  from  itself,  so  UH$D  /JTl  is  to  be  understood  of 
the  springing  up  of  such  a  root-sprout  (comp.  ~^J 
D'tpty,  Dan.  xi.  7).  A  root  in  dry  ground  has 
little  hope  of  flourishing.  This  was  exactly  the 
situation  of  the  Davidic  royal  house  at  the  time 
Christ  was  born.  When  the  carpenter  Joseph  was 
necessitated  by  the  command  of  Caesar  Augustus 
(Luke  ii.  1)  to  betake  himself  from  Nazareth  to 
Bethlehem,  the  house  of  David  and  his  kingdom 
were  like  a  root  out  of  dry  ground;  it  had  no 
form  nor  splendor,  and  as  men  looked  on  him 
there  was  no  such  form  that  they  could  have  plea- 
sure in  him  (see  Text,  and  Gram.). 


Ver.  3  (see  Text,  and  Gram.).  By  what  means 
the  Servant  was  brought  to  the  state  that  He 
ceased  to  be  a  man,  is  said  by  the  words :  "  a 
man  of  suffering  and  noted  for  pain."  — 
And  as  one,  before  whom  one  veils  the 
face,  a  despised  one,  whom  we  did  not  re- 
gard. According  to  HAHN,  it  is  the  countenance 
of  Jehovah  that  is  hid.  It  is  true,  so  far  as  I 
know,  that,  often  as  there  is  mention  of  hiding  the 
countenance  as  a  sign  of  mourning  (2  8am.  xix. 
4;  Ezek.  xii.  6),  or  of  anger  (Isa.  liv.  8;  lix.  2, 
etc.),  or  of  reverence  (Ex.  iii.  6)  or  in  order  not 
to  be  seen  (Exod.  xiii.  45), still  our  textgives  the 
only  instance  of  doing  so  in  order  not  to  see  an  ob- 
ject of  disgust.  Yet  this  is  merely  an  accident. 
For  the  gesture  is  so  natural,  and  so  universal  and 
necessary,  for  men  that  there  is  no  need  of  seeking 
any  confirmation  of  it  in  national  custom.  But 
the  context  is  decidedly  against  the  view  of  HAHN. 
For  our  passage  only  speaks  of  how  the  Servant 
of  God  appeared  to  men.  The  outward  appear- 
ance of  a  man  from  whom  God  hides  His  face 
is  by  no  means  necessarily  that  of  an  ecce  homo. 

4".  Surely  he  hath  borne his  mouth. 

— Vers.  4-7.  The  Prophet  leads  us  from  the  out- 
ward appearance  to  what  is  inward.  He  shows 
that  this  pitiable  form  of  the  Servant  is  not  an 
outside  corresponding  to  His  interior.  It  was  not 
He  that  drew  that  woful  fate  on  Himself  by  His 
own  guilt,  but,  according  to  God's  will  and  for 
our  salvation,  He  bears  our  guilt,  and  He  bears  it 
with  the  patience  of  a  lamb.— |3X,  "  surely,"  is 
best  construed  here  in  its  simple  and  natural  ad- 
versative meaning  as  in  xlix.  4.  As  there  the 
Servant's  hope  in  God's  righteousness  is  put  in 
contrast  with  His  apparent  ill-success,  so  here  to 
the  outward  appearance  of  sinfulness  is  opposed 
the  inward  truth  of  Plis  innocence  and  love  that 
suffers  for  others. — This  is  done  first  by  declaring 
the  true  ground  of  these  sufferings.  They  are 
those  that  we  ought  properly  to  have  borne. 
Therefore  He  took  our  pains  on  Himself  (K'^'J 
comp  Matth.  viii.  17  eAa^fv;  Lev.  xvii.  16;  xx. 
17,  20,  etc.),  and  bore  our  sufferings  (Matth.  viii. 
17  ff}daTaae.v).  When  Matth.  /.  c.  refers  these 
words  to  the  trouble  that  the  Lord  underwent  in 
healing  crowds  of  sick-folk  of  every  sort,  it_is  not 
thereby  affirmed  that  only  in  that  sense  did  He 
bear  our  sufferings  and  pains.  For  the  evangelist 
certainly  saw  in  the  passion  of  the  LORD  the 
chiefest  fulfilment  of  our  prophecy,  as  well  as  did 
Christ  Himself  (Lnke  xxii.  37)  and  Philip  (Acts 
viii.  28  sqq.)  and  Peter  (1  Pet.  ii.  22  sqq.).  But 
we  learn  from  that  citation  in  Matth.,  that  we  are 
not  to  refer  our  passage  exclusively  to  the  passion 
of  the  LORD.  In  the  second  half  of  ver.  4,  the 
Prophet  by  no  means  repeats  merely  the  thoughts 
to  which  the  first  half  was  set  in  antithesis.  He 
adds  an  essentially  new  ingredient.  For  while 
ver.  3  only  says :  "  we  esteemed  Him  as  nothing," 
it  is  said  in  ver.  4:  but  we  esteemed  Him 
stricken,  smitten  of  God  and  afflicted.  In 
£W  has  been  justly  detected  an  allusion  to  the 
plague  of  leprosy,  which  in  Hebrew  is  especially 
called  yJJ  (Lev.  xiii.  3,  9,  20  sqq. ;  2  Kings  xv.  5). 
At  the  same  time  one  involuntarily  recalls  Job, 
of  whom  his  friends  entertained  the  same  opinion 
that  the  people  of  Israel  express  about  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah  (comp.  ii.  9;  iv.  7;  viii.  3,  etc.).  The 


576 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


position  of  "God"  between  "smitten"  and  "af- 
flicted "  intimates  that  both  are  referred  to  God's 
doing.  The  Kabbins  reproach  Christians  with 

proving  from  DTI  ?X  H30  that  the  Messiah  is  both 
a  smitten  one  and  God.  To  this  L'EMPEREUR 
(p.  7  of  the  work  named  above  at  vers.  2,  3)  re- 
plies to  ABRABANEL  and  ALSCHECH  in  defence 
of  Christians,  that  they  know  very  well  how  to 
distinguish  between  convenientia  and  regimen  (i.  e. 
st.  absol.  and  st.  constr.). WUENSCHE  calls  atten- 
tion to  the  fact,  that  the  thought  that  the  Servant 
of  God  took  on  Himself  our  guilt  occurs  no  less 
than  twelve  times  in  one  chapt. :  viz.,  1)  "  He  bore 
our  sickness,"  ver.  4a;  2)  "He  carried  our  griefs," 
ver.  4  a;  3)  "  He  was  wounded  for  our  transgres- 
sions," ver.  5  a;  4)  ''  He  was  pierced  for  our  ini- 
quities," ver.  5  a;  5)  "  The  chastisement  of  our 
peace  was  upon  Him,"  ver.  56;  G)  "  By  His 
stripes  we  were  healed,"  ver.  56;  7)  "  Jehovah 
laid  on  Him  the  iniquity  of  us  all,"  ver.  66;  8) 
"  For  the  transgression  of  my  people  He  was 
stricken,"  ver.  86;  9)  ''When  thou  shalt  make 
His  soul  an  offer  ing  for  sin,"  ver.  10  a;  10)  "And 
He  will  bear  their  iniquity,"  ver.  11  6;  11)  "And 
was  numbered  with  the  transgressors,"  ver.  12  a  ; 
12)  "  He  bore  the  sins  of  many,"  ver.  126.  From 
this  appears  what  eminent  importance  the  Pro- 
phet attaches  to  this  thought,  and  how  he  cannot 
leave  off  extolling  this  wonderful  display  of  the 
self-denying  love  of  the  Servant  of  God  to  men. 
Ver.  5.  The  description  of  the  Servant  as  pierced 
and  crushed,  plainly  intimates  that  the  Prophet 
thinks  of  Him  as  mortally  hurt,  which  is,  more- 
over, confirmed  by  "He  was  cut  off,"  etc.  (ver.  8), 
and  by  the  mention  of  His  burial  (ver.  9),  ami 
awakening  to  life  (ver.  10),  and  finally  by  the  un- 
mistakable *'  He  hath  poured  out  His  soul  unto 
death"  (ver.  12).— «'rfatyp  IJ^SIp;  as  f 3  does 

not=t"r<5,  but  is=d-<5,  our  sins  and  iniquities  are 
not  the  direct  origin  of  His  being  pierced  and 
crushed,  but  only  the  indirect  cause  of  it  (DEL.). 
— As  *^D'  or  19'  is  very  often  used  in  the  sense  of 
*'  to  punish,"  and  is  used  in  particular  of  the  pun- 
ishments that  God  decrees  against  sin  (comp.  e.g., 
Lev.  xxvi.  28;  Ps.  xxxix.  12;  Jer.  x.  24;  xxx. 
11),  we  must  refer  "1D1D  to  the  first  half  of  the 
verse,  and  must  regard  this  being  pierced  and 
crushed  for  the  sake  of  sin  as  the  punishment  that 
rests  on  the  Servant  to  the  salvation  of  His  peo- 
ple. For  DlTt?  stands  here  evidently  on  the  one 
hand  in  antithesis  to  the  wounds  and  stripes,  on 
the  other  parallel  with  ^^IJ,  so  that  the  sense  is 
salcum  esse,  salus,  healing,  salvation,  correspond- 
ing to  the  fundamental  meaning  of  the  word.  The 
second  half  of  the  verse,  like  the  first,  consists  of 
two  members  that  are  parallel  in  meaning. 

Ver.  6  explains  how  it  comes,  that  the  Servant 
of  God,  though  innocent  Himself,  has  yet  to  bear 
the  guilt  of  men.  "  All  we,"  says  Israel,  "  like 
lost  sheep  have  gone  astray ;  we  have 
turned  every  one  to  his  own  way."  No 
distinction  is  observable  here  between  true  and 
apostate  Israelites.  There  is  rather  an  expres- 
sion of  universal  sinfulness.  Or  did  the  Servant  of 
God  appear  only  for  the  apostate?  Did,  perhaps, 
"the  true  worshippers  of  Jehovah"  need  no  ex- 
piation for  their  sins?  That  would  be  a  contra- 


diction of  the  universal  Biblical  view,  that  Paul 
so  emphatically  utters  with  special  appeal  to  Old 
Testament  passages  (Rom.  iii.  9  sqq.,  comp.  Ps. 
xiv.  3;  liii.  4;  Isa.  hx.  2  sqq.).  No,  Israel  so 
speaks  in  the  name  of  all  its  members.  And  it 
seems  to  me,  that  Israel  has  not  merely  its  Baby- 
lonian forsakenness  in  mind,  but  the  total  char- 
acter of  its  moral  status  in  all  times.  For  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  words,  ver.  6  a,  according 
to  the  whole  context,  are  to  be  referred,  not  to 
the  outward,  but  to  the  inward  condition,  the 
state  of  the  heart.  In  fact  it  is  of  the  sins  of  the 
people  that  the  context  speaks,  which  the  Ser- 
vant is  to  bear.  Wherein  these  sins  consist  is 
stated  ver  6  a,  viz..  that  the  Israelites  were  all  of 
them  wandering  sheep,  that  had  forsaken  their 
shepherd  (comp.  Num.  xxvii.  17  ;  1  Kings  xxii. 
17  ;  2  Chr.  xviii.  16),  and  were  going  their  own 

self-chosen  way,  that  gratified  the  flesh.    073  and 

the  corresponding  13T17  I#'N  the  Prophet  utters 
with  the  greatest  emphasis.  Sinners  they  all  are, 
even  the  prophets  and  the  pious.  Does  not  Isa 
vi.  5  exclaim :  "  woe  is  me !  for  I  am  undone ; 
because  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips,  and  I  dwell 
in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  unclean  lips  "  ?  Thus 
all  of  them  may,  in  a  certain  sense,  be  more  or 
less  compared  to  sheep,  that  strayed  away  behind 
their  shepherd  (comp.  Num.  xiv.  43,  etc.],  an 
went  their  own  way  (Ixv.  2 ;  comp.  xlii.  24  and 
Ivi.  11,  where  the  same  words  are  used).  Of 
course  they  were  divided  into  misleaders  and 
misled  (comp.  Jer.  1.  6,  7 ;  Ezek.  xxxiv.  2  sqq.). 
In  fact  under  some  conditions  the  H>'rin  is 
ascribed  to  the  LORD  Himself  (Ixiii.  17). 

Israel,  therefore,  has  sinned,  and  the  Servant 
of  God  is  punished.  How  does  that  hang  to- 
gether? Did  the  Servant,  perhaps,  accidentally 
come  into  the  domain  of  the  evil  that  should 
come  on  Israel  for  the  punishment  of  its  sins? 
By  no  means.  God  intentionally  laid  on  the 
Servant  the  guilt  of  Israel.  I'J3  means  undoubt- 
edly, •'  to  strike,  to  hit  against  one,  impinyere, 
obvenire,"  in  a  hostile  as  in  a  friendly  sense. 
That  is,  of  course,  wonderful,  that  the  sufferings 
that  strike  the  Servant  of  God  are  such  as  pro- 
perly ought  to  strike  us,  the  wandering  sheep, 
but  which  the  hand  of  God  divert?  and  suffers 
to  fall  on  His  head.  If  now  the  object  of  this 
procedure  was  not  to  make  the  just  punishment 
strike  the  Servant  for  imputed  guilt  with  the 
same  inward  necessity  with  which  it  would  have 
struck  the  actually  guilty,  and,  in  fact,  that  these 
guilty  ones  under  certain  conditions  might  be 
free  from  punishment,  then  I  see  not  how  the 
Prophet  could  say:  "Jehovah  laid  on  Him 
the  iniquity  of  us  all."  —  By  that  it  is 
surely  not  said  that  the  Servant  "  let  Himself  ex- 
perience the  violent  death  [occasioned]  through 
[men's]  enmity  against  God,"  but  that  God  laid 
on  Him  the  guilt  of  us  all.  What  an  injustice  I 
Who  without  the  least  fault  will  let  himself  be 
loaded  with  the  burden  of  another's  fnuhs  to  his 
own  ruin?  Who  does  not  at  least  protest  against 
it  with  all  his  might  byword  and  deed?  The 
Servant  of  God  does  not  protest.  He  is  dumb. 
If  the  ideas  fe^J  and  ""IJ>'3  were  meant  to  be  re- 
garded as  of  equal  value  and  more  rhetorical 


CHAP.  LIII.  3-12. 


577 


repetition,  it  must  read  nj^Jl  WH  BttJ.  The 
placing  of  }  before  Kin  and  tlie  participle  gives 
the  clause  the  character  of  a  conditional  clause 
and  simultaneously  makes  prominent  the  subject. 
fc^JJ  is  "urgere,"  " prcmere."  It  is  commonly 
used  in  respect  to  violent  oppressors  (comp.  iii.  5 
12;  ix.  3  and  the  D'li'JJ  of  the  Israelites  in 
Egypt,  Exod.  v.  6  sqq.).  In  respect  to  this 
"oppression"  the  Servant  maintains  a  passive 
attitude.  Yet  there  is  also  a  certain  activity  on 
His  part,  i.  e.,  so  far  as  He  willingly  submits 
Himself.  This  is  expressed  by  nj>'J  Nini-  We 
can  therefore  translate:  He  was  oppressed 
(the  doing  of  another),  while  He  (the  doing  of 
the  Servant)  willingly  submitted  Himself. 
Hence  the  Niph.  t^JJ  is  a  pure  passive  Niph., 
while  nj>'J  is  reflexive.  This  willing  submis- 
sion is  emphatically  portrayed  by  a  double  figure. 


But  because  the  silent  suffering  of  the  Servant 
(comp.  1  Pet.  ii.  23)  would  be  made  prominent, 
that  is  twice  said  of  Him  which  is  an  index  of 
the  patience  of  the  sheep  both  in  the  slaughter 
and  the  shearing,  viz.,  He  did  not  open  His 
mouth.— And  indeed  this  phrase  is  put  before 
as  if  it  were  a  thesis,  to  be  illustrated  by  ex- 
amples, and  then  it  follows  at  the  close  as  desig- 
nation of  the  general  truth  drawn  from  the  special 
facts.  TVi?,  properly  nomen  unitatis  as  jXk, 
designates  here  a  single,  and  that  a  male  sheep, 
such  as  was  prescribed  for  sacrifice  (Exod.  xii.  5, 

etc.).  /rn  is  the  grown  mother-sheep,  as  lamba 
were  not  shorn.  The  figure  of  the  dumb  sheep 
occurs  again  Jer.  xi.  19  also  Ps.  xxxviii.  14,  15 
(13, 14);  xxxix.  10  (9)).  In  the  New  Testament 
several  passages  refer  to  the  present  one :  Matth. 
xxvi.  63  ;  xxvii.  14;  Mark  xiv.  61 ;  xv.  5j  John 
i.  29;  Acts  viii.  32. 


3.   THE  EXALTATION  OF  THE  SERVANT  TO  GLORY. 
CHAPTER  LIII.  8-12. 

8  He  was  taken  ^from  "prison  and  from  j  udgment : 
And  who  shall  declare  his  generation? 

For  he  was  cut  off  out  of  the  land  of  the  living : 
For  the  transgression  of  my  people  2\vas  he  stricken. 

9  And  bhe  made  his  grave  with  the  wicked, 
And  with  °the  rich  in  his  sdeath ; 
Because  he  had  done  no  violence, 
Neither  was  any  deceit  in  his  mouth. 

10  Yet  it  pleased  the  LORD  to  dbruise  him ; 
He  hath  put  him  to  grief: 

4When  thou  shalt  make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin, 

He  shall  see  his  seed,  he  shall  prolong  his  days, 

And  the  pleasure  of  the  LORD  shall  prosper  in  his  hand. 

11  eHe  shall  see  of  the  travail  of  his  soul,  and  shall  be  satisfied: 
By  his  knowledge  shall  rmy  righteous  servant  justify  many ; 
gFor  he  shall  bear  their  iniquities. 

1 2  Therefore  will  I  hdivide  him  a  portion  with  the  great, 
And  he  shall  divide  the  spoil  with  the  strong ; 
'Because  he  hath  poured  out  his  soul  unto  death: 
And  he  was  numbered  with  the  transgressors ; 

And  he  bare  the  sin  of  many, 

And  jmade  intercession  for  the  transgressors. 


1  Or,  awaif  &.?/  distress  and  judgment:  but,  etc.  2  Hob.  was  the  stroke  upon  him.  3  Heb.  deaths. 

*  Or,  When  his  soul  shall  make  an  offering. 

1  oppression.  b  they.  °  a  rich  man,  rvhcn  he  was  de.ad. 

d  painfnlbi  break  him  to  pieces.  '  After  the  tribulation  of  his  soul  he  shall,  etc. 

*  the  righteous  One,  my  Servant  cause  righteousness  to  mam/.  g  And. 
h  divide  to  him  the  many,  And  the  strong  will  he.  divide  as  bpoil. 

*  In  lieu  of  his  having.  J  makes. 

TEXTUAL    AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  8.     nn'lET  Pil.  only  recurs  again  Ps.  cxliii.  5.  |  Prov.  vi.  22. yKfStt,  the  j!p  here  is  causal,  as  in  yer. 

6. Since  V37,  according  to  xliv.  15  (comp.  EWALD,  J 


Usually  construed  with  3,  the  word  is  found  as  here 
joined  with  the  accusative  of  the  thing  Ps.  cxlv.  5 ;  with 
the  accusative  of  the  person  addressed,  as  it  seems, 
37 


247  d),  can  certainly  be  used  as  singular,  all  the  explana- 
tions are  superfluous  that  would  refer  it  to  the  people 


578 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


sense  of  aediftcium  super  sepidcro  erectum  synonymous 
with  "Qp.  Among  moderns,  BECK,  EWALD  and  BOETT- 

enEn(Deinferis  §  79  sqq.),  have  approved  this  view.  It  is 
doubtless  the  most  satisfactory  according  to  the  con- 
text, and  it  seems  almost  demanded  by  the  parallelism. 
But  there  are  grammatical  objection",  for  1)  the  word 
must  be  pointed  1TO3  it'  it  were  derived  from  HO3 

T        T  T  T 

"  the  height  ;"  2)  n*33  has  nowhere  the  meaning  "  grave 
mound,"  although  the  Greek  £w;uos,  which  means  altar 
and  grave  mound,  offers  an  interesting  parallel.  As 
long  as  the  Masoretic  pointing  cannot  be  proved  false 
we  must  derive  VD03  from  DO,  though  it  may  not 
give  a  satisfactory  sense.  The  predicate  JTVI  and  the 
object  l~13p  we  must  regard  as  applying  also  to  the  sec- 
ond member  of  the  clause:  and  they  gave  with  the 
wicked  his  grave,  and  with  a  rich  man.  On  the  other 
hand  the  qualification  of  time  also  extends  backwards 
to  the  first  member  of  the  clause.  For  it  does  not  suit 
to  take  <3  VEty  DN1  as  an  Independent  clause:  ''and 
He  was  with  a  rich  man  in  His  death,"  for  then  (TH  °r 
MH  must  follow  Vt#i>,  nor  does  it  suit  to  refer  VDrDU 
only  to  Vjyj;  DK.  because  a  corresponding  designation 
of  time  is  wanting  in  the  first  member  of  the  clause. 
VD03  would  then  answer  to  the  1D1D3  2  Chron.  xxii. 


58  which  denotes"when  He  teas  dead,"  or  to  the 

T       : 

Lev.  xi.  31,  32;  Num.  vi.  7.  The  plural  D'DO,  however, 
has  an  analogy  in  Ezek.  xxviii.  10,  where  it  is  said  : 
fHOn  D'/"\y  'HID  (comp.  the  like-meaning  'J11DD 
SSn  ibid.  ver.  8,  and  D^Sfin  "D1OO  Jer.  xvi.  4). 
O'rPO  is  the  state  of  death  consisting  of  a  number  of 
particulars  or  degrees.  Thus,  as  is  well-known,  the 
Hebrew  is  wont  to  designates  relations  of  time  and 
space.  The  plural  Q'DIO  is  therefore  the  same  as  in 
D"n  ''life,"  Qn^J  "the  time  of  youth,"  D'">n3 
"age  of  young  men,"  D'.IDT  "  old  age,"  D"11JO  "state 
of  blindness."  -  son  X'S  S#,  the  rendering  "  spite 
of"  is  not  grammatically  supported.  For  all  the  pas- 
sages that  are  cited  in  proof  (xxxviii.  15;  Job  x.  7;  xvi. 
17  ;  1  Kings  xvi.  7  comp.  EWALD  0  217  i  ;  222  61,  on  closer 
examination  demand  the  meaning  "because,  on  ac- 


count of. 
Ver.  10.    The  construction 


not  taking 


of  Israel  and  take  ^JJ  in  various  senses  as  in  apposi- 
tion with  the  whole  preceding  clause,  or  with  some 
single  word  of  it.  Hence  we  may  follow  the  Masorets 
who  separate  'DJ?  jJI#i)Q  from  what  precedes,  and  con- 
nect it  with  loS  JTJJ.  Thus  'DJT  yWSlj  is  to  be  ex- 
plained according  to  ver.  6,  and  JTJJ  according  to  JNJJ 

ver.  4. 

Ver.  9.    There  is  not  the  least  grammatical  difficulty 
about    translating    jJTI  with    the    indefinite    subject 

"they"  (comp.  vi.  10;  vii.  24;  viii.  4;  x.  4;  xiv.  32; 
xviii.  5;  xxi.  9  ;  xxxiii.  20;  xxxiv.  11;  xlv.  24).  All  the 
explanations  that  would  make  the  subject  to  be  the 
people  or  God  or  the  Servant  Himself  are  forced  and  un- 

necessary. The  greatest  difficulty  is  in  VDQ3-    All  the 

T      : 
ancient   versions  express  the  idea  "  death."     LXX  : 

VULG.  :  et  dabit  impios  pro  sepultura  et  divitem  pro  morte 
tun,  which  JEROME  and  THEODOBET,  understand  of  giving 
over  the  Jews  to  the  power  of  the  Romans.  ABENEZRA, 
first  with  a  D^OX  l^'  mentions  the  view,  that  VDD3 
here  as  lOTOoi  Deut.  xxxiii.  29  is  to  be  taken  in  the 


as  equivalent  to  or  miswntten  for      Dn,  could 

•  -n  iv 
not  in  itself  seem  strange.    For  it  is  no  uncommon 

thing  in  Hebrew  for  a  v>3rb  depending  on  another  verb 
as  object,  instead  of  being  subordinated  in  the  infini- 
tive, to  be  co-ordinated  in  the  same  verbal  form.  Comp. 
"1K2  VfcOn  coepit  inscripsit  instead  of  coepit  inscribe™ 
(Deut.  i.  5),  ^SC'pJK  ^plX  pergam  quaeram  instead  of 
pergam  quaerere  (Prov.  xxiii.  35,;  comp.  Lam.  iii.  3; 
Hos.  v.  11 ;  Isa.  Iii.  1;  Jer.  xlix.  19;  Zeph.  iii.  7;  Lam. 

iv.  14. But  there  occurs  here  the  modification  that 

between  the  dependent  and  the  governing  verb  there  is 
inserted  an  infinitive,  that  on  the  one  hand  seems  to 
make  that  co-ordinate  verb  superfluous,  on  the  other 
contains  what  the  other  wants,  viz. :  the  designation  of 
the  object,  i.  e.,  the  suffix.  We  will  accordingly  have  to 
take  ''inn  1&OT  together,  so  that  both  words  com- 
plete one  another.  The  Hiph.  '^nn  as  causative  con- 
jugation has  1JOT  for  its  object,  by  which  the  latter  is 
defined  in  respect  to  manner.  From  n  'fl  may  be  as- 
sumed a  secondary  form  jOn  after  D'N  /n.H  Jer.  xvi.  4; 

T   T  |  •   '•  -:|-: 

from  this  would  be  the  Hiph.  X'/nn,  and  l>y  rejecting 
the  X,  ^pn  like  the  form  ""tOnn  2  Kings  xiii.  6. 
(GREEN,  \  104,  1).  The  meaning  of  H^TI  is  doluit,do- 

T  T 

lorem  sensit.  The  Hiph.  will  accordingly  mean  "to  give 
a  painful  sensation,  make  painful."  Thus  we  read  Mic. 
vi.  13:  HJlVSn  VvSnn  "I  make  painful  the  beating 
thee;"  Hos.  vii.  5;  j"b  hon  D'Sfe'  "^PH  "  the  princes 
make  painful  heating  from  wine,"  i.  e.,  they  bring  ab6u>. 
painful  heating  from  indulgence  in  wine.  So  we  may 
here  render  1JO1  '/nil ;  He  made  painful  the  crush- 
ing Him,  i.  e.,  He  crushed,  beat  Him  in  a  painful  way. 
D^tiT^'DX  is  qunndo  posueris.  There  can  be  no 

•     T 

doubt  about  the  imperf.  having  the  meaning  of  the 
fut.  exacti  (Amos  vi.  9;  Job  viii.  18;  xxii.  13;.  As  re- 
gards the  meaning  of  Di^N,  it  is  certain  that  it  means 

T    T 

'•guilt  offering"  (comp.  UMBREIT,  DieSuende,  Beitrag  zur 
Theol.  d.  A.  T.,  1853,  p.  54  sq.).  But  one  must  not  urge  a 
sharp  distinction  between  it  and  Di^Dn-  We  read  im- 
mediately after  X^3  D'21~K£3n,  etc.,  certainly  the  Pro- 
phet does  not  speak  here  according  to  the  rules  of  the 
theory  of  sacrifices.  I  think  that  the  effort  to  accumu- 
late the  s  sound,  and  to  gain  a  likeness  of  sound  with 
D'typ  was  not  without  its  influence  in  the  choice  of  the 
words  in  the  little  clause  1E/2J  DISK  D^JVDK.  D't2 
is  used  in  connection  with  offering  a  sacrifice  Ezek. 
xx.  28.  Comp.  the  New  Testament  phrase  rifle'cai  TIJV 
tyvxnv  Jno.  x.  12,15,17,18;  xiii.  37,38;  xv.  13;  1  Jno. 
iii.  16. 

Ver.  11.  SDJ?D  (see  List),  the  jn  I  would  not  con- 
strue as  causal  with  DEIITZSCH,  for  not  the  labor  He  en. 
dured,  but  the  inmost  being  of  the  Servant  is  the  ground 
of  His  exaltation  (comp.  Acts  ii.  24).  One  will  have  to 
take  |D  either  temporally  (=  statim  post  comp.  xxiv. 
22;  Ps.  Ixxiii.  20  and  Vp*3.  «•  {?••  Gen.  xli.  1),  or  locally 
—  to  take  out  of  the  tribulation.  TIKT  specially  favors 

the  latter  construction. £'2KT  nXT  is  nn  instance 

of  the  same  construction  as  that  of  'bnn  "3n  ex- 
plained at  ver.  10  above.  It  is  analogous  to  "V.X  'D'tO 
xliv.  16. 

Ver.  12.  For  the  expression  D'jIH  lS  pbnS  there 
is  only  one  parallel  in  the  Old  Testament,  vii. :  Job 


CHAP.  LIII.  8-12. 


579 


xxxix.  17,  where  it  is  said  of  the  ostrich :  n*7  p7Fl  X1? 

T     I      -  T 

ri^SS  "God  gave  it  not  a  share  in  understanding."  In 
this,  nj'3  is  conceived  of  as  a  territory  to  be  distri- 
buted in  which  God  assigned  not  the  ostrich  a  p^PI,  a 
portion.  Accordingly  here,  too,  D'^l  must  be  regarded 
as  a  region  that  God  divides  out :  I  will  assign  Him 
a  p^n  on  or  in  the  region  that  consists  in  DO"1-  But 
then  the  Servant  v/ould  only  be  a  partaker  along  with 
many  equals.  His  whole  reward  would  consist  in  His 
not  being  excluded  from  the  partition.  We  must  notice 
that  in  Job  the  Kal  is  used,  while  we  have  here  the  Piel. 
The  later  can  have  a  causative  meaning  •=  make  pSfl, 
"make,  give  a  share,"  and  the  prefix  3  can  refer  to 
this  substantive  idea  p^H  and  introduce  just  that 
wherein  the  p7H  consists.  As  is  well-known  2  is  often 
used  in  making  specifications  (Gen.  vii.  21 ;  ix.  2, 10,  etc., 
comp.  Isa.  vii.  4;  xx.  22). Against  the  explanation 


of  D'Ol^'-flX  (see  Exeg.  and  Grit.),  the  grammatical 
objection  may  be  raised  perhaps,  that  the  notn  ace.,  as  a 
rule  stands  only  before  the  definite  noun.  But,  on  the 
other  hand  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  definite 
article  is  often  wanting,  where  the  word  as  a  general  de- 
signation is  already  rendered  definite  by  the  sense 
(comp.  1.  4;  Exod.  xxi.  28;  Prov.  xiii.  21 ;  Job  xiii.  25). 
n~\J?n  is  Hipb.,  from  T\~\y  (see  Li&t).  The  mean- 
ing of  the  Hiph.,  as  of  the  Piel  is  "evacuare,  effundere,  to 
empty,  to  pour  out,  flow  out."  The  word  is  used  again 
of  the  soul  Ps.  cxli.  8. T"UD3  is  taken  by  many  here 

T  :  • 

as  Niph.  tolerativum  =  He  let  Himself  be  numbered,  al- 
though elsewhere  this  Niph.  is  used  as  simple  Passive, 

Gen.  xiii.  1C;  2  Chron.  v.  6;  Eccl.  i.  15. Xli"ll  is,  as  to 

form,  a  departure  from  the  dependence  on  ]in.PV  though 
as  to  substance  the  clauses  tftj/J  Kim  and  JTJ2'  are 
just  as  much  causal  as  both  those  that  precede  them. 
The  Hebrew  shuns  long  chains  of  subordinated 
clauses ;  it  prefers  parataxis  to  syntaxis  (comp.  EWALD, 
I  339  a). 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  With  ver.  8  comes  a  transition.     The  Pro- 
phet perceives  that  the  Servant  of  God  will  be 
released  from  the  distress,  and  that  from   then 
onward  His  continuance  will  be  endless.     These 
words  stand  first  liki  a  theme.     But  the  Servant 
will  not  go  on  living  on  the  earth  among  men 
that  live  there,  for,  on  account  of  the  sin  of  the 
people  He  is  taken  away  out  of  the  land  of  (he 
living    (ver.  8).     They  have   buried   Him,  too, 
but  honorably,  because  He  never  used  violence 
nor  deceit  (ver.  9),  and  His  destruction  was  only 
in   consequence   of  the   divine   decree.     When, 
now,  the  LORD  will  have  made  a  sin-offering  of 
the  soul  of  His  Servant,  the  latter  will  prove  to  be 
the  head  of  a  new  generation,  He  will  continue  to 
live  forever,  and  Jehovah's  counsel  will  be  accom- 
plished by  Him  (ver.  10).     After  tribulation  and 

necessity  He  will  find  His  satisfaction;  by  His 
insight  He  will  help  many  to  righteousness  and 
He  will  carry  their  guilt  (ver.  11).  Therefore 
Jehovah  will  assign  to  Him  the  great  multitude, 
and  He  will  divide  the  strong  as  spoil  —  all  this  as 
reward  for  having  given  Plis  life  to  death,  having 
been  reckoned  among  transgressors,  having  borne 
the  sins  of  many,  and  continually  praying  for 
transgressors. 

2.  He  was  taken  --  prosper  in  his  hand. 
Vers.  8-10.  Having  set  forth,  in  what  precedes, 
what  and  how  the  Servant  will  suffer,  we  are  now 
told  what  kind  of  a  turning  of  the  scale  shall  happen 
after  the  suffering  is  accomplished.     1VJ7,  found 
again  only  Ps.  cvii.  39  ;   Prov.  xxx.   16.  is  un- 
doubtedly "conrctatio,  restraint,  oppression  ".  Hav- 
ing a  general  meaning,  the  word  can  also  mean 
imprisonment,  but  it  does  not  mean  exclusively 
confinement.    £3.3f!?n  conjoined  with  "WJ!,  can  only 
mean  judicial  procedure.     We  may  even  take  the 
two  words  as  a  sort  of  hendiadys-     For  "  oppres- 
sion and  judginent'ris  just  an  oppressive,  violent, 
unjust  judicial  procedure,  "unrighteous  adminis- 
tration of  justice  ",  as  DELITZSCH  says.     I  cannot 


Bee  why  np_^  should  not  mean  "He  is  taken 
away".  It  means  the  same  as  in  xlix.  24  (25). 
As  there  it  is  asked  :  can  the  prey  be  taken  away 


from  the  strong  ?  so  here  it  is  said  that  the  Ser- 
vant shall  b.3  taken  away  from  the  power  of  un- 
righteous oppression.  This  is  one,  the  negative 
side  of  the  transition.  The  positive  side  is  stated 
in  the  words:  and  his  generation  who  will 
think  and  declare?  Every  thing  here  de- 
pends on  recognizing  the  theme-like  character  of 
the  first  part  of  ver.  8.  Then  the  mention  of  his 
living  on  will  not  appear  to  be  a  "premature" 
thought.  "Vn  is  manifestly,  as  to  sense,  an  allu- 
sion to  the  theocratic  promise,  Exod.  xx.  5,  6 ; 
Deut.  v.  9,  10,  and  in  respect  to  the  sound  an 
allusion  to  Deut.  vii.  9  ("  which  keepeth  covenant 
and  mercy to  a  thousand  generations").  What- 
ever may  be  the  fundamental  meaning  of  Ti^,  it 
any  way  means  the  }'£w«,  the  generation,  and 
that  in  various  senses.  From  a  temporal  point 
of  view,  the  members  of  the  great  chain  to  which 
one  may  compare  the  human  race,  or  nation,  are 
called  in  with  reference  to  the  generations  that 
succeed  one  another.  Hence  both  past  (comp. 
Iviii.  12;  Ixi.  4)  and  future  (comp.  Exod.  iii.  17; 
xxiii.  14,  31,  41,  etc.)  generations  are  called  rvnn- 
Thus  there  is  mention  of  coming  and  going  gene- 
rations (Eccl.  i.  4),  of  "another  generation"  (Ps. 
cxix.  13),  of  a  first,  second,  third,  etc.,  generation 
(Deut.  xxiii.  3,  4,  9).  Hence  "»Vl  can  mean^also 
the  present  generation,  contemporaries  (Num. 
xxxii.  13,  etc.).  But  because  every  such  genera- 
tion has  a  character  common  toil  good  or  bad. 
the  word  acquires  also  an  ethical  meaning,  and 
designates  a  generation  *•  a  whole  of  this  or  that 
kind.  Hence  the  meaning,  "kind,  race"  (Jer. 
ii.  31,  etc.).  But  because  a  generation  is  always 
the  product  of  another,  or  also  of  a  head  of  a  race, 
it  involves  necessarily  the  idea  of  descent,  pos- 
terity. Hence  to  the  people  of  Israel  may  be 
said  ""your  generations",  i.e.,  your  coming  pos- 
terity (Lev.  xxiii.  23),  or:  "  to  you  and  your  pos- 
terity" (DDTmS  IX  DuS,  Num.  ix.  10).  But 
the  total  of  the  generations  of  posterity  can  be 
comprehended  as  a  whole,  and  this  whole  be  called 
"in.  Comp.  Ps.  xxii.  31,  where  "in  in  this  sense 
stands  between  O  and  "tyj  D£ ;  Ps.  Ixxi.  18. 
And  such  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  here  (LXX- 


580 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


•f>evea  avrov,  VuLG.  generatio  ejus}.  "His  gene- 
ration" are  those  descended  from  him  conceived 
as  a  unit.  This  is  the  meaning  of  "in  in  ver.  10. 
Therefore  the  words:  "he  shall  see  his  seed,  he 
shall  prolong  his  days"  is  not  empty  repetition, 
but  explication  of  the  particular  intimated  in  the 
theme  of  the  discourse.  According  to  the  most 
ancient  Old  Testament  representations,  as  found 
in  the  Pentateuch,  there  is  no  continued  living 
in  the  world  beyond.  Hence,  excepting  long  life 
on  earth,  posterity  is  for  each  person  the  highest 
wish  and  happiness.  Without  posterity,  to  die 
is  the  same  as  to  be  condemned.  Numerous, 
measureless  posterity  means  the  same  as  ever- 
lasting life.  Hence  the  lawgiver  threatens  those 
that  transgress  Jehovah's  commandments  with 
visitation  on  children  in  the  third  and  fourth  de- 
gree, thus  extinction  in  the  third  or  fourth  gene- 
ration. On  the  contrary  he  promises  those  that 
keep  the  commandments,  that  the  LORD  will  be 
gracious  to  them  to  a  thousand  generations  (Exod. 
xx.  5,  6).  The  Prophet's  thought  here  connects 
with  this  representation,  and  hence  he  uses  ~m, 
and  not  JHT.  To  him  whom  men  thought  to  ex- 
terminate, the  LORD  promises  "in,  posterity,  a 
race  that  shall  descend  from  him,  but  of  a  pecu- 
liar kind,  as  appears  from  what  follows  ("for  he 
is  taken  away,"  etc.).  Who  is  able  to  think  out 
and  declare  the  manner  of  this  race? — For 
the  ideas  "to  think  and  to  declare"  both  lie  in  H'jy. 
It  is  a  poetic  word,  belonging  to  higher  and  choice 
style,  that  is  used  partly  of  meditative  contempla- 
tion (Ps.  lv.  18;  Ixxvii.  4,  7,  13;  cxix.  15,  23,  27, 
48,  etc.),  partly  of  uttering  the  thoughts  (Ps.  Ixix. 
13.  coinp.  Prov.  vi.  22). 

When  a  man  is  dead  he  is  past  begetting  pos- 
terity. But  it  is  otherwise  with  this  wonderful 
Servant  of  God.  Hence  the  nature  of  His  posterity 
is  so  inexplicable,  because  He  will  have  it  after 
He  is  cut  off  from  the  land  of  the  living,  ^fJ  (see 
List)  is ''  to  cut, '  "  to  hew,"  both  "  to  cut  through  " 
(1  Kings  iii.  25  sq.;  2  Kings  vi.  2),  and  "to  cut 
off,"  "to  sunder"  (2  Chr.  xxvi.  21),  always,  how- 
ever, with  the  secondary  idea  of  cutting  off  sharp 
Or  smooth.  "Land  of  the  living"  is  the  earth, 
the  dwelling-place  of  men  in  the  flesh  (Deut.  xii. 
1;  xxxi.  13;  1  Kings  viii.  40),  and  stands  in  an- 
tithesis to  Sheol,  the  dwelling  of  the  departed,  the 
shades  (comp.  Job  xxviii.  13;  Ps.  xxvii.  13;  Jer. 
xi.  19;  Ezek.  xxvi.  20;  xxxii.  23sqq. ).  Why  He 
was  so  clean  cut  off  from  the  land  of  the  living  the 
Prophet  states  in  words  that  recall  vers.  4,  5.  We 
have  already  remarked  that  the  Prophet  surpris- 
ingly often  and  certainly  on  purpose  repeats  the 
thought  that  the  Servant  must  die  for  the  sin  of 
His  people.  On  account  of  the  sin  of  my 
people  is  a  plague  to  Him.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  J7JJ  (used  especially  Lev.  xiii.,  xiv.  of 
the  ''plague  of  leprosy")  beside  the  meaning  of 
divine  punitive  judgment,  includes  that  of  lepro- 
sy-— The  Prophet  also  gives  intimation  concern- 
ing the  burial  of  the  Servant.  But  it  is  obscure. 
One  gets  the  impression  as  if  the  persons  that  at- 
tended the  last  stage  of  the  Servant's  earthly  his 
tory  were  confused  in  the  Prophet's  view.  We 
cannot  be  surprised  if  the  Prophet  sees  forms  and 
scenes  whose  nature  and  meaning  he  does  not  him- 
self understand.  But  still  his  delineation  always 
appears  correct  to  those  who  are  able  to  test  it  by 


the  fulfilment.  Here  we  might  say  that  he  saw 
the  wicked,  in  whose  company  the  Servant  of  God 
died,  so  near  together  with  the  rich  man  in  whose 
grave  he  was  laid,  that  he  construes  the  relation 
of  all  these  persons  as  fellowship  with  reference  to 
the  burial.  Yet  we  do  not  know  where  the  two 
malefactors  were  buried  with  whom  the  LORD  was 
crucified.  For  that  they  were  buried  we  may  de- 
finitely conclude  from  Jno.  xix.  31,  and  from 
what  JOSEPHUS  says  of  the  care  of  the  Jews  for 
the  burial  even  of  those  who  were  capitally  pun- 
ished ("so  as  also  ...  to  take  down  and  bury  those 
crucified  before  the  setting  of  the  sun, '  Hell.  jud. 
iv.  5,  2).  But  if  they  were  buried  near  the  place 
of  execution,  then  their  grave  was  near  to  that  of 
the  LORD,  and  thus  in  general  the  Prophet's  rep- 
resentation appears  correct.  nx  undoubtedly 
means  ''  with  "  also  in  a  local  sense  (comp.  Gen. 
xix.  33;  Lev.  xix.  13;  Job  ii.  13;  Judg.  iv.  11  ; 
1  Kings  ix.  26).  He  is  buried  with  a  rich  man 
that  lies  in  the  rich  man's  grave,  as  much  as  He 
is  buried  with  the  wicked,  who  has  His  grave  near 
theirs.  F.  PHILIPPI,  whom  DELITZSCH  quotes, 
has  justly  remarked  that  the  honorable  burial 
with  a  rich  man  makes  "the  beginning  of  the 
glorifying  (of  the  Servant)  that  begins  with  His 
death. '  He  receives  such  a  burial  after  severe 
suffering  and  a  shameful  death,  because  (see  Text, 
and  Gram.}  He  used  no  violence  nor  was 
guile  in  His  mouth.  Similar  language  is  found 
Job  xvi.  17.  D3Hand  no^O  are  found  conjoined 
as  here,  Zeph.  i.  9-  "  But  Jehovah  was 
pleased  to  smite  Him.  painfully"  does  not 
begin  a  new  thought,  but  connects  closely  with 
what  precedes,  and  forms  a  conclusion.  ''  W"hen 
thou  shalt  have  made  His  soul,"  begins  a 
new  chain  of  thought :  the  Servant  is  buried  with 
a  rich  man  because  He  had  done  no  wrong,  but 
only  Jehovah  had  decreed  to  crush  Him.  The 
honor  put  upon  the  Servant  therefore  had  its 
ground  1 )  in  that  He  had  done  nothing  bad,  2) 
in  that  His  suffering  was  only  in  consequence  of 
a  divine  decree.  Guilt  and  punishment  were  in 
themselves  something  quite  foreign  to  the  sinless 
One ;  independent  of  that  a  divine  decree  would  im- 
pose on  Him  the  crushing  load  of  sickness,  of  pain. 
What  is  subject  in  the  words  Dtf  X  D't^n  DX 
1U?2J  ?  As  the  suffix  in  1$3J  can  only  relate  to 
the  Servant,  He  cannot  be  the  subject,  but  only 
either  "soul"  or  Jehovah.  To  take  the  people 
as  subject  (HOFMANN)  is  forced  and  without 
ground  in  the  context,  though  I  cannot  urge 
against  the  view  that  the  people  are  here  the 
speakers.  For  they  cease  to  speak,  ver.  6.  From 
vers.  7-10  the  Prophet  speaks.  If  ''soul"  be 
taken  for  subject  (as  by  most  expositors:  MAU- 
RER,  UMBREIT,  STIER,  HENGSTENBERQ,  V.  F. 
OEHLER,  EBRARD,  DELITZSCH,  etc.),  several  ob- 
jections appear.  First  of  all  it  is  an  unusual 
mode  of  expression  to  say  the  soul  has  brought  a 
sin-offering.  If  that  points  to  an  antithesis  in 
Himself,  one  cannot  understand  why  just  the  soul 
should  be  elevated  into  antithesis  to  spirit  or 
body.  But  if  "  His  soul  "  is  as  much  as  to  say, 
"  He  Himself  as  contrasted  with  others,"  still  it 
must  be  said  what  He  offered  in  sacrifice.  For  if 
He  brought  any  sort  of  offering  that  another  also 
could  bring,  then  that  is  nothing  that  deserves  to 
be  made  prominent.  But  if  it  would  be  intimated 
that  He  sacrificed  what  others  could  not,  viz., 


CHAP.  LIII.  8-12. 


581 


Himself,  then  that  needs  to  be  expressly  said. 
Many,  indeed,  (SxiER,  HAHN,  etc.),  suppose  that 
this  idea  is  contained  in  the  words  themselves  ; 
for  if  the  Servant,  in  so  far  as  He  is  a  living  soul, 
makes  a  sacrifice,  then  He  gives  just  Himself  as  a 
living  soul  away  unto  death.  But  that  is  by  no 
means  a  necessary  consequence.  For  then  D't^H 
1EJ3J  D&'X  would  only  be  another  way  of  writing 
D$X  Q*&\  But  would  these  words  imply  that 

T    T  •  T  F    J 

He  offered  Himself?  V.  F.  OEHLER  urges  this 
very  tellingly  against  HENGSTENBERG,  STIER, 
HAHN,  but  overlooks  the  fact  that  he  condemns 
his  own  view.  For  he  gets  the  "  soul  "  as  subject 
from  the  context,  while  the  others  would  take  it 
from  the  words  themselves.  But  that  just  the 
chief  tiling  remains  unsaid,  is  against  his  view  as 
it  is  against  theirs.  Or  is  D1^  the  same  as  ''  to  set 
one's  self,"  as  KNOBEL  would  have,  appealing  to 
Ezek.  xxiii.  24;  1  Sam.  xv.  2;  1  Kings  xx.  12? 
But  in  the  places  cited  D'ttf  is  used  causatively= 
"  to  make  a  station,  take  a  station."  And  this 
causative  use  requires  that  an  object  beside  that 
which  is  inherent  be  not  named.  How  would  one 


combine  Dl^X  with  that  inherent  object?  In  short, 
if  lt^3J  is  subject,  then  it  is  not  said  what  the 
Servant  brings  as  a  sin-offering,  and  one  cannot 
understand  why  the  Prophet  did  not  write  simply 
D1^'.  —  I  believe  (with  HOFMANN  and  DELITZSCH 
in  their  earlier  editions,  and  with  HITZIG,  but  in 
another  sense  than  his)  that  Jehovah  is  subject. 
The  abrupt  change  of  person  need  give  no  sur- 
prise. We  have  already  had  many  examples  of 
how  common  this  is  to  the  language  in  general, 
and  to  Isaiah  in  particular.  Comp.  ii.  6;  xiv. 
30;  xxxiii.  2,  6;  xli.  1;  xlii.  20;  xlv.  8,  21  ;  Hi. 
14.  Already  in  ver.  6,  ''  Jehovah  laid  on  Him 
the  iniquity  of  us  all,"  says  that  Jehovah  gave  up 
His  Servant  that  He  might  take  on  Himself  the 
guilt  and  punishment  of  the  sinful  people.  Es- 
sentially the  same  is  said  in  the  words  "  He  was 
pleased  to  smite  Him  painfully."  For  that  this 
means  here  a  smiting  to  death  and  not  mere  sick- 
ness as  some  would  have  it,  is  as  certain  as  that 
the  cause  of  this  death  was  the  sin  of  the  people 
(ver.  8  'OJJ  y\!?3).  But,  it  is  replied,  the  expia- 
tion is  offered  to  God,  he  does  not  perform  it  him- 
self. That  is  true.  But  for  this  reason  it  is  still 
possible  that  God  may  provide  the  beast  of  sacri- 
fice, as  in  the  case  of  Abraham,  Gen.  xxii.  8,  13. 
The  Prophet,  indeed,  did  not  know  how  that 
could  happen.  But  we,  who  see  the  prophecy  in 
the  light  of  its  fulfilment,  do  know  (Jno.  iii.  16; 
2  Cor.  v.  21).  According  to  this  exposition  we  can 
understand  why  the  Prophet  did  not  avoid  the 
abrupt  change  of  person.  Had  he  written  D'^ 
instead  of  D't^Fl,  undoubtedly  the  Servant  would 
have  been  taken  for  subject  of  the  clause.  Just 
that  He  would  avoid,  and  therefore  speaks  of  Je- 
hovah in  the  second  person  in  spite  of  His  being 
before  and  afterwards  spoken  of  in  the  third  per- 
son. -  But  death  shall  not  swallow  up  the  Ser- 
vant of  God.  He  shall  be  taken  from  "  oppression 
and  judgment"  (ver.  8),  and  become  the  progen- 
itor of  a  new  race.  For  here  the  Prophet  con- 
nects back  with  the  thought  of  ver.  8,  that  was  put 
first  as  the  theme.  Here,  too,  we  learn  what  we 
are  to  understand  by  "in  of  ver.  8.  Seed,  posteri- 


ty shall  the  Servant  see. — There  underlies 
the  expression,  and  also  the  following:  He  shall 
prolong  His  days,  primarily  the  Old  Testament 

representation  of  life,  viz.,  that  the  life-necessity 
of  the  pious  is  satisfied  by  a  long  life  on  earth 
(coinp.  "that  thy  days  may  be  long"  Exod.  xx. 
12;  Deut.  iv.  40;  xxii.  7,  etc.)  and  numerous 
posterity.  But  he  that  has  these  lives  to  see 
children's  children  (Gen.  ].  23  ;  Job  xlii.  16 ;  Ps. 
cxxviii.  6).  Yet,  though  the  Prophet's  thought 
has  this  connection,  it  is  in  the  nature  of  the  Ser- 
vant of  God  that  the  Old  Testament  letter  must  in 
Him  be  fulfilled  in  a  higher  sense.  His  posterity 
comes  not  by  fleshly  generation,  but  by  a  life-com- 
munication of  another  sort.  How  this  will  be  the 
Prophet  does  not  say.  But  we  can  perceive  from 
nrnty  'D  "who  will  think  and  declare,"  ver.  8,  that 
he  treats  here  of  a  life,  and  answering  to  it  also, 
of  a  communication  of  life  of  a  high  and  wonder- 
ful kind.  But  the  Servant  of  God  will  do  more 
than  merely  live  and  communicate  life.  He  will 
also  work  and  create.  What  was  pleasing  to  God 
Q'3n  coinp.  xliv.  28;  xlvi.  10),  His  counsel  and 
will,  shall  find  its  realization  by  the  hand  of  the 
Servant  (comp.  liv.  17;  xlviii.  15;  Iv.  II). 

3.  He    shall   see transgressors,    vers. 

11,  12.  In  Hi.  13-15  God  was  the  speaker;  liii. 
1-6,  the  people  of  Israel  speak  ;  7-10  the  Prophet 
speaks.  The  concluding  word  is  put  again  into 
the  mouth  of  God  Himself.  Also  in  their  con- 
tents vers.  11,  12,  have  a  great  resemblance  to 
Hi.  13-15  as  we  shall  see.  Only  in  Hi.  13  and 
in  liii.  11  is  He  that  is  the  subject  of  the  whole 
prophecy  named  by  His  honorable  title,  and  both 
times  the  form  is  my  Servant.  This  my  ex- 
presses high  honor.  Not  men,  but  God  Himself, 
with  His  own  mouth,  applies  to  the  Servant  this 
honorable  title  here  at  the  culmination  of  this 
prophecy  relating  to  Him. — Ver.  11  connects 
with  what  precedes,  and  continues  the  description 
of  the  ascent  from  lowliness  to  highness.  The 
tribulation  was  night,  in  which  one  saw  nothing 
(comp.  1.  10).  The  seeing  shows  that  it  grows 

light  (see  Text,  and  Gram,  on  /DJ7Q).  It  is  pos- 
sible that  the  Prophet  combines  both  construc- 
tions [the  temporal  and  the  local  meaning  of 
|"p,  viz.  "after  and  away  from  out  of  the  tribula- 
tion of  His  soul  Ke  shall  see"],  which  we  are 
not  able  to  reproduce  in  our  language.  Is  injn3 
cognitio  sui  or  cognitio  suaf  I  believe  with  most 
expositors  that  the  former  is  meant.  For  the 
latter  only  Mai.  ii.  7  can  be  quoted  ;  and  there  it 
is  doubtful  whether  we  ought  to  render  conservant 
or  custodiunt  co<jnitionem.  As  the  lips  are  not  the 
seat  of  knowledge,  the  latter  is  more  probable, 
and  then  the  sense  would  be:  the  mouth  of  the 
priest  must  reprove  those  that  depart  from  right 
knowledge.  But  then  AJ?T  is  not  doctrine,  but 
knowledge.  And  so  also  in  our  text  the  assured 
meaning  "cognitio,"  therefore  in  the  passive 
sense  "cognitio  sui"  is  to  be  preferred.  Without 
knowledge,  indeed,  there  is  also  no  faith  (Rom. 
x.  14). — P'^-f  is  "as  a  righteous  man."  p'"12fn 
is  causative  Hiph.:  "to  prepare  righteousness;" 
hence  the  construction  with  r.  As  the  one  that 
has  the  righteousness,  He  can  be  the  means  of 
others  obtaining  it.  Here,  also,  the  Prophet  can 


682 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


hardly  have  understood  the  deep  import  of  his 
words.  For  we  cannot  assume  that  he  had  a 
clear  knowledge  that  the  "righteousness  that 
avails  with  God  "  would  be  alone  in  the  posses- 
sion of  Him  who  acquiied  it  by  His  blood  (Rom. 

iii.  21-26). — O'SV?,  "to  many,"  answers  to  the 
New  Testament  role:  m^oZf  (e,  g,  Matth.  xx.  28; 
comp.  1  Tim.  ii.  4;  Rom.  v.  18,  where  for  oi 
Tro^Aot  is  simply  Travres).  It  expresses  the  ma- 
jority, the  great  mass,  compared  with  which  sin- 
gle exceptions  vanish,  and  in  so  far  it  is  almost 

the  same  as  "totality."  ^20'  Druiy,  He  will 
bear  their  iniquities,  cannot  relate  to  that 
"  bearing  "  that  consists  in  sufferings  in  the  place 
of  others  (ver.  4).  For  we  are  here  in  the  con- 
dition of  glory.  Hence  "  to  bear"  here  can  only 
relate  to  that  priestly  bearing  that  the  Mediator 
accomplishes  by  the  ever-continued  presentation 
of  His  merit  before  God  (Heb.  vii.  25).  It  in 
identical  with  "  He  will  make  intercession  for 
the  transgressor,"  ver.  12. 

Ver.  12.  JD7  introduces  a  concluding  inference 
from  what  precedes.  But  what  was  previously 
represented  (Iii.  14,  15;  liii.  8,  10,  11)  as  a  suita- 
ble transition  from  bad  to  good  appears  now 
directly  as  a  reward,  and  the  situation  of  ver.  12, 
into  which  the  Servant  is  translated  as  a  reward 
for  His  suffering,  appears  as  that  of  a  ruler. 
For  a  great  territory  and  glorious  spoil  are  given 
Him.  The  first  clause  may  be  rendered :  There- 
fore I  will  assign  Him  a  part  that  shall  consist 
of  the  many  (see  Text,  and  Gram.).  Therefore 
the  many  themselves  (taking  the  word  in  the 
same  sense  as  in  ver.  11),  or  the  totality,  shall 
make  the  region,  in  the  assignment  of  which 
shall  consist  the  Servant's  reward.  The  render- 
ing: "I  give  Him  a  part  among  the  great,"  is 
not  at  all  exactly  conformed  to  the  passage  in 
Job.  In  Job  3  marks  the  region  on  which  or 
of  which  a  share  is  given ;  but  this  explanation 
takes  2  as  marking  the  fellowship  that  the  Ser- 
vant is  to  share.  If  it  be  urged  against  our  ex- 
planation that  He  that  gets  the  whole  cannot  be 
said  to  get  a  part,  it  may  be  replied,  that,  in  an- 
tithesis to  the  single  parts,  the  whole,  i.  e.  the 
highest  power  over  all  single  parts,  can  be  as- 
signed to  one.  It  is  a  icsult  of  this  highest  power 
when  He  that  is  entrusted  with  it  on  His  part 
takes  in  hand  the  distribution  of  the  individual 
parts  of  the  spoil  to  His  subjects.  This  is  the 
meaning  of  the  following  words,  which  speak  no 
more  of  a  share  that  the  Servant  receives,  but  of 
the  shares  He  distributes.  This  second  clause 


"IJ1  D'DIXJr'-nxl  has  a  parallel  in  Prov.  xvi.  19: 
"  Better  is  it  to  be  of  an  humble  spirit  with  the 
lowly  than  to  divide  the  spoil  with  the  proud  '' 


According  to  that  we 
should  translate  here:  ''and  with  strong  men 
will  He  divide  spoil."  But  against  this  are  to 
be  urged  the  same  considerations  that  we  urge 
above  (see  Text,  and  Gram.)  concerning  the  first 
clause.  Who  equals  the  Servant  of  God  in  merit? 
Whose  reward  shall  equal  His?  Who  are  the 
strong  that,  as  His  peers,  may  divide  the  spoil 
with  Him  ?  It  is  true  that  D'OlXy-nN  can  mean: 
with  the  strong,  and  that  in  the  sole  parallel  pas- 


sage nx  does  mean  "  with."  But  must  it  mean 
"with?"  And  that  too  when  "with"  gives  an 
unsuitable  meaning,  and  the  sign  of  th«  accusa- 
tive, on  the  contrary,  a  very  suitable  one?  And 
the  latter  is  the  case  when  we  remember  that 
there  is  also  living  and  human  spoil  (comp. 
Judg.  v.  30;  Zech.  ii.  12,  13).  Prisoners  may 
be  used  as  slaves  or  sold.  So  here  it  can  be  said 
that  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  will  make  booty  of 
the  strong,  and  distribute  them  among  His  own. 
But  then  ''the  strong"  must  be  understood  not 
only  as  belonging  to  the  corporeal  sphere,  but 
also  to  the  spiritual.  The  choice  of  expressions 

in  these  clauses  (D"2"l  and  D'Oli'j?  and  P  m)  are 
intended  to  recall  the  passages  in  the  Pentateuch 
that  promise  to  the  Israelites  victory  over  the 
"many  and  mighty  nations"  that  inhabited  Pa- 
lestine before  them  (comp.  Deut.  iv.  38;  vii.  1, 
17;  ix.  7;  xi.  23;  Josh,  xxiii.  9).  [The  Au- 
thor's defence  of  his  construction  of  the  first  two 
clauses  of  ver.  12  is  enough  to  make  one  sensible 
of  its  difficulty,  and  prepare  one  to  agree  with 
J.  A.  ALEX.,  when,  after  noticing  the  construc- 
tion as  presented  by  others,  he  says:  "It  is  bet- 
ter, therefore,  to  adopt  the  usual  construction, 
sanctioned  by  CALVIN,  GESENIUS  and  EWALD, 
which  supposes  Him  (tbe  Servant)  to  be  described 
as  equal  to  the  greatest  conquerors.  If  this  is 
not  enough,  or  if  the  sense  is  frigid,  as  MARTINI 
alleges,  it  is  not  the  fault  of  the  interpreter,  who 
has  no  right  to  strengthen  the  expressions  of  his 
author  by  means  of  forced  constructions.  The 
simple  meaning  of  the  first  clause  is  that  He 
shall  be  triumphant;  not  that  others  shall  be 
sharers  of  His  victory,  but  that  He  shall  be  as 
gloriously  successful  in  His  enterprise  as  other 
victors  ever  were  in  theirs." — Tn.] 

Ul  nnn  ['"in  lieu  of  this  that,"  etc.']  reaches 
back  to  what  in  ver.  11  has  already  served  as  a 
premise  for  the  conclusion  ''therefore,"  etc.,  with 
which  ver.  12  begins.  So  that  there  is  a  succes- 
sion of  links  here  also  (comp.  on  vers.  4,  5). 
The  Prophet  would  manifestly  recapitulate  by 
the  words  that  follow  what  is  of  chief  moment  in 
the  meritorious,  representative  suffering;  a  fresh 
proof  of  the  high  importance  he  attaches  to  this 
suffering.  That  the  Servant  was  numbered 
with  transgressors  has  not  before  been  men- 
tioned, although  it  is  implied  in  the  statements 
of  vers  5-8,  and  especially  in  "  they  made  His 
grave  with  the  wicked,"  ver.  9.  Comp.  Mar.  xv. 
18;  Luke  xxii.  37.— He  bore  the  sin  of 
many  stands  related  to  ''He  bore  our  sickness," 
ver.  4,  and  the  kindred  expressions  that  follow, 
as  the  root  to  the  fruits.  One  is  reminded  here 
of  2  Cor.  v.  21,  and  still  more,  even  to  the  sound 
of  the  words,  of  Heb.  ix.  28.  In  the  last  clause 
JTJ3n,  Hiph.,  has  the  same  sense  of  "to  pray, 
to  intercede,"  that  we  had  to  maintain  for  the 
Kal  in  xlvii.  3  (comp.  lix.  16).  As  in  ver.  11, 
the  enumeration  of  what  the  Servant  will  do  as 
priest  after  His  exaltation  stops  with  '•  He  will 
bear  their  iniquities,"  so  here  the  enumeration 
of  what  He  did  as  a  priest  in  His  humiliation 
concludes  with  the  mention  of  His  work  of  inter- 
cession. But  it  is  to  be  noted  that  it  is  not  said 
yjpp,  but  JT-I?-'  The  reason  for  this  seems  to 
be  that  the  Prophet  understands  the  intercession 


CHAP.  LIII.  8-12. 


583 


in  the  same  sense  as  at  the  end  of  ver.  11.  He 
means  the  lasting  intercession  that  the  Mediator 
makes  for  us  on  the  ground  of  His  sacrificial 
death.  This  had  indeed  begun  already  in  His 
Btate  of  humiliation  ;  the  very  ones  that  put  Him 
to  death  were  the  lirst  for  whom  He  prayed  while 
dying  (Luke  xxiii.  34).  But  since  then  He  in- 
tercede* forever  for  us  all.  That  He  can  do  this 
is  the  abiding  fruit  of  His  once  dying  on  the 
cross.  Hence  the  Prophet  concludes  his  enume- 
ration with  the  imperfect. 


DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On   Hi.  13— liii.  12.     "This   chapter,  that 
has  already  silenced  so  many  scoffers,  and  led  so 
many  honest  doubters  to  believe,  when  they  com- 
pared the  prophecy  with  the  fulfilment,  and  when 
the  wonderful  agreement  with  the  history  of  the 
suffering,  death  and  resurrection  of  our  Redeemer 
shone   upon    them   RO   glorious   and   clear — this 
master-piece   from   the   armory    of  God,    whose 
power  unbelieving  Israel  even  at  this  day  fears 
so  much  that  it  has  gone  on  omitting  it  from  its 
yearly  selections  from  the  prophets  for  the  weeks, 
but  in  doing  so  has  given    powerful    testimony 
against  itself  and  for  the  truth   of  the  gospel — 
this  chapter  is  a  precious  jewel  of  our  Bible.'' 
AXENFELD,  Der  Proph.  Jes.,  A  Lecture,  1870,  p. 
60  sq. 

2.  On  Hi.  13.    In  the  Midrasch  Tanchuma,  Fol. 
53,  c.  3,  1,  7  it  reads:   p   DJV1   JTBfSn   $3.  HT 

rnu'n  oxSn  jo  rn:i  n^rao  N&JI  ornnx, ;.  e., 

this  is  the  King  Messiah,  He  will  be  higher  than 
Abraham,  and  raise  Himself  up  more  than  Moses 
and  be  exalted  above  the  angels  of  the  ministry. 
On  this  WUENSCHE  /.  c.  remarks  p.  42 :  "This 
passage  is  additionally  important  from  the  fact 
that  it  teaches  the  doctrine  of  the  sublimity  of 
the  Messiah,  so  strongly  opposed  by  the  later 
Jews.  He  rises  above  all  created  being;  even 
the  angels  of  the  ministry  may  not  be  compared 
with  Him  in  respect  to  their  dignity  and  rank." 

3.  On  Hi.  14.     It  is  remarkable  that  the  church 
in   the  times  of  persecution  before  Constantine, 
conceived  of  the  bodily  form  of  the  Lord  as  ugly : 
(CLEM.  ALEX.  Paedag.  III.  1.     r6v  Kvpiov  O.VTOV 
rfjv  o\j>iv  alf<xpbv  yeyoi-tvat  6ia  'Haatov  TO  rrvEvfia 
liapri'pei.      ORIGEN,  C.  Gels.  VI. :  o^oAoyou/^evwf 
•ytyparrrai    Ttepl    roit   tivaeifiec   yenyvsvai    roil  'Ir/aov 
ai'tiia)  •  the  secularized  church  of  the  Middle  Age 
conceived  of  Him  as  a  form  of  ideal  beauty  (comp. 
the  description   of  the  form  of  Jesus  in  NICE- 
PHORUS  CALLISTI  L.  II.  c.  7,  and  in  the  letter  of 
the  PSEUDO-LENTULUS,  comp.    HERZ.  R.  Enc. 
VIII.  p.  292  sqq.,  DELITZSCH  Jesus  and  Hillel, 
1865,  p.  4) ;  the  church  of  the  Reformation  took 
a  middle  course:  "It  is  quite  possible  that  some 
may  have  been  as  beautiful  in  body  as  Christ. 
Perhaps  some  have  even  been    more   beautiful 
than  Christ.     For  we  do  not  read  that  the  Jews 
wondered  at  the  beauty  of  the  Lord."  LUTHER. 

4.  On  liii.  4,  5.     "  JUSTIN  MARTYR  f  Apol.  I.  c. 
54)  sees  in  Asklepios,  the  physician  that  Jiealed 
all  diseases,  a  type  of  Christ  parallel  to  that  of 
the  Servant  who  bears  our  sickness."     EDWARD 
MUELLER,  "  Parallels  to  the  Messianic  prophecies 
and  types  of  the  Old  Testament  from  Greek  an- 


tiquity" (Jahrbb.f.  Klass.  Philol.  v.  FLECKEISEN 
VIII.     Supplem.-Bd.  1  Hft.  p.  5). 

5.  On  liii.  4-6.  The  peculiarity  of  V.  HOP- 
MANN'S  doctrine  of  the  atonement  seems  to  me  to 
mve  its  root  in  this,  that  he  distinguishes  a  two- 
fold wrath  of  God  against  sinful  humanity,  viz., 
'how  God  is  angry  with  sinful  humanity  that  is 
destined  to  be  brought  back  again  into  love-fel- 
lowship with  Him.  and  how  He  is  angry  with 
those  who  refuse  obedience  to  His  work  of  salva- 
tion." (Schutzschriften  j'iir  eine  neue  Weise  die 
alte  Wahrkeit  zu  Lchren  III.  Siuck,  Noerdlingen, 
1859,  p.  13  sq.).  "In  both  instances  His  anger 
is  an  enmity  of  the  holy  Living  (One)  against 
sin  that  delivers  the  sinner  to  death.  But  in  the 
one  case  it  delivers  him  to  death  in  order  to  re- 
deem him  out  of  it,  in  the  other  case  that  he 
may  remain  in  it.  Had  God  not  intended  to 
save  mankind,  then  the  death  to  which  He  delivered 
those  first  created  icould  haie  been  complete  and  en- 
during." There  appears  to  me  to  be  a  contradic- 
tion in  this.  For  first  it  is  said,  that  had  God  not 
intended  to  redeem  mankind,  then  the  first  pair 
had  been  delivered  to  complete  and  enduring 
death.  And  then  it  is  said,  that  the  wrath  of  God 
does  so  deliver  the  one  that  is  disobedient  to  Hw 
work  of  salvation  over  to  death  that  he  abides  in 
it.  Thus  eternal  death  appears  at  one  moment 
as  punishment  for  sin  in  itself,  and  at  another  as 
punishment  for  rejecting  the  work  of  salvation. 
That  God  did  not  deliver  over  to  complete  and 
enduring  death  tne  first  pair  and  their  descen- 
dants was  then  merely  because  He  had  formed 
the  purpose  to  redeem  mankind.  Therefore  one 
would  still  think  that  what  the  Redeemer  suf- 
fered made  it  possible  for  the  divine  righteous- 
ness to  remit  to  men  the  complete  and  abiding 
death.  Consequently,  one  might  still  think  that 
Christ,  by  His  death  had  given  the  divine  right- 
eousness an  equivalent  for  the  "complete  and 
abiding  death"  of  mankind.  But,  according  to 
HOFMANN,  such  is  not  the  case.  For  he  asserts 
that  the  wrath  of  God  delivers  to  abiding  death 
only  those  that  refuse  obedience  to  His  work  of 
salvation.  For  this  reason  Christ  did  not  bear 
the  torments  of  damnation.  Indeed  for  this  rea- 
son a  redemption  from  iternal  death  is  neither 
possible  nor  necessary,  lor  those  that  do  not  ac- 
cept the  work  of  salvation  cannot  be  redeemed 
from  eternal  death  at  all,  while  those  that  do  ac- 
cept need  i.ot  to  be  redeemed,  because  eternal 
death  belongs  in  fact  only  to  those  that  do  not 
accept  the  work  of  salvation.  There  we  have  I 
think  a  circulus  vitiosus.  In  view  of  the  redemp- 
tion, the  first  pair  and  their  descendants  are  not 
punished  with  the  eternal  death  that  their  sin  m 
itself  deserves,  but  only  with  corporeal  death. 
But  the  Redeemer  does  not  die  in  order  to  redeem 
men  from  eternal  death,  for  the  latter  is  suddenly 
only  the  consequence  of  unbelief  in  the  work  of 
salvation.  But  the  Redeemer  dies  to  redeem 
men  from  that  punishment  which  was  laid  on 
them  as  a  mitigated  sort  in  view  of  the  redemp- 
tion, lor  Christ  was  only  subjected  to  that  anger 
with  which  God  was  angry  at  those  who  were 
destined  to  a  re  entrance  into  His  fellowship  of 
love,  not  to  that  "which  abides  on  those  who  are 
disobedient  to  the  grace  of  God,"  _  I.  c,.  p.  14. 
Consequently  one  would  think  Christ  only  re- 
deemed us  from  bodily  death.  And  yet  from 


584 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


that  we  are  not  redeemed.  HOFMANN  says,  in- 
deed:  ''we  do  not  abide  in  it"  (p.  51).  It  is 
true,  the  redeemed  do  not  abide  in  it.  But  that 
is  only  for  the  reason  that  they  are  also  redeemed 
.from  eternal  death.  For  were  the  latter  not  the 
case,  then  the  bodily  death  would  only  be  a 
transit  to  what  is  worse,  i.  e.,  to  eternal  death. 
Therefore  eternal  death  is  the  punishment,  not 
only  of  not  believing  inredemption,  but  of  sin  in 
general.  But  Christ  redeemed  us  from  sin  and 
its  punishment  generally,  and  not  merely  from 
what  remained  of  the  punishment  that,  with 
reference  to  the  redemption,  was  from  the  first 
remitted  to  us. 

6.  On  liii.  4.     ''Hie  est  articulus  justificationis, 
credere  Christum  pro  nob  is  possum,  sicut  Paulus 
quoque  dicit:     Christus  est  factus  mcdedictum  pro 
nobis.     Neque  enim  satis  est,  nosse,  quod  Christus 
sit  passus,  sed,  sicut  hie  dicit,  credendum  etiam  est, 
quod  noftros  languores  tulerit,  quod  non  pro  se,neque 
pro  suis  peccatis  sit  passus,  sed  pro  nobis  ;  quod  illos 
morbos  tulerit,  illos  dolores  in  se  reciperit,  quos  nos 
oportuit  pati.     Atque  hunc  locum  qu,i  rccte  tenet,  ille 
summam    Ckristianismi   tenet.     Ex,  hoc  enim  loco 
Paulus  tot  epistolas,  tot  sententiarwn  et  consolationum 
flumina  hausit." — ''  Christianus  quasi  in  alio  mundo 
collocatus  neque  peccata  ncq-ue  merita  aliqua  nosse 
debet.     Quodsi  peccata  se  habere  sentit,  adspiciat  ea, 
non  qualia  sint  in  sua  persona,  sed  qualia  sint  in  ilia 
persona,  in  quam  a  Deo  sunt  conjecta,  hoc  est  videat, 
qualia  sint  non  in  se  nee  in  conscientia  swa,  sed  in 
Christo,  in  qao  expiata  et  devicta  sunt.     Sic  fict,  ut 
habeat  purwn  ac  mundum  cor  ab  omni  peccato  per 
fidem,  quae  credit,  peccata  sua  in  Christo  victa  et 
prostrata  esse."  LUTHER. 

7.  On  liii.  4.     "We  have  many  wrath  and  fire 
mirrors  of  the  just  God,  how   He  thunders   and 
lightens  on  account  of  sin ;  such  as  the  flood,  Gen. 
vii. ;  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  Gen.  xix. ;  Pharaoh 
and  all  his,  Exod.  xiv.     But  what  are  all  those 
to  this,  that  God  so  dreadfully  racked  and  smote 
His  only  begotten  Son,  the  highest  and  infinite 
good,  that   a  stone  in  the  ground   might  have 
lamented,   and  even  the   hard   rocks   did    rend 
asunder  on  account  of  it  at  the  time  of  His  suf- 
fering?"  CRAM3R. 

8.  On  liii.  5.     "  0  mirabile  rjenus  medicinae,  ubi 
medicus  aegrotat,  ut  acyrotis  sanitatem   efferat." — 
"Medico  occiso  sanati  sumus.    Quis  unquam  audivit 
talia?" — "  Tola  vita  Christi  crux  fait  et  martyrium, 
et  tu  quaeris  gaudiumf" — Omni  diligentia  atque 
vigilant ia  caveamus,  ne  vulnerct  diabolus  quod  sana- 
vit  Christus."  AUGUSTIN.     "  Est  jucundissima  con- 
solatio:    livores   ipsius  sunt   nostrum    emplastrum. 
Atqui  nos  meriti  eramus  livores   et  ipsi  debebatur 
sanitas.    Si  quis  ergo  sanitatem  optat,  ille  non  suam 
castigationem  et  crucem  considcret,  sed  tantum  respi- 
ciat  in  Christum  et  credat,  turn  sanabitur,  hoc  est, 
habebit  justitiam  cternam."   LUTHER. 

9.  Onliii.6.   Sin  isolates  men,  because  its  princi- 
ple is  egoism.  Every  one  accordingly  makes  him- 
self a  centre,  around  which  all  must  revolve.    But 
by  this  we  lose  the  true,  all-controlling,  right  guid- 
ing centre,  and  are  as  stars  that  are  become  ex- 
centric,  that    must   finally  dash  to  pieces  on  one 
another. — "  Rfdimit  pretiose,  pascit  laute,  ducit  sol- 
licite,  cottocat  securi."  BERNHARD  OF  CLAIRVAUX. 

10.  On  liii.  6.     God  laid  on  Him  the  sin  of  us 
all.     That  is  the  great  enigma  of  the  Christian 
doctrine  of  atonement.    It  is  the  point  that  for  so 


many  is  a  stone  of  stumbling,  since  it  appears  as 
if  God  outwardly  and  arbitrarily  transfers  the 
guilt  of  men  to  One,  who,  Himself  innocent,  has 
no  inward,  real  relation  whatever  to  the  guilt  of 
another.  And  this  is  verily  one  of  the  mysteries 
of  Christian  doctrine.  The  Lord  says:  "Except 
a  corn  of  wheat  fall  into  the  ground  and  die,  it 
abideth  alone:  but  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth 
much  fruit,"  John  xii.  24.  And  Paul  says: 
"  Know  ye  not  that  so  many  of  us  as  were  bap- 
tized into  Jesus  Christ,  were  baptized  into  His 
death?"  And  in  the  same  connection  he  says: 
"  Knowing  this  that  our  old  man  is  crucified  with 
Plim,  that  the  body  of  sin  might  be  destroyed, 
that  henceforth  we  should  not  serve  sin.  For  he 
that  is  dead  is  freed  [justified :  Marg.]  from  sin," 
Rom.  vi.  3,  6,  7.  It  is  true,  Christ  stood  alone  in 
death,  and  though  he  had  the  imputed  sin,  the  orga- 
nic connection  of  our  sin  with  Him  was  wanting. 
But  in  the  sequel  He  suddenly  stands  as  the 
centre  of  a  great  complex  of  fruit.  By  baptism 
we  are  all  baptized  into  Him,  and  in  fact  such  as 
we  are  by  nature,  with  our  old  Adam  and  all  its 
sins.  Yet  now  Paul  says  that  our  old  man  is 
crucified  with  Christ  in  baptism.  Therefore  he 
assumes  that  we  men  are  in  the  sequel  transposed 
into  the  communion  of  the  death  of  Christ,  and 
that  our  justification  rests  on  the  fact  that  we 
have  actually  died  with  Christ.  Still  it  will  be 
said  that  this  itself  is  an  enigma;  that  one  can  as 
little  solve  one  riddle  by  another,  as  cast  out  one 
devil  by  another.  But  perhaps  the  new  enigma 
still  shows  where  we  must  direct  our  inquiring 
thoughts  in  order  at  last  to  find  the  solution. 

11.  On  liii.  8.     "Innocent  Lamb  of  God,  yea, 
Thou  shalt  have  seed ;  as  long  as  the  sun  con- 
tinues Thy  name  shall  extend   to  posterity  (Ps. 
Ixxii.  17).     Out  of  anguish  and  out  of  the  judg- 
ment hast  Thou  come,  and  who  will  declare  to 
the  end  the  extent  of  Thy  life  ?     '  The  lion  that 
is  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  root  of  David  has 
overcome,  to  open  the  book  and  to  break  its  seven 
seals.'     2sow  they  sing  to  Thee  a  new  song,  and 
Thine  whom  Thou  hast  bought  with  Thy  blood 
say  eternally :  '  Worthy   is   the   Lamb   that  was 
slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom, 
and  strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and   bless- 
ing.    And  every  creature  (says  the  seer)  which 
is  in  heaven,  and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the 
earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are 
in  them,  heard   I  saying,  Blessing,  and  honour, 
and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto  Him  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne,  and   unto  the  Lamb  for  ever 
and  ever.' "  THOLUCK. 

12.  On  liii.  9.     "  Sepeliri  se  passus  est  Dominvs 
1)    lit  sabbatum    redemtionis    responderct    sabbato 
creationis,  quod  illius  typasfu.it;  2)  ut  tes'aretur,  se 
non  olouevug  sed  bvruc.  Juisse  mortuum.     Unde  TER- 
TULLIANUS  rccte:  non  scpultus  esset,  nisi  mortuus  ; 
3)  ut  sepulcra  nostra  consecraret  in  Koiuj]T?'jpta  con- 
tactu  corporis  ipsius  sanctissimi  sancti/icata  (Jes. 
xxvii.  19;  Ivii.  2);   4)    ut  pracfiguraret   quietam 
nostram  spiritualem  ab  opcribus  camis  (Heb.  iv.  9, 

10)."    FOERSTER. 

13.  On  liii.  9.  "Christ  can  boast  both  f-orts  of 
innocence,  viz.,  causae  and  personae.     For  He  suf- 
fers in  the  greatest  innocence,  and  is  above  that 
innocent  through  and  through  in  Hi*  whole  per- 
son and  nature,  to  the  end  that  He  might  restore 
what  He  took  not  away  (Ps.  Ixix.  4).     For  we 


CHAP.  LIII.  8-12. 


585 


ought  to  have  such  an  high   priest   (Heb.  vii. 
26)."— CRAMER. 

14i  On  liii.  10.  "Hujus  sacrificii  expiatorii  qua- 
tuor  sunl  priviiegia:  1)  est  propitiatio  pro  totius 
mundi  peccatis  (1  Jno.  ii.  2);  2)  in  hoc  idem  est 
6  TrpocQepuv  Kal  6  TrpocQepdusvoc.  (Ephes.  v.  2) ;  3) 
est  unicum  semelque  tantum  oblatum  (Heb.  vii.  27) ; 
4)  hoc  unico  sacrificio  Christus  consummavit  in  eter- 
nam  eos,  qui  sanctificantur  (Heb.  x.  14). — FOER- 
STER. 

15.  On  liii.  11.  "Christ  makes  righteous  not 
by  communicating  His  essential  righteousness, 
but  by  communicating  His  merit.  For  He  bears 
their  sins.  The  means,  however,  by  which  this 
righteousness  comes  to  us  is  His  knowledge  that 
consists  in  true  saving  faith."  "  Plus  est  credere 
Christo,  quam  deliquisse  saeculo."  —  AMBROSE. 
"  Justificat  multos  agnitione  sui." — CRAMER. 

10.  On  liii.  11.  (p1^).  "Px-AToI^rep.i.  II., 
362,  d.  e.,  describes  the  righteous  man,  who,  in 
purest  and  completest  exercise  of  virtue,  uncon- 
cerned about  the  opinion  of  the  world  and  the 
outward  effects  of  his  conduct,  on  his  own  part 
only  reaps  infamy  and  shame,  suffering  and  abuse 
of  every  sort  for  his  righteousness,  and  yet,  un- 
swervingly pursuing  his  aim,  most  cruelly  racked, 
and  tormented,  bound,  robbed  of  eyesight  by  the 
rudest  violence,  remains  ever  true  to  himself,  and 
at  last  suffers  the  most  infamous  and  cruel  death 
as  the  reward  of  his  virtue,  the  death  of  the 
cross."  ED.  MUELLER,  1.  c.,  p.  11.  Cornp.  DOEL- 
J,INGER,  Heidenthum  und  Christenthum,  1857,  p. 
300. 

17.  On  liii.  12.  "  Let  even  the  hardest  stone 
strive  against  the  Lord  Christ,  all  must  still  be- 
come vain  pottery  that  dash  themselves  against 
Him,  as  it  is  written  :  '  Whosoever  shall  fall  on 
this  stone  shall  be  broken ;  but  on  whomsoever 
it  shall  fall,  it  will  grind  him  to  powder'  (Matlh. 
xxi.  24).  And  as  LXTTHER  says:  'Therefore 
Christ  says,  also ;  Good  people  do  not  brush 
against  me,  let  me  be  the  rock,  and  do  not  get 
into  conflict  with  me ;  for  if  not,  then  I  say  for 
certain,  I  am  a  stone,  and  will  not  be  afraid  of 
jugs  because  they  have  big  bellies,  and  which, 
the  more  they  are  swelled  out,  are  the  easier 
shattered  and  the  easier  to  hit.'  My  good  Saul, 
it  will  go  hard  for  thee  to  kick  against  the  goads, 
said  the  Lord  Christ  to  Saul,  and  although  he 
resisted,  he  had  still  to  yield.  For  as  it  is  writ- 
ten :  even  the  strong  shall  he  have  for  a  prey." — 
THOLUCK. 

HOMIXETICAZ,  HINTS. 

1.  On  lii.  13-liii.  12.    The  suffering  of  our  glo- 
rified Lord  Jesus,  how  I.,  it  is  not  recognized;  II., 
yet  is  carried  out;  IIL,  glorified".     GOTFRIED 
ARNOLD,  Ev.  Botschaft  der  Herrlichkeit  Gottes,  4 
Aufl.,  p.  338  sqq. 

2.  On  liii.  1-5.    ''Concerning  the  various  re 
ception  of  the  word  of  the  cross  by  men."     C.  F 
HARTTMAN,  Passionspredigten,  Heilbronn,  1872 
p.  169. 

3.  On  liii.  1.  "The  mount  Golgotha.     1)  A  seem 
for   the    display   of    unbelief  and   belief.      Tin 
rulers  of  the  people,  the  mass  of  the  people,  tin 
one  murderer  give  evidence  of  unbelief ;  the  mo 
ther  of  Jesus  and  the  other  women,  together  will 
John,  the  Centurion,  the  thief  were  believing 


3ut  the  greatest  example  of  faith  is  given  by  the 
Son  of  God  Himself,  who  is  called  a  beginner 

.nd  finisher  of  our  faith.  2.  A  place  where  the 
^rm  of  the  LORD  is  revealed  to  us." — HARTT- 
MANN,  /.  c.,  p.  277. 

4.  On  liii.  1.  Concerning  the  reasons  for  the  bad 
•eccption  men  give  the  word  of  the  cross.     1)  One 
cannot  fruitfully  consider  it,  if  one  does  not  recog- 
nize his  own  ruin.     2)  It  shows  us  our  profound 

nability  to  help  ourselves.  3)  There  is  involved 
n  it  the  obligation  to  die  with  Christ.  4)  It  is 
reated  in  such  a  frivolous  and  common-place 
nanner". — HARTTMANN,  1.  c.,  p.  1G9.  "  The 
jrand  turning  point  in  the  race  of  Adam  and  the 
new  Israel".  GATJPP,  Prakt.  Theol.,  I.  Vol.,  p. 
")09.  "  How  the  suffering  and  death  of  Clirist  are 
he  greatest  thing  that  has  ever  occurred  in  the  history 
yf  the  world.  For  1)  It  is  the  greatest  wonder;  2) 
t  is  a  work  of  the  last  necessity;  3)  it  is  a  work 
of  the  highest  love ;  4)  it  is  a  work  of  the  great- 
est blessing".  PFEIFFER,  in  Manch.  Gaben  u.  ein 
?.  III.  Jahrg.,  p.  248. 

5.  On  liii.  4  sqq.  "  How  can  the  suffering  of 
death  by  an  innocent  One,  bring  salvation  to  the 
guilty?     1)  If  the  righteous  One  freely  sacrifice 
Himself  for  the  guilty.     2)  If  His  sacrifice  is  an 
adequate  payment  for  the  guilt  of  the  other.     3) 
If  the  guilty  uses  the  freedom  from  punishment 
that  has  been  obtained  to  the  salvation  of  his 
soul".     HERBIG,  in   Manch.    Gaben  u.  ein   G., 
1868,  p.  256. 

6.  On  liii.  4,  5.   "Concerning  the  justifying 
and  saving  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  espe- 
cially in  a  dying  person  must  appear  flourishing 
and  strong.  1)  How  one  must  press  on  to  it  through 
conflict.     2)  How  it  is  afterwards  full  of  power, 
life,  peace,  righteousness,  salvation,  blessedness." 
RIEGER  H.  C.  Superint.  in  Stuttgart,  Funeral  Ser- 
mons, 1870,  p.  187. 

7.  On  liii.  3  sqq.     "Christ  assumed  no  tempo- 
ral honor  or  reputation,  but  with  words  and  works 
contradicted  all  that  would  have  praised,  honored, 
and  celebrated  Him.     For  He  ever  shunned  the 
honor  of  this  world,  and  gave  not  even  the  slight- 
est cause  for  it  (Jno.  vi.  15).     Yea,  in  great  hu- 
mility He  allowed  the   greatest   contempt   and 
blasphemy  to  be  uttered  against  Him ;  for_  the 
Jews  reproached  Him  with  being  a  Samaritan, 
that  had  a  devil  and  that  did  His  miracles  by  the 
power  of  Satan  (Jno.  viii.  48).     Men  treated  His 
divine  doctrine  as  blasphemy.     He  was  pestered 
by  murderous  cunning,  many  lies  and  calumnies, 
finally  betrayed,  sold," denied,  struck  in  the  face, 
spit  upon,  crowned  with  thorns,  scourged,wounded 
condemned,  forsaken  by  God  and  man,  stripped 
naked  as  a  malefactor,  yea,  hanged  up  as  a  curse 
(Gal.  Hi.  13),  while  every  one  mocked  at  Him, 
laughed  at  His  prayers,  cast  lots  for  His  clothes, 
gave  Him  gall  and  vinegar  to  drink  in  His  dying 
extremity  (Jno.  xix.  29).     Lastly,  He  died  on  the 
tree  in  the  greatest  infamy  and  contumely,  U 
dead  body  was  pierced  and  opened  on  the  cross, 
and  at  last  buried  as  a  wicked  person  ;  yea,  even 
after  His  innocent  death.  He  was  reproached  with 
being  a  deceiver  (Matth.  xxvii.  63).     Men  also 
contradicted  His  resurrection.     And  so  in  lite 
and  death  and  after  death  Ho  was  full  of  con- 
tumely."   Jon.  ARNDT,  Wahr.  Christenth.  Buch  2, 
kap.  14.  ,. 

8.  On  liii.  4-6.     "  This  text  is  the  only  medi- 


586 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


cine,  and  true,  sure  and  approved  theriac  against 
that  t  hurtful  soul-poison,  despair.''  "He  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions,  He  was  bruised 
for  our  iniquities;"  and  afterwards  "  all  we  like 
sheep  have  gone  astray,  but  the  LORD  laid  on 
Him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."  Thou  hearest  that 
He  speaks  of  sins  and  iniquity ;  and  that  thou 
mayest  not  think  He  speaks  of  some  particular 
people,  and  not  of  thee  and  me,  the  Holy  Spirit 
lets  the  words  go  out  strong,  and  lets  this  resound: 
He  was  wounded  for  our  transgression,  He  was 
bruised  for  our  iniquity.  Item  :  God  laid  all 
our  sin  on  Him.  That  means  even  that  no  man 
is  excepted. 

Now  that  this  is  true,  that  Christ,  the  Son  of 
God,  laden  with  the  sin  of  all  men,  was  on  that 
account  wounded  and  bruised,  wilt  thou  regard 
God  as  so  ungracious  or  so  hard,  that  He  will  let 
a  debt  be  paid  Him  twice  ?  Or  shall  Christ 
have  suffered  such  distress  and  death  in  vain  ? 
In  fine ;  God  laid  thy  sins  on  Christ ;  it  follows 
that  they  no  more  rest  on  thee.  God  wounded 
Him  for  thy  sins ;  it  follows  that  thou  shalt  not 
bear  the  punishment.  God  smote  Him  for  thy 
sake;  it  follows  that  thou  shalt  go  free."  VEIT 
DIETRICH. 

9.  On  liii.  8-10.  Is  it  not  really  a  contradic- 
tion to  say,  that  the  Servant  shall  live  long  be- 
cause He  is  taken  out  of  the  land  of  the  living? 
And  also,  that  He  will  have  seed,  when  He  shall 
have  given  His  life  an  offering  for  sin  ?  One  sees 
here  that  the  Prophet  has  some  presentiment  of 
the  higher  nature  of  Him  whom  he  presents  to 
us  here  as  the  Servant  of  Jehovah.  According 


to  the  New  Testament  view,  one  must  be  cut  off 
from  the  so  called  land  of  the  living,  but  which 
is  in  truth  the  land  of  those  devoted  to  dieath, 
in  order  to  reach  the  land  of  true,  of  eternal  life. 
Thus  it  is  hereby  intimated,  that  Christ  will  die 
in  order  to  rise  up  again  to  everlasting  life.  Yea, 
even  more!  It  is  also  intimated  (ver.  10),  that 
precisely  by  the  giving  up  of  His  life  He  will 
accomplish,  as  it  were,  an  act  of  generation,  the 
result  of  which  will  be  an  immeasurably  numer- 
ous and  immortal  posterity.  For  by  His  death 
He  gives  us  eternal  life  (comp.  Jno.  xii.  24). 
27(e  strange  death  of  Christ:  1)  By  His  death  He 
laid  down  what  was  mortal  in  Him,  and  now  ap- 
pears wholly  as  the  eternal  living  One;  2)  by 
His  death  He  gives  life  to  them  that  were  a  prey 
to  death. 

10.  On  liii.  10.    "  TJie  death  of  Christ :  1)  Who 
willed  and  decreed  it  ?    (God  Himself:  it  pleased 
the  LORD  to  bruise  Him).    2)  Why  did  God  will 
it?     (He  must  give  His  life  an  offering  for  sin). 
3)  What  are  His  fruits?    (He  shall  see  seed  and 
live  long,  etc.).     After  SPURGEON,  The  Gospel  of 
the  Prophet  Isaiah. 

11.  On  liii.  11,  12.   As  the  exaltation  of  Christ 
corresponds  in  general  to  His  humiliation  (comp. 
Phil.  ii.  5-11),  so  also  it  corresponds  in  particu- 
lars: 1)  Because  His  soul  was  in  tribulation,  He 
will  see  His  pleasures  and  be  satisfied.     2)  Be- 
cause  He   bore  the   sins   of  many,  so  He,  the 
righteous  One  will  by  His  knowledge  make  many 
righteous.      3)  Because  He  was  made  like  the 
wicked,  He  shall  have  the  great  multitude  for  a 
prey  and  the  strong  for  spoil. 


VI.—  THE  SIXTH  DISCOURSE. 
The  New  Salvation. 
CHAPTER  LIV. 


The  fifty-third  chapter  retained  its  ground 
color,  black,  to  the  end.  For  the  Prophet  pur- 
posely once  again  accumulated  the  dark  images 
of  suffering  in  the  twelfth  verse,  although  from 
ver.  8  on  he  had  let  the  light  of  the  Easter  morn- 
ing dawn.  It  is  as  if  he  designed  to  paint  the 
edge  of  his  mourning  ribbon  dark  black,  so  that 
it  might  appear  in  sharp  relief.  Spite  of  this, 
chap.  liv.  has  a  close  inward  connection  with 
what  precedes.  For  was  it  not  said  already  liii. 
10,  that  the  Servant  will  have  seed,  and  in  ver. 
12  that  a  great  crowd  shall  be  given  Him  as 
spoil  ?  Have  we  not  read  Hi.  10,  that  the  arm 
of  the  LORD  shall  be  revealed  before  all  nations, 
and  that  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  see  the 
salvation  of  God  ?  Is  it  not  represented  in  xlix. 


12  sqq.,  that  Zion,  though  a  forsaken  wife,  shall 
have  countless  children?  And  is  it  not  inti- 
mated xlix.  6  that  this  unaccountable  increase  of 
the  children  of  Zion  will  be  because  the  Servant 
of  God  is  made  the  light  of  the  Gentiles  ?  This 
thought  now  forms  the  chief  contents  of  chap, 
liv.  viz. :  that  Zion,  apparently  forsaken  and  re- 
pudiated, shall  be  made  happy  by  a  wonderful 
blessing  of  children,  and  that  by  reason  of  the 
righteousness  of  the  Servant  being  imparted  to 
men  far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  natural  Israel. 
The  chapter  has  two  parts  :  1)  The  rich  bless- 
ing of  children  a  fruit  of  the  eternal  grace  of  Je- 
hovah (vers.  1-10);  2)  Israel's  state  of  salvation 
is  one  extending  on  all  sides  (vers.  11-17). 


1.  ZION'SRICH  BLESSING  OF  CHILDREN  A  FRUIT  OF  THE   ETERNAL  GRACE  OF 

JEHOVAH.    CHAPTER  LIV.  1-10. 

1       Sing,  O  barren,  thou  that  didst  not  bear  ; 

Break  forth  into  singing,  and  cry  aloud,  thou  that  didst  not  travail  with  child: 

For  more  are  the  children  of  the  desolate 

Than  the  children  of  the  married  wife,  saith  the  LOKD. 


CHAP.  LIV.  1-10. 


687 


2  Enlarge  the  place  of  thy  tent, 

And  let  them  stretch  forth  the  curtains  of  thine  habitations : 
"Spare  not,  lengthen  thy  cords, 
And  strengthen  thy  stakes  ; 

3  For  thou  shalt  break  forth  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left ; 
And  thy  seed  shall  "inherit  the  Gentiles, 

And  make  the  desolate  cities  to  be  inhabited. 

4  Fear  not ;  for  thou  shalt  not  be  ashamed  : 

Neither  be  thou  "confounded  ;  for  thou  shalt  not  be  put  to  shame : 

For  thou  shalt  forget  the  shame  of  thy  youth, 

And  shalt  not  remember  the  reproach  of  thy  widowhood  any  more. 

5  For  thy  Maker  is  thine  husband  ; 
The  LORD  of  hosts  is  his  name  ; 

And  thy  Redeemer  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ; 
The  God  of  the  whole  earth  shall  he  be  called. 

6  For  the  LORD  hath  called  thee  as  a  woman  forsaken  and  grieved  in  spirit, 
And  a  wife  of  youth,  when  dthou  wast  refused,  saith  thy  God, 

7  For  a  small  moment  have  I  forsaken  thee ; 
But  with  great  mercies  will  I  gather  thee. 

8  In  a  little  wrath  I  hid  my  face  from  thee  for  a  moment ; 
But  with  everlasting  kindness  will  I  have  mercy  on  thee, 
Saith  the  LORD  thy  Redeemer. 

9  For  this  is  as  the  waters  of  Noah  unto  me ; 
For  as  I  have  sworn 

That  the  waters  of  Noah  should  no  more  go  over  the  earth ; 
So  have  I  sworn 

That  I  would  not  be  wroth  with  thee,  nor  rebuke  thee. 
10  For  the  mountains  shall  depart, 
And  the  hills  be  removed  ; 
But  my  kindness  shall  not  depart  from  thee, 
Neither  shall  the  covenant  of  my  peace  be  removed, 
Saith  the  LORD  that  hath  mercy  on  thee. 


»  Hinder  it  not. 


b  possess. 


8  depressed. 


d  she  was  scorned. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words  :  Ver.  1. 
mO#  under  DOtJJ.  Ver.  4.  'RVA"1?!*—  D^D  in  Niph. 
Ver.  5.  T\W'.  Ver.  8.  i—  *'#,  Wj-  Ver- 


Ver.  3.  3*t!?in  causative  from  the  neuter  31!^  "  to  be 

—   T 

inhabited,"  xiii.  20  ;  Jer.  xvii.  6,  25  ;  xxx.  18. 

Ver.  5.  "V'llfy  (see  Exeget.  and  Orit.)is  subject,  miT  is 
In  apposition  with  it,  and  V  7J73  is  predicate.  The  plu- 
ral T7j,'°3  is  to  be  explained  by  7^3  being  used  here 
for  7j?3.  and  being  inflected  and  construed  accordingly 
(see  GREEN,  \  202,  2).  But  why  not  simply  ^'S^'S  ?  I 
think  for  this  reason:  because  after  the  overthrow  of 
the  Old  Testament  Theocracy  a  re-marriag<->,  as  it  were, 
was  necessary,  a  re-founding  of  the  former  relations. 
The  plural,  as  remarked,  draws  the  plural  iptyj,'  after  it. 

Ver.  6.  7X1  D  is  a  rare  form  for  ^JOD  (eomp.  Ix.  9).— 

IT   T':  I"  Til 

D'~n>  J  HD'X  is  still  dependent  on  3  before  HUli^  Hl^tf. 
-  The  imperf.  DSOH  is  used  because,  not  a  definite, 

••  T     • 

solitary  fact,  but  something  that  often  happens  is  to  be 
thought  of. 


GRAMMATICAL. 

Ver.  8.  tiyp  nyiy  is  a  genuine  Isaianic  play  on  words 
(comp.  i.  4,  23  ;  v.  7  ;  vii.  9  ;  viii.  10  ;  xxii.  5  ;  xxiv.  3,  4,  16 
sqq.  ;  xxv.  6;  xxvii.  7;  xxviii.  7,  10  sqq.  ;  xxix.2;  xxxii. 
7,  19,  etc.). 

Ver.  9.  The  LXX.  translates  oirb  rov  uSaro?  rov  en-l 
Nwe.  It  seems  therefore  to  have  read  ^QD.  But  the  whole 
translation  of  the  verse  is  so  confused  that  one  sees  the 
translator  knew  not  what  to  do  with  the  text.  SYMM., 
THEOD.,  Vuto.,  TAKG.,  JON.,  SYE.,  SAAD.  read  '?3'3-  Also 
Matth.  xxiv.  37  (comp.  Luke  xvii.  26)  seems  to  favor 
the  reading  'O*3  with  its  icrirtp  ai  iljuepai  rov  Na>«, 
though  the  passage  is  not  properly  a  quotation  of  our 
text.  Yet  most  CODD.  by  far  read  '0~O-  In  STIEB  and 
THEILE'S  Polyglott,  the  reading  '0'3  is  not  quoted  at  all. 
Moreover  the  following  nj~T3,  as  also  the  relation  to 
the  foregoing  rȴp  ^IViy  favors  the  reading  '0~'3-  - 
ItyX  cannot  be  construed  pronominally,  for  the  con- 
torted construction  that  ensues,  and  the  following  J3 
forbid  it.  We  therefore  take  it  as  an  adverb  = 
(Jer.  xxxiii.  22  ;  EWALD,  ?  360,  a).  -  " 


construed  as 


TUSK  ver.  6. 

V--: 


588 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEQETICA.L  AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Sing,  O   barren be    inhabited.— 

Vers.  1-3.  Of  course  the  Prophet  addresses  Jeru- 
salem or  Zion,  yet  not  as  a  local  congregation, 
but  as  representative  of  the  whole  nation.  And 
it  is  true  also,  that  He  has  in  mind  the  Israel  of 
the  Exile,  yet  not  of  the  Exile  in  its  temporal 
limitation,  'but  in  the  prophetic  sense,  that  is  so 
for  as  this  comprehends  in  one  view  the  Israel 
of  the  Exile  with  the  subsequent  time  to  the 
downfall  of  the  outward  Theocracy.  For  the  Is- 
rael to  which  he  speaks  here  is  the  HrOOty  ''deso- 
late," that  is  no  more  rn\J73  «'  married,"  but  is 
forsaken  and  repudiated  by  her  husband  fcomp. 
ver.  6  ;  xlix.  21).  The  old,  outward  Theocracy 
sets,  is  broken  as  one  shivers  an  earthen  vessel. 
In  so  "far  Israel  is  despised,  repudiated,  forsaken 
by  its  husband.  But  from  the  broken  shell  issues 
the  kernel  that  from  the  beginning  was  hid  in 
the  shell  till  the  period  of  ripeness.  And  this 
kernel  now  enters  on  a  new  existence,  in  which 
it  develops  to  a  greatness  and  glory,  in  cornpari- 
sion  with  which  the  greatness  and  glory  of  its 
former  stage  of  existence  almost  vanish.  For  the 
narrow  house  becomes  a  mighty  edifice  under 
which  all  nations  of  the  earth  (ver.  3),  find  room. 
The  Apostle  Paul  understands  by  this  new,  grand 
edifice  the  "  Jerusalem  from  above  that  is  the 
mother  of  us  all"  (Gal.  iv.  26,  27).  And  this 
''  Jerusalem  from  above "  is  nothing  else  than 
the  New  Testament  Zion,  which  itself,  in  turn, 
in  the  visible  militant  Christian  Church,  has 
only  the  first  and  initial  stage  of  its  existence.  It 
is  therefore  a  right  meager  construction  when 
rationalistic  expositors  find  nothing  more  said  in 
O'ir  passage,  than  that  Jerusalem  after  the  Exile 
will  be  more  populous  than  before,  and  that  the 
people  in  the  land  will  not  have  room,  and  con- 
sequently will  spread  out,  and  that  to  the  south 
and  to  the  north,  i.  e.,  toward  Edom,  Syria  and 
Phoenicia  (thus  KNOBEL,  SEINECKE,  etc.).  What 
is  to  be  understood  by  D'U  ver.  3  we  shall  see  be- 
low at  that  verse. 

Rejoice  O  barren,  recalls  the  words  of  Han- 
nah's song  1  Sam.  ii.  5:  "so  that  the  barren  hath 
borne  seven,"  where  the  additional  thought  oc- 
curs that  the  one  having  many  children  proves 

to  be  an    PP/OX  an  exhausta  viribus.     TTlT  K? 

T  T  :    •  ' 

is  one  that  has  never  hitherto  borne  children 
(Judg.  xiii.  2).  If  Zion  be  meant  here,  which 
•we  are  to  regard  as  the  antitype  of  Sarah  (li. 
1-3),  and  we  may  add  also  of  Hannah,  still  bar- 
ren cannot  refer  to  the  fact  that  Jerusalem 
during  the  Exile  was  robbed  of  her  children  and 
during  that  time  bore  no  more  (DELITZSCH). 
According  to  that  we  would  need  to  understand 
the  blessing  of  children  to  mean  the  children 
that  should  be  born  in  Jerusalem  when  it  would 
be  rebuilt-  The  mpj;  is  rather  the  hidden  kernel 
of  the  "spiritual  Israel,"  within  the  "  fleshly  Is- 
rael," that  is  not  yet  released  from  the  shell, 
that  has  not  attained  an  independent  existence.  * 
Although  the  children  of  the  fleshly  Israel  have 
felt  more  or  less  the  influence  of  the  spiritual  Is- 
rael, yet  so  far  as  such  is  the  case,  they  are  only 
children  of  an  invisible  mother,  whose  existence 


is  latent,  and  who  on  this  account  must  be  reck- 
oned as  not  bearing. The  same  mother  that  is 

called  barren  is  afterwards  called  desolate. 
Here  the  word  itself  (H0012J)  shows  Jerusalem 
when  rebuilt  cannot  be  meant.  For  the  rebuilt 
Jerusalem  is  no  longer  "  desolate,"  and  is  not 
less  a  married  wife  than  she  had  been  before. 
But  the  New  Testament  Zion  implies  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  outward  Theocracy,  and  thus  the  ap- 
parent dissolution  of  the  former  relation  between 
the  latter  and  God.  Just  then,  the  Prophet 
would  say,  when  Zion  in  respect  to  its  outward 
situation  will  be  desolate,  a  lonely  woman  for- 
saken of  her  husband,  just  then  the  new  Zion 
will  develop  out  of  it  and  have  a  much  richer 
blessing  of  children  than  Zion  had  before  in  its 
Old  Testament  form.  nDDltP  is  the  destroyed, 
wasted,  solitary  one  (comp.  Lam.  i.  13;  iii.  11). 

rnijn  (comp.  Ixii.  4,  5),  according  to  the  repre- 
sentation of  the  relation  between  Jehovah  and 
Zion  as  a  married  one,  designates  Jerusalem  as 
the  Theocracy  in  whose  stability  appears  also  the 
stability  of  that  married  relation. 

Ver.  2.  As  a  measure  of  the  greatness  of  the 
promised  blessing  of  children,  the  Prophet  calls 
on  Zion  to  widen  the  place  of  her  tent,  i.  e.,  she 
must  prepare  an  extended  surface  for  the  erection 
of  her  tent  for  dwelling.  For  it  is  not  probable 
that  DlpD  designates  the  interior  of  the  tent. 
What  follows  of  itself  shows  that  the  extent  of 
that  interior  will  be  great.  HC33  here  does  not 
mean '' to  stretch  or  strain"  (xliv.  13),  but  "to 
expand "  (xl.  22 ;  xlv.  12).  The  third  person 
plural  is  used  in  the  sense  of  the  indefinite  sub- 
ject =  let  them  expand.  The  Prophet  implies 
that  Zion  may  become  concerned  lest  her  dwell- 
ing be  too  much  extended,  and  that  she  would 
check  the  expansion. — He  therefore  calls  on  her 
not  to  do  so :  '3{ynJi78j  "  do  not  oppose,  hinder 
it"  (Iviii.  1).  For  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
are  to  find  their  spiritual  dwelling  under  this 
tent.  Corresponding  to  the  greatness  of  the  tent, 
the  ropes  must  be  lengthened  and  the  pins  be  set 
firmly.  But  it  has  been  justly  remarked  that 
strengthening  the  stakes  refers  not  only  to 
the  greater  resistance  required  for  a  tent  of 
greater  dimensions,  but  also  to  the  fact  that  this 
is  to  be  no  more  a  momadic  tent,  but  is  to  be  a 
tabernacle  continuing  forever  (xxxiii.  20). 

Ver.  3.  For  thou  shalt  break  forth  on  the 
right  hand  and  on  the  left.  There  appears 
in  these  words  to  be  an  allusion  to  Gen.  xxviii. 
14,  "  and  thy  seed  shall  be  as  dust  of  the  earth, 
and  thou  shalt  break  forth  (r*Y^£3^j  to  the  west, 

and  to  the  east,  and  to  the  north,  and  to  the  south." 
One  sees  from  this  passage  also,  that  the  Prophet 
does  not  merely  name  the  right  and  left  side 
(north  and  south)  because  breaking  forth  on  the 
west  would  be  hindered  by  the  seas  and  on  the  east 
by  the  desert.  But,  spite  of  the  comparison  of  the 
fastened  stakes,  the  Prophet  entertains  the  thought 
of  an  issuing  forth  in  an  appointed  way.  In 
such  a  connection  the  two  lateral  directions 
are  ever  named  (comp.  Gen.  xxiv.  49;  Num. 
xx.  17;  xxii.26;  Deut.ii.  27;  v.  32;  Isa.  ix.  19, 


CHAP.  LIV.  1-10. 


589 


etc.). — When  it  is  further  stated  :  and  thy  seed 
shall  possess  ($T  as  frequently,  Deut.  ii.  12. 
21,  22;  ix.  1.  etc.),  the  nations,  we  must  re- 
member what  has  been  already  said  by  the  Pro- 
phet, xlix.  6,  12,  18,  sqq.  We  learn  from  these 
passages  that  the  seed  of  Israel  shall  not  merely 
take  possession  of  some  nations,  but  of  all  nations, 
and  not  of  lands  by  expelling  the  inhabitants,  but 
actually  of  the  inhabitants  themselves.  For  these 
themselves  shall  become  the  seed  of  Israel.  But 
Zion  shall  wonder  to  see  herself  surrounded  by  a 
countless  posterity,  and  how  she  came  by  these 

many  children   (xlix.  21    sqq.) The  seed    of 

Israel  will  also  make  desolate  cities  to  be 
inhabited.  That  the  Prophet  does  not  mean  the 
desolate  cities  of  Palestine  that  are  to  be  repeo- 
pled,  appears  from  the  whole  context  which  has  a 
much  loftier  aim.  Men  are  not  wont  to  choose 
desolated  places  for  residences.  Colonists  prefer 
to  lay  out  a  new  city,  rather  than  settle  in  the 
ruins  of  an  ancient  one.  But  the  seed  of  Zion 
penetrates  to  all  nations  and  seeks  out  even  ruined 
nations,  destroyed  and  desolated  regions.  It  has 
in  fact  the  mission  of  bearing  new  life  everywhere 
that  men  are  found. 

2.  Fear  not the  LORD  thy  Redeem 

er. — Vers.  4-8.  In  the  name  moiiy  "  desolate," 
that  is  given  to  Zion,  ver.  1,  there  is  an  intima- 
tion of  a  dreadful  catastrophe.  There  will  then 
come  a  time  when  Zion  will  no  more  be  the 
"married  wife"  as  heretofore,  but  ''desolate." 
That  will,  any  way,  be  a  severe  and  alarming 
crisis.  In  reference  to  just  this  critical  time,  Zion 
is  called  on  not  to  fear,  for,  spite  of  the  blow  that 
seems  to  threaten  annihilation,  she  will  not  come 
to  shame  (comp.  xlv.  16,  17).  She  is  further  ex- 
horted not  to  become  depressed  by  the  sense  of 
shame,  for  she  will  actually  have  no  occasion  to 
blush  with  shame  (comp.  xxxiii.  9).  Yea,  she 
will  even  forget  the  shame  of  her  youth, 
and  remember  the  reproach  of  her  widow- 
hood no  more.  The  Prophet,  therefore,  dis- 
tinguishes two  periods  of  that  time  that  precedes 
the  issuing  of  the  new  Zion  out  of  its  Old  Testa- 
ment shell,  viz.,  the  youth  and  the  widowhood, 
and  loth  are  designated  as  periods  of  reproach.  The 
youth  is  the  commencement  period  until  David. 
It  is  the  period  when  the  Theocracy  had  a  miser- 
able existence,  distressfully  asserted  itself  in  the 
midst  of  heathen  nations,  sometimes,  as  in  the 
days  of  Samson  and  Elijah  seeming  to  be  lost  in 
the  struggle  with  its  enemies,  especially  the  Phil- 
istines. The  widowhood  denotes  the  period  of 
exile,  not  merely  the  Babylonian,  but  also  the 
Assyrian  and  the  Roman  exiles.  For  just  with 
the  beginning  of  the  last  named  was  coincident 
the  issuing  of  the  New  Testament  Zion  from  its 
Old  Testament  shell.  In  what  follows  is  given  the 
reason  why  Zion  need  not  fear  being  brought  to 
shame  (vers.  5-8). 

Ver.  5.  Although  apparently  no  longer  "  mar- 
ried," Zion  still  has  an  "husband,"  and  He  is 
identical  with  her  Maker.  Can  then  the  Ma- 
ker suffer  His  work  to  be  destroyed?  Were  that 
not  a  reproach  to  Him?  And  is  it  conceivable 
that  Jehovah,  who  is  the  Maker  here,  will  let 
Himself  be  loaded  with  this  disgrace  ?  Therefore 
He  that  is  Jehovah,  and  indeed  Jehovah  of  hosts, 
the  Lord  and  Commander  of  all  heavenly  powers, 


He  is  the  Maker  of  Israel  and  also  its  husband. 
What  security  in  these  titles  ?  And  the  same  is 
true  of  the  predicates  given  to  God  in  what  fol- 
lows. What  kind  of  a  n^NJ  "  redemption  "  must 
that  be,  that  proceeds  from  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel  (comp.  xli.  14;  xliii.  14;  xlviii.  17)! 
Can  He  be  faithless  to  His  word,  unmerciful, 
cruel  ?  And  beside  all  this,  this  "  Holy  One  of 
Israel  "  is  the  God  of  the  whole  earth  (cump. 
Gen.  xxiv.  3).  He  will  therefore  not  have  mere- 
ly the  will,  but  also  the  power  to  redeem  Israel. 
— But  if  Jehovah  was  hitherto  Israel's  Maker, 
Husband  and  Redeemer,  why  is  He  so  no  more? 
When  we  look  exactly,  lie  has  not  ceased  to  be. 
— Ver.  6.  He,  in  fact,  calls  Israel  back  to  Him 
as  a  woman  forsaken  (Ix.  15;  Ixii.  4),  heart 
sore  (properly,  mortified  in  spirit,  comp.  Ixiii. 
10;  Gen.  vi.  6) ;  as  a  man  calls  back  the  beloved 
wife  of  his  youth,  after  having  once  scorned  her. 
— Ver.  7.  O'nly  a  small  moment  did  the  LORD  for- 
sake His  people.  But  this  moment  of  giving  pain 
He  will  make  good  again  by  so  much  greater 
mercy.  The  centrifugal  3f£  shall  have  a  corres- 
ponding centripetal  |*3p  (comp.  the  remark  at 
xliii.  5. — Ver.  8,  states  the  occasion  of  this  mo- 
mentary infliction  of  pain.  It  was  the  welling  up 
of  wrath,  which,  however,  only  prompted  a  mo- 
mentary hiding  of  the  face  (comp.  viii.  17  ;  lix. 
2;  Ixiv.  6). — ^i'i?  has  plainly  the  same  meaning 
as  ^ty  "  super-abundance,"  that  is  often  used  of 
a  great  flood  of  water  and  welling  up  of  anger 
(Prov.  xxvii.  4;  Ps.  xxxii.  6  ;  Job  xxxviii.  25; 
comp.  Isa.  viii.  8;  xxx.  28;  Ixvi.  12).  But  here, 
as  the  antithesis  of  "everlasting  kindness, 
it  does  not  mean  a  lasting  overflow,  but  only  a 
momentary  boiling  over,  like,  say,  the  boiling 
over  of  a  kettle.  Therefore  I  allow  myself  to 
translate  "in  Gluth  der  Wuth"  [an  effort  to  copy 
the  paronomasia  of  the  original.  See  other  at- 
tempts quoted  in  J.  A.  ALEX.,  in  loe. — TK.]. 

3.  For  this hath  mercy  on  thee. — Vers. 

9,  10.  The  Prophet  supports  the  foregoing  pro- 
mise of  "  everlasting  kindness  "  by  giving  it  equal 
rank  with  the  promise  made  to  Noah  (Gen.  viii. 
21  sq  ;  ix.  8  sqq.).  Jehovah  Himself  calls  this 
promise  an  everlasting  covenant  (Gen.  ix.  16). 
And  on  this  covenant,  as  on  an  immovable  basis, 
rests  the  present  stability  of  the  earth.  Here  then 
the  promise  that  the  LORD  will  no  more  be  wroth 
with  Zion  is  put  on  a  par  with  this  covenant.  If 
by  Zion  is  to  be  understood  the  Israel  of  the  exile, 
thus  the  fleshly  Israel,  then,  indeed,  as  HENDE- 
WERK  remarks,  the  LORD  did  not  keep  His  word. 
But  we  have  seen  above  under  ver.  1,  that  the 
spiritual  Israel  is  meant.  Thus  H5*r  ver.  9  relates 
to  the  turn  in  Israel's  affairs  described  in  vers.  1  • 
8.  And  as  the  general  abstract  HNT  refers  to  that 
whole  stage  of  the  Theocracy's  development,  so 
also  FIJ  '0  waters  of  Noah  as  pars  pro  tola,  rep- 
resent bv  metonymy  the  whole  Noacliian  period. 
But  from  what  follows,  it  appears  that  the  LORD 
makes  prominent  a  central  point  in  the  two 
periods.  That  is  He  makes  the  promise  just  given 
to  Zion  parallel  with  that  given  to  Noah.  He 
calls  both  an  oath,  although  the  word  "  to  swear" 
occurs  neither  in  what  precedes,  nor  in  the  places 
in  Genesis  that  have  been  cited.  But  when  the 


590 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


LORD  gives  His  word,  it  is  always  an  oath  in  sub- 
stance, though  it  may  not  be  as  to  form.  For 
whether  He  expressly  says  it  or  not,  when  the 
LORD  gives  His  word,  He  stakes  His  honor,  and 
so  His  very  divinity,  as  a  man  does  the  highest 
good  he  has,  his  salvation.  ^Vp  and  "VJ7J  are  re- 
lated to  one  another  as  the  inward  sensation  and 
outward  manifestation.  But  "1#J  here,  as  often, 
designates  the  real. divine  acts  of  judgment  as  a 
rebuking  (comp.  xvii.  13;  Ps.  ix.  6;  Ixviii.  31  ; 

Ixxx.  17). Finally  in  ver.  10,  the  LORD  gives 

another  image  of  the  immovable  fixedness  of  the 
covenant  He  makes  with  Zion.  It  shall  stand 
more  firmly  than  mountains  and  hills.  For 
though  these  are  elsewhere  taken  as  the  image  of 
what  is  firm  and  immovable  (Ps.  xxxvi.  7  ;  Ixv. 
7  j  civ.  5,  8),  still  here  and  in  other  passages 


(xxiv.  18-20;  Hab.  iii.  6;  Job  ix.  5;  xiv.  18; 
Ps.  xlvi.  3,  4;  cxiv.  4,  6),  the  possibility  is  also 
recognized  of  mountains  shaking,  leaping,  and 
even  falling  down.  But  such  a  possibility  is  posi- 
tively denied  in  respect  to  the  grace  of  God  and 
His  covenant  of  peace  (covenant  whose  aim 
and  consequence  is  peace,  Num.  xxv.  12 ;  Ezek. 
xxxiv.  25  ;  xxxvii.  26).  In  regard  to  the  formula 
of  assurance  in  ver.  10,  it  is  to  be  remarked  that 
this  sort  of  thing  occurs  four  times  in  this  section. 
The  first  two  times  it  sounds  quite  simply,  ''  saith 
the  LORD,"  ver.  1 ;  saith  thy  God,  ver.  (>. 
But  toward  the  end,  where  the  pathos  of  the  Pro- 
phet rises,  the  formula  grows  to  ''  saith  the 
LORD  thy  Redeemer,"  ver.  8,  and  "saith 
the  LORD  that  hath  mercy  on  thee,"  ver. 
10. 


2.  ISEAEL'S  CONDITION  OF  SALVATION  EXTENDS  ON  ALL  SIDES. 

CHAPTER  LIV.  11-17. 

11  O  thou  afflicted,  tossed  with  tempest,  and  not  comforted, 
Behold,  al  will  lay  thy  stones  "with  fair  colours, 

And  "lay  thy  foundations  with  sapphires. 

12  And  I  will  make  thy  dwindows  of  "agates, 
And  thy  gates  of  carbuncles, 

And  all  thy  borders  of  pleasant  stones. 

13  And  all  thy  children  shall  be  taught  of  the  LORD; 
And  great  shall  be  the  peace  of  thy  children. 

14  In  righteousness  shalt  thou  be  established : 

rThou  shalt  be  far  from  oppression  ;  for  thou  shalt  not  fear: 
And  from  terror ;  for  it  shall  not  come  near  thee. 

15  Behold,  they  shall  surely  gather  together,  but  not  by  me : 
Whosoever  shall  gather  together  against  thee  shall  fall  gfor  thy  sake. 

16  Behold,  I  have  created  the  smith 
That  bloweth  the  coals  in  the  fire, 

And  that  bringeth  forth  an  instrument  hfor  his  work ; 
And  I  have  created  the  waster  to  destroy. 

17  No  weapon  that  is  formed  against  thee  shall  prosper ; 

And  every  tongue  that  shall  rise  against  thee  in  judgment  thou  shalt  condemn. 
This  is  the  heritage  of  the  servants  of  the  LORD, 
And  their  'righteousness  is  of  me,  saith  the  LORD. 


•  I  lay. 

•  rubies. 

h  after  his  craft. 


b  in  stibium. 

f  Be  far  from  oppression. 

1  righteousness  from  me. 


will  found  thee.  d  pinnacles, 

on  thee,  i.  e.,  dash  to  pieces  on  thee. 


TEXTUAL    AND 

Ver.  11.  i)p  see  List. rP^'D  is  part.  Kal  from  1^'D 

"  tumultuari,  to  storm,  be   moved  by  tempests,  to  bo 

hunted"  (comp.  Jonah  i.  11,  13,  Hos.  xiii..  3). rTDHJ 

is  perf.,  for  as  part,  it  would  need  to  read  HOn  JO  (comp.' 

on  liii.  7). 3  before  D'V£)D  cannot  be  taken  striotly 

»3  instrumental.  For  the  stone  is  not  the  instrument 
with  which  one  lays  a  foundation,  but  only  one  of  the 
means.  One  may  therefore  only  regard  3  as  instru- 
mental in  the  wider  sense,  unless  it  may  be  treated  as 


GRAMMATICAL. 

a  species  of  3  esscntiae.  It  were,  indeed,  not  impossible 
to  translate  with  GESEXITJS,  "super  saphiros."  But  there 
occurs  no  instance  of  designating  the  basis  on  which 
something  is  founded  by  3.  In  this  sense  everywhere 
*~}p  is  used  (Ps.  xxiv.  2;  civ.  5;  Amos  ix.  G;  Song  of 
Sol.  v.  15). 

Ver.  12.  We  may  make  particular  note  here  of  the 
grammatical  construction.  According  to  Hebrew  usage, 
what  is  made  of  any  stuff  ia  not  described  as  the  pro- 


CHAP.  LIV.  11-17. 


591 


duct  of  the  stuff,  but  the  material  is  put  in  apposition 
with  the  object  to  be  made,  or  the  object  made  is 
put  in  apposition  with  the  material.  Thus  1  Kings 
xviii.  32,  '•  he  built  the  stones  an  altar."  Here  the  ob- 
ject made  is  in  apposition  with  the  material.  But  the 
reverse  occurs  Exod.  xxxviii.  3,  "All  his  vessels  he 
made  brass,"  i.  e.,  brazen.  The  Hebrew  conceives  of  the 
thing  fabricated  as  a  particular  form  of  appearance  of 
the  material  of  which  the  artist  makes  it.  This  form 
of  expression  may  be  owing  to  its  poverty  in  respect  to 
adjective  forms.  In  our  text,  therefore,  the  construc- 

tion 


and  V3H  'J^K?  i»  to  be  understood 
like  the  immediately  preceding  "PfityotJ?  11)13  TVDtJfl, 
only  that  in  the  two  cases  first  named  the  Hebrew  way 
of  conception  appears  more  pregnantly.  For  it  is  in 
general  possible  in  Hob.  after  the  verbs  D£',  {/"0,  r\\L?V, 

T        I~T  T  T 

to  designate  that  into  which  something  is  made  not 
merely  by  7,  but  also  by  the  simple  accusative. 

Ver.  13.  This  verse  may  be  treated  as  dependent  on 
^.POty,  or  as  an  independent  nominal  clause.  -  31,  as 
third  pers.  perf.  masc.  Kal  from  331  does  not  occur 
elsewhere.  It  must  therefore  be  construed  as  adjective. 

Ver.  14.  "JJ13J1  is  Hithpalel  with  assimilated  jl.  The 
meaning  is  "  to  make  ready,  fast."  What  follows  suits 


very  well  this  construction  of  Plpl2f  in  a  subjective 
sense.  First  the  imperative  ""pill  seems  strange,  if  a 
promise  is  given  and  not  an  exhortation.  Then  pl!^ 
means  "the  oppressio,  violence,"  in  an  active  sense. 
The  meaning  "  terror  "  is  badly  supported  by  xxxviii.  14. 
Ver.  15.  jn  with  almost  a  hypothetical  significance, 

see  EWALD,  \  103,  g. 'H1XO  stands  here  instead  of 

MXrD,  as  in  lix.  11  DjliN  for  DPN.    These  are  solitary 

r  T   • 

instances  of  this  use  that  became  frequent  only  later. 
One  may  not  cite  Gen.  xxxiv.  2 ;  Lev.  xv.  18,  20  as  ana- 
logous examples.  For  in  these  passaees  HlVlX  is  really 
nota  accusativi,  because  3Dt^  that  precedes  the  word  in 
all  the  passages  named,  involves  there  the  transitive 
meaning  of  "  lying  with,  sleeping  with."  But  Josh.  xiv. 

12  can  be  quoted  as  an  example  of  this  isolated  use. 

'0  before  1  j  stands  here  in  the  sense  it  has  when  at 

T 

the  point  of  transition  from  an  interrogative  to  a  rela- 
tive meaning.  Comp.  xliv.  10  ;  1.  10. 

Ver.  1G.  infryO1?  is  not  =  "  for  his  use;"  for  the 
smith  forges  swords  not  for  his  own  use.  But  7  is 
here  =  secundum.  Therefore  he  produces  an  implement, 
r.  weapon  according  to  his  workmanship,  i.e.,  such  as 
answers  to  his  manufacture  in  general  and  to  his  indi- 
vidual craft  in  particular. 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  O  thou  afflicted  -  pleasant  stones. 
—  Vers.  11,  12.  The  foregoing  strophe  promised 
Zion  a  wonderful  blessing  of  children,  the  lt  bene- 
dictio  vere  theocratica,"  as  the  fundamental  condi- 
tion of  national  well-being  in  the  largest  measure. 
Now  the  blessing  is  extended  to  all.  Zion  was 
wretched,  hunted,  comfortless  in  her  youth  and 
widowhood.  Lo-niihama  [not  comforted]  recalls 
Lo-ruhama  [not  having  obtained  mercy]  Hos.  i.  6. 
But  now  Zion  shall  mount  so  high  in  splendor 
and  glory  that  her  walls  shall  consist  of  sapphires 
bedded  in  stibium,  her  doors  of  carbuncles,  yea, 
her  border-walls  of  precious  stones.  What  a  con- 
trast between  this  past  and  the  future  which  the 
Prophet  has  in  mind,  and  which  of  course  has  also 
its  stages  !  For  it  is  not  realized  at  once,  but  only 
by  degrees,  until  it  is  accomplished  in  the  image 
of  the  future  that  the  Apostle  John  portrays  in 
Rev.  xxi.  18  sqq.  ^]'3  is  a  paint  made  of  sul- 
phuret  of  antimony  or  grey  stibium,  Arabic  Kohl, 
hence  alchohol  ;  to  which  "is  related  the  Hebrew 


ll3  "  to  paint,"  Ezek.  xxiii.  40,  see  HERZ.  R. 
Enc.  IX.  p.  446  ;  XIII.  p.  607.  The  stones  shall 
be  bedded  in  stibium.  It  was  a  custom  to  paint 
around  the  eyes  with  a  shining  black  paint,  which 
2  Kings  ix.  30  is  called  ^33  D;r#  D117.  So 
also  the  stones  of  the  walls  shall  be  set  in  costly 
stibium  instead  of  mortar.  Their  edges  there- 
fore shall  have  its  color,  and  the  stones  them- 
selves the  effect  that  stibium  imparts  to  the  eyes. 
This  explanation  may  be  harmonized  with  the 
mention  of  ^3  "J  3K  in  the  list  of  materials  col- 
lected by  David  for  the  building  of  the  Temple, 
1  Chr.  'xxix.  2,  by  supposing  that  there  ^3 
means  stones  prepared  in  a  peculiar  manner  un- 
known to  us.  But  the  stones  of  the  foundation 
shall  be  blue  sapphires  (Job  xxviii.  6,  16).  The 


pinnacles  of  the  walls  (rYI$D$,  plural  form  occur- 
ring only  here,  properly  the  sun-beams,  hence 
the  projecting  points,  pinnacles  of  the  wall, 
iffdAfetf)  shall  consist  of  1313  (comp.  EWALD 
\  48,  c).  This  word,  which  only  occurs  again 
Ezek.  xxvii.  16,  is  likely  connected  with  11T3 
scintilla  (Job  xli.  11),  and  designates  a  shining, 
sparkling  stone.  The  LXX.  translates  taa-r/f ; 
modern  writers  understand  it  to  mean  the  ruby 
or  carbuncle,  a  stone  of  red  hue.  The  gates  shall 
consist  of  mpK  "J3N  (OT.  Aq-.  from  Hlf?  « ac- 
cendit,  ezarsit"  comp.  ^Hlp  "febris  ardens,"  a 
precious  stone  of  fiery  appearance,  thus  probably 

carbunculus,  small  glowing  coal).  7*3J  cannot 
mean  here  the  boundary  line,  for  the  wall  itself 
is  such  for  the  city,  and  it  has  already  been 
spoken  of.  And  there  is  no  Biblical  authority 
for  a  boundary  wall  that  enclosed  also  the  terri- 
tory of  the  city  extra  muros,  i.  e.,  a  sort  of  Chinese 

wall.  We  will  therefore  need  to  take  v13J  in 
the  sense  of  that  which  is  bounded,  i.  e.,  of  the 
city  territory  that  is  bounded  by  the  wall,  a  not 
unfrequent  meaning  (comp.  Gen.  x.  19;  Exod.  x. 
14,  19  ;  1  Sam.  xi.  3,  7  and  the  Latin  finis).  This 
city  territory  shall  be  paved  with  choice  stones 
(]'3n  'J3K,  a  general  express!  an  found  only 
here).  Such  is  the  understanding  of  our  text 
that  the  author  of  the  book  of  Tobit  had,  for  he 
writes:  ''And  the  streets  (n/.arelat)  of  Jerusalem 
shall  be  paved  (ifi^o^oy^ffaovrai,  laid  in  mosaic) 
with  beryl  and  carbuncle  and  stones  of  Ophiry" 
Tobit  xiii.  17.  He  had  therefore  the  idea  of 
a  tesselated  pavement. 

2    And    all    thy    children saith   the 

Lord. — Vers.  13-17.  After  these  intimations  of 
an  outward  glory  equally  grand  and  symbolical, 


592 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  Prophet  turns  to  the  inward  blessings  thai 
relate  to  the  sphere  of  intelligence,  of  the  life  of 
the  soul,  of  right-living.  "  All  thy  children," 
he  says,  "  shall  be  Jehovah-learned,"  i  e., 
taught  by  Jehovah.  Thus  he  promises  know- 
ledge, and  in  fact  the  highest  and  most  infallible, 
since  Jehovah  Himself  is  its  source.  Kindred 
expressions  occur  xliv.  3  ;  Joel  iii.  1  sq.  ;  Jer. 
xxxi.  34,  while  their  fulfilment  is  declared  in  the 
New  Testament  in  such  passages  as  John  vi.  45 
(drficiKToi  i?eo£i)  ;  1  Thess.  iv.  9  (tienSidaKToi')  •  Acts 
ii.  16  sqq.  ;  Heb.  viii.  10  sqq.;  1  John  ii.  20. 
Where  the  LORD  is  Himself  and  alone  the 
teacher,  there  the  result  can  only  be  the  deepest 
and  mo^t  universal  satisfaction  for  spirit  and 
soul.  For  what  the  LORD  teaches  is  the  true 
wisdom.  But  that  is  not  mere  theory,  but  also 
practice  as  well,  and  satisfies  the  whole  man.  — 
Israel  so  taught  cannot  practice  unrighteousness. 
It  must  be  holy  as  its  Lord  is  holy.  By  the  ex- 
ercise of  righteousness  it  shall  itself  be  estab- 
lished ;  for  righteousness  exalts  a  nation  (Prov. 
xiv.  34).  Israel  must  not,  as  the  world  does,  re- 
gard as  good  everything  that  furthers  its  own 
interest.  It  must  not  in  impending  danger, 
itself  practice  unrighteousness  and  violence. 
For  in  fact  it  has  nothing  to  fear.  It  must  be  on 
its  guard  both  against  unrighteousness  and 
alarm.  It  must  be  neither  insolent  nor  despon- 
dent. n/^np  is  ''fractio,  consternatio,"  in  a  sub- 
jective or  passive  sense  (comp.  Prov.  xiii.  3  ; 
xiv.  28).  For  it  (viz.,  the  subject  of  nnm) 
shall  not  come  near  (fern,  in  a  neuter  sense) 
thee. 

Ver.  15.  In  connection  with  the  statement  of 
ver.  14,  that  Israel  need  not  fear,  the  Prophet 
now  sets  forth  the  reason.  First  he  does  not 
deny  that  there  may  be  hostile  conspiracies 
against  Israel.  Behold,  they  shall  surely 
gather  ["they  band  together  in  bands,"  Dr. 
N  —  's.  rendering.  —  TR.].  "Mi  has  this  mean- 
ing of  banding  together  in  a  hostile  sense  also  in 
Ps.  Ivi.  7  ;  lix.  4  ;  cxl.  3.  But  though  that  may 
happen  it  is  not  from  Me,  says  the  LORD. 
Whoever,  then,  without  Jehovah's  approval, 
bands  together  at  Zion  (the  neighborhood  of  con- 
spirators is  ever  hostile),  He  will,  as  it  were  at- 
tracted like  birds  are  said  to  be  by  the  rattle- 
snake, fall  on  thee  and  so  dash  to  pieces  (comp. 
Luke  xx.  18).  —  Ver.  16.  And  because  God  the 
LORD  ''causes  iron  to  grow"  and  has  taught 
men  to  make  swords  of  it,  and  that  for  the 
rrn$D  "the  waster"  to  use  for  destroying,  so 
also  He  has  the  power  to  compel  the  creature 
of  His  hand  not  to  use  his  destructive  effi- 
ciency on  Israel.  —  1  cannot  treat  the  clause 


«W  a»  the  apodosis.  The 
sentence  rather  affirms  that  the  LORD  made  the 
weapons  not  for  play,  but  of  course  for  destruc- 
tion. But  opposed  to  Israel,  the  weapons  shall 
fail  in  their  mission,  although  they  have  that 
mission  from  God.  From  iron  weapons  the 
transition  to  the  fleshly  weapon  is  easy,  inz.,  to 
the  tongue,  which  is  often  compared  to  weapons  of 
iron  and  is  called  worse  (Ps.  Iv.  22;  Ivii.  5; 
Ixiv.  4;  Jer.  ix.  3,  8;  xviii.  18).  Every  such 
tongue  that  shall  raise  itself  in  legal  strife  with 
Israel  shall  be  proved  by  the  latter  to  be  a 
criminal  and  guilty  (1.  9). 


A  brief  word  in  conclusion  finishes  the  dis- 
course. This  (J"1Xi)  refers  back  to  the  rich  pro- 
mise of  blessing  of  the  chapter.  This  is  given  to 
the  servants  of  Jehovah.  Isaiah  intentionally 
speaks  here  for  the  first  and  only  time  of  servants 
of  Jehovah.  Manifestly  there  is  intended  an 
antithesis  to  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  that  plays  so 
prominent  a  part  in  chap.  liii.  After  that  chap- 
ter the  Prophet  has  nothing  more  to  say  con- 
cerning the  Servant  of  Jehovah.  But  he  has 
still  to  indicate  how  the  salvation  from  the 
Saviour  will  be  conveyed  to  those  that  need  and 
are  worthy  of  salvation.  The  expression  "  \^3J7 
''  servants  of  Jehovah  "  occurs  again  2  Kings  ix.  7 ; 
x.  23;  Ps.  cxiii.  1;  cxxxiv.  1  ;  cxxxv.  1.  Now 
to  these  servants  of  Jehovah  the  promise  of  this 
chapter  is  given,  pointing  out,  as  it  were,  their 
inheritance  and  the  righteousness  acquired  for 
them.  BECK  (Die  Cyrojes.  Weiss.,  p.  161)  even 
recognized  that  DfiplX  forms  an  antithesis  to 
'JTUnn.  The  enemies  of  Israel  shall  dash  to 
pieces  (ver.  15),  and  if  they  contend  before  'a 
judgment  bar,  shall  be  condemned.  But  the 
servants  of  the  LORD  shall,  as  the  seed  of  the 
Servant  of  Jehovah  (liii.  10,  S),  inherit  the  glory 
that  is  promised  to  Him,  and  obtain  the  righteous- 
ness which  He  the  Righteous  One,  according  to 
liii.  11,  shall  impart  to  the  many. 

DOCTRINAL  AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  liv.  2.     "God  dwelt  in  the  Old  Testa, 
ment  with  His  divine  service  in  the  Tabernacle, 
which  was  fifty  ells  broad  and  a  hundred  ells 
long.     But  it  is  not  accomplished  with  this  in 
the  New  Testament.     For  the  stakes  must  be  set 
out  much  further,  because  Christ  will  reign  from 
one  sea  to  the  other  (Ps.  Ixxii.  8)."  CRAMER. 

2.  On  liv.  4,  5.     "  We  do  God  no  honor  when 
we  are  so  very  much  afraid  of  our  spiritual  ene- 
mies.    O,   how  joyful  and   assured   we   can  .be 
when  we  have  God"  for  a  friend  !     Luke  xii.  32; 
Rom.  viii.  31. — A  believing   follower   of  Jesus 

annot  perish.  He  is  as  a  living  member  united 
to  Christ  his  Head.  Will  the  head  let  one  of  its 
members  be  reviled,  and  not  rescue  its  honor? 
Luke  xviii.  7,  8. — The  timid  and  shy  ought  not 
to  be  made  more  timid  and  shy,  but  one  ought 
:o  comfort  and  cheer  them  up.  1  Thess.  v.  14." — 
STARKE. 

3.  On  liv.  5.     ''  Habebis  maritum  non  Moxen, 
non   Petrum,  non  Pentium,   non  papam,  etc.,  sed 
Dominum  qui  fecit  te."  LUTHER.     In  the  plurals 

y>  f /J?3  the  old  theologians  found  an  adum- 
bratio  mysterii  $.  S-  Trinitatis:  ''sponsi  vel  sponso- 
ris  tuifactores  tui  Jehova."  FOERSTER. 

4.  On  liv.  6-8.     What  is  all  time  in  compari- 
son with  eternity  ?     Therefore  what  are  especially 

he  exile-periods  of  Israel,  even  the  longest,  the 
Roman  exile,  in  comparison  with  the  everlasting 
communion  of  the  nation  with  its  Lord  ?  There- 
fore what  are  the  tribulations  of  Christendom 
compared  with  the  everlasting  rest  that  is  pro- 
mised to  the  people  of  God  ?  Heb.  iv.  9.  We 
ought,  therefore,  in  the  greatest  distress,  while 
sighing:  O,  LORD,  how  long!  never  to  forget 
that  with  the  LORD  a  thousand  years  are  as  one 
day.  We  ought  to  remember  that  every  earthly 


CHAP.  LIV.  11-17. 


593 


period  of  time  is  for  the  LORD  but  a  moment. 
For  the  prize  of  everlasting  bliss,  an  earthly  mo- 
ment of  tribulation  may  well  be  endured. — "'Ratio 
non  potest  credere,  momentum  et  punctum  esse  tenta- 
tionem,  sed  putat  aeternam  et  infinitum  esse,  quia 
tantum,  in  pracsenti  sensu,  haeret,  nihil  sentit,  vidit, 
audit,  coyitat,  intelligit  quam  praesentem  dolorem  et 
praesens  malum.  Quare  spiritual^  haec  est practica, 
omnia  apparentia  spectra  reiinquire  et  assuefacere 
cor  ad  non  apparentia,  hoc  est  fide  inverbo  haerere." 
— LUTHER. 

5.  On  liv.  9.      "  Nonnunqitam  pluit,  ut  sit  spe- 
cies aliqiia  futuri  diluvii,  non  tamen  redit  diluvium. 
Quoties  homines  cernunt  unam  nubeculam  ascenden- 
lem,  turn  putant  rediturum  diluvium.     Hoc  est,  levis 
tentatio  franc/it  animum,  sed  oportet,  ut  sic  ex  fide  in 
fidem  proficiamus.     Nisi  nonunquum  desperatio  in- 
cideret,  non  disceremus  vere  credere."  LUTHER. 

6.  [On  liv.  11,  12.     "  In  the  foregoing  chapter 
we  had  the  humiliation  and  exaltation  of  Christ; 
here  we  have  the  humiliation  and  exaltation  of 
the  Church ;  for  if  we  suffer  with  Him,  we  shall 
reign   with  Him."     Ver.  12.    "That  which  the 
children  of. the  world  lay  up  among  their  trea- 
sures, and  too  often  in  their  hearts,  the  children 
of  God  make  pavements  of,  and  put  under  their 
feet,  the  fittest  place  of  it."  M.  HENRY.] 

7.  On  liv.  11,  12.     "The  color  display  of  pre- 
cious stones  in  which  the  New  Jerusalem  shines 
is  more  than  childish  painting.     Whence  then 
have  the  precious  stones  their  charm  ?     The  ulti- 
mate ground  of  this  charm  is  this,  that  in  all 
nature  everything  stretches  up  to  the  light,  and 
that  in  the  mineral  world  the  precious  stones 
represent  the  highest  stage  of  this  ascending  pro- 
cess of  inward  absorption.     It  is  the  process  of 
self-unfolding  of  the  divine  glory  itself,  that  is 
reflected  typologically  in  the  ascending  scale  of 
the  play  of  color  and  in  the  transparency  of  the 
precious  stones.     Therefore  the  high-priest  bears 
a  breast-plate  with  twelve  precious  stones,   and 
on  them  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel, 
and  therefore.  Rev.  xxi.  takes  the  picture  of  the 
New  Jerusalem,  that  the  Old  Testament  Prophet 
here   sketches    (without   distinguishing   the  last 
time  and  the  world  to  come),  and   paints  it  in 
detail,  adding  to  the  precious  stones,  which  he 
names  individually,  also  crystal  and  pearls.    How 
could  that  be  explained  if  the  stone-world   did 
not  absorb  in  itself  a  reflection  of  the  eternal 
lights,  from  which  God  is  called  iraTr/p  rtiv  ipuruv, 
and  were  it  not  implied  that  the  blessed  will 
some  time  be  able  to  translate  these  stony  types 
into  the  words  of  God  out  of  which  they  have 
their  being?"  DELITZSCH. 

8.  [On  liv.  13.     "  The  church's  children,  beinp 
born  of  God,  shall  be  taught  of  God  ;  being  Hi- 
children  by  adoption,  He  will  take  care  of  their 
education.     It  was   promised   (ver.   1)   that  the 
church's  children  should  be  many;  but  lest  we 
should  think  that   being  many,  as  sometimes  it 
happens  in  numerous  families,  they  will  be  ne- 
glected, and  not  have  instruction  given  them  so 
carefully  as  if  they  were  but  few,  God  here  takes 
that  work  into  His  own  hand:   They  shall  all  be 
taught  of  God,  that  is,  they  shall  be  taught  by 
tiiose  whom  God  shall  appoint,  and  whose  labors 
shall  be  under  His  direction  and  blessing.     He 
will  ordain  the  methods  of  instruction,  and  by 
His  word  and  ordinances  will  diffuse  a  much 


:  greater  light  than  the  Old  Testament  church 
had.  Care  should  be  taken  for  the  teaching  of 
the  church's  children,  that  knowledge  may  be 
transmitted  from  generation  to  generation,  and 
that  all  may  be  enriched  with  it,  from  the  least 
even  to  the  greatest."  M.  HENRY.] 

9.  On  liv.  16  sq.     "  Verily  He  is  also  with  our 
enemies.     But  not  to  give  them  success  against 
us,  but  to  restrain  them  from  us,  and  precisely 
not  to  let  them  succeed.     God  says,  He  is  also 
there  when  weapons  are  forged  against  us ;  He  is 
also  there  when  they  sally  forth  tor  our  destruc- 
tion.    Thus  He  will  hold  them,  so  that  with  all 
their  equipping   they   will  do  nothing.     If  our 
almighty  Friend  Himself  is  witli  our  enemies, 
we  may  well  have  no  fear  of  any  enemy.     God 
causes  the  weapons  of  all  the  world  to  be  forged 
so  soft  that  they  can  do  nothing  to  His  children 
armed  with  a  panoply  by  His  word.     So  shall  it 
be  also  with  tongues  that  blaspheme  against  us. 
We  will   convict  them,  and  in  that  they  shall 
have  their  judgment."  DIEDRICH. 

10.  [On  liv.  17.     "The  idea  is,  that  truth  and 
victory,  in  every  strife  of  words,  would  be  on  the 
side  of  the  church.     To  those  who  have  watched 
the  progress  of  discussions  thus  far  on  the  subject 
of  true  religion,  it  is  needless  to  say  that  this  has 
been  triumphantly  fulfilled.  Argument,  sophism, 
ridicule,  have  all   been  tried  to  overthrow  the 
truth  of  the  Christian  religion.     Appeals  have 
been   made   to   astronomy,  geology,  antiquities, 
history,  and  indeed  to  almost  every  department 
of  human  science,  and  with  the  same  want  of  suc- 
cess.    Poetry  has  lent  the  charm  of  its  numbers ; 
the   grave    historian    has  interwoven   with    the 
thread  of  his  narrative  covert  attacks  and  sly  in- 
sinuations against  the  Bible ;  the  earth  has  been 
explored  to  prove  that  '  He  who  made  the  earth 
and  revealed  its  age  to  Moses  was  mistaken  in  its 
age,'  and  the  records  of  Oriental  nations,  tracing 
their  history  up  cycles  of  ages  beyond  the  Scrip- 
ture account  of  the  creation  of  the  world,  have 
been  appealed  to;  but  thus  far,  in  all  these  con- 
tests, the  ultimate  victory  has  declared  in  favor 
of  the  Bible. — Those  who  are  desirous  of  exami- 
ning the  effects  of  the  controversy  of  Christianity 
with  science,  and  the  results,  can  find  them  de- 
tailed with  great  learning  and  talent  in  '  Twelve 
Lectures  on  the  Connection  between  Science  and 
Eevealed  Keligion,'  by  Dr.  NICHOLAS  WISEMAN, 
Andover,  1837."  BARNES.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  On  liv.  1-3.  Thoughts  equally  applicable 
in  preaching  on  missions  to  the  Jews  and  to  the 
heathen.  As  long  as  the  Old  Testament,  fleshly 
Israel  had  the  husband,  the  spiritual  Israel  was 
unfruitful.  But  when  that  fleshly  Israel  had 
become  desolate,  then  the  spiritual  Israel  became 
free  and  began  to  stir  itself,  to  develop  its  soar- 
ings and  activity.  And  with  what  results !  As 
soon  as  it  was  no  longer  important  where  one 
must  worship,  but  the  chief  concern  was  how  one 
must  worship,  and  that  one  must  worship  "  in 
spirit  and  in  truth,"  immediately  to  the  true 
Israel  was  opened  the  way  to  the  heathen,  and 
to  the  heathen  the  way  to  Israel.  And  from  that 
moment  Zion  became  the  mother  of  countless 
heathen  children.  And  these,  who  hitherto  had 


594 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


been  without  God  and  without  hope  in  the  world, 
now  suddenly  gained  a  Father,  a  home  and  a 
child's  rights  that  are  eternal.  In  the  spiritual 
Israel,  which  is  one  with  the  Christian  church, 
there  is  for  this  reason  the  uniting  centre  between 
Jew  and  Gentile.  The  Jews  should  recognize  in 
the  church  of  the  gospel  the  kernel  of  their  The- 
ocracy long  since  broken  up,  and  the  fulfilment 
of  all  the  promises  and  hopes  of  the  Old  Cove- 
nant. And  the  Gentiles  should  see  that  by 
means  of  the  Christian  church  they  may  become 
children  of  Abraham,  and  thus  be  grafted  into 
the  old  holy  olive  tree  (Bom.  xi.  17  sqq.). 

2.  On  liv.  2-8.  "An  urgent  call  to  gospel 
mission  work.  1)  God  wills  it.  2)  Fear  not. 
3)  God  is  with  thee."  DR.  THIELE. 

3.  On  liv.  7-14.  "  The  great  mercy  of  the 
LORD.  1)  How  deep  it  goes,  a.  from  God's 
heart  (great  mercy,  ver.  7);  6.  from  an  eternal 
purpose  of  grace  (with  everlasting  grace,  ver.  8). 

2)  How  firm  it  stands,  a.  on  God's  oath  (ver.  9) ; 
b.  when  everything  gives  way  and  falls  (ver.  10). 

3)  How  it  raises  up  (vers.  11-14)."  SCHEERER, 
Manch.  Oaben  u.  Ein  G.,  1868,  p.  284. 

4.  On  liv.  10.     "  It  is  true,   histories  give  us 
examples  of  mountains  being  displaced  and  sink- 
ing away ;  but  that  the  Lord  Jesus  ever  forsook 
or  cast  out  a  believing  soul,  of  that  no  man  will 
find  an  example.     Ah !  how  should  He  forsake 
that   which,   when   it  forsakes   Him,  He  seeks, 
with  such  great,  divine  patience  and  long-suffer- 
ing,   to  restore  again,  and   calls   to   it:  Return 
again,  thou  backslider,  and  I  will  not  change  my 
countenance  against  thee,  for  I  am  merciful ;  I 
will   not   keep  anger  forever  (Jer.  iii.   12)." — 
SCRIVER. 

5.  On  liv.  11-13.  "  There  are  names  for  you  ! 
Whoever  will  judge  by  them  must  say  that  God 
is  ungracious  towards  the  church,  and  is  angry 
with  it  and  punishes  it.     For  to  be  wretched, 
Buffer  all  weathers,  be  comfortless,  as  God  Him- 
self here  confesses  of  Christians,  that  is  very  hard 
and  does  not  go  off  without  vexation.     What  be- 
comes then  of  the  assurance :  I  will  not  be  wroth 
with  thee,  nor  rebuke   thee?     The   comfort  is 
given  above,  it  shall  in  the  first  place  be  the  anger 


of  a  father,  accordingly  it  shall  not  endure  long, 
it  is  but  for  a  moment.  With  this  agrees  the 
Prophet  here,  and  says  how  God  would  adorn 
and  embellish  the  church  with  sapphire  pave- 
|  ments,  crystal  windows,  and  gates  of  rubies.  One 
must  not  think  of  this  as  happening  in  a  physical 
sense.  The  Holy  Ghost  means  the  spiritual 
adornments,  that  all  her  children,  i.  e.,  all  true 
Christians  are  taught  of  the  LORD.  That  is,  they 
have  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  by  faith  in  Christ 
much  peace.  For  the  hearts  know  God,  that  He 
is  gracious ;  they  look  to  Him  for  all  good,  call 
on  Him  in  every  distress,  experience  His  gracious 
deliverance  and  help.  Therefore,  let  it  storm  as 
it  may,  the  heart  is  still  joyful  in  God.  These 
are  the  sapphire,  crystal,  rubies  that  are  found  in 
the  church,  and  with  which  she  is  embellished. 
But  note  particularly  what  it  means,  to  be  taught 
of  God.  For  it  does  not  mean  what  the  Anabap- 
tists and  other  deluded  spirits  dream,  that  God 
converts  the  people  by  some  particular  revela- 
tion. But  God  teaches  by  the  office  of  the  minis- 
try, which  He  has  ordained  for  men  here  on  earth, 
that  in  the  name  of  His  Son  Christ  Jesus  they 
should  preach  repentance  and  forgiveness  of  sins, 
and  baptize.  With  such  preaching  and  baptism 
is  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  He  kindles  in  hearts  re- 
liance on  the  grace  of  God  and  impels  to  obe- 
dience. That  then  is  what  is  meant  by  being 
taught  of  God,  and  goes  on  without  special  reve- 
lation."— VEIT  DIETRICH. 

6.  On  liv.  14-17.  The  church  should  in  all 
times  remember  that  it  is  the  house  of  the  holy 
and  righteous  God,  and  should  draw  from  that 
both  warning  and  comfort.  The  church  of  the 
Lord  stands  on  righteousness.  1)  It  is  itself  right- 
eous, a.  in  that  it  appropriates  the  righteousness 
that  the  Lord  has  acquired  for  it ;  6.  in  that  it 
does  no  wrong  itself,  but  in  every  thing  and 
toward  every  one  exercises  righteousness.  2)  It 
obtains  justice  from  the  LORD  against  those  that 
would  do  it  wrong.  For  a.  those  that  complot 
against  the  church  do  so  without  the  righteous 
God ;  hence  they  have  b.  the  righteous  God 
against  them,  and  they  and  their  purposes  must 
come  to  confusion. 


VII.— THE  SEVENTH  DISCOURSE. 

The   New   Way   of  appropriating   Salvation. 
CHAPTER  LV.  1-5. 


When  we  contemplate  the  contents  of  our  chap- 
ters, one  could  almost  outdo  the  modern  criticism 
and  exclaim  :  This  was  never  written  in  the  Ex- 
ile! It  must  have  been  written  after  Christ,  by 
a  disciple  of  Paul  who  read  the  epistles  to  the 
Romans  and  Galatians !  But  on  closer  inspec- 
tion one  observes  that  our  Prophet  describes,  not 
what  he  lived  to  see  and  learned  to  know  by  ex- 
perience, but  future  things  that  were  still  enig- 
matical to  himself.  A  Frenchman  would  say: 
il  ne  voit  pas,  il  entrevoit  seulnent  les  chose  futures. 
I  can  only  understand  the  contents  of  our  chap- 
ter in  its  relation  to  what  precedes,  as  represent- 


ing in  what  a  new  and  hitherto  unknown  way 
Israel  is  to  obtain  a  countless  posterity  and  a  sal- 
vation extending  in  every  direction.  That  is,  in 
connection  with  chap,  liv.,  our  chap.  Iv.  shows, 
that  the  mode  of  subjective  appropriation  of  salva- 
tion will  be  a  new  one.  No  longer  by  doing  works, 
but  by  believinq  acceptance  shall  one  put  himself 
in  possession  of  that  salvation,  which  :\  new  Da- 
vid, as  a  new  mediator  of  a  covenant,  shall  offer 
to  the  world,  not  by  force  of  arms,  but  by  His 
direct  and  indirect  testimony.  But  this  testimony 
must  meet  with  a  timely  acceptance,  and  sincere 
repentance  must  prepare  aa  entrance  for  the 


CHAP.  LV.  1-5. 


