A prophecy of the CHAP. LXI. advent of the Messiah. A. M. cir. 3292. shall thy moon withdraw itself: | branch of my planting, P the work 4. M. cir. 3292. B. C. cir. 712. Olymp. XVII. 1. for the LORD shall be thine ever 12 21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: B. C. cir. 712. of my hands, that I may be Olymp. XVII. 1. glorified. 22 A little one shall become cir. annum Numa Pompilii, a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: they shall inherit the land for ever, the I the LORD will hasten it in his time. Chap. ii. 1; Rev. xxi. 27.- Psa. xxxvii. 11, 22; Matt. Chap. 1xi. 3; Matt. xv. 13; John xv. 2.- -P Chap. xxix. 23; xlv. 11; Eph. ii. 10.- - Matt. xiii. 31, 32. V. 5. tuagint and Chaldee, to read either velailah, and by night, instead of ulenogah, and for brightness; or a malenogah ballailah, adding the word na ballailah, by night.-L. Verse 21. Of my planting] 'yon mattai; so, with the Keri, read forty-four MSS. (seven ancient) and six editions; with which agree the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate. Verse 22. I the Lord will hasten it in his time] There is a time set for the fulfilment of this prophecy: that time must come before it begins to take place; but when it does begin, the whole will be performed in a short space. It is not, therefore, the time determined for the event that shall be hastened, but all the circumstances of the event; all the parts of the prediction shall be speedily completed. * the Lorde in hys tyme sodepnly schal_doun thys,-Old MS. Bible. And because it is the LORD, therefore it will be done: for although it be difficult, he is almighty. CHAPTER LXI. The subject of the preceding chapter is continued in this; and to give it the greater solemnity, the Messiah is introduced describing his character and office, and confirming the large promises made before, 1-9. In consequence of this the Jewish Church is introduced, praising God for the honour done her by her restoration to favour, and by the accession of the Gentiles, which is beautifully described by allusions to the rich pontifical dress of the high priest; a happy similitude to express the ornaments of a restored nation and of a renewed mind, 10. Certainty of the prophecy illustrated by a figure drawn from the vegetable kingdom, 11. A. cir. 3292. 712. B. C. eir. 312 Olymp. XVII. 1. cir. annum THE Spirit of the Lord GOD captives, and the opening of is upon me; because the the prison to them that are Numa Pompilii, LORD hath anointed me to R. Roman., 4. preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the A. M. cir. 3292. B. C. cir. 712. cir. annum 2 To proclaim the acceptable R. Roman., 4. year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; See Lev. xxv. 9. Chap. xxxiv. 8; lxiii. 4; lxvi. 14; Mal. iv. 1, 3; 2 Thess. i. 7, 8, 9. Chap. Ivii. 18; Matt. v. 4. it primarily refers to Isaiah preaching the glad tidings Verse 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me of deliverance to the Jews. "The Spirit of JEHOVAH is upon me"] The Septuagint, Vulgate, and St. Luke, (chap. iv. 18,) and a MS., and two old editions omit the word ' Adonai, the Lord; which was probably added to the text through the superstition of the Jews, to prevent the pronunciation of the word Yehovah following. See Kennicott on the state of the printed Hebrew text, vol. i., p. 510. In most of Isaiah's prophecies there is a primary and secondary sense, or a remote subject illustrated by one that is near. The deliverance of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon is constantly used to shadow forth the salvation of men by Jesus Christ. Even the prophet himself is a typical person, and is sometimes intended to represent the great Saviour. It is evident from Luke iv. 18 that this is a prophecy of our blessed Lord and his preaching; and yet it is as evident that The opening of the prison-"Perfect liberty"] pпp pekach koach. Ten MSS. of Kennicott's, several of De Rossi's, and one of my own, with the Complutensian, have pnp pekachkoach in one word; and so the Septuagint and Vulgate appear to have taken it: not merely opening of prisons, but every kind of liberty complete redemption. The proclaiming of perfect liberty to the bound, and the year of acceptance with JEHOVAH, is a manifest allusion to the proclaiming of the year of jubilee by sound of trumpet. See Lev. xxv. 9, &c. This was a year of general release of debts and obligations, of bondmen and bond women, of lands and possessions which had been sold from the families and tribes to which they belonged. Our Saviour, by applying this text to himself, (Luke iv. 18, 19,) a text so manifestly relating to the institution above Gracious promises A. M. cir. 3292. cir. annum ISAIAH. 