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The gospel dispensation]

CHAP. II.

CHAP. II.

THE word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

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 people 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 pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

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 please themselves in the children of strangers.

[predicted.

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 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.

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.

EXPOSITION.

effect, he bitterly laments their degeneracy; and concludes with declaring, in the name of Jehovah, his purpose of inflicting still heavier judgments, such as would destroy the wicked, and excite in the righteous (who should also pass through the furnace) an everlasting shame and abhor

rence of every thing connected with idolatry, the source of all their misery.

"The whole chapter affords a beautiful example of this great Prophet's manner : whose writings, like his lips, were touched with haliowed fire."

NOTES.

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Ibid. They please themselves - Marg. "Abound with," &c. Lowth, "They multiply a spurious brood of strange children." This refers to the illegitimate produce of their licentious connexion with the heathen, which is here compared (in the original) with the corn, or grass, springing from seed acci dentally scattered.

Ver. 7. Full of silver and gold horses, &c -This was contrary to Deut. xvii. 16, 17. He followed the example of Solomon, 2 Chron, i. 14, 15,

Ver. 9. The mean man boweth, &c.—that is, all ranks bow down to idols: but Bp. Lowth renders this in the future; "therefore shall the mean man be bowed:" so Boothroyd.-Forgive them notLowth, "Thou wilt not forgive them."

Ver. 12. Shall be upon-"Is against," and so in the four following verses. Lowth.

Ver. 13. Cedars of Lebanon, &c.—that is, great men, princes, &c.

Ver. 14. High mountains-kingdoms, states, &c Ver. 15, Every high tower-military state,

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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 he shall utterly abolish.

19 And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

20 In that day a man shall cast his 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

CHAP. II.

[of idolatry.

glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

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

CHAP. III.

FOR, behold, the LORD, the LORD

of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the 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 prudent, and the ancient,

3 The captain of fifty, and the honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the eloquent orator.

4 And I will give children to be

EXPOSITION.

(B) Isaiah prophecies the coming of Messiah's kingdom, and the destruction of Idolatry. This and the two following chapters make one section of prophecy, to which the verse with which it opeus is the title. The first five verses foretel the kingdom of the Messiah, and the conversion of the Gentiles: for it is the opinion of the most learned Rabbins, that the term "latter days" always refers to the times of the Messiah. In the remaining part of the chapter is foretold the punishment of the unbelieving Jews for their idolatrous practices; their self-confidence and distrust in God; also the destruction of idolatry, in consequence of the establishment of Messiah's kingdom. The description which this chapter contains of the terrible consternation that will seize the wicked, who shall in vain seek for rocks and mouutains to hide them from the face of God in the day of his judgments, is beautifully and highly worked up. But to what period these judgments are to be referred is doubtful. Some have applied them to the first, and some to the second coming of our Lord; some to the destruction of the Jews, and some to the fall of Anti-christ!

Perhaps we ought not to confiue the words to any one of these events exclusively, The prophecy has, no doubt, been in a great measure fulfilled by the early and astonishing success of the gospel: yet the happy period so beautifully predicted in verse 4th, has only yet dawned, and some signal revolutions may yet be necessary to the establishment of universal peace.

Of part of these predictions at least we have lived to see the fulfilment. Messiah is come; the Gentiles have been admitted into his church. Idolatry in many nations has been suppressed; and, even in our own time, the inhabitants in the South Sea Islands, as also in some parts of Africa, and even India, have thrown away their idols. We cannot indeed say that men "learn war no more;" but the calamities attending the late Europeau wars, have induced the nations to make a pause; and it is now generally admitted among civilized governments, that no wars are defensible that are not founded on principles of jus tice. This is a grand point gained, and, we think, may lead eventually to the attainment of universal peace, the principles of which cannot be too much cherished in the Christian world.

NOTES.

Ver. 16. Ships of Tarshish-maritime powers. ———— Pleasant pictures Margin, "Pictures of desire." Lowth," Every lovely work of art."

Ver. 18. And the idols, &c-Marg. "The idols shall utterly pass away;" Lowth, "Totally dis appear."

Ver. 20. Made each one for himself-Marg. "Which they made for him to worship," &c.-To the moles

and to the bats- that is, for shame and fear, he shall hide them in darkness and obscurity.

CHAP. II. Ver. 3. The honourable man--Heb. "The man eminent in countenance.”—-— The elaquent orator-Marg. Skilful of speech."

Ver. 4. Children to be their princes.-- See Eccles.

x. 16.

The erimes of men]

CHAP. III.

their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

5 And the people shall 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 man shall take hold of his brother of the house of his father, saying, Thou hast clothing, be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand:

7 In that day shall he swear, saying, I will not be an healer; 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 shew of their countenance doth witness against them; and they declare their sin 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.

11 Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

12 As for my people, children are

[and follies of women.

their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they 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 eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the LORD God of hosts.

