9.—they are drunken, but not with wine;] The Prophet upbraids the Jews for their carelesness and stupidity, and compares them to men intoxicated.

14. the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,] Since this people have trusted to their own wisdom the very wisest of them shalt be blinded; they shall bring down destruction upon themselves by their very wisdom. How remarkably was this verified, when the elders of the Jews adhered to their ceremonies and traditions, and rejected the Gospel! and ever since they have laboured under the same blindness.

17.-Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?] A proverbial saying, expressing a great revolution of things, it alludes probably to the rejection of the Jews, and the calling of the Gentiles. The first were the vineyard of God cultivated by Him in vain, afterwards to be given up and become a wilderness; the last had been originally barren, but were by the grace of God to become fruitful. See Matt. xxi. 43.

21.—and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate,] That is, for the judges who impartially do justice.

CHAP. XXX.

Verse 1.-that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit,] This "covering" may mean their seeking refuge and protection from Egypt without any direction from God; or, in general, forming schemes to secure themselves, by ungodly methods, called a" covering" or " hiding-place of falsehood."

4. For his princes were at Zoan, &c.] That is, the ambassadors of Judah went to Zoan and Hanes, which are places in Egypt.

7.-Their strength is to sit still. The best security for Jerusalem will be to be quiet, and see the salvation which God will work for them; see ver. 15.

10.-Prophesy not unto us right things, &c.] These were not the very words they spake, but this was the true meaning of what they said: see their behaviour to Jeremiah, Jer. xx. 1.; xxxviii. 4, 6. and to Micaiah, 1. Kings xxii. 8, 27.

11.-cause the Holy One of Isruel to cease from before us.] Let us have no communications from Him.

18.-therefore] The original would have been better translated " nevertheless."

19-thou shalt weep no more:] From this verse to the twenty-seventh, follow many gracious promises of mercy, several of which cannot with propriety be applied to the prosperous times of Hezekiah's reign, which succeeded to the great deliverance; but we are rather to suppose the Prophet, aking a hint from them, and carried on to the better days that were to be under the Gospel

21. And thine ears shall hear a word bekind thee, &c.] God will give you not only teachers, but also grace to hearken to them.

24.-that ear the ground]"Ear," that is, plough. 25.-in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. This must refer to the great aud ter rible destruction of God's enemies, which shall be hereafter, when the strong fortifications, or perhaps the great ones of the earth, denoted here by the towers, shall tall.

26.-the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,] The Prophets, to express the prosperity and advancement of kingdoms, &c. make use of images taken from the most striking parts of nature, from, the sun, moon, and stais, shining with increased splendour, and never setting, &c.; calamity, the overthrow and destruction of kingdoms, are represented by opposite images. See note on chap. xiii. 10.

27. Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, &c.] "The name of the Lord," that is," the Lord;" He to whom the name belongs. From hence to the end of the chapter follows a lively description of God's vengeance devouring the Assyrian army like fire, and consuming it all at once. 28.-to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity:] Or, of emptiness or destruction. It shall leave none behind, but consign all to destruction.

-

there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.] The bridle which God will put into the jaws of the people (the Assyrians) shall not direct them aright, but shall in His judgment on their stubbornness make them err, and lead them into destruction. See chap. xxxvii. 29.

29.

Ye shall have a song,] "Ye," the Jews. 32.-the grounded staff] Rather, the rod of correction, or the terrible stroke. "It shall be with tabrets," &c. that is, the vengeance upon God's enemies shall produce joy and exultation to His people.

33.-Tophet is ordained of old; &c.] See the note at 2 Kings, xxiii. 10: The sense of this verse may be given thus: For God from the foundations of the world hath ordained a place of torment for His reprobate enemies; yea for the proud king of Assyria, and all who resemble him in wickedness, hath God prepared a dreadful condemnation in hell fire; which is poorly represented in that hideous valley of Hinnom (called here Tophet), wherein with much shrinking and horror the bodies of men are consumed in the fire (as sacrifices to the idol Moloch); but, alas, what is that flame to this unquenchable one, which is kindled by the breath of the Lord as with streams of brimstone; and therefore never can go out, or be abated!