695 


mercy  of  God.     Also  no  one  should  regard  the 
new  way  of  salvation  as  unreasonable  and  imprac- 
ticable, for  not  only  Israel,  but  the  entire  creation, 
shall  quite  certainly  partake  of  this  salvation. 
The  chapter  has  iwo  parts.     The  fa-si  is  positive 


in  its  contents.     It  designates  believing  acceptance  •  salvation. 


of  the  word  as  the  essence  of  the  new  way  of  salva- 
tion. The  second  part  is  negative.  It  points  with 
warning  to  the  obstacles  and  scruples  that  must  be 
set  aside  in  order  not  to  frustrate  the  new  way  of 


1. 


THE  POSITIVE  NATURE  OF  THE  NEW  WAY  OF  APPROPRIATING  THE  SAL- 
VATION OF  GOD.     CHAPTER  LV.  1-5. 


L  Ho,  every  one  that  thirsteth, 
Come  ye  to  the  waters, 

And  he  that  hath  no  money ;  come  ye,  buy,  and  eat ; 
Yea,  come,  buy  wine  and  milk 
Without  money  and  without  price. 

2  Wherefore  do  ye  'spend  money  for  that  which  is  not  bread? 
And  your  alabor  for  that  which  satisfieth  not  ? 
"Hearken  diligently  unto  me,  and  eat  ye  that  which  is  good, 
"And  let  your  soul  delight  itself  in  fatness. 

3  Incline  your  ear,  and  come  unto  me : 
Hear,  and  your  soul  shall  live  ; 

And  I  will  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  you, 
Even  the  sure  mercies  of  David. 

4  Behold,  I  have  given  him  for  a  witness  to  the  people, 
A  leader  and  commander  to  the  people. 

5  Behold,  thou  shalt  call  a  nation  that  thou  knowest  not, 
And  dnations  that  knew  not  thee  shall  run  unto  thee 
eBecause  of  the  LORD  thy  God, 

And  ffor  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  for  he  hath  glorified  thee. 


1  Heb.  weigh. 

»  acquisition. 
d  a  nation. 


b  Hearken,  hearken. 
•  For  the  sake  of. 


"  And  your  sout  shall. 
{to. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Vers.  1,  2.  "\3tj;  is  hero  denom.  from  "13EJ  annona  [from 
13KJ  see  FTJERST.  Lex.— TR.],  (oomp.  xlii.  7, 10;  xlvii.  14, 
etc.).  In  Isaiah  the  word  is  found  in  this  sense  only 

here. DnVxiS  is  Oxymoron  as  Sx-X'S,  Qy~vh 

(Deut.  xxxii.  21),  ]'%-yh  (Isa.  x.  15),  $'K-xS,  DIS-N1? 
(Isa.  xxxi.  8). 

Ver.  3.  The  expression  *?  m3  rH3  is  almost  as  com- 
mon in  the  Old  Testament  as  oV  or  ntf  ;m3  rH3.  It 

•  :  -T 

occurs  Exod.  xxiii.  32  ;  xxxiv.  12, 15  ;  Deut.  vii.  2  ;  Josh, 
ix.  C,  7,  11,15,  16;  xxiv.  25;  Judg.  ii.  2 ;  1  Sam.  xi.  1,  2;  2 
Sam.  v.  3;  1  Kings  xx.  34;  2  Kings  xi.  4;  Hos.  ii.  20  ; 
Isa.  Ixi.  8;  Jer.  xxxii.  40;  Ezek.  xxxiv.  25;  xxxvii.  26; 
Job  xxxi.  1  ;  Ps.  Ixxxix.  4;  1  Ohron.  xi.  13 ;  2  Chron.  vii. 
18  (without  rr~O) ;  xxi.  7;  xxix.  10.  It  is  true  that  the 
expression  is  chiefly  used  in  the  case  of  a  covenant  that 
a  superior  concludes  with  an  inferior  as  a  benefaction 
or  imposing  a  duty  for  the  latter  (see  e.  g.  Job  xxxi.  1). 
Once  (2  Chron.  xxix.  10)  it  is  used  in  the  case  of  a  cove- 
nant that  the  man  concludes  with  God.  The  expres- 
sion is  evidently  in  its  origin  a  pregnant  construction, 

as  the  preposition  7  depends  on  the  verb,  not  accord- 
ing to  its  verbal  meaning,  but  according  to  some  latent 
meaning  in  the  verb  This  meaning  may  be  that  of 


GRAMMATICAL. 

laying  on,  assuring,  or  offering,  according  to  the  con- 
text.  The  expression  "in  "HOf!  is  found  again  2  Chr. 

•  T      ••  :   — 

vi.  42  in  Solomon's  prayer  of  consecration.  It  does  not 
occur  in  the  corresponding  passage,  1  Kings  viii.,  as  in- 
deed none  of  2  Chr.  vi.  40-42  does  (comp.  ZOECKI.ER  in 
toe.).  It  seems  to  me  that  the  author  of  2  Chron.  bor- 
rowed the  words  "11*1  ^OH  from  our  text,  and  thereby 
bears  testimony  to  its  having  relation  to  2  Sam.  vii.  As 
regards  the  construction,  it  is  zeugmatic.  For  the  ac- 
cusative '1  'HDH  depends  on  the  latent  idea  of  giving 
in  JT~O  nrPDX.  nno  in  fact  Paul  so  renders  the  words 
Acts  xiii.  34:  OTI.  Suxria  vpiv  rd  ocria  AavtS. 
Ver.  4.  The  grammatical  construction  of  TJJ 
is  not  normal.  It  ought  at  least  to  read 


'1J1  TJ3  (comp.   Ezek.  xxxi.  16  j'Us      3it31 

Dan.  1.4).    The  expressions  D'tTN  STTnTTOJ  !»>•  3, 

and  DTt^X  H3O  1'IJJ  Hii.4,  are  not  at  all  to  be  com- 

...      ..  •.    '-    T 

pared  as  EWAI.D  supposes  ( Gram.,  $  339,  b ;  see  above  the 
comm.  in  loc.).  This  construction  is  therefore  an  uni- 
cum,  if  indeed  the  pointing  be  correct.  Moreover  i~MVD 

in  a  substantive  sense  occurs  only  here.  It  seems  to 
me  that  the  choice  of  expression  was  occasioned  by  the 
Prophet  having  in  mind  2  3hm.  vi.  21,  where  David  say» 
to  Michal :  the  LORD  chose  me  before  thy  father 

"  oy-^y  TJ3  'n 


596 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


EXEGETICAL    AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  In  chap.  liv.  the  LORD  promised  Israel  a 
blessing  that  would  extend  on  every  hand.  As  if 
in  a  well  supplied  market,  all  these  blessed  pos- 
sessions shall  be  spread  out  before  Israel.  Now 
the  people  are  summoned  to  come  up  and  buy,  but 
— without  money  (ver.  1)1  It  is  no  longer  as  it 
once  was  when  one  must  do  a  hard  work  in  order 
to  get  food,  which — still  did  not  satisfy.  One  sees 
at  once  that  the  Prophet  does  not  mean  corporeal 
nourishment,  for  he  calls  on  men  to  hear.  By 
that  one  shall  receive  dainty  nourishment  (ver. 
2).  And  that  the  importance  of  this  hearing  may 
be  felt,  he  repeats  his  summons  to  hear  twice. 
By  virtue  of  this  hearing  the  soul  shall  live  and 
be  capable  of  entering  into  the  everlasting  cove- 
nant with  the  LORD,  that  shall  procure  the  sure 
mercies  of  David  (ver.  3).  The  David  that  is  to 
be  the  mediator  of  this  grace  will  be  first  of  all  a 
witness,  and  hearing  will  be  the  condition  of  par- 
taking of  His  grace.  By  His  testimony  to  the 
truth  He  will  however  become  also  prince  and 
commander  of  nations  (ver.  4).  But  the  great 
chief  witness  will  avail  himself  of  Israel  in  order 
to  bring  his  testimony  to  the  nations.  Israel  shall 
call  nations  that  it  did  not  know,  and  these  na- 
tions will  hasten  to  Israel  that  heretofore  remained 
unknown  to  them.  But  they  will  hasten  up  in 
order  to  come  to  Jehovah  and  to  the  Holy  One  of 
Israel,  who  also  gloriies  His  people  in  this  way 
(ver.  5).  Thus  the  chief  emphasis  in  this  section 
rests  upon  the  inward,  believing  inclination  to  the 
word  of  the  LORD,  something  high  as  heaven 
above  outward  merit  of  works.  This  believing 
inclination  Israel  should  bring  to  the  word  of  the 
LORD  that  announces  to  it  the  glory  of  David's 
kingdom.  Then  it  will  itself  dare  to  preach  this 
word,  and,  by  means  of  the  faith  that  it  will  find, 
it  will  gather  the  nations  to  it,  which,  according 
to  liv.  1  sqq.,  will  be  its  seed,  and  also  the  basis 
of  the  new,  eternal  Davidic  kingdom. 

2.  Ho,  every  one mercies  of  David. 

— Vers.  1-3.  Before  the  gaze  of  the  Prophet 
stands  Israel,  made  inwardly  and  outwardly  free 
from  the  chains  of  the  world-power  by  the  Ser- 
vant of  God.  According  to  chap.  liv.  a  rich 
blessing  from  the  LORD  is  promised  to  it.  But  it 
cannot  partake  of  it  without  more  ado.  Like  the 
old  Israel  it  must  fulfill  a  condition.  To  the  old 
Israel  it  was  said  (Deut.  xxviii.  1  sq.) :  ''And  it 
shall  come  to  pass,  if  thou  shalt  hearken  dili- 
gently unto  the  voice  ol  uie  LORD  thy  God,  to 
observe  and  to  do  all  His  commandments  which 
I  command  thee  this  day,  that  the  LORD  thy  God 
will  set  thee  on  high  above  all  nations  of  the 
earth :  and  all  these  blessings  shall  come  upon 
thee,  and  overtake  thee."  Here,  therefore,  the 
fulfilment  of  the  law  was  set  up  as  a  condition  of 
obtaining  the  blessing.  It  is  otherwise  in  the 
new  kingdom  that  the  Prophet  sees  from  afar  with 
the  eye  of  the  spirit.  There  nothing  is  demanded 
but  hunger  and  thirst,  and  yet,  of  course,  such  as 
is  contented  with  the  gratification  that  the  LORD 
offers.  STIER  justly  calls  attention  to  the  fact 
that  our  LORD  must  have  had  in  mind  our  text 
when  He  said:  ''  blessed  are  they  that  hunger  and 
thirst  after  righteousness  for  they  shall  be  filled  " 
(Matth.  v.  6).  Comp.  also  Matth.  xi.  28 ;  Jno. 


vii.  37.  ""in  does  not  depart  here  from  its  funda- 
mental meaning.  It  must  not  be  taken  here  as  a 
cry  merely  summoning  together,  any  more  than 
in  xvii.  1 ;  xviii.  1,  or  like  Zech.  ii.  10,  11,  where 
KOEHLER appropriately  translates" H ui"  ["Ho," 
"quick"].  In  our  passage,  the  cry  of  woe  has 
reference  only  to  the  suffering  condition  of  those 

!  addressed.     It  is  an  expression  of  compassion  for 

!  their  lamentable  fate,  that  offers  only  an  illusory 
satisfaction  for  their  wants.  It  is  as  if  we  were  to 
say  :  Alas,  ye  poor  needy  ones  !  Thus  MAURER, 
with  whom  STIER  needed  not  to  find  fault. — 
What  sort  of  hunger  and  thirst  the  Prophet  means 

'  first  appears  from  his  offering  to  satisfy  it  without 
compensation.  The  rationalistic  expositors  will 

i  have  it  that  only  earthly  blessings  are  meant. 
Thus  they  would  understand  that  the  exiles  are 
indirectly  summoned  to  return  home  by  painting 
up  the  possessions  that  would  follow  on  that, 
which  were  to  be  had  as  water  for  the  thirsty  and 
without  sacrifice  (GESENIUS,  HITZIG).  Others 
think  only  of  eating  and  drinking.  Canaan  would 
be  incomparably  more  than  in  former  days  a  land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey  (SEINECKE,  KNO- 
BEL).  But  construed  in  this  way  the  words  con- 
tain a  disgraceful  deception.  No  emigration  agent 
ever  sought  to  seduce  ignorant  peasants  to  emi- 
grate to  Brazil  or  Texas  with  such  lies  as  this 
would-be  Prophet  Isaiah  would  have  used,  if 
these  expositors  were  correct.  For  did  he  repre- 
sent to  them  "  the  restoration  of  the  state  under 
the  image  of  refreshing  food  and  drink,"  or  did  he 
promise  them  literally  "  food  and  drink,  and  that 
for  nothing,"  then  both  were  unblushing  lies,  as 
in  general  the  passages  that  speak  of  an  easy,  safe 
return  over  a  convenient  road  well  supplied  with 
every  thing  needful  (xxxv.  6  sqq. ;  xli.  17  sqq. ; 
xliii.  18  sqq.  ;  xlix.  8  sqq. ;  li.  11  ;  Hi.  8  sqq.), 
would  contain  nothing  but  fraud,  if  they  are  re- 
ferred in  the  ordinary  sense  to  the  return  from  the 
Babylonian  captivity.  For  what  ever  justified 
such  an  agitator  in  promising  to  the  Israelites 
splendid  political  relations,  support  without  cost? 
The  outward  relations  of  the  returning  exiles  were 
by  no  means  splendid.  They  continued  to  be 
under  the  Persian  rule.  In  that  prayer  at  their 
feast  recorded  in  Neh.  ix.  we  find  them  complain- 
ing (ver.  36)  :  "  Behold,  we  are  servants  this  day, 
and  for  the  land  that  thou  gavest  unto  our  fathers 
to  eat  the  fruit  thereof  and  the  good  thereof,  be- 
hold, we  are  servants  in  it."  And  we  see  that 
they  were  obliged  to  pay  taxes  as  much  as  in  the 
land  of  exile;  for  ver.  37  •says:  ''And  it  (the 
land)  yieldeth  much  increase  unto  the  kings  whom 
thou  hast  set  over  us  because  of  our  sins ;  also 
they  have  dominion  over  our  bodies,  and  over  our 
cattle,  at  their  pleasure,  and  we  are  in  great  dis- 
tress." And  the  same  appears  still  more  clearly 
from  Ezra  iv.  13,  where  in  the  accusing  letter  of 
Rehum  and  Shimshai  we  read  :  "  Be  it  known 
now  unto  the  king,  that,  if  this  city  be  builded, 
and  the  walls  set  up  again,  then  will  they  (the 
Israelites)  not  pay  toll,  tribute  and  custom,  and  so 
thou  shalt  endamage  the  revenue  of  the  kings. 
According  to  Ezra  vii.  24,  King  Artasasta  [Ar- 
taxeres]  released  only  the  priests  and  the  other 
servants  of  the  Temple  from  all  taxes- — From 


CHAP.  LV.  1-5. 


597 


Neh.  v.  1-5  we  see  that  the  returning  Israelites,  at 
least  the  poorer  among  them,  had  hunger  and  dis- 
tress enough  to  suffer  in  the  promised  land,  for 
the  poor  among  those  engaged  in  building  the 
walls  beg  for  a  distribution  of  grain,  because 
otherwise,  in  order  to  keep  their  numerous  fami- 
lies, they  must  pawn  their  lands,  or  even,  where 
that  had"  already  been  done,  surrender  their  child- 
ren to  servitude.  Thus  it  is  seen  that  the  re- 
turned exiles  experienced  neither  a  restoration  of 
the  commonwealth,  nor  was  their  daily  bread 
given  either  in  abundance  or  without  cost.  And 
yet  we  do  not  find  in  the  historical  books  of  this 
period  a  trace  of  their  considering  themselves 
cheated.  They  themselves  certainly  did  not  take 
the  words  of  our  Prophet  in  the  sense  in  which 
the  rationalistic  expounders  would  understand 
them.  For  why  then  did  so  many,  in  fact  the 
majority  of  the  exiles  remain  in  exile  ?  If  the 
taxes  in  the  Exile  were  so  oppressive,  as  some 
suppose,  and  the  condition  of  wages  so  unfavora- 
ble, why  did  not  all  return  to  Palestine  ?  Was 
then  the  return  more  advantageous  in  every  re- 
spect ?  According  to  Ezra  i.  5  only  those  resolved 
to  return  "  whose  spirit  God  raised"  (aroused). 
The  resolve  to  return  was  thus  a  victory  of  the 
spirit  over  the  flesh.  Therefore  they  knew  well 
that  they  would  not  find  the  flesh  pots  of  Egypt 
in  desolate  Palestine.  Thus  they  were  far  from 
regarding  the  words  of  our  Prophet  as  promising 
these  flesh  pots.  We  see,  accordingly,  that  if  the 
Prophet  was  no  enthusiast  or  cheat,  but  would  say 
the  truth,  it  was  impossible  that  he  could  mean  to 
promise  to  the  returning  exiles  fortunate  outward 
circumstances.  Now  since,  as  is  well  known,  the 
expressions  "  to  thirst,  hunger,  eat,  drink,  bread, 
wine,"  are  very  often  used  in  a  spiritual  sense 
(comp.  xxv.  6;  xliv.  3;  Ixv.  13  ;  Amos  viii.  11 ; 
Ps.  xlii.  3  ;  Ixiii.  2 ;  Matth.  v.  6  ;  Jno.  vi.  35, 
etc.),  so  it  is  manifest  that  the  Prophet  means 
them  in  this  sense.  In  addition  to  this  the  Pro- 
phet afterwards  in  vers.  2,  3  expressly  designates 
the  satisfaction  as  the  fruit  of  hearing :  on  which 

more  hereafter.  O/  is  used  three  times  in  ver.  1 
not  meaning  "  go,"  but  "  come  hither,"  because 
the  speaker  himself  has  in  possession  the  things 
he  invites  others  to  receive.  The  word,  there- 
fore, stands  here,  as  often  elsewhere  (comp.  ii.  3- 
5)  in  the  sense  of  a  particula  excitandi,  as  age, 
JEII/JO,  6euTe}  lt  come  on,  here  I" 

The  second  member  of  the  verse  contains  a 
completion  of  the  first.  It  adds,  that  satisfaction 
will  be  given  not  only  to  those  thirsty  ones  that 
have  money,  but  also  to  those  that  have  none. 

^DD  iVj'X  "WX1  is  thus  a  second  subject  of  131? 
and  nearer  definition  of  XOV-^D.  Vav  before 
ViJ/K.  therefore,  involves  the  idea  of  "and  indeed." 
In  the  third  member  come  buy  and  eat  a 
third  particular  is  introduced,  namely  that  of 
hunger  and  its  correlative  bread.  The  fourth 
member  repeats  and  intensifies :  not  only  is  "  for 
not  monsy"  strengthened  by  the  further  "for 
not  wages"  p'nip  comp.  xlv.  13),  but  wine  and 
milk  are  named  in  addition  as  things  to  be 
bought.  They  are  costlier  and  nobler  means  of 
nourishment  than  water.  Milk  is  the  wine  of 
infancy,  wine  the  milk  of  maturity.  Thus  not 


merely  bare  necessities,  but  the  daintiest,  noblest 
gratification,  is  ottered  to  those  craving  it  (comp. 
on  ver.  2  b). 

Ver.  2.  The  question :  why  are  you  weigh- 
ing out  money  ?  intimates  that  the  man  in 
this  case,  has  a  certain  inclination  to  weigh  out 
his  money,  and  that  effort  is  needed  to  prevent 
him.  And  such  is  actually  the  fact.  The  hardest 
law  is  easier  for  a  man  than  the  gospel.  He 
would  rather  put  himself  to  the  rack  like  a  fakir 
or  a  Trappist,  than  receive  the  gift  of  God  for 
nothing.  He  will  not  have  any  thing  for  nothing. 
He  does  not  want  grace,  but  wages,  for  his  merit. 
And  yet  what  he  gets  in  this  way  is  not  bread, 
not  satiety. — For  one's  own  works  are  not  able 
to  give  the  true  righteousness,  and  so,  too,  cannot 
give  true  peace.  Recall  LUTHER'S  monastic  life, 
and  then  what  he  found  when  he  had  learned  to 
believe.  It  may  at  first  sight  appear  objectiona- 
ble that  the  Prophet  even  in  ver.  1,  makes  use 
of  the  oxymoron  (see  Text,  and  Gram.),  by  say- 
ing "  buy  for  not-gold,  for  not-wages,"  whereas 
one  expects  "  buy  not  for  money,  not  for  wages," 
as,  indeed,  before  he  invited  every  one  fN  1E/X 
^JDD  1?  to  come  on.  Thus  one  expects  ^033  X1?. 
THO!}  xV  But  the  Prophet  would  evidently 
say,  that  of  course  they  should  buy.  '132J  does 

not  stand  before  1/3X1  to  no  purpose.  There  shall 
indeed  be  a  purchase  price  paid,  but  it  shall  con- 
sist of  f]D3-xS  and  THO-H1?.  That  is,  of  course, 
something  odd.  For  Drn~X7  explained  by  XI; 

nyytfr  evidently  denotes  a  nourishment  that 
does  not  deserve  the  name  of  bread,  that  is  worse 

than  bread.  Therefore  Dn?~JO  is  a  contemp- 
tuous expression.  Accordingly  ^DD'N?  and 
Tno~K?  must  designate  a  price  that  is  worse  than 
money  or  wages,  that  does  not  deserve  this  name. 
The  sense  of  'U1  ipJ-KlSa  1130  could  not  be 
then :  "  buy,  but  not  with  gold,  but  with  a  higher, 
better  price."  These  words  must  rather  mean : 
"  buy  for  a  price  that  has  not  even  the  value  of 
money  or  of  any  other  sort  material  compensa- 
tion." Can  the  Prophet  mean  to  say  that  ?  Shall 
the  purchase  price  that  he  demands  be  worse  than 
money,  not  even  money  ?  That  cannot  possibly 
be  his  meaning.  Thus  we  see  that  we  cannot 

take  HDJD'JO  and  Dm~iO  in  quite  the  same  sense. 
Now  such  a  negative  expression  formed  by  the 

use  of  N  '  may  have  a  various  antithesis  accord- 
ing to  the  context ;  a  swperius  or  inferius  may  be 
its  antithesis.  Thus  in  x.  15  we  were  obliged  to 
take  V i^N1?  =  "  not  wood  but  something  much 
higher;  and  just  so  in  xxxi.  8,  Vhtlh  and 
DTR-K1?  =  ''not  a  man,  but  something  higher," 
whereas  ^N-tf1?,  CHX-X1?  designate  something 
that  is  less  than  God,  less  than  a  nation.  The 
evangelist  of  the  Old  Testament  gives  here  (ver. 
2)  a  genuine  evangelical  counsel,  whose  meaning 
and  long  range  was  certainly  concealed  from 
himself.  Israel  shall  no  more  bring  money,  and 


598 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


labor  (one  could  construe  £'?.  also  in  the  sense 
of  "  res  labore  parta,  gains  of  labor,"  xlv.  14). 
For  legal  works  are  as  money  that  one  has  paid 
for  food  that  deserves  not  the  name  of  bread,  be- 
cause it  does  not  satisfy.  For  legal  works  a  man 
receives  las  own  deserts  !  But  that  is  just 


S  !  It  does  not  satisfy,  it  gives  no  peace. 
It  does  not  procure  for  us  the  wedding  garment, 
but  only  our  own  clothes,  with  which  one  will  be 
cast  out  (Matt.  xxii.  12,  13).  In  contrast  with 
weighing  out  money,  the  Prophet  now  says 
what  Israel  should  do  in  order  to  get  satiety.  He 
names  therefore  now  the  true  purchasing  price, 

the  HDH'X1?  and  "vnD~Js7.  It  consists  in  hearken- 
ing to  the  LORD.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about 
the  sort  of  hearing  that  is  meant.  It  must  any 
way  be  a  very  significant  hearing,  for  the  Pro- 
phet exhorts  to  it  three  times  by  saying  1J?DI? 
ymtf,  then  DDJfN  IttH  and  finally  W&  (ver.  3). 
He  cannot  mean  the  hearing  with  the  outward 
ear,  for  the  LORD  would  not  be  satisfied  with 
that.  Hearing  with  the  inward  ear,  the  recep- 
tivety  of  the  heart,  faith  must  be  meant.  Amos 
viii.  11,  to  which  KIMCHI  text  refers  us,  is  nearly 
related  to  ours.  It  is  not  impossible  that  it  hovered 
in  the  rnind  of  the  Prophet.  There  it  is  said: 
"  Behold  the  days  come,  saith  the  LORD  God, 
that  I  will  send  a  famine  in  the  land,  not  a  famine 
of  bread,  nor  a  thirst  for  water,  but  of  hearing 
the  words  of  the  LORD."  Receiving  the  word, 
the  message  of  salvation,  the  gospel,  such  is  the 
price  that  is  better  than  money  and  wages  (^33 
andyr).  Thus  in  eat  good  and  your  soul 
shall  delight  itself  in  fatness,  "eat"  and 
"enjoy  itself"  are  meant  in  a  spiritual  sense. 
D1£3,  meaning  "good"  in  general  has  a  physical 
or  spiritual  sense  according  to  the  context  (comp. 
Jer.  xxxi.  12,  14;  Prov.  xix.  8  ;  xxiv.  25,  etc.). 
On  the  expression  O  |En3  JJjfPn  comp.  Iviii. 
14;  Ixvi.  11;  Ps.  xxxvii.  4;  Job  xxii.  26; 
xxvii.  10,  and  with  respect  to  JEH  Ps.  xxxvi.- 
iv.  —  Ixiii.  6),  and  DDt^SJ  'Tin,  comp.  Ezek. 
xviii.  27  ;  Ps.  cxix.  175. 

Ver.  3.  The  LORD  then  demands  faith  in  His 
word.  But  this  word  is  extraordinary  :  for  it  an- 
nounces the  salvation  that  the  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah acquired  by  His  suffering  and  death  (liii). 
Those  to  whom  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  no 
foolishness,  no  offence,  receive  the  mercies  of 
David.  In  the  Crucified  One  David  is  latent.  The 
inscription  above  the  cross  unconsciously  spoke 
the  truth.  The  thief  is  a  type  to  us  of  the  faith 
that  is  demanded  here.  He  saw  in  the  Crucified 
the  king.  Therefore  he  is  also  promised  a  par- 

ticipation in  the  kingly  glory.  On  7  m3  rP3 
"to  make  a  covenant,"  see  Text,  and  Gram.). 
Covenant  making  is  an  ancient  thing  in  the  rela- 
tion between  Jehovah  and  the  people  Israel. 
The  LORD  foretold  to  the  people  salvation  and 
the  Saviour  in  a  gradual  way,  always  increasing 
in  definiteness  and  clearness,  until  at  Ia>st  He  in- 
forms the  chosen  king  David  that  He  will  found 
for  him  an  everlasting,  all-comprehending  king- 
dom on  the  basis  of  the  sonship  of  God  (2  Sam. 
vii.  12  sqq.).  This  promise  is  the  highest  and 


most  glorious  of  all  the  promises  ever  yet  made 
to  Abraham  and  his  seed,  in  this  respect,  that  it 
comprehends  all  preceding  promises,  frees  them 
from  their  generality,  lays  them  on  a  definite 
head,  and  defines  them  as  a  promise  of  a  do- 
minion that  shall  far  excel  all  others  in  extent, 
duration,  title  and  power.  This  promise  is  also 
the  foundation  of  all  later  promises.  For  all  of 
them  add  nothing  essentially  new.  Although 
they  add  the  nearer  definition  that  Israel  itself, 
and  the  promised  Son  of  David  shall  become  ser- 
vants of  God,  i.  e.,  must  pass  through  suffering  to 
glory,  and  although  they  at  later  periods  refine 
and  paint  up  both  these  particulars  more  in  de- 
tail and  in  a  variety  of  ways,  still  that  word  of 
the  Prophet  Nathan  continues  to  be  the  principal 
stock  around  which  all  later  Messianic  prophecies 
are  grouped.  The  mercies  of  David  there- 
fore are  those  promises  of  mercy  that  were  given 
to  David  in  respect  to  an  other,  higher  David. 
These  mercies  of  David  are  also  a  covenant,  as 
the  promises  given  to  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob  are 
called  a  "  covenant "  (comp.  Gen.  xv.  18;  xvii. 
2  sqq. ;  Exod.  ii.  24 ;  Lev.  xxvi.  42 ;  2  Kings 
xiii.  23,  etc.).  For  in  them  God  not  only  makes 
a  gift,  but  requires  a  corresponding  performance. 
It  is  true  that  this  covenant  has  the  peculiarity, 
that  it  is  not  broken  by  single  acts  of  unfaithful- 
ness on  the  part  of  men.  For  it  is  an  everlast- 
ing covenant.  Such  acts  of  backsliding  cause 
the  LORD  to  use  severity,  but  not  to  break  the 
covenant.  Such  also  is  doubtless  the  meaning  of 
the  word  D'JDNJ  [''sure"].  At  least  it  should 
be  noted  that  Ps.  Ixxxix.  after  saying  in  vers. 
29,  30  (28,  29)  :  "  My  mercy  will  I  keep  for  him 
forevermore,  and  my  covenant  shall  stand  fast  with 

him  (h  runXJ.).  His  seed  also  will  I  make  to 
endure  forever,  and  his  throne  as  the  days  of 
heaven,"  it  proceeds  to  say  ver.  31  sqq.  (30)  : 
"  if  his  children  forsake  my  law,  and  walk  not 
in  my  judgments  ;  if  they  break  my  statutes,  and 
keep"  r.ot  my  commandments;  then  will  I  visit 
their  transgression  with  the  rod,  and  their  iniquity 
with  stripes.  Nevertheless  my  loving- kindness 
will  I  not  utterly  take  from  him,  nor  suffer  my 
faithfulness  to  fail  [lie.  Marg.],"  etc.  It  is  in  the 
highest  degree  probable  that  Ps.  Ixxxix.  hovered 
in  the  mind  of  the  Prophet  as  he  wrote  these 
words.  KOESTER  says  in  regard  to  this:  "Ps. 
Ixxxix.  fere  commentarii  instar  est  ad  nostrum  lo- 
cum. Similitude  tanta  est,  ut  prophetam  ^nostrum 
psalmi  hujus  auctorem  esse  conjicere  liceat  "  (comp. 
STIER  p.' 548,  Anm.}.  Although  the  latter  ideB 
is  inadmissible,  still  the  expression  PITT  HOH 
with  which  Ps.  Ixxxix.  begins,  (and  which  oc- 
curs beside  only  Ps.  cvii.  43;  Isa.  Ixiii.  7  ;  Lam. 
iii.  22),  reminds  one  of  our  text,  as  do  also 
verses  4,  29,  38,  50  (3,  27,  37,  49)  ;  and  in  ge- 
neral the  object  of  the  whole  Psalm  is  to  hold  up 
to  God  the  promises  given  to  David,  and  on  the 
ground  of  them  to  implore  protection  in  pressing 
need.  Comp.  remarks  below  on  ver.  4,  and  Text, 
and  Gram,  on  ver.  3,  HI  'IDrv 

Ver.  4.  If  in  vers.  1-3,  the  Prophet  has  in 
mind  the  time  when  no  longer  personal  works, 
but  the  believing  acceptance  of  God's  word  J 
decisive  in  respect  to  receiving  salvation,  then 
he  stands  with  his  thought  in  the  midst  of  the 
Messianic  period.  And,  indeed,  the  further  par- 


CHAP.  LV.  6-13. 


599 


ticular  pressed  upon  him,  that  not  Israel  alone 
will  receive  that  salvation,  but  also  the  Gentile 
world.  He  sees  the  barriers  broken  down  that 
separate  Israel  from  the  Gentiles.  The  David 
that  was  promised  to  the  first  David  is  made  by 
the  LORD  a  witness  of  the  nations,  i.  e.,  one 
that  shall  testify  salvation  to  the  nations.  That 
the  suffix  in  IV^riJ  ("I  have  given  him")  refers 
to  David  ver.  3,  is  certain.  But  the  one  made  a 
witness  cannot  possibly  be  the  first  David.  How 
would  a  statement  come  into  this  context  con- 
cerning the  task  to  be  fulfilled  by  the  successor  ' 
of  Saul  in  his  time  ?  According  to  vers.  1-3, 
the  Prophet's  thoughts  are  in  the  future  when 
the  marvellous  change  will  take  place,  that  God 
will  no  longer  require  giving  from  men  but  only 
receiving.  Therefore  I  take  the  expression  "  mer- 
cies of  David"  as  having  a  double  meaning,  viz.  : 
not  only  the  promises  given  to  David,  but  also 
pointing  to  David.  This  of  course  assumes  that 
the  name  David  may  be  applied  to  the  Messiah 
also.  But  this  assumption  is  fully  justified, 
since  not  only  later,  but  also  earlier  prophets 
expressly  designate  the  Messiah  by  the  name 
of  David  (Hos.  iii.  5;  Jer.  xxx.  9;  Ezek.  xxxiv. 
23,  24;  xxxvii.  24,  25).  The  expression  "V 
("witness")  likewise  appears  to  me  to  be  bor- 
rowed from  Ps.  Ixxxix.  For  in  ver.  38  of  this 
Psalm  the  author  concludes  the  representation 
of  the  promise  given  to  David  with  the  words : 
pj«  pn$3  Ijn.  I  share  the  view  of  MAURER, 

IT  v:|V      I       -  "  : 

HITZIG,  DELITZSCH,  MOLL,  etc.,  that  by  pntf3  ~\y 
we  are  to  understand  God  Himself  (comp.  Job 
xvi.  19,  and  regarding  the  expression  pH!i?  Ps. 
Ixxxix.  7).  In  our  text,  then,  David,  who  ful- 
fills ''the  mercies  of  David,"  is  called  a  witness 
of  the  nations,  because  He  testifies  also  to  the 
Gentile  world  what  God  had  testified  to  the  peo- 
ple Israel,  because  He  carries  out  to  the  Gentiles 
that  same  gospel  to  whose  believing  acceptance 
Israel  was  summoned  in  vers.  2,  3.  In  this  i 
peaceful  way,  not  by  force  of  arms,  shall  the 
other  David  also  become  a  prince  and  com-  ; 
mander  of  the  nations.  To  take  "!£  in  the  : 
sense  of  "lawgiver,"  with  HITZIG,  is  altogether 
arbitrary.  On  the  construction  of  ver.  4  b  see 
Text,  and  Gram.  Any  way  it  would  express,  that 
the  second  David  shall  be  the  same  in  respect  to 
the  nations  that  the  first  was  in  respect  to  the 
people  Israel. 


Ver.  5.  But  the  manner  in  which  the  second 
David  will  be  a  witness  of  God  to  the  nations 
will  be,  not  that  He  will  personally  and  directly 
exercise  the  office  of  witness,  but  He  will  let  it 
be  exercised  by  His  people  Israel  to  whom  He 
immediately  belongs.  Although  I  regard  the 
''witness"  of  ver.  4  as  being  the  second  and  not 
the  first  David,  still  I  believe  that  the  Prophet 
here  has  in  mind  those  words  of  the  first  David 
in  Ps.  xviii.  43  sqq.  where,  speaking  primarily 
of  His  activity  as  an  earthly  conqueror,  he  also 
certainly  as  a  "  prophet"  (Acts  ii.  30),  speaks  of 
the  call  of  His  kingdom  to  make  spiritual  con- 
quests. Especially  our  words  "  a  nation  -whom 
thou  knewest  not,"  recall  the  words  Ps. 
xviii.  44  (43):  "a  people  whom  I  have  not 
known  shall  serve  me."  The  disciples  and 
Apostles  of  the  Lord,  who  received  the  command 
to  preach  the  gospel  to  all  nations,  were,  in  fact, 
Israelites.  Through  them  Israel  called  nations 
that  it  previously  did  not  know,  and  nations  that 
before  knew  nothing  of  Israel  hastened  to  it  (ii. 
2,  3).  Israel  and  the  Gentile  world  have  even 
found  in  the  second  David  a  common  centre  that 
draws  one  to  the  other.  This  thought  is  so  ex- 
pressed in  ver.  5  6,  that  there  Jehovah  is  desig- 
nated as  the  object  and  goal  of  this  running 
hither.  They  came,  not  for  Israel's  sake,  but 
for  the  sake  of  Jehovah  its  God,  and  not  to 
Israel,  but  to  the  Holy  One  of  Israel.  Bin 
it  is  nevertheless  an  honor  of  a  high  and  unique 
sort,  that  Israel  is  favored  with  being  the  instru- 
ment of  calling  the  nations  to  Jehovah.  And 
the  honor  that  the  LORD  has  purposed  for  Is- 
rael, has  its  root  just  therein;  for  this  reason  it 

is  D;iUn-L>3  bg  j'vSy  ("  high  above  all  nations" 
(  Dent.  iv.  6  sqq.  ;  xxvi.  19  ;  xxviii.  1  ;  2  Sam. 
vii.  23  sq.)  and  "  servant  of  Jehovah,"  so  far  as 
this  expression  also  designates  the  call  of  Israel 
to  be  the  medium  of  salvation  ("salvation  is  of 
the  Jews,"  John  iv.  22,  comp.  xliii.  19).  And  it 
belongs  also  to  this,  that  Israel  is  repeatedly 
called  directly  the  ''witness  of  Jehovah"  (xliii. 
10;  xliv.  8)."  Besides,  this  clause  of  the  verse  is 
repeated  verbatim  Ix.  9.  As  Israel  is  everywhere 


thought  of  as    masculine  (T>*y.'    T?—  ' 

the  suffix  of  ^N3  cannot  be  a  fern,  suffix,  but  ia 

a  masculine  pausal  form,  as  in  ^JJJ?  xxx.  19. 


2.  WHAT  HINDERANCES  AND  SCRUPLES  ARE  TO  BE   REMOVED,  THAT   THE 
NEW  WAY  OF  APPROPRIATING  SALVATION  MAY  OBTAIN. 


6 


CHAPTER  LV.  6-13. 


Seek  ye  the  Lord  while  he  may  be  found, 
Call  ye  upon  him  while  he  is  near : 

7  Let  the  wicked  forsake  his  way, 

And  Jthe  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts  : 

And  let  him  return  unto  the  LORD,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon  him ; 

And  to  our  God,  for  2he  will  abundantly  pardon. 

8  For  my  thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts, 
Neither  are  your  ways  my  ways,  saith  the  LORD. 


600 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


9  For  as  the  heavens  are  higher  than  the  earth, 
So  are  my  ways  higher  than  your  ways, 
And  my  thoughts  than  your  thoughts. 

10  For  as  the  rain  cometh  down,  and  the  snow  from  heaven, 
And  returneth  not  thither, 

But  watereth  the  earth, 

And  maketh  it  bring  forth  and  bud, 

That  it  may  give  seed  to  the  sower,  and  bread  to  the  eater : 

11  So  shall  my  word  be  that  goeth  forth  out  of  my  mouth : 
It  shall  not  return  unto  me  void, 

But  it  shall  accomplish  that  which  I  please, 
And  it  shall  prosper  in  the  thing  whereto  I  sent  it. 

12  For  ye  shall  go  out  with  joy, 
And  be  led  forth  with  peace  : 

The  mountains  and  the  hills  shall  break  forth  before  you  into  singing, 
And  all  the  tress  of  the  field  shall  clap  their  hands. 

13  Instead  of  the  thorn  shall  come  up  the  afir  tree, 

And  instead  of  the  bbrier  shall  come  up  the  myrtle  tree : 

And  it  shall  be  to  the  LORD  for  a  name, 

For  an  everlasting  sign  that  shall  not  be  cut  off. 


1  Heb.  the  man  of  iniquity. 
•  cypress. 


8  Heb.  he  will  multiply  to  pardon. 
b  flea-wort. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  9.  Before  1H3  J  the  particle  of  comparison  is  omit- 
ted; com  p.  Jer.  iii.  20. 

Ver.  10.  jrO,  subject  Dt?J  and  jSt^.  -  The  imperf. 
TV  designates  what  happens  continuously;  ^lUT 
that  which  is  supposed,  not  actual;  nnn,  HTSin, 
nrVOVn,  f  r\J  on  the  other  hand  designate  simple  ob- 
jective facts. 

Ver.  11.  The  accusative  ItyX  before  'fln'?K'  is  quite 
normal.  Verbs  of  teaching,  commanding,  commission- 


ing,  as  is  well  known,  stand  with  a  double  accusative  5 
comp.  Exod.  iv.  28;  1  Sam.  xxi.  3,  etc. 

Ver.  13.  rpri  is  to  be  construed  neutrally.  -  One 
might  take  DtJ?  here  as  meaning  "  monumentum,"  as  in  2 
Sam.  viii.  13,  and  as  Isaiah  uses  it  Ivi.  5.  But  one  does 
better  to  take  it  in  the  sense  of  "  renown  "  (comp.  Deut. 
xxvi.  19;  Zeph.  iii.  19)  ;  but  fVrX,  on  account  of  the  ad- 

dition rn.3'  JO  ItyX,  had  better  betaken  in  the  sense 
of  "  signum,  monumentum,"  that  which,  as  it  were,  bears 
and  preserves  the  renown  (eomp.  xix.  20;  Deut.  xxviiL 
46;  Num.  xvii.  3,  etc.). 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Seek  the  Lord abundantly  par- 
don.— Vers.  6-7.  The  entire  section  vers.  6- 
11  deals  with  the  difficulties  that  actually,  or  in 
human  opinion,  oppose  that  "hearing"  that  the 
LORD  has  demanded  in  vers.  2,  3.  The  first  dif- 
ficulty is,  that  so  many  men  are  unable  to  make 
up  their  minds  to  lay  hold,  i.e.,  to  respond  to  the 
LORD'S  call,  and  on  their  side  to  desire  and  seek 
what  offers  itself  to  them.  For,  of  course,  the 
soul  must  on  its  part  incline  to  the  LORD,  who 
inclines  Himself  to  it.  This  is  the  "seeking" 
and  ''calling"  of  which  verse  6  speaks.  Be- 
lieving is  a  hard  matter.  Hence  many  hesitate 
until  it  is  too  late.  And  hence  the  Prophet's 
warning,  to  turn  to  the  LORD  in  season,  to  seek 
and  call  on  Him.  For  the  LORD  is  not  near  and 
able  to  be  found  without  limitation.  Hast  thou 
suffered  thy  heart  to  harden  or  become  callous, 
or  hast  thou  suffered  the  time  to  lapse  wherein 
believing  is  any  way  possible,  i.  e.,  the  period 
of  earthly  life,  that  ends  with  death  and  with  the 
world  beyond  which  begins  the  seeing, — then 
thou  findest  the  LORD  no  more,  He  withdraws. 
Thou  canst  then  no  more  believe,  even  though 
wishing  painfully  to  do  so,  as  Esau  who  found  no 
room  for  repentance  though  he  sought  it  with 


tears  (Heb.  xii.  17),  or  as  those  who  have  slipped 
past  the  fateful  ''to-day"  (comp.  Heb.  iii.  7  sqq. ; 
iv.  7  and  the  parables  of  the  invited  guests 
Luke  xiv.  17  sqq.,  and  the  laborers  in  the 
vineyard  Matth.  xx.  1  sqq.).  The  second  and 
chiefest  hinderance  to  believing  is  this,  that  men 
cleave  too  much  to  evil.  They  love  it  too  much; 
all  their  imagining  and  doing  is  directed  to  it. 
They  cannot  get  rid  of  sin,  they  are  under  the 
ban  and  constraint  of  it.  Hence  the  Prophet 
warns,  that  the  wicked  first  of  all  must  forsake 
his  wicked  way  and  the  man  of  iniquity  (Prov. 
vi.  12,  18,  which  likely  was  in  the  Prophet's 
mind)  his  thoughts.  This  is  the  negative  side 
of  the  exhortation.  With  this  is  joined  the  posi- 
tive; the  wicked  should  turn  to  Jehovah  a.  to 
the  end  that  He  may  have  mercy  on  him,  6.  for 
the  reason  that  Jehovah  is  (not  a  strange  but) 
Israel's  ("owr")  God,  and  is  inclined  and  accus- 
tomed to  pardon  abundantly. 

2.  For  My  thoughts— — whereto  I  sent 
it. — Vers.  8-11.  These  verses  reply  to  those  ob- 
jections that  the  natural  man  opposes  to  the  new 
way  of  salvation  proposed  by  God  in  vers.  1-3. 
The  first  objection  runs:  it  is  inconceivable  that 
man  can  obtain  salvation  simply  by  believing 


CHAP.  LV.  6-13. 


601 


and  not  by  his  own  works.  The  Prophet  de- 
clares that  this  objection  is  groundless.  For,  he 
says,  My  thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts, 
etc.  What  is  foolishness  with  men  is  wisdom 
with  God,  1  Cor.  i.  18  sqq.  God  is  great  in 
littleness,  strong  in  weakness,  glorious  in  lowli- 
ness, wise  in  foolishness.  Just  for  that  reason 
He  is  approachable.  The  poor  and  lowly  do  not 
take  offence  at  this  form  of  His  appearance.  No, 
just  thus  He  is  comprehensible  to  them.  But 
the  wise  and  prudent  are  sifted  by  it  as  through  a 
sieve.  Whoever  holds  his  head  so  high  that  he 
cannot  go  through  the  narrow  gate,  must  remain 
without.  He  is  not  fit  to  be  in  the  kingdom  of 
God.  But  whoever  is  not  offended  at  the  gospel 
of  the  mauger  and  of  the  cross,  will  be  sensible 
that  there  is  in  it  a  power  and  wisdom  that  is  as 
high  as  heaven  above  all  the  wisdom  of  both 
scribes  and  philosophers.  The  second  objection 
runs:  the  sermon  that,  according  to  vers.  1-3, 
demands  only  hearing  and  accepting  must  remain 
without  effect.  This  objection  also  is  groundless. 
For  it  is  with  the  word  that  announces  God's 
lofty  thoughts,  as  it  is  with  the  products  of  the 
physical  atmosphere  that  descend  to  the  earth,  in 
order  to  render  the  latter  capable  of  unfolding  its 
life-forces.  Rain  and  snow  do  not  return  without 
accomplishing  their  ends,  but  they  fructify 

(T/lfl  cause  to  give  birth,  comp.  Ixvi.  9 ;  1  Chr. 

11.  18)  the  earth,  and  cause  it  to  bring  forth 
HOY  (sprouts  comp.  on  iv.  2)  and  give  seed 
to  the  sower  and  bread  to  the  eater.    The 

efficiency  of  the  word  should  be  designated  as  (see 
Text  and  G.)  an  actual  certainty.  I  translate  OX  "D 
simply  by  "but."  The  word  of  God  (and  one  may 
think  here  of  all  that  is  called  /.fypf  #eoi ),  does  not 
return  empty.  Thus  it  is  expressly  said  of  it  that 
it  does  return.  And  in  fact  every  thing  that  goes 
out  from  God,  also  that  word  spoken  or  written 
by  men  by  the  power  of  His  Spirit,  must,  as  an 
eternal,  real,  divine  existence,  unite  itself  again 
with  its  original  source  ;  or  more  correctly:  what 
comes  out  of  God  remains  also  eternally  in  God. 
3.  For  ye  shall not  be  cut  off. — Vers. 

12,  13.    ^i  "for",  beginning  ver.  12,  introduces 
the  proof  of  the  statement  of  ver.  11.     The  word 
of  God  shall  return,  not  unsuccessful,  but  wholly 
successful.     For  Israel  shall  go  forth  and  be  led 
with  joy.     Such  is  just  the  efficiency  of  that  word 
of  God"  that  is  meant,  vers.  1-3.     It  is  clear  that 
the  Prophet  cannot  mean  the  future  departure 
out  of  the  Babylonian  exile.     But  he  does  mean 
an  exodus  of  which  that  physical  exodus  is  only 
the  type.     For  the  historical  redemption  out  of 
the  Exile  is  both  a  type  and  a  pledge  of  the  re- 
demption out  of  the  exile  of  sin,  out  of  the  bond- 
age of  the  devil.     The  same  God  that  would  and 
could  redeem  ''the  fleshly  Israel"  out  of  the  cor- 
poreal exile,  will  by  force  of  the  same  love  and 
power  redeem  the  spiritual  Israel  out  of  the  spi- 
ritual exile.     And  in  that  exodus  Israel  will  re- 
joice, and  be  led  in  peace.    And  the  non-personal 
creation  will  share  in  Israel's  joy:  the  moun- 
tains and  the  hills  will  break  forth  into 
singing,  and  all  trees   clap  their   hands. 
That  this  could  not  be  on  the  occasion  of  the  cor- 
poreal exodus  from  Babylon,  is  clear.     It  is  mani- 
fest, then,  that  the  Prophet  intends  a  much  higher, 
a  spiritual  exodus.     But  this  latter  also  has  its 


gradations.  When  once  nature  itself  is  pene- 
trated with  spirit  and  glorified  (Ixv.  17 ;  Ixvi.  22; 
Rom.  viii.  21),  then,  what  in  the  word  of  the  Pro- 
phet is  not  merely  poetic  imagery,  but  real  con- 
tents of  life,  will  at  last  receive  its  entire  accom- 
plishment. In  the  time  the  Prophet  thinks  of, 
noxious  growths  will  give  place  to  noble  growths 
that  bring  a  blessing  with  them.  Instead  of 
j'l^J  (again  only  vii.  19,  therefore  a  genuine 
Isaianic  word)  shall  grow  up  the  cypress  (comp. 
on  xli.  19),  instead  of  the  flea-bane  (13"\D,  ii-. 
/*<.£/.,  its  meaning  is  debated,  comp.  GESEN.,  Thes., 
and  HERZ.,  R.-Enc.  XIV.,  p.  666.  I  translate, 
with  DELITZSCH,  after  the  LXX.,  AQU.  THEOD., 
Kowfa,  flea-wort,  flea-bane),  the  myrtle  (see  on 
xli.  19).  We  had  similar  expressions,  xxxv.  1 
sqq.;  xli.  18  sq.;  xliv.  23;  xlix.  13;  Hi.  9.  This 
glorious  act  of  salvation  shall  redound  to  the 
LORD'S  everlasting  renown,  and  be  an  everlast- 
ing monument  of  His  love,  power,  and  wisdom. 

DOCTRINAL  AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  Iv.  1-3.  "Hoc  periphrasi  allegorica  (siti- 
endi  et  carendi  pecunia)  notantur  ii,  quibus  arida  est 
conscientia  ex  aestu  irae  divinae  propter  peccata, 
quique  anxie  sitiunt  gratiam  Dei  ac  remissionem  pec- 
catorum,  quam  se  propriis  operibus  consequi  posse 
plane  desperant." — FOERSTER. 

2.  On  Iv.  1.    "It  is  no  legal  commanding  and 
ordering,  that  gives  nothing  of  which  it  speaks, 
but  an  evangelical  offer  and  invitation,  that  also 
gives  what  it  demands.     He  who  gives  the  com- 
mand to  come,  also  gives  the  strength  to  enable 
one  to  come,  i.  e.,  faith  (Matth.  xi.  28 ;  Jno.  vi. 
27,  44)."— STARKE. 

3.  On  Iv.  1.   "Eobustis,  qui  tentalionibus  peccati 
et  mortis  exercentur,  datur  vinum  ad  consolationem  ; 
rudibus  autem  et  infirmis  datur  lac  ad  alimentum, 
quo  instituuntur  et  docentur." — LUTHER.    "  In  Pro- 
consular Africa  the  ancient  church  had  a  custom 
of  offering  to  those  baptized  milk  and  honey  for 
the  new  childhood  and  childishness.  But  JEROME 
informs  us  that  they  took  also  wine  and  milk." — 
STIER.     Offering  milk  and  honey  was  an  oriental 
custom. 

4.  On  Iv.  1,  2.   "The  salvation  of  Christ  can- 
not  be   bought  for   money,  as  Peter  let  Simon 
know  when  he  offered  money  for  it:  'Thy  money 
perish  with  thee,  because  thou  ha.st  thought  that 
the  gift  of  God  may  be  purchased  with  money ' 
(Acts  viii.  20).     It  "is  not  to  be  obtained  by  any 
sort  of  personal  merit  or  work,  trouble,  or  labor 
(whoever  would  have  it  thus  fatigues  himself  in 
vain,  and  can  never  be  satisfied,  nor  find  any 
comfort  for  his  soul),  but  by  the  pure,  undeserved 
divine  grace  (Rom.  iii.  23  sq.;  Eph.  ii.  8)."— 
RENNER. 

5.  On  Iv.  2.   "Est  confutatio  et  abrogatio   om- 
nium aliarum  reliyionum,  doctrinamm  et  operum. 
Qnod  omnes  religiones,  omnes  dnctrinae  et  studia  om- 
nia  extra  hanc  gratiae  doctrinam  sint  frastranea  et 
fa-men  laboriosa,  quae  non  tranquillum  faciant  ani- 
mum  sed  affligant.     DiUgenter  autem  notabis   hoc 
praedicatum,  quod  tribuit  omnibus  justitii-s,  quae  sunt 
extra  gratiam,  quod  scilicet  sint  laboriosM  et  tamen 
frustraneae,  sicut  sub  papa  experti  sumus." — LU- 
THER. 

"  The   Papists  make  God  a  sun   shop-keeper, 
who  would  sell  his  heaven."— FOERSTER. 


602 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


6.  On  Iv.  3.  The  peculiarity  of  "  the  sure  mer- 
cies of  David"  consists  in  this,  that  under  no  cir- 
cumstances   can   they  be   withdrawn    from    the 
throne  and  kingdom  of  David,     individuals,  yea, 
even  whole  races  and  generations,  that  belonged 
to  those  entitled  to  them,  may  be  excluded  on  ac- 
count of  their  sin.     But  taking  all  together,  Da- 
vid's throne  and  kingdom  shall  stand  and  develop, 
grow  and  increase  to  the  elevation    and   extent 
that  God  has  determined  for  it.     It  is  to  regard 
the  matter  from  another  side  when  one  says:  "No 
man  should  doubt  the  grace  of  God  or  despair  of 
it.     And  when  we   are   assaulted  by  the   doubt 
whether  God  will  even  preserve  us  in  the  know- 
ledge of  Himself,  we  should  oppose  to  it  the  sure 
mercies  of  David.     For  mountains  and  hills  may 
fall  away,  but  His  grace  shall  not  remove  from 
us  (liv.  10)." — CRAMER. 

7.  On  Iv.  3,  4.  "  But  what  is  the  contents  of  the 
sure  mercies  promised  to  David  ?    It  is  this  High, 
Wonderful  One,  whom  God  has  set  for  a  Witness 
to  men,  in  whom  they  should  see  the  divinity, 
yea,  whom  He  has  made  Head  of  the  nations ! 
Therefore  a  Person  ?     Yes,  indeed ;  the  Messiah, 
the  God-man,  of  whom  Isaiah  has  so  long  spoken 
mysteriously,  as  of  the  Servant  of  Jehovah.     He 
is  a  Person !     For  I  (myself  even  a  person)  am 
surely  not  to  go  down  beneath  myself  and  find 
my  soul's   contents  and  life  in  a  thing/  ^That 
were  utterly  heathenish.     No.     A  Person  is  the 
sure  inercy  of  David,  and,  indeed,  the  greatest 
of  all :  He  in  whom  God  bears  witness  of  Himself 
to  mankind,  and  in  whom  God  comprehends  all 
mankind  as  in  their  Head,  Son  of  God,  Son  of  man, 
the  eternally  youthful  Lord  of  mankind,  and  also 
her,  the  Virgin  Mary's,  Son.     Of  such  a  Lord  the 
virgin  mother,  and  mankind  will  not  have  to  com- 
plain.  Since  this  one  must  arise  in  Israel,  the  true 
Israel,  the  Apostle  choir,  shall  draw  the  remotest 
heathen  to  itself,  and  the  latter  shall  run  up  with  joy 
because  they  recognize  the  almighty,  eternal  God 
in  His  church,  as  He  glorifies  it." — DIEDRICH. 

8.  On  Iv.  6.  ''  Qiiaerite  eum,  dum  estisin  corpore, 
dum  datur  locus  poenitentiae,  et  quaerile  non  loco  sed 

fide Appropinquat  autem   appropinquanti- 

bus  sibi   (Jac.  iv.  8),  et   filio  longo  post   tempore 
revertenti  laetus  occurrit."  JEROME. 

9.  On  Iv.  7.     "  That  is  the  only  way  of  salva- 
tion.    First,  for  a  man  to  turn   away  from  his 
own  will  of  evil  thoughts,  and  then  conversion  to 
God  who  is  rich  in  pardon,  and  His  pity  will  not 
tarry."  UMBREIT. 

10.  On  Iv.  8.     "One  of  the  most  sublime  pas- 
sages of  Scripture,  where  more  than  commonly 
the  HUT  DKJ   should  evince  itself  as  a  truth  to 
everv  conscience Whoever  in  such   dis- 
courses is  unable  to  hear  the  speaking  Person  of 
God,  lacks  something  in  his  own  personality;  he 
has  not  yet  become  a  thou  that  the  greatest  I  may 
address."  STIER. 

11.  On  Iv.  8,  9.     The  human  heart  compre- 
hends   with    difficulty  the   doctrine   that    "  God 
hath   concluded  all  in  unbelief,  that  He  might 
have  mercy  upon  all."     But  such  as  do  compre- 
hend it  exclaim  with  Paul:  "O  the  depth  of  the 
riches   both  of  the  wisdom  and    knowledge  of 
God  !  how  unsearchable  are  His  judgments,  and 
His  ways  past  finding  out!"   (Rom.  xi.  32  sq.). 
— ''  Quanto   sum   subliminr,    tanto    et    clementior.'' 
GROTIUS  in  STIER. — ''Not  merely  the  thoughts 


of  an  adulterer,  fornicator,  thief,  are  deep  beneath 
the  divine  thoughts,  but  also  those  that  to  reason 
are  good,  holy  human  thoughts  of  reformation, 
of  the  way  of  salvation  and  righteousness,  are 
not  good  for  anything,  until  they  attain  the  ele- 
vation of  compassion  and  pardon.  Especially  in 
respect  to  justification,  God  declares  all  E'D~n 
["ways"],  i.  e.  even  religions,  doctrines  and  wise 
ones  among  men,  basely  false,  because  in  the  best 
case  they  ever  obstinately  wish  to  bring  price  and 
money  for  His  grace !  They  ever  wish  to  help 
themselves,  though  it  is  before  their  eyes  that 
even  in  nature  nothing  grows  on  earth  without 
rain  from  above."  STIER. 

12.  On  lv-  10,  11.     ''The  prophetic  preaching 
since  Deut.  xxxii.  1  is  frequently  compared  to 
rain,  and  the  word  is  also  conceived  of  as  a  mes- 
senger,  envoy  of  God,   ix.  7   (8) ;  Ps.  cvii.  20 ; 
cxlvii.  15  sqq.     The  personification  assumes  that 
the  word  is  no  mere  sound  or  letter.     Emitted 
from  the  mouth  of  God,  it  acquires  form,  and  in 
this  form  it  conceals  divine  life  by  reason  of  its 
divine  origin,  and  so  it  runs,  alive  of  God,  endued 
with  divine  power,  charged  with  divine  commis- 
sions, as  a  swift  messenger  through  nature  and 
the  world  of  men,  there  for  instance  to  melt  the 
ice,  here  to  protect  and  save,  nor  does  it  come 
back  from  its  round  of  errands  until  it  has  made 
the  will  of  its  Sender  operative.     This  return  of 
the  word  of  God  also  presupposes  a  divine  essence 
in  that  word.     The  will  of  God  that  is  concrete 
and    audible    in    the    word    is     the    expression 
of  His  essence,  and  resolves  itself  into  this  again 
as  soon  as  it  is  fulfilled.     The  images  chosen  are 
rich  with  allusions.     As  snow  and  rain  are  the 
mediate  cause  of  growth,  and  thus  also  of  the 
enjoyment  of  what  is  harvested,  so  also  by  the 
word  of  God  the  ground  and  soil  of  the  human 
heart  is  softened,  refreshed  and  made  fertile  and 
vegetative,  and  this  word  gives  the  Prophet,  who 
is  like  the  sower,  the  seed  which  he  scatters,  and 
it  brings  with  it  bread  that  nourishes  the  soul ; 
for  every  word  that  proceeds  from  the  mouth  of 
God  is  also  bread  (Deut.  viii.  3).     The  particular 
point  of  comparison,  however,  is  the  energy  with 
which  the  word  converts  itself  into  reality." — 
DEMTZSCH. 

13.  On  lv.  12,  13.    ''  Away  with  the  base,  stale 
thoughts,  as  if  God  the  LORD  were  here  only  let- 
ting lofty    words    sound    through    His    Prophet, 
about  all  the  conveniences  of  the  journey  for  the 
small  number  of  Jews  of  that  time!     This  exo- 
dus, this  return  home  of  the  redeemed,  is  some- 
thing quite  different,  extends  indeed_in  the  long 
perspective  through    much  and  various  till  the 
goal  is  reached.     The  first  exodus  from  the  world 
and  sin  is  meant,  thus  indeed  from   Israel  that 
has  become  unholy,  into  the  reproach  of  Christ 

furthermore  the  whole  way  of  the  church  since 

that  time,  with  all  its  recurring  goings  forth,  pre- 
senting themselves  in  such  variety  of  ways,  final- 
ly, and  indeed  in  the  most  perfect  sense,  the   last 
redemption  to  the  glory  of  the  children.    For  again 
Israel's  return  out  of  obduracy  will  furnish  the  last 
prelude  that  will  be  the  reconciliation  of  type  and 
reality."  STIER. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  On  lv.  1-5-     The   LORD   a   merchant.     1) 
He 'invites   the  whole   world   to   buy.     2)  The 


CHAP.  LV.  1-13. 


003 


price  He  demands  is  not  money  nor  performance, 
but  that  men  will  let  Him  present  His  wares  to 
them.  3)  His  wares ;  He  offers  the  mercy  of 
David,  that  gives  peace  to  all  the  world. 

2.  On  Iv.  1-5.     MISSIONARY  SERMON.  ''  God's 
invitation  to   the  sure  mercies  in   Christ.     1)  We 
hear  in  it  the  call  of  a  love  that  wills  that  help 
be  extended  to  all  men.     2)  We  see  in  it  the  law 
of  a  wisdom  that  has  resolved  to  save  all  nations 
by  a  Mediator.     3)  We  find  in  it  the  reminder 
of  a  promise  that  continues  still  to-day  to  be  ful- 
filled   among   the   nations  " — "  Missions   the  best 
glorifying  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ.     For  1)  They 
help  the  constitution  of  the  kingdom  to  attain  its 
rights.     2)  They  set  the  LORD  of  the  kingdom 
in    the   full    light.     3)    They    bring   the  distant 
members  of  the  kingdom  into  full  course."  DR. 
ZAPFF. 

3.  On  Iv.  1.     "  What  God  does  not  work  in 
vis  Himself  He  does  not  recognize  as  His  own. 
Therefore  no  compelling  law  is  needed  here,  no 
command   nor    prohibition.      For  faith  does  all 
that  is  to  be  done  in  a  free  spirit.     That  is,   it 
surrenders  itself  to  God,  who  works  everything 
in  us  out  of  grace.     And  that,  also,  is  what  Isaiah 
preaches,  that  we  should  come  to   the  LORD  in 
order  to  hear  Him  and  to  buy  wine  and  milk  for 
nothing."  ARNDT,  Wahres  Christenthum,  HI.  2,  4. 

4.  [On  Iv.  I.     "  Our  buying  without  money  in- 
timates, (1.)  That  the  gifts  offered  us  are  invalu- 
able and  such  as  no  price  can  be  set  upon.     Wis- 
dom is  that  which  cannot  be  gotten  for  gold.  (2.) 
That  He  who  offers  them  has  no  need  of  us,  nor 
of  any  returns  we  can  make  Him.     He  makes  us 
these  proposals,  not  because  He  has  occasion  to 
sell,  but  because  He  has  a  disposition  to  give.   (3.) 
That  the  things  offered  are  already  bought  and 
paid  for.  Christ  purchased  them  at  the  full  value, 
with  price,  not  with  money,  but  with  His  own  blood, 
1  Pet.  i.  19.     (4  )  That  we  shall  be  welcome  to 
the  benefits  of  the  promise,  though  we  are  utterly 
unworthy  of  them,  and  cannot  make  a  tender  of 
anything  that  looks  like  a  valuable  consideration." 
M.  HENRY]. 

5.  On  Iv.  6.     "  God  has  neither  time  nor  place, 
is  ever  ready  to  help  and   to  give,  stands  every 
moment  before  our  door  (Rev-  iii.  20).     His  time 
is  all  time,  but  our  time  is  not  all  time"  (Ps.  xcv. 
8;  Heb.  iii.  7,  13,  15;  iv-  7).     ARNDT,  ibid.  II., 
34,  12. 

6.  [On  Iv.  7.     A  call  to  repent.     I.  WHAT  IT 
IS  TO  REPENT.     (1.)   It  is  to  turn  from  sin  ;  it  is  to 
forsake  it,  and  with  loathing,  "forsake  his  way." 


'  There  must  be  not  only  a  change  of  way,  but  a 
change  of  mind,  "forsake  his  thoughts."  Repent- 

'  ance,  if  it  be  true,  strikes  at  the  root  and  washes 
the  heart  from  wickedness.  (2.)  It  is  to  return  to 
the  Lord  :  as  to  our  sovereign  Lord  against  whom 
we  have  rebelled ;  as  to  the  fountain  of  life-giving 
waters. — II.  THE  ENCOURAGEMENT  TO  REPENT. 
(1)  God  will  have  mercy.  Misery  is  the  object  of 
mercy.  Now  the  consequences  of  sin,  by  which 
we  have  become  truly  miserable  (Ezek.  xvi.  5,  G), 
and  the  nature  of  repentance,  by  which  we  are 

i  made  sensible  of  our  misery  and  are  brought  to 
bemoan  ourselves  (Jer.  xxxi.  18)  make  us  ob- 
jects of  pity,  and  with  God  these  are  tender  mer- 

|  cies.       (2.)  He  will  abundantly  pardon.     Though 

i  our  sins  have  been  very  great  and  very  manv,  and 

!  oft  repeated,  and   we  are  still  prone  to  offend. 

i  After  M.  HENRY]. 

7.  On  Iv.  8,  9.  "  The  consolations  a/ordedbtj  these 
words.     1)  We  learn  from  them  self-renunciation. 

i  2)  We  learn  faith  from  them.  3)  We  gain  from 
!  them  the  right  hope."  ED.  ENGKLIIARDT,  in 
j  Manch.  Gaben,  etc.,  III.  Jahrg.,  p.  002. 

8.  On  Iv.  8-11.     ''  The  comparison  of  the  divine 
thoughts  and  ways  with  ours.     1)  They  are  differ- 
ent from  ours.     2)  They  are  more  efficient  than 
ours."     NESSELMANN,  Ibid.,  1870,  p.  477. 

9.  On  Iv.  8,  9.     "One  must  take  care  that  an 
:  exhortation  to  repentance  with  the  promise  of  the 
i  gracious  forgiveness  of  sins  precede.    .  .    .  Thus 
i  the  meaning  is :  do  not  wonder  that  I  say,  with 
I  God  is  much  forgiveness,  and  He  will  have  com- 
I  passion  even  on  the  wicked  and  malicious,  if  they 
;  turn  to  Him.     For  ye  men  are  so  minded  that  ye 
;  do  not  willingly  forgive  and  forget,  when  one  has 
1  treated   you    roughly   and    often    offended   you. 
|  Therefore  ve  judge  me  according  to  your  senti- 
ment and  thoughts,  as  if  I  too  were  so  hard  and 
unwilling  to  forgive.     But  my  thoughts  and  my 
sentiment  are  in  this  respect  as  far  from  yours  as 
heaven  from  earth."     SCRIVER,  Seelenschatz,  II., 
Th.  8  Fred.  \  13. 

10.  On  Iv.  10,  11.     Comparison  of  the  word  with 
rain  and  snow.    1)  Both  come  down  from  heaven. 
2)  Both  operate   fruitfully  upon  the  earth.     3) 
Both  return  to  heaven,  but  not  without  having 

i  successfully  done  their  work  on  earth. 

11.  On  Iv.  12,  13.    The  departure  of  the  people  of 
God  out  of  the  exile  of  sin  and  evil.     1 )   That  such  a 
thing  is  to  be  looked  for.     2)    When  it  is  to  be 
looked  for.     3)  How  it  will  be  accomplished  (in 

1  jov  which  shall  be  felt  not  only  by  redeemed 
1  mankind,  but  also  by  the  impersonal  creation). 


VIII —THE  EIGHTH  DISCOURSE. 
CHAPTER  LVI.  1-  9. 


The  new  salvation  mediated  by  the  Servant  of 
God  was  described  chap.  liv.  in  its  general,  ob- 
jective aspect;  in  chap.  Iv.  in  respect  to  the  sub- 
jective appropriation  of  salvation.  Chap.  Ivi.,  in 
a  few  but  plain  strokes,  shows  us  the  same  as  the 
source  of  an  entirely  new  ethical,  social  and  phy- 
sical regulation  of  life.  For  vers.  1,  2  hold  out 


the  prospect  of  a  holy  walk,  vers.  3-7  of  a  nevr 
legal  regulation  respecting  strangers  and  eunuchs, 
finally  vers.  8-9,  that  the  salvation  shall  be  ex- 
tended also  to  the  impersonal  creature. 

The  vers.  Ivi.  10-12  belong  as  to  substance  to 
the  following  chapter. 


604 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


The  moral,  social  and  physical  fruits  of  the  new  way  of  salvation. 

CHAP.  LVI.  1-9. 

1  THUS  saith  the  LORD, 

Keep  ye  'judgment,  and  do  justice : 
For  my  salvation  is  near  to  come, 
And  my  righteousness  to  be  revealed. 

2  Blessed  is  the  man  that  doeth  this, 

And  the  son  of  man  that  layeth  hold  on  it ; 
That  keepeth  the  sabbath  from  polluting  it, 
And  keepeth  his  hand  from  doing  any  evil. 

3  Neither  let  athe  son  of  the  stranger,  that  hath  joined  himself  to  the  LORD, 
Saying,  The  LORD  bhath  utterly  separated  me  from  his  people : 
Neither  let  the  eunuch  say,  Behold,  I  am  a  dry  tree. 

4  For  thus  saith  the  LORD  unto  the  eunuchs 
That  keep  my  sabbaths, 

And  choose  the  things  that  please  me, 
And  take  hold  of  my  covenant ; 

5  Even  unto  them  will  I  give  in  mine  house 
And  within  my  walls  a  "place  and  a  name 
Better  than  of  sons  and  of  daughters  : 

I  will  give  them  an  everlasting  name, 
That  shall  not  be  cut  off. 

6  Also  dthe  sons  of  the  stranger,  that  join  themselves  to  the  LORD, 
To  serve  him,  and  to  love  the  name  of  the  LORD, 

To  be  his  servants, 

Every  one  that  keepeth  the  sabbath  from  polluting  it, 

And  taketh  hold  of  my  covenant : 

7  Even  them  will  I  bring  to  my  holy  mountain, 
And  make  them  joyful  in  my  house  of  prayer  : 

Their  burnt  offerings  and  their  sacrifices  shall  be  accepted  upon  mine  altar 
For  mine  house  shall  be  called  an  house  of  prayer  for  all  people. 

8  The  Lord  God  [Jehovah]  which  gathereth  the  outcasts  of  Israel,  saith, 
Yet  will  I  gather  others  to  him, 

2Beside  those  that  are  gathered  unto  him. 

9  All  ye  beasts  of  the  field,  come  eto  devour, 
Yea,  all  ye  beasts  in  the  forest. 


1  Or,  equity. 

» the  foreigners. 
a  the  foreigners. 


b  will  utterly  separate. 
•  to  cat. 


*  Heb.  To  his  gathered. 

«  mark. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  npiy  and  £33$D  in  parallelism  as  in  xxviii. 
17;  xxxii.  16;  xxxiii.  5;  lix.  9,  14. 
Ver.  2.  jlj<T  and  H3  can  of  course  be  grammatically 

T 

referred  to  what  follows.  But  grammar  just  as  much 
admits  of  their  being  referred  to  what  precedes.  And 
I  prefer  the  latter,  because  then  there  is  no  need  of 

taking  "TOt^  for  I'lOttf  or  "ib^S,  but  it  can  be  under- 
stood simply  as  in  apposition  with  EMJK  and  D18~|3  in 
a  specifying  sense. 1?  ?HD  '12  "13tb  is  not  to  be  un- 
derstood as  if  JO  simply  intimated  from  what  the  Sab- 
bath should  be  kept,  in  which  sense  101^  and  O  are 


GRAMMATICAL. 

frequently  conjoined  (e. g., "1D70  l!?-^  T3K^" he  keeps 
thy  foot  from  the  snare  "  Prov.  iii.  26,  etc.).  ?D  has  here, 
as  often,  the  negative  meaning  (comp.  xliv.  18;  xlix.  15; 
Iviii.  13,  etc.).  We  must  therefore  translate  :  "  who  keeps 
the  Sabbath  (comp.  Exod.  xxxi.  14)  so  that  he  does  not 
profane  it."  For  the  suffix  in  1 7 7H  were  quite  super- 
fluous if  it  were  intended  to  be  said  only  in  general  from 
what  the  Sabbath  must  be  kept.  In  the  latter  case  one 
would  rather  look  for  an  infinitive  passive  or  an  abstract 
noun:  he  who  keeps  the  Sabbath  from  being  profaned, 
or  from  profanation.  Moreover  this  involves  the  mean- 
ing that  one  must  not  only  keep  the  Sabbath  himself, 


CHAP.  LVI.  1-9. 


605 


but  also  guard  it  from  every  profanation  by  others.  But 
the  suffix  is  pertinent  if  the  meaning  is  :  he  who  keeps 
the  Sabbath  so  that  he  does  not  profane  it  (the  Sabbath, 
not  anything  in  general;.  This  explanation  is  com- 
mended by  the  fact  that  the  same  construction  recurs 
Iviii.  13.  Of  course,  then,  the  following  clause  IT  "IDE/ 
'Ul  must  be  similarly  explained. 

Ver.  3.  ni7j  is,  from  its  ending,  not  the  participle, 
but  the  perfect.  If  the  pointing  be  correct,  then  the 
mode  of  expression  belongs  to  the  instances  where  the 
article  involves  a  pronominal  meaning:  Josh.  x.  24; 

Gen.  xxi.  3;  Ezra  viii.  25;  1  Chr.  xxix.  17;  xxvi.  28. 

In  ny  7J?D  the  S_J?  has  a  cumulative  sense,  as  inxxxii. 
10;  Gen.  xxviii.  9;  xxxi.  50,  etc. 

Ver.  4.  As  regards  the  construction,  one  sees  from 
npQI,  that  the  Prophet  arranges  the  clauses  by  that 
rule  according  to  which,  from  the  view-point  of  the 
first  stage  of  the  future  attained,  what  remains  is  pre- 
sented in  the  perfect  as  the  simple  unfolding  of  that 
stage.  For  the  sake  of  variety,  and  doubtless  also  for 
the  purpose  of  denoting  the  persistency  of  the  holding 
fast,  the  Prophet  expresses  the  third  condition  by  the 
participle.  For  this  reason  we  are  not  to  construe 
O'D^IHO  as  in  apposition,  say,  with  O'D'^Di  but  it 
stands  parallel  with  Tin3V  The  pronomen  separatum 
DH  is  wanting,  as  very  often  happens,  ii.  6;  xxiv.  2; 
xxxiv.  21;  Txxvii.  26;  xli.  7,  etc. The  words  of  Jeho- 
vah, announced  by  T\  ")OK  PI 3, begin  with  nDKP 


as  appears  by  the  suffixes  and  afformatives  of  the  first 
person. 
Ver.  5.  Dtyi  T,  belong  together  as  a  double  idea,  and 

"  T        T 

'2D1  O3  3l£3  refers  to  it.    Hence  T  cannot  simply 

T 

mean  "side,  place,  share"  (as  e.g.,  Num.  ii.  17;  Deut. 
xxiii.  13;  Gen.  xlvi.  24,  etc.),  nor  Qtif  mean  simply 
"name."  But  both  together  must  designate  a  monu- 
ment that  preserves  the  memory  of  the  name.  In  this 
sense  "V  stands  alone  (2  Sam.  xviii.  18;  1  Sam.  xv.  12), 
and  also  QC?  (comp.  on  Iv.  13).  The  combination  has 
the  force  of  a  hendiadys:  mark  and  memory  =  memo- 
rial mark. 
Vers.  G,  7.  rOTlX  is  the  infin.  with  the  fem.  ending 

!"!-•  -  On  top1  comp.  liv.  5  ;  xxxv.  8  ;  Ixii.  4,  12. 
T  "Ir- 

Ver.  8.  Only  here  and  Zeca.  xii.  1  is  Q8J  so  placed  at 
the  beginning.  On  the  double  name  HI  IT  ""JIX  sco 
List. 

Ver.  9.  I  construe  "\\ff  irW    ^D  (instead  of  which 

xliii.  20  riTlPn  n*n)  a's  the  object  of  }'3p«  ver.  8,  and 
...  T  —      —  i  "|  —  . 

ver.  9  &  as  parallel  clause.    The  form  Ijvn  (excepting 
in  Zoph.  ii.  14,  where  'U  'UTn  are  spoken  of,  and  thus 

the  word  is  evidently  used  in  a  figurative  sense),  occurs 
only  in  connection  with  the  substantives  V"\K  (Gen.  i. 


24;  Ps.  Ixxix.  2\ 


s.  civ.  11)  an 


(Ps.  1.  10;  ciy. 


20).    V*1N   1JTn   designates  the  totality  of  all  beasts. 
The  two  halves  of  them  are  the  '  ' 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  Thus    saith  the    LORD any  evil. 

— Vers.  1,  2.  It  might  appear  from  Iv.  1-3,  as 
if,  for  receiving  the  promised  salvation,  nothing 
more  were  necessary  than  receptivity,  and  as  if 
all  activity  were  excluded.  That  such  is  not  the 
case  is  intimated  already  Iv.  7,  by  the  exhorta- 
tion to  penitent  turning  from  evil  and  turning  to 
the  LORD.  But  the  Prophet  designedly  declares 
in  the  present  passage,  that  one  should  not  sup- 
pose moral  uncleanness  is  compatible  with  par- 
ticipation in  the  promised  salvation.  It  is  indeed 
God's  free  grace  that  accords  to  men  the  satisfac- 
tion spoken  of  in  Iv.  2,  3.  But  this  grace  is  not 
only  to  make  men  blessed,  but  also  to  sanctify 
them.  It  is  in  fact  impossible  for  one  to  enjoy 
the  goodness  of  God,  and  at  the  same  time  to  in- 
sult Him  by  transgressing  His  commandments. 
Such  an  exhortation  is  of  course  needless  for 
those  that  have  entered  body  and  scul  into  the 
kingdom  of  God,  i.  e.,  for  those  that  no  longer 
live  in  the  mortal  body  that  is  subject  to  sin.  To 
all  those  that  still  stand  in  the  conflict  of  this 
earthly  life,  the  kingdom  of  God  has  only  come 
near.  To  them  the  righteousness  of  God  is  not 
completely  revealed  (comp.  Rom.  viii.  24).  When 
we  note  that  the  LORD,  at  the  end  of  the  first 
clause  of  ver.  1  requires  of  men  that  they  "  use 
righteousness,"  then  the  corresponding  revela- 
tion of  His  righteousness,  that  He  promises  at 
the  close  of  the  verse,  consist  in  this,  that  He 
for  His  part,  as  the  one  covenanting  party  (Iv.  3), 
will  keep  what  He  has  promised.  Thus,  too,  it 
is  said  to  Christians  that  have  in  faith  laid  hold 
of  God's  grace :  "  know  ye  not  that  the  unright- 
eous shall  not  inherit  the  kingdom  of  God"  (1 
Cor.  vi.  9  sq. )  ?  and :  "  this  ye  know,  that  no  whore, 


monger,  nor  unclean  person,  nor  covetous  man, 
who  is  an  idolater,  hath  any  inheritance  in  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  and  of  God"  (Eph.  v.  5); 
and :  "  follow  after  holiness,  without  which  no 
man  shall  see  the  LORD"  (Heb.  xii.  14,  comp.  1 
Tim.  vi.  11 ;  1  Thess.  v.  23,  etc.).  Moreover  the 
author  of  Ps.  cvi.  3,  seems  to  have  had  our  pas- 
sage before  him. — Ver.  2.  He  that  does  what 
was  required  in  ver.  1  (see  Text,  and  Gram.),  is 
to  be  esteemed  blessed.  For  he  has  proved  that 
he  has  true  faith.  Two  commandments,  or  two 
categories  of  commandments,  are  named  instead 
of  all.  First  the  Sabbath  commandment.  The 
Sabbath  was  the  day  consecrated  to  Jehovah.  By 
its  weekly  recurrence,  it  was  a  standing  admoni- 
tion to  the  duty  that  Israel  owed  to  Jehovah,  and 
thus  a  touchstone  of  whether  Israel  would  faith- 
fully pay  this  duty.  Hence  it  is  called,  Exod. 
xxxi.  13  :  "  a  sign  between  me  and  you  through- 
out your  generations ;  that  ye  may  know  that  I 
am  the  LORD  that  doth  sanctify  you."  Thus  the 
Sabbath  belonged  to  foundations  of  the  Theo- 
cracy, its  profanation  was  punished  with  death 
(Exod.  xxxv.  2),  which  was  lo  be  inflicted  by  the 
whole  congregation,  and  by  means  of  stoning 
(Num.  xv.  35).  And  keepeth  his  hand  from 
doing  any  evil;  one  can  say  that  in  this  clause 
the  Prophet  includes  the  sphere  of  the  second 
table  of  the  Decalogue.  LUTHER  says  :  Compre- 
hendit  nomine  sabbati  omnia  ea,  quae  nos  Deo  de- 
bemuH,  hoc  est  primam  tabnlam.  Rnrsus  cum  didt 
"  custodiens  manus  suas  etc.,"  omnia  caritatis  opera 
complectitur.  hoc  est  seeundam  tabulam.  The  Pro- 
phet means  about  the  same  that  is  demanded  of 
the  Israelites,  i.  16,  17  (where  see  my  comment). 
One  may  also  say  that  he  has  in  mind  the  image 


606 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


of  the  Old  Testament  P"^>  the  antithesis  to  which 
is  the  1""U<'.  It  is  moreover  to  be  noted,  that  the 

1  •  T 

Prophet,  in  contemplating  the  future  Messianic" 
salvation  with  rfctereiice  to  its  moral  behaviour, 
does  so  in  the  form  of  an  exhortation.  Although 
on  the  whole  he  gives  a  promise,  still,  agreeably 
to  the  nature  of  the  subject,  he  appeals  here  with 
special  emphasis  also  to  the  personal  performance 
of  men.  His  <l?.^  ver.  2  is  conditioned  on  the 
admonition  Dpi*  liTjN  BSBto  notf  ver.  1. 

2.  Neither  let  the  son  -  for  all  people. 
Vers.  3-7.  In  these  verses  the  Prophet  shows 
that  the  new  way  of  salvation  will  have  in  its 
train  an  entirely  new  order  of  law  and  life.  The 
natural  basis  of  the  old  covenant  was  the  descent 
from  Abraham,  through  the  lineage  consecrated 
by  means  of  circumcision.  This  explains  why 
the  reception  of  strangers  into  this  holy  national 
communion  could  take  place  only  under  certain 
onerous  conditions.  For  it  was  possible  (Dent. 
xxiii.  4  sqq.,  comp.  SAALSCHUETZ,  Mas.  Recht. 
chap.  100).  Now  evidently  the  Prophet  would 
say,  that  the  foreigners  ("OJ.  'J3  a  broader  con- 
ception than  D'^J  ;  for  "IJ  is  only  the  foreigner 
sojourning  in  the  land,  whereas  ''"OJ  or  "OJ~j3  de- 
signates the  foreigner  generally,  comp.  xiv.  1, 
DiT^  "U.O  niSai  ;  SAAMCHUETZ,  I  c.  p.  684sq.)i 
in  the  new  covenant,  will  suppose  that  there  will 
be  greater  stringency  in  the  legal  requirements  re- 
specting the  reception  of  foreigners  into  the  Is- 
raelitish  communion  in  consequence  of  the  en- 
hanced glory.  Thus  the  Prophet  assumes,  that 
Israel  will  be  so  glorious  in  the  new  covenant, 
that  the  inferiority  of  the  heathen  will,  in  con- 
trast, only  appear  in  so  much  the  stronger  light, 
that  consequently  nothing  more  will  bo  said  of 
receiving  the  latter  into  Israel,  yea,  that  the  ques- 
tion will  even  be  raised  of  excluding  those  al- 

ready received.  A  fWT^/K  HI  7}  is  one  that  has 
joined  himself  to  the  HIIT  vHp  ''  assembly  of 
Jehovah,"  and  has  been  received  into  it  (comp. 
Neh.  x.  29).  The  expression  occurs  in  this  sense 
xiv.  1  ;  Jer.  1.  5  ;  Zech.  ii.  15  ;  Esth.  ix.  27. 
From  ver.  6,  we  will  learn  that  an  allusion  to  of- 
fering one's  self  for  the  priestly  ministry  is  not 
foreign  to  the  word.  It  seems  to  me  to  be  a  need- 

less inquiry,  whether  the  Prophet  means  by  mbj 
proselytes  of  the  gate  or  proselytes  of  righteous- 
ness. For  he  would  evidently  say,  that  all  those 
who  are  unable  to  trace  back  the  origin  of  their 
race  to  the  root  of  Israel,  will  question,  whether, 
because  not  predestined  by  birth  to  the  glory  of 
this  people,  thus  because  not  noble  enough,  they 
must  not  be  expelled  again  from  the  national 
communion  of  Israel,  spite  of  their  reception  into 
it,  and  spite  of  their  having  thereby  become 


(comp.  LEYRER  in  HERZ.  R.- 
Encyd.  XII.  p.  244).  The  Prophet  negatives 
this  inquiry,  because  the  new  covenant  will  rest 
on  a  totally  different  basis  from  the  old.  Not 
fleshly  descent,  not  works  of  the  law  will  be  the 
chief  thing,  but  the  receptivity  for  God's  word, 
and  the  disposition  to  receive  His  gift  as  a  gift 
of  grace  (Iv.  1-3).  This  negation  is  followed  by 
another  relating  to  the  quite  similar  apprehen- 


sion ascribed  to  the  eunuchs.  He,  that  on  ac- 
count of  sexual  impotency  was  unable  to  propo- 
gate  his  race,  was,  according  to  the  Old  Testa- 
ment view,  a  man  living  in  a  certain  measure 
under  a  curse.  For  since  the  Old  Testament 
knows  no  continuance  of  life  beyond  the  present, 
but  only  a  continuance  of  life  in  the  present  in 
children,  therefore  the  want  of  children  appears 
to  it  ignominious  punishment  (comp.  iv.  1 ;  Gen. 
xxx.  23;  1  Sam.  i.  5  sqq.;  ii.  1  sqq.  Luke  i. 
25).*  A  eunuch  in  the  proper  sense  was,  ac- 
cording to  Deut.  xxiii.  2,  excluded  forever  from 
admission  into  the  congregation.  He  could  not 
continue  to  live,  he  was  excluded  from  the  possi- 
bility of  co-operating  in  preserving  the  natural 
basis  on  which  the  whole  Israelitish  communion 
rested.  Such  a  one  must,  of  course,  in  the  old 
covenant  regard  himself  as  a  dry,  unfruitful  tree. 
There  would  be  no  reason  for  this  in  the  new 
covenant,  which  makes  the  everlasting  life  de- 
pend on  spiritual  and  not  on  fleshly  conditions. 
Ver.  4.  The  Prophet  now  names  three  such 
spiritual  conditions  of  life.  In  their  enumera- 
tion there  is  a  progression  from  the  special  to  the 
general.  As  the  first  he  names  the  observance 
of  a  definite  single  commandment,  that  regard- 
ing the  Sabbath.  As  already  remarked,  it  be- 
longed to  the  foundations  of  the  Theocracy.  At 
first  sight  the  mention  of  this  commandment 
gives  the  impression  of  Old  Testament  narrow- 
ness. And  indeed  we  have  observed  often  al- 
ready, how  the  prophets  continue  to  be  rooted  in 
their  own  times,  and  hence  paint  the  future  with 
the  colors  of  the  present. f  But  it  is  also  to  be 
considered,  that  the  Prophet  certainly  knew  how 
to  distinguish  between  a  merely  outward  and 
truly  spiritual  fulfilment  of  the  Sabbath-com- 
mandment.  He  must,  according  to  the  whole 
character  of  his  prophecy,  have  the  latter  in  his 
mind.  He  thinks  of  the  Sabbaths  as  the  halting 
places  of  religious  life,  where  the  pilgrim  pro- 
vides himself  with  bread  and  water  of  life  for 
the  next  stretch  of  life's  way,  until  at  last  he  ar- 
rives where  all  life  is  a  great,  holy  Sabbath,  i.  e., 
an  eternal  resting  in  God.  ''  The  rest  of  God  on 
the  seventh  creative  day,  that  has  no  evening, 
hovers  over  the  whole  course  of  the  world,  in 
order  at  last  to  receive  it  into  itself. '  CEHLER. 
The  second  condition  is  expressed  more  generally, 
whereby  it  is  to  be  noted  that  the  expression 
I"in3  designates  as  the  right  obedience  that  which 
is  voluntary,  and  rests  on  an  inward  harmony 
with  the  divine  will.  The  third  and  most  gen- 
eral condition,  is  holding  fast  to  the  covenant  of 


*  [See  note,  p.  77.— TB.] 

t  [The  remarks  of  thf  Author  on  this  mention  of  the  Sab- 
bath and  all  "the  impression  of  Old  Testament  nar- 
rowness" of  which  he  would  divest  it,  belong  to  a  con- 
dition of  -'rootedness  "  in  a  stato  of  religious  life  that 
has  lost  much  of  the  blessing  of  the  Sabbath.  lho*a 
who  believe  in  the  perpetual  obligation  of  the  Fourth 
Commandment,  and  have  lived  in  church  communions 
that  have  observed  the  command,  and  havt>  religious 
traditions  through  generations  of  Sabbath- keeping 
people,  will  see  no  "  Old  Testament  narrowness  "  in  the 
language  of  the  Prophet.  On  the  contrary,  we  must  see 
in  this  language  the  express  revelation,  that  the  new 
covenant  is  not  to  involve  an  abrogation  of  the  Sabbatn 
of  the  Fourth  Commandment ;  that  Sabbath  is.  in  fact,  to 
be  more  honored  than  ever,  and  the  keeping  of  it  is  to 
be  the  first  privilege  of  those  that  hold  fast  to  that  cove- 
nant Triongh  part  of  the  foundations  of  the  Theo- 
cracy it  did  not  pass  away  with  th<^  latter.  Some  of  those 
foundations  last  still,  e.  g.,  the  Abrahamic  covenant.— 
TB.J. 


CHAP.  LVI.  1-9. 


607 


God  in  general,  for  to  this  belongs  not  only  the 
right  activity,  but  also  the  right  receptivity  (Iv. 
3).  In  this  connection  it  seems  to  me  inadmissi- 
ble to  think  specially  of  the  covenant  of  circum- 
cision, when  just  in  ver.  3,  the  irrelevancy  of 
fleshly  birth  and  generation  has  been  emphasized. 

Ver.  5.  I  will  give  them  in  My  house  and 
in  My  walls  a  mark  and  memory  better 
than  sons  and  daughters.  On  D^  T  ["a 
place  and  a  name"  English  Version]  see  Text, 
and  Gram.  [''As  the  meaning  place  (for  T)  is 
admissible  in  2  Sam.  xviii.  18,  as  in  many  other 
cases,  it  appears  to  be  entitled  to  the  preference." 
J.  A.  AL.EX.].  The  LOUD  will  set  up  this  mark 
in  His  house  and  in  His  walls.  The  Temple 
walls  are  not  elsewhere  made  prominent,  whereas 
the  city  walls  are.  For  not  only  does  the  wall, 
in  common  usage,  (comp.  intra,  extra  muros:  Ps. 
cxxii.  7)  represent  the  circuit  of  the  city,  but  it  is 
personified  as  the  representative  of  the  city  com- 
munity (Lam.  ii.  8,  18).  So  I  believe  here,  the 
Prophet  would  denote  the  ecclesiastical  and  poli- 
tical communion,  the  ecclesiastical  and  political 
citizenship.  The  LORD  will  give  the  eunuchs  a 
memorial-mirk  that  will  better  preserve  their 
name  than  sons  and  daughters,  whose  succession 
any  way  must  at  last  become  extinct,  that  is,  an 
everlasting  name  that  shall  nover  be  cut 
off.  Note  the  repetition  from  Iv.  13.  ["A 
beautiful  coincidence  and  partial  fulfilment  of  the 
promise  is  pointed  out  by  J.  D.  MICHAELIS,  in 
the  case  of  the  Ethiopian  eunuch,  whose  conver- 
sion is  recorded  Acts  viii.,  and  whose  memory  is 
far  more  honored  in  the  church  than  it  could 
have  been  by  a  long  line  of  illustrious  descen- 
dants." J.  A.  ALEX.].  What  shall  this  everlast- 
ing name  be  ?  Living  on  in  the  memory  of 
after-times?  Yet  ju»t  how  will  this  be  secured  ? 
Sons  and  daughters,  in  fact,  only  take  the  place  in 
the  Old  Testament  of  personal  immortality  in  the 
New  Testament  sense.  The  everlasting  name  is 
nothing  else  than  everlasting  personal  continu- 
ance as  it  is  promised  in  1  Cor.  xv.  29  sqq.  on 
the  ground  of  the  resurrection  of  the  Lord.  If 
the  bearer  of  the  name  himself  lives  everlast- 
ingly, then  there  is  at  length  the  true,  new,  ever- 
lasting name  (Ixv.  15;  Rev.  ii.  17;  iii.  12).  Of 
what  avail  is  the  everlasting  name  to  him  who 
himself  is  swallowed  up  of  death? 

Ver.  6.  It  is  a  sort  of  varepov  np6Tepov  when 
the  Prophet  discourses  last  of  the  1DJ  "J3  '•  the 
foreigners,"  after  having  put  that  first  in  the 
theme-like  ver.  3.  His  designating  them  as 
those  joining  themselves  to  Jehovah  to 
serve  Him,  reminds  us  very  much  of  Num. 
xviii.  2,  where  it  is  said  in  reference  to  the 
Levites  :  "  and  they  shall  join  themselves  to  thee 
and  shall  minister  unto  thee"  (comp.  ibid.  ver.  4). 
If  this^  passage  hovered  in  the  Prophet's  mind, 
then  his  choice  of  expression  would  intimate  that 
he  promised  to  "the  foreigner"  a  certain  partici- 
pation in  the  priestly  character  of  the  people 
Israel,  that  he  conceives  of  their  holding  a  rela- 
tion to  the  latter,  something  like  that  of  the 
Levites  to  the  priests.  The  Piel  fn#  is  chiefly 
used  of  the  priestly  ministrations  (Exod.  xxviii. 
43;  xxix.  30;  xxxix.  1 ;  Num.  iii.  31  ;  iv.  12,  14, 
etc.).  The  Prophet  would  evidently  intimate  by 
the  word  H3HX  (see  Text,  and  Gram.)  "to  love" 


that  the  foreigner's  joining  himself  to  Jehovah 
to  serve  Him  will  be  voluntary,  procetding  from 
the  inmost  necessity  of  the  heart.  The  additional 
statement:  to  be  his  servants,  seems  to  me  to 
!  confirm  the  conjecture  that  the  Prophet  conceives 
of  the  relation  of  the  foreigners  to  the  Israelites 
as  like  that  of  the  Levites  to  the  priests.  For  the 
expression  D'~QJ7V7  seems  to  me  a  reminder  that 
!~nbj/'  is  the  specific  word  used  for  the  Levitical 
ministry  (comp.  Num.  viii.  23  sqq.),  which  in 
Num.  iv.  47  is  distinguished  into  i~l~O^  ^l^i' 
and  NW3  jnS& 

Ver.  7.  Only  to  the  foreigner  is  it  promised, 
that  the  LORD,  when  they  have  fulfilled  the  con- 
ditions proposed  already  to  the  eunuch  (ver.  4), 
•will  bring  them  up  on  His  holy  mountain 
(ii.  2  sq. ;  xxv.  6  sqq.),  and  make  them  joyful 
in  His  house  of  prayer.  The  LORD  therefore 
distinguishes  His  house  from  His  mountain,  and 
calls  the  former  His  prayer-house,  i.  e.,  the  house 
where  one  prays  to  Him  and  to  Him  alone. 
That  there  will  be  a  place  and  time  of  the  greatest 
joy,  we  know  already  from  ii.  4  where  the  re- 
turn of  an  aetas  aurea  is  promised,  and  from  xxv. 
G  sqq.  where  the  prospect  is  presented  to  the  na- 
tion of  a  glorious  meal  and  great  joy  (ver.  9)  on 
the  holy  mount.  To  the  colors  of  the  present, 
with  which  the  Prophet  paints  the  future,  belongs 
also  his  conception  of  the  worship  on  the  holy 
mountain,  as  being  quite  in  the  old  style.  He 
sees  there  still  the  altar  on  which"  burnt- 
offerings  and  sacrifices  are  offered!  Still, 
it  is  not  to  be  overlooked,  that  he  calls  the  Tem- 
ple a  "  house  of  prayer,"  before  he  speaks  of 
the  sacrifices,  and  that  he  afterwards  emphatically 
repeats  the  designation  ''house  of  prayer"  as  a 
denominatio  a  potiori,  so  to  speak.  Although  the 
old  Temple  was  a  place  destined  also  for  prayer 
(comp.  1  Kings  viii.  28  sqq.),  yet  in  the  Old 
Testament  it  is  never  called  a  house  of  prayer. 
There  is,  therefore,  in  this  name  an  intimation 
that  the  sacrifices  to  be  offered  in  the  temple  of 
the  future  will  be  spiritual  sacrifices  (1  Pet.  ii.  5), 
the  fruit  of  the  lips  that  confess  His  name  (Heb. 
xiii.  15).  The  clause :  for  My  house  shall  be 
called  a  house  of  prayer  for  all  nations 
does  not  assign  a  reason  for  what  immediately 
precedes,  but  for  the  fundamental  thought  that 
the  LORD  will  bring  also  the  foreigners  to  His 
holy  mountain.  The  Prophet  would  make  pro- 
minent the  universality  of  the  ^alvation,  and 
one  easily  detects  also  in  D'!D.pn~7D  a  reference 
to  iii.  2  sqq.  and  to  xxv.  6  sqq.  On  the  other 
hand  Jesus  Christ  in  Matth.  xxi.  13  (Mark  xi. 
17  ;  Luke  xix.  43)  lays  the  emphasis,  on  the  idea 
"  house  of  prayer," 

3.  The  Lord  God in  the  forest. — Vers. 

8,  9.  The  initial  words  saith  the  Lord  God, 
inrimate  something  new  and  grand  to  be  said. 
Now  it  is  nothing  new,  nor  is  it  anything  exceed- 
ing grand  beyond  what  we  have  had  already,  that 
Jehovah,  in  addition  to  the  scattered  of  Israel, 
will  gather  the  heathen,  so  that  there  may  be  one 
flock  and  one  shepherd.  For  has  not  the  Prophet 
hitherto  often  enough  (comp.  liv.),  and  even  from 
ver.  3  on  of  our  chapter,  given  expression  to  this? 
Has  he  not  said  plainly  enough,  ver.  7,  that  the 
LORD  will  bring  the  foreigners  to  His  holy  moun- 
tain and  make  them  joyful  in  His  house? 


608 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


Why  then  this  repetition?  and  why  still  more 
this  solemn  preface?  The  Prophet  states,  in 
ver.  9  whom  the  LORD  will  add  to  those  already 
gathered.  All  meanings  of  this  ver.  9  that  would 
disjoin  it  from  ver.  8,  and  connect  it  with  what 

follows  are  unnatural.  Some  take  "\P'3  UVT1~73 
as  accusative,  and  understand  by  it  the  flocks  of 
Israel  badly  kept  or  grown  wild  ;  others,  as  the 
modern  expositors,  would  take  TJT3  irrn  as  a 
second  vocative,  which  leaves  the  object  the  same, 
viz.,  the  badly  guarded  Israel  (ver.  10) ;  others 
again,  as  STIER,  etc.,  understand  by  the  beasts  of 
the  field  and  forest  especially  the  savaye  nations 
(in  antithesis,  therefore,  it  would  seem  to  "  the 
foreigners"  as  the  civilized)  that  are  also  to  be 
invited.  But  in  all  these  explanations  I  find 
neither  any  thing  new,  nor  any  thing  grand,  nor  any 
thought  that  is  a  fitting  conclusion  for  the  chain 
of  thoughts  preceding. 

Did  not  the  Prophet  begin,  from  chap.  liv.  on,  to 
describe  how  all  will  be  new  and  wonderful  in  the 
new  covenant?  Israel,  although  judged  and  re- 
pudiated, shall  suddenly  see  itself  surrounded  by 
a  countless  troop  of  children.  One  is  no  longer 
to  be  blessed  by  means  of  works  of  the  law,  but 
by  believing  acceptance  (Iv)  !  But  of  course 
obedience  to  God's  command  is  not  to  cease  (Ivi. 
1,  2).  By  these  new  conditions  of  life,  how- 
ever, entrance  is  permitted  also  to  the  heathen, 
and  even  the  eunuchs  may  be  fully  qualified  mem- 
bers of  the  community,  which  rests  on  a  spiritual 
basis  of  life,  and  no  longer  on  a  merely  natural 
basis.  Therefore  a  higher,  out  and  out  spiritual 
order  of  nature,  is  held  in  prospect !  Already 
in  chap.  Iv.  12,  13,  the  Prophet  afforded  us  a  pre- 
sentiment, that  also  the  lower  half  of  creation,  the 
organic  but  not  personal  creation,  viz.,  the  vegeta- 
ble world,  will  ieel  itself  penetrated  by  this  new 
spirit  of  life,  the  spirit  of  glorification.  What  won- 
der if  he  says  the  same  here  of  the  beasts  !  And  is 
that  a  new  thought  with  our  Prophet?  Has  he 
not  already,  chap.  xi.  6  sqq.,  declared,  that  the 
kingdom  of  the  Messiah  will  fill  the  world  with 
new,  higher  life-forces?  Has  he  not  in  the  same 
place  especially  declared,  that  even  the  nature  of 
the  beasts  will  change,  that  from  enemies  of  man 
they  will  become  their  friends  and  play-mates  (xi. 
8  comp.  with  IIos.  ii.  18,  and  Isa.  Ixv.  2o)  ?  I  find 
in  ver.  8,  therefore  a  climax.  To  the  chain  of 
promise,  that  all  foreigners,  yea,  even  the  eunuchs 
can  have  part  in  the  new  covenant,  is  added  as 
the  final  link  that  also  the  brute  world  shall  find 
admittance. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  LORD  is  described 
here  as  the  great  gatherer.  Under  the  old  cove- 
nant sin  reigned,  and  consequently  discontent  and 
discord,  through  the  whole  world  of  nature  and 
men.  In  the  new  covenant  reign  love  and  peace. 
The  centrifugal  tendency  is  replaced  by  a  centri- 
petal. Everything  gathers  to  the  common  centre. 
But  the  LORD,  who  is  this  centre  and  effects  this 
gathering,  begins  it  with  Israel.  Then  He  gathers 
to  Israel  the  heathen.  Then  He  brings  up  the 
vegetable  and  brute  world,  that  they,  the  groan- 
ing creation,  may  become  regenerated  and  free 
from  the  bondage  of  destruction  unto  the  glorious 
liberty  of  the  children  of  God  (Rom.  viii.  21). 
It  is  certainly  not  an  accident,  and  is  a  strong 
support  to  our  explanation,  that  the  words  }'?P? 


and  'JOit'*  'P^P  are  taken  from  xi.  12,  therefore 
out  of  the  same  chapter  in  which  we  first  found 
the  expression  of  the  view  that  is  the  basis  of  our 
explanation  here.  For  there  it  says  :  "And  He 
will  raise  up  a  standard  toward  the  nations  and 

assemble  the  outcasts  of  Israel  (/JOty  THJ)  and 
gather  (}"3p)  the  scattered  of  Judah  from  the  four 
corners  of  the  earth."  Only  in  xi.  12  and  Ivi.  8 

does  the  expression  /KlfeP  *mj  occur  in  Isaiah. 
It  is  found  once  beside  in  Ps.  cxlvii.  2,  which  be- 
longs to  a  later  period.  The  word  ]'3p  is  used 
three  times  in  our  passage ;  first  as  a  predicate 
of  LORD,  as  the  gatherer  of  the  outcasts  of 
Israel.  Beside  that  principal  passage,  we  learn 
from  many  passages  of  xl. — Ixvi.  the  significance 
of  this  ingredient  of  the  future  (xl.  11  ;  xliii.  5 ; 
xlix.  18;  liv.  7;  lx.  4;  Ixii.  10).  The  y3.p_Df 
then,  who  understands  gathering  and  does  it  will- 
ingly, will  gather  still  others  to  Israel,  viz.,  to  those 
gathered  to  Israel.  One  would  suppose  that 
what  is  further  to  be  gathered  must  even  be  added 
to  "  outcasts  of  Israel."  But  the  Prophet  evident- 
ly distinguishes  "  the  outcasts,"  and  "  those  that 
are  gathered."  By  the  latter  he  means  such  as 
could  by  no  means  be  designated  as  outcasts  of 
Israel,  because  they  never  belonged  to  (the  flesh- 
ly) Israel.  He  means  by  them  the  heathen  of 
whom  he  has  spoken,  vers.  3,  6  sq.  Of  this  it  was 
indeed  said  ver.  7,  that  the  LORD  will  bring  them 
to  His  holy  mountain.  Therefore  we  detect  two 

things  in  the  words  V^pjS  V1?;? ;  first,  that  the 
D'i'3pJ  are  no  DTHJ  ;  that  they  nevertheless  be- 

•  T|: '  •  T  •  ' 

long  to  Israel.  For  they  belong  to  the  spiritual 
Israel.  After  that,  what  is  left  that  could  be 
added  to  Israel,  when,  beside  "  the  outcasts,"  the 
heathen,  after  qualifying  as  in  ver.  6,  have  already 
become  D'i'SpJ,  "  the  gathered  ?"  Then  nothing 
is  left  but  the  impersonal  creatures.  And  as 
already  Iv.  12,  13,  the  vegetable  world  was  men- 
tioned as  interpenetrated  by  the  new  life-forces, 
nothing  remains  to  us  but  the  brute  world,  to  be 
declared  a  partaker  of  the  new  life.  Because  the 
beasts  of  the  earth  are  destined  to  partake  of  the 
new  life,  the  bringing  on  of  one  half  is  described 
by  beasts  of  the  field,  and  of  the  other  by 
beasts  of  the  forest  (see  Text,  and  Gram.). 
Only  in  respect  to  the  form  of  the  expression  does 
a  change  occur.  Ver.  9  6  states  in  what  way  the 
gathering  will  take  place,  viz.,  by  extending  an 
invitation  to  them.  It  is  not  necessary  to  supply 

an  object  to  SDK1?.  The  brutes  are  just  invited  to 
eat,  to  a  meal.  It  is,  mutatis  mutandis,  the  same 
meal  to  which,  xxv.  6,  all  nations  are  invited. 

[The  Author's  interpretation  of  ver.  9,  con- 
necting it  with  the  preceding  context,  has  in  its 
favor  the  marked  division  of  the  Masoretic  lext, 
in  addition  to  its  own  ingenuity.  But  spite  of 
His  assertion  to  the  contrary,  that  is  much  the 
more  natural  division  that  connects  ver.  9  with 
what  follows,  as  is  proved  by  its  having  been  so 
generally  adopted,  notwithstanding  the  Masoretic 
division.  The  Author  supports  his  view  chiefly 
by  appeal  to  "saith  the  LORD  God,"  as  a  preface 
that  intimates  that  something  new  and  grand,  or 
grandly  new,  is  to  be  said.  But  this  inference 
may  itself  be  questioned.  Yet  if  it  were  j  ustified, 


CHAP.  LVL  1-9. 


605 


he  himself  undoes  the  force  of  his  appeal  by 
showing  that,  after  all,  what  is  said  is  not  grandly 
new,  seeing  it  has  been  said  in  effect  before.  The 
naturalness  and  propriety  of  the  connection  of 
ver.  9  with  what  follows  may  be  illustrated  by  a 
reference  to  Jno.  x.  10,  12.  The  relation  of  vers. 
1-8  and  9-12,  as  coherent  parts  of  one  distinct 
chapter,  may  be  illustrated  by  a  reference  to 
Matth.  xxiv.  42-51.  The  Author's  own  exposi- 
tion of  the  text  of  itself  calls  to  mind  this  latter 
passage,  as  one  that  in  its  spirit  is  related  to  the 
revelation  in  our  prophecy.  But  the  Author 
actually  brings  the  passages  into  relation :  see 
below  Horn.  Hints,  \  I.  The  propriety  of  throw- 
ing vers.  10-12  into  one  connected  section  with 
Ivii.  1,  2,  may  therefore  be  questioned. — TK.] 

DOCTRINAL    AND    ETHICAL. 

1.  On  Ivi.  1,  2.     ''Just  because  Christ  has  ap- 
peared, we  ought  not   to  suppose  that  now  we 
may  live  as  we  please,  but  rather  we  ought  to  be 
the  more  diligent  about  righteousness  and  godly 
conversation.     For  therefore  the  saving  grace  of 
God  has  appeared  and  chastens  us,  that  we  should 
live  chastened,  righteous  and  godly  (Tit-  ii.  11)." 
CRAMEH. 

2.  On  Ivi.  2.     Apart  from  the  temporal  color- 
ing of  this  declaration,  it  may  be  remarked  here, 
that  the  weekly  day  of  rest  is  necessary,  also,  for 
us  Christians  as  long  as  we  are  under  the  curse, 
Gen.  iii.  17  sqq.     It  is  one  of  the  greatest  and 
most  important  benefactions  of  God,  th?t  at- the 
creation  of  titne  He  at  once  gave  us  also  the  pro- 
per division  of  time.     Less  than  six  working  days 
would  interrupt  too  often  the  progress  of  human 
labors   and   encourage  laziness ;   more  than  six 
working  days  in  succession  would  use  up  human 
forces  too  soon.     Six  days'  labor,  then  a  day  of 
rest,  is  just  the  right  and  in  every  respect  health- 
ful  medium.     That   we   Christians   observe  the 
first  instead  of  the  seventh  day,  has  come  about 
of  itself,  without  any  special  higher  ordinance. 
It  is  the  victory  that  the  second  creation,  as  the 
beginning  of  the  holy,  blessed,   everlasting  life, 
must  naturally  have  over  the  first  creation  as  the 
beginning  of  a  life  made  subject  to  sin,  evil  and 
death.     For  Sunday  is  the  weekly  Easter  feast. 
The  day  of  Christ's  resurrection  was  also  a  crea- 
tive day,  and  indeed  a  higher  one  than  that  of 
which  the   Sabbath   reminds  us.     Therefore  we 
ought  to  celebrate  Sunday  in  a  higher  style.   We, 
as  'nu3h  as  the  men  of  the  old  covenant,  need  rest 
for  the  body  and   rest  for  the  soul.     The  soul 
should  on  this  day  wash  off  the  dust  and  dirt, 
that  have  gathered  through  the  week's  work,  by 
a  cleansing,  refreshing,  strengthening  bath  in  its 
heavenly  life-element,  that  is  offered   in   God's 
word.     But  it  should  do  this  in  a  truly  spiritual, 
not  in  an  outwardly  legal  way.     Let  it  beware 
of  getting  out  of  the  Scylla  of  Publicanisrn  into 
the   Charybdis   of  Pharisaism.      Even  the  Old 
Testament  Sabbath  was  a  day  of  joy.     So  much 
the  less  is  it  becoming  to  make  of  the  Christian 
Sabbath  a  day  of  gloomy,  depressing  asceticism. 
The  Christian  Sunday  should  be  illumined  with 
the  joy  and  glory  of     Easter  morning.     But  by 
this  joy  it  should  al-so  at  the  same  time  be  raised 
high  away  out,  not  only  above  all  earthly  plagues, 
but  also  above  all  bad,  merely  earthly  joy.     It 

39 


should  stand  in  the  brightness  of  the  transfigura- 
tion, and  thus  not  merely  imitate  the  light  of 
Easter  day,  but  also  typify  the  light  of  the  ever- 
lasting Sabbath. 

[If  Sunday  is  anywhere  kept  holy  in  the  man- 
ner described  in  the  last  two  of  the  foregoing 
sentences,  there  one  might  abstain  from  contro- 
versy concerning  the  grounds  of  its  being  so.  But 
it  is  a  fact  now  historical,  that  the  day  is  no- 
where greatly  kept  sacred,  where  its  importance 
is  urged  on  no  better  grounds  than  those  given 
above.  It  is  a  strange  proceeding  to  find  a  reason 
for  the  institution  or  need  of  the  Sabbath  in  Gen. 
iii.  17  sqq.,  when  God  Himself  gives  as  the 
reason  His  own  resting  on  the  seventh  day,  and 
that  not  from  a  work  on  which  rested  the  blight 
of  a  curse.  We  assent  to  the  statement  that  ''  six 
days'  labor,  then  a  day  of  rest,  is  just  the  right 
and  healthful  medium."  But  it  is  still  true,  that 
this  rule  could  never  be  urged  as  of  binding  force 
on  any  other  ground  than  that  of  revelation. 
Experience  confirms  it ;  but  it  could  never  do  so 
in  a  way  to  make  it  an  article  of  religion,  any 
more  than  it  could  make  the  habit  of  early 
rising  an  article  of  religion.  The  reason  for  the 
institution  of  the  Sabbath  was  God's  resting. 
Making  a  day  for  man  to  rest  like  God  rested,  is 
itself  a  revelation  of  God's  willingness  to  have 
men  share  his  rest.  To ''enter  his  rest"  is  the 
chief,  final  goal  of  religion,  both  under  the  old 
and  under  the  new  covenant.  The  Sabbath, 
therefore,  as  tvpical  of  that  rest,  and  (when  we 
observe  it)  of  our  hope  of  sharing  that  rest,  is  the 
great  distinctive  and  significant  institution  of  the 
only  true  religion,  i.  e.,  the  only  religion  that 
offers  a  true  hope  of  immortality.  As  long  a.s 
God's  people  have  not  yet  entered  into  His  rest, 
there  is  reason,  and  all  the  reason  there  ever  was, 
for  observing  that  day  that  is  a  type  of  His  rest. 
When  the  rest  itself  is  given,  there  will  no 
longer  remain  a  typical  day  to  be  kept.  Just  as 
there  no  longer  remained  any  sacrifices  for  sin 
after  the  great  Sacrifice  was  come,  that  all  sacri- 
fices for  sin  typified  (Heb.  x.  20).  In  Heb.  iv. 
1-11  the  truth  just  stated  is  clearly  revealed. 
And  in  vers.  8-10  it  is  put  with  a  pointedness 
that  expressly  affirms  the  Sabbath  to  be  an  exist- 
ing institution  for  the  people  of  God  under  the 
new  covenant,  though  this  meaning  is  generally' 
overlooked.  But  if  the  order  of  thought  in  Heb. 
iv.  1-11  is  closely  scrutinized,  it  will  appear  that, 
in  ver?.  8-10,  Paul  reminds  his  readers,  that 
Joshua  did  not  give  the  promised  rest,  which 
he  appeals  to  as  the  only  event  of  the  past  that 
might  seem  to  be  a  realization  of  God's  promise 
of  rest.  The  proof  that  the  rest  was  not  then 
given  is,  that  God  afterwards  spake  of  another 
day  for  giving  it.  As  the  consequence  of  the 
rest  being  yet  future,  Paul  *nys,  ver.  9:  "There- 
fore there  remaineth  aa^ariafi6Q  (i.  e.,  the  ob- 
servance of  the  Sabbath),  to  the  people  of  God." 
And  so  it  must  "remain"  as  long  as  the  watch- 
word of  Christians  is:  "Let  us  labor  to 'enter  into 
that  rest"  (Hen.  iv.  10). — It  is  remarkable  that 
the  author,  in  his  comment  on  Ivi.  7,  seems  to 
find  less  "  temporal  coloring"  in  the  expressions 
"burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices,"  and  "mine 
altar,"  than  in  the  mention  of  *'  keeping  the 
Sabbath."  To  him  the  former  give  no  impres- 
sion of  Jewish  narrowness  in  Isaiah,  while  the 


610 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


latter  seems  so  fitted  to  give  this  impression  that 
the  best  he  can  offer  is  an  indifferent  apology. 
As  he  is  but  a  representative  of  multitudes  of 
Christians,  including  multitudes  of  eminent  ones, 
it  is  a  mournful  evidence  of  how  far  the  Christian 
church  is  from  properly  valuing  the  divine  and 
priceless  institution  of  the  Holy  Sabbath,  and 
therefore  how  far  we  Gentiles  and  "  foreigners  " 
are  from  meeting  the  conditions  of  the  blessings 
of  the  new  covenant  set  forth  in  the  prophecy 
before  us.  —  TR.] 

3.  On  Ivi.  3-7.     In  the  old  covenant,  only  he 
was   fully   qualified  as  to  principle  [to  be  one  of 
the  covenant  people]   who  was  descended  from 
Abraham  through  Isaac  and  Jacob.     The  natural 
basis  of  descent  was  at  the  same  time  the  legal 
basis.     Those  who  only  from  without  grew  into 
this  natural  and  legal  basis,  must  ever,  in  a  certain 
degree,  have  regarded  themselves  as  only  guests 
received  out  of  grace,  that  must  properly  yield 
and  give  place  to  the  fully  qualified,  were  the 
principles  of  the  Theocracy  carried  out  consist- 
ently.    And  might  it  not  be  expected  that  the 
triumph  of  the  Theocracy  would  be  attended  with 
the  most  severely  consistent  carrying  out  of  its 
principle  ?     The  right  that  descent  from  Abraham 
through  Isaac  and  Jacob  gave,  involved,  as  does 
every  right,  a  duty,  viz.,  that  of  co-operating  in 
preserving  the  natural  basis.     The  extinction  of 
the  Twelve  Tribes  would  have  been  the  end  of  the 
Old  Testament  Theocracy.     Hence  the  high  sig- 
nificance of  marriage,  of  generalion,  of  posterity. 
To  be  childless  or,  still  worse,  to  be  incapable  of 
begetting  children,  was  a  ban  and  curse  that  rested 
on  a  man,  like  a  divine  judgment  that  excluded 
him  from  living  on  and  working  on,  and  gave  him 
absolutely  to  death.*  What  a  consoling  look,  then, 
the  Prophet  takes  here  into  the  nature  of  the  new 
covenant  !     There  is  no  longer  Greek  nor  Jew  ; 
their  continued  life  and  activity  no  longer  de- 
pends   on    fleshly   posterity.     But    in  the  new 
covenant  Christ  is  all.     Whoever  is  rooted  and 
lives  in  him  is  a  child  of  God,  and  hence,  too,  an 
heir  of  God  and  joint  heir  with  Christ  (Rom.  viii. 
17).     He  has  his  citizenship  and  everlasting  life 
in  Christ.     His  name  lives  on  everlastingly,  be- 
cause he  himself  is  everlasting. 

4.  On  Ivi.  5.     These  words  were  used  by  the 
Papists  to  commend  celibacy.     LUTIIER  remarks 
on  this:  "Prophefa  hie  non  versatur  in  laude  vir- 
ginitatis,  sed  consolatur  steriles  eunuchos,  ne  despe- 
rent  de  sun  vocatione,  et  diserte  dicit  de  eunuchis  ser- 
vantibus  Sabbatum  et  tenentibusfoedus  divinum.  Non 
ligitur  agit  de  laude  eunuchatus  aut  virginitatis,  sed 
laude  servantium  mandata." 

5.  On  Ivi.  8,  9.     There  will  one  time  be  a  new 
heaven  and  a  new  earth  (Ixv.  17;   Ixvi.  22;  2 
Pet.  iii.  13;  Kev.  xxi.  1).     Paul  speaks  of  "the 
anxious  expectation  of  the  creature,"  and  that  it 
"will  be  delivered  from  the  service  of  the  perish- 
able nature  to  the  glorious  liberty  of  the  children 
of  God"  (Rom.  viii.  19,  21).     "Behold,  I  make 
all  things  new,"   says  He    that  sitteth   on   the 
throne    (Rev  xxi.  5).     We  must  not,  therefore, 
think  it  wonderful  if  the  Prophet  here  speaks  of 
the  ^brute  world  and  their  relation  to  man  be- 
coming new.     Are  not,  after  all,  the  Cherubim 
tvp«s  of  what   will   become  of  the  brute  world 


HOMILETICAL    HINTS. 

1.  On  Ivi.  1,  2.     This  text  may  most  appro- 
priately be  used   for  an  Advent  Sunday  (comp. 
the  Epistle  of  the  I.  Adv.,  Rom.  xiii.  11-14,  the 
Gospel  of  the  second  Luke  xxi.  25-34,  the  Epis- 
tle of  the  third  1  Cor.  iv.  1-5.  and  of  the  fourth 
Phil.  iv.  4-7),  or  for  one  of  the  last  Sundays  after 
Trinity,  when  the    look   of  the  congregation  is 
turned  to  the  coming   of  the  Lord   to  judgment. 
On  such  a  day,  in  the  sense  of  the  parabks  of ''  the 
faithful  and  wise  servant"  (Matth.  xxiv.  45  sqq.) 
or  of  the  ten  virgins  (Matth.   xxv.  1  sqq.),  one 
might  preach  on  The  revelation  of  the  Lord  that  we 
are  to  look/or  at  the  last  day.     I.  When  and  how  will 
this  revelation  take  place?  (ver.  16)     1.)  As  re- 
gards the  time,  we  are  to  think  of  it  as  near;  2) 
As  regards  how,  it  will  bring  to  light,  a.  the  Salva- 
tion intended  for  us,  6.  the  Righteousness  of  God. 
II.  Under  what    conditions   may  we   cheerfully 
anticipate  this  revelation  ?     When  we  are  found 
as  servants  that  do  the  Lord's  will.     1)  What  is 
the   doing   of  such    a  servant   (ver.   1   a,  ver.  2, 
comp.  Matth.  xxiv.  46)?  2)   How  does  one  be- 
come such  a  servant?  (by  sincere  repentance  and 
living  faith). 

2.  On  Ivi.  3-7.      MISSIONARY  SERMON.     The 
Church  of  the  Lord  a  house  of  prayer  for  all  nations. 

I.  A  house  of  prayer,  therefore  2)  not  a  place  for 
offering  outward  divine  service,  but  1)  a  place  for 
worshipping  in  spirit  and  in  truth   (John  iv.  24). 

II.  For  all  nations.     For  1)  neither  fleshly  descent 
nor  fleshly  defect  excludes ;  2)   only  that  is  de- 
manded which  all   men  may  perform :  that  one 
hold  fast  the  covenant  of  the  LORD,  and  choose 
what  pleases  Him  (ver.  4). 

3.  On  Ivi.  3-7.     We  have  here  an  example  of 
what  Peter  says,  Actsx.  34,  35,  that  with  God  there 
is  no  respect  of  persons,  but  in  every  nalion   he 
that  feareth  Him,  and  worketh  righteousness,  is 
accepted  with   Him.     God   proved  that,  even  in 
the  Old  Covenant,  since  He  commanded  to  receive 
also  foreigners  into    His  nation,   if  they  sought 
Him.     But  especially  in  the  New  Testament  has 
He  called  and  gathered    all  heathen   to  His  be- 
lieving  people  Israel,  and   to  the   fellowship  of 
Christ  and  of  His  salvation.     Let  a  man  be  ever 
so  bad,  ever  so  poor  and  despised  of  men,  still,  if 
he  become  a  believing  Christian,  he  is  of  as  much 
importance  to  God  as  thi   most  superior  person. 
And  what  this  one   has  in  God,  Christ  and  His 
kingdom,  with  that  same  every  believing  Chris- 
tian may  comfort    himself.     Hence  John   writes 
of    believers,    they    have  their     fellowship   with 
them,  the  holy  Apostles;  and  their  fellowship  is 
with   the  Father,  and  with  Jesus   Christ  his  Son 
(1  John  i   3)." 

4.  [On  Ivi.  G.     "The  conditions  on  which  ad- 
mission is  had  to  the  privileges  of  the  people  of 
God.     (1.)  They  were  to  "join  themselves  to  the 
LORD  ;"  embrace   the   true    faith    and    become  a 
worshipper  of  the  true  God.     (2.)   This  should  be 
with  a  purpose  to  serve  Him.     (3.)  They  were  to 
"love  the  name  of  the  Lord,"  that  is,  to  love  Je- 
hovah   Himself.      (4.)  They  were  to    keep   His 
Sabbaths.     (5.)  They  were  to   take  hold   of  His 
covenant." — BARNES]. 

5.  On  Ivi.  8,  9.     Sin   rends  mankind,   yea  all 
nature  asunder,  puts  them  at  enmity  and  scatters 


^ 
*~[8elTnote,  p.  77.—  TK.J 


CHAP.  LVI.  10— LVII.  2. 


611 


them.  For  by  sin  we  all  become  egoists,  and  so 
lose  botli  the  tendency  to  the  common  centre, 
God,  and  also  to  those  who  revolve  with  us 
around  the  centre.  God's  love  gathers  again 
what  has  been  scattered.  Let  us  consider  God's 


activity  in  gathering.  1)  He  gathers  the  outcast 
of  Israel.  2)  He  gathers  to  these  the  heathen. 
3)  He  brings  also,  in  addition  to  these,  the  im- 
personal creatures,  the  plants  (Iv.  12,  13)  and  the 
brutes  (xi.  6-8 ;  Iv.  25;  Kora.  viii.  19-23). 


IX.— THE  NINTH  DISCOURSE. 

Concluding  Word :    The  Mournful  Present,  -which  -will  not  be   Prevented  by  the 
Approach  of  the  Glorious  Future.     CHAPTER  LVI.  10. — LVII.  21. 


Isaiah  is  wont  to  set  the  present  in  the  light  of 
the  future,  in  order  to  make  an  impression  on  it 
by  the  contrast.  I  appeal  to  chapters  ii.-v.,  and 
to  my  interpretation  of  ii.  5.  Jeremiah  also  imi- 
tates Isaiah  in  this  (Jer.  iii.  11-iv.  4).  The  sud- 
den spring  from  the  remotest,  the  glorious  future 
into  the  mournful,  immediate  present  that  the 
Prophet  makes  between  Ivi.  9  and  10,  need  not 
therefore  seem  strange  to  us.  It  is  to  be  admitted 
that  the  description  of  the  bad  shepherds,  Ivi.  10- 
12,  can  suit  also  the  pjriod  of  the  Exile.  That  it 
at  least  fit^  Isaiah's  contemporaries  very  well  is  un- 
deniably plain  from  ch.  xxviii.  That  in  the  exile, 
prophets  of  Jehovah  were  murdered  (Ivii.  1)  sim- 
ply for  beingsuch,  is  possible,  but  not  probable,  and 
not  proved.  That  remnants  of  idolatry  continued 
through  the  whole  exile,  is  not  only  possible  but 
also  probable.  However  the  time  before  and 
after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  must  be 
distinguished.  But  that  all  kinds  of  idolatry 
even  Moloch  worship,  with  its  sacrifices  of  chil- 
dren (Ivii.  5),  still  occurred  in  the  Exile,  is  not 
probable  and  not  proved.  It  is  utterly  incon- 
ceivable, or,  as  HEXGSTENBERG  says((7Arafo/.  II. 
p.  201,  2  edit.),  "it  has  no  meaning,"  that  Israel 
even  in  exile  sent  to  foreign  kings  for  help  (Ivii.  9). 
The  threat:  because  thou  hast  not  laid  to  heart 


my  silence  D/1^0,  thy  works  shall  be  made 
manifest  and  thy  idols  be  swept  away  (Ivii.  11- 
13),  certainly  suits  better  the  time  before  than  the 
time  after  the  Exile.  For  this  reason  even  the 
opponents  of  the  genuineness  have  been  obliged 
to  admit  that  the  authorship  of  our  section 
da:es  before  the  Exile  (comp.  KLEINERT,  Echth. 
D.jes.  Weiss,  p.  305  sqq. ;  STIER  in  his  Comm.; 
HENGSTENBERG,  /.  c.).  They  do  so  partly  by 
forced  interpretations;  partly  by  assuming  that 
the  whole  passage  Ivi.  10-lvii.  21  (EiCHHORN),  or 
at  least  Ivi.  9-lvii.  11  (EwALD)  is  repeated  "  from 
older  prophets."  I  am  for  this  reason  of  the 
opinion  (with  KLEINERT,  STIER,  HENGSTEN- 
BERG) that  the  grounds  already  given  are  op- 
posed to  the  idea  that  in  writing  our  passage,  too, 
Isaiah's  view-point  was  that  of  the  Exile  (DEL.). 
The  section  divides  into  three  parts.  In  the 
First  the  Prophet  contrasts  the  conduct  and  the 
fate  of  the  bad  and  of  the  good  shepherds  of  the 
present  (Ivi.  10;  Ivii.  2).  In  the  Second  he  de- 
scribes the  mournful  signs  of  the  present,  the 
idolatrous  doings  of  the  nation  (Ivii.  3-14).  In 
the.  Third  he  returns  to  promising  salvation,  and 
announces  that  God's  love  will  still  bring  salva- 
tion and  healing  to  those  that  let  themselves  be 
healed  (Ivii.  15-21). 


1.  THE  MOURNFUL  PRESENT  MARKED  BY  THE  CONTRAST  OF  THE  BAD  AND 
GOOD  SHEPHERDS.    CHAPTERS  LVI.  10— LVII.  2. 

10  His  watchmen  are  blind :  they  are  all  ignorant, 
They  are  all  dumb  dogs,  they  cannot  bark  ; 
'Sleeping,  lying  down,  loving  to  slumber. 

11  Yea,  they  are  2greedy  dogs  which  scan  never  have  enough, 
•And  they  are  shepherds  that  cannot  understand  : 

They  all  look  to  their  own  way, 

Every  one  for  his  gain,  bfrom  his  quarter. 

12  Coma  ye,  siy  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. 

CHAPIER  LVII.  1.     THE  righteous  perisheth,  and  no  man  layeth  it  to  heart : 
And  4merciful  men  are  taken  away,  none  considering 
"That  the  righteous  is  taken  away  5froni  the  evil  to  come. 
2  dHe  shall  "enter  into  peace : 
They  shall  rest  in  their  beds, 
Each  one  walking  7in  his  uprightness. 


1  Or,  Drr.aminy.  or,  talking  in  their  sleep. 

8  Heb.  know  not  to  be  satisfied. 

6  Or,  from  that  which  it  evil.  « 

»  And  they  are  shepherds  !     They  know  not  how  to  distinguish. 

*  ***.  d  lie  enters  into  peace  (while  they  rent  on 


2  Heb.  strong  of  appetite. 

--  —  —  .....  -,  —  *  Heb.  men  of  kindness,  or, 

>  Or,  from  that  which  is  evil.  «  Or,  go  in  peace.  1  Or,  before  Kim. 


b  without  exception. 
their  beds)  who  walks  straight  before  him. 


612 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


^  TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the   words:    Ivi.    10. 

nrn-  Verse  12.  1ND  "IIV ;  Ivii.  1.  3^7  "ly  QW- 
non-'^JX;  Ivii.  2.  33t?D. 

T  :     •  . 

Ver.  10.  The  suffix  in  13¥  undoubtedly  refers  to  Is- 
rael. 

Ver.  11.  The  suffix  in  irttpD  is  related  to  the  ideal 
totality  to  which  the  tJTN  belongs. 

LVII.  1.  I  cannot  approve  the  view  that  '1J1  'J3D  '3 
in  an  objective  clause  depending  on  r3D-  For  how 
could  then  the  wicked  know  that  the  pious  by  their 
death  only  escape  the  impending  evil?  And  must  it 
Hot  then  read,  as  VITBINGA  has  said,  "US'?  or  at  least 
'Jpyp  1  1  believe  that  we  must  construe  "J3D  as  cau- 
aal,  as  in  countless  instances  beside. 

Ver.  2.  This  verse  is  very  difficult  on  grammatical  and 
lexical  grounds.  For  if  one  take  ^jr\  as  the  subject 
of  {O311,  then  this  insertion  of  a  clause  whose  subject  is 

identical  with  that  of  the  principal  clause,  but  expressed 
in  the  plural,  is  very  violent,  and,  so  far  as  I  see,  unex- 
ampled, notwithstanding  the  great  freedom  usual  in 
Hebrew  in  respect  to  the  change  of  person  and  num- 
ber. It  is  also  very  questionable  whether  3,3K'D  can 
mean  "  burying  place,"  and  whether  TTU  with  ^y  can 

mean  "  rest  in  the  grave."  For  33$D  is  only  twice  be- 
side this  used  of  abed  prepared  for  a  dead  person.  In 
2  Chr.  xvi.  14  it  designates  the  bed  of  state  on  which 
king  Asa  was  laid  before  his  burial  (332/0  and  JTP3p 

T|: 

are  expressly  distinguished).  Also  in  Ezek.  xxxii.  2i 
there  is  prepared  for  Elam  a  331^3  in  the  under-world, 
around  about  which  are  the  j"Vn3p  of  his  adherents. 

T|: 

Thus  it  appears  that  33t^0  can  indeed  designate  the 
place  of  repose  of  a  dead  person,  but  that  is  not  then 
the  grave  in  which  he  lies,  but  a  distinguished  elevated 
couch,  on  which  he  lies.  But  here  nothing  else  is  meant 


GRAMMATICAL. 

to  be  said  of  the  righteous  than  that  he,  as  one  who  has 
walked  uprightly,  finds  rest  in  his  grave.  For  this  rea- 
son I  am  unable  also  to  agree  with  the  explanation, 
grammatically  admissible,  that  treats  DlSt^  N13^  as  a 
clause  by  itself,  and  -jbn  as  the  subject  of  imj\ 
Then  the  participle  is  regarded  as  collective:  the  up- 
right walking,  i.  e.,  the  total  of  those  walking  uprightly. 
But  here  0^1331^0  Vy  remains  an  oddity.  For  this 
reason  I  am  of  the  opinion,  that  'Q  Sj7  imj"  is  to  be 
treated  as  clause  thrown  in,  expressive  of  the  situation 
(comp.  Jer.  xiii.  21) :  "  comes  to  peace— while  they  rest 
on  their  beds — who  walks  uprightly".  In  this  way  is 
made  prominent  the  contrast  between  the  fleshly  rest 

on  soft  pillows  (comp.  Ixvi.  10.  QljS  '3HN  D^33tJJ) 
that  the  bad  shepherds  enjoy,  and  the  rest  of  everlast- 
ing peace  of  God  enjoyed  by  the  righteous  whom  the 
world  persecutes  (comp.  Luke  xvi.  22).  It  is  true  one 
looks  for  DQni  before  ^nU"-  Still  Vav.  in  such  claus^ 

T  ••  :  T 

is  not  unfrequently  omitted  (eomp.  e.  g.,  Pa.  Ivii.  4; 
"3X12?  «nn  ;  EWAI.D,  §  311,  a),  and  the  omission  of  nSH 

•  —:!••••  T  •• 

finds  compensation  in  the  striking  prominence  of  the 

plural. The  plural  J"I133EO  is  found  beside  here  in 

Hos.  vii.  14 ;  Mic.  ii.  1;  Ps.  cxlix.  5.  It  is  also  perhaps 
not  unimportant  to  remark  that  this  plural  only  occurs 
with  7_J>,  and  that  both  the  singular  and  the  plural  with 
7J?  never  mean  anything  else  than  the  bed  on  which 
the  living  repose.  The  passages  with  33K/D  in  the  sin- 
gular with  7^:  2  Sam.  iv.  11;  xi.  2;  xiii.  5;  1  Kings  i. 
47  ;  Ps.  iv.  5 ;  xxxvi.  5  ;  Job  xxxiii.  19  ;  Song  of  Sol.  iii.  1. 
For  the  use  of  both  sing,  and  plur.  in  Isaiah,  see  List. — 
H3J  is  TO  eva.vri.ov,  ex  adverso  positum,  that  which  lies 

-      T  I 

directly  opposite,  directly  before  a  man.  Hence  "1 /H 
1H33  is  he  that  goes  the  way  lying  directly  before  him. 
"1  Sn  with  the  accusative  as  in  xxxiii.  15 ;  1. 10. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  stands  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
task  he  proposed  for  the  second  Ennead.  He  has 
pursued  the  word  of  the  Servant  of  God  through 
all  its  alternations  to  its  glorious  goal.  From  the 
light  of  the  final  glorification  he  turns  his  eye 
back  and  observes  with  pain  the  contrast  between 
the  glorious  future  and  the  mournful  present.  As 
we  notice  in  chap,  xlviii.  6  that  the  Prophet  by 
no  means  becomes  unconscious  of  the  present  in 
his  contemplation  of  the  future,  so  we  see  here, 
too,  that  he  cannot  avoid  instituting  a  comparison 
between  that  hereafter  and  the  now.  The  dif- 
ference is  so  great,  that  one  does  not  comprehend 
how  from  the  now  the  hereafter  can  ever  come  to 
be.  But  nothing  is  impossible  with  God.  Spite 
of  the  heinousness  of  the  present,  the  word  of  the 
LORD  stands  fast,  that  the  people  of  God  (those 
of  course  excepted  that  persistently  resist  the 
drawings  of  the  Spirit)  shall  come  to  the  pence 
and  refreshment  on  the  mount  of  God.  The 
Prophet  describes  first  the  heinousness  of  the  pre- 
sent. His  eye  falls  chiefly  on  those  that  ought  to 
be  leaders  and  exemplars  to  the  nation  in  the 
good  way.  But  these  are  blind  watchmen,  and 
dumb,  Iqzy  dogs  (Ivi.  10)  and  insatiably  greedy. 
They  are  shepherds  without  knowledge,  only 


keen  for  their  own  interest  (Ivi.  11),  and  caronsers 
that  each  day  carry  on  worse  than  the  day  before 
(Ivi.  12).  Where  such  men  rule,  of  course  the 
lot  of  the  righteous  is  outwardly  mournful;  un- 
regarded by  the  crowd  they  are  borne  away  by 
the  evil  (Ivii.  1).  But  happily  for  them  !  For 
while  others  on  their  luxurious  pillows  surrender 
themselves  to  a  fatal  repose,  the  righteous  go  in  to 
everlasting  peace  (Ivii.  2). 

2.  His  -watchmen more  abundant. — 

Lvi.  10-12.  Although  in  general  the  transition 
here  is  sharp  from  the  future  to  the  immediate 
present,  still  the  figure  used  in  Ivi.  9  prepares 
the  transition  in  a  very  artistic  way.  For,  al- 
though I  do  not  think  that  there  the  Prophet 
summons  the  wild  beasts  to  devour  Israel,  be- 
cause they  may  easily  do  this  on  account  of  the 
bad  watch  that  is  kept,  still  I  think  it  likely,  that 
the  Prophet,  by  the  mention  of  the  future  of  the 
beasts,  is  led  to  think  of  the  beasts  of  the  present, 
and  of  the  way  in  which  Israel  is  given  over  to 
them.  D'pi  (xxi.  5,  6 ;  Hi.  7),  which  means 
primarily  "spies,  sentinels  on  guard,"  we  are  to 
understand  here  as  meaning  those  whose  duty  it 
is,  on  account  of  their  office,  to  warn  the  com- 


CHAP.  LVI.  10— LVII.  2. 


613 


munity  of  evil,  and  with  it  to  contend  against 
wickedness.  Such,  first  of  all,  are  the  prophets. 
But  also  the  priests  (Mai.  ii.  7)  and  worldly 
superiors,  in  short  all  that  are  entrusted  with  the 
shepherd  office  (O'JJ^  ^D1.  Ivi-  11)  are  included. 
But  what  sort  of  watchmen  are  those  that  cannot 
see?  In  the  ordinary  sense  there  are  none  such. 
But  in  a  spiritual  sense  there  are.  For  there  are, 
alas,  those  spiritually  blind,  whose  spiritual  eye 
is  plastered  up,  and  who  consequently  ''  do  not 
know,"  i.  e.,  have  no  knowledge,  no  understand- 
ing of  what  they  ought  to  know,  J'T  in  this  ab- 
solute sense  we  had  already  xliv.  9,  18  :  xlv.  20. 
Changing  his  figure,  the  Prophet  further  com- 
pares those  bad  shepherds  to  dogs  that  should 
watch  the  flock,  and  which  though  not  blind,  in- 
deed, are  yet  dumb.  But  a  prelector  that  sees 
the  enemy  and  gives  no  notice,  is  just  as  bad 
as  one  that  does  not  see  him  at  all  (indeed  worse 
subjectively).  Thus  the  second  figure  intensifies 
the  charge;  for  it  adds  a  bad  will  to  incapacity. 
Why  they  do  not  bark  is  said  in  the  following 
words  (added  in  the  form  of  apposition)  :  snarl- 
ing in  sleep,  lying  down,  loving  to  slum- 
ber. Dm,  a-,  fay.  seems  to  designate  the 
sounds  a  dog  utters  in  sleep,  and  therefore  the 
meanings  "  to  sleep,  dream,  snore,  to  be  deli- 
rious" are  ascribed  to  the  word  ;  comp.  BOCHART, 
Hieroz.  ed.  Lips.  I.  p.  781  sqq.  With  the  Arabs 
the  dog  passes  for  a  sleepy  beast  (comp.  Hrrzra 
in  loc.),  while,  on  the  contrary,  in  the  Occident  it 
is  the  type  of  watchfulness  (see  BOCHART,  I.e.). 
The  Prophet  would  say  of  the  bad  shepherds 
under  all  circumstances,  that  they  cannot  bark 
because  they  love  their  comfort  and  advantage 
beyond  everything.  Hence  they  get  off'  nothing 
more  than  a  snarl  or  a  growl,  such  as  a  dog  utters 
in  slumber.  BOCHART  I.  c.  adduces  several  pas- 
sages from  the  ancients  that  show  that  they  re- 
garded these  sounds  in  sleep  as  a  character- 
istic peculiarity  of  dogs.  They  are  lazy,  yet  in- 
satiably greedy  dogs  (W2}-^iy_  strong  in  greed, 
v.  14;  xxix.  8  ;  Iv.  2);  they  do  not  know 
•what  it  is  to  be  satisfied.  And  they  are 
shepherds!  adds  the  Prophet  indignantly,  with 
reference  to  "  his  watchmen,"  etc.,  ver.  10  init. 
Then,  as  is  his  manner,  Isaiah  proceeds,  in  what 
follows,  to  explain  the  figure:  answering  to  the 
ignorance  of  what  is  enough,  is  a  worse  ignorance 
with  respect  to  j'^n,  "  to  distinguish  "  (comp.  the 
reverse  of  this  xxxii.  4).  They  are  strangers  to 
true  wisdom.  They  let  selfishness  essentially  de- 
termine the  direction  of  their  efforts  (comp.  Iviii. 
6),  and  especially  greediness  for  gain.  j/'i'S  is 
''  that  cut  off,  the  cutting,  gain"  (xxxiii.  15;  Ivii. 
17),  ^PT  is  the  end  in  the  sense  of  the  periphery 
(comp.  Gen.  xix.  4  ;  Jer.  1.  26).  Thus  the  idea 
is  :  from  the  utmost  periphery  in  to  the  very 
centre  every  one  of  this  fine  fellowship  turns  only 
to  gain.  Accordingly  they  all  do  so  without  ex- 
ception. 

And  what  good  does  their  money  do  them? 
Ver.  12  shows  this  by  examples.  Such  a  blind, 
dumb  watchman,  who  can  open  eye  and  mouth 
well  enough  when  it  concerns  his  belly,  calls  out 
to  the  passer-by,  or  a  visitor  :  Come  ye,  I  will 
fetch  wine,  and  we  will  fill  ourselves 


with  intoxicating  drink 


comp.  on  v. 


11).  This  friendly  host,  however,  does  not  in- 
vite to  merely  a  short  banquet,  but,  (answering 
to  "they  know  not  satiety"  ver.  10),  also  to  one 
that  the  following  day  will  be  continued  in 

grander  style.  The  words  '•Ul  7HJ  are  both  a 
nearer  definition  and  also  intensify  the  meaning. 
The  next  day  is  to  be  like  the  first  only  as  a 
drunken  day  in  general,  but  distinguished  as  to 
species  by  being  of  a  much  higher  quality.  Who 
does  not  think  here  of  what  the  Prophet  says 
xxviii.  7  sqq.  of  the  vice  of  drunkenness  that  in- 
vaded both  Judah  and  Israel?  At  all  events, 
this  moral  aberration  agrees  very  well  with  the 
religious  degeneracy  spoken  of  in  Ivii.  3  sqq. 

3.  The  righteous  perish  --  uprightness, 
Ivii.  1,  2.  If  Ivi.  10-12  describes  the  doings  of 
the  bad  shepherds,  especially  of  false  prophets, 
then  by  the  righteous  man  here  must  be  under- 
stood also  a  prophet.  And  "OX  and  ^DXJ  cannot 
mean  a  natural  death,  for  that  would  be  much 
more  an  encouragement  than  a  warning  to  the 
bad.  Rather  the  context  seems  to  me  to  demand 
that  the  mournful  fate  of  the  true  and  righteous 
servants  of  Jehovah  be  contrasted  with  the  lazy, 
jovial  doings  of  the  dumb  dogs.  Therefore  (with 
UMBREIT  and  others)  I  understand  13X  and 
to  denote  a  violent  death.  I  cannot  avoid 


the  impression  that  the  Prophet  here  alludes  to 
circumstances  that  he  sees  quite  near,  and  as  per- 
haps personally  threatening  to  himself.  Of  course, 
precise  proof  of  this  cannot  be  offered;  and  I  will 
only  offer  the  view  as  a  conjecture.  The  flood 
of  unbelief  had  only  swelled  to  greater  magnitude 
under  the  idolatrous  Manasseh.  The  apostacy 
was  universal.  It  was  much  as  in  the  days  of 
Elijah  (1  Ki.  xix.  10).  It  is  also  expressly  said 
of  Manasseh,  that  he  shed  very  much  innocent 
blood,  and  filled  Jerusalem  with  it  from  one  end 
to  the  other  (2  Ki.  xxi.  16)  ;  and  tradition  (handed 
down  by  JOSEPHUS,  Antiq.  X.  3,  1)  refers  that 
bloodshed  especially  to  execution  of  numerous 
prophets.  Even  though  Isaiah  himself  may  not 
so  have  perished,  and  though  the  tradition  to 
that  effect  be  unfounded  (see  Introduction,  pp. 
3,  4),  still  Isaiah,  while  writing  this,  may  have 
had  this  atrocious  period  in  mind,  and  even  have 
regarded  it  as  threatening  himself  with  destruc- 
tion. That  no  man  laid  it  to  heart,  if  again 
a  Jehovah  prophet  was  slain,  is  perfectly  ex- 
plained by  the  frequency  of  such  events  and  by 
the  apostacy  being  so  universal  and  intense. 
The  expression  "IDPI"'^^  might  in  parallelism 
have  a  general  meaning.  Yet  history  justifies 

our  construing  it  in  a  particular  sense.  "13n  ia 
"pietas,  piety."  j^O  J'iO  is  said  as  INVSna,  Iv. 
6.  On  'Ul  "J30  O  see  Text,  and  Gram.  It  was 
said  before  only,  that  the  pious  are  taken  away 
without  any  one  regarding  it.  Now  the  reason 
of  this  is  given.  It  is  the  HJO,  the  universally 
prevalent  wickedness.  That  explains  that  the 
righteous  are  not  only  taken  away,  but  that  it  is 
done  without  opposition,  yea,  even  without  causing 
any  disturbance. 

Ver.  2.  But  that  is  only  a  seeming  misfortune 
for  the  righteous.  In  fact  in  this  way  he  enters 
into  peace,  while  they,  the  wicked,  are  fatally 
reposing  on  their  beds  of  luxury  (see  Text,  and 
Gram.). 


614  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


2.  THE  MOURNFUL  PRESENT  MARKED  BY  THE  IDOLATROUS  DOINGS  OF  THE 

NATION.     CHAPTER  LVII.  3-14. 

3  BUT  draw  near  hither,  ye  sons  of  the  sorceress, 
The  seed  of  the  adulterer  and  athe  whore. 

4  Against  whom  do  ye  sport  yourselves? 
Against  whom  make  ye  a  wide  mouth, 
And  draw  out  the  tongue? 

Are  ye  not  children  of  transgression,  a  bseed  of  falsehood, 

5  Enflaming  yourselves  lcwith  idols 
Under  every  green  tree, 
Slaying  the  children  in  the  valleys 
Under  the  cliffs  of  the  rocks  ? 

6  Among  the  smooth  stones  of  the  stream  is  thy  portion  ; 
They,  they  are  thy  lot: 

Even  to  them  hast  thou  poured  a  drink  offering. 
Thou  hast  offered  a  meat  offering, 
dShould  I  receive  comfort  in  these? 

7  Upon  a  lofty  and  high  mountain  hast  thou  set  thy  bed : 
Even  thither  wen  test  thou  up  to  offer  sacrifice. 

8  Behind  the  doors  also  and  the  posts  hast  thou  set  up  thy  remembrance : 
"For  thou  hast  discovered  thyself  to  another  than  me, 

And  art  gone  up ;  thou  hast  enlarged  thy  bed, 
f  And  2made  thee  a  covenant  with  them ; 
Thou  lovedst  their  bed  *where  thou  sawest  it. 

9  And  4thou  wentest  to  the  king  with  ointment, 
And  didst  increase  thy  perfumes, 

And  didst  send  thy  messengers  far  off, 
And  didst  Edebase  thyself  even  unto  hell. 

10  Thou  art  wearied  in  the  greatness  of  thy  way; 
Yet  saidst  thou  not,  There  is  no  hope : 

Thou  hast  found  the  5life  of  thine  hand ; 
Therefore  thou  wast  not  hgrieved. 

11  And  of  whom  hast  thou  been  afraid  !or  feared, 
That  thuu  hast  lied, 

And  hast  not  remembered  me,  nor  laid  it  to  thy  heart? 
Have  not  I  held  my  peace  even  of  old, 
And  thou  fearest  me  not? 

12  I  will  declare  thy  righteousness, 

And  thy  works ;  for  they  shall  not  profit  thee. 

13  When  thou  criest,  let  thy  ^companies  deliver  thee; 
But  the  wind  shall  carry  them  all  away  ; 
kVanity  shall  take  them: 

But  he  that  putteth  his  trust  in  me 

Shall  possess  the  land, 

And  shall  inherit  my  holy  mountain  ; 

14  'And  shall  say,  Cast  ye  up,  cast  ye  up,  prepare  the  way, 
Take  up  the  stumbling-block  out  of  the  way  of  my  people. 

1  Or,  among  the  naks.  .  *  Or,  hewed  it  for  thyself  larger  than  theirs. 

*  Or,  thou  providest  room.  *  Or,  thou  respect  edit  the  king.  5  Or,  living. 

*  and  who  thiiself  playest  harlot.   b  spurious  seed.  «  6.y  means  of  the  terebinths. 

*  ShouM  I  after  this  have  pity.     «  For  the  plate  by  me  thou  modest  empty,  t  And  madesl  terms  for  thee  from  them. 

*  thou  didit  descend  to  hell.            h  sick.  '  so  that  thou  fearedst. 
J  collections  of  gods=pantheon.  k  breath.  l  And  one  shall  say. 


CHAP.  LVII.  3-14. 


615 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List    for  the  recurrence  of  the  words  :    Ver.  4. 

tfa~ntr  and  -ipp  jnr.   ver.  5.  ^p 
ver.  9.  -uty-pirno-t;;. 

i        I 

Ver.  4.  The  form  *T7'  is  found  only  in  this  place  be- 
fore Makkeph.  Except  this,  *T7'  three  times  without 
Makkeph:  ii.  6;  Exod.  ii.  6;  Hos.  i.  2. 

Ver.  5.  The  participles  D'DfU  and  'Dm?  are  in  apposi- 
tion with  and  explanatory  of  (Q  Hr  and  'JJ?  J7"U-  D'OHJ 

is  part.  Niph.  from  DOIT The  expression  Vy~7J 

•  jj'T,  which  occurs  only  liere  in  Isaiah,  is  found  beside 
Dent.  xii.  2;  2  Kings  xvi.  4;  xvii.  10;  2  Chron.  xxviii.  4  ; 
Jer.  ii.  20 ;  iii.  6,  13  ;  Ezek.  vi.  13. 

Ver.  G.  The  clause  "jpSn  Snj-'p^Hj  is  very  diffi- 
cult; and  expositors  differ  very  much  about  it.  The 
LXX.  connect  the  words  'irU^p^nD  with  what  pre- 
cedes (<r<£a£bi'Tes  ra  reicva.  avriav  ev  Tact  <f>dpay£i.v  afa  /-i£- 
<rov  Taif  nerpiav  cv  rai?  /nepuri  $apa.-yyos.  'ExeiVij  aov  ij  jnepi's, 
OUTOS  erou  6  /cAijpos).  [The  words  ei/  rat?  /icpiVi  (^apayyos 
are  wanting  in  TISCHENDORF'S  4th  edition  of  the  LXX. 
of  1809, — TK.],  but  that  gives  an  intolerable  tautology. 
VULG.  in  partibus  torrentis  pars  tua  ;  thus  it  takes  ^p^H 
for'pSn. TARQ.  JONATAN  :  in  laeuibus  locis  ripae  tor- 
rentis est  pars  tua. SYRUS  :  sors  tnci  et  hacreclitas  tua 

cum  sorte  torrentium  erit.  Thus  he  takes  3  =  eum,  and 
likewise  Snj-'pSn  =  ^"'P^H  ;  the  double  QH  he 
takes  as  simply  =  et.  Similarly,  only  still  more  freely, 
does  the  Arabic  version  in  the  London  Polyglot  trans- 
late :  Sors  illorum  (sell,  idolorum)  erit  portio  vestra.  One 
sees  that  these  ancient  versions  were  little  exact  in  ad- 
hering to  the  original  text.  JEROME  understands  the 
"  in  partibus  torrentis,"  to  declare  how  "  omnes  montcs, 
vales  atque  torrcntes  plcnierant  cuUu  daemonum,'1'  and  the 
"  pars  tua,  sors  tua  "  denotes  for  him  that  the  demons 
were  to  the  Israelites  what  the  LORD  should  have  been, 
according  to  Deut.  xxxii.  9;  Ps.  xlvii.  5;  Ixxiii.  26. 
Later  expositors  divide  into  five  classes.  Some  take 
'P  vH  also  to  be  equal  to  ''p^H,  which  they  understand 
variously,  partly  in  a  physical,  partly  in  a  spiritual  sense. 
But  all  these  views  we  must  reject  as  grammatically  un- 
founded. Others  take  'pvH  somehow  in  the  sense  of 
"  laevitas,  laeva,  smoothness,  smooth  places,''  but  con- 
strue 1p in  in  the  sense  of  "  punishment.1'  According 
to  this  the  sense  would  be  :  stoning  with  the  smooth 
stones  (RASCHIJ,  drowning,  casting  down  ever  smooth, 
slippery  places  into  the  deep  (VITRINGA:  Vos  detrude- 
iiiini  in  lae.via  vallis,  i  e.,  in  lubrica  et  salcbro&a  loca,  quae 
q-icm  in  profunda  vallis  praecipitcm  agunt),  the  stony  de- 
sert (CoccEJUs),— that  is  your  well-merited  portion  But 
it  is  manifest  that  "jpSn  and  •jSllJ  have  here  nothing 
to  do  with  punishment,  but  continue  to  describe  the 
sin.  The  third  cla«s  of  expositors  construe  ITpSn  in 
the  sense  of  "  the  right  place,  theatre."  Then  the  mean- 
ing wauld  be:  in  the  smooth  clefts  of  the  rock,  or  in 
the  bare  places  of  the  valleys,  there  is  the  place  where 
thou  carriest  on  thy  iniquitous  work  (J.  D.  MICHAELIS, 
PAULUS,  GESEN.,  Comment.,  RUECKF.RT,  HITZIG,  UMBREIT). 
But  the  following  emphatic  '1  DH  DH  and  the  second 
half  of  the  verse  show,  that  the  mention  here  Is  not 


GRAMMATICAL. 

merely  of  the  theatre  of  the  idolatrous  doings.  A  fourth 
class  see  in'pSn  a  designation  of  the  idol  images  them- 
selves. They  derive  the  word  from  the  Arabic  clialaqq, 
effurmavit,  effinxit,  so  that  the  meaning  would  be :  "  in 
the  images  of  the  valley  is  thy  portion,"  or  "  with  the 
idols  in  the  valley  thou  carriest  on  thy  trade  "  (Kopps  in 

LOWTH'S  Isaiah,  KNOBEL).  But  the  root  p  ?n  in  Hebrew 
never  has  this  sense.  Finally,  the  fifth  class  (LowTii, 
ROSENM.,  GESEN.  Thes.,  EWALD,  DEUTZSCII,  SEJNECKB, 
ROHLING,  [J.  A.  ALEX.])  take  "]p  7H  in  the  spiritual  sense 
in  which  Jehovah  is  called  the  portion  of  His  people 
(comp.  the  places  cited  above,  and  Ps.  cxix.  57 ;  Josh, 
xxii.  25;  Ps.  xvi.  5, etc.)  But  7nj~'p7n  are  smooth  stones 
such  as,  according  to  a  widespread  custom  of  antiquity, 
were  objects  of  divine  worship.  Very  properly  reference 

has  been  made  to   7n37~1~iD    D"1.]!^   'pvFl   ni^On  1 

I  •          -T-:    !••••. -       T  •  -: 

Sam.  xvii.  40.    FVERST,  in  the  Concordance,  puts  our 

'p^n  with  np7n  under  one  rubric,  in  that  without  fur- 
ther notice  he'points  it  'pvP-  And  indeed  the  two 
words  differ  onlv  by  one  dot,  and  hence  a  copyist's  er- 
ror were  not  impossible.  FUERST  in  his  Lex.  derives  our 
'P  .  n  from  p\>n,  which  would  be  an  abnormal  vocaliza- 

!••:  -  I    T    -    i 

tion  instead  of  'pvH  fOLSn..  \  1C3,  a).  Now  if  one  may 
neither  read  'p  vfl  instead  of  'p7n,  nor  yet  take  'pSn 

I"  '.  ""  I  "  :  ~I  !' ' :  ~ 

for  an  abnormal  stat.  const. p!.  from  p 9n,  then  wo  can  only 
derive 'pvH  either  from  p7n  (xxx.  10)  or  from  p7J"l. 
But  the  latter  were  likewise  an  unusual  formation,  for 
the  connecting  form  of  the  plural  must  sound  'p  Sn, 
according  the  sole  suffix  forms  in  use  (comp  'p/ti, 
"•Ip^n,  DiTp/n  Hos.  v.  7).  The  Daghesh  iu  7  would 
any  way  be  tiag.  dirimens.  If  then  we  derive  our  word 
from  the  adjective  p/H  "laevus,lubricus,  smooth,"  then 

i  ITT 

7PU~'p 7H  would  be  the  smooth  things  of  the  valley. 
But,  in  view  of  the  intentional  paronomasia  with  Tp/n. 
we  may  further  assume  that  by  'p7'~l  the  Prophet 
means  nothing  else  than  wnat  is  described  in  1  Sam. 
xvii.  4,  "  smooth  stones  from  the  brook,"  in  fact  that 
^n^'p^H  is  in  the  end  nothing  more  than  an  abbre- 
viation of  /run  '33X  'P/n,  an  abbreviation  that  of 

••  •  -      (••:  - 

course  would  be  understood  only  by  one  that  had  the 

passage  of  1  Sam.  in  his  mind. — 3  before  ^p7n  is  used 

as  Josh.  xxii.  25  rnrva  pSn  opS-px. 