1 B. C. cir. 712. cir. annum made to Israel. 3 To appoint unto them that 5 And strangers shall stand A. M. cir. 3292. Olymp. XVII. 1. mourn in Zion, to give unto and feed your flocks, and the Olymp. XVII. 1. Numa Pompilii, them beauty for ashes, the oil sons of the alien shall be your Numa Pompilii, R. Roman., 4. of joy for mourning, the garment ploughmen and your vinedressers. R. Roman., 4. of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they 6 " But ye shall be named the Priests of the might be called trees of righteousness, the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of planting of the LORD, that he might be our God: ° ye shall eat the riches of the Genglorified. tiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves. 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. Psa. xxx. 11. Chap. Ix. 21. John xv. 8.- Chap. xlix. 8; lviii. 12; Ezek. xxxvi. 33, 36.— Eph. ii. 12. 7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion therefore in their land they shall Exod. xix. 6; chap. Lx. 17; Ixvi. 21; 1 Pet. ii. 5,9; Rev. i. 6; v. 10. - Chap. Ix. 5, 11, 16.-——P Chap. xl. 2; Zech. ix. 12. mentioned, plainly declares the typical design of that shall build," add mimmecha, they that spring from institution. Verse 3. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion "To impart gladness to the mourners of Zion"] A word necessary to the sense is certainly lost in this place, of which the ancient Versions have preserved no traces. Houbigant, by conjecture, inserts the word ww sason, gladness, taken from the line next but one below, where it stands opposed to ebel, sorrow or mourning, as the word lost here was to abeley, mourners: I follow him.-L. thee. Four MSS. have it so, (two of them ancient,) ted here; but is found in chap. lviii. 12." Verse 5. Strangers shall-feed your flocks] Gentiles shall first preach to you the salvation of Christ, and feed with Divine knowledge the Jewish congregations. Beauty for ashes-" A beautiful crown instead of state of ruin since the advent of our Lord; and conseashes"] In times of mourning the Jews put on sack-quently this may be a promise of the restoration of the cloth, or coarse and sordid raiment, and spread dust Jewish people. and ashes on their heads; on the contrary, splendid clothing and ointment poured on the head were the signs of joy. "Feign thyself to be a mourner," says Joab to the woman of Tekoah, "and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil," 2 Sam. xiv. 2. These customs are at large expressed in the Book of Judith: "She pulled off the sackcloth which she had on, and put off the garments of her widowhood, and washed her body all over with water and anointed herself with precious ointment, and braided the hair of her head, and put on a tire [mitre, marg.] upon it; and put on her garments of gladness;" chap. x. 3.-L. Verse 7. For your shame-" Instead of your shame"] The translation of this verse, which is very confused, and probably corrupted in the Hebrew, is taken from the Syriac Version; except that the latter has not expressed the word mishneh, double, in the first place. Five MSS. add the conjunction ↑ vau to лnow simchath. The Syriac reads 1 taronnu, and w♫ tirashu, in the second person, ye shall rejoice, ye shall inherit." And for on lahem, to them, two MSS., (one of them ancient,) three of De Rossi's, and the Syriac, read lachem, to you, in the second person likewise. 8 peer tachath ephar, glory for ashes; a paronomasia which the prophet often uses: a chaplet, crown, or other ornament of the head (for so the Vulgate renders the word here and in the 10th verse.; in The Version of the Septuagint is imperfect in this which last place the Septuagint agree in the same place; the first half of the verse is entirely omitted in rendering,) instead of dust and ashes, which before all the printed copies. It is supplied by MSS. Pacovered it; and the costly ointments used on occa-chom. and 1. D. II. in the following manner :sions of festivity, instead of the ensigns of sorrow.