CHAP. XXXI.

Verse 2.-against the help of them that work iniquity.] That is, against the Egyptians, who were designed to be the help of the Jews, who acted wickedly in thus seeking their assistance, contrary to God's command.

8. Then shall the Assyrian fall with the sword, not of a mighty man; &c.] The Assyrian army shall not fall by any mortal power, but by the immediate stroke of Heaven. See the accomplishment of this prophecy, chap. xxxvii, 36. or 2 Kings, xix. 35.

9. he shall pass over to his strong hold for fear,] He," that is, the king of Assyria shall return to his strong places for fear of the Jews who seem to be protected by the visible iuterposition of God.

CHAP. XXXII.

Verse 1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, &c. This may be understood in a primary sense, of Hezekiah, but more eminently of Christ, the King of righteousness. The wisdom and piety of Hezekiah was a support and comfort to his subjects; but what follows, especially in ver. 3, 4, relates to happier times than Hezekiah ever lived to enjoy; his reign can only be glanced at here, as an image and shadow of the great improvements in grace and holiness, which belong to the Gospeltimes, under the government of Christ, and the assistance of His Spirit.

2. And a man, &c.] Probably, the person spoken of in ver. 1.

4.the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.] The meaning is, there shall be great improvement in true knowledge. It will ap ply also more literally to the first followers of Christ, who by the miraculous power of the Spirit, from plain illiterate men, became endued at once with such wisdom and eloquence, as none of their adversaries were able to gainsay or resist..

12. They shall lament for the teats, &c.] The meaning probably is, They shall have cause to lament for want of milk, corn, and wine.

15. Until the spirit be poured upon us from on high, &c.] The meaning is, until God visit us again in His mercy, and make a favourable change in our affairs; which is figuratively expressed by the wilderness becoming a fruitful field. Perhaps the prophecy, in its fullest extent may refer to still future times.

20. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, &c.] The preaching of God's word is frequently described by images_borrowed from husbandry. We may suppose the Prophet here to foresee and pronounce blessed the lot of those that should go out in the Gospel-times to sow the word in all laods, when the desert of the Gentiles should be changed into a fruitful field.

CHAP. XXXIII.

This chapter may be called a triumphant ode upon the destruction of Sennacherib's army before

Jerusalem.

Verse 1. Woe to thee that spoilest,] Meaning the Assyrian.

4. And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller:] The Jews shall gather the spoils left in the Assyrian camp leaving it as bare as the caterpillers and locusts do the trees they devour

7-10. Behold, their valiant ones shall cry &c.] In these verses the Prophet describes the disappointment of Hezekiah's ambassadors, who humbly sued for peace (which indeed had been bought, 2 Kings xviii. 14, 15, 16. though Sennacherib would not stand to the agreement;) the damp that struck upon the spirits of the whole nation; and ver. 10, the immediate interposition of God when matters became desperate.

11. Ye shall conceive chaff, &c.] The Assy. rians shall fail of their purpose against Jerusalem, and shall be utterly consumed.

15.-that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, &c.] That will give no countenance to wickedness.

17. Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: &c.] This may perhaps refer to the righteous being hereafter admitted into the presence of God, and to the enjoyment of the next world; as the "everlasting burnings" in ver. 14. (may in a secondary sense, at least) be understood of the eternal punishments of Hell.

18. Thine heart shall meditate terror, &c.] Shall reflect on the past terror, and every one shall be ready to exclaim in a triumphant manner, Where is the scribe or muster-master? where is the collector of the taxes? where the commander of the enemy, to survey the fortifications, and take an account of the strength and situation of the walls and towers?

19.

Thou shalt not see a fierce people, &c.] Ye shall no more see the Assyrians and other foreign people whose language is strange to you.

23. Thy tacklings are loosed; &c. Having compared the Assyrian army to a naval force, verse 21. the Prophet persists in that metaphor, and describes them as in a shipwrecked condition, the spoil of the wreck to be divided among the citizens of Jerusalem, even the sick and diseased of them throwing aside their infirmities, and recovering strength enough to hasten to the general plunder...