16 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing 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 nakedness.

18 In that day the LORD will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the

moon,

19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the head-bands, and

NOTES.

Ver. 7. Swear-Heb. "Lift up" the hand; the sual form of swearing.An healer-Heb.'" A binder up. He had not means to support the dignity of office.

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Ver. 8. The eyes of his glory-that is, his om

niscience.

Ver. 11. Given-Heb. " Done" to him.

Ver. 12. They which lead-Heb. "They which bless thee;" i. e. the priests. And destroy-Heb. "Swallow up," so the monsters of the deep destroy: but to swallow a way," seems to refer to an inundation of error and vice, which prevented their progress in the way of duty.

Ver. 14. The ancients-Lowth, "Elders."

Ver. 16. Wanton eyes- Heb. " Deceiving with their eyes;" i. e. by amorons glances. Lowth thinks this refers to painting the eyes. See Jer. iv. 30Mincing as they go--Heb. " Tripping nicely."

Ver. 17. Discover their nakedness.-The authorized version reads, "Secret parts;" but the Editor presumes that he shall be here approved in adopting the version of Bp. Lowth. The text refers to the barbarous custom of exposing captives naked.

Ver. 18. Tinkling ornaments Lowth, "Feetrings" i. . rings on the toes, which tinkled in tripping as they went.- Cauls Marg. "Net works." Round tires, &c.-Lowth, "Crescents." Ver. 19. The chains- Marg. "Sweet balls,"

Lowth, "The pendents."The mufflers- Marg. "Spangled ornaments;" Lowth, "Their veils."

Ver. 20. The bonnets-Lowth," Tires;" i. e, high head dresses.-The tablets-Heb. " Houses of the soul;" which Lowth ingeniously explains of "perfume boxes," and the ear rings as "amulets," or ornaments worn as charms against disease.

Ver. 21. Nose jewels were certainly used by ladies in the East, as they are in some parts to this day. See Note on Gen. xxiv. 47; also Ezek. xvi. 12. Lowth reads, "Jewels of the nostril."

Ver. 22. The changeable suits, &c.-Lowth, "The embroidered robes and the tunics."-The wimples and the crisping pins-Lowth," The cloaks and the little purses.""

Ver. 23. The glasses-Lowth, "The transparent garments;" a kind of silken gauze, worn by women of light character. The hoods and the veilsLowth," The turbans and the mantles."

Ver. 24. Instead of a sweet smell, a stink-Lowth, "Instead of a perfume, a putrid ulcer.". -Instead of a girdle, a rent - Lowth, "Instead of well-girt rainient, rags. A stomacher-Lowth, “A zone.” And burning-Lowth," A sun burnt skin."

Ver. 26. And she (being) desolate, shall sit upon the ground-See Lam. ii. 8. Mr. Addison remarks, that on several coins of Vespasian and Titus, Judæa Capta is so represented.

ISAIAH.

several ages, it was requisite that the original writings should be kept with the utmost care; but when the time was so near at hand, that the prophecies must be fresh in every person's recollection, or that the originals could not be suspected or supposed to be lost, the same care was not required, (Rev. xxii. 10.) It seems to have been customary for the Prophets to deposit their writings in the tabernacle, or lay them up before the Lord, (1 Sam. x. 25.) And there is a tradition, that all the canonical books, as well as the law, were put into the side of the ark.-Horne's Introd. (last Ed.) vol. iv. p. 146.

We here subjoin the following passages from other writers of eminence, on two important points connected with this subject:

ON PROPHETIC ACTION.

"There is a circumstance (says Mr. Murray) running through the Old and New Tes tament, which has puzzled many serious inquirers, owing to their unacquaintance with former manners: I speak of the mode of information by action. In the first ages, when words were few, men made up the deficiency of speech by action, as savages are observed to do at this day: so that conveying ideas by action was as usual as conveying them by speech. This practice, from its significancy and strong tendency to imprint vivid pictures on the imagination, endured long after the reasons for its origination ceased. It appears to have been confined to no particular country. The Scythiaus sent Darius a mouse, a frog, and a bird, which action spoke as plainly as words could do, and much more energetically, that he should fly with all speed to inaccessible fastnesses. When the son of Tarquinius Superbus had counterfeited desertion to Gabii, and had secured the confidence of the citizens, he sent a trusty messenger to his father to know how he should conduct himself. Tarquin led him into a garden, struck off the heads of the highest poppies in his presence; which being related to Sextus, he knew that he should take off the heads of the principal inhabitants. Conformable to this usage, when Jacob feared the wrath of Esau, an angel wrestled with him: thereby signifying that his apprehensions were groundless, and that, as he had prevailed with a divine Being, so he should be powerful over man. Couformable to this, Ezekiel puts on a yoke to represent the bondage of his countrymen, and walks without his upper garment, to represent their nakedness in captivity. Conformable to this, Jesus Christ curses the fig-tree, to prefigure the fate of a people unfruitful in good works. Agabus binds himself with Paul's girdle, to prefigure the im prisonment of the latter; and a mighty angel, in the Revelation, cast a huge stone into the sea, saying, Thus shall Babylon be cast down, and found no more at all for ever. At other times this information was conveyed in visions, and not literally transacted; as when Ezekiel is said to lie many days on one side; to carry a wine-cup to the neighbouring kings; and to bury a book in the Euphrates. The reader must own now that in this mode of instruction there was nothing fanatic; for fanaticism consists in a fondness for unusual actions, or modes of speech: whereas these were general, and accommodated to the ruling taste. If God spoke in the language of eternity, who could understand him? He, like the prophet, shrinks himself into the proportion of the child, which he means to revive.”—(Murray's Evidences of the Jewish and Christian Revelations, sect. 7. p. 85.)