Ver.  8.  .JT7J  TlSO,  as  itseems  to  me,  must  be  judged 
after  the  analogy  of  the  expressions  ""Qj;   H7J  (v.  13), 

T  :  T  :  IT  T  T  T 

1  Sain.  iv.  21  sq.;  Prov.  xxvii.  25,  etc.).   For  as  H/J  origi- 

TT 

nally  means  "to  uncover,  make  bare,"  so  that  form  of 
expression  declares  that  by  removal  of  the  people,  who 
as  it  were  cover  it,  the  land  is  uncovered,  made  bare.  It 
is  to  be  noticed,  moreover,  that  y"^N  itself  is  by  meto- 
nymy used  for  the  people  (Judg.  xviii.  30 \  and  that  also 
other  things,  e.  g.,  the  grass,  ^an  be  described  as  unco- 
vering their  place  by  their  removal  It  is  true  that  only 
Kal  i=  used  in  this  sense.  But  had  the  Prophet  written 
j"V7J  then,  according  to  the  constant  and  frequent 

•  T 

usage,  one  must  have  taken  this  in   the  sense  of:  "in 


616 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


exitium  abiisti."  But  he  would  not  say  that.  What  is 
here  spoken  oi',  is  no  punitive  ridding  out  of  a  place, 
but  a  very  spontaneous,  headstrong  and  willful  making 
bare,  empty.  Hence  the  Prophet  uses  the  Piel.  There- 
fore I  cannot  approve  of  the  other  explanations  that 
supply  ''the  shame"  or  "the  clothes,"  or  that  treat 
1p3t^'D  as  the  common  object  of  the  three  verbs  (Djs- 

'••  T  :     •  I 

LJTZSCH). DHO  "]7~.n"O.rv    (certainly  not  castrasti 

quosdam  ex  Us,  GEOTIUS)  is  properly  without  analogy  ; 
for  2  Chr.  vii.  18  the  person  with  whom  the  covenant  is 
made  is  designated  by  17,  in  1  Sam.  xx.  16;  xxii.  8  Qj;  is 
used.  But  these  passages  show  that  after  ri~O  the 
JV"i3  may  be  omitted.  The  Prophet  might  then  have 
written  DnS  r\"OJ"\l-  But  then  the  particular  would 

Y  T 

be  wanting,  that  Israel  made  demands,  conditions  which 
were  to  be  fulfilled  on  the  part  of  the  other.  One  must, 
to  be  exact,  translate  :  thou  bargainedst,  madest  condi- 
tions for  thee  from  those. The  words  JVin  T  are 

likewise  without  analogy.  The  explanations  :  thou  des- 
criest  a  place  (to  lie  down), — where  thou  seest  but  a 
beckoning  hand, — thou  dividest  a  hand,  i.  e.,  thou  dost 
destine  a  side  of  the  couch  for  the  lover  (KNOBEL) — all 
of  them  contain  an  unsuitable  clumsy  thought.  One 
looks  for  something  that  belongs  to  the  3Dt#O  in  the 
sense  indicated,  or  that  follows  on  it.  And  thus  there 
is  much  to  favor  the  view  that  sees  in  T  an  euphemism 

T 

for  the  masculine  member.  Only  analogies  from  other 
languages  (see  DELITZSCH)  can  be  adduced,  but  consider- 
ing the  originality  of  our  author  this  can  be  no  obstacle. 
i"Un  then,  like  HXT,  according  to  well  known  usage, 

T  T  T  T 

stands  for  sentire,  experiri  (oomp.  Job  viii.  17;  xv.  17; 
xxiv.  1;  Ps.  Iviii.  11).  [J.  A.  ALEXANDER  briefly  dismisses 
the  euphemistic  view  by  saying:  "the  sense  gratui- 


tously put  upon  the  phrase  by  DOEDERLEIN,  and  the 
praises  given  him  for  the  discovery,  are  characteristic 
of  neological  aesthetics."  His  own  comment  is  :  "  The 
most  probable  interpretation  of  the  last  words  of  the 
verse  is  that  which  gives  T  the  same  sense,  as  in  chap. 
Ivi.  5"  (viz.,  "a  place").  Spite  of  the  respectable  com- 
mentators that  approve  of  this  euphemistic  sense  (Ew- 
ALI>,  HITZIG  cited  by  DET.ITZSCII  who  agrees),  it  should  be 
rejected.  DELITZSCH  refers  to  Ezck.  xvi.  26;  xxiii.  20. 
But  the  coarse,  plainness  of  the  language  there  is  ground 
enough  for  inferring  that,  did  Isaiah  mejvn  to  express 
the  like  here,  he  would  use  language  as  plain.  It  were 
just  as  reasonable  to  imagine  the  same  significance  for 
T  in  Ivi.  5.  There  is  actually  no  ground  for  doi-ng  so  in 

T 

either  case.    "Thou  descriest  a  place  (to  lie  down)" 
gives  a  good  rendering.  Comp.  the  clause  jVTn— 
with  Job  viii.  18,  PUTT  D"J3X  fl3  1D30'  Vl>nE/  Sj- 

' 


Ver.  10.  EttOJ  is  part.  Niph.  desperatus(Jo\>  vi.  26).  The 

T 

neuter  only  here  and  ii.  25  ;  xviii.  12. 
Ver.  11.  JK~t  is  aollicitum  esse  and  has  primarily  intran- 

-  T 

sitive  meaning  (Jer.  xvii.  8).  In  this  sense  it  is  con- 
joined with  S  (1  Sam.  ix.  5  ;  x.  2)  or  with  jp  (Ps.  xxxviii. 

19  ;  Jer.  xlii.  16).  In  our  text  it  is  used  transitively,  as 
in  Jer.  xxxviii.  19,  joined  with  the  accusative.  -  The 
^NTF\  with  the  attached  Vav  consec.,  shows  that  the 

Prophet  conceives  of  it  as  the  consequence  of  JJO. 
The  latter  accordingly  denotes  the  inward,  religious 
dread,  of  which  the  outward  evidences  are  only  the  con- 
sequence. O  before  ""^un  i»  tne  causal  "  that  "  after 
questions. 
Ver.  14.  10X1  is  used  impersonally  as  inxxv.  9;  xlr. 

-  T: 

24  ;  Ixv.  8. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  In  this  section  the  Prophet  describes  the 
idolatrous,  and  heuce  adulterous  doings  that  at 
the  time  of  this  prophecy  were  prevalent  in  the 
entire  nation.  He  summons  the  nation  to  ap- 
proach in  order  to  hear  his  castigating  words. 
He  addresses  them  as  posterity  of  adulterous  pa- 
rents (ver.  3).  They  had  often  scoffed  at  him. 
Hence  he  asks  them :  Who  is  he  whom  ye  de- 
rided, and  who  are  ye  ?  Are  ye  not  as  bastards 
who  would  supplant  the  genuine  offshoots  (ver. 
4)  ?  And  then  he  points  out  to  them  their  un- 
theocratic,  bastard  way,  by  enumerating  facts. 
Ye  carry  on  your  idolatry  under  every  green  tree. 
Ye  slay  the  children  by  the  brooks  and  in  rocky 
hollows  (ver.  5).  These  places  have  become  the 
holy  and  promised  land  to  you.  And,  that  every 
part  of  the  worship  of  Jehovah  may  have  its  ido- 
latrous counterpart,  ye  do  not  omit  drink  and 
meat  offerings  for  the  idols  (ver.  6).  Then  by 
sacrifices  ye  have  made  the  high  mountains  the 
ecene  of  your  adulterous  worship  of  idols  (ver.  7). 
Jehovah's  mottoes,  that  should  be  in  every  house, 
are  thrust  into  the  corner.  But  ye  do  as  a  woman 
that  forsakes  the  place  at  the  side  of  her  husband, 
and  sets  up  a  couch  of  lewdness  in  another  place 
(ver.  8).  And  also  by  seeking  aid  from  foreigners 
ye  carry  on  an  adulterous  idolatry.  For  ye  sent 
messengers  with  rich  gifts  to  foreign  kings,  yea, 
ye  have  boasted  even  of  alliances  with  hell  (ver. 
9).  And  ye  were  indefatigable  in  these  doings; 
nothing  availed  to  convince  you  of  their  vanity. 


Rather,  as  long  as  ye  could  stir,  ye  would  never 
confess  to  sickness  (ver.  10).  How  wrong  such 
conduct  was  appears  the  more  manifest,  when  one 
compares  whom  Israel  feared  and  whom  it  did 
not  fear.  Yea,  what  sort  of  beings  were  those 
whom  thou  fearedst,  whereas  thou  fearedst  me  no 
more,  who  so  long  kept  silence  spite  of  thy  un- 
faithfulness? (ver.  11).  But  I  will  speak  and 
make  manifest  your  righteousness  and  your  works. 
From  that  will  be  seen  that  ye  have  no  claim  to 
be  helped  (ver.  12).  Then  let  your  numerous 
idols  help  you.  But  the  wind  will  carry  them 
off.  He,  on  the  contraiy,  that  trusts  in  me,  will 
receive  inheritance  in  the  holy  land  and  on  the 
holy  mountain  (ver.  13).  For  "these  there  will  be 
a  glorious  return  into  the  promised  land  (ver.  14). 

2.  But  draw  near falsehood. — Vers.  3, 

4.  Dnxi  strongly  reminds  one  of  that  DflXI, 
xlviii.  6,  which,  according  to  our  construction,  is 
also  to  be  understood  as  an  address  of  the  Pro- 
phet to  the  people  living  in  his  own  time.  Draw 
near  hither  is  like  a  citation  before  the  ruler, 
who  proposes  to  hold  up  to  the  subject  his  guilt, 
and  to  announce  the  punishment  (comp.  xxxiv. 
1 ;  xlviii.  16;  xli.  1,  5 ;  nan,  as  in  2  Sam.  xx.  16, 
and  often).  The  Israelites  are  addressed  as  sons 
of  a  sorceress  (corap.  on  ii.  6).  "Witchcraft 
is  only  possible  by  reason  of  idolatrous  supersti- 
tion, because  it  would  produce  effects  by  superna- 
tural powers  that  are  not  the  powers  of  the  true 


CHAP.  LVII.  3-14. 


617 


God.  The  children  of  the  witch  are  such  as  have 
not  only  a  witch  for  mother,  but  have  also  them- 
selves a  witch  nature.  Thus  the  idolatrous  incli- 
nation of  the  people  is  charged  as  something  in- 
herited (coinp.  on  i.  4).  What  is  here  expressed 
in  one  notion  is  explained  in  the  second  naif  of 
the  verse.  For  NJD  #"H  is  seed  of  the  adul- 


terer (comp.  D'jno  T,  i.  4;  xiv.  20;  Bhp  %  vi. 
13;  np>?  ''.  Ivii.  4),  thus  the  ancestors  of  the  pre- 
sent generation  are  designated  as  adulterers  in 
their  relation  to  Jehovah,  i.  e.,  as  idolaters.  But 
that  the  present  generation  is  adulterous,  i.  e.,  ido- 
latrous, is  expressed  by  the  addition  (HJTfV)  [Eng- 
V.  "and  the  whore"].  The  view  that  this  word  is 
only  the  feminine  of  35O3  i.s  disproved  from  the  fact 
that  the  simple  Vav  copulative  (""IJfrnj  would  be 
used.  Moreover,  the  mode  of  expression  would 
be  affected,  and  the  addition  superfluous.  For 
from  the  view-point  of  polygamy,  adultery  is  only 
possible  with  a  married  woman.  Therefore  in 
^XJO  JHT  is  implied  the  representation,  that  the 
married  woman  had  sinned  with  another  man, 
t.  e.,  with  idols,  and  that  therefore  the  present 
generation  no  longer  has  Jehovah  for  a  father 
de  facto,  though  de  jure  He  may  still  pass  for  such. 
But  i"IJ?r^  expresses  that  this  generation,  sprung 
from  adultery,  though  recognized  as  legitimate, 
has  itself  committed  adultery.  As  is  well  known, 
Hjr  stands  very  often  for  Israel's  apostacy  to  idols 
(Exod.  xxxiv.  15  sq.;  Lev.  xvii.  7;  Num.  xv. 
39;  Deut.  xxxi.  16;  Hos.  ii.  6  sq.  ;  Isa.  i.  21,  etc.). 
In  ver.  4  the  Prophet  charges  the  people  with 
the  audacious  scoffing  with  which  they  persecuted 
the  followers  of  Jehovah  in  general  and  himself, 
the  worthy  Prophet  in  particular.  For  the  ques- 

tion *D  /y  can,  of  course,  in  itself  have  a  quanti- 
tative sense  :  are  there  then  men  at  all,  about 
whom  ye  make  yourselves  merry  ?  But  why 
might  there  not  have  been  men,  about  whom 
even  such  a  degenerate  people  might  with  a  cer- 
tain justice  make  themselves  merry?  For  this 

reason  we  must  take  the  question  'D  iy  in  a 
qualitative  sense  as  in  xxxvii.  23.  There  it  is 
asked  :  whom  hast  thou  derided,  etc.  ?  Answer  : 
the  holy  One  of  Israel.  Thus  here,  also,  the 
sense  of  qucilis  must  be  in  the  '0  (comp.  ver.  11, 
li.  12).  The  imperfects  UJJ^nn,  etc.,  denote  that 
these  derisions  still  continue.  Here  also  we  have 
that  personal  Ov)K,  which  makes  so  entirely  the 
impression  of  immediate  living  presence.  And 
if  the  contemporaries  derided  Jehovah's  true 
followers  and  His  prophets  especially,  who 
amongst  them  all  was  more  exposed  to  the  deri- 
sion and  deserved  it  less,  than  Isaiah.  Hence 

there  seems  to  me  in  this  'jOrljf  to  be  expressed 
the  consciousness  of  personal  worth  and  of  out- 
rage perpetrated  by  wounding  it.  JJ^HH,  "  de- 
lectari  aiiquare,  to  delight  one's  self,  to  take  plea- 
sure from  something,"  is  found  only  here  in  a 
bad  sense.  Opening  wide  the  mouth  along 
with  derisive  laughter  is  mentioned  also  Ps.  xxii. 
8;  xxxv.  21.  Sticking  out  the  tongue  as  a 
gesture  of  derision  is  not  mentioned  elsewhere  in 
the  Scripture.  Expositors  cite  LIVY,  VII.  10: 
tinguam  ab  irrim  exserens  The  point  of  the  verse 
consists  in  the  distinction  between  the  one  scoffed 


at  and  the  scoffers.  What  the  former  is,  is  not  said. 
But  we  guess  it.  What  the  latter  are,  the  Pro- 
phet states  with  the  words :  are  ye  not  chil- 
dren of  sin  (i.  e.,  such  whose  own  nature  par- 
takes of  the  sin  of  those  that  begot),  a  spurious 
seed  ?  That  is,  I  think  that  1p#  JPT  is  the 
antithesis  of  fOX  JHT  (Jer.  ii.  21).  Then  it  is 
not  a  seed  in  which  materially  the  species  ''lie." 
appears  out  of  the  sphere  of  the  genus  ''sin;'' 
but  "'pt?  JHT  is  a  seed  which  any  how  formally 
is  not  what  it  pretends  to  be;  i.  e.,  a  false,  spuri- 
ous seed.  Thus  the  same  is  expressed  as  by  >?~H 
^WO  ver.  3. 

3.    Inflaming yourselves  comfort  in 

these. — Vers.  5,  6.  In  what  follows  the  Prophet 
enumerates  all  the  sorts  of  idolatry  by  which  the 
Israelites  of  his  times  proved  themselves  to  be 

''children  of  sin  "  and  "  a  spurious  seed."  O^X 
here  means  terebinths  and  not  "  gods,"  as  ap- 
pears from  the  "  }'V~  /D  (see  on  i.  29)  that  stands 
in  parallelism.  As  a  beautiful,  shady  tree,  the 
terebinth  played  a  great  part  in  the  idolatrous 
tree  worship  of  the  Hebrews  (comp.  Ezek.  vi.  13; 
Hos.  iv.  13).  It  enticed  to  idolatry.  Hence  it 
is  said,  that  the  idolatrous  fervor,  that  was  only 
too  closely  joined  to  fleshly  voluptuousness,  was 
kindled  by  the  terebinths.  But  not  only  stately, 
shady  terebinths,  eveiy  green  tree  kindled  the 
idolatrous  desire.  But  worse  still  than  the  tree- 
worship,  was  the  murderous  Baal  and  Moloch 
worship,  to  which  especially  the  poor  children 
fell  a  sacrifice  (comp.  my  remarks  on  Jer.  xvii. 
2).  Although  this  horrible  worship  exacted  the 
burning  of  children,  still  the  word  £0nty  is  used 
in  connection  with  it,  beside  other  expressions 
referring  to  it  (Jer.  vii.  31 ;  xix.  5 ;  Ezek.  xvi. 
20,  21.  At  the  same  time  it  seems  to  me  that 
the  Prophet  (who  in  what  follows  pursues  the 
thought  that  Israel  in  a  sacrilegious  way  trans- 
ferred all  parts  of  Jehovah's  worship  to  its  idola- 
trous worship),  would  here,  by  the  choice  of  this 
word  WntJ',  express  the  thought  that  the  children 

were  their  Pl/ij,'-  For  the  slaying  of  beasts  de- 
stined for  whole-burnt-offerings  was  expressed  by 
DFIty,  whereas  H3T  was  the  specific  word  for  the 

slaving  of  the  D'O1?^  (see  on  v.  7,  8).  In  the 
valleys,  under  the  clifts  of  the  rocks,  thus 
not  only  in  the  vale  of  Hinnom,  but  elsewhere 
also,  in  forbidding  rocky  defiles,  were  those  horrid 
sacrifices  offered. 

Ver.  6.  Among  the  smooth  stones  of 
the  stream  is  thy  portion.  See  Text,  and 
Gram.  By  these  smooth  stones  are  any  way  to  be 
understood  the  sacred  anointed  stones  (Bayetilia). 
The  earliest  trace  of  this  usage  appears  in  Gen. 
xxviii.  18 ;  xxxv.  14.  But  what  was  originally 
a  simple  act  of  consecration  to  serve  for  sacred 
remembrance,  became  gradually  the  substratum 
of  an  idolatrous  worship,  the  stone  worship 
(comp.  Jer.  iii.  9  ;  Ezek.  xx.  32).  As  the  name 
ftaiTv^oc,  ftairv'kia  is  of  Phoenician  origin,  the 
view  is  not  without  foundation  that  this  name  is 

to  be  referred  back  to  7X-JV3.  Comp.  [SMITH'S 
Die.  of  the  B.  Art.  Stones']  •  LKYRER  in  HERZ. 
R.-Encyd.  XVI.  p.  322;  KURTZ,  Hist,  of  the 


618 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


Old  Covenant,  I.  §  75,  3  ;  GRIMMEL,  De  lapidum 
cultu,  Marburg,  1853.  The  baetylia  were  indeed 
stones  smooth  with  oil.  ARNOBIUS  (Adver.  Gentes 
I.  39)  relates  of  the  heathen  period  of  his  life: 
"  Si  quando  conspexeram  tubricatum  lapidem  et  ex 
olivi  unguine  sordidatum,  tanquam  inesset  vis  prae- 
sens,  adulabar,  a/abar  et  benejicia  poscebam  nihil 
sentiente  de  trunco-"  LOWTH  cites  at  our  text  a 
passage  from  THEOPHRAST  (to  Autolykos  I.  15) 
where  it  is  said  of  a  superstitious  man :  "  Kai 
T&ii  /u~apui>  Tii&uv  TUI>  kv  Taig  ~pi6Aotf  naptui' 
£K  rj?f  'AijHvftov  ehaiov  Kara^elv  KM,  kwl  yovara 
Trsauv  KM  Trpoanvvfjaac;  a7raA/ldrr£(7i9ai."  Comp. 
CLEMENT  of  Alex.  Strom.  VII.  843.  Our  pas- 
sage indeed  does  not  seem  to  speak  of  oily,  smooth 
stones.  But  it  appears  that  that  worship,  apart 
from  the  smoothing  by  oil,  was  only  given  to 
stones  that  by  nature  or  art  had  a  smooth  sur- 
face. At  least  we  could  not  suppose  that  Jacob 
chose  a  rough  stone  for  his  pillow.  And  our  text 
favors  the  idea  that  one  did  not  choose  for  adora- 
tion any  sort  of  stone  remarkable  for  size  or  form, 
but  especially  smooth  stones.  The  emphatic  DH 
DH  these,  these,  refers  to  the  stones  as  some- 
thing that  Israel  in  a  shameful  way  made  rivals 
of  Jehovah.  v"^'J,  properly  lapillus,  is,  indeed,  no 
where  else  so  used  that  Jehovah  Himself  is  called 
"  the  lot "  of  His  people.  But  the  word  is  chosen 
here  because  the  Prophet  intended  an  allusion  to 

the  notion  ''stone"  contained  in  /nj^'p;]!.  The 
thought  underlying  also  the  second  half  of  verse 
6  is,  that  the  idolatrous  Israelites  gave  to  their 
lumpish  idols  what  was  due  to  Jehovah  alone. 
For  here,  too,  the  aping  is  rebuked,  by  which 
they  transferred  the  various  parts  of  Jehovah 
worship  to  the  idol  worship.  For  ^DJ  drink 
offering,  and  ""IHjO  meat  offering  were  essen- 
tial parts  of  Jehovah's  worship.  The  latter  con- 
sisted of  flour  in  various  forms,  with  salt,  olive 
oil  and  incense  in  addition  (Lev.  ii).  The  former 
represented  the  drinking  suited  to  eating,  and 
consisted  only  of  wine  (Exod.  xxix.  40;  Num. 

xv.  5  sqq.).  nS#n  with  the  object  rtHJO  =  al- 
tari  imposuit  fertum  occurs  again  Ixvi.  3.  How 
deeply  the  LORD  feels  the  insult,  is  declared  in 
the  words :  should  I  console  myself  (be 
quiet)  concerning  such  ?  Niph.  Dnj  with 

7#  denotes  1)  to  pity  one's  self,  2)  to  feel  regret, 
sorrow,  3)  to  console  one's  self,  to  quiet  one's 
self  (2  Sam.  xiii.  39 ;  Jer.  xxxi.  15 ;  Ezek. 
xxxii.  31).  A  modification  of  the  last  meaning 
given  is  "to  revenge  one's  self,"  which  we  had 
i.  24.  The  context  shows  that  only  the  meaning 
given  under  3)  suits  here. 

4.  Upon  a  lofty sawest  it. — Vers.  7, 

8.     In  these  two  verses  the  Prophet  shows  how 

in  idolatrous  worship,  Israel  even  (rvS#  DK?-DJ 
ver.  7)  aped  the  peace  offering,  the  D'oS^  n3T. 
And  he  joins  with  it,  in  a  particularly  marked 
way,  the  adulterous  conduct  of  which  it  was 
thereby  guilty.  Why  the  Prophet  connects  the 

latter  particular  just  with  D'37t7  may  have  this 
reason,  that  these  sacrifices  were  always  united 
with  meals,  and  just  these  may  have  given  occa- 


sion for  abandonment  to  joviality  and  especially 
to  fleshly  debauchery,  particularly  when  cele- 
brated in  the  open  air  on  mountain  elevations. 
Hos.  iv.  13  also  mentions  the  offering  of  the 
idolatrous  H^f  on  mountain  tops  and  connected 
with  licentiousness.  The  expression  Ntyjl  ri2j-in 
is  found  so  exactly  only  here ;  but  comp.  ii.  2  ; 
xxx.  25.  }2|Bto  flOii'  is  a  figurative  expression 
for  the  act  of  idolatrous  worship.  It  cannot  be 
doubted  that  by  n3T  H3J  /  the  Prophet  means  the 
Shelamim  sacrifice.  For  the  H3f  was  most  closely 
joined  with  that.  "For  the  Shelamim  offering 
[peace  offering]  the  Pentateuch  also  uses  simply 
the  expression  rni,  i.  e.,  killing;  indeed  this 
word  in  the  Pentateuch  has  only  this  narrower 

sense,  as  further  the  meal  of  the  D'O  ilti  as  often 
designated  by  the  verb  HOI.  The  reason  of  this 
mode  of  expression  was,  that,  as  in  the  burnt- 
ofi'ering,  the  peculiar  feature  was  the  bringing  up 
of  the  entire  sacrifice  on  to  the  altar,  so  the  sacri- 
ficial meal  belonged  essentially  to  the  peace  offering. 
H2T  denotes  the  killing  with  reference  to  a  meal  that 
was  to  be  held,  (comp.  especially  Lev.  xvii.  3  sqq.; 
Deut.  xii.  15)  ;  it  is  thus  distinguished  from 
£3ni!/  which  has  no  such  reference."  (CEHLEB  in 
HERZ.,  E.-Encycl.  X.  p.  637). 

The  initial  words  of  ver.  8  have  experienced  a 
double  explanation.  The  ancient  expositors 
from  JEROME  down  understand  by  {1~OT,  re- 
membrance, any  sort  of  idolatrous  emblem, 
especially  the  household  gods,  Lares.  But  first 
it  is  to  be  objected,  that  the  expression  is  a  strange 
one  to  denote  that,  and  then  to  put  behind  the 
doors  and  the  posts  seems  rather  to  describe 
contemptuous  than  honorable  treatment.  Hence 
modern  expositors  have  justly  understood  JVOI 
to  mean  what  in  Deut.  vi.  8 ;  xi.  20,  was  pre- 
scribed to  be  written  on  the  HUlIO  and  on  the 
D^U'l?,  especially  since  in  Exod.  xiii.  9  a  similar 
memorial  is  expressly  called  p'^SI.  Therefore 
we  may  justly  regard  our  text  as  a  reference  to 
the  passages  of  the  Pentateuch  just  cited.  The 
Prophet  charges  the  Israelites  with  putting  those 
memorials  containing  the  principles  of  the  The- 
ocracy behind  the  posts  and  doors,  instead  of  on 
them,  of  course  to  get  those  hated  reminders  as 
far  out  of  sight  as  possible.  This  done,  they 
shamelessly  left  vacant  (see  Text,  and  Gram.) 
the  place  at  the  side  of  their  husband,  like  an 
adulterous  wife,  in  order  to  betake  themselves  to 

the  couch  of  a  lover. — IV/J  TIXD  states  how  the 
adulterous  wife  made  empty  the  place  at  her 
husband's  side;  1/ym,  how  she  ascended  to  the 
elevation  (ver.  7);  "pDl^O  ramn,  how  she 
made  the  lewd  bed,  i.  e.  broad,  to  give  room  for 
the  lover.  DHD  ^-THD"  (see  Text,  and  Gram.), 
describes  the  coarseness  of  this  relation.  The 
shameless  harlot  demands  her  price.  What  it 
was  is  not  said.  Any  way  it  was  agreed  to. 
For  the  text  continues :  thou  lovedest  their  em- 
brace (3D2O  frequent  in  this  sense:  Num.  xxxi. 
17,  18,  35;  Judg.  xxi.  11, 12,  etc.). 


CHAP.  LVII.  3-14. 


619 


5.  And  thou  wentest — wast  not  grieved. 
— Vers.  9,  10.  The  Prophet  has  hitherto  de- 
scribed what  we  may  call  the  immediate  worship 
of  idols.  Now  he  turns  to  what  may  be  called  the 
political  or  indirect  idolatry  of  the  Israelites.  For 
when  they  turned  to  heathen  nations  for  help, 
instead  of  relying  on  the  LORD,  that  also  was 
i  lolatry.  And  it  was  such  not  merely  in  the 
subtile  sense  of  trusting  in  an  arm  of  flesh  (cornp. 
Jer.  xvii.  5,  6;  Isa.  xxx.  1  sq. ;  xxxi.  1-3;  2  Ki. 
xvi.  7),  but  also  in  the  grosser  sense,  inasmuch  as 
trusting  in  a  heathen  nation  involved  trusting  in 
its  gods  (x.  10,  11;  Jer.  ii.  33,  36;  Ezek.  xxiii. 
7,  30;  Hos.  xii.  1).  If  this  is  the  correct  under- 
standing of  the  fundamental  thought  of  our  pas- 
sage, it  is  clear  that  we  are  not  to  understand 

i£?0  as  meaning  an  idol,  as  many  expositors  do. 
It  is  therefore  neither  Moloch  (comp.  viii.  21 ; 
Amos  v.  20 ;  Jer.  xiix.  1,  3 ;  Zeph.  i.  5),  nor 
Anamelech,  the  Chronos  of  the  Sepharvaim  (2 
Kings  xvii.  31),  as  HITZIG  thinks,  nor  the  Phoe- 
nician Baal  (7^3  *]/O)  as  KNOBEL  says.  It 
seems  to  me  also  incorrect  to  suppose  it  refers 
directly  to  the  king  of  Assyria.  For  there  is 
nowherw  any  trace  of  his  having  been  directly 
"the  king"  for  the  Israelites.  And  one  cannot 
appeal  to  xxx.  30  to  show  that  he  was,  for  there, 
according  to  the  context  (comp.  ver.  31,  "Ui^N1) 
only  the  Assyrian  king  can  be  thought  of.  Hence 
it  seems  to  ma  that  the  Prophet  would  say : 
Israel  has  ever  turned  to  him  who,  according  to 
existing  relations,  was  for  the  time  the  king,  /car' 
t&X'l1''  Nearly  like,  but  not  identical,  is  the 

construction  of  SA.ADIA,  who  understands  ~\  70  as 
collective.  Also  the  choice  of  the  word  "M$ 
seems  to  favor  our  constructions,  for  it  means 
"circuire,  to  go  about"  (comp.  7"Pty,  the  wander- 
ing about,  for  caravans,  Ezek.  xxvii.  25).  |?.$3 
is  "with  oil."  But  it  remains  doubtful  whether 
that  means  "as  one  anointed  with  oil"  (in  order 
to  charm  the  senses,  Ezek.  xxiii.  40)  or  ''  with 
presents  of  oil  and  ointments."  Grammatically 
either  is  allowable.  Comp.  for  the  former  use, 
Gen.  xxxii.  11.  But  I  prefer  the  latter,  because 
it  cannot  be  said  that  Israel  itself  came  to  the 
king,  but  sent  ambassadors  to  remote  places. 
Rather,  according  to  Isaiah's  style,  the  latter  is 
the  explanation  of  the  figure.  The  great  rulers, 
now  Assyria,  now  Egypt,  lived  far  away.  Did 
Israel  perhaps  send  ambassadors  further  than 
that?  Any  way  one  may  not  press  the  signifi- 
cance of  ''  oil  and  ointments."  The  simple 
meaning  is,  that  Israel  sent  the  noblest  and  cost- 
liest gifts  of  its  land  as  presents.  The  olive  tree 
grew  nowhere  so  well  as  in  Palestine ;  comp. 
LEYRER,  HERZOG'S  Real-Eric.  X.  p.  547.  One  of 
the  ingredients  of  the  D'npl  (arc,  fa-/.,  otherwise 
np_^),  "ointments,"  perfumes,  were  D'0t93 
and  Palestine  was  regarded  as  the  exclusive 
home  of  the  balsam  shrub,  ibid.  I.  673.  Chap. 
xxxix.  2  shows  that  costly  oil  and  noble  oint- 
ment belonged  to  the  royal  treasures.  "1<l^= 
"messenger,"  as  in  xviii.  2.  But  Israel's  at- 
tempts to  find  helpers  not  only  went  far,  but  also 

deep.     It  is  common  to  understand  blXi^-Ty  to 


mean  the  humble  gestures  and  words  of  those 
seeking  help.  But  that  were  a  bad  and  senseless 
hyperbole.  I  believe  the  Prophet  by  didst  send 
thy  messengers  far  off  refers  chiefly  to  chaps. 
xxviii.-xxxiii.,  and  by  thou  wentest  down 
to  hell  has  especially  in  mind  xxviii.  15,  where 
the  rulers  of  Jerusalem  are  made  to  say  :  "  We 
have  made  a  covenant  with  death,  and  with  hell 

are  we  at  agreement."  The  Iliph.  TWfrl,  there- 
fore, has  not  an  ethical,  but  a  local  sense  (comp. 
xxv.  12;  xxvi.  5;  Ps.  cxiii.  6). 

Ver.  10.  Thus  Israel  had  wearied  itself  with 


much  running  (1^.  is  abstradum  here  :  the  go- 
ing, running,  as  often,  comp.  1  Kings  xviii.  27 
and  chap,  xlvii.  12;  1  Kings  xix.  7);  but  did 
not  learn  to  see  the  uselessness  of  its  efforts. 
Rather,  because  the  weak  hand  from  time  to 
time  felt  some  life,  Israel  never  came  to  feel  sick, 
i.  e.  to  know  and  feel  its  powerlessness  in  its  com- 
plete reality. 

6.  And  of  •whom  hast  thou  -  way  of  my 
people.  —  Vers.  11-14.  Having  thus  described 
the  idolatrous  practices  of  the  nation,  the  Prophet 
next  asks  for  the  reasons  of  it.  These  may  be 
positive  and  negative  :  the  idols  may  have  ad- 
vantages that  Jehovah  has  not,  and  Jehovah  may 
have  defects  that  the  idols  are  free  from.  I  do 
not  believe  that  'D'Htf  refers  to  the  heathen  na- 
tions or  their  rulers,  to  whom  Israel  had-  looked 
for  protection.  For  the  whole  context  treats 
essentially  of  Israel's  religious  conduct,  and  here 
especially  of  the  reasons  Israel  might  have  for 
preferring  idols  to  Jehovah.  And,  indeed,  ac- 
cording to  our  remark  on  ver.  9,  the  dreadfulness 
of  a  nation  depended  on  the  power  of  its  gods. 
'O  therefore  refers  to  the  idols.  It  is  to  be  taken 
in  the  same  sense  as  in  ver.  4.  Indeed  one  may 
say  that  this  '3~fiN  stands  in  a  certain  antithetical 

relation  to  that  "D"^.  For  if  "^~^y,  ver.  4, 
relates  primarily  to  the  Prophet,  still  it  refers 
indirectly  also  to  Jehovah,  because  the  Prophet 
is  such  a  one  only  through  Jehovah.  Of  whom 
wast  thou  apprehensive,  and  so  •wast 
afraid.  See  Text,  and  Gram.  It  might  be 
thought  that  what  could  move  Israel  to  unfaith- 
fulness to  its  LORD  must  be  very  considerable, 
grand  in  power  and  glory,  far  superior  to  Jeho- 
vah. But  is  such  the  case?  No.  One  might 
expect  the  Prophet  to  dwell  here  on  the  con- 
temptible quality  of  idols,  that  is  intimated  only 
by  'O.  But  what  were  the  use?  Has  he  not 
abund-mtly  done  so  in  the  first  Ennead?  See 
xl.  18  sqq.  ;  xli.  6  sq.  ;  21  sqq.;  xlii.  17;  xliii. 
9  sqq  ;  xliv.  9  sqq.;  xlv.  20;  xlvi.  1  sqq.;  xlvii. 
12;  xlviii.  3  sqq.  —  That  thou  liedst.  The 
meaning  of  3;T3  here  appears  from  what  follows. 
It  denotes  the  unfaithfulness,  covenant-breaking 
nature  of  Israel.  For  by  its  deeds  it  proved  its 
words  to  be  lying  words  (comp.  Ps.  Ixxviii.  36 
sq.).  Apart  from  single  covenants  (Exod.  xix. 
8;  xxiv.  3,  7;  Deut.  v.  27  sqq.;  Josh.  xxiv.  16, 
24)  the  confession  of  Jehovah  was  the  standing 
law  in  Israel.  The  sense  is:  'What  is  the  quality 
of  those  things  that  thou  fearest,  that  ('3,  see 
Text,  and  Gram.)  thou  couldest  be  seduced  by 
them  to  break  faith  with  thy  God  ?  But,  from 

the  antithesis  to  'E  ~/yf  ver.  4,  and  from  what 


620 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  Prophet  has  already  said  of  the  idols,  it  is 
seen  that  Israel  found  no  sufficient  motive  for 
apostacy  in  the  nature  of  its  idols.  There  is 
another  motive,  viz.  the  silence  of  Jehovah. 
This  must  have  been  of  such  a  nature  as  to  ex- 
plain the  absence  of  fear  of  Him  who  was  with 
Israel.  This  appears  from  the  apodosis ;  there- 
fore thou  fearest  Me  not. — Therefore  we  are 
not  to  understand  a  not-speaking,  but  a  not-doing. 
The  LORD  had  kept  His  peace,  and  indeed 

from  very  ancient  time  p  before  D7lj,'  = 
"and  indeed,"  comp.  xiii.  10;  xxxii.  7;  xliv. 
28),  He  had  looked  on,  spared,  used  forbearance. 
Oi  course  this  must  be  understood  relatively,  for 
single  chastisements  were  not  wanting.  But  in 
comparison  with  the  language  the  LORD  used  in 
leading  Israel  into  exile,  all  that  had  been  before 
was  silence.  Thus  tlie  LORD  speaks  of  such  a 
silence  with  reference  to  Israel  as  He  had  before 
spoken  of  with  reference  to  the  Gentiles,  xlii.  14. 
If  one  supposes  the  Prophet  to  speak  from  the 
stand-point  of  the  Exile,  it  is  verily  not  evident 
what  so  terrible  happened  to  the  wicked  Israel- 
ites after  the  Exile,  as  to  make  all  that  happened 
before  seem  silence  in  comparison. 

Ver.  12.  I  will  declare. — In  contrast  with 
His  former  silence,  the  LORD  says  He  will  speak. 
He  will  declare  the  righteousness  of  Israel 
and  its  fruits,  the  works.  The  whole  verse  is 
ironically  meant.  First  of  all  there  is  irony  in 
TUX.  At  first  sight  it  seems  as  if  the  LORD  pre- 
sented the  prospect  of  an  imposing  proclamation 
of  the  great,  hitherto-ignored  deserts  of  Israel. 
Second,  one  supposes  on  this  account  that  by 
"righteousness"  and  "works''  are  to  be  under- 
stood the  manifestations  of  an  actually  existing 
righteousness  of  Israel's.  But  in  fact  the  LORD 
means  that  the  unrighteousness,  the  malignity, 
of  Israel  shall,  by  a  suitable  judicial  act,  be  pil- 


loried before  the  whole  world.     Third,  the  ex- 
pression: but  they  will  not  profit  thee  is  an 

ironical  meiosis.  For  what  Isiael  has  to  show 
in  fruits  of  righteousness  is  so  much  the  opposite 
of  true  righteousness  that  no  other  fruit  than  de- 
struction can  come  of  it.  It  is  seen  that  I  do  not 
follow  the  punctuation  of  the  Masorets.  I  can- 
not therefore  approve  of  the  rendering:  "and  as 
regards  thy  handiwork  (the  idols),  they  will  not 
profit  thee  (DELITZSCH,  SEINECKE,  ROHLING, 
WEBER).  For  1)  the  brief  words,  ver.  12  6  a, 
would  be  no  suitable  expression  for  the  impor- 
tant thought  that  the  LORD  will  bring  Israel's 
sin  to  light  by  great  judgments  ;  2)  it  were 
strange  to  say,  ver.  12  b,  of  the  idols:  "  they  will 
not  help  thee,"  and  then  to  continue,  ver.  13 : 
"when  thou  criest  let  them  help  thee." — Thus  I 
believe  that  not  till  in  ver.  13  is  declared  the 
incapacity  of  the  heaps  of  idols  (D"i'?3p,  a-.  %ey., 
properly  ''gatherings"  in  the  sense  of  "pan- 
theon").— [''AsEN  EZRA  appears  to  understand 
the  word  generically,  as  denoting  all  that  they 
could  scrape  together  for  their  own  security,  in- 
cluding idols,  armies  and  all  other  objects  of  re- 
liance." J.A.ALEX.  This  comprehensive  mean- 
ing would  suit  the  reference  of  vers.  9,  19,  which, 
spite  of  the  Author's  interpretation,  that  makes 
the  main  reference  in  the  end  to  be  to  idols,  cer- 
tainly does  not  exclude  reliance  on  foreign  kings 
and  their  armies. — TR.] — The  wind,  yea,  a  breath 
will  carry  away  the  whole  pantheon  (HENG- 
STEXBERG,  DELITZSCH,  comp.  xli.  16,  29).  On 
the  other  hand,  those  that  put  their  trust  in  the 
LORD,  even  if  the  general  calamity  shall  have 
carried  them  off  into  the  Exile,  will  take  posses- 
sion of  the  holy  hand  and  of  the  holy  mountain 
as  their  inheritance.  Hence  return  out  of  the 
Exile  is  the  concluding  thought,  which  is  ex- 
pressed in  ver.  14  with  great  emphasis. 


3.  GOD'S  LOVE  SMITES  AND  HEALS  THOSE  THAT  LET  THEMSELVES  BE  HEALED. 

CHAPTER  LVII.  15-21. 

15  For  thus  saith  the  high  and  lofty  One  _ 
•That  inhabiteth  eternity,  whose  name  is  Holy ; 
I  dwell  in  the  high  and  .holy  place, 

With  him  also  that  is  of  &  contrite  and  humble  spirit, 

To  revive  the  spirit  of  the  humble, 

And  to  revive  the  heart  of  the  contrite  ones. 

16  For  I  will  not  contend  for  ever, 
Neither  will  I  be  always  wroth  : 
bFor  the  spirit  should  fail  before  me, 
And  the  souls  which  I  have  made. 

17  For  the  iniquity  of  his  covetousness  °was  I  wroth, 
And  smote  him :  I  hid  me,  and  was  wroth, 

"And  he  went  on  ^rowardly  in  the  way  of  his  heart. 

18  I  have  seen  his  ways,  and  will  heal  him  : 
I  will  lead  him  also,  and  restore  comforts 
Unto  him  "and  to  his  mourners. 


CHAP.  LVII.  15-21. 


621 


19  1  create  the  fruit  of  the  lips  ; 

Peace,  peace  to  him  that  is  far  off,  and  to  him  that  is  near, 
Saith  the  LORD  ;  and  I  will  heal  him. 

20  But  the  wicked  are  like  the  troubled  sea, 
When  it  cannot  rest, 

Whose  waters  cast  up  mire  and  dirt. 

21  There  is  no  peace,  saith  my  God  to  the  wicked. 

1  Heb.  turning  away. 

•  The  One  dwelling  eternally.  *  For  the  spirit  that  goes  out  from  me  would  pine  away. 
*am  I  angry,  and  smite  him,  in  that  being  angry  I  hide  myself.  d  But.  «  even. 

*  He  thai  creates  the  noblest  bloom  oft/ie  lips. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

See  List  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words  :  Ver.  15. 
K3T  as  an  adjective,  comp.  Ps.  xxxiv.  19.  Ver.  16.  ^0^' 
frequent  in  the  Psalms  :  Ixi.  3;  Ixxiii.  6;  lxxvii.4;  cvii. 
5;  cxlii.  4;  cxliii.  4.  Ver.  17.  #1*3.  comp.  Jer.  vi.  13. 

Ver.  20.  $3*V 

Ver.  17.  Tf>Dn  is  the  inf.  absol.  placed  after,  express- 
Ing  the  notion  of  what  is  constant,  continuous;  one  ! 
might  say  here,  expressive  of  the  constant  practice. 
Instead  of  HtfpJO  it  would  properly  read  tlljfpl.  But, 
as  is  well  known,  there  occur  many  modifications  in  this 
sort  of  construction.  Especially  it  happens  not  seldom 
that  the  inf.  absol.  changes  in  the  last  member  into  the 
Onite  verb  or  participle  (comp.  2  Sam.  xvi.  13  ;  Gen.  xxvi. 
13;  Jer.  xli.  6;  2  Sam.  xv.  20;  xvi.  5,  etc.).  Therefore  we 
translate:  "and  I  smite  him,  in  that  I  being  angry  hide 
myself."  "inDH  direct  causative  Hiph.  =  to  make  con- 
cealment, hiding.  -  The  clause  '1J1  33119  "jVl  states 
the  further  consequence  of  the  divine  smiting.  But  for 
this  is  used  the  Vav  consec.  imperf.,  denoting,  not  a  sin- 
gle, historical  fact,  but  a  manifestation  constantly  re- 
peated, according  to  the  usage  that  expresses  aoristi- 
cally  what  is  yet  something  continuous.  Comp.  rU'Dl 


ver.  3; 


ver.  20.  -  33119  comp.  Jer.  iii.  14,"22; 


GRAMMATICAL. 

concerning  its   distinction  from  33119  see  on  Jerem. 

xxxi  22. 

Ver.  18.  One  may  (according  to  the  view  in  the  com* 
ment  belowj  understand  iriK3~lK  de  conatu,  as  the 
word  is  evidently  used  in  Jer.  vi.  li  ;  viii.ll,  which  pas- 
sages, also,  on  account  of  J^)f3  in  the  foregoing  verse,  and 

on  account  of  the  double  Qi7t9,  accord  in  sound  with 

T 

our  text.  The  construction  of  ver.  18  is  as  in  ver.  17  a. 
As  there  Tl3¥p  is  followed  by  1H3N1,  so  here  TTJO  is 

followed  by  "Ul  IHKinXI. 
Ver.  19.  Instead  of  31J  the  K'ri  reads  3"1},  because  the 

only  passage  beside  where  the  substantive  occurs,  Mai. 
i.  12,  has  13'J.  The  singular  suffix  in  mX3"l  is  to  be 

referred  to  the  collective  singulars  pirn  and  31"lp- 
Ver.  20.  As  it  does  not  read  t9.P3n,  we  are  not  to 

T  :  •  " 

regard  this  verbal  form  as  a  participle,  but  as  the  third 

pers.  perf.,  and  to  supply  "119X  before  it. The  words 

SDV  N1?  ttpt9'n  are  quoted'jer.  xlix.  23.  That  in  Jere- 
miah they  are  not  original,  appears  from  his  uSingthem 
as  outward  adornment,  as  embellishment  of  his  dis- 
course, whereas  in  our  text  they  are  organically 

grounded  in  the  context. 59p7>  comP-  £>3"1  pedibus 

calcavit,  turbavit.  Concerning  the  Aorist  1t9"l  j'l,  comp. 
on  in*l  ver.  17. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


The  Prophet  here  gives  a  worthy  conclusion  to 
the  Ennead  whose  centre  is  the  humble  Servant 
of  God.  He  points  us  to  the  fact,  that  the  ground 
of  all  salvation  is  the  unity  of  highness  and  low- 
ness  in  God  that  love  mediates.  For  God  is  en- 
throned as  the  highest  and  absolutely  holy  Being 
in  the  highest  majesty  and  glory,  and  yet  at  the 
same  time  He  dwells  with  the  wretched  and  con- 
trite in  order  to  give  them  new  life  (ver.  15). 
For  He  is  angry  for  a  while,  but  the  foundation 
of  His  being  is  still  love.  Hence  He  cannot  let 
the  spirit,  the  soul  of  men,  His  own  creatures,  be 
destroyed  (vers.  16).  On  account  of  sin,  indeed, 
He  smites  a  man.  But  when  the  man,  not  re- 
formed by  the  outward  chastisement,  perseveres  in 
his  own  chosen  way  (ver.  17),  still  He  does  not 
for  this  reason  give  him  up.  He  now  applies 
the  opposite  mode  of  treatment :  He  heals  him,  by 
working  inwardly  on  his  heart  by  gentle  means, 
as  far,  of  course,  as  there  is  the  necessary  recepti- 
vity for  this  healing  treatment,  that  is,  the  capacity 
of  being  sorry  for  the  ways  of  the  past  (ver. 
18).  In  conclusion,  the  Prophet  designates  the 
announcement  of  this  divine  saving  treatment  ns 
the  flower  of  the  word  of  prophecy  (ver.  19),  but 


which  of  course  will  not  profit  all.  For  the 
wicked,  that  are  like  the  sea,  which  lashed  by 
storms  throws  up  dirty  foam  (ver.  20) — the  wicked 
find  no  peace  (ver.  21).  We  wonder  to  hear  these 
profound,  evangelical  words  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Old  Testament  Prophet.  Were  they  perhaps  writ- 
ten by  a  scholar  of  the  beloved  disciple  and  smug- 
gled in  here?  And  how  artistically  the  Prophet 
recapitulates  the  fundamental  thought  of  this  sec- 
tion, and  returns  to  the  refrain  with  which  he 
would  conclude  this  as  all  three  sections. 

2.  For  thus  saith 1  have  made.— Vers. 

15-16.  That  ver.  15,  and  not  ver.  14,  begins 
the  concluding  word  appears  from  the  formula 
"  For  thus  saith"  which  as  a  rule  begins  sections 
(Ivi.  4;  Iii.  4;  xlv.  18;  xxxi.  4;  xxi.  6,  16; 
xviii.  4,  etc.),  partly,  too,  from  the  divine  title, 
which  is  wont  to  be  employed  at  the  head  of  sec- 
tions (i.  24;  x.  24 ;  xxii.  l5;  xxx.  15,  xlii.  5; 
xliii.  1,  14,  16;  xliv.  6;  xlv.  11,  18;  xlviii.  17; 
xlix.  7,  etc.}.  A  third  reason  is,  that  the  vers.  15- 
21  relate  to  a  wider  sphere  than  tho.^e  that  pre- 
cede, For  from  Ivi.  10  on,  the  Prophet  had 
Israel  in  mind,  while  in  this  concluding  word  his 
gaze  comprehends  humanity  entire. — First  he  de- 


622   . 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


scribes  the  LORD  in  respect  to  His  infinite  ex- 
altation. He  calls  Him  first  NtfJl  D"\  an  ex- 
pression that  occurs  only  vi.  1,  and  which 
describes  that  exaltation  of  God  primarily  ac- 
cording to  its  outward  appearance.  Thus  he 
calls  Him  ~U?  ]3&  (i.e.,  not:  He  who  inhabits 
eternity, — a  representation  incapable  of  accom-  j 
plishment,  but:  who  eternally  sits  enthroned, 
t.  e.,  maintains  His  house,  His  place,  thus  also 
His  dignity  and  honor  eternally,  can  never  like 
a  man  be  driven  out  of  it,  ix.  5  ;  xxx.  8 ;  xxvi.  4; 
xlv.  17;  Ixiv.  8;  Ixv.  18).  Third  he  designates 
Him  as  the  One  whose  name  is  "  The  Holy 
One,"  sanctus.  Thus  one  would  think  He  was  too 
holy  to  resort  to  fellowship  with  sinful  men. 
But  no !  He  declares  of  Himself:  although  I 
dwell  on  high  (heaven  is  meant,  the  high 
place  of  God  that  overlooks  all,  comp.  xxxiii.  5, 
and  the  modified  expression  ibid.  ver.  16)  and 
in  the  holy  place  (EftTp  in  the  sense  of  JZHp 
as  in  Ps.  xlvi.  5;  Ixv.  5;  it  is  the  upper  sanctu- 
ary that  is  meant,  Exod.  xxv.  9,  40 ;  xxvi.  30.; 
Acts  vii.  44 ;  Heb.  viii.  5),  still  I  dwell  also 
with  him  that  is  of  a  contrite  and  lowly 
spirit  (Prov.  xvi.  19;  xxix.  23).  What  con- 
trasts, therefore,  God  is  capable  of!  He  dwells  at 
the  same  time  in  the  highest  and  in  the  lowliest. 
But  that  is  no  contradiction.  For  the  "lowly 
spirit"  is  also  just  a  choice  and  worthy  dwelling,  ; 
yea  the  choicest  of  all,  since  it  is  a  living,  per- 
sonal habitation.  But  it  is  so  choice  for  the  rea- 
son that  the  humble  man  surrenders  himself 
wholly,  adds  nothing  from  his  ow:i.  will  only  ac- 
cept God  and  let  himself  be  illuminated  by  Him. 
Thus  God  supplies  what  is  wanting  in  him.  For 
He  makes  His  dwelling  in  him  precisely  for  the 
purpose  of  filling  spirit  and  heart  (i.e.,  mind  and 
soul,  thinking  and  willing),  of  the  humble  and 
contrite  with  a  new,  fresh  divine  life  (comp.  Gal. 
ii.  20).  It  appears  from  "to  revive  the  spirit'' 
and  "to  revive  the  heart,"  that  the  Prophet 
means  such  humble  souls  as  are  also  bowed  down 
deep  with  sorrow.  Hence,  ver.  16,  he  can  pro- 
ceed with  for  I  will  not  to  eternity  contend, 
nor  be  perpetually  angry  (comp.  Ps.  ciii.  9). 
God  cannot  do  this  for  the  reason,  also,  that  else 
the  whole  being  of  men  would  be  destroyed. 
For  as  a  creature,  man  cannot  in  the  long  run 
endure  the  wrath  of  God.  By  continued  smiting 
the  spirit  of  man  that  "  stands  before 
God,"  i.e.,  as  kindred  with  God,  is  capable 
(Matth.  xviii.  10)  of  His  presence  and  fellowship, 
and  the  soul  that  became  D'TI  rotM  (Gen.  ii. 

7)  by  the  inbreathing  of  the  Spirit,  must  pine 
away  and  perish.  In  this  way  God  would 
destroy  His  own  work. 

3.  For  the  iniquity his   mourners. — 

Vers.  17,  18.  The  sorrows  that  God  decrees  are 
not  blows  of  destruction  (Lam.  iii.  31-42).  He  is 
angry  and  chastises  only  on  account  of  sin.  But 
that  sin  is  here  made  prominent  which  is  in  1 
Tim.  vi.  10  called  the  root  of  all  evil  things,  viz., 
the  jrfcouef/a  (Col.  iii.  5)  or  Qilapyvpla.  It  is 
here  named  metonymically.  the  thing  striven  for 
(•P- ?.  "  cutting,  gain  " )  being  put  for  the  striving. 
What  guilt  is  so  great  that  a  man  will  not  burden 
his  conscience  with  it  for  the  sake  of  gain  ?  The 
perf.  T»32fp  describes  the  anger  as  an  actual 


foundation  that  the  LORD  feels  in  His  heart 
The  consequence  and  expression  of  this  anger  is 
the  smiting.  But  as  it  is  not  said  'H.3X1  but 
IHIIXI,  we  may  not  translate  :  and  I  smote,  but  : 
"and  I  smite."  From  this  it  appears,  that  the 
LORD  has  not  in  mind  concrete,  definite  facts,  as 
say  His  conduct  toward  the  people  Israel,  but  He 
describes  here  the  conduct  He  observes  every- 
where and  toward  all  men.  Therefore  we  must 
translate:  I  am  angry  and  I  smite,  in  that 
being  angry  (see  Tert.and  Gram.)  I  hide  My- 
self. The  clause  but  he  went  off  rebel- 
liously  in  the  way  of  his  heart,  declares  the 
further  consequence  of  the  divine  smiting.  The 
observation  continually  repeats  itself,  that  the 
divine  chastisement  is  disregarded  by  men.  It 
was  verified  in  the  case  of  Israel  as  in  that  of  the 
majority  of  mankind.  Therefore  the  chastise- 
ment was  of  no  avail.  One  would  suppose  then 
that  the  LORD  must  leave  the  contumacious  man 
to  his  well  deserved  fate.  But  no  !  The  forbear- 
ance, the  patience,  the  compassionate  love  of  God 
is  without  bounds.  He  sees  (surveys)  the 
ways  of  a  man,  their  beginning,  middle  and 
end.  He  Fees  whither  these  ways  lead.  They 
lead  to  everlasting  destruction.  He  cannot  suffer 
this.  Therefore  He  approaches  a  man  not  only 
outwardly  by  angry  smiting  (ver.  17  a),  He  also 
makes  the  attempt  inwardly.  He  heals  the  man; 
self-evidently  the  man  who  lets  himself  be  healed. 
For  God  lays  His  grace  indeed  as  near  a  man  as 
possible.  But  He  never  forces  it  on  him.  The 
manner  of  the  healing  is  explained  in  the  follow- 
ing words:  and  I  will  lead  him,  etc.  God 
brings  the  man  from  the  way  of  error  on  to  the 
right  way,  and  then  extends  to  him  what  is  need- 


ful to  comfort  and  strengthen  him.     D'OflJ 

is  properly  ''to  requite,  compensate  consolations," 

i.  e.,  offer   consolations   as   compensation.     The 

V;3X7l  joined  on  contains  the  plainest  restric- 
tion of  the  inNinXI.  That  is  one  must,  with 
STIER,  DELITZSCH  et  cd.,  take  1  in  the  sense  of 
"and  indeed,  viz."  (comp.  ver.  11).  The  LORD 
cannot  guide  all  and  refresh  all  with  His  consola- 
tions, but  only  those  that  are  of  a  troubled 
spirit.  They  are  therefore  the  same  that  in  ver. 
15  are  called  contrite  and  humble  of  spirit 

4.  I  create  the  fruit  --  the  wicked.  — 
Vers.  19-21.  So  much  is  certain,  ver.  19  intro- 
duces the  conclusion.  The  thought  "peace" 
joins  vers.  19-21  close  to  one  another.  But 
what  of  D'f\3iP  313  tOO  ?  Grammatically  the 
words  may  be  joined  either  with  what  precedes 
or  with  what  follows.  And  as  regards  the  sense, 
"sprout,  fruit  of  the  Hps  "  does  not  necessarily 
mean  only  thanks  and  praise,  although  the  words 
of  our  text  are  so  understood,  Heb.  xiii.  15.  In 
Prov.  x.  31  wisdom  is  designated  as  the  outgrowth 
of  the  mouth,  in  Prov.  xii.  14;  xiii.  2;  xviii.  20 
satiety  with  good  generally  is  described  as 
H3  "f3  and  D^nSti'  nXOn.  Therefore  D'ASfcT  3U 
may  be  the  word  of  prophecy,  either  that  before 
us  or  the  word  of  prophecy  in  general.  Now  can 
one  say,  that  the  LORD  extends  comfort  in  thai 
He  creates  thanks  and  praise  ?  Not  very  well 
At  least  in  our  context  one  looks  for  :  in  order  tc 


make 


thanksgiving,  or  "  I  create  fruit  of 


CHAP.  LVII.  15-21. 


623 


the  lips,  in  that  I  extend  comfort."  But  if  by 
"  fruit  of  the  lips"  one  understands  the  prophetic 
word,  then  would  be  said,  that  the  LORD  heals, 
guides,  comforts,  in  that  lie  makes  the  fruit  of 
tue  lips,  i.  e.  ,of  the  propiietic  lips.  But  that  were 
a  very  forced  and  artificial  manner  of  expression. 
For  the  LORD  can  after  all  only  indirectly  heal 
and  comfort,  by  making  the  Prophet  speak  divine 
words.  It  comes  about  directly  only  by  means 
of  the  LORD'S  opening  the  hearts  to  give  heed  to 
what  is  spoken  by  His  Spirit  (Acts  xvi.  14). 
Therefore  it  does  not  seem  to  me  to  be  proper  to 
connect  &  O  5O13  with  what  precedes.  But  if 
we  connect  it  with  what  follows,  the  same  reasons 
already  given  determine  against  the  meaning 
''  thanks  and  praise.*'  Therefore  if  we  refer  it  to 
the  propiietic  word,  we  in.ist  first  of  all  not  forget 
that  these  words  are  spoken  with  a  certain  em- 
phasis. The  expression  though  kindred,  is  still 
not  the  same  in  meaning  as  '""13  or  QT\3Z#  nXOrv 
For  33J  is  not  the  usual  word  for  "budding, 
sprouting"  (the  most  usual  are  l"P3  or  T13X). 
It  occurs  only  in  poetry  and  only  in  four  places, 
and,  as  rena.irke  1,  is  always  used  with  a  certain 
emphasis.  For  Ps.  Ixii.  11  it  designates  a 
vigorous  sprouting,  and  the  same  also  Ps.  xcii.  15, 
which  speaks  of  an  impelling  force  effective  even 
in  old  age.  Prov.  x.  31  would  say,  that  the 
mouth  of  the  righteous  is  gifced  with  the  power 
to  produce  that  which  is  noblest,  wisdom.  Zech. 
ix.  17,  finally,  also  speaks  of  a  power  of  produc- 
tion whosj  intensity  is  attested  by  the  excellence 
of  what  it  produces.  So  then  I  believe  that  here 
'&  313  does  not  mean  in  gen?ral  "offspring  of 
the  lips,"  but  "splendid  offspring,  noble  off- 
spring." That  is,  the  Prophet  would  say,  that  lie 
regards  the  proclamation  of  peace  and  healing 
for  those  far  and  near  as  the  highest  and  noblest 
flower  of  his  prophecy.  Peace,  peace  to  him 
that  is  far  off,  and  to  him  that  is  near,  and 
I  will  heal  him,  saith  the  Lord,  therewith 
creating  the  flower  of  the  (prophetic)  lips,  i.  e., 
in  that  He  utters  the  highest  and  most  glorious 
thing  that  He  commissions  His  Prophet  to  pro- 
claim. miT  "1  OX  stands  elsewhere  only  at  the 
end  of  the  discourse  (xxii.  1-1;  xxxix.  6;  xlv.  13; 
xlix.  5 ;  liv.  1,  6,  8, 10 ;  lix.  21 ;  Ixv.  7,  25;  Ixvi. 
9,  20,  21,  23).  Here  it  stands,  as  in  ver.  21  ; 

xlviii.  22  (corap.  "OK  ^  xlv.  24;  Jer.  xxx.  3) 
as  an  insertion.  The  double  D'l  f\&  sounds  solemn 
and  emphatic  (comp.  xxvi.  3;  Jer.  vi.  14;  via. 
11 ;  1  Chr.  xii.  18).  By  the  "  far  and  near"  I 
cannot  understand  "  the  Israelites  scattered  far 
and  wide.'  How  should  the  remote  or  nearer 
distance  of  the  place  of  banishment  from  Pales- 
tine have  any  importance  for  the  LORD?  And  if 
not  for  Him,  then  certainly  they  would  have  no 
importance  for  the  believing  Israelites.  To  give 
explanation  on  this  point  was  not  necessary  for 
the  "flower  of  prophecy."  But  it  was  important 
to  declare,  that  also  the  heathen,  that  hitherto 
had  been  far  off,  were  to  come  near  and  partake  j 
of  the  salvation  of  Israel  (comp.  xlii.  6;  xlix.  6  ; 
Ixv.  1  ;  Hos.  ii.  23,  etc.).  Thus  Paul  understood 
the  passage  (Eph.  ii.  17).  1TIX311  connects  with 
BWBTHl  ver.  18,  and  shows  that  the  LORD  knows 
no  salvation  without  healing.  There  is  indeed 


no  salvation  for  those  not  healed,  the  spiritually 
sick,  the  wicked  (ver.  20,  21).  Thus  rnXD-n 
mediates  in  an  artistic  way  the  connection  be- 
tween what  precedes  and  what  follows. 

Ver.  20.  The  wicked  are  like  the  sea  that 
is  stirred  up.  The  Prophet  distinguishes  two 
particulars.  First  the  unrest  of  the  sea.  This 
is  the  effect  of  storms  that  do  not  allow  the  sea  to 
rest.  The  other  is  the  foam  and  mud  that 
the  sea  throws  out  of  its  depths.  The  likings 
and  cravings,  the  passions  are  the  storms  that 
stir  up  the  human  heart  and  let  it  have  no  rest. 
The  wicked  works  are  the  foam  and  slime  that 
then  come  to  the  surface  and  make  manifest  the 
uncleanness,  the  depravity,  therefore  the  malady 
within.  For  it  cannot  rest:  these  words  are 
quoted  in  Jer.  xlix.  23,  see  Text,  and  Gram. 
[This  verse  recalls  Jude  13,  which  may  be  an 
allusion  to  it. — TR.]. 

Ver.  21  gives  the  refrain-like  conclusion  of  the 
Ennead  which  we  had  xlviii.  22.  It  does  not 
come  in  abruptly  as  there,  but  is  duly  prepared. 
The  only  difference  between  this  and  xlviii.  22  is 

that  here  we  have  TT7K,  while  there  it  reads 
niiT.  In  this  "my  God"  is  uttered  the  ab- 
solute reliability  of  what  has  been  said.  How 
could  that  be  incorrect  that  was  said  to  the  Pro- 
phet by  his  God? 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  Ivi.  11.     (Every  one  looks  to  his  own 
way).     u  Potent  intclligi  de  externis  criminibus,  sed 
mac/is  placet,  ut  accipiatw  dezpsciosis  viis,  in  quibus 
ambulant  hypocritae.     Sic  Franciscanus  Francisci 
regidam  sequitur,  dfcalor/um  et  evanyelii  dostrinam 
neyligit  tanquam  rent  rulyarem,  qnae  ad  vuiyus  pertir 
neant." — LUTHER. 

2.  On  Ivi.  12.     In  the  Alexandrian  and  Vati- 
can texts  of  the  LXX.,  the  words  from  lili'DO  ver. 
11  to  the  end  of  ver.  12  are  wanting,  which  even 
JEROME  remarks  on.  He  adds  :  "  denique  hos  ver- 
sicidos  nullus  ecclesiasticorum  interpretum  disscruit, 
sed  quasi  patentem  in  medio  focezm  tmnsiliunt  atque 
transmittunt." —  -That  the  Fathers,  unacquainted  as 
they  were  with   Hebrew,  pass  the  words  by,  is 
simply  explained  by  the   LXX.  omitting  them. 
JEROME,  because  he  knew  Hebrew,  as  ha  himself 
says,  "  added  them  ex  hebraico."      Bnt  why  the 
Greek  translator  left  them  out  is  doubtful.    TIIE- 
ODOTIOX  (see  Her.apla  ORIG.  ed.  Monffnucon  II., 
p.  179)  has  them. — "  Ab  hoe  vitio  (ebrietatis)  ab- 
stinere  debentpii  ecclesiae  ministri  mrmores  interdic- 
ti  apostolici  1   Tim.  iii.  2,  3,  considerantes  secum, 
nuttam  horulam  ipsis  esse  adeo  liberam  ac  vacuam, 
qua  non  ad  offida  functionis  suis  possint  avocari." — 
FOERSTER. — "  Let  one  point  the  rough  figure  for 
himself  for  the  more  delicate  spiritual  form  also, 
quite  as  Matth.  xxiv.  49  ;  Eph.  v.  18,  and  the  like 
are  meant.     For  there  is  a  drunkenness  and  vo- 
luptuousness in  all  kinds  of  wine  and  intoxication, 
which  onlv  the  eve  of  the  Spirit  beholds  in  many 
an  honorable  Bishop,  General-sup?rintpndent  or 
Superior-court-preacher.   STIER.      "  Vita  concio- 
natorift  optirmis  syllogi-smus."  CHRYSOSTOM. 

3.  On  Ivii.  1.     "Against    the  heedlessness  of 
the  world,  that  regards  the  life  and  death  of  men 
alike.     For  because  Pharaoh  and  Moses,  Saul  and 
Jonathan,  Judas  and  Peter,  must  temporally  die, 


624 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


the  one  as  the  other,  they  suppose  it  is  as  ranch  to 
one  as  to  the  other.  But  on  the  contrary,  one 
should  lay  it  to  heart  when  useful  and  pious  men 
fall,  because,  first,  one  must  miss  them  afterwards, 
especially  their  prayers  by  which  they  stand  in 
the  breach  and  run  to  the  walls  (Ezek.  xxii.  30); 
second,  because  the  destruction  of  such  people  is 
wont  to  be  an  evil  omen  of  a  great  impending 
misfortune  and  change.  ["  It  is  a  sign  that  God 
intends  war  when  He  calls  home  His  ambassa- 
dors."— M.  HENRY].  Examples:  When  Noah 
turns  his  back  on  the  world  and  shuts  himself  in 
the  ark,  the  deluge  comes  ( Gen.  vii.  17).  WhenLot 
goes  out  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  fire  from  hea- 
ven falls  on  them  (Gen.  xix.  24).  When  Joseph 
dies  in  Egypt,  the  bondage  of  the  children  of  Israel 
begins,  together  with  the  murder  of  their  infant 
boys  (Exod.  i.  8).  When  Hezekiah  died,  then 
followed  the  tyranny  of  Manasseh  (2  Kings  xx., 
xxi.)  When  Christ  and  His  disciples  were  made 
way  with,  then  began  the  destruction  of  Jerusa- 
lem."— CRAMER. — "  Sicut  ad  Josiam  dicit :  tolleris, 
ne  videant  occuli  tui  hoc  malum,  etc.  ("2  Kings  xxii. 
18-20).  Sic  ejccidio  Hierosolymitano  erepti  sunt 
apostoli  et  reliqui  Sancti.  Idem  nobis  accidet.  Vi- 
vunt  adhuc  passim  quidam  pii  homines,  propter  iliis 
Deus  differt  poenam.  Sublatis  autem  iis  sequetur 
Germaniae  ruina." — LUTHER. — "  Blessed  are  the 
dead,  which  die  in  the  LORD,  for  they  rest  from 
their  labor  (Rev.  xiv.  13).  And  hellish  enemies, 
as  little  as  human,  can  do  them  any  harm." — "  It 
is  a  misfortune  for  the  whole  country  when  dis- 
tinguished and  deserving  people  are  taken  out  of 
the  midst  by  temporal  death.  For  them,  indeed, 
it  is  well ;  but  God  have  mercy  on  those  that  are 
left.  For  as  in  a  great  storm,  when  the  heavens 
are  overcast  with  clouds,  the  shepherd  leads  in 
the  sheep,  the  husbandman  hastily  gathers  his 
sheaves,  the  parents  call  in  the  children  from  the 
streets,  so  our  dear  God  calls  His  dearest  children 
together,  that  the  calamity  may  not  touch  them." 
— CRAMER. — "  The  men  of  grace  or  mercy  are  re- 
ceivers and  distributers,  thus  also  the  mediators 
of  the  grace  of  God  for  their  people ;  the  men  of 
grace,  that  atoningly  represent  the  land  by  inter- 
cessions and  conduct,  postpone  its  judgment  (Gen. 
xviii.  24;  Ezek.  xxii.  30)."  STIER. — "The  mere 
presence  of  an  honest  man  is  still  a  restraint  on 
the  unbridledness  of  blasphemers."  G.  MUELLER 
in  STIER. 

4.  On  Ivii.  2.     '*  Against  the  idle  fancy  of  the 
fire  of  purgatory-  For  here  it  is  said  of  those  who 
have  walked  uprightly,  not  that  they  get  into 
trouble,  unrest,  pain  and  torment,  by  which  they 
must  be  purged;  but  that,  with  respect  to  their 
souls,  they  nome  to  peace.     But  as  to  their  bodies, 
they  rest  in  their  sleeping  chamber.     They  are 
not  on  this  account  driven  about;  they  seek  also 
no  mass  or  soul  baths,  as  the  Papists  pretend." — 
CRAMER. 

"  yam  xt'iffiim  eat  morff.m  mnircm  timiiisse  quietis, 
Quamfayiunt  morbi,  moestaque  pauperies." 

(Attributed  to  CORNELIUS  GALLTJS,  the  friend  of 
VIRGIL). 

5.  On  Ivii.  4.     It  should  be  a  wreath  of  honor 
to  all  faithful  teachers  and  preachers,  that  they 
are  regarded  as  monster*  and  are  lampooned  by 
the  wise  of  this  world.     For  if  the  great  Prophe't 


Isaiah  in  this  passage,  item,  Jeremiah  (Jer.  xx. 
8),  Elijah  (2  Kings  ii.  24),  Ezekiel  (Ezek.  xxxiii. 
31),  Job  (Job  xvii.  6),  yea,  even  Christ  Himself 
had  to  suffer  this,  what  wonder  is  it  if  the  scoffing 
birds  sharpen  their  beaks  on  us  and  chatter  like 
the  storks  ?"  CRAMER. 

6.  [On  Ivii.  8.     "  When  a  people  forget  God, 
the  memorials  of  their  apostacy  will  be  found  in 
every  part  of  their  habitations.     The  shrines  of 
idol  gods  may  not  be  there ;  the  beautiful  images 
of  the   Greek   and    Roman    mythology,  or   the 
clumsy  devices  of  less  refined  heathens  may  not  be 
there;  but  the  furniture,  the  style  of  living  will 
reveal  from  '  behind  every  door  and  the  posts  " 
of  the  house  that  God  is  forgotten,  and  that  they 
are  influenced  by  other  principles  than  a  regard 
for  His  name.     The  sofa,  the  carpet,  the  chandel- 
ier, the  centre-table,  the  instruments  of  music,  the 
splendid  mirror,  may  be  of  such  workmanship  as 
to  show,  as  clearly  as  the  image  of  a  heathen  god, 
that  JEHOVAH  is  not  honored  in  the  dwelling, 
and  that  His  law  does  not  control  the  domestic 
arrangements."  BARNES]. 

7.  [On  Ivii.  1 0.    "  Thou  art  wearied no  hope. 

This  is  a  striking  illustration  of  the  conduct  of 
men  in  seeking  happiness  away  from  God.    They 
wander  from  object  to  object;  they  become  weary 
in  the  pursuit,  yet  they  do  not  abandon  it ;  they 
still  cling  to  hope  though  often  repulsed — and 
though  the  world  gives  them  no  permanent  com- 
fort— though  wealth,  ambition,  gayety,  and  vice 
all  fail  in  imparting  the   happiness  which  they 
sought,  yet  they  do  not  give  it  up  in  despair.    They 
still  feel  that  it  is  to  be  found  in  some  other  way, 
than  by  the  disagreeable  necessity  of  returning  to 
God,  and  they  wander  from  object  to  object,  and 
from  land  to  land,  and  become  exhausted  in  the 
pursuit,  and  still  are  not  ready  to  say  there  is  no 
hope,  we  give  it  up  in  despair,  and   we  will  now 
seek  happiness  in  God."  BARNES. 

"  NOTE. — Despair  of  happiness  in  the  creature, 
and  of  satisfaction  in  the  service  of  sin,  is  the  first 
step  toward  a  well-grounded  hope  of  happiness  in 
God,  and  a  well-fixed  resolution  to  keep  to  His  ser- 
vice ;  and  those  are  inexcusable  who  have  had  sen- 
sible convictions  of  the  vanity  of  the  creature,  and 
yet  will  not  be  brought  to  say,  'There  is  no  hope  to 
be  happy  short  of  the  Creator.'— NOTE. — Prospe- 
rity in  sin  ( Thou  hast  found  the  life  of  thy  hand)  is  a 
great  bar  to  conversion  from  sin."  M.  HENRY]. 

8.  On  Ivii.  11.     "  God  keeps  silence  only  for  a 
while,  but  yet  not  for  ever  and  continually,  with 
respect  to  men's  sins  ;  but  the  longer  He  has  kept 
silence,  the  harder  He  punishes  afterwards.'' — 
STARKE. 

9.  On  Ivii.   12.  "  Tuam  justitiam.  Est  emphasis 
in  pronomine  tuam.     Quasi  dicat:  mea  j  unfit  ia  fir  - 
ma  et  perpetua  cst,  tua  non  item.  .  .  .  In  culamitate 
nihil  desperatius  est  justitiariis,  cum  secundis  rebus 
nihil  quoque  iis  sit  confident  ins.— LUTHER." 

10.  On  Ivii.  15  sq.     "  God   has  three  sorts  of 
dwellings  :  first  in  the  highest,  second  in  the  sanc- 
tuary, third  in  humble  hearts.     The  first  dwelling 
is  theuniversalispraesKntia,  the  universal  presence, 
by  which  He  fills  all  (Jer.  xxiii.  24)  ;  but  there 
He  is  too  high  and  incomprehensible  for  us.  The 
other  is  pratiosa,  the  gracious  presence,  by  which 
He  lets  Himself  be  found  in  the  word  and  sacra- 
ments, and  also  comes  finally  to  us  and  makes  His 
dwelling  in  our  hearts  (Jno"  xiv.  23)."  CRAMER, 


CHAP.  LVIT,  15-21. 


625 


comp.  RENNER,  p.  199. — "  Humihs  anima  est  Dei 
sessio  et  delectabile  cubile."  "  Excelsus  es  Domine, 
sed  humiles  corde  sunt  domus  tua"  (Ps.  cxiii.  6; 
cxxxviii.  6).  AUGUSTIN. — "  Fluenta  yratiae  dear- 
sum  non  sursum  fluunt."  BERNHARD. — "  Here  is  a 
principal  passage  beaming  with  evidence,  that 
''  holy  "  means  not  merely  the  tremenda  majestas, 
but  essentially  comprehends  the  self-communicat- 
ing condescension  of  love."  STIER. — Comp.  His 
Reden  Jesu  V-,  p.  499,  and  the  essays  of  SOHOE- 
BERLEIN  and  ACHELIS  in  Stud,  and  Krit,  1847, 1., 
IV. 

11.  On  Ivii.  18.     Here  again  we  have  one  of 
those  words  in  which  Isaiah  shows  Himself  to  be 
the  Evangelist  of  the  Old  Testament.  For  in  the  old 
covenant  God  does  not  yet  heal  men,  else  the  new 
were  superfluous.  The  law  only  effects  knowledge 
of  sin,  but  it  does  not  give  the  power  to  overcome 
sin.     One  fancies  here  again   that  he  hears  the 
Apostle  that  wrote  Rom.  viii. 

12.  On  Ivii.  19-21.     "The  gospel  in  a  sermon 
of  peace  to  the  heathen  that  were  far  off,  and  to 
the  Jews  that  were  near.     For  by  it  we  both  have 
access  in  one  Spirit  to  the  Father  (Eph.  ii.  18). 
But  the  wicked  quakes  all  his  life  and  what  he 
hears  terrifies  him  (Job  xv.  20 ;  Isa.  xlviii.  22). 
And  especially  in  conflicts,  and  notably  in  the  last 
hour,  and  when  they  see  God's  judgment  near,  one 
gees  this  in  them,  that  they  not  only  therefore 
often  spit  out  blasphemies,  but  that  for  great  an- 
guish they  have  laid  hands  on  themselves.     Ex- 
amples :     Saul,   Ahithophel,   Judas,    Franciscus 
Spiera.     For   because   such  peace   is  not  to   be 
brought  about  with  works,  they  must  ever  stick 
in  anger,  resentment,  discontent  and  disfavor  with 
and  before  God.     And  it  is  only  pure  folly  to 
wish  to  give  the  terrified  hearts  rest  by  their  own 
expiation,  merit  and  self-elected  holiness.     Much 
less  will  there  be  rest  if  one  teaches  such  people 
to  doubt  the  forgiveness  of  sins."  CRAMER. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  On  Ivi.  10-lvii.  2.  These  words  may  be  nsed 
as  the  text  of  a  sermon  for  a  fast-day,  or  also  for 
a  synodical  sermon.     One  might  then  regard  the 
Prophet's  words   as   a   mirror,  or  as  a  measure 
whereby  to  measure  the  condition  of  the  church 
(of  the  country,  of  the  times).     From  this  would 
then  come  1)  earnest  warning  to  those  that  be- 
long to  the  wicked   here   described,  or  who  do 
not  oppose   their   doings;    2)    comfort  for  those 
that  have    "  walked  straight  before  them,"    for, 
though  hated  and  persecuted  by  men,  they  shall 
still  come  to  peace- 

2.  On  Ivii.  1,  2.  These  words  (also  "a  Jewish 
formula  solennis  for  the  pious  dead,"  STIER)  have 
very  often  been  used  as  texts  for  funeral  discourses 
for  celebrated  men. 

3.  On  Ivii.  2.  Those  that  have  walked  in  their 
uprightness,  i.  e.,  who  during  their  lives   have 
served  the  LORD  in  a  living  faith,  need  not  fear 
death.     It  is  to  them  a  bringer  of  joy.     For  it 
brings  1)  eternal  peace  to  their  soul,  2)  rest  to 
their  body  in  the  chamber  of  the  grave,  till  the 
day  of  the  blessed  resurrection. 

4.  On  Jvii.  3-10.   A  description  of  the  coarse 
idolatry,  to  which  in  our  day  correspond  only  too 
many   appearances   of  the   modern  and  subtile 
heathenism.     Only  too  many  have  sucked  in  with 

40 


their  mother's  milk  superstition  and  unbelief, 
which  as  a  rule  go  together.  As  Ishmael,  who 
was  begotten  after  the  flesh,  mocked  and  persecuted 
Isaac  that  was  born  according  to  the  promise 
(Gal.  iv.  28  sqq.),  so  also  now.  The  false  seed, 
i.  e.,  those  that  are  not  born  of  the  Spirit  of  the 
church,  although  by  their  fleshly  birth  they  be- 
long to  it,  mock  and  persecute  the  genuine  chil- 
dren of  the  church.  With  insatiable  greed  people 
run  daily,  but  especially  on  the  LORD'S  day, 
under  all  green  trees,  i.  e.,  to  the  places  of  worldly 
pleasure-seeking,  where  the  idols  of  the  belly  and 
of  mammon  are  served  !  And  how  many  children 
are  from  their  earliest  youth  led  away  to  the 
service  of  these  idols  !  Are  not  thereby  their  im- 
mortal souls  spiritually  slain?  And  is  not  that, 
in  the  end,  a  worse  sacrifice  of  children  than  that 
ancient  sort?  All  that  puts  men  in  mind  of  the 
service  of  God,  men  get  out  of  their  sight  (pious 
customs,  Sunday,  feast  days,  church  acts,  as  bap- 
tism, marriage,  burial),  in  order  to  be  able  to 
surrender  themselves  undisturbed  and  wholly  to 
the  modern  idols.  Men  no  longer  seek  their 
strength  in  the  covenant  with  the  LORD,  but 
among  men  in  associations  of  every  kind.  And, 
because  that  does  not  instantly  reveal  its  ruinous 
effects,  but  often  seems  to  have  a  good  effect,  men 
never  weary  of  this  conduct,  but  confirm  them- 
selves in  it  more  and  more. 

5.  On  Ivii.  12.    Many  men  will  not  by  any 
means  believe  that  their  good  works  are  wholly 
insufficient  to  obtain  the  righteousness  that  is  of 
avail  with  God.     Now  God  will,  indeed,  not  suffer 
to  go  unrewarded  the  cup  of  water  that  we  give 
to  the  thirsty  in  the  proper  spirit  (Matth.  x.  42; 
Mark  ix.  41).     But  could  we  point  to  ever  so 
many  such  cups,  still  they  do  not  suffice  to  pay 
our  ten  thousand  talents  (Matth.  xviii.  24  sqq.). 
One  must  therefore  remind  his  charge  of  the  great 
reckoning  that  the  LORD  will  one  day  have  with 
us.     In  this  1)  will  be  had  a  complete  and  per- 
fectly correct  investigation  into  our  indebtedness 
and  assets.     2)  Then  it  will  appear  that  our  assets 
will  be  too  defective  to  be  of  any  use  whatever 
against  our  indebtedness. 

6.  On  Ivii.  13,  14.   It  depends  very  much  on 
the  sort  of  spirit  with  which  one  turns  to  God  for 
help.     If  one  does  it  in  order  to  make  a  trial  also 
with  the  dear  God,  then  one  will  certainly  be  de- 
nied.    But  if  one  does  it  because  one  knows  no 
other  helper,  and  wishes  to  know  no  other,  then 
one  may  confidently  count  on  being  heard.    How 
differently  the  answers  sound  that  God  gives  to  the 
cries  for  help  that  reach  Him.     1)  To  the  one  it  ia 
said:  let  thy  gatherings  help  thee.     2)  But  to  the 
others  is  called  out:  a.  make  a  road,  clear  the  way, 
take  up  the  stumbling-block  out  of  the  way  of  my 
people ;  b.  inherit  the  land,  possess  my  holy  moun- 
tain. 

7.  On  Ivii.  15,  16.  ''  I  know  that  these  sayings 
speak  especially  of  penitent  sinners  and  aroused 
consciences;  but  I  do  not  see  why  they  may  not 
with  good  right  be  applied  also  to  other  alarmed 
and  anxious  people.     One  has  here  to  look  also  at 
the  examples  of  the  dear  children  of  God  who  are 
presented  to  us  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  full  of  fear 
and  alarm.     Think  of  Job  (ix.  34;  xiii.  21),  Da- 
vid (Ps.  xxv.  17;  Iv.  5  sqq-),   Daniel  (viii.  17 
sq.),  Paul  (1  Cor.  ii.  3 ;  2  Cor.  vii.  5),  yea,  of  Je- 
sus Christ  Himself  (Matth.  xxvi.  37 ;  Mark  xiv. 


628 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


33 ;  Luke  xxii.  44).  From  this  thou  seest  clearly, 
thou  lover  of  God,  but  timid  and  frightened  soul, 
that  thou  art  not  the  fiist  among  the  children  of 
God,  that  suffer  His  terrors  and  must  go  about 
with  an  anxious  heart.  It  is  also  therewith  suffi- 
ciently shown  that  such  an  event  is  not  a  re- 
minder of  anger,  but  rather  of  the  grace  of  the 
kind  and  gracious  God." — SCRIVEB. 

8.  On  Ivii.  15,  16.  ''  A  holy  shudder  goes 
through  my  soul  when,  in  receiving  Thy  body  and 
blood,  I  tli ink  of  who  they  are  to  whom  Thou  so 
commnnicatest  Thyself!  That  is  Thy  way,  Thou 
wonderful  Lord,  that  Thou  utterly  humblest  and 
easiest  down  to  the  ground  before  Thou  raisest 
up.  Thou  sayest :  '  I  who  dwell  in  the  high  and 
holy  place  am  with  those  that  are  of  a  contrite  and 
humble  spirit.'  Has  the  greatness  of  my  sin  al- 
ready melted  my  heart,  it  melts  still  more  at  the 
greatness  of  Thy  grace." — THOLTTCK. 

9  On  Ivii.  15,  16.  Sermon  for  Whitsun  week: 
"Wherein  do  we  behold  the  greatest  glory  of 
the  God  of  grace?  1)  Therein,  that  He  does 
not  despise  a  poor  sinner's  heart  for  a  dwelling. 
2)  Therein,  that  He  manifests  Himself  in  it  not 


as  a  judge,  but  as  a  comforter."    TAUBE,  in  Gottes 
Bruerd.  hat  Wassers  die  Fuelle.     Hamburg,  1872. 

10.  On  Ivii.  17,  18.  One  is  reminded  here  of  1 
Kings  xix.  11  sq.     God  is  not  in  the  tempest,  nor 
in  the  earthquake,  but  He  is  in  the  still,  gentle 
breeze.     The  gospel  goes  more  to  the  hearts  of 
men,  and  lays  deeper  hold  on  them  than  the  law. 
The  conversion  of  men.     1 )  It  is  prepared  by  being 
angry  and  smiting  (ver.  17).    2.  It  is  accomplished 
by  God's  inwardly  healing  the  heart. 

11.  On  Ivii.    19.      Missionary   Sermon.      The 
work  of   missions:     1)   By  whom  is   it  accom- 
plished?    2)   On  whom  is  it  accomplished?    3) 
What  end  does  it  serve? 

12.  On  Ivii.  20.     "The  whole  Scripture  testi- 
fies that  what  it  says  of  the  grace  of  God,  of  the 
forgiveness  of  sins  and  of  the  assurance  cf  bliss 
belongs  to  the  penitent.     For  those  that  are  ever 
stirred  up  and  driven  on  by  their  malignant  de- 
sires (like  the  sea  by  the  winds),  and  commit  one 
sin  after  another  (like  the  sea  casts  out  all  sorts 
of  dirt),  are  wicked  men,  and  have  no  peace  to 
expect." — SCRIVER. 


C.—  THE  NEW  CREATURE. 
CHAPS.  LVIII .— LXVI. 


At  the  close  of  the  second  Ennead,  the  gaze  of 
the  Prophet  had  returned  from  the  heights  of 
prophecy  to  the  practical  necessities  of  his  own 
time.  In  the  third  Ennead  he  renewedly  mounts 
aloft  to  the  heights  of  prophetic  vision.  Chapters 
Iviii.,  lix.  form,  as  it  were,  the  ladder  on  which 
he  ascends  He  shows  in  them  how  the  people 
must,  by  a  sincere  repentance,  raise  themselves 
out  of  the  region  of  the  fiVsh  into  the  region  of 
the  spirit.  After  this  introductory  section,  the 
Prophet,  in  the  second  discourse,  chap.  lx.,  lets  the 
day  of  salvation  dawn  by  the  rising  of  a  new  sun 
that  will  prove  to  be  a  new,  heavenly  principle 
of  life  in  the  sphere  both  of  nature  and  of  per- 
sonal life.  The  third  discourse,  chap.  Ixi.  1-lxiii. 
6,  shows  us  that  the  new  principle  of  life  will  be 
represented  by  a  personal  centre.  And  in  this 
personality,  which,  indeed,  he  beholds  only  as 
veiled,  the  Prophet  distinguishes  a  three-fold 
official  activity.  He  so  speaks  of  it  that  we  must 
recognize  it  as  the  bearer  of  a  prophetic,  priestly  | 
and  kingly  power  and  dignity.  As  for  the  object 
of  this  three-fold  activity,  it  will  be  a  double  one. 
In  a  positive  respect,  there  will  be  brought  by 
that  personal  centre  to  the  people  Israel  all- 
comprehending  salvation,  that  shall  find  its  con- 
centrated expression  in  a  new  name.  But  nega- 
tively, it  will  be  active  as  judge  of  the  whole 
Gentile  world,  here  represented  by  Edona.  The 
fourth  discourse,  chaps.  Ixiii.  7-lxiv.  implies  an- 
other descent  of  the  Prophet  into  the  present. 
But  this  time  it  is  not  the  actual,  absolute  pre- 
sent, but  a  relative  present,  viz.,  that  of  the  Exile, 
into  which  he  translates  himself  in  thought.  And, 
as  out  of  this  present,  he  makes  the  people  pray 
the  LORD,  in  a  fervent  prayer,  that  He  who 


once  showed  Himself  as  the  God  of  His  people, 
would  now  also  look  down,  yea,  that  He  would 
come  down  with  grand  display  of  His  power. 
The  fifth  discourse,  finally,  chaps.  Ixv.,  Ixvi.,  is 
like  a  limited  "yes"  to  the  prayer  offered  in  the 
foregoing  discourse.  For  the  prayer  was  respect- 
ing the  deliverance  of  all  Israel  (Ixiv.  7,  8).  To 
this  Ixv.  replies  that  neither  all  Israel  will  be 
saved,  nor  all  Israel  be  lost.  The  righteousness 
of  God  will  give  to  each  his  own  (Ixv.  1-16). 
The  pious  shall  receive  new  life.  For  there  shall 
be  a  new  earth  and  a  new  heaven.  And  the  new 
life  that  shall  reign  in  these  will  be  one  that  is 
inexhaustibly  rich,  spiritually  exalted,  in  the 
highest  degree  intensive;  it  will  also  bear  the 
character  of  the  tenderest  maternal  love  (Ixv.  17; 
Ixvi.  14).  In  conclusion,  there  follows,  Ixvi.  15- 
24,  a  panorama  of  the  last  time.  Its  acts  of 
judgment  the  Prophet  beholds  together.  The 
first  act  of  the  judgment  is  pre-supposed  when, 
in  ver.  19,  it  is  said,  that  those  that  have  escaped  j 
bring  the  salvation  to  the  heathen;  that  the  latter  j 
shall,  as  it  were,  bring  back  Israel  as  an  offering 
to  Jehovah,  and  that  then  all  mankind  shall  be  } 
a  new  Israel  on  the  highest  pinnacle.  So  ends  j 
the  book  with  an  outlook  on  a  new  creation  of 
a  higher  grade,  whose  reverse  side  is  briefly  in- 
dicated in  the  extended  refrain,  Ixvi.  24,  as  a 
worm  that  never  dies,  and  a  fire  that  is  un- 
quenchable. 

It  must,  in  the  third  Ennead,  first  of  all  sur- 
prise one,  that  the  number  of  the  chapters  in  it 
no  longer  corresponds  to  the  number  of  discourses, 
as  is  in  general  the  case  in  both  the  Enneads 
that  precede.  For  there  are  nine  chapters,  and 
yet  only  five  discourses.  Besides,  we  observe 


CHAP.  LVIII.  1-14. 


627 


evident  interpolations  in  various  places  [see 
Introd.,  p.  16  6].  Also,  the  division  of  verses  is 
erroneous  in  several  places  (comp.  the  rem.  on 
Ixiii.  19  6 — Ixiv.  4  a).  All  this  appears  to  me 
to  indicate  that  the  Prophet  had  not  wrought 
out  the  last  Ennead  as  perfectly  as  the  two  pre- 
ceding. In  the  materials  originating  from  him, 


there  were  doubtless  nine  discourses  indicated  for 
the  third  division.  Hence  the  undeniable  Isai- 
anic  character  of  much  the  greater  part  of  these 
last  nine  chapters.  [The  Author's  further  in- 
ferences are  substantially  a  repetition  of  what 
appears  on  pp.  16,  17  of  the  Introduction,  where 
see. — TR.] 


I.— THE  FIRST  DISCOURSE. 

Bridge  from  the  Present  to  the  Future,  from  Preaching  Repentance  to  Preaching 

Glory.     CHAPS.  LVIII.,  LIX. 


This  discourse  connects  closely  with  the  con- 
cluding word  of  the  foregoing  Ennead.  There 
the  Prophet  had  descended  from  the  heights  of 
future  glory  to  the  level  of  the  present.  This 
present,  with  its  sad  moral  condition,  makes  him 
doubtful  whether  the  glorious  images  of  the  future 
that  he  beheld  could  be  realized.  But  he  is  com- 
forted :  God's  loving  wisdom  is  able  to  heal  a 
man,  if  only  he  does  not  harden  his  heart.  The 
Prophet,  then,  in  these  chapters,  proceeds  from 
the  level  to  which  in  Ivii.  lie  descended.  But  he 
mounts  upward  again.  He  builds  a  bridge  for 
himself  that  shall  conduct  him  again  to  those 
heights  he  has  momentarily  forsaken.  This  he 
does  first,  by  repelling  the  charge  of  the  people 
that  God  is  unjust  and  denies  to  their  deserving 
its  suitable  reward.  God,  he  says,  is  not  unjust, 
but  your  piety  is  good  for  nothing:,  for  it  is  merely 
outward,  and  appears  associated  with  deeds  that 
are  morally  objectionable  (Iviii.  1-5).  Then  it  is 
shown  how  true  piety  that  pleases  God  must  prove 
itself  by  actions  (Iviii.  6-14).  Then  in  chap.  lix. 
which,  with  chap.  Iviii.,  forms  an  organic  whole, 
the  Prophet  first  refutes  the  charge  that  God  can- 
not help,  and  shows  that  tha  moral  corruption  of 
the  people  is  to  blame  for  their  misfortune  (lix. 
1-8).  This  charge  the  people  acknowledge  to  be 
founded,  and  make  a  sincere  confession  that  pro- 


mises genuine  fruits  (lix.  9-15  a).  Upon  this 
confession  the  Prophet  promises  again  that 
Israel  shall  come  to  its  right,  to  the  possession 
of  the  theocratic  salvation,  and  receives  in  con- 
clusion the  comforting  assurance  that  the  Spirit 
imparted  to  him  will  rule  in  Israel  forever  (lix. 
15  6-21).  This  artistically  constructed  conclu- 
sion has  a  double  sense.  First  it  intimates  that 
the  new  covenant  which  the  fti»l  will  conclude 
with  Israel  shall  inaugurate  a  life  in  the  Spirit, 
and  indeed  the  same  Spirit  which  is  imparted  to 
the  Prophet,  and  which  will  instantly,  from  chap. 
Ix.  on,  again  raise  him  aloft  to  the  heights  of 
prophetic  vision.  Here  the  division  of  the  chap- 
ter is  not  quite  correct.  The  first  chief  part  of 
the  discourse  comprises  Iviii.  1-lix.  8  ;  the  second 
lix.  9-21.  The  first  part  opposes  charge  to 
charge.  In  chap.  Iviii.  the  charge  against  Israel 
on  account  of  false  piety  is  opposed  to  the 
charge  against  God  of  unrighteousness.  In  lix. 
1-8  the  charge  of  moral  corruption  is  opposed  to 
the  charge  of  inability.  The  second  part  contains 
first  the  people's  confession  of  sin  (lix.  9-15  a), 
and  then  the  promise  that  Jehovah  will,  after 
their  repentance,  also  help  Israel  to  their  rights, 
by  which  also  the  spirit  of  the  Prophet  is,  as  it 
were,  set  free,  and  rendered  capable  of  a  new 
flight. 


1.    CHARGE    AGAINST  CHARGE. 

CHAP.  LVIII.  1— LIX.  8. 

a.  The  complaint  of  the  people  against  the  unrighteousness  of  Jehovah,  opposed  by 
the  charge  of  false  piety.    CHAPTER  LVIII.  1-14. 

1  Cry  lafoud,  spare  not, 

Lift  up  thy  voice  like  a  trumpet, 

And  show  my  p3ople  their  transgression, 

And  the  house  of  Jacob  their  sins. 

2  Yet  they  seek  me  daily, 

And  delight  to  know  my  ways," 

As  a  nation  that  did  righteousness, 

And  forsook  not  the  ordinance  of  their  God:b 

They  ask  of  me  the  ordinances  of  justice  ; 

They  take  delight  in  "approaching  to  God. 

3  Wherefore  have  we  fasted,  say  they,  and  thou  seest  not  ? 
Wherefore  have  we  afflicted  our  soul,  and  thou  takest  no  knowledge  ? 


628  THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


Behold,  in  the  day  of  your  fast  ye  afind  pleasure, 
And  exact  all  your  "labours. 

4  Behold,  ye  fast  for  'strife  and  debate, 
And  to  smite  with  the  fist  of  wickedness  : 
4Ye  eshall  not  fast  as  ye  do  this  day, 

To  make  your  voice  to  be  heard  on  high. 

5  Is  it  such  a  fast  that  I  have  chosen  ? 
6A  day  for  a  man  to  afflict  his  soul  ? 

Is  it  to  bow  down  his  head  as  a  bulrush, 

And  to  spread  sackcloth  and  ashes  under  him  f  wilt  thou  call  this  a  fast, 

And  an  acceptable  day  to  the  LORD  ? 

6  Is  not  this  the  fast  that  I  have  chosen  ? 
To  loose  the  bands  of  wickedness, 

To  undo  6the  'heavy  burdens, 
And  to  let  the  'oppressed  go  free, 
And  that  ye  break  every  yoke  ? 

7  Is  it  not  to  deal  thy  bread  to  the  hungry, 

And  that  thou  bring  the  poor  gthat  are  8cast  out  to  thy  house? 
When  thou  seest  the  naked,  that  thou  cover  him ; 
And  that  thou  hide  not  thyself  from  thine  own  flesh  ? 

8  Then  shall  thy  light  break  forth  as  the  morning, 
And  thine  hhealth  shall  spring  forth  speedily : 
And  thy  righteousness  shall  go  before  thee ; 
The  glory  of  the  LORD  9shall  be  thy  rereward. 

9  Then  shalt  thou  call,  and  the  LORD  shall  answer ; 
Thou  shalt  cry,  and  he  shall  say,  Here  I  am. 

If  thou  take  away  from  :the  midst  of  thee  the  yoke, 
The  putting  forth  of  the  £nger,  and  speaking  vanity  ; 

10  And  lif  thou  draw  out  thy  soul  to  the  hungry, 
And  satisfy  the  afflicted  soul; 

Then  shall  thy  light  rise  in  obscurity, 
And  thy  darkness  be  as  the  noon  day : 

11  And  the  LORD  shall  guide  thee  continually, 
And  satisfy  thy  soul  in  "drought, 

And  kmake  fat  .thy  bones : 

And  thou  shalt  be  like  a  watered  garden,  and  like  a  spring  of  water, 

Whose  waters  ufail  not. 

12  'And  they  that  shall  be  of  thee  shall  build  the  old  waste  places: 
Thou  shal  t  raise  up  the  foundations  of  many  generations ; 
And  thou  shalt  be  called,  The  repairer  of  the  breach, 

The  restorer  of  paths  mto  dwell  in. 

13  If  thou  turn  away  thy  foot  from  the  Sabbath, 
From  doing  thy  "pleasure  on  my  holy  day ; 
And  call  the  Sabbath  a  delight, 

The  holy  of  the  LORD,  honourable  ; 

And  shalt  honour  him,  not  doing  thine  own  ways, 

Nor  finding  thine  own  pleasure,  nor  speaking  thine  own  words  : 

14  Then  shalt  thou  delight  thyself  in  the  LORD  ; 

And  I  will  cause  thee  to  ride  upon  the  high  places  of  the  earth, 
And  feed  thee  with  the  heritage  of  Jacob  thy  father : 
For  the  mouth  of  the  LORD  hath  spoken  it. 

1  Heb.  with  the  throat.  *  Or,  things  wherewith  ye  grieve  others.  *  Heb.  griefs. 

*  Or,  ye  fast  notas  this  day.  *Or,  to  afflict  his  soul  for  a  dayl  •  Heb.  the  bundles  of  the  yoke, 
7  Heb.  broken.                                  8  Or,  afflicted.  •  Heb.  shall  gather  thee  up. 

10  Heb.  droughts.  n  Heb.  lie,  or,  deceive. 

*  period  instead  of  comma.  *>  comma.  •  the  approach,  of  God. 
d  carry  on  business.                                        •  Ye  fast  not  at  present  so  as  to  make.  *  yoke-chains. 

t  wanderers.  *  sound  flesh  will  speedily  grow.          '  sacrificest  thy  hunger  to  the  hungry  and  satisflett. 

k  invigorate.  1  And  they  shall  build  from  thee.       »  so  that  men  may  'inhabit.  "  business. 


CHAP.  LVIII.  1-14. 


629 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  3.  It  is  doubtful  whether  DD'32?^  means  operas 
ve/ttras  (i.  e..  your  laborers),  or  opera  vesira.  But  since 
3¥y  (on  the  abnormal  doubling  of  the  ]f  by  Daghesh- 
forte  derimens  or  separative  see  GEEEN,  §  24.  b ;  216,  2 
a)  never  has  a  personal  sense,  but  always  means  only 
labor,  hard  work,  we  must  translate  :  and  ye  exact  all 
your  compulsory  labor.  JJ?JJ  is  construed  not  only 

-T 

with  the  accusative  of  the  person,  but  also  with  the  ac- 
cusative of  the  thing,  as  is  shown  by  2  Kings  xxiii.  35. 
The  double  accusative  joined  with  the  word  here  shows 
that  it  is  conceived  of  as  verbum  postulandi. 

Ver.  5.  It  is  not  clear  to  me  why  DELITZSCH  affirms 
that  the  S  in  rn in  is  not  dependent  on  J$1pJ"\.  Only 
the  ablative  of  the  gerund  could  be  so  expressed.  But 
here  no  ablative  gerund  is  in  place  For  one  could  not 
translate:  num flectendo  caput  arundinis  instart  But  it 
is  the  pure  dative  of  the  remoter  object,  that  number- 
less times  stands  after  Kip  in  the  sense  of  "calling, 

ST  T 
very  often  has  a  pretonic  vowel  be- 
fore the  monosyllabic  infinitive  that  itself  does  not 
stand  in  the  construct  state  (comp.  Num.  xxiv.  10;  Amos 
vii.  4).  The  construction  j»'-^  13X1  p£M  after  the  in- 
finitive ^137  is  a  return  from  the  subordinate  to  the 
principal  form. 

Ver.  6.  Also  in  the  last  clause  of  this  verse  we  notice 
the  discourse  returns  after  three  infinitives  to  the  prin- 
cipal form,  to  the  imperfect. 

Ver.  7.  K?n  at  the  beginning  of  the  verse  recapitu- 
lates the  JOn  ver.  6,  and  also  represents  the  clause 
introduced  by  the  latter  (is  not  that  a  fast,  that  I 

choose?). D13    "to    split,   divide,"    (only   again 

spoken  of  bread,  Jer.  xvi.  7,  where  DH7  is  to  be 
supplied;  used  beside  only  with  HD13  of  beasts  that 

T     \~ 

cleave  the  hoof)  occurs  only  here  in   Isaiah. The 

word  D'TIID  is  difficult.  It  is  found  Lain.  i.  7  meaning 
"a  going  astray,  erratic."  Lam.  iii.  19  has  the  same 
word  in  the  singular  in  the  same  sense.  Both  times  the 
word  is  joined  with  ' }y,  miseria,  as  in  our  text  it  is  with 
i}y,  miser.  That  it  is  so  connected  with  one  or  other 
of  these  words  in  every  instance  of  its  use,  is  certainly 
no  accident.  It  seems  to  indicate  a  proverbial  mode 
of  expression.  Also  it  results  that  our  word  is  really 
from  the  same  root  as  that  in  Lam.  If  then  the  latter 
be  from  TH,  errare,  vagan,  then  our  word  must  be  from 
the  same,  and  not  from  "11O  rebellare.  Now  as  there 

-  T 

are  no  words  ad.  f.  Dlplj  (with  further  obscuration  in 

I     T 

the  plural  into  w)  or  p1¥0,  that  w.ould  have  both  a  sub- 
stantive and  adjective  signification,  we  must,  with  MAU- 
REH,  KNOBEL,  et  al,  take  11"1D  as  a  substantive,  which 

like  e.  g.  K11D>  'HX/'D,  etc.,  pass  over  from  the  abstract 

T          IT  «- 
meaning  to  the  concrete.    Then  D'lllD  would  be  not 

merely  wanderings  astray,"  but  also  "  wanderers,"  as  it 
were  personified  goings  astray. 

Ver.  10.  p'3H  (in  Isaiah  occurs  only  p}3  vacillare 
xxviii. 7)  is  "to  make  go  out,  promere,  bring  forth,"  in 
various  senses,  comp.  Ps.  cxl.  9;  cxliv.  13,  Prov.  iii.  13; 
viii.35;  xii.  2;  xviii.  22.  It  is  still  uncertain  whether 
the  root  of  our  p3J1  is  or  is  not  identical  with  that  of 
1p3  xxviii.  7  and  p'aP  Jer.  x.  4.  The  jussive  form 

P3r\l  stands  parallel  with  VDP~DN  in  the  foregoing 
I  "  T  :  •  T  • 


GRAMMATICAL. 

conditional  clause.  We  translate,  not  quite  literally: 
"  and  sacrifice  thy  hunger  to  the  hungry  one  "  (comp. 
GESEN.  and  UMBREIT).  Properly  it  should  be  rendered  : 
"and  draw  forth  (offer  out  of  thy  provision)  to  the  hun- 
gry one  that  after  which  thy  soul  craves."  The  other 
translation  is  for  the  sake  of  brevity  and  pregnancy. 
Ver.  11.  By  the  imperf.  with  Vav  consec.  [copulat?] 

r'/PT  appears  as  the  consequence  of  y'3!£TP.   l'7H  is 
•:•:'"-  T 

extraxit,  subtraxit ;  Vnn  is  extractus,  "become  loose, 
free  from,  expeditus."  The  Piel  VvH  denotes  "  to  draw 
off"  (clothes),  "to  draw  out  '  (a  prisoner;  thus  to  free). 
Hiph.  occurs  only  here.  As  Kal  has  a  transitive  mean- 
ing (excepting  in  Hos  v.  6),  a  Hiph.  formed  from  it  is 
hardly  in  place  here.  Already  Archbishop  SECKF.R,  with 
whom  LOWTH  agrees,  would  on  this  account  read 
T^tT  nr\D¥j'l  (comp.  xl.  29,  31;  xli.  1).  But  Vipn 
meaning  "  equipped,  fighting  men,"  is  a  word  of  such 
frequent  occurrence,  that  the  formation  of  a  denominati- 
vum  V^nn,  meaning  "to  make  fit  for  war,  active,"  ia 
quite  conceivable.  I  agree  in  this  with  DELITZSCH  with- 
out regarding  it  necessary  to  assume  a  V/Hi  "  to  be 
strong,"  for  D*¥7H,  lumbi. 

Ver.  12.  EWALD,  et  al.,  would  read  ?-|3.  But,  apart 
from  only  the  Kal  and  Niph.  of  HJ3  being  used,  this 

r  T 

reading  is  needless,  because  nothing  is  gained  by  it 
either  in  respect  to  grammar  or  sense.  Still  I  would 
not  render  TOfD  by  "  a  te  ormndi,"  and  treat  it  as  imply- 
ing the  subject  of  1J3.  But  the  latter  carries  its  subject 

T 

in  itself;  the  third  person  plural  of  the  personal  pro- 
noun (Di~l),  for  which  we  use  the  indefinite  subject  man, 
"one,  they,"  is  expressed  by  the  afformative  }. 

Ver.  13.  The  expression  JD  Sjl  Tl^H  is  found  only 
here.  Elsewhere  we  find  •  '1  J7JD  (Prov.  i.  15),  '1  IDE/ 
(Prov.  iii.  26 ;  Eccl.  iv.  17),  '1  Vpn  (Prov.  iv.  27). Ex- 
positors now  justly  give  up  supplying  j?p  before  rfi&Q, 
which  affords  a  forced  construction,  if  not  exactly  an 
impossible  one.  jlltyj?  is  in  apposition  with  "|  7  J1.  The 
doing,  dispatching  business  (V3H  see  on  ver.  3)  is  in 
fact  the  foot  that  desecrates  the  Sabbath.  [Though  the 
meaning  "business,"  maintained  for  the  word  VBH,  be 

suitable  for  its  use  in  later  writers,  there  is  no  reason 
for  so  rendering  it  here  or  in  ver.  3  or  in  the  passages 
there  cited  from  Isaiah.  DELITZSCH  says  at  ver.  3  of 
SSH  X¥0  :  "  In  the  face  of  ver.  13  this  cannot  have  any 
other  meaning  than  to  stretch  one's  hand  after  occu- 
pation, to  carry  on  business,  to  occupy  one's-self  with 
it)_y3p  combining  the  three  meanings,  application  or 
affairs,  striving,  and  trade  or  occupation."  Translation 
of  CLARK'S  F.  Theol.  Lib.  As  at  ver.  13  he  adds  nothing 
to  corroborate  the  above  appeal  to  that  verse,  it  would 
seem  that  in  some  way  the  use  of  ySTI  in  connection 
with  the  Sabbath  must  self-evidently  refer  to  business. 
That  is,  we  may  suppose,  it  is  self-evident  that  it  can't 
mean  "  pleasure."  It  is  hard  to  resist  the  persuasion 
that  such  is  actually  the  logical  process  of  this  inter- 
pretation. It  is  influenced  by  a  state  of  religious  life 
that  has  given  up  the  Sabbath  and  will  only  recognize 
a  Sunday.  To  those  of  different  tradition  it  is  not  self- 
evident,  that  the  right  observance  of  the  Sabbath  does 
not  call  for  self-renunciation  in  favor  of  God,  even  the 


630 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


renouncement  of  our  own  pleasures,  that  we  may  seek 
pleasure  in  what  pleases  God.  To  such,  therefore,  it 
seems  perfectly  obvious,  as  J.  A.  ALEX.,  says  on  (xliv.  28) 
that  li  the  word  (Tfln)  has  here  its  strict,,  original,  and 


usual  sense  of  inclination,  will  or  pleasure,  that  which 
one  delights  in,  chooses  or  desires;  and  the  substitu- 
tion of  affair  or  business  would  be  not  only  arbitrary  but 
ridiculous."— Taj. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Cry  aloud  -  their  sins.  —  Ver.  1.  The 
Prophet  still  stands  in  the  present;  lie  is  not  soar- 
ing in  the  heights  of  prophetic  vision.  He  never 
loses  sight  of  the  practical  question  :  what  must 
Israel  do  to  be  saved  ?  Even  in  this  last  Ennead, 
where  yet  the  inmost  depths  and  the  highest 
heights  of  the  future  salvation  preseni  themselves 
to  his  gaze,  he  does  not  forget  to  oppose  the  illu- 
sion, that  every  Israelite  by  his  birth  alone  and 
nothing  more  has  an  expectancy  of  this  salvation. 
On  the  contrary  he  says  most  emphatically,  that 
the  judgments  of  the  LORD  will  fail  on  the  unbe- 
lieving Israel  just  as  on  the  unbelieving  Gentile 
world  (comp.  especially  Ixv.  2  sqq  ;  Ixvi.  4  sqq., 
14  sqq.).  The  Prophet,  therefore,  does  not  ideal- 
ize his  nation.  He  sees  it  in  its  concrete  reality, 
made  up  as  it  is  of  the  God-fearing  and  the  god- 
less combined.  But  it  deeply  concerns  him  that 
as  many  as  possible  of  the  latter  may  be  converted. 
He  had  concluded  the  second  Ennead  with  such  a 
descent  to  the  sphere  of  practical  necessity,  and 
from  that  sphere  also  he  addresses  himself  to  the 
third  and  final  cycle  of  discourse.  One  sees  how 
important  to  the  LORD  this  practical  point  of  view 
ia,  from  the  way  He  summons  the  Prophet  to  give 
it  effect;  with  the  greatest  emphasis,  without  ti- 
midity or  sparing  the  Prophet  must  hold  up  to 
the  people  their  sins.  For  without  the  knowledge 
of  sin  there  is  no  return  (3'$),  and  without  return 
there  is  no  salvation.  This  exhortation,  to  hold 
up  to  the  people  their  sins,  is  of  the  nature  of  a 
theme.  For  warning  against  sin  and  exhortation 
to  repent  is  the  undertone  of  all  of  chapte.  Iviii., 
lix.  ;  and  is  similarly  the  serious,  dark  back- 
ground in  chapts.  Ixiv.-lxvi. 

"Cry  with  throat/'  i.  e.,  with  chest-tones, 
with  a  full,  strong  sound  (not  with  suppressed  or 
whispered  sound,  comp.  1  Sam.  i.  13).  Farther, 
the  Prophet  is  not  to  restrain  (liv.  2),  viz.,  his 
voice.  He  is  therefore  not  to  spare  his  voice,  and 
accordingly  not  his  hearers  either.  For  a  loud 
calling  that  penetrates  marrow  and  bone,  strains 
not  only  the  crier  but  hearer  also.  The  Prophet's 
cry  should  penetrate  to  the  quick,  therefore  it  is 
said  to  him  he  must  lift  up  his  voice  like  the 
Shophar.  T31$  interchanges  Josh.  vi.  with 


(comp.  vers.  5  and  4,  6,  13).     According  to 

(Antiq.  V-,  6,  5,  comp.  Jud.  vii.  16), 
the  Skophzr  was  a  rams-horn  (npiov  Kepar).  JE- 
ROME, too,  remarks  on  Hos.  v.  8  concerning  the 
Sfiophur:  buccina  pastoralis  eat  et  cornu  recurvo  effi- 
citur,  unis  et  qraiss  K°r>cir'i.vi)  appellatur."  Comp. 
LEYRER,  in  HERZ.,  R.  Enc.  X.,p.  131. 

2.  Yet  they  seek  ---  to  the  LORD.—  V^rs. 
2-5.  I  share  the  view  of  DELITZSCH,  that  \ 
before  TNK  js  to  be  taken  in  an  adversative,  and 
not  a  causal  sense.  For  the  summons  to  hold  np 
importunately  to  the  people  their  sin,  implies  that 
they  do  not  know  their  pin,  that  they  hold  them- 
selves to  be  quite  sinless.  In  contrast  with  this 
(indirectly  expressed)  opinion  of  themselves, 
stands  what  the  people  attempt  with  respect  to 


God.  God's  ways  seem  incomprehensible  to  them. 
That  is,  they  do  not  at  all  understand  how  the 
LORD  can  deal  with  them  as  He  does.  They  think 
they  deserve  reward  and  praise,  and  yet  must  en- 
dure severe  tribulation.  KTH  (comp.  xxxl.  1)  ia 
="  to  inquire,  to  find  out  by  asking,  to  search 
out."  They  would  know  from'the  LORD  how  His 
treatment  is  to  be  understood.  For  such  is  the 
meaning  of  p*2JT  O~H  r^H,  which  on  its  part  ia 
moreover  explanatory  of  pBHT  TI1X-  But  they 
do  not  stop  with  a  verbal  explanation.  They  de- 
mand a  formal  reply,  i.  e.,  they  would  have  their 
pretended  right  assured  to  them  by  formal,  judicial 
procedure.  As  a  people  that  practice  righteous- 
ness and  has  not  forsaken  the  law  (0£3t^D=legal 
norm)  of  its  God,  they  demand  of  Jehovah  judicial 
processes  of  righteousness,  i.  e.,  an  impartial  judi- 
cial procedure.  They  appeal,  as  it  were,  from 
Jehovah  to  a  higher,  independent  court,  and  de- 
mand that  Jehovah  shall  appear  before  it.  In  the 
expression  p"l¥  '£031^0  ''  righteous  judgments," 
there  is  thus  an  indirect  charge  that  Jehovah's 
treatment  of  them  had  been  unjust.  An  impartial 
tribunal  shall  decide,  and  before  this  Jehovah 
Himself  should  appear.  Such  is  the  meaning 
'N  JIIPp  (substant.  "^p  again  only  Ps.  Ixxiii. 
28).  3"}p  is  often  used  for  appearing  before  judg- 
ment or  before  the  lord  and  governor  (xxxiv.  1 ; 
xli.  1,  5  ;  xlviii.  16  ;  Ivii.  3  ;  Mai.  iii.  5). — Notice 
the  full-sounding  forms  f^"n>  p*f T  (the  latter 
rhyme-like  concluding  thetwo  halves  of  the  verse). 
They  paint  the  bold  insolence  displayed. 

In  ver.  3  the  LORD  lets  the  Israelites  themselves 
produce  their  complaint.  We  have  fasted  and 
chastened  ourselves.  Such  is  the  merit  they 
urge.  They  ask  why  it  is  not  acknowledged. — 
This  passage  has  been  urged  as  a  proof  that  our 
book  originated  in  the  exile,  because  from  Zech. 
vii.  3  sqq.  (comp.  viii.  19)  it  appears  that  in  the 
Exile  fasting  in  the  fourth,  fifth,  seventh  and 
tenth  months  came  in  vogue  (comp.  WIENER  R. 
W-,  and  HERZ.  R.  Enc.  «.  v.  Fasten),  whereas  the 
Mosaic  law  prescribed  fasting  for  only  one  day  in 
the  year,  viz.,  the  great  day  of  atonement  (Lev. 
xxiii.  27-32).  In  this  bragging  about  their  fast- 
ing is  found  an  indication  of  that  extension  that 
in  the  Exile  was  given  to  the  rite  of  fasting. 
Even  DELITZSCH  will  not  be  dissuaded  of  the  idea 
that  here  we  ''  have  before  us  a  picture  out  of  the 
life  of  the  exiles."  But  was  that  Isaiah's  task,  to 
give  pictures  from  the  life  of  the  exiles? 

In  that  passage  of  Zech.  we  are  informed  of  an 
embassy,  probably  from  Bethel,  that  made  inqui- 
ry in  Jerusalem,  whether  fasting  in  the  fifth 
month  was  to  be  retained  even  after  the  return  out 
of  the  Exile.  Thereupon  Zechariah  receives  a 
commission  to  answer  the  people  that  they  might 
use  their  pleasure  in  this  respect.  For  fasting  as 
eating  was  indifferent  to  the  LORD.  What  other 
divine  service,  better  and  more  rational  (Rom.  xii. 
1),  Jehovah  requires  must  be  known  to  them  from 


CHAP.  LVIII.  1-14. 


631 


the  words  that  Jehovah  caused  to  be  proclaimed 
by  "the  former  prophets  (O'JtyiOn  O'KOJ)  when 
Jerusalem  was  inhabited  and  in  prosperity,  and 
the  cities  thereof  round  about  her."  And  then 
follows  vers.  9,  10,  what  sort  of  wonfs  of  former 
prophets  the  LORD  means:  "  Execute  true  judg- 
ment, and  show  mercy  and  compassions  every  man 
to  his  brother:  and  oppress  not  tbe  widow,  or 
the  fatherless,  the  stranger  nor  the  poor ;  and  let 
none  of  you  imagine  evil  against  his  brother  in 
your  heart."  If  it  be  asked  what  words  of  an  old- 
er prophet  Zechariah  means,  only  our  passage  can 
be  first  thought  of.  Of  course  the  agreement  is  not 
verbal;  but  neither  is  there  any  other  passage  that 
does  agree  verbally  with  that  in  Zechariah.  And 
a?  regards  the  sense,  our  passage  is  the  only  one 
that  in  the  same  way  as  Zechariah  exposes  nega- 
tively the  valuelessness  of  outward  fasting  and  sets 
positively  in  antithesis  to  it  the  true  'f.a-pda.  that 
is  well-pleasing  to  God.  ''  Did  ye  at  all  fast  unto 
me?"the  LORD  asks  in  Zech.  vii.  5.  The  idea  of 
fasting  here  involves  the  idea  of  solemnizing,  hon- 
oring, sanctifying  in  the  way  of  divine  service,  and 
on  tiiis  depends  the  accusative  suffix  ("  do  ye  then 
fast  me  ").  Not  my  honor  and  my  interest  did  ye 
seek  in  your  fasting,  is,  then  what  the  LORD  says, 
Zech.  vii.  5.  And  lie  says  the  same  in  our  text, 
only  more  extendedly,  in  that  He  charges  the 
Israelites  with  not  having  God  at  all  in  view  or 
in  their  hearts  when  they  fasted,  since  otherwise 
it  were  impossible  for  them  at  the  same  time  to 
carry  on  all  sorts  of  wickedness.  And  as  regards 
the  positive  feature,  our  Prophet  in  vers.  6,  7, 
when  he  admonishes  to  let  go  the  bound,  to  feed, 
entertain,  clothe  the  poor,  actually  says  what 
Zechariah  (vii.  9,  10)  says  with  his  admonition  to 
practise  works  of  righteousness  and  love.  Also 
the  prophet  Joel  utters  a  similar  thought  (Joel  ii. 
12,  13).  By  the  words  "and  with  fasting,  and 
witli  weeping  and  with  mourning"  followed  by 
"  and  rend  your  heart  and  not  your  garments," 
he  points  out  the  difference  between  the  true  and 
thefalse  ^arps'a.  Zechariah  may  also  have  thought 
of  Ezek.  xviii.  5  sqq.  (although  it  by  no  means 
has  for  subject  the  contrast  between  true  and  false 
divine  service)  since  that  is  the  only  place  be- 
side Zechariah  where  the  expression  riON  03C/O 
is  found.  But  our  passage  has  the  most  resem- 
blance to  that  in  Zechariah,  partly  because  it 
speaks  only  of  fasting  and  partly  because  it  con- 
trasts false  and  true  fasting.  There  are  some  other 
particulars  that  favor  the  idea  that  Zechariah  had 
our  passage,  and  also  others  in  chapts.  xL,  Ixvi.  in 
mind.  Of  inferior  significance  is  the  fact  that  the 
expression  H3X  £33^0  Zech.  vii.  9,  (in  which  we 
have  recognized  a  connection  with  Ezek.  xviii. 
8 1,  perhaps  includes  also  a  reminiscence  of 
pTf-^a^ip,  Isa.  Iviii.  2,  which  expression,  beside 
here,  is  found  only  Ps.  cxix.  7,  62,  106,  160,  164, 
in  the  form  '"Ip.lV  '^31^0.  It  is  more  important 
that  in  Zech.  vii.  13  we  have  a  very  plain  echo 
of  Isa.  1.  2;  Ixv.  12;  Ixvi.  4.  For  after  Zecha- 
riah (vii.  9,  10)  had  quoted  what  "the  former 
prophets  "  had  demanded  instead  of  the  merely 
outward  fasting,  he  proceeds  in  ver.  11,  with  the 
information  that  Israel  did  not  heed  the  words  of 
those  prophets,  and  that  thereby  a  great  wrath 
came  about  on  the  Lord's  part  (vers.  11,  12). 


Then  it  is  said  further:  '' And  it  came  to  pass, 
that  as  He  cried  and  they  would  not  hear  "  (ver! 
13).  Now  these  words  are  the  reproduction  of  a 
thought  that  in  this  form  is  peculiar  to  chapts.  xl., 
Ixvi.  Thus  in  1.  2  we  have  the  words:  "Where- 
fore when  I  came  was  there  no  man,  when  I 
called  was  there  none  to  answer  ?"  Afterwards 
we  read:  "  1  called  and  ye  did  not  answer,  I  spake 
and  ye  did  not  hear"  (Ixv.  12).  Finally:  "I 
called  and  there  was  none  answering,  I  spake 
and  they  did  not  hear"  (Ixvi.  4).  The  fame  form 
of  expression  is  found  with  modification  only  in 
Jeremiah  and  Zechariah  beside.  Thus  in  Jeremiah 
we  read  :  "  And  I  spake  unto  you,  rising  up  early 
and  speaking,  but  ye  heard  not;  and  I  called  you, 
but  ye  answered  not  "  (vii.  13) ;  and  again  :  "And 
thou  shall  speak  all  these  words  unto  them ;  but  they 
will  not  hear  thee ;  thou  shalt  aleo  call  unto 
them;  but  they  will  not  answer  the*-"  (vii.  27). 
Finally:  "I  have  spoken  unto  them,  but  they 
have  not  heard  ;  and  I  have  called  unto  them, 
but  they  have  not  answered  "  (xxxv.  17).  Such 
are  the  Old  Testament  j  auf  rgcs  in  which  the  said 
form  of  speech  occurs  applied  to  the  people  Is- 
rael. For  it  occurs  already  Job  xix.  16,  but 
there  only  in  relation  to  Job  and  his  servant. 
We  expressly  observe  that  we  have  to  do  here 
only  with  that  form  of  expression,  which  to  the 
calling  of  a  superior  opposes  the  not  answeiing 
of  an  inferior,  and  not  with  the  opposite  where 
the  superior  refuses  to  answer  the  call  of  an  in- 
ferior. Now  it  is  possible  that  the  expression 
was  borrowed  from  Job  xix.  10,  and  applied  to 
the  relation  of  Jehovah  to  Israel.  Who  did  this 
first  is  the  question.  Any  way  the  words  in  Zech. 
vii.  13  a,  have  most  resemblance  to  Isa.  Ixv.  12, 
and  Ixvi.  4.  Now  as  this  kind  of  expression  is 
found  in  Isaiah  only  1.  2  ;  Ixv.  12  ;  Ixvi.  4,  the 
conclusion  is  very  natural  that  Zeehnriah  reck- 
oned the  author  of  Isa.  xl.-lxiv.  to  the  former 
prophets  that  prophesied  in  the  time  "  when 
Jerusalem  still  sat  and  was  quiet  and  its  cities 
round  about  and  the  south,  and  the  plain"  (Zech. 
vii.  7).  For  evidently  vers.  13,  14  are  explana- 
tory of  what  precedes.  It  is  said  wherein  "the 
great  wrath  "  consisted,  of  which  ver.  12  proke. 
And  as  the  cause  of  this  wrath  was  t-aid  to  be  that 
the  Israelites  would  not  hear  "  the  law  and  the 
words  which  Jehovah  SabaothsentbyHisSpiritby 
the  hand  of  the  former  prophets,"  so,  in  ver.  13  a, 
the  cause  of  the  wraih  is  more  nearly  defined  by 
a  condensed  statement  of  the  contents  of  those 
former  prophecies.  The  conclusion  here  pre- 
sented is  the  judgment  also  of  KUEPER  DasPro- 
phetenth,  d.  A.  B.  p.  291.  Another  proof  of  the 
same  thing  is,  that  the  words:  ''made  heavy  their 
ears  that  they  should  not  hear"  (Zech.  vii.  11), 
is  a  quotation  of  Isa.  lix.  1.  And  it  may  be 
noted  that  the  expression  jjfc  n7"?T  in  §eneral 
occurs  only  in  Isa.  (vi.  10;  lix.  !)•  From  this 
whole  investigation  it  results,  th^twehave  not  to 
consider  the  words  of  Isa.  Iviii.  3  a,  as  the  lan- 
guage of  an  exile,  but  of  a  contemporary  of 
Isaiah. 

Although  only  o-ie  fast  day  in  the  year  was 
legally  prescribed,  still  voluntary  fast-days  were 
allowed  both  for  individuals,  and  for  <he  whole 
community.  And  there  are  many  texts  to  prove 
that  such  often  occurred.  Comp.  Judg.  xx.  26  j 


632 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


1  Sam.  vii.  16  ;  2  Sam.  i.  12  ;  xii.  16  sqq.  ;  1 
Kings  xxi.  12;  Joel  i.  14;  Jer.  xxxvi.  6,  9;  2 
Chron.  xx.  3  ;  Ezr.  viii.  21  ;  Ps.  cix.  24,  etc.  It 
was  just  voluntary  fasting  that  was  likely  to  be- 
come the  subject  of  work-righteous,  Pharisaical 
boasting  (Luke  xviii  12).  t?3J  H3^  is  "to  re- 
strain, bow,  repress  the  craving"  for  food.  It 
is  the  expression  by  which  the  law  itself  de- 
signated the  inward  side  of  fasting  (Lev.  xvi. 
31;  xxiii.  27,  29,32;  Num.  xxix.  7;  xxx.  14; 
Ps.  xxxv.  13).  "Crucify  the  flesh,"  though  not 
a  literal  rendering,  is  true  to  the  sense  ;  for  t^2J 
is  after  all  nothing  else  than  the  inner  flesh, 
fleshly  craving  in  the  extended  sense. 

Ver.  3  6.  To  this  proud,  work-righteous  speech 
of  the  people,  in  which  they  make  the  LORD,  as 
it  were,  the  defendant,  the  LOUD  Himself  replies 
by  pointing  them  away  from  worship  in  the  letter 
to  worship  in  spirit,  and  in  truth  (Jno.  iv  ). 
First  He  exposes  the  hypocrisy  of  their  way  of 
fasting.  Fasting  ought  to  be  a  divine  worship. 
Thus  it  implies  a  direction  of  the  heart  toward 
God.  But  how  can  devotion  be  thought  of  in 
those  who,  while  they  fast,  turn  their  thoughts 
only  to  worldly  profit,  yea,  to  wrangling  and  un- 
righteousness. f  3n  is  that  which  a  man  delights 
in,  not  merely  in  the  sense  of  transitory  pleasure, 
bat  also  in  the  more  serious  sense  of  business  in- 
terest. In  this  sense  it  even  stands  parallel  with 
J7V3  Job  xxii.  3,  comp.  xxi.  21.  In  Isa.  xliv. 
28  ;  liii.  10  we  see  plainly  the  transition  from 
one  to  the  other  meaning.  In  our  chapter  ver. 
13  the  word  occurs  twice  again  in  the  sense  of 
Trpa-yjua,  negotium  In  Eccl.  iii.  1,  17;  v.  7;  viii. 
6,  it  occurs  in  this  sense,  and  each  time  the  LXX. 
render  it  by  irpayfia.  By  the  expression  NVO 
before  }*2n  the  Prophet  purposes  primarily  a 


paronomasia  with  respect  to  E3D¥.  But  per- 
haps, too,  ]'2n  K¥0  (to  touch,  take  hold  of  a 
business,  according  to  the  fundamental  meaning 
pirtingere  ad,  asssqui,  comp.  Job.  xi.  7  ;  Ps.  xxi. 
9;  Isa.  x.  10,  14)  was  a  popular  expression 
current  in  business  life.  The  general  sense  of 


D'ayjT^  is  easily  made  out.  The  Pro- 
phet reproaches  the  Israelites  with  combining 
greedy  exaction  with  their  fasting.  But  Q3''3i*iJ? 
occasions  difficulty,  on  which  see  Text,  and  Gram. 
Ver.  4.  But  beside  greedy  harshness  toward 
those  under  them,  the  Israelites  combined  with 
their  fasting  vexatious  strife  that  degenerated  into 
deeds  of  violence  towards  those  of  like  condition. 
Fasting,  instead  of  raising  them  up  inwardly, 
made  them  moody  to  the  degree  that  they  give 
vent  to  their  ill-humor  by  cudgelings.  Thus 
their  fasting  exercised  even  a  demoralizing  in- 
fluence. The  consequence  is  that  the  prayer, 
which  combined  with  such  fasting  they  send  to- 
ward heaven,  is  not  heard.  D^',3  cannot  possibly 
(with  HAHN)  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  w?  fv  yfitpa 
(Rom.  xiii.  12,  13),  wf  TEK.VCL  0wr<5f  (Eph.  v.  8). 
Also  STIER  ascribes  too  much  to  the  expression 
when,  following  JARCHI,  he  takes  it  in  the  sense 
of  "as  becomes  the  day"  (i.  e.,  the  day  of  atone- 
ment). D'Tl)  simply  urges  the  present,  silently 
implying  a  contrast  with  the  past  and  future. 
That  is,  the  Prophet  will  say  nothing  of  the  past 


and  future.  He  only  makes  prominent :  that 
Israel  now,  in  the  present  moment,  does  not  fast 
as  it  ought  to  (comp.  1  Sam.  ii.  16;  ix.  27;  1 
Kings  xxii.  5).  It  implies  also  the  possibility  of 

doing  better  in  the  future.  In  JT Dt^rn  the  7  de- 
notes the  intended  effect :  ye  fast  not  so  that 
(the  intended  effect,  to  bring  your  voice  on 
high  (Ivii.  15;  xxxiii.  5)  to  a  hearing)  can  be 
attained.  Fasting  and  praying  go  together,  and 
fasting  is  intended  to  serve  the  prayer  as  an  ac- 
companiment that  recommends  it,  as  say,  with 
reference  to  men,  a  present  is  joined  to  a  petition 
to  make  it  more  effective  (compare  the  texts  cited 
above  on  voluntary  fasting). 

Ver.  5.  The  Prophet  once  more  comprehends 
what  has  been  said,  in  a  question  that  calls  for  a 
negative  response.  Shall  that  (described  vers. 
3  6 — 4)  bo  a  fast  that  I  choose,  a  day  -when 
a  man  afflicts  his  soul  ?  We  must  not  (with 
the  VULG.  LUTHER  and  many  others  refer  HOT 
OJ1  to  what  follows  (numquid  tale  est  jejunium 
quod  eleyi,  per  diem  affligere  hominem  animam 
suamf  VULG.).  For  the  words  W*tt  D1X  mjy  DT 
are  words  of  the  law  (Lev.  xvi.  31  ;  xxiii.  27, 
32;  Num.  xxix.  7).  One  ought  to  fast  so  accord- 
ing to  the  law.  Therefore  the  words  '1  mjy  DV 
are  parallel  with  imn3X  Dltf.  It  is  indeed  God's 
will  that  a  man  afflict  his  soul,  i.  e.,  his  psychical 
lusts,  that  he  crucify  the  flesh.  That  is  whole- 
some and  healthy.  But  would  fasting  combined 
with  outrage,  as  described  vers.  3  6 — 4,  be  really  a 
wholesome  crucifying  of  the  flesh  ?  This  ques- 
tion must  be  answered  with  no.  Moreover  that 
is  also  to  be  called  no  fasting  when  one  lays  all 
stress  on  the  outward,  bodily  exercise  (the  aupa- 
TIKTJ  -yv/j.vaai.a  1  Tim.  iv.  8)  and  at  this  price 
leaves  the  inward  flesh  wholly  unmolested.  The 
expression  ''sackcloth  and  ashes"  occurs  again 
only  Dan.  ix.  3;  Esth.  iv.  1,  3.  Evidently  Isaiah 
has  also  here  been  the  source  for  hitar  usage,  for 
in  general  the  language  of  Isa.  xl.-lxvi.  is  not 
that  of  Daniel  and  Esther. 

3.    Is  not  this  the  fast thine  own 

flesh.. — Vers.  6,  7.  It  is  well  to  observe  that  in 
these  two  verses,  which  would  describe  the  fast- 
ing that  is  well-pleasing  to  God,  the  Prophet  says 
nothing  more  of  bodily  mortification.  He  only 
names  the  works  of  righteousness  toward  the  op- 
pressed (ver.  6),  and  beneficence  toward  the  poor 
and  needy.  But  one  must  not  understand  that 
he  positively  rejects  fasting.  When  he  says : 
is  not  that  a  fasting  I  choose  ?  he  assumes 
that  there  will  be  fasting.  What  follows :  to 
loose,  etc.,  only  says  what  should  be  combined 
with  fasting,  in  contrast  with  the  conduct  of  the 
Israelites  in  this  respect.  Nevertheless  the  Pro- 
phet lays  the  chief  stress  just  on  the  works  men- 
tioned in  vers.  6,  7.  He  assumes  that  the  practice 
of  these  works  also  costs  a  sacrifice  either  of 
bodily  substance,  or  of  inward  resignation  and 
subduing  uncharitable  inclinations.  He  that  sub- 
dues the  flesh  to  the  will  in  this  wise,  practises 
the  true  "afflicting  of  the  soul."  Notice  how  the 
Prophet  is  here  quite  on  the  road  that  reaches 
its  highest  elevation  in  the  declarations  of  Ixvi. 
3.  Also :  that  thou  hide  not  thyself  from 
thy  flesh,  is  a  trace  of  the  broad,  evangelical 
spirit  that  reigns  in  our  passage.  To  the  ques- 
tion :  who  is  my  neighbor  ?  the  answer  is  given 


CHAP.  LVIIL  1-14. 


633 


here:  every  one  who  is  of  thy  flesh.  The  an- 
swer does  not  run :  every  one  who  is  of  thy  na- 
tion, or  tribe  (Luke  x.  29  sqq.).  Thus  our  Pro- 
phet here,  too,  rises  far  above  theocratic  narrow- 
ness. [Cornp.  Jas.  i.  27]. 

4.  Then  shall  thy  light to  dwell  in. 

— Vers.  8-12.  The  Prophet  now  gives  a  series 
of  ten  promises  of  glorious  reward  for  those  who 
will  fulfil  the  command  of  the  LORD  in  the  right 
spirit.  He  strings  them  together  like  a  neck- 
lace of  pearls,  yet  so  that,  after  the  first  four  pro- 
raises,  he  mentions  again  (ver.  9  6,  and  10  a), 
the  conditions,  as  one  breaks  the  monotony  of  the 
string  of  pearls  by  an  ornament  of  another  form 
and  color.  The  row  of  promises  consists  of  four 
and  six  members,  among  which  a  certain  parallel- 
ism and  also  a  climax  is  observable.  In  vers.  8- 

9  a,  the  Prophet  describes  in  some  measure  the 
pious  man's  course  of  life.    Rising  out  of  the  ob- 
scurity of  his  previous  way  of  life,  the  light  of 
divine  holiness  and  glory  rises  like  the  morning 
dawn  for  the  pious  man — J?P3  "  to  split,"  Niph. 
"by  splitting  to  press  forth,"   (comp.  xxxv.  6  ; 
lix.  5).     Heretofore  sick,  lie  feels  in  himself  the 
power  of  a  new  life,  by  which,  as  it  were,  new, 
healthy  flesh  grows  on  him,  as  on  the  dead  bones 
Ezekiel  saw  (Ezek.  xxxvii.  5  sq.).     ""^T^  is  cer- 
tainly derived  most  naturally  from  }!**  longum 
esse,  and  denotes  the  new  flesh  that  extends  over 
the  wound,  by  which,  supplanting  that  which  is 
dead,  it  fills  up  the  gaps  and  restores  the  normal 
form  of  the  member,  (comp.  FLEISCHER  in  DEL. 
Comm.  p.  592,  Anm.).     The  word  is  found  only 
here    in  Isaiah,  comp.  Jer.  viii.  22;    xxx.   17  ; 
xxxiii.  6;  2  Chr.  xxiv.  13  ;  Neh..  iv.  I.    He  that 
has  come   to   the   light,  and   that    has   become 
strong  in  health,  moves  along  the  course  assigned 
him.     This  march  resembles  a  triumphal  proces- 
sion. As  before  him  that  goes  in  triumph  are  borne 
or  led  along  the  signs  of  his  victory,  so  the  glory 
of  the  pious  goes  before  him,  i,  e.,  his  righteous 
works.     But  lie  does  not  on  this  account  shine  in 
the  brightness  of  his  own  celebrity,  for  he  that  closes 
up  and  holds  together  (comp.  Hi.  12)  the  proces- 
sion, and  thus  shows  himself  to  be  the  power  that 
controls  all,  is  the  glory  of  Jehovah.     But  where 
is  the  pious  one,  let  his  course  of  life  be  never  so 
glorious,  that  does  not  need  God?     Therefore  the 
Prophet  comprehends  all  the  rest  together  in  the 
great,  glorious  right  of  petition  of  the  pious  one, 
which  consists  in  this,  that  the  pious  may  ask  for 
everything,  and  never  prays  in  vain  (Matth.  xxi. 
22;  Mark  xi. 24;  Johnxiv.  13sq.).    As  has  been 
remarked,  the  Prophet  in  ver.  9  6-10  a  interrupts 
the   chain   of  promises,  in   order  to  repeat  the 
conditions.     What  he  mentions  as  such  is  again 
the  demand   to  forego  every  sort  of  lovelessness 
(ver.  9  6),  and  to  practise  every  sort  of  love  (ver. 

10  a).     As  the  first  thing  to  be  abstained  from,  he 
designates:  not  to  rule  tyrannically,  but  to  take 
away  yokes  wherever  they  exist.     Where  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  is,  there  is  liberty  (2  Cor.  iii. 
17),  and  love  does  no  evil  to  its  neighbor;  it  seeks 
not  its   own;  it   rejoices  not  in  iniquity  (1  Cor. 
xiii.  4  sqq.).     There  is  here  a  certain  climax: 
the   Prophet  evidently  regards  subjugation,  tyr- 
anny, violence  as  the  coarsest  violation  of  the  law 
of  love.     As  a  more  relined  transgression,  he  re- 


gards the  pointing  (n^KJ,  inf.)  with  the  fin- 
ger. This,  among  western  nations  as  well  as  among 
orientals,  is  a  gesture  of  contempt,  comp.  GESEN. 
in  loc.  (infamia  digitus,  the  middle  finger ;  PERS. 
II.  33 :  ndc.to  muitum  et  diyitum  porric/ito  medium, 
MARTIAL,  II.  28,  2).  According  to  Prov.  vi.  13, 
pointing  the  finger  appears  also  as  a  means  of 
malignant  denunciation  and  spiteful  betrayal. 
Still  more  refined,  but  not  better  on  that  account, 
is  the  transgression  of  the  law  of  love  by  sacri- 
legious discourse  (comp.  i.  13  ;  x.  1 ;  Ps.  y. 
0  :  vi.  9,  etc.). — The  demand  to  cease  to  do  evil  is 
followed  by  the  demand  to  do  good  (ver.  10). 
And  vice  omnium  it  is  demanded  that  the 
pious  sacrifice  his  own  hunger  to  the 
hungry,  and  satisfy  the  afflicted  soul. 
For  I  agree  with  DELITZSCH  in  the  opinion  that 
t^SJ  can  mean  nothing  else  here  than  that  after 
which  the  soul,  i.  e.,  here  the  hungry  man's 
prompting  for  nourishment,  craves.  Hence  it  is 
going  too  far,  when  STIER  et  al.,  following  JE- 
ROME, take  t#2J  in  the  sense  of  life  and  heart. 
For  he  that  is  hungry  after  our  life,  to  him  we 
would  not  owe  it. 

Ver.  11.  In  what  now  follows  we  have  a 
second  row  of  promises  and  made  stronger.  It 
is  composed  of  six  members,  but  in  its  funda- 
mental thought  it  corresponds  to  the  one  of  four 
members  [that  precedes].  For  underlying  it  is 
the  thought  of  a  life-career,  that  begins  with  the 
morning  and  presses  happily  through  conflicts  of 
every  sort.  But  in  this  succession  of  six  mem- 
bers the  issue  is  different.  That  is,  it  concludes 
with  a  perspective  of  an  activity  lluit  is  richly 
blessed,  and  extends  its  efficiency  into  the  re- 
motest times.  The  first  promise  of  (his  series 
corresponds  exactly  to  the  beginning  of  the  first  se- 
ries: liberation  from  the  chains  of  darkness,  rising 
of  light  and  increase  of  it  is  promised  in  such 
measure,  that  even  the  obscurest  parts  of  that 
darkness  will  have  the  brightness  of  midday. 
(Job  xi.  17;  Ps.  xviii.  29;  xxxvii.  6,  etc.). — The 
second  promise  is  indeed  the  shortest,  but  it  is  also 
the  most  important  of  all:  the  LORD  will  never 
withdraw  His  hand  from  the  pious  one ;  He  will 
abide  with  him  and  guide  him  (Ivii.  18)  in  all  his 
ways.  The  third  promise  assumes  that  cross  and 
conflict  will,  nevertheless,  not  be  wanting  to  the 
pious  one.  For  there  will  be  also  for  him  still 
fYin'ilTi,  {.  e.,  hot  places.  JEROME  translates : 
"  implcbit  splendoribus  animam  tuam."  HAHN 
follows  this  and  translates:  ''and  let  thy  soul  be 
satisfied  with  brightness."  It  is  true,  the  root 
nny,  nny,  in  its  fundamental  meaning,  "burn- 
ing," involves  the  meaning  of  "gleaming"  and 
of  "drought."  Hence  on  the  one  hand  Fli',  nitens, 
on  the  other  hand  nrvm  (Ps.  Ixviii.  7)  and  D"]lTn¥ 
(Neh.  iv.  7)  loca  arida.  But  what  is  promised 
already,  ver.  10  b,  satisfies  the  requirements  of 
light,  and  ver.  11  b.  shows  that  the  Prophet  has 
in  rnind  the  refreshing  element  of  water.  He 
promises  satiety  from  it  in  a  two-fold  gradation. 
First,  the  pious  one  shall  want  none,  even  in 
localities  that  for  others  are  arid  deserts.  The 
soul,  i.  e.,  the  need  of  water  shall  be  richly  satis- 
fied, so  that  thereby  the  bones  (thus  the  body 
itself)  become  fresh  and  powerful.  But,  and  this 
is  the  fourth  promise,  the  refreshing  element  shall 


634 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


be  bestowed  on  the  pious  one  in  a  still  greater 
degree.  That  is  to  say,  he  shall  himself  become 
a  well- watered  garden ;  in  fact,  a  richly  flowing 
spring  of  water.  Tims  the  pious  one  shall  be  an 
oasis  "in  the  desert,  a  lovely,  green,  fruitful  gar- 
den, with  a  glorious  spring  that  never  goes  dry. 
The  expression  '"in  jj  is  found  again  only  in 
Jer.  xxxi.  12.  0'°  ^¥13  is  the  place  of  issue, 
the  flowing  place  for  water  (comp.  xli.  18 ;  Ps. 
cvii.  33,  35 ;  2  Chr.  xxxii.  30).  In  general  comp. 
i.  30;  li.  3;  Song  of  S.  iv.  12.—TIie  fifth  promise 
extends  to  the  pious  one  the  prospect  that  he  will 
be  still  beyond  the  period  of  his  life  a  source  of 
blessing,  and  indeed  the  cause  of  a  glorious  re- 
storation :  they  shall  build  (see  Text,  and 
Gram.)  from  thee  (Tpp  designates  the  ideal 
originator)  ancient  waste  places,"  means  no- 
thing else  than:  thou  wilt  be  the  author  and 
spiritual  director  of  such  buildings  by  which 
ancient  buildings  that  were  destroyed  shall  be 
restored.  The  Prophet  purposely  does  not  say 
that  it  shall  be  just  bodily  children.  Any  way 
it  will  be  children  after  the  Spirit.  Hence,  also, 
in  the  second  clause,  just  the  second  person  sing, 
is  used.  It  were  incomprehensible  why  the  chil- 
dren's building  should  be  mentioned  before  that  of 
the  father.  On  the  other  hand,  D^'lpn  explains 
to  us  the  meaning  of  the  "]DD  U3.  One  is,  in- 
deed, tempted  to  do  as  STIEB  and  others  do,  and 
refer  the  second  clause  to  new  buildings,  since 
"1111  "111,  as  a  rule,  points  to  the  future,  and  since 
great  men  are  wont  not  merely  to  restore,  but  also 
to  found  new  institutions.  But  in  Ixi.  4,  the 
Prophet  repeats  this  expression  with  some  modi- 
fications, and  there,  according  to  the  context,  only 
restoration  can  be  meant.  Added  to  this,  Dip  in  Pi-  ' 
lei  designates  essentially  "rising  up  again,"  and  the 
predicates  VU  and  331'$?  equally  refer  to  restor- 
ation, ini  "111  (notice  that  it  does  not  say  '1  Tff?) 
is  used  of  the  past  also  in  Deut.  xxxii.  7  ;  Ps. 
xc.  1. — The  sixth  promise  extends  to  the  pious  one 
the  prospect  of  honorable  surnames,  the  praise  of 
having  deserved  well  of  his  country.  A  TU 
"P.3  is  one  that  walls  up  (comp.  Ezek.  xxii.  30 ; 
2  Kings  xii.  13)  what  is  shattered  ( j*.^5  xxviii.  21 ; 
xxx  13),  thus  a  repairer  of  human  dwellings. 
But,  in  order  to  dwell  comfortably  in  a  land,  men 
must  be  able  to  go  to  one  another,  commerce  and 
intercourse  must  be  possible.  Hence  the  additional 

title  restorer  of  the  paths.  •THE'1?,  ''  to  dwell 
in,"  is  probably  to  be  referred  to  both,  since,  in 
order  to  dwell,  i.  e.,  for  comfortable  and  secure 
dwelling  in  a  land,  both  are  necessary,  good 
dwellings  and  good  roads.  ^3^3  is  a  poetic 
word  with  no  technical  reference,  and  hence 
suitable  for  designating  any  sort  of  way  (comp. 
LEYREB'S  article  "Strassen  in  Palaestina  ;"  HEBZ. 
R.  Enc.  XV.  p.  157  sqq.). — One  sees,  especially 
from  ver.  12,  that  the  Prophet,  who  here  still  be- 
fore the  Exile  preaches  repentance  to  his  nation, 
has  yet  always  in  mind  the  great  future  of  resto- 
ration. So  it  is  characteristic  that,  to  the  pious 
of  his  day,  as  a  last  and  most  glorious  reward,  he 
presents  the  prospect,  that  by  him,  too,  shall 
be  exercised  blessed  influences  on  Israel's  re- 
installation  in  its  land. 


5.  If  thou  turn hath  spoken  it. — Vers. 

13,  14.  Isaiah's  contemporaries  seem  to  have 
provoked  the  LOBD  especially  by  two  things. 
First  by  an  excess  that  was  not  demanded ;  that 
is  by  fasting  much  more  than  was  commanded. 
They  fancied  that  by  this  outward  exercise  they 
could  bribe  the  LOBD  and  wipe  out  scores  with 
Him.  But  then  they  let  themselves  be  caught  in 
doing  too  little.  They  were  as  lax  about  keeping 
the  Sabbath  as  they  were  strict  about  fasting. 
The  Sabbath  was  Jehovah's  day.  Keeping  it 
holy  was  a  sure  sign  of  fidelity  to  Jehovah,  and 
easily  tested.  Thus  the  Prophet  demands  a 
right  sanctification  of  the  Sabbath  as  a  condition 
of  glorious,  theocratic  blessing  (comp.lvi.  2).  The 

doing  or  dispatching  business  (f3.n  comp.  onver.  3 
and  Text,  and  O.,  where  see  TE.'S  note)  is  just  the 
foot  whose  tramp  desecrates  the  holy  ground  of  the 
Sabbath.  From  the  mouths  of  those  that  did  not 
heartily  serve  the  LORD,  one  may  often  have 
heard  utterances  that  the  celebration  of  the  Sab- 
bath was  a  burden,  that  interfered  with  all  busi- 
ness and  occupation  (Amos  viii.  5).  Opposed  to 
this  the  Prophet  demanded  that  men  shall  call 
the  Sabbath  a  delight  (JJ.y  again  only  xiii. 
22).  It  merits  this  name  as  the  universal  friend 
of  man,  that  brings  rest  and  refreshment  to  all 
that  are  weary  and  heavy-laden.  But,  as  being 
holy  to  Jehovah,  it  deserves  the  name  honorable 
p3^D  to  be  highly  honored).  But  the  Israelites 

should  practically  honor  it  also  by  not  doing 
their  own  ways,  and  not  going  about  their 
trade  and  occupation  (flit? JND=  far  from  making, 
without  making  or  doing),  by  not  doing  their 
own  business  (see  on  ver.  3)  and  by  not  carrying 
on  conversation.  The  expression  131  "131  is 
found  again  viii.  10.  The  sense  differs  with  the 
context.  In  many  passages  it  has  no  pregnant 
sense  (comp.  Gen.  xli.  28  ;  xliv.  18;  2  Kings  v. 
13;  Job  ii.  13;  Prov.  xxv.  11).  But  there  are 
also  passages  where  it  has  ( Deut.  xviii.  20 ;  Isa. 
viii.  10;  Jer.  xxix.  23;  xxxiv.  5;  Ezek.  xii.  25, 
28;  xiv.  9;  2  Sam.  vii.  7).  According  to  the 
Mosaic  law,  the  Sabbath  should  be  a  day  of  joy 
(comp.  OEHLEB  in  HEBZ.  R.  Enc.  XIII.  p.  199). 
Could  it  be  exacted  of  all  Israelites  that  on  this 
day  only  weighty  words  should  proceed  from 
their  mouth  ?  Certainly  not.  Bu'  business  con- 
versation could  properly  be  forbidden.  On  the 
Sabbath  no  business  must  be  transacted,  neither 
by  works  nor  by  words.  Thus  ^3T  is  here  about 
the  same  as  it  pay  pa  (comp.  1  Sam.  xx.  2 ;  Jndg. 
xviii.  7,  18,  etc.}.  Let  the  Israelite  practically 
honor  the  Sabbath  in  this  way  and  he  "will  de- 
light himself  in  Jehovah  Himself  He  will 
serve  the  LOBD  with  inmost  satisfaction,  and  the 
LOBD  on  His  part  will  bestow  upon  Him  the 
highest  honor  and  the  highest  enjoyment.  I 
will  cause  thee  to  ride  I  will  feed  thee 
are  citations  from  Deut.  xxxii.  13,  comp.  xxxiii. 
29.  To  ride  on  the  high  places  of  the  earth  de- 
notes exaltation  above  all  other  nations.  Instead 
of  "eating  the  heritage  of  Jacob  thy  father,"  the 
original  text  in  Deuteronomy  reads  "  eat  the  in- 
crease of  the  fields  ;  and  He  (Jehovah)  made  him 
to  suck  honey  out  of  the  rock,  and  oil  out  of  the 


CHAP.  LIX.  1-8. 