24. the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.] Sickness being considered as visitation from God, and punishment for sin, the forgiveness of sin is equivalent to the removal of a disease.

This chapter and the next make one distinct prophecy, containing, first, a denunciation of Divine vengeance against the enemies of the people or church of God; secondly, describing the flourishing state of the church consequent upon the execution of those judgments. The event foretold is represented as of universal concern; all nations are called upon to attend to the declaration of it: and the wrath of God is denounced against all the nations, that is, against all those who had provoked to anger the Defender of the cause of Zion. Among those Edom is particularly mentioned. Accordingly, the Edomites were with the neighbouring nations, ravaged and laid waste by Nebuchadnezzar: and this may be the event which the Prophet has in the first place in view in chap. xxxiv; but this event seems by no means to come up to the terms of the prophecy, or to justify so terrible a description: also it is plain that the thirty-fifth chapter has a view beyond any thing that could be the immediate consequence of this event. It seems therefore that (Edom and Bozrah being put by a common figure for God's enemies in general) this prophecy has a further view to events still future, to some great revolutions to be effected in later times, preceding that more perfect state of the kingdom of God upon the earth, which the Holy Scriptures warrant us to expect, and serving to introduce it.

Verse 4.-all the host of heaven shall be dissolved &c.] The Prophet, borrowing his images from original chaos (as is usual in describing the overthrow of kingdoms, see note on chap. xiii. 10.) represents, as it were, the dissolution of all things: at ver, 5, 6, 7, a vast and splendid sacrifice is introduced, of such a imals as best represent the pride, cruelty, and insolence of tyrants, leaders of the nations hostile to God; next is this complete destruction represented by allusion to the overthrow of Sodom (ver. 9, 10,) and the whole concludes (ver. 11. to the end) with a picture of the most gloomy solitude and frightful devastation.

5.-Idumea,] The same as Edom.

11. he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, &c.] The meaning is, God shall condemn it to perpetual confusion and ruin, never to be either built or inhabited.

1. CHAP. XXXV.

As the judgments denounced in the last chapter belong not only to "Idumea," but to later times and occurrences, so the new face of things decribed in this is to be applied to the flourishing state of the Church, or golden age of the Gospel, to comnience from our Saviour's appearing, and to be more fully completed when all His enemies shall be

destroyed. When the Divine justice is made mauifest in punishing incorrigible sinners, it is usual to describe it as a matter of rejoicing to the righteous. And here the Church, which had before, been desolate and forlorn, a "wilderness" and " solitary place" is said to be about to rejoice, when these judgments shall be executed upon God's enemics and her persecutors.

Verse 5, 6. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, &c. This prophecy very fully expresses the power of miracles, with which our Saviour was to be dignified, in curing all manner of diseases.

6, 7.-in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. &c.] The cultivation and watering of desert and thirsty lands is so apt and constant an emblem, in the language of parables, to denote the more plentiful effusion of Divine grace and spiritual gifts, that expressions of this kind hardly need explanation: those that follow here are of the same kind, and serve only to set forth more at large, and with additional ornament, the same thing.

8.-but it shall be for those:] This may be better translated, " But He (that is, God) shall go along with them in the way."

the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.] The duties required of us by God are so plain and evident, that he, who sets himself to the practice of them, though he be of slow understanding, cannot but know them.

9. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast] We may understand to be implied by this, that men of brutish appetites, of cruel tempers, shall despise Christ's preaching; neither shall any that delight in wickedness, or trust in themselves, receive His doctrine, or embrace the Gospel, but the godly alone and humble.

CHAP. XXXVI.

For notes on this chapter and also on

CHAP. XXXVII.

See 2 Kings xviii. and xix. where these chapters occur almost word for word. The history of the invasion of Sennacherib and the miraculous destruction of his army is here introduced (though it had been given in the 2nd Book of Kings), for the sake of illustrating Isaiah's prophecies relating to that event.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

Verse 1-8. See the notes on 2. Kings 1. 1-11.

