6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will A.C. 713. deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake. 7 And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered. 8 ¶ And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day. 9 And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees? 10 And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees. 11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and The brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it Is xxxviii. down in the * dial of Ahaz. had gone ISAIAH XXXII 51. 1 The blessings of Christ's kingdom. 9 Desolation is foreshewn. 15 Restoration is promised to succeed. 1 Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. 51 In the first verse of this chapter, there seems to be an evident allusion to the recent recovery of Hezekiah. "This thing was not done in a corner:" and while the minds of the people were filled with the remembrance of this astonishing miracle; while they beheld their king healed, and on the third day going up into the house of the Lord, (2 Kings xx. 5.) At this moment of exultation and gratitude, it is not improbable that Isaiah would call upon them to anticipate a period when Israel should have much greater cause for praise and rejoicing. "Behold a King shall reign in righteousness," rise again from the dead on the third day, and enter into the Holy of Holies, conquering death and sin. On this supposition I have deviated from the plan of Bishop Lowth, in his arrangement of this chapter; and, following Lightfoot, have put together, as one section, this and the three chapters ensuing. The first eight verses of this chapter describe the happy state of mankind when the Assyrian, or false religion, shall be destroyed; the seven following predict a period of wrath and tribulation preceding that happy event, in which the careless daughters of pleasure are threatened; and the five last verses repeat the assurance of the general effusion of the Holy Spirit, and the conversion of the world to the true religion. In the 33d chapter, the prophet predicts the miraculous destruction of Sennacherib's army, and still dwells upon the general subject of the final overthrow of the irreligious faction, and the prosperity of the Church. He threatens the enemies of God with division and treachery among themselves; and describes 8. Ecclus. grees. A. C. 713. 2 And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry *Heb. heavy. place, as the shadow of a * great rock in a weary land. 3 And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken. + Heb. hasty. 4 The heart also of the trash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to 10r, elegant'y. speak ‡ plainly. the consternation of the sinners of Zion, (ver. 14.) or hypocritical professors of the true religion, when they shall see the judgments inflicted on the avowed enemies of the church; during which time the following verses declare the security and happiness enjoyed by the servants of God; who see the Messiah glorified in the prosperity of his church; and behold from afar the promised land of immortality, (ver. 17.)-Bishop Horsley in loc. The 34th and 35th chapters make one distinct prophecy, consisting of two parts: the first containing a denunciation of divine vengeance against the enemies of the people or church of God; the second describing the flourishing state of the church of God, consequent upon the execution of those judgments. All nations and people are called upon to hear this prophecy. All nations are interested in it. It denounces the wrath of God against the enemies of Sion; among them Edom and Bozrah are particularly specified, (ver. 5, 6.) In the preceding predictions of Isaiah, the Assyrian has been the type of the powerful head of the irreligious faction, but in this prophecy Idumea and Bozrah represent a promiscuous mass of people in the interests of infidelity and irreligion, which will remain to be extirpated after the overthrow of the Assyrian. The general devastation spread through Idumea and Bozrah by Nebuchadnezzar appears to be the event Isaiah predicted, and had primarily in view, when he uttered this prophecy. But this destruction and calamity by no means corresponds, or justifies the high-wrought and terrible description contained in this chapter. It is reasonable, therefore, to suppose that this prophecy has a further view, to events still future; and to some great revolutions to be effected in later times; antecedent to that more perfect state of the kingdom of God upon earth, and serving to introduce it, which the Holy Scriptures warrant us to expect. The xxxvth chapter declares, with most explicit clearness, the wonderful miracles wrought by our blessed Saviour, "the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unstopped, the lame man shall leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." To this passage our Lord plainly refers, when he bids his disciples report to John the things they had heard and seen, (Matt. xi. 4, 5.) To his miracles the strictly literal interpretations of the prophet's words direct us; their allegorical meaning may relate to the future advent of Christ; when all nations shall be healed, when the blind shall receive their sight, and the lepers be cleansed; when there shall be a high way called the way of holiness, and "God shall be all in all.” From the manner in which the whole of these four chapters are connected together, by the allusions contained in them to that glorious King, who shall "reign in righteousness,"-and to the future events of the latter days, they are inserted together in this place.-Vide Lightfoot; Bishop Lowth; Horsley in loc. 5 The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the A.C. 713. churl said to be bountiful. 6 For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, 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. 7 The instruments also of the churl are evil: he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right. 8 But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he +stand. 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 § the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine. * Or, when he speaketh against the poor in judgment. Or, be esta blished. Heb. Days above a year. Heb. the fields of desire. 13 Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers; || yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous || Or, burning city: upon, &c. and watchtowers. 14 Because the palaces shall be forsaken; the multitude of the city shall be left; the *forts and towers shall be *Or, clifts for dens for ever, 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 bes ch. xxix. 17. counted for a forest. 16 Then 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 for ever. 18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places; 19 When it shall hail, coming down on the forest; +and+Or, and the the city shall be low 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. ISAIAH XXXIII. 1 God's judgments against the enemies of the church. 13 The privileges of the godly. 1 Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they deal not treacherously city shall be utterly abased, A.C. 713. 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 treacherously with thee. 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 fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered. 4 And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them. 5 The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. 6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy *Heb. salva- times, and strength of * salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure. tions. † Or, messengers. 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 Or, withered ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits. away. t Ps. xv. 2. & xxiv. 4. Heb. in righteous 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. 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; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. 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 Heb. upright- ears from hearing of + blood, and shutteth his eyes from *Or, deceits. seeing evil; nesses. nesses. + Heb. bloods. Heb. heights, 16 He shall dwell on high: his place of defence shall or, high places. be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his Heb. the land of far distances. u 1 Cor. i. 20. waters shall be sure. 17 Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold § the land that is very far off. 18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. u Where is the ** scribe? where is the receiver? where is he that counted A. C. 713, the towers? Heb.weigher. 19 Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a † stammering tongue, tous + Or, ridicu that thou canst not understand. 20 Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall 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 a place of 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. have forsaken 23 | Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well Or, They strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail: then thy tacklings. 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. ISAIAH XXXIV. 1 The judgments wherewith God revengeth his church. 11 The desolation of her enemies. 16 The certainty of the prophecy. 1 Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and * all that is therein; the world, Heb. the fuland 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 hath 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. ness thereof. 4 And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their x Rev. vi. 14. host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree. 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. y Rev. vi. 13. |