THE SUBJECTS OF PROPHECY.

The subjects of prophecy are various and extensive, indeed so much so, as has been shown by Bishop Newton, that they form a chain of predictions from the beginning to the end of the Bible, and the world; but the grand subject of prophecy is the coming and kingdom of the Messiah, who was promised as the seed of the woman and of Abraham, the son of David and of God. This is indeed the prominent topic of most of the Prophets now before us, and especially of Isaiah. Many of his predictions will be found to refer to him alone; and others, though they may have a partial accomplishment in nearer events and inferior circumstances, have in him their final and complete accomplishment.

"The argument from prophecy, (says the learned Bp. Hurd) is not to be formed from the consideration of single prophecies, but from all the prophecies taken together, and considered as making one system'; in which, from the mutual dependence and connexiou

INTRODUCTION.

of its parts, preceding prophecies prepare and illustrate those which follow; and these again reflect light on the foregoing: just as, in any philosophical system, that which shows the solidity of it, is the harmony and correspondence of the whole; not the application of it in particular instances.

"Hence, though the evidence be but small, from the completion of any one prophecy taken separately, yet, that evidence being always something, the amount of the whole evidence resulting from a great number of prophecies, all relative to the same design, may be considerable; like many scattered rays, which, though each be weak in itself, yet, concentered into one point, shall form a strong light, and strike the sense very powerfully. Still more: this evidence is not simply a growing evidence, but is indeed multiplied upon us, from the number of reflected lights which the several component parts of such a system reciprocally throw upon each; till, at length, the conviction rises uuto a high degree of moral certainty." (Hurd's Sermons on Prophecy, Ser.ii.)

It is certain that the writings of the ancient Prophets were carefully preserved during the captivity, and they are frequently referred to and cited by the later Prophets. Thus the prophecy of Micah is quoted in Jer. xxvi. 18, a short time before the captivity, and, under it the prophecy of Jeremiah is cited, in Dan. ix. 2, and the Prophets generally in ix. 6. Zechariah not only quotes the former Prophets, (i. 4.) but supposes their writings to be well known to the people, (vii. 7.) It is evident that Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Zechariah, and the other Prophets, who flourished during the captivity, carefully preserved the writings of their inspired predecessors; for they very frequently cited and appealed to them, and expected deliverance from their captivity by the accomplishment of their predictions.

Although some parts of the writings of the Prophets are clearly in prose, of which instances occur in the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jonah, and Daniel, yet by far the larger portion of the prophetic writings are classed by Bishop Lowth among the poetical productions of the Jews, and (with the exception of certain passages in Isaiah, Habakkuk, and Ezekiel, which appear to constitute complete poems of different kinds, odes as well as elegies) form a particular species of poesy, which he distinguishes by the appellation of prophetic. "The prophetic poesy," says the same learned Prelate, is more ornamented, more splendid, and more florid than any other. It abounds more in imagery, at least that species of imagery which, in the parabolic style, is of common and established acceptation; and which, by means of a settled analogy, always preserved, is transferred from certain and definite objects, to express indefinite and general ideas. Of all the images peculiar to the parabolic style, it most frequently introduces those which are taken from natural objects and sacred history; it abounds in metaphors, allegories, comparisons, and even in copious and diffuse descriptions; it excels in the brightness of imagination, and in clearness and energy of diction, and consequently rises to an uncommon pitch of sublimity."-Lowth's Lect. xx.

As it is well known the prophets did not live nor write in the order in which their books are inserted in our Bible, we shall here introduce a Chronological Table of their respective dates, from Mr. Horne. The four greater prophets (as they are called) we shall distinguish by putting their names in capitals.

These Prophets, Mr. Horne remarks, may be arranged under three periods ·

1. Before the Babylonian captivity-Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Joel, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah: For the history of this period, see the second book of the Kings and Chronicles.

2. During the captivity, in part or in whole-Jeremiah, Habakkuk, Daniel, Obadiah, and Ezekiel.

3. After the return-Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Compare the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah as to this period.

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