Crimes. Forsaking Jehovah; Patronage of soothsayers; Alliance withi strangers (ver. 6). Accumulation of treasures; Preparation of war-chariots (ver. 7). Universal, and debasing idolatry (vs. 8, 9)
He would smite and destroy all their wealth, and the sources of national corruption and depravity (vs. 13—17).
He would entirely destroy the idols (ver. 13).
In view of these heavy judgments, the prophet calls on th people (ver. 22) to cease tc tnist ii toen, since all were mortal, and unworthy of their contidence^
In chapter iii. the description of the punist ment of the nation ia continued (vs. I— 1?), intermia fled with the account of their sins.
T^tre would be calatniy, the removal of the means of support, and the remov<ii of the men m whiim the nation had reposed confidence (vs. 1—4).
There would be oppression, and a violation of, and disregard of all the proper laws of.social At^i (ver. 5).
There would be a state of anarchy and calamity, so that no one would be willing to be a leader, o undertake to remove the difficulties of the nation, or hold an oflice of trust (vs. 6. 7).
Jerusalem would be ruined (ver 8).
The prophet states the principles of the Divine administration -that it should be well with th« righteous, but ill with the wicked (vs. 12—15).
The chapter closes (vs. 16—06) with a graphic description of the gayety, pride, and folly of thi female part of the Jewish community, and with the assurance that ihey would be irivolved in tU* calamities which were coming upon the nation.
1. A statement of the general calamity of the nation, indicated b'- the fact that the men wqu.d be i?estroyed, and that the women would apply to the few that remained that they might be caied bf their name, and their reproach be taken away (ver. 1).
2. At that future time there would be a looking to the Messiah, a feeling that God only could interpose and save them; and a high estimate placed on the " Branch of Jehovah," the Messiah, to whom alone they could look for deliverance (ver. 2)., •,
3. The people would turn to God, and there would be a reformation from their national sins (vs 3, 4). The judgments of Jehovah would be ellectual to the removal of the peculiar crimes which the prophet had denounced, and the nation would bocome holy.
God would, in that future time, become the protector of his people, and the symbols of his presence and protection would be manifest every where in the midst of them (vs. 5, 6).
It is evident, therefore, that this prophecy was uttered when the nation was proud, haughty, and hypocritical; when they had been successfully engaged in commerce, and when the means of luxury abounded; when the national pride and vanity were manifested in dress, and luxury, and in the oppressive acts of the rulers j when general disorder and anarchy prevailed, and when a part of the nation at least was idolatrous. The entire prophecy may be regarded as a condemnation of thesa tins, and a solemn declaration that /or these sins, wherever they prevail, the judgments of God will be poured out on a people. The prophecy, also, contemplates happier and purer times, and contains the assurance that the series of judgments which God would bring on a guilty people would ultimately have the eftect to purify them, aad that all these crimes and calamities would be succeeded by the pure and peaceful reign of the Messiah. It is in accordance with the manner of Isaiah, when he surveys existing crimes; when he sees the degradation of his countrymen, and is deeply distressed; when he portrays the judgments that must certainly come upon them; and when, as if sickened with the contemplation of their crimes and calamities, his mind seeks repose in the con templation of the purer and happier period when the Messiah should reign, and peace, prosperity, tnd purity should prevail.
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw Judah and Jerusalem.
' 1. The word. This indicates that this is the commencement of a new prophecy. It has no immediate con-
I nection with the preceding. It was delivered doubtless at a different time, and with reference to a different class
-erni vision is used (ver. 1), but the meaning is substantially the same.