-L. Αντι της αισχυνης ύμων της διπλης, Και αντι της εντροπης αγαλλιάσεται ἡ μέρος αυτών "Instead of your shame ye shall have double, Trees of righteousness—“ Trees approved"] Heb. oaks of righteousness or truth; that is, such as by their flourishing condition should show that they were indeeed "the scion of God's planting, and the work of his hands;" under which images, in the preceding chapter, ver. 21, the true servants of God, in a highly improved state of the Church, were represented; that is, says Vitringa on that place, " commendable for the strength of their faith, their durability, and firmness." Verse 4. "And they that spring from thee"] A In which the two MSS. agree, except that 1. D. 11. has word is lost here likewise. After 1121 ubanu, "they by mistake huegas, day, for μegis, the part. And Cod. Therefore, they shall possess their land a second time." Gracious promises B. C. cir. 712. cir. annum Numa Pompilii, R. Roman., 4. CHAP. LXII. A. M. cir. 3292. possess the double: everlasting 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my Psa. xi. 7.- Chap. i. 11, 13.- Chap. Iv. 3. Gen. xli. 7; xiii. 15; xv. 18; xvii. 8; xxiv. 7; xxvi. 3; xxviii. 4, 13; chap. lxv. 23. made to Israel, A. M. cir. 3292. B. C. cir. 712. Olymp. XVII. I. cir. annum soul shall be joyful in my God; 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. Marchal., in the margin, has pretty nearly the same brought into the Church of Christ, and with the Gentiles. supplement as from Theodotion.-L. Verse 8. I hate robbery, for burnt-offering-" Who hate rapine and iniquity"] The Syriac, and Chaldee prefix the conjunction 1 vau, instead of the preposition abeth, to hy olah, which they render iniquity or oppression; and so the Septuagint, adixas. The difference lies in the punctuation; nya beolah, in a burnt-offering, hy beavelah, in iniquity. The let ters are the same in both words. Five of De Rossi's MSS. confirm this reading. made fellow heirs of the blessings of the new covenant, As a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments"As the bridegroom decketh himself with a priestly crown"] An allusion to the magnificent dress of the high priest, when performing his functions; and particularly to the mitre, and crown or plate of gold on the front of it, Exod. xxix. 6. The bonnet or mitre of the priests also was made, as Moses expresses it, "for glory and for beauty," Exod. xxviii. 40. It is difficult to give its full force to the prophet's metaphor in another language. The version of Aquila and Symmachus comes nearest to it: s vuupov isparevoμevov drepavy as a bridegroom decked with a priestly crown."-L. 66 Verse 11. The Lord God-"The Lord JEHOVAH"] " Adonai, the Lord, makes the line longer than the preceding and following; and the Septuagint, Alexandrian, (and MSS. Pachom. and 1. D. 11.,) and Arabic, do not so render it. Hence it seems to be interpolated," Verse 9. Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles] Both Jews and Gentiles are to make but one fold under one shepherd, Christ Jesus. But still, notwithstanding this, they may retain their peculiarity and national distinction; so that though they are known to be Christians, yet they shall appear to be converted Jews. After their conversion to Christianity this will necessarily be the case for a long time. Strange nations are not so speedily amalgamated, as to lose their peculiar cast of features, and other-Dr. JUBB. Three MSS. have it not. See on ver. national distinctions. 1 of this chapter. Both words 8 Adonai Yehovah, are wanting in one of my MSS.; but are supplied in the margin by a later hand. Verse 10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord] These may be the words of the Jews now converted, and CHAPTER LXII. The prophet opens this chapter with ardent prayers that the happy period of reconciliation just now promised, and here again foretold, may be hastened, 1-5. He then calls upon the faithful, particularly the priests and Levites, to join him, urging the promises, and even the oath, of Jehovah, as the foundation of their request, 6-9. And, relying on this oath, he goes on to speak of the general restoration promised, as already performing; and calls to the people to march forth, and to the various nations among whom they are dispersed to prepare the way for them, as God had caused the order for their return to be universally proclaimed, 10-12. c See ver. 4, 12; chap. Ixv. 15.