636 


flinty  rock."  These  expressions  are  compressed 
in  our  text,  and  an  expression  used  instead  that 
recalls  the  promises  given  to  the  fathers  in  refer- 


ence to  the  land  of  Canaan  (Exod.  iii.  8,  17  ; 
xiii.  5,  etc.).  On  "  For  the  mouth  of  the 
Lord,"  etc.,  see  on  i.  20 ;  xl.  5. 


b)    To  the  complaint  of  the  people  concerning  Jehovah's  inability  is  opposed  the 

charge  of  moral   corruption. 

CHAPTER  LIX.  1-8. 

1  BEHOLD,  the  LORD'S  hand  is  not  "shortened,  that  it  cannot  save ; 
Neither  his  ear  heavy,  that  it  cannot  hear : 

2  But  your  iniquities  have  separated  between  you  and  your  God 
And  your  sins  'have  hid  His  face  from  you,  that  He  will  not  hear. 

3  For  your  hands  are  defiled  with  blood 
And  your  fingers  with  iniquity  ; 

Your  lips  have  spoken  lies,  your  tongue  bhath  muttered  perverseness. 

4  None  ccalleth  for  justice,  nor  any  pleadeth  for  truth  : 
They  trust  in  vanity,  and  speak  lies ; 

They  conceive  mischief,  and  bring  forth  iniquity. 

5  They  hatch  ^cockatrice'  eggs 
And  weave  the  spider's  web : 

He  that  eateth  of  their  eggs  dieth, 

And  3that  which  is  crushed  breaketh  out  into  a  viper. 

6  Their  webs  shall  not  become  garments, 

Neither  shall  they  cover  themselves  with  their  works 

Their  works  are  works  of  iniquity, 

And  the  act  of  violence  is  in  their  hands. 

7  Their  feet  run  to  evil, 

And  they  make  haste  to  shed  innocent  blood : 
Their  thoughts  are  thoughts  of  iniquity  ; 
Wasting  and  Mestruction  are  in  their  paths. 

8  The  way  of  peace  they  know  not ; 

And  there  is  no  judgment  in  their  'goings: 
They  have  made  them  crooked  paths : 
Whosoever  goeth  therein  shall  not  know  peace. 


1  Or,  have  made  him  hide. 

3  Or,  that  ivhich  is  sprinkled  is  as  if  there  brake  out  a  viper. 

»  too  short  to  save,  too  dull  to  hear. 

«  appeals  with  justice,  there  is  no  one  that  would  judge  impartially. 

•  tracks. 


*  Heb.  breaking. 


*  Or,  adders. 
6  Or,  right. 

•>  dcviseth  wickedness. 
A  basilisk. 


TEXTUAL   AND 
Ver.  8.  D^HIJD  direct  causative  Hiph.  with  7~|'3  as 

e.  g.,  in  Gen.  i.  6;  Ezek.  xxii.  26;  xlii.  20. VnpHalso 

direct  causative  Hiph. ;  comp.  moreover,  as  regards  the 
expression,  liv.  8. 

Ver.  3.  The  word  75O3  is  found  only  here  and  Lam. 
iv.  14,  where  the  words  DID  sSxJJ  are  evidently  taken 
from  our  text.  The  form  SjUJ  is  irregular.  The  prefix 
J  denotes  a  Niphal  form,  whereas  7NJ  appears  as  a  Pual 
or  passive  of  Pool.  The  root  Sxj  (kindred  to  ^yifasti- 

-T  -T 

divit)  occurs  again  in  the  sense  of  "impurum,  profanum 
esse,"  in  the  Hiph.  in  Ixiii.  3,  on  the  other  hand  often  in 
later  writers  :  Zeph.  iii.  1 ;  Mai.  i.  7, 12 ;  Ezra  ii.  02  ;  Neh. 
vii.  64;  Dan.  i.  8. Thus  SiOJ  is  bad  Hebrew  both  ma- 
terially and  formally.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  expres- 


GRAMMATICAL. 

sion  was  purposely  taken  by  the  Prophet  from  popular 
language,  in  order,  by  the  bad  word,  to  designate  the 
more  graphically  the  bad  thing.  The  root,  which  ori- 
ginally belongs  more  to  the  Aramaic  dialect,  only  pene- 
trated into  the  Hebrew  Scripture  language  at  a  later 
date,  as  the  passages  quoted  show. One  may  not  ren- 
der njnn  '  to  murmur,"  which  would  make  nonsense 
where  the  same  word  occurs  in  Ps.  xxxv.  28;  Ixxi.  24; 
Job  xxvii.  4;  Prov.  viii.  0.  The  tongue  (or  palate)  in  all 
these  passages  is  personified,  and  treated  as  t'ie  inner 
source  of  what  the  lips  outwardly  express  aloud.  GK- 
SESIUS  (Thes.  p.  364)  quotes  with  approval  the  words  of 
GUSSETIUS,  that  'TUn  non  reperitur  cum  parte  magis  ex- 

T  T 

trinseca,  nemper\3&,  etsic  aliquamservatintrinsecitatem." 
And  that  is  correct.  By  jiC/7  rUT  the  same  thing  is 
affirmed  of  the  tongue  that  is  elsewhere  ascribed  to  it 


636 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


when  it  is  said  of  it,  that  a  High  song  of  praise  (DDT) 

Ps.  Ixvi.  17),  honey  and  milk  (Song  of  Sol.  iv.  11),  malig- 
nity (Job  xx.  12),  pain  and  wickedness  (Ps.  x.  7)  are  un- 
der the  tongue,  or  that  pleasant  doctrine  is  on  the  ton- 
gue (Prov.  xxxi.  26),  or  that  wickedness  is  in  the  tongue 
(Job  vi.  30).  All  these  expressions  must  be  regarded  as 
metaphors,  because  in  all  of  them  the  outward,  irrational 
organ  is  substituted  for  the  inward  rational  organ. 


Ver.  5.  niMH  an-.  X«y.,  comp.  of  i-  6,  from  HI  "to 
press  together ;"  it  is  a  passive  participial  form,  as  e.  g. 
7lj7>  HUD,  with  the  rare  feminine  ending  ri— 

Ver.  8.  H3  the  totality  of  the  ways,  comp.  e.  g.,  xxii. 

T 

11 ;  xx  vii.  4. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Behold not   hear. — Vcrs.  1,  2.     Ver. 

1  implies  a  double  reproach  which    Israel   lets 
fall  beside  that  in  lii.  2,  3.     In  the  latter  they 
had  reproached  Him  with  injustice.  Here  they  let 
it  be  understood  that  Jehovah  either  lacks  the 
necessary  strength  of  hand  (°~T   nii'p  comp.  on 
1.  2)  or  else  hearing.     The  expression  JTK   m3D 
does  not  signify  unwillingness  to  hear,  but  inability 
to  hear,  deafness,  as  in  Gen.  xlviii.  10  "the  eyes 
of  Israel  were  heavy   from   age"   signifies   the 
physical  weakness   of  the  eyes,    wherefore  it  is 
added  "  he  could  not  see."     The  expression  "133 
used  of  the  ear  occurs  again  only  vi.  10;and  in 
Zech.  vii.  11  as  a  quotation  from  our  text  (comp. 
on  Iviii.  6  sqq.).     in  ver.  2  is  given  the  real  rea- 
son for  Israel's  mournful  fate.     It  is  their  sins 
that   raise  a   partition-wall  between    them    and 
their  God,  and  make  Him  hide  His  face  from 
them  so  that  He  does  not  hear. 

2.  For  your  hands -not  know  peace. 

— Vers.  3-8.     In  this  section  the  Prophet  speci- 
fies the  sins  of  Israel,  showing  that  it  is  wholly 
penetrated  by  sin,  and  that  the  outward  mani- 
festation exactly  corresponds  to  the  corrupt  inte- 
rior.    He  first  points  to  the  hands  spotted  with 
blood.     Then  he  says  that  guilt,  offence  clings  to 
their  fingers,  by  which  he  would  only  express, 
that  this  blood  came  not  on  their  fingers  by  acci- 
dent, but  by  actual  trespass.     He  distributes  the 
notion  ''blood-guiltiness"  to  the  palms  and  fingers 
according  to  the  law  of  parallelism.     The  lips 
speak  lies  loud  and  audibly,  while  the  tongue 
devises  wickedness,  which  is  set  in  operation  by 
means  of  the  lies.     There  prevails  here,  too,  the 
antithesis  between  what  is  outward  and  what  is 
inward.     In  ver.  4  there  underlies  the  same  anti- 
thesis.    I  have  no  doubt  that  p~t¥3,   Nip  desig- 
nates the  judicial  invocatio  (in  jus  vocare,  Ka/ielv 
ETTI  6iKT/v)-  soCoccEjus,  GESEN.,  MAURER,  KNO- 
BEL.     For  first,  in  this  way  the  two  clauses  of 
the  half  of  the  verse  most  beautifully  correspond. 
The  first  treats  of  the  complainant,  and  the  sec- 
ond of  the  fate  his  complaint  has  with  the  Judge. 
Moreover  Job  xiii.  22  seems  to  me  to  prove  that 
the  general  sense  "to  call"   may,  according  to 
the  context,  acquire   the  meaning  of  a  forensic 
act,  as  that  of  the  call  proceeding  from  the  com- 
plainant to  appear  at  the  bar  of  judgment  and  to 
justification.    If  we  take  Nip  in  the  sense  of 
KTjpvaaetv,   as  DEI/CTZSCH  does  ("no   one  gives 
public  testimony  with  righteousness"),  it  would 
be  giving   too    much   meaning  to   Nip    and  to 
KTipvaaeiv.     If  one  were  to  take  it  with  STIEB  in 
the  sense  "  no  one  calls  (appeals)   to  righteous- 
ness, raises  his  voice  for  it,  i.  e.,  in  order  to  it  and 
for  it,"  that  would  be  to  attach  too  much  mean- 
ing to  the  prefix  3-     I  translate  :  there  is  no  one 
that  appeals  with  righteousness,  and  there  is  no 


one  that  is  judged  with  faithfulness  (impartially). 
One  could,  as  most  do,  translate  £33i73  also  by 
"  who  conducts  his  cause."  But  the  Niph.  pri- 
marily means  ''to  be  judged"  (Ps.  ix.  20;  xxxvii. 
33;  cix.  7);  and  this  meaning  seems  to  me  to 
suit  better  here,  since  njj?  (as  in  Job  xiii.  28) 
would  better  answer  to  Nip  in  the  sense  denoted 
before,  and  t33ufj  does  not  mean  "  to  defend  one's 
self"  but  "to  go  to  law,  litigarc,"  and  thus  in- 
cludes the  complainant.  According  to  our  mean- 
ing the  complainant's  aim  at  wrong  is  judged,  but 
also  the  judges  treat  the  cause  with  no  fidelity  or 
love  of  truth.  PUIION  answers  here  to  the  idea 
p1¥  as,  e.  g.,  Ps.  xcvi.  13;  Prov.  xii.  17;  1  Sam. 
xxvi.  23  etc.  Now  where  such  things  come  to 
light,  there  must  be  something  lacking  within. 
There,  instead  of  the  living  God,  emptiness, 
vanity,  nothingness  must  be  the  refuge  in  which 
trust  is  placed  ;  there,  too,  lies  must  serve  as  in- 
dispensable aids  (Nlli'  OT  see  Iviii.  9).  In 
general  the  natural  law  is  observed  :  as  the  seed, 
so  the  fruit.  What  is  conceived  within  as  the 


germ  of  the  /3J7  (weary  trouble  with  the  sec- 
condary  notion  of  what  is  baneful,  a  curse,  espe- 
cially in  Eccl.  i.  3;  ii.  10  sqq.,  etc.,  comp.  Job.  v. 
6,  7  ;  Ps.  vii.  17)  comes  to  light  in  an  aggravated 
form  as  p.N  (vanum,  malum  in  the  double  sense  of 

the  word).  The  notion  pN  is  stronger  than  /O^. 
since  it  expresses  more  strongly  both  the  idea  of 
vanity,  illusiveness,  as  well  as  that  of  moral 


wickedness.  Moreover  both  conceptions  ( 
and  pN)  are  often  conjoined,  not  only  in  pas- 
sages that  more  or  less  literally  coincide  with 
ours  (Job  xv.  35  ;  Ps.  vii.  15),  but  elsewhere  also 
(Ps.  x.  7;  xc.  10;  Iv.  11.) 

In  vers.  5,  6,  by  a  double  image,  the  Prophet 
expresses  the  thought  that  the  inward  corruption 
of  the  people  reveals  itself  outwardly  by  corres- 
ponding works.  He  compares  the  Israelites  to 
poisonous  serpents  that  produce  poisonous  eggs, 
and  to  poisonous  spiders  that  draw  out  of  their 
body  a  baneful  web.  In  ver.  5  a  the  comparisons 
stand  side  by  side  in  their  general  import.  But 
ver.  5  b  there  is  mentioned  first  a  double  destruc- 
tive use  of  the  basilisk's  esg.  Either  one  eats  it, 
and  dies  of  it;  or  the  broken  egg  divides  itself 
as  an  adder,  i.  e.,  lets  slip  out  through  the  crack 
the  poisonous  adder,  that  is  dangerous  to  the 
foot  of  him  that  treads  on  it  (Gen.  iii.  15).  Thus 
the  works  of  the  Israelites  are  on  the  one  hand 
positively  ruinous,  on  the  other  -hand  they  ap- 
pear as  useless,  unreliable,  consequently  also  as 
indirectly  ruinous.  That  is,  so  far  as  the  Israel- 
ites are  thought  of  as  spiders  that  produce  a  web, 
there  their  products  prove  useless  for  protecting 
garments.  Consequently  the  conduct  of  the  Is- 


CHAP.  LIX.  9-15. 


637 


raelites  is  altogether  the  product  of  an  inward 
corruption,  and  in  every  respect,  in  part  useless 
and  thus  indirectly  pernicious  (pX^tS^D),  in  part 
directly  and  positively  ruinous  (Don  7J73). 

Vers.  7  and  8  continue  the  effort  to  hold  up  to 
Israel  the  manifoldness  of  its  sinful  ways.  It  is 
as  if  the  Prophet,  having  in  ver.  6  spoken  of  the 
sinful  works  of  the  hands,  would  now  describe 
the  participation  of  the  feet  in  these  works.  This 
he  does  by  means  of  a  citation.  For  the  entire 
first  half  of  ver.  7  is  taken  from  Prov.  i.  16  (as 
on  the  other  hand  Paul  in  Horn.  iii.  15-17  gives 
a  free  citation  of  our  vers.  7,  8  a).  Also  the 
words  their  thoughts  are  thoughts  of  in- 
iquity are  the  more  to  be  regarded  as  a 
reminiscence  of  Prov.  vi.  18  since  the  expression 
pK  ni3$n?D  occurs  only  in  these  two  passages, 
and  also  the  second  half  of  Prov.  vi.  18  is  only  a 
variation  of  the  first  half  of  chap.  i.  16.  In  the 
last  number  of  ver.  7  as  also  in  ver.  8,  the  Pro- 
phet appears  to  have  intended  to  show  how  Is- 


rael had  by  its  sins  polluted  everything  even 
that  was  called  a  way.  Hence  it  is  said  at  the 
close  of  ver.  7  that  wasting  and  destruction 

(li.  19;  Ix.  18)  is  in  their  paths   (H^DD  the 

beaten  road  ;  notice  the  antithesis  to  "Q$l  1$) ; 
then  ver.  8  "pT  "the  way"  and  nnJl'O  "the 
wagon  tracks,  orbitae,"  are  described  as  devoid 
of  peace  and  judgment,  and  the  niTru  "the  foot- 
paths" are  made  crooked  by  them  (in  their  in- 
terest EH;).  "The  way  of  peace"  is  an  expres- 
sion that  occurs  only  here,  and  as  a  citation  from 
this  text  in  Luke  i.  79  and  Horn.  iii.  17.  Also 
in  writing  these  clauses  the  Prophet  had  un- 
doubtedly in  mind  passages  in  Proverbs  like 
Prov.  ii.  8,  9,  15.  The  concluding  clause  of  ver. 
8:  whosoever  goeth  therein,  etc.,  corres- 
ponds to  the  beginning  of  the  verse,  and  is  a  sort 
of  recapitulation  of  all  that  was  said  concerning 
the  ways  of  the  Israelites.  That  is,  the  result  is 
that  every  one  that  goes  thereon  learns  not  to 
know  peace  (viz.  practically,  xlvii.  8 ;  Jer.  xx.  20). 


2.    THE  TRANSITION  UPWARD. 

a)  The  transition  from  the  Mournful  Present  to  the  Blessed  Future  by  means  of 
the  Nation's  Penitent  Confession. 

CHAP.  LIX.  9-15  a. 

9       Therefore  is  "judgment  far  from  us, 
Neither  doth  justice  overtake  us  : 
We  wait  for  light,  but  behold  obscurity ; 
For  brightness,  but  we  walk  in  darkness. 

10  We  grope  for  the  wall  like  the  blind, 
And  we  grope  as  if  we  had  no  eyes : 

We  stumble  at  noonday  as  in  the  bnight ; 
0  We  are  in  desolate  places  as  dead  men. 

11  We  roar  all  like  bears, 
And  mourn  sore  like  doves : 

We  look  for  "judgment,  but  there  is  none ; 
For  salvation,  but  it  is  far  off  from  us. 

12  For  our  transgressions  are  multiplied  before  thee, 
And  our  sins  testify  against  us : 

For  our  transgressions  are  with  us ; 
And  as  for  our  iniquities,  we  know  them. 

13  In  transgressing  and  lying  against  the  LORD, 
And  departing  away  from  our  God, 
Speaking  oppression  and  revolt, 

Conceiving  and  uttering  from  the  heart  words  of  falsehood. 

14  And  "judgment  is  turned  away  backward, 
And  justice  standeth  afar  off: 

For  truth  is  fallen  in  the  street, 
And  equity  cannot  enter. 

15  "Yea,  truth  faileth ; 

And  he  that  departeth  from  evil  ^aketh  himself  a  prey. 


Or,  is  accounted  mad. 
right. 


twilight. 


Among  the  flourishing  (with  life)  as  tne  aeaa. 


638 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


TEXTUAL    AND 

See  Li-st  for  the  recurrence  of  the  words :  Ver.  9. 
nn'33— nSiJK.  Ver.  10.  tytfj,  comp.  WWV- 

T        :  T :  -    T  ~  T 

Ver.  10.  He  parag.  accented  the  first  time,  the  second 
time  unaccented,  seems  to  me  to  be  with  reference  to 
merely  rhetorical  effect,  corresponding  only  to  the  out- 
ward difference  between  Q*~\]y  and  Q'J'J?  TX  (xl.  29) 
^$33  with  the  preposition  omitted,  comp.  i.  25 ;  v. 

18,29;  x.  14;  xxviii.  21. TDt^X  is  an  adjective  form 

IT:    - 

from  myf  pinguis  fuit,  like  "U3X,  3IDK,  JJVK.  The 
Prophet  could  write  D' J0t?3,  but  he  coined  a  new  word 
in  order  to  intimate  that  hie  would  have  the  word  taken 
in  more  than  the  common,  in  an  intensified  sense. 
Judg.  iii.  29  mw  is  used  parallel  with  'jfT-tf'*!  they 
smote  tea  thousand  MoabitesVn  BfaH?^  TDJP-Ss. 

—  •          T:       I"T          T 

Also  in  Ps.  Ixxviii.  31  D^Ol^D  is  placed  in  parallelism 


GRAMMATICAL. 

with    D'T^nS    (comp.  Isa.  x.  16).     Since    the    words 

'D3  D'3DB'X3  as  far  as  tjStfa  stand  in  the  same  gram- 

:  —  T 

matical  relation  as  c|tZ?33  D'"in¥3,  and  correspond  to 
these  words  in  parallelism,  they  must  have  an  analo- 
gous sense.  There  lies  in  the  former  the  same  antithe- 
sis as  in  the  latter.  See  Exeg.  and  Grit. 

Ver.  12.  1J3  nr\3J7  comp.  iii.  9;  and  as  regards  the 
singular  predicate  with  the  plural  subject  comp.  i.  6; 
xxxiv.  13  ;  xxxv.  9. 

Ver.  13.  JIOJ  inf.  absol.  Niph.  from  J^Q,  pomp.  Zeph. 

T 

i.  6. Tin,  Un  are  inff.  abss.  Poel  from  mn  and  PUD  ; 

T  T  T  T 

they  both  occur  only  here.    They  are  evidently  meant 
for  a  paronomasia. 
Ver.  14.  The  discourse  returns  to  the  verb.  fin. 

Ver.  15.  vvlfityo,  with  reflexive-causal  meaning ; 
comp.  Ps.  Ixxvi.  0. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  From  the  present,  whose  contemplation  he 
begins  in  chap.  Iviii.,  the  Prophet  would  prepare 
a  way  for  himself  to  behold  the  remote  future. 
The  sins  and  vices  of  the  present,  which  he  had 
to  oppose  to  the  people's  charge  of  injustice  on 
God's  part,  prevent  the  coming  of  the  salvation 
to  which  the  people  had  a  certain   right  as  to 
something  promised.     But  these  sins  can  be  blot- 
ted out,  a  way  to  Israel's  right  to  salvation  can 
be   made,    if  Israel   repents.      That   will   come 
about.    Hence  in  the  present  section  the  Prophet 
describes  the  penitent  Israel.     That  this  repent- 
ance may  appear  spontaneous  and  real,  he  lets 
Israel  itself  speak.     He  was  the  more  moved  to 
do  this,  as  he  comprehends  together  relative  and 
absolute  present,  and  accordingly  would  include 

himself  and  his  own  time.  With  p~7j>,  ''there- 
fore" (ver.  9),  the  Israelites  join  on  to  the  charge 
of  the  Prophet.  They  admit  thereby  that  their 
sins  are  the  cause  of  their  sad  condition,  which 
they  now  proceed  to  describe  (vers."  9-11).  To 
this  ''therefore"  corresponds  the  causal  '3,  "for," 
ver.  12:  what  they  should  know  as  the  conse- 
quence of  the  Prophet's  charges,  that  they  now 
prove  by  a  candid  confession  of  sin  (vers.  12-15  a). 
In  direct  contrast,  therefore,  with  that  bold  state- 
ment, Iviii.  2,  3,  that  Jehovah  was  unjust  toward 
His  people,  Israel  here  confesses  emphatically, 
in  a  double  turn  of  discourse  intertwined  like  a 
chain,  and  in  connection  with  the  mirror  of  its 
sins  that  the  Prophet  holds  before  it,  lix.  2-8, 
that  its  wretchedness  is  the  consequence  of  its 
sin  (vers.  9-11),  and  its  sin  is  the  cause  of  its 
wretchedness  (vers.  12-15  a). 

2.  Therefore far  off  from  us,  vers.  9-11. 

With  therefore  begins  a  great  and  important 
turn  in  the  discourse.     Israel  no  longer  boasts 
of  its  righteousness  and  innocence,  as  in  Iviii.  2, 
3,  but  confesses  that  the  Prophet  was  entirely 
right  in   his   accusations,   lix.  2-8;  it  confesses 
that  on  account  of  these  sins  its  right  is  far  from 
it.     But  what  strange  confession  of  sin  is  this 
when  Israel  says :  On  account  of  my  sins  I  rightly 
do  not  receive  my  right ;  right  is  done  me  that  I 
suffer  wrong.     Evidently  there  is  implied  here 


a  double  right.  On  the  one  hand  there  exists 
for  Israel  an  absolute  right,  that  is  founded  on 
its  election  to  be  a  peculiar  people,  and  on  the 
promise  given  to  the  fathers  and  often  repeated 
afterwards.  This  is  the  right  (CDD^O)  and  the 
righteousness  (np~t¥)  spoken  of  in  vers.  9  and 
11.  By  virtue  of  this  right  a  wrong  seems  to  have 
happened  to  Israel  when  it  has  been  conquered, 
oppressed,  carried  off  captive  by  the  heathen. 
But  such  times  of  distress  are  only  obscurations 
of  right,  i.  e.  transitory  veilings  of  that  right  that 
stands  immovable  as  the  sun,  occasioned  bv  Is- 
rael's sin  for  the  time  being,  that  makes  necessary 
the  manifestations  of  God's  relative  right,  i.  e. 
transitory  moments  and  periods  of  punishment. 
In  ver.  9  now,  the  people  confess  that  the  present 
obscuration  of  its  (absolute)  right  is  not  an  abso- 
lute, but  only  a  relative  injustice,  i.  e.  in  relation 
to  its  present  misbehaviour  a  well  founded  right. 
That  Israel  itself  speaks,  and  that  it  is  not  solely 
the  Prophet  that  declares  of  Israel  that  it  has 
come  to  a  right  view,  is  evidently  intended,  so 
that  Israel's  confession  of.  repentance  may  be 
heard  from  its  own  mouth,  thus  from  the  most 
reliable  source,  and  also  as  a  voluntary  one. — 

The    expression    npttf  urfrn  vh     recalls    the 


or  of  Deut.  xxviii.  2,  15. 

Cornp.  also  Isa.  xxxv.  10;  li.  11.  From  ver.  96 
and  on,  this  condition  of  Israel  devoid  of  its  right 
is  described  in  figures.  The  people  compare  it 
to  the  situation  of  those  that  in  darkness 
hope  for  light,  and  yet  never  see  the  hope  ful- 
filled. Next  they  compare  themselves  in  their 
helplessness  and  want  of  counsel  to  blind  men 
that  grope  along  by  touching  the  wall.  Fur- 
ther they  compare  themselves  to  the  blind  that 
stumble  at  midday  as  in  the  twilight;  then 
to  the  dead,  i.  e.  to  the  shades  of  the  dead  that 
move  among  the  living,  strengthless  and  without 
support,  with  tottering  gait  (comp.  the  apevriva. 
Kapqra  or  <l>v%a  avftpuiruv,  FR.  V.  NAEGELSBACH, 
Homer.  Theol.  VII.,  |  25).  The  word  0*JDEfH, 
which  occurs  only  here,  can,  in  my  opinion,  only 
mean  "  the  fat,"  i.  e.  those  in  vigorous  life,  in 


CHAP.  LIX.  9-15. 


639 


contrast  with  the  unsubstantial  shades.  So  also 
DELITZSCH,  SEINECKE,  ROHLING,  etc.  See 
Text,  and  Gram.  The  light  of  midday  does  not 
help  the  blind;  he  stumbles  any  way.  It  does 
not  help  the  shade  of  a  dead  man  to  move  about 
in  the  environment  of  men  rejoicing  in  life;  he 
totters  and  is  unsteady  just  the  same.  One  might 
say  that  then  it  ought  to  read  D'J2/X3  DTO3. 
But  the  intention  of  making  the  last  member  of 
the  parallelism  like  the  first  prevails.  The  ex- 
planations: ''as  the  dead  in  darkness,  or  in  deso- 
late places,  or  in  fat  regions,"  partly  do  not  cor- 
respond to  the  parallelism,  partly  are  ungram- 
matical.  But  one  must  now  distinguish  the  sub- 
stance from  the  image.  What  would  the  Prophet  i 
say  by  this  figure?  I  am  surprised  that  even 
DELITZSCH  here  follows  in  the  steps  of  KNOBEL, 
and  thinks  he  must  find  the  Prophet's  point  of 
view  in  the  last  decade  of  the  Exile,  and  that 
the  meaning  is:  When,  after  his  conquest  over 
Croesus,  Cyrus  hesitated  to  march  against  Baby- 
lon, hope  and  fear  unceasingly  alternated  in  the 
souls  of  the  Exiles.  Verily,  the  Prophet's  stand- 
point is  one  much  higher,  his  circuit  of  vision  a 
much  broader  one.  He  would  here  even  pave 
the  way  to  the  distant  views  of  chapters  lx.  sqq. 
The  thing  that  hinders  the  appearance  of  the 
deeds  of  salvation  there  promised,  is  Israel's  sin. 
Let  the  partition  wall  of  sin  be  cleared  away  by 
knowledge  of  it  and  proper  fruits  of  repentance, 
then  can  the  LORD  arise  to  put  Israel  in  posses- 
sion of  its  right.  Wherever  and  whenever  Israel 
truly  recognizes  its  misery  and  the  cause  of  it,  it 
must  so  speak  as  is  here  represented.  For  there 
it  must  measure  its  situation  by  the  measure  of 
God's  promises,  and  must  ask  itself:  Am  I  what, 
as  the  people  of  God,  I  ought  to  be  ?  Then  it 
must  see  the  imperfection  and  uncertainty  of  its 
situations — now  high  up,  then  deep  down ;  at 
one  time  unrighteously  dominated  over,  at  ano- 
ther unrighteously  dominating — and  confess  that 
Israel  can  only  find  its  eternal,  inalienable  right 
in  and  with  its  God. 

Ver.  11.  Israel  compares  itself  to  bears  growl- 
ing for  hunger  (illustrative  passages  from  the 
classics  find  in  BOCHART,  Hieroz.  II.,  p.  134), 
and  to  doves  that  for  like  reason  plaintively  coo 
and  sigh  (ibid.  II.,  p.  539  sq.).  HOH  and  run 
are  nearly  related  in  sound  and  meaning.  The 
first  is  used  of  the  dove,  Ezek.  vii.  16;  the  latter 
is  used  also  of  the  lion  (xxvii.  8;  xxxi.  4).  We 
had  it  for  the  sighing  of  the  dove  already, 
xxxviii.  14.  By  comparing  themselves  to  the 
growling  of  the  bear  and  to  the  sighing  of  the 
dove,  the  Israelites  let  it  be  understood  that  both 
the  strong  and  the  weak,  each  in  his  way,  make  au- 
dible complaint  concerning  the  prevailing  distress. 

3.  For  our   transgressions himself  a 

prey,  vera.  12-15  a.    Aa  already  remarked,  the 


'3,  "for,"  that  begins  ver.  12,  corresponds  to  the 
"therefore"  that  begins  ver.  9.  It  is  the  same 
chain-like  succession  aii  that  of  e.g.  li.  12,  13; 
liii.  4,  5,  12.  "  The  people  strike  up  the  Wid- 
duj  (the  confession)  that  is  marked  by  the  rhy- 
ming inflexions  ana  and  enu"  (DELITZSCH). — 
The  second  '3,  "  for,"  in  ver.  12  is  not  co-ordinate 
with  the  first,  but  subordinate.  For  Israel  would 
not  have  been  able  to  say  :  Our  sins  stand  before 
thee  and  testify  against  us,  had  it  not  before 
owned  to  having  such  sins.  The  consciousness  of 
its  sinfulness  betrayed  in  ver.  12  b  was  alone  able 
to  determine  it  to  the  declaration  of  ver.  12  a. 
In  ver.  13  follows  a  specification  of  the  sins  of 
which  Israel  is  conscious.  The  first  and  chief  is 
apostacy  from  Jehovah,  idolatry.  It  is  charac- 
terized in  a  three  fold  way.  We  may  understand 
i'jyfl  to  denote  the  inward  revolt  against  the 
LORD,  t^riD  the  denial  of  Him  practised  in  words 
^nin'3  is  to  be  referred  to  both,  comp.  i.  2 ;  xliii. 
27;  then  Hos.  ix.  2;  Jer.  v.  12),  '1J1  J10J,  the 
outward  actual  falling  away  by  exchanging  the 
worship  of  Jehovah  for  heathen  worship.  Onemay 
say  that  ver.  13  a  treats  of  transgressions  against 
the  first  table  of  the  law,  ver.  13  b  of  transgres- 
sions against  the  second.  For  ver.  13  b  speaks 
of  violations  of  the  duties  we  owe  our  neighbors, 
moi  pUtf  "Ol  is  to  carry  on  discourse  (conver- 
sation, agreement)  that  aims  at  oppression  of 
others  ami  departure  from  the  law.  The  expres- 
sion niD~"i2n,  wherever  else  it  occurs  (Deut. 
xiii.  6 ;  Jer.  xxviii.  16 ;  xxix.  32),  is  used  only 
of  the  i'alse  doctrine  of  the  false  prophets.  Thus 
here  Isaiah  would  have  principally  in  mind  the 
seductive  discourses  of  false  prophets.  In  anti- 
thesis <o  rpn,  conccpit,  run  can  here  only  mean 
''  breathing  forth,"  the  proferre  by  means  of 
speech. 

Ver.  14.  At  first  sight  and  by  comparison  with 
ver.  9,  one  is  tempted  to  understand  14  a  (with 
HITZIG  and  others)  to  refer  again  to  the  hin- 
drance in  the  way  of  Israel  having  the  right  be- 
longing to  it  in  the  theocratic  sense  (see  above). 
But  ver.  14  b  conflicts  with  that ;  for  there  the 
fides  publica  is  evidently  spoken  of  that  must  un- 
derlie the  administering  of  justice  and  all  trade 
and  conduct.  Where  fidelity  wavers,  and  no  one 
can  any  more  believe  and  trust  another ;  where 
all  propriety  and  decorousness,  all  fioncstum  is 
formally  held  aloof,  excluded,  put  under  the  ban, 
there  can  be  no  mention  of  right  and  jus- 
tice in  the  market  (3UTP3,  in  foro) ;  of  course 
there  fidelity  must  gradually  be  wholly  missing 
(xxxiv.  16 ;  xl.  26),  while  if  any  one'only  does 
not  join  in,  would  let  the  •wickedness 
alone,  he  incurs  the  danger  of  being  sin- 
gled out  for  plunder. 


640 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


b)    The  Prophet  promises  Jehovah's  intervention   and   is  encouraged  to  farther 

announcements  of  salvation. 

CHAPTER  LIX.  15  6-21. 

15  b    And  the  LORD  saw  it, 

And  'it  displeased  him  that  there  was  no  judgment. 

16  And  he  saw  that  there  was  no  man, 

And  "wondered  that  there  was  no  intercessor : 
Therefore  his  arm  brought  salvation  unto  him  ; 
And  his  righteousness,  it  sustained  him. 

17  For  he  put  on  righteousness  as  a  bbreastplate, 
And  an  helmet  of  salvation  upon  his  head  ; 

Aud  he  put  on  the  garments  of  vengeance  for  clothing, 
And  was  clad  with  zeal  as  a  cloak. 

18  According  to  their  2deeds,  accordingly  he  will  repay, 
Fury  to  his  adversaries,  recompence  to  his  enemies  ; 
To  the  islands  he  will  repay  recompence. 

19  So  shall  they  fear  the  name  of  the  LORD  from  the  west, 
And  his  glory  from  the  rising  of  the  sun. 

°\Vhen  the  enemy  shall  come  in  like  a  flood, 

The  spirit  of  the  LORD  shall  slift  up  a  standard  against  him. 

20  And  the  Redeemer  shall  come  to  Zion, 

And  unto  them  that  turn  from  transgression  in  Jacob,  saith  the  LORD. 

21  As  for  me,  this  is  my  covenant  with  them,  saith  the  LORD  ; 
My  spirit  that  is  upon  thee, 

And  my  words  which  I  have  put  in  thy  mouth, 

Shall  not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth, 

Nor  out  of  the  mouth  of  thy  seed, 

Nor  out  of  the  mouth  of  thy  seed's  seed,  saith  the  LORD, 

From  henceforth  and.  forever. 


1  Heb.  it  was  evil  in  his  eyes. 


2  Heb.  recompenses. 


'  was  horrified. 

1  For  he  will  come  as  apent  up  stream,  which  the  breath  of  Jehovah  drives. 


»  Or,  put  him  to  flight. 
*  coat  of  mail. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  IS. 


(comp.  Ixiii.  7)  is  a  mixture 


of  proposition  and  adverb,  and   in  the  context  a  confu- 
tio  duarum  construclionum.  That  is  to  say,  the  two  modes 


of  expression  are  mixed  up,  viz., 


7t^  {3 

••  —  i    I  •• 


(in- 


stead  of  D^ilO  jTI  /PJ3,  because,  may  be,  the  substan- 
tives   from    D  . 

I         . "T  •;:• 

y,  rT^viJf  are  all  of  them  very  rarely  used)  and 


and  n-»t  1XV  as  KNOBEL  would  have. 


would  choose  one  of  like  sound,  for  which  HDD13  of- 
fered.   This  Pilel  from  D1J  does  not  elsewhere  occur, 


Ver.  19. 


indeed.  But  neither  does  the  would-be  Poel  formed 
from  DJ  occur.  There  is  only  a  Hithp.  Dp'ljnn  (Zech. 
ix.  16  ;  Ps.  Ix.  6,  passages  that  themselves  present  great 

.  :  •  i  difficulty).    But  this  Prophet,  so  mighty  in  language, 

that    mean  retributio,  DTO    DW,    could  and  dared  to  form  a  Pilel  DD1J  ;  and  in  taking  it 

in  a  causative  sense  (  =  to  produce  flight,  haste),  and 
making  13  dependent  on  it,  he  proceeds  quite  in  the 
spirit  of  the  Hebrew  language. It  seems  to  me  be- 
yond doubt  that  TV  (in  pause  TV)  is  to  be  taken  as  = 

T 

coarctatus.  But  it  is  not  to  be  derived  from  T1V  (''  on- 
pressing  stream,"  EWALD,  KNOBEL,  SEINECKE,  ROHLING) 
but  from  TTV-  There  are  in  Hebrew  many  verbs  ic 
which  the  transitive  and  intransitive  force  are  still  to- 
gether unseparated.  TTV  is  °ne  of  them.  Comp.  ^7  TV 
Ps  xxxi.  10.  etc. ;  TV  DipO  Num.  xxii.  26;  Isa.  xlix.  20; 

~  I     T 

TV  r\3  Prov.  xxiv.  10,  etc. Against  the  explanation 

of  TV  TD33  that,  with  GESKNIUS,  MAUBKB,  UMBKEIT,  DB- 


For  although  the  latter  =  videbunt  would  ajso  give  a 
good  meaning,  still  the  former  is  the  critically  ap- 
proved reading.  See  DELITZSCH.  -  The  words  "  H1T 
U  HDDU  recall  xl.  7,  where  it  reads  13  n3$J  "  fin. 
Evidently  these  words  hovered  before  the  Prophet. 
Bit  there  vegetation  is  spoken  of,  which  the  breath  of 
the  LORD  (conceived  of  a«  a  hot  wind)  dries  up.  Here 
it  speaks  of  a  stream  which  the  breath  of  the  LOKB  does 
not  dry  up,  but  can  only  drive  onwards.  Hence  the  Pro- 
phet must  choose  another  word  than  nSt^J.  But  he 


CHAP.  LIX.  15-21. 


641 


LITZSOH,  I  hold  to  be  correct,  it  may  be  objected  from 
a  grammatical  point  of  view,  that  the  disjunctive  Pashta 
on  "inj  calls  for  a  substantive  meaning  for  ~\¥,  and  that 

T  T 

~\¥  as  an  attribute  of  "injn  must  also  have  the  article. 
But  the  accent  is  only  the  Masoretic  construction,  and 
the  omission  of  the  article  form.?  no  very  rare  excep- 


tion, which  appears  to  me  to  be  prompted  in   cases 
where  the  subject  is  rendered  definite  already  by  the 
comparison  (comp.,  e.  g.,  xi  9). 
Ver.  21.  The  use  of  DH1X  for  DfiX,  which  we  find  in 

T  T    ' 

Jeremiah  very  much  developed,  is  in  Isaiah  still  in  its 
beginnings.  For  in  him  both  forms  occur  harshly  to- 
gether :  liv.  15. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  LORD  can  only  reply  to  Israel's  sincere 
confession  of  sin  by  the  assurance  of  His  grace. 
Therefore  the  Prophet  declares  that  the  LORD 
recognizes  the  complaint,  that  its  right  (ver.  9) 
has  escaped  from  it,  to  be  well  founded  (ver.15  b, 
16  a),  and  that  He  has  prepared  to  help  them  to 
it.     Therefore  recompense  will  be  given  to  the 
enemies  of  Israel  (ver.  18).     East  and  west  shall 
be  witnesses  of  the  mighty  displays  of  Jehovah's 
power,  when  He  will  come  on  like  a  stream  that 
bursts  its  dams  and  is  driven  by  a  tempest  be- 
side, in  order  to  bring  deliverance  to  penitent  Is- 
rael  (vers.   19,  20).     This   promise  of  outward 
manifestation  of  salvation  is  followed  by  another 
more  inward,  and  also  comforting  and  encouraging 
for  the  Prophet  himself,  that  the  covenant  of  the 
LORD  with  Israel  will  be  realized  by  the  spirit 
that  the  LORD  has  laid  on  the  Prophet  continuing 
to  operate  forever  in  Israel. (ver.  21). 

2.  And  the  LORD  saw  it saith  the 

LORD. — Vers.  15  6-20.   According  to  the  pros- 
pect the  Prophet  held  out,  Iviii.  9,  so  it  comes  to 
pass.     There  it  says:  if  Israel  will  bring  proper 
fruits  of  repentance,  then  it  will  call    and    the 
LORD  will  answer  it;  it  will  cry,  and  the  LORD 
will  say  :  here  am  I.     In  lix.  12-15  a  Israel  has 
made  so  hearty  a  confession,  that  the  fruits  of  re- 
pentance demanded,  Iviii.  6  sqq.,  are  to  be  ex- 
pected with  certainty.     Instantly  the  LORD  hears, 
and  now  also  actually  answers.     He  investigates 
the  situation  and  owns  with  displeasure  ('pi  jn% 
comp.  Gen.  xxi.  11,  etc.,  only  here  in  Isa.)  that 
Israel  really  has  not  its  theocratic  right.     BfitPSi 
ver.  15  6  is  thus  to  be  construed   as  in  ver.  9. 
Moreover,    the    LORD    sees   •with    dismay 
(DDim?',  comp.  Ixiii.  5)  that  no  one  is  there. 
To  the  expression,  E^N  fN,  corresponds  in  paral- 
lism    JTJ30    j'N.     The   former   must    therefore 
have  a  meaning  analogous  to  and  preparatory  for 
the  latter.     We  must  therefore  supply  after  t^'X 
the  thought:   "who  is   able  to  mediate  such  a 
thing,  to  bring  it  to  rights".     Comp.  xli.  28;  Ixiii. 
5.     y*12~3  is  intercessor,  comp.  liii.  12;  xlvii.  3. 

Upon  the  knowledge  of  what  is  wanting  follows 
instantly  the  actual  intervention.  It  is  successful, 
for  the  arm  of  the  LORD  (symbol  of  His  om- 
nipotence, xxxiii.  2;  xl.  10;  xlviii.  14,  see  List) 
affords  him  help,  and  the  sure  support  of  His 
purpose  is  the  righteousness  of  his  cause  and 
of  His  will.  Ver.  16  b  is  related  to  what  follows, 
as  a  summary  statement  of  the  contents.  Ver.  17 
follows  with  specification  in  figurative  expressions. 
Here  Jehovah  is  portrayed  arousing  the  several  at- 
tributes and  activities  lie  needs  in  order  to  help  His 
people  to  their  right ;  and  the  awaking  of  the  powers 
resident  in  Him  is  represented  by  the  figure  of 
His  laying  on  the  several  pieces  of  military  equip- 
ment. Comp.  the  application  of  our  passage  in 
41 


Ephes.  vi.  14,  17,  and  the  Doct.  and  Eth.,  p.  644, 
\  10.  Thus  the  righteousness  just  designated  as 
the  guaranty  of  success  is  compared  to  the  coat  of 
mail  from  which  all  darts  of  the  enemy  rebound. 
j^ytf  only  here  in  Isa.;  comp.  1  Kings  xxii.  34; 
2  Chr.  xviii.  33.  The  helmet,  the  defensive  ar- 
mor, that  protects  the  head,  the  noblest  and  most 
prominent  part  of  the  body,  guarantees  therefore 
very  properly  the  chief  concern :  deliverance,  sal- 
vation, victory  (flJMB^,  comp.  Hab.  iii.  8).  The 
garments  must  denote  that  He  means  vengeance, 
and  the  /'J^  (the  long,  woolen  under  garment, 
comp.  Ixi.  10)  must  represent  the  deep  earnest- 
ness, the  glowing  zeal  that  animates  Him.  Ver. 
18.  Thus  equipped,  the  LORD  advances  to  the 
conflict.  The  object  of  it  is  righteous  recompense 
to  the  enemies  of  Israel.  The  rage  with  which 
they  have  oppressed  Israel,  in  general  all  that 

they  have  done  to  it  ( /"3J,  vocab.  anceps,  comp. 
iii.  11;  Ixvi.  6)  shall  be  recompensed  to  them, 
especially  to  "the  isles",  the  representatives  of 
the  heathen  world.  But  they  will  fear  the 
name  of  the  LORD,  i.  e.,  His  appearance,  re- 
velation, in  the  •west  and  his  glory  in  the 
east.  JO  before  3"\pD  and  t"P?D  of  course 
designates  to  the  Hebrew  way  of  speaking  the 
terminus  a  quo,  whereas  we  must,  in  our  man- 
ner of  representing  it,  substitute  the  term,  in 
quo.  For  the  Hebrew  would  not  say  that  they 
will  fear  the  LORD  from  east  and  west  hither, 
as  if  the  appearance  of  the  LORD  were  to  be 
regarded  as  standing  in  the  middle  between 
east  and  west.  But  the  Prophet  stands  in  the 
middle,  and  he  would  only  say  that  both  those 
that  present  themselves  to  him  from  the  east  and 
those  that  meet  his  gaze  from  the  west,  from 
whatever  side  they  come,  will  fear  the  LORD. 
On  this  well-known  Hebrew  mode  of  expression 
comp.  xvii.  13  ;  xxii.  3 ;  xl.  15,  etc  The  expres- 
sion, "fear  the  name  of  the  LORD,"  is  found, 
Deut.  xxviii.  58,  and  on  the  ground  of^iat  passage 
in  Ps.  Ixxxvi.  11;  Neh.  i.  11;  probably  also 
Mic.  vi.  5,  where  ^Dl?  HNV  is  to  be  read,  instead 
of  '&  HSO11  •  then,  too,  Ps.  cii.  16,  which  is  evi- 
dently a  citation  of  our  text,  and  confirms  the 
reading  HO". ;  and  Ps.  Ixi.  6;  Mai.  iii.  20.— 
And  how  should  not  the  heathen  fear  the  name 
of  the  LORD,  seeing  He  comes  as  a  compressed 
river  !  (On  ~K  see  Text  and  Gram.).  What  bet- 
ter image  could  the  Prophet  use  to  signify  Je- 
hovah's might,  that  for  a  time  restrained  itself  to 
the  point  of  apparent  injustice  toward  Israel,  only 
to  break  forth  with  the  greater  energy?  He  com- 
pares it  to  a  stream  which  the  dikes  for  a  while 
crowd  together,  but  which,  when  it  makes  a  cre- 
vasse in  the  dikes,  breaks  away  with  so  much  the 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


greater  power,  and  irresistibly  carries  all  before 
it,  especially  when  its  own  weight  is  augmented 
by  a  driving  wind.  In  this  he  expresses  the 
thought  that  "also  underlies  xl.  7,  that  the  Spirit 
of  the  LORD,  that  also  in  the  wind  has  one  of  its 
forms  of  manifestation,  will  exercise  the  activity 
suited  to  it,  at  the  destruction  of  the  world,  as  it 
did  at  the  creation  (Gen.  i.  2 ;  comp.  Isa.  iv.  4 ; 
xxviii.  6). — In  ver.  20  the  distinction  between 
''Zion"  and  "the  converted  in  Jacob"  is  due  to 
the  parallelism,  and  therefore  we  must  not  attacli 
to  this  merely  rhetorical  distinction  the  weight  of 
a  logical  distinction.  On  jttJfc)  ""SB?  comp.  i.  7, 
27  ;  v.  13  ;  xxviii.  1. 

3    As  for  me forever,    ver.    21.     When 

we  compare  chap.  Iviii.  with  lx.,  we  find  in  the 
former  a  very  prosaic,  practical,  severe  homily, 
which  can  only  have  been  made  for  a  (relative  or 
absolute)  present  occasion.  But  in  chap.  lx.  we 
again  find  the  Prophet  in  a  lofty  flight,  an- 
nouncing the  remote  future.  Chap.  lix.  forms 
the  bridge  to  this  in  the  manner  designated  above 
(comp.  also  in  Doct.  and  Ethic.,  p.  644,  \  1 1 )  When 
now  lix.  concludes  with  a  declaration  that  pro- 
raises  to  the  Prophet  the  continuance  of  the 
charismatic  gifts  of  the  Spirit  heretofore  im- 
parted to  him,  we  will  be  right  in  regarding  this 
declaration  of  our  verse  as  the  direct  transition  to 
the  loftier  style  of  prophecy  that  again  begins  in 
chap.  lx.  Still,  of  course,  ver.  21  cannot  be  re- 
ferred only  to  this  assurance  given  to  the  Prophet; 
for  the  sound  of  the  words  of  the  verse  shows 
that  the  LORD  at  the  same  time  would  crown  the 
promise  given  to  the  people  Israal  from  ver.  15  a 
and  on.  Thus  this  verse  has  a  double  character. 
This  appears  from  the  plural  suffix  in  DiTIX,  on 
the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  from  the  address 
to  the  Prophet.  At  the  same  time  it  is  to  be  re- 
marked, that  ver.  21,  in  relation  to  what  precedes, 
has  a  positive  and  inward  character.  Positive, 
because  nothing  more  is  said  of  the  evil  to  be 
done  to  the  enemies,  but  only  the  good  io  be  to 
Israel  is  spoken  of;  inward,  because  what  is  said 
is  not  concerning  victory  and  outward  salvation, 
but  concerning  inward  impartation  of  the  Spirit. 
nJK1  is  not  =  but  I.  For  nothing  is  said  before  of 
what  another  would  have  done.  Therefore  it 
means  ''  and  I,"  but  the  emphasis  is  on  the  "  I," 
and  this  is  made  prominent  because  something  is 
to  be  promised  that  only  God  can  do.  At  the 
same  time  there  is  in  these  words  a  reminder 
of  the  words  spoken  to  Abraham,  Gen.  xvii.  4: 
"As  for  me^beliold,  my  covenant  is  with  thee." 
But  the  covenant  that  the  LORD  here  holds  up 
to  view  is  no  longer  one  that  promises  great 
increase  by  means  of  a  numerous  posterity,  as 
•  in  that  covenant  with  Abraham.  This  new  cove- 
nant refers  to  the  spiritual  life,  to  a  new  spiri- 
tual communion  with  the  LORD,  to  the  worship 
of  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 

One  would  not  comprehend  in  what  follows 
why  the  LORD  does  not  say  directly :  I  will  put 
my  Spirit  upon  them,  etc.,  but  says:  My  Spirit 
that  i •{  upon  thee,  and  my  words  which 
I  have  put  in  thy  mouth  (li.  ]G),  shall 
not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth,  eic.,  if  there 
wer.3  not  just  that  double  object  'indicated  above. 
But  wonll  the  LORD  have  promised  to  the 
Prophet  so  numerous  a  posterity,  would  he  have 


declared  the  prophetic  gift  to  be  a  matter  of  in- 
heritance in  his  family?  Certainly  not.  In 
contrast  with  Gen.  xvii.  4  sqq.,  that  also  has 
much  to  say  of  ''  a  seed  after  thee,"  but  only 
in  the  sense  of  a  numerous  corporeal  posterity, 
it  is  here  promised  to  the  Prophet  that  he  should 
have  many  spiritual  descendants ;  that  therefore 
Israel,  to  the  remotest  generations,  shall  be  a 
people  filled  with  the  Spirit,  and  people  of  God 
in  the  most  exalted  sense.  The  spirit-replenished 
posterity  of  the  Prophet,  and  of  the  people  Is- 
rael, generally  merge  together  in  one.  From  chap, 
lx.  onwards  it  is  evidenced  at  once  that  the  Pro- 
phet has  become  no  mere  preacher  of  repentance, 
as  might  seem  to  be  the  case  from  chapts.  Ivii., 
Iviii..  lix.  1--8,  but  that  the  high  prophetic  gift 
is  still  in  him  that  is  able  to  behold  with  en- 
raptured eye  the  glory  of  the  remote  future,  and 
to  proclaim  it  with  eloquent  tongue. 

[On  ver.  21  DELITZSCH  says :  ''  The  following 
prophecy  is  addressed  to  Israel,  the  '  servant  of  Je- 
hovah,' which  has  been  hitherto  partially  faithful 
and  partially  unfaithful,  but  which  has  now  re- 
turned to  fidelity,  viz.,  the '  remnant  of  Israel,"  which 
has  been  rescued  through  the  medium  of  a  general 
judgment  upon  the  nations,  and  to  which  the 
great  body  of  all  who  fear  God,  from  east  to 
west,  attach  themselves."  CLARK'S  For.  Th.  L.  J. 
A.  ALEXANDER  interprets  it  in  the  same  way.  He 
says:  "The  only  natural  antecedent  of  the  pro- 
noun them  is  the  converts  of  apostacy  in  Jacob,  to 
whom  the  promise  in  ver.  20  is  limited.  These, 
then,  are  suddenly  addressed,  or  rather  tbe  dis- 
course is  turned  to  Israel  himself  as  the  progenitor, 
or  as  the  ideal  representative  of  his  descendants, 
not  considered  merely  as  a  nation,  but  as  a  church, 
and  therefore  including  proselytes  as  well  as  na- 
tives, Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews,  nay,  believing 
Gentiles  to  the  exclusion  of  the  unbelieving  Jews. 
This  idea  of  the  Israel  of  God,  and  of  the  pro- 
phecies, is  too  clearly  stated  in  the  Epistle  to  the 
Romans  to  be  misapprehended  or  denied  by  any 
who  admit  the  authority  of  the  apostle.  This 
interpretation  is  moreover  not  a  mere  incidental 
application  of  Old  Testament  expressions  to  an- 
other subject,  but  a  protracted  and  repeated  ex- 
position of  the  mutual  relations  of  the  old  and 
new  economy,  and  of  the  natural  and  spiritual 
Israel.  To  this  great  body,  considered  as  the  Is- 
rael of  God,  the  promise  now  before  us  is  ad- 
dressed, a  promise  of  continued  spiritual  influence, 
exerted  through  the  word  and  giving  it  effect. 
The  phrase  upon  thee,  here  as  elsewhere,  implies 
influence  from  above,  and  has  respect  to  the 
figure  of  the  Spirit's  descending  and  abiding  on 
the  object.  The  particular  mention  of  the  mouth 
cannot  be  explained  as  having  reference  merely 
to  the  reception  of  the  word,  in  which  case  the 
ear  would  have  been  more  appropriate.  The 
true  explanation  seems  to  be  that  Israel  is  here, 
as  in  many  other  parts  of  this  great  prophecy, 
regarded  not  merely  as  a  receiver,  but  as  a  dis- 
penser of  the  truth."  The  Author's  effort  to  in- 
clude a  personal  address  to  the  Prophet  as  well 
as  to  the  spiritual  Israel  seems  to  have  no  more 
!  valuable  effect  than  to  prepare  a  transition  to  the 
lofty  prophetic  flight  that  begins  with  chap.  lx. 
We  can  better  dispense  with  the  transition  than 
accept  the  ideas  brought  in  by  that  interpretation. 

-TB.J 


CHAP.  LIX.  15-21. 


643 


DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  Iviii.  2,  3.     There  are  also  to-day  many 
men  that  hold  up  their  good  works  to  God  (Luke 
xviii.   11   sqq.),  and  who,  out  aloud  or  silently, 
reproach  Him  for  not  adequately  rewarding  them 
for  them.      But  one   can   distinguish  here   two 
classes :  those  that  boast  of  having  done  works 
of  undoubted  moral  worth ;  and  such   as  found 
their  pretensions  essentially  on  works  that  are 
morally  indifferent,  as  ceremonies  of  worship  and 
the  like.     Of  course  there  is  a  diflerence  between 
these,  for  the  former  can,  under  some  circum- 
stances, really  deserve  praise;  whereas  the  latter 
under  all  circumstances    accomplish  something 
more  or  less  morally  worthless,  yea,  possibly,  as 
miserable  hypocrites",  directly  provoke  the  wrath 
of  God.     But  never  has  the  creature  the  right  to 
accuse  God.     It  may  be  debated   whether  such 
accusation  is  more  folly  or  wickedness.      It  is 
under  all  circumstances  a    presumptuous  judg- 
ment.   For,  as  long  as  we  live,  results  are  not  as- 
sured, and  we  lack  ability  to  see  all.     Only  the 
day  will  make  it  clear  what  is  the  relation  be- 
tween God's  doing  and  ours,  and  that  He  has  not 
let  the  just  recompense  be  wanting  (i.  18;  xliii. 
20). 

2.  On  Iviii.  4  sqq.     The  Prophet  finds  fault 
with  the  fasting    of   the  Jews  in  two    respects. 
First,  because  they  combined  them  with  works 
of  unrighteousness.     Second,  because  they  held 
the    "bodily  exercise"   to  be  the  chief   thing. 
Perhaps  in  the  Sermon  on  the  mount  our  LORD 
had  our  text  in  mind  when  He  said:  "  When  ye 
fast,  be  not  as  the  hypocrites  of  a  sad   counte- 
nance."  Matt.  vi.  11.  "  He  makes  prominent  one 
particular  that  probably  hovered  before  our  Pro- 
phet also.     For  it  is  possible  that  he  saw  in  the 
"  hanging  the  head  "  an  artificial,  affected,  and 
so  hypocritical  expression  of  a  piety  that  did  not 
exist   inwardly;    although   it  is  not   absolutely 
necessary  that  this   letting   the  head  hang   and 
making  one's  bed  in  sand  and  ashes  took  place 
with    hypocritical   intent.     But  our    LORD  ex- 
pressly demands  that  one  do  not  let  appear  the 
harassed,  sickly  look,  that  was  the  perhaps  quite 
natural  consequence  of   fasting.     He  says  (ver. 
17):    "but  thoti,  when  thou  fastest,  anoint  thy 
head  and  wash  thy  face,  that  thou  appear  not 
unto  men  to  fast,  but  unto  thy  Father,  which  is 
in  secret."     One  sees,  therefore,  that  in  the  Ser- 
mon on  the  mount  the  LORD  by  no  means  rejects 
corporeal  fasting.     He  only  shows  abhorrence  of 
men's  hypocritically  abusing  fasting  for  the  grati- 
fication'of  pride.     But  the  Prophet  also  does  not 
reject   fasting.      But    he  would  have    corporeal 
fasting  be  the  faithful  expression  of  a  simulta- 
neous moral  doing  of  penitent  self-denial  and 
compassionating  love. 

3.  On  Iviii.  6-9.  As  the  apostle  James  press- 
ingly  urges  against  dead  works,  that  even  Abra- 
ham's faith  was  in  itself  a  grand  moral  act,  so 
here,  too,  the  Prophet  insists  on  right  works  as 
opposed  to  false  works.  But  neither  declares  es- 
sentially anything  concerning  the  true  ground 
and  origin  of  the  works  that  they  mean,  because 
the  context  of  their  discourses  does  not  call  for 
it.  We  are  to  supply  this  from  passages  that 
professedly  speak  to  this  point,  which  they  silently 


ake  for  granted,  according  to  the  measure  of  in- 
telligence given  to  them.  For  even  Isaiah  knows 
right  well  that  that  which  satisfies  and  strengthens 
.s  not  to  be  obtained  by  one's  own  labor  and  ef- 
fort (lv.). 

4.  On  Iviii.   7.     ''Flesh   denotes  here  in  this 
context    something    more     still,  which   J.    VON. 
MUELLER  has   remarked  :    ''  The  remembrance 
of  universal  brotherhood,  and  how  we  are  all  ex- 
posed  to  like  things" — as   avOpuiroi  o/joioTraOd?, 
Verily  flesh  has  need  of  covering.     When  there- 
fore thou  seest  the  naked,  then  see  and  feel  therein, 
the  need  of  thine  own  flesh,  and  do  not,  proudly 
selfish,  conceal  or  cover  only  thyself  with  thy  gar- 
ment that  belongs  to  the  other  as  also  being  thy 
flesh."     STIER. 

5.  On  Iviii.  7.    Concerning  the  expression  D~l£J 

7  see  Doctrinal  and  Ethical  on  Jer.  xvi.  7. 

6.  [On  Iviii.  13,  14.     "From  the  closing  por- 
tion of  this  chapter  we  may  derive  the  following' 
important  inferences  respecting  the  Sabbath.  (1.J 
It  is  to   be   of  perpetual  obligation.     The  whole 
chapter  occurs  in  the  midst  of  statements  that  re-s 
late  to   the  times   of  the  Messiah.     There  is  no 
intimation  that  the  Sabbath  was  to  be  abolished, 
but  it  is  fairly  implied  that  its  observance  was  to 
be  attended  with  most  happy  results  in  those  fu- 
ture times.  .   .  .   (2.)   We  may  gee  the  manner  in" 
which  the  Sabbath  is  to  be  observed.  In  no  place' 
in  the  Bible  is  there  a  more  full  account  of  the 
proper  mode  of  keeping  that  holy  clay.     WTe  are 
to  refrain  from  ordinary  travelling  and  employ-, 
ments;  we  are  not   to  engage  in  doing  our  own 
pleasure ;  we  are  to  regard  it  with  delight,  and 
to  esteem  it  a  day  worthy  to  be  honored.     And 
we  are  to  show  respect  to  it  by  not  performing 
our  own  ordinary  works,  or  pursuing  pleasures, 
or  engaging  in  the  common  topics  of  conversa- 
tion.    In  this  description   there  occurs  nothing 
of  peculiar  Jewish  ceremony,  and  nothing  which 
indicates  that  it  is  not  to  be  observed  in  this  man- 
ner at  all  times.    Under  the  gospel  assuredly,  it  is 
as  proper  to  celebrate  the  Sabbath  in  this  way  as 
it  was  in  the  times  of  Isaiah,  and  God  doubtless 
intended  that  it  should   be  perpetually  observed 
in  this  manner.     (3.)   Important  benefits  result 
from  the  right  observance  of  the  Sabbath.     In 
the  passage  before  us  these   are  said  to  be,  that 
they  who  thus  observed  it  would  find  pleasure  in 
Jehovah,  and  would  be  signally  prospered  and 
be  safe.     But  those  benefits  are  by  no  means  con- 
fined to  the  Jewish  people.     It  is  as  true  now  as 
it  was  then,  and  they  who  observe  the  Sabbath 
in  a  proper  manner  find  happiness  in   the  LORD 
— in   His    existence,  perfections,   promises,  law, 
and  in  communion   with  Him — which  is  to  be 
found  no  where  else.  .  .  And  it  is  as  true  that  the 
proper  observance  of  the  Sabbath  contributes  to 
the  prosperity  and  safety  of  a  nation  now  as  it 
ever   did    among  the  Jewish   people.     It  is  not 
merely  from  the  fact  that  God  promises  to  bless 
the  people  who  keep  His  holy  day — though  this 
is  of  more  value  to  a  nation  than  all   its  armies 
and  fleets  ;  but  it  is  that  there  is  in  the  institu,- 
tion  itself   much   that  tends  to   the  welfare  and 
prosperity  of  a  country.  .  .  .  Any  one  may  be 
convinced  of  this  who  will  be   at  the   pains  to 
compare   a   neighborhood,  a   village,  or    a   city 
where  the   Sabbath   is   not  observed   with   onp 


644 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


where  it  is ;  and  the  difference  will  convince  him 
at  once  that  society  owes  more  to  the  Sabbath 
than  to  any  single  institution  beside."  BARNES.] 

7.  On  lix.  2.     "  Quid  quotidie  apud  nos  crescit 
culpa  cur  non  et  simul  crescat  poena  ?"  AUGUSTINE. 
"  The  public  sins  are  compared  to  a  thick  cloud, 
that  sets  itself  between  heaven  and  earth,  and  as 
it  were  hinders  prayers    from   passing   through 
(Lam.  iii.  44)."  STARKE.    "There  is  great  power 
in  sin,  for  it  separates  God  and  us  from  one  an- 
other." CRAMER.      ''There  are  times  when  the 
hand  of  the  LORD  lies  long  and  heavy  on  His 
children.  One  feels  that  God  has  withdrawn  from 
him  and  hidden  His  countenance.     But  one  does 
not  sufficiently  investigate  the  cause.     One  seeks 
it  in  God,  and  it  lies  in  us,  who,  by  sins  unac- 
knowledged and  not  repented  of,  make  it  impossible 
to  God  to  turn  to  us  in  grace."  WEBER. 

8.  On  lix.  3-8.   The  register  of  sins  that  Isaiah 
here  holds  up  to  the  Jews  is  a  mirror  in  which 
many  a  Christian,  many  a  nation,  many  a  time 
may" recognize  its  own  image.     The  Prophet  de- 
clares here   very  plainly  the  poison  nature,  the 
serpent  origin  of  sin.     Sin  is  the  poison  that  the 
old  serpent  knew  how  to  bring  into  our  nature. 
He  that  has  stolen  a  taste  of  a  product  of  this  poi- 
son, as  Eve  did  of  the  tree  of  knowledge,  suppos- 
ing that  he  will  thereby  receive  some  good,  will 
go  to  ruin  by  it.     But  he  that  would  be  no  lover 
of  sin,  but  would  stand  forth  as  its  opponent,  may 
count  upon  it  that  the  reptile  will  press  its  malig- 
nant fang  in  his  heel,  as  was  even  held  in  prospect 
to  the  great  trampler  of  the  serpent's  head  Him- 
uelf  (Gen.  iii.  15). 

9.  On  lix.  9-15  a.     Here  is  for  once  an  honest 
and  thorough  confession  of  sins.     Nothing  is  pal- 
liated  here,  nothing  excused.     It  is  freely  con- 
fessed that  Israel   is  itself  to  blame  for   all  its 
wretchedness,  and  this  guilt  is  acknowledged  to  be 
the  consequence  of  the  apostacy  from  Jehovah  and 
of  the  workings  of  a  depraved  heart,  whose  ma- 
lignant fruits  have  become  manifest  in  words  and 
works.     Comp.  Jer.  iii.  21  sqq. — Here  therefore 
is  given  a  model  for  all  who  would  know  wherein 
true  repentance  must  consist. 

10.  On  lix.  15  b  sqq.     "  Si  tu  recordaberis  pecca- 
(orum  tuorum,  Dnminus  non  retordabitur."  AUGUS- 
TINE.    "God  wonders  that  men  let  sin  become  so 
great  and  His  righteousness  so  small."  OETINGER 
in  STIER — It  is  a  divine  privilege  to  need  no 
helper.     With  God  there  is  no  difference  between 
willing  and  being  able.  With  Him  the  being  able 
follows  the  willing  ad  nutum.     And  there  is  no- 
thing to  which  God,  when  He  wills,  has  not  also 
the  right.     We  men,  when  we  have  the  will  and 
the  power,  are  often  without  the  right,  and  this 
takes  the  foundation  from  under  our  feet. — Ver. 
17.      This  is  the  original  source  of  the  Apostle 
Paul's  extended  description  of  the  spiritual  armor, 
Ephe*.  vi.  14,  17.     Also  in  1  Thes.  v.  8  there  un- 
derlies the  same  representation  of  the  equipment 
required  by  Christians.     On  the  other  hand  God 
is  conceived  of  as  an  equipped  warrior,  e.  g.,  Ps. 
vii.  13,  14  ;  xxxv.  2,  3.    In  Exod.  xv.  4  He  is  di- 
rectly called  "  a  man  of  war." 

11.  On  lix.  18-20.     Rpgarding  the  time  of  the 
fulfilment  of  this  prophecy,  the  honorable  and 
thorough  confession  of  sin  in  vers.  9-15  a,  assumes 
the  conclusion  of  the  judgments  against  Israel 
and  the  conversion  of  the  Gentiles.     So  Paul  un- 


derstood our  passage,  who  cites  it,  Rom.  xi.  26,  to 
prove  that  only  then  will  the  Jews  partake  of  the 
salvation  when  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  shall 
have  come  in.  Therefore  the  Prophet  distin- 
guishes three  great  periods  of  time.  The  first 
comprehends  all  the  stages  of  time  in  which 
Israel  will  be  impenitent,  and  hence  deprived  of 
its  theocratic  rights.  This  period  will  conclude 
with  a  condition  wherein  Israel's  scale,  as  too 
light,  hurries  upwards  to  the  highest  elevation, 
while  the  scale  of  the  Gentiles,  by  reason  of  its 
weight,  will  sink  deep  down.  Just  this  situation 
will  bring  about  the  turning  of  the  scale.  Israel 
will  repent ;  but  those  Gentiles  and  those  Israel- 
ites that  will  not  have  repented  will  be  overtaken 
by  the  judgment  (vers.  18,  20  3pjT3  yiiO  O27). 
For  neither  the  "  fulness  of  the  Gentiles,"  nor 
"all  Israel"  excludes  there  being  still  uncon- 
verted Gentiles  and  Jews.  The  third  period  is 
then  the  period  of  salvation,  when  the  Goel  ["Re- 
deemer"] will  come  to  Zion  and  raise  up  the 
covenant  (ver.  21). 

12.  On  lix.  21  '  Does  the  Spirit  of  God  remain, 
then  does  also  His  word ;  does  the  word  remain, 
then  preachers  also  remain;  do  preachers  remain, 
then  also  hearers  do ;  do  hearers  remain,  then 
there  remain  also  believers,  and  therefore  the 
Christian  church  remains  also,  to  which  ever  some 
still  will  be  gathered  out  of  the  Jews  (Rom.  xi. 

26)." "Although  in  general  God  has  promised 

that  His  word  and  Spirit  shall  not  depart  from 
the  church  of  God,  still  no  one  must  become  so 
secure  about  that  (comp.  Jer.  xviii.  18)  as  if  it 
were  impossible  that  this  or  that  particular  church 
(and  even  the  Romish  church  is  nothing  more) 
could  err."  CRAMER. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  On  Iviii.  1.     Penitential  Sermon.     The  text 
teaches   us   two   things:  1)  What   one    ought   to 
preach  on  a  day  of  repentance  [fast-day]  ;   viz., 
hold  up  to  the  people  their  sins.     2)  How  one 
should  preach :  a.  boldly,  b.  without  sparing,  loud 
as  a  trumpet. 

2.  On  Iviii.  2-9      This  text  contains  the  out- 
lines of  a  popular  theodicy.     First  we  hear,  vers. 
2,  3  o,  the   popular  complaint   that  the   divine 
Providence  that  guides  the  affairs  of  the  world  is 
unjust,  and  that  He  is  not  fair  to  the  claims  of  re- 
ward that  each  individual  fancies  he  has.     Then 
in  vers.  3  6-9,  we  hear  the  divine  justification.   It 
consists  of  two  parts.     In  the  first  part  God  shows 
that  the  claims  of  men  are  unfounded  in  two  re- 
spects.    First  for  this  reason,  because  they  do  not 
do  good  purely,  but  along  with  the  good  have 
still  room  in  their  hearts  for  evil,  consequently 
imagine  that  they  can  serve  two  masters  (vers.  3  a., 
4).     Second,  their  claims  are  unfounded,  because 
founded  in  the  illusion  that  it  is  sufficient  to  fulfil 
the  divine  commands  in  a  rude,  outward  manner. 
Thus  men  suppose,  e.  c/.,  that  they  can  satisfy  the 
divine  command  to  fast  by  harassing  the  body  by 
hunger,  and  lying  on  sack-cloth  and  a«hes  (ver. 
5).     In  the  second  part  God  shows  what  must  be 
the  nature  of  the  performances  that  would  satisfy 
the  demand    of  His    holiness,  and  give  a   claim 
on  His  righteousness  for  reward.     That  is  to  say, 
men  must   first  of  all,  by  practical   repentance, 
make  restoration  for  all  injustice  done  by  them, 


CHAP.  LIX.  15-21. 


646 


and  make  manifest  by  works  of  mercy  their  love 
to  God  and  their  neighbor  (ver.  7).  Then  divine 
salvation  and  divine  blessing  will  be  constantly 
with  them,  and  in  every  necessity  their  prayer  for 
help  will  find  certain  hearing  (vers.  8,  9  a). 

3.  [On  Iviii.  3.     "  Having  gone  about  to  put  a 
cheat  on  God  by  their  external  services,   here 
thev  go  about  to  pick  a  quarrel  with  God  for  not 
being  pleased  with  their  services,  as  if  He  had  not 
done  justly  or  fairly  by  them.''  M.  HENRY.] 

4.  [On  Iviii.  4.     ''  Behold,  you  fast  for  strife  and 
debate.     When  they  proclaimed  a  fast  to  depre- 
cate God's  judgments,  they  pretended  to  search 
for  those   sins   that   provoked    God   to  threaten 
them  with  His  judgments,  and  under  that  pre- 
tence, perhaps,  particular   persons  were   falsely 
accused,  as  Naboth  in  the  day  of  Jezebel's  fast,  1 
Kings  xxi.  12.   Or  the  contending  parties  among 
them  upon  those  occasions  were  bitter  and  severe 
in  their  reflections  one  upon  another,  one  side 
crying  out,  '  It  is  owing  to  you,'  and  the  other, 
'  It  is  owing  to  you,  that  our  deliverance  is  not 
wrought.'     Thus,  instead  of  judging  themselves, 
which  is  the  proper  work  of  a  fast-day,  they  con- 
demned one  another."  M.  HENRY.] 

5.  [On  Iviii.  5,  7.      "Plain  instructions  given 
concerning  the  true  nature  of  a  religious  fast.     I.  In 
general  a  fast  is  intended:  (1.)  For  the  honoring 
and  pleasing  of  God   (ver.  5,  a  fast  that  I  have 
chosen,  an  acceptable  day  to  the  Lord).     (2.)  For 
the  humbling  and  abasing  of  ourselves,  Lev.  xvi. 
29.     That  must  be  done  on  a  fast-day  which  is 
a  real  affliction  to  the  soul,  as  far  as  it  is  unre- 
generate  and  unsanctified,  though  a  real  pleasure 
and  advantage  to  the  soul  as  far  as  it  is  it-self. 
II.  What  will  be  acceptable   to  God  and  afflict 
our  corrupt  nature   to    its   mortification.      (1.) 
Negatively,  what  does  neither  of  these,     a.  To 
look  demure,  put  on  a  melancholy  aspect  and 
bow  the  head  like  a  bulrush,  Matth.  vi.  16.  Though 
that  were  well  enough  so  far,   Luke  xviii.  13. 
b.  It  is  not  enough  to  mortify  the  body  a  little, 
while  the  body  of  sin  is  untouched.     (2. )  Posi- 
tively,    a.  That  we  be  just  to  those  with  whom 
we  have  dealt  hardly  (ver.  6).     6.  That  we  be 
charitable  to  those  that  stand  in  need  of  charity 
(ver.  7)."  After  M.  HENRY.] 

6.  On    Iviii.  7.     The  compassionate   love  of  the 
Samaritan.     1)  What  does  it  give?    a.  food,  6. 
housing,  c.  clothing.     2)  To  whom  does  it  give? 
To  its  flesh,  i.  e.,  to  its  neighbor  in  the  sense  of 
Luke  x.  29  sqq. 

7.  On  Iviii.  9.     "  What  if  the  LORD  were  to 
make  us  priests,  and  if  He  were  to  give  us  the 
light   and   righteousness   that   Aaron  bore  on  his 
heart  as  often  as  he  went  in  unto  the  LORD,  and 
by  which  the  LORD  gave  him  answer   when  He 
inquired, — if  He  were  to  give  all  of  us  that  in  our 
hearts,  who   are  priests   of  the   new  covenant? 
And  assuredly  I  believe  that  He  will  also  do  this. 
What  He  has  already  promised  by  the  Prophets, 
He  will  much  more  fulfil  in  us:  Thou  shalt  call, 
and  the  LORD  shall  answer  thee;    when   thou 
shalt  cry,  He  will  say :  here  I  am."  THOIAJCK. 

8.  On  Iviii.  7-9.      "O  God,  our  great,  sore, 
horrible  blindness,  that  we  so  disregard  such  a 
glorious  promise!    To  whom  are  we  harsh,  when 
we  do  not  help  poor  people?     Are  they  not  our 
flesh  and  blood  ?     As  in  heaven  and  earth  there 
ifi  no  creature  so  nearly  related  to  us,  it  ought  to 


be  our  way :  what  we  would  that  men  should  do 
to  us  in  like  case,  that  let  us  do  to  others.  But 
there  that  detestable  Satan  holds  our  eyes,  so  that 
we  withdraw  from  our  own  flesh  and  become  tyrants 
and  blood-hounds  to  our  neighbors.  But  what  do 
we  accomplish  by  that  ?  What  do  we  enjoy  ? 
We  load  ourselves  with  God's  disfavor,  curse  and 
all  misfortune,  who  might  otherwi&e  have  tempo- 
ral and  eternal  blessing.  For  he  that  takes  on 
him  the  distress  of  his  neighbor,  his  light  shall 
break  forth  like  the  morning  dawn,  i.  e.,  he  shall 
find  consolation  and  help  in  time  of  need.  His 
recovery  shall  progress  rapidly,  i.  e.,  God  will 
again  bless  him,  and  replace  what  he  has  given 
away.  His  righteousness  shall  go  before  him,  i.  e., 
he  shall  not  only  have  a  good  name  with  every 
one,  but  God  will  shelter  him  from  evil,  and 
ward  off  from  him  temporal  misfortune,  as  one 
may  see  that  God  wonderfully  protects  His  own 
when  common  punishments  go  about.  And  the 
glory  of  the  LORD  will  take  him  to  itself,  i.  e., 
God  will  interest  Himself  for  him,  [as  follows 
ver.  9].  Lo,  of  such  great  mercy  as  this  does 
greed  rob  us,  when  we  do  not  gladly  and  kindly 
help  the  poor!"  VEIT  DIETRICH. 

9.  [On  Iviii.  12.     Thou  shalt  be  called  (and  it 
shall   be  to  thy  honor)  the  repairer  of  the  breach, 
the  breach  made  by  the  enemy  in  the  wall  of  a 
besieged    city,   which   whoso   has  courage    and 
dexterity  to  make  up,  or  make  good,  gains  great 
applause.     Happy  are  those  who  make  up  the 
breach  at  which  virtue  is  running  out,  and  judg- 
ments are  breaking  in.  M.  HENRY]. 

10.  On  lix.  1,  2.     It  is  often  in  human  life  as 
if  heaven  were  shut  up.     No  prayer  seems  to 
penetrate  through  to  it.     To  all  our  cries,  no 
answer.      Then   people   murmur   (viii.    21  sq. ; 
Lam.  iii.  39)  and  accuse  God,  as  if  He  were  lame 
or   deaf.     But  they   ought   rather   to   seek    the 
blame  in  themselves.     There  still  exists  a  wall 
of  partition  between  them   and  God,  a  guilt  un- 
atoned  for,  the  sight  of  which  still  continuously 
provokes  the  anger  of  God,  and  hinders  the  ap- 
pearance of  His  mercy  (i.  15  sqq. ;  Ixiv.  5  sqq. ; 
Dan.  ix.  5  sqq. :  Prov-  i.  24  sqq.).    Hence  Chris- 
tians must  be  pointed  to  what  they  must  guard 
against  in  seasons   of  long-continued    visitation 
and  what  they  should  strive  after  at  such  times 
before  all  things.     As  they  would  avoid  great 
harm  to  soul  and  body,  they  must  beware  of  lay- 
ing any  blame  on  God,  as  if  He  were  wanting  in 
willingness  or  ability.     Rather,  by   sincere   rer 
pentance,  their  endeavor  should  be  that  heaven 
may  be  pure  and  clear,  that  their  guilt  may  be 
forgiven  for  Christ's  sake,  and  that,  as  children 
of  God,  with  the  testimony  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
(Rom.  viii.  16)  in  their  hearts,  they  may  have 
free  access  to  the  heart  of  their  heavenly  Father. 

11.  On  lix.  3-8.     The  description  the  Prophet 
gives  here  of  the  depraved  moral  condition  of 
Israel  is  also  a  description  of  human  sinfulness 
generally.     And  the  Apostle  Paul  has  adopted 
parts  of  it  in  the  portrait  he  gives  of  the  condi- 
tion of  the  natural  man  (comp.  Isa.  lix.  7  with 
Rom.  iii.  15).   Therefore,  where  one  would  draw 
the  picture  of  the  natural^man,   he  may  make 
good  use  of  this  text. 

12.  [On  lix.  13.     Conceiving  and  uttering  from 
the  heart  words  of  falsehood.     ''  They   were   words 
of  falsehood,  and  yet  they  were  said  to  be  uttered 


646 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


from  the  heart,  because  though  they  differed  from 
the  real  sentiments  of  the  heart,  and  therefore 
were  words  of  falsehood,  yet  they  agreed  with  the 
malice  and  wickedness  of  the  heart,  and  were  the 
natural  language  of  that ;  it  was  a  double  heart, 
Ps.  xii.  2."  M.  HENRY.] 

i  13.  On  lix.  15  6-21.  One  may  preach  on  this 
text  in  times  of  great  distress  and  conflict  for  the 
Church.  The  Lord  the  protection  of  His  Church. 
1)  The  distress  of  the  Church  does  not  remain 
concealed  from  Him,  for  He  sees:  a.  that  the 
Church  encounters  injustice  (ver.  156),  6.  that  no 
one  on  earth  takes  its  part  (ver.  16).  2)  He  stirs 
Himself  (vers.  16  6-17  a,  19  6)  :  a.  to  judgment 
against  the  enemy  (vers.  176,  18),  6.  to  salvation 
for  the  Church  (ver.  17  helmet  of  salvation) :  a. 


with  reference  to  its  deliverance  from  outward 
distress  (ver.  20),  /?.  with  reference  to  inward 
preservation  and  quickening  of  the  Church  (vers. 
20  6,  21),  c.  to  rescue  the  honor  of  His  own  name 
(ver.  19  a),  because  the  Church  is  even  His  king- 
dom, the  theatre  for  the  realization  of  His  de- 
crees of  salvation.  Comp.  Homil.  Hints  on  xlix. 
1-6.  . 

14.  [On  Iix^l6  sqq.  *  How  m^abormded  we 
have  read,  to  our  great  amazement,  in  the  former 
part  of  the  chapter;  how  grace  does  much  more 
abound  we  read  in  these  verses.  And  as  sin  took 
occasion  from  the  commandment  to  become  more 
exceedingly  sinful,  so  grace  took  occasion  from 
the  transgression  to  appear  more  exceedingly 
gracious."  M.  HENKY.] 


II.— THE  SECOND  DISCOURSE. 

The  Rising  of  the  heavenly  Sun  of  life  upon  Jerusalem,  and  the  new  personal  and 
natural  life  conditioned  thereby. 

CHAPTER  LX. 


The  Prophet  has  returned  from  speaking  of  the 
present  to  treat  of  the  last  things.  He  sees  a  new 
Sun,  the  principle  of  new  life,  rise  upon  Jerusa- 
lem. Although  this  future,  too,  is  depicted  in 
colors  belonging  to  the  present  time,  yet  we  per- 
ceive from  the  matters  which  he  specifias,  that 
his  discourse  relates  to  the  distant  future.  And, 
although  the  Prophet  dues  not  distinguish  the 
times,  we  see  that  the  fulfilment  will  take  place 
gradually.  We  observe  in  respect  to  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Sun,  which,  according  to  vers.  1  and 
2,  is  to  rise  upon  Jerusalem,  and  advance  from  a 
glory  which  is  more  of  a  natural  character  to  one 


which  is  more  supernatural  and  heavenly.  The 
chapter,  however,  does  not  divide  itself  into  two, 
but  into  three  sections,  of  which  the  first  (vers. 
1-9)  has  for  its  subject  the  gathering  of  all  na- 
tions to  the  sun  that  rises  upon  Jerusalem  ;  the 
second  (vers.  10-17  a),  the  restoration  of  Jerusa- 
lem to  outward  glory;  the  third  (vers.  17  6-22), 
this  new  life  in  its  relation  to  God,  and  in  its 
moral  and  spiritual  manifestation.  [We  do  not 
like  such  a  division  of  this  grand  prophetic  pic- 
ture. Its  parts  cannot  well  be  thus  separated. — 
D.  M.]. 


1.    THE,    GATHERING    OF    THE    NATIONS    TO    THE    SUN  THAT    RISES    UPON 
JERUSALEM.    CHAPTER  LX.  1-9. 

1  ARISE,  'shine  ;  for  thy  light  is  come ; 

And  the  glory  of  the  LORD  is  risen  upon  thee. 

2  For,  behold,  the  darkness  shall  cover  the  earth, 
And  gross  darkness  the  people  : 

And  the  LORD  shall  arise  upon  thee, 
And  his  glory  shall  be  seen  upon  thee. 

3  And  the  Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy  light, 
And  kin  j:s  to  the  brightness  of  thy  rising. 

4  Lift  up  thine  eyes  round  about,  and  see  : 

All  they  gather  themselves  together,  they  come  to  thee : 

Thy  sons  shall  come  from  far, 

And  thy  daughters  shall  be  "nursed  at  thy  side. 

5  Then  thou  shaltJsee,  and  bflow  together, 
And  thine  heart  shall  fear,  and  be  enlarged  ; 

Because  the  "abundance  of  the  sea  shall  be  converted  unto  thee ; 
•    The  3forces  of  the  Gentiles  shall  come  unto  thee. 


CHAP.  LX.  1-9. 


6  The  multitude  of  camels  shall  cover  thee, 
The  "dromedaries  of  Midian  and  Ephah  ; 
All  they  from  Sheba  shall  come  : 

They  shall  bring  gold  and  incense ; 

And  they  shall  shew  forth  the  praises  of  the  LORD. 

7  All  the  flocks  of  Kedar  shall  be  gathered  together  unto  thee, 
The  ran%  of  Nebaioth  shall  minister  unto  thee  : 

Ifhey  shall  UMUC  up"with  acceptance  on  mine  altar, 
And  I  will  g^mfy  the  house  of  my  glory. 

8  Who  are  these  that  fly  as  a  cloud, 
And  as  the  doves  to  their  dwindows  ? 

9  Surely  the  isles  shall  wait  for  me, 
And  the  ships  of  Tarshish  first, 
To  bring  thy  sons  from  far, 

Their  silver  and  their  gold  with  them,  ^fc> 

Unto  the  name  of  the  LORD  thy  God, 

And  to  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  because  he  hath  glorified  thee. 


Or,  be  enlightened;  for  thy  light  cometh. 
Or,  wealth. 


carried  on  the  hip. 


b  brighten  up. 


2  Or,  noise  of  the  sea  shall  be  turned  toward  thee. 
c  young  camels.  d  lattices. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  A  DELITZSCH  justly  bids  us  mark  that  "HIX  ""OlD 
are  Tmees,  and  "IT1K  fcO^D  are  iambuses.  Observe 
the  chang\  of  vowels.  All  the  Hebrew  vowels  are  found 
in  these  five  words  in  correspondence  with  the  fulness 
of  thoughts  which  these  few  words  contain.  How  ad- 
mirably is  the  language  adapted  to  the  subject!  Does 
not  this  betoken  that  master  of  speech,  Isaiah  ?  ["  What 
power  of  creative  might  lies  in  these  two  Trochees, 
Kumi,  ori,  which  are,  as  it  were,  prolonged  till  what  they 
say  is  done  ;  and  what  a  power  of  consolation  lies  in  the 
two  Iambuses  ki-ba  orech,  which,  as  it  were,  stamp  upon 


GRAMMATICAL. 

the  action  of  Zion  the  seal  of  the  divine  action,  and  fit 
to  the  apai?  (raising  up)  its  fleVts  (foundation)!  DB- 
LITZSCH. — D.  M.]. 

Ver.  3.  n~H>  ortus,  is  an-.  Aey.  as  an  appellative.  As  a 
proper  name  it  is  of  frequent  occurrence. 

Ver.  4.  rUOX.PV    Observe  that  the  nun  has  no  dagesh 

T  |-  T  " 

forte.    (Comp.  NAEGELSBACH'S  Gr.,  §g  5,  6). 
Ver.  7.  ["  The  verbal  form  }Jimi>r,  which  is  repeated 

'v         :  IT  : 

in  ver.  10,  has  an  abbreviated  suffix  without  the  tone,  as 
xlvii.  10."  DELITZSCH]. 
Ver.  9.  ^pK3,  with  a  rarer  suffix-form  for  IpXD-    See 

IT":"  I...... 

a  like  form  in  liv.  6. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  sees  in  the  distant  future  the 
restoration  of  Jerusalem,  and  its  exaltation  to  un- 
paralleled, supermundane  and  everlasting  glory. 
But  he  sees  blended  together  every  thing  that  is 
in  the  future  to  produce  this  glory,  from  the  first 
weak  beginnings  till  the  consummation  in  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem.  He  sees  at  first  night  pre- 
vailing over  the  whole  earth.  But  where  Jeru- 
salem is,  he  beholds  a  growing  brightness  as  at 
the  rising  of  the  sun.  He  calls  to  Jerusalem  to 
receive  the  glory  which  Jehovah  is  about  to  im- 
part to  her,  and  to  let  that  glory  unfold  itself 
(vers.  1  and  2).  Then  he  sees  how  this  light 
emanating  from  Jerusalem  attracts  the  Gentiles 
and  their  kings  (ver.  3).  He  sees  further  how 
together  with  the  heathen  fand  we  mav  say,  even 
in  the  heathen),  Jerusalem's  own  children  try  to 
reach  the  mother  city,  and  are  aided  in  this  effort 
by  the  heathen  (ver.  4).  With  joy  Jerusalem 
beholds  these  multitudes  stream  to  her,  and  re- 
joices the  more,  that  they  come  not  with  empty 
hands,  but  bring  with  them  the  choicest  products 
of  land  and  sea  (ver.  5).  Troops  of  camels  will 
carry  the  gold  and  incense  of  the  East  (ver.  6) ; 
the  flocks  of  the  eastern  nomadic  lands  will  be 
acceptable  as  offerings  on  the  altar  of  Jehovah 


(ver.  7).  On  the  other  hand,  ships  come  from 
the  distant  West,  laden  with  the  precious  things 
of  lands  beyond  the  seas,  and  are  with  their  sails 
like  to  bright  clouds,  or  doves  on  the  wing  (ver. 
9).  It  is  obvious  that  here  again  the  Prophet 
draws  the  picture  of  the  future  with  the  colors  of 
the  present. 


2.   Arise,  shine 


come   unto   thee. — 


Vers.  1-5.  The  image  before  the  mind  of  the  Pro- 
phet is  a  sunrise  scene.  Far  and  wide  night  still 
reigns,  but  grandly  above  all  other  heights  of  the 
earth  towers  mount  Zion,  which  here,  in  accord- 
ance with  ii.  2  ;  Mic.  iv.  1,  appears  as  "established 
in  the  top  of  the  mountains,  and  exalted  above 
the  hills."  And  the  Prophet  beholds  this  highest 
mountain  of  the  earth  irradiated  by  the  rising 
sun.  Its  summit  glitters  as  if  covered  with  celes- 
tial light.  From  this  the  Prophet  knows  that  the 
dawn  of  the  day  of  salvation  for  Jerusalem  has 
arrived.  He  calls  therefore  to  her  encouragingly, 
"Dip.  ["  In  Eph.  v.  14  this  first  verse  is  combined 
in  a  paraphrastic  form  with  li.  17;  Hi.  1,  2," 
KAY].  Jerusalem  has  now  to  lift  np  her  head, 
because  her  redemption  is  nigh  (comp.  Luke  xxi. 
28) ;  she  is  to  raise  herself  from  the  depression 


648 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


and  prostration  in  which  her  situation  has  hitherto 
kept  her.  Jerusalem  shall  become  light,  shall 
shine  C""1.1^,  the  verb  "VlK  in  Isaiah  only  here, 
ver.  19,  and  xxvii.  11).  But  she  is  not  to  shine 
in  her  own  light,  but  to  let  herself  be  enlightened 
by  the  higher  light  which  rises  on  her.  But  this 
light  is  called  "  thy  light,"  because  Jerusalem 
and  this  light  are  adapted  the  one  to  the  other. 
What  sort  of  a  light  it  is  which  shall  rise  upon 
Jerusalem,  is  told  us  in  ver.  1  b.  It  is  the  glory 
of  Jehovah.  This  light  shall  rise  as  an  ever- 
lasting sun  upon  Jerusalem  (comp.  ver.  20;  T"PT 
is  vox  solennis  of  the  rising  of  the  sun,  and  occurs 
in  Isaiah  besides  here  only  ver.  2  and  Iviii.  20). 
In  ver.  2  the  explanation  is  given  why  the  sun- 
rise referred  to  in  ver.  1  b  is  a  matter  of  such 
great  importance,  and  why  Jerusalem  is  so  press- 
ingly  summoned  to  yield  herself  to  the  influence 
of  this  rising  sun  [Rather  to  shed  forth  the 
light  which  she  has  received  from  it.  D.  M.]. 
Jerusalem  has  herein  the  highest  honor  conferred 
on  her  that  the  Sun  first  rises  upon  her,  that  she  is 
that  point  in  the  East  from  which  the  light  is  to 
spread  over  the  countries  shrouded  in  darkness. 
["The  Sun  of  suns  is  Jahve  (Ps.  Ixxxiv.  12),  the 
God  who  comes,  lix.  20. ...  When  this  Sun  rises  on 
Zion  she  becomes  altogether  light,  but  not  for 
herself  alone,  but  for  all  mankind."  DELITZSCH. 

D.  M.].  'IP2  is  found  only  here  in  Isaiah. 
We  see  from  ver.  3  that  the  nations  still  in  dark- 
ness are  not  inaccessible  to  the  light.  They  have 
a  longing  for  the  light,  [This  is  not  said],  and 
a  susceptibility  of  receiving  it.  Nations  and 
princes  come  to  the  heavenly  light.  The  bright- 
ness of  thy  rising  is  the  brightness  of  that 
which  rises  upon  Jerusalem,  according  to  ver.  2, 
the  brightness  of  Jehovah.  [But  Zion  made 
light  in  the  LORD  is  represented  as  herself  shin- 
ing as  a  light  in  the  world.  Her  rising  can  be 
described  as  the  brightness  of  the  sun  when  he 
goeth  forth  in  his  might,  Jud.  v.  31  ;  2  Sam. 
xxiii.  4.  To  regard  "  the  brightness  of  thy  ris- 
ing," as  meaning  "  the  brightness  of  that  which 
rises  upon  thee,"  is  surely  forced  and  unnatural, 
albeit  the  best  interpreters  acquiesce  in  this  ex- 
planation. But  the  church,  as  irradiated  by  the 
divine  glory,  and  reflecting  it,  has  a  light  and 
brightness  which  is  called  her  own,  and  which 
she  sheds  upon  the  world. — D.  M.].  Not  only 
the  nations  and  princes  of  the  heathen  world 
hasten  to  Jerusalem.  Along  with  them  are  other 
visitants,  who  are  no  foreigners  in  Jerusalem,  but 
are  children  of  the  house.  The  scattered  mem- 
bers of  the  Israelitish  kingdom,  conducted  and 
attended  with  all  honors  by  the  Gentiles,  will  re- 
turn to  the  holy  home  (comp.  xi.  11  sqq.  ;  xxv. 
6  sqq.  ;  xxvi.  2  sq.  ;  xxvii.  13 ;  Jer.  iii.  18,  see 
commentary  on  this  place).  ["  Those  who  con- 
fine these  prophecies  to  the  Babylonish  exile  un- 
derstand this  as  describing  the  agency  of  heathen 
stfites  and  sovereigns  in  the  restoration.  But  in 
this,  as  in  the  parallel  passages  [xliii.  5-7 ;  xlix. 
18-23],  there  is,  by  a  strange  coincidence,  no 
word  or  phrase  implying  restoration  or  return, 
but  the  image  evidently  is  that  of  enlargement 
and  accession ;  the  children  thus  brought  to  Zion 
being  not  those  whom  she  had  lost,  but  such  as 
ehe  had  never  before  known,  as  is  evident  from 


chap.  xlix.  21.  The  event  predicted  is  therefore 
neither  the  former  restoration  of  the  Jews,  nor 
their  future  restoration."  ALEXANDER.  D.  M.]. 
The  words  ver.  4  a,  are  repeated  from  xlix.  18. 
The  gathering  together  (l¥3pj)  refers  not 
only  to  separate  individuals  but  according  to 
places  such  as  xi.  12;  Hos.  ii.  2,  [E.  V.  Hos.  i. 
11]  it  refers  especially  to  the  re-union  of  Judah 
with  Israel.  Of  the  sons  we  are  simply  told 
that  they  come  from  a  great  distance,  but  the 

daughters  are  carefully  carried.  TX-^y  is  not 
=  on  the  side,  i.  e.,  on  the  one  arm  or  on  the 
one  shoulder  (xlix.  22),  but  upon  the  hip;  for 
it  is  still  the  custom  in  the  Orient  to  carry  the 
children  astride  on  the  hip.  Such  care  as  is  be- 
stowed on  children,  will  be  shown  to  the  female 
members  of  the  people  (comp.  Ixvi.  12).  JOX 
is  here  as  xlix.  23  after  the  place  in  Numb.  xi. 
12,  used  to  denote  the  nursing  and  tending  of  a 
child.  But  Jerusalem  shall  not  only  see  her 
children  come,  she  shall  have  the  joy  of  seeing 
them  come  with  full  hands,  furnished  with  all 
the  magnificence  and  glory  of  the  world.  In 

ver.  5  the  words  FHnjI  to  ^133;  are  to  be  taken 

:     :     T  :  '••  T  : 

as  a  sentence  denoting  a  circumstance,  put  as  a 
parenthesis,  which  expresses  the  emotion  with 
which  Jerusalem  will  see  what  has  been  depicted. 
The  sentence  setting  forth  the  object  'Ul  "|2iT  O 
is,  accordingly,  dependent  on  'N~iF\,  which,  there- 
fore, cannot  possibly  come  from  &O\  [But  it  is 
better,  with  the  E.V.,totake  "D  as  causal. — D.  M.]. 
The  verb  "1HJ  is  not  here  that  "tnj  which  means 
"to  stream"  (ii.  2 ;  Jer.  xxxi.  12;  li.  44),  and 
which  comes  from  ^ru,  a  river.  But  it  is  a  dif- 
ferent word,  related  to  ~HJ>  "U  occurring  as  a  verb 
besides  only  Ps.  xxxiv.  6,  but  forming  the  stem 
of  the  substantives  mnj  (Job  iii.  4)  and  rnnjD 

T  T:    v  T  T  :  • 

(Judg.  vi.  2).  The  signification  is  to  "shine," 
"to  brighten  up"  (for  joy).  Joy  makes  the 
face  shine,  but  the  heart  tremble  '(in D  in  this 
sense  besides  only  Jer.  xxxiii.  9).  [HENDER- 
SON renders  this  clause  well :  Thy  heart  shall 
throb  and  dilate.  The  idea  of  enlargement 
or  expansion  of  the  heart  through  joy  is  Semitic; 
but,  as  DELITZSCH  points  out,  we  have  the  oppo- 
site idea  in  angor,  anyustia. — D.  M.].  The  joy  is 
called  forth  by  Jerusalem  seeing  how  the  trea- 
sures of  the  sea  (p^H  as  Ps.  xxxvii.  16;  Jer.  iii. 
23  in  the  sense  of  swarm  and  abundance  of  the 
most  manifold  products,  comp.  also  ver.  14),  and 
the  wealth  of  the  nations  come  to  her.  [The 
abundance  of  the  sea  denotes  all  precious 
things  which  the  islands  and  maritime  countries 

possess."  DELITZSCH.  D.  M.].  7#  stands  after 
^STV  in  the  sense  of  /X  (comp.  on  x.  3). 

3.  The  multitude  of  camels glorified 

thee. — Vers.  6-9.  [A  multitude  of  camels, 
without  the  definite  article].  In  these  verses  the 
Prophet  describes  how  the  treasures  of  the  East 
(vers.  6  and  7)  and  of  the  West  (vers.  8  and  9) 
are  brought  to  Jerusalem.  The  eastern  trading 
nations  are  indicated  by  a  multitude  of  camels 
(np£)^,  comp.  ystf  Deut.  xxxiii.  19,  in  Isaiah 
only  here)  and  young  animals  ['"O3  not  drome  - 


CHAP.  LX.  10-17. 


649 


daries,  which  are  not  for  carrying  burdens,  but 
for  riding.  —  D.  M.],  from  Mid'ian  and  Ephah, 
which  bring  from  Sheba  gold  and  incense, 
(comp.  on  xliii.  23),  the  most  valuable  wares. 
Midian  was  a  son  of  Abraham  by  Keturah,  and 
the  father  of  Ephah,  Gen.  xxv.  2,  4,  comp.  Gen. 
xxxvii.  28,  36  ;  Judg.  vii.  mv>  is  Arabia  felix 
(comp.  1  Kings  x.  2;  Jer.  vi.  20;  Job  vi.  19; 
only  here  in  Isaiah).  These  merchants  at  other 
times  sought  gain;  now  they  have  a  nobler  aim. 
They  wish  to  honor  Jehovah  ;  they  bring  Him 
presents.  This  they  declare  in  songs  of  praise 

(both  I&S  and  HviW  are  used  by  Isaiah  only  in 
chapters  xl.-lxvi).  The  eastern  pastoral  tribes 
join  the  eastern  trading  tribes.  Respecting  Ke- 
dar comp.  on  xxi.  16  sqq.  ;  xlii.  11.  Kedar  was 
the  second,  Nebaioth  the  eldest  son  of  Ishmael, 
Gen.  xxv.  13.  It  is  disputed  whether  Nebaiotli 
is  the  progenitor  of  the  Nabataei,  i.  e.,  of  the 
northern  or  north-western  Arabs  (for  Nabataea 
is  the  whole  country  between  the  Euphrates  and 
the  Red  Sea).  Comp.  DELITZSCH  on  this  place, 
and  HERZOG,  R.-Eneyd.,  1,  p.  598,  2d  Ed.  rot? 
is  a  word  which  is  often  used  of  the  ministry 
rendered  by  the  priests  to  Jehovah  (Numb,  xviii. 
2;  Dent.  xvii.  12;  1  Sam.  ii.  11;  iii.  1  et  saepe). 
The  flocks  of  Kedar  and  the  rams  of  Ne- 


baioth will  therefore  as 


ascend  the  altar 


of  Jehovah,  [f1^^^  is  translated  in  E.  V., 
and  by  DR.  NAEGELSBACH,  with  acceptance. 
But  it  signifies  rather  with  pleasure,  delight 
or  good  will,  and  is  to  be  distinguished  from 


the  expression  elsewhere  used  {iX  i?  which  means 
to  (the  divine)  acceptance,  or  with  accept- 

ance.      So     VlTRINGA,    HlTZIG,     HENDERSON, 

DELITZSCH.  On  this  representation  of  the  vic- 
tims offering  themselves  willingly  LOWTH  re- 
marks :  "  This  gives  a  very  elegant  and  poetical 
turn  to  the  image.  It  was  a  general  notion,  that 
prevailed  with  sacrificers  among  the  heathen, 
that  the  victim's  being  brought  without  reluctance 
to  the  altar  was  a  good  omen  ;  and  the  contrary 
a  bad  one."  —  D.  M.].  The  great  number  and 
excellence  of  these  offerings  will  conduce  to  the 
honor  of  the  temple  of  the  LORD.  In  vers.  8 
and  9  the  West  appears  upon  the  scene.  They 


that  like  a  cloud,  or  as  doves  to  their  en- 
closure skim  over  the  sea,  are  ships  with  ex- 
panded sails.  The  sails  spread  out  resemble  a 
cloud,  the  velocity  is  compared  with  the  swift 
flight  of  the  dove  (comp.  Hos.  xi.  11.  BOCHART, 
Hieroz.  II.  p.  540  sqq.).  The  feminine  ending 
in  ny21.J?r\  is  caused  by  the  feminine  rU'JX-  H37N 
is  opus  reticulatum,  net,  interwoven  work.  The 
answer  to  the  question,  who  are  these,  etc.,  is 
left  to  the  reader.  Every  one  perceives  that  it  is 
ships  that  come  from  the  west.  But  why  those 
ships  hasten  with  such  speed  to  the  holy  land  is 
explained  in  ver.  9.  They  are  directed  by  in- 
habitants of  the  O^N,  which  here  as  often  (see 
the  List),  represent  the  islands  and  maritime 
countries  of  the  west.  These  people  hope  in 
Jehovah.  Among  those  ships  the  foremost 
(rumn:il  comp.  Numb.  x.  14;  1  Kings  xx.  17; 
1  Chron.  xi.  6)  are  the  ships  of  Tarshish 
(comp.  ii.  16;  xxiii.  1,  14).  These,  which  are 
the  largest,  and  come  from  the  greatest  distance, 
shall  also  be  the  first  to  bring  Jerusalem's  sons 
with  their  silver  and  gold  to  the  place  where 
the  LORD  makes  known  His  name,  i.  e.,  reveals 
His  nature,  and  is  therefore  honored  as  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel  (see  the  List).  Jerusalem's  glori- 
fication is  also  thereby  intended.  [The  picture 
drawn  in  this  section  perplexes  those  who  under- 
stand it  of  the  literal  restoration  of  the  Jews, 
and  of  the  future  glory  of  the  earthly  Jerusalem. 
HESS,  BAUMGARTEN  and  others  argue  from  ver. 
7  for  the  restoration  of  animal  sacrifices.  But 
DELITZSCH  justly  rejects  this  notion  as  utterly 
contrary  to  the  Christian  system.  Animal  sacri- 
fice has  been  abolished  by  the  Servant  of  Je- 
hovah offering  Himself  once  for  all.  The  blood 
of  the  Crucified  One  has  swept  away  the  partition- 
wall  of  particularism  and  of  ceremonial  shadows. 
But  if  the  victims  and  the  altar  here  spoken  of 
are  not  to  be  taken  literally,  why  should  we  look 
for  a  material  temple  or  construe  literally  the 
other  traits  in  the  picture?  The  whole  descrip- 
tion represents  not  the  material  Jerusalem,  but 
the  Church  of  God  under  images,  which,  to  be 
consistently  interpreted,  cannot  be  taken  in  a 
gross,  literal  sense.  We,  Christians,  are  come 
unto  mount  Zion,  and  unto  the  city  of  the  living 
God,"  etc.,  Heb.  xii.  22.— D.  M.]. 


2.   THE  RESTORATION  OF  JERUSALEM  TO  OUTWARD  GLORY. 
CHAPTER  LX.  10-17  a. 

10  And  the  "sons  of  strangers  shall  build  up  thy  walls, 
And  their  kings  shall  minister  unto  thee : 

For  in  my  wrath  I  smote  thee, 

But  in  my  favor  have  I  had  mercy  on  thee. 

11  Therefore  thy  gates  shall  be  open  continually; 
They  shall  not  be  shut  day  nor  night ; 

That  men  may  bring  unto  thee  the  forces  of  the  Gentiles, 
And  bthat  their  kings  may  be  brought. 


650 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


12  For  the  nation  and  kingdom  that  will  not  serve  thee  shall  perish  ; 
Yea,  those  nations  shall  be  utterly  wasted. 

13  The  glory  of  Lebanon  shall  come  unto  thee, 

The  °h'r  tree,  the  dpine  tree,  and  the  ebox  together, 

To  beautify  the  place  of  my  sanctuary  ; 

And  I  will  make  the  place  of  my  feet  glorious. 

14  The  sons  also  of  them  that  afflicted  thee  shall  come  bending  unto  thee ; 

And  all  they  that  despised  thee  shall  bow  themselves  down  at  the  soles  of  thy  feet ; 
And  they  shall  call  thee,  The  city  of  the  LORD,  the  Zion  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel. 

15  Whereas  thou  hast  been  forsaken  and  hated. 
So  that  no  man  went  through  thee, 

I  will  make  thee  an  eternal  excellency, 
A  joy  of  many  generations. 

16  Thou  shalt  also  suck  the  milk  of  the  Gentiles, 
And  shalt  suck  the  breast  of  kings: 

And  thou  shalt  know  that  I  the  LORD  am  thy  Saviour, 
And  thy  Redeemer,  the  mighty  One  of  Jacob. 
17aFor  brass  I  will  bring  gold, 
And  for  iron  I  will  bring  silver, 
And  for  wood  brass, 
And  for  stones  iron. 


1  Or,  wealth. 

•  strangers. 
d  plane- tree. 


b  and  their  kings  as  captives. 
•  sherbin-tree. 


cypress. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  In  what  follows  the  Prophet  depicts  the  re- 
building of  Jerusalem,  and  the  commencement 
of  a  new  glorious  life  in  it.     The  foreign  nations 
that  destroyed  the  walls  of  the  old  Jerusalem, 
shall  build  the  walls  of  the  new  (ver.  10).    And  its 
gates  shall  stand  open  day  and  night,  for  they  are 
needed  no  more  to  keep  off  the  enemy,  but  only  to 
let  in  foes,  if  any  there  should  be,  as  prisoners 
with  their  spoils  (ver.  11).     Should  there  be  any 
nations  who  are  not  attracted  by  the  light  (ver.  3), 
but   repelled  by  it,  they  will   go  to  destruction 
(ver.  12).     Jerusalem  will  then  inwardly  also  be 
magnificently  adorned,  as  it  becomes  the  sanctu- 
ary  of  Jehovah    (ver.    13).     Then   they   whose 
fathers   formerly   oppressed  Jerusalem,   or   who 
themselves  had  despised  it,  must  humbly  do  it 
homage,  and  regard  it  as  the  city  of  God  (ver.  14). 
Then  will  Jerusalem  be  no  more  forsaken,  hated, 
and  shunned ;  but  it  will  shine  in  everlasting  glory 
as  the  joy  of  all  coming  generations  (ver.  15). 
All  nations  must  bring  their  best  and  most  pre- 
cious things  as  tribute,  as  a  sign  that  the  God 
of  Israel  alone  is   the  Almighty  God  who   can 
help  (ver.  16).     And  as  a  measure  to  estimate  the 
future  glory  of  Jerusalem,  the  Prophet   further 
tells  us  that  gold  and  silver  will  come  in  the  place 
of  brass  and  iron,  and  brass  and  iron  in  the  place 
of  wood  and  stone  (ver.  17  a). 

2.  And  the  sons  of  strangers  .   .    .  and 
for  stones  iron  (vers.  10-17  a).  [The  expression 
rendered  in  the  E.  V.  Sens  of  strangers,  is  liter- 
ally translated,  Sons  of  strangeness  or  of  a  foreign 
country,  i.  e.,  foreigners,  aliens. — D.  M.].     In  this 
section,  too,  the  Prophet  still  paints  with  the  colors 
of  the  present.  Foreigners  shall  build  Jerusalem's 
walls.     Perhaps  there  is  here  a  reminiscence  of 
the  time  when  Israel  in  Egypt  had  to  erect  build- 


ings for  Pharaoh  (Ex.  i.  11).  In  the  second  part 
of  ver.  10  the  Prophet  thinks  of  the  terrible  days 
when  Jerusalem's  walls  were  destroyed  by  foreign- 
ers. This  was  done  not  only  by  Nebuchadnezzar, 
but  at  least  partially  by  others  also  (comp.  2  Kings 
xiv.  13  sq. ;  1  Kings  xiv.  26).  Great  as  was  the 
wrath  which  destroyed  Jerusalem's  walls  by  the 
hands  of  foreigners,  so  great  will  be  the  favor 
which  causes  foreigners  to  rebuild  them  stronger 
and  more  beautiful  than  ever.  A  further  con- 
trast to  the  former  evil  times  will  be  this,  that  it 
will  be  no  longer  necessary  to  shut  the  gates  of 
Jerusalem,  for  there  is  no  longer  an  enemy  to 
fear ;  and  there  is  no  more  night,  which  favors 
the  works  of  darkness  (vers.  19,  20,  and  Rev.  xxi. 
25).  On  the  contrary,  the  only  concern  now  will 
be  to  admit  the  spoil  taken  from  enemies,  and 
their  princes  that  are  led  captive.  That  D'Jli"U 
is  here  to  be  taken  in  this  sense  is  evident  from  a 
comparison  of  such  places  as  1  Sam.  xxx.  2,  20 ; 
Isa.  xx.  4.  [DELITZSCH  explains  D'Jinj  as  ap- 
plied to  these  kings,  that  they  are  "  led  as  captives 
by  the  church,  irresistibly  bound  by  her,  i.  e.,  in- 
wardly subdued  (comp.  xiv.  14,  with  Ps.  cxlix.8  ), 
and  suffer  themselves,  as  prisoners  of  the  church 
and  of  her  God,  to  be  led  into  the  holy  city  in 
solemn  procession  of  honor." — D.  M.]  Ver.  12, 
J^H,  properly  to  dry  up,  stands  regularly  of 
cities  and  countries,  but  is  also  transferred  to  na- 
tions (xxxvii.  18;  Jer.  1.  21,  27).  [They  who 
consider  the  literal  Jerusalem  to  be  the  subject  of 
this  prophecy,  and  not  the  church  of  God,  may 
ask  themselves  if  utter  destruction  will  really  be 
the  punishment  of  every  nation  and  kingdom 
that  will  not  serve  the  Jews.  But  it  is  not  they 
that  are  born  after  the  flesh  that  are  heirs  of 


CHAP.  LX.  10-17. 


651 


these  promises,  but  they  who  are  Christ's,  and  so 
the  true  seed  of  Abraham,  the  Israel  of  God. 
(Gal.  iii.  28,  29;  iv.  26-31.)  The  Gentile  Chris- 
tians are  not  (loomed  to  bondage.  In  Christ's 
church  there  is  one  flock  and  one  Shepherd. — D. 
M.]  Is  the  building  of  the  temple  spoken  of 
in  ver.  13?  The  answer  to  this  question  will  de- 
cide the  point  whether  the  trees  mentioned  in  ver. 
13  are  to  serve  for  the  building  of  the  sanctu- 
ary, or  for  ornament  to  the  holy  city.  But  in 
ver.  13  there  is  no  mention  of  the  temple,  but 
only  of  the  place  of  the  sanctuary.  [But  this 
expression  implies  a  sanctuary. — 1).  M.]  Fur- 
ther, we  learn  from  Ixvi.  1-3  that  the  new  Jeru- 
salem will  have  neither  temple,  nor  the  service 
that  was  performed  in  the  temple  ^comp.  Rev. 
xxi.  23).  [But  vide  contra,  ver.  7,  and  ii.  3. — D. 
M-]  Thirdly,  it  must  appear  strange  that  there 
is  no  mention  of  the  cedars  of  Lebanon,  which 
formed  the  chief  material  in  the  building  of  the 
old  temple.  [But  the  sherbin  tree  is  a  species 
of  cedar  growing  on  Lebanon. — D.  M.]  The 
trees  here  named  are  cited  from  xli.  19,  and,  as 
there,  are  here  mentioned  only  as  representatives 
of  magnificent  vegetation.  HITZIG'S  remark,  too, 
is  of  weight,  that  according  to  ver.  17,  wood  will 
be  excluded  as  building  material.  I  therefore 
hold  with  HITZIG,  EWALD,  KNOBEL,  DELITZSCH, 
that  ver.  13  is  to  be  understood  of  the  glorious 
ornamental  living  trees  that  will  grace  Jerusalem. 
The  glory  of  Lebanon,  which  expression 
occurs  besides  only  xxxv.  2,  is  probably  of  the 
same  import  as  '-the  choice  and  best  of  Leba- 
non" (Ezek.  xxxi.  16).  Luxuriant  vegetation, 
glorious  trees  will  beautify  the  place  where  the 
LORD,  though  He  has  no  temple  of  stone  there, 
has  still  the  place  of  His  gracious  presence,  and 

where  His  feet  rest  (elsewhere  called  V/JH  D"?^1 
as  which  the  earth,  Ixvi.,  or  the  sanctuary  with 
the  ark  of  the  covenant,  1  Chron.  xxviii.  7  ;  Ps. 
xc.  5,  et  saepe,  is  designated).  [So,  notwithstand- 
ing the  Lord's  declaration  to  the  contrary,  Jeru- 
salem, artificially  embellished,  will  still  be  the 
place  where  men  ought  to  worship,  though  it 
shall  have  no  material  temple  (John  iv.  20-24). 
In  the  dogmatical  and  ethical  remarks  on  Ixvi.  19 
sqq.,  our  author  truly  says  that  Isaiah  teaches 
that  ''  instead  of  the  local  place  of  worship  of  the 
old  covenant,  the  whole  earth  will  be  the  temple 
of  the  LORD."  We  might  quote  Isaiah  as  teach- 
ing that  there  will  be  a  temple  and  sacrifices, 
too,  in  the  glorious  Jerusalem  of  the  future.  See 
the  mention  of  the  going  up  of  all  nations  to  the 
house  of  the  Lord  in  ii.  2,  3;  see,  too,  in  verse 
7  of  this  chapter  the  mention  of  countless  sacri- 
fices ascending  the  altar  of  God.  If,  notwith- 
standing these  statements,  we  are  justified  in 
holding,  as  Dr.  NAEOELSBACH  does,  that  there 
will  in  the  Holy  City  of  God  be  no  external  tem- 
ple and  no  animal  sacrifices,  we  may  go  further, 
and  seek  a  spiritual  sense  for  the  description  of 
the  future  outward  glory  of  Jerusalem  contained 
in  this  chapter.  How  natural  it  is  to  put  Zion 
and  Jerusalem  for  the  church  of  God,  whose  cen- 
tre Jerusalem  was  of  old,  is  seen  from  the  use  of 
Borne  for  the  Church  of  Rome,  whose  centre  is 
in  that  city !  We  are  never  to  forget  that  the 
Prophet  paints  the  future  with  the  colors  of  the 
present,  and  we  should  avoid  playing  fast  and 


loose  with  symbolical  language. — D.  M.] 
at  the  end  of  ver.  13,  designedly  corresponds  to  its 
initial  word  1u3.  As  the  picture  mainly  sets 
forth  the  contrasts  between  what  once  was  and 
what  shall  be,  we  are  told  in  verse  14  that  the  de- 
scendants of  former  oppressors  and  mockers  will 
come  submissively  to  do  homage  to  Jerusalem, 
(nin$  is  infin.  nominascens,  and  is  to  be  taken 
as  accus.  modalis,  or  adverbialis  (comp.  EWALD,  \ 
279, 1.  2,  6).  ["  The  S£  before  ni32  is  not  simply 
equivalent  to  at,  but  expresses  downward  motion, 
and  may  be  translated  down  to.  The  act  described 
is  the  oriental  prostration  as  a  sign  of  the  deepest 
reverence. — ALEXANDER.  Comp.  Rev.  iii.  9. — 
D.  M.]  When  these  worshippers  at  the  same 
time  call  Jerusalem  the  City  of  Jehovah, 
Zion  of  the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  they  make 
thereby  a  confession  of  faith.  They  declare 
thereby  that  they  hold  the  religious  faith  of  Is- 
rael as  the  true  one.  They  acknowledge,  first, 
that  the  God  of  Israel  justly  bears  the  name 
nirr  ;  that  He  is,  therefore,  the  true  God  ;  and, 
secondly,  that  Jerusalem  justly  calls  herself 
the  City  of  Jehovah,  i.  e-,  the  place  where  God 
reveals  Himself  and  is  worshipped.  In  "  'p  p'¥ 
the  appellative  signification  of  |V¥  (|V2f,  cippus, 
monumentum)  comes  to  view.  [  ?  J  Jerusalem 
stands  as  the  great,  glorious  monument  which 
proclaims  to  the  world  the  Godhead  of  Jehovah. 
A  further  contrast  (ver.  15)  refers  to  the  relation 
of  Jehovah  as  husband  of  Jerusalem.  [But  Jeru- 
salem is  not  depicted  in  ver.  15  as  a  wife  forsaken 
and  hated  and  avoided  by  God. — D.  M.].  The 
Prophet  in  spirit  sees  Jerusalem  so  forsaken 
and  desolate  that  she,  as  a  deserted  city,  is  trod- 
den by  no  one,  but  avoided  by  all.  "&})  fX. 
Comp.  xxxiii.  8;  xxxiv.  10;  Jer.  ix.  9,  11; 
Ezek.  xxxiii.  28  et  saepe.  [Whereas  thou  bast 
been,  etc.,  is  literally  "  Instead  of  thy  being," 
etc.-D.  M.].  As  the  opposite  of  this,  Jerusalem  shall 
be  an  eternal  glory  (p'W,  in  the  objective  sense, 
as  ii.  10,  19,  21 ;  iv.  2;  xiii.  19;  xxiii.  9  et  saepe), 
and  joy  of  all  coming  generations  (comp.  xxiv. 
11 ;  Ps.  xlviii.  3).  The  relation  of  child  and  ser- 
vant is  before  the  mind  of  the  Prophet  in  ver. 
16.  Israel  has  in  the  present  been  obliged  to  be 
the  ill-treated,  plundered  servant.  Foreign  con- 
querors and  tyrants  have  impoverished  it,  have 
sucked  it  out  to  the  very  blood.  In  opposition  to 
this,  the  promise  is  now  made  that  foreign  kings 
must  regard  Jerusalem  as  a  new-born,  carefully 
nursed,  beloved  child.  This  child  will  now  suck 
their  breasts.  This  is  the  explanation  of  the  ap- 
parent incongruity  of  Jerusalem  sucking  the 
breasts  of  men,  and  not  of  women.  [Tbe  language 
used  forces  us  to  interpret  the  whole  prophecy  al- 
legorically. — D.  M.]  There  lies  at  the  same  time 
this  in  the  image,  that  the  kings  themselves  will 
not  be  ill-treated  slaves,  but  affectionate  care- 
takers (xlix.  23).  He  who  causes  this  wonderful 
change  is  Jehovah,  whom  Israel  will  thereby 
know  as  Saviour  and  Redeemer  by  reason 
of  His  love,  and  as  the  mighty  One  of  Ja- 
cob by  reason  of  His  power.  The  second  part 
of  verse  16  is  almost  a  literal  repetition  from  xlix. 
26.  In  ver.  17  o  the  Prophet  has  evidently  before 


652 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


him  what  (1  Kingsx.  18-29)  is  related  of  Solomon.  !  brass,  etc.     ["The  city  will  be  massive,  built  en- 


Mark  especially  verses  21  and  27  of  the  passage 
referred  to,  where  it  is  said  that  silver  was  then 
nothing  accounted  of,  that  Solomon  made  it  aB 


stones.      For  brass,  etc.,  i.  e.,    instead    of  i  DELJTZSCH. — D.  M.J 


tirely  of  metal,  so  that  neither  the  elements  nor 
enemies  can  destroy  it.  That  the  Prophet  does 
not  mean  to  be  understood  literally  is  apparent 
from  the  allegorical  progress  of  the  Prophecy." — 


3.    THE    NEW    LIFE    OF    JERUSALEM    OF    WHICH    BOTH    THE    PEOPLE    AND 
NATURE  PARTAKE.     CHAPTEB  LX.  17  6-22. 

176 1  will  also  make  athy  officers  peace, 
And  thine  exactors  righteousness. 

18  Violence  shall  no  more  be  heard  in  thy  land, 
Wasting  nor  destruction  within  thy  borders  ; 
But  thou  shalt  call  thy  walls  Salvation, 
And  thy  gates  Praise. 

19  The  sun  shall  be  no  more  thy  light  by  day  ; 

Neither  for  brightness  shall  the  moon  give  light  unto  thee : 
But  the  LORD  shall  be  unto  thee  an  everlasting  light, 
And  thy  God  thy  glory. 

20  Thy  sun  shall  no  more  go  down  ; 
Neither  shall  thy  moon  withdraw  itself: 

For  the  LORD  shall  be  thine  everlasting  light, 
And  the  days  of  thy  mourning  shall  be  ended. 

21  Thy  people  also  shall  be  all  righteous  : 
They  shall  inherit  the  laud  for  ever, 

The  "branch  of  my  planting,  the  work  of  my  hands, 
That  I  may  be  glorified. 

22  CA  little  one  shall  become  a  thousand, 
And  da  small  one  a  strong  nation  : 

I  the  LORD  will  hasten  it  in  his  time. 


peace  thy  magistracy,  and  righteousness  thy  rulers. 
The  lean. 


»  shoot. 

*  The  smallest. 


TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  19.  Although  the  Masoretes  separate  DJJ7  by 
means  of  zakeph  gadol  from  what  follows,  and  thereby 
intimate  that  they  wish  HJJ7  to  be  taken  in  the  sense: 
"as  regards  brightness,"  this  construction  seems  to  me 
needlessly  difficult. 


Ver.  21.  The  reading  of  the  Keri  Mȣ3O  is  to  be  pre- 

—  T  ~ 

ferred  to  that  of  the  Kethib  il'LDO  or  U't3~,  which  is 

T  -  "r  T  - 

probably  a  mistake  of  the  copyist. 

Ver.  22.  The  feminine  suffix  is  here  to  be  taken  in  the 
neuter  sense  (comp.  lix.  3;  xxii.  11;  xxvii.  4). 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  In  this  section  the  Prophet  takes  a  loftier 
flight.  The  higher  life  which  he  promises  is  above 
all  without  sin,  i.  e.,  holy.  Righteousness,  peace 
and  salvation  will,  therefore,  characterize  the  life 
of  the  community  (vers.  17  b,  18).  But  even  the 
life  of  nature  will  receive  a  new,  higher  centre  of 
life.  For  it  will  be  no  more  the  sun  that  sheds 
upon  the  earth  light  and  heat,  and  thereby  life, 
but  God  will  Himself  be  the  Sun  that  shines  per- 
petually and  unchangeably  (vers.  19,  20).  And 
because  the  people,  being  born  again  of  a  divine 
peed,  will  sin  no  more,  they  will  also  never  lose 
their  country,  but  possess  it  to  eternity  (ver.  21). 
They  will  uao  partake  of  the  theocratic  blessing 
of  a  numerous  posterity  in  the  highest  degree 


(ver.  22).  In  the  two  last  verses  [and  all  through- 
out the  chapter,  D.  M.]  we  see  again  how  the 
Prophet  represents  spiritual,  heavenly  things  with 
earthly  colors. 

2.  I  will  also   make gates   Praise.— 

Vere.  17  b,  18.  The  Prophet,  who  bad  hitherto 
depicted  chiefly  the  external  glory  of  the  future 
Jerusalem,  now  describes  more  its  inward  state. 
The  might  of  sin  will  be  broken.  Its  reign  comes 
to  an  end.  Peace  and  righteousness  have  domin- 
ion. We  have  to  inquire  whether  we  have  to 

take  D1  htf  and  Hpt*  as  the  object  or  as  the  pre- 
dicate. But  more  is  contained  in  the  declaration 
that  peace  and  righteousness  will  bear  rule  than  in 


CHAP.  LX.  17-22. 


653 


the  statement  that  the  rulers  will  be  peaceable  and 
just  people.  For  the  latter  might  be  substantial- 
ly true,  and  yet  much  dissension  and  injustice  be 
in  the  land.  But  when  peace  and  righteousness 
are  not  only  in  the  rulers  but  are  themselves  the 
rulers  (GESENIUS,  UMBREIT,  STIER,  DELITZSCH, 
etc.),  then  everything  that  could  disturb  peace 
and  impede  justice,  is  excluded.  We  shall  have 
to  take  the  term  peace  in  its  most  extensive  and 
highest  sense,  as  comprehending  the  harmony  of 
man  with  God,  with  himself,  and  with  his  fellow- 
creatures.  Under  righteousness  we  shall  have  to 
understand  that  complete  righteousness  which 
consists  in  the  conformity  of  human  willing  and 
doing  with  the  divine  will.  Righteousness  and 
peace  are  related  as  cause  and  effect.  For  onlv 
when  our  willing  is  conformable  to  the  divine, 
can  the  right  harmony  with  God  prevail  in  us  and 
around  us.  We  can  recall  here  Ps.  Ixxxv.  11, 
where  for  restored  Israel  the  hope  is  expressed 


that  Dlcn  p"tt  will  kiss  each  other  in  their  land. 
Peace  and  righteousness  are  here  poetically  per- 
sonified, which  is  a  form  of  expression  not  rare  in 
Isaiah  [comp.  xxii.  18  ;  xxxii.  16  sq.  ;  xlv.  8  ; 
lix.  14).  ["'"'^p3  properly  means  office,  magis- 
tracy, government,  here  put  for  those  who  exer- 
cise it,  like  nobility,  ministry  and  other  terms  in 
English.  D"C?IJ.  which  has  commonly  a  bad  sense, 
is  here  used  for  magistrates  or  rulers  in  general, 
for  the  purpose  of  suggesting  that  instead  of  tyrants 
or  exactors  they  should  now  be  under  equitable 
government."  ALEXANDER.  D.  M.].  Where 
righteousness  and  peace  rule,  nothing  more  will 
be  heard  of  violence  and  wild  devastation  Ttf 


as  lix.  7;  li.  19).  On  the  latter  part  of  ver. 
18  comp.  the  remarks  on  xxvi.  1,  which  place  is 
related  to  the  one  before  us.  ["  The  walls  of  the 
city  of  God  will  be  impregnable  —  Salvation 
itself.  Her  gates  (unlike  those,  which  'la- 
mented and  mourned  '  iii.  26)  shall  be  filled  with 
jubilant  anthems  ;  shall  be  mere  Praise."  Kay 
in  the  Bible  Commentary.  D.  M.]. 

3.  The  sun  shall  be  -  in  his  time.  —  Vers. 
19-22.  Xow  we  see  clearly  the  meaning  of  that 
call,  "  Arise,  shine,  for  thy  light  is  come,  and  the 
glory  of  the  LORD  is  risen  upon  thee."  The  LORD 
shall  be  not  only  the  Sun  of  the  lifeof  the  spirit; 
He  shall  also  be  the  Sun  of  the  life  of  nature.  The 
light  of  His  divine  66%a  will  immediately  shine 
through  it.  As  moon  and  stars  grow  pale  before 
the  rising  sun,  so  will  the  earthly  sun  grow  pale 
(comp.  xxiv.  23  with  Commentary  and  the  places 
of  like  purport  iv.  5  ;  xxx.  26)  before  the  original 
Fountain  of  all  light,  with  whom  is  no  variable- 
ness (James  i.  17),  when  He  rises  as  the  sun.  We 
need  now  the  lights  of  heaven  (Gen.  i.  14  sqq.  ), 
because  the  eternal  Light  is  still  hidden  from  us. 
We  live  here  in  faith,  not  in  sight.  The  Apostle 
John  employs  this  trait  in  the  picture  which  he 
draws  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  Rev.  xxi.  23,  25; 
xxii.  5.  HJJ,  ver.  19,  corresponds  to  the  pre- 
ceding DOT  -HN.  ln  xiii.  10;  Joel  ii.  10;  iv.  15 
HJJ  is  also  used  of  the  brightness  by  night.  _  Al- 
though there  will  be  still  a  distinction  in  the  times 
of  the  day,  there  will  be  no  more  darkness.  As 
sun  and  moon  will  be  no  more  the  lights,  but  the 
LORD,  the  Prophet  can  also  say  to  Jerusalem, 


Thy  sun  will  set  no  more,  thy  moon  will  not 
•wane  C7)?^  of  the  drawing  in,  the  withdrawal  of 
the  rays  of  light,  whereby  the  waning  and  tem- 
porary disappearance  of  the  m:>on  are  caused, 
comp,  xvi.  10;  Joel  ii.  10;  iv.  15).  When  this 
alternation  of  light  and  darkness  in  the  life  of  na- 
ture is  past,  history  will  consist  no  more  of  days 
of  joy  and  days  of  mourning,  The  days  of 


mourning  are  entirely  past   (27t9  as  1   Kings 

vii.  51 ;  ;3X  'D'  comp.  Gen.  xxvii.  41 ;  Deut. 
xxxiv.  8}.  The  mourning-days  of  Israel  consisted 
in  this,  that  the  people  as  a  punishment 'for  their 
sins  were  given  into  the  hands  of  their  enemies, 
and  had  their  land  taken  from  them.  But  when 
the  people,  through  the  unrestricted  influence  on 
their  lifeof  the  new  sun  that  has  risen  upon  them, 
have  become  entirely  holy  and  righteous,  such 
judgments  will  never  more  be  spoken  of.  They 
will  possess  their  land  for  ever,  like  a  garden  of 
God,  which  contains  no  weeds  to  be  rooted  up,  but 
only  holy  plants.  [Some  interpreters  take  |"1X 
in  the  sense  of  earth,  xlix.  8  favors  this  wider 
sense  of  \"^#.  Here  as  in  xi.  1  n^J  denotes  a 
shoot  rather  than  a  branch.  Observe,  too,  that 
'£??!?  is  in  the  plural  (Keri) — my  plantings  = 
"my  creative  acts  of  grace"  (DELITZSCH).  D.  M.]. 
The  work  of  my  hands  is  an  expression  oc- 
curring xix.  25,  where  it  is  applied  to  the  people 
of  Assyria,  when  they  shall  be  hereafter  converted. 
Israel  will  therefore,  as  Assyria,  be  a  people 
whose  life  is  wrought  by  God,  and  will  therefore 
conduce  to  the  praise  of  God  (Ixi.  3).  ["  The  de- 
pendence of  God's  people  on  Himself  for  the  ori- 
gin and  sustentation  of  their  spiritual  life  is  forci- 
bly expressed  by  the  figure  of  a  plant  which  He 
has  planted,  and  by  that  of  a  work  which  He  has 
wrought.  Eph.  ii.  10."  ALEXANDER.  D.  M.]. 
Then  too  will  that  benedictio  vcre  theocratica  of  a 
numerous  progeny  guaranteeing  everlasting  con- 
tinuance be  realized  in  the  richest  measure.  The 
least  one  (the  adjective  with  the  article  in  the 
sense  of  the  superlative),  i.  e.,  the  one  that  is  phy- 
sically most  insignificant,  the  weakest  shall  be- 
come a  thousand,  and  the  smallest  one  (the 
same  in  sense  as  jBp)  a  strong  people  (comp. 
Micah  iv.  7).  We  see  in  vers.  21,  22,  how  the 
Prophet  again  paints  the  future  with  the  colors 
of  the  present.  In  this  Old  Testament  shell  we 
can  discern  the  New  Testament  kernel  of  the 
K7.rjpovofj.ia  aiuvms  (Heb.  ix.  15),  and  of  the  $UT) 
nluvmq  (John  iii.  15,  36  et  saepe).  The  Prophet 
has  foretold  in  this  chapter  great,  wonderful,  in- 
credible things.  [The  LORD,  therefore,  at  the 
close,  solemnly  guarantees  their  fulfilment.  The 
last  words  form  the  seal  of  the  prophecy.  "  His 
time"  is="  its  time,"  not  the  time  of  the  LORD. 
"  Its  time"  is  the  time  which  the  LORD  has  ap- 
pointed, and  which  is  known  only  to  Him.  When 
that  time  has  arrived,  He  will  hastily  accomplish 
what  has  been  foretold  (xlvi.  11 ;  xliiL  13 :  ix. 
6J.-D.  M.]. 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  [BARNES  in  his  Notes  quotes  Pope's  Messiah 
in  which  "  some  of  the  ideas  in  this  chapter,  de- 
scriptive of  the  glorious  times  of  the  Gospel,  have 
been  beautifully  versified."  COWPER  in  the  last 


654 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


book  of  The  Task  delightfully  expatiates  on  the 
same  ''fair  theme."  Justly  does  he  exclaim  re- 
garding this  prophetic  picture : 

"  O  scenes  surpas^ins*  fable,  and  yet  true, 
Scenes  of  accomplished  bliss!  which  who  can  see, 
Though  hut  in  distant  prospect,  and  not  feel 
His  soul  refresh'd  with  foretaste  of  the  joy  ?"— D.  M.] 

2.  On  Ix.  1.     "Surge!    lllummare!   sunt  impe- 
rativi  evangdici,  quibus  includitur  atque  promittitur 
auxilium  divinum  praesens  ad  obsequendum."    SEE. 
SCHMID.     ''  lie  whose  dicere  isfacere  speaks  these 
words,  He  who  with  the  word  ra^ida  KOV/J.L  and 
NsawT/ce,  <7oi/,£yw,  h/epdqrt    (Mark  v.  41 ;    Luke 
vii.  14),  raised  up  the  dead  girl,  the  deceased 
young  man."  LEIGH. 

3.  ''  The  gracious  light  of  Jehovah,  which  ra- 
diates gloriously  in  the  manifestation  of  the  Re- 
deemer, fills,  too,  with  the  light  of  God  the  peo- 
ple among  whom  it  shines.  What  once  happened 
only  to  Moses  upon  the  mount,  when  his  face 
shone  with  heavenly  splendor  from  his  converse 
with   the   LORD,   will    now  be  imparted  to  the 
entire  sanctified  race."  AXEXFELD. 

4.  On  Ix.  1  sqq.     The  fulfilment  of  this  pro- 
phecy takes  place  by  successive  stages.     In  the 
first  place,  it  is  manifest  that  the  city  of  God  here 
spoken    of   cannot    be   the   earthly   Jerusalem, 
which  was  doomed  to  destruction.     But  the  pro- 
phecy has  for  its  object  the  avu  'Ispovaahiju,  the 
Free,  which  is  the  mother  of  us  all  (Gal.  iv.  26), 
which   is   elsewhere    called    the    heavenly  Jeru- 
salem   (Heb.   xii.    22),    or    the    New  Jerusalem 
(Rev.  xxi.  2).     The  LORD  and  living  centre  of 
this   heavenly   Jerusalem    appeared,   indeed,   in 
the  earthly  city,  and  made  it  the  point  whence 
the   light   emanated  to   enlighten   the  Gentiles. 
For   in  Jerusalem  the  Lord  had  to   die   (Luke 
xiii.  33)  and  to  rise  again ;  and  from  Jerusalem 
the  preaching  of  repentance  and  forgiveness  of 
Bins  in  His  name  must  begin    (Luke  xxiv.  47). 
But  after  the  destruction  of  the  earthly  Jerusa- 
lem, and  during  the  time  of  the  Gentiles,  when 
the  holy   place   is   trodden   down   (Rev.  xi.  2), 
there  is  no  other  Jerusalem  on  earth  than  the 
church  of  the  Lord,  a  poor  and  only  provisional 
form  of  His  kingdom,  which,  for  the  period  be- 
tween the  first  and  second  act  of  the  judgment  of 
the  world   (Matt,  xxiv.   29),   i.  e.  'between  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  second  coming 
of  the  Lord  to  effect  the  first  resurrection  (Rev. 
xx.  4  sqq.),  has  for  its  task  in  conflict  with  oppo- 
sing forces,  the  calling,  gathering  and  enlighten- 
ing of  the  elect  from  all  nations.     But  when  the 
Lord  shall  have  come  again  in  visible  glory,  and 
shall    have   accomplished   the  first  resurrection 
and  the  second  act  of  the  judgment  of  the  world, 
then  will  those  who  are  called  hereto  reign  with 
Him  a  thousand  years.     During  this  time  there 
will,  according  to  Rev.  xx.  9,  be  a  holy  city  on 
earth  which  is  called  "the  beloved  city."  .... 
But  when  the  third  act  of  the  judgment  of  the 
world,  the  second  resurrection,  and  the  general 
judgment  shall  be  completed  (Rev.  xx.  11-15), 
then  will  the  earth,  with   the  heavenly  bodies 
comprised  in  the  system  of  which  it  forms  a  part, 
have  become  new  (Rev.  xxi.  l\     Then  will  the 
holy  city,  the  new  Jerusalem   (ibid  ver.  2),  the 
prototype,  descend  upon  the  earth,  and  then  will 
our    prophecy  obtain    its    complete    fulfilment 


(Rev.  xxi.  10  sqq.). — [If  the  church  of  the  LORD 
is  now,  as  our  author  holds,  the  only  Jerusalem 
on  earth ;  if  it  can  now  truly  be  said  to  stand  for 
the  Jerusalem  of  prophecy,  it  may  pari  ratione, 
as  a ''glorious  church,  not  having  spot  or  wrin- 
kle, or  any  such  thing,"  represent  Jerusalem  in 
the  future  more  glorious  condition  in  which  it  is 
to  appear  according  to  prophecy.  The  church 
of  the  LORD  as  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  will 
never  be  superseded  by  a  material  city.  We 
Christians  are  come  unto  Mount  Zion  and  unto 
the  city  of  the  living  God,  the  heavenly  Jerusa- 
lem (Heb.  xii.  22).  There  is  just  as  much  reason 
to  hold  that  there  must  now,  in  order  to  the  ful- 
filment of  prophecy,  be  a  literal  Jerusalem,  the 
centre  of  attraction  to  God's  chosen  people,  as 
that  there  must  be  such  a  city  in  any  future 
period.  Our  author  in  the  foregoing  remarks 
disparages  unduly  the  present  dispensation.  The 
church  of  the  LORD  is  now  more  than  a  poor  and 
provisional  form  of  His  kingdom.  See  2  Cor. 
iii. ;  Luke  vii.  28;  x.  23,  24.— D.  M.] 

5.  On  Ix.  10-16.     Poor  and  unpretending  as  is 
the  appearance  of  the  church,  like  that  of  her 
Master  when  He  was  in  the  form  of  a  Servant, 
yet  is  she  constantly  herein  displaying  her  ma- 
jesty that  kings  and   nations  must,  when  it  is 
needful,  serve  her,  whether  willingly  or  reluc- 
tantly.    The  Roman  emperors,  after  having  for 
three  centuries  endeavored    by  every  means  to 
extirpate  the  church,  must  at  last  submit  to  her. 
But  when  people  would  not  let  the  church  ad- 
vance, when  they  would   injure  her,  or  deprive 
her  of  her  necessary  freedom  and  independence, 
and  make  her  serviceable  to  worldly  aims,  then 
they  have  inflicted   the  greatest  harm  on  them- 
selves.    This  is  seen  in  the  example  of  the  Ori- 
ental church   [and  not  in  her  alone]  which,  after 
she  was  made  a  dead  state-church,  could  no  longer 
resist  the  onset  of  Islam.    This  is  seen  in  modern 
times  in  many  a  State,  in  which  unnatural  fetters 
are  laid  upon  the  church,   whereby  her  credit, 
reputation  and  efficiency  are  undermined  to  the 
great  detriment  of  the  people  and  of  the  State. 

6.  On  Ix.  12.    "The  Roman  pontiffs  abuse  this 
oracle  of  the  Prophet  to  establish  their  tyranny 
over  monarchs.     In  particular,  it  is  recorded  of 
Pius   IV.,  that  at  the  time  of  his  election   he 
caused  a  coin  to  be  struck,  on  one  side  of  which 
was  his  own  image  adorned  with  a  triple  crown, 
and  on   the  other,   these  words  of  the  Prophet 
were  inscribed."    FOERSTER.      ["  The   idea  of 
ver.  12  is,  that  no  nation  can  flourish  and  long 
continue  that  does  not  obey  the  law  of  God,  or 
where  the  true  religion  does  not  prevail,  and  the 
worship  of  the  true  God  is  not  maintained.    His- 
tory is  full  of  affecting  illustrations  of  this.     The 
ancient  republics  and  kingdoms  fell  because  they 
had  not  the  true   religion.      The   kingdoms  of 
Babylon,    Assyria,    Macedonia  and    Egypt ;    the 
Roman  empire,  and  all  the  ancient  monarchies 
and  republics,  soon  fell  to  ruin  because  they  had 
not  the  salutary  restraints   of  the  true  religion, 
and  because  they  lacked  the   protection  of  the 
true  God.    France  cast  off  the  government  of  God 
in  the  first   Revolution,    and    was    drenched  in 
blood.     It  is  a  maxim  of  universal  truth  that  the 
nation,  which  does  not  admit  the  influence  of  the 
laws  and   the  government  of  God,  must  be  de- 
stroyed.    No  empire  is  strong  enough  to  wage 


CHAP.  LX.  17-22. 


653 


successful  war  with  the  great  Jehovah  ;  and 
sooner  or  later,  notwithstanding  all  that  human 
policy  can  do,  corruption,  sensuality,  luxury, 
pride  and  far-spreading  vice  will  expose  a  nation 
to  the  displeasure  of  God,  and  bring  down  the 
heavy  arm  of  His  vengeance."  BARNES.  D.  M.]. 

7.  On  the  whole  chapter.     "We  have,  as  the 
church  of  believers,  the  first-fruits  of  this  pro- 
phecy.    But  only  in  the  holy  people  that  has  its 
centre  in  the  new  Jerusalem  of  the  end  [rather 
that  forms  the  church  of  the  future],  shall  we  be- 
hold God's  work,  His  manifestation  and  its  effect 
on  the  nations  in  all  its  fulness.     Let  us  rejoice 
over  the  first-fruits,  and  regard  them  as  a  pledge 
of  the  complete  fulfilment  of  the  word  of  the  Pro- 
phet." WEBER. 

8.  On  the  whole  chapter.     ["  Surely  the  strain 
of  this  evangelic  prophecy  rises  higher  than  any 
temporal  deliverance.     Therefore  we   must  rise 
to  some  more  spiritual  sense  of  it,  not  excluding 
the  former.     And  that  which  some  call  divers 
senses  of  the  same  Scripture,  is,  indeed,  but  divers 
parts  of  one  full  sense.     This  Prophecy  is,  out  of 
question,  a  most  rich  description  of  the  kingdom 
of  Christ  under  the  Gospel.     And  in  this  sense, 
this  invitation  to  arise  and  shine  is  mainly  ad- 
dressed to  the  mystical  Jerusalem  (comp.  Eph.  v. 
14),  yet  not  without  some  privilege  to  the  literal 
Jerusalem  beyond   other  people.     They  are  first 
invited  to  arise  and  shine,  because  the  sun  arose 
first  in  their  horizon.     Christ  came  of  the  Jews, 
and  came  first  to  them.     The  Redeemer  shall  come 
to  Zion,  says  our  Prophet  in  the  former  chapter. 
But  miserable  Jerusalem  knew  not  the  day  of  her 
visitation,  nor  the  things  that  concerned  her  peace,  and 
therefore  are  they  now  hid  from  her  eyes.     She  de- 
lighted to  deceive  herself  with  fancies  of  I  know 
not  what  imaginary  grandeur  and  outward  glory, 
to  which  the  promised  Messiah  should  exalt  her, 
and  did,   in   that  kind    particularly,  abuse    this 
very  prophecy ;  so  doting  upon  a  sense  grossly 
literal,   she   forfeited    the    enjoyment    of   those 
spiritual  blessings  that  are  described."  Archbp. 
LEIGHTON,  who  has  two  sermons  (iv.  and  v.)  on 
Isa.  Ix.  1.  D.  M.]. 

HOMII/ETICAL  HINTS. 

1.  On  Jx.  1-6.  "  In  Christ's  appearing  in  our 
world  there  is  a  twofold  call  directed  to  us:  1) 
Arise;  shine  !  2)  Lift  up  thine  eyes  to  the  Gen- 
tiles." FR.  E.  BAUER.  "  What  a  blessing  the 
spread  of  the  revealed  word  will  bring  to  the 
heathen  in  respect  to  individuals,  to  families,  to 
nations."  TAUBE.  "  Zion,  the  great  mother  of 
nations  in  the  midst  of  her  children.  1)  With 
her  abundant  maternal  joys  ;  2)  with  her  weighty 
maternal  cares ;  3)  with  her  holy  maternal 
duties."  GEROK.  "  What  should  move  us  wil- 
lingly and  joyfully  to  obey  the  call  addressed  to 
the  Christian  church,  'Arise;  shine?'  1)  There 
are  millions  still  in  darkness;  2)  that  so  blessed 
a  light  has  arisen  on  us ;  3)  that  God  has  pro- 
mised that  our  efforts  for  those  benighted  mil- 
lions shall  not  be  in  vain."  WALTHER  of  St. 
Louis.  [It  is  through  the  church  that  God 
operates  on  a  dark  and  sinful  world.  The  church, 
in  order  to  fulfil  her  calling  to  be  a  light  to  the 
Gentiles,  must  herself  shine  in  the  glory  of  the 
Lord.  '•  We  will  go  with  you ;  for  we  have 


heard  that  God  is  with  you"  (Zech.  viii.  23), — 
this  will  hereafter  be  the  language  of  them  that 
are  without  to  the  people  of  God.  The  efficiency 
of  the  church  depends  on  her  holiness  and 
spiritual  prosperity.  God  blesses  us  to  make  us 
a  blessing  (Gen.  xii.  2).  See  this  thought  set 
forth  in  the  Ixvii.  Psalm. 

"  Heaven  does  with  us  as  we  with  torches  do  ; 
Not  light  them  for  themselves." 

-B.M.]. 

2.  On  lx.  1.     ["What  is  the  shining   of  the 
true  church?      Doth   not    a  church  then  shine 
when  church  service  is  raised  from  a  decent  and 
primitive  simplicity,  and  decorated   with  pom- 
pous ceremonies,  with  rich  furniture  and  gaudy 
vestments?     Is  not  the  church  then    beautiful? 
Yes,   indeed;  but  all   the  question  is,   whether 
this  be  the  proper,  genuine  beauty  or  not;  whe- 
ther this   be   not   strange  fire,   as   the   fire   that 
Aaron's  sons  used, .which  became  vain,  and  was 
taken    as   strange   fire.     Methinks  it  cannot    be 
better  decided  than  to  refer  it  to  St.  John,  in  his 
book  of  the  Revelation.     We  find  there  the  de- 
scription of  two  several  women,  the  one  riding  in 
state,  arrayed  in  purple,  decked  with  gold,  and 
precious  stones,  and  pearl,  chap,  xvii.;  the  other, 
chap,  xii.,  in  rich  attire  too,  but  of  another  kind, 
clothed  with  the  sun,  and  a  crown  of  twelve  stars 
on  her  head.     The  other's  decorament  was  all 
earthly;    this   woman's   is  all   celestial.     What 
need  has  she  to  borrow  light  and   beauty  from 
precious  stones,  who  is  clothed  icith  the  sun,  and 
crowned  with   stars?     She  wears  no  sublunary 
ornaments,  but  which  is  more  noble,  she  treads 
upon  them;  the  moon  is  under  her  feet.     Now,  if 
you  know  (as  you  do  all,  without  doubt)  which 
of  these  two  is  the  spouse  of  Christ,  you  can  easily 
resolve  the  question.     The  truth  is,  those  things 
seem  to  deck  religion,  but  they  undo  it.     Observe 
where  they  are  most  used,  and  we  shall  find  little 
or  no  substance  of  devotion  under  them ;  as  we 
see  in  that  apostate  church  of  Rome.     This  paint- 
ing is  dishonorable  for  Christ's  spouse,  and,  be- 
sides,   it   spoils   her  natural  complexion.     The 
superstitious  use  of  torches   and   lights  in   the 
church  by  day  is  a  kind  of  shining,  but  surely 
not  that  which  is  commanded  here.     No;  it  is 
an  affront  done  both  to  the  sun  in  the  heaven 
and  to  the  Sun  of  righteousness  in  the  church." 
Abp.  LEIGHTON. — D.  M.] 

3.  On  lx.  10-12.     Since  the  kingdom  of  David 
was  established  on  Mount  Zion,  and   the  LORD 
solemnly  confirmed  this  choice  (Ps.  ii.  6),  there 
is  always,  yea,  there  will  be  to  eternity  a  holy 
Zion,  or  Jerusalem,  as  centre  of  the  kingdom  of 
God.     But  the  LORD  leads  His  Zion  by  strange 
ways.     It  passes  through  sin  and  death  to  sancti- 
fication  and  life.     Let  us  consider  the  term  Zion 
according  to  its  earthly  history.     We  distinguish 
a  double  form.     We  see  the  Old  Testament  Zion 
fall  on  account  of  it?  sins.     The  LORD  smites  it 
in  His  wrath.     But  it  rises  not  in  a  material, 
but  in  a  spiritual  form,  as  the  Christian  church 
which  serves  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth  (John 
iv.  20  sqq.),  and  comprehends  all  nations.     This 
Zion  builds  itself  from  the  Gentiles.     Strangers 
build  its  walls   (ver.  10).     The   gates   of  these 
walls  are  not  shut  for  all  who  are  not  circum- 
cised in  the  flesh.     But  these  gates  are  open  day 


656 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


and  night  for  all  who  are  willing  to  receive  the  j 
grace  of  God  in  Christ  and  to  serve  Him  (ver. 
11 ).  The  nations,  who  serve  God  in  Christ,  will 
be  greatly  blessed  even  in  respect  to  earthly 
greatness  and  prosperity.  For  the  spirit  of 
Christianity  will  permeate  with  its  quickening 
influence  all  natural  factors.  But  where  Chris- 
tianity is  not  received,  or  where  it  is  suffered  to 
die  out,  there  moral  corruption  and  decay  are 
the  necessary  result  (ver.  12). 

4.  On  Ix.  10.     ''God's  love  is  not  extinguished 
because  His  wrath  burns.     Has   the  fire  of  His 
anger  produced  its  effect,  then  the  Sun  of  His 
grace  rises   again ;    for,  says  the  Lord,  '  I  kill, 
and  I  make  alive;  I  wound  and  I  heal  (Deut. 
xxxii.  39);  in  my  wrath   I  smote  thee,  but  in 
my  favor  have  I  had  mercy  on  thee.' " — THOL. 

5.  On   Ix.   17  b,   18,  21.     "Above  the  voice, 
which  tells  us  what  we  ought  to  be  and  are  not, 
there  sounds  another  in  every  human  heart  which 
gives  a  ray  of  hope  that  our  iniquities  shall  not 
separate  us  from  our  God,  and  that  we  shall  one  | 


day  be  what  we  ought  to  be.  This  foreboding  voice 
of  longing  expectation,  which,  although  weak 
and  confused,  sounds  through  the  generations  of 
men,  has  found  in  the  Old  Covenant  its  fulfil- 
ment. There  clear,  unmistakable  voices  speak 
of  the  time  when  '  a  fountain  shall  be  opened  to 
the  house  of  David  and  to  the  inhabitants  of 
Jerusalem  for  sin  and  for  uncleanness '  (Zech. 
xiii.  1);  of  a  time  when  it  shall  be  said  of  the 
city  of  God  on  earth :  '  Thy  people  shall  be  all 
righteous,  and  shall  inherit  the  earth  forever, 
the  branch  of  my  planting,  the  work  of  my  hands 
that  I  may  be  glorified.'  " — THOLUCK. 

6.  On  Ix.  18-22.  It  is  a  great  comfort  in  the 
present  time  when  darkness  covers  the  earth  and 
thick  darkness  the  people,  to  know  that  it  will 
not  always  remain  so.  We  are  now  only  in  an 
intermediate  state.  A  time  of  light  will  come 
when  God  alone  will  be  Sun,  and  that  1)  for  the 
intellectual  and  spiritual  life  of  men  (vers.  18, 
21);  2)  for  the  life  of  nature. 


III.— THE  THIRD  DISCOURSE. 

The  Personal  Centre  of  the  Revelation  of  Salvation. 

CHAPTERS  LXL,  LXIL  AND  LXIII.  1-6. 