2 And '"it shall come to pass in the last days, that the moun
tament. It does not of itself refer to any particular period, and especially not, as our translation would seem to indicate, to the end of the world. The n expression properly denotes only future J time in general. But the prophets were accustomed to concentrate all their hopes on the coming of the Messiah, They saw his advent as giving character, and sublimity, and happiness to all coming times. Hence the expression came to denote, by way of eminence, the times of the Messiah, and is frequently used in the New Testament, as well as the Old, to designate those times. See Acts ii. 17. Compare Joel ii. 28. Heb. i. 2. 1 Pet. i. 5, 20 1 John ii. 13. Gen. xlix. 1, and Mi cah iv. 1. Deut. iv. 30. Jer. xlviii 47. Dan. xi. 28. The expression! » which follow are figurative J and cannot well be interpreted as relating t« any otner events than the times of the
iain of the Lord's house shall be ^established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
P Messiah. They refer to that future pe- / riod, then remote, which would con- / Btitute the last dispensation of things Sr— in this world — the last time — the pe- U riod, however long it might be, in I which the affairs of the world would I — be closed. The patriarchal times had A passed away; the dispensation under / the Mosaic economy would pass away; the times of the Messiah would be the last times, or the last dispensation, under which the affairs of the world would be consummated. I Thus the phrase is evidently used m the New Testament, as denoting the last time, though without implying that that time would be short. It might be longer than all the previous periods put together, but it would be the last economy, and under that economy, or in that time, the world would be destroyed, Christ would come to judgment, the dead would be raised, and the affairs of the world would be wound up. The apostles by the use of this phrase never intimate that the time would be short, or that the day of judgment was near, but only that in that time the great events of the world's history would be consummated and closed. Compare 2 Thess. ii. 1-5. — This prophecy occurs in Micah (ch.iv. 1-5) with scarcely any variation. It is not known whether Isaiah made use of Micah, or Micah of Isaiah, or both of an older and well-known prophecy. Hengstenberg (Chris, i. pp. 289, 290) supposes that Isaiah copied from Micah, and suggests the following reasons. 1. The prediction of Isaiah is disconnected with what goes before, and yet begins v/ith the copulative Vav 1, and. In Micah, on the contrary, it is connected with what precedes and follows. 2. In the discourses of the prophets the promise usually follows the threatening. This order is observed by Micah; in Isaiah, on the contrary, the promise contained in the passage precedes the threatening, and another promise fol- | lows. Many of the older theologiani supposed that the passages were communicated alike by the Holy Spirit to both writers. But there ia no improbability in supposing that Isaiah may have availed himself of language used by Micah in describing the same event. ^ Tlii^ mountain of the Lord's house. The temple was built on Mount Mo« riah, which was hence called the mounta:in of the Lord's house. The temple, or the mountain on which it was reared, would-be the object which would rxpfess the public worship of the true God. And hence, to say that that should be elevated higher than all other hills or mountains, means, that the worship of the true God would become an object so conspicuous as to be seen by all nations; and so conspicuous that all nations would forsake other objects and places of worship, being attracted by the glory of the worship of the true God. IT Shall be established. Shall be fixed, rendered permanent. IT In the top of the mountains. To_tg_iri the top of the,:tsountaiiis, would be to be conspicuous, or se"en fronl afar. In other words, the true.^ religion would, be made ^bo^Q..la.jyjL people., IT Shall flow unto it. This is "^a figurative expression, denoting that they would be converted to the true religion. It indicates that they would tjorne in multitudes, like the flowing of a mighty river. The idea of the flowing o(t]ie nations, oiToTlhe movement of inany people towards an object like a broad stream, is one that is very, grand and sublime. Comp. Ps. Ixv. 7. This cannot be understood of any period previous to the establishment of the gospel. At no time of the Jewish history did any events occur that would be a complete fulfilment of thia prophecy. The expressions evidently refer to that'" period elsewhere often J)redicted by tliis prophet (fsa. xi. 10 xlil. 1. 6, xlix. 22, liv. 3, Ix. 3, 5, 10 ixii. 2, Ixvi. 12, 19), when the Gentilei
3 And man> people shall go and say, Come^ ye, and let us go up to the moun.ain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob: and he will teach us of his ways,
would be brought to the knowledge, of the true religion. In Isa. Ixvi. 12, thee occurs a passage remarkably similar and which may serve to explain this:
" Behold I will extend peace to her [to Zion] as
a river; And the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing
Under the Messiah, through the preaching of the apostles and by the spread of the gospel, this prophecy was to receive its full accomplishment.