- d Zech. ix. 16.- -e Hos. i. 10; 1 Pet. ii. 10. Chap. xlix. 14; liv. 6, 7. - Chap. liv. 1. That is, My delight is in her.—That is, Married. TIAN-or, as in the fourth verse, na yon chephtsi bah, "my delight is in her"--because, she has now received that command, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; HEAR HIM." Verse 4. Thy land Beulah] niya beulah, married. In the prophets, a desolate land is represented under the notion of a widow; an inhabited land, under that of a married woman, who has both a husband and children. Verse 5. For as a young man-so] The particles of comparison are not at present in the Hebrew Text: but the Septuagint, Syriac, and Chaldee seem to have read in their copies caph prefixed to the verb, by ki keyibal, which seems to have been omitted by mistake of a transcriber, occasioned by the repetition of the same two letters. And before the verb in the second line a MS. adds † ken, so; which the Septuagint, Syriac, and Chaldee seem also to have had in their copies. In the third line of this verse the same MS. has in like manner i vechimsos, and two MSS. and the Babylonish Talmud vw kimsos, adding the caph; and in the fourth line, the Babylonish Talmud likewise adds 1 ken, so, before the verb. Sir John Chardin, in his note on this place, tells us, that it is the custom in the east for youths, that were never married, always to marry virgins; and widowers, however young, to marry widows."-Harmer, Observ. ii. p. 482. So shall thy sons marry thee.] For T banayich, thy sons, Bishop Lowth reads, restorer or builder, as he does not consider the word as the plural of a ben, a son, but the participle benoni of the verb n banah, he built. I do not see that we gain much by this translation. Thy sons shall dwell in thee, Vulgate; and so the Septuagint and Chaldee. Verse 6. Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence] The faithful, and in particular the priests and Levites, are exhorted by the prophet to beseech God with unremitted importunity (compare Luke xviii. 1, &c.) to hasten the redemption of Sion. The image in this place is taken from the temple service; in which there was appointed a constant watch, day and night, by the Levites and among them this seems to have belonged particularly to the singers, see 1 Chron. ix. to God, and made one people. 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. A. M. cir. 3292. B. C. cit. 712. Olymp XVII. 1. Numa Pompili?, Cir. annum R. Roman., 4. 6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: "ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, 7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem Pa praise in the earth. Heb. with the joy of the bridegroom. Chap. lxv. 19.—TM Ezek. iii. 17; xxxiii. 7.- Or, ye that are the LORD'S remembrancers. 0 Heb. silence. -P Chap. Ixi. 11; Zeph. iii. 20. 33. Now the watches in the east, even to this day, are performed by a loud cry from time to time of the watchmen, to mark the time, and that very frequently, and in order to show that they themselves are constantly attentive to their duty. Hence the watchmen are said by the prophet, chap. lii. 8, to lift up their voice; and here they are commanded, not to keep silence; and the greatest reproach to them is, that they are dumb dogs; they cannot bark; dreamers; sluggards, loving to slumber, chap. lvi. 10. "The watchmen in the camp of the caravans go their rounds crying one after another, God is one, he is merciful:' and often add, 'Take heed to yourselves.'” TAVERNIER, Voyage de Perse, Liv. i. chap. x. The hundred and thirty-fourth Psalm gives us an example of the temple watch. The whole Psalm is nothing more than the alternate cry of two different divisions of the watch. The first watch addresses the second, reminding them of their duty; the second answers by a solemn blessing. The address and the answer seem both to be a set form, which each division proclaimed, or sung aloud, at stated intervals, to notify the time