Great  works  are  never  accomplished  without 
great  men.  After  reading  chapter  Ix.,  one  invo- 
luntarily asks  himself:  Who  will  be  the  instru- 
ment in  God's  hand  of  performing  this  great 
work?  This  question  is  answered  by  the  Pro- 
phet in  the  three  chapters,  LXI.-LXIII.,  in 
which  he  speaks  of  Him  who  will  bring  complete 
salvation  to  Israel,  but  will  judge  the  heathen. 
Most  modern  interpreters  (with  the  exception  of 
STIER,  HEXGSTEXBERG,  DEL.ITZSCH,  ROHI,ING) 
are  of  opinion  that  the  Prophet  here  speaks  of 
himself.  I  approve  in  general  of  the  reasons 
adduced  by  DELITZSCH  in  favor  of  the  view  that 
the  Saviour  of  Israel  is  the  subject  of  the  pro- 
phecy.— [  DELITZSCH  alleges  the  following  grounds 
in  support  of  his  view:  1)  Nowhere  has  the 
Prophet  hitherto  spoken  of  himself  as  such  in 
detail ;  rather  he  has,  with  the  exception  of  the  close 
of  Ivii.  21  (saith  my  God),  purposely  kept  his 
own  person  in  the  background.  2)  On  the  other 
hand,  where  another  than  Jehovah  has  spoken 
of  the  work  to  which  he  was  called,  and  of  what 
1»3  had  experiencad  in  the  fulfilment  of  his 
calling,  xlix.  1  sqq. ;  1.  4  sqq.,  that  person  was 
the  very  Servant  of  Jehovah,  of  whom  and  to 
whom  Jehovah  speaks,  xlii.  1  sqq.  ;  lii.  13-liii., 
not  the  Prophet,  but  He  who  is  destined  to  be 
the  Mediator  of  a  new  covenant,  to  be  a  light  to 
the  Gentiles,  and  the  Salvation  of  Jehovah  for 
the  whole  world,  and  who  by  self-humiliation 
unto  death  ascends  to  this  full  glorv  of  His  call- 
ing. 3)  Everything  that  the  Prophet  here  says 
of  himself  is  found  in  the  picture  of  that  Servant 
of  Jehovah,  who  stands  alone  and  unapproacha- 


ble, highly  exalted  above  the  Prophet;  He  in 
endowed  with  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah,  xlii.  1 ; 
Jehovah  has  sent  Him  and  with  Him  His  Spirit, 
xlviii.  16  b;  He  has  the  tongue  of  the  learned, 
to  help  the  weary  with  words,  1.4;  He  spares 
land  delivers  those  who  are  almost  despairing 
jand  destroyed,  the  bruised  reed  and  the  dimly 
I  burning  wick,  in  order,  xlii.  7,  "  to  open  the 
'  blind  eyes,  to  bring  out  the  prisoners  from  the 
prison,  and  them  that  sit  in  darkness  out  of  the 
prison-house," — this  is  what  above  all  He  has  in 
word  and  deed  to  do  to  His  people,  xlii.  7  ;  xlix. 
9.  4)  After  the  Prophet  has  once  so  dramati- 
Ically  set  forth  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  of  whom 
he  prophesies,  and  has  made  Him  appear  as 
the  speaker  in  xlix.  1  sqq.;  1-  4  sqq.  (and  also 
xlviii.  16  b),  we  cannot  suppose  that  he  will  now 
put  himself  in  the  foreground,  and  ascribe  to 
himself  such  official  attributes  as  he  has  made  to 
be  characteristic  features  of  that  unique  Person- 
age predicted  by  him." — D.  M.] — To  the  reasons 
mentioned  by  DELITZSCH,  I  add  what  HENG- 
STENBERG  and  ROHLING  have  called  attention 
to,  that  much  which  the  speaker  here  says  of 
himself  is  far  too  great  to  be  ascribed  to  a  mere 
man.  The  Prophet  can  indeed  announce,  but 
he  cannot  himself  effect  and  bestow  what  he  has 
announced.  And  if  chapter  Ixiii.,  as  cannot  be 
denied,  stands  in  closest  connection  with  chaps. 
Ixi.  and  Ixii.,  is  He,  we  ask,  who  there  performs 
jthe  negative  side  of  the  work  of  salvation,  the 
Prophet?  Does  not  the  Prophet  most  clearly 
distinguish  himself  from  Him,  as  the  questioner 
from  the  person  interrogated  ? 


CHAP.  LXI.  1-11.  657 


A.— THE  POSITIVE  SIDE  OF  THE  REVELATION  OF  SALVATION. 

CHAPTERS  LXI.  AND  LXII. 

1.  A  distant  view  of  him  who,  as  Prophet,  King  and  Priest  is  the  founder  of  Salvation. 

CHAPTER  LXI.  1-11. 

1  THE  Spirit  of  the  Lord  GOD  is  upon  me ; 
Because  the  LORD  hath  anointed  me 

To  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek  ; 

He  hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted, 

To  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives, 

And  "the  opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound ; 

2  To  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  LORD, 
And  the  day  of  vengeance  of  our  God ; 

To  comfort  all  that  mourn  ; 

3  To  "appoint  unto  them  that  mourn  in  Zion, 
To  give  unto  them  beauty  for  ashes, 

The  oil  of  joy  for  mourning, 
The  garment  of  praise  for  the  spirit  of  heaviness ; 
That  they  might  be  called  "trees  of  righteousness, 
The  planting  of  the  LORD,  that  he  might  be  glorified. 

4  And  they  shall  build  the  old  wastes, 
They  shall  raise  up  the  former  desolations, 
And  they  shall  repair  the  waste  cities, 
The  desolations  of  many  generations. 

6  And  strangers  shall  stand  and  feed  your  flocks, 

And  the  dsons  of  the  alien  shall  be  your  plowmen  and  your  vinedressers* 

6  But  ye  shall  be  named  the  Priests  of  the  LORD  : 
Men  shall  call  you  the  ministers  of  our  God : 
Ye  shall  eat  the  riches  of  the  Gentiles, 

And  in  their  glory  shall  ye  eboast  yourselves. 

7  For  your  shame  ye  shall  have  double ; 

And  for  confusion  they  shall  rejoice  in  their  portion : 
Therefore  in  their  land  they  shall  possess  the  double: 
Everlasting  joy  shall  be  unto  them. 

8  For  I  the  LORD  love  judgment, 

I  hate  'robbery  for  burnt  offering  ; 

And  I  will  ^direct  their  work  in  truth, 

And  I  will  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  them. 

9  And  their  seed  shall  be  known  among  the  Gentiles, 
And  their  offspring  among  the  people : 

All  that  see  them  shall  acknowledge  them, 

That  they  are  the  seed  which  the  LORD  hath  blessed. 

10  I  will  greatly  rejoice  in  the  LORD, 
My  soul  shall  be  joyful  in  my  God  ; 

For  he  hath  clothed  me  with  the  garments  of  salvation, 
He  hath  covered  me  with  the  robe  of  righteousness, 
As  a  bridegroom  'decketh  himself  with  ornaments, 
And  as  a  bride  adorneth  herself  with  her  jewels. 

11  For  as  the  earth  bringeth  forth  her  bud, 

And  as  the  garden  causeth  the  things  that  are  sown  in  it  to  spring  forth ; 
So  the  Lord  GOD  will  cause  righteousness  and  praise 
To  spring  forth  before  all  the  nations. 

1  Heb.  decketh  as  a  priest. 

•  opening  of  the  eyes.  b  put  on.  •  terebinths.  *  alien*. 

•  enter,  substitute  yourselves. '  'robbery  by  iniquity.  *  give  their  reward. 

42 


658 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  1.  The  expression  ni'p~np£)  is  to  be  written  as 
one  word  without  Maqqepli ;  for  there  is  in  Hebrew  no 

word  nip  (on  the  form  see  EWA.LD.  §  157,  c).    As  Hp3  is 

-   I  I  -T 

•employed  only  of  the  opening  of  the  eyes  and  ears,  the 

LXX.  in  rendering  TV^AOIS  a.va^\f^i.v  are  in  part  right, 
inasmuch  as  even  prisoners  who  sit  in  darkness  and 
the  shadow  of  leath  are  brought  by  deliverance  from 
prison  to  see  again  the  light.  However  the  Septuagint 
is  wrong  in  taking  the  expression  to  mean  healing  of 
the  Wind. 


GRAMMATICAL. 
Ver.  6.  The  an-.  Aey.  nQTtn  is  either  from  ID'  ="113 

IT-  :   •  -T 

(of  which  there  is  besides  only  the  Hiphil  "VOTI  permu- 
tavit  Jer.  ii.  11),  or  from  IS'  =  "OX  (from  which  is  the 

-T  -    T 

Hithpael  T^XPH  Ps.  xciv.  4,  extulit  se).    The  former 
derivation  seems  to  be  the  more  appropriate,  because 
"IQXnp,  Ps.  xciv.  4,  is  evidently  used  in  a  bad  sense. 
Ver.  10.  'JtOlT  (on  account  of  the  pause  'JMJV)  is,  if 

•  -  T  :  •  IT  T  : 

correctly  pointed,  to  be  derived  from  E9JV,  which  occurs 
only  here,  but  is  identical  with  HCDV.     PR^n  is  Kal 

T  T  V   :    - 

as  Hos.  ii.  15  ;  Jer.  iv.  30 ;  xxxi.  4. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  The  middle  triad  (chaps.  Ixi.,  Ixii.  and  Ixiii.) 
of  the  third  Ennead  (an  aggregate  consisting  of 
nine)  sets  Him  again  before  our  eyes  by  whom 
the  great  salvation  promised  in  chap.  Ix.  is  to  be 
accomplished.  Much  of  what  the  Prophet  sees 
done  by  tin's  great  Personage  whose  name  is  with- 
held, bears  a  prophetic  character,  such  as  the 
bringing  of  glad  tidings  and  comforting  (ver.  1). 
But  the  setting  free  of  the  prisoners  (ibid.),  the 
proclaiming  of  the  time  of  grace  and  of  ven- 
geance (ver.  2),  and  the  real  communication  of  or- 
nament and  joy  for  ashes  and  mourning  (ver.  3), 
seem  to  indicate  kingly  might.  Of  like  signi- 
ficance is  the  new  order  of  things  spoken  of  in 
vers.  4-7.  In  vers.  8,  9  Jehovah  ratifies  the  work 
of  His  Serva^-  ov  declaring  of  it,  that  it  is  con- 
formable to  ji,-suce,  and  that  He  intends  to  make 
an  everlasting  covenant  with  Israel,  by  which 
the  Israelites  shall  be  known  by  all  nations  as 
the  people  blessed  by  Him.  Finally,  He,  who 
had  spoken  from  vers.  1-7,  speaks  again.  He 
rejoices  that  He  is  clothed  with  the  garments  of 
salvation,  which  make  Him  appear  as  priestly 
bridegroom  in  wonderful  union  with  His  bride,  ' 
to  whom  His  righteousness  and  glory  are  by  a 
vital  and  organic  relation  communicated  (vers. 
10,  11).  It  almost  seems  as  if  the  Prophet  lets 
us  have  a  glimpse  of  the  three  offices  which  have 
their  common  root  in  the  unction  of  the  Spirit. 

2.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  GOD shall 

be  unto  them  —Vers.  1-7.  With  the  words, 
The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  Jehovah  is  upon  me, 
the  Subject  of  the  prophecy  attributes  to  Himself 
what  Jehovah  xlii.  1  declared  of  His  Servant, 
and  what  had  been  already,  xi.  2,  declared  of  the 
root  of  Jesse.  [Three  times  in  Isaiah  is  Messiah 
described  as  endued  with  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord. 
First  the  Prophet  affirms  this  of  Him,  xi.  2,  "the 
Spirit  of  the  LORD  shall  rest  upon  Him."  Next, 
xlii.  1,  Jehovah  Himself  declares  of  the  Messiah: 
"  I  have  p'.it  My  Spirit  upon  Him."  Here,  lastly, 
One,  wliose  appointed  work  marks  Him  as  the 
Messiah,  declares :  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  Je- 
hovah is  upon  Me."  Does  not  this  parallelism 
speak  in  favor  of  the  identity  of  person  in  all  three 
passages?  It  serves,  too,  to  mark  the  unity  of 
the  whole  book.  D.  M.].  The  speaker  affirms 
that  He  has  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah,  that  all  He 
speaks  and  does  may  be  known  to  be  wrought  by 
God.  The  Spirit  of  the  LORD  is  upon  Him  be- 
cause (JJT  comp.  xxx.  12;  Ixv.  12;  bzvL  4) 


Jehovah  has  anointed  Him.     [''  'fix 
is  more  emphatic  than  ''jnK/O.     In  the  choice  of 
the  word  ntJ'O  we  may  find  an  intimation  that 
the  Servant  of  Jehovah  and  the  Messiah  are  one 
person."  DELITZSCH.      "Anointing,  whether  it 
occurs   as    an   outwardly   performed    symbolical 
action,  or  as  a  mere  figure,  is   always   used   to 
designate  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  comp.  1 
Sam"  x.   1;    xvi.    13,  14;  Dan.  ix.  24.     As  the 
anointing  is  identical  with  the  imparting  of  the 
Spirit,    we  cannot  isolate  the  words:  because 
the  Lord  has  anointed  me,  but  must  closely 
connect  them  with  all  that  follows.     He  has  en- 
dued Me  with  His  Spirit  to  preach  good  tidings, 
etc.  HENGSTEXBERG. — D.  M.]     "^tJ'3  occurs  only 
in  the  second  part  of  the  book,  and  is  rendered 
everywhere,  with  the  exception  of  xli.  27,  in  the 
Septuagint  by   eiwyyeA/'fo.      It  is  here,   as   fre- 
quently, connected   with   the   accusative  of  the 
person.      )%y  is  found  further   in  Isaiah  xi.  4; 
xxix.  19.    Y"  VJJ?  as  "3%  from  HJJ?,  to  bow  down; 
the  latter  is  one  bowed  down  through  adversity, 
the  former  one  inwardly  bowed  down,  emptied 
of  all  self-confidence."  DELITZSCH.      "  'JJ^  and 
U#  are  never  confounded.     In  this  world  of  sin 
the  meek  are  at  the  same  time  the  suffering ;  and 
that  especially  here  the  meek  are  at  the  same 
time    to    be    regarded    as    suffering,  is    shown 
by  the  glad  tidings   which  stand  in  contrast  to 
their  misery.      The  DMJJ?,  in  opposition  to  the 
wicked,  appear  as  the  people  of  the  Messiah  in 
xi.  4  also."    HEXGSTENBERG. — D.  M.].     The 
binding  up  of  the  broken  hearted  can  be 
conceived  as  wrought  by  words  of  consolation. 
[But  comp.  Ps.  cxlvii.    3    where  this    work   is 
ascribed  to  Jehovah  as  His  own ;  and  VITRIXGA 
truly  remarks  that  the  speaker  here  appears  non 
praeco  tantum,  sed  et  dispensator  of  the  rich  bless- 
ings that  are  mentioned. — D.  M.].     On  the  year 
of  liberty  comp.  Lev.  xxiii.  8  sqq.     ["  The  pro- 
claiming of  perfect  liberty  to  the  bounden,  and 
the  year  of  acceptance  with  Jehovah,  is  a  mani- 
fest allusion  to  the  proclaiming  of  the  year  of 
Jubilee  by  so^ind  of  trumpet.     This  was  a  year 
of  general  release  of  debts  and   obligations,  of 
bond  men  and  women,  of  lands  and  possessions, 
which  had  been  sold  from  the  families  and  tribes 
to  which  they  belonged.    Our  Saviour,  by  apply- 
ing this  text  to  Himself,  Luke  iv.  18,  19,  a  text 
so  manifestly  relating  to  the  institution  above- 


CHAP.  LXI.  l-n. 


659 


mentioned,  plainly  declares  the  typical  design  of 
that   institution."    LOWTH.      •' tue   Servant   of 
God  proclaims  nothing  which  He  does  not  at  the 
same  time  bestow,  as  ver.  3  clearly  shows."  HENG- 
STENBERG  — D.  M.].   The  expressions,  captives 
and  bound  point  to,  first  of  all,  Israel's  deliver- 
ance from  the  Exile.     For  the  Israelites  in  exile 
were  indeed  prisoners  of  war  and  captives.    [But 
they  were  freed  from  the  Babylonish  exile  before 
the  mission  of  the  Messiah.    How  then  could  He 
be  sent  to  them?— D.  M.].     The  Prophet  here 
comprehends  in  his  view  the  whole  time  of  sal- 
vation beginning  with  the  liberation  from  exile. 
In  all  that  the  Prophet  here  says  of  the  healing 
of  the  sick,  of  the  freeing  of  prisoners,  of  the  re- 
joicing of  the  sorrowful,  or  the  honoring  of  the 
despised  (ver.  7),  and  of  the  rebuilding  of  what 
was  laid  waste,  he  has  evidently  in  his  mind  the 
getting  rid  of  the  misery  of  the  old  time,  and  the 
commencement  of  the  new,  glorious  era.    To  this 
commencement  he  reckons  also  the  time  of  the 
establishment  of  a  new  covenant  (ver.  8).     It  is 
hard  to  say  where  he  sees  the  boundary  which 
marks  the  beginning  of  this  time.     It  may  not 
have  been  clearly  perceived  by  him  (1  Pet.  i.  11). 
Yet  comp.  on  Ixii.  2.     The  expression  jii'l-ruty 
is  not  an  official  term,  but  a  rhetorical  variation 
for  "^T^,  and  is  intended  to  designate  a  time  of 
glory  and  blessing  such   as  that  of  the  Messiah 
will  be-     It  will  have  in  its  train  a  day  cf  ven- 
geance,   one   day   of  judgment,   for   wrath  is 
short  (comp.  Ps.  xxx.  6;  Isa.  x.  25;  liv.  8,  etc.), 
grace  long.     In  xxxiv-  8  ;  Ixiii.  4  we  have  the 
same  kind  of  representation;  for  "the  year  of 
recompenses  or  redemption"  [my  redeemed] 
is  just  the  long  time  of  grace  granted  to  Israel. 
Chaps.  Ixi.  and  Ixii.  correspond  to  the  year  of 
grace,  chap.  Ixiii.  to  the  day  of  vengeance.     In 
regard   to   the  expression   DPJ  see  remarks  on 
xxxiv.  8.    [It  is  manifestly  with  allusion  to  the  year 
of  jubilee  that  the  time  of  grace  here  predicted 
is  called  an  acceptable  year  of  the  LORD,  i.  e.,  a 
year  of  favor  or  of  grace.     This  allusion  explains 
the  employment  here  of  the  definite  time  year. 
The  time  of  grace  is  elsewhere  spoken  of  as  a  day : 
"In  an  acceptable  time  have  I  heard  thee,  and  in 
a  day  of  salvation  have  I  helped  thee,"  coinp.  2 
Cor.  vi.  2.     The  New  Testament  speaks,  too,  of 
the  day  of  redemption  and  of  days  of  vengeance, 
Luke  xxi.  22 ;  Eph.  iv.  30.     The  time  of  wrath 
towards  the  church  is  a  comparatively  short  time, 
and  is  frequently  contrasted  with  God's  everlast- 
ing mercy  to  her.     But  the  day  of  vengeance 
here  predicted  has  respect  to  obdurate  enemies  of 
the  LOKD,  and  on  them  God's  wrath  abideth, 
John  iii.  36. — D.  M.].     In  Luke  iv.  16  sqq.  it  is 
related  that  Jesus  Christ  read  the  commencement 
of  this  chapter  in  the  synagogue  of  Nazareth,  and 
declared  Himself  as  the  person  by  whom  this 
prophecy  is  fulfilled.     We  see  from  this  that  He 
did  not  apply  it  merely  to  the  deliverance  from 
the  Exile,  and  that  He  regarded  it  as  a  genuine 
prophecy  given  by  God,  and  not  as  the  work  of 
a  deceiver.     ["  Our  Lord  ended  His  reading  in 
the  synagogue   at   '  the  acceptable  year  of  the 
LORD'  (Luke  iv.  19)  ;  but  at  the  close  of  His 
ministry  (Luke  xxi.  22)  He  spoke  of  the  'days 
of  vengeance.'  "  KAY. — D.  M.]   They  who  mourn 


are  Zion's  mourners,  ver.  3,  and  on  them  shall  be 
put  on,  or  to  them  shall  be  given  (the  Pro- 
phet substitutes  the  word  flfi  for  Dltf  because 
this  word  is  applicable  only  to  clothes)  the 
bead-ornament  [E.  V.  beauty]  for  ashes. 
"'Ni)  is  the  name  of  the  female  turban  (iii.  20) 
and  of  the  priest's  cap,  Ex.  xxxix.  28 ;  Ezek. 
xhv.  18.  Note  the  paronomasia  here.  Putting 
ashes  on  the  head  was  a  sign  of  mourning,  2  Sam. 
xiii.  19.  The  expression  ptyt?  jDtf  is  found 
besides  only  in  Ps.  xlv.  5,  in  that  Psalm  which 
typically  represents  a  King  of  Israel  as  a  bride- 
groom, and  which  has  manifold  points  of  con- 
tact with  our  chapter.  There  shall  be  the  oil  of 
joy  given  instead  of  mourning,  and  a  magnifi- 
cent robe,  as  symbol  of  exaltation,  instead  of  a 
heavy,  oppressed  spirit.  [Dr.  NAEGELSBACH 

takes  n?nn  in  the  sense  of  glory,  honor,  in 
which  view  he  follows  DELITZSCH.  ALEXANDER 
considers  a  garment  of  praise  to  be  a  garment 
which  excites  praise  or  admiration.  But  HENG- 
STENBERG  best  explains  the  meaning  of  these 
mourners  having  a  garment  of  praise  put  on 
them  as  denoting  that  ''  they  shall  be  clothed 
with  praise,  the  praise  of  a  divine  goodness 
which  has  been  manifested  to  them."  Comp. 
Ps.cix.  18,  He  clothed  himself -with  cursing 
like  as  with  his  garment. — D.  M.]  HO^O, 
amictus,  is  found  only  here.  The  same  remark  ap- 
plies to  riH3  nn(co"mp.xlii.3j.  The  Prophet  pro- 
ceeds now  to  speak  of  those  who  are  blessed  by  Him 
whose  work  had  been  described.  They  shall  be 
called,  what  they  really  are,  Terebinths  of 
righteousness.  What  this  name  signifies,  the 
Prophet  immediately  explains  in  words  repeated 
from  Ix.  21.  ["The  gifts  of  God,  although  de- 
scribed by  material  figures,  are  spiritual,  inward- 
ly efficacious,  renewing  and  sanctifying  the  inner 
man,  sap  and  strength  and  marrow  and  motive 
power  of  a  new  life.  The  church  becomes  there- 
by Terebinths  of  righteousness,  j.  e .,  posses- 
sors of  a  righteousness  wrought  by  God,  approved 
by  God,  in  such  force,  constancy  and  fulness  as 
Terebinths  with  their  strong  stems,  their  luxuri- 
ant verdure,  their  perennial  [?]  foliage — a  plant- 
ing of  Jehovah  to  the  end  that  He  may  get  honor 
thereby."  DELITZSCII.  D.  M.].  We  see  from  ver. 
4  that  the  Prophet  is  thinking  of  exiles  who  have 
returned  to  their  own  country.  But  here  again 
le  sees  everything  together  which  will  in  the  fu- 
ture prove  to  be  a  return  from  exile  ;  for  he  can- 
not possibly  have  before  his  mind  only  the  return 
under  Zerubbabel  and  Ezra,  as  this  poor  begin- 
ning in  no  way  corresponds  to  the  grandeur  of  the 
picture  here  drawn.  Having  reached  their  home 
the  exiles  will  build  again  the  places  that  have 
lain  waste  for  an  incalculably  long  time,  and  re- 
store the  ruins  of  the  habitations  built  by  their 
ancestors.  Comp.  Iviii.  12  and  xliv.  26.  They 
will  be  assisted  in  this  work  by  foreigners  as 
their  servants.  For  these  will  feed  their  flocks, 
and  be  their  husbandmen  and  vinedressers, 
while  they  themselves  shall  be  called  Priests  of 
Jehovah,  ministers  of  our  God.  As  a  priv- 
ileged, ruling  caste  they  shall  live  on  the  wealth 
of  the  heathen,  and  in  regard  to  honor  and  glory 
shall  come  into  their  place  (no'HPJ.  Israel 


660 


THE  PROPHET  ISATAH. 


appears  here  as  the  priestly  nobility  (comp.  Ex. 
xix.  6),  and  the  Gentiles  as  the  misera  contribuens 
plebs,  that  has  to  perform  the  hard  work.  When 
the  Prophet,  Ixvi.  21,  says  of  the  Gentiles  that 
Priests  and  Levites  shall  be  taken  from  them 
also,  he  rises  above  his  Old  Testament  stand-point, 
and  speaks  purely  and  entirely  as  the  Evangelist 
of  the  Old  Covenant.  [The  future  conversion 
of  Israel,  instead  of  reducing  the  Gentiles  to  the 
condition  of  menials,  will  conduce  exceedingly  to 
their  riches,  Bom.  xi.  12.  Believing  Gentiles 
can  never  be  considered  and  treated  as  '  aliens 
from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel  and  strangers 
from  the  covenants  of  promise,'  Eph.  ii.  12.  On 
the  contrary,  they  are  '  fellow  heirs  and  of  the 
same  body,'  Eph.  iii.  6.  The  Prophet  is  speaking 
here  not  of  Israel  after  the  flesh,  but  of  the  Israel 
of  God  (Gal.  vi.  16),  and  does  not  contradict 
what  he  elsewhere  states  in  regard  to  the  equal 
privileges  of  converted  Gentiles,  xix.  24,  25  ;  Ixvi. 
21  sqq.  Even  in  connection  with  the  new  hea- 
vens and  the  new  earth  our  Prophet  speaks  of  the 
people  of  Jerusalem  themselves  planting  vine- 
yards and  eating  their  fruit,  Ixv.  17-23,and  so  not 
confining  themselves  to  the  exercise  of  priestly 
functions.  Literally  understood,  these  places  are 
mutually  exclusive  and  contradictory.  They  must 
be  taken  figuratively.  BARNES  extracts  the  ker- 
nel from  the  shell  in  saying  :  "  The  whole  idea  is, 
that  it  would  be  a  time  of  signal  prosperity,  a  time 
when  foreigners  would  embrace  the  true  religion  ; 
and  when  the  accession  would  be  as  great  and  im- 
portant as  if  they  were  to  come  in  among  a  people, 
and  take  the  whole  labor  of  attending  their  flocks 
and  cultivating  their  fields."  I  append  ABABBA- 
NEL'S  comment  on  vers.  5,  6.  "  He  (the  Prophet) 
mentions  also  that  the  LORD  anointed  him  to  an- 
nounce to  the  Israelites  that  the  nations  shall  be 
subjected  unto  them  so  that  foreigners  will  stand 
and  feed  their  flock,  and  aliens  will  cultivate  their 
fields  and  vineyards,  so  that  the  children  of  Israel 
shall  not  be  employed  in  any  coarse  work,  but 
shall  serve  the  glorious  God  with  their  law  and 
prayer  alone.  Therefore  he  says  :  Ye  shall  be 
called  Priests  of  the  Lord,  as  if  he  would  say, 
yc  shall  not  feed  flock,  nor  till  the  ground,  but 
shall  serve  the  Most  High  and  be  Priests  of  God 
and  servants  of  the  Most  High,  and  so  this  will 
be  your  name.  And  that  ye  may  have  time  for 
the  service  of  the  blessed  God,  ye  shall  eat  the 
wealth  of  the  Gentiles."  D.  M.].  Ver.  7  njtfo  is 
plainly  duplum,  double.  I  do  not  think  that  we 
,caa  understand  this  of  twofold  in  land.  This  in- 
terpretation puts  into  the  text  something  not  con- 
tained in  it.  Tjhe  direct  antithesis  of  .shame 
is  honor.  MJt!?D  can  therefore  mean  nothing  else 
than  double  compensation  in  honor  for  the  lost 
honor,  which  is  explained  when  Israel  enters  into 
the  glory  of  the  Gentiles.  We  have  to  supply 


nnfl  before  H^jp  as  in  many  other  eases.  [We 
have  here  an  enallage  of  persons,  the  second  giv- 
ing place  to  the  third.  DR.  NAEGELSBACII  ren- 
ders :  On  their  inheritance  they  shall  sing 

for  joy.  But  he  admits  that  Dj^?n  can  be  the 
accusative  of  the  object  as  in  Ps.  li.  18,  which  is  evi- 
dently the  construction  adopted  by  the  translators 
of  the  E.  V.  D.  M.].  Israel's  land  is  not  become 
larger,  nor  is  the  separate  inheritance  of  indi- 


viduals. But  there  are  added  to  their  own  honor 
and  to  their  own  possession  the  wealth  and  honor 
of  the  heathen.  Therefore  the  inheritance  of  each 
Israelite  has  become  double,  and  therefore  they 
shall  have  everlasting  joy.  If  we  consider  what 
has  been  mentioned  1'rora  ver.  3  b  as  the  fruit  of 
the  agency  of  Him  who  speaks,  we  must  say  that 
the  Israelites  shall  be  called  Terebinths  of  right- 
eousness as  a  fruit  of  prophetic  work  [He  who 
produces  trees  of  righteousness  is  more  than  a  pro- 
phet.] But  that  they  can  build  again  their  cities, 
make  the  heathen  to  be  their  servants,  and  live 
in  prosperity  and  honor,  has  been  brought  about 
by  their  King. 

3.  For  I  the  Lord hath  blessed.— Vers. 

8,  9.  These  two  verses  confirm  what  the  Accotn- 
plisher  of  the  divine  will  set  in  prospect  before 
the  people  of  Israel  from  vers.  1-7.  Jehovah. 
Himself  now  speaks  in  order  to  sanction  the  word 
of  His  Anointed.  Was  such  a  sanction  necessary, 
or  does  the  person  of  Him  who  designated  Him- 
self, ver.  l,as  the  Anointed  of  Jehovah,  pass  over 
into  the  person  of  Jehovah  Himself?  I  do  not 
venture  to  decide.  The  latter  would  not  be  im- 
possible. Comp.  the  remarks  on  ix.  5.  Injustice 

and  iniquitous  robbery  (rnij;=rnij£  Hx.  3,  here 
as  Job  v.  16  ;  Ps.  Iviii.  3  ;  Ixiv.  7  with  quiescent 
wav  comp.  Ps.  xcii.  16),  such  as  was  perpetrated  on 
Israel,  challenges  the  justice  of  God.  He  makes 
good,  then,  for  the  past  the  injury  which  Israel 
suffered,  while  he  renders  to  Israel  uprightly  and 
fairly  (fiDJO  comp.  x.  20 ;  xvi.  5 ;  xxxviii.  3 ; 

xlviii.  1)  the  merited  ri7#3,  i.  e.,  labore  parlum, 
reward,  indemnification,  (Comp.  xl.  10;  xlix.4; 
Ixii.  11;  Ixv.  7),  [Translate  not:  I  will  direct 
their  work,  E.  V.,  but  I  will  give  their  re- 
ward in  truth],  and  makes  for  the  future  an 
everlasting  covenant  with  them,  which  shall  guar- 
antee to  them  protection  against  such  evil.  I 
will  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with 
them.  Comp.  Jer.  xxxii.  40,  where  also  the  ex- 
pressions D'rVpCJJ,  ver.  44  (comp.  Isa.  Ixi.  3),  and 
J1OK3  are  reminiscences  from  our  place.  The 
ninth  verse  speaks  of  one  glorious  result  of  that 
everlasting  covenant :  It  unfolds  its  effects  in  such 
fulness  and  intensity,  that  a  character  (character 
indelebilis)  is  imprinted  upon  the  Israelites  which 
distinguishes  them  from  all  nations.  They  will 
bear  the  opposite  of  the  mark  of  Cain,  the  sign  of 
blessing  on  their  forehead ;  'Ul  DH  '3  is  not  causal, 
but  states  the  object  of  01"VD'  (the  subject  of  the 
dependent  sentence  is  attracted  by  the  governing 
verb,  comp.  iii.  10).  "  All  that  see  them  will 
know  them  that  they  are,"  etc.,  is  for  ''  all  that 
see  them  will  know  that  they  are,"  etc.  This 
everlasting  covenant  cannot  possibly  be  any 
other  thaa  the  "new  covenant,"  spoken  of  in 
Jer.  xxxi.  31  sqq.  (comp.  Heb.  viii.  8,  13).  We 
see,  hence,  that  the  Prophet  has  here  in  his  eye  the 
time  following  that  of  the  old  covenant,  the  time 
of  the  new  covenant.  ["The  true  application  of 
this  verse  is  to  the  Israel  of  God  in  its  diffusion 
among  all  the  nations  of  the  earth,  who  shall  be 
constrained  by  what  they  see  of  their  spirit,  char- 
acter, and  conduct,  to  acknowledge  that  they  are 
the  seed  which  the  LORD  hath  blessed.  The  glo- 
rious fulfilment  of  this  promise  in  its  original 
and  proper  sense,  may  be  seen  already  in  the  in- 


CHAP.  LXI.  1-11. 


661 


fluence  exerted  by  the  eloquent  example  of  the 
missionary  on  the  most  ignorant  and  corrupted 
heathen,  without  waiting  for  the  future  restoration 
of  the  Jews  to  the  land  of  their  fathers." — ALEX- 
ANDER.— D.  M.] 

4.  i   will    greatly   rejoice before    all 

the  nations.  Vers.  10  and  11.  The  speaker 
here  is  the  Servant  of  Jehovah ;  for  who  else 
could  be  compared  at  the  same  time  with  the 
priestly  Bridegroom  and  with  the  bride?  He 
expresses  his  holy  joy  in  God,  because  Jehovah 
has  clothed  Him  with  garments  of  salvation,  and 
covered  Him  with  the  robe  of  righteousness  (comp. 
lix.  17).  Garments  of  salvation  are  not  such 
as  signify  salvation  received,  but  such  as  cause 
salvation,  for  the  Servant  of  Jehovah  is  the 
bringer  of  salvation,  not  the  receiver  of  it,  Re- 
deemer, not  redeemed.  [Yet  J^U  is  predicated 
of  Him,  Zech.  ix.  9.— D.  M.]  How  the  garments 
of  the  Redeemer  cause  salvation,  is  shown  by  the 
npTi  which  follows  the  $&f  The  Redeemer 
covers  those  who  are  redeemed  by  Him  with  His 
garment.  Because  His  garment  is  pure  and  holy 
and  unexceptionable  before  God,  all  who  present 
themselves  before  God  in  this  garment  appear 
righteous,  and  so  are  redeemed.  Or  is_it,  per- 
haps, more  correct  and  more  accordant  with  what 
follows  (ver.  11)  to  say  that  the  Lord's  garment, 
as  a  living  power,  germinates  and  multiplies 
itself  [?],  and  that,  therefore,  the  wedding  gar- 
ment spoken  of  in  Matth.  xxii.  11  sqq.,  and  the 
white  robes  of  Rev.  iii.  4,  5;  iv.  4;  vi.  11;  vii. 
9,  13,  are,  as  it  were,  shoots  from  the  living  gar- 
ment of  the  Saviour?  The  VjpD  is  not  the  outer 


son  with  the  bride  with  her  ornaments  on  her  ? 
Why  is  not  the  comparison  rather  witli  a  bridal 
pair? — What  means  this  distinction  of  bride  and 
bridegroom  ?  It  seems  to  me  that  this  question 
can  be  answered  from  only  one  stand- point,  and 
this  one  on  which  the  Prophet  himself  cannot 
yet  have  consciously  stood.  There  hovers  over 
this  whole  chapter  a  sort  of  vail  which  was  not 
raised  till  its  fulfilment.  The  words  of  1  Pit.  i. 
10,  11,  are  fully  applicable  to  our  Prophet  in  re- 
gard to  this  place.  The  fulfilment  makes  known 
to  us  that  the  LORD  comprehends  the  bride  with 
Himself  as  one.  He  is  the  Head,  she  is  the 
body  (Eph.  i.  23).  The  life  of  Christ,  His  Spirit, 
His  salvation,  His  righteousness,  are  in  the  church. 
Therefore  is  He  who  wears  the  garments  of  sal- 
vation and  the  robe  of  righteousness  compared 
both  with  the  priestly  bridegroom  and  the  bride. 


garment,  the  H/DlP,  but  a  tunica  superior,  ''  an 
over  undergarment,  or  under  overgarment"(LEY- 
RER  in  HERZOG,  R.  Enc.  vii.,  p  725),  which  was 
worn  only  by  distinguished  persons,  such  as  kings 
and  princes,  and  by  the  high-priest  (Ex.  xxviii. 
31  sqq.;  Lev.  viii.  7).  Comp.  the  nearer  descrip- 
tion in  JOSEPHUS  Antiqq.  III.  7,  4.  In  the  s?cond 
part   of   the   verse   some    interpreters    (HiTZiG, 
HAHX),  after  the   LXX.  and  Vulg.,  would  take 
jn:>  simply  in  the  sense  of  |.V13  or  j^H.    But 
JH3  nowhere  has  this  meaning ;  and  the  expres- 
sions Vjn  and  "^3  seem  to  indicate  priestly  or- 
nament.   "1X3  is  not  in  itself  the  priestly  cover- 
in"-  of  the  head.     But  in  two  places  it  is  brought 
into  connection  with  the  priestly  head-ornament ; 
Ex.  xxxix.  28,  and  Ezek.  xliv.  18.     JH3  is  not 
=to  act  priestly,  i.  e.,  gloriously,  with  pomp,  in 
the  tropical  sense;  but  it   is  "Sacerdotem  agcre, 
sacerdotio  fungi."     Whatever  its   radical,  etymo- 
logical signification  may  be,  the  word  means  in 
the  Old  Testament  never   anything   but  to  act 
priestly,  to  attend  to  the  priesthood.     "IK3 
in  the  accusative  of  modality,  or  of  nearer  de- 
finition: the  bridegroom  is  priest,  not  in  general, 
but  in  relation  to  his  head-ornament.     For  this 
characterizes  him  as  priest.    The  glorified  Ser- 
vant of  God  here  spoken  of,  is  compared  with  a 
priestly  bridegroom,  because  He  has  purchased 
the  bride  bv  His  priestly  work,  i.  e.,  by  the  sacri- 
fice which  He  offered  for  her  (liii.),  and  because 
He  still  executes  the  office  of  a  priest  for  her  by 
intercession  and  blessing.     But  why  the  compari- 


v23  recalls  xlix.  18,  as  |Hn3  recalls  Ps.  xix.  6. 

T I T  T  V 

Under  the  D^?.,  the  whole  apparatus  of  female 
finery  is  to  be  understood  (comp.  Gen.  xxiv.  53; 
(Deut.  xxii.  5).  Ver.  11  is  and  must  remain  enig- 
matical, if  it  is  not  taken,  as  it  has  been  by  us, 
as  an  explanation  of  the  thought  that  the  gar- 
ments of  righteousness  and  salvation,  which  the 
Servant  of  God  wears,  can,  as  a  living  principle, 
propagate  themselves,  and  so  become  the  orna- 
ment of  the  bride.  Ver.  11  is  therefore  connected 
with  ver.  10  by  '3.  I  accordingly  regard  ver.  11 
as  explaining  why  He  who  compared  Himself  with 
the  priestly  bridegroom,  compares  Himself  also 
with  the  bride.  This  can  be  done  because  the 
righteousness  which  the  bridegroom  as  priest 
has  acquired,  and  consequently  the  glory,  too, 
which  He  has  obtained,  must  appear  in  His 
body,  the  bride,  just  as  the  seed  committed  to  the 
ground  must  appear  in  the  field  or  in  gardens. 
[Alongside  of  this  explanation  I  place  that  of 
DELITZSCH:  "The  word  in  the  mouth  of  the 
Servant  of  Jehovah  is  the  seed,  from  which  a 
grand  thing  unfolds  itself  before  all  the  world. 
The  field  and  soil  CpN)  of  this  development  is 
the  human  race,  the  enclosed  garden  of  the  same 
is  the  church,  and  the  grand  thing  itself  is  •"Ij^.'W, 
as  the  actual  inward  nature  of  His  church,  and 
n^nfl,  glory,  as  its  actual  outward  appearance. 
He  who  makes  the  seed  to  grow  is  Jahve,  but 
the  bearer  of  the  seed  is  the  Servant  of  Jahve, 
and  to  be  permitted  to  scatter  the  seed  of  a  future 
so  full  of  grace  and  glory  is  the  ground  of  His 
nuptial  jubilation."  While  Christ  and  His  bride 
the  church  are  one,  and  while  He  does  for  her 
all  our  author  states,  more  is  evidently  drawn 
from  the  similes  in  ver.  10  than  they  were  in- 
tended to  teach.— D.  M.] 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  Ixi.  1.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon 
me.l_Old  writers  found  in  this  statement  the  three 
persons  of  the  Holy  Trinity. 

2  On  Ixi.  1.  Because  Jehovah  has  anointed 
me  '  It  is  beyond  question  that  the  Saviour 
had  the  triple  office  of  Prophet,  Priest  and 
King.  Nor  can  it  be  questioned  that  in  the 
old  covenant  priests,  kings  and  prophets  were 
anointed,  although  we  must  say  of  the  prophets, 
that  they,  in  accordance  with  the  peculiar  nature 


662 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


of  their  office,  were  not  anointed  by  men,  but 
were  anointed  solely  and  immediately  by  God 
with  the  Holy  Spirit.  There  is,  then,  a  three- 
fold theocratic  office,  and  what  is  common  to 
them  all  is  the  anointing.  As  each  of  the  three 
offices  has  different  duties,  so  different  qualifica- 
tions are  needed  for  each.  A  different  xPla!J-a 
and  therefore  a  different  xaPLalJ-cl  also  is  imparted 
to  the  Prophet,  a  different  one  to  the  priest,  a 
different  one  to  the  king.  This  does  not  prevent 
a  king  from  being  also  prophet,  or  a  prophet 
from  being  also  priest,  or  a  priest  from  being  also 
prophet  in  certain  special  cases.  But  He  who 
has  the  anointing  in  full  measure,  who  has  the 
Spirit  not  merely  «  uerpnv  (John  iii.  34,  comp. 
1  Cor.  xii.  27;  Eph.  iv.  7),  but  the  whole 
Spirit,  He  is  eo  ipso  King,  Priest  and  Prophet, 
He  is  the  n't^O  /car'  egnxfo. 

3.  [On  He   hath   sent  me. — Christ   when    ful- 
filling His  ministry  delighted  to  speak  of  Him- 
self as  the  sent  of  God.     It  is  remarkable  with 
what  frequency  He  so  describes  Himself  in  the 
Gospel  of  John.     In  that  Gospel  He  makes  men- 
tion  of  the  Father's  sending  Him  about  forty 
times.     He  always  acted  under  a  sense  of  His 
responsibility   as  commissioned  by  the   Father. 
We  can    reason    backwards,  and    establish    the 
divine  mission   of   Jesus  Christ  from  His  cor- 
responding  to    the    Servant    of  God    here    de- 
scribed, more  perfectly  than  any  person  who  has 
ever  appeared  in   the  world.     Mark  how  every 
trait  in  the  picture  was  fulfilled  in  Him. — D.  M.]. 

4.  [On    to   proclaim   liberty  to    the   captives. — 
''  Whereas  by  the  guilt  of  sin  we  are  bound  over 
to   the  justice   of  God,  are    His   lawful  captives, 
sold  for  sin  till  payment  be  made  of  that  great  debt, 
Christ  lets  us  know  that  He  has  made  satisfac- 
tion to  divine  justice  for  that  debt,  that  His  satis- 
faction is  accepted,  and  if  we  will  plead  that,  and 
depend  upon  it,  and  make  ourselves  over  and  all 
we  have  to  Him,  in  a  grateful  sense  of  the  kind- 
ness He  has  done  us,  we  may  by  faith  sue  out 
our  pardon,  and  take  the  comfort  of  it ;  there  is, 
and  shall  be,  no  condemnation  to  us.    And  whereas 
by  the  power  of  sin  in  us  we  are  bound  under 
the  power  of  Satan,  sold  under  sin,  Christ  lets  us 
know  that  He  has  conquered  Satan,  has  destroyed 
him  that  had  the  power  of  death,  and  his  work,  and  pro- 
vided  for  us  grace  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  shake 
off  the  yoke  of  sin,  and  to  loose  ourselves  from 
those  bands  of  our  neck.     The  Son  is  ready  by  His 
Spirit  to  make  us  free."  HENRY. — D.  M.]. 

5.  On  Ixi.  2  and  3.     "  The  year  of  Jubilee  in 
the  prophecy   Isa.    Ixi.    1-3,  as  who=e    fulfiller 
Christ  presents  Himself,  Luke  iv.  21,  is  regarded 
as  a  type  of  the  Messianic  time  of  salvation,  in 
which,  after  all  the  conflicts  of  the  kingdom  of 
God  are  victoriously   passed   through,   the   dis- 
cords of  the  world  will  lose  themselves  in  the 
harmony  of   the  divine  life,  and  with  the  <ra/3- 
/3rt7i<r,udc  of  the  people  of  God   (Heb.   iv.  9)  the 
acts  of  history  will  be  concluded."    (EHLEB. 

6.  On  Ixi    2.     On  this  passage  CLEMENT  of 
Alexandria  (Strom.  I.  21)  and  other  cotemporary 
fathers    founded    the    view   that  Christ's  public 
ministry    lasted    only    one    year,    a  view  which 
GERH.  JOH.  Vossirs  took  up  after  wards  on  other 
grounds. 

7.  [On   ver.  2.     The   day  of  vengeance  of  our 


God. — "It  is  a  great  truth  manifest  every- 
where that  God's  coming  forth  at  any  time  to  de- 
liver His  people  is  attended  with  vengeance  on 
His  foes.  So  it  was  in  the  destruction  of  Idumea 
— regarded  as  the  general  representative  of  the 
foes  of  God  (xxxiv.-xxxv.) ;  so  it  was  in  the  de- 
liverance from  Egypt — involving  the  destruction 
of  Pharaoh  and  his  host ;  so  in  the  destruction  of 
Babylon  and  the  deliverance  of  the  captives  there. 
So  in  like  manner  it  was  in  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem ;  and  so  it  will  be  at  the  end  of  the 
world,  (Matth.  xxv.  31-46 ;  2  Thes.  i.  7-10).  The 
coming  of  the  Redeemer  to  save  His  people  in- 
volved heavy  vengeance  en  the  inhabitants  of 
guilty  Jerusalem,  and  His  coming  to  judgment 
in  the  last  day  will  involve  the  divine  vengeance 
on  all  who  have  opposed  and  hated  God." 
BARNES. — D.  M.] 

8.  On  Ixi.  3.  "  Christ  in  coming  to  preach  the 
Gbspel  confers  many  benefits:  He  binds  up,  He 
sets  free,  He  opens,  He  comforts,  He  gladdens, 
He  adorns,  He  anoints,  He  clothes.     In  Him  we 
have  every  thing,  so  that  we  can  say  with  Am- 
brosius :   '  We   have  every  thing  in  Christ,  and 
Christ  is  every  thing  in  us.     Wilt  thou  that  thy 
wounds  be  healed,  He  is  the  physician ;  art  thou 
in  a  burning  fever,  He  is  the  cool  fountain  of 
water ;  art  thou  burdened  with  sins,  He  is  right- 
eousness; dost  thou  need  aid,   He  is  strength; 
dost  thou  fear  death,  He  is  the  life ;  dost  thou  de- 
sire heaven,  He  is  the  way ;  dost  thou  fear  dark- 
ness, He  is  the  light;  dost  thou  crave  nourish- 
ment, He  is  food.     Therefore  taste  and  see  that 
the  LORD  is  good.     Blessed  is  the  man  who  trust- 
eth  in  Him  (Ps.  xxxiv.  9).'"  CRAMER. 

9.  On  Ixi.  4.  ["The  setting  up  of  Christianity 
in  the  world  repaired  the  decays  of  natural  reli- 
gion, and  raised  up  those  desolations  both  of  piety 
and  honesty,  which  had  been  for  many  genera- 
tions the  reproach  of  mankind.     An  unsanctified 
soul  is  like  a  city  that  is  broken  down,  and  has 
no  walfc,  like  a  house  in  ruins;  but  by  the  power 
of  Christ's  gospel  and  grace  it  is  repaired,  it  is 
put  in  order  again,  and  fitted  to  be  an  habitation 
of  God  through  the  Spirit.     And  they  shall  do 
this,  they  that  are  released  out  of  captivity ;  for 
we  are  brought  out  of  the  house  of  bondage,  that 
we  may  serve  God,  both  in  building  tip  ourselves 
to  His  glory,  and  in.  helping  to  build  up  His 
church   on   earth."    HEXRY. — D.    M.]      When 
hereafter  the  city  will  be  on  earth  in  which  there 
will  be  no  more  death,  nor  sorrow,  nor  crying, 
nor  pain,  in  which,  too,  there  will  be  no  temple, 
for  the  Lord  God  Almighty  is  Himself  its  tem- 
ple— then  will  the  earth  itself,  which  is  the  oldest 
ruin,  be  restored  to  what  it  originally  was,  to  be 
the  soil  and  ground  which  bears  the  tabernacle  of 
God  with  men  (Rev.  xxi.  3). 

10.  On  Ixi.  5  and  6.  Weber  is  of  the  opinion 
that  the  Israelites  will  fulfil  the  priestly  office 
only  in  so  far  as  it  related  to  teaching,  and  that 
they    will    receive   for    this   as   fair    compensa- 
tion "  the  bodily  services"  of  the  Gentiles.     But 
that  the  office  of  teachers  is  not  here  in  question 

is  shown  by  the  words  IJ'H/K  THI^O.  Teaching 
is  not  the  essential  function  of  the  priesthood,  but 
sacrificial  and  sacramental  mediation.  [We  have 
not  far  to  look  to  find  the  animal  sacrifices  (see 
Ix.  7).  if  we  find  here  a  prophecy  of  the  literal 


CHAP.  LXI.  1-11. 


663 


conversion  of  Israel  after  the  flesh  into  a  nation 
of  priests.    Ezekiel,  however,  tells  us  (xlv.  15,  16) 
that  not  even  all  the  Levites,  but  only  the  priests 
the  Levites,  the  sons  of  Zadok,  should  perform  the 
proper  functions  of  priests  in  the  house  of  the 
LORD  in  that  city  whose  name  is  Jehovah-Sham- 
mah.     The  New  Testament  and  the  providence 
of  God  have  sufficiently  shown  that  this  prophecy 
was  not  designed  to  confer  on  the  Jews  a  patent 
of  nobility  among  the  nations.     In  the  exposition 
of  vers.  5  and   6  we  have  pointed  out  its  true 
interpretation.     How  the  Jews  understood  this 
passage  may  be  seen  in  EISENMENGER'S  Entdecktes 
Judenthum,Vo\.  II.,  p.  758  sqq.  It  will  not  be  every 
nation  that  will  be  allowed  the  privilege  of  serv- 
ing the  Jews.     Some  will  perish   utterly.     But 
every  Jew  will  have  two  thousand  eight  hundred 
servants.     And  this  number  of  servants  is  deter- 
mined by  Zech.  viii.  23:  "In  those  days  it  shall 
come  to  pass  that  ten  men  shall  take  hold  out  of  all 
languages  of  the  nations,  even  shall  take  hold  of 
the  skirt  of  him  that  is  a  Jew,  saying,  We  will  go 
with  you:  for  we  have  heard  that  God  is  with 
you."      Now   there   are   according  to  the   Jews 
seventy  nations,  and  ten  men  from  each  would 
make  seven  hundred,  but  as  the  garment  of  every 
Jew    will    have   four    wings    (^3,    not  skirts), 
each  of  which  will  be  seized  by  a  Gentile,  it  fol- 
lows that  four  times  seven  hundred  persons,  i.  e., 
two  thousand  eight  hundred,  will  be  the  servants 
of  one  Jew.     How  so  many  could  take  hold  of  the 
garment  of  one  man  is  not  explained.     But  Pe- 
ter, the  Jewish  Christian,  may  be  supposed   to 
have  understood  in  what  sense  we  should  take 
the  prophecies  in  Isaiah  he.,  Ixi.     Yet  he  would 
not  suffer  the  Gentile  Cornelius  to  bow  down  at 
the  soles  of  his  feet,  and  he  thought  that  no  hu- 
man being  should  permit  a  fellow-man  to  do  so. 
Acts  x.  25,  26.     And  those  words  of  his  (Acts  x. 
34,  35),  "God  is  no  respecter  of  persons:  But  in 
every  nation  he  that  feareth  Him,  and^worketh 
righteousness,   is   accepted  with   Him,"    should 
have  prevented  Christian  expositors  of  the  Old 
Testament  from  adopting  the  carnal  interpretation 
of  the  Jews.     Dr.  Charles  Hodge  has  truly  said 
that  in  the  didactic  portions  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment "  there  is  no  intimation  that  any  one  class 
of  Christians,  or  Christians  of  any  one  nation  or 
race,  are  to  be  exalted  over  their  brethren;  neither 
is  there  the  slightest  suggestion  that  the  future 
kingdom  of  Christ  is  to  be  of  earthly  splendor. 
Not  only   are  these    expectations  without   any 
foundation  in  the  teachings  of  the  Apostles,  but 
thev  are  also  inconsistent  with  the  whole  spirit 
of  their  instructions.  ...  It  is  as  much  opposed 
to  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel  that  pre-eminence  11 
Christ's  kingdom  should  be  adjudged  to  any  man 
or  set  of  men  on  the  ground  of  natural  descent, 


as  on  the  ground  of  superior   stature,   physical 
strength,  or  wealth." — D.  M.]. 

11.  On  Ixi.  9.     "  Omnis,  qui  vidcrit  eos,  prima 
fronte  cognoscet,  quia  semen  sil,  cui  benedixerit  Do- 
minus.     Quis  enini  ex  ordine  vitae,  ma.nsuetudine, 
continentia,  hospital  itate,    cunctisque    virtutibus  non 
intelligat  populum  Dei  ?  "  HIERONYMUS. 

12.  On  Ixi.  11.      ["  So  that  the  whole  world  is 
become  Ed-en:  reclaimed  for  ever  out  of  the  hand 
of  the  unrighteous  spoiler.     In  this  year  of  Jubi- 
lee the  earth  is  restored  to  its  proper  heirs,  the 
righteous    seed.     For    all    those  weary  ages    of 
wrong,  compensation  shall  be  made.  The  Priestly 
King  will  re-consecrnte  shame-stricken  men,  and 
they  shall  now  be  '  kings  and  priests  unto  God.' " 
KAY,  D.  M.]. 

HOMILETICAL    HINTS. 

1.  On  Ixi.  1-3.   The  announcement  of  the  coming 
Saviour  by  Himself . — It  tells  1)  the  Person  who 
sends  Him ;  2)  His  equipment  for  His  work ;  3) 
the  design  of  His  mission.     It  is  a)  to  promise 
and  bestow  all  consolation  for  the  godly;  b)  to 
announce  judgment  for  the  wicked. 

2.  [The  Lord  hath  anointed   me. — ''Aaron  was 
anointed  to  be  high-priest  by  Moses  (Exod.  xl. 
13;    Lev.  viii.   12).      The   LORD    Himself   has 
anointed  Messiah  Ps.  xlv.  7.  '  God  thy  God,  hath 
anointed  Thee.'     So  we  know  that  when  Jesus 
was  baptized  (amidst  crowds  who  were  confess- 
ing their  sins,  Matt,  iii.  6,  as  on  a  great  Day  of 
Atonement),  the  heavens  were  'rent'    (Mark  i. 
10),  as  if  the  veil  which  separated  God  and  man 
were  torn   asunder,  and  '  God  anointed  Him  with 
the  Holy  Ghost'  (Acts  x.  38),  declaring  Him  to 
be  "His  beloved    Son,  in  whom  He  was  well 
pleased."     Shortly  afterwards  Jesus  publicly  ap- 
plied this  prophecy  to  Himself  (Luke  iv.  17)_; 
and  then  went  forth  to  proclaim  the  world's  Jubi- 
lee (Luke  iv.  43;  viii.  1)."  KAY,  D.  M.]. 

3.  On   xli.  6,  7.    The  Spiritual   Priesthood  of 
Christians.— I)  Their  office  (ministers  of  God), 
a)    by  spiritual  sacrifices  (Rom.  xii.  1 ;   1  Pet. 
ii.  5;    Heb.   xiii.  16);    b)    by   interceding   and 
blessing;    2)  Their  present  shame  ;    3)  Their  fu- 
ture glorification. 

4.  On    Ixi.   9.     How  are    Christians    known 
among    other    men?      1)    By    their    confession, 
which  does  not  agree  with  that  of  the  world; 
2)  By  their  walk,  which  differs  most  decidedly 
from 'that  of  the  children  of  the  world. 

5  On  Ixi  10  11.  The  mutual  relation  between 
Christ  and  His  Church.— I)  Christ  as  the  prieetly 
bridegroom  puts  His  Church  in  possession  of 
righteousness  and  salvation;  2)  The  church, 
arrayed  in  her  bridal  ornament,  brings  forth 
righteousness  and  praise  to  the  LOBD. 


664 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


2.    A  DISTANT  VIEW  OF  THE  COMPLETION  OF  SALVATION. 

CHAPTER  LXII. 

a)  How  the  Redeemer  is  Himself  the  Finisher  of  this  Salvation. 
CHAPTER  LXII.  1-5. 

1  FOR  Zion's  sake  will  I  not  hold  my  peace, 
And  for  Jerusalem's  sake  I  will  not  rest, 

Until  the  righteousness  thereof  go  forth  as  brightness, 
And  the  salvation  thereof  as  aa  lamp  that  burneth. 

2  And  the  Gentiles  shall  see  thy  righteousness, 
And  all  kings  thy  glory : 

And  thou  shalt  be  called  by  a  new  name, 
Which  the  mouth  of  the  LORD  shall  name. 

3  Thou  shalt  also  be  a  crown  of  glory  in  the  hand  of  the  LORD, 
And  a  royal  diadem  in  the  hand  of  thy  God. 

4  Thou  shalt  no  more  be  termed  Forsaken ; 

Neither  shall  thy  land  any  more  be  termed  Desolate : 

Aut  thou  shalt  be  called  ^ephzi-bah, 

And  thy  land  sBeulah  : 

For  the  LORD  delighteth  in  thee, 

And  thy  land  shall  be  married. 

5  For  as  a  young  man  marrieth  a  virgin, 
So  shall  thy  sons  marry  thee : 

And  *as  the  bridegroom  rejoiceth  over  the  bride, 
So  shall  thy  God  rejoice  over  thee. 


That  is,  My  delight  is  in  her. 
a  burning  torch. 


*  That  is,  Married. 


8  Heb.  with  the  joy  of  the  bridegroom. 


EXEGETICAL  AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  speaker  is  the  same  in  this  as   in  the 
preceding  chapter.     Great  things  had  been  pro- 
mised in    the    previous  discourse.     Will  all  be 
fulfilled  ?     The  Anointed  of  God  declares  most 
decidedly,  appealing  to  His  love  to  Jerusalem  as 
the  surest  guarantee,  that  He  will  not  rest  till  Jeru- 
salem is  exalted   to  the  highest   pitch  of  glory, 
and  as  the  appropriate  expression  of  this  glory,  a 
new  name  is  promised   to  her  (vers.    1   and   2). 
Jerusalem  will  then  be  the  most  beautiful  royal 
ornament  of  the  LORD  her  King  (ver.  3).     The 
times  are  past  when  country  and  city  could  be- 
come desolate.     There  will  be  a  double  relation 
between  Jerusalem  and  Jehovah,  which  cannot 
be  dissolved,  because  it  rests  on  the  deepest  and 
truest  love.     Jehovah  will  have  pleasure  in  Je- 
rusalem as  a  bridegroom  in  his   bride.     There- 
fore Jerusalem  cannot  again  be  separated  from 
Jehovah,  or  from  her  children  (vers.  4  and  5). 

2.  For  Zion's  sake rejoice  over  thee. 

(Vers.  1-5).     We  might  almost  have  thought  that 
the  promise  had  reached  its  maximum  at  the  close 
of  chapter  Ixi.,  and  that  nothing  greater  could  be 
added.     But  this  is  not  the  case.    To  our  surprise 
we  read,  ver.  1,  that  the  Messiah  speaks  of  in- 
creasing effort  which  He  will  put  forth  to  bring 
Jerusalem  to  the  highest  pinnacle  of  glory.     We 
perceive  from  this  that  the  accomplishment  of 


salvation  will  take  place  gradually.  That  in 
chapter  Ixii.  the  speaker  is  not  the  Prophet,  but 
the  Messiah,  I  maintain,  with  STIER  and  DE- 
LITZSCH.  [Here  there  is  a  mistake.  DELITZSCH 
makes  the  speaker  in  this  chapter  to  be  Jehovah. 
I  translate  from  his  Commentary  :  '•  That  Jeho- 
vah here  speaks  (LXX.  TARGUM,  GROTIUS,  Vi- 
TRINGA,  LUZZATTO),  is  shown  by  ver.  6  a,  and 
by  the  use  of  the  word  Hl^n,  which  is  the  ex- 
pression commonly  employed  by  Jehovah  when 
He  lets  the  existing  condition  of  things  continue 
without  interposing  (Ixv.  6;  Ivii.  11  ;  Ixiv.  11; 
xlii.  14)."—  D.  M.]  The  later  interpreters  for 
the  most  part  regard  the  words  as  an  utterance  of 
the  Prophet.  But  how  could  he  hope  to  see  all 
stages  of  this  salvation  accomplished?  And  how 
could  he  appoint  the  watchers  spoken  of  in  ver. 
6?  For  to  regard  these  watchmen  as  pious  wor- 
shippers of  Jehovah  whom  the  Prophet  appointed 
to  call  to  Jehovah  even  as  incessantly  as  he  him- 
self does  (ver.  1),  is  exegetical  caprice.  Inter- 
cessors, who  by  their  supplications  bring  about 
the  restoration  of  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  are  not 
watchers  on  the  walls.  For  watchmen  are  set 
over  something  which  already  exists.  Observe, 


too,  the  I^/'  which  significantly  stands  at  the  be- 


CHAP.  LXII.  6-9. 


665 


ginning  of  the  discourse,  and  is  repeated  in  the 
second  member.  God's  Anointed  rests  not,  out  of 
love  to  Zion.  In  His  love,  therefore,  lies  the  se- 
curity that  Zion  will  have  her  right,  that  the 
promise  given  her  will  be  kept.  Is  a  better 
guarantee  conceivable  ?  He  will  not  rest  till  her 
righteousness  breaks  forth  as  brightness,  namely 
the  full  brightness  of  the  clear  day,  and  her  sal- 
vation as  a  blazing  torch.  The  one  of  these 
images  is  taken  from  the  day,  the  other  from 
the  night.  By  day  there  is  no  clearer  light  than 
that  which  comes  from  the  sun ;  by  night  no  light 
shines  more  brightly  than  a  blazing  torch.  HJJ 
is  here  used  as  1.  10;  Ix.  3,  19.  Righteousness 
and  salvation  correspond  to  one  another,  as  in 
Ixi.  10;  lix.  17;  Ivi.  1;  li.  5,  6,  8,  efc.  When  Is- 
rael's righteousness  and  salvation  have  attained 
their  culmination,  then  they  will  shine  so  brightly 
that  all  nations  and  kings  must  see  them.  1  do 
not  think  that  there  is  any  essential  difference 
between  salvation  and  glory.  Glory  is  onlv 
the  side  of  salvation  which  strikes  the  eyes,  which 
is  outwardly  conspicuous  (comp.  Iviii.  8).  But 
when  Israel  has  become  new  outwardly  and  in- 
wardly, a  new  name  is  also  appropriate  for  him. 
This  new  name  represents,  therefore,  a  new  time, 
the  time  of  which  it  is  said :  "  Behold,  I  make 
all  things  new "  (Rev.  xxi.  5).  But  only  God 
Himself  can  appoint  (3PJ,  to  pierce,  perforare, 
notare,  only  here  in  Isaiah)  this  new  name,  which 
exactly  corresponds  to  the  essential  nature  of  Is- 
rael. We  perceive  from  this  trait  that  the  Pro- 
phet, does  not  think  merely  of  the  restoration  by 
Cyrus  (comp.  Rev.  ii.  17).  How  high  the  reno- 
vated Jerusalem  will  stand  is  seen  from  ver.  3. 
The  crown  is  the  ornament  of  a  prince's  head. 
When  Jerusalem  is  Jehovah's  glorious  crawn,  it 
is  the  first,  highest,  most  precious  jewel  which  He 
possesses  (comp.  xxviii.  1,5;  Rev.  xxi.).  ["It 
has  been  thought  by  some  that  there  is  a  want  of 
congruity  in  representing  the  crown  as  in  the 
hand,  instead  of  its  being  upon  the  head ;  but  it 
must  be  obvious,  that  with  no  propriety  what- 
ever could  the  church  be  spoken  of  as  placed 
on  the  head  of  Jehovah.  The  language  is  de- 
signed to  teach  the  high  estimation  in  which  Je- 
rusalem shall  be  held  by  the  Most  High,  and  her 
perfect  security  under  His  protection."  HENDER- 
SON, who  rightly  substitutes  for  hand,  in  the  se- 
cond member  of  ver.  3,  palm,  or  the  open 


hand  (13).-D.  M.]  The  love  of  Jehovah  effects 
that  Jerusalem  can  never  more  be  called  For. 
saken,  nor  her  land  Desolate ;  that,  on  the 
contrary,  the  city  must  be  called  My-delight-in- 
her,  and  the  land  Married.  Thou  shalt  be 
called,  is  equivalent  to  Thou  shalt  be  [The 
E.  V.  translates  the  two  first  names,  and  gives 
the  original  forms  of  the  two  last.  This  is  a 
manifest  inconsistency.  Azubah  and  Shemamah 
are  the  Hebrew  words  which  are  respectively 
rendered  Forsaken  and  Desolate.  Azubah 
and  Hephzibah  occur  as  actual  names  ;  the  former 
was_  that  of  the  mother  of  Jehoshaphat  [I  Kings 
xxii.  42),  the  latter  was  the  name  of  the  mother 
of  Manasseh  (2  Kings  xxi.  1).  It  is  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  tlis  passage  before  us  was  written 
with  allusion  to  the  marriage  of  Ht-zekiah  with 
Hephzibah,  and  that  the  imagery  and  form  of 
expression  here  employed  were  suggested  by  that 
event.  That  marriage  was  evidently  hailed  with 
joy  as  full  of  promise.  But  Manasseh,  the  son 
of  Hezekiah  by  Hephzibah,  brought  ruin  on  Ju- 
dah.  This  passage,  then,  could  hardly  have  been 
written  after  the  death  of  Hezekiah.  Professor 
PLUMPTRE  pertinently  asks:  "At  what  period 
towards  the  close  of  the  captivity  would  the  mind 
of  a  later  writer  have  turned  to  so  disastrous  a 
marriage,  and  so  ill-omened  a  name  as  that  of 
Hephzibah,  as  suggestive  of  hope  and  gladness?" 
— D.  M.]  The  land  shall  be  called  nSty'A 
i.  e.,  Maritata.  The  holy  land  shall  not  be  a  vir- 
gin chosen  by  no  man,  nor  a  repudiated  wife,  nor 
a  widow,  but  a  wife  living  in  the  conjugal  relation. 
And  to  this  figure  there  shall  correspond  a  double 
reality  (ver.  5).  [Instead  of  thy  sons,  LOWTH 
and  many  others  would  read  thy  builders, 
changing  }"J3  into  }'J3,  and  they  consider  the 
plural  to  be  used  for  the  singular,  Jehovah  being 
the  builder  of  Jerusalem,  who  marries  her.  This 
alteration  has  been  made  to  remove  the  seeming 
incongruity  of  sons  marrying  their  mother.  "  The 
idea  of  the  marriage  of  children  with  their  mo- 
ther is  indeed  incongruous,  but  not  only  is  7j?3, 
a  noble  word,  which  in  itself  expresses  only 
taking  possession  of,  but,  moreover,  church  and 
home  are  blended  together  in  the  prosopoj  oeia.'' 
— DELJTZSCH.  The  particles  of  comparison  aro 
to  be  supplied  (GESEN.  Or.  §  155,2  A).  A  young 
man  by  marrying  "wins  for  himself  an  innlien- 
able  right  to  have  and  to  hold." — KAY. — D.  M.} 


b)  Ho\v  the  Redeemer  aocomplishes  the  Salvation  of  Jerusalem  by  means  of  the 
watchmen  whom  he  has  appointed. 

CHAPTER  LXII.  6-9. 

6  I  have  set  watchmen  upon  thy  walls,  O  Jerusalem, 
Wliich  shall  never  hold  their  peace  May  nor  night : 
*Ye  that  make  mention  of  the  LORD,  keep  not  silence, 

7  And  give  him  no  *rest,  till  lie  establish, 

And  till  he  make  Jerusalem  a  praise  in  the  earth. 

8  The  LORD  hath  sworn  by  his  right  hand,  and  by  the  arm  of  his  strength, 
'Surely  I  will  no  more  give  thy  corn  to  be  meat  for  thine  enemies  ; 


666 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


And  bthe  sons  of  the  stranger  shall  not  drink  thy  "wine, 
For  the  which  thou  hast  laboured  : 
9  But  they  that  have  gathered  it  shall  eat  it, 
And  praise  the  LORD  ; 

And  they  that  have  brought  it  together  shall  drink  it 
In  the  courts  of  my  dholiuess. 

1  Or,  ye  that  are  the  LORD' S  remembrancers.  *  Heb.  silence.  *  Heb.  If  I  give,  etc. 

»  all  the  day  and  all  the  night.  b  strangers.  «  new  wine.  d  sanctuary. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  As  the  Redeemer  had  said  of  Himself  (ver. 
1)   that    He  will    not   rest   till   Jerusalem   has 
reached  even  the  highest  glory,  so  He  declares 
here  that  He  will  also  indirectly,  and   by  means 
of  others,  contribute  to  the  attainment  of  this 
high  end,  namely  by  means  of  watchmen,  who 
shall  do  as  He  Himself:  not  rest  nor  be  quiet  till 
the  end  is  reached.     If  these  watchmen  are  to 
help  to  reach   the  goal,  their  labor  takes  place 
in  the    time  which  precedes  the  attainment  of 
the  end.     And  it  is  naturally  assumed  in  regard 
to   this    time,  that  while  it  lasts  there  are  still 
enemies  who  can   hurt  Jerusalem,  and   against 
whom  one  must  be  constantly  on  his  guard.     On 
the  other  hand,  these  watchmen  are  also  to  be 
remembrancers  for  Jehovah,  appointed  to  remind 
Him  incessantly  that  the  work  is  not  yet  com- 
pleted, that  Jerusalem  is  not  yet  that  which  it  is 
to  be  (vers.  6  and  7).     But  Jehovah  gives  with 
an  oath    the    comforting   assurance,  that   Israel 
shall  never  again  be  the  prey  of  the  enemy,  but 
shall  rejoice  evermore  undisturbed  in  communion 
with  their  God,  and  shall  partake  to  His  praise 
of  the  fruits  of  their  land  (vers.  8  and  9). 

2.  I  have  set courts  of  my  holiness 

— Vers.  6-9.     We  must  here  above  all  hold  fast 
that  the  subject  of  Tnp2n  must  be  the  same  as 
that  of  H^nK  and  Dlp^X,  ver.  1.    It  is  therefore 
the  Anointed    of  the   LORD  who  here   speaks. 
[The  appointment  of  officers  in  the  church  is  in 
the  New  Testament  ascribed  to  both  God  and 
Christ,  1   Cor.  xii.    28;    Eph.  iv.  11.— D.   M.]. 
When  He,  on  the  one  hand,  perceives  the  neces- 
sity of  appointing  watchmen  on  the  walls  of  Jeru- 
salem, and,  on  the  other  hand,  has  the  power  to 
do  this,  He  must  be  the  LORD  of  Jerusalem,  and 
also  in  some  sense  absent  from  it.    And  when  He 
charges  the*e  watchmen  to  cry  to  Jehovah  con- 
tinually, and  to  let  Him   have  no  rest  till   He 
make  Jerusalem  a  praise  in  the  earth,  it  is  clear 
that  He  regards  Jehovah  as  still  standing  above 
Himself.     [But  it  is  the  Prophet  who  here  sud- 
denly breaks  in,  and  addresses  the  "  LORD'S  re- 
membrancers."— D.    M.].      The    Prophet,  then, 
means  to  say  that  the  Jerusalem  restored  accord- 
ing to  chapter  Ixi.   by  the  working  of  the  Mes- 
siah will  be  a  city  well  built,  and  well  provided 
with  walls,  but  will  still   have  enemies  to  fear, 
and  not  yet   be  the  immediate   theatre  of   the 
might  and  glory  of  her  LORD.     For  when  her 
LORD  and  Bridegroom  has  appointed  watchmen, 
who  cry  to  God  incessantly  for  her  (as  e.  g.,  Moses 
Ex.  xvii.  11  sqq.,  and  Samuel  1  Sam.  vii.  8  sqq. ; 
viii.   6;  xy.    11;  xii,    16-23;  Ps.   xcix.  6;  Jer. 
xv.  1 ),  this  intimates  not  only  the  presence  of 
enemies,  but   also  His   own   absence.      He  still 


needs  representatives  who  in  His  name  and 
Spirit,  and  also  in  His  place  exercise  the  office 
of  guardians  and  watchmen  in  two  ways  ;  while 
they,  on  the  one  hand,  warn  against  enemies;  on 
the  other,  pray  to  God  without  ceasing  for  pro- 
tection and  help.  [These  watchmen  strikingly 
contrast  with  those  described  Ivi.  10. — D.  M.]. 
The  Jerusalem  that  after  the  Exile  was  re- 
stored, had  still,  even  after  the  rebuilding  of  its 
walls,  enemies  enough,  against  whom  it  needed 
guardians  and  watchmen  even  as  much  as  inter- 
cessors. The  Zion  of  the  New  Testament  has  also 
enemies  of  every  kind,  but  has  also  guardians  and 
watchmen  (Eph.iv.  11  sqq.),  who  as  Jacob  (Gen. 
xxxii.  24  sqq.)  have  in  their  office  to  wrestle  with 
God  and  men.  For  the  Zion  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment with  all  her  superiority  over  that  of  the  Old, 
has  yet  a  still  higher  ideal  which  she  strives  after: 
the  heavenly  Jerusalem.  [The  rendering  in  the 
text  of  the  E.  V.:  Ye  that  make  mention  of 
the  Lord  can  plead  in  its  favor  prevailing  usage. 
But  the  marginal  rendering,  Ye  that  are  the 
Lord's  remembrancers  is  supported  byxliii.26 
where  Jehovah  speaks  put  me  in  remembrance 
and  byghe  context,  in  which  Zion's  watchmen  are 
commanded  to  importune  Jehovah  till  He  fulfil 
His  promise  by  glorifying  Jerusalem.  The 
"j"IK  D"T3?pn  here  addressed  are  thus  exhibited 
as  those  who  put  Jehovah  in  remembrance. 
D.  M.].  The  prayer  of  these  watchmen  is  an- 
swered. [The  assurance  that  follows  is  intended 
rather  to  inspire  them  with  confidence  in  prayer. 
D.  M.].  Jehovah  has  sworn  (the  distinction  be- 
tween his  right  hand  and  the  arm  of  his 
strength  is  merely  rhetorical)  that  the  still 
threatening  enemies  shall  not  hinder  the  peaceful 
prosperity  of  Jerusalem,  nor  her  communion  with 
her  God.  Here  again  the  Prophet  lays  on  Old 
Testament  colors.  He  represents  the  enemy  as  a 
barbarous  horde  of  Amalekites  or  Midianites,  that 
makes  an  irruption  into- Palestine  when  the  har- 
vest is  ripe,  in  order  to  carry  it  off  (comp.  Judges 
vi.  3;  Deut.  xxviii.  33).  This  shall  not  happen 
any  more.  The  Israelites  shall  in  the  future  enjoy 
the  fruit  of  their  labor  undisturbed,  thanking  God 
alone  for  the  same  and  giving  Him  the  glory 
(Deut.  xiv.  22-26).  ["In  the  courts  of  my 
sanctuary  cannot  mean  that  the  produce  of  the 
harvest  will  be  consumed  only  there  (which  is  in- 
conceivable), but  only  signifies,  with  allusion  to 
the  legal  ordinance  respecting  the  second  tithe 
which  was  to  be  consumed  by  the  landed  proprie- 
tor and  his  family,  with  the  addition  of  the  Levites 
and  the  poor,  in  the  holy  place  '  before  the 
LORD,'  Deut.  xiv.  22-27,  that  the  partaking  of 
the  produce  of  the  harvest  will  be  consecrated  by 


CHAP.  LXII.  10-12. 


667 


religious  feasts.  Thoughts  of  all  Israel  being  then 
a  nation  of  priests,  and  of  all  Jerusalem  being  a 
sanctuary,  are  not  contained  in  this  promise.  It 
declares  only  this,  that  the  enjoyment  of  the 
blessing  of  the  harvest  will  henceforth  be  unim- 
paired, and  will  take  place  with  grateful  acknow- 


ledgment of  the  Giver,  and  so,  because  sanctified 
by  thanksgiving,  it  will  itself  become  a  reli- 
gious service.  This  is  what  Jehovah  has  sworn 
by  His  right  hand,  which  He  lifts  up  only  to 
attest  the  truth,  and  by  His  mighty  arm  which 
irresistibly  executes  what  He  has  promised."  DE- 
LITZSCH.  D.  M.]. 


c)  General  survey  of  what  is  accomplished  by  the  Redeemer. 
CHAPTER  LXII.  10-12. 

10  Go  through,  go  through  the  gates  ; 
Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  people ; 
Cast  up,  cast  up  the  highway  ; 
Gather  out  the  stoues  ; 

Lift  up  a  standard  for  the  people. 

11  Behold,  the  LORD  hath  proclaimed  unto  the  end  of  the  world, 
Say  ye  to  the  daughter  of  Zion,  Behold,  thy  salvation  cometh  ; 
Behold,  his  reward  is  with  him, 

And  his  'work  before  him. 

12  And  they  shall  call  them,  aThe  holy  people,  The  redeemed  of  the  LORD  ; 
And  thou  shalt  be  called,  Sought  out,  A  city  not  forsaken. 

1  recompense. 

»  people  of  the  sanctuary. 

EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  in  these  words  again  briefly 
states  all  that  belongs  to  the  positive  saving  work 
of  the  Redeemer.     He  begins,  therefore,  with  the 
summons  to  prepare  the  way  for  those  returning 
from  the  Exile,  and  on  all  sides  to  give  the  signal 
to  set  out  (vers.  10,  11)  ;  for  with  the  deliverance 
of  Israel  from  the  Babylonian  exile,  the  time  of 
salvation  extending  to  the  appearance  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  begins.      The  last  and   highest  glory 
the  Prophet  at  the  close  briefly  characterizes  by 
ideal  names  (ver.  12). 

2.  Pass  through  -  not  forsaken.  —  Vers. 
10-12.     The  liberation  of  Israel  from  the  Baby- 
lonian  captivity  is  the  beginning  of  redemption. 
Then  the  cry  shall  be  heard  :  Go  through  the 
gates.     These  gates  are  not  those  of  the  cities  of 
Palestine  which  are  to  be  entered,  but  the  gates 
of  the  Babylonian  cities  out  of  which  they  are  to 
move  ;  for  this  summons  stands  at  the  head,  and 
after  it  comes  the  mention  of  the  way  which  is  to 
be  prepared.     The  summons  is,  therefore,  to  be 

understood  as  xlviii.  20  ;  Hi.  11.  133  and  'vD  are 
repeated  from  Ivii.  14.  To  whom  are  these  im- 
peratives addressed  ?  To  all,  both  Jews  and  Gen- 
tiles (comp.  D'G>J?n  7J?  at  the  close  of  ver.  10), 
who  have  to  assist  in  making  the  return 
home  practicable,  easy  and  glorious.  But  we 
must  not  suppose  that  the  summons  must  be  liter- 


a highway  like  that  on  which  Israel  came  out  of 
Egypt.     The  expression  is  employed  for  rhetori- 


ally carried  out.  Who  built  a  highway 
for  the  Israelites  when  they  came  out  of 
Egypt?  Yet  it  is  said  in  xi.  16  that  for  the 
remnant  returning  from  Assyria  there  should  be 


cal  effect.  pXO  l^pD  means  that  where  the  way 
should  be  rough  and  stony,  the  stones  should  be 
removed.  This  is  not  to  be  literally  understood, 
but  to  be  taken  generally  of  the  removal  of  all 
obstacles  (comp.  Ivii.  14  6).  On  the  construction, 
comp.  vii.  8;  xvii.  1;  Hos.  ix.  12.  But  as  the 
exiles  are  not  all  in  one  country,  the  chief  land 
of  the  Exile,  but  are  scattered  in  all  regions  of  the 
world,  the  command  is  at  ths  same  time  issued  to 
give  them  all  the  signal  to  return  home.  [''  Lift 
up  a  standard  above  the  nations."  This  is 
the  most  accurate  rendering,  and  is  given  by  LU- 
THER, ALEXANDER  and  DELITZSCH.  DR.  NAE- 
GELSBACH  takes  7J7  in  a  loose  sense  as  equivalent 
to  7X  or  7,  and  supposes  that  the  signals  are  to  be 
set  up  for  the  nations  that  shall  accompany  Israel. 
iD.  M.].  That  what  is  said  in  ver.  11  does  not  re- 
late merely  to  a  proclamation  published  in  the 
realm  of  Cyrus  (Ezra  i.  1),  is  evident,  because 
this  call  is  to  sound  forth  to  the  end  of  the  earth. 
The  dominion  of  Cyrus  did  not  reach  so  far.  but 
the  Israelites  were  in  exile  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth.  The  message  must  therefore  reach  the 
most  distant  nations,  and  no  Israelite,  even  though 
I  living  alone  among  the  heathen,  shall  be  forgotten 
(comp.  xi.  11  ;  Jer.  iii.  18;  xvi.  14  sqq.).  ["It 
has  been  made  a  question  whether  the  pronoun 
his  (in  his  reward,  etc.),  refers  to  Jehovah  or 
to  the  nearest  antecedent,  Salvation  ;  and  if  to 
the  latter,  whether  that  word  is  to  be  translated 
Saviour,  as  it  is  by  LOWTH  and  in  the  ancient 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


versions.  This  last  is  a  question  of  mere  form, 
and  the  other  is  of  but  little  exegetical  importance, 
since  the  Saviour  or  salvation  meant  is  clearly  rep- 
resented elsewhere  as  identical  with  God  Himself. 
The  last  clause  is  a  repetition  of  xl.  10,  and  if  ever 
the  identity  of  thought,  expression  and  connection 
served  to  indicate  identity  of  subject,  it  is  so  in 
this  case."  ALEXANDER.  This  interpreter  main- 
tains that  ''  the  plain  sense  of  the  words,  the  con- 
text here,  and  the  analogy  of  xl.  10,  are  all  com- 
pletely satisfied  by  the  hypothesis  that  the  Messiah 
(or  Jehovah)  is  here  described  as  coming  to  His 
people,  bringing  with  Him  a  vast  multitude  of 
strangers,  or  new  converts,  the  reward  of  His  own 
labors,  and  at  the  same  time  the  occasion  of  a  vast 
enlargement  to  His  Church."  D.  M.].  Thenames, 
ver.  12,  are  memorials  of  blessing,  for  Israel  will 
certainly  be  that  which  it  is  called  (comp.  on 
xxxii.  5  sqq.).  The  expression  "^pD  D£  occurs 
exactly  no  where  else  in  the  Old  Testament.  But 
compare  Dan.  xii.  7  ;  vii.  27.  The  expression 
nirv  '7KJ  is  found  in  Isaiah  only  here;  further 
in  Ps.  cvii.  2  (comp.  "  Y.'^?  xxxv.  10  ;  li.  11). 
Jerusalem  shall  be  called  Derushah,  the  Sought 
out  (the  city  desired  and  beloved  by  all),  and  the 

antithesis  is  added  in  the  expression  i"l2?#J  «7- 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  Ixii.  1.     "  How  could  the  eternal  Word 
keep   silence?     Christ   is   never   silent;    let  us, 
therefore,  never  be  weary  to  hear  and  to  learn 
His  word."  LEIGH.     [Christ  loved  His  church 
and  gave  Himself  for  it  that  He  might  sanctify 
and  cleanse  it,  and  that  He  might  present  it  to 
Himself  a  glorious  church.     His  Zion  is  very 
dear  to  Him,  and  He  gives  her  the  glory  which 
the  Father  gave  to  Him  (John  xvii.  22).     He 
never  forgets  her,  never  ceases  to  work  for  her 
good,  and  to  intercede  for  her.     What  precious 
consolation  we  find  in  the  declaration  contained 
in  this  first  verse,  when  it  is  regarded  as  coming 
from  the  mouth  of  Christ  Himself!     "  We  may 
sing  upon  certainty  of  success  before-hand,  even  I 
in  our  winter  storm,  in  the  expectation  of  a  sum- 
mer sun  at  the  turn  of  the  year.     No  created 
powers  in  Hell,  or  out  of  Hell,  can   mar   the 
music  of  our  Lord  Jesus,  nor  spoil  our  song  of 
joy.     Let  us  then  be  glad,  and  rejoice  in  the  sal- 
vation of  our  Lord;  for  faith  had  never  yet  cause 
to  have  wet  cheeks,  and  hanging-down  brows,  or 
to  droop  or  die.  ...  If  Christ  were  buried  and 
rotten  among  the  worms,  we  might  have  cause  to 
look  like  dead  folks,  but  '  the  Lord  liveth,  and 
blessed  be  our  Rock.'  "  RUTHERFORD'S  Letters, 
clxxxii. — D.  M.]. 

2.  On  Ixii.  26.    The  new  name  is  the  correlative 
of  the  new  creation.     But  only  God  Himself  will 
appoint  the  new  name.     Only  God  the  omnis- 
cient, the  searcher  of  hearts,  before  whose  eyes  all 
things  are  naked  and  opened,  is  able  to  give  this 
new  name,  for  He  only  knows  perfectly  the  in- 
ward nature  of  the  new  creature.    When  we  read 
(Rev.  ii.  17)  that  no  one  will  know  the  new  name 
but  he  who  receives  it,  this  cannot  mean  that  no 
one  will  be  acquainted  with  this  name,  that  it  will 
be  a  hidden,  secret  name,  as,  e.  g.,   MACROBIUS 
(Saturn.  III.  9)  speaks  of  a  secret  name  of  the 


city  of  Rome  with  which  even  the  most  learned 
were  unacquainted.  For  we  read  (Rev.  xix.  12) 
that  Christ  has  such  a  name  written  which  no 
man  knew,  but  He  Himself.  And  this  name  is 
then  mentioned,  ver.  13.  He  is  called:  the 
Word  of  God.  The  sound  of  the  name  is  known, 
but  its  deep  significance  no  one  understands 
but  He  who  bears  it.  It  follows  that  what  we 
read  in  ver.  4  of  this  chapter  cannot  possibly 
be  the  new  name  referred  to  in  ver.  2.  For 
Hephzibah  and  Baulah  are  like  Azubah  (For- 
saken) and  Shemamah  (Desolate).  The  former 
names  come  in  the  place  of  the  latter.  But 
Azubah  and  Shemamah  were  never  actual  names. 
And  so  Hephzibah  and  Beulah  cannot  be  actual 
names.  ["  That  Dtif  is  not  to  be  understood  of  a 
mere  name,  but  has  special  reference  to  state  and 
character,  is  obvious  from  the  common  idiom  by 
which  anything  is  said  to  be  called  whaf  it  really 
is.  See  chap  i.  26."  HENDERSON.  Who  can 
understand  all  that  is  contained  in  the  name 
Hephzibah  as  applied  by  the  LORD  to  His  church  ? 
There  is  a  mystery  of  grace  and  condescension  in 
this  significant  name  which  we  cannot  fully  com- 
prehend. Only  God  Himself  could  give  such  a 
name  to  His  church. — D.  M.]. 

3.  On  Ixii.  6  sq.     "  No  one  should  venture  to 
serve  as  a  spiritual  watchman  who  has  not  been 
set  by  Christ  Himself  on  the  walls  of  Jerusalem." 
LEIGH.     ["  God  is  so  far  from  being  displeased 
with  our  pressing  importunity,  as  men  commonly 
are,  that  He  invites  and  encourages  it,  He  bids 
us  cry  after  Him.     He  bids  us  make  pressing  ap- 
lications  at  the  throne  of  grace,  and  give  Him  no 
rest,  Luke  xi.  5,  6.     He  suffers  Himself  not  only 
to  be  reasoned  with,  but  to  be  wrestled  with." 
HENRY.— D.  M.]. 

4.  On  Ixii.  7.    [''The  public  welfare  and  pros- 
perity of  God's  Jerusalem  is  that  which  we  should 
be  most  importunate  for  at  the  throne  of  grace; 
we  should  pray  for  the  good  of  the  church,  1) 
That  it  may  be  safe,  that  He  would  establish  it, 
that  the  interests  of  the  church  may  be  firm,  may 
be  settled  for  the  present,  and  secured  to  poste- 
rity.    2)  That  it  may  be  great,  may  be  a  praise 
in  the  earth  ;  that  it  may  be  praised,  and  that 
God  may  be  praised  for  it.     We  must  persevere 
in  our  prayers  for  mercy  to  the  church  till  mercy 
comes ;  we  must  do  as  the  Prophet's  servant  did, 
go  yet  seven  times,  till  the  promising  cloud  ap- 
pear, 1  Kings  xvii.  44.     It  is  a  good  sign  that 
God  is  coming  to  a  people  in  ways  of  mercy, 
when  He  pours  out  a  spirit  of  prayer  upon  them, 
and   stirs   them   up  to   be   fervent  and  constant 
in    their   intercessions."    HENP.Y.       The  Lord's 
Remembrancers    put   God    in    remembrance    of 
His   own    promises.      As   Jacob,   Gen.   xxxii.: 
Thou  saidst.      Comp.    2   Sam.  vii.  25.      This  is 
their   all-prevailing   plea.     Therefore   they  find 
in  their  heart  to  pray.     2  Sam.  vii.  27. — D.  M.] 

5.  On  Ixii.  9.     ["Nothing  is   a   more  certain 
indication  of  liberty  and  prosperity  than  this — 
that  every  man  may  securely  enjoy  the  avails  of 
his  own  labor.     In  nothing  is  a  state  of  liberty 
and  order  more  distinguished  from  tyranny  and 
anarchy   than    this.      Nothing    more    certainly 
marks  the  advance  of  civilization ;  and  nothing 
so  much  tends  to  encourage  industry  and  to  pro- 
mote prosperity.  .    .   .  And  as  the  tendency  of 
true  religion  is  to  repress  wars,  and  to  establish 


CHAP.  LXIII.  1-6. 


669 


order,  and  to  diffuse  just  views  of  the  rights  of 
man,  it  everywhere  promotes  prosperity  by  pro- 
ducing the  security  that  a  man  shall  enjoy  the 
avails  of  His  own  productive  industry.  Wherever 
the  Christian  religion  prevails  in  its  purity,  there 
is  seen  the  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy;  and  the 
extension  of  that  religion  everywhere  would  pro- 
mote universal  industry,  order  and  law." — 
BARNES.— D.  M.] 

6.  On    Ixii.   10.      "Every    Christian   teacher 
should  let  the  imperatives  that  are  found  here 
sound  daily  in  his  ears  and  heart.     For  Christ 
has  spoken  them  to  him  also.     As  often  as  a  fit 
of  slumber  or  laziness  comes  upon  thee  in  the 
discharge  of  thy  office,  bethink  thyself  that  Christ 
is  standing  behind  thee  and  calling  to  thee:  Go 
through,  go  through  !     Prepare  the  way,  prepare 
the  way  !     Lift  up  a  standard  !"  LEIGH. 

7.  On.  Ixii.  11.     "  Adventus  Christi  vulgo  triplex 
statuitur  :    humiliation!  s,   sandificationis,   glorifica- 
tionis.'"  FOERSTER.     Christ  first  came  from  above 
down  to  earth  visible  to  all  in  the  form  of  a  ser- 
vant.     Secondly.    He   comes   continually   from 
above  invisibly",  by  His  Spirit  in  the  word  and 
sacrament  that  He  may  sanctify  us.     Thirdly, 
He  will  come  again  from  above  visible  to  all, 
not  in  the  form  of  a  servant,  but  in  glory  (Matt. 
xxv.).     This  three-fold  coming  of  the  Lord  must 
be  continually  held  before  the  church  that  the 
Bride  may  be  ready  when  the  Bridegroom  comes. 

8.  On  Ixii.  12.      ["None  are  to  be  called  the 
redeemed  of  the  Lord    but    those   that  are  _the 
holy  people;   the  people  of  God's  purchase  is  a 
holy  nation.      And  they  shall  be  called  sought 
out;   God  shall  seek  them   out,  and  find  them 
wherever  they  are  dispersed,  eclipsed  or  lost  in  a 


crowd ;  men  shall  seek  them  out  that  they  may 
join  themselves  to  them,  and  not  forsake  them. 
It  is  good  to  associate  with  the  holy  people,  that 
we  may  learn  their  ways,  and  with  the  redeemed 
of  the  Lord,  that  we  may  share  in  the  blessings 
of  the  redemption."  HENRY. — D.  M.] 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  On  Ixii.  1-5.    We  have  here  an  appropriate 
text   for   a   sermon    on    the   future   prospects  of 
the  church.      Mark    1)  The  foundation  of  the 
church's    hope,      2)    The  object  of   that    hope. 
The  foundation    is    the    love  which   the    Lord 
bears   to   His   church    (ver.  1:    For  Zion's  sake, 
vers.  4  6  and  5).      The  object  of  hope  is  a.  Re- 
demption from  long-prevailing  evils  (ver.  4  a)  ; 
6.  A  new  life  (ver.  1  b,  ver.  2  «,  ver.  3) ;  c.  A 
new  name  (ver.  26). 

2.  On   Ixii.   6,   7.      The    duty    and    aim    of 
Christian    ministers.     1)  Their  duty:  a.  toward 
men ;   not   to   be   silent    with   exhortations    and 
warnings;  b.  toward  God;  not  to  be  silent  with 
intercessions  (vers.  6  b  and  7  a).     2)  Their  aim: 
that  the  church  of  the  Lord  be  built  up  and  per- 
fected (ver.  76). 

3.  On  Ixii.  9.     [This  verse  may  properly  be 
employed  to  form  the  basis  of  a  discourse  against 
the   doctrine    of   the    Communists,   who   would 
deprive  others  of  the  fruit  of  their  industry. — 
D.  M.] 

4.  On  Ixii.   10-12.      "Three  things  are  here 
contained:  1)  An  invitation  to  all  to  meet  the 
Messiah  who  is  about  to  appear ;  2)  The  procla- 
mation of  His  advent;  3)  The  fit  designation  of 
those  who  receive  the  Lord  with  joy."  CARPZOV. 


B.  The  negative  side  of  the  revelation  of  Salvation. 

CHAPTER  LXIII.  1-6. 

1  WHO  is  this  that  cometh  from  Edom, 
With  dyed  garments  from  Bozrah  ? 
This  that  is  glorious  in  his  apparel, 
"Travelling  in  the  greatness  of  his  strength  ? 
I  that  speak  in  righteousness, 

Mighty  to  save. 

2  Wherefore  nrt  thou  red  in  thine  apparel,  ( 
And  thy  garments  like  him  that  treadeth  in  the  wine  fat? 

3  I  have  trodden  the  winepress  alone : 

And  of  the  people  there  was  none  with  me : 

For  I  will  tread  them  in  mine  anger, 

And  trample  them  in  my  fury ; 

And  their  "blood  shall  be  sprinkled  upon  my  garments, 

And  I  will  stain  all  my  raiment. 

4  For  the  day  of  vengeance  is  in  mine  heart, 
And  the  year  of  my  redeemed  is  come. 

5  And  I  looked,  and  there  was  none  to  help ; 
And  I  wondered  that  there  was  none  to  uphold : 
Therefore  mine  own  arm  brought  salvation  unto  i 
And  my  fury,  it  upheld  me. 


The  judgment  on  the  heathen. 


670 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


6  And  I  will  tread  down  the  people  in  mine  anger, 
And  make  them  drunk  in  my  fury, 
And  I  will  bring  down  their  "strength  to  the  earth. 


Heb.  decked, 
marching  proudly. 


b  juice. 
TEXTUAL   AND    GRAMMATICAL. 


vitaljuice. 


Ver.  2.  [The  Masoretie  note  marks  as  abnormal  the 
Pattach  in  j"U  though  the  word  is  in  Pause.  But  Pattach 
when  pausal  is  commonly  not  lengthened  in  monosyl- 
labic words.  See  DELITZSCH  in  loc.  —  D.  M.]. 

Ver.  3.  J'l  apocopated  future  Kal  from  HTJ.  to  sprin- 


kle. 


X  is,  beside  the  Niphal 


,  the  only  form 


of  the  verb  7XJ,  impurum  esse,  which  occurs  in  Isaiah' 

-  T 

It  is  a  Hiphil  form  imitating  the  Aramaic,  and  lias  pos- 
sibly been  chosen  in  order  to  give  to  the  thing  a  corres- 
ponding expression  in  bad  Hebrew,  in  a  word  taken 
from  the  common  language  current  in  conversation. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Chapters   Ix.-lxiii.   are    most   closely  con- 
nected.  In  Ix.-lxii.  there  was  described  the  posi- 
tive work  of  God's  Anointed  which  brings  bless- 
ing and  salvation  to  Israel.    Chapter  Ixiii.  shows 
how  He  will  accomplish  the  negative  side  of  His 
mission  by  punishing   the  heathen.     With  dra- 
matic effect  the  Prophet  pictures  a  person  of  com- 
manding appearance  approaching  from  Edom  in 
magnificent  but  blood-stained  raiment.     To  the 
question  who  He  is,  the  person  asked  replies  that 
He  is  He  to  whom  it  belongs  to  hold  judgment, 
and  to   bring  salvation   (ver.   1).      And   to  the 
further    question  why  His    garment   is  so  red, 
(ver.  2),  He  answers  that  He  has  trodden  the 
wine-press  alone,  with  no  man  of  the  nations  with 
Him,  (which  He  will  requite  by  the  execution 
of  the  same  judgment  on  them),  and  thus  He  has 
soiled  His  garment   (ver.   3).     The  hero  comes 
therefore    from   executing  judgment   on   Edom, 
and  He  sets  forth  in  prospect  a  second  judgment 
embracing  all  nations.      This  second  judgment, 
which   was    only  parenthetically  mentioned    in 
ver.  3,  is  treated  of  more  fully  in  vers.  4-6.  First, 
it  is  marked  in  ver.  4  as  a  long-purposed  day  of 
vengeance,  with  which  at  the  same  time  a  year 
of  salvation  will  begin.     Then  it  is  again  promi- 
nently stated,  that  the  hero  sees  Himself  isolated, 
but    trusts    notwithstanding    in  the  strength  of 
His  own  arm.  and  of   His  fury  (ver.  5),  and  is 
confident  that  He  will  tread  down  the  nations, 
and  shed  their  vitaljuice  (ver.  6). 

2.  Who  is   this   that to  the  earth. — 

Vers.    1-6.       The    Fathers     (  JUSTIN    MARTYR, 
TERTULLIAN,  ORTGEN,  AMBROSE,  AUGUSTINE,  j 
etc.),  apply  this   passage  directly  to    the    suffer-  I 
ings  and  ascension  of  Christ.     ORIGEN,  in  par-  l 
ticular,  and  after  Him  JEROME  and  THEODORET 
put  the  question  :  Who  is  this  that  cometh, 
etc.,  into  the  mouth  of  the  angels  who  guard  the 
gates  of  heaven.     Thereupon  the  foremost  of  the 
procession  accompanying    the   LORD  answer  in 
the  words  of  Ps.  xxiv.     "  Lift  up  your  heads,  O 
ye  gates  ;  and  be  ye  lift  up,  ye  everlasting  doors; 
and  the  King  of  glorv  shall  come  in."  ATHANA- 
Sius  makes  the  question  proceed  from  the  mouth 
of  fallen  angels.     Under  Edom  the  Fathers  un- 
derstand the  (red)  earth.     Another  group  of  in- 
terpreters, with   LUTHER  at  their  head,  under- 
stand under  Edom  the  Synagogue  of  the  Jews, 
under  Bozrah  "  urbem  mnniiam  privilegHs  divinis, 
t.  e.,  Jerusalem.     The  blood  is  the  blood  of  the 


Jews.  The  hero  comes  from  inflicting  judgment 
on  Jerusalem.  CALVIN  disputes  any  reference 
to  Christ.  He  finds  in  the  passage  simply  the 
announcement  of  a  judgment  on  the  Edomites 
which  is  still  future.  This  view  is  more  de- 
finitely set  forth  by  GROTIUS  and  others,  as  they 
see  here  a  prophecy  of  that  devastation  of  Edom 
which  was  effected  by  Judas  Maccabaeus  (Mac- 
cab,  v.  3  sqq.  65 ;  2  Maccab.  x.  15  sqq.  Jos.  An- 
tiqq.  xii.  11,  12).  EICHHORN  and  KOPPE  regard 
Nebuchadnezzar  as  the  accomplisher  of  this 
threatening.  COCCEIUS,  and  many  others  after 
him  put  a  spiritual  sense  on  the  passage,  and  un- 
derstand under  ''the  trampling  down"  the  "cru- 
cifixionem  veteris  hominis  el  abolitionem  omnis  im- 
pietatis  per  crucifixionem  Christi."  VITRINGA, 
who  here  follows  in  general  the  rabbinical  inter- 
pretation, understands  under  Eozrah  Rome,  and 
under  Edom  the  countries  subdued  by  the  Romans. 
The  '' conculcare"  he  refers  here  as  in  chapter 
xxxiv.  to  the  liberation  of  the  Christians  from 
the  power  of  Rome.  But  he  does  not,  as  many 
others,  think  of  the  elevation  of  Christianity  to 
be  the  religion  of  the  State  by  CONSTANTINE, 
nor  of  the  general  judgment  (Rev.  xx.  11  sqq.), 
but  of  the  extermination  of  Antichrist  by  the 
warrior  who  rides  on  the  white  horse,  Rev.  xix. 
11  sqq.  Among  modern  interpreters  GESENIUS, 
HITZIG,  UMBREIT,  BECK,  SEINECKE,  see  in  this 
prophecy  a  threatening  against  Edom  expressed 
in  the  form  of  a  vision  representing  an  act  of 
vengeance  as  completed ;  while  KNOBEL,  accord- 
ing to  his  peculiar  way  of  judging,  thinks  that  he 
can  discern  here  the  battle  of  Sardis  (Herod,  i.  80; 
Cyrop.  vii.  1)  depicted  in  prophetic  colors. 
STIER  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  one  who  is  seen 
as  coming  is  Christ,  coming  from  the  fulfilment 
of  what  is  related  Rev.  xiv.  20 ;  xix.  18,  21. 
DELITZSCH  finds  the  historical  fulfilment  of  our 
prophecy  in  what  befel  the  Edomites  at  the  hands 
of  the  Maccabean  princes  and  of  Simon  of  Ger- 
asa  (Jos.BeU.  jnd.  iv.  9,  7),  while  its  final  ful- 
filment 19  the  destruction  of  Antichrist  and  his 
hosts  (Rev.  xix.  11  sqq.).  [The  destruction  of 
Antichrist  is  regarded  by  DELTTZPCH  simply  as 
the  New  Testament  counterpart  to  llmpi^ce. — D. 
M.].  The  Catholic  interpreters  ROHLTNG  and 
NETELER  do  not  exclude  the  historical  fulfilment 
(through  Simon  of  Gerasa;  so  ROHLING),  but  yet 
regard  as  the  fulfiller  of  our  prophecy  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah,  who,  according  to  chapter  liii.  should 


CHAP.  LXIII.  1-6. 


671 


give  Hia  life    as   an   offering   for  sin,  and  who 
is,  on    the   other   hand,  the   destroyer  of  Anti- 
christ, and  is  thus  sprinkled  both  with  His  own 
blood  and  that  of  others      [DR.  NAEGELSBACH 
regards  the  victory  of  Amaziah,  king  of  Judah, 
over  the  Edomites  (2  Chron.  xxv.  5-12)  as  fur- 
nishing the   historical  foundation  for   this  pro- 
phecy.    Amaziah  returning  from  the  slaughter 
of   the   Edomites   is   the  type  of   the   Anointed 
of  the    LORD  who    here    appears  as  redeeming 
Israel    by  executing   judgment   on    Israel's  ene- 
mies.    But    this   is    an   opinion  which   is  quite 
peculiar  to  our  Author,  and  which    no  one  be- 
fore him  has  ventured  to  express.     It  is  strange 
that   any  one   should   think   of  finding   in   this 
glorious    Conqueror,  who   comes    travelling    in 
the   greatness   of  His   strength,    who   speaks  in 
righteousness  and  is  mighty  to  save,  the  antitype 
of  that  Amaziah  who  set  up  for  worship  the  gods 
of  the  vanquished  Edomites,  and  was  afterwards 
completely  overcome  by  Joash,  king  of  Israel. 
Edorn  is  a  representative   people.     It  is  not  an 
emblematic  name  of  the  great  world-power,  in  its 
violence  and  tyranny,  for  which  Babylon  is  made 
to  stand.     But"  Edom,  the  inveterate  enemy  of  Is- 
rael, and  occupying  a  bad  pre-eminence  in  hatred 
against  Israel,  is  the  representative  of  the  world 
that   hates  the   people  of  God.     So  DELITZSCH, 
who  remarks  the  emblematizing  tendency  which 
Isaiah  here,  as  in  chaps,  xxi.-xxii.  14,  manifests. 
The  name  Edom  is  made  an  emblem  of  its  future 
doom.     The  apparel  of  Jehovah,  the  avenger,  is 
seen  to  be  O^tf ,  red,  with  the  blood  of  Edom.   The 
name  Bozrah^  too,  readily  suggests  "I3f3,  to  gather 
the  vintage  of  grapes.     The  image  of  treading 
grapes  is  here  used  to  picture  the  Lord's  crushing 
of  the  inhabitants  of  Bozrah,  who  are  as  the  vin- 
tage in  the  wine-press.     We  cannot    study  the 
picture     without     recognizing     the    emblematic 
significance  of    the  names  Edom    and    Bozrah. 
The  question  arises :  Are  we,  in  the  interpreta- 
tion of  this  prophecy,  to  think  of  Judas  Macca- 
beus, Hyrcanus,  and  Simon  of  Gerasa,  or  even  of 
the  proper  Edomites?     The  answer  depends  on 
the  way  in  which  we  must  answer  another  ques- 
tion.    Did  Judas,  or  either  of  the  other  Jewish 
chiefs  mentioned,  return  in   triumph    from  the 
Idumean  city  Bozrah  specified  by  Isaiah  !    O 
this   there  is   no  evidence.     LoWTH  has  called 
attention  to  a  very  important  point  which   in  his 
view,  excludes  from  this  prophecy  Judas  Macca- 
beus, and  even  the  Idumeans  properly  so  calla 
"The  Idumea  of  the  Prophet's  time  was  quite  a 
different   country  from    that   which   Judas   con- 
quered.    For  during  the  Babylonish  captmtv  the 
Nabatheans  had  driven  the  Edomites  out  of  their 
countrv,  who   upon  that  took   possession  of  th, 
southern  parts  of  Judea,  and  settled  themselves 
there;  that  is,  in  the  country  of  the  whole  tribe 
of  Simeon,  and  in  half  of  that  of  '"JJ-JjJ 
the  metropolis  of  the  Edomites,  and  of  the  country 
which  Judas  took,  was  Hebron   1  Mac.  v.  63  not 
Botsra"  (Bozrah).     This  consideration  i s  fatal  to 
all  attempts  of  the  Hterali zing  school  to  interpret 
this   prophecy.-D.  M.],   ^X^onheT^S 
is  this  ?  is  purely  rhetorical.     ™^™iX 
knows  who  He  is  whom  he  sees.     T he  q uegon 
is  put  to  awaken  and  direct  our  attention  * 
who  is  seen  coming  by  the  Prophet    (Comp.  IX. 


3;  Cant.  iii.  6).  Many  are  inclined  to  nndcr- 
tand  D'1J3  "pOH  not  of  the  color  of  blood,  but 
of  the  red  (purple)  color  of  the  garments,  as  kings 
and  warriors  frequently  wore  red  garments  (cornp. 
SXOBEL  on  this  place;  Judges  viii.  26;  JUSTIN 
xx.  3),  and,  as  they  say,  the  soiling  with  blood 
would  be  incompatible  with  "inn.  But  it  is 
just  the  being  sprinkled  with  blood  which  is 
;he  most  prominent  and  important  mark  in 
;he  appearance  of  the  hero;  and  while  this 
doubtless  stains  His  garments  it  is  glorious  to 
Himself.  Bozrah  (comp.  xxxiv.  6  ;  Amos  i.  12) 
was  after  Petra  one  of  the  most  important  cities  of 
Edom  (comp.  Jer.  xlix.  13,  22).  It  lay  north  of 
Petra.  Beside  this  Edomite  Bozrah,  there  was  a 
city  of  this  name  in  Moabitis  (Jer.  xlviii.  24), 
and  another  in  Auranitis,  which  latter  is  not 
mentioned  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  (see  Comment, 
on  Jer.  xlviii.  24).  The  Prophet  has  of  the 
Edomite  cities  made  mention  of  Bozrah,  because 
mX3  (although  the  name  of  the  city  probably 
denotes  Septum,  munimenlum)  on  account  of  the 
signification  vindemiavit  belonging  to  the  verb 
from  which  it  is  derived,  admirably  suits  the 
comparison  with  a  treader  of  the  wine-press. 
mi'30  as  DitND  depends  on  N3.  Observe  the 

T   :  T  •  v:  "  r 

gradation.       In    the  first   member   the   Prophet 
mentions  simply  the  coming  from  Edom,  then  he 
specifies  the  red  garments  in  the  second  member, 
and  then  in  the    third,  which  begins  with  a  repe- 
tition of  HI,  he    ppeaks  of  the  glorious   apparel 
i  and  the  proud  bearing.      ["  "inn  properly  means 
1  swollen,  inflated,  but  is  here  metaphorically  used 
in  the  sense  of  adorned,  or,  as  VITRINGA  thinks, 
terrible,  inspiring  awe."  ALEXANDER. — D.  M.]. 
I  take  Hj?k   in  the  sense  of  resupinus.     The  root 
occurs  five  times   in  the  Old  Testament,  and  has 
the  signification   of  bending,  inclining.     It  here 
characterizes  one   who  protrudes  the  breast,  and 
proudly   throws   back    the   head.       [DELITZSCH 
agrees  with  VITRIXGA  in   understanding  H^'V  to 
meanse  hue  illuc  motitans.—DM.].  Tothequestion 
'1J1   nr   ''D   the  Person  seen  Himself  answers.   His 
answer  is  first  of  a  general  character.    He  does 
not  mention  at  first  the  act  of  judgment  which 
He  has  just   executed  on  Edom,  but,  as  if  He 
would  remove  the  impression  that  He  is  a  worldly 
prince  given  to  deeds  of  violence,  who,  as  a  beast 
of  prey,  unjustly  makes  an  incursion  for  plunder 
and  slaughter,  He  declares  His  nature  in  general 
to  be  that  of  One  who  works  righteousness  and 
salvation.     He  says  13.1P  not  W|H.     By  this 
participle  He  designates  as  His  permanent  pro- 
perty the  speaking,    i.  e.,  acting,   transacting  in 
righteousness.     The  context  requires  us  to  under- 
stand ~\31  not  of  the  mere  speaking  or  teaching 
with  words  which  should  have  righteousness  for 
their  subject,  or  should  be  spoken  in  righteous- 
ness.    But  npn^3   "137  relates  here  to  a  judicial 
speaking  or   transacting.       [Better   DELITZSCH, 
who  compares  xlii.  6  ;  xlv.  13 :  "  He  speaks  in 
righteousness,  while  He  in  the  zeal  of  His  holi- 
ness threatens  judgment  to  oppressors,  and  pro- 
mises salvation  to  the  oppressed,  and  also  carries 
out  by  His  power  what  He  threatens  and  pro- 
mises."    Comp.  further  xlv.  23 ;  lix.   16,  which 
places  show  that  the  speaker  is  no  one  less  than 


672 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Jehovah.  HENDERSON  justly  remarks  that  the 
name  The  WORD  given  to  the  Warrior,  Rev.  xix. 
13,  exactly  corresponds  to  "'SID,  by  which  Re 
here  characterizes  Himself.  The  description, 
too,  Rev.  xix.  13,  "  He  was  clothed  with  a  vesture 
dipped  in  blood"  is  manifestly  drawn  from  this 
place  in  Isaiah.  The  LOGOS  is  faithful  and  true 
(Rev.  xix.  11).  He  is  One  who  speaks  in  right- 
eousness. It  is  unwarranted  to  say  with  Dr. 
NAEOELSBACH  that  I  that  speak  in  right- 
eousness marks  the  hero's  relation  to  Plis  ene- 
mies as  a  strict  judge  ;  and  that  the  words 
mighty  to  save  tell  what  He  is  for  Israel. — 
D.  M.].  3"i  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  3~i 
propugnator,  xix.  20.  After  the  hero  has  answered 
the  question  who  is  this  ?  more  in  the  sense  of 
quaiis?  than  of  quisf  the  Prophet  further  in- 
quires: Why  is  it  red  in  thine  apparel? 

The  7  intimates  that  the  redness  is  not  some- 
thing inherent  in  the  raiment,  but  something 
that  has  come  to  it  from  without.  This  is  more 
clearly  expressed  by  the  second  part  of  ver.  2. 
The  spots  that  have  arisen  through  spurting  re- 
call to  mind  the  dress  of  one  who  treads  in  the 
wine-press  ("pi  with  3  as  lix.  8).  It  is  not  yet 
intimated  that  these  are  spots  of  blood.  The  pith 
of  the  matter  is  ingeniously  and  gradually  reached. 
[''  It  is  a  slight  but  effective  stroke  in  this  fine 
picture,  that  the  first  verse  seems  to  speak  of  the 
stranger  as  still  at  a  distance,  whereas  in  the 
second  He  has  come  so  near  as  to  be  addressed 
directjy."  ALEXANDER. — D.  M.].  The  hero  ac- 
cepts the  comparison  drawn  from  treading  in  the 
wine-press.  It  is  true,  says  He,  I  have  in  a  cer- 
tain sense  trodden  in  the  wine-vat,  and  that  alone, 
by  Myself.  rni3  (from  "N3  =  "H3,  fregit,  only 
here  and  Hag.  ii.  16)  is  synonymous  with  fU, 
but  is  to  be  distinguished  from  3p\  (comp.  on  v.  2; 
xvi.  10),  for  fU  or  i"ni3  is  the  upper  vat,  out  of 
which  the  juice  flows  off  into  the  lower  trough  or 
3p\  from  which  it  is  drawn  (comp.  LEYRER  in 
HE'RZ.  R.-Enc.  VII.  p. 509).  The  hero,  therefore, 
compares  the  bloody  judgment  which  He  has 
executed  on  Edom  with  treading  in  the  wine- 
press. He  falls  back  on  an  older  prophetic  utter- 
ance, Joel  iv.  13 ;  while  John  had  both  these  pas- 
sages before  him  ;  in  Rev-  xiv.  14-20  chiefly  the 
words  of  Joel ;  but  in  Rev.  xix.  13-15  chiefly 
this  passage  of  Isaiah.  The  hero  whom  the  Pro- 
phet beholds,  states  emphatically  that  He  trod 
the  wine-press  alone,  as  of  the  nations  there  was 
not  a  man  with  Him.  The  statement  indicates 
the  universal  antichristian  spirit  of  the  nations. 
["  When  He  adds  '  that  of  the  nations  there  was 
no  one  with  Him,'  it  follows  that  the  wine-vat 
was  so  great  that  He  could  have  nsed  the  co- 
operation of  whole  nations.  And  when  He  con- 
tinues: And  I  trod  them  in  mine  anger,  etc, , 
the  riddle  in  this  declaration  is  explained.  To 
the  people  themselves  the  knife  has  been  applied. 
They  were  cut  off  as  grape-clusters  and  cast  into 
the  wine-vat."— DELITZSCH.  The  reader  can 
judge  whether  the  lofty  terms  of  this  prediction 
are  satisfied  by  the  exposition  of  HENDERSON, 
which  I  subjoin:  "When  the  victor  declares  that 
none  [no  man]  of  the  peoples  or  nations  rendered 
Jlim  any  assistance  in  the  attack  on  Edom  he 


refers  to  the  fact,  that  vengeance  had  not  been 
taken  upon  that  nation,  as  it  had  been  upon  Tyre, 
Moab,  Egypt,  etc.,  through  foreign  intervention. 
Identifying  the  Jews  under  the  Maccabees  and 
Hyrcanus  with  Himself,  by  whom  they  were  em- 
ployed as  native  instruments,  He  vindicates  the 
glory  of  the  deed  from  all  aid  obtained  from  an 
extraneous  source."  But  it  would  be  difficult  to 
suppose  Jehovah  identifying  Himself  with  Simon 
of  Gerasa  and  his  lawless  followers  who  inflicted 
the  sorest  judgment  on  the  Edomites.  Besides, 
D'S>1,  peoples  in  general  (see  ver.  6),  and  not 
the  Edomites  only  are  the  objects  of  God's  crush- 
ing judgment.  We  append  here  DELITZSCH'S 
remarks  on  vers.  5,  6 :  "  The  meaning  is  that  no 
one,  in  conscious  willingness  to  assist  the  God  of 
judgment  and  salvation  in  His  purpose,  associated 
himself  with  Him.  The  church  devoted  to  Him 
was  the  object  of  redemption ;  the  mass  of  those 
alienated  from  God  was  the  object  of  judgment. 
He  saw  Himself  alone ;  neither  human  co-opera- 
tion, nor  the  natural  course  of  things  aided  the 
execution  of  His  design ;  therefore  He  renounced 
human  assistance,  and  interrupted  the  natural 
course  of  things  by  a  wonderful  deed  of  His  own." 
— DEHTZSCH.  D.  M.].  The  words  DJTIKi  to 

*T13~vJ>  are  to  be  taken  as  a  parenthesis.  The 
guilt  of  the  nations,  of  whom  no  one  was  with 
Him,  presses  so  forcibly  on  the  mind  of  the 
speaker  that  He,  immediately  interrupting  His 
speech,  sees  Himself  compelled  to  declare  their 
punishment  also.  Because  they,  when  He  trod 
the  wine-press  in  Edom,  were  not  to  be  found  on 
His  side,  He  will  tread  and  trample  them  to 
pieces,  so  that  their  juice  squirts  upon  His  clothes. 
[But  the  assumption  of  this  parenthesis  is  very 
unnatural.  Many  interpreters,  as  HENDERSON 
and  DELITZSCH,  translate  And  I  trod  them  in 
my  anger  and  trampled  them  in  my  fury, 
etc.  On  the  whole  this  is  the  easiest  construction 
which  regards  the  future  tense  as  used  for  the 
past  in  this  animated  discourse.  Comp.  1^3X1,  etc., 
in  ver.  5.  D.  M.].  nv:,  from  m'J  =  HTJ,  fudit, 
therefore  effusum,  humor,  succus,  only  here  and 
ver.  6 :  the  word  is  chosen,  because  not  merely 
the  blood,  but  also  other  fluids,  especially  the 
matter  of  the  brain,  are  to  be  denoted.  Ver.  4. 
[If  we  render  ver.  3  in  the  past  tense,  then  we 
must  consistently  employ  the  past  tense  in  ver.  4. 
For  a  day  of  vengeance  (was)  in  my  heart, 
etc.~\  We  have  in  ver.  4  a  repetition  of  words  in 
Ixi.  2  a  [comp.  also  xxxiv.  8].  But  the  clauses 
are  transposed,  and  instead  of  p3H  we  have  the 

word  that  does  not  elsewhere  occur,  D*7?K5.  [Dr. 
NAEGELSB.  takes  manifestly  ''v'Xl  as  many  other 
interpreters  do,  in  the  sense  of  my  redemptions, 
making  an  abstract  noun  of  the  plural  of  the  pas- 
sive participle.  But  the  obvious  and  natural  ren- 
dering is  that  of  the  E.V.,  my  redeemed.  There 
is  a  year  appointed  for  the  redeemed  of  Jehovah, 
comp.  Ixii.  12.  D.  M-]  Vers.  5,  6.  It  will  hap- 
pen again  as  it  did  in  the  day  of  Edom.  The 
LORD  will  see  none  of  the  peoples  of  the  world 
on  His  side.  He  expresses  this  thought  twice  in 
parallel  members,  and  the  second  time  empha- 
sizes it  by  saving  that  He  will  perrcive  His  stand- 
ing alone  with  astonishment.  For  there  is  only 


CHAP.  LXTIT.  1-6. 


673 


a  little  flock  that  will  follow  Him  (vi.  13).  Many 
are  called,  but  few  chooen.  The  astonishment 
which  is  ascribed  to  the  LORD  is  an  anthropo- 
pathic  expression  which  has  only  rhetorical  sig- 
nificance. Comp.  lix.  16.  The  second  part  of 
ver.  5  passes  over  into  the  language  of  narration. 
The  expression  E'?.-??'?  (the  Targum  and  some 
codd.  and  editions  read  0^.2^,  which  is  appro- 
priate, but  unnecessary,  and  insufficiently  attested) 
involves  a  bold  turn  of  thought :  the  judged  are 
not  only  objects,  but  also  vessels  of  wrath  ;  they  are 
not  merely  grapes  that  spurt  their  juice,  but  are 
themselves  full  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God 
(comp.  xxix.  9;  xlix.  26;  Ii.  21). 

DOCTRINAL   AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  Ixiii.  1-6.     Till  the  time  of  CALVIN  it 
was    the    prevailing   opinion    that   the    treader 
in   the    wine-press    is    Christ,  not    as    judging 
the  nations,  but  as  Himself  suffering  death,  and 
by  His  death  depriving  the  devil  of  his  power. 
""Christ,  as  He  contends  mightily  in  His  suffering, 
and  after  His  suffering  triumphs  gloriously,"  was 
regarded  as  the  theme  of  this    prophecy.     The 
blood  on  His  garment  was  accordingly  to  be  un- 
derstood of  the  blood  of  demons.     JEROME  re- 
marks  on  /  have   trodden   the    wine-press  alone: 
"Neque  enim  angelus,  aut  archangelus,  throni,  do- 
minationes,  aut  ulla  coelestium  potestatum  humanum 
corpus  assumsit  et  pro  nobis  passus  est  et  concul- 
cavit  adversarias  fortitudines  atque  contrivit." 
But  the  blood  of  the  demons  is  to  be  understood 
rpoTn/cuf.     A  synopsis  of  the  old  expositions  of 
the  passage  in  this  sense  is  found  in  a  dissertation 
by  LEYREROH  this  place,  published  in  1648.   (It 
is"  reprinted  in  Erercitationum  philologico-historica- 
rum  fasces  quinque  by  THOMAS  CRENIUS,  Ludg. 
Bat,,  1697  and  1700).   CALVIN  pronounces  this  in- 
terpretation a  perversion  of  Scripture  ("hoc  caput 
violenter  torserunt  in  Christum").     His  view  was 
adopted  especially  by  Reformed   interpreters,  as 
WOLFG.  MUSCULUS,  A.BR.  ScuLTETUS  (Idea  con- 
cionum  in  Jcs.  hub.  p.  844),  VITRINGA  and  others. 
VITRINGA  makes  these  points  prominent.     "  The 
hero  is  not  set  forth  as  suffering,  but  as  acting, 
not  as  sprinkled  with  His  own  blood,  but  with  the 
blood  of  enemies,  not  as  satisfying  the  justice  of 
God  for  sins,  but  as  executing  the  justice  of  God 
in  punishing  enemies."     However,  even  Lutheran 
theologians,   as  JOH.  TARNOV  (in  the  Ejr.ercitt. 
bibl.  Libri  4,   ROSTOCK,  1627,  p.   118,  Num  de 
Christo  patiente  hie  agatur],  and  the  anonymous 
author  of  a  Disputatio  de  Victore  Idumaeorum  Jcs. 
Ixiii.  maintained  substantially  the  view  of  CALVIN. 
Since  the  old  interpreters,  as  FOERSTER  says,  ap- 
plied  the   place   buodv^aSov   to   the   passion    of 
Christ,  we  can  understand  how  Tea.  Ixiii.  was  a 
very  favorite  Lesson  in  Holy  Week. 

2.  "The  prophecy  which  is  here  directed 
against  Edom  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  prophecy  of 
the  judgment  which  will  befall  the  antichristian, 
persecuting  world  in  the  last  days.  On  this  ac- 
count the  Seer  of  the  New  Testament,  John,  has 
described  the  Lord  as  coming  to  judge  the  world 
after  the  model  of  Isa.  Ixiii.  (Rev.  xix)."— WEBER. 
3  On  Ixiii.  3.  "  When  at  other  times  the  Lord 


holds  judgment,  nations  who  will  execute  it  stand 
at  His  disposal.  He  '  hisses  for  the  fly  that  is  in 
the  uttermost  part  of  the  rivers  of  Egypt,  and  for 
the  bee  that  is  in  the  land  of  Assyria.'  He  calls 
the  mighty  of  P^gypt  and  Babylon  to  serve  Him 
(vii.  18,  19).  Why  is  no  people  ready  to  help 
Him  in  His  judgment  on  Edom?  This  is  a  hint 
that  the  judgment  on  Edom  must  be  at  the  same 
time  that  judgment  in  which  the  Lord  judges  all 
nations.  Only  in  this  way  can  we  understand 
that  none  of  them  can  here  help  Him,  as  they 
themselves  are  all  objects  of  the  judgment."- 
WEBER. 

4.  HECTOR  PINTTTS  says,  in  his  Commentary, 
on  this  passage:  "Non  sine  causa  dicit:  non  est  tir 
mecum,  ne  scilicet  excludat  Mariam  inrgmem,  quae, 
usque  ad  mortem  ei  comes  fuit,  et  cui  gladius  dolorix 
cor  pertransivit."  This  reminds  one  of  what  the 
Jansenist,  ANTOINE  ARNAUD,  in  the  treatise 
"Difficultes  propos^es  d  Mr.  Steyaert,  etc. :  Cologne. 
1691,"  relates  of  various  preachers  who  publicly 
declared,  that  if  the  foolish  virgins  instead  of 
saying,  "Domine,  domine  aperi  nobis,"  had  said, 
"i)omina  aperi  nobis,"  they  certainly  would  have 
found  an  open  door. 


HOMILETICAL   HINTS- 

On  Ixiii.  1-6.  [Messiah  is  the  conqueror  of 
Edom,  as  Balaam  of  old  predicted  (Numb.  xxiv. 
17,  18).  Not  till  He  raises  up  the  fallen  taber- 
nacle of  David,  is  possession  in  the  highest  sense 
taken  of  Edom  and  of  all  the  heathen  (Amos  ix. 
11,  12.  As  we  understand  the  Lord's  work  of 
destruction  depicted  in  Ps.  ex.  5,  6,  eo  must  we 
understand  the  judgment  on  Edom  here  described. 
Who  are  the  enemies  that  Messiah  is  commis- 
sioned to  subdue?  How  does  He  destroy  His 
foes?  This  last  question  admits  of  a  two-fold 
answer. — D.  M.]. 

2.  On  Ixiii.  1-6.     When  Christ  was   suffering 
in  Gethsemane,  was  bleeding  before  _  Pilate  and 
dying  on  the  cross,  He  did  not  look  like  a  Judge 
and    Conqueror.     And  yet  He  was  such.     Just 
then   it   was  that    He  took  from    the   devil   his 
might  (Heb.  ii.  14),  and  spoiled  principalities  and 
powers,  and  made  a  show  of  them  openly  (Col.  ii. 
15).     It  is  only  on  the  basis  of  this  judgment, 
which  He  the  one  seemingly  judged,  performed 
upon  the  cross,  that  He  will  be  hereafter  able  to 
hold  the  last  judgment  in  His  state  of  exaltation. 

3.  On  Ixiii.  1-6.     "  Our  text  bids  us  1 )  To  look 
to  the  Man  of  Sorrows,  who  redeemed  us;  2)  To 
contemplate  in  faith  the  great  work  which  He  has 
accomplished  for  us ;  3)  For  this  to  render  to  Him 
the  thank-offering  which  we  owe  Him."  — ZIETHE, 
Manch,  Gaben.  und  Ein  Geist,  1870.    [It  is  strange 
that  an  eminent  modern  preacher  should  so  mis- 
represent the  teaching  of  this  passage.    If  we  wish 
to  lead  men  to  contemplate  Christ  as  the  Man  ot 
Sorrows,   by  whose  blood   we  are  redeemed    we 
should  choose  a  passage  of  Scripture  that  exhibjtH 
Him  in  this  character.    But  it  is  either  culpabl* 
ignorance,  or  something  worse,  to  affirm  that  the 
Scripture  before  us  contains  the  lessons  set  forth 
in   the  above-mentioned  heads   of  a   sermon.— 
D.  M.]. 


674  THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


IV.— THE  FOURTH  DISCOURSE. 

The  Prophet  in  Spirit  puts  Himself  in  the  Place  of  the  Exiled  Church,  and  bears 
its  Cause  in  Prayer  before  the  Lord. 

CHAPTERS  LXHI.  7— LXIV.  11. 

Chapters  Ix.-lxiii.  6,  are  like  a  prophetic  high  '  in  exile.  He  does  this  by  first  taking  a  retrospect 
plateau,  which  the  Prophet,  by  means  of  chapters  of  the  past,  and  showing  what  the  LORD  formerly 
Iviii.  and  lix.  lias  ascended  out  of  his  own  time,  was  to  the  people  (Ixiii.  7-14).  Then  he  entreats 
In  this  fourth  discourse  he  comas  down  again  to  the  LORD  as  the  Father  of  His  people  to  look 
the  present  time,  that  is  to  say,  to  a  time  relatively  upon  them  (Ixiii.  15-19) ;  then  he  prays  that  the 
present,  to  that  of  the  people  in  exile.  He  trans-  LoRD,for  their  complete  deliverance,  would  visibly 
ports  himself  entirely  into  this  time,  as  if  he  were  come  to  them  with  a  grand  manifestation  of  His 
passing  through  it,  and  sets  before  the  LORD  the  divine  majesty  (Ixiv). 
temporal  and  spiritual  need  of  the  people  living  I 


1.    RETROSPECT  OF  WHAT  THE  LOED  FORMERLY  WAS  TO  THE  PEOPLE. 

CHAPTER  LXHI.  7-14. 

7  I  will  mention  the  loving-kindnesses  of  the  LORD, 
And  the  praises  of  the  LORD, 

According  to  all  that  the  LORD  hath  bestowed  on  us, 
And  the  great  goodness  toward  the  house  of  Israel, 
Which  he  hath  bestowed  on  them  according  to  his  mercies, 
And  according  to  the  multitude  of  his  loving-kindnesses. 

8  For  he  said,  Surely  they  are  my  people, 
Children  that  will  not  lie: 

So  he  was  their  Saviour. 

9  In  all  their  affliction  he  was  afflicted, 
And  the  angel  of  his  presence  saved  them : 
In  his  love  and  in  his  pity  he  redeemed  them ; 

And  he  bare  them,  and  carried  them  all  the  days  of  old. 

10  But  they  rebelled,  and  vexed  his  holy  Spirit : 
Therefore  he  was  turned  to  be  their  enemy, 
And  he  fought  against  them. 

11  'Then  he  remembered  the  days  of  old,  Moses,  and  his  people,  saying, 

Where  is  he  that  bbrought  them  up  out  of  the  sea  with  the  Shepherd  of  his  flock  ? 
Where  is  he  that  put  his  holy  Spirit  within  him  ? 

12  "That  led  them  by  the  right  hand  of  Moses  with  his  glorious  arm, 
Dividing  the  water  before  them, 

To  make  himself  an  everlasting  name  ? 

13  That  led  them  through  the  deep,  as  an  horse  in  the  wilderness, 
That  they  should  not  stumble. 

14  As  a  beast  goeth  down  into  the  valley, 
The  Spirit  of  the  LORD  caused  him  to  rest : 
So  didst  thou  lead  thy  people, 

To  make  thyself  a  glorious  name. 

1  Or.  shepherds. 

»  Then  his  people  remembered  the  oW  dat/s  of  Moses.         *  brought  up  out  of  the  tea  the  thepherd  of  his  flovt. 
•  that  put  at  the  right  hand  of  Moses  his  glorious  arm. 


CHAP.  LXIII.  7-14. 


675 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  7.  The  words  "  IjD^tfX  D  jT  are  to  be 
taken  as  one  term,  to  which  3,  in  the  sense  of  secundum, 
is  prefixed.  7y  stands  in  a  causal  sense  [bj'S  is  =  uti 
par  est  propter].  2*D~3^  is  to  be  regarded  as  the  o<>- 
ject  dependent  on  VDiN  rather  than  as  dependent  on 
3  in  hy_3. 

Ver. 9.  Instead  of  the  Kethibh  {Owe  must  with  the 
K'ri  read  V7,  as  X  7,  however  it  may  be  explained,  does 
not  yield  an  appropriate  sense  [?].  Some  take  *iy  for 

r 

*iy  in  pause,  either  in  the  passive  sense:  in  all  their 
affliction  there  was  (to  them)  no  distress  (iy  as,  e.  y., 

xxv.  4 ;  xxvi.  16,  comp.  prcssi  non  oppress;),  or  in  the  ac- 
tive sense  =  oppressor,  adversary  (ver.  18;  Ixiv.  1;  i.  24; 
Ix.  10,  et  saepe).  Both  these  views  are  set  forth  under 
the  most  manifold  modifications  (cornp.  STIEE).  But 
whichever  of  the  two  constructions  we  choose,  there  is 
an  abruptness  in  the  expression.  We  should  expect 
OnS,  or,  if  ~\¥  should  refer  to  Jehovah,  the  pronoun 

V  T  T 

{OH  is  wanting :  In  all  their  affliction  He  was  not  an  op- 
pressor. It  is  better,  therefore,  to  follow  the  K'ri,  al- 
though all  the  old  versions  support  SO.  Our  place  be- 
longs, then,  to  the  fifteen,  or  according  to  another 
enumeration  (comp.  on  ix.  2  and  xlix.  5)  eighteen  places, 
in  which  according  to  the  opinion  of  the  Masoretes  V) 
is  to  be  read  instead  xV  DRECHSLBR  is  certainly  right 
when  he  remarks  (on  ix.  2)  that  the  unusual  position  of 
}*-},  which  was  originally  in  the  text,  caused  it  to  be  al- 
tered into  $h  which  was  more  current  and  sounded 
more  familiar  in  such  a  position.  [But  this  is  a  confes 
sion  that  instead  of  IX  I1?  we  should  find  17  *>¥  if  I/ 
were  the  original  reading.  We  dislike  departing  from 
the  textual  reading  when  it  is  supported  by  all  ancient 
versions.  In  order  to  get  the  meaning  "He  was  af- 
flicted," we  must  not  only  alter  the  negative  vh  into  17, 


aut  must  also  suppose  an  abnormal  collocation  of  the 
words.  Add  to  these  considerations  that  1*7  "l¥  does 
not  mean  simply,  "  he  was  afflicted,  or  grieved,"  but 
•'  he  was  reduced  to  a  strait,  was  ev  airopla"  (Kay).  This 
could  not  be  predicated  of  Jehovah  ;  though  it  could  be 
said  of  Him  anthropopathically,  as  in  Judges  x.  16,  that 
God's  soul  was  grieved.  But  there  the  expression  is 
quite  different  in  the  original.  If  we  take  IX  in  the 
sense  of  adversary :  ''  In  all  their  affliction  He  (God)  was 
not  an  adversary  to  them,"  the  absence  of  DnS  need 
not  so  much  surprise  us,  as  it  occurs  in  the  close  of  the 
preceding  verse,  where  God  is  declared  to  have  been  a 
Saviour  DH  7.  The  proof  that  God  was  not  an  adversary 
to  them  is  given  in  the  next  clause,  when  it  is  said:  and 
the  angel  of  his  presence  saved  them,  etc.  Kay  justly  re- 
marks that  God  was  the  reverse  of  an  adversary  to  Israel. 
"His  heaviest  chastisements  were  sent  with  the  view 
of  frustrating  the  designs  of  their  worst  enemies,  and 
were  removed  as  soon  as  that  work  was  accomplished." 
— D.  M.]. 


Ver.  11.  D/VQn  is  not  grammatically  quite  normal, 
f"  The  suffix  refers  to  the  forefathers,  and  the  participle 
has  both  the  article  and  suffix  because  it  is  not  to  be 
conceived  as  a  noun,  nor  as  the  expression  of  a  finished 
act  (o  awryijox^s),  but  is  to  be  thought  as  possessing 
continued  verbal  force  (GES.  Or.,  \  135,  2),  and  is  to  be 
construed  as  an  imperfect :  ille  qui  sursvm  ducebat,  edu- 
cebat ;  on  this  account  the  suffix  has  the  accusative  or 
objective  form  em  as  Ps.  Ixviii.  28,  not  am,  comp.  Job 
xl.  19 ;  Ps.  ciii.  4."  DELITZSCH.— D.  M.j.  I  am  inclined, 
with  DE  Rossi,  to  believe  that  ri7>?On  (which  is  found 
in  one  very  old  codex  cited  by  KENMCOTT,  and  in  two 
of  DE  Rossi's,  one  of  which  is  very  accurate),  is  the  right 
reading.  The  LXX.,  Peshito  and  the  Arabic  version  in 
the  London  Polyglott,  favor  this  reading.  [But  there  is 
here  no  necessity  for  correcting  the  text— D.  M.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  prayer  commences  with  a  historical  re- 
trospect.    For,  as  the  suppliant  intends  to  entreat 
new  grace  from  God,  lie  gives  this  prayer  an  ap- 
propriate foundation  by  first  of  all  making  men- 
tion of  the  former  mercies   of  Jehovah, 
therefore,  begins,  vers.  7  and  8,  by  recalling  the 
election  of  the  people,  and  the  glorious  succor 
rendered  to  them  in  what  might  be  called  the 
time  of  their  birth  and  childhood  (ver.  9).     The 
whole  time  from  the  deliverance  out  of  Egyptian 
bondage  to  the  Babylonish  exile  is  comprehended 
in  tut  brief  words  of  ver.   10,  the  first  part  of 
which   indicates   the   various   apostasies  of  the 
people,  and  the  last  part  the  punishments  which 
they  suffered.     Out  of  the  depths  of  the  last  and 
greatest  of  these,  the  punishment  of  the  Exile, 
there  arises,  vers.  11  to  14,  a  melancholy  sigh  at 
the  question ;  where  is  He  now  who  saved  1 
from  the  first,  the  Egyptian  captivity,  so  wonct 
fullv  by  the  hand  of  Moses?  . 

2"     I    will    mention loving-kind- 
nesses —Ver.  7.     The  aim  of  this  verse  i 
gain  in  the  manifestations  of  favor  in  the  past  a 
foundation  for  the  supplication  in  regard  to  t 


future.  On  "Ipn  (see  the  List).  flWTW  stands 
here  as  frequently  (comp.  Deut.  xxvi.  19)  as  ab- 
stract for  the  concrete :  laudationes  for  res  law- 
datae,  res  laudabiliter  gestae.  [There  is  no  reason 
for  departing  from  the  proper  meaning  of  the 

term— praises.  D.  M.].  '£3  occurs  only  here 
and  lix.  18.  We  must  take  3>B  in  the  abstract 
signification  benignitas  (comp.  Ps.  xxv.  7  ;  xxxi. 
20  et  saepe),  although  the  following  relative  sen- 
tence seems  at  first  sight  rather  to  recommend 
the  concrete  signification  "  bona,  optima  dona 
(comp.  Jer.  xxxi.  12,  14).  But  against  this  view 
is  the  connection  of  310  with  SiOfer  n'3  by  the 
simple  preposition  S.  3H3  is,  therefore,  God's 
goodness,  kindness,  benevolence  which  springs 
from  His  love  which  is  merciful  (t.  e.,  moved  by 
the  sight  of  distress),  and  gracious  (i.  e.,  which 
does  not  punish  according  to  desert). 

3   For  he  said fought  against  them. 

—Vers    8-10       The  first   manifestation    of   the 
divine  goodaess  spoken  of  in  ver.  7  is  introduced 


676 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


by  1D8T1.  The  Vav  in  IDX'1  makes  a  connection, 
not  with  the  historical  facts  just  referred  to,  but 
with  the  loving  disposition  in  God.  In  brief, 
emphatic,  words  the  Prophet  describes  the  found- 
ing of  the  covenant  relation  between  Jehovah 
and  Israel.  Jehovah  formed  it  of  Himself  by 
His  free  purpose  of  election.  He  declared  Is- 
rael to  be  His  people  /car'  e^o^rju.  ^]K  has  here, 
too,  (comp.  xiv.  15;  xxxiv.  14,  15)  on  the  basis 
of  its  restrictive  signification,  a  strongly  affirma- 
tive force.  The  LORD  in  declaring  Israel  to  be 
His  people  does  this  with  the  hope  that  this  His 

confidence  will  be  perceived  and  justified.  N? 
1"ipk>T  refers,  therefore,  to  the  hope  of  fidelity,  of 
obedience.  (They  will  not  deceive,  disappoint 
this  hope).  And  in  this  hope  Jehovah  became  Is- 
rael's JPBflO,  i.  e.,  Deliverer,  Saviour  (comp.  xix. 
20;  xliii.  11;  xly.  15,  21;  xlvii.  15;  lix.  26  ; 
Ix.  10).  [This  eighth  verse  is  literally  rendered 
''Only  my  people  are  they;  children  will  not  lie, 
or  prove  false ;  and  He  was  to  them  a  Saviour." 
The  Prophet  tells  us  that  the  LORD  said  this. 
We  may  look,  then,  in  the  books  of  Moses  for 
language  employed  by  the  LORD  of  which  this 
is  a  fair  representation.  That  Israel  is  God's 
chosen  people  is  often  declared  in  the  Pentateuch. 
In  Dout.  xiv.  1,  2  they  are  called  both  chil- 
dren and  the  LORD'S  people.  Comp.  Dent.  vii. 
6  sqq.,  et  saepe.  But  the  LORD  never  states  re- 
garding Israel  that  they  are  children  that  will  not 
lie.  On  the  contrary  He  testifies  of  them,  Deut. 
xxxii.  20  that  they  are  "  children  in  whom  is  no 
faith."  The  LORD  said  to  the  children  of  Israel : 
"  If  ye  will  obey  my  voice  indeed,  and  keep  my 
commandments,  then  ye  shall  be  a  peculiar  trea- 
sure unto  me  above  all  people.  And  ye  shall  be 
unto  me  a  kingdom  of  priests  and  a  holy  nation." 
Ex.  xix.  5,  6.  But  we  look  in  vain  in  the  Penta- 
teuch for  any  declaration  in  which  the  LORD  ex- 
presses the  confident  expectation  that  Israel  would 
prove  faithful  to  the  covenant.  So  far  from 
doing  this,  God  foretells  that  Israel  would  prove 
unfaithful.  We  must,  then,  take  the  words  chil- 
dren will  not  lie,  prohibitively  and  as  ex- 
pressing what  is  required  of  children,  and  not 
the  LORD'S  expectation ;  children  shall  not 
lie.  The  sentiment  that  Israel,  as  being  God's 
children,  ought  not  to  act  perfidiously,  is  expressed 
Deut.  xxxii.  6.  Comp.  Deut.  xvii.  16,  17  where 
we  have  as  here  iO  with  the  third  person  of  the  fu- 
ture to  express  not  what  a  king  of  Israel  would  not 
do,  but  what  he  ought  not  to  do.  The  last  clause 
should  bestrictly  rendered  and  He  was  to  them 
a  Saviour. — There  is  no  need,  then,  of  assuming 
here  a  very  strong  example  of  anthropopathiflm 
in  which  God  declares  Himself  disappointed.  D. 
M.].  From  ver.  9  we  see  that  the  suppliant  has 
first  of  all  in  view  that  most  ancient,  glorious  de- 
liverance which  was  vouchsafed  to  the  people  in 
Egypt  in  the  commencement  of  their  history. 

We  have,  therefore,  to  refer  Dmif*SDb  to  the 
oppression  of  the  people  by  Pharaoh.  And  of 
this  oppression  it  is  said  that  it  was  one  which 
the  LORD  Himself  felt.  |  Rather,  In  all  their 
oppression  He  was  not  an  oppressor.  See 
under  Textual  and  Grammatical. — D.  M.].  That 
under  this  affliction  the  sufferings  of  the  Is- 
raelites in  Egypt  are  to  be  understood,  is  shown 


by  the  following  sentence.  For  by  "  the  angel 
of  His  face  "  who  saved  them,  the  suppliant  evi- 
dently intends  ni!T  "jJOD,  by  whom  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  people  from  Egyptian  slavery  was  ef- 
fected. The  expression  V33  "|N;0  refers  im- 
mediately to  Ex.  xxxiii.  14,  15,  where  to  the  re- 
quest of  Moses  that  the  LORD  would  let  him 
know  whom  He  intends  to  send  with  them  (vers. 

12,  13),  the  answer  is  given  OV  'J3.  Moses 
thereupon  rejoins:  ''If  1'J3  (thy  face)  go  not, 
carry  us  not  up  hence."  It  is  impossible  to  dis- 
cuss fully  here  the  exceedingly  difficult  question 

of  the  niiT  1>OD.  I  refer  to  LANGE'S  thorough 
exposition  on  Gen.  xii.  1  sqq.  In  reference  to 

the  chief  question,  whether  the  p  "JK/O  is  to  be 
regarded  as  a  created  angel,  or  as  a  precursory 
and  partial  manifestation  of  the  LOGOS  cor- 
responding to  the  Old  Testament  standpoint,  I 
would  only  briefly  remark:  1)  When  Paul,  1 
Cor.  x.  4,  regards  the  rock  out  of  which  Moses 
struck  water,  and  which  remained  fixed  and  im- 
movable, and  did  not  accompany  them,  as  a  sym- 
bol of  *'  the  Spiritual  Rock  that  followed  them  " 
of  which  he  says :  "  that  Rock  was  Christ,"  we 
must  still  more  assume  that  he  saw  a  manifesta- 
tion of  Christ  in  the  angel  of  the  face,  of  whom 
it  is  further  said,  Ex.  xxiii.  21 :  my  name  is  in 
Him  ;  iaipa.  2)  Further,  in  Heb.  iii.  1  Jesus 
is  called  the  Apostle  and  high-priest  of  our  pro- 
fession. The  word  aTriteroAof  cannot  but  be  in 
that  place  which  is  pervaded  by  typological  ideas 

a  translation  of  the  Hebrew  "]^7^.  The  author 
of  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews  designedly  avoided 
the  use  of  the  word  dyyeAof,  because  he  wished 
to  point  to  the  man  Jesus  and  to  His  human  offi- 
cial life,  i.  e.,  to  the  fidelity  which  He  displayed 
in  it.  He  means  to  say :  If  He,  who  was  so 
much  higher  than  Moses,  inasmuch  as  the  Lord 
and  Son  of  the  house  is  higher  than  the  house 
itself,  was  faithful,  this  exalted  pattern  must  im- 
pel you  also  to  fidelity.  Plainly,  then,  the  author 
of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  likewise  saw  in 
the  angel  of  the  LORD  a  manifestation  of  Christ. 
3)  With  these  considerations  agree  the  expres- 
sions D"J3  and  ia~)p3  'DIP.  For  the  face  is  the 
external  side  which  is  outwardly  visible.  Thus 
in  Hebrew  the  surface  of  the  earth  and  of  the 
heaven,  etc.,  is  called  B'J3,  because  the  surface  is 
that  which  may  be  peen  outwardly  and  —  we 
may  add — is  that  which  sees.  He  now,  who  is 
calied  God's  D'JD,  must  therefore  be  He  by 
whom  God  both  sees  and  is  seen.  The  latter  is 
in  not  a  few  places  of  the  New  Testament  most 
clearly  declared  regarding  the  Son  of  God.  See 
Matt.  xi.  27 ;  John  i.  18  (comp.  vi.  46 ;  1  John 
iv.  12;  1  Tim.  vi.  16);  John  xii.  45;  xiv.  9. 
But  the  other  idea  also,  that  God  sees  through 
Him  who  is  His  D'33,  face,  appears  from  this, 
that  not  only  is  creation  effected  by  Him,  but 
also  the  conservation  of  things  created  (Col.  i. 
16,  17),  the  visitation,  sustentation,  direction  and 
redemption  of  the  world.  And  in  this  Mediator 
is  the  name  of  God.  For  what  God  is,  expresses  it- 
self in  Him.  We  should  not  know  that  God  is,  and 


CHAP.  LXIII.  7-14. 


677 


what  God  is,  if  the  Mediator  did  not  reveal  it. 
But  in  the  Old  Covenant  this  face  of  God  has 
not  become  manifest  in  His  full  equality  with 
God,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  in  His  distinction 
from  Him.  The  knowledge  of  this  mystery  was  ! 
reserved  for  the  New  Covenant.  Nevertheless 
the  light  of  the  relation  of  the  Trinity  breaks 
through  even  in  the  Old  Testament  in  traces  here  '< 
and  there.  In  the  form  of  an  augel  and  under 
the  name  of  angel  He  appears  in  the  Old  Cove- 
nant, who  in  the  New  has  appeared  as  the  Son 
of  man.  There  was  for  Him  in  the  Old  Cove- 
nant no  other  form  of  manifestation.  But  He  is 
so  characterized  that  we  can  distinguish  Him 
readily  from  common  angels.  This  is,  in  brief, 
my  unpretending  view  of  this  subject.  H3HX  is 

the  positive,  fundamental  notion,  n"70n  (only 
here  in  Isaiah,  comp.  Gen.  xix.  16)  is  the  nega- 
tive, accessory  notion.  For  it  denotes  forbearance, 
refraining  from  the  right  of  punishing  (comp. 


ix.  18  ;  xxx.  14).    The  sentence  "U1  ottn  seems 
to  state  that  this  bearing  and  carrying  maternal  j 
love  of  God  lasted  not  merely  during  the  period  j 
of  the  deliverance  from  Egypt,  but  during  the 
whole  time  that,  from  the  standpoint  of  the  Pro- 
phet, belonged  to  the  days  long  gone  by.     This  ! 
is  seen  from  ver.  10  sqq.,  where  the  so  oft-repeat-  I 
ed,  alternating  relation  of  apostasy,  punishment 
and  return  to  God  is  comprehensively  depicted. 
For  during  the  whole  time  which  passed  between 
the  Egyptian  and  the  Babylonian  captivity,  what 
in  vers.  10  sqq.  is  described  was  repeated.     no 
and  WXy  have  both  nn   for  their  object  (comp. 
iii.SandEph.iv.30).  They  were  rebellious  against  | 
and  grieved   the   Holy  Spirit   by   resisting  the 
drawings  of  His  grace  and  by  offending  His  holy 
nature  with  doing  evil.    The  expression  KHp  nn 
occurs  in   the  Old  Testament  besides  here  and 
ver.  11  only  further  in  Ps.  li.  13.     The  adjective 
tfHp  is  never  joined  with  nn.     The  necessary 
consequence  of  resisting  the  Holy  Spirit  is  that 
the  LORD  too  is  changed  into  an  adversary  of 
him  who  resists  Him.     N1H  stands  emphatically 
before   D3-Dnbj:  How  dreadful   it  is   to   have 
Him  as  an  adversary! 

4.  Then    He   remembered  --  glorious 


name,  vers.  11-14.  Jehovah's  being  their  ene 
my  brought  so  many  evils  on  the  people  that 
they  out  of  the  depths  of  the  last  and  greatest 
digress  long  earnestly  for  the  restoration  of  the 
old  friendship.  The  question:  Where  is  He 
that  brought  them  up?  etc.,  can  come  only 
from  the  mouth  of  the  people.  For  this  reason 
the  subject  of  "OH  can  only  be  113&  not  Moses 
or  the  indefinite  "they"  (German  man).  The 
people  remembered  the  old  days  of  Moses,  i.  e. 
the  days  when  Moses  led  the  people  and  procured 
for  them  the  wonderful  manifestations  of  _the 
favor  of  God.  The  accumulation  of  substantives 
in  the  genitive  characterizes  the  language  of 
Isaiah;  at  all  events,  this  form  of  expression 
occurs  in  no  book  of  the  Old  Testament  so  fre- 
quently and  in  such  intensity  as  in  Isaiah. 
Comp.'xviii.  1,  where  two  words  follow  m  the 
construct  state.  There  are  three  such  words  in 
xiii.  4;  xxviii.  1 ;  four  in  x.  12;  five  in  xxi.  17. 
Comp.  EWALD,  2  291o.— [DR.  NAEGELSBACH 


(see  under  Text,  and  Gram.)  would  drop  the  suf- 

fix in  Dvyon,  and  would  render  :  "  Where  is 
He  that  brought  up  out  of  the  sea  the  shepherd 
of  His  flock?"  The  sea  here  is  the  Nile,  and 
the  shepherd,  Moses  ;  and  the  fact  referred  to, 
the  deliverance  of  Moses  when  an  infant  from 
drowning.  But  this  view  is  exposed  to  obvious 
and  insuperable  objections.  DELITZSCH  refers 

the  suffix  in  D  v^OH  to  the  forefathers  of  Israel, 
takes  HX  as—una  cum,  and  is  disposed  to  read 
UP,  which  is  strongly  attested,   instead  of  the 
singular.     By  the  shepherds  of  the  flock  he 
understands  Moses  and  Aaron  with  Miriam,  Ps. 
Ixxvii.  21  ;  Micali  vi.  4.     If  we,  with  the  E.  V., 
regard   God   as    the    subject   of  ''  remembered," 
then  it  is  better,  with  KAY,  to  put  a  full  stop  at 
"  people,"  and  omit  the  word  "  sayiny,"  and  re- 
gard the  appeal  that  follows  as  made  by  the  Pro- 
phet in  the  people's  name.     It  is  unsuitable  to 
put  it  in  the  mouth  of  Jehovah.    Against  making 
1DJ7   the  subject  of  "OH,    the  remoteness  of  its 
position  is  an  obvious  objection.     Such  an  asyn- 
deton as  that  in  l'Q£  HBfb  is  of  frequent  occur- 
rence, and,  on  the  whole,  the  rendering  of  the 
E.  V.,  if  we  only  strike  out  the  supplied  word 
sayiny,  is  the  most  obvious  and  natural.—  D.  M.] 
God  gave  Moses  His  Holy  Spirit,  and  with  Him 
the  gift  to  perform  miracles,  and  _  to  lead   and 
teach  the  people    (comp.  Num.    xi.  17).—  [But 
the  suffix  in  13"ip3  refers  to  DJT,  the  people,  and 
not  to  Moses  alone.—  D.  M.]—  The  beginning  of 
ver  12  is  literally  rendered:  who  made  the 
arm  of  His  glory  to  go  at  the  right  hand 
of  Moses      The  most  remarkable  efiect  of  this 
was  the  dividing  of  the  water  before  them, 
the  Israelites   (properly  away  from  the  face  of 
them,  so  that  the  waters  went  out  of  the  way). 
HITZIG     UMBREIT,    KNOBEL,    understand    the 
words  of  the  water  from  the  rock   (Ex.  XVH.  5 
sqq  )      But  this  event,  as  belonging  to  a  later 
time,  could  not  well  be  placed  before  the  passage 
through  the  Red  Sea.     Moreover,  J7p3  is  espe- 
cially employed  of  this  dividing  of  the  waves  of 

the  sV  Ex."  xiv.  21;  ft.  1XX^V  frS 
11  These  great  and  wonderful  deeds  of  God 
had  the  design  to  make  known,  first  to  the  peo- 
ple of  Israel,  and  then  to  other  nations  also  the 
name  of  Jehovah,  i.  e.  the  nature  of  that  God 
who  is  called  Jehovah;  and  thus  to  bring  them 
to  the  knowledge  of  His  exc  usive  Godhead^eh 
ix  10-  Isa.  lv.  13;  ver.  14).  The  depths,  %er. 
13,  Ire'  plainly  the  depths  of  the  Red  Sea  ,  no 
of  'the  Jordan,  as  KNOBEL  .  thinks).  -^Jh»M 
clear  from  comparing  Ps.  cvi.  9.—  D.  M.j—  Un 
St  suppose  that  Israel  would  have  trodden 
in  uncertain  steps  the  strange  way 


with 

-* 


the  object 
The  image  of  the  cattle  de.cemling  into 


678 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


after  the  journeying  in  the  desert.  For  the  dry, 
stony  deserts  through  which  Israel  had  to  march 
were  really  higher  than  the  fertile  regions  watered 
by  the  Nile  and  the  Jordan.  It  seems  to  me, 
too,  that  the  Prophet  here  thinks  of  the  herds  of 
Nomades  that  must  cross  a  mountain  range  or  a 
plateau  in  order  to  reach  regions  rich  in  pasture. 
Just  so  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  who  by  means  of 
the  leaders  directed  the  march  of  Israel,  brought 
the  people  to  rest.  The  Prophet  could  justly 
designate  the  arrival  of  Israel  in  Palestine  after 
the  long  journeying  as  an  attaining  to  rest.  The 


same  thing  had  been  said  before  (Deut.  xii. 
9;  Josh.  i.  13;  xxi.  41;  xxii.  4;  xxiii.  1;  Pa. 
xcv.  11;  comp.  Heb.  iii.  11,  18;  iv.  1,  3,  9). 
The  last  sentence  of  ver.  14  is  a  recapitulation. 

|3  refers  to  all  that  goes  before,  and  the  words 

to  make  thyself  a  glorious  name  declare 
that  the  design  of  the  LORD  was  not  merely  to 
confer  a  benefit  on  the  Israelites  of  that  time,  but 
to  prepare  the  way  for  the  knowledge  and  ac- 
knowledgment of  His  name  among  all  nations 
and  to  all  times  (ver.  12). 