11.—I shall not see the Lord, in the land of the living:] The meaning is, he should no more have the enjoyment of God's presence in His temple among the men that live here on earth.

15. What shall I say? &c.] The suddenness of my deliverance surprises me, so that I want words to express my thankfulness; all I can say is, that no sooner did God promise to restore my health, but I immediately found the effects of His goodness. The sense of the latter part of the verse, "I shall go softly, &c." is more intelligible in our old translation, which renders the words thus, I will, so long as I live, remember this bitterness of my life;" that is, The remembrance of the misery I endured shall continually excite me to renew my thankfulness for this Thy mercy.

16. O Lord, by these things men live,] By those words and powerful acts, that proceed from Thee, is the life of man both given and preserved.

1

CHAP. XXXIX.

See the notes on 2 Kings xx. 12—19.

CHAP. XL.

The Prophet in the foregoing chapter had delivered a very plain declaration of the impending dissolution of the kingdom, and of the captivity under the kings of Babylon. As the subject of his remaining prophecies was to be chiefly of the consolatory kind, he opens them with giving a 'promise of a restoration, and the return of the people from that captivity, by the merciful interposition of God in their favour. But the views of the Prophet are not coufined to this event: the 'redemption from Babylon is clearly foretold: and at the same time is employed as an image, to shadow out a redemption of an infinitely higher and more important nature-the deliverance of the people of God, Gentiles as well as Jews, from the captivity of sin, and the dominion of death by Christ. The Prophet connects these two events together, and hardly ever treats of the former without throwing in some intimations of the latter; sometimes he is so fully possessed with the glories of the future kingdom of the Messiah, that he seems to leave the more immediate subject of his commission almost out of the question.

Verse 3. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, &c.] It was the practice of eastern monarchs, when they went on a journey, to send pioneers before them, to open the passes, level the ways, and remove all impediments. The supposition here, that proclamation was made in the wilderness for such a preparation, implies that some uncommon personage was to be expected. St. John the Baptist applies this part of the prophery to himself, for when he was asked who he

was, he answered, "I am the voice of one erying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias," Joha i. 23. intimating that the Person so much expected was approaching, and that he was to prepare the way for Him by turning men to repentance.

4. Every valley shall be exalted, &c.] Under the allusion of mending and levelling the roads for the progress of great princes, that alteration is suggested, which should be made in the minds and dispositions of men, in order to qualify them to receive the benefit of the Gospel: the pride of their hearts must be brought down, the roughness of their tempers, and crookedness of their wills, must be rectified and made straight, in order to bring them to that meek and humble spirit which God has promised to "guide in judgment," and instruct in His way."

6.-All flesh is gruss, &c.] The object perhaps here is to contrast the vanity and weakness of every thing temporal, of man and all worldly pursuits, with the stability and certainty of what is spiritual: and it might be intended to imply that the coming of this Personage was for spiritual not temporal purposes.

10.-his reward is with him, and his work before him.] Rather, "And his recompence before him" or, with him. The meaning is," He shall recom pense both the good and evil according to their works.

11. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: &c.] These expressions eminently belong to Christ, and represent the gentleness He should use to the weak ones of His flock, giving them instruction as they are able to bear it, and taking all possible care to bring back stragglers to His fold.

12. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, &c.] Here begins a lofty description of God's almighty power, shewing that He is great above all His works, and able to do beyond what we can think or conceive; the design of it is, to persuade people to put their whole trust in Him, to rest assured that He is able to perform who promises, and withal to arm them against idolatry,

ver. 18, &c.

16.-Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, &c.] The meaning is, that all the beasts of the earth and all the fuel it affords would not be sufficient to make a sacrifice suitable to the greatness of God's majesty.

26. who hath created these things,] Meaning the sun, moon, and stars. "He calleth them al by names;" that is, He is able to number them.

CHAP. XLI.