of the night : "JEHOVAH bless thee out of Sion; He that made heaven and earth.” "Ye who stand in the place of the watch, in the house of the sanctuary of the Lord; and ye praise through the nights;" says the Chaldee paraphrase on the second line. And this explains what is here particularly meant by proclaiming, or making remembrance of, the name of JEHOVAH: the form, which the watch made use of on these occasions, was always a short sentence, expressing some pious sentiment, of which JEHOVAH was the subject; and it is remarkable, that the custom in the east in this respect also still continues the very same; as appears by the example above given from Tavernier, The future restoration A. M. cir. 3292. ..ir. annum R. Roman., 4. CHAP. LXII. 8 The LORD hath sworn by his pare ye the way of the people; Olymp. XVII. 1. right hand, and by the arm of his cast up, cast up the highway; Numa Pompilii, strength, Surely I will no more gather out the stones; q lift up a 'give thy corn to be meat for standard for the people. thine enemies; and the 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 holiness. V of the Jews. A. M. cir. 3292, B. C. cir. 712. cir. annum Numa Pompilii, R. Roman., 4. 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 be fore him. 12 And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt 10 Go through, go through the gates; pre- be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken. Heb. If I give, &c. Deut. xxix. 31, &c.; Jer. v. 17. See Deut. xii. 12; xiv. 23, 26; xvi. 11, 14.lvii. 14. Chap. xl. 3; Chap. xi, 12.- Zech. ix. 9; Matt. xxi. 5; John xii. 15.- Verse 10. Of the people—" For the people"] Before the word Dyn haam, the people, two MSS. insert Yehovah; one MS. adds the same word after; and And this observation leads to the explanation of an obscure passage in the Prophet Malachi, chap. ii. 12. "JEHOVAH will cut off the man that doeth this; The watchman and the answerer, from the taberna-eight MSS., three ancient, instead of Dyn haam, have cles of Jacob; And him that presenteth an offering to JEHOVAH er veoneh, the master and the scholar, says our translation, after the Vulgate: the son and the grandson, says the Syriac and Chaldee, as little to the purpose: Arias Montanus has given it vigilantem et respondentem, "the watchman and the answerer;" that is, the Levite and "him that presenteth an offering to JEHOVAH," that is, the priest.-L. Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence. Is not this clause an address to the ministers of Christ, to continue in supplication for the conversion of the Jewish people? Kimchi seems to think that the watchmen are the interceding angels! מקצה earth.” Behold, his reward] See note on chap. xl. 10, 11. This reward he carries as it were in his hand. His work is before him-he perfectly knows what is to be done; and is perfectly able to do it. He will do what God should do, and what man cannot do; and men should be workers with him. Let no man fear that the promise shall not be fulfilled on account of its difficulty, its greatness, the hinderances in the way, or the unworthiness of the person to whom it is made. It is God's work; he is able to do it, and as willing as he is able. Verse 9. But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the Lord] This and the following line have reference to the law of Moses: "Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil; but thou must eat them before the Lord thy God, in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose," Deut. xii. 17, 18. "And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof Verse 12. They shall call them-These characteras uncircumcised: three years it shall be as uncir-istics seem to be put in their inverted order.-1. God cumcised unto you; it shall not be eaten of. But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the Lord withal. And in the fifth year ye shall eat the fruit thereof," Lev. xix. 23-25. This clearly explains the force of the expressions, "shall praise JEHOVAH," and "shall drink it in my sacred courts." Five MSS., one ancient, have myocheluhu, they shall eat it, fully expressed and so likewise moyishluhu, they shall drink it, is found in nineteen MSS., three of them ancient.-L. will not forsake them. 2. They shall be sought out, 231 4. |