2.  PRAYER  THAT  THE  LORD  MIGHT  LOOK  UPON  THEM  AND  REMOVE  SIN 

AND  ITS  PUNISHMENT. 


15 


CHAP.  LXIII.  15-19  a.  (19) 


Look  down  from  heaven,  and  behold  from  the  habitation  of  thy  holiness  and  of 

thy  glory : 
Where  is  thy  zeal  and  thy  strength, 

lrrhe  sounding  of  thy  bowels  and  of  thy  mercies  toward  me? 
"Are  they  restrained  ? 

16  Doubtless  thou  art  our  father, 
"Though  Abraham  be  ignorant  of  us, 
And  Israel  acknowledge  us  not : 

Thou,  O  LORD,  art  our  father,  2our  redeemer  ; 
Thy  name  is  from  everlasting. 

17  O  LORD,  "why  hast  thou  made  us  to  err  from  thy  ways, 
And  hardened  our  heart  from  thy  fear? 

Return  for  thy  servants'  sake, 
dThe  tribes  of  thine  inheritance. 

18  The  people  of  thy  holiness  have  possessed  it  but  a  little  while : 
Our  adversaries  have  trodden  down  thy  sanctuary. 

19  e\Ve  are  thine: 

Thou  never  barest  rule  over  them  : 
'They  were  not  called  by  thy  name. 


1  Or,  the  multitude. 

8  Or,  thy  name  was  not  called  upon  them. 


*  Or,  our  redeemer  from  everlasting  is  thy  name. 


they  are  restrained.  •>  because.  «  Why  dost  thou  make  us  err.  &  to  the  tribes. 

We  have  become  as  those  over  whom  thou  never  barest  rule,  on  whom  thy  name  was  not  called. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  16.  ["According  to  the  accents  the  words 
D/1J,'0  are  connected  together.    The  more  correct  ac- 
centuation would  be  IJ^KJ  Tifha,  D^l^D  Mercha.  From 


remote  antiquity  Jahve  had  acted  toward  Israel  in  such 


a  way  that  the  latter  could  call  him 


What  takes 


place  in  the  present  time  is  so  different  as  to  put  faith 
to  a  hard  trial.  Translate:  Our  Redeemer  is  from  ancient 
time  thy  name."  DELITZSCH. — D.  M.]. 

Ver.  18.  1DDD,  Pilel  from  D!3  (ver.  6;  xiv.  19,  25)  is 
to  tread  down,  Karairaretv,  and  includes  the  idea  of  pro- 
faning and  defiling. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  After  laying  the  foundation  for  His  prayer 
by  the  retrospect  of  what  Jehovah  had  been  of 
old  to  His  people,  the  suppliant  now  passes  over 
to  the  entreaty  that  the  LORD  would  graciously 
look  down  from  heaven  on  the  present  distress, 
and  not  restrain  His  love  and  might  (ver.  15)! 
He  still  remains  the  Father  of  the  people,  after 


Abraham  and  Israel,  who  had  been  long  ago  re- 
moved by  death,  have  become  strangers  to  them 
so  far  as  rendering  actual  aid  is  concerned  (ver. 
16).  With  great  boldness  the  LORD  is  expostu- 
lated with  for  permitting  the  people  to  go  astray 
and  to  become  hardened,  and  He  is  called  upon 
to  change  His  conduct  towards  His  elect  people 


CHAP.  LXIII.  15-19  a. 


679 


(ver.  17).  The  complaint  is  made  to  Him  that 
the  people  had  possessed  only  for  a  short  time  the 
land  promised  to  them  as  an  inheritance  lor  ever 
while  the  centre  of  the  land,  the  Sanctuary,  which 
alone  gives  the  country  its  value,  had  been  trod- 
den down  by  their  enemies  (ver.  18),  so  that  Is- 
rael is  now  situated  as  if  Jehovah  had  never  been 
their  LORD,  and  His  name  had  never  been  called 
upon  them  (ver.  19  a). 

2.  Look  down  from  heaven  -  re- 
strained. —  Ver.  15.  run  more  frequently  fol- 
lows than  precedes  ^^H.  The  LOUD  has  to  look 
down  from  heaven,  for  thither  He  has  as  it  were 
retired.  He  is  no  more  to  be  found  in  His  earth- 
ly sanctuary,  but  only  in  His  heavenly.  [But 
compare  Deut.  xxvi.  15  ;  Ps.  cxv.  3.  The  pray- 
er is  rather  founded  on  the  acknowledged  truth, 
''The  LORD  looketh  from  heaven  .....  From 
the  place  of  His  habitation  He  looketh  upon  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth."  Ps.  xxxiii.  13,  14. 
D.  M.].  Solomon  had  said  in  his  dedicatory 
prayer  (1  Kings  viii.  13  comp.  2  Chron.  vi.  2)  "I 
have  built  thee  a  house  to  dwell  in  (731  fl"3)."  To 
this  passage  the  suppliant  seems  to  allude,  when  he 
asks  the  LORD  to  look  down  from  the  habitation 

of  His  holiness  and  glory.  For  the  earthly  7pT  JV3 
is  destroyed.  The  word  7DT  is  found  only  here  in 
Isaiah.  Once  more  the  suppliant  returns  to  what 
he  misses.  He  asks  again  with  fVX  :  Where  is 
thy  zeal  and  thy  mighty  deeds?  The  zeal 
of  Jehovah  is  twofold  :  against  His  people,  so  far 
they  make  common  cause  with  those  who  hate  the 
LORD.  For  then  they  have  the  LORD  who  is  a 
zealous  God  (Ex.  xx.  5;  Deut.  iv.  24;  v.  9) 
against  them.  But  the  zeal  of  Jehovah  is  also 
active  for  His  people,  against  the  enemies  of  the 
theocracy  (comp.  ix.  6;  xxvi.  11;  xxxvii.  32; 
xlii.  13  ;  lix.  17).  The  expression  D'jrD  pon, 
strepitus  viscerum,  as  image  of  the  emotion  of  com- 
passion, of  commiseratio,  is  found  in  the  form  of  a 
substantive  only  here,  but  the  verbal  expression 
occurs,  xvi.  11  ;  Jer.  xxxi.  20  ;  xlviii.  30.  In 
i^  observe  the  change  of  number. 


cohibere,  comp.  xlii.  14  ;  Ixiv.  11. 

3.  Doubtless  thou  -  everlasting.  —  Ver. 
16.  [The  E.  V.  departs  in  two  instances  in  this 
verse  from  the  proper  signification  of  '2,  render- 
ing it  in  the  first,  doubtless,  and  in  the  second, 
though.  In  both  cases  its  strict  sense  of  for,  be- 
cause, can  be  retained,  as  is  done  by  DR.  NAEGELS- 
BACH.  But  we  prefer  taking  the  second  '2  as= 
when,  which  in  this  connection  does  not  differ 
much  from  though.  D.  M.].  Ver.  16  declares  the 
1  reason  why  Israel  entreats  the  LORD  to  be  pleased 
to  look  upon  their  need  and  to  manifest  His  power 
and  love  on  them.  Jehovah  alone  is  the  true 
Father  of  Israel.  They  have  indeed  also  human 
progenitors  who  stand  in  high  honor  and  authori- 
ty ;  Abraham  (comp.  li.  2)  as  their  remote,  and 
Israel,  the  strong  contender  with  God  (Gen.  xxxii. 
28),  their  immediate  ancestor.  But  these  are 
men,  are  long  dead,  and  incapable  from  their 
present  abode  outside  this  world,  to  take  know- 
ledge p'^n  dignovit,  Ixi.  9)  of  Israel's  lot;  not  to 
Ray  that  they  could  not  pos«iMy  interpose  to  ren- 
der them  active  support.  [This  is  not  very  satis- 


factory, though  the  view  of  VITRINGA,  DE- 
LITZSCH  and  the  best  interpreters.  But  if  we  take 
the  second  '3  in  the  common  sense  of  when,  and 
translate  "  For  thou  art  our  Father  when  Abra- 
ham does  not  know  us,  and  Israel  does  not  recog- 
nize us,"  then  the  idea  would  be  that  natural  affec- 
tion and  regard  would  cease  rather  than  that  God's 
paternal  Jove  should  fail,  or  His  covenant  of 
adoption  be  annulled.  Such  a  sense  is  very  ap- 
propriate. See  Ps.  xxvii.  10.  Comp.  CALVIN 
on  our  passage.  KAY  remarks,  "  This  verse  and 
Ixiv.  8  are  the  only  places  in  the  Old  Testament 
where  the  address  Our  Father  is  used  in  prayer. 
The  Spirit  of  adoption  was  not  yet  given  (Gal  iv. 
4-6)."  D.  M.]. 

4.  O  Lord,  why  hast  thou thy  name. 

Vers.  17-19  a.  JEROME  understands  the  words 
of  ver.  17  as  an  utterance  of  the  apostate  Jews. 
As  Paul  in  the  Epistles  to  the  Corinthians  address- 
es pious  and  ungodly  persons,  so  here  both  the  pious 
and  the  ungodly  speak  to  God.  These  latter  are  said 
here,  "  movere  Domino  quaestionem,  et  suam  culpam 
re/erre  in  Deum."  JEROME,  however,  vindicates 
God,  and  says  that  in  reality  God  is  not  the  cause 
of  error  and  hardness  of  heart,  but  that  error  and 
obduracy  are  only  n;ediately  occasioned  by  His 
patience,  while  He  does  not  chastise  offenders. 
THEODOHET  makes  the  Jews  here  directly  reproach 
God  with  having  by  His  patience  incurred  the 
guilt  of  their  delinquencies.  OECOLAMPADIUS 
regards  this  passage  as  having  a  double  sense. 
As  an  utterance  of  the  ungodly  it  contains  actual 
blasphemy  (blasphema  inter  precandum  dicunt  : 
suam  culpam  in  Denm  transcribunt\,  while  in  the 
mouth  of  the  godly  it  expresses  only  the  painful 
confession  that  they,  after  the  withdrawal  of  the 
divine  grace  and  help,  could  not  but  go  astray. 
CALVIN  disputes  all  softening  of  the  language  by 
the  assumption  of  foreknowledge  or  permission. 
But  he  makes  a  distinction.  He  distinguishes  be- 
tween an  indirect  or  negative  hardening  (rite  ex- 
coecare,  indurare,  indinare  dicitur,  quibus  facultatem 
videndi,  parendi,  recte  exsequendi  adimit),  and 
a  direct  or  positive  (when  He  per  Satanam  et 
consilia  reproborum  destinat,  quo  visum  est,  et 
Toluntates  excitat  et  conatus  firmat).  As  in- 
stances of  the  latter  kind  he  cites  Pharaoh 
(Ex.  iv.  21  ;  vii.  3;  x.  i.,  etc.),  and  Sihon  the 
king  of  the  Arnorites  (Deut.  ii.  30).  For  the 
first-mentioned  kind  he  appeals  to  Eaek.  vii.  26  ; 
Ps.  cvii.  40;  Job  xii.  20,  24.  and  to  the  passage 
before  us  (comp.  Inslitutio  II.,  4,  3  sq.).  Whether 
that  indirect  hardening,  of  which  CALVIN  sptaks, 
is  essentially  different  from  the  permissive,  may 
be  doubted."  I  therefore  believe  that  all  those  in- 
terpreters— and  they  form  the  majority— who 
understand  this  passage  of  the  divine  permission, 
mean  nothing  else  than  what  CALVIN  intends  by 
that  former  kind  of  hardening.  For  the  ccssatto 
directionis  divinae,  the  ablatio  spiritus,  the  sublatio 
I  luminis  is  just  nothing  else  than  that  procedure 
I  of  God  bv 'which  He  makes  sin  possible  or  per 
i  mils  it,  'LUTHER,  in  particular,  belongs  to  those 
who  explain  our  place  in  the  permissive  rens 
and  with  his  fine  feeling  he  is  able,  without  dome 
violence  to  the  words,  to  remove  what  cau 
offence  from  them.  He  says :  "  Sunt  verba  ar- 
dent™ a/ectus.  Ah,  Domine,  qwire  *ini»  nos 
erraret'  No*  hunc  afectum  nan  mtclhgimu^quar 
privative  accipiemus,  ut  sit  sententia  :  quia  nolu 


680 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


audire  tuum  verbum,  permisisti  nos  errare  et  peccare; 
sicut:  fit,peccatum peccati  est  poena."  And  certainly 
in  the  mouth  of  the  suppliant  church  ver.  17  can 
never  be  taken  as  a  blasphemous  reproach.  But 
the  church  in  the  deepest  sorrow,  and  during  a 
momentary  eclipse  of  the  future  prospect  before 
her,  feels  herself  driven  to  put  this  question, 
Why  ?  Not  as  if  she  would  say  that  there  exists 
no  reason,  or  only  a  bad  one,  but  simply  to  inti- 
mate that  she  does  not  perceive  the  reason,  that 
here  the  providence  of  God  appears  to  her  dark, 
inexplicable.  The  church  mourns  because  the 
Lord  has  not  hindered  her  going  astray,  her 
hardening  in  evil,  which  exists  not  indeed  in  all, 
but  in  many  of  her  members.  She  thinks  that 
He.  the  Almighty,  could  have  done  it,  if  He  had 
wished.  That  He  lias  not  willed  it  is  to  her  in- 
conceivable. She  does  not  even  see  how  this,  her 
partial  apostasy  must,  on  the  whole,  co-operate  to 
the  realization  of  God's  gracious  counsel.  The 
statement  in  this  verse  is  in  harmony  with  vi.  9, 
10,  and  with  xxix.  10 ;  xlv.  7.  [But  in  xlv.  7 
the  evil  which  God  creates  is  physical  evil  or 
pain,  the  opposite  of  peace. — D.  M.].  For  here, 
as  there,  God  is  apparently  designated  as  the 
author  of  evil,  while  yet  God  can  never  will  evil 
as  such.  But  when  men  do  not  will  the  good, 
then  they  must  at  last  will  the  evil.  It  becomes 
a  necessity  in  the  way  of  punishment,  in  order 
that  they  may  be  thoroughly  acquainted  with  it, 
and  be  thereby  healed  (see  on  vi.  9  sq.and  xxix. 
10).  As  an  unauthorized  weakening  of  the 
genuine  meaning  of  this  place  I  must  regard  it 
when  SEE.  SCHMIDT  and  GROTIUS  understand 
the  words  defuturo:  Why  shall  it  then  come  to 
this,  that  we  go  astray  and  harden  ourselves  in 
idolatry?  The  imperfects  (futures)  UjJfin  and 
TVZypn  can  only  be  taken  to  mean  an  action  not 
yet  finished,  and  therefore  only  in  the  sense  of  the 
enduring  present.  If  we  ask  what  sin  the  Pro- 
phet specially  has  in  view  when  he  speaks  of 
irring  and  hardening,  we  must  nay  that  this 
erring  and  hardening  can  take  place  in  all  forms 
of  sin,  but  that,  in  the  end,  all  these  evil  fruits 
have  a  common  root,  namely,  the  sin  against  the 
first  (second)  commandment,  idolatry.  We  must, 
of  course,  think  here  not  only  of  gross,  but  also 
of  refined  idolatry.  The  Rabbinical  commenta- 
tors are  of  the  opinion  that  the  Prophet  has  here 
in  view,  doubt,  despair  and  unbelief  as  the  con- 
sequences of  the  long  duration  of  the  Exile.  This 
is  quite  possible,  if  we  think  not  merely  of  the 
Babylonish  Captivity,  but  also,  and  specially,  of 
the  present  exile  that  still  continues.  But  the 
look  of  the  Prophet  is  primarily  directed  to  the 
Babylonian  exile,  and  regarding  it  we  must  say 
that  it  became  to  many  Jews  an  occasion  even  of 
visible  apostacy  from  Jehovah  and  of  gross  idol- 
atry. ni?p  (certainly  hardened  from  HE/p)  occurs 
besides  here  only  in  Job  xxxix.  16,  where  it  has  the 
signification  "to  regard  or  treat  harshly."  JO  before 
"|J~\KV  has  here  a  negative  force,  and  the  sentence 
expresses  a  consequence,  so  as  not  to  fear 
thee.  Comp.  Ixii.  10  ;  lix.  1,  2  et  saepe.  While 
the  Prophet  sees  the  LORD,  as  it  were,  engaged 
in  a  woful  work,  the  work  namely  of  judicially 
hardening  ever  more  the  mass  of  Israel  after  the 
fljsh,  he  becomes  anxious  for  Israel  as  a  body. 
If  this  continues,  what  shall  become  of  the  elect 


people?  Who  will  be  able  to  withstand  the  cur- 
rent of  inward  and  outward  corruption  ?  There- 
fore he  entreats  the  LORD  not  to  continue  to  act 
in  this  way,  but  to  reverse  the  course  He  is  pur- 
suing. The  Prophet  lias  very  probably  Num.  x. 
36  before  his  mind  in  using  the  word  3Utf.  Ac- 
cordingly, as  the  verb  is  intransitive,  we  have  in 
regard  'J  'DDtf,  not  as  in  apposition  to  T"13J?, 
but  as  the  accusative  of  place  dependent  on  3W. 
Then  we  obtain  the  idea  that  the  Prophet  con- 
ceives the  erring  and  hardening  spoken  of  as 
caused  by  the  LORD  turning  away  from  Israel, 
and  leaving  them  to  their  fate.  He  is  here  be- 
sought, in  opposition  to  this,  to  return  to  the 
tribes  of  His  inheritance,  and  that  for  His  ser- 
vants' sake.  Who  are  these  servants?  They 
can  only  be  those  who  faithfully  serve  the  LORD 
in  distinction  from  those  who  err  and  harden 
themselves.  But  the  Prophet  means  by  these 
servants  not  merely  those  who  in  the  present  time 
have  remained  faithful,  but  all  faithful  servants 
of  Jehovah  of  all  times.  He  thinks  especially  of 
the  patriarchs  who  first  received  the  promises. 
It  is  for  the  sake  of  all  His  faithful  servants  that 
the  LORD  does  not  entirely  reject  Israel.  That 
Israel  here  bears  the  designation  the  tribes  of 
thine  inheritance  is  doubtless  because  the  Pro- 
phet wishes  thereby  to  point  to  Jehovah's  election 

of  Israel  to  bellis  !"l7}p  (Ex.  xix.  5;  Deut.  vii.  6 
et  saepe),  His  specially  dear  to  Him  and  inalien- 
able inheritance  (xix.  25  ;  xlvii.  6).  To  the  com- 
plaint of  the  decay  of  religious  life  (ver.  17)  there 
is  added  (vers.  18,  19  a)  a  complaint  regarding 
the  mournful  external  relations,  the  fruit  of  that 
internal  decay.  The  subject  of  UJ^V  can  only  be 
,i\  If  we  take  in¥  as  subject,  as  many 


do,  we  must  then  take  ^JJi'Qj  in  a  signification 
which  it  lias  not.  For  "M?¥D  (besides  here  Gen. 
xix.  20  ;  Job  viii.  7  ;  Ps.  xlii.  7  ;  2  Chron.  xxiv. 
24)  is  the  harder  form  of  "li^.?,  which  latter  oc- 
curs in  no  other  Old  Testament  writer  than 
Isaiah,  who  lias  it  in  x.  25  ;  xxix.  17;  xvi.  14  ; 
xxiv.  6.  The  signification  is  everywhere  paulum, 
a  little.  The  word  is  synonymous  with  P^?' 
which  word  in  all  these  places  of  Isaiah  (with 
exception  of  the  last-  mentioned,  xxiv.  6,)  is 
joined  to  "U?T3.  If  now  we  take  iy"12f  as  sub- 

ject, we  must  take  "VlfD  /  in  the  sense  of  pro- 
pemodum,  parum  abest  quin,  almost,  nearly,  as 
COCCEIUS,  LUTHER  and  STIER  do.  But  then  the 
form  should  be  "\pi*23  after  the  analogy  of 

B£?3.  Further,  I^D1?  can  neither  be  =  "U^O 
without  7  (LXX.)  nor  =  nullo  pretio,  sine  labore 

(JEROME).  IJftfO/  can  only  be  a  particle  of 
time,  and  mean  for  a  short  time.  Many  are  in- 
clined to  regard  "]CHpD  as  the  common  object  of 
lUn'  and  10D13,  while  they  take  EHpO  either  as 
a  designation  of  the  whole  land,  or  of  the  temple 
alone.  But  the  whole  land  is  never  called  CHpO, 
and  the  expression  tfT  cannot  well  be  employed 
of  the  temple.  We  must,  too,  in  that  case  refer 

"\jrtf07  to  both  sentences.  For  it  stands  as  em- 
phatically at  the  beginning  as  "lUH'O  stands  at 


CHAP.  LXIII.  19  6— LXIV.  11. 


681 


the  close.  I,  therefore,  agree  with  DELITZSCH  in 
taking  ItJ/T  absolutely,  and  in  understanding  as 
its  object  the  land.  This  object  could  be  easily 
omitted,  as  l^V  is  used  countless  times  both  of 
the  taking  of  the  holy  land  into  possession,  and 
of  the  holding  of  it  in  possession.  The  word,  too, 
is  often  employed  absolutely :  Deut.  ii.  24,  31 ; 
Gen.  xxi.  10;  2  Sam.  xiv.  7;  Mic.  i.  15,  et  suepe. 

Although  "IJJJfD?   is  a  rhetorical  hyperbole,  it  is 

yet  justified,  inasmuch  as,  if  the  LORD  does  not 
hear  the  prayer  contained  in  ver.  176,  the  time 
during  which  Israel  possessed  the  land  would  be 
short  in  comparison  with  the  following  perma- 
nent exclusion  from  its  possession.  The  tread- 
ing down  of  the  Sanctuary  is  regarded  as 
the  dissolving  of  the  bond  of  connection  between 
Israel  and  his  God.  Israel  stands,  therefore,  now 
as  a  people  over  which  Jehovah  has  never  ruled. 
It  is  no  more  distinguished  in  anything  from  the 

heathen  nations.  Before  D/1J70,  which  must  be 
connected  with  what  follows,  "^^  is  to  be  sup- 


plied. According  to  our  way  of  speaking 
would  be  required.  [In  the  E.  V.  the  important 
word  thine  is  arbitrarily  supplied.  Dr.  NAE- 
GELSBACH'S  rendering  is  here  to  be  preferred : 
We  are  become  as  those  over  whom  thou 
never  barest  rule,  (or  didst  not  rule  from 
ancient  time),  on  •whom  thy  name  was 
never  called.— D.  M.].  That  Israel  has  been, 
as  it  were,  marked  with  the  name  of  Jehovah, 
and  thus  distinguished  from  all  nations,  is  always 
set  forth  as  one  of  its  greatest  privileges  (comp. 
Deut.  xxviii.  10;  2  Chron.  vii.  14;  Jer.  xiv.  9, 
et  saepe.  Comp.  Isa.  xliii.  7;  Ixv.  1).  [The 
first  verse  of  chap.  Ixiv.  in  the  E.  V.  forms  the 
latter  part  of  ver.  19  of  the  preceding  chapter  in 
the  Hebrew  text.  It  is  convenient  in  the  Com- 
mentary to  adhere  to  the  division  of  chapters  and 
verses  observed  in  the  Hebrew  Bible.  Accord- 
ingly, what  stands  in  the  English  Bible  as  the 
first  verse  of  chap  Ixiv.  appears  in  the  Com- 
mentary as  the  conclusion  of  Ixiii.  19.  And  in 
conformity  with  this  arrangement  chap.  Ixiv., 
instead  of  twelve,  has  only  eleven  verses. — D.  M.]. 


3.  PRAYER  THAT  THE  LORD  WOULD  VISIBLY  INTERVENE,  AND  SO  PROVE 
HIMSELF  TO  BE,  AS  OF  OLD,  THE  GOD  AND  FATHER  OF  ISRAEL. 
CHAPTER  LXIII.  19  6  to  LXIV.  11.   (LXIV.  1-12). 

CHAP.  LXIII.  19  b.    Oh  that  thou  wouldest  rend  the  heavens, 
That  thou  wouldest  come  down, 
That  the  mountains  might  flow  down  at  thy  presence, 

CHAP.  LXIV.  1.     As  when  lathe  melting  fire  burneth, 
The  fire  causeth  the  waters  to  boil, 
To  make  thy  name  known  to  thine  adversaries, 
That  the  nations  may  tremble  at  thy  presence ! 

2  bWhen  thou  didst  terrible  things  which  we  looked  not  for, 
Thou  earnest  down,  the  mountains  flowed  down  at  thy  presence. 

3  For  since  the  beginning  of  the  world  men  have  not  heard,  nor  perceived  by  the  ear, 
Neither  hath  the  eye  "seen,  O  God,  beside  thee, 

What  he  hath  prepared  for  him  that  waiteth  for  him. 

4  Thou  meetest  him  that  rejoiceth  and  worketh  righteousness, 
"Those  that  remember  thee  in  thy  ways : 

Behold,  thou  art  wroth ;  for  we  have  sinned  : 
dln  those  is  continuance,  and  we  shall  be  saved. 

5  But  we  are  all  *as  an  unclean  thing, 

And  all  our  righteousnesses  are  as  filthy  rags : 

And  we  all  do  fade  as  a  leaf; 

And  our  iniquities,  like  the  wind,  have  taken  us  away. 

6  And  there  is  none  that  calleth  upon  thy  name, 
That  stirreth  up  himself  to  take  hold  of  thee: 
For  thou  hast  hid  thy  face  from  us, 

And  hast  'consumed  us,  4because  of  our  iniquities. 

7  But  now,  O  LORD,  thou  art  our  father ; 
We  are  the  clay,  and  thou  our  potter ; 
And  we  all  are  the  work  of  thy  hand. 

8  Be  not  wroth  very  sore,  O  LORD, 
Neither  remember  iniquity  for  ever: 

Behold,  see,  we  beseech  thee,  we  are  all  thy  people. 


682 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


9  Thy  holy  cities  are  a  wilderness, 

Zion  is  a  wilderness,  Jerusalem  a  desolation. 

10  Our  holy  and  our  beautiful  house,  where  our  fathers  praised  thee, 
Is  burned  up  with  fire  : 

And  all  our  pleasant  things  are  laid  waste. 

11  Wilt  thou  refrain  thyself  for  these  things,  O  LORD? 
Wilt  thou  hold  thy  peace,  and  afflict  us  very  sore  ? 

i  Heb.  the  fire  of  meltings.  a  Or,  seen  a  God  beside  thee,  whioh  doeth  so  for  him,  etc.  »  Heb.  melted.  ' 

*  Heb.  by  the  hand  of. 

»  As  fire  kindles  brushwood.  b  When  thou  dost  terrible  deeds  ivhic.h  we  did  not  expect,— that  thou  wouldest  com» 
down,  that  mountains  might  flow  down  before  theet  «  In  thji  ways  they  remember  thee.  d  for  a  long  time  it  is  so; 
and  shall  we  be  saued  ?  •  We  were  all  as  the  unclean  (person),  etc. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 

^Vj3.  Isa-  xxxiv.  4,  etc.    In  this  way  19J3   has  arisen, 

T  T 

and  the  occasion  of  its  formation  seems  to  have  been 
the  endeavor  to  unite  the  significations  of  the  stems 
SSl  and  *7T3.  The  one  of  these  stems  has  given  the 
consonants  and  the  vocalization  of  the  first  syllable, 

the  other,  the  vocalization  of  the  second  syllable  (comp. 
With   Drr/J?,  Ixiii.  19  a,  the  verse  ought  pro- 


Ver.  19  6.  Regarding  the  division  into  chapters,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  what  follows  from  Ixiii.  19  b  is 
closely  connected  with  what  precedes.  There  is  no 
reason  for  beginning  a  new  chapter  here.  It  would  be 
appropriate  to  make  the  chapter  begin  at  Ixiii.  15.  But 
it  is  quite  awkward  to  commence  the  chapter  with 


perly  to  close.—  [DELITZSCH,  while  he  condemns  the  be- 
ginning of  a  new  chapter  with  PHM,  defends  the  Ma- 
soretic  division  of  verses,  and  maintains  that  Ixiii.  19  6 
could  not  be  united  with  Ixiv.  1,  for  the  verse  thus 
formed  would  be  beyond  measure  overladen.  This 
sigh,  too,  belongs  really  to  19  a,  as  it  arises  out  of 
the  depths  of  the  complaint  there  expressed.  —  D.  M.J  — 
^f  3  is  probably  a  mongrel  form  from  l^n  and  iS-P- 

For  from  77!,  to  shake,  comes  the  perfect  Niphal  ^7TJ. 

-T  -T 

But  the  Prophet  wished  to  speak  not  merely  of  a  sha- 

king, but  also  of  a  dissolving,  a  flowing  down  of  the 
mountains  (comp.  Ps.  xlvi.  7  [C]).  For  this  purpose  he 
availed  himself  of  the  freedom  allowed  in  forming  the 
Niphal  of  verbs,  'yy.  The  Niphal  of  these  verbs  can 
bo  inflected,  as  if  its  normal  third  person  masculine 
were  an  independent  stem.  Thus  we  have  P13D3,  Ezek. 
xli.  7;  ^Tii  Judges  v.  5,  as  if  these  were  forms  of  the 

:T  i 

Kal,  303,   7T3-    There  occur,  moreover,  Niphal  forms 

-  T  -T 

which  suppose  a  Kal  perfect  e  or  o,  from  which  they 
are  formed:  H3D3,  Ezek.  xxvi.  2;  M3J,  Amos  iii.  11; 


OLSHAUSEN,  §  2G3,  G,  p.  592). — [It  is  hard  to  imagine  that 
the  Prophet  intended  by  the  irregular  form  which  he 
employed  to  unite  in  it  both  the  meaning  of  7JT,  to 
shake,  and  that  of  ^JJ,  to  flow.  Most  modern  interpre- 
ters prefer  to  absume  as  the  stem  77T- — D.  M.] 

Ver.  4.  The  combination  pti*  T\Wy\  frfr  is  mani- 
festly formed  in  the  genuine  style  of  Isaiah  for  the 
sake  of  the  alliteration. — [There  is  here  no  example  of 
alliteration. — D.  M.] — This  combination  is  grammati- 
cally admissible  according  to  the  usage  which  allows 
us  to  add  to  a  verb  a  nearer  specification  by  means  of  a 
second  verb  in  the  same  verbal  form  and  connected  by 
wav  (comp.  Job  vi.  9;  2  Sam.  vii.29;  Deut.  v.  19,  et  saepe). 
Ver.  5.  7331  is,  it  appears  to  me,  Hiphil  from  n/3, 

YT-  T  T 

marcuit,  absumtus,  confcctus  est. — [DELITZSCH  regards  it 
as  the  Hiphil  from  7*73,  or  from  ^3  =  S33-— D.  M.J— 

-T  "T 

The  Hiphil  is  directly  causative,  to  produce  withering, 
i.  e.  to  wither  away. 

Ver.  6.  13310H1  i-B  Kal,  which  is  here  exceptionally 
used  in  a  transitive  signification  (comp.  on  PHp,  ny3, 

-IT        *c  T 

ver.  1).  T3  marks  the  terminus  in  quern,  and  recalls 
Gen.  xiv.  20. 


EXEGETICAL    AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  In  violent  agitation  the  suppliant  expresses 
the  wish  that  God  would  put  an  end  to  all  this 
misery  by  a  visible  and  grand  manifestation  of 
His  might  and  majesty,  that  He  would  come 
down  upon  the  earth,  so  that  all  His  enemies  must 
flee  trembling  before  Him  (Ixiii.  19  6-lxiv.  2), 
And  Jehovah  can  do  this,  for  He  alone  has  proved 
Himself  by  deeds  to  be  the  living  God  to  those 
who  hope  in  Him  (vers.  3,  4  a).  God's  procedure 
hitherto,  in  ever  visiting  Israel  with  repeated  pun- 
ishment, has  been  of  no  avail.  Israel  has  not  re- 
formed thereby,  but  has  only  sunk  deeper  in  im- 
purity, corruption  and  decay  (vers.  4  b-6).  But 
Jehovah  is  Israel's  Father,  Israel  is  the  clay  in 
His  hand,  and  He  i^  the  Potter.  Is  not  Israel 
then,  such  as  it  is,  properly  His  work?  (ver  7)  [?] 
Let  it  please  Him,  then,  not  to  exercise  wrath  to 
the  utmost  degree,  but  to  consider  that  Israel  is 
His  people  (ver.  8).  All  the  cities  of  the  holy 


land  lie  waste  and  desolate,  even  Zion  and  Jeru- 
salem (ver.  9).  The  te'lnple  is  burnt  down,  and 
all  places  in  which  Israel  once  delighted  are  ruins 
(ver.  10).  Can  Jehovah  endure  this?  Can  He 
be  silent  at  it,  and  only  continue  to  afflict  His 
people?  (ver.  11). 

2.  Oh,  that  thou  wouldest  rend thy 

ways. — Ixiii.  19  6-lxiv.  4  a.  At  the  head  of 
the  preceding  paragraph  (Ixiii.  15-19  a)  we  read 
the  prayer  that  the  LORD  would  graciously  look 
down  from  heaven  on  the  misery  of  His  people 
(ver.  15).  How  needful  it  is  that  He  should  do 
this  is  then  shown  by  various  negative  and  posi- 
tive reasons.  The  suppliant  is  now  not  satisfied 
with  a  mere  looking  down.  He  has  come  to  know 
(ver.  17  sqq.)  how  great  the  gulf  is  which  sepa- 
rates Israel  inwardly  and  outwardly  from  its  God. 
Inwardly,  a  great  part  of  the  nation  has  gone 
astray  from  Jehovah,  and  is  even  confirmed, 


CHAP.  LXIII.  19  6-LXIV.  11. 


683 


hardened  in  this  apostasy :  externally,  the  people 
have  been  expelled  from  the  land  of  their  inheri- 
tance and  from  their  sanctuary.  The  suppliant 
now  thinks  that  in  order  to  heal  all  these  evils, 
there  is  needed  a  grand  and  signal  manifestation 
of  the  divine  majesty  which  should  strike  down 
all  unbelief  and  annihilate  all  opposition.  He 
desires,  therefore,  that  God  would  rend  the  hea- 
ven, remove  as  it  were  the  curtain  which  now 
conceals  Him  from  the  bodily  eye,  and  thus  makes 
unbelief  and  its  consequences  possible.  Some- 
thing is  here  asked,  which  is  far  more  than  the 
bowing  of  the  heaven  and  coming  down  which  is 
described  in  Ps.  xviii.  10  as  having  taken  place, 
and  which  is  implored  in  Ps.  cxliv.  5.  In  these 
places  by  the  bowing  of  the  heaven  and  coming  down 
only  a  manifestation  by  means  of  a  tempest  is  de- 
noted, while  Isaiah  here  prays  that  Jehovah 
would  show  Himself  in  His  terrible  majesty,  as 
according  to  Ezek.  i.  1  He  did  really  show  Him- 
self to  His  prophet.  N17  comp.  on  xlviii.  18. 

The  perfect  after  XH  depicts  impatience.  The 
rending  of  the  heaven  and  coming  down 

is  set  forth  not  as  something  merely  possible,  but 
as  something  in  regard  to  which  merely  the  wish 
is  expressed  that  it  may  have  already  happened. 
In  what  way  the  Prophet  pictures  to  himself  the 

occurrence  indicated  by  1/TJ.  he  explains  in  Ixiv. 
1  by  two  comparisons.  He  supposes  the  66£a 
which  surrounds  the  LORD  as  consuming  fire 
penetrating  the  mountains,  though  these  are  pro- 
perly not  combustible,  and  kindling  them  as  easi- 
ly and  rapidly  as  fire  ignites  a  fagot,  yea,  dissolv- 
ing them  despite  their  hardness  and  consistency 
into  a  boiling,  seething  mass,  just  as  fire  causes 
liquid  water  to  boil  (comp.  Ps.  Ixxxiii.  15:  xcvii. 
£>)•  l"1^  stands  in  Deut.  xxxii.  22;  Jer.  xv.  14 
in  an  intransitive  sense,  but  in  the  parallel  pass- 
age Jer.  xvii.  4,  and  in  Isaiah  1.  11,  it  is  transi- 
tive. i~U73,  too,  which  from  the  radical  meaning 
"ebullire"  has,  on  the  one  hand,  the  signification 
of  hot  desire,  longing,  asking  (xxi.  12  bis),  on  the 
other,  that  of  blowing  one's  self  up,  swelling  (xxx. 
13),  possesses  both  a  transitive  and  an  intransitive 
power,  as  is  the  case  with  so  many  Hebrew  verbal 
stems.  D'DQH,  a~.  foy.,  which  the  LXX.  ren- 
der by  Krjpo^,  wax,  and  the  VULGATE  by  tabescere, 
was  perceived  by  DE  DIEU  and  SCHULTENS  to  be 
related  to  the  Arabic  hams  and  hoschim  (dry  herb, 
dry,  brittle  wood).  It  denotes  sarmenta,  dry  wood 
of  the  vine  or  of  branches,  brushwood.  [Instead  of 
"as  when  the  melting  fire  burneth  (E.  V.), 
translate  as  fire  kindles  brushwood."  D. 
M.].  The  aim  of  this  indubitable  manifestation 
of  Jehovah  is  that  He  may  make  His  name  (i.  e., 
the  knowledge  of  His  being  comprised  in  word) 
known  to  his~  enemies,  i.e.,  to  all  those  who  stray 
from  Him  and  harden  themselves  in  this  aliena- 
tion (ver.  17),  whether  they  are  Israelites  or  hea- 
then. The  Prophet  evidently  hopes  that  this 
manifestation  as  demonstratio  ad  oculos  will  compel 
all  Israelites,  who  hitherto  did  not  believe  the  in- 
struction given  to  them  (because  its  evidence  was 
not  palpable  enough)  to  know  and  acknowledge 
their  God.  If,  however,  there  should  be  some 
among  the  tTU,  who,  notwithstanding  this  revela- 
tion apparent  to  the  senses,  should  not  be  dis- 
posed to  believe,  these  must  at  least  flee  van- 


quished and  incapable  of  resistance.  On  "pm 
comp.  on  Ixiii.  12.  "U1  "]nmya  in  ver.  2  is  de- 
pendent on  jniD7.  The  knowledge  of  the  name 
ot  God  will  be  imparted  to  men,  so  far  as  this 
rending  and  coming  down  is  a  deed,  not  mere- 
ly an  instruction  by  word.  This  is  a  thought 
quite  after  Isaiah's  manner,  as  may  be  seen  from 
comparing  xxvi.  8-10,  the  remarks  on  which 
passage  may  be  consulted.  After  the  state- 
ment of  the  design  to  make  thy  name 
known,  etc.,  the  manner  of  doing  this  is  also 
declared:  in  thy  doing  terrible  things 
etc.  [Not :  When  thou  didst  terrible, 
etc. — E.  V.].  And  then  there  is  mention  again 
made  of  the  visible  event  which  should  precede 
the  making  known  of  Jehovah's  name  to  His  ad- 
versaries. For  at  the  close  of  verse  2  we  have  a 
repetition  of  the  conclusion  of  Ixiii.  19  (Oh,  that) 
thou  wouldest  come  down,  etc.  [Not,  as  in 
the  E.  V. :  Thou  earnest  down,  etc.].  Ev  this 
recurrence  of  the  same  words  the  verses  Ixifi  196 
-Ixiv.  2  are  shown  to  form  logically  and  rhetori- 
cally an  inseparable  whole.  The  "words  of  the 
third  verse  [fourth  in  E.  V.]  stand  manifestly  in 
a  causal  relation  to  what  precedes.  The  Prophet 
had  expressed  the  bold  wish  that  the  LORD  might 
no  longer  remain  concealed,  but  might  visibly 
display  His  Godhead.  Can  this  happen?  Ima- 
ginary gods  cannot,  indeed,  comply  with  such  a 
requirement.  But  Jehovah  is  no  "fictitious  god. 
He  is  the  true,  the  living  God.  And  He  alone 
has  shown  Himself  as  such  from  the  beginning. 
For  from  primeval  time  men  have  not  seen 
nor  heard  a  God  beside  Jehovah  who  showed 
Himself  by  living  deed  to  him  who  hopes  in  Him. 

I  take  1  before  D  7l>'0  in  a  causal  sense  =  and 
truly,  as  we  had  it  frequently  already  (e.  g.,  xxiv. 
5 ;  xxxviii.  17 ;  xxxix.  1,  comp.  with  2  Kings  xx. 

12).  That  DTPK  is  to  be  taken  as  the  accusa- 
tive, and  not  as  the  vocative,  is  clear,  because 
neither  in  itself  nor  in  this  connection  is  it  a 
suitable  thought  to  say:  None  but  Thou,  O  God, 
has  seen  and  heard  what  Thou  wilt  do  to  those 
who  hope  in  Thee.  For  it  is  self-evident  that  no 
one  previously  saw  and  heard  what  God  intends. 
And  what,  too,  is  intended  by  this  strange  sentence 
in  this  connection  ?  And  how  explain  the  change 
of  person  in  HEM?'?  It  i?  objected  that  pNH 
is  not  in  other  cases  followed  by  the  accusative. 
But  this  is  not  the  case.  j'TNn  has  frequently, 
when  in  the  parallelism  #01!'  corresponds  to  it,  the 
accusative  after  it  (Gen.iv.  23  ;  Job  xxxiii.  1),  and 
we  may  say  that  in  the  passage  before  us  U^INH 
is  subordinated  to  the  TpDtf  as  a  merely  rhetori- 
cal repetition,  and  forms  one  idea  with  it.  Even 
if  the  construction  of  "TXn  with  the  accusative 
could  not  in  any  way  he  justified,  this  would  not 

signify.  For  the  accusative  D'H/N  can  also  de- 
pend on  the  verb  HHfcO  alone  as  the  nearest  verb. 

DELITZSCII  rightly  remarks :  "  We  cannot  in  chap- 
ters xl.-lxvi.  hear  the  words  "]nSn  D^nSx  preceded 
by  a  negation,  without  at  once  receiving  the  im- 
pression that  Jahve's  [Jehovah's]  exclusive  God- 
head is  attested  (xlv.  5,  21)."  HtfJT  stands  in  a 
pregnant  sense,  as  in  Ps.  xxii.  32;  xxxvii.  5;  lii. 


684 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


11;  Jer.  xiv.  7;  Dan.  viii.  24;  xi.  17,  28,  30. 
The  God,  who  from  the  beginning  has  proved 
Himself  to  be  a  real,  living  God  by  working,  i.  e., 
by  such  indubitable  proofs  in  deeds  as  only  a  real, 
living  power  could  show — this  God  can  also  do 
that  which  the  Prophet  (Ixiii.  19  6-lxiv.  2)  with 
such  intense  ardor  desires  to  see.  I,  too,  believe 
that  Paul  freely  quotes  this  passage  in  1  Cor.  ii. 
9.  But  I  think,  on  account  of  the  words  "  KOI 
e.Tj  Kap6iav  avd pvirov  ova  av£j3rj,"  that  the  place  Ixv. 
17  was  also  before  the  Apostle's  mind.  [Paul's  quo- 
tation of  this  place  is  seen  to  be  appropriate  when 
we  reflect  that  the  Object  perceived  by  no  ear, 
seen  by  no  eye,  is,  as  DELITZSCH  puts  it,  not  God 
in  Himself,  but  the  God  who  acts  for  His  people, 
who  justifies  their  waiting  on  Him. — D.  M.]. 
What  the  Prophet  had  intimated  by  the  one  word 
rVtf>T,  he  expands  in  the  first  part  of  verse  4. 
>'Ji3  is  a  strong  expression,  and  is  intended  to  de- 
note a  friendly  impingere,  but  one  which  is 
right  sensibly  felt,  an  occursus  which  leaves  no 
doubt  as  to  the  reality  of  the  person  who  meets 
us,  though  He  should  be  invisible.  ^J3  stands 
with  the  accusative  in  the  general  sense  of  meet- 
ing (Ex.  v.  20;  xxiii.  4;  1  Sam.  x.  5;  Amos  v. 
19;  comp.  Ex.  v.  3;  Isa.  xlvii.  3).  The  LORD 
meets  in  a  way  that  is  perceptible  to  Him  who 
loves  righteousness  and  practises  it,  i.  e.,  does  it 
with  joy.  ["  He  who  rejoices  and  works  righteous- 
ness is  one  in  whom  joy  and  doing  right  are 
united.  The  expression  is  therefore  equivalent 
to  rejoices  to  do  righteousness.  But  it  is, 
perhaps,  more  correct,  with  HOFMANX,  to  take 
p^i*  as  the  object  of  both  verbs:  Such  as  let 
•what  is  right  be  their  joy  and  their  work ; 
for  bNi9  C^1^),  though  it  cannot  immediately  (see 
viii.  6  ;  xxxv.  1),  can  mediately,  as  here  and  Ixv. 
18,  be  joined  with  the  accusative  of  the  object." — 
DELITZSCH. — D.  M.].  As  the  Prophet,  in  Ixiv. 
4  b  passes  over  to  a  new,  specifically  different 
thought,  nnx  JH  must  begin  a  new  verse. 

3.  Behold,  thou  art   wroth us  away. 

Vers.  4  6-6.  With  these  words  the  Prophet  sets 
that  procedure  which  the  LORD  had  hitherto  pur- 
sued over  against  that  which  he  himself  so  ardently 
longs  for  as  certainly  leading  to  the  desired  end. 
Hitherto  the  LORD  has  been  wroth.  Although  in- 
dividuals might  experience  the  assisting  grace  of 
their  God,  yet,  on  the  whole,  His  conduct  toward 
His  people  was  characterized  by  anger.  And  what 
was  the  result?  Was  Israel  thereby  reformed  ? 
No.  The  old  sin  ever  succeeded  punishment. 
Sin,  punishment,  and  sin  again,  that  has  been  the 
whole  history  of  Israel  from  the  beginning.  This 
is,  in  my  judgment,  the  meaning  of  the  words 


DH3.  Thus  natfp  retains  its  full  force  as 
a  perfect,  and  NOrUl  retains  unimpaired  the  signi- 
fication of  an  aoristic  imperfect.  DH2  has  a  neu- 
ter force:  in  (with,  during)  these  (things)  which 
are  indicated  by  thou  wast  angry,  and  we 

sinned,  is  (contained,  elapsed)  an  oVl>',  i.  e.,  an 
eternity,  a  period  of  incalculable  duration.     The 


writer  means  the  tty  so  often  spoken  of  pre- 
viously (Ixiii.  9,  11,  16,  19;  Ixiv.  3)  :  the  past  of 
the  people  of  Israel.  Its  history  was  really  since 
the  journeying  in  the  wilderness  an  uninterrupted 


series  of  transgressions  and  punishments.  It  can- 
not be  objected  that  D7lJ?n  would  be  required. 
For  the  Prophet  will  not  press  the  idea  "  time 
past,"  or  even  "  the  past  of  the  Israelitish  people." 
He  just  wishes  to  say  that  an  eternity  has  passed 
in  such  an  alternation  of  things.  That  0713  can  be 

used  thus  indefinitely,  is  beyond  doubt  (comp. 
xxxviii.  16;  Ezek.  xxxiii.  18;  Jer.  xviii.  13, 
etc.).  So,  in  the  main,  DELITZSCH.  But  he 
translates:  ''In  this  state  we  have  been  already 
long."  It  appears  to  me,  that  in  order  to  express 

this,  the  Prophet  would  have  written  D/tyD.  I, 
too,  take  £^J]  as  a  question  (comp.,  e.  g.,  Ezek. 
xx.  31).  If  punishing  and  correcting  have  al- 
ready lasted  for  an  eternity  without  good  result, 
can  this  be  the  right  way  to  save  Israel  ?  [This 
question  is  hardly  becoming.  And  such  correc- 
tion is  really  God's  successful  way  of  turning  Is- 
rael from  their  sins  (comp.  xxvii.  9;  Hos.  v.  15, 
etc.).  If  under  DH3  we  understand  God's  wrath 
and  Israel's  sin,  then  we  mnst  take  >'iyU1  as  a 
question,  which  looks  a  somewhat  arbitrary 
construction.  The  translators  of  the  English 
version  evidently  regarded  DH3  as  referring  to 
"J'JITJ  in  the  preceding  hemistich.  This  view 
is  still  held  by  many  interpreters,  and  it  is, 
perhaps,  on  the  whole  entitled  to  the  prefer- 
ence. Adopting  it  ALEXANDER  thus  paraphrases 
this  verse :  "  Although  Thou  hast  cast  off  Israel  as 
a  nation,  Thou  hast  nevertheless  met  or  favorably 
answered  every  one  rejoicing  to  do  righteousness, 
and  in  Thy  ways  or  future  dispensations  such 
shall  still  remember  and  acknowledge  Thee: 
Thou  hast  been  angry,  and  with  cause,  for  we 
have  sinned;  but  in  them,  Thy  purposed  dispen- 
sations, there  is  perpetuity,  and  we  shall  be  saved." 
— D.  M.]  That  the  discipline  hitherto  applied 
has  not  been  of  any  help  is  shown  by  the  Prophet 
still  more  in  detail  in  what  follows.  Very  far 
from  being  healed  and  sanctified,  the  whole  people 
became  rather  as  a  man  rendered  unclean  by 
leprosy,  who  must  be  expelled  from  human  society 
(Lev.  xiii.  44  sqq.).  The  people,  therefore,  that 
had  become  unclean  through  the  leprosy  of  sin, 
must  as  one  man  be  cast  out  of  the  holy  land  into 
exile.  The  same  thing  is  declared  under  another 
image.  The  moral  habitus  of  the  people  (their 
righteousness,  i.  e-,  juste  fac.ta,  xxxiii.  15;  xlv. 
24)  is  compared  with  a  menstruous  garment 
(D"1^,  art.  /ley.  from  *n>',  counted  time),  whose 
touch  makes  unclean.  But  moral  pollution  de- 
prives people  of  firmness  and  strength.  Therefore 
the  suppliant  further  acknowledges  that  they  are 
withered  as  a  leaf.  But  leaves  when  they  are 
dry  and  fall  off,  become  the  prey  of  the  wind. 
Thus  iniquities  (UJ\£  is  defectively  written  plural 
for  U'P.\P>  ver.  6;  Jer.  xiv.  7;  Dan.  ix.  13)  have 
mediately  swept  the  people  into  exile  with  the 
irresistible  force  of  a  tempest.  And  in  exile  the 
mass  of  the  people  have  not  been  improved.  Al- 
though, as  this  prayer  itself  proves,  the  stem  is 
not  quite  dead  (vi.  13),  it  may  yet  be  said,  if  we 
consider  the  great  mass  of  the  people,  that  there 
is  no  one  who  calls  upon  the  name  of  the  LORD, 
no  one  who  would  have  roused  himself  as  a  man 
to  make  the  necessary  moral  effort  to  take  fast 


CHAP.  LXIII.  19  6— LXIV.  11. 


685 


hold  of  Jehovah.  [God's  hiding  his  face  stood 
in  a  causal  relation  to  the  absence  of  prayer  on 
the  part  of  the  people.  The  neglect  of  calling  on 
Jehovah's  name  and  the  want  of  importunity  in 
prayer  are  traced  to  the  withdrawal  of  the  divine 
favor  and  to  the  abandonment  of  the  people  to  the 
consequences  of  their  sins.  —  D.  M.] 

4.  But  now,  O  Lord  --  very  sore.  —  Vers. 
7-11.  iin^l  is  emphatic,  ver.  7.  It  is  as  if  he 
would  say  :  "  Our  condition  is  very  dreadful. 
The  worst  is  to  be  feared.  But  now,  Thou  art  our 
Father.  Therefore  there  is  still  hope."  With 
U'3X  he  returns  to  the  thought  which  he  had 
already  expressed,  Ixiii.  16.  ["  Instead  of  rely- 
ing upon  any  supposed  merits  of  their  own,  they 
appeal  to  their  own  dependence  upon  God  as  a 
reason  why  He  should  have  mercy  upon  them. 
The  paternity  ascribed  to  God  is  not  that  of  na- 
tural creation  in  the  case  of  individuals,  but  the 
creation  of  the  church  or  chosen  people,  and  of 
Israel  as  a  spiritual  and  ideal  person.  The  figure 
of  the  potter  and  the  clay,  implying  absolute  au- 
thority and  power,  is  used  twice  before  (xxix.  6  ; 
xlv.  9),  and  is  one  of  the  connecting  links  be- 
tween this  book  and  the  acknowledged  Isaiah." 
ALEXANDER.  —  D.  M.]  On  the  double  declara- 
tion that  the  LORD  is  not  only  Father,  but  also 
Potter,  the  prayer,  ver.  8,  is  founded  that  He 
would  not  be  wroth  very  sore,  nor  remember 
iniquity  forever,  but  rather  consider  that  all  Is- 
rael is  His  people.  This  short  emphatic  exclama- 


tion UD  -py  KJ-B3n  |H  forms  plainly  the  high- 
est point  of  the  prayer,  and  here  it  could  accord- 
ingly come  to  an  end.  [?]  I  regard  it  as  pos- 
sible that  the  verses  9-11  have  been  inserted 
by  an  Israelite  living  in  the  Exile,  to  whom 
the  sad  condition  of  the  holy  land,  of  the  holy 
city  and  of  the  holy  house  seemed  to  be  for 
God  and  Israel  the  thing  most  unendurable. 
We  could  thus  explain  the  singularly  vivid 
and  exact  description  of  the  state  in  which  the 
home  of  the  exiles  was  at  the  time  here  sup- 
posed. For  certainly  the  words  of  vers.  9  and 
10  do  not  sound  as  those  of  one  who  viewed  the 
things  from  a  distance,  but  as  the  words  of  one 
who  saw  them  most  closely.  [Here  our  author's 
arbitrary  theory  of  prophecy  misleads  him,  cornp. 
Introduction,  foot-note,  pp.  17,  18.  DR.  NAEGEI.S- 
BACH  has  himself  told  us  in  the  heading  of  this 
fourth  discourse,  Ixiii.  7.-lxiv.  11,  that  "the  Pro- 
phet transports  himself  in  spirit  into  the  situa- 
tion of  the  church  of  the  Exile."  He  lives  in 
spirit  in  the  Fxile,  and  speaks  of  the  misery  pre- 
vailing in  it  as  if  he  were  an  immediate  eye-wit- 
ness. This  is  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of 
the  Prophet.  That  condition  of  things  which 
Isaiah  by  prophetic  anticipation  here  describes 
as  existing,  is  clearly  predicted  by  his  cotempo- 
rary  Micah  (iii.  12).  It  was  after  the  Prophet 
had  described  the  treading  down  of  the  sanctuary 
(Ixiii.  18)  that  he  exclaimed,  Oh  that  thoii 
wouldest  rend  the  heavens  and  come 
down,  etc.  ;  and  it  is  strange  that  vers.  9  and  10 
should  not  be  considered  by  our  author  as  a  most 
appropriate  close  to  the  prayer,  and  that  these 
verses  should  be  regarded  by  him  as  the  language 
of  carnal  Israel,  and  as  an  interpolation  by  a 
later  hand.  —  D.  M.].  Thy  holy  cities  are  the 
cities  of  the  land.  E^  is  to  be  taken  in  an  ab- 


stract sense:  urbes  tuae  sanctitatis,  thy  holy  cities 
(comp.  Ps.  Ixxviii.  54;  Zech.  ii.  16).  Zion  is 
here  the  mount  Zion,  the  seat  of  the  kingdom, 
the  political  centre  of  the  theocracy  ;  Jerusalem 
is  the  entire  holy  city,  the  national  centre.  There 
is  added  in  ver.  10  the  religious  centre,  the  tem- 
ple. ["The  people  call  it  house  of  our  holiness 
and  pur  glory;  Jahve's  holiness  and  glory 
have  in  the  temple  transplanted,  as  it  were, 
heaven  on  the  earth  (comp.  Ixiii.  15  with  Ix.  7), 
and  this  earthly  dwelling-place  of  God  is  Israel's 
possession,  and  thereby  Israel's  EHp  and  rPN3JV 
The  relative  sentence  tells  what  sacred  historical 
recollections  are  attached  to  it.  ~\U>$  is  here  = 


Dt?  VttfX,  where,  as  Gen.  xxxix!  20 ;  Numb, 
xx.  13  et  saepe"  DEHTZSCH. — D.  M.].  DiPty 
$X  is  found  only  here.  But  comp.  Isa.  ix.  4. 

^3  with  the  predicate  in  the  singular  is  uncom- 
mon ;  this  usus  loquendi  does  not  occur  elsewhere 
in  Isaiah  (comp.  Ew.  Gr.  \  317  c;  Prov.  xv:. 
2  ;  Ezek.  xxxi.  15).  We  shall  not  err  if  we  un- 
derstand under  our  pleasant  things,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  previously  mentioned  sacred  locali- 
ties, the  buildings  in  private  possession.  [DE- 
LITZSCH holds  that  the  parallelism  leads  us  under 
pleasant  things  to  think  of  objects  connected 
with  the  worship  of  God  in  which  the  people 
had  a  holy  joy. — -D.  M.].  The  singular  HJPn  is 

found  in  Isaiah  only  here  (see  the  List).  The 
expression  n3"]nS  rrn  occurs  no  where  else  in 
Isaiah.  But  it  is  found  frequently  in  Jeremiah, 
and  in  Ezekiel  xxxviii.  8.  After  the  Prophet 
had  set  this  sad  picture  before  the  LORD,  he  closes 
with  the  question,  whether  the  LORD  can  in  such 
circumstances  restrain  himself  (xlii.  14  ;  Ixiii. 
15)  be  silent  (xlii.  14;  Ivii.  11;  Ixii.  1,  6; 
Ixv.  6)  and  so  let  His  people  be  oppressed  to  the 
utmost  (comp.  xl.  27  sqq.)  ? 

DOCTRINAL    AND   ETHICAL. 

1.  On  Ixiii.  7.     ["God  does  good  because  He 
is  good ;  what  He  bestors  upon  us  must  be  run 
up  to  the  original,  it  is  according  to  His  mercies, 
not  according  to  our  merits,  and   according  to  the 
multitude  of  His  loving-kindnesses,  which  can  never 
be  spent.     Thus  we  should  magnify  God's  good- 
ness, and  speak  honorably  of  it,  not  only  when 
we  plead  it  (as  David  Ps.  li.   1),  but  when  we 
praise  it."     HENRY.  D.  M.]. 

2.  On  Ixiii.  9.     The  angel  of  the  face  or  presence 
belongs  to  "  the  deep  things  of  God"   (1  Cor.  ii. 
10).     It  is  not  right  to  imagine  that  a  certain 
and  exhaustive  knowledge  is  possible  in  reference 
to  these  things.     The  humility  which  becomes 
even  science,  imposes   on   it  the  duty  to  write 
everywhere  a  non  liquet,  where,  through  the  na- 
ture of  things,  limits  are  placed  to  human  know- 
ledge.    Not  to  regard  these    limitations  is  the 
manner  of  the  pseudo-scientific,  immodest  scho- 
lasticism.   What,  therefore,  we  have  said  regard- 
in"-  the  angel  of  the  face  makes  no  higher  preten- 
sion than  that  of  a  modest  hypothesis.     [Comp. 
in    HENGSTENBERG'S    CVwiVo/w///,    vol.  1:    the 
Angel  of  the  Lord  in  the  books  of  Moses  and  in  the 
book  of  Joshua.— D.  M.]. 

3    On  Ixiii.  10.  "There  are  two  ways  in  which 
the  Holy  Ghost  is  offended  or  vexed.     One  way 


686 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


is  of  a  less  dreadful  nature.  It  is  when  a  man 
takes  from  the  Holy  Spirit  the  opportunity  to 
work  in  the  sonl  for  its  joy,  as  He  is  wont  to  com- 
municate to  it  His  gracious  influence  and  His 
gracious  operations.  When  such  is  the  case,  then 
as  an  offended  friend  when  He  perceives  that  no 
heed  is  given  to  most  of  His  counsels,  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  grieve^,  and,  although  reluctantly,  ceases 
for  a  time  to  advise  the  stubborn,  ut  carendo  dis- 
cat  quantum  peccaverit.  Of  this  kind  of  grieving 
Paul  speaks  Eph.  iv.  30.  It  can  be  committed 
by  the  godly  and  the  elect.  But  the  Holy  Spirit 
can  be  offended  and  vexed  in  a  gross  and  flagiti- 
ous way,  when  one  not  only  does  not  believe  and 
follow  Him,  but  also  obstinately  resists  Him,  de- 
spises all  His  counsel,  reviles  and  blasphemes 
Him,  will  none  of  His  reproof  (Prov.  i.  24,  25), 
gives  the  lie  to  His  truth,  and  so  speaks  against 
the  sun.  .  .  This  the  Scripture  calls  avrnri-retv 
(Acts  vii.  51),  hvfipi&iv  (Heb.  x.  29),  ft/taawnElv 
(Matt.  xii.  31),  deouaxeiv  (Acts  v.  39).  Let  us, 
therefore,  not  grieve  the  Holy  Spirit  with  evil 
desires,  words  and  deeds,  that  we  may  be  able  on 
the  future  day  of  redemption  to  show  that  seal 
uninjured  with  which  we  were  sealed  on  that 
day  of  our  redemption  when  we  were  regenerated. 
To  this  end  let  us  assiduously  breathe  forth  the 
prayers  of  David  Ps.  cxliii.  10;  li.  12-14." 
LEIGH. 

4  On  Ixiii.  10.  [They  rebelled  and  vexed  His 
Holy  Spirit.  This  statement  implies  the  per- 
sonality of  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  the  Spirit  of  God's 
holiness.  He  is  represente'd  as  a  person  whom 
we  can  grieve.  We  have  in  this  passage  clear  in- 
dications of  the  doctrine  of.  the  Trinity.  In  ver. 
9  we  have  the  Angel  of  God's  face,  and  in  ver.  10 
we  have  the  Spirit  of  His  holiness,  both  clearly 
distinguished  from  God  the  fountain  of  their 
being.— D.  M.]. 

5.  On  Ixiii.  11.  "  Faith  asks  after  God  and 
RO  does  unbelief,  but  in  different  ways.  Both  put 
the  question,  Where  f  Faith  does  it  to  seek  God 
in  time  of  need,  and  to  tell  Him  trustfully  of 
His  old  kindnesses.  Unbelief  does  it  to  tempt 
God,  to  deny  Him,  to  lead  others  into  tempta- 
tion, and  to  make  them  doubt  regarding  the 
divine  presence  and  providence.  Therefore  it 
asks:  "  Where  is  the  God  of  judgment"  (Mai. 
ii.  17)  ?  "  Where  is  now  thy  God"  (Ps.  xlii.  4. 
11 ;  Ixxix.  10;  cxv.  2)  ?  If  you,  as  the  praying 
Church  here  does,  ask  in  the  former  manner 
diligently  after  God,  you  will  be  preserved  from 
the  other  kind  of  asking."  LEIGH. 

6.  On  Ixiii.  15.  "  Meritum  meum  miseratio 
Domini.  Non  sum  meriti  mops,  quando  Hie  misera- 
tionum  Dominus  non  defuerit,  et  si  miser icordiae  Do- 
mini multae,  multus  ego  sum  in  merits."  AUGUS- 
TINE. 

7.  On  Ixiii.  16.  "  We  can  from  this  sentence 
[?]  cogently  refute  the  doctrine  of  the  invocation 
of  the  Saints.  For  the  Saints  know  nothing  of 
us,  and  are  not  personally  acquainted  with  us, 
much  less  can  they  know  the  concerns  of  our 
hearts,  or  hear  our  cry,  for  they  are  not  omnipre- 
sent. If  it  be  alleged  that  God  makes  matters 
known  to  them  and  that  they  then  pray  for  us, 
what  a  round-about  business  this  would  be  !  It 
would  justify  the  prayer  said  to  have  been  made 
by  a  simple  man  :  "  Ah  Lord  God !  tell  it,  I  be- 
seech thee,  to  the  blessed  Mary  that  I  have  told 


thee  to  tell  it  again  to  her,  that  she  should  tell 
thee  that  I  have  wished  to  say  to  her  by  so  many 
Ave  Marias  and  Pater  Nosters,  that  she  should  say 
to  thee  to  be  pleased  to  be  gracious  unto  me." 
MEYER,  de  Rosariis.  cap.  III.,  thes.  V.,  p.  52). 
With  how  much  more  brevity  and  efficacy  do  we 
pray  with  the  penitent  publican  :  God  be  merciful 
to  me,  a  sinner  !"  LEIGH. 

8.  On  Ixiii.  17.  "There  is  no  more  heinous 
sin  than  to  accuse  God  of  being  the  cause  cf  mir 
.sin.  Let  no  man  say  when  he  is  tempted,  I  am 
tempted  of  God  (James  i.  13;  Ps.  v.  5;  Deut. 
xxxii.  4 ;  Ps.  xcii.  16).  He  commands  what  is 
good,  forbids  and  punishes  what  is  evil-  How 
then  could  He  be  the  cause  of  it  ?  But  when  He 
punishes  sin  with  sin,  i.  e.,  when  He  at  last  with- 
draws from  the  sinner  His  grace  that  has  been 
persistently  despised,  then  He  acts  as  a  righteous 
Judge  who  inflicts  the  judgment  of  hardening  the 
heart  on  those  who  wilfully  resist  His  Spirit." 
LEIGH. 

9.  On  Ixiv.  [''  This  chapter  is  a  model  of 
affectionate  and  earnest  entreaty  for  the  divine  in- 
terposition in  the  day  of  calamity.  With  such 
tender  and  affectionate  earnestness  may  we  learn 
to  plead  with  God  !  Thus  may  all  His  people 
learn  to  approach  Him  as  a  Father;  thus  feel  that 
they  have  the  inestimable  privilege  in  the  times 
of  trial  of  making  known  their  wants  to  the  High 
and  Holy  One.  Thus  when  calamity  presses  on 
us ;  when  as  individuals  or  families  we  are  af- 
flicted ;  or  when  our  country  or  the  church  is 
suffering  under  long  trials,  may  we  go  to  God, 
and  humbly  confess  our  sins,  and  urge  His  pro- 
mises, and  take  hold  of  His  strength,  and  plead 
with  Him  to  interpose.  Thus  pleading,  He  will 
hear  us ;  thus  presenting  our  cause,  He  will  in- 
terpose to  save  us."  BARNES.  D.  M.]. 

10.  On  Ixiv.  3,  4  a.     [4,  5  a].     The  God  who 
appeared  to   Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  called 
Moses,  and  led  by  him  the  people  of  Israel  out  of 
Egypt,   who  chose  Joshua,  Samuel,  David  and 
others  to  be  His  servants  and  glorified  Himself 
by  them,  this  God  alone  has  shown  Himself  to  be 
the  true  and  living  God,  and  we  can  hope  from 
Him   that   He  will   yet  do  more,  and  manifest 
Himself  still  more  signally. 

11.  On  Ixiv.  4  [5].  ["  Note  what  God  expects 
from  us  in  order  to  our  having  communion  with 
Him.     First,  We  must  make  conscience  of  doing 
our  duty  in  everything,  we  must  work  righteous- 
ness, must  do  that  which  is  good,  and  which  the 
Lord  our  God  requires  of  us,  and  must  do  it  well. 
Secondly,  We  must  be  cheerful  in  doing  our  duty; 
we  must  rejoice  and  work  righteousness,  must  delight 
ourselves  in  God  and  His  law,  must  be  pleasant 
in  His  service  and  sing  at  our  work.     God  loves  a 
cheerful  giver,  a  cheerful  worshipper;  we  must 
serve  the  Lord  with  gladness.      Thirdly,  We  must 
conform  ourselves  to  all  the  methods  of  His  provi- 
dence concerning  us,  and  be  suitably  affected  with 
them  ;  must  remember  Him  in  His  ways,  in  all  the 
ways    wherein   He    walks,    whether   He    walks 
towards  us,  or  walks  contrary  to  us ;  we  must 
mind  Him,  and   make  mention  of  Him,  with 
thanksgiving,  when  His  ways  are  ways  of  mercy, 
for  in  a  day  of  prosperity  we  must  be  joyful,  with 
patience  and  submission  when  He  contends  with 
us,  for  in  a  day  of  adversity  we  must  consider." 
HENRY.  D.  M.]. 


CHAP.  LXV.  1-7. 


687 


12.  On  Ixiv.  7  [8].  ["  This  whole  verse  is  an 
acknowledgment  of  the  sovereignty  of  God.  It 
expresses  the  feeling  which  all  have  when  under 
conviction  of  sin,  and  when  they  are  sensible  that 
they  are  exposed  to  the  divine  displeasure  for 
their  transgressions.  Then  they  feel  that  if  they 
are  to  be  saved,  it  must  be  by  the  mere  Sovereign- 
ty of  God  ;  and  they  implore  His  interposition  to 
'  mould  and  guide  them  at  His  will.'  It  may  be 
added,  that  it  is  only  when  sinners  have  this  feel- 
ing that  they  hope  for  relief;  and  then  they  will 
feel  that  if  they  are  lost,  it  will  be  right ;  if  saved, 
it  will  be  because  God  moulds  them  as  the  potter 
does  the  clay."  BARNES.  D.  M.]. 

HOMILETICAL   HINTS. 

1.  On  Ixiii.  7.     Text  for  a  Thanksgiving  Ser- 
mon.     What   is  our  duty  after  that  the  Lord  has 
shown  us  great  loving-kindness?     1)  To  remember 
what  He  has  done  to  us.      2)  To  be  mindful  of 
what  we  ought  to  render  to  Him  for  the  same. 

2.  On  Ixiii.  8-17.     The  history  of  the  people  of 
Israel  a  mirror  in  which  we  too  may  perceive  the  his- 
tory of  our  relation  to  God.     1 )  God  is  to  us  from 
the  beginning  a  loving  and  faithful  Father  (vers. 
8,  9).     2)  We  repay  His   love  with   ingratitude, 
as  Israel  did  (ver.  10  a).     3)  God  punishes  us  for 
this  as  Ha  punished  Israel   (ver.  106).     4)  God 
receives  us  again  to  His  favor  when  we,  as  Israel, 
call  on  Him  in  penitence  (vers.  11-17). 

On  Ixiii.  7-17.  ''  If  God  in  Christ  has  become 
our  Father,  He  remains  our  Father  to  all  eternity. 
1 )  He  is  our  Father  in  Christ.  2)  He  abides 
faithful  even  when  we  waver.  3)  When  we  have 
fallen,  His  arms  still  stand  open  to  receive  us." 


DEICHERT    in    Manch.    G.  u.  ein   Geist,    1868, 
page  65. 

4.  On  Ixiv.  5-7.    Job.  Ben.  Carpzov  has  a  ser- 
mon on  this  text,  in  which  he  treats  of  righteous- 
ness, and  shows  1)  justitiam  salvantem,  i.  e.,  the 
righteousness  with  which  one  enters  the  kingdom 
of  heaven ;    2)    justitiam    damnantem,  i.   e.,   the 
righteousness  with  which  a  man  enters  the  fire  of 
hell;  3)  justitiam  testantem,  i.  e.,  the  righteousness 
by  which  a  man  testifies  that  he  has  attained  the 
true  righteousness. 

5.  On  Ixiv.  6-9.     "Let  us  hear  from  our  text 
an  earnest  and  affecting  confession  of  sin,  and  at  the 
same  time  consider  1)  the  doctrine  of  repentance ; 
2)  the  comfort  of  forgiveness  which  believers  re- 
ceive."— EICHHORN. 

6.  On  Ixiv.  6.  ( We  all  do  fade,  etc.)     "  These 
are  very  instructive  words,  from  which  we  learn 
what  a  noxious  plant  sin  is,  and  what   fruit  it 
brings  forth.     First,  says  he,  we  fade  as  a  leaf. 
This  means  that  sin  brings  with  it  the  curse  of 
God,  and  deprives  us  of  His  blessing  both  for  the 
body  and  the  soul,  so  that  the  heart  is  dissatisfied 
and  distressed.     Then  it  robs  us  of  the   highest 
treasure,  confidence  in  the  grace  of  God.     For  sin 
and  an  evil  conscience  awaken  dread  of  God.    As 
it  is  impossible  to  call  upon  God  aright  without 
faith  and  a  sure  persuasion  of  His  aid,  it  follows 
that  sin  hinders  prayer  also,  and  thus  robs  us  of 
the  highest  comfort.     When  men  have  no  faith 
and  cannot  pray,  then  the  awful  punishment  comes 
upon  them,  that  God  hides  His  face  and  leaves 
them  to  pine  in  their  sins.     For  they  cannot  help 
themselves,   and  have   lost  the    consolation   and 
protection  which  they  need  in  life." — VEIT  DIET. 


V.— THE  FIFTH  DISCOURSE. 

The  Death  and  Life-bringing  End-Period. 

CHAPS.  LXV.— LXVI. 


These  two  chapters  are  closely  connected. 
They  form  one  discourse.  Their  commencement 
is  obviously  related  to  the  preceding  prayer.^in 
which  the  people  had  been  regarded  as  a  unity 
without  distinguishing  between  the  godly  and 
the  wicked.  In  chap.  Ixv.  it  is  shown  that  Israel 
will  neither  be  entirely  saved  (vers.  1-7),  nor  en- 
tirely cast  off  (vers.  8-12).  The  true  and 
righteous  God  will  act  according  to  the  rule 
"suum  cuique"  (vers.  13-16).  The  Prophet  then 
describes  the  salvation  destined  for  the  godly  as 
new  life.  He  depicts  it,  Ixv.  17-25,  from  its  out- 
ward side,  and,  Ixvi.  1-3  a,  from  its  inward  side. 
I  must  regard  the  verses  Ixvi.  3  6-6  as  an  inter- 
polation. [But  see  the  exposition.— D.  M.]  In 
Ixvi.  7-9  the  Prophet  describes  the  new  life  in  a 


quite  peculiar  relation.  He  shows  the  wonder- 
fully intensive  power  with  which  the  new  life  will 
unfold  itself,  and  find  its  realization  in  posterity 
that  cannot  be  numbered.  The  fundamental, 
ethical  character  of  the  new  order  of  life,  which 
will  express  itself  botli  in  the  relation  of  the  re- 
deemed to  one  another,  and  in  the  relation  of  the 
LORD  Himself  to  the  redeemed,  shall  be  maternal 
love  (Ixvi.  10-14).  In  conclusion,  the  Prophet 
draws  another  comprehensive  picture  of  the  time 
of  the  end,  in  which  he  first  views  collectively  all 
its  elements  of  judgment,  and  then  shows  how  the 
distinction  between  Israel  and  the  Gentile  world 
will  cease,  and  the  entire  human  race  will  be  one 
new  Israel,  raised  to  a  higher  elevation  (1m.  15 
-24). 


688 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


1.  NOT  ALL  ISRAEL  SHALL  BE  SAVED. 
CHAPTER  LXV.  1-7. 

1  I  am  sought  of  them  that  asked  not  for  me ; 
I  am  found  of  them  that  sought  me  not : 

I  said,  Behold  me,  behold  me, 

Unto  a  nation  that  was  not  called  by  my  name. 

2  I  have  spread  out  my  hands  all  the  day  unto  a  rebellious  people, 
Which  v/alketh  in  a  way  that  was  not  good,  after  their  own  thoughts*, 

3  A  people  that  provoketh  me  to  anger  continually  to  my  face; 
That  sacrificeth  in  gardens, 

And  burneth  incense  *upon  altars  of  brick, 

4  Which  remain  among  the  graves, 
And  lodge  in  the  "monuments, 
Which  eat  swine's  flesh, 

And  b2broth  of  abominable  things  is  in  their  vessels; 

5  Which  say,  Stand  by  thyself,  come  not  near  to  me; 
For  °I  am  holier  than  thou. 

These  are  a  smoke  in  my  3nose, 
A  fire  that  burneth  all  the  day. 

6  Behold,  it  is  written  before  me: 

I  will  not  keep  silence,  dbut  will  recompense, 
Even  recompense  into  their  bosom, 

7  Your  iniquities,  and  the  iniquities  of  your  fathers  together,  saith  the  LOED, 
Which  have  burned  incense  upon  the  mountains, 

And  blasphemed  me  upon  the  hills : 

"Therefore  will  I  measure  their  former  work  into  their  bosom. 


1  Heb.  upon  bricks, 


8  Or,  pieces. 


1  secret  places.       b  their  dishes  are  a  mixture  of  abominations. 
1  And  first  J  will  measure  what  they  have  deserved  into  their  bosom. 


8  Or,  anger. 
1  am  holy  to  thee.      d  unless  I  have  recompensed. 


TEXTUAL   AND   GRAMMATICAL. 


Ver.  1.    The  dative  after  the  passive  tJHIJ  stands 
here  as  Ezek.  xiv.  3;  xx.  3,  31  ;  xxxvi.  37,  according  to 


a  well-known  usus  loquendi. 


is  to  be  supplied  be- 


fore 


[GES.,  Gr.,  §  123,  3.1    The  Pual  of  Kip  is  of 

TIT 


not  unfrequent  occurrence  in  the  latter  part  of  Isaiah, 
xlviii.  8,  12;  Iviii.  12;  Ixi.  3;  txii.  2.  Ver.  6.  ToStf! 
has  the  accent  on  the  final  syllable  on  account  of  the 
future  signification,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  first 
,  which  has  the  accent  on  the  penult. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  Chaps.  Ixv.  and  Ixvi.  are  a  Yes — but  [an 
affirmative  answer  with  qualifications]  to  the 
prayer  of  the  church.  For  that  prayer  shall  as- 
suredly be  heard,  but  quite  otherwise  than  she 
imagines  [?].  First  of  all  the  LORD  makes  a 
distinction,  which  was  not  made  in  the  prayer,  be- 
tween the  persons,  according  to  their  religious 
and  moral  condition.  The  prayer  takes  the  peo- 
ple as  an  undistinguished  unity  in  what  is  good 
as  in  what  is  bad.  The  good  are  not  excepted 
where  the  transgression  of  the  people  is  spoken 
of  (Ixiii.  10,  17  ;  Ixiv.  4,  5,  6),  and  where  de- 
liverance and  salvation  are  spoken  of,  the  evil 
are  not  excepted  (Ixiii.  16  ;  liv.  7,  8).  [It  is  not 
the  case  that  the  prayer  altogether  ignores  the 


distinction  between  the  good  and  the  bad  in  the 
community.  This  distinction  is  prominently 
made  in  the  latter  part  of  Ixiii.  17 :  Return  for 
thy  servants'  sake  to  the  tribes  of  thine 
inheritance  (amended  translation).  Jehovah's 
answer  is  exactly  conformable  to  this  prayer. 
Comp.  Ixv.  8  sq. :  So  will  I  do  for  my  ser- 
vants' sakes.  When  the  prayer  speaks  of  the 
whole  nation  being  God's  people,  the  reference  is 
to  the  original  relation  established  between  them 
and  God.  The  prayer  distinctly  declares  that  it 
is  for  those  that  wait  for  Him  that  God  acts,  and 
that  it  is  he  who  rejoiceth  and  worketh  righteous- 
ness whom  God  meets,  Ixiv.  4,  5.  Moreover, 
this  prayer,  which  the  church  is  supposed  to 


CHAP.  LXV.  1-7. 


utter,  testifies,  notwithstanding  its  strong  confes- 
sion of  prevalent  and  general  ungodliness,  to  the 
existence  of  a  faithful,  praying  remnant.  Dr 
NAEGELSBACH  fails  to  appreciate  the  prayer  that 
precedes  chap.  Ixv.,  and  attributes  to  it  defects 
and  blemishes  which  it  does  not  really  contain  — 
D.  M.].  In  chap.  Ixv.  there  is  a  sharp  line  of 
separation  drawn  between  the  servants  of  Jeho- 
vah who  have  sought  Him  (vers.  8-10, 13sqq.),  and 
the  persons  who  have  forsaken  Him  (ver.  llsqq  ) 
But  it  is  not  the  intention  of  the  LORD  that  Is- 
rael should  be  reduced  by  the  exclusion  of  tlie 
ungodly  to  a  little  flock,  and  that  the  old  patri- 
archal promise  of  an  innumerable  progeny  should 
find  but  a  scanty  realization  in  the  glorious  time 
of  salvation.  In  the  Messianic  time  Israel  shall 
be  not  only  blessed  and  glorious,  but  also  nume- 
rous (comp.  Ezek.  xxxvi.  37).  Just  think  of 
places  such  as  xlix.  13  sqq.;  liv.  1  sqq. ;  lx.  4 
sqq.!  But  the  LORD  will  take  the  members  of 
His  redeemed  church  not  merely  out  of  Israel. 
He  takes  them  out  of  all  nations.  For,  connec- 
tion with  the  church  of  the  redeemed  is  no  longer 
dependent  on  natural  descent  from  Abraham  and 
circumcision  in  the  flesh,  but  on  being  born  of 
Grod  and  circumcision  of  the  heart.  [We  give 
here  Dr.  J.  A.  ALEXANDER'S  analysis  of  this 
section  :  "  The  great  enigma  of  Israel's  simulta- 


Iv.  6.  There  it  is  said:  Seek  the  Lord 
which   may   be   rendered  while    he 


f  j  -  "•.•'~i^i  v-v*         ww   &*A,it*         1AC         t713.\^        IDG 

lound.— For  everything  which  is  found,  mau  be 
found.     But  does  it  follow  that  N*OJ   can  n 

to  be  capable  of  being  found"  to  the  exd.mon  of 
the  signification  "  to  be  actually  found  ?"  But  that 
must  be  the  case  if  ver.  1  is  to  be  referred  to  the 
Jews.  2)  'DM  ,np  16  <lJis  appropriately 
applied  only  to  Gentiles,  as  even  DELITZSCH 
confesses  [HELITZSCH  also  calls  attention  to  the 
e  of  U  (co  up.  Iv.  5)  in  ver.  1  and  of  DjT  in 
ver.  2,  as  in  heating  that  ver.  1  relates  to'the 
Gentiles  and  ver.  2  to  the  Jews.— D.  M  1  With 
the  words  'HH'jjn  the  LORD  wishes  to  declare 
hat  He  offers  Himself  lovingly  and  pressinglv 
to  the  nation  hitherto  strangers  to  Him  (comrj 
Ivm.  9). 

3.  I  have  spread  out their  bosom — 

Vers  2-7.  In  opposition  to  what  the  LORD  will 
be  in  fact  to  the  Gentiles  we  are  told  in  these 
verses  what  the  LORD  wished  to  be  to  Israel  but 
was  not  on  account  of  the  stubbornness  of' this 
people.  With  infinite,  compassionate  love  the 
LORD  spread  out  His  hands  to  Israel  Orn-^D 
(comp.  ver.  5  ;  xxviii.  24;  li.  13  ;  lii.  5 ;  Ixii.  6) 
continually.  He  would  gladly  have  en- 


1  I  •  •  1  1       1  t«.  *  O  */         *1«* 

neous  loss  and  gam  is  solved  by  a  prediction  of    closed  them  in  His  arms  as  dear  children 


the  calling  of  the  Gentiles,  ver.  1.  This  is  con- 
nected with  the  obstinate  unfaithfulness  of  the 
chosen  people,  ver.  2.  They  are  represented, 
ander  the  two  main  aspects  of  their  character  at 
different  periods,  as  gross  idolaters  and  as  Phari- 
saical bigots,  vers.  3-5.  Their  casting  off  was 
not  occasioned  by  the  sins  of  one  generation,  but 
of  many,  vers.  6,  7.  But  even  in  this  rejected 
race  there  was  a  chosen  remnant,  in  whom  the 
promises  shall  be  fulfilled,  vers.  8-10  " — D.  M.]. 

2.  I  am  sought called  by  my  nime. 

Ver.  1.  The  Apostle  Paul  understands  ver.  1  of 
the  Gentiles  while  he  adheres  to  the  Septuagint, 
with  a  transpositior  of  the  clauses  (Rom.  x.  20). 
The  Jewish  commentators  (with  exception  of 
Chiqnitilla  or  Gecatilia,  comp.  ROSENMUELLER 
Schol.  in  loc.)  and  most  modern  interpreters  refer 
the  words  to  the  unbelieving  Jews.  Only  HEN- 
DEWERK,  who  supposes  the  Persians  specifically 
to  be  here  meant,  STIER  and  VON  HOFMANX  are 
exceptions.  I  agree  with  these  latter.  For  1)  if 
ver.  1  ii  to  refer  to  the  Jews,  then  'HtJniJ,  TiKi'OJ 
must  signify :  quaerendum,  inveniendum  me  obtuli, 
and  not  ''  I  let  Myself  be  asked  for,  be  found," 
which  signification  the  Niphal  undoubtedly  has 
in  Ezek.  xiv.  3;  xx.  3,  31;  xxxvi.  37  (Niph. 
tolerativum).  For,  in  fact,  the  Jews  have  not 
sought  the  LORD,  and  therefore  have  not  asked 
for  and  found  Him.  If  then  we  would  take  the 
£03  in  the  sense  in  which 


see  the  List.).  But  they  were  a  refractory  peo- 
ple. He  calls  them  Dj>  not  "U  as,  ver.  1,  the  Gen- 
tiles ;  but  they  were  "HID  DJJ.  How  they  proved 
refractory  is  declared  in  what  follows.  They  pur- 
sued evil,  perverse  ways,  and  this  was  the  necessary 
consequence  of  their  following,  not  the  thoughts 
of  Jehovah,  but  only  their  own  thoughts 
(comp.  Iv.  7;  lix.  7;  Jer.  xviii.  12).  But  not 
only  by  omitting  to  do  what  the  LORD  desired, 
did  they  offend  Him,  but  also  by  defiant  and 

open  (^S-hy,  comp.  Job  i.  11  ;  vi.  28  ;  xxi.  31, 
probably,  too,  alluding  to  Ex.  xx.  3)  doing  of 
that  which  is  contrary  to  the  chief  command- 
ment of  the  theocracy,  by  grass  idolatry  which 
they  practised,  while  they  sacrificed  in  gardens 
or  grov  s  (comp.  on  i.  29  ;  Ixvi.  17),  and  burnt 
incense  on  altars  which,  contrary  to  the  law, 
were  built  of  bricks.  According  to  the  Mosaic 
law  only  an  altar  of  earth  or  of  unhewn  stones 
[or  of  wooden  boards  overlaid  with  brass]  was 
allowed  (Ex.  xx.  24  sqq.;  xxvii.  1  sqq.  ;  xxx.  1 
sqq.).  The  bricks  recall  Babylon,  the  land  of 
later es  cocti  from  ancient  lime  (Gen.  xi.  3).  An- 
other form  of  their  idolatry  consisted  in  their  fre- 
quenting groves  and  other  kept  ({.  e.,  secret, 
not  easily  accessible)  places,  where  they  even 
passed  the  night  in  order  to  obtain  mantic  revela- 
tions through  the  demons,  or  through  the  spirits 
of  the  dead,  a  thing  which  was  strictly  forbidden 
in  the  law  (Deut.  xviii.  11  ;  comp.  Isa.  viii.  19). 
Even  JEROME  and  THEODORET  have  so  under- 

that  would  be  affirmed  regarding  the  Jews  in  the  j  stood  this  place.     JEROME  says:  .  .  " Sedens  .  . 

place  before  us  which  was  not  true  of  them.     We  I  vei  habitarj;  in  scpulchris  et  in  delubris  idolorum 

must  then  take  ty'~nj  and  XVOJ  in  the  sense  of  j  dormiens,  ubi  stratis  pellibus  hostiarum  incubare  so- 

quaerendum,  inveniendum  me  obtuli,  or  in  the  sense 

"  I  was  capable  of  being  asked  for,  capable  of 

being  found ;"  but  this  sense  the  perfect  Niphal 

cannot  bear.     In  reference  to 


verbs  'mzhnj  and 

occurs  in  the  places  quoted  from  Ezekiel, 


liti  erant,  ut  somniis  futura  coynoscerent."  Other 
passages  from  ancient  authors  regarding  this 
usage  are  given  by  ROSENMUELLER,  in  loc.  It 

«muut  u«»r.  i..  re.^u^  «, ,  —  -r -  ;  seems  £?  me  less  «PP™pnate  to  think  of  purifica- 
tion of  the  places  in  Ezekiel  makes  this  clear,  tory  offerings  presented  for  the  dead  (m/eriae, 
But  in  reference  to  N*DJ  appeal  is  made  to  Isa.  :  februationes,  \  ITRINGA),  as  tin-  e  offerings  uia 


an  examna- 


44 


690 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


not  require  a  lengthened  sitting  or  passing  the 
night  in  sepulchral  caves.  D"]1i'J  are  loca  ab- 
scondita,  as  xlviii.  6  fYniX  J  res  absconditae,  as  1¥J 


easily  obtains  the  signification  of  hiding  from  the 
signification  custodire,  observare  (corap.  Prov.  vii. 
10).  The  swine  which  divides  the  hoof,  but  does 
not  chew  the  cud,  is  according  to  the  law  un- 
clean, and  durst  not  be  eaten  (Lev.  xi.  7;  Dent. 
KIV.  18).  Quamdiu  stetit  Judaeorum  respublica, 
in  Judaea  nulli  erant  sues,"  says  BOCHART  (Hie- 
roz.  I.  p.  804,  comp.  Luke  xv.  11  ;  viii.  26,  32). 
It  is  doubtful  whether  in  our  place  the  common 
or  the  ritual  use  of  swine's  flesh  (at  the  sacrificial 
meal)  is  spoken  of.  Both  are  possible.  Where 
swine  are  eaten,  there  they  can  also  be  used  in 
sacrifice,  and  where  they  are  sacrificed,  there 
they  are  also  eaten.  In  Ixvi.  17,  too,  both  pro- 
fane and  sacred  uses  can  be  promiscuously  spoken 
of.  That  among  many  heathen  nations  of  an- 
tiquity swine  were  offered  in  sacrifice  has  been 
sufficiently  proved  by  SPENCER  (De  legg.  Hebr. 
p.  137),  BOCHART  (Hieroz.  II.  p.  381  sqq.),  SAU- 
BERT  (De  sacrificiis  veterum  cap,  23,  p.  572  sqq.)  ; 
MOVERS  (Phoen.  I.  p.  218  sqq.).  That  the  Baby- 
lonians sacrificed  and  ate  swine  seems  to  be  im- 
plied in  what  is  here  said  [?],  but  is  not  con- 
firmed by  other  testimonies  (comp.  DELITZSCH 
in  loc.).  p"1^  from  p^3  to  rend,  to  tear  in  pieces 
(comp.  Gen.  xxvii.  40  ;  Ps.  vii.  3  et  saepe)  is  air. 
/ey.  The  signification  must  be  that  which  is 
torn  to  pieces,  broken.  [GESENIUS  assigns 
to  the  word  the  meaning  of  broth,  soup,  which 
is  so  called  from  the  fragments  or  crumbs  of 
bread  on  which  the  broth  is  poured.  —  D.  M.]. 


S  isresfoeda,  abominabilis,  abomination  (comp. 
Lev.  vii.  18;  xix.  7;  Ezek.  iv.  14).  Broken 
bits  (a.  ragout,  a  medley)  of  abominations  are 
their  u  is  lies.  The  expression  is  metonymical 
[synecdochical,  comp.  Jer.  xxiv.  2].  The  K'ri 
reads  p1]?,  which,  according  to  Judges  vi.  19,  20, 
must  mean  broth.  But  the  alteration  is  not 
needed.  In  ver.  5  the  Prophet  alludes  to  idola- 
trous rites  of  purification  or  sanctification  which 
were  not  sanctioned  by  the  law.  They  were  pro- 
bably connected  with  the  celebration  of  mysteries. 
One  recalls  appropriately  here  the  word  of 
HORACE  odi  profanum  vulgus  el  arceo.  [HENDER- 
SON thinks  the  class  here  described  to  be  en- 
tirely different  from  the  idolaters  spoken  of  in 
vers.  3,  4.  "  Having  specified  the  sins  for  which 
the  Jews  were  notorious,  during  what  may  be 
called  the  idolatrous  period  of  their  history,  Je- 
hovah now  portrays  their  character  during  the 
self-righteous  period,  or  that  which  succeeded  the 
return  from  the  captivity  —  including  Pharisaism, 
Talmudism,  and  modern  Judaism."  Comp.  Isa. 
Iviii.  1-3;  Luke  xviii.  11  ;  Rom.  x.  3.  —  D.  M.]. 

•J'TH  Dip  recalls  expressions  such  as  we  find 
xlix.  20;  Gen.  xix.  9,  3,  2  ;  Prov.  ix.  4.  16. 
["  The  literal  translation  is  approach  to  thyself, 
which  implies  removal  from  the  speaker.  The 
E.  V.,  stand  by  thyself  suggests  the  idea  of 
standing  alone,  whereas  all  that  is  expressed  by 
the  Hebrew  phrase  is  the  act  of  standing  away 
from  the  speaker,  for  which  LOWTH  has  found 
the  idiomatic  equivalent  keep  to  thyself." 
ALEXANDER.  D.  M.].  t?JJ  stands  cnly  here 


with  2,  probably  because  there  lies  in  the  word 
the  idea  of  an  approach  that  would  be  offensive, 
disturbing.  "JTUZnp  is  one  of  the  rare  cases  in 
which  the  verbal  suffix  has  the  signification  of 
the  dative  (comp.  xliv.  21).  [I  am  holy  to 
thee,  i.  e.,  unapproachable. — DEL.].  If  the 
words  which  we  read  from  ver.  3  b,  to  ver.  5  a, 
really  portray  such  idolatry  as  the  exiles  com- 
mitted in  Babylon,  we  must  regard  them  as  an 
interpolation.  For  the  description  is  eo  particu- 
lar that  it  could  proceed  from  no  one  but  an  eye- 
witness. [Here  again  our  author  would  alter  the 
text  to  make  it  conform  to  his  theory  of  the  na- 
ture of  prophecy.  It  was  such  idolatry  as  is  here 
described  that  brought  on  the  Jews  the  punish- 
ment of  the  Exile.  Comp.  Isa,  i.  29  ;  Ivii,  3-8. 
The  Babylonish  captivity  had  the  effect  of  making 
them  turn  with  abhorrence  from  such  gross  idola- 
try.-1^. M].  By  means  of  a  strong  figurative 
expression  the  LORD  makes  known  how  much 
those  idolatrous  practices  call  for  His  retributive 
justice.  He  describes  those  sinners  as  the  prey 
of  an  unquenchable  fire  (comp.  Ixvi.  24),  whose 
smoke  ascends  perpetually  before  Him  (see  simi- 
lar images  ix.  18  ;  x.  17  ;  xxx.  27).  In  order  to 
prove  that  He  is  in  terrible  earnest  with  the 
threatening  in  ver.  5  6,  the  LORD  attests  in  ver. 
6  that  it  is  written  before  Him.  He  does 
not  mean  that  the  sin  of  those  idolaters  is  re- 
corded before  Him,  for  what  is  recorded  is  stated 
in  what  goes  before  and  follows.  But  immedi- 
ately before  and  after,  mention  is  made  not  of  sin, 
but  of  punishment.  The  LORD  intends  to  say : 
it  is  not  merely  decreed,  but  recorded,  set  down 
in  a  document  (Job  xiii.  26  ;  Jer.  xxii.  30),  that 
I  will  not  be  silent  till  I  have  recompensed. 

TUO/Ufl  assures  that  the  recompense  will  not  re- 
main intention  but  will  become  fact.  Dp'JVTJ' 
comp.  Jer.  xxxii.  18 ;  Ps.  Ixxix.  12  (Luke  vi. 
38).  These  are  the  only  other  places  in  which 
the  expression  occurs  iu  the  Old  Testament.  In 

them  7X  is  found  instead  of  /y<  as  in  the  K'ri 
on  ver.  7.  These  two  particles  are  frequently 
substituted  the  one  for  the  other  (comp.  on  x.  3). 
It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  Jeremiah  (xxxii.  18^ 
had  this  place  manifestly  in  his  mind.  The  quick 
change  of  person  sounds  very  hard.  Ver.  6  closes 
with  their  bosom;  and  ver.  7  in  reference  to  the 
same  persons  proceeds  to  say  your  iniquities, 
in  the  second  person.  [The  form  of  the  address 
shows  that  '1J1  DDTUI,^  ver.  7  a,  is  not  governed 


by  T\DS^  but  by  an  0;?^?,  which  is  easily  un- 
derstood from  it."  DELITZSCH.).     'W  THD!  con- 


nects itself  with  '1  TfflTfh  ver.  6,  so  that  the 
words  DJTUU?  to  'J131P  appear  as  a  parenthesis. 
njt!?NT  Drnj,'3  cannot  mean  :  "what  they  have 
first  deserved,  their  first,  earliest  guilt.-For 
why  should  the  LORD  punish  only  this?  But  if 
the  meaning  was  intended  to  be:  their  total  guilt 
from  the  beginning,  why  do  we  not  read  rri&'fcOO, 
or  some  similar  expression?  nJCftO  can  there- 
fore only  be  an  adverb,  and  signify  primum.^  The 
Prophet  has  the  people  of  the  Exile  in  his  eye. 
The  people  suffering  the  Exile  endure  in  it  only 
the  beginning  of  the  punishment  for  the  national 


leemea  from  exile  still  suffer 
under  it.  The  first  restoration  from  the  captivity 
was  a  poor  one.  Israel  was  never  after  the  Exile 
again  independent.  And  on  the  first  exile  a  sec- 
ond still  worse  followed.  For  the  second  de- 
struction by  the  Komans  was  total,  while  the  first 


by  Nebuchadnezzar  was  only  partial.  After  the 
first  exile  the  Israelites  could  organize  themselves 
again  according  to  their  law.  After  the  second 

n°mre 


ot  fhh-       r     ,'  °US         ea 

al&o  at  the  basis   of  the   passage  Jer.   xvi     18 

(comp   my  remarks  on  this  place),  which  mani- 
festly depends  on  the  one  before  us. 


2.  NOT  ALL  ISRAEL  SHALL  BE  CAST  OFF. 

CHAPTER  LXV.  8-12. 

8  Thus  saith  the  LORD, 

As  the  new  wine  is  found  in  the  cluster, 

And  one  saith,  Destroy  it  not ;  for  a  blessing  is  in  it: 

So  will  I  do  for  my  servants'  sakes, 

That  I  may  not  destroy  them  all. 

9  And  I  will  bring  forth  a  seed  out  of  Jacob, 
And  out  of  Judah  an  inheritor  of  my  mountains: 
And  mine  elect  shall  inherit  it, 

And  my  servants  shall  dwell  there. 

10  And  Sharon  shall  be  a  fold  of  flocks, 

And  the  valley  of  Achor  a  place  for  the  herds  to  lie  down  in. 
For  my  people  that  have  sought  me. 

11  'But  ye  are  they  that  forsake  the  LORD, 
That  forget  my  holy  mountain, 

That  prepare  a  table  for  that  bltroop, 

And  that  "furnish  the  drink-offering  unto  that  "number. 

12  Therefore  will  I  number  you  to  the  sword, 
And  ye  shall  all  bow  down  to  the  slaughter: 
Because  when  I  called,  ye  did  not  answer ; 
When  I  spake,  ye  did  not  hear : 

But  did  evil  before  mine  eyes, 

And  did  choose  that  wherein  I  delighted  not. 


1  Gad.  2  Meni. 

•  But  ye  who  forsake  Jehovah. 


b  Gad.          « fill  for  the  goddess  of  fortune  a  mingled  drink. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  This  section  stands  to  the  one  which  precedes 
it  in  the  same  relation  (Ixv.  1-7)  in  which  this 
latter  stands  to  the  prayer  in  Ixiii.  and  Ixiv.  For 
as  the  Prophet  in  Ixv.  1  sqq.  opposes  the  expecta- 
tion [?]  that  all  Israel  will  be  saved  (Ixiv.  7,  8), 
so  Ixv.  8  sqq.  repels  the  opposite  error  that  all 
Israel  will  be  cast  off.  This  opinion  might  have 
been  drawn  from  Ixv.  2  sqq.  For  there  Israel  is 
quite  ^generally  designated  as  a  rebellious  people 
to  which  the  LORD  spreads  out  His  hands  in  vain, 
that  provokes  Him  bydefiant  idolatry,  and  there- 
fore will  have  to  bear  the  whole  burden  of  the 
guilt  accumulated  from  their  fathers.  It  might 
accordingly  be  supposed  that  Israel  should  be 
entirely  cast  off,  and  their  place  taken  by  the  Gen- 
tiles (Ixv.  1).  This  misunderstanding  the  Pro- 
phet here  combats.  He  compares  Israel  with  a 
cluster  of  grapes  on  which  many  berries  may  be 
rotten.  Is  the  whole  cluster,  therefore,  cast  away? 
No !  much  of  the  blessing  of  God  is  still  therein. 


So  for  His  servants'  sake  the  LORD  will  not  de- 
stroy all  Israel  (ver.  8).  He  will  yet  cause  to 
come  forth  from  the  remnant  a  race  that  will  con- 
sist of  the  elect  of  the  LORD,  and  that  will  possess 
the  holy  land  (ver.  9).  This  will  be  fertile  in  all 
its  parts  and  be  fitted  for  excellent  pasture  (ver. 
10).  But  they  who  forget  the  LORD  and  set  their 
heart  on  the  false  gods  of  the  land  of  the  Exile 
(ver.  11)  shall  for  their  disobedience  be  extir- 
pated (ver.  12). 

2.  Thus  saith  the  Lord sought  me. — 

Vers.  8-10.  The  image  does  not  appear  to  me  to 
be  correctly  explained  when  the  intended  anti- 
theses are  supposed  to  be  :  only  stalk  and  husks 
should  be  destroyed,  not  the  berries  ;  or,  only  the 
degenerate  vine  or  vineyard  (v.  4;  xviii.  5)  is  to 
be  destroyed,  not  the  grapes.  For  who  needs  to 
be  told  that  he  should  not  treat  the  berries  as  the 
stalk  and  husk,  or  that  he  should  spare  the 
grapes  but  destroy  the  vine  or  vineyard  ?  Whence 


692 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


are  grape-clusters  to  be  had  if  the  latter  are  de- 
stroyed ?  It  seems  to  me  that  the  Prophet  has  in 
his  mind  a  bunch  of  grapes  on  which  together 
with  many  bad  and  rotten  berries,  there  are  some 
good  ones.  One  is  tempted  to  throw  away  such 
a  cluster  entirely.  The  Prophet  forbids  this. 
["The  image  really  presented  by  the  Prophet,  as 
VITRINGA  clearly  shows,  and  most  later  writers 
have  admitted,  is  that  of  a  good  cluster,  in  which 
juice  is  found,  while  others  are  unripe  or  rotten." 
— ALEXANDER.  2/lVFin  has  the  article  which 
the  Hebrew  was  wont  to  employ  in  comparisons. 
See  GES.  Or.  \  109.  Note  L— D.  M.].  There  is 
a  blessing  in  it  seems  to  be  taken  in  a  double 
sense :  1 )  Even  the  smallest  quantity  of  the  noble 
fruit  is  valuable  and  not  to  be  despised ;  2)  God 
can  bless  even  the  smallest  quantity,  i.  e.,  He  can 
multiply  it  (John  vi.  9,  12).  [The  simple,  obvi- 
ous meaning  is :  A  blessing  is  in  the  cluster, 
because  new  •wine,  which  was  considered  a 
blessing  (Judges  ix.  13  ;  Isa.  Ixii.  8),  is  in  it. — D. 
M.].  10X1  is  used  as  xxv.  9;  xlv.  24;  Ivii.  14.  For 
His  servants'  sake  the  Lord  will  not  entirely 
destroy  Israel.  For  these  are  the  true  Israelites. 
They  prove  that  Israel  is  capable  and  worthy  to 
continue  to  exist.  There  shall,  therefore,  seed 
(posterity)  yet  proceed  out  of  Israel,  that  shall 
possess  the  mountains  of  Canaan  (comp.  xiv.  25, 
and  in  a  wider  sense  xlix.  11).  This  shall  be  a 
holy  seed  (vi.  13).  For  only  the  elect  of  the  Lord 
shall  possess  it  (the  land,  f"^,  which  is  ideally 
contained  in  '1H),  and  His  servants  shall  dwell 
therein.  ["  My  mountains  is  supposed  by 
VITRINGA  to  denote  Mount  Z'on  and  Moriah,  or 
Jerusalem  as  built  upon  them ;  but  the  later  writers 
more  correctly  suppose  it  to  describe  the  whole  of 
Palestine,  as  being  an  uneven,  hilly  country.  See 
the  same  use  of  the  plural  in  xiv.  25,  and  the  ana- 
logous phrase,  mountains  of  Israel,  repeatedly 
employed  by  Ezekiel  (xxnvi.  1,  8;  xxxviii.  8). 
.  .  .  The  adverb  at  the  end  of  the  sentence 
properly  means  thither,  and  is  never  perhaps  put 
foi  there,  except  in  cases  whare  a  change  of  place 
is  previously  mentioned  or  implied." — ALEXAN- 
DER.—D.  M.]  Ver.  10.  The  land  shall  be  fer- 
tile and  glorious.  Sharon  shall  be  pasture  for 
sheep,  the  valley  of  Achor  a  pasture  for 
black  cattle.  Sharon  is  the  well-known  fertile 
plain  in  the  west  of  Palestine,  stretching  from 
(Jaesarea  northwards  to  Carmel  (comp.  on  xxxiii. 
9;  xxxv.  2).  Achor  is  the  valley  in  the  east  of 
the  tribe  of  Judali,  in  which,  according  to  Josh, 
vii.  21-26,  Achan  was  stoned.  This  valley  is 
further  mentioned  only  in  Josh.  XT.  7 ;  Hos.  ii. 
17.  It  must  have  been  a  stony  place,  for  accord- 
ing to  Josh.  vii.  25  sq.,  there  were  there  stones 
enough  to  stone  Achan,  together  with  all  belong- 
ing to  him,  aud  to  raise  up  a  great  heap  of  stones. 
In  Hos.  ii.  17  [E.  V-  15]  it  is  said  that  the  valley 
of  Achor  will  be  unto  converted  and  restored  Is- 
rael a  door  of  hope.  This  rpeans :  When  Israel, 
returning  from  the  Exile,  shall  pass  through  the 
valley  of  Achor,  it  shall  be  to  them  no  more  a 
monument  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  it  formerly 
was,  with  its  heap  of  «tones  and  its  stony  ground ; 
but  even  this  valley  shall  be  to  them  a  door  of 
hope,  for  the  place  shall  be  altered.  There  shall 
bs  seen  in  it  the  traces  of  the  blessing  which,  ac- 
cording to  vers.  20  sqq.,  shall  be  spread  over  the 


whole  land.  Then,  according  to  tiiis  passage,  the 
valley  of  Achor  shall  become  a  fertile  pasture, 
even  more  fertile  than  Sharon,  for  sheep  are  con- 
tent with  much  poorer  pasture  than  neat-cattle 
(comp.  HERZOG)  E.  Enc.  VI.,  p.  150;  Sitibi  lani- 
tium  curae,fuye  pabula  laeta.  VlRGlL  Georg.  HI., 
384). 

3.  But  ye    are    they delighted    not. 

Vers.  11,  12.  What  in  verse  8  had  been  denied 
in  reference  to  all  Israel  is  here  affirmed  in  re- 
ference to  a  part.  The  wicked  Israelites  shall 
certainly  perish.  These  are  described  as  tho.  e 
that  forsake  Jehovah  (comp.  on  i.  28.  The 
expression  occurs  further  only  i.  24,  28),  that 
forget  the  holy  mountain  of  Jehovah.  The 
writer  has  here  evidently  exiles  in  his  eye,  who 
in  a  heathen  land  were  seduced  to  worship  the 
local  gods  of  the  heathen,  and  so  forgot  the  wor- 
ship that  prevailed  in  their  own  country,  and  the 
place  where  their  fathers  worshipped  God.  Such 
forgetting  must  often  have  happened  in  the  Exile, 
and  have  been  for  the  faithful  Israelites  a  subject 
of  great  grief  and  vexation.  We  see  this  from 
Ps.  cxxxvii.  5,  6  [?].  In  what  follows  the  Prophet 
specifies  more  particularly  the  idolatry  of  those 
apostates,  while  he  describes  them  as  those  who 
"  prepare  a  table  for  Gad,  and  fill  for  Meni 
mixed  drink."  The  Prophet  here  speaks  of  a 
cultus  of  which  there  is  no  mention  in  tha  history 
of  the  people  before  the  Exile.  He  has  evidently 
in  his  mind  the  so-called  lectisternia.  That  these 
leclisternia  were  observed  by  the  Babylonians  is 
proved  from  j_.aruch  vi.  26,  and  from  Bel  and 
the  Dragon.ver.il  sqq.  What  HERODOTUS  (I. 
181)  relates  of  the  golden  table,  which  stood  in  the 
highest  room  of  the  temple-tower  beside  the  /c/Uw? 
/ueyaAJj  £i>  tarpu/mevr},  seems  to  have  reference 
to  such  a  lectisternium  (comp.  LEYRER  in  HERZ. 
R.  E.  xiii.,  p.  47u;.  ^.8  an  appellative  noun,  11 
means/orftme,  good  luck.  As  the  name  of  a  divi- 
nity, it  denotes  the  star  of  fortune,  of  which  the 
Babylonians  had  two,  Jupiter  and  Venus  (comp. 
DUNCKER  Gesch.  des  Alterth.,  Vol.  L,  p.  117 ; 
PLUTARCH  de  Is.  et  Osir,  \  48).  The  Arabs 
named  the  former  "  Great  Fortune,"  and  the  latter 
"  Little  Fortune."  Many  are  disposed  to  connect 
vjp,  which  is  found  only  here,  with  M?i>,  M/>?, 
and  to  understand  it  of  the  moon  (comp.  especially 
KNOBEL  in  loc.}.  The  matter  is  not  yet  decided. 
^DOO  (comp.  Prov.  xxiii.  30,  and  in  reference 
to  the  verb,  Isaiah  v.  22;  xix.  14)  is  mixed  wine, 
spiced  wine  (see  on  v.  22).  With  allusion  to  the 
name '3O,  the  Lord  threatens  theee  sinners  that 
He  will  number  (liii.  12)  them  to  the  sword,  and 
they  all  must  bow  down  (x.  4;  xliv.  1,  2,)  to  be 
slaughtered,  because  they  did  not  answer  to  the 
call  of  the  Lord,  yea,  did  not  even  hearken  to  His 
word,  but  did  that  which  the  Lord  regarded  as 
evil,  and  chose  what  displeased  Him.  For  recur- 
ring expressions  see  Ixvi.  4;  Ivi.  4.  The  expres- 
sion "I  T.P3  jnn  nfrjp  occurs  first  in  Numb, 
xxxii.  13,  then  frequently  in  Dent.,  Judges, 
Samuel,  Kings,  Chron.  It  is  found  once  in  the 
Psalms  (Ii.  6),  three  times  in  Jeremiah  (vii.  30; 
xviii.  10;  xxxii.  30).  It  occurs  in  Isainh  only 
here  and  Ixvi.  4  (comp.  xxxviii.  3).  What  was 
remarked  in  regard  to  vers.  3  6-5  a  applies  to 
vers.  11  and  12.  If  they  portray  an  idolatry 


CHAP.  LXV.  13-16. 


693 


specifically  Babylonian  which  the  Jews  practised 
in  exile,  the  verses  are  an  interpolation.  [DE- 
LITZSCH,  who  is  inclined  to  identify  "U  with  Ju- 
piter, confesses  that  it  is  only  from  this  place  in 
Isaiah  that  we  know  that  Gad  was  worshipped  by 
the  Babylonians.  The  Babylonian  Pantheon,  in 
RAWLINSON'S  Monarchies,  does  not  contain  this 
name.  The  application  of  the  name  Meni  is 
admitted  to  be  doubtful.  We  could  as  easily 
connect  the  worship  and  the  divinities  mentioned 
here  witli  Egypt,  Syria,  or  Arabia,  as  with  Baby- 
lonia. The  Jews  that  fled  to  Egypt  had  their 
Lectisternia  there  (Jer.  xliv.  17-19),  and  the  de- 
struction with  which  Isaiah  threatens  the  apos- 
tates that  lie  has  in  mind,  is  denounced  by  Jere- 
miah against  the  idolatrous  Jews  in  Egypt.  Jer. 
xliv.  12-14.  Moreover,  the  Jews  had  their  Lec- 
tisternia in  the  cities  of  Judah  and  in  the  streets 
of  Jerusalem  before  the  captivity  (Jer.  vii.  17, 
18.)  But  suppose  that  the  worship  here  described 
by  Isaiah  could  be  proved  to  be  distinctively 


and  exclusively  Babylonian,  must  the  real  Isaiah 
be  supposed  to  be  ignorant  of  it?  Knowing  the 
disposition  of  the  Jews  to  follow  the  ways  of 
the  heathen  around  them,  he  could  anticipate, 
even  without  Divine  inspiration,  that  many  of 
the  captive  Jews  would  practise  the  peculiar 
religious  rites  of  the  Babylonians.  Even  an  anti- 
supernaturalist  could  defend  the  genuineness 
of  vers.  11,  12;  much  more  one  who  believes 
that  a  true  Prophet  of  God  could  utter  a  de- 
finite prediction.  We  may  add  that  verse  13 
supposes  the  sins  mentioned  in  vers.  11,  12  as 
the  ground  of  the  threatening  which  it  contains, 
and  cannot  be  connected  immediately  with  ver. 
10.  HENDERSON,  who  thinks  that  the  terms  in 
ver.  11  may  have  been  borrowed  from  the  no- 
menclature of  idolaters,  takes  Gad  as  meaning 
Fortune  and  Meni  Fate,  and  applies  the  passage 
to  the  impenitent  and  worldly  Jews  of  the  resto- 
ration, who  had  no  god  but  riches,  and  regarded 
human  affairs  as  governed  by  fortune. — D.  M.]. 


3.  THE  TRUE  AND  RIGHTEOUS  GOD  GIVES  TO  EVERY  ONE  HIS  OWN. 

CHAPTER  LXV.  13-16. 

13  Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  GOD,  [Jehovah] 
Behold,  my  servants  shall  eat,  but  ye  shall  be  hungry: 
Behold,  my  servants  shall  drink,  but  ye  shall  be  thirsty: 
Behold,  my  servants  shall  rejoice,  but  ye  shall  be  ashamed: 

14  Behold,  my  servants  shall  sing  for  joy  of  heart, 
But  ye  shall  cry  for  sorrow  of  heart, 

And  shall  howl  for  'vexation  of  spirit. 

15  And  ye  shall  leave  your  name  for  aa  curse  unto  my  chosen: 
For  the  Lord  GOD  [Jehovah]  shall  slay  thee, 

And  call  his  servants  by  another  name: 

16  That  he  who  blesseth  himself  in  the  earth 
Shall  bless  himself  in  the  bGod  of  truth; 
And  he  that  swear eth  in  the  earth 
Shall  swear  by  the  God  of  truth  ; 
Because  the  former  troubles  are  forgotten, 
And  because  they  are  hid  from  mine  eyes. 


1  Heb.  breaking. 
»  an  oath. 


t>  the  God  of  Amen. 


EXEGETICAL 

1.  ["On  the  ground  of  the  renewed  mention 
of  the  offence  there  is  a  fresh  announcement  of 
punishment,  and  the  different  lot  of  the  servants 
of  Jahve,  and  of  those  who  despised  Him,  is  ex- 
pressed in  five  clause"  and  antithetic  clauses.  — 
DEL  ]  The  servants  of  Jehovah  will  eat,  drink, 
rejoice  fcomp.  xxv.  6  sqq. ;  lv.  1;  Ivi.  9),  the 
wicked  will  do  the  opposite  of  all  this  (vers.  Id, 
14).  The  name  of  the  wicked  will  only  remain 
to  serve  the  servants  of  Jehovah  for  an  oath ; 
they  themselves  will  be  dead,  and  the  LORD  will 
give  His  servants  another  name  (ver.  15).  inen 
will  both  the  promises  and  the  threatenmgs  ot 
Jehovah  be  fulfilled.  Jehovah  will  have  proved 


CRITICAL. 


and  shall  have 


(ver. 


irs     disgrace  and   anguish  take    the    place  of 


ID.  M.]     31?  3«  recalls 


.  «v 


694 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


47.  The  expression  does  not  elsewhere  occur. 
The  adjectival  construction  is  found  1  Kings  viii. 
66;  2  Chron.  vii.  10;  Esth.  1. 10;  v.  9;  Prov.  xv. 

15.  The  expression  27  3SO  (comp.  xvii.  11 ;  Prov. 
xiv.  13)  occurs  only  here.  HO  13#,  too,  occurs 
only  here  (comp.  Ps.  li.  19).  The  punishment  of  the 
wicked  shall  not  cease  with  the  termination  of  a 
wretched  life;  after  death  it  shall  be  continued  in 
a  memory  laden  with  a  curse.  This  last  point 
the  Prophet  mentions  first  as  the  climax  of  the 
punishment,  and  only  parenthetically  introduces 
the  threatening  of  destruction.  The  threatening  : 
"Ye  shall  leave  your  name  for  an  oath, 
supposes  the  death  of  those  threatened.  This 
matter  the  Prophet  afterwards  refers  to  as  a  thing 
of  only  minor  importance.  For  all  men  must  die. 
But  in  the  words,  the  Lord  God  shall  slay 
thee,  there  is  intimated  a  death  which  should  be 
a  marked  expression  of  the  Divine  displeasure. 
)  before  "jivon  is  to  be  taken  as  causal.  The 

sudden  change  of  number  need  no  more  surprise 
us  than  the  sudden  change  of  person  elsewhere. 
Comp.  Isa.  i.  23 ;  v.  23,  26  ;  xvii.  10  ;  xix.  25  ;  xxix. 
13.  The  singular  may  perhaps  be  here  employed 
for  a  rhetorical  reason.  It  renders  the  speech  more 
concise  and  emphatic.  The  wicked  will  be  de- 
stroyed so  that  nothing  will  remain  of  them  but 
a  name  on  which  a  curse  rests.  To  such  a  degree 
will  they  appear  as  objects  of  the  curse,  that  one 
in  swearing  will  believe  that  he  cannot  take  a 
stronger  oath  than  by  invoking  on  himself  the 
curse  of  those  wicked  persons,  in  case  of  being 
guilty  of  falsehood  (comp.  Numb.  v.  21 ;  Jer. 
xxix.  22;  Ps.  cii.  9).  One  name  originally 
united  the  wicked  and  the  godly.  For  they  were 
both  called  Israelites.  Can  the  elect  of  the  LORD 
continue  to  bear  the  name  which,  after  the  judg- 
ments of  God,  has  become  accursed  ?  No.  The 
LORD  will  therefore  give  His  servants  another 
name.  He  does  not  say:  A  new  name,  as  Ixii. 
2,  but  another  name.  The  Prophet's  look  sur- 
veys rapidly  the  whole  period  which  embraces 
thousands  of  years,  from  the  beginning  till  the 
completion  of  redemption,  i.  e.,  from  the  end  of 
the  Exile  till  the  last  day.  He  sees  how  in  this 
period  the  separation  between  the  enemies  and 
the  friends  of  Jehovah  is  accomplished,  but  he 
does  not  distinguish  the  stages  of  time,  but  all 
events  which  he  beholds  present  themselves  to 
him  on  one  and  the  same  plane.  He  sees  only  a 
decrease  of  the  'lapa^  aapKtit6c  •  he  sees  this 
carnal  Israel  endure  great  pain  and  distress — a 
judgment  of  God  resting  on  it,  in  consequence 
of  which  it  appears  as  accursed.  Further,  the 
Prophet  beholds  a  people  of  God,  with  another 
name,  in  the  place  of  the  old  Israel.  Is  not  the 
new  covenant,  that  should  come  in  the  place  of  the 
old,  in  this  way  intimated  ?  It  seems  to  me  that  JE- 


ROME is  not  altogether  wrong  in  regard  to  the 
main  point,  when  he  says:  "Nomen  autem  novum 
sive  aliud  nullum  est,  nisi  quod  ex  Christi  nomine 
derivatur,  ut  nequaquam  vocetur  populus  Dei  Jacob  et 
Juda  et  Israel  et  Ephraim  et  Joseph,  sed  Christianus." 
["  According  to  the  usage  of  the  prophecies  the 
promise   of  another   name  imports    a  different 
character  and  state,  and  in  this  sense  the  promise 
has  been  fully  verified.     But  in  addition  to  this 
general  fulfilment,  which  no  one  calls  in  ques- 
tion, it  is  matter  of  history  that  the  Jewish  com- 
monwealth or  nation  is  destroyed ;  that  the  name 
of  Jew  has  been  for  centuries  a  bye-word  and  a 
formula  of  execration,  and  that  they  who  have 
succeeded  to  the  spiritual  honors  of  this  once  fa- 
vored race,  although  they  claim  historical  iden- 
tity therewith,  have  never  borne  its  name,  but 
another,  which  from  its  very  nature  could  have 
no  existence  until  Christ  haa  come,  and  which  in 
the  common  parlance  of  the  Christian  world  is 
treated  as  the  opposite  of  Jew."  ALEXANDER. — 
D.  M.].     The  destruction  of  the  wicked  supposes 
as  corresponding  to  it  the  salvation  of  the  godly. 
Through  both  the  veracity  of  God  is  attested.    la 
Jehovah  shown  to  be  true  by  the  history  of  the 
world,  then  no  one  naturally  will  think  of  utter- 
ing an  oath  or  benediction  by  another  God  than 
by  Him.     ICftf  is  therefore  =  quart,  quapropter, 
or  in  a  demonstrative  sense  =  so  that  (comp.  Gen. 
xiii.  16;  Deut.  iii.  24;  xxviii.  27,  51,  et  saepe). 
"p3J"in  with  3  stands  here  as  Jer.  iv.  2,  which 
place   seems  to   refer   to  ours.     The  expression 
JON   TON  occurs  only  here.      [''A  remarkable 
expression ;    Jit.    ''  the  God   of   Amen," — of 
what  is  firm  and  true.     Vulg.  in  Deo  Amen.     The 
God  to  whom  that  quality  of  covenant-keeping 
truth  essentially  belongs,  is  He  in  whom  all  shall 
bless  themselves.   A  comparison  of  Gen.xxii. 
18  and  Ps.  Ixxii.  17  with  the  present  verse  shows 
that   '  the   Seed   of  Abraham'  and    '  the  Son  of 
David'    are  to   be  identified  with  this  God  of 
truth : — a   mystery  completely  realized  in  Him 
who  is  the  '  Amen,  the  Faithful  and  True  Wit- 
ness'  (Rev.  iii.  14;    comp.  xix.   11).     In  Him 
'all  the  promises  of  God  are  . .  .  Amen'  (2  Cor. 
i.  20").  KAY. — D.  M.].     When  all  promises  aro 
fulfilled,  then,  too,  all  troubles  must  necessarily 
be  past.     For  the  promises  of  God  have  respect 
not  to  partial,  limited,  but  to  full,  complete  sal- 
vation.    In  the  time,  then,  when  men  will  swear 
and  bless  by  none  other  than  the  true  and  vera- 
cious God,  all  troubles  will  end,  so  that  men  will 
know  no  more  what  trouble  is.     But  not  only 
this.   There  could  still  be  danger  of  new  troubles. 
But  this  will  not  be,  for  God  Himself  will  with 
His  all-seeing  eye  perceive  no  where  the  trace  of 
a  trouble.      'r1]"^    is  =  because — and   because 
(Gen.  xxxiii.  11 ;  Josh.  x.  2;  1  Sam.  xix.  4). 


695 


4.  THE  NEW  LIFE  IN  ITS  OUTWARD  MANIFESTATION. 
CHAPTER  LXV.  17-25. 


17  A  ^°5,  Hhold'  l  f^te  new  heave»s  and  a  new  earth  : 

And  the  former  shall  not  be  remembered,  nor  'come  Into  mind 

18  But  be  ye  glad  and  rejoice  for  ever  •»»  that  which  I  create^ 
For,  behold,  I  create  Jerusalem  a  rejoicing 

And  her  people  a  joy. 

19  And  I  will  rejoice  in  Jerusalem, 
And  joy  in  my  people  : 

And  the  voice  of  weeping  shall  be  no  more  heard  in  her 
-Nor  the  voice  of  crying. 

20  There  shall  be  no  more  bthence  an  infant  of  days 
Nor  an  old  man  that  hath  not  filled  his  days  • 
For  the  "child  shall  die  an  hundred  years  old  • 

01   ?Ut,1ie  Sin1ue^1e^f/111  hundred  years  old  'shall  be  accursed. 

21  Arid  they  shall  build  houses,  and  inhabit  them  • 

And  they  shall  plant  vineyards,  and  eat  the  fruit  of  them. 

22  Ihey  shall  not  build,  and  another  inhabit; 
They  shall  not  plant,  and  another  eat: 

For  as  the  days  of  a  tree  are  the  days  of  my  people 
oo  £,nd  m,ine  elect  «2shall  long  enjoy  the  work  of  their  hands. 
26  iney  shall  not  labour  m  vain, 

Nor  bring  forth  for  'trouble  ; 

For  they  are  the  seed  of  the  blessed  of  the  LORD, 

And  their  offspring  with  them. 

24  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  before  they  call,  I  will  answer  • 
And  while  they  are  yet  speaking,  I  will  hear. 

25  The  wolf  and  the  lamb  shall  feed  together, 
And  the  lion  shall  eat  straw  like  the  gbullock  : 
And  dust  shall  be  the  serpent's  meat. 

They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my  holy  mountain, 
Saith  the  LORD. 


1  Heb.  come  upon  the  heart. 

»  because  I  create  it. 

4  will  be  considered  accursed. 


J  Heb.  shall  make  them  continue  long,  or,  shall  wear  out 
b  there  a  suckling  that  counts  only  days.  »  boy. 

*  qu^  passing  away.  g  ox  or  cow. 


wear  out. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  had  previously  declared  that 
mighty  changes  would  take  place  in  consequence 
of  severe  judgments  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  glo- 
rious saving  grace  on  the  other.     Here  he  states 
that  the  LORD  will  create  a  new  heaven  and  a 
new  earth  which  will  entirely  efface  the  remem- 
brance of  the  old  (ver.  17).     For  this  new  glori- 
ous creation  will  cause  such  joy  that  it  will  make 
the  misery  of  the  old  world  to  be  quite  forgotten. 
Jerusalem  and  its  people  will  be  nothing  but  joy, 
and  the  LORD,  too,  will  only  rejoice  over  His 
people.     Among  the  people  of  God  nothing  more 
will  be  heard  of  mourning  and  lamentation  (ver. 
19).     The  vital  force  of  mankind  will  then  ap- 
pear undiminished  (vers.  20,  21).     Death  will  no 
longer  prevent  a  man  from  enjoying  the  fruits  of 
his  labor.     None  will  labor  in  vain,  or  beget 
children   for  speedy  death,   for  all   will   be    a 


blessed  race  (ver.  23) ;  and  if  they  have  anything 
to  ask  from  the  LORD,  their  prayer  will  be  imme- 
diately answered  (ver.  24).  There  will  be  a 
renovation  even  of  the  animal  world.  It  will  be 
in  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  peace  and  love 
which  will  prevail  in  the  entire  new  creation 
(ver.  25). 

2.  For,  behold,  I  create crying. — Vers. 

17-19.  The  Prophet  manifestly  disiinguishes 
stadia  in  the  accomplishment  of  salvation,  al- 
though he  says  nothing  of  their  relative  times. 
Objects  which  are  represented  in  one  perspec- 
tive on  different  planes,  so  that  those  in  the  back- 
ground can  be  seen  through  the  intervening  spaces 
of  those  on  the  foreground,  appear  to  be  on  one 
plane  to  him  who  regards  them  at  a  distance. 
We  can  here  also  distinguish  three  really  dis- 
tinct stadia,  although  the  Prophet  in  no  way  in- 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


dicates  a  difference  of  time.  The  first  stadium 
he  describes  vers.  9,  10.  He  there  speaks  of 
again  taking  possession  of  the  holy  land.  This 
was  first  accomplished  by  the  return  from  Exile. 
He  brings  us,  vers.  13-16,  to  another  stadium. 
In  it  he  sees  the  wicked  and  the  godly  together  ; 
but  he  perceives  the  godless  Israel  judged  and 
cursed,  and  the  elect  that  are  saved  from  the 
judgment  called  by  another  name.  We  enter  on 
the  third  stadium  ver.  17.  In  it  everything  be- 
comes new.  A  new  higher  life  pervades  the 
whole  of  nature.  To  this  highest  stadium  the 
preceding  are  related  as  organic  preparation. 
This  is  the  meaning  of  the  '3  in  the  beginning 
of  ver.  17.  [The  Prophet  had  said  at  the  close 
of  ver.  16  that  the  former  evils  had  entirely 
passed  away.  "  That  they  had  passed  away  he 
establishes  by  joining,  as  in  ix.  3-5,  one  ^3  to  an- 
other, vers.  17-19."  DEL.—  D.  M.].  By  mj^Nl 
many  understand  merely  tempora  superiora,  the 
former  evil  times,  others,  only  the  old  heaven  and 
the  old  earth.  But  why  should  not  both  be  in- 
tended by  it?  Would  it  be  possible  to  remember 
the  old  earth  and  the  old  heaven,  and  not  at  the 
same  time  think  of  the  times  passed  on  the  one 
and  under  the  other?  The  Prophet  certainly 
does  not  mean  to  say  that  people  will  have  lost 
their  memory  in  the  new  world.  But  his  mean- 
ing is  only  this,  that  all  misery  and  distress  of 
the  old  world  will  be  so  completely  got  rid  of 
that  the  images  of  the  same  will  no  more  present 
themselves  as  a  disturbing  element  in  the  happi- 

ness of  the  new  world.  U  7  /#  7Y7y  is  =  come 
to  mind,  to  be  suggested.  Comp.  Jer.  iii.  16, 
which  place  is  of  similar  import  with  the  one  be- 
fore us,  and  seems  to  be  formed  after  it.  The  ex- 
pression is  found  only  in  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah 
(Jer.  iii.  16;  vii.  31;  xix.  5;  xxxii.  35;  xliv.  21). 
The  words,  ver.  18,  Be  ye  glad  and  rejoice 
agree  admirably  with  our  explanation  of  ver.  17  b. 
The  servants  of  God  shall  not  suffer  their  happi- 
ness to  be  disturbed  by  gloomy  recollections,  but 
they  shall  enjoy  it  to  the  full  and  uninterruptedly. 
Why  shoald  they  not  do  this?  Is  it  not  a  crea- 
tion of  the  LORD?  And  all  that  the  LORD 
creates  is  good  (Gen.  i.  31).  Neither  BNt?  nor 
TJ  are  ever  construed  with  the  accusative  of  the 
object.  "IIPX  is  therefore  to  be  taken  as  causal  = 
because.  The  Prophet  then  repeats  emphatically  : 
for  behold  I  create  Jerusalem  a  rejoicing 


and  its  people  a  joy.  nVj  and  feWO  are  ab- 
stracts to  be  taken  as  concretes.  ThisTform  of 
expression  is  particularly  emphatic  (Ix.  17  ;  xi. 
10;  xiii.  9,  et  saepe;  Ps.  cxx.2,7,ei!  saepe).  Jeru- 
salem shall  be  nothing  but  rejoicing,  its  people 
nothing  but  joy.  But  more  than  that  \  Not  only 
shall  Jerusalem  rejoice  with  its  people.  The 
LORD  Himself  will  rejoice  over  Jerusalem  and 
ts  people  ;  which  supposes  on  the  part  of  the 
latter  a  state  of  perfect  righteousness,  such  a 
renovat.on,  in  short,  as  (ver.  17)  is  promised  to 
the  heaven  and  the  earth  (Ixii.  5).  Where  there 
•*  no  more  sin,  there  is  no  more  trouble,  and 
where  there  is  no  more  trouble,  there  is  no  more 
pain  (comp.  xxv.  8;  xxxv.  10;  li.  11  ;  Rev.  vii 
17;  xxi.  4). 
3.  There  shall  be  no  more  -  saith  the 


LORD.— Vers.  20-25.  In  what  follows  the  Pro- 
phet gives  examples  of  the  state  of  things  in  the 
new  world.  The  illustrations  given  are  to  serve 
as  a  measure  for  estimating  the  new  relations. 
Dt?D  is  not  ^  from  then.  For  DEf  is  never  used 

T    '  T 

in  regard  to  time.  [The  examples  given  by 
GESENIUS  of  DEf  in  the  sense  of  then  do  not  bear 
examination.  The  particle  is  not  used  of  time 
in  Hebrew  as  it  is  in  Arabic. — D.  M.].  JO  marks 
in  Hebrew  the  terminus  unde,  which  according  to 
the  usage  of  the  language  is  found  where  we  em- 
ploy the  terminus  ubi.  Dt?  refers  to  Jerusalem 
and  the  Holy  Land.  Thence  will  no  suckling 
ever  appear  (comp.  lix.  19;  xl.  15)  who  will  be 
only  days  old  (comp.  e.  g.,  Gen.  xxiv.  55),  or 
an  old  man  who  has  not  reached  the  normal 
measure  of  human  age.  [ALEXANDER,  follow- 
ing KIMCHI,  supposes  there  shall  be  no  more 
from  thence  to  mean  there  shall  be  no  more 
taken  away  thence,  or  carried  thence  to  burial. 
But  rrn  means  properly  to  come  into  existence, 
and  we  are  to  understand  the  statement  thus : 
there  shall  no  suckling  thence  arise  or  come  into 
being  who  shall  live  only  some  days,  whose  age 
shall  be  counted  by  days. — D.  M.].  What  fol- 
lows, strictly  taken,  contradicts  what  has  been  said. 
For  if  no  one,  not  even  an  old  man,  falls  short 
of  the  normal  measure,  then  no  one  can  die  as  a 
boy.  [But  the  Prophet  does  not  say  that  no  one, 
not  even  an  old  man,  fails  short  of  the  normal 
measure,  in  the  former  part  of  ver.  20.  When 
one  who  dies  at  the  age  of  a  hundred  years  is 
counted  a  boy,  and  when  a  sinner  who  dies  a 
hundred  years  old  is  regarded  as  prematurely 
out  off'  by  the  judgment  of  God,  this  is  no  con- 
tradiction of  the  declaration  that  the  suckling's 
age  will  not  be  reckoned  by  days,  and  that  old 
men  will  fill  up  the  measure  of  their  days.  For 
the  hundred  years  old  sinner  will  not  be  included 
in  the  category  of  old  men.  There  is  no  need 
then  of  adopting  the  forced  construction  proposed 
by  DR.  NAEGELSBACH  to  get  rid  of  an  imaginary 
contradiction.  The  examples  here  given  he  holds 
to  be  unreal  and  only  supposed  by  way  of  illus- 
tration. If  it  were  possible  that  there  should 
still  be  sinners,  one  of  them,  who  should  be  pun- 
ished with  death  when  a  hundred  years  old, 
would  be  regarded  as  cursed  by  God,  and  forever 
excluded  from  mercy.  And  if  one  of  a  hundred 
years  should  die  a  natural  death,  (supposing 
such  a  case,  which  from  what  has  been  said  can- 
not really  occur),  he  would  be  only  a  boy  at  his 
death. — D.  M.].  There  is  clear  reference  here 
to  the  Mosaic  law  which  promises  long  life  and  a 
numerous  posterity  to  the  godly,  and,  on  the  con- 
trary, threatens  shortening  of  life  and  speedy  ex- 
tinction of  name  to  the  wicked  (Ex.  xx.  5,  6, 
12;  xxiii.  26).  That  the  Prophet  here  at  the 
pime  time  thinks  of  the  longevity  of  the  [antedi- 
luvian] patriarchs  is  very  probable.  The  thought 
of  a  return  of  this  longevity  is  not  unbiblical. 
It  is  expressed  in  Rev.  xx.  4  [?].  The  form 
NOinn  with  Segol  is  as  if  from  nm.  The 
longevity  which,  ver.  20,  is  promised  to  the  ser- 
vants of  God,  shall  as  a  secondary  consequence, 
have  also  the  good  effect  that  the  curse  of  fruit- 
less cultivation,  planting  and  begetting,  with  which 


CHAP.  LXV.  17-25. 


697 


the  wicked  are  threatened  by  the  law  (Lev.  xxvi. 
16;  Dent,  xxviii.  30  sqq.),  will  be  removed  from 
the  people  of  God  (coiup.  Ixii.  8,  9 ;  Jer.  xxxi. 
5;  Amos  ix.  14,  15).  That  men  shall  build 
houses  and  not  dwell  therein,  and  plant  vine- 
yards and  not  enjoy  them,  is  threatened  as  a  curse 
Deut.  xxviii.  30.  These  curses  will  be  trans- 
formed into  the  corresponding  blessings  in  conse- 
quence of  longevity ;  for  the  people  of  God  shall 
live  as  long  as  trees  (comp.  Ps.  xcii.  13  sqq.). 
["Some  trees,  such  as  the  oak,  the  terebinth,  and 
the  banyan,  reach  the  age  of  a  thousand  years.1' 
HENDERSON.  The  cedars  of  Lebanon  that  are 
still  found  there  "  may  be  fairly  presumed  to 
have  existed  in  Biblical  times."  (RoYLE).  nSs 
means  not  only  to  use,  but  to  use  up,  consume 
(DEL.).— D.  M.].  Ver.  23  a  alludes  to  Lev. 

xxvi.  16,  20;  (or  p'"n  and  Hl?n_3  are  borrowed 
from  the  two  places.  ["  The  sense  of  sudden  de- 
struction given  to  H  7H3  by  some  modern  writers 
is  a  mere  conjecture  from  the  context.  .  .  .  The 
Hebrew  word  properly  denotes  extreme  agitation 
and  alarm,  and  the  meaning  of  the  clause  is  that 
they  shall  noi  bring  forth  children  merely  to  be 
the  subjects  of  distressing  solicitude."  ALEX- 
ANDER. D.  M.].  The  meaning  of  ''  '3113  #"U  is 
plainly  not  a  posterity  that  springs  from  those 
blessed  of  the  LORD,  but  a  posterity,  a  seed 
which  consists  of  those  who  are  blessed. 
Comp.  on  i.  4).  [This  is  not  so  plain  as  it  is  af- 
firmed to  be.  And  ALEXANDER  is  right  in  say- 
ing that  it  adds  greatly  to  the  strength  of  the  ex- 
pression if  we  take  it  to  mean  that  they  are 
themselves  the  offspring  of  those  blessed 
of  God,  and  thus  give  JHT  its  usual  sense.  D. 
M.].  Dr\X  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  merely  mark- 
ing addition  to,  but  as  denoting  simultaneous, 
common  enjoyment.  It  includes  the  idea  that 
the  children  will  enjoy  these  things  not  after  the 
parents,  but  with  the  parents  But  if  notwith- 
standing the  abundance  of  blessing  that  surrounds 
them,  any  trouble  or  the  lack  of  any  good  thing 
should  be  felt,  they  have  only  to  bring  their  con- 
cern in  prayer  to  the  LORD.  The  answer  will 
be  given  even  before  the  request  is  expressed,  or 
at  latest,  while  he  that  prays  is  yet  speaking 
(comp.  Iviii.  9;  xxx.  19).  Ver.  25  adds  an 
eschatological  feature  which  is  abridged  from  xi. 
6-9.  I  cannot  avoid  the  impression  that  these 
words  are  an  awkward  addition,  and  are  not  of 
one  piece  with  what  precedes.  Have  we  here 
again  to  mark  the  hand  of  him  who  has  re- 
touched in  various  ways  the  original  work  of  the 
Prophet  in  these  last  chapters  ?  [DELITZSOH 
declares  that  those  who  affirm  that  the  speaker 
in  ver.  25  is  one  later  than  Isaiah,  because  this 
verse  is  only  loosely  attached  to  what  precedes, 


make  an  assertion  which  is  unfair  and  untrue. 
As  m  chapter  xi.  so  here,  the  picture  of  the  new 
time  closes  with  the  peace  in  the  world  of  nature 
which  m  chapters  xl.-lxvi.,  just  as  in  chapters  i.- 
xxxix.,  appears  as  standing  in  the  closest  mutual 
relation  to  man.  The  repetition  of  what  was  al- 
ready uttered  in  chapter  xi.  speaks  in  favor  of 
unity  of  authorship  DR.  NAEGELSBACH,  fol- 
lowing KNOBEL,  urges  the  substitution  of  in  JO 
for  HIV  as  marking  the  hand  of  a  later  writer. 
But  TT1K3  is  more  than  HIT,  together.  It  means 
as  one,  and  is  a  perfectly  simple  and  natural 
Hebrew  form.  No  argument  can  be  drawn  from 
its  appearing  besides  only  in  such  late  books  as 
2  Chronicles,  Ezra,  Nehemiah  and  Ecclesiastes. 
HIV  also  occurs  in  Nehemiah.  We  have,  too, 
THS  BT8O  in  early  books,  in  Judg.  xx.  8; 
1  Sam.  xi.  7.  This  phase  is  essentially  one 
with  the  expression  in  our  text,  and  cannot  be  re- 
ferred to  the  later  Hebrew,  though  it  occurs  in 
Ezra  iii.  1  and  Neh.  viii.  1,  as  well  as  in  Judges 
and  1  Samuel.  We  find  also  in  our  verse  the 


stronger  expression  ^t^  <*>  young  lamb,  substi- 
tuted for  the  word  ^33,  a  well-grown  lamb,  which 
is  used  in  xi.  6.  There  is,  then,  no  valid  icason 
for  suspecting  here  an  addition  by  a  later  hand. 
See  KAY  in  loc.  ''  Most  of  the  modern  writers 
construe  E'nj  as  a  nominative  absolute,  as  for  the 
serpent,  dust  (shall  be)  his  food.  A  more  obvious 
construction  is  to  repeat  the  verb  shall  eat,  and 
consider  dust  and  food  as  in  apposition.  .  .  .  "The 
sense  seems  to  be  that,  in  accordance  with  his 
ancient  doom,  he  shall  be  rendered  harmless, 
robbed  of  his  favorite  nutriment,  and  made  to  bite 
the  dust  at  the  feet  of  his  conqueror  (Gen.  iii.  15; 
Rom.  xvi.  20;  1  John  iii.  8)."  —  ALEXANDER. 
Isaiah,  in  writing  "Dust  shall  be  the  serpent's 
meat,"  has  evidently  Micah  vii.  17  before  him: 
"They  shall  lick  the  dust  like  a  serpent."  This 
borrowing  from  Micah  is  characteristic  of  Isaiah, 
and  attests  the  genuineness  of  this  passage.  DE- 
LITZSCH,  at  the  close  of  this  chapter,  asks  when 
the  state  of  things  shall  be  realized  that  is  here 
depicted,  when  the  antediluvian  length  of  life 
shall  return,  and  man  and  the  lower  animals  shall 
be  in  harmony  and  peace?  He  replies  that  it  is 
absurd  to  refer  this  prophecy  to  the  state  of  final 
blessedness,  as  it  supposes  a  continued  mixture 
of  righteous  and  sinful  men,  and  only  a  limitation 
of  the  power  of  death,  not  its  complete  destruction 
by  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise  in  xxv.  8  a.  But 
is  this  state  to  follow  the  creation  of  new  heavens 
and  a  new  earth  mentioned  in  ver.  17  ?  And 
what  have  we  to  understand  by  the  creation  of 
new  heavens  ""id  a  new  earth  here  spoken  of? 
On  these  questions  see  under  Doctrinal  and  Ethi- 
cal, No.  10  —D.  M.] 


698 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


5.    THE  NEW  LIFE  IN  ITS  INWARD  RELATIONS. 

CHAPTER  LXVL  1-3  a. 

1  THUS  saith  the  LORD, 

The  heaven  is  my  throne,  and  the  earth  is  my  footstool » 
•Where  is  the  house  that  ye  build  unto  me  ? 
And  bwhere  is  the  place  of  my  rest  ? 

2  For  all  those  things  hath  mine  hand  made, 
And  all  those  things  "have  been,  saith  the  LORD  : 
But  to  this  man  will  I  look, 

Even  to  him  that  is  poor  and  of  a  contrite  spirit, 
And  trembleth  at  my  word. 

3  a  He  that  killeth  an  ox  is  as  t/he  slew  a  man  ; 

He  that  sacrificeth  a  'lamb,  as  if  lie  cut  off  a  dog's  neck  ; 
He  that  offereth  an  oblation,  as  if  he  offered  swine's  blood  ; 
He  that  "burneth  incense,  as  if  he  blessed  an  idol. 


1  Or,  kid. 
•  What. 


b  what. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


a  Heb.  maketh  a  memorial  of. 
°  began  to  be. 


1.  The  Prophet  continues  to  describe  the  condi- 
tion of  things  which  is  to  be  expected  in  the  time  of 
the  end  when  there  will  be  a  new  heaven  and  a  new 
earth.     Here  he  has  respect  more  to  the  inward 
life,  as  in  Ixv.  17  sqq.  he  had  depicted  the  reno- 
vation of  the  life  of  nature.     What  he  here  de- 
clares is  to  be  regarded  only  as  a  measure  to  help 
us  to  estimate  what  will  take  place.     The  ques- 
tion, it  is  true,  "  What  house  will  ye  build  me, 
and  what  shall  be  the  place  of  my  rest  ?"  appears 
primarily  to  have  practical  application  to  those  re- 
turning home  from  Exile,  while  it  looks  as  if  this 
question  interdicted  them  from  building  a  temple 
in  Jerusalem.      But  this   cannot   possibly  have 
been  the  design  of  the  Prophet.     For  that  the 
LORD  desired  for  that  time  the  erection  of  a  tem- 
ple is  proved  most  clearly  by  such  places  as  xliv. 
28 ;  Ivi.  7 ;  Ix.  7 ;  Ezra  i.  2-4 ;  Hag.  i.  and  ii. 
This,  then,  must  be  the  meaning  of  the  words,  that 
the  external  temple  is  at  all  times  a  thing  of  minor 
importance,  and  that  hereafter,  in  the  time  of  the 
new  heaven  and  the  new  earth,  the  external  tem- 
ple will  exist  no  longer  (ver.  1).     For  all  that 
the  LORD  has  made  belongs  to  Him.      If  He 
needed  a  house,  the  whole  vast  world  would  be  at 
His  command.     But  He  does  not  dwell  in  temples 
built  by  human   hands.     In   the  hearts  of  the 
afflicted,  contrite  and  obedient  He  will  make  His 
spiritual  dwelling  (ver.  2).     And  as  He  needs  no 
temple,  so  He  needs  no  external  ceremonial  wor- 
ship.    In  the  time  when  all  things  will  be  new, 
every  act  of  the  old,  external,  ceremonial  worship 
must  rather  be  regarded  as  an  offence  against  the 
spirit  of  the  new  aeon  (ver.  3  a). 

2.  Thus   saith    the    Lord an   idol.— 

Vers.  1-3  a.     The  Prophet  begins  by  setting  forth 
the  infinite    greatness   and   majesty   of  God   by 
means  of  a  figure  used  elsewhere  in  holy  Scrip- 
ture.    For  we  read  that  the  heaven  is  God's 
throne  also  in  Ps.  xi.  4 ;  ciii.  19 ;  Matth.  v.  34 ; 


xxiii.  22.  That  the  earth  is  his  footstool  is 
directly  stated  only  here  and  Matth.  v.  35,  which 
latter  place  is  based  on  the  one  before  us.  But 
the  thought  is  indirectly  contained  in  those  places 
where  the  holy  mountain  or  the  temple  is  named 
the  footstool  of  God :  Ps.  xcix.  5,  comp.  ver.  9 ; 
cxxxii.  7 ;  Lam.  ii.  1 ;  1  Chron.  xxviii.  2.  With 
this  view  of  the  greatness  and  majesty  of  God  the 
idea  of  an  earthly  habitation  for  God  stands  in 
contradiction,  if  God  is  conceived  as  a  local  god 
like  the  heathen  divinities,  and  the  temple  is  a 
space  that  encloses  Him.  This  is  a  view  from 
which  even  the  Israelites  (comp.,  e.  g.,  the  pro- 
phet Jonah)  could  not  get  free.  Even  the  Chris- 
tian martyr  Stephen  had  to  protest  against  this 
vain  imagination  (Acts  vii.  48  sqq.),  and  in  doing 
so  he  appeals  to  our  place  (comp.  Acts  xvii.  24 
sq.).  But  the  idea  of  a  temple  did  not  contradict 
God's  infinity,  when  the  temple  was  regarded  as  a 
place  in  which  God  was  present  only  partially 
and  repraesentativo  modo,  with  a  shining  forth  of 
His  glory.  The  Rabbis  call  this  effulgence  of  the 
absolute  glory  the  Shekinah,  and  appeal  to  pas- 
sages such  as  Ex.  xxv.  21  sq. ;  Lev.  xvi.  2;  xxvi. 
11  sqq. ;  Numb.  vii.  89;  1  Sam.  iv.  4,  etc.  Solo- 
mon, too,  was  fully  conscious  that  the  heaven  and 
heaven  of  heavens  could  not  contain  God,  much 
less  a  house  built  on  the  earth  (1  Kings  viii.  27). 
He  therefore  did  not  think  of  building  a  place  for 
the  Deity  which  should  enclose  Him  in  His  to- 
tality. Our  Prophet,  in  asking  the  question, 
"What  house  will  ye  build?"  has  manifestly  the 
returning  exiles  before  his  mind,*  and  while  he 


*  ["From  the  whole  strain  of  the  prophecy  and  par- 
ticularly from  vers.  3-5.  it  seems  probable  that  it  refers 
to  the  time  when  the  temple  which  Herod  had  reared 
was  finishing;  when  the  nation  was  full  of  pride,  self- 
righteousness  and  hypocrisy,  and  when  all  saerifl'-es 
were  about  to  be  superseded  by  the  one  great  sacrifice 
which  the  Messiah  was  about  "to  make  of  Kims-elf  tor 
the  sins  of  the  world."  BARNES. — D.  M.]. 


CHAP.  LXVI.  1-3. 


699 


rejects  an  external  temple  and  temple-worship, 
Ije  has  in  view  the  remotest  end  of  the  time  of 
salvation,  the  time  of  the  new  heaven  and  new 
earth,  when,  according  to  Rev.  xxi.  22,  there 
shall  be  no  temple.  The  form  of  a  question  is 
intentionally  chosen  in  the  sentence  'Ul  JT3  ni^'X- 
For  it  makes  known  that  the  LORD  declares  an 
earthly  place  to  be  insufficient  to  be  a  habitation 
for  His  Godhead,  without  directly  forbidding  the 
erection  of  such  a  habitation.  Such  a  prohibi- 
tion He  could  not  possibly  design  to  make.  For, 
in  fact,  He  plainly  disclosed  to  the  returning 
exiles  His  will  that  His  house  should  be  rebuilt 
in  Jerusalem  (comp.  the  close  of  chap,  xliv-  ; 
Ezra  i.  2  sqq.  ;  Hag.  i.  2  sqq.).  There  is  no  indi- 
cation that  the  rebuilding  of  the  temple  and  the 
re-institution  of  the  Mosaic  cultus  were  hindered 
by  the  place  before  us.  Doubtless  there  was  found 
in  ver.  1  b  merely  the  thought  that  there  is  no 
place  which,  as  a  dwelling,  corresponds  in  the 
least  degree  to  the  greatness  of  God,  and  that  the 
Prophet  warns  against  such  rude  childish  notions 
as  formerly  were  entertained  in  Israel,  that  Jeho- 
vah really  dwells  in  the  most  holy  place  of  the 
temple  as  a  man  dwells  in  his  house.  The 
thought  would  readily  suggest  itself  when  this 
passage  would  be  considered,  that  the  new  temple 
was  not  intended  to  be  a  place  to  contain  God, 
but  only  to  be  the  restoration  of  the  old  place 
where  God  revealed  Himself.  nrWO  is  =  place 
of  rest,  Ps.  cxxxii.  14.  The  second  question  is 
literally  rendered  :  what  place  is  my  resting 
place  ?  1  will  not  undertake  to  decide  whether 
it  was  also  seen  that  the  look  of  the  Prophet  is 
here  directed  also  to  the  time  of  the  end.  But  v:e 
can  have  no  doubt  on  this  point.  For  it  is  unde- 
niable that  all  through  chapters  Ixv.  and  Ixvi. 
even  the  remotest  time  of  the  end  is  present  to 
the  spirit  of  the  Prophet.  And  in  this  last  time 
there  will  really,  according  to  Rev.  xxi.  22,  be  no 
temple.  For  God  is  then  inwardly  and  outwardly 
ever  present  to  all.  He  is  then  Himself  their 
temple.  The  Prophet  assigns  as  reasons  for  the 
questions  which  he  puts  :  First,  God  has  heaven 
for  His  throne,  the  earth  for  His  footstool.  Sec- 
ondly, he  declares  that  God  has  made  all  these, 
that  all  have  arisen  through  His  almighty  "Let 
there  be.''  He  evidently  alludes  to  the  word  of 
the  Creator  in  Gen.  i.,  'IT.  He  thus  lets  it  be 
known  that  God,  if  He  wished,  could  build  Him- 
self a  temple.  For  what  would  that  be  for  Him 
who  made  "all  these,"  heaven  and  earth?  And 
thirdly  and  lastly,  he  tells  why  God  does  not  do 
this,  although  He  could  do  it.  He  needs  no  tem- 
ple. Hearts  that  feel  their  misery,  that  with  con- 
trition (comp.  xvi.  7;  Prov.  xv.  13;  xvii.  22; 
xviii.  14)  are  conscious  of  their  sin,  and  humbly 
hearken  to  His  word  O^H,  comp.  Judg.  vii.  3  ; 


1  Sam.  iv.  13;  Ezra  ix.  4;  x.  3.  ^  for  7«, 
comp.  ver.  5  ;  Ix.  5  ;  x.  3)  are  the  temple  which 
He  most  desires  and  values.  On  these  He  looks, 
these  He  regards  and  loves,  and  in  these  He  will 
dwell.  And  because  He  is  in  them,  they  also  are 
in  Him.  They  are  His  temple,  and  He  is  their 
temple.  While  I  cannot  believe  that  the  Pro- 
phet in  vers.  1-2  absolutely  repels  the  design 
of  the  returning  Israelites  to  build  God  a  tem- 
ple, still  less  can  I  believe  that  he  in  ver.  3  a 


declares  only  to  those  estranged  from  God  that 
the  LORD  will  accept  no  religious  services  from 
them.  Where  is  it  by  a  single  syllable  intimated 
that  ver.  3  is  addressed  solely  to  those  estranged 
from  God?— [See  the  words  immediately  follow- 
ing ver.  3  6  and  ver.  4.— D.  M.]— DELITZSCH 
indeed  affirms  that  the  sentence:  "He  who  slays 
in  the  new  Jerusalem  an  ox  in  sacrifice  is  like 
one  who  slays  a  man,"  could  not  possibly  be  con- 
tained in  the  Old  Testament.  If  under  the 
"new  Jerusalem"  he  means  the  city  rebuilt  by 
the  exiles  on  their  return,  I  admit  that  DELITZSCH 
is  perfectly  right.  But  distingue  tempora  et  con- 
cordabit  Scriptural  The  Prophet  does  not  distin- 
guish the  times.  He  surveys  the  whole  time  of 
salvation  from  the  end  of  the  Exile  to  the  aluv 
fj.eAAuv  at  one  view,  and  in  this  space  of  time  he 
perceives  really  a  temple  and  sacrificial  wor- 
ship; but  he  declares  both  to  be  insufficient. 
He  utters  no  absolute  prohibition;  but  he  de- 
clares most  unambiguously  that  this  temple 
must  disappear  and  give  place  to  a  better.  And 
when  this  shall  have  happened,  then  (this  the 
Prophet  sees  quite  clearly,  as  it  is  also  self-evi- 
dent), an  animal  sacrifice  will  be  an  abomination. 
He  who  in  the  Christian  church  would  present 
an  ox  or  a  sheep  as  a  sin-offering — would  he  not 
commit  a  crime,  which  in  its  way  would  be  as 
great  as  if  a  Jew  should  present  a  sacrifice  of  a 
man  or  of  a  dog  ?  Would  he  not  thus  despise 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb  of  God?  If  in  chaps.  Ivi. 
and  Ix.  and  also  in  our  chapter,  vers.  6  and  20 
sqq.,  a  temple  and  sacrificial  worship  are  still 
spoken  of,  are  we  to  suppose  that  the  old  temple 
of  stone,  with  its  material,  bloody  offerings,  is 
intended  ?  Verily  chaps,  liii.  and  Iv.  testify 
that  the  Prophet  knew  of  an  infinitely  better 
offering  and  of  an  infinitely  better  way  of  appro- 
priating salvation.  Even  Jeremiah  can  speak 
of  a  time  in  which  the  ark  of  the  covenant  will 
be  no  more  thought  of  (Jer.  iii.  16).  And  Isaiah 
emphatically  testifies  that  the  religious  concep- 
tion of  the  Israelites  of  his  time  will  be  super- 
seded by  one  infinitely  higher  (Iv.  8  sqq.).  I 
cannot  therefore  agree  with  those  who  propose 
this  explanation:  "He  who  with  a  disposition 
unholy  and  estranged,  from  God  offers  an  ox,  a 
sheep,  etc.,  is  like  one  who  kills  a  man,  etc." 
For  in  the  time  present  to  the  mind  of  the  Pro- 
phet every  animal  sacrifice  will  be  a  criinen  lae- 
sae  majestatis.  Still  less  is  that  explanation  to 
be  approved  which  HAHN,  not  after  the  example 
of  GESENIUS,  whom  he  misunderstands,  but  after 
the  example  of  LOWTH,  adopts:  "He  who  slays 
an  ox  kills  at  the  same  time  a  man,"  etc.  Ac- 
cording to  it  the  Prophet  is  supposed  to  censure 
those  who,  while  they  offer  sacrifice  to  the  LORD 
in  His  sanctuary,  outside  of  it  commit  all  possi- 
ble abominations;  a  course  of  conduct  which  is 
reproved  by  Ezekiel  xxiii.  39,  and  in  the  Jsew 
Testament  by  our  LORD,  Matt,  xxiii.  14.  ^Ve 
have  here  sentences  containing  comparisons  in 
whi'-h  the  figure  and  the  thing  compared  are  put 
in  the  relation  of  subject  and  predicate  whertby 
they  are  not  absolutely,  but  yet  relatively,  iden- 
tified The  offerer  of  an  ox  is  a  manslayer, 
i  e  he  is  viewed  as  to  his  religious  worth,  a 
manslaver.  He  stands  before  God  on  the  same 
level  with  one  who  now  should  offer  a  human 
sacrifice.  For  according  to  the  context  the  Pro- 


700 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


phet  does  not  mean  to  compare  animal  sacrifices 
in  the  time  of  the  end  with  every  kind  of  offtnce, 
but  with  offerings  which  would  be  abominable 
in  the  present  time.  Human  sacrifices  in  general 
are  not  expressly  forbidden  in  the  law.  Impli- 
citly they  are  prohibited  by  all  the  places  of  the 
law  which  command  Israel  to  shun  all  the  abo- 
minations of  the  heathen  (comp.  Ex.  xxiii.  24; 
Lev.  xviii.  3,  et  saepe).  But  the  offering  of  chil- 
dren, such  as  was  practised  in  the  worship  of 
Baal,  is  in  various  places  most  strictly  prohibited 
(cornp.  Lev.  xviii.  21;  xx.  2  sqq  ;  Deut.  xii.  31, 
et  saepe).  Regarding  the  custom  of  sacrificing 
dogs  practised  by  the  Carians,  Lacedaemonians, 
Macedonians  and  other  Greeks,  see  BOCHART, 
Hieroz.  I.,  p.  798  sqq.,  ed  Lips.  *]?#  is  part.  act. 
Kal.  from  ^J-',  verb,  denom.  from  *)?#,  the  neck 
(comp.  Ex.  xiii.  13;  Deut.  xxi.  4,  7;  Hos.  x.  2). 