In this and the following chapters, God is introduced as pleading his own cause against the false

gods of the Heathens, and challenging the idols to shew such instances of their power and goodness, in protecting their votaries, as might be alleged in His behalf, with respect to His care and providence over the Jews: proper instructions to preserve that people from being drawn aside to comply with the Babylonish idolatry. They contain likewise in them a plain prediction of the calling of the Gentiles, and their turning "from idols to serve the living and true God."

Verse 1.-0 islands;] See the note on chap.

xi. 11.

let the people renew their strength:] This seems to be a charge to the nations to make use of their utmost strength in defending their idolatry in the proposed debate. The words are spoken ironically.

2.-the righteous man from the east,] Some explain this of Abraham; others with more probability, of Cyrus, who overthrew the Babylonians, the great supporters of idolatry, and did in consequence liberate the people of God, and restore the true worship.

6, 7. They helped every one his neighbour; &c.] In these verses, the several artificers concerned in idol-making are represented as assisting one another, to carry on their common interest; the passage may fitly be applied to the heathen powers combining together to support their idolatry and suppress the Christian religion.

14. Fear not, thou worm Jacob,] God defended the children of Israel, as long as they continued His people, though very few in comparison, against all the world; and commands them here not to fear, notwithstanding the smallness of their number, and weakness of their estate.

15.—I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth:] Under the familiar image of a threshing floor, the Prophet here represents the ruin and dispersion of the wicked, the enemies of Israel. The Baptist uses the same metaphor in refering to our Saviour, Matt. iii. 12.

17. When the poor and needy seek water,-I the Lord will hear them,] To give water in the wilderness, in allusion to the miraculous supply, during the passage of the Israelites through the wilderness to the Holy Land, is the emblem of unexpected relief in distress. This and similar passages imply the large supplies of grace under the Gospel.

19. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, &c.] See note on chap, lv. 13.

21. Produce your cause, saith the Lord; &c.] This is an address and challenge to the idol gods of the Heathen, to give proofs of their power, &c. to do something, either "good" or " evil," if they were able.

25. 1 hape raised up one from the north, &c.]

Cyrus is represented here as coming from "the north," and from "the east:" he was born of two different people, the Persians by his father, the Medes by his mother. Now Persia lay to the east of Babylon; Media northward; and Cyrus's army (of which the Medes made a considerable part) is described, Jer. 1. 9. 41. as coming out of the north.

26. Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? &c.] Who among the idols hath declared any thing before it happened, that we might know it, and believe him to be true?

27. The first shall say to Zion, &c.] That is, "I first give the word to Zion" (that is, give notice by my prophets of these events, saying)" Behold, behold them :" (they are at hand!) and I give to Jerusalem a messenger of glad tidings." This may refer in the first instance to Cyrus, but more emnently to our Saviour Christ.

CHAP. XLII.

The Prophet having opened his subject with the preparation for the return from the captivity at Babylon, and intimated that a much greater deliverance was covered under the veil of that event, proceeded to vindicate the power of God, as Creator and Disposer of all things; and His 'infinite knowledge, from His prediction of future events, and in particular of that deliverance: he went still further, and pointed out the instrument by which He should effect the redemption of His people the Jews from slavery; namely a great conquerour, whom He would call from the north and east to execute His orders. In this chapter he proceeds to the greater deliverance; and at once brings forth into full view, without throwing any veil of allegory over the subject, the Messiah. St. Matt. (chap. xii. 18.) has applied it directly to Christ; nor can it with any propriety be applied to any other per son whatever.

Verse 1.—he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.] He shall cause the Gospel to be made known to the Gentiles.

2. He shall not cry, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.] He was (as all interpreters explain the proverbial expressions here used) not to employ the least degree of force or violence in the propagation of the new law, till it finally prevailed against all opposition. Accordingly, by the mildness and piety of the followers of Christ, by the secret influence of a Divine blessing on their feeble efforts, the Gospel became victorious over the rage and power of the world.

3. A bruised reed shall he not break, &c.] Those that are humble and contrite shall He rather relieve and comfort, than add anything to their sorrow and affliction: and those that have

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