It  means  to  break  the  neck. — In  the  clause 
'PI  '~\  nrUO  n/>'0  we  have  in  order  to  complete 

the  sentence  simply  to  repeat  Hli'O  before  DT 
(comp.  Ivii.  6).  On  the  offering  of  swine,  comp. 
on  Ixv.  4.  Dogs  and  swine  are  in  the  Scriptures, 
as  in  profane  authors,  often  joined  together 
(comp.  Matt.  vii.  6;  2  Pet.  ii.  22;  1  Kings  xxi. 
19;  xxii.  38.  in  several  codices  of  the  LXX. ; 
HOKATII,  Epist  I.  2,  26;  II.  2,  75).  T3IX 
stands  only  here  as  direct  causative  Hiphil  in 
the  sense  of  to  make  an  m3iJ<  to  offer  as  rp3!S 

IT.-'  T  T  I  -• 

j]K  is  taken  by  most  interpreters  correctly  in  the 
sense  of  vanum,  i.  e.  idolum  (comp.  1  Sam.  xv. 
23;  Hos.  x.  8;  xii.  12),  for  this  particular  mean- 
ing corresponds  better  to  the  context  than  the 
general  one  of  iniquilas,  scelus,  wickedness  ( LU- 
THER). 


6.  PUNISHMENT  TO  THE  WICKED!  REWARD  TO  THE  FAITHFUL. 

CHAP.  LXVI.  3  6-6. 

3  b      "Yea,  they  have  chosen  their  own  ways, 

And  their  soul  delighteth  in  their  abominations. 

4  bl  also  will  choose  their  '"delusions, 
And  will  bring  their  fears  upon  them  ; 
Because  when  I  called,  none  did  answer ; 
When  I  spake,  they  did  not  hear  : 

But  they  did  evil  before  mine  eyes, 
And  chose  that  in  which  I  delighted  not. 

5  Hear  the  word  of  the  LORD,  ye  that  tremble  at  his  word  ; 
Your  brethren  that  hated  you, 

That  cast  you  out  for  my  name's  sake,  said, 
dLet  the  LORD  be  glorified  : 
But  he  shall  appear  to  your  joy, 
*And  they  shall  be  ashamed. 

6  A  voice  of  fnoise  from  the  city, 
A  voice  from  the  temple, 

A  voice  of  the  LORD  that  rendereth  recompence  to  his  enemies. 


1  Or,  devices. 

»  As  they  have  chosen.  b  So  I  also  will  choose. 

4  Let  Jehovah  be  glorified  that  we  may  see  your  joy  1  *  But. 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


tumult. 


«  vexations. 


1.  There  were  among  the  exiles  in  Babylon 
not  a  few  who  forsook  Jehovah  and  forgot  His 
holy  mountain  (Ixv.  11).  These  looked  upon 
the  theocracy  as  a  played-out  game.  Jehovah 
had  not  protected  them  against  the  gods  of  Baby- 
lon. To  these,  therefore,  they  now  attached 
themselves.  Between  such  persons  and  the  faith- 
ful Israelites  there  existed  naturally  a  hostile 
relation.  The  apostates  mocked  those  who  re- 
mained faithful,  while  the  latter  abhorred  the 
others  as  shameful  apostatps,  and  threatened  them 
with  the  wrath  of  Jehovah.  We  repeatedly  find 
traces  of  this  enmity  in  chaps.  Ixv.  and  Ixvi.  It 
appears  that  one  of  those  who  remained  faithful 
used  every  opportunity  which  he  could  find  in 


chapters  Ixv.  and  Ixvi.,  in  order  to  attach  to  the 
words  of  the  Prophet  a  commination  ngainst  the 
abhorred  apostates  [!].  If  we  must  discard  the 
opinion  that  the  Prophet  in  ver.  3  a  rejects  only 
the  sacrifices  of  the  wicked,  we  cannot  avoid  per- 
ceiving that  a  wide  chasm  exists  between  ver.  3 
a  and  6.  For  ver.  3  a  relates  to  the  glorious 
time  of  the  end.  Yea,  the  highest  elevation  of 
its  spiritual  life  is  indicated  by  these  words.  But 
vers.  3  6-6  bring  us  back  into  the  particular  re- 
lations of  the  Exile.— [DR.  NAEGELSBACH  ac- 
cordingly condemns  vers.  3  6-6  as  an  interpola- 
tion. The  interpolator  we  are  asked  to  regard  as 
a  faithful  servant  of  Jehovah.  But  assuredly  he 
was  not  one  ''  who  trembled  at  Jehovah's  word," 


CHAP.  LXVI.  36-6. 


701 


else  he  would  have  shrunk  with  horror  from  cor- 
rupting that  holy  word.     Even  the  Pharisees  did 
not  venture  to  alter  the  text  of  Scripture  to  make 
it  support  their  views.     The  apostates,  too,  whom 
the  interpolator  is  supposed  to  threaten,  having 
openly  renounced  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  would 
pay  no  regard  to  the  fictitious  or  real  utterances 
of  His  Prophet.     Were  the  transition  in  ver.  3  a 
-3  b  sqq.  as  abrupt  as  our  author  supposes,  from 
the  time  of  the  end  to  concrete  existing  relations, 
such  a  transition  could  not  be  pronounced  unpa- 
ralleled.    Look,  e.  g.  at  the  surroundings  of  the 
glorious    promise    respecting    the    abolition   of 
death  contained  in  Hos.  xiii.  14.     Shall  we  say 
that  what  follows  that  promise  is  to  be  rejected 
as   spurious?      But   the   want   of  coherence,   of 
which  our  author  here  complains,  is  only  imagi- 
nary.    If  we  adopt  the  view  of  ver.  3  a  taken  by 
DELITZSCH   and   others   "that  not  the   temple- 
offf rings  in  themselves  are  rejected,  but  the  of- 
ferings of  those  whose  heart   is  divided  between 
Jahve  and  the  false  gods,  and  who  refuse  Him 
the  offering  which  is  most  dear  to  Him  (Ps.  li. 
19;  comp.  1.  23),"  then  there  is  no  difficulty  in 
perceiving  the  coherence  of  the  words  that  fol- 
low.    But  if  we  should  (as  I   believe  DR.  NAE- 
GELSBACII  rightly  does)  regard  the  Prophet  as 
here  predicting  the  future  abolition  of  the  tem- 
ple-service under  a  more  glorious  dispensation, 
we  should  be  at  no  loss  to  perceive  the  coherence 
of  vers.  3  b,  4  with  such  a  prediction.     The  lan- 
guage can  be  aptly  applied   to  those  Jews  who 
obstinately  refused  to  obey  the  revealed  will  of 
God,  and  persisted  in  practising  rites  which  were 
superseded  by  the  establishment  of  the  new  and 
better  economy.     This  is  the  view  taken  by  many 
interpreters  who,  in  order  to  justify  it,   do  not 
find  it  necessary  to  condemn  the  Hebrew  text  as 
interpolated.      HENDERSON,    e.  g.,   looks  upon 
ver.  3  a  "as  teaching  the  absolute  unlawfulness 
of  sacrifices   under  the   Christian   dispensation. 
When  the  Jews  are  converted  to  the   faith   of 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  they  must  acquiesce 
in  the  doctrine  taught  in   the  ninth  and   tenth 
chapters  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  that  the 
one  offering  which  He  presented  on  the  cross 
forever  set  aside  all   the  animal  sacrifices  and 
oblations  which  had  been  appointed  by  the  law 
of  Moses.     Any  attempt  to  revive  the  practice  is 
here  declared  to  be  upon  a  par  with  the  cruel 
and   abominable   customs  of  the  heathen,  who 
offered  human  sacrifices  and  such  animals  as  the 
ancient  people  of  God  were  taught  to  hold  in 
abomination."     And  he  finds  what  follows  ver. 
3  6  to  have  this  connection  with  the  aforesaid 
teaching:  "In  retribution  of  the  unbelieving  and 
rebellious  persistence  of  the  Jews  in  endeavoring 
to  establish*  the   old    ritual,    Jehovah    threatens 
them  with  condign  punishment:  while  such  of 
them  as  may  render   themselves   obnoxious   to 
their  brethren  by  receiving  the  doctrines  of  the 
Gospel  on  the  subject,  have  a  gracious  promise 
of  divine  approbation   and  protection  given ^to 
them."     In  no  case,  then,  is  there  any  necessity 
for  supposing  the  hand  of  an  interpolator  to  have 
been  here  at  work.     Strange  would  be  the  course 
taken  by  this  assumed  interpolator!     The  senti- 
ments which  he  utters  do  not  look  like  those  of 
one  who  would  recklessly  alter  the  sacred  text, 
and  give  out  his  own  words  for  those  of  Jehovah. 


See  especially  ver.  5  where  the  writer  addresses 
those  who  tremble  at  God's  word.  Can  we 
suppose  that  he  was,  while  using  this  language, 
corrupting  the  word  of  God  and  making  his  own 
additions  to  it?  The  character  of  this  passage 
strongly  attests  its  genuineness.  We  have  to 
add  that  vers.  3  b,  4,  should  not  have  been  sepa- 
rated from  what  precedes,  as  the  close  connection 
between  the  two  parts  has  been  pointed  out. — 
D.  M.] 

2.  Yea,  they  have  chosen delighted 

not,  vers.  3  6-4.     DJ~DJ  are  related  as  et-et,  tam- 
quam  (comp.  Gen.  xxiv.  25;  Jer.  li.  12,  et  sae.pe). 
^")7.  stands  here,  as  often  (comp.  Amos  viii.  14; 
Ps.  cxxxix.  24),  in  the  signification  of  the  reli- 
gious bent.     ^'pB'  is  likewise  used  frequently  of 
the  abominations  of  idolatry  (comp.  1  Kings  xi. 
5,  7;  Jer.  vii.  30,  et  saepe).    The  word  is  found 

only  here  in  Isaiah,  vl1?^/!  (in  which  word  the 
signification  of  the  Hithpael  77>vnri  with  3  fol- 
lowing (comp.  Jud.  xix.  25)  is  reflected)  is  cur. 
Aey. — [This  is  an  error.  The  word  occurs  in 
Isa.  iii.  4  in  the  plural  as  here.  There  it  means 
the  petulances,  the  puerilities  of  boys.  Here  it 
retains  the  kindred  notion  of  annoyances,  vexa- 
tions. The  occurrence  of  this  peculiar  word 
here  and  in  iii.  4  speaks  in  favor  of  identity  of 
authorship.  The  rendering  of  the  E.  V.  delu- 
sions, in  the  sense  of  childish,  wayward  follies, 
may  be  defended.  These  childish  delusions 
would  mock  and  disappoint  those  who  entertained 
them.  God  could  be  said  to  choose  their  de- 
lusions by  allowing  them  in  His  providence, 
and  causing  the  people  to  eat  the  fruit  of  them. 
Their  fears,  rrviJO,  may  be  taken  as  what  is 
feared  by  them,  or,  with  DELITZSCH,  situa- 
tions, conditions,  which  inspire  dread.  The  lat- 
ter part  of  ver.  4  from  because  DR.  NAE- 
GELSBACH  regards  as  a,  needless  repetition  from 
Ixv.  12;  but  ALEXANDER  rightly  judges  that 
the  repetition  serves  not  only  to  connect  the  pas- 
sages as  parts  of  an  unbroken  composition,  but 
also  to  identify  the  subjects  of  discourse  in  the 
two  places. — D.  M.] 

3.  Hear  the  word His  enemies,  vers. 

5    6.     These   words   are   a   consolation    for   the 
faithful  adherents  of  Jehovah,   who  tremble  at 
His  word.     The  verb  rnj  occurs  only  in  Piel, 
and  is  found  only  here  and  Amos  vi.  3.     In  later 
Hebrew  the  word  is  employed  of  removal,  exclu- 
sion from  the   community,  or  excommunication 
(comp.  Luke  vi.  22;  John  ix.  22;  xii.  42;  xyi, 
2).     The  Eabbis  use  the  word  '"3  to  denote  the 
lowest  of  the  three  grades  of  excommunication 
(comp.   BUXTORF,   Lex.   Cha<..,  p.   1 
Masoretes  connect  'Otf  \y^>  with  what  follows, 
because  they  could  not  conceive,  or  would   not 
admit  that  an  Israelite  was  ever  put  out  of  the 
community  for  the  sake  of  the  name  of  Jehovah. 
But  this  is  what  the  forsakers  of  Jehovah  did  in 
the  Exile  where  they  had  the  power  [  .'  J._    Ana 
they  scoffingly  called  out  to  the  excommunicater 
"lit  Jehovah  be  (appear  as)   glorious  (comp 
Jobxiv  21;  Ezek.  xxvii.  25),  and  we  will  (in 
consequence)    behold   with    delight  your  joy.' 
TheyThus  mock  the  LORD  and  their  brethren, 


702 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


regarding  whom  they  do  not  think  that  they  will 
experience  the  joy  of  seeing  their  hopes  fulfilled. 
But  this  scoffing  misses  the  mark.  Not  those 
who  are  scoffed  at,  but  the  scoffers  will  be  put  to 
shame. — [BARNES,  ALEXANDER  and  KAY  think 
with  VITRINGA  that  in  this  verse  we  are  brought 
down  to  New  Testament  times.  VITRINGA  ap- 
plies it  "  to  the  rejection  of  the  first  Christian 
converts  by  the  unbelieving  Jews:  Hear  the 
word  (or  promise)  of  Jehovah,  ye  that  wait  for 
it  with  trembling  confidence:  your  brethren  (the 
unconverted  Jews)  who  hate  you  and  cast  you 
out  for  my  name's  sake,  have  said  (in  so  doing) : 
'Jehovah  will  be  glorious  (or  glorify  Himself  on 
your  behalf  no  doubt),  and  we  shall  witness  your 
salvation'  (a  bitter  irony  like  that  in  v.  19); 
but  they  (who  thus  speak)  shall  themselves  be 
confounded  (by  beholding  what  they  now  consi- 
der so  incredible).  The  phrase  those  hating 
you  may  be  compared  with  John  xv.  18;  xvii. 
14;  Matt.  x.  22;  1  Thess.  ii.  14;  and  casting 
you  out  with  John  xvi.  2;  and  Matt,  xviii.  17: 
for  my  name's  sake,  with  Matt.  xxiv.  9;  John 
xy.  21."  ALEXANDER.  And  they  shall  be 
ashamed.  "How  true  this  has  been  of  the 
Jews  who  persecuted  the  early  Christians  J  How 


entirely  were  they  confounded  and  overwhelmed! 
God  established  permanently  the  persecuted ;  He 
scattered  the  persecutors  to  the  ends  of  the  earth." 

BARNES.     Ver.  6.   "The  Hebrew  word  pxtf  is 

never  applied  elsewhere  to  a  joyful  cry  or  a  cry 
of  lamentation,  but  to  the  tumult  of  war,  the 
rushing  sound  of  armies  and  the  shock  of  battle, 
in  which  sense  it  is  repeatedly  employed  by 
Isaiah.  The  enemies  here  mentioned  must  of 
course  be  those  who  had  just  been  described  as 
the  despisers  and  persecutors  of  the  brethren. 
The  description  cannot  without  violence  be  un- 
derstood of  foreign  or  external  enemies."  ALEX- 
ANDER. BARNES  observes  here:  "1)  that  it  is 
recompense  taken  on  those  who  had  cast  out 
their  brethren  (ver.  5).  2)  It  is  vengeance  taken 
within  the  city,  and  on  the  internal,  not  the  ex- 
ternal enemies.  3)  It  is  vengeance  taken  in  the 
midst  of  this  tumult.  All  this  is  a  striking  de- 
scription of  the  scene  when  the  city  and  temple 
Were  taken  by  the  Roman  armies;  and  it  seems 
to  me  that  it  is  to  be  regarded  as  descriptive  of 
that  event.  It  was  the  vengeance  which  was  to 
precede  the  glorious  triumph  of  truth  and  of  the 
cause  of  the  true  religion."— D.  M.] 


7.  THE  WONDERFUL  PRODUCTIVE  POWER  OF  THE  NEW  PRINCIPLE  OF  LIFE. 

CHAPTER  LXVI.  7-9. 

7  Before  she  travailed,  she  brought  forth  ; 

Before  her  pain  came,  she  was  delivered  of  a  man  child. 

8  Who  hath  heard  such  a  thing? 
Who  hath  seen  such  things  ? 

"Shall  the  earth  be  made  to  bring  forth  in  one  day  ? 

Or  shall  a  nation  be  born  at  once  ? 

For  as  soon  as  Zion  travailed,  she  brought  forth  her  children. 

9  Shall  I  bring  to  the  birth,  and  not  'cause  to  bring  forth  ?  saith  the  LORD  : 
bShall  I  cause  to  bring  forth,  and  shut  the  womb  f  saith  thy  God. 


1  Or,  beget. 

»  Shall  a  land  be  born  in  one  day  t 


b  Shall  I  make  to  bear  and  restrain  t 


EXEGETICAL   AND    CRITICAL. 


1.  With  wonderful  rapidity  Zion  will  be  sur- 
rounded by  the  blessing  of  numerous  children 
(ver.  7).  In  other  cases  a  long  time  is  needed 
for  a  land  to  be  peopled,  for  a  family  to  expand 
into  a  nation.  But  in  the  case  of  Zion  this  will 
happen  with  incredible  quickness  (ver.  8).  Such 
is  the  power  inherent  in  that  new  principle  of 
life  which  Jehovah  cannot  possibly  in  a  forced 
and  artificial  way  restrain  (ver.  9). — [Our  author 
speaks  of  a  new  principle  of  life  and  its  wonder- 
ful power.  The  Prophet,  however,  makes  no 
mention  of  this  new  principle  of  life,  but  of  the 
working  of  Jehovah  Himself. — D.  M.] 

2.    Before   she   travailed saith   thy 

God,  vers.  7-9- — [While  the  immediately  pre- 
ceding verses  speak  of  judgment  falling  on  the 


disobedient  and  rebellious  mass  of  the  people,  we 
learn  here  how  the  Israel  of  God  shall  receive  a 
sudden  and  unexampled  enlargement.  VITRINGA 
sees  here  a  prophecy  of  the  vocation  of  the  Gen- 
tiles and  of  their  accession  to  the  Church,  while 
the  unbelieving  Jews  are  cast  off. — D.  M.] — We 
have  here  in  the  main  the  same  thought  which 
the  Prophet  had  expressed,  xlix.  18  sqq.;  liv.  1 
sqq.;  Ix.  4  sqq.  Here  he  makes  specially  promi- 
nent the  rapidity  and  suddenness  with  which, 
contrary  to  the  ordinary  laws  of  nature,  Zion  will 
be  enlarged,  and  this  he  does  most  ingeniously  and 
in  a  manner  characteristic  of  Isaiah.  ^7P^? 
to  let  Klip  away,  is  used  as  Piel  xxxiv.  15  (comp. 
Job  xxi.  10).  "OT  must  in  this  connection  be 


CHAP.  LXVI.  10-14. 


703 


primarily  chosen  to  intimate  that  the  birth  takes 
place  easily  and  quickly,  though  the  child  is  a 
male.     For  male  children  are  wont  to  be  larger 
and  stronger;  hence  their  birth  is  attended  with 
more  difficulty.     But  it  is  just  as  certain  that  the 
Prophet  does  not  think  of  the  birth  of  a  single 
child  in  a  literal  sense.     In  ver.  8  he  puts  iTJ3 
for  "OT.    He  means,  therefore,  that  131  should  be 
taken  collectively,  and  at  the  same  time  wishes 
to  indicate  that  this  collective  birth  is  a  male 
child  strong  and  vigorous.     This  seems  to  be  the 
meaning  put  upon  our  place  in  Rev.  xii.  5.  which 
latter  passage  evidently  refers  to  the  one  before 
us.     However  erroneous  it  would  be  to  apply  this 
solely  to  the  birth  of  Christ,  it  would  in  my  opi- 
nion be  equally  one-sided  to  exclude  the  latter. 
For  does  not  the  whole  New  Testament  blessing 
of  abundance  of  children  begin  with  the  birth 
of  Christ?      Without   the   birth   of  Christ  this 
blessing  could  not  be  realized.     "  Unto  us  a  child 
is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given,"  the  Prophet  had 
said  ix.  5.     And  to  this  child  is  promised  "in 
crease  of  government,"  consequently,  a  populous 
and  mighty  kingdom,— this  child,  with  what  be- 
longs to  it,  is  it  not  a  male,  strong  child  ?    I  look 
upon  it  as  possible  that  the  Prophet  had  here 
before  him   his  earlier  utterance  ix.   5.     [This 
view  is  in  accordance  with  the  Targum  :  "  Before 
distress  cometh  upon  her,  she  shall  be  redeemed: 
and  before  trembling  cometh  upon  her,  as  travail 
upon  a  woman  with  child,  her  king   shall  be 
revealed." — D.  M.].     Such  a  case  never  before 
occurred  that  a  land  (]'?$  must  denote  here  both 
land   and  people,  the  idea  of  the  people  being 
predominant,  and  hence  the  word   is  used  as  a 
masculine,  comp.  on  xiv.  17)  or  nation  suddenly, 
all  at  once  arose.     ["  The  causative  sense  given 
to  ^nr  in  the  English  and  some  other  versions 
is  not  approved  by  the  later  lexicographers,  who 
make  it  a  simple  passive."  ALEXANDER.].  How 


comes  it  that  in  the  case  of  Zion,  travailing  and 
bringing  forth  her  children  coincided  ?     Every- 
thing was  well  arranged  beforehand  for  the  birth. 
The  time  was  fulfilled.     The  proper  moment  had 
come.     Peter's  speech  on  the  day  of   Pentecost 
and  the  conversion  of  the  three  thousand  are  facts 
in  which  the  rapidity  of  that  process  of  bringing 
forth  is  mirrored.     And  when  such  an  astonish- 
ing and  rapid  success  is  founded  in  the  nature  of 
the  case,  can  the  LORD  interfere  to  check  and  re- 
strain?    This  is  the  meaning  of  ver.  8.     [DR. 
NAEGELSBACH  interprets  the  first  part  of  ver.  9 
by  describing  the  process  of  parturition  with  a 
particularity  which  some  would  think  hardly  in 
accordance  with  good  taste.     It  is  sufficient   to 
give  the  explanation  of  GESENIUS  in  his  Lexi- 
con :  "Shall  I  cause  to  break  open  (the  womb), 
and  not  cause  to  bring  forth?"    D.  M.].     The 
second  hemistich  of  ver.  9  repeats  according  to 
the  law  of  the  Parallelismuj  membroruin  the  same 
thought  in  another  form.     "1¥#   is  often  used  of 
the  closing  of  the  uterus,  i.  e.,  of  the  barrenness 
of  a  woman.     But  here  it  is  not  the  making  un- 
fruitful, but  the  hindering  of  the  birth  that  is 
spoken  of.     It  is,  therefore,  better  to  take  "^  in 
the  sense  of  cohibere,  retinere,  in  which  it  occurs 
frequently  elsewhere  (comp.  e.  g.,  Judges  xiii.  15, 
16).     [The  words  of  HEZEKIAH  are  here  almost 
taken  up  xxxvii.  3.     "  Shall  that  long  and  pain- 
ful national  history  not  have  for  its  issue  the 
birth  of  a  true  Israel  ?"    KAY.     "  The  meaning 
of  the  whole  is,  that  God  designed  the  great  and 
sudden  increase  of  His  Church ;  that  the  plan 
was  long  laid  ;  and  that  having  done  this,  He 
would  not  abandon  it,  but  would  certainly  effect 
His  designs."     BARNES.  D.  M.].     In  regard  to 
the  alternating  "Ul  IDS'  and  '«  ~^«  in  ver.  9, 
I  refer  in  general  to  the  remarks  on  xl.  1.     In 
the  place  before  us,  the  Prophet  has  certainly 
no  other  reason  for  the  change  than  a  rhetorical 
one. 


THE  MATERNAL  CHARACTER  OF  THE  NEW  ORDER  OF  LIFE. 

•  CHAPTER  LXVI.  10-14. 

Rejoice  ye  with  Jerusalem,  and  be  glad  -with  her,  all  ye  that  love  her  : 
with  her,  all    e  that  mourn  for  her  : 


10 


12  For  thus  saith  the  LORD, 

Behold,  I  will  extend  peace  to  her  like  a  river, 
And  the  glory  of  the  Gentiles  like  a  flowing  stream  : 
Then  shall  ye  suck,  ye  shall  be  borne  upon  'her  side-, 
And  be  dandled  upon  her  knees. 

13  °As  one  whom  his  mother  comforteth, 
So  will  I  comfort  you  ; 

And  ye  shall  be  comforted  in  Jerusalem.  ^  _ 

14  And  when  ye  see  this,  your  heart  shall  rejoice, 
And  your  bones  shall  flourish  like  fan  herb  : 


704 


THE  PEOPHET  ISAIAH. 


And  the  hand  of  the  LORD  shall  be  known  gtoward  his  servants, 
And  his  indignation  Howard  his  enemies. 


1  Or,  brightness. 

»  over  her.  b  suck. 


«  bosom. 


the  hip. 


As  a  man. 


'  fresh  grass. 


TEXTUAL   AND 

Ver.  10.  Vj  with  3  of  the  object  is  the  common  con- 
struction, comp.  Ixv.  19;  Prov.  xxiv.  17. 


On  this  connection  of  a  verb  with  a  substantive  instead 
of  the  infinitive  absolute  comp.  xxii.  17,  18-  xxiv.  19,22; 
xlii.  17. 

Ver.  12.  The  Masoretes  take  Q'lJ  "P33  as  the  object 
of  both  clauses,  and  consequently  D'lvti'  ^HJ  =  a  river 

T  T  T 

which  is  peace,  a  peaceful  river.  But  this  is  artificial. 
y  \jy\y  is  Pulpal  from  yy&.  The  word  is  one  which  is 
used  especially  by  Isaiah.  It  is  found  besides  here  vi. 
10;  xi.  8;  xxix.  9  (bis). 

Ver.  14.  There  should  properly  be  a  '3  before  rPTV~T. 
But  the  thrice-repeated  conjunction  Vav  in  the  pre- 
ceding part  of  the  verse,  as  it  were,  governed  the  flow 


GRAMMATICAL. 

of  speech,  and  carried  it  over  the  syntax.  Therefore 
n_yi1Jl  stands  as  resumption  of  DrTJO,  which  is  for 
'3  DJTljO.  I  therefore  take  tyjJM  to  njmflri  as  a  pa- 
renthesis which  is  intended  to  declare  by  what  emo- 
tions that  "seeing"  will  be  accompanied.  [But  it  is 
much  easier,  with  the  E.  V.,  to  supply  the  pronoun  this 
or  it,  meaning  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise,  alter  QjVJOt 
and  then  there  will  be  no  need  of  assuming  a  break  in 
the  sentence  and  a  parenthesis. — D.  M.].  In  the  clause 
'y~r\X  "  T  we  have  to  take  f(X  as  a  preposition,  while 
before  V3'K  it  marks  the  accusative.  [In  the  E.  V.  Qyi 
is  regarded  as  a  noun.  But  the  noun  would  have  Pat- 
tach  under  its  first  syllable.  The  verb  governs  the  ac- 
cusative.— D.  M.]. 


EXEGETICAL   AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  After  all  that  has  been  said,  all  the  friends 
of  Jerusalem,  who  had  before  mourned  over  her, 
are  now  justly  called  upon  to   rejoice  over  her 
(ver.  10),  and  gloriously  to  participate   in  her 
happiness  (ver.  11).     For  the  LORD  will  turn  to 
her  peace  and  all  glory  in  abundance;  the  Israel- 
ites will  be  treated  with  the  tenderest  care  (ver. 
12).     The  LORD  Himself  will  comfort  them  with 
a  mother's  love  (ver.  13).     Then  they  shall  have 
joy,  and  the  LORD'S  hand  will  be  manifest  on 
them  ;  but  His  enemies  will  be  made  to  feel  the 
indignation  of  the  LORD  (ver.  14). 

2.  Rejoice  ye His  enemies. — Vers.  10- 

14.     The  joy  at  Jerusalem's  prosperity  is  also  the 
condition  of    participation    in    that    prosperity. 
For  he  who  has  not  mourned  with  Jerusalem  and 
does  not  rejoice  with  her  will  not  be  regarded  as 
her  child,  and  is  not  suffered  to  satiate  himself 
with  delight  on  her  maternal  breast.     This  is,  I 

think,  the  meaning  of  p-'O;  ver.  11.  [''  Jeru- 
salem is  thought  of  as  a  mother,  and  the  rich 
consolation  (not  in  word  but  in  deed)  which  she 
receives  (li.  3)  as  the  milk  which  comes  into  her 
breasts  (TW  as  Ix.  16),  with  which  she  now 
nourishes  her  children  abundantly."  DEL.].  The 
image  of  suckling  to  designate  the  most  loving 
and  assiduous  care,  has  been  already  before  us 
xlix.  23;  Ix.  16.  We  should  rather  expect  the 
consolations  of  her  breast ;  but  the  putting 
of  "It?  first  is  the  effect  of  the  idea  of  sucking 
being  before  the  mind  of  the  writer.  ["Sack 
and  be  satisfied,  milk  out  and  enjoy 
yourselves,  may  be  regarded  as  examples  of 
hendiadys,  meaning  suck  to  satiety,  and  milk 
out  with  delight ;  but  no  such  change  in  the 
form  of  translation  is  required  or  admissible." 
ALEXANDER.  D.  M.].  The  word  n,  which 
stands  parallel  with  "»#,  is  found  besides  here 
only  Ps.  1.  11 ;  Ixxx.  14.  Its  signification  is  still 
disputed.  Some  take  T1T  =  y*¥  in  the  significa- 
tion micire,  emiczre,  aivl  hence  H  =  ^ac 


radiatim  defluens  (SoHROEDER,  GESEN.).  [So 
GESEN.  in  Thes.  ;  but  in  Lexicon  he  gives  the 
meaning,  full  breast.  D.  M.].  But  the  signifi- 
cation of  shining  forth,  belongs  essentially  to 
py,  f'y,  whence  ]"¥,  a  shining  plate,  a  flower,  a 
glittering  feather.  T'T,  on  the  contrary,  denotes 
according  to  the  meaning  of  its  root,  which  oc- 
curs in  Syriac,  though  not  in  Hebrew,  id  quod 
movetur,  that  which  moves  itself  to  and  fro. 
Hence  n,  Ps.  1.  11  ;  Ixxx.  14,  the  beasts  that 
move  about  on  the  field.  Hence  here,  too,  H  is 
synonymous  with  mamma,  the  breast  that  moves 
this  way  and  that.  So  DELITZSCH.  [DELITZSCH 
assigns  to  ri  the  meaning  abundance  (Ueber- 
schivang)  as  the  E.  V.,  does,  and,  moreover,  he 
expressly  states  that  the  parallelism  does  not  force 
us  to  give  to  the  word  the  signification  of  teats, 
dugs.  See  his  comment,  in  loc.  2  Ed.  D.  M.]. 
The  joy  to  which  the  Prophet,  ver.  10,  summons 
the  friends  of  Jerusalem  is  well-founded.  For 
the  LORD  Himself  declares  that  He  will  extend, 
(direct)  to  Jerusalem  peace,  the  highest  of  all 
inward  blessings,  as  a  river  (comp.  xlviii.  18; 

viii.  7),  and  as  a  torrent*(7P3,  Arabic  Wadi, 
comp.  xxx.  28)  the  glory  of  the  Gentiles, 
which  comprehends  all  desirable  outward  things 
(comp.  xvi.  14;  xvii.  4;  xxi.  16;  xxxv.  2). 
And  because  the  Prophet  has  here  before  his 
mind  the  image  of  maternal  love  and  solici- 
tude on  the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other  that  of  a 
child's  wants,  he  adds  here,  and  ye  shall  suck. 
Herewith  he  points  back  to  ver.  11,  where  he  had 
designated  Jerusalem  as  the  source  of  consolations. 
Here  he  tells  us  that  the  spring  of  that  spring 
will  be  the  LORD.  But  that  maternal  care  is  not 
restricted  to  the  affording  of  nourishment.  The 

children  shall  nlso  be  faithfully  carried  ("W~'J? 
on  the  hip,  after  the  common  oriental  custom, 
Ix.  4).  They  will  also  be  lovingly  played  with, 
caressed,  and  rocked  on  the  knees.  The  LORD 


CHAP.  LXVI.  15-24. 


705 


here  again  ascribes  to  Himself  maternal  love  and 
maternal  conduct  (comp.  xlii.  14;  xlvi.  3  sq. ; 
xlix.  15).  Is  the  term  Vi  X  to  be  pressed  ?  I  be- 
lieve that  it  ought,  for  it  contains  a  fine  climax. 
A  mother  who  comforts  her  child  is  an  affecting 
image.  But  a  mother's  love  is  still  more  glori- 
ously displayed  when  it  shows  itself  to  be  strong 
enough  to  raise  up  again  the  son,  the  strong  man, 
who  is  bowed  down  by  misfortune.  ["  The  E.  V. 
here  dilutes  a  man  to  one.  The  same  liberty 
is  taken  by  many  other  versions.  But  comp. 
Gen.  xxiv.  67  ;  Judges  xvii.  2;  1  Kings  xix.  19, 
20,  and  the  uffiding  scenes  between  Thetis  and 
Achilles  in  the  Iliad." — ALEXANDER.  "The 
Prophet  now  thinks  of  the  people  as  one  man. 
Before  he  had  thought  of  them  as  children.  Is- 
rael is  as  a  man  returned  from  a  foreign  country, 
escaped  from  bondage,  full  of  sad  recollections, 
which  are  wholly  obliterated  in  the  maternal 
arms  of  divine  love  yonder  in  Jerusalem,  the 
dear  home,  which  even  in  a  strange  land  was  the 
home  of  their  thoughts."— DELITZSCH.  "The 


in  Jerusalem  suggests  the  only  means  by  which 
these  blessings  are  to  be  secured,  viz.,  a  union  of 
affection  and  of  interest  with  the  Israel  of  God  to 
whom  alone  they  are  promised."  ALEXANDER. — 
D.  M.].  The  beginning  of  ver.  14  recalls  Ix.  5. 
In  this  place,  too,  the  meaning  of  the  Prophet  is, 
that  what  Jerusalem  shall  see  is  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  power  of  Jehovah  on  His  friends  and 
foes.  For  the  aim  and  scope  of  all  divine  train- 
ing is  that  God  may  be  known  from  all  nature  and 
history  as  the  supreme  good  (comp.  xli.  20;  xlii. 
12  sqq. ;  xliii.  10  sqq. ;  xlv.  3  sqq.  et  saepe).  The 
heart,  the  centre  of  life,  shall  rejoice,  the 
bones,  the  parts  forming  the  periphery,  will 
shoot  as  young  grass,  i.  e.,  they  will  feel  them- 
selves excited  to  fresh,  vigorous  manifestation  of 
life  (comp.  xliv.  4;  Iviii.  11 ;  Ixi.  3).  [The  latter 
part  of  the  verse  is  "  in  accordance  with  the  Pro- 
phet's constant  practice  of  presenting  the  salva- 
tion of  God's  people  as  coincident  and  simultane- 
ous with  the  destruction  of  His  enemies."  ALEX- 
DEB. — D.  M.]. 


9     GENERAL   PICTURE  OF  THE   TIME   OF   THE  END  AS  THE  TIME  OF  JUDG- 
MENT  TO  LIFE  AND  TO  DEATH. 

CHAPTER  LXVI.  15-24. 

15  For,  behold,  the  LORD  will  come  with  fire, 
And  with  his  chariots  like  a  whirlwind, 

To  render  his  anger  with  fury, 
And  his  rebuke  with  flames  of  fire. 

16  "For  by  fire  aud  by  his  sword 
Will  the  LORD  plead  with  all  flesh : 
And  the  slain  of  the  LORD  shall  be  many. 

17  They  that  sanctify  themselves  and  purify  themselves  bin  the  gardens, 
'Behind  one  tree  in  the  midst, 

Eating  swine's  flesh,  and  the  abomination,  and  the  mouse, 
Shall  be  consumed  together,  saith  the  LORD. 

18  °For  I  know  their  works  and  their  thoughts  : 

It  shall  come,  that  I  will  gather  all  nations  aud  tongues ; 
And  they  shall  come,  and  see  my  glory. 

19  And  I  will  set  a  sign  among  them, 

And  I  will  send  those  that  escapa  of  them  unto  the  nations, 

To  Tarshish,  Pul,  and  Lud,  that  draw  the  bow, 

To  Tubal  and  Javan,  to  the  isles  afar  off", 

That  have  not  heard  my  dfame, 

Neither  have  seen  my  glory  ; 

And  they  shall  declare  my  glory  among  the  Crentiles. 

20  And  thsy  shall  bring  all  your  brethren  for  an  offering  unto  the  LORD 
Out  of  all  nations 

Upon  horses,  and  in  chariots,  and  in   litters, 

Aud  upon  mules,  and  upon  eswift  beasts, 

To  my  holy  mountain  Jerusalem,  saith  the  LORD, 

As  the  children  of  Israel  bring  an  offering 

In  a  clean  vessel  into  the  house  of  the  LORD. 

21  g  And  I  will  also  take  of  them 


For  priests  and  for  Levites,  saith  the  LORD. 


706 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


22  For  as  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  which  I  will  make. 
Shall  remain  before  me,  saith  the  LORD, 

So  shall  your  seed  and  your  name  remain. 

23  And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  h!from  one  new  moon  to  another, 
And  from  one  Sabbath  to  another, 

iShall  all  flesh  come  to  worship  before  me,  saith  the  LORD. 

24  And  they  shall  go  forth,  and  look 

Upon  the  carcases  of  the  men  that  have  transgressed  against  me : 

For  their  worm  shall  not  die, 

Neither  shall  their  fire  be  quenched ; 

And  they  shall  be  an  abhorring  unto  all  flesh. 

1  Or,  one  after  another. 

8  Heb.  from  new  moon  to  his  new  moon,  and  from  Sabbath  to  his  Sabbath. 


Or,  coaches. 


*  For  by  fire  Jehovah  contends  and  by  his  sword  with  all  flesh.  i>  for  the  gardens  behind  one  in  themidst. 

"  But  I their  works  and  their  thoughts it  is  come  that  they  gather  all  nations,  etc. 

d  report.  '  dromedaries.  t  fa  Jerusalem. 

f  And  also  of  them  will  I  take  to  (as  an  addition  to)  the  priests,  to  the  Levites. 
h  monthly  at  new  moon,  and  weekly  on  the  Sabbath. 


TEXTUAL    AND 

Ver.  15.  The  words  VrOZHrD  7131031  occur  exactly 
as  here  Jer.  iv.  13.  There,  too,  they  stand  as  second 
subject  of  the  verb  n/JTi  which  is  first  in  order.  Jere- 
miah quotes  there  Hab.  i.  8  also.  n33T3  is  never  used 

T  T     :  V 

by  Jeremiah  elsewhere;    he  employs  the  word  23"^ 

(xvii.  25;  xxii.  4;  xlvi  9;  xlvii.  3;  1.  37;  li.  21).  But 
Isaiah  uses  rG3~O  three  times,  namely  ii.  7 ;  xxii.  18, 
iu  addition  to  the  present  case.  riSID,  too,  is  never 

T 

elsewhere  used  by  Jeremiah.  He  employs  always  in- 
stead of  it  1j;D  (xxiii.  19;  xxv.  32;  xxx.  23)  and  rPj?p 
(xxiii.  19;  xxx  23).  But  Isaiah  has  H31D  Sye  times, 
including  the  present  place,  v.  28  ;  xvii.  13  ;  xxi.  1;  xxix. 
6.  On  these  grounds  we  can  maintain  that  the  words  in 
Jeremiah  are  a  quotation  from  the  place  before  us. 

Ver.  16.  ftX  is  not  the  sign  of  the  accusative,  but  a 
preposition  as  1  Sam.  xii.  7;  Jer.  ii.  35;  Ezek.  xvii.  20; 
xx.  35  sq. ;  xxxviii.  22  ;  Jer.  xxv.  31.  This  last  place  re- 
calls forcibly  the  one  before  us. 

Ver.  17.  I  hold  this  verse  to  be  interpolated  by  the 
same  hand  which  inserted  Ixiv.  9  sqq. ;  Ixv.  3-5,  11  ; 
Ixvi.  36-6.  My  reasons  are,  1)  The  special  mention  of 
the  Israelites  who  had  apostatized  to  heathenism  is  not 
at  all  necessary  in  this  connection.  For  vers.  15  and 
16  speak  of  the  general  judgment  extending  to  all  flesh 
(ver.  16).  For  what  purpose  then  this  particular  speci- 
fication of  a  single  class  of  men  ?  [Criticism  of  this  kind 
is  not  worthy  of  our  author.  We  might  apply  it  to  es- 
tablish the  spuriousness  of  the  greater  part  of  the  dis- 
course recorded  in  Matt.  xxv.  31-46.  There,  too,  is  an 
account  of  the  judgment  of  all  nations.  Yet  only  a  class 
of  persons  guilty  of  a  particular  sin  of  omission  is  con- 
demned by  the  Judge.  It  is  enough  to  say  that  our 
LORD  and  the  Prophet  had  their  reasons  for  particularly 
specifying  a  certain  c'lass  of  men  as  the  objects  of  di- 
vine judgment.— .-.r.  M.].  2)  This  verse,  as  Ixv.  3,  11, 
contains  clear  allusion  to  foreign,  in  particular,  to  Baby- 


GRAMMATICAL 

Ionian  heathenism.  Such  an  allusion  is  suspicious.  It 
cannot  be  explained  from  the  stand-point  of  Isaiah.  For 
Isaiah  sees  into  the  distant  future,  it  is  true,  but  he  does 
not  see  as  a  person  standing  near.  He  does  not  distin- 
guish specific,  individual  features.  [In  his  remarks  on 
Ixv.  4  DH.  NAF.GELSBACH  admits  that  there  is  no  evidence 
outside  the  book  of  Isaiah  that  the  Babylonians  either 
offered  swine  in  sacrifice,  or  used  them  for  food.  There 
is  really  nothing  mentioned  in  this  verse  which  can  be 
proved  to  be  specifically  Babylonian.  The  gardens 
were  connected  with  idolatrous  worship  practised  by 
the  Israelites  at  home.  See  Isa.  i.  29.  The  statement 
that  the  Prophet  could  not  foresee  the  practices  here 
mentioned  depends  on  the  erroneous  theory  of  pro- 
phecy which  DR.  NAF.GF.I.SBACH  has  adopted,  and  which 
is  animadverted  on  in  the  Introduction,  pp.  17, 18,  foot- 
note.— D.  M.].  3)  The  words  are  very  appropriate  in 
the  mouth  of  an  exile  who  thought  that  he  must  apply 
particularly  to  the  renegades  of  his  time  the  threaten- 
ing of  judgment  contained  in  vers.  15  and  16.  [But  the 
words  are  quite  appropriate  in  the  mouth  of  the  Prophet 
Isaiah,  and  we  are  not  warranted  to  assume  that  these 
forms  of  idolatry  were  practised  by  the  exiles  in  Baby- 
lon. Unless  Isaiah  is  supposed  to  testify  to  this  fact, 
we  have  no  evidence  of  it.  In  the  Babylonian  Captivity 
the  people  were  cured  of  their  propensity  to  gross  ido- 
latry.—D.  M.].  4)  The  singular  phrase  -pro  "IPX  "IPX 
clearly  betrays  a  foreign,  later  hand  ;  and  the  manifest 
corruption  of  the  text  in  the  beginning  of  ver.  18  is  also 
to  be  regarded  as  an  indication  of  changes  in  the  origi- 
nal text.  [The  occurrence  of  the  singular  phrase  re- 
ferred to  is  no  sign  of  the  hand  of  an  interpolator,  who 
would  rather  be  careful  to  avoid  saying  what  would  be 
obscure  and  ambiguous.  An  interpolator,  too,  who  un- 
derstood Hebrew,  would  hardly  have  left  the  difficulty 
complained  of  in  the  beginning  of  ver.  18.— D.  M.]. 


EXEOETTCAL    AND   CRITICAL. 


1.  The  Prophet  here,  too,  represents  the  future 
under  (he  forms  of  the  present.  He  sets  forth  its 
leading  features,  and  again  brings  together  what 
is  homogeneous  without  regard  to  intervening 
spaops  of  time.  He  begins,  vers.  15  16,  and  18, 
by  describing  the  judgment  of  retribution  on  the 


wicked.  [On  ver.  17  see  under  Text,  and  Gram.']. 
The  Prophet  surveys  together  the  beginning  and 
end  of  the  judgment.  As  we  see  from  ver.  19,  the 
beginning  of  the  judgment  of  the  world  is  for  him 
the  judgment  on  Israel.  He,  therefore,  vers.  19 
sqq.j  tells  what  shall  take  place  after  the  destruc- 


CHAP.  LXVI.  15-24. 


707 


tiou  of  the  visible  theocracy.  He  beholds  a  sign 
set  in  Israel.  We  clearly  perceive  here  in  the 
light  of  the  fulfilment  what  he  only  obscurely,  as 
through  a  mist,  descried.  He  intends  Him  who 
is  set  for  a  sign  that  is  spoken  against.  After 
this  sign  has  appeared  and  been  rejected,  the 
judgment  begins  on  the  earthly  Jerusalem.  Per- 
sons escaped  from  this  great  catastrophe  go  to  the 
heathen  to  publish  to  them  the  glory  of  Jehovah 
(ver.  19).  And  the  heathen  world  turns  to  Je- 
hovah, and  in  grateful  love  brings  along  with  it 
to  the  holy  mountain  the  scattered  members  of 
Israel  that  had  been  visited  with  judgment.  These 
are  as  a  meat-offering  which  Jehovah  receives 
from  the  hand  of  the  Gentiles  as  willingly  as  He 
welcomes  a  pure  meat-offering  from  the  hand  of 
an  Israelite  (ver.  20).  And  then  from  Gentiles 
and  Jews  a  new  race  arises.  The  wall  of  separa- 
tion is  removed.  The  LORD  takes  priests  and 
Levites  indiscriminately  from  both  (ver.  21). 
The  new  life  which  throbs  in  men,  as  well  as 
in  heaven  and  earth,  is  eternal  life.  Hence  the 
new  race  of  men  stand  on  the  new  earth  and  under 
the  new  heaven  eternally  before  the  LORD  (ver. 
22).  And  all  flesh  will  then  render  to  the  LORD 
true  worship  forever  (ver.  23).  But  the  wicked, 
of  whom  the  Prophet  had  declared  at  the  close  of 
the  first  and  second  Ennead  that  they  have  no 
peace,  will  be  excluded  from  the  society  of  the 
blessed,  to  be  a  prey  of  the  undying  worm  and 
unquenchable  fire,  and  an  object  of  abhorrence. 

2.  For,  behold,  the  LORD my  glory. 

Vers.  15-18.     The  Prophet  sees  the  LORD  come 

to  judgment  in  flaming  fire,  and  he  beholds  His 
chariots  rush  along  as  a  tempest.  The  image  is 
here,  as  Ps.  xviii.  9, 13,  borrowed  from  a  thunder- 
storm. It  appears  to  me  better  to  regard  VrQD~)D 
as  second  subject  to  N'^  than  to  supply  in  the 
translation  the  substantive  verb.  For  the  chariots 
are  not  in  themselves  like  a  stormy  wind,  but 
their  rolling  is  compared  with  the  rushing  of  a 
tempest.  The  plural  is  certainly  the  proper  plu- 
ral. For  as  an  earthly  commander  of  an  army 
is  accompanied  by  many  chariots,  so  too  is  the 
"LORD  of  hosts."  KLEINERT  justly  observes 
on  Hab.  iii.  that  the  elements,  clouds  and  winds, 
as  media  of  manifestation,  are  compared  with  Je- 
hovah's horses  and  chariots.  In  Ps.  civ.  3  the 
LORD  is  expressly  described  as  He  who  "inaketh 
the  clouds  his  chariot."  ^  3'E?n  cannot  possibly 
denote  here  as  Job  ix.  13;  Ps.  Ixxviii.  38,  to  take 
away  wrath.  Here  retribution  is  the  subject  of 
discourse.  We  must,  therefore,  compare  places 
such  as  Hos.  xii.  3,  where  3'tfTl  standing  alone 
means  to  recompense,  and  Deut.  xxxii.  41,  43, 
where  it  is  joined  with  D|3J  in  like  signification. 
In  the  day  of  judgment  they  who  have  sown  evil 
must  reap  the  wrath  of  God  as  necessary  harvest 
(comp.  Gal.  vi.  7).  God  will  render  his  anger 
to  them  in  the  form  of  HOP,  i.  e.,  of  burning 
fury  (comp.  xlii.  25;  lix.  18\  and  his  rebuke 
(comp.  xxx.  17;  1.  2;  li.  20),  in  flames  of  fire 
(corap.  xiii.  8;  xxix.  6;  xxx.  30).  Fire  must  serve 
not  only  to  indicate  the  violence  of  the  divine 
wrath,  but  also  as  a  real  instrument  of  judgment. 
For  the  first  judgment  of  the  world  was  accom- 
plished by  water  (Gen.  vii.),  the  second  will  be  ef- 
fected by  fire.  At  the  first  act  of  the  second  judgment 


of  the  world,  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  fire 
was  not  wanting  (comp.  JOSEPH.  B.  J.  VI.  7,  2;  6, 
5).  With  fire  and  svroi&,iyneferroque,  the  LORD 
judges.  ["  What  is  here  said  of  fire,  sword  and 
slaughter,  was  fulfilled  not  only  as  a  figurative 
prophecy  of  general  destruction,  but  in  its  strictest 
sense  in  the  terrific  carnage  which  attended  the 
extinction  of  the  Jewish  .State,  of  which,  more 
emphatically  than  of  any  other  event  outwardly 
resembling  it,  it  might  be  said  that  many  were 
the  slain  of  Jehovah."  ALEXANDER.  D. 
M.].  Ver.  17.  Here  people  are  spoken  of,  who 
make  a  religious  consecration  of  themselves  by 
sanctifying  (comp.  xxx.  29 ;  Ixv.  6 ;  Ex.  xix. 
22;  Numb.  xi.  18  et  saepe)  and  purifying  them- 
selves Ont3O  in  Isaiah  only  here,  comp.  Lev. 
xiv.  4,  7,  8  et  saepe;  Ezra  vi.  20  ;  Neh.  xii.  30; 

xiii.  22).  They  do  this  rTl^n-Sx  (comp.  i.  29, 
30  ;  Ixi.  11  ;  Ixv.  3).  The  preposition  /X  might 
be  taken,  with  Hahn,  as  a  case  of  constr.  praet/nans, 
if  it  were  possible  to  find  the  idea  of  motion  to 
a  place  latent  in  the  verbs  irWOri  and  Bhpnrt. 
We  must,  therefore,  take  /S  in  the  sense  of  "  in 
relation  to,  in  respect  to,"  i.  e.  =  for  (comp.  e.  g., 
I  Sam.  i.  27  ;  Ezek.  vi.  10).  [In  performing 
their  lustrations  they  have  respect  to  the  gardens 
as  places  of  worship.  Translate :  that  purify 
themselves  for  the  gardens,  not  in  the 
gardens  as  in  the  E.  V.— D.  M.].  The  words 
•jir\3  inx  intf  are  very  obscure.  The  old  trans- 
lators (LXX.,  TARG.,  SYR.,  ARAB.,THEODORET, 
SYMMACHUS,  HIERONYMUS)  were  evidently  puz- 
zled with  the  text,  and  conjectured  its  meaning  ra- 
ther than  explained  it  according  to  certain  princi- 
ples. The  later  interpreters  can  be  classified  accord- 
ing to  what  they  understand  by  1H*<  pHX,  nn«; 
the  last  is  the  reading  of  the  K'ri).  SEE.  SCHMIDT 
and  BOCHART  think  (after  SAADIA)  of  one  of 
the  trees,  or  of  a  reservoir  in  the  garden,  behind 
or  in  which  the  lustration  was  performed.  Others 
refer  "H"1X  to  an  idol.  ABENEZRA  thinks  that 
nnx  (K'ri)  is  Astarte.  Very  many  interpreters 
(after  SCALIGER)  take  1HK  to  be  the  name  of  a 
Svrian  divinity,  "Arfudof,  who  is  called  in  EUSE- 
B'IUS  (Praep.  Ev.  I.  10)  King  of  gods.  And 
this  explanation  has  been  the  rather  adopted,  be- 
cause MACROBIUS  (Saturn.  I.  23)  gives  as  the 
meaning  of  this  name  "  unus;"  a  statement  which 
is  manifestly  owing  to  his  want  of  knowledge  of 
the  language.  CLERICUS  sees  in  r\HX  the  name 
'E/cdrT?.  BEN.  CARPZOV,  who  is  followed  by 
HAHN  and  MAURER,  understands  an  idol  of  some 
kind  STIER.  not  satisfied  with  Antichrist,  who 
is  thought  of  by  NETBLER,  understands  under  the 
one  the  ''idol  of  the  world  in  the  strictest  sense, 
whose  place  of  concealment  is  the  tree  of  know- 
led<re  in  the  midst  of  the  garden."  MAJTJS 
((Earn,  p.  984)  takes  tHS  IPS  in  the  sense  of 
vraeter  .unum,  i.  e.,  beside  the  only  true  God 
(Deut  vi  4)  they  follow  an  idol  set  in  the  midst 
But  this  meaning  the  words  will  not  bear  That 
explanation  has  most  in  its  favor,  which  refers 
TDK  to  a  human  being.  Here  we  must  set  aside 
as  philologically  untenable  the  view  which,  afte 
the  Tare.  Jon.,  and  the  Synac,  would  in  any 
wav  bring  out  the  sense  alms  post  ahvm.  After 
the  example  of  PFEIFER  m  the  Dubia  Vexata,  it  ia 


708 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


better  to  understand  a  person  placed  in  the  midst 
who  acted  as  leader,  initiator,  or  hierophant.  So 
GESENIUS,  HITZIG,  HENDEWERK,  BECK,  UM- 
BREIT,  KNOBEL,  DELITZSCH,  SEINECKE,  KOHL- 
ING.  y.^3  is  understood  by  HITZIG,  HENDE- 
WERK, BECK,  UMBREIT,  EWALD  of  the  middle 
of  the  house,  the  impluvium,  the  court.  But  KNO- 
BEL, DELITZSCH,  SEINECKE,  ROHLING  think  of 
the  hierophant  standing  in  the  midst,  so  that 
"*nx  is  not  to  be  understood  in  the  local  sense, 
but  in  that  of  acting  after,  or  imitation.  EWALD 
proposes  instead  of  "IHX  TPIX  to  read  a  double 
^HN :  BOETTCHER  would  strike  out  the  words 
"inK  ~inX-  CHEYNE  regards  the  place  as  quite 
corrupt.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  words  IPX 
"pn3  ~in&5  are  either  a  corrupt  reading,  or  a  later 

expression  current  in  those  Babylonian  forms  of 
worship.  But  we  have  not  hitherto  been  able  to 
explain  their  meaning  satisfactorily.  [That  Baby- 
lonian rites  are  here  referred  to  is  a  gratuitous 
assumption.  Of  the  interpretations  put  upon  the 
statement  that  purify  themselves  for  the 
gardens  after  one  in  the  midst.the  one  most 
entitled  to  our  acceptance  is  that  which  regards 
it  as  descriptive  of  a  crowd  of  devotees  surround- 
ing their  priest  or  leader,  and  doing  after  him 
the  rites  which  he  exhibits  for  their  imitation. 
DELITZSCH  is  so  satisfied  with  this  explanation 
that  he  declares  that  it  leaves  nothing  to  be  de- 
sired. The  use  of  inK,  one,  has  its  reason  in 
the  opposition  of  the  one  leader  of  the  cere- 
monies to  the  many  repeaters  of  the  rites  after 
him.  D.  M.].  'VH  TiCO  'box  is  one  of  the  sub- 
jects of  121D\  Comp.  on  Ixv.  4.  |'p^  stands 
frequently  in  Leviticus  parallel  with  }^]Kjf,  reptile, 
e.  g.,  Lev.  xi.  20,  comp.  ibid,  vers  id.  23,  41. 
Probably,  then,  reptiles,  such  as  the  snail,  lizard 
and  the  like,  are  here  chiefly  intended.  "133J7 
is  the  mouse  (comp.  Lev.  xi.  29  ;  1  Sam.  vi  4 
«qq. ).  On  edible  mice,  or  rats  (ylires)  see  DE- 
LITZSCH, Oomment.  in  loc.,  BOCHART,  Hieroz.  II. 
p.  432  sqq.,  HERZ.  R.-Encyd.  XIV.  p.  602. 
["  The  actual  use  of  any  kind  of  mouse  in  the 
ancient  heathen  rites  has  never  been  established, 
the  modern  allegations  of  the  fact  being  founded 
on  the  place  before  us."  ALEXANDER.  This 
commentator  contends  that  the  Prophet  is  still 
treating  of  the  excision  of  the  Jews  and  the  vo- 
cation of  the  Gentiles.  And  although  the  gen- 
eration of  Jews  "  upon  whom  the  final  blow  fell 
were  hypocrites,  not  idolaters,  the  misdeeds  of 
their  fathers  entered  into  the  account,  and  they 
were  cast  off  not  merely  as  the  murderers  of  the 
Lord  of  Life,  but  as  apostates  who  insulted  Je- 
hovah to  His  face  by  bowing  down  to  stocks  and 
fitone^,  in  groves  and  gardens,  and  by  eating 
swine's  flesh,  the  abomination,  and  the  mouse." 
Isaiah  would  naturallv  make  prominent,  in  as- 
signing the  causes  of  divine  judgment,  the  most 
flagrant  transgressions  of  the  law  that  prevailed 
in  his  own  time.  We  have  had  many  examples 
of  his  practice  to  depict  the  future  in  the  colors 
of  the  present. — D.  M.].  Ver.  18  is  very  diffi- 
cult. It  appears  to  me  impossible  to  obtain  an 
appropriate  sense  from  the  text  as  it  stands.  I 
must  therefore  hold  it  to  be  corrupt.  The  old 
versions  do  not  enable  us  to  detect  any  corruption 
that  has  taken  place  since  they  were  made.  They 


all  give  such  translations  that  they  evidently  sup- 
pose the  present  Masoretic  text.  They  all  use 
the  first  person  in  the  rendering  of  HX3.  But 
this  does  not  justify  our  inferring  a  diflerence  of 
text.  It  is  merely  a  free  translation.  The  predi- 
cate to  OJX1  is  wanting.  Some  would  supply 
TV^T  [as  the  E.  V.],  or  IpDX  (DELITZSCH),  as 
was  done  in  some  manuscripts  of  the  LXX.  But 
is  it  possible  that  the  writer  omitted  the  predi- 
cate? ["  The  ellipsis  is  like  that  in  Virgil  Quos 
ego  (Aen.  I.  139),  and  belongs  to  the  rhelorical 
figure  of  aposiopesis :  and  I,  their  works 
and  thoughts— (will  know  to  punish)."  DE- 
LITZSCH. If  an  ellipsis  is  to  be  supplied,  there 
is  none  more  facile  than  that  assumed  in  the 
English  version,  and  which  can  plead  the  support 
of  the  Targum.  But  it  seems  to  me  better  to  re- 
tain the  aposiopesis  of  the  original,  with  KNO- 
BEL, EWALD,  ALEXANDER  and  KAY.  The  last 
mentioned  has  this  remark :  ''  The  sentence  is 
interrupted  ;  as  if  it  were  too  great  a  condescen- 
sion to  comment  on  their  folly, — so  soon  to  be 
made  evident  by  the  course  of  events.  And  I 
— as  for  theii  works  and  their  thoughts, 
the  time  cometh  for  gathering  all  na- 
tions."— D.  M.].  So  much  can  be  seen  from 
ver.  18,  that  God's  judgments  will  rest  on  a  bring- 
ing to  light  not  only  of  the  works,  but  also  of  the 
thoughts  of  the  heart  (Hebr.  iv.  12).  t"IK2  is  ac- 
cording to  the  accents  to  be  taken  as  a  participle. 
The  feminine  is  to  be  understood  in  a  neuter 
sense  [i.  e.,  it  is  used  impersonally].  N'3  stands 
for  the  arrival  of  the  right  moment:  it  is  come 
to  this  that  all  nations,  etc.,  comp.  Ezek.  xxxix.  8. 

The  words  D'UrrSlJ-nK  |'3p  seem  to  be  bor- 
rowed from  Joel  iv.  2.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
Prophet  Zephaniah  (iii.  8)  seems  to  have  had 
this  place  of  Isaiah  before  him.  The  expression 

mjEOni  DMjn-7D  does  not  occur  exactly  else- 
where. We  can  compare,  on  the  one  hand,  Gen. 
x.  20,  31  (comp.  ver.  5),  on  the  other,  Dan.  iii. 
4,  7,  29,  31:  v.  19;  vi.  26;  vii.  14.  Comp.  Zech. 
viii.  23.  If  this  expression  really  belonged  to 
a  later  age,  we  should  find  in  it  a  confirmation 
of  the  supposition  that  the  text  of  ver.  18  also 
has  been  corrupted  by  an  interpolator.  ["  The 
use  of  the  word  tongues  as  an  equivalent  to  na- 
tions has  reference  to  national  distinctions  spring- 
ing from  diversity  of  language,  and  is  founded 
on  Gen.  x.  5,  20,  31.  by  the  influence  of  which 
passage  and  the  one  before  us,  it  became  a  phrase 
of  frequent  use  in  Daniel,  whose  predictions  turn 
so  much  upon  the  calling  of  the  Gentiles  (Dan. 
iii.  4,  7.  31;  v.  19).  The  representation  of  this 
form  of  speech  as  an  Aramaic  idiom  by  some 
modern  critics  is  characteristic  of  their  candor." 
ALEXANDER.  Some  suppose  the  glory  of  Je- 
hovah which  all  nations  will  be  assembled  to  see 
to  be  a  gracions  display  of  His  glory,  and  others 
think  that  a  grand  manifestation  of  judgment 
is  here  referred  to.  In  the  preceding  part 
of  the  chapter  a  revelation  of  both  grace  and 
judgment  is  foretold.  We  can  take  the  expres- 
sion in  a  general  sense  for  the  revelation  of 
Jehovah's  perfections.  But  here  a  difficulty 
arises.  If  in  this  verse  all  nations  are  repre- 
sented as  gathered,  as  having  come  to  see  the 


CHA.P.  LXVI.  15-24. 


709 


glory  of  the  LORD,  where  are  the  distant  nations 
who  are  to  be  visited  according  to  the  following 
verse  by  those  that  have  escaped  from  the  judg- 
ment? The  seeming  inconsistency  is  removed, 
if  we  regard  ver.  19  as  describing  the  way  in 
which  the  nations  will  be  brought  to  see  the  glory 
of  God,  and  take  the  1  as  causal :  For  I  will  set 
a  sign,  etc.  For  this  causal  force  of  )  comp. 
on  Ixiv.  3.  This  is  better  than  to  suppose,  with 
DELITZSCH,  that  all  nations  and  tongues  in 
ver.  IB  are  not  to  be  understood  of  all  nations 
without  exception. — D.  M.]. 

3.  And  I  will  set all  flesh.— Vers.  19- 

24.  [This  verse  explains  the  gathering  of  all  na- 
tions mentioned  in  the  previous  verse.  The  He- 
brew often  employs  the  simple  connective  and 
where  we  would  use  for. — D.  M.].  The  mention 

of  D*BvD.  ver.  19,  implies  that  the  judgment 
from  which  they  have  escaped  is  not  the  general 
judgment.  After  it  there  will  remain  no  nations 
on  the  earth  to  whom  the  messengers  could  come 
to  announce  Jehovah's  glory.  That  judgment, 
then,  from  which  the  messengers  have  escaped, 
must  be  only  the  first  act  of  the  general  judg- 
ment, i.  e.,  the  judgment  on  Israel.  If  we  con- 
sider this  place  in  the  light  of  fulfilment,  we  must 
take  the  destruction  of  the  theocracy  by  the  Romans 
for  this  first  act  of  the  general  judgment,  which 
the  Prophet  views  together  with  its  last  act  or  last 
acts,  just  as  our  LORD  does  in  His  oratio  escha- 
tologica,  Matth.  xxiv.  They  who  have  escaped  from 
that  dreadful  catastrophe  which  befalls  the  church 
of  the  Old  Covenant  are  the  church  of  the  New 
Covenant,  for  whose  flight  and  deliverance  the 
LORD  has  so  significantly  cared  in  that  discourse 
(Matth.  xxiv.  16  sqq.K  "if  this  is  the  case,  what 
opinion  have  we  to  form  regarding  the  sign, 
which  the  LORD,  according  to  the  words  com- 
mencing ver.  19,  will  set  "  among  them,"  i.  e., 
among  those  on  whom  that  first  great  act  of  judg- 
ment has  fillen  ?  The  expression  JVK  Dltf  occurs 
Gen.  iv.  15  ;  Ex.  x.  2;  Jer.  xxxii.  20;  Ps.  Ixxviii. 
43 ;  cv.  27.  It  alternates  with  j  []J  or  H1K  n»^ 
(Deut.  xiii.  2;  Josh.  ii.  12;  Judges  vi.  17;  Ps. 


Ixxxvi.  17  et  saepe). 
the  most   emphatic. 


Of  these  forms 


DIP  is 


It  denotes,  we  might  say, 


and  see  my  glory.     [But  if  we  regard  the  1 
at  the  beginning  of  ver.  19  as  explicative  or  cau- 
sal, this  objection  falls  away. — D.  M.].     EWALD, 
UMBREIT,  DELITZSCH,  SEINECKE  think  that  the 
escape  of  some  from  the  all-destroying  slaughter 
is  itself  the  miracle.     Bnt  is  it  something  so  ex- 
traordinary and  wonderful  that  individuals  should 
escape  from  a  slaughter,  be  it  ever  so  bloody  ?     I 
would  not  say  with  the  Catholic  interpreters  that 
this  ni'K  is  the  sign  of  the  cross.     But  I  think  that 
Luke  [Simeon]   when  he,  ii.  34,  speaks  of  Him 
who  is  set  for  a  sign  which  shall  be  spoken 
against  had  our  place  before  him.     And  1  would 
refer  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man   (Matth. 
xxiv.  30)  to  the  same  source.     It  was  the  purpose 
of  God,  which  Isaiah    here  announces    without 
knowing  how  it  should  be  fulfilled,  that  out  of  the 
ashes  of  the  old  covenant  the  phoenix  of  the  new 
should   arise.     [ALEXANDER,  who  sees  in   the 
D'O^S  who  go  to  the  nations  the  first  preachers 
of  the  Gospel,  who  were  escaped  Jews,  saved  from 
that  perverse  generation  (Acts  ii.  40),  thinks  that 
the  sign  to  be  set  denotes  "the  whole  miraculous 
display  of  divine  power,  in  bringing  the  old  dis- 
pensation to  a  close  and  introducing  the  new,  in- 
cluding the  destruction  of  the  unbelieving  Jews, 
on  the  on<i  hand,  and,  on  the  other,  all  those  signs 
and  wonders,  and  divers  miracles  and  gifts  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  (Heb.  ii.  4),  which  Paul  calls  the 
signs  of  an  apostle  (2  Cor.  xii.  12),  and  which 
Christ  Himself  had  promised  should  follow  them 
that  believed  (Mark  xvi.  17).     All  these  were 
signs  placed  among  them,  i.  e.,  among  the  Jews, 
to  the  greater  condemnation  of  the  unbelievers, 
and  to  the  salvation  of  such  as  should  be  saved." 
But  if  we  compare  Isa.  xi.  10  and  its  connection 
with  the  place  before  us  and  the  context,  it  would 
appear  that  Messiah  is  the  sign  here  spoken  of.— 
D.  M-].     The  following  names  of  nations  repre- 
sent the  entire  heathen  world.     The  Prophet  de- 
signedly mentions  the  names  of  the  most  remote 
nations  to  intimate  that  to  all,  even  the  most  distant 
peoples,  the  joyful   message  (evnyy^iov)  should 
come.     Respecting   Tarshish    (comp.  on  ii.  16.) 
The  name  Pul  occurs  as  the  name  of  a  people 
only  here  (as  name  of  a  person,  comp.  2  Kings 
xv  19).     In  Jer.  xlvi.  9;  Ezek.  xxvii.  10;  xxx. 


setting  a  sign  as  a  monument  for  general  and  per- 
manent observation.  To  regard  this  sign  as  a 
signal  to  call  the  nations  does  not  suit  the  context 
[?],  for  the  nations  are  not  called  to  the  judgment 
upon  Israel.  The  announcement  is  rather  borne 
to  them.  CALVIN'S  explanation  "  I  make  a  sign 
on  them,"  namely,  on  the  elect  for  their  deliver- 
ance, is  justified  by  the  language;  but  the  suffixes 
in  DH3  and  DH?  refer  to  those  who  are  judged, 
and  not  to  those  who  are  saved.  The  old  ortho- 
dox explanation,  according  to  which  the  "sign'' 
is  the  Spirit  poured  out  upon  the  disciples  as  evi- 
dence of  their  divine  mission,  is  exposed  to  the 
same  objection.  When,  on  the  other  hand,  HIT- 
ZIG  and  KNOBEL  consider  as  the  sign,  the  judg- 
ment upon  the  heathen,  a  great  slaughter,  there  is 
this  objection  that  it  is  to  the  heathen  that  they 
who  escaped  the  judgment  go.  And  when  STIER 
refers  the  sign  to  the  judgment  upon  Israel,  it 
seems  strange  that  mention  should  be  made  of  th 
sign  after  the  description  of  the  judgment  and  its 
happy  consequences,  and  they  shall  come 


5,  the  name 


£313    is   mentioned   in   conjunction 


with 


.    The   LXX.,  too,   have  in  our  place 
In  the  places  in  Jer.  and  Ezek.  just  cited  the 


LXX  have  Afy 


f  for  B'B.  BOCHART  understands 
Most  scholars  hold 


by  Pul  the  island  Philae. 
the  identity  of  ^13  and  £313,  and  assume  either  an 
error  in  writing,  or  an  interchange  of  £3  and  *? 
(HiTZiG).  Regarding  B«,  it  is  pretty  generally 
held,  after  the  LXX.,  to  be  Libyia.  EBERS,  in- 
deed affirms  that  on  the  Egyptian  monuments 
Punt  or  Put  always  denotes  a  country  east  of 
Egypt,  namely,  Arabia.  We  must  in  regard  to 
this  point  defer  a  decision.  It  is  not  quite  cer- 
tain what  people  we  have  to  understand  under 
•nS.  In  Gen.  x.  13  trW  is  named  as  the  first 
son  of  Mizraim;  but  there  too  in  ver.  22  the 
fourth  son  of  Shem  is  called  Lud.  EBERS  holds 
with  ROUGEMONT  (L'age  du  bronze)  the  son  of 
Shem  for  the  Lutennu,  i.  e.,  Syrians,  while  accord- 
ing  to  him  the  Lndu  or  Rutu  are  the  native 
Egyptians  in  opposition  to  the  non-Egyptian  ele- 


710 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


ments  of  the  kingdom  of  Pharaoh.     EBERS  pro- 
perly leaves  it  undecided  whether  these  native 
Egyptians,  or  "the  fourth  son  of  Shem"  is  here 
meant.     We  cannot  apply  to  the  place  before  us 
a  strict  ethnographical  measure.     We  cannot  ex- 
pect that  the  Prophet   should  mention 'the  na- 
tions of  only  one  part  of  the  world,  or  that  he 
should  mention  the   nations  in  regular  succes- 
sion.     He    means    only   to   name   very   distant 
peoples.      Do    the     Egyptians    who    are    never 
called    in  the  Old  Testament  by  another  name 
than     D'.l^'p     belong    to    these?      The    Ludim 
are  celebrated  as  archers  also  in  Jer.  xlvi.  9.  ] 
Under  Tubal  (Gen.  x.  2;  Ezek.  xxvii.  13;  xxxii. 
26;  xxxviii.  2,   3;  xxxix.    1)    the   Tibareni,    aj 
tribe  in  the  south-eastern  corner  of  the  Black  Sea,  ; 
are,  since  the  time  of  BOCHART,  supposed  to  be  : 
intended.     That  p"  are  the  Greeks  is  universally 
acknowledged  (cornp.  Gen.  x.  2;  Ezek  xxvii.  13; 
Dan.  viii.   21 ;  Zech.  ix.  13).     There  will  take 
place   a   centrifugal    and    a   centripetal    motion. 
After  the  judgment  on   Israel,  the  holy   centre 
will  be  forsaken,  yea,  trodden  down  (Luke  xxi.  : 
24;  Rev.  xi.  2).'  The  escaped  of  Israel  will 
carry  out  from  the  destroyed  centre  the  salvation 
of  Israel  to  the  heathen.     The  heathen  will  re- 
ceive it;  but  Israel  shall  not  be  mixed  with  them.  ' 
— [But  the  escaped  Israelites  who  brought  salva-  I 
tion  to  the  Gentiles  have  been  in  fact  blended 
with  the  Gentiles  who  embraced  it.     That  these 
escaped    Israelites   should  remain  distinct  from 
the  converted  Gentiles  is  not  here  affirmed. — D. 
M.] — But  when  the  time  shall  have  come  (ac- 
cording to  Paul:  "when  the  fulness  of  the  Gen- 
tiles shall  have  come  in,"  Rom.  xi.  25),  a  centri- 
petal streaming  back  will  take  place,  which  will 
tind  the  Israelites  still  existing  among  the  na- 
tions.    But  they  are  no  longer  hated,  but  loved 
and  highly  honored.     Jerusalem  will  again  have 
become  a  centre,  but  not  for  Israel  only,  but  for 
all  nations.     The  nations  will  then  flow  to  Jeru- 
salem (ii.  2  sqq.;  Ix.  4sqq.),  and  take  with  them  j 
the  Israelites  who  will  now  know  aright  the  LORD  j 
their  God. — [ALEXANDER  understands  the  sub- 
ject of  'N^rij  yer.  20,  to  be  the  messengers  of 
ver.  19;  but  the  subject  of  the  verb  is  clearlv 
"the  heathen  won  for  Jehovah  by  the  testimony 
of  those  escaped  ones"  that  had  gone  to  them. 
The  messengers  could  hardly  be  supposed  to  be 
those  who  supply  the  multifarious  means  of  con- 
veyance mentioned  here.     They  who  do  this  are 
moreover,  evidently  regarded  as  different  from 
the  children  of  Israel  named  at  the  close  of  the 
verse.     If  the  subject  of  the  1&OH  is  the  Gentile 
nations,  then  your  brethren  would  naturally 
be  regarded  as  the  scattered  Jews  rather  than  the 
converted  Gentiles.     Comp.  Zeph.iii.  10:  "From 
beyond  the  rivers  of  Cush  will  they   (the  Gen- 
tiles) bring  my  worshippers,  the  daughter  of  my 
dispersed,  to  me  as  an  offering  (HnjO)."     This 
passage  of  Zephaniah  is  an  abbreviation  of  what 
Isaiah  here  says,  and  determines  the  sense  of 
DfriN  as  referring  to  the  Jews.     See  KEIL  on 
Zeph.  iii.  10.— D.  M.I—  The  nations  will  conduct  ! 
back  the  scattered  Jews  most  honorably.     On  ! 
horses,    in    chariots,    on    couches  '(comp. 
Num.  vii.  3),   on   mules    (Ti3   only   here   in  ' 
Isaiah),    on    dromedaries   (rh3^3.  air    a<rx. 

\       T  T    I •'  ' 


from  the  root  "13,  currere,  saltare),  will  they  be 
brought.  And  this  bringing  of  His  people  the 
LORD  will  regard  as  a  precious,  unbloody  offer- 
ing which  the  Gentiles  render  to  Him.  Hereto- 
fore the  Gentiles  durst  not  tread  ths  temple  of 
Jehovah  to  make  offerings  on  His  altar  in  the 
holy  place.  But  then  they  will  be  admitted  to 
this  service;  and  their  offering  will  be  as  accept- 
able to  the  LORD  as  a  pure  ^HJO  presented  to 
Him  by  Israelites  (comp.  Ivi.  7;  Mai.  i.  11;  iii. 
3).  IX'311  is  not  to  be  taken  as  the  future,  as  if 
in  the  present  time  the  meat-offering  were  not 
brought  in  a  clean  vessel.  But  it  is  the  imper- 
fect which  indicates  a  lasting  condition.  "*  JV3 
is  Ace.  localis  in  answer  to  the  question  where? 
For  the  act  of  offering  is  performed  in  the  house 
of  Jehovah  by  the  presentation  of  the  offering 
(xliii.  23),  not  on  the  way  thither.  But  the  of- 
fering of  the  Israelites  as  a  nflJO  consists  not  in 
offering  them  in  the  house  of  the  LORD,  but  in 
bringing  them  to  the  house  of  the  LORD.  The 
Gentiles,  who  bring  them  thither  on  their  horses, 
mules,  etc.,  are,  as  it  were,  the  clean  vessel  (comp. 
xviii.  7;  Ps.  Ixviii.  32).  But  a  still  greater 
thing  will  happen.  The  Gentiles  will  be  admit- 
ted not  only  to  the  congregation  of  Israel ;  they 
will  also  be  admitted  to  the  office  of  priests  and 
Levites.  However  much  the  Prophet  is  seen  to 
be  governed  in  respect  to  form  by  the  time  to 
which  he  belonged,  we  clearly  perceive  how  in 
respect  to  the  substance  he  boldly  breaks  through 
the  limits  of  the  present  time,  and  prophesies  a 
quite  new  order  of  things.  For  it  was  a  funda- 
mental law  of  the  old  theocracy  that  only  those 
belonging  to  the  tribe  of  Levi  could  be  admitted 
to  the  office  of  Levites  and  priests.  But  in  the 
glorious  time  future  the  middle  -wall  of  par- 
tition (Eph.  ii.  14)  will  be  taken  away.  Then 
twain  will  be  made  one;  there  will  be  one  flock 
and  one  Shepherd  (John  x.  16).  Then  the  LORD 
will  choose  not  only  out  of  all  the  tribes  of  Israel, 
but  also  from  the  Gentiles,  those  whom  He  will 
add  to  the  Aaronic  priests  and  to  the  Levites^ 

We  are  not  to  explain  D'jrpS  and  D'l/2  *°r 
priests  and  Levites,  but  in  addition  to  the 
already  existing  priests  and  Levites.  All  things 
will  become  new.  The  explanation  which  refers 
DHD,  ver.  21,  to  the  ET^N  (ver.  20)  is  at  variance 
with  the  context. — [Against  this  interpretation, 
which  applies  of  them  to  the  restored  Israelites, 
an  interpretation  which,  beside  Jewish  writers 
and  GROTIUS,  HITZIG  and  KNOBEL  have  put 
forward,  it  may  be  objected  that  the  promise  in 
this  view  of  it  would  be  needless,  as  the  priests 
and  Levites  would  not  have  forfeited  their  right 
to  their  hereditary  office  by  a  foreign  residence. 
HOFMANN  shows  well  how  it  suits  the  context  to 
understand  OHO  DJ)  of  the  Gentiles:  "God  re- 
compenses this  bringing  of  an  offering,  by  taking 
to  Himself  out  of  the  number  of  those  who  make 
the  offering,  priests,  who  as  such  are  added  to  the 
Levitical  priests."  Instead  of  I  will  also  take 
of  them,  as  in  the  E.  V.,  translate:  also  of 
them  will  I  take,  etc.  The  expression  implies 
that  those  to  be  chosen  to  the  offices  of  priests 
and  Levites  are  not  the  ordinary  and  regular 
priests  and  Levites.— D.  M.]— The  time  will  be 
that  of  the  Kaivrj  uricis.  Without  it  that  funda- 


CHAP.  LXVI.  15-24. 


711 


mental  change  could  not  be  conceived.     For  in 
it  the  powers  of  the  far)  aluviof  manifest  them- 
selves.    In  ver.  22  there  are  two  thoughts  com- 
bined into  one:  for  as  heaven  and  earth  so  shall 
ye  also  be  new,  and  this  new  life  will  be  eternal. 
In  vers.  23  and  24  also  we  perceive  this  singular 
blending  of  what  belongs  specifically  to  the  pre- 
sent, and  of  what  belongs  to  a  totally  different 
future.     The  Prophet  still  sees  the  old  forms  of 
worship,   Sabbath   and  new  moon.     But  at  the 
same  time  the  relations  are  so  fundamentally  new 
that  what  was  not  possible  even  to  the  Israelites 
will  be  possible  to  all  flesh. — ["The  Prophet,  in 
accordance  with  his  constant  practice,  speaks  of 
the  emancipated  church  in  language   borrowed 
frora  her  state  of  bondage."  ALEXANDER.] — The 
males  of  the  Israelites,  from  their  twelfth  year, 
had  to  appear  before  the  LORD  three  times  in 
the  year.     To  appear  every  new  moon  and  Sab- 
bath would  have  been  impossible  even  for  the 
inhabitants  of  circumscribed  Palestine.     But  ac- 
cording to  the  Prophet's  declaration,  this  will  be 
in  that  remote  future  possible  for  all  flesh.  Comp. 
for  a  real  parallel  Zech.  xiv.  16.     I  do  not  see 
what  objection  can  be  made  to  taking  Chn  and 
r\3'3  in  a  double  sense  here.     EHn  (renovatio)  is 
first,  the  new  moon,  then,  the  month  beginning 
with  the  new  moon,  governed,  as  it  were,  by  it. 
T13   tinn~'1O  is  pro  ratione  mensis  novilunio  suo, 
i.  e.  every  month  on  the  new  moon  belong- 
ing to  it.  And  JTDEO  r\3V!  HO  is  every  week 
on  the  Sabbath  belonging  to  it.    .r\3tf  is 
used  even  in  the  Old  Testament  in  the  significa- 
tion of  week,  Num.  xxiii.  15 ;  comp.  the  parallel 
place,  Deut.  xvi.  4.     And  in  the  New  Testament 
adflfiarov    and    adfipara   denote   a    week.  —  [But 
there  is  no  need  of  taking  Bnn   nnd   J"U$   in  a 
double  sense.     We  cannot  take  fi3$  in  a  double 
sense  in  Zjch.  xiv.  16  and  1  Sam.  vii.  16,  where 
the  construction  is  similar.     Comp.  these  places 
with  the  one  before  us  to  see  that  there  is  a  valid 
objection,  which  our  author  did  not  see,  to  the 
construction  which    he   proposes. — D.  M.] — The 
last  verse   carries  out    more    fully   (he   refrain: 
There  is  no  peace   to  the  wicked  (xlviii. 
22;  Ivii.  21).     The  Prophet  has  here,  too,  the 
outlines  of  the  topography  of  the  old  Jerusalem 
before  his  eyes.     As  this  has  outside  its  walls, 
but  in  its  immediate  neighborhood,  a  place  into 
which  all  the  filth  of  the  city  is  thrown,  because 
it  was  a  place  profaned  by  abominable  idolatry, 
namely,  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  he  conceives  of 
Gehenna  as  adjacent  to  the  new  Jerusalem.     Our 
Lord  appropriates  this  view  of  the  Prophet  so  far 
that  he,  too,  describes  yt-evva  as  the  place  "  where 
their   worm    dieth   not,    and    their   fire    is   not 
quenched"   (Mark   ix.   43-48).     H»n   with   fol- 
lowing 3  denotes  a  qualified  seeing,  as  with  plea- 
sure, with  abhorrence,  with  interest.    [Plere  with 
horror,  as  appears  from  the  last  clause. — D.  M.] 
(Comp.  ver.  5;  liii.  2;  Ps.  xxii.  18;  liv.  9;  Gen. 
xxi.  16;  xliv.  34,  et  saepe.)     Regarding  the  worm 
that  dies  not  and  the  fire  that  is  not  quenched, 
we  are  to  guard  against  the  extremes  of  a  gross 
material   view   and  of  an   abstract  ideal  one.— 
["Ordinarily,  the  worm  feeds  on  the  disorganized 
body,  and  thVn  dies;  the  fire  consumes  its  fuel, 
and"  goes  out.     But  here  is  a  strange  mystery  of 


suffering — a  worm  not  dying,  a  fire  not  becoming 
extinct ;  a  remorseful  memory  of  past  guilt,  and 
all-penetrating  sense  of  Divine  justice."  KAY. — 
D.  M.] — jiK'n  is  found  besides  here  only  Dan. 
xii.  2.  The  root  N~n  does  not  occur  in  Hebrew. 
The  word  is  explained  from  Arabic  roots  which 
denote  repellcre,  taedio,  contemtui  esse,.  ["The 
Prophet  had  spoken  in  xxxiii.  14,  also,  of  'ever- 
lasting burnings.'  He,  whose  lips  have  been 
touched  with  the  'live  coal'  from  the  heavenly 
altar,  understood  that  Holy  Love  must  be  to  all 
that  is  unholy  '  a  consuming  fire ' "  (lleb.  xii. 
29).  KAY— D.  M.] 

DOCTRINAL    AND    ETHICAL. 

1.  On  Ixv.  1,  2.  Our  LORD  has  said,  "He 
that  seeketh  findeth"  (Matt.  vii.  8).  How,  then, 
does  it  come  that  the  Jews  do  not  find  what  they 
seek,  but  the  heathen  find  what  they  did  not 
seek  ?  The  Apostle  Paul  puts  this  question  and 
answers  it,  Rom.  ix.  30  sqq.  ;  x.  19  sqq. ;  xi.  7. 
[See  also  x.  3].  All  depends  on  the  way  in 
which  we  seek.  LUTHER  says  :  Quaerere  fit  dur 
pliciter.  Primo,  sevundum  praescripttim  verbi  Dei, 
et  sic  invenitur  Dews.  Secundo,  quaeritur  nontra 
studiis  et  consiliis,  et  sic  non  invenilur"  The  Jews, 
with  exception  of  the  EK^T/  (Rom.  xi.  7),  sought 
only  after  their  own  glory  and  merit.  They 
sought  what  satisfies  the  flesh.  They  did  not 
suffer  the  spirit  in  the  depths  of  their  heart  to 
speak,— the  spirit  which  can  be  satisfied  only  by 
food  fitted  for  it.  The  law  which  was  given  to 
them  that  they  might  perceive  by  means  of  it 
their  own  impotence,  became  a  snare  to  them. 
For  they  perverted  it,  made  what  was  of  minor 
importance  the  chief  matter,  and  then  persuaded 
themselves  that  they  had  fulfilled  it  and  were 
righteous.  But  the  Gentiles  who  had  not  the 
law,  had  not  this  snare.  They  were  not  tempted 
to  abuse  the  pedagogical  discipline  of  the  law. 
They  felt  simply  that  they  were  forsaken  by  God. 
Their  spirit  was  hungry."  And  when  for  the  first 
time  God's  word  in  the  Gospel  was  presented  to 
them,  then  they  received  it  the  more  eagerly  n 
proportion  to  the  poverty,  wretchedness  and 
hunger  in  which  they  had  been.  The  Jews  did 
not  find  what  they  sought,  because  they  had  not 
a  spiritual,  but  a  carnal  apprehension  of  the  law, 
and,  like  the  elder  brother  of  the  prodigal  son 
were  full,  and  blind  for  that  which  was  needliil 
for  them.  But  the  Gentiles  found  what  they  did 
not  seek,  because  they  were  like  the  prodigal  son, 
who  was  the  more  receptive  of  grace  the  more 
he  needed  it,  and  the  less  claim  he  had  to  it. 
[There  is  important  truth  stated  in  the  foregoing 
remarks.  But  it  does  not  fully  explain  why  the 
LORD  is  found  of  those  who  sought  Hun  not. 
The  sinner  who  has  obtained  mercy  when  lie 
asks  why?  must  have  recourse  to  a  higher  cause, 
a  cause  out  of  himself,  even  free,  sovereign,  effica- 
cious grace.  "  It  is  of  God  that  showeth  mercy 
Rom  ix.  16.  "  Though  in  after-communion  God 
is  found  of  those  that  seek  Him  (Prov.  via  17). 
vet  in  the  first  conversion  He  is  found  of  hose 
'that  seek  Him  not;  for  therefore  we  love  Hirn, 
because  He  first  loved  us."  HENRY.  D.  M.]. 

2  On  Ixv.  2.  God's  long-suffering  is  great. 
He 'stretches  out  His  hands  the  whole  day  and 
does  not  grow  weary.  What  man  would  do  this? 


712 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


The  disobedient  people  contemns  Him,  as  if  He  I 
knew  nothing,  and  could  do  nothing. 

3  On  Ixv.  2.  ''  It  is  clear  from  this  verse 
gratiam  esse  resistibilem.  Christ  earnestly  stretched 
oat  His  hands  to  the  Jews.  He  would,  but  they 
would  not.  This  doctrine  the  Remonstrants 
prove  from  this  place,  and  rightly  too,  in  Actis 
Synodi  Dodrac.  P.  III.  p.  76."  LEIGH.  [The 
grace  of  God  which  is  signified  by  His  stretch- 
ing cut  His  hands  can  be,  and  is,  resisted. 
That  figurative  expression  denotes  warning,  ex- 
horting, entreating,  and  was  never  set  forth  by 
Reformed  theologians  as  indicating  such  grace 
as  was  necessarily  productive  of  conversion.  The 
power  by  which  God  quickens  those  who  were 
dead  in  sins  (Eph.  ii.  5),  by  which  He  gives  a 
new  heart  (Ezek.  xxxv.  26),  by  which  He  draws 
to  the  Son  (John  vi.  44,  45,  65),  is  the  grace 
which  is  called  irresistible.  The  epithet  is 
admitted  on  all  hands  to  be  faulty ;  but  the 
grace  denoted  by  it  is,  from  the  nature  of  the  case, 
not  resisted.  TURRETTIN  in  treating  De  Voca- 
tione  ei  Fide  thus  replies  to  this  objection,  ''Aliud 
est  Deo  monenti  et  vocanti  externe  resistere  ;  Aliud 
est  conversionem  intendenti  et  efficaciter  ac  interne 
vocanti.  Prius  asseritur  Isa.  Ixv.  2,  3  quum 
dicit  Propheta  se  expandisse  tola  die  manus  ad  po- 
pulum  pcrversum  etc.,  non  postering.  Expansio 
brachiorum  notat  quidem  blandam  et  benevnlam  Dei 
invitationem,  qua  illos  extrinsecus  sive  Verbo,  sive 
beneficiis  alliciebat,  non  semel  atque  iterum,  sed  quo- 
tidie  ministerio  servorum  siwrum  eos  compellando. 
Sed  non  potest  designare  potentem  ct  effisacem  opera- 
tionem,  qua  brachium  Domini  illis  revelatur  qai 
docentur  a.  Deo  et  trahuntur  a  Poire,  etc."  Locus 
XV- ;  Quaestio  VI.  25.— D.  M.]. 

4.  On  Ixv.  2.  (Who  walk  after  their  own  thoughts.) 
Due  me,  nee  sine,  me  per  me,  Deus  optiine,  duci. 
Nam  duce  me  pereo,  te  duce  certus  eo. 

[''  If  our  guide  be  our  own  thoughts,  our  way 
is  not  likely  to  be  good  ;  for  every  imagination 
of  the  thought  of  our  hearts  is  only  evil.'1  HENRY. 
D.  M.]. 

5.  On  Ixv.  3  sq.    "  The  sweetest  wine  is  turned 
into  the  sourest  vinegar ;  and  when  God's  people 
apostatize   from  God,   they  are  worse  than  the 
heathen  (Jer.  iii.  11)."  STARKE. 

6.  On    Ixv.    5.      [I  am  holier  than  thou.     "A 
deep  insight  is  here  given  us  into  the  nature  of 
the  mysterious  fascination  which  heathenism  ex- 
ercised on  the  Jewish  people.    The  law  humbled 
them  at  every  turn  with  mementoes  of  their  own 
sin  and  of  God's  unapproachable  holiness.     Pa- 
ganism freed  them  from  this,  and  allowed  them 
(in  the  midst  of  moral  pollution)  to  cherish  lofty 
pretensions  to  sanctity.     The  man,  who  had  been 
offering  incense  on  the  mountain-top,  despised  the 
penitent  who  went  to  the  temple  to  present  'a 
broken  and  contrite  heart.'     If  Pharisaism  led  to 
a  like  result,  it  was  because  it,  too,  had  emptied 
the  law  of  its  spiritual  import,  and  turned  its 
provisions  into  intellectual  idols."  KAY.'D.  M.]. 

7.  On  vers.  6,  7.     "  The  longer  God  forbears, 
the  harder  He  punishes  at  last.     The  greatness 
of  the  punishment  compensates  for  the  delay  (Ps. 
1.  21)."  STARKE  after  LEIGH. 

8.  On   Ixv.  8  sqq.    ["This  is  expounded   by 
St.  P.ml,  Rom.  xi.  1-5,  where,  when  upon  occa- 
fiion  of  the  rejection  of  the  Jews,  it  is  asked  Hath 
God  then  cast  away  His  people  f    He  answers,  no ; 


for,  at  this  time  there  is  a  remnant  according  to  the 
election  of  grace.  This  prophecy  has  reference  to 
that  distinguished  remnant.  .  .  Our  Saviour  has 
told  us  that  for  the  sake  of  these  elect  the  days  of 
the  destruction  of  the  Jews  should  be  shortened, 
and  a  stop  put  to  the  desolation,  which  otherwise 
would  have  proceeded  to  that  degree  that  no  flesh 
should  be  saved.  Matt.  xxiv.  22.  HENRY.  D.  M.]. 

9.  On  Ixv.    15.      The  judgment  which  came 
upon  Israel  by  the  hand  of  the  Romans,  did  not 
altogether  destroy  the  people,  but  it  so  destroyed 
the  Old  Covenant,  i.  e.,  the  Mosaic  religion,  that 
the  Jews  can  no  more  observe  its  precepts  in  es- 
sential points.     For  no  Jew  knows  to  what  tribe 
he  belongs.     Therefore,  they  have  no  priests,  and, 
consequently,  no  sacrifices.    The  Old  Covenant  is 
now  only  a  ruin.     We  see  here  most  clearly  that 
the  Old  Covenant,  as  it  was  designed  only  for  one 
nation,  and  for  one  country,  was  to  last  only  for  a 
certain  time.      If  we  consider,  moreover,  the  way 
in   which    the    judgment  was    executed,   (comp. 
Josephus),  we  can   truly  say  that  the  Jews  bear 
in  themselves   the  mark   of  a  cur^e.     They  bear 
the  stamp  of  the  divine  judgment.     The  begin- 
ning of  the  judgment  on  the  world  has  been  exe- 
cuted on  them  as  the  house  of  God.     But  how 
comes  it  that  the  Jews  have  become  so  mighty, 
so  insolent  in  the  present  time,  and  are  not  satis- 
fied with  remaining  on  the  defensive  in  their  at- 
titude   toward    the   Christian    church,  but  have 
passed  over  to   the  offensive?     This  has  arisen 
solely  from  Christendom  having  to  a  large  ex- 
tent  lost    the     consciousness    of  its  ntw  name. 
There  are  many  Christians  who  scoff' at  the  name 
of  Christian,  and  seek  their   honor  in  combating 
all  that  is  called  Christian.     This  is  the  prepara- 
tion for  the  judgment  on  Christendom  itself      If 
Christendom  would  hold  fast  her  jewel,  she  would 
remain  strong,  and  no  one  would  dare  to  mock 
or  to  assail  her.     For  she  would  then  partake  of 
the  full  blessing  which  lies  in   the  principle  of 
Christianity,  and   every  one  would  be  obliged  to 
show  respect  for  the  fruits  of  this  principle.     But 
an  apostate  Christendom,  that  is  ashamed  of  her 
glorious    Christian    name,    is     something   more 
miserable  than   the    Jews,  judged    though   they 
have  been,  who  still  esteem   highly  their  name, 
and  what  remains  to  them  of  their  old  religion. 
Thus  Christendom,  in  so  far  as  it  denies  the  worth 
and  significance  of  its  name,  is  gradually  reach- 
ing a  condition  in  which  it  will  be  so  ripe  for  the 
second  act  of   the  judgment   on  the  world,  that 
this  will  be  longed   for  as  a  benefit.     For,  this 
apostate  Christendom   will   be   the  kingdom  of 
Antichrist,  as  Antichrist   will  manifest  himself 
in  Satanic   antagonism  to  God  by  sitting  in  the 
temple  of   God,   and  pretending    to   be  God  (2 
Thess.  ii.  3  sqq.).     [We  do  not  quite  share  all  the 
sentiments  expressed  in  this  paragraph.     We  are 
far  from  being  so  despondent  as  to  the  prospects 
of   Christendom,    and     think    that    there    is   a 
more   obvious    interpretation    of    the    prophecy 
quoted  from  2  Thess.,  than   that  indicated. — D. 
M.]. 

10.  On  Ixv.  17.     [If  we  had  only  the  present 
passage  to  testify  of  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth, 
we  might  say,  as  many  good  interpreters  do,  that 
the  language  is  figurative,  and  indicates   nothing 
more  than  a  great  moral  and  spiritual  revolution. 
But  we  cannot  thus  explain  2  Pet.  iii.  10-13.   The 


CHAP.  LXVI.  15-24. 


713 


present  earth  and  heavens  shall  pass  away 
(comp.  Isa.  li.  6  ;  Ps.  cii.  25,  26).  But  how  can 
we  suppo.se  that  our  Prophet  here  refers  to  the 
new  heavens  and  new  earth,  which  are  to  suc- 
ceed the  destruction  of  the  world  bv  fire?  In  the 
verses  that  follow  Ixv.  17,  a  condition  of  things 
is  described  which,  although  better  than  the  pre- 
sent, is  not  so  good  as  that  perfectly  sinless 
blessed  state  of  the  redeemed,  which  we  look  for 
after  the  coming  of  the  day  of  the  LORD.  Yet 
the  Apostle  Peter  (2  Pet.  iii  13)  evidently  re- 
gards the  promise  before  us  of  new  heavens'  and 
a  new  earth,  as  destine  1  to  receive  its  accomplish- 
ment after  the  conflagration  which  is  to  take 
place  at  the  end  of  the  world.  If  we  had  not 
respect  to  other  Scriptures,  and  if  we  overlooked 
the  use  made  by  Peter  of  this  passage,  we  should 
not  take  it  literally.  But  we  can  take  it  literally, 
if  we  suppose  that  the  Prophet  brings  together 
future  events  not  according  to  their  order  in  time. 
He  sees  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth  arise. 
Other  scenes  are  disclosed  to  his  prophetic  eye 
of  a  grand  and  joy-inspiring  nature.  He  an- 
nounces them  as  future.  But  these  scenes  sup- 
pose the  continued  prevalence  of  death  and  labor 
(ver.  20  sqq.),  which,  we  know  from  definite 
statements  of  Scripture,  will  not  exist  when  the 
new  heaven  and  new  earth  appear  (comp.  Rev. 
xxi.  1-4).  The  proper  view  then  of  ver.  17  is 
to  take  its  prediction  literally,  and  to  hold  at  the 
same  time  that  in  the  following  description  (which 
is  that  of  the  millennium)  future  things  are  pre- 
sented to  us  which  are  really  prior,  and  not 
posterior  to  the  promised  complete  renovation  of 
heaven  and  earth.  Nor  should  this  surprise  us,  as 
Isaiah  and  the  other  Prophets  place  closely  to- 
gether in  their  pictures  future  things  which  be- 
long to  different  times.  They  do  not  draw  the 
line  sharply  between  this  world  and  the  next. 
Compare  Isaiah's  prophecy  of  the  abolition  of 
death  (xxv.  8)  in  connection  with  other  events 
that  must  happen  long  before  that  state  of  perfect 
blessedness. — D.  M.]. 

11.  On  Ixv.  20.  ["  The  extension  of  the  Gospel 
every  where, — of  its  pure  principles  of  temper- 
ance in  eating  and  drinking,  in  restraining  the 
passions,  in  producing  calmness  of  mind,  and  in 
arresting  war,  would   greatly  lengthen    out  the 
life  of  mm.     The  image  here  employed  by  the 
Prophet  is  more  than  mere  poetry ;  it  is  one  that 
is  founded  in  reality,  and  is  designed  to  convey 
mon  important  truth."  BARNES.  D.  M.]. 

12.  On  Ixv.  24.     [It  occurs  to  me  that  an  er- 
roneous application  is  frequently  made  of   the 
promise,  Before   they  call,  etc.     This   declaration 
is  made  in  connection  with  the  glory  and  blessed- 
ness of  the  last  days.     It  belongs  specifically  to 
the    millennium.     There   are,  indeed,  occasions 
when  God  even  now  seems  to  act  according  to 
this  law.     (Comp.  Dan.  ix.  23).     But  Paul   had 
to  pray  thrice  before  he  received   the  answer  of 
the  Lord  (2  Cor.  xii.  8).     Compare  the  parable 
of  the  importunate  widow,  Luke  xviii.  1-7.    The 
answer  to  prayer  mav  bs  long  delayed.  This  is  not 
only  taught  in  the  Bible,  but  is  verified  in  Chris- 
tian experience.     But  tiie  time  will  come  when 
the  LORD  will  not  thus  try  and  exercise  the  faith 
of  Hi.s  people.— D.  M.]. 

13.  O.i  Ixv.  2).     "  If  the  lower  animals  live  in 
hostility  in  consequence  of  the   sin  of  man,  a 


state  of  peace  must  be  restored  to  them  along 
with  our  redemption  from  sin."  J.  G.  MUELLER 
m  HERZ.  R.-Encyd.  xvi.  p.  45.  ["  By  the  serpent 
in  tins  place  there  seems  every  reason  to  believe 
that  Satan,  the  old  seducer  and  author  of  discord 
and  misery,  is  meant.  During  the  millennium  he 
is  to  be  subject  to  the  lowest  degradation.  Com- 
pare for  the  force  of  the  phrase  to  lick  the  dust, 
Ps.  Ixxn.  9  ;  Mic.  vii.  17.  This  was  the  original 
doom  of  the  tempter,  Gen.  iii.  14,  and  shall  be 
fully  carried  into  execution.  Comp.  Rev  xx 
1-3."  HENDERSON.  D.  M.]. 

14.  On  Ixvi.  1.     ["  Having  held  up  in  every 
point  of  view  the  true  design,  mission  and  voca- 
tion of  the  church  or  chosen  people,  its  relation 
to  the  natural  descendants  of  Abraham,  the  causes 
which  required  that  the  latter  should  be  stripped 
of  their  peculiar  privileges,  and  the  vocation  of 
the  Gentiles  as  a  part  of  the  divine  plan  from  its 
origin,  the  Prophet  now  addresses  the  apostate 
and  unbelieving  Jews  at  the  close  of  the  old  dis- 
pensation, who,  instead  of  preparing  for  the  gen- 
eral extension  of  the  church  and  the  exchange 
of  ceremonial  for  spiritual  worship,  were  engaged 
in  the  rebuilding  and  costly  decoration  of  the 

j  temple  at  Jerusalem.     The  pride  and  interest  in 

I  this  great  public  work,  felt  not  only  by  the 
Herorls  but  by  all  the  Jews,  is  clear  from  inci- 

;  dental  statements  of  the  Scriptures  (John  ii.  20 ; 
Matt.  xxiv.  1 ),  as  well  as  from  the  ample  and 
direct  assertions  of  Josephus.  That  the  nation 
should  have  been  thus  occupied  precisely  at  the 

'  time  when  the  Messiah  came,  is  one  of  those 
agreements  between  prophecy  and  history,  which 
cannot  be  accounted  for  except  upon  the  suppo- 
sition of  a  providential  and  designed  assimila- 
tion." ALEXANDER  after  VITRINGA.  D.  M.]. 

15.  On  Ixvi.  1,  2.     What  a  grand  view  of  the 
nature  of  God  and  of  the  way  in  which   He  is 
made   known   lies   at  the    foundation    of    these 
words !     God  made  all  things.     He  is  so  great 
that  it  is  an  absurdity  to  desire  to  build  a  temple 
for  Him.     The  whole   universe  cannot  contain 
Him  (1  Kings  viii.  27)!     But  He,  who  contains 
all  things  and  can  be  contained  by  nothing,  has 
His  greatest  jov  in  a  poor,  humble  human  heart 
that  fears   Him.     He  holds  it  worthy  of  His  re- 
gard, it  pleases  Him,  He  enters  into  it,  He  makes 
His  abode  in  it.     The  wise  and  prudent  men  of 
science  should  learn  hence  what  is  chiefly  neces- 

|  sary  in  order  to  know  God.     We  cannot  reach 
1  Him  by  applying  force,  by  climbing  up  to  Him, 
by  attempting  to  take    Him  by  storm.     And  if 
science    should    place    ladder   upon    ladder  up- 
wards and  downwards,  she  could  not  attain  His 
1  height  or  His  depth.     But  He  enters  of  His  own 
|  accord  into  a  child-like,  simple  heart.     He  lets 
Himself  be  laid  hold  of  by  it,  kept  and  known. 
It  is  not,  therefore,  by  the  intellect  [alone]  but  by 
the  heart  that  we  can  know  God. 

16.  On  Ixvi.  3.   He  who  under  the  Christian 
dispensation  would  retain  the  forms  of  worship 
of  the  ancient  ritual  of  shadows  would  violate  the 
fundamental  laws  of  the  new  time,  just  as  a  man 
by  killing  would  offend  against  the  foundation  of 
the  moral  law,  or  as  he  would  by  offering  the 
blood  of  dogs  or  swine  offend  against  the  founda- 
tion of  the  ceremonial  law.     For  when  the  body, 
the  substance  has  appeared,  the  type  must  vanish. 
He  who  would   retain  the  type  along  with  the 


714 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


reality  would  declare  the  latter  to  be  insufficient, 
would,  therefore,  found  his  salvation  not  upon 
God  only,  but  also  in  part  on  his  own  legal  per- 
formance. But  God  will  brook  no  rival.  He  is 
either  our  All,  or  nothing.  Christianity  could 
tolerate  animal  sacrifices  just  as  little  as  the  Old 
Testament  law  could  tolerate  murder  or  the  offer- 
ing of  abominable  things. 

17.  On  Ixvi.  5.    ["The  most  malignant  and 
cruel  persecutions  of  the  friends  of  God  have  been 
originated  under  the  pretext  of  great  zeal  in  His 
service,  and  with  a  professed  desire  to  honor  His 
name.     So  it  was  with  the  Jews  when  they  cruci- 
fied the  Lord  Jesus.     So  it  is  expressly  said  it 
would  be  when  His  disciples  would  be  excommu- 
nicated and  put  to  death,  John  xvi.  2.     So  it  was 
in  fact  in  the   persecutions  excited   against  the 
apostles  and  early  Christians.     See  Acts  vi.  13, 
14;  xxi.  28-31.     So  it  was  in  all  the  persecutions 
of  the  Waldenses,  in  all  the  horrors  of  the  Inqui- 
sition, in  all  the  crimes  of  the  Duke  of  Alva.    So 
it  was  in  the  blpody  reign  of  Mary ;  and  so  it  has 
ever  been  in  all  ages  and  in  all  countries  where 
Christians  have   been    persecuted."    BARNES. — 
D.  M.]. 

18.  On  Ixvi.  10.  "The  idea  which  is  presented 
in  this  verse  is,  that  it  is  the  duty  of  all  who  love 
Zion  to  sympathize  in  her  joy.     The  true  friends 
of  God  should  rejoice  in  every  real  revival  of  reli- 
gion, they  should  rejoice  in  all  the  success  which 
attends  the  Gospel  in  heathen  lands.     And  they 
will  rejoice.     It  is  one  evidence  of  piety  to  rejoice 
in  her  joy;  and  they  who  have  no  joy  when  souls 
are  born  into  the  kingdom  of  God,   when  He 
pours  down  His  Spirit  and  in  a  revival  of  religion 
produces  changes  as  sudden  and  transforming  as 
if  the  earth  were  suddenly  to  pass  from  the  deso- 
lation of  winter  to  the  verdure  and  bloom  of  sum- 
mer, or  when  the  Gospel  makes  sudden  and  rapid 
advances  in  the  heathen  world,  have  no  true  evi- 
dence that  they  love  God  and  His  cause.     They 
have  no  religion."  BARXES. — D.  M. 

19.  On  Ixvi.  13.   The   Prophet  is  here  com- 
pletely governed  by  the  idea  that  in  the  glorious 
time  of  the  end,  love,  maternal  love  will  reign. 
Thus  He  makes  Zion  appear  as  a  mother  who 
will  bring  forth  with  incredible  ease  and  rapidity 
innumerable  children  (vers.  7-9).     Then  the  Is- 
raelites are  depicted  as  little  children  who  suck 
the  breasts  of  their  mother.    Further,  the  heathen 
who  bring  back  the  Israelites  into  their  home, 
must  do  this  in  the  same  way  in  which  mothers 
in  the  Orient  are  wont  to  carry  their  little  chil- 
dren.   Lastly,  even  to  the  LORD  Himself  maternal 
love  is  ascribed  (comp.  xlii.  14;  xlix.  15),  and 
such  love  as  a  mother  manifests  to  her  adult  son. 
Thus  the  Israelites  will  be  surrounded  in  that 
glorious  time  on  all  sides  by  maternal  love.     Ma- 
ternal  love   will   be   the   characteristic  of   that 
period. 

20.  On  Ixvi.  19   sqq.    The  Prophet  describes 
remote  things  by  words  which  are  borrowed  from 
the  relations  and  conceptions  of  his  own  time,  but 
which  stand    in  strange   contrast  to  the    reality 
of  the  future  which  he  beholds.     Thus  the  Pro- 
phet speaks  of  escaped  persons  who  go  to  Tar- 
shish,  Pnl,  Lud,  Tubal,  and  Javan.     Here  he  has 
rightly  seen  that  a  great  aot  of  judgment  must 
have  taken   place.     And  this   act  of  judgment 
must  have  passed  on  Israel,  because  they  who 


escape,  who  go  to  the  Gentiles  to  declare  to  them 
the  glory  of  Jehovah,  must  plainly  be  Jews 
How  accurately,  in  spite  of  the  strange  manner 
of  expression,  is  the  fact  here  stated  that  the  Gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ  was  proclaimed  to  the  Gentiles 
exactly  at  the  time  when  the  old  theocracy  was 
destroyed !  How  justly  does  he  indicate  that 
there  was  a  causal-  connection  between  these 
events !  He  did  not,  indeed,  know  that  the  shat- 
tering of  the  old  form  was  necessary  in  order  that 
the  eternal  truth  enclosed  in  it  might  be  set  free, 
and  fitted  for  filling  the  whole  earth.  For  the 
Old  Covenant  cannot  exist  along  with  the  New,  the 
Law  cannot  stand  with  equal  dignity  beside  the 
Gospel.  The  Law  must  be  regarded  as  annulled, 
in  order  that  the  Gospel  may  come  into  force. 
How  remarkably  strange  is  it,  however,  that  he 
calls  the  Gentile  nations  Tarshish,  Pul,  Lud,  etc. 
And  how  singular  it  sounds  to  be  told  that  the 
Israelites  shall  be  brought  by  the  Gentiles  to  Jeru- 
salem as  an  offering  for  Jehovah  !  But  how  ac- 
curately has  he,  notwithstanding,  stated  the  fact, 
which,  indeed,  still  awaits  its  fulfilment,  that  it  is 
the  conversion  of  the  heathen  world  which  will 
induce  Israel  to  acknowledge  their  Saviour,  and 
that  they  both  shall  gather  round  the  Lord  as 
their  common  centre !  How  strange  it  sounds 
that  then  priests  and  Levites  shall  be  taken  from 
the  Gentiles  also,  and  that  new  moon  and  Sab- 
bath shall  be  celebrated  by  all  flesh  in  the  old 
Jewish  fashion  !  But  how  accurately  is  the  truth 
thereby  stated  that  in  the  New  Covenant  there 
will  be  no  more  the  priesthood  restricted  to 
the  family  of  Aaron,  but  a  higher  spiritual  and 
universal  priesthood,  and  that,  instead  of  the  lim- 
ited local  place  of  worship  of  the  Old  Covenant, 
the  whole  earth  will  be  a  temple  of  the  LORD  ! 
Verily  the  prophecy  of  the  two  last  chapters  of 
Isaiah  attests  a  genuine  prophet  of  Jehovah.  He 
cannot  have  been  an  anonymous  unknown  person. 
He  can  have  been  none  other  than  Isaiah  the  son 
of  Araoz ! 

HOMILETTCAL   HIXTS. 

1.  On  Ixv.  1  sq.     [I.  "  It  is  here  foretold  that 
the  Gentiles,  who  had  been  afar  off,  should  be 
made  nigh,  ver.  1.     II.  It  is  here  foretold  that 
the  Jews,  who  had  long  been  a  people  near  to 
God,   should  be  cast  off,  and  set  at  a  distance, 
ver.  2."  HENRY.     III.  We  are  informed  of  the 
cause  of  the  rejection  of  the  Jews.     It  was  owing 
to  their  rebellion,  waywardness  and  flagrant  pro- 
vocations, ver.  2  sqq. — D.  M.] 

2.  On  Ixv.  1-7.     A  Fast-Day  Sei~mon.     When 
the  Evangelical  Church  no  more  holds  fast  what 
she  has;  when  apostasy  spreads  more  and  more, 
and  modern   heathenism  (vers.  3-5  a)  gains  the 
ascendency  in  her,  then  it  can  happen  to  her  as 
it  did  to  the  people  of  Israel,  and  as  it  happened 
to  the  Church  in  the   Orient.     Her  candlestick 
can  be  removed  out  of  its  place.— [By  the  Evan- 
gelical  Church  we  are  not  to  understand  here 
the  Church  universal,  for  her  perpetuity  is  cer- 
tain.    The  Evangelical  Church  is  in  Germany 
the  Protestant  Church,  and  more  particularly  the 
Lutheran  branch  of  it. — D.  M.] 

3.  On  Ixv.  8-10.     Sermon  on  behalf  of  the  mis- 
sion among  the  Jews.     Israels  hope.     1)  On  what 
it  is  founded  (Israel  is  still  a  berry  in  which 


CHAP.  LXVI.  15-24. 


715 


drops  of  the  divine  blessing  are  contained);  2) 
To  what  this  hope  is  directed  (Israel's  Restora- 
tion). 

4.  On  Ixv.  13-16.     ["The  blessedness  of  those 
that  serve  God,  and  the  woful  condition  of  those 
that  rebel  against  him,  are  here  set  the  one  over 
against  .the  other,  that  they  may  serve  as  a  foil 
to  each  other.     The  difference  of  their  states  here 
lies  in  two  things:  1)   In  point  of  comfort  and 
satisfaction,      a.  God's   servants   shall    eat   and 
drink;  they  shall  have  the  bread  of  life  to  feed, 
to  feast  upon  continually,  and  shall  want  nothing 
that  is  good  for  them.     But  those  who  set  their 
hearts  upon  the  world,  and  place  their  happiness 
in   it,  shall  be  hungry  and   thirsty,  always  emp- 
ty,  always   craving.     In  communion   with  God 
a'n'd  dependence  upon  Him  there  is  full  satisfac- 
tion; but  in  sinful  pursuits  there  is  nothing  but 
disappointment.     6.  God's  servants  shall  rejoice 
and  sing  for  joy  of  heart;  they  have  constant 
cause  for  joy,  and  there  is  nothing  that  may  be 
an  occasion  of  grief  to  them  but  they  have  an 
allay  sufficient  for  it.     But,  on  the  other  hand, 
they  that  forsake  the  LORD  shut  themselves  out 
from  all  true  joy,  for  they  shall  be  ashamed  of  their 
vain   confidence   in   themselves,  and  their  own 
righteousness,   and    the   hopes    they   had    built 
thereon.     When  the  expectations  of  bliss,  where- 
with they  had  flattered  themselves,  are  frustrated, 
O  what  "confusion   will   fill  their  faces!     Then 
shall  they  cry  for  sorrow  of  heart  and  howl  for  vexa- 
tion of  spirit.     2)  In  point  of  honor  and  reputa- 
tion, vers.  15,  16.     The  memory  of  the  just  is, 
and   shall  be,  blessed ;  but  the  memory  of  the 
wicked  shall  rot."  HENRY.— D.  M.] 

5.  On  Ixvi.  1,  2.     CABPZOV  has  a  sermon  on 
this  text.    He  places  it  in  parallel  with  Luke 


xviii.  9-14,  and  considers,  1)  The  rejection  of  spi- 
ritual pride ;  2)   The  commendation  of  filial  fear. 

6.  On  Ixvi.  2  ARNDT,  in  his  TRUE   CHRIS- 
TIANITY I.,  cap.  10,  comments  on  this  text.     He 
says  among  other  things:  "The   man   who  will 
be  something  is  the  material   out  of  which  God 
makes  nothing,  yea,  out  of  which  He  makes  fools. 
But  a  man  who  will  be  nothing,  and  regards  him- 
self as  nothing,  is  the  material  out  of  which  God 
makes  something,   even  glorious,   wise  people  in 
His  sight." 

7.  On  Ixvi.  3.     [SAURIN  has  a  sermon  on  this 
text  entitled  "  Sar  I'Insuffisance  du  culte  exterieur" 
in  the  eighth  volume  of  his  sermons. — D.  M.] 

8.  On  Ixvi.  13.     As  one  whom  his  mother  corn- 
forteth,  so  will  I  comfort  you.    "These  words  stand, 
let  us  consider  it,  1)  In  the  Old  Testament;  2) 
In  the   heart  of  God   always;  3)   But  are  they 
realized  in  our  experience?"     KOEGEL  in  "Aus 
dem  Vorhofins  Heiligthum,  II.  lid.,  p.  242,  1876. 

9.  On  Ixvi.  24.     The  punishment  of  sin  is  two- 
fold—inward and  outward.     The  inward  is  com- 
pared with  a  worm  that  dies  not;  the  outward 
with  a  fire  that  is  not  quenched.     This  worm 
and  this  fire  are  at  work  even  in  this  life.    He 
who  is  alarmed  by  them  and  hastens  to  Christ 
can  now  be  delivered  from  them.— ["  It  is  better 
not  to  fall  into  this  fire  and  never  to  have  any 
experience  of  this  worm,  even  though,  as  some 
imagine,  eternity  should  not  be  eternal,  and  the 
unquenchable  fire  might  be  quenched,  and  the 
worm  that  shall  never  die,  should  die,  and  Jesus 
and  His  apostles  should  not  have  expressed  them- 
selves quite  in  accordance  with  the  compassionate 
taste  of  our  time.     Better,  I  say,  is  better.  _Save 
thyself  and  thy  neighbor  before  the  fire  begins  to 
burn,  and  the  smoke  to  ascend."    GOSSNER  — 

I  D.  M.] 


A  LIST  OF  HEBREW  WORDS 


INTENDED  TO  FACILITATE  A  COMPARISON  OF  THE  VOCABULARY  OF  CHAP- 
TERS XL— XLVI   WITH  THAT  OF  THE  PASSAGES  OF  PART 
FIRST  WHOSE  GENUINENESS  IS  UNDISPUTED. 


Under  I.  are  included,  for  the  sake  of  brevity,  only  the  passages  of  Part  First  acknowledged  as  genuine. 
Under  II.  are  included  the  disputed  passages  of  Part  First,  as  well  as  chapters  xl.— Ixvi.,  according  to 
following  table: — 

I.  i— (ii.  1-4)— xii.  xiv.  24— (xv.— xvi.  12)— xx.  xxi.  11— xxiil. 

II.  xiii.-xiv.  23.  xxI.1-10.  xxiv.-xxvil. 


the 


I.  xxviii. — xxxiii. 
II. 


xxxiv. — xxxvii.  20. 


xxxvii.  21-35. 


xxxvii.  36— xxxix.    xl.— Ixvi. 


The  passages  ii.  1-4,    and  xv.— xvi.  12,  though  included  under  I,  are,  as  not  undisputed,  quoted  with  brackets. 
Absolute  <x7ra{  Aeyo,xei/a,  marked  an.  Aey.  abs.,  are  such  as  occur  nowhere  else  in  the  Old  Testament.    Relative 
o™{  Aey.,  marked  an-.  Aey.  rel.,  are  such  as  occur  but  once  in  Isaiah.    For  further  remark  on  this  List,  se< 
duution,  pp.  20,  21. 


™  Kal  I.  xxix.  14.— II.  xxvii.  13  ;  xli.  11 ; 

Ivii.  1 ;  Ix.  12. 
Piel  II.  xxvi.  14  ;  xxxvii.  19. 
|V3X  I.  xiv.  30  ;    xxix.  19 ;   xxxii.  7.— II. 

xxv.  4  ;  xli.  17. 

V3K  I.  i.  24— II.  xlix.  26 ;  Ix.  16. 
T3K  I.  x.  13  K'thibh.— II.  xxxiv.  7  ;  xlvi.  12. 
S3K  Kal  I.  iii.  26  ;  xix.  8 ;  xxxiii.  9.— II. 

xxiv.  4,  7. 

SaK  II.  Ivii.  18  ;  Ixi.  2,  3. 
Sim  II.  Ix.  20 ;  Ixi.  3. 
|3X  Sing.  I.  viii.  14;  xxviii.  26;  xxx.  30. 

—II.  xxxvii.  19  ;  Ixii.  10. 
Plur.  II.  xiv.  19 ;  xxvii.  9 ;  xxxiv.  11 ; 

liv.  11,  12;  Ix.  17. 
mJX  aT.  Aey.  Iviii.  6  rel. 
D  JK  II.  xiv.  23  ;  xxxv.  7  ;  xli.  18  ;  xlii.  15. 
OJK  I.  ix.  13  ;  xix.  15.— II.  Iviii.  5. 
air.  Xey.  Iviii.  4  rel. 

Sing.  I.  i.  24  ;  iii.  1 ;  x.  16,  33 ;  xix.  4. 
T  Plur.  I.  xix.  4;  xxii.  8.— Plur.  II. 
xxiv.  2;  xxvi.  13;  xxxvi.  12; 
xxxvii.  4,  6;  Ii.  22. 

'i*l.<  I.  iii.  15  ;  vii.  7  ;  x.  23,  24 ;  xxii.  12 ; 
xxviii.  16,  22;  xxx.  10  -II.  xiv. 
15-  xl.  10;  xlviii.  16;  xlix.  22;  1. 
4  5,7,  9;  Iii.  4;  Ivi.  8;  Ixi.  1,  11; 
Ixv.  13,  15. 

DTK  aff.  tey.  Ixiii.  2  rel. 
T1X  dTT.  Jley.  Hiph.  xlii.  21  abs. 


3HK 


nx 
D'Jl'K 


Kal  perf.  II.  xliii.  4  ;  xlviii.  14;  Ivii.  8. 
Part.  3HK  I.  i.  23—11.  xli.  8;  Ivi.  10  ; 

Ixi.  8;  Ixvi.  10. 
Inf.  ranN  air.  ley.  Ivi.  6  rel. 

I.  xv.  5  ;'  xxxiii.  20  ;  xxxviii.  12.—  II. 

xl.  22;  liv.  2. 

II.  xxxvii.  4  ;  xlvii.  12  bis. 

I.  i.   13;    x.  1;   xxix.   20;   xxxi.  2; 
xxxii.  6.     II.  xli.  29  ;  lv.  7  ;  Iviii. 
9  :  lix.  4,  6  ;  Ixvi.  3. 

II.  xl.  26,  28. 

I.  ii.  7  ;  xxx.  6  ;  xxxiii.  6.—  II.  xxxix. 
2,  4  ;  xiv.  3. 

Verb.  Kal  imperf.  II.  Ix.  1. 

Hiph.  impf.  II.  Ix.  19. 

Hiph.  part.  II.  xxvii.  11. 

SnbHt.  I.  ii-  5;  v.  20,  30  ;  ix  1,  2  ;  x. 
16;  xxx.  26.—  II.  xin.  10;  beside 
12  times  in  chaps,  xl,—  Ixvi. 

I.  xxxi.   9.-II.   xliv.  16;   xlvn.  14; 

I.  vii.  11,14;  viii.  18;  xix.  20;  ".3; 

xxxvii.   30.  —  II.   xxxvm.  7,  2t; 

xliv.  25;  lv.  13;  Ixvi.  19. 
I.  xxxiii.  23—  II.  xxxv.  4,  6  ;  xli.  i  ; 

Iviii.  8,  14;  Ix.  5. 
IW3  I.  xvi.   13.—  II.  xiv.  8  ;  xliv.  8  ; 

xiv.  21  ;  xlviii.  3,  5,  7,  8. 
I.v.9;  vi.  10;  xi.3;  xv.4;  xxii.  14; 

xxx    21;    xxxii.   3;    xxxui.   15; 

xxx;ii.  17.-IL  xxxv.  5;   XXXVK 

xxxvii.   28;    six   times    in   chaps. 

xl.—  Ixvi. 

717 


718 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Verb,  denom.  j'Wn  I.  i.  2,  10  ;  viii.  9  ; 

xxviii.  23;  xxxii.  9.— II.  xlii.  23; 

li.  4 ;  Ixiv.  3. 
•UX  Pi.  II.  xlv.  5;  1.  11. 
Hithp.  I.  viii.  9. 
or  inN3  an:  My.  Ixv.  25  rel. 

X  I.  i.  4;'  ix.  11 ;  xxviii.  13.— II. xli.  23; 

xlii.  16,  23;  xliv.  25;  1.5;  lix.  14. 
1HX  Pi.  I.  v.  11.— II.  xlvi.  13. 
1HK  I.  xxviii.  11  (fern.).— II.  Ixv.  15,  22; 

xlii.  8. 

II.  Ivii.  8  ;  lix.  13;  Ixv.  2;  Ixvi.  17. 
I-  xxx.  21  ;  xxxvii.  22.— II.  xxxviii. 

17;  xlv.  14. 
I.  viii.  23;  xxx.  8.— II.  xli.  4;  xliv. 

6;  xlviii.  12. 
"!™!  (I-  "•  %  D'?^  rr"!Dt!)-— II.  xlvi.  10; 

xlvii.  7;Txli.  22.'' 

O.TT.  My.  xxxviii.  8  rel. 

•"X  Sing.  I.  xx.  6 ;  xxiii.  2,  6. 

Plur.  I.  xi.  11.— II.  xxiv.  15  ;  xl-  15  ; 
xli.  1,5;  xlii.  4,  10, 12, 15;  xlix.l; 
li.  5-  lix.  18;  Ix.  9;  Ixvi.  9. 
TX  Sing.  II.  Ixiii.  10. 

Piur.   I.  i.   24;   ix.  10.— II.  xiii,   13; 

lix.  18;  Ixii.  8;  Ixvi.  6,  14. 
TX  ram.  plur.  I.  i.  11. — II.  xxxiv.  6  ;  Ix.  7. 
Terebinths  Plur.  I.  i.  29.— II.  Ivii.  5 

Ixi.  3. 

f'X  II.  xxxvii.  3 ;  xlv.  21. 
1.-W  II.  xl'i.  17;  lix.  11. 
j;*OII.xl.  17;  xli.  11,  12. 

|;xS  ii.  xi.  23. 
|;«o  II.  xli.  24. 

I  X-DII.l.  2. 

nirx  d~.  fay.  xlix-  21  rel. 
't^K  an.  fay.  liii.  3  rel. 
^SX  Kal  I.  i.  7,  19;  beside  18  times  in  part 
I. — II.  xxi.  5;  xxiv.  6, 11;  xxxvi. 
12, 16  ;  17  times  in  chaps,  xl. — Ixvi. 
Pual  I.  i.  20. 

Hiph.  II.  xlix.  20;  Iviii.  14. 
pK  II.  xl.  7  ;  xlv.  15;  xlix.  4;  liii.  4. 
13X  OT.  My.  Ixi.  5  rel. 

O.TT.  fay.  xliv.  8  rel. 
x  I.  ii.  13 ;  vi.  13.— II.  xliv.  14. 
x  a-.  My.  liii.  7  rel. 
7X  II.  xxxv.  6 ;  Ivi.  10. 
x  ajr.  My.  xlvii.  9  abs. 
n  I.  i.  17,  23 ;  ix.  16 ;  x.  2.— H.'xlvii.  8. 
DT.Ub*?lt  air.  fay.  liv.  4  rel. 

^Sx  I.  vii.  23 ;  xxx.  17.— II.  xxxvii.  36  ; 

Ix.  22- 

Plur.  I.  xxx.  24. 
Dual.  II.  xxxvi.  8. 
WO*  I.  xi.  5  ;  xxxiii.  6.— II.  xxv.  1 ;  lix.  4. 

BN  I.  xxviii.  2.— II.  xl.  26. 


m 

r?? 

ho* 


rrax 


JOX  Part.  Kal  II.  xlix.  23. 

Niph.  I.  i.  21,  26;  vii.  9  ;  viii.  2  ;  xxii. 

23,   35;   xxxiii.   16.— II.   xlix.   7; 

Iv.  3;  Ix.  4. 
Hiph.  I.  vii.  9  ;  xxviii.   16 ;  xxx.  21. 

—II.  xliii.  10  ;  liii.  1. 
O.TT.  fay.  Ixv.  16  bis  rel. 
Pi.  II.  xli.  10  ;  xliv.  14. 
H3  I.  vii.  7 ;  viii.  11  ;  x.  24 ;  xviii.  4  ; 

xxi.  16  ;  xxii.  15;  xxviii.  16  ;  xxix. 

22;  xxx.  12,  15;  xxxi.  4;  xxxvii. 

21. — II.  xxi.  6  ;  xxxvii.  6  ;  xxxviii. 

5.     Beside  21  times  in  chaps,  xl. — 

Ixvi. 
"  or     'x    ION'  or  "ION  as  formula  of 

introduction,   I.  i.   11,   18;  xxxiii. 

10.— II.  xl.  1,  25  ;  xli.  21  .  Ixvi.  9. 
"'ONI  in  the  specif,  sense  I.  vi.  3  ;  xxix. 

11,  12.— II.  xxi-  7  ;  xl.  6 ;  Ixv.  8. 
^3"!  and  "IOX  in  parall.  I.  xxix.  4. — II. 

xl.  27. 

II.  xxxix.  8  ;  xliii.  9 ;  lix   14,  15. 
noX3  I.  x.  20 ;  (xvi.  5).— II.  xxxviii. 

"3";  xlviii.  11  ;  Ixi.  8. 
noxS  II.  xxxviii.  18,  19  ;  xlii.  3. 

I.  viii.  1 ;  xxxiii.  8. — II.  xiii.  7,   12  ; 

xxiv.  6;  li.  7  ;  Ivi.  2. 

II.  xxi.  2;  xxxv.  10;  li.  11. 

Plur.  I.  ii.  16;  xxiii.  1,  14.— II.  xliii. 
14;  Ix.  9. 

I.  x.  4.— II.  xxiv.  22;  xlii.  7- 

Kal.  I.  iv.  1  ;  x.  14;  xi.  12;  xvii.  5.— 

11.  Iviii.  8. 

Niph.  (I.  xvi.  10).— II.  xiii.  4;  xliii. 

9;  xlix.  5;  Ivii.  1;  Ix.  20. 
Pi.  II.  Hi.  12;  Ixii.  9. 
Pu.  I.  xxxiii.  4. — II.  xxiv.  22. 
Pu.  I.  xxii   3.— II.  xlix.  9;  Ixi.  1,  part 

pass.  Kal. 

Particle  I.  xxxiii.  2. — II.  xxvi.  8,  9, 
11;  xxxv.  2;  xl.  24;  xli.  10,23, 
26;  xlii.  13;  xliii.  7,  19;  xliv.  15, 
16 ;  xlv.  21 ;  xlvi.  11 ;  xlviii.  12, 
13,  15. 

nasus,  ira.  I.  ii.  22  ;  iii.  21  ;   v.  25  ;  ix. 

12,  16,  20;  x.  5,  25;  xii.  1;  xxx. 
27,  30;  37,  29.— II.  xiii.  3,  9,  13; 
xiv.  6;    xlii.  25;  xlviii    9;  xlix. 
23 ;  Ixiii.  3,  6  ;  Ixv.  5  ;  Ixvi.  15. 

II.  xliv.  15,  19. 

I.  viii.  22.— II.  Iviii.  10 ;  pi.  lix.  9. 
I.  v.  8.— II.  xxxiv.   12;  xl.   17;  xli. 
29 ;  Ixv.  6,  14,  22 ;  xlvi.  9 ;  xlvii. 
8,  10;  Hi.  4,  10;  liv.  15. 
03X3  an-,  fay.  xl.  12  abs. 
px  '"D3X  II.  xlv.  22  ;  Hi.  10. 
air.  fay.  xli.  14  abs. 
I.  xxx.  6.— II.  Hi.  5. 

p3X  Hithp.  II.  xlii.  14,  Ixiii.  15;  Ixiv.  11. 
nax  II.  xliv.  20 ;  Iviii.  5 ;  Ixi.  3. 
ySJix  I.  ii.  8  ;  xvii.  8.— II.  Iviii.  9  ;  lix.  3. 


nnjx 
rnx 

T  •  T: 

TDX 


1DX 


P3X 

nSax 

D3X 


VOCABULARY  COMPARED. 


719 


PK 


3 
N3 


r33 
^33 

-U3 
"US 


nnm 


tffe 


arc.  fay.  xli.  9  rel.  comp.  Gen.  xxiv.  11. 
a~.  fay.  liv.  12  abs. 
II.  xxiv.  18;  Ix.  8. 
I.  xix.  9.—  II.  xxxviii.  12;  lix.  5. 
I.  ii.    13;    ix.   9;     xxxvii.   24.—  II. 

xiv.  8  ;  xli.  19  ;  xliv.  14. 
I.  ii.  3;  iii.  12  ;  xxx.  11  ;  xxxiii.  8.  — 

II.  xxvi.  7,  8;  xl.  14;  xli.  3. 
I.  xi.  7  ;  (xv.  9)  ;  xxxi.  4.  —  II.  xxxv. 

9  ;  xxi.  8  ;  Ixv.  25. 
Hiph.  II.  xlviii.  9;   liii.  10  ;  liv.  2; 

Ivii.  4. 
CLTT.  fay.  Iviii.  8  rel. 

<JT.  fay.  xliv.  21  abs. 

I.  i.  7  ;  iv.  5  ;    v.   24  ;    ix.    4,  17,  18  ; 

x.  16,  17  ;    xxix.  6  ;    xxx.  14,  27, 

33;    xxxiii.   11,  12,  14.—  II.  xxvi. 

11;  xxxvii.   19;    eleven   times    in 

chaps.  40  —  66. 
O.TT.  fay.  Ixv.  8  rel. 
arr.  Aey.  lix.  10  abs. 
I.  xxii.  6.—  II.  xlix.  2. 
('7#K)  I.  xxx.  18;  xxxii.  20.-II.  Ivi.  2. 
Part"  Kal  nV-nfc  II.  xli.  23  ;  xliv.  7  ; 

xlv.  11. 

Imper.  I.  xxi.  12—  II.  Ivi.  9,  12. 
Imperf.  II.  xli.  5,  25. 
Hiph.  I.  xxi.  14. 

.  xliii.  2,  5. 


essentiae  II.  xxvi.  4;  xl.  10. 

future   II.  xxvii.  6;   xxxix.  6;  Ixm. 

4;  Ixvi.  18. 
«T.  fay.  1.  2  rel. 
a?r.  Asy.  xliv.  4  abs. 
II.  xiii.  1,  19  ;    xiv.   4,  22  ;   xxi.  9  ; 
xxxix.  1,3,  C,  7;    xliii.  14;   xlvii. 
1  ;  xlviii.  14,  20.  . 

I.  xxxiii.   1.—  II.  xxi.  2  ;    xxiv.  16  ; 

xlviii.  8. 

II.  xxiv.    16    (/raws)  ;    xxxvi.   2 
xxxvii.  1  ;  11   times  in  chaps.  40 
—66. 

(I.  xvi.  6).—  II.  xliv.  25. 
Hiph.  II.  Ivi.  3;  lix.  2. 
an-.  Af}-.  Ixv.  23  rel. 

I  xviii.6;  xxx.  e.-n.  xivi.  i  ;  fciii. 

14. 
a-.  Af  7.  xliv.  19  rel.  ... 

I.  xiv.  25.-II.  xiv.  19  ;  Ixm.  6,  18. 

II.  xiv.  15,  19  ;  xxiv.  22  ;  xxxvi.  16 
xxxviii.  18  ;  Ii.  1. 

Kal  perf.    I.  xix.  9;  xx.  5;  xxxvii 
27.—  II.  xxiv.  23;  xlv.  16. 

Kal  imper.  I.  xxiii.  4. 

mnerf  I.  i-  29  ;  xxix.  22.—  II 
xxlvP23;  xxvi.  11;  14  times  m 
chaps.  40—66. 

Hiph.  I.  xxx.  5. 


S-13 


T3  (H1?  riTI)  dTr.  fay.  xlii.  22  rel. 

tS  I.  x'xxvii.  22.—  Inf.  Kal  II.  xlix.  7  ; 

part.  Niph.  liii.  3. 
TT3  I.  x.  2,  6  ;  xi.  14;  xvii.  14  ;  xxxiii.  23. 

II.  xxiv.  3  ;  xlii.  22. 
3  I.  ix.  16  ;    xxiii.  4  ;   xxxi.  8.—  II.  xl. 

30  ;  Ixii.  5. 
vns  electus  II.   xlii.  1;    xliii.  20;    xlv.  4; 

Ixv.  9,  15,  22. 
IPS  I.  i.  29  ;    vii.  15,  16—  II.  xiv.  1  ;   14 

times  in  chaps.  40  —  66. 
DS  I.   xii.  2  ;  xxxi.  1  ;   xxxii.  9,  10,  11, 
12.—  II.  xxvi.  3,  4  ;   xxxvi.  4,  5,  6, 
7,  9,  15  ;  xxxvii.  10  ;  xlii.  17  ;  xlvii. 
10;  1.  10;  lix.  4. 
I.  xxxii.  17. 


I.  xiv.  30.—  II.  xlvii.  8. 
JB3  II.  xiii.  8  ;  xlix.  15. 

'  ftp  S3  II.  xliv.  2,  24;  xlvi.  3;  xlviii.  8; 

xlix.  1,  5. 

j'3  Niph.  I.  iii.  3;  v.  21;  x.  13;  xxix.  14. 

Hiph   I.  vi.  9,  10;  xxviii.  9,  19;  xxix. 

16;  xxxii.  4.—  II.  xl.  14,  21;  xliii. 

10;  xliv.  18;  Ivi.  11;  Ivii.  1.  . 

Hithp.  I.  i.  3—  II.  xiv.  16  ;   xlm.  18  ; 

Iii.  15. 

'X'3  I-  x.  14.—  II.  lix.  5. 
;DS  I.  (xv.  5,23;   xvi.  9);    xxii.  2,12  — 

II.  xxxviii.  3;  Ixv.  19. 
"IDS  camel's  colt  a-rr.  fay.  Ix.  6  abs. 

"73  Particle  I.  xxxiii.  20,  21,  23,  24.-II. 
xiv.  21;  xxvi.  10,  11,  14,  18;  xxxv. 

II.  L  9  ;  li.  6  ;  Ixv.  22  ;  Lxiv.  5  Hiph. 

T 

3  Kal.  I.  xxviii.  4,  7. 

T  pi   I    iii.  12  ;  xix.  3—  II.  xxv.  7,  8  ; 

xlix.  19. 
Pual  I.  ix.  15. 

n.  xxxvi-  10  ;  xliii'  n  ;  xliv'    '    ; 

xlv.  6,  21. 
^3  I.  x.  4—  II.  xiv.  6. 

1    Ttab  II.  xliv.  10;  xlviii.  9;  Ixv.  8. 
n?D3  Sing.'!,  xvii.  12  (Plur.  xv.  2).-Plur. 

II.  xiv.  14  ;  Iviii.  14. 
X-jS  II.  H.  12  ;  Ivi.  2. 

T     •  DHK-rS  II.  Hi.  14- 
™SKTalLv.2;ix.9.-H.xlv.l3;lx.lO; 

lxi.  4;  Ixv.  21,  22;  Ixvi.  1. 
Niph.  II.  xxv.  2;  xhv.26,28 
n^3I.xxi.l2;xxx.l3.-II.lxiv.l. 

^3  Kal  perf.  II.  xxvi.  13. 

T  Part,  act.  II.  liv.  5. 
Part.  pass.  II.  Hv.  l;lx".  4. 

Kal  impf.  H-  lx"-  5- 

Niphal  ILlxii.  4. 

Si'3  Li-  3;  (xvi.8).-II.xli.lo;l.^ 
V3  Kal 


Pielperf.  Liii. 


720 


THE  PKOPHET  ISAIAH. 


1P3 

ITT 

13 


K13 
TT 


Eh'13 
7T13 
013 


rG13 
T  T; 


r>3 


"Ul  r»3 


Piel  inf.  I.  iv.  4.—  II.  xl.  16;  ^'37  I. 

v.  5  ;  vi.  13.—  II.  xliv.  15. 
Kal  II.  xxxiv.  15;  xlviii.  21;  Ixiii.  12. 
Niph.  II.  xxxv.  6  ;  Iviii.  8  ;  lix.  5. 
Pi.  II.  lix.  5. 
Hiph.  I.  vii.  6. 
II.  xl.  4;  xli.  18  ;  Ixiii.  14. 

D7'p3  I.  xxii.  9. 

I.  vii.  21:  xi.  7;  xxii.  13.—  II.lxv.  10. 

I.  v.  11;  xvii.  11,  14;  xxi.  12;  xxxiii. 

2.  —  II.  xxxvii.  36  ;  xxxviii.  13. 

ipaa  ip33  I.  xxviii.  19.—  n.  1.  4. 

Pi.  I.  i/12.—  II.  xl.   20;  xli.   12,  17; 

xlv.  19  ;  li.  1  ;  Ixv.  1. 
I.  xxxiii.  15.—  II.  Ivi.  11;  Ivii.  17. 

Kal  I.  iv.  5.—  II.  xl.  26;  xl.  20;  xliii. 

. 
7;  beside  12  times,  9  times  being 

the  part.  act.  Kal  :  xl.  28  ;  xlii.  5  u. 
Niph.  II.  xlviii.  7. 
I.  xxxvii.  24.—  II.  xiv.  8  ;  xli.  19  ;   Iv. 

13  ;  Ix.  13. 
I.  x.  34—  II.  xliv.  12;  xlv.  2;  xlviii. 

4  ;  Ix.  17. 

I.  xxii.  3.—  II.  xlviii.  20. 

&TT.  ?,fy.  xlv.  2  rel.  comp.  xv.  5  and  the 

comm.  in  loe. 
I.  xxviii.  15,  18;  xxxiii.  8.  —  II.  xxiv. 

5  ;  xlii.  6  ;  xlix.  8  ;  liv.  10  ;  Iv.  3  ; 
Ivi.  4,  6;  lix.  21;  Ixi.  8. 

Kal  part.  pass.  I.  xix.  25.—  IT.  Ixv.  23. 

Pi.  I.  xix.  25.—  II.  li.  2;  Ixi.  9;  Ixvi.  3. 
Hithp.  II.  Ixv.  16. 

Dual.  II.  xxxv.  3  ;  xlv.  23  ;  Ixvi.  12. 
I.  xix.  24.—  II.  xxxvi.   16;    xliv.  3; 

Ixv.  8. 
Part.  pass.  Kal  II.  xlix.  2;  imp.  Niph. 

Hi.  11. 

I.  ix.  19;  x.  18;    xvii.  4;    xxii.  13; 
xxxi.  3—  II.  xl.  5,  6  ;  xliv.  16,  19; 
xlix.  26  ;  Iviii.  7  ;  Ixv.  4  ;  Ixvi.  17. 
23,  24. 

II.  xl.  9  part.  fern.  ;   xli.    27  ;  Hi.  7, 
part.  masc.  ;  Ix.  6  imperf.  ;  Ixi.   1 
inf. 

I.  xxx.  3,  5.—  II.  xlii.  17;  liv.  4;  Ixi.  7. 
with  name  of  city  or  nation,  I.  i.  8;  x. 

20,  32   (K'ri);    xxii.  4;   xxiii.  10, 

12;  xxxvii.  22;  (xvi.  1).—  II.  xlvii. 

1,  5;  Hi.  2;  Ixii.  11. 
j-i'X-na  I.i.  8;    (xvi.  1).—  II.  xxxvii. 

22;  xxv.  2;  Ixii.  11. 
I.  xxiii.  4.—  II.  Ixii.  5. 

I.  xxii.  12  ;  xxxvii.  22.—  II.  xlvii. 


Subst.  &TT.  Aey.  Ixiii.  4abs.  [but  see  xxxv. 

9;  li.  10;  Ixii.  12;  Ps.  cvii.  2]. 
JiM  I.  ii.  10,  19,  21  ;  iv.  2  ;  xxiii.  9.—  II. 
xiii.  11,  19;  xvi.  6;  xxiv.  14;  xiv. 
11  ;  Ix.  15. 


/Xj  Kal:  solvere,  redimere  II.  xliii.  1;  xliv. 

22,  23;  Ixviii.  20;  Hi.  9;  Ixiii.  9. 
Part.  /•«)  II.  xli.  14;  xliii.  14;  xliv.  6, 
24;  xlvii.  4;    xlviii.  17;   xlix.-vii. 
26;  liv.  5,  8;  lix.  20;  Ix.  16;  Ixiii. 
16. 

TWa  II.  xxxv.  9;  li.  10;  Ixii.  12. 
Niph.  imperf.  II.  Hi.  3. 
7X:  impurum  esse  Niph.  7tf J J  II.  lix.  3;  Hiph. 

VWK  Ixiii.  3. 
naa  I.  iii.  16;  v.  16;  vii.  ll— II.  Hi.  13;  Iv. 

9  bis. 
H3J  I.  ii.  15;  v.  15;   x.  33;   xxx.  25.— II. 

xl.  9;  Ivii.  7. 

1.  xv.  8;  xix.  19— II.  liv.  12;  Ix.  18. 
I.  iii.  2;   v.  22;   ix.  5;  x.  21;  xxi.  17. 

II.  xiii.  3;  xlii.  13;  xlix.  24,  25. 
Sing.  I.  iii.  25;  xi.  2;  xxviii.  6;  xxx. 

15 ;  xxxiii.  13. — II.  xxxvi.  5. 
Plur.  II.  Ixiii.  15. 
13:  Hithp.  II.  xlii.  13. 
rnaj  H.  xxiv.  2;  xlvii.  5,  7. 
i:  fortuna  a*.  Ley.  Ixv.  11  rel. 

rrian:  d^.  ^/.  H.  7  abs. 

D'Sn:  aT.  Aey.  xxxiv.  28  rel. 

VT:  Pi.  I.   i.   2;    xxiii.  4.  —  II.   xliv.  14; 

xlix.  21 ;  H.  18. 

Hiph.  I.  ix. 2;  xxviii. 29— II.  xlii.  21. 
Hitph.  I.  x.  15. 
JH3  Kal  I.  x.  33. 

T  Niph.  I.  xxii.  25.— II.  xiv.  12. 
Pi.  II.  xlv.  2. 
Pual  I.  ix.  9. 
Ii:  air.  Aey.  Iviii.  12  rel. 

T:  II.  xxxviii.  17  ;1.  6;  li.  23. 
1^:  I.  xi.  6;  (xvi.  4);  xxiii.  7;  xxxiii.  14. 

—II.  Hi.  4;  liv.  15. 

bli:  I.  xvii.  14.— II.  xxxiv.  17 ;  Ivii.  6. 
IT:  an.  /ley.  liii.  7  rel. 
Sj:  CTT.  Aey.  Ixi.  8  rel. 
yn  I.  xi.  1— II.  xl.  24. 
1t|  I.  ix.  19— II.  Hii.  8. 
nSrjjJ  II.  xlvii.  14;  pi.  xliv.  19. 
'Til  aT.  Aey.  xlviii.  4  rel. 
V:  Verb.  I.  ix.  2;  xxix.  19.— II.  xxv.  9; 
xxxv.  1,  2;   xli.  16;  xlix.  13;  Ixi. 
10;  Ixv.  18,  19;  Ixvi.  10. 
rh"\  II.  xxxv.  2;  Ixv.  18. 
S:  I.  xxxvii.  26.— II.  xxv.  2;  xlviii.  18; 

li.  15. 

nb:  Kal  perf.  I.  v.  13.— II.  xxiv.  11. 
T  Kal  part,  II.  xlix.  21. 
Niph.  I.  xxii.  14;  xxiii.  1—  II.  xxxym. 
12;  xl.  5;  xlvii.  3;  xlix.  9;  liii.  1; 
Ivi.  1. 

Pi.  perf.  II.  xxvi.  21 ;  Ivii.  8. 
Pi.  imper.  II.  xlvii.  2  bis. 
Pi.  imperf.  I.  (xvi.  3) ;  xxii.  8. 


VOCABULARY  COMPARED. 


721 


am.  Aey.  xlix.  21  rel. 
I.  xx.  4.— II.  xlv.  13. 
I.  xxx.  6.— II.  xxi.  7 ;  Ix.  6. 
I.  iii.  11.— II.  xxxv.  4;  lix.  18;  Ix-gu  6. 
cur.  /ley.  lix.  18  rel. 
|3  II.  li.  3;  Iviii.  11. 
H3J  I.  i.  29,  30.— II.  Ixi.  11;  Ixv.  3;   Ixvi. 

17. 

l£J  I.  xvii.  13.— II.  liv.  9. 
njn  I.  xxx.  17.— II.  1.  2;  li.  20;  Ixvi.  15. 
ji-U  I.  iii.  16.— II.  Iviii.  1. 
cnj  air.  tey.  Ivii.  20  bis  rel. 

DBfc  II.  xliv.  14 ;  Iv.  10. 

Pi.  air.  Aey.  lix.  10  abs. 
3  ciTr.  tey.  Ixiii.  2  rel. 


JN1 

31 
31 


"O1 

mi 

|  J1 


air.  Aey.  Ivii.  11  rel. 

a  bear,  I.  xi.  7.—  II.  lix.  11. 

air.  Aey.  xli.  7  rel. 

Kal  part.  act.  I.  xxxiii.  15.  —  II.  xlv.  19. 

Pi.  perf.  I.  i.  2,  20  ;  xvi.  13,  14  ;  xx.  2; 

xxi.  17;  xxii.  25;  xxv.  8;  xxxvii. 

22.  —  II.  xxiv.  3;  xxxviii.  7;  xxxix. 

8;  xl.  5;  xlv.  19;  xlvi.  11;  xlviii. 

15,  16;  Iviii.  14;  lix.  3;   Ixv.  12; 

Ixvi.  4. 
Pi.  part.  I.  xix.  18.—  II.  Hi.  6  ;  Ixm.  1  ; 

Ixv.  24. 
Pi  inf.  I.  vii.  10  ;  viii.  5  ;  xxxii.  4,  6, 

7—  II.  xxxvi.  12;  Iviii.  9,  13;  lix. 

Pi.  i'mper.  I.  viii.  10;   xxx.  10.  —  II. 

xxxvi.  11  ;  xl.  2. 
Pi    imperf.   I.  xxviii.   11;   xxix.  4; 

xxxii.  6—  II.  xxxvi.  11  ;  xxxviii. 

15;xl.  27;  xli.  1. 

I.  viii.  10  (col.  vii.  7).—  II.  xl.  8. 
air.  Xfy.  1.  2  rel. 

II.  xxxvi.  17  ;  Ixii.  8. 
arr.  Aey.  xlvii.  5  rel. 
II.  xxxviii.  12  ;  liii.  8. 

"till  1VT?    I.  xiii.  20—  II.  xxxiv.  17 

Tlviii.  12  ;  Ix.  15  ;  Ixi.  4. 
"\iT7  Til?  II.  xxxiv.  10. 


II.  li.  8. 

Plur.  roil  II.  xli.  4  ;  li.  9. 
CN1  I.  xxviii.  27,  28.—  II.  xxv.  10;  xli.  15 

nrn  Part.  Niph.  Sinfer  w?  I-  xi-  12--n 

Ivi.  8  (beside  only  in  Ps.  cxlvu.    ^ 
'1  I.  xxviii.  19.—  H.  xl.  16;  Ixvi.  23. 
tOI  Niph.  part.  II.  Ivii.  15. 
T  Pi.  I.  iii.  15—11.  liii.  10. 
Pu.  I.  xix.  10—  71.  liu.  5. 
K31  air.  Aey.  Ivii.  15  rel. 
T  46 


nSl  II.  xxvi.  20;  Ivii.  8. 

D^nSl  II.  xxvi.  25;  xlv.  1. 

flinSl  air.  foy.  xlv.  2  rel. 
01  Sing.  I.  i.  11;  (xv.  9).—  II.  xxxiv.  3,  6, 

7  ;  xlix.  26  ;  lix.  3,  7  ;  Ixvi.  3. 
Plur.  I.  i.  15;  iv.  4;  ix.  4;  xxxiii.  15.  — 

II.  xxvi.  21. 
HOI  Kal  I.  i.  9—  II.  xlvi  5. 

Pi.  =  meditari  I.  x.  7  ;  xiv.  24. 
Pi.  =  to  make  like  II.  xl.  18,  25  ;  xlvi.  5 
Hithp.  make  one's  self  like  II.  xiv.  14 
niSl.  II.  xiii.  14;  xl.  18. 
'D1  II.  xxxviii.  10;  Ixii.  6,  7. 
IjJTl  air.  Asy.  xliii.  17  rel. 
T\%3  Subst.  I.  v.  13;  xi.  2;  xxxii.  4;  xxxiii. 
6.—  II.  xliv.  25;  xlvii.  10;  xlviii.  4; 
liii.  11;  Iviii.  2. 
rvjn  along  with  HJian  II.  xl.  14  ;  xliv. 

19. 
pi  I.  xxix.  5.—  II.  xl.  15. 

pi  air.  Xey.  xl.  22  abs. 
pj51  I.  xxviii.  28.—  II.  xli.  15. 
[itOI.  cnr.  Aey.  Ixvi.  24  rel. 
^11  Kal  (I.  xvi.  10).—  II.  Ixiii.  3. 

T  Kal  part.  I.  v.  28;  (xvi.  10);  xxi.  15. 

II.  lix.  8;  Ixiii.  2. 

Hiph.  I.  xi.  15.—  II.  xiii.  16;  xlviii.  17. 

TJ11  Sing.  I.  iii.  12;  viii.  11,  23;  x.  24,  26; 

(xv.  5);   xxx.  11,  21;   xxxvii.  24, 

29.—  II.  xxxv.  8.     In  chaps,  xl.— 

Ixvi.  17  times. 

Plur.  I.  ii.  3.—  In  chaps,  xl.  —  Ixvi.  11 

times. 
an-.  ?.£y.  Ixi.  1  rel. 

hi  Kal  perf.  I.  ix.  12;  (xvi.  5);  xix.  3; 

xxxi.  1—  II.  Ixv.  10;   Part.  pass. 

Ixii.  12. 
Kal   imper.   I.   i.   17;    vm.   19.— 

xxxiv.  16;lv.  6. 
Kal  imperf.  I.  viii.  19;  xi.  10;  xxx.  14. 

II.  Iviii.  2. 

Niph.  II.  Ixv.  1.  . 

I.  (xv.  6)  ;  xxxvii.  27.—  II.  Ixvi.  14. 

a~.  2.<7-  Iv.  2  rel. 

n, 

air.  fay.  xliv.  16  rel. 

I.  xxx.  7.—  II.  xlix.  4;  Ivii.  13. 
air.  /ley.  xlvii.  13  abs. 

Kal  I.  (xvi.  7);  xxxi.  4;  xxxiii.  18.- 
II  xxvii.  8;  xxxviii.  14;  lix.  3,  11. 
Poel  II.  Hx.  13. 
Hiph.  I.  vm.  19. 
arc.  Xey.  Ixvi.  1  rel. 

II.  xlv.  2;  Ixiii.  1. 
II.  xli.  19;  Iv.  13. 

I.  ii.  10;  xix.  21;  v.  15.-H.  **"-  Z' 
liii.  2. 


S3H 

"OH 


D'nn 

inn 

Din 

Tin 

TT 


722 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


in  an  emphatic  sense  I.  vii.  14;  xxxiii. 

16  (?).—  II.  xli.  4;  xliii.  10,  13,  25; 

xlvi.  4;  xlviii.  12. 
an-.  fey.  xlvii.  11  rel. 
d;r.  fey.  Ivi.  10  abs. 

I-  vi.  1.—  IL  xiii.  22;  xxxix.  7;  xliv. 
28;  IxvL  6. 

vtc?.^V)  Kal  perf.  n.  part.  I.  ii.  3;  viii. 

6,  7;  ix.  1;  xx.  3;  xxxiii.  15;  xxx. 
2,  29.—  II.  xxxv.  8,  9;  xlii.  5;  xlv. 
16;  xlvi.  2;  1.  10;  Hi.  12;  Ivii.  2; 
Iviii.  8;  Ix.  3,  14;  Ixv.  2. 

Inf.  abs.  I.  iii.  16;  xx.  2.—  II.  xlii.  24. 
Pi.  II.  lix.  9. 
Hithp.  II.  xxxviii.  3. 

Pi.  II.  xxxviii.  18;  IxiL  9;  Ixiv.  10. 

Hithp.  II.  xli.  16;  xliv.  25;  xlv.  25. 

Hiph.  II.  xiii.  10. 

Po.  II.  xlv.  25. 

I.  (xvi.  11);  xviL  12;  xxiL  2.—  II.  li. 

15;  lix.  11. 
I.  v.  13,  15;  xvi.  14;  xvii.  12;  xxix.  5, 

7,  8;  xxxi.  4;  xxxii.  14;  xxxiii.  3. 
II.  xiii.  4;  Ix.  5;  Ixiii.  14. 

air.  fey.  Ixiv.  1  abs. 

I.  xxiii.  13;  xxxii.  1;  xxxiii.  7.  —  II. 
xl.  15;  xli.  11,  24,  29  and  17  times 
beside  in  chaps,  xl.-lxvi. 

?  II.  xxv.  9;  xxxv.  4;  xl.  9. 
i?  I.  vi.  8  (col.  viii.  18).—  II.  Iviii.  9;  Ixv.  1. 
fln  Kal  inf.  I.  xxix.  16.—  Niph.  II.  xxxiv. 

9;  Ix.  5;  Ixiii.  10. 

in  verb,  with  njjpi  I.  ii.  14;  x.  32;  xxx.  17, 
25;  xxxi.  4.—  II.  xl.  4,  12;  xli.  15; 
xlii.  15;  liv.  10;  lv.  12;  Ixv.  7. 
Kal  perf.  II.  xxvi.  18. 
Kal  impf.  I.  viii.  3;  xxxiii.  11. 
Kal  inf.  abs.  'HH  II.  lix.  4. 
Po.  'nil  II.  lix.  13. 
Adject.  I.  vii.  14.  —  II.  xxvi.  14. 
'in  air.  fey.  xlix.  19  abs. 
Din  I.  xxii.  19.—  IL  xiv.  17  ;  xlix.  17. 


DKT 


3H! 

TT 


D1T 

HH 

r\S« 


r, 

I.  xi.  6—  II.  Ixv.  25. 
air.  fey.  Ixiii.  15  rel. 
Kal  part.  II.  Ixv.  3  ;  Ixvi.  3. 
Kal  inf.  II.  Ivii.  7. 

I.  i.  11;  xix.  21.—  II.  xxxiv.  6;  xliii. 
23,  24;  Ivi.  7  ;  Ivii.  7. 

I.  ii.  6,  20;  xxx.  22;  xxxi.  7.—  II.  xiii 

17  ;  xxxix.  2  ;  xl.  19;  xlvi.  6;  Ix.  6, 
9,  17. 

II.  xlii.  24;  xliii.  21. 
d-r.  fey.  xlviii.  21  rel. 

to  pour  out  air.  fey.  xlvi.  6  abs.  (Kal). 
II.  xxvi.  13  ;  xlv.  5,  21  ;  Ixiv.  3. 
air.  fey.  lix.  5  aba. 


PI 

'lp'T 

IDT 


DJ;T 
P£ 

TO 


njpi 

T|:  • 

IT 

T 

HIT 


nit 


tun 

T  T 


SDH 


nin 


air.  fey.  Ixvi.  11  rei. 

air.  fey.  1.  H  abs. 

Kal  I.  xvii.  10. — II.  xxxviii.  3 ;  xliii. 

18,  25;  xliv.  21;  xlvi.  8,  9;  xlvii. 

7;  liv.  4;  Ivii.  11;  Ixiii.  11;  Ixiv. 

4,8. 

Niph.  I.  xxiii.  16.— II.  Ixv.  17. 
Hiph.  I.  xii.  4;  xix.  17.— II.  xxvi.  13; 

xxxvi.  iii.  22;  xliii.  26;  xlviii.  1; 

xlix.  1;  Ixii.  6;  Ixiii.  7;  Ixvi.  3. 
air.  fey.  Ixvi.  7  rel. 
air.  fey.  Ivii.  8  rel. 

I.  i.  21 ;  xxiii.  15,  16,  17.— H.  Ivii.  3. 
air.  fey.  Ixvi.  14  rel. 
I.  xiv.  31;  (xv.  4,  5);   xxx.  19.— H. 

xxvi.  17;  Ivii.  13. 
(I.  xv.  5,  8).— II.  Ixv.  19. 
air.  Xey.  xlv.  14  rel. 
I.  iii.  2,  5,  14;   xx.  4.— II.  xxiv.  23; 

xxxvii.  2;  xlvii.  6;  Ixv.  20. 
air.  fey.  xlvi.  4  rel. 

I.  i.  7;  xvii.  10;  xxviii.  21;  xxix.  5. — 
II.  xxv.  2,  5 ;  xliii.  12 ;  Ixi.  5. 

I.  xxx.  22,  24.— II.  xli.  16. 
air.  fey.  Ixi.  11  rel. 

II.  Iviii.  10;lx.  1,  2. 
air.  fey.  Ix.  3  abs. 

Kal  I.  xvii.  10;  xxviii.  24;  xxx.  23; 

xxxii.  20;  xxxvii.  30.— II.  lv.  10. 
Pual  II.  xl.  24. 

I.  i.  4;  v.  10;  vi.  13;  xvii.  11;  xxiii.  3. 

II.  xiv.  20;  xli.  8;  xliv.  3;  xlv.  19, 
25;  xlviii.  19;  liii.  10;  liv.  3;  lv.10; 
Ivii.  3,  4;  lix.  21 ;  Ixi.  9;  Ixv.  9,  23; 
Ixvi.  12. 
IpC/  J7"V  air.  fey.  Ivii.  4  abs. 

in  an  ordinary  sense.  I.  ix.  19;  xvii.  5; 

xxx.  30.— II.  xl.  11 ;  xliv.  12. 
by  metonomy  I.  xxxiii.  2. — II.  xl.  10; 

xlviii.  14;  li.  5,  9;  Hi.  10;  liii.  1; 

lix.  16 ;  Ixii.  8 ;  Ixiii.  5,  12. 
air.  fey.  xl.  12  rel. 

rv 

Kal.  II.  xxvi.   20;    Hoph.  xlii.   22; 

Hiph.  xix.  2. 

Pi.  I.  xxxii.  7.— II.  xiii.  5 ;  liv.  16. 
Pu.  I.  x.  27. 
air.  fey.  Ixvi.  7  abs. 

Plur.  D^San  I.  v.  18;  xxxiii.  20,  23.— 

II.  xiii.  8 ;  xxvi.  17. 
socius  I.  i.  23.— II.  xliv.  11. 
air.  fey.  liii.  5  abs.  comp.  i.  6. 

II.  xlvii.  9,  12. 

Kal  I.  iii.  7 ;  xxx.  26.— II.  Ixi.  1. 

Pual  I.  i.  6. 

air.  fey.  xlix.  2  rel. 

Adject,  air.  fey.  liii.  3  rel. 


VOCABULARY  COMPARED. 


723 


nn  II.  xli.  15 ;  xlii.  10 ;  Ixii.  2. 

air.  Aey.  Ixi.  4  rel. 
Bhni.  i.  13,  14.— II.  xlvii.  13 ;  Ixvi.  23. 
Khn.  II.  xliii.  19  ;  Ixv.  17  ;  Ixvi.  22. 
II.  xlii.  9  ;  xlviii.  6. 
II.  Ixv.  17  ;  Ixvi.  22. 
Jin  UTT.  /ley.  xl.  22  rel. 

/IP  to  travail,  Kal.perf.  I.  xxii.  4. — II.  xxvi. 

18  ;  liv.  1 ;  Ixvi.  8. 
Iinperf.  I.  xxiii.  5. — II.  xiii.  8 ;  xxvi. 

17  ;  xlv.  10 ;  Ixvi.  7. 
Polel  II.  li.  2,  9. 
Pulal  II.  liii.  5. 
Hoph.  II.  Ixvi.  8. 

S)n  I.  x.  22.— II.  xlviii.  19. 
lOin  Sing.  I.  ii.  15;  xxii.  10;  xxx.  13.— II. 

xxxvi.  11,  12. 
Plur.  II.  xxv.  12;  xxvi.  1;  xlix.  16; 

Ivi.  5 ;  Ix.  10,  18 ;  Ixii.  6. 
Dual.  I.  xxii.  11. 
Vm  I.  v.  25;  x.  6;  (xv.  3);    xxxiii.  7. — 

II.  xxiv.  11 ;  xlii.  2;  li.  20,  23. 
tfin  Kal  I.  viii.  1,  3. 

Hiph.  I.  v.  19;  xxviii.  16.— II.  Ix.  22. 
nm  Kal  I.  i.  1:  ii.  11;  xxx.  10;  xxxiii.  17, 

T  T  ..' 

20.       II.  xiii.  1;    xxvi.  11;  xlviii. 
6;  Ivii.  8. 
Kal  part.  I.  xxviii.  15;  xxix.  10;  xxx. 

10.  II.  xlvii.  13. 
Ttn  II.  Ixv.  4;  Ixvi.  3,  17. 
prn  Kal  I.  xxii.  21;  xxviii.  22;  xxxiii.  23. 
— II.  xxxv.  3,  4 ;  xxxix.  1 ;  xli.  6, 
7;  liv.  2. 

Hiph.  I.  iv.  1. — II.  xxvii.  5;  xli.  9, 
13;  xlii.  6;  xlv.  1;   li.  18;    liv.  2; 
Ivi.  2,  4,  6;  Ixiv.  6. 
pin  I.  xxviii.  2. — II.  xxvii.  1 ;  xl.  10. 
Nl5n  Kal  I.  i.  4.— II.  xlii.  22;  xliii.  27 ;  Ixiv. 

4;  Ixv.  20. 
Hiph.  I.  xxix.  21. 
an  I.  i.  18 ;  xxxi.  7.— II.  xxxviii.  17 ;  liii. 

12. 

air.  Aey.  xlviii.  9  abs. 
n  I.  iii.  9 ;  vi.  7 ;  xxx.  1.— II.  xxvii.  9. 
PL  I.  v.  25.— II.  xl.  2;  xliii.  25;  xliv. 

22 ;  Iviii.  1 ;  lix  2,  12. 
'n  Adj.  vivus sing-  II.  xxxvii.  4, 17 ;  xxxviii. 

19;  xlix.  18. 

Plur.  I.  viii.  20. — II.  xxxviii.  11 ;  liii.  8. 
D^n  subst.   abstr.  vita    I.    iv.    3. — II. 

'  xxxviii.  12, 16,  20. 
n^n  abstr.  vita  air.  /ley.  Ivii.  10  rel. 
nTlSing.  animal  II.  xl.  16;  xliii.  20; 

T"xlvi.  1;  Ivi.  9  (bis);  Ivii  10. 
Plur.  II.  xxxv.  9. 
m  Kal  II.  xxvi.  14, 19;  xxxviii.  1,  9,  16, 

21 ;  Iv.  3. 
Piel.  I.  vii.  21. 

Hiph.  II.  xxxviii.  16;  Ivii.  15  (bis). 
"n  I.  v.  22;  viii.  4;    x.  14;  xxx.  6.— II. 
xxxvi.  2;  xliii,  17;  xl.  5, 11;  Ixi.  6. 


10T1 


nan 
->Dn 


V3n 


1BT1 


II.  xl.  11;  Ixv.  6,  7. 

Piel  I.  viii.  17  ;  xxx.  18—  II.  Ixiv.  3. 

I.  x.  13;  xi.  2;  xxix.  14;  xxxiii.  6  — 

II.  xlvii.  10. 
L  vii.  22;  xxviii.  9.—  II.  Iv.  1. 

I.  i.  11.—  EL  xxxiv.  6,  7;  xliii.  24;  Ix. 

16. 
Kal   I.   xxxiii.   24.—  II.  xxxviii.  19; 

xxxix.  1  ;  Ivii.  10. 
Niph.  I.  xvii.  11. 
Pual  II.  xiv.  10. 
Hiph.  II.  liii.  10. 
I.  i.  5.—  II.  xxxvii.  9;  liii.  3,  4,  10. 

perforare.  Part.  Po.  II.  li.  9  ;  part.  Pual 

liii.  5. 
solvere,  profanare  Niph.  II.  xlviii.  11. 

solvere,  profanare  Pi.  I.  xxiii,  9.  —  II. 

xliii.  28;  xlvii.  6;  Ivi.  2,  6. 
Plur.  I.  xxii.  2.—  II.  xxxiv.  3;  Ixvi.  16. 

I.  xvi.  8;  xxviii.  1.—  II.  xli.  7. 

arr.  ?.ey.  1.  7  rel. 

Kal  part.  pass.  (I.  xv.  4). 

Kal  impf.  I.  xx.  2. 

Hiph.  II.  Iviii.  11. 

I.  ii.  18;  viii.  8;  ix.  9.—  II.  xxi.  1; 

xxiv.  5;  xl.  31;  xli.  1. 
Pi.  I.  ix.  3.—  II.  xxxiv.  17  ;  liii.  12. 
Pual  I.  xxxiii.  22. 
Hiph.  II.  xli.  7.   q 
I.  xxx.  10.—  II.  Ivii.  6. 

I.  xvii.  14.—  II.  Ivii.  6;  Ixi.  7. 

I.  i.  29.—  II.  xliv.  9;  liii.  2. 

II.  xxvii.  4;  xxxiv.  2;  xlii.  25;  li.  13, 
17,  20,  22;   lix.  18;   Ixiii.  3,  5,  6; 
Ixvi.  15. 

violentus  a-,  Aey.  i.  17  abs. 

herba  acida  air.  /ley.  xxx.  24  abs. 

an.  tay.  xliii.  9  rel. 

II.  xliv.  15,  16;  xlvii.  14;  part.  Niph. 

Ivii.  5. 

II.  liii.  9;  lix.  6;  Ix.  18. 
Part.  pass.  Kal.  an-,  ley.  Ixiii.  1  rel. 

I.  x.  6;  xxix.  16—  II.  xli.  25;  xlv.  9; 

Ixiv.  7. 

II.  Hi.  3,  5. 

Sing.  (I.  xvi.  5).-II.  xl.  6;  liv.  8,  10; 

ivii.  i  "i?.rr'^*5- 

Plur.  IL  lv/3;  lxi'ii.76t».p 

I.  xiv.  32;  xxx.  2—  II.  Ivii.  13. 

Kal  II.  li-  14. 

Hiph.  II.  xxxii.  6. 

I.  i!  :  11.—  II-  *«»•  17;  xln.  21;  1m.  10; 


Iv.  11;  Ivi.  4;  Iviii.  2;  Ixii.  4;  Ixv. 

12;  Ixvi.  3,  4. 
II.  xliv.  28;  xlvi.  10;  xlvm.  14;  1m. 

10-  liv.  12;  Iviii.  3,13;  Ixii.  4. 
Kal  I.  i.  29.—  II.  xxiv.  23. 
Hiph.  I.  xxxiii.  9.—  II.  Hv.  4. 


724 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


vxn 


PF! 
ipn 
3h 


nain 

TIT 


•nn 

-   T 


Tin 
mn 

T    T 


nsnn 

T   :  V 


ntfn 

T    T 


rn 

I    T    T 


air.  fay.  Iviii.  6  rel. 

Kal  I.  v.  2;  x.  15;  xxii.  16. 

Pu.  II.  li.  1. 

Hiph.  II.  li.  9. 

II.  xliv.  16,  19. 

I.  xxxvii.  27.— II.  xl.  6;  xliv.  4;  li.  12. 

vjm  efr  (i.  xv.  6).— II.  xl.  7,  8. 

=  IXn  fl.  xxxiv.  13  ;  xxxv.  7. 

an-,  fay.  xlix.  22  rel. 

Sing.— 

Plur.  bnjm  atria  L  i.  12.— D"\xn  wet 

II.  xlii.'il. 

Plur.  fimn  atria  II.  Ixii.  9. 
I.  x.  1 ;  xxii.  16  ;  xxx.  8  ;  xxxiii.  22. 

—II.  xlix.  16. 

°r  ^pn  r  -  "*•  *•*?• xl- 28  rel- 

I.  iv.  6.— II.  xxv.  4,  5 ;  Ixi.  4. 

I.  i.  20;  ii.  4-  iii.  25;  xxi.  15;  xxii. 

2;  xxxi.  8.— II.  xiii.  15;  xiv.  19; 

xxyii.  1;   xxxiv.  5,  6;  xxxvii.  7, 

3;    xli.  2;    xlix.  2;  li.  19;  Ixv.  12; 

Ixvl.  16. 

Sing.  II.  Ixiv.  10. 
Plur.  I.  v.  17.— II.  xliv.  26;  xlviii.  21 ; 

jdix.  19;    li.  3;   Iii.  9;   Iviii.  12; 

Ixi.  4. 

I.  x.  29;  xvii.  2;  xix.  16;  xxxii.  11.— 

II.  xli.  5. 

II.  Ixvi.  2,  5. 
Kal  I.  v.  25. 

Niph.  part.  II.  xli.  11 ;  xlv.  24. 

I.  x.  22;  xxviii.  27.— II  xli.  15. 

II.  xxxiv   5 ;  xliii.  28. 

Pi.  I.  xxxvii.  23,  24.— II.  xxxvii.  4, 
17;  Ixv.  7. 

I.  iv.  !„•  xxx.  5. — II.  xxv.  8;  xlvii.  3; 

li.  7;  liy.  4. 
air.  7.ey.  Iviii.  6  rel. 

Hiph.  BrHrn  to  be  silent  II.  xxxvi. 
21;  xli.'l;  xlii.  14. 

II.  xl.  19,  20;  xli.  7;  Ixiv.  11,  12,  13; 
xlv.  16;  liv.  16. 

I.  xxix.  18.— II.  xxxv.  5;  xlii.  18,  19; 

•xliii.  8. 

I.  xxx.  14— II.  xlv.  9. 

II.  xiv.  6;  liv.  2;  Iviii.  1. 

I.  xx.  4;  xxx.  14.— II.  xlvii.  2;  Iii. 

10. 
Kal  L  x.   7 ;  xxxiii.   8. — II.  xiii.  17 ; 

liii.  3,4. 

Niph.  I.  ii.  22;  v.  28;    xxix.  16,  17  — 
II.  xl.  15,  17. 

II.  xlii.  14;  Ivii.  11;  Ixii.  1,  6;  Ixiv. 
11;  Ixv.  6. 

I.  v    20,  xxx.;  ix.  1 ;   xxix.    18. — II. 

xlii.  7;  xlv.  3,  7,  19;  xlvii.  5;  xlix. 
9;  lix.  9,  10;  Ix.  2. 
Plur.  air.  fay.  1.  10  abs. 

II.  Ixi.  10;  Ixii.  5. 


H3B 


3VC3 


NOD 


D1> 


T 


I.  xii.  8 ;  viii.  9 ;  xx.  5 ;  xxx.  31 ;  xxxi. 

4,  9  ;  xxxvii.  27.— II.  li.  6,  7. 
Hiph.  I.  ix.  3. 

D- 

II.  xxxiv.  2,  6;  liii.  7;  Ixv.  12. 
air.  fay.  Ixvi.  20  rel. 

Part.  Hithp.  air.  fay.  Ixvi.  17  rel. 

I.  i.  19.— II.  Ixiii.  7 ;  Ixv.  14. 

I.  iii.  10;  v.  9,  20;  vii.  15,  16.— II. 

xxxviii.  3;  xxxix.  2,  8;  xli.  7;  Iii. 

7;  Iv.  2;  Ivi.  5;  Ixv.  2. 
air.  fay.  xliv.  18  rel. 

I.  iii.  15.— II.  xlvii.  2. 

II.  xli.  25;  Ivii.  20. 
an.  fay.  Ixv.  25  rel. 
air.  fay.  xl.  11  rel. 
Verb.  Pi.  I.  xxx.  22. 

Adject.  I.  vi.  5. — II.  xxxv.  8;  Iii.  1, 

11 ;  Ixiv.  5. 
air.  fay.  xlviii.  13  rel. 
II.  Ixv.  24. 

07.93  I.  yii.  16 ;  viii.  4 ;  xxviii.  4. — 
'  it  xlii.  9;  Ixvi.  7. 


Hiph.  I.  xxiii.  7. 

Hoph.  I.  xviii.  7.-IL  liii.  7;  Iv.  12. 
.I.  xxx.  25—  II.  xliv.  4. 

Kal  I.  xix.  5,  7;  (xv.  16).—  II.  xxvii. 

11;  xl.  7,8,  24. 
Hiph.  II.  xlii.  15;  xliv.  27. 
Adject,  air.  fay.  Ivi.  3  rel. 

air.  fay.  xliv.  3  rel. 
Hiph.  air.  fay.  li.  23  rel. 
II.  xxxv.  10;  li.  11. 

II.  xlv.  14;  iv.  2. 

II.  xl.  28,  30,  31  ;    xliii.  22,  23,  24  ; 

xlvii.  12,  15;  xlix.  4;  Ivii.  10;  Ixii. 

8;  Ixv.  23. 
an.  fay.  Ivi.  5  abs. 

Kal  Perf-  !•  *•  ?:  ix-  8!  xix-  21;  xxix* 

11,  12,  24;  xxxvii.  28—  II.  xl.  28; 

xlviii.   6,  7,   8;   beside    13   times. 

Chaps.  40-66. 
Part.  act.  II.  li.  7  ;  lix.  15. 
Part.  pass.  II.  Hi.  3. 
Infin.  constr.  I.  vii.  15  ;  xxxii.  4.—  II. 

1.4. 

Imper.  I   xxxiii.  13. 
Imperf.  I.  v.   19;  vi.   9;  vii.  16;  viii. 

4;  xix.  12.—  II.  xxxvii.  20;  xl.  21; 

xli.  20,  22,  23,  26  ;    beside  8  times 

in  the  fol.  chaps. 
Niph.  perf.  I.  xix.  21.—  II.  Ixi.  9;  Ixvi. 

14. 

Hiph.  part.  II.  xlvii.  13. 
Hiph.  imper.  I.  xii.  4, 


VOCABULARY  COMPARED. 


726 


Hiph.  imperf.  I.  v.  5. — II.  xxxviii.  19 ; 
xl.  13,  14. 

Hoph.  part.  I.  xii.  5. 

In  an  absol-  sense  I.  xxxii.  4. — II.  xliv. 

9,  18;  xlv.  20;  Ivi.  10. 
•tfrp  I.  i.-xii.  21  times;  xiv.  24-32  2  times; 
xvii.-xx.  10 times;  xxi.  ll-xxiii.18 
7  times;  xxviii. -xxxiii.  6  times; 
xxxvii.  21-381  time;  (xr.  l-xvi.12) 
0  times;  xvi.  13  n.  14  0  times. — II. 
xiii.  1-xiv.  23  4  times;  xxi.  1-101 
times;  xxiv.-xxvii.2times;  xxxiv.- 
xxxv.  0  times;  xxxvi.-xxxvii.  21  1 
time;  xxxviii.-xxxix.  once;  xl.- 
Ixyi.  6  times. 

int?r\isO¥  nirv    II.  xlvii.  4;  xlviii.  2; 

'li.  15T;  liv.  5. 

DV  Sing.  I.  ix.  3,  13;  xxii.  5;  x.  3;    xxx. 

8.      II.    xxxvii.   3;    xxxviii.  19; 

xlviii.  7;  Ivi.  12;  Iviii   5;  Ixiii.  4. 

DV  DV  II.  Iviii.  12. 

Tfffrh  DV  I.  ii.  12.— II.  xxxiv.  8;  Iviii.  5;  Ixi.  2. 

T   ~"  DV  II.  xiii.  6,  9. 
run  Di'H  II.  xxxvii.  3;  xxxix.  6. 
DVn  ^3  1.  xxviii.  24.— II. li.  13;  Hi.  5;  Ixii.  6; 

Ixv.  2,  5. 

DV)  rrVS  II.  xxvii.  3. 
D'VH  T$   T.  x.  32. 

(DV3)  OV>3  I.  x.  17;  xi.  16;  xvii.  11;  xxviii.  19 
xxx.  25,  26.— II.  xiii.  3;  xiv.  3 
xxvii.  8;  xlvii.  9;  xlix.  8;  Iviii.  3 
13;  Ixvi.  8. 

Wm  DV3  I.  ii.  11,  17,  20;  iii.  7,  18;  iv.  1,  2;  v 
30;  vii.  18,  20,  21.  23;  x.  20,  27 
xi.  10,  11;  xii.  1,  4;  xvii.  4,  7,  9 
xix.  16,  18,  19,  21,  23,  24;  xx.  6 
xx.  8,  12,  20,  25;  xxiii.  15;  xxvm 
5;  xxix.   18;  xxx.  23;  xxxi.  7.— 
II.   xxiv.    21;    xxv.   9;    xxvi.   1 
xxvii.  1,  2,  12,  13;  Hi.  6- 
DV3  II.  Iviii.  4. 
DVp  II.  xxxviii.  12,  13;  xliii.  13. 

DVD7  I.  vii.  17. 
nS'S-IJJ.  D'vp  II.  xxxviii.  12,  13. 

~D'D'  Plur.  I.  i.  1;  vii.  1, 17;  xxiii.  15;  xxx. 

26;  xxxii.  10.— II.  xiii.  22;  xxiv 

22;  xxxviii.  1,  5,  10,  20;  xxxix.  8 

liii.  10;  Ix.  20;  Ixv.  20,  22. 

D"K3  D'p^  II.  xxxix.  6. 

O'p^n  nnnx  (I.  ii.  2). 

oS'iy  "p;  II.  Ixiii.  9,  11. 
aSp.  'CT  I.  xxiii.  7;  xxxvii.  26.— II.  li.  9. 

OO'VT  rrrS,  II.  xxxiv.  10. 

rWl  DDV  an.  ley.  Ix.  11  rel.,  comp.  xxxiv.  10 

xxviii.  19. 
|V  air.  ley.  Ixvi.  19  rel. 

ruV  dove  H.  38,  14;  lix.  11;  Ix.  8. 
p\V  suckling  I.  xi.  8.— tree-sprout  II.  53 
Vv  I.  xxii.  3.— II.  xxvii.  4;  xiii.  14;  xiii 
26;  xliv.  11;  xlv.  8;  1.  8. 

HIV  L  xxviii.  31;  ix.  20;  x.  8;  xi.  6, 

t  i  - 


14;  xviii.  6;  xxii.  3;  xxxi.  3.  — 
II.  xl.  5;  xii.  1,  19,  20,  23;  xliii. 
9,  17;  xlv.  16,  20,  21;  xlvi.  2; 
xlviii.  13;  lii.  8,  9;  Ix.  13;  Ixv.  7; 
Ixvi.  17. 

7»T  II.  xiii.  4;  li.  5. 

3p;  Hiph.  I.  i.  17  ;  xxiii.  16.—  II.  xii.  23. 
|f  I.    v.    11,    12,   22;   xvi.   10;  xxii.   13; 
xxviii.  1,  7  ;  xxix.  9.  —  II.  xxiv.  9, 
11;  li.  21;  Iv.  1;  Ivi.  12. 
S^;  I.  i.  13;  vii.  1;  xvi.  12;  xxiv.  11.— 
II.  xxxvi.  8,  14;  xlvi.  2;  xlvii.  11, 
12;  Ivi.  10;  Ivii.  20;  lix.  14. 
iV  Kal   perf.  I.   xxiii.  4.—  II.  xxvi.  18; 
xlix.  21;  li.  18;  liv.  1;  Ixvi.  7,  8. 
Kal  part.  I.  vii.  14.—  II.  xiii.  8  ;  xxi. 

3;  xiii.  14. 

Kal.  inf.  II.  xxvi.  17;  xxxvii.  3. 
Kal  imperf.  I.  viii.  3;  xxxiii.  11.  —  II. 

Ixv.  23. 

Niph.  II.  Ixvi.  8. 
Hiph.   II.   xxxix.   7;  Iv.  10;  lix.  4; 

Ixvi.  9. 
Pual  I.  ix.  5. 


xxix.  23.—  II.  Ivii.  4  (nV.),  5. 
yWS  V^T  an.  tey.  Ivii.  4  abs. 
IjH"  Kal  inf.  constr.  I.  viii.  12. 
T  Kal  imper.  Li.  18;  vi.9;  xx.  2;  xxii. 

15.—  II.  xxi.  6;  xxvi.  20-  1.  11. 
Hiph.  II.  xiii.    16  ;  xlviii.  21  ;  Ixiii. 

12,  13. 

Vr  only  Hiph.  I.  14,  31  ;  (xv.  2,  3)  ;  xxiii. 

1,  6,  14.—  II.  xiii.  6;  lii.  5;  Ixv.  14. 

D;  I.  v.  30;  viii.  23;  x.  22,  26;  xi.  9,  14, 

15;    xvi.   8;    xvii.   12;    xviii.   2; 

xxiii.  2,  4,  11  —II.  xxi.  1  ;^xxiv. 

14,  15  ;  xxvii.  1  ;  10  times  in  Chaps. 

xl.-lxvi. 

py  II.  xii.  10,13;  xliv.  20;  xlv.l;  xlviii. 

13;  Ixii.  8;  Ixiii.  12. 
SlKDEft  j'p;  I.  ix.  19.—  II.  liv.  3. 
10'  Hith.  'air.  tey-  Ixi.  6  abs. 
ny  Part.  Hiph.  arc.  ley.  xlix.  26  rel. 
D?  Kal  II.  Ix.  16;  Ixvi.  11,  12. 

"T  Part.  Hiph.  II.  xlix.  23. 
ID'  I.  xiv.  32;  xxiii.  13;  xxviii.  16.—  II. 
'T  xliv.  28;  xlviii.  13;  li.  13,  16;  liv.  11. 
r\V  Kal  I.   xxix.   19;     xxxvii.   31.  —  II. 

xxvi.  15. 
Niph.  (I.  xv.  9). 

Hiph.  I.  i.  5,  13;  vii.  10;  vin.  5;  x. 
20;  xi.  11;  xxiii.  12;  xxix.  14.— 
II.  xxiv.  20  ;  xxxviii.  5  ;  xlvn.  1, 
5;  li.  22;  lii.  1. 
Vy*  an.  ley-  Ixi.  10  abs. 
SJT  Hiph.  Vjtfn  I.  xxx.  5  (bis.)  6.—  II. 
xliv.  9,  10;  xlvii.  12;  xlviii.  17; 

Ivii.  12.  •       n. 

II.   xiii.    21;    xxxiv.    13, 


726 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


^  II.  xl.  28,  30,  31 ;  xliv.  12. 
"pr  Adj.  II.  xl.  29 ;  1.  4. 
pT  Kal  I.  i.  26;  iii.  3;  vii.  5;  viii.  10; 
ix.  5 ;  xiv.  24,  26,  27 ;  xix.  11,  12, 
17;  xxiii.  8,   9;  xxxii.  7,  8.— II. 
xli.  28. 

Niph.  II.  xl.  14 ;  xlv.  21. 
t£  I.  vii.  2;  ix.  17;  x.  18,  19,  34;  xxi. 
13;  xxii.   8;  xxix.    17;  xxxii.   15, 
19;  xxxvi.   24.— II.  xliv.  14,  23; 
Ivi.  9. 

yVr  Hoph.  II.  xiv.  11. 
"T  Hiph.  II.  Iviii.  5. 
p^  air.  ley.  xliv.  3  rel. 
12T  Kal  I.  xxxvii.  26.— II.  xliii.  7,  21 ; 
xliv.  10,  12,  21 ;  xlv.  18 ;  xlvi.  11 ; 
xlix.  8. 

Kal  part.  I.   xxii.   11;  xxix.  16;  xxx. 
14. — II.  xxvii.  11;  xli.  25;  xliii. 
1;  xliv.  2,  9,  24;  xlv.  7,  9,  11,  18; 
xlix.  5  ;  Ixiv.  7. 
Niph.  II.  xliii.  10. 
Hoph.  II.  liv.  17. 

n/V  I.  x.  10,  16 ;  xxx.  14.— II.  Ixv.  5. 
*^jV  Hiph.  I.  xiii.  12.— Kal.  II.  xliii.  4. 
Kj  Kal.   I.  vii.   4 ;   viii.  12 ;   x.  24.— II. 
xxv.   3;   xxxv.  4;  xxxvii.  6.    In 
chaps,  xl.-lxvi.,  15  times. 
Niph.  part.  I.  xviii.  2,  7. — II.  xxi.  1; 

Ixiv.  2. 

tO;  Adj.  an.  tey.  1.  10  rel. 
nKT  I.  vii.  25;  xi.  2,  3;  xxix.  13;  xxxiii. 

6.— II.  Ixiii.  17. 

TV  Kal  perf.  I.  v.  14;  (xv.3).— II.  xxxiv. 
7;    xxxviii.  8;    Iii.  4;    Ixiii.   19; 
Ixiv.  2. 
y      Kal  part.    I.  xxxi.   1.— II.  xiv.   19; 

xxxviii.  18  ;  xlii.  10. 
Kal  inf.  I.  xxx.  2 ;  xxxii.  19. 
"   imper.  II.  xlvii.  1. 
'*   impf.  I.  xxxi.   4. — II.   xxxiv.  5; 

Iv.  10;  Ixiii.  14. 
Hiph.  Perf.  II.  xliii.  14. 

"      Impf.  I.  x.  13.— II.  Ixiii.  6. 
Hoph.  II.  xiv.  11,  15. 

STWV  and     oSENT  in  parall.  clauses  I.  i.  1 ;  ii. 
l7"i.  1,  8;  v.  23;  xxii.  21.— II. 
xxxvi.  7 ;  xliv.  26. 
3'"V  Subst.  an.  /ley.  xlix.  25  rel. 
n3£"V  air.  Aey.  liv.  2  rel. 
VtV  II.  xiv.  21 ;  xxxiv.  11,  17 ;  liv.  2 ;  Ivii. 
13  ;  Ix.  21 ;  Ixi.  7 ;  Ixiii.  18 ;  Ixv.  9. 
SfcOfer  and  3p#'  in  parall.  I.  ix.  7 ;  x.  20 ;  xxix. 

13.— II.  xiv.  1  ;  xxvii.  6 ;  xl.  27  ; 

xli.  8,  14 ;  xlii.  24  ;  xliii.  1,  22,  28 ; 

xliv.  1  (2),  5,  21,23;  xlv.  4. 
30;  Kal   perf.  I.  xvi.  5;   xxxii.  18.— II. 

Ixv.  21. 
Kal.  part.  act.  I.  19  times.  — II.  21 

times. 
Kal  part.  act.  Fern.  H312V  I.  xii.  6.— 

II.  xlvii.  8. 


and 


*ly 
"VV 


Kal  Inf.  I.  xxx.  7  ;  xxxvii.  28.—  II. 

xl.  22;   xliv.    13;   xlr.   18;  xlvii. 

14  ;  Iviii.  12. 

Kal  Imper.  II.  xlvii.  1,  5  ;  Iii.  2. 
Kal  Impf.  I.  iii.  26  ;  xxx.  19  ;  xxxii. 

16—  II.  xiii.  20  ;  xiv.  13  ;  xxxvii. 

37;   xlii.  11;   xlvii.   8;   xlix.  20; 

Ixv.  22. 

Hiph.  caus.  =  to  make  inhabited.    II. 

liv.  3. 

Hoph.  I.  v.  8.—  II.  xliv.  26. 
I.  xii.  2,  3  ;  xxxiiv  2,  6.—  II.  xxv.  9  ; 

xxvi.   1,  18  ;  xlix.  6,  8  ;  li.  6,  8  ; 

Hi.  7,  10  ;  Ivi.  1  ;  lix.  11,  17  ;  Ix. 

18  ;  Iii.  1. 
PIJNBT  parall.  II.  xlv.  8  ;  xlvi.  13;  li. 

5  ;  vi.  8  ;  Ivi.  1  ;  lix.  17  ;  Ixi.  10  ; 

Ixii.  1. 

UK.  Aey.  xliii.  19,  20  rel. 
Niph.   I.   xxx.  15.—  II.  xlv.  17,  22; 

xlvi.  7  ;  Ixiv.  4. 
Hiph.  I.  xxxvii.  35  ;  xxxiii.  22.  —  II. 

xxv.    9  ;    xxxv.    4  ;    xxxvii.    20  ; 

xliii.  12  ;  xlv.  20  ;  xlvi.  7  ;  xlvii. 

13;  xlix.  25;  lix.  1,  16;  Ixiii.  1, 

5,9. 
Hiph.  part.  JVBttn  I.  xix.  20.—  II.  xliii. 

3,  11  ;  xlv.  15,  21  ;  xlvii.  15  ;  xlix. 

26  ;  Ix.  16  ;  Ixiii.  8. 

I.  xvii.  10.-JI.  xlv.  8  ;  li.  5  ;  Ixii.  21. 
Piel  II.  xl.  3  ;  xlv.  2,  13. 
air.  aey.  xlii.  2  rel. 

I.  xxii.  23,  25  ;  xxxiii.  20.—  II.  liv.  2. 

II.  xxxviii.  10  ;  xliv.  19  ;  Ivi.  12. 
air.  Aey.  Ivi.  12  abs. 


3N3  I.   xvii.   11.  — II.   Ixv.   14.— OTT.   Aey. 

31?  3K3  Ixv.  14  abs. 
n33  Kal.  II.  xxiv.  20  ;  lix.  1 ;  Ixvi.  5. 

Niph.  I.  iii.  5 ;  xxiii.  8,  9. — II.  xxvi. 

15  ;  xliii.  4;  xlix.  5. 
Piel  I.  xxix.  13. — II.  xxiv.  15;  xxv. 

3;  xliii.  20,  23;  Iviii.  13;  Ix.  13. 
Pual  part.  II.  Iviii.  13. 
Hiph.  I.  vi.  10  ;  viii.  23.— II.  xlvii.  6. 
jlfc  rn33  only  I.  vi.  10  and  II.  lix.  1, 

comp.  Zech.  vii.  11. 
H33  I.  i.  31— II.  xxxiv.  10;  xlii.  3;  xliii. 

17 ;  Ixvi.  24. 

n'133  I.  iii.  8  ;  iv.  2,  5  ;  v.  13 ;  vi.  3 ;  viii. 
7;  x.  3,  16,  18;  xi.  10;  xvi.  14; 
xvii.  3,  4;  xxi.  16;  xxii.  18,  23, 
24. — II.  xiv.  18;  xxiv.  23;  xxxv. 
2;  xl.  5;  xlii.  8,  12;  xliii.  7;  Iviii. 
8;  lix.  19;  Ix.  1,  2,  13;  Ixi.  6;  Ixii. 
2;  Ixvi.  11,  12,  18,  19. 

HIPP  TOS  II.  xxxv.  2;  xl.  4;  Iviii.  8;  Ix.  1. 
an.  ;Uy.  liv.  12  rel. 


VOCABULARY  COMPARED. 


727 


PIJ  Kal  impf.  nrp;  H.  xlii.  4. 

T  Piel  nn3  IL  xlii.  3;  Ixi.  3. 
|H3  Piel  an. \ey.  Ixi.  10  rel. 
jni)  Sing.  I.  viii.  2.— II.  xxiv.  2. 

Plur.  II.  xxxvii.  2;  Ixi.  6;  Ixvi.  21. 
#313  an.  Aey.  lix.  17  rel. 

HO  Niph.  an.  Aey.  xliii.  2  rel. 
3313  II.  xiii.  10;  xiv.  13;  xlvii.  13. 
J13  Niph.  part.  I.  ii.  2. 

Pilel  II.  xlv.  18;  li.  13;  Ixii.  7. 
Hiph.  I.  ix.  6.— II.  xiv.  21 ;  xl.  20. 
Hithp.  II.  liv.  14. 
Hoph.  I.  (xvi.  5) ;  xxx.  33. 

Dte  II.  li.  17,  22. 

113  d:r.  Aey.  xlviii.  10  rel. 

3T3  (only   Piel   in   Isaiah). — II.  ivii.  11 ; 

Iviii.  11. 
H3  I.  x.  13.— II.  xxxvii.  3 ;  xl.  9,  26,  29, 

31;  xli.  1;  xliv.  12;  xlix.  4;  1.  2; 

Ixiii.  1. 

I?n3  an.  /ley.  lix.  13  rel. 
0^3  an.  Aey.  xlvi.  6  rel. 
ff3  V3  II.  xl.  5;  xlix.  26;  Ix.  16,  23,  24. 

IBGH  S3  n.  xl.  6. 

I  T    T  — 

«73  air.  Aey.  xliii.  6  rel. 

T  T 

^S.3  (JV3)  an.  Aey.  xlii.  7  rel. 

D'NU>3  T\3  an.  Aey.  xlii.  22  abs. 

•  T  :          "T 

3^3  II.  Ivi.  10,  11 ;  Ixvi.  3. 
h3  Kal.  I.  i.  28;  X.  25;  (xv.  6;  xvi.  4) 
xxi.  16;  xxix.  20;  xxxii.  10.— II 
xxiv.  13. 

Piel  I.  x.  18.— II.  xxvii.  10;  xlix.  4. 
b3  II.  xlix.  18;  Ixi.  10;  Ixii.  5. 
'73  Sing.  II.  liv.  16,  17;  Ixvi.  20. 

Plur.  I.  x.  28;  xviii.  2;  xxii.  24; 
xxxii.  7.— II.  xiii.  5;  xxxix.  2;  Hi. 
11;  Ixi.  10;  Ixv.  4. 

DS_3  II.  xli.  11;  xlv.  16,  17;  1.  7;  liv.  4. 
sS3  Sing.  I.  xxx.  3.— II.  xlv.  16  ;  Ixi.  7. 

Plur.  II.  1.  6. 
H33  II.  xliv.  5;  xlv.  4. 
XD3  I.  vi.  1 ;  ix.  6 ;  (xvi.  5) ;  xxii.  23— II. 

xiv.  9 ;  xlvii.  1 ;  Ixvi.  1. 
7103  Piel  I.  vi.  2;  xi.9;  xxix.  10.— II.  xiv. 
11;  xxvi.  21;  li.  16;  Iviii.  7;  Ix. 
2,  6. 

Hithp.  II.  xxxvii.  1,  2;  lix.  6. 
filDS  an-.  Aey.  1.  3  rel. 
«|D3  I.  i.  22;  ii.  7,  20;  vii.  23;  xxx.  22; 
xxxi.  7.— II.  xiii.  17;  xxxix.  2,  xl. 
19;  xlvi.  6;  lv.  1,  2;  Ix.  9,  17. 
t}D33  II.  xliii.  24;  xlviii.  10;  In.  3. 

sjOp.-K1?  see  under  DH^-JO. 
SjJS  an'.  Aey.  Ixiii.  7  rel. 

Sy3-  -^3  air.  Aey.  lix.  18  abs. 
£3  Hiph.  part.  an.  Af  y.  Ixv.  3  rel. 


133 


133 

rwrria 
msis 

T  T  :  • 

D13 

D13 


jna 


I.  i.  6;    xxviii.   4;    xxxvii.   25.— II. 

xxxvi.  6;  xxxviii.  6;  lv.  12;  Ixii.  3. 
D'.?^  I.  i.  15;  xxxiii.  15. — II.  xlix.  16; 

lix.  3,  6. 
n'133  II.  ix.  14. 

an.  Af  y.  xl.  2  rel. 

an.  Aey.  Iviii.  5  rel. 

Piel  II.  xlvii.  11. 

Pual  I.  vi.  7 ;  xxii.  14 ;  xxviii.  18. — 

II.  xxvii.  9. 

piaculum  an.  Ary.  xliii.  3  rel. 
an.  Aey.  1.  1  rel. 
an.  Aey.  Ixvi.  20  abs. 
vinitor  an.  Aey.  Ixi.  5  rel. 
I.  i.  8;  iii.  14;  v.  1,  3,  4,  5;  vii.  10; 
(xvi.  10) ;  xxxvii.  30.— II.  xxxvi. 
17 ;  Ixv.  21. 

I.  x.  4.— II.  xlv.  23 ;  xlvi.  1, 2 ;  Ixv.  12. 

Kal.  I.  xviii.  5  ;  xxviii.  15.— II.  xiv. 

8;  xxxvii.  24;  xliv.  14;  lv.  3;  Ivii. 

8 ;  Ixi.  8. 

Niph.  I.  xi.  13;  xxii.  25;  xxix.  20.— 

II.  xlviii.  19;  lv.  13;  Ivi.  5. 
Hiph.  I.  ix.  13;  x.  7. -II.  xiv.  22; 

xlviii.  9. 
I.  xxiii.  13.— II.  xiii.  19;   xliii.  14; 


S03 


xlvii.  1,  5 ;  xlviii.  14,  20. 

I.  iii.  8 ;  v.  27 ;  viii.  15 ;  xxviii.  13 ; 

xxxi.  3.— II.  xxxv.  3;  xl.  30;  lix. 
10,  14 ;  Ixiii.  13. 

II.  xlvii.  9,  12. 

I.  xi.  14 ;  xxx.  6— II.  xlvi.  7 ;  xlix. 22. 


71*6  Niph.  I.  i.  14  ;  (xvi.  12).— II.  xlvii.  13. 

Hiph.  I.  vii.  13. 

DhS  I.  xvii.  12,  13.— II.  xxxiv.  1 ;  xli.  1 ; 
xliii.  4,  9;  xlix.  1;  li.  4;  lv.  4; 
Ix.  2. 

37.  I.  vi.  10;  xv.  5 ;  xxix.  13;  xxxii.  6  ; 
xxxiii.  18.— II.  xiii.  7;  xxiv.  7; 
xxxv.   4;   xxxviii.   3;    besides   21 
times  in  chaps,  xl. — Ixvi. 
33S  I.  i.  5  ;  vi.  10 ;  vii.  2,  4;  ix.  8;  x. 
T'7,12;  xix.  1;  xxx.  29;  xxxii.  4.- 
xiv.  13;  xxi.  4;  xlvii.  8;  xlix.  21 ; 
Ix.  5.  .    ,Q 

13S  I.   ii.   11,  17;    v.  8.  — II.  xxvi.   13, 
xxxvii.  16,  20;  xliv.  24 ;  xlix.  21 ; 
Ixiii.  3. 
II.  xliii.  23 ;  Ix.  6 ;  Ixvi.  3. 

Plur.  D^J?1?  I.  ix.  9.— II.  l^v.  3. 
3*7  I.ii.  13;  x.  34;  xxix.  17;  xxxiii.  9; 
xxxvii.  24.-IL  xiv.  8;  xxxv.  2; 


Hiph.  I   xxii.  21.-H.  1.3;  Ixi.  10. 
II.  xiv.  19;  Ixiii.  1,  2. 
nSl.  xxix.  6;    xxx.   30. -II.   xiii.  8; 
Ixvi.  15. 


728 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


ran1? 

T  T  V 


onto 


rfrS 


I.  iv.  5;  v.  24;  x.  17.— II.  xliii.  2; 

xlvii.  14. 
an.  /Icy.  xlii.  25  rel. 

II.  xlviii.  18;  Ixiii.  19. 

an.  Aey.  Ixvi.  19  rel. 

Kal  II.  xxiv.  2. 

Niph.  II.  xiv.  1 ;  Ivi.  3,  6. 

Hiph.  II.  xxiv.  2. 

Hiph.  I.  i.  21 ;  xxi.  13.— II.  Ixv.  4. 

I.  xxx.  28.— II.  1.  6. 

Piel  air.  Aey.  xlix.  23  rel. 

Niph.  I.  vii.  1 ;  xix.  2 ;  xx.  1 ;  xxx. 

32.— II.  xxxvii.  8,  9 ;  Ixiii.  10. 
I.  iii.  1,  6;  iv.  1 ;  xxi.  14;  xxviii.  28  ; 

rxx.  20,  23;  xxxiii.  16. — II.  xxxvi. 

17;  xliv.  15,  19;  xlvii.  14;  li.  14; 

Iv.  2,  10  ;  Iviii.  7  ;  Ixv.  25. 
(Oxymoron)  I.  x.  15  ;  xxxi.  8. — II.  Iv. 

1,2. 
(I.  xv.  1  bis;  xvi.  3)  ;  xxi.  11 ;  xxx. 

29. 

I.  iv.  5;  xxi.  11,  12;  xxviii.  19;  xxix. 
7. — II.  xxvi.  9 ;  xxvii.  3  ;  xxxiv. 
10;  xxxviii.  12, 13;  Ix.  11 ;  Ixii.  6. 

Plur.  niVS  I.  xxi.  8. 

Kal  I.  i.  17  ;  ii.  4  ;  xxix.  24. — II.  xxvi. 

9,  10. 

Piel  I.  xxix.  13— II.  xl.  14;  xlviii.  17. 
I.  viii.  16.— II.  1.4;  liv.  13. 

for  ib  II.  xliv.  15 ;  liii.  8. 

I.  v.  19 ;  xxiii.  16. — II.  xxxvii.  25 ; 

xli.  20;  xlii.  21;  xliii.  10,  14,  25; 

xliv.  9  ;  xlv.  3, 4 ;  xlviii.  9,  11 ;  Iv.  5 ; 

Ixii.  1 ;  Ixiii.  17  ;  Ixv.  8 ;  Ixvi.  11. 
an.  ?.ey.  Ixii.  1  rel. 

Kal.  I.  vi.  6  ;  viii.  1 ;  xxiii.  16;  xxviii. 

19. — II.  xiv.  2 ;  xxxvi.  17 ;  xxxvii. 

14  ;  xxxix.  7  ;  xl.  2  ;  xliv.  14,  15  ; 

xlvii.  2,  3;  Ivi.  12;  Ivii.  13. 
Pual  II.  xlix.  24,  25;  Iii.  5;  liii.  8. 

I.  iii.  8;   v.  24;   xi.   15;    xxviii.  11; 
xxx.  27  ;  xxxii.  4 ;  xxxiii.  19. — II. 
xxxv.  6  ;  xli.  17  ;  xlv.  23;  1.  4;  liv. 
17  ;  Ivii.  4 ;  lix.  3 ;  Ixvi.  18. 

0. 

II.  xlvii.  9  ;  Iii.  13 ;  Ivi.  12. 
-»KD-|£  II.  Ixiv.  8,  11. 

for  'flND  II.  liv.  15  ;  lix.  21. 

II.  xl.  12,  15. 

an.  Xfy.  Ixii.  8  rel. 

Kal  I.  v.  24 ;  viii.  6  ;  xxxiii.  8,  15.— 

II.  xli.  9. 

Kal  inf.  I.  vii.  15,  16 ;  xxx.  12. 
Kal  impf.  I.  xxxi.  7. 
Niph.  II.  liv.  6. 

=  because  an.  Aey.  xliii.  4  abs. 

II.  xxxv.  7  ;  xlix.  10. 
mUD  an.  Xey.  Ixvi.  4  rel. 


teS 


TflS 


T-!  - 

DSD 


Tl? 
PHD 


J1D 


noio 

1D1D 
1WD 


HID 


HID 


rn»D 


KHD 
ilflD 


HDT1D 


TJCMID 


£TD 


I.  (xvi.  8)  ;  xxxii.  6,  15.—  II.  xiv.  18  ; 

xxi.  1  ;    xxxv.  1,  6  ;    10  times  in 
chaps,  xl.  Ixvi. 

II.  xl.  12;  Ixv.  7. 
air.  Aey.  xlv.  14  rel. 

I.  v.  4.—  II.  1.  2  ;  Ixiii.  2. 
I.  ix.  4  ;  x.  29.—  II.  Ix.  6. 

i.  xxii.  16.—  nb-^-nD  n.  m.  5. 

I-  v.  26.—  II.  Iviii.  8. 
Piel  I.  v.  19  ;  xxxii.  4.—  II.  xxxv.  4  ; 
xlix.  17  ;  li.  14  ;  lix.  7. 

I.  xiv.  31.—  II.  Ixiv.  6. 

II.  xxiv.  19  ;  liv.  10. 

BI'S."  vhll.  xl.  20;  xli.  7. 
II.  Iviii.  6  (bis.)  9. 

pi.  n'noiD  n.  xl.  21. 

-nOl'D  II.  xxiv.  18  ;  Iviii.  12. 

I.  xxviii.  22—  II.  Iii.  2. 

II.  xxvi.  16;  liii.  5. 
II.  xli.  18  ;  Iviii.  11. 
an.  fay.  xli.  15  rel. 

Kal  I.  xxii.  15—  II.  liv.  10  ;  lix.  21. 

Hiph.  II.  xlvi.  7. 

Kal  I.  viii.  19;    xxii.  2,  13,  14,  18; 

xxxvii.    36.  —  II.    xxvi.    14,    19; 

xxxviii.  1;  1.  2;  li.  6,  12,  14;  lix. 

9,  10  ;  Ixv.  20  ;  Ixvi.  24. 
Hiph.  I.  xi.  4;  xiv.  30.—  II.  Ixv.  15. 
Sing.  I.  vi.  1  ;  xxviii.  15,  18.  —  II.  xiv. 

28  ;  xxv.  8  ;  xxxviii.  18  ;  liii.  12. 
Plur.  D'nb  II.  liii.  9. 

I.  vi.  6;  xvii.  8  ;   xix.  19.—  II.  xxvii. 

9  ;  xxxvi.  7  ;  Ivi.  7  ;  Ix.  7. 
air.  Aey.  Ivii.  8  rel. 

I.  x.  25  ;  (xvi.   4)  ;    xxix.  17.  —  II. 
xxiv.  6. 

II.  xli.  2,  25;  xliii.  5;  xlv.  6;  xlvi. 
11  ;  lix.  19. 

air.  7ey.  Iv.  12  rel. 

II.  xxv.  6,  8  ;  xliii.  25  ;  xliv.  22. 

an.  Acy.  xliv.  13  abs. 

II.  xlv.  13  ;  Iv.  1. 

Plur.  an.  Aey.  Ixiv.  10  rel. 

I.  xxii.  12.—  II.  Ivi.  12. 

II.  Iv.  7,  8,  9  ;  lix.  7  ;  Ixv.  2  ;  Ixvi.  18. 

I.  xxix.  15.—  II.  xlii.  16. 
air.  Aey.  liv.  14  rel. 

air.  Xey.  xlv.  3  rel. 

II.  Ix.  21  ;  Ixi.  3. 

Plur.  abs.  I.  i.  22,  30  ;  iii.  1  ;  xi.  9  ; 

xii.  3  ;  xvii.  12,  13  ;  xviii.  2  ;  xix. 

5,  8  ;  xxi.   14  ;  xxiii.  3  ;  xxviii.  2, 

17;  xxx.  14,  20,  25;  xxxii.  2,   20; 

xxxvii.  25.—  II.  xiv.  23  ;  xxxv.  6, 

7  •  16  times  in  chaps,  xl.  —  Ixvi. 
Constr.  '0  I.  viii.  6,  7  ;  (xv.  6,  9)  ;  xxii. 

9,  11.—  II.  xxxvi.  16  ;  xlviii.  1  ;  li. 

10;  liv.  9. 


VOCABULARY  COMPARED. 


729 


Constr.  'O'D  I.  xxxiii.  16.— II.  xxxvi. 

11 ;  Ivii.  20 ;  Iviii.  11. 
Semen  virile  an-,  fay.  xlviii.  1  rel. 
I'llP'p  I.  xi.  4  (in  eth.   sense). — II.  xl.   4; 

xlii.  16. 

jnt^O  I.  xxxiii.  15. — II.  xxvi.  7 ;  xiv.  19. 
IfVp  an.  fay.  liv.  2  rel. 

3ijop  Plur.  noiqp  II.  liii.  3. 

Plur.  0'3fcb  II.  liii.  4. 
an.  fay.  li.  20  abs. 

I.  viii.  14.— II.  Ivii.  14. 
•do  II.  xxiv.  2 ;  1.  1 ;  lii.  3. 

K^O  Kal.  I.  i.  15 ;  ii.  6 ;  vi.  1  ;  xi.  9 ;  (xv. 

9) ;  xxii.  7  ;  xxviii.  8  ;  xxx.  27. — 

II.  xiii.  21  ;  xiv.  21 ;  xxi.  3;  xxvii. 

6;  xxxiv.  6;  xl.  2. 
Niph.  I.  ii.  7,  8 ;  vi.  4. 
Piel  I.  xxiii.  2;  xxxin.  5.— II.  Ixv. 

11,  20. 
0  an.  fay.  Ixiii.  3  rel. 

Subst.  I.  vi.  3;  viii.  8;  xxxi.  4.— II. 

xxxiv.  1 ;  xlii.  10. 

II.  xxxiv.  12 ;  Ixii.  3. 
Sb  Niph.  an.  fay.  li.  6  abs. 

DnSp  Sing.  I.  ii.  4;  iii.  2,  25;  vii.  1;  xxi.  15; 
xxii.   2;    xxviii.  6.  — II.    xiii.   4; 
xxvii.  4;  xxxvi.  5;  xli.  12;  xlii.  25. 
Plur.  I.  xxx.  32.— II.  xlii.  13. 
-  Piel  II-  xxxiv.  15;  xxxvii.  38;  xlvi.  2. 
T  Niph.  I.  xx.  6.— II.  xlix.  24,  25. 
Hiph.  I.  xxxi.  5.— II.  Ixvi.  7. 
air.  fay.  xliii.  27  rel. 
air.  fay.  xli.  21  abs. 


an.  fay.  xlviii.  19  abs. 
O  an-,  fay.  Ixi.  3  abs. 


n  ii.  xlix.  24,  25. 

^OO  I.  ix.  6;  x.  10;  xvii.  3;  xix.  2;  xxiii. 
H    17.—II.  xiii.  11,  19;  xiv.  16 ; 
xxxvii.  16,  20;  xlvii.  5;  Ix.  12. 
Sy.D3  I.  vi.  2.— II-  xiv.  13;  xiv.  8. 
IjDDIp  an.  A«y.  Ixv.  12  rel. 
H30  Kal  II.  Ixv.  12. 

T  Niphalll.  Hii.  12.  . 

I.xi.  10;  xxvm.  12;  xxxii.  18.— 11- 

Ixvi.  1. 
an-.  fay.  lii.  12  rel. 

nn;6  I.  i.  13;  xix.  21.-II.  xxxix.  1 ;  rim. 

23;  Ivii.  6;  Ixvi.  3,  20. 
"in  air.  fay.  Ixv.  11  abs. 
'JO-JO  I.  xxx.  ll.-'*r»  II.  xlvi.  3. 
"-UDD  II.  xxiv.  22 -  Ixii.  7. 
r^DO  I.  xxx.  1.  22.-H.  xlii.  17. 
nSon  I.  vii.  3;  xi.  16;  xix.  23;  xxxiii.  8 - 
II.  xxxvi.  2;  xl.  3;  xlix.  11;  lix. 
7 ;  Ixii.  10. 

npOD  an.  fay.  xli.  7  rel. 
1p6n  air.  tey.  liii.  3  abs. 
D'^npD  air.  tey.  xiv.  3  rel. 
SJ.pb  OTT.  Aey.  Hx.  8  rel. 

II.  xliii.  5;  xlv.6;l«.19. 


>7P  II.  lix.  17  ;  Ixi.  10. 

>7P.  (I.  xvi.  11.)— II.  xlviii  19;  xux.  1; 

Ixiii.  15. 

[;j;p_  I.  xii.  3.— II.  xli.  18. 
0#0  an.  fay.  li.  10  rel. 
J$tf  an.  Aey.  1.  11  aba. 
0  an.  fay.  xliv.  12  rel. 

°Tpy:?-  «*•  foy.  xlii.  16  aba. 
•^0  an.  fay.  xiv.  6  aba. 
fe£J3  I.  ii.  8;  iii.  24;  v.  12,  19;  x.  12;  xvii. 
8;    xix.     14,  15,  25;    xxviii.   21; 
xxix.    15,    16,  23.— II.   xxvi.    12; 
xxxvii.  19 ;  8  times  in  chaps.  Ix. — 
Ixvi. 

p  I.  xvii.  13;  xxix.  5.— II.  xli.  15. 
*n  Kal  I.  x.  10,  14.— II.  xxxvii.  8  ;  xli. 

12;  Ivii.  10;  Iviii.  3,  13. 
Niph.  xxii.  3;  xxx.  14. — II.  xiii.  15; 
xxxv.  9;  xxxvii.  4;  xxxix.  2 ;    li. 
3 ;  Iv.  6 ;  Ixv.  1,  8. 
0  rixa  an.  fay.  xli.  12  abs. 

an.  fay.  li.  17  rel. 
nip  an.  fay.  Iviii.  4  rel. 
11XO  Sing.  I.  xxix.  13.— II.  xxxvi.  21. 

Plur.  II.  xlviii.  18. 
PVp  an.  fay.  xlviii.  4  rel. 
an.  fay.  Ixiii.  18  rel. 
an.  fay.  Ixvi.  11  abs. 
0  an.  fay.  xliv.  12  rel. 
an.  fay.  li.  1  rel. 
I.  viii.  14;  (xvi.  12) —II.  be.  13";  Ixiii. 

18. 

PO  I.  v.  8;  vii.  23;  xviii.  7;  xxii.  23,  25; 
xxviii.  8;  xxxiii.  21.— II.  xiii.  13; 
xiv.  2 ;  xxvi.  21 ;  xiv.  19 ;  xlvi.  7 ; 
xlix.  20;  liv.  2;  Ix.  13;  Ixvi.  1. 
an.  fay.  xliv.  13  abs. 
no  gutta  an.  fay.  xl.  15  abs. 
H>np  I.  ii.  3— II.  Hi-  14 ;  liii.  2. 
rno  I.  1.  20 ;  iii.  8.— II.  1-  5;  Ixiii.  10. 
"TOO  an.  fay.  Iviii.  7  rel. 
bi-10  I.  xx.  16;  xxxii.  15;  xxxiii.  v.  16.— 
II.  xxiv.  18,  21 ;  xxvi.  5  ;  xxxvii. 
23;  xxxviii.   14;  Ivii.  lo;  Ivm.  4. 
pmo  mmD  n«)  H.  xiii.  5;  xlvi.  11. 


13310  PI.  1-  ^ V;  xxii.  18.-II.  Ixvi.  15. 
rio^p  air.  fay.  liii-  9  rel- 
So  an.  Xe>.xlix.  9  rel. 
*0  I.  xiv.  28;  (xv.  1);  xvii.  1;  x 
T"         xxi.   11,13;  xxii.  1,25;  Mm.  1; 
xxx.  6.-II.  xiii.  1;  xxi.  l;xlvi. 

D  I  viiiV,  xxxii.  13,  14.-H.  xxiv.  8, 
11;  lx.15;  Ixii.  5;  Ixv.  18;  Ixvi. 
10. 


730 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


3l 


air.  fey.  lii.  14  abs. 

• 

a*.  fey.  xlv.  1  rel. 
Kal  part.  I.  v.  18.—  II.  Ixvi.  19. 
Niph.  II.  xiii.  22. 
Pual  part.  I.  xviii.  2,  7. 
II.  Ivii.  7,  8. 
Plur.  II.  Ivii.  2. 
O  dominari  perf.Kal.I.  iii.  12.  —  II.  Ixiii. 

19. 
Part.  act.  I.  (xvi.  1);  xxviii.  14.  —  II. 

xiv.  5  ;  xl.  10  ;  xlix.  7  ;  lii.  5. 
Impf.  I.  iii.  4  ;  xix.  4. 
v.  denom.=(.o  compare  Niph.  II.  xiv.  10. 

'  Hiph.  II.  xlvi.  5. 
II.  Ixi.  7  bis. 
II.  xlii.  22,  24. 
I.  i.  17;   xxi.  27;  iii.  14;  iv.  4;  v.  7, 

16;  ix.  6;  x.  2;  (xvi.  5);   xxviii. 

6,  17,  26;  xxx.  18  ;  xxxii.  1,7,  16; 

xxxiii.  5.  —  II.  xxvi.  8,  9;  xxxiv. 

5;  xl.  14,  27;  xli.  1;    xlii.  1,  3,  4; 

xlix.  4  ;  li.  4  ;  liii.  8  ;  liv.  17  ;  Ivi. 

1;  Iviii.  2,8;  lix.  8,9,  11,14,  15; 

Ixi.  8. 
air.  fey.  xl.  22  abs. 

I.  iii.  25;  v.  13.—  II.  xli.  14. 

I.  xi.  5  ;  xx.  2—  II.  xxi.  3  ;  xlv.  1. 


HKJ  Pil.  gratum  esse  air.  fey.  lii.  7  rel. 
"  DW  I.  i.  24  ;  iii.  15  ;   xvii.  3,  6  ;  xix.  4  ; 

xxii.  25;  xxx.  1  ;  xxxvii.  34.  —  II. 

xiv.  22,  23;  xli.  14;  xliii.  10,  12; 

xlix.  18;  lii.  5;  liv.  17  ;  Iv.  8;  Ivi. 

8;  lix.  20;  Ixvi.  2,  17,  22. 
*]W  Part.  Piel  an.  fey.  Ivii.  3  rel. 
I'M  Piel  I.  i.  4  ;  v.  24.—  II.  Ix.  14. 

T  Hithp.  II.  Hi.  5^ 
H33  arc.  fey.  Ivi.  10  abs. 

B3:  Piel  I.  v.  30. 

Hiph.  I.  v.  12;  viii.  22;  xviii.  4  ;  xxii. 
8,  11-  —  II.  xxxviii.  11  ;  xlii.  16  ;  li. 
1,  2,  6;  Ixiii.  5,  15;  Ixiv.  8;  Ixvi.  2. 
jyi"3JI  air.  fey.  Ix.  7  rel. 
3$  I.  i.  7,  16  ;   v.  21—  H.  xxiv.  23  ;  xl. 
17;    xlvii.  14;   xlix.  16;  lix.  12; 
Ixi.  11. 

PU3  I.  iv.  5—  II.  1.  10  ;  Ix.  3,  19;  Ixii.  1. 
nnjj  Plur.  CLTT.  "key.  lix.  9  abs. 
TJJ  air.  fey.  Iv.  4  rel. 
yjJ  Kal  perf.  I.  vi.  7;  (xvi.  8). 
Kal  part.  pass.  liii.  4. 
Kal  impf.  lii.  11. 
Hiph.  I.  v.  8  ;  vi.  7  ;  viii.  8  ;  xxx.  4. 

—II.  xxv.  12  ;  xxvi.  6. 
JUJ  OTT.  fey.  liii.  8  rel. 

iW3  Kal  part.  I.  iii.  12  ;  ix.  3.—  II.  xiv.  2  ; 

Ix.  17. 

Kal  imperf.  II.  Iviii.  3. 
Niph.  I.  iii.  5.—  II.  liii.  7. 
tfJ3  Kal  imper.  II.  xlix.  20. 


mj 


in: 


Kal  impf.  II.  xli.  1  ;  1.  8  ;  Ixv.  5. 
Niph.  I.  xxix.  12. 
Hiph.  II.  xli.  22;  xlv.  21. 
Hithp.  II.  xlv.  20. 
Piel  air.  Aey.  Ixvi.  5  rel. 
Niph.  I.  xix.  7.—  II.  xli.  2. 

I.  xi.  6;  xx.  4.—  II.  xlix.  10;  Ix.  11; 

Ixiii.  14. 

II.  xl.  11;  xlix.  10;  li.  18. 
to  •stream  an.  fey.  \\.  2  rel. 
to  shine  an-.  Aty.  Ix.  5  rel. 

Sing.  I.  vii.  20;  viii.  7;  xi.  15;  xix.  5. 

II.  xxvii.  12;  xlviii.  18;  lix.  19; 

Ixvi.  12. 
Plur. 


nu 

'.T 

n« 


DM 

nu 

TT 

Sn 
nnj 


Sn 


DPJ 


hen 


rn  I.  xix.    6.—  II.  xli.  18; 

xlii.  15;'  xliii.  2,  19,  20;  xliv.  27; 

xlvii.  2  ;  1.  2. 

Plur.  Dnnj  I.  xviii.  1,2,  7  ;  xxxfii.  21. 
air.  fay.  Ivii.  10  rel. 
(K'ri  TJ)  OTT.  fey.  Ivii.  19  rel. 
Kal  II.  li.  19. 
Hithp.  II.  xxiv.  20. 
I.  xxxii.    18;  xxxiii.  20.  —  II.  xxvii. 

10;  xxxiv.  13;  xxxv-  7  ;  Ixv.  10. 
Kal  I.  vii.   2,  19  ;  xi.  2  ;  xxiii.   12.— 

II.  xiv.  7;  xxv.  10;  Ivii.  2. 
Hiph.  ryjn  I.  xxviii.  12;  xxx.  32.— 

II.  xiv.  3  ;  Ixiii.  14. 
Hiph.  !V3n  I.  xxviii.  2.—  II.  xiv.  1  ; 

xlvi.  7  ;  Ixv.  15. 
I.  v.  27.—  II.  Ivi.  10. 

I.  x.  3,  29  ;  xvii.  13  ;  xx.  6  ;    xxx.  16, 

17;    xxxi.  8.  —  II.  xiii.  14;    xxiv. 

18;  xxxv.  10  ;  li.  11. 
Pilel  air.  fey.  lix.  19  abs. 
Hiph.  lii.  15  ;  Ixiii.  3. 

Kal  part.  II.  xliv.  3. 
Kal  impf.  II.  xlv.  8. 
Niph.  II.  Ixiii.  19;  Ixiv.  2. 
Hiph.  II.  xlviii.  21. 
to  lead  II.  Ivii.  18  ;  Iviii.  11. 

II.  xlv.  2;  xlviii.  4. 

Kal  II.  Ivii.  13. 

Hiph.  II.  xlix.  8. 

Hithp.  II.  xiv.  2. 

I.  vii.  19;  xi.  15;  xv.  7;  xxx.  28,  33. 

II.  xxvii.  12;  xxxiv.  9;«xxxv.  6; 

Ivii.  5,  6;  Ixvi.  12. 
I.  xix.  25.  —  II.  xlvii.  6  ;    xix.  8  ;  liv. 

17;  Iviii.  14;  Ixiii.  17. 
Niphal  I.  i.  24.—  II.  Ivii.  6. 

Piel  I.  xii.  1  ;  xxii.  4.  —  II.  xl.  1  ;  xlix. 

13;  li.  3,  12,  19;  lii.  9;  Ixi.  2. 
Pual  II.  liv.  11;  Ixvi.  13. 
air.  fey.  Ivii.  18  rel. 

I.  xiv.  29.—  II.  xxvii.  1  ;  Ixv.  25. 

air.  fey.  Ix.  17  bis.  rel. 

Kal  perf.  I.  xxiii.  11.—  II.  xxxiv.  11  ; 

xliv.  13;  xiv.  12. 
Kal  part,  act,  II.  xl.  22;  xlii.  5;   xliv. 

22  ;  li.  13;  Ixvi.  12. 


VOCABULAEY  COMPAEED. 


731 


Kal  part.  pass.  I.  iii.  16;  v.  25;  ix.  11, 

16,  20;  x.  4— II.  xiv.  26,  27. 
Kal  impf.  I.  v.  25.  . 
Hiph.   I.  x.  2 ;    xxix.    21 ;   xxx.    11 ; 
xxxi.  3.     II.  xxxvii.  17;  xliv.  20; 
liv.  2;  Iv.  3. 
D3  II.  xl.  15 ;  Ixiii.  9. 
03  I.  v.  2;  xvii.  10.— II.  xxxvii.  30;   Ix. 

24;  xliv.  14;  li.  16;  Ixv.  21,  22. 
D3T  Hiph.  perf.  I.  ix.  12;  x.  20;  xi.  4,15; 
xiv.    29. — II.    xiv.    6 ;    xxvii.    7 ; 
xxxvii.  38;  1.  6;  Iviii.  4;  Ix.  10; 
Ixvi.  3. 

Hiph.  impf.  I.  v.  25;  x.  24;  xxx.  31  ; 
xxxvii.  36.— II.  xlix.  10;  Ivii.  17. 
Hoph.  I.  i.  5.— II.  liii.  4  (part.). 
H33   (I.  xvi.  7).— II.  Ixvi.  2. 

VT      X 

II.  Ivii.  2. 


nilJ  oing.  II.  lix.  14. 

'  Plur.  I.  xxx.  10.— II.  xxvi.  10. 
1D3  Hiph.  II.  Ixi.  9 ;  Ixiii.  16. 
1D3  (or  '3  '33)  11.  Ivi.  3,  6;    Ix.  10;   Ixi. 

5;  Ixii.  8. 

D3  I.  v.  26;  xi.  10,  12;  xviii.  3;  xxx.  17; 
xxxi.  9;    xxxiii.  23.— II.  xiii.  2; 
xlix.  22;  Ixii.  10. 
3D3.  Kal  II.  lix.  13. 

T  Niph.  II.  lix.  14. 
}D3  I.  xxix.  10;  xxx.  1.— II.  xxv.  7;  xl. 

19 ;  xliv.  10. 
I)?;,  molten  image  II.  xli.  29 ;  xlvm.  5. 

drink  offering  II.  Ivii.  6. 
iyf3  II.  xlvii.  12, 15;  liv.  6. 

3  only  in  Isaiah  I.  vii.  19.— II.  Iv.  13. 
1J/3  Kal  I.  xxxiii.  9,  15. 

T  Hithp.  II.  Hi.  2. 

1J?3  I.  iii.  4,  5;  vii.  16  ;  vui.  4;  x.  19 ;  xi. 
6-  xx.  4.— II.  xiii.  18;  xxxvii.  6; 
Ix.  30;  Ixv.  20. 
H33  air.  fay.  liv.  16rel. 

^33  Kal  perf.  and  part.  I.  iii.  8;  viii.  15; 

ix.  7,  9;  xvi.  9;  xxii.  15 ;  xxx  13 ; 

xxxi.  3,  8.-H.   xiv.  12;  xxi.  9 ; 

xxiv.  20. 

Kal.  inf.  I.  xxx.  25.  ... 

Kalimpf.I.iii.25;x.4,34.-II.xin. 

15;  xxiv.  18;  xxvi.  18;  xlvn.H; 
liv.  15.  .. 

Hiph.  I.  xxvi.  19 ;  xxxiv.  17 ;  xxxvii.  7. 
tf  93  I.  i.  14 ;  iii.  9,  20 ;  v.  14 ;  x.  18 ;  xv.  4 ; 
xix.  10;   xxix.   8;    xxxii.   6.— II. 
xxvi.  8,   9;   xxxviii.  15,  17. 
chaps,  xl.-lxvi.  22  times. 
t?33  =  desire:  I.  v.  14;  xxix.  8— II. 

'  Iv.  2;  Ivi.  11;  Iviii.  10. 
m3  succus  II.  Ixiii.  3,  6. 

mj   D'm:  nsu  n.  xxxiv.  10. 


npS  L  xxviii.  28;  xxxiii.  20.— H- 
"xiii.  20;  xxv.  8;  Ivii.  16. 

«3  Niph.  I.  xx.  6.— II.  xxxvii.  11. 

•THipl,I.xix.20;*x*i.5.-H.xxxvi. 


.  14,  15,  18,  19,  20;  xxxvii.  12; 
xxxviii.  6;  xliv.  17,  20;  xlvii.  14; 
1.2;  Ivii.  13. 

j'W  I.  v.  29.— II.  xiii.  22 ;  xliii. 


1V3 

~T 

1X3 

3M 
?> 

DD3 


13. 


I.  i.  8;  viii.  16.— II.  xxvi.  3;  xxvii.  3; 
xiii.  6 ;  xlviii.  6  ;  xlix.  6 ;  Ixv.  4. 

I.  xi.  1.— II.  xiv.  19 ;  Ix.  21. 

II.  xxxvi.  6 ;  Ixii.  2. 

C3  01)  a*,  fay.  lix.  7  rel. 

II.  xxxiv.  8 ;  xxxv.  4 ;  xlvii.  4 ;   lix. 

17;  Ixi.  2;  Ixiii.  4. 
OTT.  fay.  li.  1  rel. 

Kal.  perf.  I.  v.  26;  x.  26;  xi.  12;  xxii. 

6. — II.  xiv.  4;  xxxvii.  4;  Iii.  8;  liii. 

4,  12. 

Kal  part.  act.  II.  xiv.  20;  Iii.  11. 
Kal  part.  pass.  I.  iii.  3;  ix.  14  [WfeTJ 

D'3fl) .— II.  xlvi.  i.  3. 
Kal  part.  pass.  I.  xxxiii.  24  jty  Nfrp)- 
Kal.  inf.  constr.  I.  i.  14 ;  xviii.  3. 
Kal  imper.  II.  xiii.  2;  xl.  26;  li.  6; 

Ix.  4. 
Kal  impf.  I.  ii.  4,  9;  iii.  7  ;  viii.  4;  x. 

24 ;  xxx.  6 ;  xxxvii.  23. — II.  xxiv. 

14;  xxxviii.  21;  11  times  in  chaps. 

xl.-lxvi. 
Niph.  part,  I.  ii.  2,  12,  13,  14;  vi.  1 ; 

xxx.  25.— II.  Ivii.  7,  15. 
Niph.  perf.  II.  xxxix.  6 ;  Iii.  13. 
Niph.  impf.  I.  xxxiii.  10.— II.  xl.  4 ; 

xlix.  22;  Ixvi.  12. 
Piel  impf.  II.  Ixiii.  9. 

NtW  with  Tip  =  vocem  efferre  I.  iii.  7. — 

T  T 

II.  xiii.  11. 
i  Hiph.  II.  xxxv.  10;  li.  11 ;  lix.  9. 

j  Hiph.  air.  fay.  xliv.  15  rel. 

foenerari  II.  xxiv.  2;  1.  1. 

oblivuei  air.  fay.  xliv.  21  rel. 

OTT.  fay.  xiii.  14  abs. 

I.  ii.  22;  xxx.  33.— II.  xiii.  5;  Ivii.  16. 
W3  air.  fay.  xl.  24  rel. 
t}tf3  I.  v.  11.— II.  xxi.  4 ;  lix.  10. 
O'fU  II.  xiii.  16;  xliii.  16;  Iviii.  12;  lix.  8. 
Tpn3  Niph.  I.  v.  27;  xxxiii.  20. 

T  Piel  II.  Iviii.  6. 
1fi3  Hiph.  air.  fay.  Ivin.  6  rel. 


D- 

«3D  air.  fay.  Ivi.  12  rel. 

yyo  II.  xiii.  25;  xlix.  18;  Ix.  4. 

•  T 

SDD  II.  xlvi.  4,  7 ;  liii.  4,  11. 
130  II.  xliv.  15,  17,  19;  xlvi.  6. 

130  air.  fay.  xli.  25  rel. 

WI  xxii.  22.-II- xxiv.  10,  22;  xxvi.  20; 

xlv.ljlx.H. 


732 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


J1D 

DID 


iro 


nno 

—   T 

•»3? 

139 
nSo 


Niph.  with  "rtFlK  II.  xlii.  17;  1.  5. 

I.  ii.  7;  v.  28;  xxx.  16;  xxxi.  1,  3. — 

II.  xxxvi.   8;  xliii.  17;  Ixiii.  13; 

Ixvi.  20. 
Verb.  an.  Aey.  Ixvi.  17  rel. 

I.  v.  28;  xvii.  13;  xxix.  6.— II.  xxi.  1; 

Ixvi.  15. 
Kal  I.  vi.  7;  vii.  17;  x.27;  xi.  13;  xiv. 

25;  xxx.  11.— II.  Hi.  11;  lix.  15. 
Hiph.  I.  i.  16,  25;  iii.  1,  18;  v.  5,  23; 

x.  13;  xvii.  1;  xviii.5;  xxxi.  2. — 

II.  xxv.  8 ;   xxvii.   9 ;   xxxvi.   7  ; 

Iviii.  9. 

an.  /ley.  xlix.  21  rel. 
Kal  perf.  I.  xxiii.  3.— II.  xlv.  14. 
Part  Kal  I.  xxiii.  2,  8.— II.  xlvii.  15. 
an.  "key.  xliv.  25  rel. 
Kal  part.  act.  I.  xxii.  15. 

Part.  Pual  II.  xl.  20. 
an.  /ley.  lv.  7  rel. 


DD 


•TJD 

Y3D 

1£3D 


HO  II.  Ivii.  15  (bis) ;  Ixii.  10 

^D  I.  ii.  21 ;  vii.  19 ;  (xvi.  1) ;  xxii.  17 ; 

xxxi.  9 ;    xxxii.   2 ;    xxxiii.   16. — • 
II.  xlii.  11 ;  Ivii.  5. 
|OD  II.  xxvi.  3;  lix.  16;  Ixiii.  5;  Niph. 

xxxvi.  6  ;  xlviii.  2. 
an.  Aey.  Ii.  8  abs. 

fissum  I.  ii.  21. — II.  Ivii.  5. 

ramus   I.   xvii.   6;    (vgl.   x.   33). — II. 

xxvii.  10. 

Part.  act.  an.  Aey.  liv.  11  rel. 
I.  xxix.  6.— II.  xl.  24;  xli.  16. 
an.  /ley.  liv.  11  rel. 
Kal  I.  xxii.  10;  xxxiii.  18. 
Piel  II.  xliii.  21,  26. 
Pual  II.  Iii.  15. 

I.  xxix.  11,  12,  18;  xxx.  8;  xxxiii.  18. 

II.  xxxiv.  4,  16 ;  xxxvi.  3 ;  xxxvii. 

2,  14;  xxxix.  1;  1.  1. 
nur  Piel  =  to  free  from  stones  I.  v.  2. — 

II.  Ix.  10. 
cessatio  I.  i.  5 ;  xxxi.  6. — II.  xiv.  6 ;  lix. 

13. 

II.  xxxix.  7 ;  Ivi.  3,  4. 

an.  tay.  lv.  13  abs. 

Part.  "HID  I.  i.  23;  xxx.  1.— II.  Ixv.  2. 

Niph.  I.  xxviii.  15.— H.  xl.  27;  Ixv. 

16. 

Piel  (I.  xvi.  3). 
Hiph.  I.  viii.  17 ;  xxix.  15. — II.  xlix. 

2;  1.  6;  liii.  3;  liv.  8;  Ivii.  17;  lix. 

2;  Ixiv.  6. 

Hith.  I.  xxix.  14.— II.  xlv.  15. 
I.  (xvi.  4) ;  xxviii.  17 ;  xxxii.  2. — II. 

xlv.  19;  xlviii.  16. 


y 

I.  v.  6;  xviii.  4;  xix.  1.— II.  xiv.  14; 
xxv.  5;  xliv.  22;  Ix.  8. 


mo 

T  T 

D'10 


jTj; 
*nj? 


Kal  I.  xix.  9,  21,  23;  xxviii.  21;  xxx 

24.—  II.  Ix.  12. 
Pual  II.  xiv.  3. 
Hiph.  II.  xliii.  23,  24. 
in  a  general  sense  I.  xx.  3  ;  xxii.  20.  — 

II.  xiv.  2;  xxiv.  2;  xxxvi.  9,  11; 

xxxvii.  5,  24,  35;  9  times  in  chaps. 

xl.-lxvi. 
as  ''  naj;    II.  xli.  8;  xlii.  1,  19;  xliii. 

10;  xliv.  1,  2,  21,  26;  xlv.  4;  xlviii. 

20;  xlix.  3,  5,  6;  1.  10;  Iii.  13;  liii. 

Kal  L  (xvi.  8)  ;  x.  28,  29.—  II.  xxiv.  5. 
Kal   part.    act.   I.   xxiii.  2;    xxix.  5; 

xxxiii.  8.—  II.  xxxiv.  10;  Ii.  23;  Ix. 

15. 
Kal  inf.  constr.  I.  xxviii.  19.  —  II.  Ii. 

10;  liv.  9. 
Kal    imper.    I.   xxiii.  6,   10,   12.—  II. 

xlvii.  2;  Ixii.  10. 
Kal  impf.  I.  xxviii.  15,  16,  19;  xxxi. 

9;  xxxiii.  21.  —  II.  xxvi.  20;  xxxv. 

8;  xl.  27;  xli.  3;  xliii.  2;  xlv.  14; 

Ii.  23. 

with  f?  a-.  Aey.  xl.  27  rel. 
I.  vii.  20;  viii.  23;  xviii.  1.—  II.  xlvii. 

15. 
Subst.  and  adv.  I.  ix.  5.—  II.  xlv.  17  ; 

Ivii.  15. 
1#S  I.  xxx.  8.—  II.  Ixiv.  8. 

iy_  ^£11.  xxvi.  4;  Ixv.  18. 

I.  viii.  2;  xix.   20.—  II.  xliii.  9,  10; 

xliv.  8,9;  lv.  4. 
Kal  an.  Aey.  Ixi.  10  rel. 
an.  ?.ey.  xlix.  18  rel. 
air.  /ley.  Ixiv.  5  abs. 
an.  /ley.  xlvii.  8  abs. 
(comp.  p.#  xxxvii.  12)  a*".  Aey.  Ii.  3  rel. 
Niph.  IL  xxxiv.  16;  xl.  26;  lix.  15. 
I.  xvii.  2;  xxxii.  14.—  II.  xl.  11. 

I.  i.  5;  ii.  4;  v.  4,  25;  xxiii.  12;  xxx. 
20.—  II.  xiv.  1  ;  xxvi.  21  ;  xxxviii. 
11  ;  xlv.  6,  14,  22  ;  xlvi.  9  ;  xlvii.  10  ; 
Ii.  22;  liv.  9;  Ivi.  8;  Ixii.  4;  Ixv.  24. 

I.  vii.  8;  xxi.  16. 

£3£D  ity  I.  x.  25  ;  xxix.  17. 

II.  xlix.  15  ;  Ixv.  20. 
an.  ?.ey.  lix.  3  rel. 

_  nSlj;  a;r.  Xey.  Ixi.  rel. 

I.  ix.  6;  xxx.  8;  xxxii.  14,  17;  xxxiii. 
14.  —  II.  xxiv.  5  ;  xxxiv.  17  ;  xxxv. 
10;  beside  in  chap?,  xl.-lxvi.  19 
times. 

DVU'1?  H.  xiv.  20;  xxv.  2;  xxxiv.  10; 
T  xl.  8  ;  xlvii.  7  ;  Ii.  6,  8  ;  Ixi.  21. 

O  II.  xlii.  14;  xlvi.  9;  Ivii.  11; 
Ixiii.  16,  19  ;  Ixiv.  3. 
Si;'  II.  xxvi.  4;  xlv.  17  (bis)  Ivii.  9. 


VOCABULARY  COMPARED. 


733 


y_  'D?y  OTT.  /Uy.  xlv.  17  abs. 
}1Jt£  L  i.  4  ;  v.  18  ;  vi.  7  ;  xxii.  14 ;  xxx.  13; 
xxxiii.  24. — II.   xiii.  11;   xiv.  10, 
21 ;  xxvi.  21 ;  xxvii.  9  ;  xl.  2 ;  xliii. 
24 ;  1.  1 ;  liii.  5,  6, 11 ;  Ivii.  17 ;  xxix. 
2,  3,  12 ;  Ixiv.  5,  6,  9 ;  Ixv.  7. 
jty  Sing.  fern.  II.  Ivii.  3. 

Plur.  I.  ii.  6. 
\*y  volare  Kal  I.  vi.  2;  xi.  14 ;  xxxi.  5.— II. 

Ix.  8. 

Poel  I.  vi.  6  ;  xxx.  6.— II.  xiv.  21. 
Wy  consilium  capere  OT.  /ley.  viii.  10  rel. 
V  Imper.  Kal  II.  li.  9 ;  Hi.  1. 

Hiph.  II.  xiii.  17;  xli.  2,  25;  xlii.  13; 

xlv.  13 ;  1.  4  (bis). 
Pol.  I.  x.  26 ;  (xv.  5) ;  xxiii.  13.— II. 

xiv.  9. 

Hith.  II.  li.  17  ;  Ixiv.  6. 
"W  Sin8-   IL   xxxv.   5;   xl«-  16,  18,  19; 

xliii.  8. 
Plur.  D'  I.  xxix.  18.— II.  Ivi.  10;  lix.  10. 

Plur.  ffl  drr.  Aey.  xlii.  7  abs. 
ity  OTT.  Asy.  1.  4  abs. 
W_  Adject.  I.  xix.  4.— II.  xxv.  3 ;  xliii.  16 ; 

Ivi.  11. 
iy  I.  xii.  2.— II.  xxvi.  1 ;  xlv.  24;  xlix.  5; 

li.  9 ;  Hi.  1 ;  Ixii.  8. 
3TJ!  Kal  perf.  I.  i.  4 ;  xvii.  9— II.  xlii.  16 ; 

xlix.  14 ;  liv.  7  ;  Iviii.  2. 
Kal  part.  act.  I.  i.  28. — II.  Ixv.  11. 
Kal  part.  pass.  I.  vi.  12 ;  x.  14 ;  xvii.  2, 

9— II.  liv.  6;lx.  15;  Ixii.  4. 
Kal  impf.  I.  x.  3— II.  xli.  17 ;  Iv.  7. 
Niph.  I.  vii.  16;  xviii.  6.— II.  xxvii. 

10 ;  Ixii.  12. 
Pu.  I.  xxxii.  14. 
my  a-.  Asy.  xlii.  25  rel. 
Wy  HT.  tay.  xliii.  17  rel. 
1TJ»  I.  xxx.  7  ;  xxxi.  3.— II.  xli.  6,  10,  13, 
14;xliv.  2;  xlix.  8 ;  1.  7,  9;lxiii.5. 
Ka>  I.  xxii.  17  (bis).— II.  hx.  17. 
arr.  "key.  Ivii.  16  rel. 
?  I.  xxviii.  1,  3,  5— II.  Ixii.  3. 
'\yy  L  xviii.  6  (bis).— II.  xlvi.  11. 
ry_  Sing.  II.  xiii.  16,  18;  Hi.  8;  Ixiv.  3. 
"  Dual  I.  i.  15,  16;  beside  19  times  in 
prt  I.— II.  xxxv.  5;   xxxvm.  3 
14 ;  beside  15  times  in  chaps,  xl.- 
Ixvi. 

r^s  \"y.  <**•  fey- ln-  8  re 

*\'y  Masc.  I.  v.  27 ;  xxviii.  12;  xxix.  8. 
T  Fern.  I.  xxxii.  2— II.  xlvi.  1. 

S'JJ  dTT.  Aey.  Ix.  6  rel. 

TJ7  urbs.  Sing.  I.  i.  8 ;  beside  9  times  in  Prt 
I— II.  xxiv.  12;  xxv.  2;  xxvi.  1 
xxvii.  10;  xxxvi.  15;  xxxvn  L 
34,  35;  xxxviii.  6;  6  times  in  chaps 

Plur'lf 7;  vi.  11;  xvii.  2,  9;  xix^l 
II.  xiv.  17, 21;  xxxvi.  l;xl.  9;  xii 
ll;xliv.  26;liv.  3;lxi.  4;lxiv.  9. 

1j?  air.  tey.  xi.  1  rel. 

«  TJJ;  (s.  u.  Enp)  OJT.  for-  ix. 14  re 

comp.  Ps.  xlviii.  9;ci.  8. 


13%  a*.  Xey.  lix.  5  rel. 
a;r.  Aey.  Ixvi.  17  rel. 
dT.  foy.  Ixv.  10  rel. 

y  jugum  I.   ix.  3;  x.  27;  xiv.  25.— II. 

xlvii.  6. 

Kal.  I.  ii.  3;  v.  6,  24;  vii.  1,  6;  viiL 
7;  xi.  16;  xxii.  1;  xxxii.  13; 
xxxvii.  24,  29.— II.  xiv.  8,  13,  14; 
xv.  2,  5;  xxiv.  18;  xxxiv.  3,  10, 
13;  xxxv.  9;  xxxvi.  1,  10;  xxxvii. 
14;  xxxvii.  22;  8  times  in  chaps, 
xl.-lxvi. 
Hiph.  I.  viii.  7.— II.  Ivii.  6;  Ixiii.  11; 

Ixvi.  3. 

Sj£  I.  i.  30.— H.  xxvii.  3;  xxxiv.  4;  Ixiv.  5. 
y  I.  i.  11.— II.  xl.  16;  xliii.  23;  Ivi.  7. 


air.  Aey.  liv.  4  rel. 
Vr  air.  Aey.  xl.  11  rel. 
J>  Hiph.  I.  i.  15. 
T  Hithp.  II.  Iviii.  7. 
tfcy  air.  foy.  H.  20  rel. 
JK  t\Qy  GTT.  Xey.  xli.  10  rel. 
!  Spjj  I.  x.  1.— II.  liii.  11 ;  lix.  4. 
nn^  Part.  pass.  Kal  II.  xlvi.  1,  3. 
Oj5  I.   xvii.   5;   xxii.  7;   xxviii.  21.— II. 

Ixv.  10. 
y;  Hithp.  II.  Iv.  2;  Ivii.  4;  Iviii.   14; 

Ixvi.  11. 

J>  II.  xiii.  22;  Iviii.  13. 
,)y  air.  /ley.  xlvii.  1  rel. 
\iy  respondit  I.  Hi.  9 ;  xxx.   19-— II.  xiv. 
10,  32;  xxi.  9;  xxv.  5;  xxxvi.  21; 
xli.  17;  xlvi.  7;  xlix.  8;  1.2;  Ivrn. 
9;  Hx.  12;  Ixv.  12,24;  Ixvi.  4. 
\W  inflexum  esse  Kal  I.  xxxi.  4. 

Niph.  II.  HH.  7;  Iviii.  10. 
Piel    II.    Iviii.   3,   5;    Ix.   14- 

Ixiv.  11. 
Pual  II.  HH.  4. 

ny  I.  xi.  4;  xxix.  19.— II-  Ixi.  1. 
ty  I.  Hi.  14,  15;  x.  2;  xiv.  32;  xxxii.  7. 
—II.  xxvi.  6;  xli.   17;  xHx.  13; 
Iviii.  7;  Ixvi.  2. 
Fern.  I.X.CO.-ILH.21;  liv.  11. 

"}y  air.  Aey.  xlviii   10  rel. 

|3i»  I.  iv.  5.— II-  xliv.  22. 

-py  air.  Aey.  xlix.  26  rel. 

13J?  I.  H.  10,  19;  xxix.  4.— II.  xrv.  12; 

xxvi.  5,   19;  xxxiv.  7,  9;  xl.   12; 

xH  2;  xlvii'.  1;  xlix.  23;  Hi.  2. 

n  Sing.  I-  x.  15,  19.-IL  xxxvii.  19;  m 

Chaps,  xl.-lxvi.,  8  times. 
Plur.  L  vii.  2;  xxx.  33.-II.  In  Chaps. 

xl.-lxvi.,  4  times. 
my  ]fy  air.  Aty.  xli.  19  rel. 

yty  Kal  part.  pass.  II.  liv.  6- 
Piel  II.  Ixiii-  10. 


734 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


TC 


n'fey; 


nj; 


simulacrum  I.  x.  11. — II.  xlvi.  1. 

labor  arc.  Aey.  Iviii.  3  rel. 

OTT.  Aey.  xlviii.  5  rel. 

I.  v.  19;  viii.  10;  xi.  2;  xiv.  26;  xvi. 

3;  xix.  3,  11,17;  xxviii.  29;  xxix. 

15. — II.  xxv.  1;  xxxvi.  5;  xl.  13; 

xlvi.  10,  11 ;  xlvii.  13. 
HV£  BTK  II.  xl.  13;  xlvi.  11. 

I.  viii.  7.— II.  liii.  12;  Ix.  22. 

Plur.  rilDVJ?  II.  xxxviii.  13;  Iviii.  11; 
Ixvi.  14.  T 

II.  xl.  29;  xlvii.  9. 
air.  Aey.  xli.  21  abs. 
air.  Aey.  Ixvi.  9  rel. 
air.  Aey.  liii.  8  rel. 
Piel  arr.  Aey.  Hx.  8  rel. 
air.  Aey.  liv.  1  rel. 

I.  xxxiii.  9. — II.  xxxv.  1,  6;  xl.   3; 

xli.  19;  li.  3. 

Arab-tree  (I.  xv.  7). — II.  xliv.  4. 
Pi.  I.  iii.  17 ;  xxii.  6. 

Niph.  I.  xxxii.  15. 

Hiph.  II.  liii.  12. 
I.  xx.  4.— II.  xlvii.  3. 
I.  xxix.  5,  20. — II.  xiii.  11 ;  xxv.  3,  4, 

5 ;  xlix.  25. 
I.  xxx.  33.— II.  xxi.  5;  xl.  18;  xliv. 

7;  Ixv.  11. 
air.  Aey.  Hi.  1  rel. 
I.  xx.  2,  3,  4.— II.  Iviii.  7. 
frangere  cervicem  air.  Aey.  Ixvi.  3  rel. 
air.  Aey.  xlviii.  4  rel. 
orr.  Aey,  Ix.  2  rel. 
I.  ii.  19,  21;  viii.  12,  13;  xxix.  23.— 

II.  xlvii.  12. 

I.  xxxvii.  27.— II.  xlii.  15. 
Creator    I.   xvii.   7 ;    xxix.    16.  —  II. 

xxvii.  11;  xliv.  2;  xlv.  18;  li.  13; 

liv.  5. 

tinea  II.  1.  9;  li.  8. 
air.  Aey.  liii.  9  rel. 
I.  iv.  5;  vi.  4;   ix.  17;  xiv.  31.— II. 

xxxiv.  10 ;  li.  6 ;  Ixv.  5. 
Kal  II.  Hi.  4. 
Pual  I.  xxiii.  12. 
I.  xxx.  12.— II.  liv.  14;  lix.  13. 
I.  xxix.  22;  xxx.  8;  xxxiii.  10;  xxxvii. 

26. — II.  xxxvi.  5;  xliii.  19;  xlviii. 

7 ;  xlix.  19. 
nfiJN  I.  v.  3,  5;  xvi.  14;  xxviii.  22. — 

II.  xxxvi.  8,  10;  xxxvii.  20;  xliii. 

1 ;  xliv.  1 ;  xlvii.  8 ;  xlviii.  16 ;  xlix. 

5;  Iii.  5;  Ixiv.  7. 
I.  viii.  23;  xvii.  14;  xviii.  7;  xx.  2; 

xxxiii.  2. — II.  xiii.  22;  xxxix.  1; 

xlviii.  16;  xlix.  8;  Ix.  22. 
Plur.  I.  xxxiii.  6. 


1N3 
1X3 

h;? 

•VJ'3 


ma 

T  T 


nns 
na 


P13 

mia 


ona 


npa 


Pi.  II.  lv.  5;  Ix.  7,  9,  13. 
Hithp.  I.  x.  15.— II.  xliv.  23;  xlix.  3; 
Ix.  21 ;  Ixi.  3. 

I.  iii.  20;  II.  Ixi.  3,  10. 
d?r.  /ley.  Ixv.  4  rel. 

II.  xiv.   19;   xxxiv.   3;    xxxvii.   36; 
Ixvi.  24. 

II.  xlvii.  3;  liii.  6,  12;  lix.  16;  Ixiv.  4. 

Kal  perf.  I.  xxix.  22. 

Kal  part.  pass.  I.  xxxv.  10;  li.  11. 

Niph.  I.  i.  27. 

air.  Aey.  1.  2  rel. 

I.  v.  14;  vi.  7;  ix.  11;  x.  14;  xi.  4; 

xix.   7;    xxix.    13;    xxx.   2.  —  II. 

xxxiv.  16 ;  12  times  in  Chaps,  xl.- 

Ixvi. 
ian  "  '3  I.  i.  20.— II.  xl.  5;  Iviii.  14. 

nrirs  li.  lix.  21;  ixii.  2. 

air.  /ley.  liv.  11  rel. 

(name  of  a  nation)  air.  /ley.  Ixvi.  19  abs. 

Hiph.   I.   xxviii.   25.  —  II.  xxiv.   1 ; 

xli.  16. 

Kal  I.  xxviii.  7. 
Hiph.  II.  Iviii.  10. 
air.  /ley.  Ixiii.  3  rel. 

I.  xii.  2;  xix.  16;  xxxiii.  14. — II.  xliv. 

8,  11;  li.  13;  Ix.  5. 

II.  xliv.  12;  liv.  16. 
air.  /ley.  xli.  7  rel. 

air.  Aey.  Ixvi.  19  rel. 
air.  Xey.  xlv.  20  rel. 
Hithp.  I.  (xvi.  12) ;  xxxvii.  21.— II. 

xxxvii.  15;   xxxviii.   2;  xliv.  17; 

xlv.  14,  20. 

air.  /ley.  xl.  12  rel. 

Kal  I.  viii.  21.— II.  xiii.  14;  liii.  6; 

Ivi.  11. 
Piel  II.  xl.  3;  Ivii.  14;  Ixii.  10. 

I.  x.  10;  xxx.  22.— II.  xxi.  9;  xlii.  8. 

II.  xl.  19,  20;  xlii.  17;  xliv.  9,  10,  15, 
17;  xlv.  20;  xlviii.  5. 

drr.  Aey.  xlii.  14  abs. 
I.  xxxi.  2.— II.  xxvi.  12;  xli.  4;  xliii. 
13;  xliv.  12,  15. 

I.  i.  31;  v.  12.— II.  xli.  24;  xlv.  9,  11; 

lix.  6. 

II.  xl.  10;   xlix.  4;  Ixi.  8;  Ixii.  11; 
Ixv.  7. 

passus  I.  xxxvii.  25.— II.  xxvi.  6;  xli. 

7 ;  Ixvi.  8. 

incus  a-rr.  Aey.  xli.  7  abs. 
II.  xiv.  7;  xliv.  23;  xlix.  13;  Hi.  9; 

liv.  1;  lv.  12. 
Kal  I.  x.  12;  xxiii.  17.— II.  xiii.  11; 


VOCABULARY  COMPARED. 


735 


mps 
npj) 


D13 


fens 

-    T 

ywa 


xxvi.  14,   17,  21;  xxiv.  21;  xxvii. 

1,  3;  xxxiv.  16. 
Niph.  I.  xxix.  6.— II.  xxiv.  22. 
Piel  II.  xiii.  4;  Pual  xxxviii.  10. 
Hiph.  I.  x.  28.— II.  Ixii.  6. 

I.  x.  3;  (xv.  7).— II.  Ix.  17  (in  another 

senss). 

II.  xxxv.  5;  xxxvii.  17;  xlii.  7,  20. 
Intensive  form  TTlpflpJ)   air.  fay.  Ixi. 

1  abs. 

arc.  fay.  Ixvi.  20  rel. 
fructus  proferre  I.  xi.  1;  xvii.  6;  xxxii. 

12.— II.  xlv.  8. 
I.  xvii.  11. — II.  xxvii.  6;  xxxv.  1,  2; 

Ixvi.  1. 
I.  Hi.  10;  iv.  2;  x.  12;  xiv.  29;  xxxvii. 

30,   31.  — II.   xiii.   18;    xxvii.   9; 

Ixv.  21. 

cur.  fay.  Iviii.  7  rel. 
I.  v.  5.— II.  liv.  3. 

I.  xxviii.  21 ;  xxx.  13— n.  Iviu.  12. 
an.  fay.  Ixv.  4  abs. 

Kal  and  Hithp.  II.  xxiv.  19. 

Hiph.  I.  xiv.  27;  xxxiii.  8.— II.  xxiv. 

5;  xliv.  25. 
Pual  I.  viii.  10. 

Kal  I.  xix.  8 ;  xxxiii.  23.-II.  xxxvii.  14. 
Piel  I.  i.  15.— II.  xxv.  11 ;  Ixv.  2. 
Perf.  Kal  I.  i.  2.— II.  xliii.  27. 
Part.  Kal  I.  i.  28— II.  xlvi.  8;  xlviii. 

8;  liii.  12;  Ixvi.  24. 

Inf.  Kal  II.  lix.  13. 

II.  xxiv.  20;  xliii.  25;  xliv.  22;  1.  1; 
liii.  5,  8 ;  Ivii.  4 ;  Iviii.  1 ;  Hx.  12,  20. 

II.  xlii.  3;  xliii.  17. 

I.   xxix.  5;    xxx.   13.— II.  xlvii.  11; 

xlviii.  3. 
Kal.  I.  xxii.  22.— II.  xiv.  17;  xxvi.  2; 

xli.  18;  xlv.  8;  1.5;  liii.  7. 
Niph.  I.  v.  27— II.  xxiv.  18;  xxxv. 

5;  H.  14. 
Piel  I.  xx.  2;  xxviii.  24.— II.  xlv.  1; 

xlviii.  8;  Iviii.  6;  Ix.  11. 


JKV 


3V 
UV 

-IV 


I.  vii.  21;  xxii.  13.— II.  xiii.  14;  liii. 

6;  Ix.  7;  Ixi.  5;  Ixiii.  11;  Ixv.  10. 

3;  xlviii.  19;  Ixi.  9;  Ixv.  23. 
air.  fay.  Ixvi.  20  rel. 
Sing.  II.  xiii.  4;  xxiv.  18,  21;  xxxiv. 

2,  4;  xl.  2,  26;  xlv.  12. 

II.  Ix.  4;  Ixvi.  12. 

I.  Hi.  10;  v.  23;  xxix.  21.— II.  xxiv. 

26,;  xxvi.  2,  7;  xli.  26;  xlv    21; 

xUx.  24;  liii.  11;  Ivii.  1;  Ix.  21. 
I.  v.  23.-II.  xliii.  9,  26;  xlv.  25;  1. 8; 

liii.  11. 


I-  i-  21,  26;  xi.  4,  5;  (xvi.  5);  xxxii. 

1.  — II.  xxvi.  9,  10;   18  times  in 

Chaps,  xl.-lxvi. 
I.   i.   27;   v.  7,  16,  23;  ix.  6;  x.  22; 

xxviii.   17;  xxxii.  16,  17;  xxxiii. 

5,  15— II.  xlv.  8,  23,  24;  besides 

20  times  in  Chaps,  fol. 
Plur.  HlpTV  I.  xxxiii.  15.— II.  xlv.  24; 

Ixiv.  5. 
np^V  and  nj,MET   parallel  II.  xlv.  8; 

"xlvi.  13;  li.  5^  6,  8;  Ivi.  1;  lix.  17 ; 

Ixi.  10;  Ixii.  1. 

I.  x.  30;  xii.  6.— II.  xxiv.  14;  liv.  1. 

II.  xvi.  3;  Iviii.  10;  lix.  10. 

I.  viii.  8;  x.  27;  xxx.  28— II. Hi.  2. 
HIV  Piel  i.  v.  6;  x.  6;  xxiii.  11.— II.  xiii. 
3 ;  jcxxiv.  16 ;  xxxviii.  1 ;  xlv.  11, 
12;  xlviii.  5. 
Part.  II.  Iv.  4. 
nVK  OTT.  fay.  xlii.  11  abs. 
OT.  Aer.  xxiv.  11  rel. 
(ITT.  fay.  xliv.  27  abs. 
Dtt  II.  Iviii.  3,  4. 
D1V  II.  Iviii.  3,  5,  6. 
vnV  Plur.  air.  fay.  Iviii.  11  abs. 
T  Tp1V  constringere,  opprimere  Hiph.  I.  xxix.  2, 

7.— II.  H.  13. 
Hoph.  I.  viii.  23. 
"11V  I.  ii.  10,  18,  21;  vni.  14;   xvii.   10; 

xxx.   29.  — II.   xxvi.  4;    xliv.   8; 

xlviii,  21 ;  li.  1. 
rVV  II.  xxxv.  1;  xli.  18;  liii.  2. 

p'V  in  parallel  clauses  I.  ii.  3;  iv.  3,  4; 

x    12    32;    xxxi.   9;    xxxiii.   20; 

xxxvii.  22, 32— II.  xxiv.  32 ;  xl. 9 ; 

xli.  27;  xlvi.  13;  Hi.  1,  2;  Ixii.  1; 

Ixiv.  10. 
f  X  I.  xxviii.  1  fej   H  comp.  W    *T? 

xxviii.  4).-IL  xl.  6;  n  ty  xL 

7  8 

TV  Messenger  I.  xviii.  2.— II.  Ivii.  9. 
consirictio  II.  xiii.  8 ;  xxi.  3. 
Image  II.  xlv.  16. 

Sv  I.  iv.  6;  (xvi.  3);  xxx.  2,  3;  xxxii.  2. 
II  xxv.  4,  5;  xxxiv.  15;  xxxviii. 
8;'xlix.  2;  H.  16. 
nSv  II.  xliv.  16,  19. 
rm  Kal.  II.  liii.  10 ;  Hv.  17. 

T  Hiph.  II.  xlviii.  15;  Iv.  11. 
•'Sv  air.  fay.  xliv.  16  rel. 
NDV  II.  xli.  17 ;  1.  2. 
«pv  II.  xlviii.  21;  xlix.  10;  Ixv.  13. 
KOV  Adj.  I.  xxi.  14;  xxix.  8;  xxxii.  6.-II. 

iliv.  3;  Iv.  1. 
HI3V  a*,  fay.  xlvii.  2  rel. 
ni»  II.  xlii.  9;  xliii.  19;  xliv.  4;  xlv.  8; 
Iv  10;  Iviii.  8;  Ixi.  11. 

rrov  i.  iv.  2.— n.  ixi.  n. 

-IOV  I.  i.  18.— II.  li- 8- 
rpH  I.  Hi.  23.— H.  !*"•  & 


736 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


my 

T  T 

rm 


-nx 


II.  li.  14;  Ixiii.  1. 
OTT.  "key.  Ix.  22  rel. 
I.  xix.  20;  xxxiii.  7.  —  II.  xlii.  2;  xlvi. 

7;  Ixv.  14. 

Kal  part.  II.  lii.  8;  Ivi.  10. 
Kal  inf  II.  xxi   5. 
Piel  part.  II.  xxi.  6. 
I.  xiv.  31.—  II.  xiv.  13;  xli.  25;  xliii. 

6;  xlix.  13. 
I.  xi.  8.—  II.  lix.  5. 
I.  i.  24;  v.  28,  30;  ix.  10;  xxx.  20.— 

II.  xxv.  4;  xxvi.  11,   16;  lix.  18, 

19;  Ixiii.  9,  18;  Ixiv.  1. 
I.   viii.   22;    xxx.  6;    xxxiii.    2.  —  II. 

xxxvii.  3  ;  xlvi.  7  ;  Ixiii.  9  ;  Ixv.  16. 
Hiph.  air.  fay.  xlii.  13  abs. 
Kal  perf.  I.  i.  25.—  H.  xlviii.  10. 
Kal  part.  II.  xl.  19;  xli.  7;  xlvi.  6. 
Kal  I.  viii.  16;  xi.  13;  xxviii.  20.—  II. 

xlix.  20,  21. 


3£  II.  li.  17,  22. 

3pT  Niph.  II.  xxxiv.  15;  xliii.  9;  xiv.  20; 
xlviii.  14;  xlix.  18;  Ivi.  8;  Ix.  4,  7. 
Piel  I.  xi.  12;  xxii.  9.—  II.  xiii.  14; 
xxxiv.  16;  xliii.  5;  xlix.  11;  liv. 
7;  Ivi.  8;  Ixii.  9;  Ixvi.  18. 
Hithp.  II.  xliv.  11. 
Oj?.  I.  xxii.  16  (its).—  II.  xiv.  19;  liii.  9; 

Ixv.  4. 

I.  i.  4;  iv.  3;  v.  16,  19,  24;  beside  11 
times  in  Pt.  I.—  II.  xxxvii.  23;  16 
times  in  chaps,  xl.  —  Ixvi. 
I.  i.  4;  v.19,24;  x.  20;  xii.  6;  xvii. 
7;  xxix.  19,  23;  xxx.  11,  12,  15; 
xxxi.  1  ;  xxxvii.  23.—  II.  xli.  14, 
16,  20;  xliii.  3,  14,  15;    xiv.  11; 
xlvii.  4  ;  xlviii.  17  ;  xlix.  7  ;  liv.  5  ; 
Iv.  5  ;  Iviii.  13  ;  Ix.  9,  14. 
pr  II.  1.  11  ;  Ixiv.  1. 
np_  I.  xi.  14;  xxiii.  7;   xxxvii.  26.—  II. 

li.  9. 
DnpO  I.  ii.  6;    ix.  11.—  II.  xiv.  21; 

'  xlvi.  10. 

IP_  a;r.  fay.    xliii.  18  rel. 
•np  I.  xxi.  16,  17.—  II.  xlii.  11;  he.  7. 
r\1"np  an.  fay.  1.  3  abs. 
Kal  II.  Ixv.  5. 
Niph.  I.  v.  16. 
Pual  part.  II.  xiii.  3. 
Hiph.  I.  viii.  13;  xxix.  23. 
Hithp.  I.  xxx.  29.—  II.  Ixvi.  17. 
?  Sing.  I.  vi.  13;  xi.  9;  xxiii.  18.—  II. 
xxvii.    13;    xxxv.   8;    9   times    in 
chaps,  xl.  —  Ixvi. 

EHpn  17  II.  xlviii.  2;    lii.  1;  Ixiii. 
'  10,  11,  15,  18;  Ixiv.  9,  10  ;  Ixv.  11, 

25;  Ixvi.  20. 
p  I.  xviii.  2,  7  ;  xxviii.  10,  13,  17.—  II. 


xxxiv.  11,  17;  xliv.  13. 
nipT  Kal  part,  II.  xl.  30;  xlix.  23. 

Piel  I.  v.  2,  4,  7;  viii.  17;  xxxiii.  2. — 

xxv.  9;  xxvi.  8;  li.  5;  lix.  9,  11; 
.  .  Ix.  9;  Ixiv.  2. 

*?H>  I.  vi.  4,  8;  x.  30;  (xv.  4) ;  xxix.  4,  6; 

xxx.   19,  31;    xxxi.  4;    xxxii.   9; 

xxxiii.  3. — II.  xiii.  2,  4 ;  xxiv.  14, 

18;  xxxvi.  13;  10  times  in  chaps. 

xl. — Ixvi. 

>opn  Vip  i.  vi.  4.— inp  Sip  n.  xl.  3. 

Wp  Kal.  perf.  I.  ii.  19,  21;  xxxi.  2— II. 

xiv.  22;  xxiv.  20;  xlix.  7. 
Kal.   imper.   I.  xxiii.  12 ;  xxxii.  9. — 

II.  xxi.  5;  li.  17;  Ix.  1. 
Kal.  impf.  I.  vii.  7  ;  viii.  10;  xiv.  24; 
xxviii.  18,  21;  xxxii.  8;  xxxiii.  10. 
II.  xiv.  21 ;  xxvi.  14,  19  ;  xxvii.  7  ; 
xl.  8;  xliii.  17;  xlvi.  10. 
Pilel  II.  xliv.  26;  Iviii.  12;  Ixi.  4. 
Hiph.  I.  xxiii.   13;  xxix.  3. — II.  xiv. 

9;  xliv.  26;  xlix.  6,8. 
">»p  II.  lix.  5,  6. 
jtopT  I.  xi.  6.— II.  liv.  7  ;  Ix.  22. 
1BJ3  Piel  II.  Ixv.  3,  7. 
Tp  I.  (xv.  1 ;  xv.  7) ;  xxii.  5,  6. — II.  xxv. 

4;  xxxviii.  2;  lix.  10. 
T?pT  Niph.  I.  xxx.  16.— II.  xlix.  6. 
T  Piel  I.  viii.  21. 

Pu.  I.  viii.  23.— II.  Ixv.  20. 
riQp  OTT.  hey.  xlvii.  2  rel. 
riNJp'  I.  ix.  6;  xi.  13;  xxxvii.  32.— II.  xxvi. 

11;  xlii.  13;  lix.  17;  Ixiii.  15. 
npp  I.  xix.  6. — II.  xxxv.  7 ;  xxxvi.  6 ;  xlii. 

3;  xliii.  24;  xlvi.  6. 
DOp  I.  iii.  2.— II.  xliv.  25. 
V2p  CLTT.  fay.  lii.  15  rel. 

ropT  PI.  p.xn  r.tep  ii.  xl.  28;  xli.  5,  9. 

HX£  I.  v.  26T;Tvii.  3,  18.— II.  xiii.  5;  xlii. 

10;  xliii.   6;    xlviii.  20;    xlix.  6; 

Ivi.  11;  Ixii.  11. 
*]YpT  Kal  II.  xlvii.  6;  liv.  9;  Ivii.  16,  17; 

Ixiv.  4.  8. 
Hithp.  I.  viii.  21. 
^Vp  II.  xxxiv.  2;  liv.  8;  Ix.  10. 
lYP  I-  xxviii.  20.— II.  1.  2;  lix.  1. 
»OP  Kal  perf.  I.  vi.  3;  vii.  14;  xxii.  20; 

xxx.  7.— II.  xiii.  4;    15  times  in 

chaps,  xl.— Ixvi. 
Kal  part.  act.  I.  vi.  14;  xxi.  11.— II. 

xl.   3;    xli.   4;    xiv.  3;    xlvi.  11; 

xlviii.  13 ;  lix.  4. 
Kal  inf.  constr.  I.  i.  13 ;  vin.  4.— II. 

Ixi.  1,  2. 
Kal  imper.  I.  viii.  3;  xii.  4;  xxix.  11, 

12.— II.  xxxiv.  16;  xl.  2,  6;  Iv.  6; 

Iviii.  1- 
Kal  impf.  I.  ix.  5 ;  xx.  12.— II.  xxi.  8; 

xxxiv.  12,  14;  xxxvi    13;  xxxvii. 

14;  14  times  in  chaps,  xl. — Ixvi. 
Niph.  perf.  II.  xliii*  7 ;  xlviii.  1,  2 ; 

1,  2;  Ixiii.  19. 
Niph.  impf.  I.  i.  '26 ;  iv.  1 ;  xxxi.  4  ; 

xxxii. '5.— II.   xiv.  20;    xxxv.  3; 


VOCABULARY  COMPARED. 


737 


liv.  5  ;  Ivi.  7  ;  Ixi.  6  ;  Ixii.  4,  12. 
Pual  II.  xlviii.  8,  12;  Iviii.  12;  Ixi.  3; 
Ixii.  2;  Ixv.  1. 

3^0  I.  vii.  22.—  II.  xxiv.  22  ;  xl.  26. 
33-J  I.  xxii.  9.—  II.  lix.  12;  Ixvi.  16. 

DE/3  *OPT  II.  xl.  26;  xliii.   1,  7;  xliv. 

HIP  Hiph.  I.  ix.  2;  xxxiii.  23. 

5;  xlv.  3,  4;  xlviii.  1. 

Hiph.  inf.  abs.  ninn  I.  xxx.  33. 

"  Dtf3  *OpT  I.  xii.  4.—  II.  xli.  25  ;  Jxiv. 

Hiph.  imper.  I.  xxiii.  16. 
Hiph.  impf.  I.  i.  15.—  II.  xl.  29  ;  li.  3; 

6;  Ixv.  1. 

Iv.  7  ;  Ivii.  9. 

*np_  =  rnpT  ii.  li.  19  ;  lx.  18. 

f  3n  Kal.  I.  xi.  6,  7  ;  xiv.  30  ;  xvii.  2.—  II. 

31pT  KalY  v.   19;  viii.  3.—  II.  xxxiv.  1; 

...                  .. 

xin.  21  •  xxvii.  10. 

xli.  1,  5;  xlviii.  16;  Ivii.  3  ;  Ixv.  5. 

Hiph.  II.  xiii.  20;  liv.  11. 

Piel  II.  xli.  21  ;  xlvi.  13.  - 
Hiph.  I.  v.  8.—  II.  xxvi.  17. 

]'3n  II.  xxxv.  7  ;  Ixv.  10. 

3?p.  or  ^p.3.  T.  v.  8,  25;  vi.  12;  vii.  22;  x. 
23  ;  xii.  6;  (xvi.  11)  ;  xix.  1,  3,  24; 
xxix.  23.  —  II.  xxiv.   13;  xxv.   11  ; 
xxvi.  9  ;  Ixiii.  11. 

T.n  Kal  I.  v.  25  ;    xxviii.  21  ;  xxxii.    10, 
11.—  II.  xiv.  9;  Ixiv.  2. 
Hiph.  I.  xxiii.  11.—  II.  xiii.  3  ;  xiv.  16. 
Hithp.  I.  xxxvii.  28,  29. 

3}J30  I.  iv.  4. 

S:n  Sing.  I.  i.   6;  xx.  2;  xxxii.   20.—  II. 

nnp  obvenire  air.  \ry.  xli.  22  rel. 
3'n£  I.  xxxiii.  13.—  II.  xiii.  6,  22;  1.  8;  li. 

xxvi.  6;  xli.  2;  Iviii.  13. 
Dual  I.  iii.  16  ;  vi.  2;  vii.  20  ;  xxiii.  7  ; 
xxviii.  3.  —  II.  xxxvi.  12  ;  7  times 

5;  Iv.  6;  Ivi.  1  ;  Ivii.  19. 

in  chaps,  xl.-lxvi. 

KiaS  3'np  II.  xiii.  22;  Ivi.  1. 

y^  commovere  II.  li.  15. 

T                    IT 

>'1p  II.  xxxvi.  22;  xxxvii.  1  ;  Ixiii.  19. 

quiescere  Hiph.  II.  xxxiv.  14;  li.  4. 

tfj3  I.  v.  24;  xxxiii.  11.—  II.  xl.  24;  xli.2; 

J?r\  11.  xxvi.  20;  xlvii.  9;  liv.  7,  8. 

xlvii.  14. 

D^rS  II.  xxvii.  3. 

*  T    :  • 

3E/p  Kal.  I.  xxxii.  3. 

Tin  a~.  fey.  xlv.  I  rel. 

T  Hiph.  I.  x.  30  ;  xxviii.  23.—  II.  xxi.  7  ; 

nvTlI.  xiv.  2,  6;  xli.2. 

xxxiv.    1  ;    xiii.   23  ;     xlviii.    18  ; 

«yri  I.  i.  23;  v.  11;  xxx.  16.—  II.   xli.  3; 

xlix.  1  ;  li.  4. 

li.  1. 

n#p  I.  xix.  4.  —  II.  xiv.  2;  xxi.  2;  xxvii. 

3rn  Kal  II.  lx.  5. 

xxvii.  1,  8  ;  xlviii.  4. 

T  Niph.  I.  xxx.  23. 

nitfp  Hiph.  air.  fey.  Ixiii.  17  rel. 

Hiph.  I.  v.  14  ;  xxx.  33.—  II.  liv.  2  : 

nc>p  Piel  a~.  fey.  xlix.  18  rel. 

Ivii.  4,  8. 

-  IT 

HE/p  I.  v.  28;  vii.  24;  xxi.  15,  17;  xxii.  3. 
II.  xiii.  18;  xli.  2;  Ixvi.  19. 

3rn  I.  xxx.  7.—  II.  Ii.  9. 
i"im  air.  fey.  xliv.  8  abs. 
fin  (I.  xvi.  9).—  II.  xxxiv.  5,  7;  xliii.  24; 

TT     V 

Iv.  10. 

nil  air.  fey.  Iviii.  11  rel. 

'* 

Jin  UTT.  fey.  lx.  23  rel. 

BTCl  I.  i.  5,  6;  vii.  8,  9,  20;  ix.  13,  14;  xix. 
15;  xxviii.  1,4;  xxx.  16;  xxxvii. 
22.—  II.  xxxv.  10;  li.  11;  Iviii.  5; 
lix.  17. 
tfX-a  I.  (ii.  2)  ;  xvii.  6.—  II.  li.  20. 
tfX'n  II.  xl.  21;  xli.  4,  26;  xiii.   11. 

rjn  (wind)  I.  iv.  4;  xi.  4;   xvii.  13;  xxx. 
28;  xxxii.  2;  xxxiii  11.—  II.  xxvi. 
18-;  xxvii.  8;  xxxviii.  16;  7  times 
in  chaps  xl.-lxvi. 
(Spirit)   I.  vii.  2;  xi.   2,  15;  xix.  3; 
xxviii.  6;   xxix.  10,  24;  xxx.  1; 

•• 

xxxi.  3;   xxxii.   15.     II.  xxv.  4; 

xlviii.  16. 
Plur.  I.  xxix.  10. 
^ItfJO  I.  viii.  23.—  II.  xli.  4,  27;    xiii.  27; 
xliv.  6;  xlviii.  12;  Ixi.  4. 
njltfJO  I.  i.  26.—  II.  Hi.  4;  lx.  9;  Ixv.  7. 

xxvi.  9;  xxxiv.  16;  xxxvii.  7;  13 
times  in  chaps  Ix.-lxvi. 

tsnpn  nn  II.  ixiii.  10,  11. 

""run  (of  the  wind)  II.  lx.  7  ;  lix.  19. 
DO  Kal  part.  I.  ii.  12,  13,  14. 

ni:ty>0  II.  xli.  22;  xiii.  9  ;  xliii.  9,  18;  xlvi. 

Kfc>31  on  I.  vi.  1.—  II.  Ivii.  15. 

9;  xlviii.  3;  Ixv.  16,  17. 

rvtJffcO  air.  fey.  xlvi.  10  rel. 

Kal  perf.  II.  xxvi.  11. 
Kal   impf.  I.  xxx.  18.-II.  xlix.  11; 

'  31  Sing.  I.  vi.  12;  (xvi.   14);  xxx.  25; 
xxxi.  1.—  II.  xiii.  4;  xxi.  7;  xiii. 
20;  H.10;  liv.  13;  Ixiii.  1,7. 

Hi.  13. 
Pilell.  i.  2;  xxiii.  4.-IT.  xxv  .  1.    . 
Hiph  T.  x.  15  ;  xxxvii.  23.-II.xlY. 
IS-  Tlix   22;  Ivii.  14;  Ixn.  10. 

Plur.  I.  (ii.  3,  4);  v.  9;  viii.  7,  15; 

Vfp  D'Vj  II.  xiii.  2;  xl.  9;  Iviii.  1. 

xvii.  12,  13;  xxiii.  3.—  II.  Hi.  14, 
15;  Hii.  11,  12;  liv.  1. 
31  I.  i.  11  ;  xxxvii.  24.—  II.  xlvii.  9,  12, 

Hithp.  L  xxxiii.  10. 
JMI  clamare  Hiph.  (I.  xv.  4).-II.  xin.  13; 

xliv.  23. 

14;  Ivii.  10;  Ixiii.  1,  7. 

47 

738 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


Pual  (I.  xvi.  10). 
II.  xl.  31;  lv.  5;  lix.  7. 
(I.  xv.  3).- II.  lix.  14. 
pirn  I.  xxxiii.  13.— II.  xxxix.  3  ;  xlvi.  12; 

Ivii.  19  ;  Ixvi.  19. 

pirn  0  I.  v.  26;    xxii.  3,  11;   xxiii.  7; 
xxxvii.  26.— II.  xxv.  1;  xliii.  6; 
xlix.  1,  12  ;  lix.  14  ;  Ix.  4,  9. 
DTP  air.  fey.  xlvii.  2  rel. 
7TV>  arc.  ?>£•)>.  liii.  7  rel. 

orn  ii.  xlvi.  3. 

Plur.  II.  xlvii.  6;  liv.  7  ;  Ixiii.  7,  15. 
Drp  I.  ix.  16;  xxx.  18.— II.   xiii.  18;   xiv. 

1;  xxvii.  11;  xlix.  10,13,  15;    liv. 
8,  10;  lv.  7;  Ix.  10. 
Kal  II.  xlvi.    13;  xlix.   19;    liv.   14; 

lix.  9,  11. 

Piel  I.  vi.  12;  xxix.  13.— II.  xxvi.  15. 
Verb.  part.  Kal.  I.  xix.  20.— II.  xlv.  9. 
Imper.  I.  i.  17. 
Inf.  I.  iii.  13. 
Impf.  II.  xxvii.  8;  xlix.   25;  1.  8;  li. 

22;  Ivii.  16. 
Subst.  I.  i.  23.— II.  xxxiv.  8  ;  xli.  11, 

12 ;  Iviii.  4. 
I.  xxx.  7. 

p'"}^  II.  xlix.  4. 

plV  II.  Ixv.  23. 

nT.  fey.  lv.  11  rel. 

Kal  I.  xix.  1 ;  xxx.  16.— II.  xxxvi.  8. 

Hiph.  II.  Iviii.  14. 

I.  xxii.  7 ;   xxxi.  1 ;  xxxvii.  24. — II. 

xxi.    7,   9;    xxxvi.    9;   xliii.    17; 

Ixvi.  20. 
("ITT.  fey.  xlvii.  1  rel. 

pO^  I.  i.  12;  (xvi.  4);  xxviii.  3.— II.  xxvi. 

6;  xli.  25;  Ixiii.  3. 
r\5~\  II.  xiv.  7;  xxxv.  10;  xliii.  14;  xliv. 

23;  xlviii.  20;  xlix.  13;  li.  11 ;  liv. 

1  ;  lv.  12. 
fr)  Kal  I.  xii.  6.— II.  xxiv.  14;  xxxv.  6; 

xlii.  11;  xliv.  23;  xlix.  13;  liv.  1; 

Ixi.  7 ;  Ixv.  14. 
Piel  (I.  xvi.  10).— II.  xxvi.  19;  xxxv. 

2;  Hi.  8,  9. 
JH  malus  adject.  I.  iii.  11  ;    v.  20;  vii.  15, 

16;  xxxii.  7  ;  xxxiii.  15. — II.  xlv. 

7;    Ivi.  2;    lix.    7,   15;    Ixv.    12; 

Ixvi.  4. 

3jn  Verb.  II.  xlix.  10;  Ixv.  13. 
3jn  Subst.  I.  v.  13;    xiv.  xxx.— II.  li.   19. 

T  :nnrn  njnn  fa.  fey.  ii.  19  rel. 

2Jin  Adj.  I.   viih   21;   ix.    19;     xxix.  8; 

x-xxii.  6.— II.  xliv.  12  ;  Iviii.  7,  10. 
ryn  pascere  of  cattle  1.  v.   17;  xi.  7;    xiv. 

30;  xxx.  23.— II.  xxvii,  10;    xliv. 

20;  xlix   4;  Ixv.  25. 
of  the  shepherd  II.  xl.  11 ;  Ixi.  5. 
nip  the  shepherd  I.  xxxi.  4.— II.   xiii.  20 ; 

xxxviii.    12;    xliv.    28;   Ivi.    11; 

Ixiii.  11. 
T^  malum  I.  iii.  9 ;  vii.  5. — II.   xiii.  11  ; 


mh 

T   T 

jtrj 

rr. 


J7EH 

nprri 


xlvii.  10,  11 ;  Ivii.  1. 
Kal  II.  lix.  15. 

Hiph.  I.  1.  4,  16:  ix.  16;  xi.  9 ;  xxxi. 

2.     II.  xiv.  20;  xxiv.   19;  xli.  23: 

Ixv.  25. 

Hithp.  II.  xxiv.  19. 
Hiph.  <ZTT.  fey.  xlv.  8  rel. 
Kal  I.  vi.  10;  xix.  22;   xxx.  2o\— II. 

Ivii.  18,  19. 
Niph.  II.  liii.  5. 
a-.  fey.  Ivii.  20  abs. 
II.  xl.  2  ;  xlii.  1. 
II.  xlix.  8;  Ivi.  7;   Iviii.  5;  Ix.  7,  10; 

Ixi.  2. 

(}'*V)  II.  xxxvi.  6;  xlii.  4. 
|W}  II.  xlii.  3 ;  Iviii.  6. 
air.  fey.  1.  6  rel. 
air.  fey.  xl.  20  rel. 
arc.  fey.  Ivii.  9  rel. 
II.  xl.  19 ;  xlii.  5 ;  xliv.  24. 
Hiph.  II.  1.  9 ;  liv.  17. 
Sing.  I.  iii-  11 ;  v.  23;  xi.  4.— II.  xiii. 

11;  xiv.   5;    xxvi.   10;  xlviii.  22; 

liii.  9;  lv.  7;  Ivii.  20,  21. 
malitia  II.  Iviii.  4,  6. 
a-  fey.  xl.  19  abs. 


mi? 

V  T 


Kal  I.  i.  11;  ix.  19.—  II.  xliv.  16  ;  liii. 

11;  Ixvi.  11. 
Hiph.  II.  Iviii.  10,  11. 

II.  Ivi.  11. 

njt^S  ii.  lv.  2. 

I.  v.  8  ;  vii.  3;  xxxii.  12;  xxxvii.  27. 

—II.  xxxvi.  2  ;    xl.  6  ;  xliii.  20  ; 

lv.  12. 

HjZJ.  II.  Ivi.  9. 
I.  vii.  25.—  II.  xliii.  23  ;  liii.  7  ;  Ixvi.  3. 

Kal  I,  xxiii.  13;    xxviii.   15.  17,25; 

xxxvii.  29.—  II.  xiv.  17,23;    xxi. 

3.     In  chaps,  xl  -Ixvi.  18  times. 
Kal  part.  I,  v.  20  (bis)—  II.  Ixiii.  11. 
Kal  inf.  I.  x.  6.—  II.  xiii.  9;  xxvii.  9; 

xliv.  7  ;  Ixi.  1. 
Hiph.  impf.  I.  iii.  7.     In  chaps,  xl.  — 

Ixvi.  18  times. 


\tn\ff 


rri 


31?  Sy  DIP  II.  xlii.  25;  xlvii.  7;  Ivii* 
l,"ll.  Comp.  xliv.  19  and  Jxli.  20. 

3^7  Dlfr  OT.  fey.  xli.  22,  rel. 

n'33  QW  a-,  fey.  xlii.  12  rel. 

xxxv.  1;  Ixi.  10;  Ixii.  5;  Ixiv.  4; 
Ixv.  18,  19;  Ixvi.  10,14. 

a:r.  fey.  xlvi.  4  rel. 

Pil.  liii.  8  rel. 

Hiph.  II.  xli.  20;  xliv.  18;  Iii.  13. 
air.  fey.  xlvi.  6  rel. 
II.  xl.  10  ;  Ixii.  11. 


VOCABULAKY  COMPARED. 


733 


Off  Kal  I.  ix.  2,  16  ;  xiv.  29.— II.  xiv.  8  ; 
xxv.  9;  xxxix.  2;  Ixv.  13;  Ixvi.  10. 
Piel  II.  Ivi.  7. 

I.   ix.  2;    (xvi.  10);  xxix.   19;  xxx. 
29.— II.  xxiv.  11  ;  Iv.  12;  Ixvi.  5. 

nrnijM  jfcw  i.  xxii.  13.— II.  xxxv. 

T10;  li.  3^11. 

oSi;'  nnnfef  II.  xxxv.  10;  li.  11 ;  Ixi.  7. 
Kal  perf.  I.  i.  14. 
Part.  act.  II.  Ixi.  8;  Ixvi.  5. 
Part.  pass.  fern.  II.  lx.  15. 
I.  iii.  24;  (xv.  3)  ;    xx.  2;    xx.  12  — 

II.  xxxvii.  1,  2  ;  1.  3  ;  Iviii.  5. 
air.  Aey.  xliv.  13  abs. 

princess  d~.  /ley.  xlix.  23  rel. 
I.  j.  7.—H.  xliv.  1G,  19  ;  xlvii.  14. 
I.  ix.  4.— II.  Ixiv.  10. 
II.  Ixi.  3. 


-nfr 
rnty 

•PJ? 


I.  x.  3.— II.  xlvii.  11. 

I.  v.   14 ;  xxviii.   15,  18.— II.   xiv.   9: 

11,  15;  xxxviii.  10,  18;  Ivii.  9. 
tf  I.   v.   14;    xvii.    12,  13.— II.  xiii.  4 

xxiv.  8;  xxv.  5;  Ixvi.  6. 
Perf.  I.  xxx.  2.— II.  Ixv.  1. 
Imper.  I.  vii.  11. — II.  xiv.  11. 
Imperf.  I.  vii.  12.— II.  xli.  28  ;  Iviii.  2 
dTT.  Aey.  xlii.  14  rel. 
f  Niph.  I.  iv.  3 ;    xi.  11,  1C  ;   xvii.  6 

xxxvii.  31.— II.  xxiv.  6,  12  ;   xlix 

21. 
I.  xiv.  30 ;  (xv.  9) ;   xxxvii.  32.— II 

xxxvii.  4;  xliv.  17;  xlvi.  3. 
d~.  /ey.  Ix.  G  rel. 
Part.  Kal.  act.  II.  xiv.  2  (bis}. 
Part.  Kal.  pass.  II.  Ixi.  1. 
I.  xx.  4.— II.  xlvi.  2 ;  xlix.   24,  25 

Hi.  2. 
a-.  Aey.  Hi-  2  abs. 

d-.  ?.q'.  xlvii.  2  ab3. 

d~.  ?>Ey.  Jxv.  15  rel' 

cZenom.  from  "I3tf  a«.  fcy.  Iv.  1  (its),  rel 

Kal  I.  xxx.  14.— II.  xiv.  5,25;  xlii.  3 

Niph.  I-  viii.  16;  xxviii.  13.-II.  xiv 

29;  xxiv.  10;  xxvn.  11;  Ixi.  1. 
Piel  II.  xxi.  9;  xxxviii.  13;  xiv.  2. 
Hiph.  II.  Ixvi.  9. 
I.  i.  28  ;  (xv.  5)  ;   xxx.  13,  14,  26.- 

II.  li.  10;  I'*-  7;  Ix.  18;  Ixv. 

^.\  ™  IL  H- 19  ;  lix<  7  ;  lx' 18' 
in  is^a.  only  Niph.  I.  xiv.  24;  xix.  1 

II.  xiv.  23 ;  xlviii.  1 ;  liv.  9  ;  Ixi 

8;  Ixv.  16. 
I.  i.  13.— II.  Ivi.  2,  6 ;  Ivm.  13 ;  I 

23 
Plur.  nin3ty  II.  Ivi.  4. 


"ity  mamma  II.  lx.  16;  Ixvi.  11. 

It?  ruina  I.  (xvi.  4);  xxii.  4. — II.  xiii.  6; 

li.  19;  lix.  7;  lx.  18. 
W#  I.  i.  13;  v.  18;  xxx.  28.— II.  lix.  4. 

3W  Kal  I.  v.  25;  vi.  13;  ix.  11,  12,  16,  20; 
xx.  4 ;  xix.  22 ;  xxiii.  17 ;  xxix. 
17. — II.  xxxvii.  7. 

Part.  Kal  I.  i.  27  ;  vi.  10.— II.  lix.  20. 
Inf.  constr.  II.  Iii.  8. 
Imper.  I.  xxi.  12;  xxxi.  6. — II.  xliv. 

22;  Ixiii.  17. 

Imperf.  Kal  I.  vii.  3  ;  x.  22;  xii.  1.— 
II.  xxxv.  10 ;  xxxvii.  8,  34,  37  ; 
xxxviii.  8;  xiv.  23;  li.  11;  Iv.  7, 
10,  11. 

Poel  II.  xlvii.  10;  xlix.  5;   Iviii.  12. 
Hiph.  I.  i.  25,  26 ;  xiv.  27  ;  xxviii.  6  ; 
xxxvii.  29. — II.  xxxvi.  9;  xxxviii. 
8  ;  9  times  in  chaps,  xl.-lxvi. 
.      Hoph.  I.  v.  8.— II.  xliv.  26. 
331  ty  ax.  Aey.  Ivii.  17  rel. 
nny  I.  xxviii.  25.— II.  xxxviii.  13;  xl.  25; 

xlvi.  5. 
yn?  Piel  dT.  ?.ey.  Iviii.  9  rel. 

I.  xviii.  3— II.  xxvii.  13  ;  Iviii.  1. 

orr.  7t7.  xlvii.  2  rel. 

drr.  7-fy.  Ivii.  9  rel. 

I.  i.  3;  vii.  25;  xxxii.  20.— II.  Ixvi.  3. 

I.  i.  23;  v.  23;  xxxiii.  15.— II.  xiv.  13. 

Kal  II.  li.  23. 

Hithp.   I.   ii.   8,   20.— II.   xxvii.   13; 

xxxvi.  7 ;  xxxvii.  38 ;  8  times  in 

chaps,  xl. — Ixvi. 
Kal  I.  ii.  9,  11,  17;  v.  15;  xxix.  4.— 

II.  lx.  14  (inf.  nomin.) 
Hiph.  II.  xxv.  12  ;  xxvi.  5. 

I.  xxii.  13.— II.  Ivii.  5;  Ixvi.  3. 
pn&  Sing.  II.  xl.  15. 

Plur.  II.  xiv.  8. 
iniy  incantare  arr.  Aey.  xlvii.  11  abs. 

r\r\U>  Piel  II.  xiv.  20. 

T  Iliph.  part.  I.  i.  4 ;  v.  2G.— II.  li.  13  ; 

liv.  16. 
Hiph.  impf.  I.  v.  8 ;  xi.  9.— II.  xxxvii. 

12;  Ixv.  8,  21. 
Hiph.  inf.  II.  xxxvi.  10  ;  li.  13;  Ixv.  & 

II.  xxxviii.  17  ;   li.  14. 
dTT.  Aty.  xli.  19  rel. 

I.  viii.  8  ;  x.  22  ;  xxviii.  2,  15,  17,  18 ; 

xxx.  28.— II.  xliii.2;lxvi.  12. 
•VB?  Verb.  I.  v.  1. — II.  xxvi.  1;  xlii.  10. 
Ttf  Subst.  I.  xxiii.  16;  xxx.  29— II. xxiv 

9;  xxvi.  1;  xlii.  10. 
2Dtf  II.  xiii.  16;  xiv.  8,  J8;  xliii.  J7  ;  1. 

11;  li.  20;  Ivi.  10. 

II.  xlvii.  8,  9. 

Kal  I.  xvii.  10.— II.  xlix.  14,  15 ;  li. 

13 ;  liv.  4. 

Niph.  I.  xxiii.  15,  16.— II.  Ixv.  JG. 
Adj.  d-.  2ey.  Ixv.  11  rel. 

ax.  Aey.  xlix.  21  rel. 


740 


THE  PROPHET  ISAIAH. 


IT7|»  a-,  ley.  xlix.  20  abs. 

j?t?  I.  viii.  18;  xviii.  3;  xxxii.  16  ;  xxxiii. 
5,  16.— IT.  xiii.  20.  21 ;  xxvi.  19  ; 
xxxiv.  11,  17  ;  Ivii.  15  ;  Ixv.  9. 
"Otf  Kal  I.  xxix.  9.— II.  xlix.  26. 

Part.  pass.  Kal  II.  li.  21. 

Piel  II.  Ixiii.  6. 
VIZ?  I.  v.  11,  22;  xxviii.  7  (ter).— II.  xxiv. 

9;  Ivi.  12. 
XT0  I.  i.  18— II.  lv.  10. 

DV7  7  I.  ix.  5,  6  ;  xxxii.  17,  18;  xxxiii.  7. — 
II.  xxvi.  3,  12;  xxvii.  5;  xxxviii. 
17;  xxxix.  8.  In  chaps,  xl. — Ixvi. 
14  times. 

rntf  Kal  I.  6,  8;  ix.  7;  (xvi.  1);  xviii.  2; 

xix.  20;  xx.  1.— II.  xxxvi.   2,  12; 

xxxvii.  2,  4,  9,  17,   21;  xxxix.   1; 

5  times  in  chaps,  xl.  Ixvi. 

Piel  I.  x.  6,  16;  xxxii.  20.— II.  xxvii. 

8;  6  times  in  chap.  xl. — Ixvi. 
Pual  (I.  xvi.  2).— II.  xxvii.  10;  1.  1. 
jroty  I.  xxviii.  8. — II.  xxi.  5;  Ixv.  11. 
BrW  CT.  ley.  xl.  12  rel. 
V?tf  Kal  I.  x.  6. 

Hithpoel  II.  lix.  15. 
T7E/  I.  viii.  13  j  ix.  2;  x.  2,  6;  xxxiii.  4, 

23.— II.  liii.  12. 
DTO  Kal  II.  Ix.  20. 

Piel  I.  xix.  21.— II.  Ivii.  18  ;  lix.  18  ; 

Ixv.  6  ;  Ixvi.  6. 
Pual  part.  II.  xlii.  19. 
Hiph.  II.  xxxviii.  12, 13;  xliv.26,  28. 
OEf  I.  iv.  1;  vii.  14;  viii.  3;  ix.  5;  xii.  4; 
xviii.  7;   xxix.   23;   xxx.  27. — II. 
xiv.  22;  xxiv.  15;  xxv.  1;  xxvi.  8, 
13.     In  chaps,  xl. — Ixvi.  35  times. 
"lOt?  Niph.  II.  xlviu.  19. 

Hiph.  I.  x.  7;  xxiii.  11.— II.  xiii.  9; 

xiv.  23  ;  xxvi.  14. 

n.i'OC'  I.  xxviii.  9,  19. — II.  xxxvii.  7;  liii.  1. 
DOl?  Kal  perf.  II.  lii.  14. 

Kal  part.  II.  xlix.  8,  19;  liv.  1;  Ixi.  4. 
Niph.  pcrf.  ].  xxxiii.  8. 
Niph.  part.  II.  liv.  3. 
Hithp.  II.  lix.  16  ;  Ixiii.  5. 
nOOtf  I.  i.  7;   vi.  11;  xvii.  8.— II.  Ixii.  4; 

T  T  : 

Ixiv.  9. 
|0tf  Sing.  I.  i.  6;  v.  1;  x.  27.— II.  xxxix. 

2;  xli.  19;  Ivii.  9;  Ixi.  3. 

Plur.  I.  xxviii.  1,  4. — II.  xxv.  6. 

y'SW  Kal:  11  times  in  Pt.  I. — 35  times  in 

Pt.  II. 

Hiphil  I.  xxx.  30—15  times  in  Pt.  II. 
Niph.  (I.  xv.  4).— II.  Ix.  18;  Ixv.  19. 
yotf  I.  xxiii.  5  (bis).— II.  Ixvi.  19. 
"1012?  Kal  I.  xxi.  11,  12.— II.  xxvi.  2;  xlii. 

20;  Ivi.  1,  2,  4,  6;  Ixii.  6. 
Niph.  I.  vii.  4. 
tyoty  Sing.  II.  xiii.  10;  xxxviii.  8;  6  times 

in  chaps,  xl. — Ixvi. 
Plur.  If.  liv.  12.  ^ 
rut?  annus  sing.   I.  vi.  1;  vii.  8;  xiv.  28; 


(xv.  17) ;  xx.  1  ;  xxi.  16  ;  xxiii.  15; 
xxix.  1;  xxxii.  10;  xxxvii.  30. — 
II.  xv.  17;  xxxiv.  8;  xxxvi.  1; 
xxxviii.  5;  Ixi.  2;  Ixiii.  4;  Ixv.  20 
Plur.  I.  xvi.  14;  xx.  3;  xxi.  16.— II. 
xxxviii.  10,  15 


Kal.  I.  xvii.  7,  8;  xx.  4;  xxxi.  1. 
Hithp.  I.  xxix.  9.— II.  xli.  10,  23. 
OT.  ley.  xl.  12  abs. 
Niph.  I.  x.  20;  xxx.  12;  xxxi.  1— II. 

1.10. 

Kal  I.  xxix.  9. 
Hiph.  I.  vi.  10. 
Pilp.  I.  xi.  8. 
Pulp.  II.  Ixvi.  12. 
Hithp.  I.  xxix.  9. 

I.  xiv.  31;  xxii.  7;  xxviii.  6;  xxix. 
21.— II.  xxiv.  12;  xxvi.  2;  xxxviii. 
10;  5  times  in  chaps,  xl. — Ixvi. 

I.  xix.  18;  xxviii.  11;  xxxiii.  18. 
Dual  I.  vi.  5,  7  ;  xi.  4;  xxix.  13 ;  xxx. 

27;  xxxvii.  29.— II.  xxxvi.  5;  Ivii. 
19. 

Plur.  rrtnapf  n.  HX.  3. 

Kal  I.  i.  17,  23,  26;  ii.  4;  iii.  2;  v.  3; 
xi.  3,  4;  (xvi.  5);  xxxiii.  22.— II. 
xl.  23;  li.  5. 

Niph.  II.  xliii.  26;  lix.  4;  Ixvi.  16. 
bald  summit  II.  xli.  18;  xlix.  9. 

II.  xxxvii.  33;  xlii.  25;  Ivii.  6;  lix.  9. 
a;r.  ley.  Ivii.  15  bis  rel. 

Kali.  ii.  9,11,   12,   17;  v.  15;  x.  33; 

xxix.  4;  xxxii.  18. — II.  xl.  4. 
Hiph.  II.  xiii.  11;  xxv.  11,  12;  xxvi. 

5;  Ivii.  9. 

aT.  ley.  Ix.  6  rel. 
J  a-,  ley.  liv.  8  abs. 

i>  Hiph.  I.  xxxii.  6. — II.  xxvii.  3;  xliii. 
20. 

Plur.  a--,  ley.  Ixvi.  3  rel. 
7  Kal  I.  xviii.  4. — II.  xiv.  7 ;  Ixii.  1. 
Iliph.  I.  vii.  4;  xxx.  15;  xxxii.  17.— 

II.  Ivii.  20. 

I.  xxxiii.  18.— II.  xl.  12;  xlvi.6;  lv.  2. 
j  ax.  ley.  Ixvi.  17  rel. 
?  I.  ix.   14;  xxviii.    15;    xxxii.  7. — II. 

xlii.  20;  Ivii.  4;  lix.  3,  13. 
tf  II.  xxxv.  7  ;  xlix.  10. 
>  <ZT.  ley.  xliv.  13  abs. 
/  I.  xxxiii.  9.— II.  xxxv.  2;  Ixv.  10. 
/  CTT.  ley.  lix.  17  rel. 
i  I.  v.  24;  xi.  10;  xiv.  29,   30;  xxxvii. 

31.— II.  liii.  2. 

I.  v.  22;  xxii.    13;  xxix.    8;  xxxvii. 
25. — II.  xxi.  5;  xxiv.  9;  xxxvi.  12, 
16;  6  times  in  chaps,  xl. — Ixvi. 
V  II.  Ivi.  6;  Ix.  7, 10;  Ixi.  6. 


VOCABULARY  COMPARED. 


741 


n- 

a*,  fey.  xliv.  13  rel. 
Xh  OT.  Xe-y.  xliv.  13  rcl. 

II.  lii.  H;  liii.  2. 

II.  xli.  19;  Ix.  13. 

II.  xl.  14,  28;  xliv.  19. 
|3P  I.  xi.  7.— II.  Ixv.  25. 
J3P!  a~.  hey.  xliv.  13  rel. 

II.  xli.  19;  Ix.  13. 

• 

I.  xxix.  21. — II.  xxiv.  10;  xxxiv.  11; 
xl.  17,  23;  xli.  29;  xliv.  9;  xlv.  18, 
19;  xlix.  4;  lix. 

>  Sing.  air.  "key.  li.  19  rel. 
Plur.  air.  'key.  Ixiii.  13  rel. 


Snn  II.  xlii.  8,  10,  12;  xliii.  21;  xlviii.  9; 
Ix.  6,  18 ;  Ixi.  3,  11 ;  Ixii.  7 ;  Ixiii.  7. 
Kin  drr.  fey.  li.  20  rel. 
a-.  Aey.  Ixvi.  19  rel. 
O.TT.  /ley.  li.  3  rel. 
II.  Ixvi.  17. 

}m  I.  vi.  5;  xix.  19.— II.  xxiv.  13, 18; 
xli.  18;  Hi.  11;  Iviii.  9. 

I.  i.  18. 

II.  xiv.  11. 

II.  xli.  14;  Ixvi.  21. 

I.  i.  13.— II.  xli.  24;  xliv.  19. 

I.  i.   10;    ii.  3;    v.  24;    viii.   1C,  20; 

xxx.   9.— II.  xxiv.  5;   xlii.   4,  21, 

24 ;  li.  4,  7. 


Plur.  tn/moro  II.  xxv.  10 ;  xlvi.  7. 
d^r.  7ey.  xliv.  23  rel. 
an.  'tey.  xliii.  6  rel. 

II.  xxiv.  7  ;  xxxvi.  17  ;  Ixii.  8;  Ixv.  8. 
II.  xl.  12,  13. 
air.  Acy.  lix.  17  abe. 
SSn  Hoph.  an-.  Afy.  xliv.  20  rel. 

DH  OT.  Aey.  xlvli.  9  rel. 
TOH  II.  xxi.  8;    xlix.   16;    li.  13;  Hi.  5; 

Iviii.  11;  Ix.  \\ ;  Ixii.  6;  Ixv.  3. 
^I?n  I.  xxxiii.  15.-I1.  xli.  10;  xlii.  1. 
D'iH  II.  xiii.  22;  xxxiv.  13;  xxxv.  7  ;  xliii- 

20. 

I'jir}  II.  xxvii.  1 ;  li.  9. 
a-,  fey.  Ixvi.  11  rel. 
Part.  Niph.  II.  xiv.  9. 
Part.  Piel  II.  xlix.  7. 
Kal  I.  xvi.  8;  xxviii.  7;  xxii.  24.— 
II.   xxi.    4;    xxxv.    8;    xlvii.    lf>> 
liii.  6. 

Niph.  I.  xix.  14. 
Hiph.  I.  iii.  12;  ix.  15;  xix.  13,  14; 

xxx.  28.— II.  Ixiii.  17. 
Si Spn  an-,  /ley.  Ixvi.  4  abs. 

I.  iii.  18;  iv.  2;  x.  12;  xx.  5;  xxviii. 
1,  3;  xxxiii.  9.— II.  xiii.  11,  19; 
10  time*  in  chaps,  xl.-lxvi. 
I.  i.  15.— II.   xxxvii.  4;  xxxviii.  5; 

lvi.7. 

a?r.  fay.  xl.  20  rel. 
d;r.  ?.ey.  xliv.  14  abs. 

n  ii.  ii.  17, 22. 

ri  I.  ii.  16;  xxiii.  1,  10,  14.— II.  Ix.  9; 

Ixvi.  19. 
II.  xlv.  17  ;  xlvi.  13. 


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