3. And many people shall go.,^hi8 denotes a prevalent desire to turn to_ the true God and embrace the tru^ religioii^ It is remarkable that it
"of the folly and danger of their ways, an31elt the necessity of obtaining a bett?1f" "religion. In many cases this has occurred. Thus, in modem times, the people of the Sandwich Islands threw away their gods and remained without any religion, as if waiting for the message of life. Thus, too, the heathen not unfrequently come from a considerable distance at missionary stations to be instructed, and to receive the Bible and tracts. Perhaps this is to be extensively the mode in which Christianity is to be spread. God, who has all power over human hearts, may excite the heathen to anxious inquiry; may show them the folly of their religion; and may lead them to this preparation to embrace the gospel, and this disposition to go and seek it. He has access to all men. By a secret influence on the understanding, the jeart, and the conscience of the hea-;hen, he can convince them of the folly of idolatry and its vices. He can soften down their prejudices in favour of their long established systems; can break down the barriers between them and we will walk ir his paths j for out of Zion* shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
and Christians; and can dispose theu\ to receive with joy the messengers of salvation. He can raise up, among the heathen themselyes, reformers, who shall show them the folly of their systems. It cannot be doubted that the universal triumph of the gospel will be preceded by some such remarkable preparation among the nations; by a secret, silent, but most mighty influence from God on the heathen generally, that shall loosen their hold on idolatry, and dispose them to welcome the gospel. And the probability that this state of things exists already, and will more and more, should be an inducement to Christians to make more vigorous efforts to send every where the light of life. IT He will teach us of his ways. He will make us acquainted with his will, and'wrtElhe doctrines of the trufil religion. IT For out of Zion. These are the words of the prophet, not of the people, ^he prophet declares that the law would go from Zion; that is, Zion would be the centre from which it" would be spread abroad. See Note cE. i. 8. Zion is put here for Jerusalem, and means that the message of mercy to mankind would be spread from Jerusalem. Hence the Messiah commanded his disciples to tarry " in Jerusalem until they should be endued with power from on high." Luke xxiv. 49. Hence also he said that repentance and remission of sins should " be preached among all nations beginning at Jerusalem" — perhaps referring to this very passage in Isaiah. Luke xxiv. 47. IT The law. This is put here for the doctrines of the true religion in general. The law or will of God under the reign of the Messiah would pro-, ceed from Zion. IT The word of the Lord. The message of his mercy to mankind; that which he has spokan respecting the salvation of men. — Thf truth which is here taught is, that Zion fi/r the church is the source of religious truth, and the centre of religious in- Jiuenct in the world. This is true in the following respects. 1. Zion was the source of religious truth to the ancient world. Knowledge was gained oy travel; and it is capable of about as clear demonstration as any fact of ancient history, that no inconsiderable part of ^ knowledge pertaining to Go^..oient Greece was obtained
' ^ iUiercourse with the sages of distant lands, and that the truths held in Zion or Jerusalem thus radiated from land to land, and mind to mind. (2.) The church is now the centre of religious truth to the world around it. (a) The world by its philosophy never originates a system of religion which it is desirable to retain, and which conveys any just view of God or the way of salvation, (b) The most crude, unsettled, contradictory, and vague opinions on religion prevail in this community called " the world." (c) If in this community there are any opinions that are true and valuable, they can in most instances be traced to the church. They are owing to the influence of the pulpit; or to an early training in the Bible; or to early teaching in the Sabbath school, or to the instructions of a pious parent, or to the general influence which Christianity exerts on the community. (3.) The church holds the power of reformation in her hands, every cause of morals advancing or retarding as she enters into the work, or as she withdraws from it. (4.) The heathen world is dependent on the church for the knowledge of the true religion. There are no systems of truth that start up on a pagan soil. There is no elastic energy in a heathen mind. There is no recuperative power*to bring it back to God. There is no advance made toward the truth In any heathen community. There in no well-spring of life to purify the foul. The effect of time is only to deepen the darkness, and to drive them ferther from God. They only worship the nations, and shall rebuke mere shapeless blocks; they bow do^o before worse looking idols; they enter less elegant and more polluted temples. The idols of the heathen are not constructed with half the skill and taste evinced two thousand years ago; nor are their temples built with such exquisite art. No idol of the heathen world now can compare with the statue of Minerva at Athens; no temple can be likened to the Parthenon; no sentiment of heathenism in China, India, or Africa, can be compared with the views of the sages of Greece. The heathen world is becoming worse and worse, and if ever brought to better views, it must be by a foreign influence; and that influence will not go forth from philosophy or science, but from the church. If light is ever to spread, it is to go forth from Zion; and the world is dependent on the church for any just knowledge of God and of the way to life. The " law is to go forth from Zion," and the question whether the millions of the human family are to be taught the way to heaven, is just a question whether the church can be roused to difluse abroad the light which has arisen on her.
4. And he shall judge. Or he shall exercise the office of a judge, or umpire. This literally refers to the God of Jacob (ver. 3), though it is clear that the meaning is, that he will do \K by the Messiah, or under his reign. One office of a judge is to decide controversies; to put an end to litigations, and thus to promote peace. The connection shows that this is the meaning here. Nations that are contending shall be brought to peace by the influence of the reign of the Messiah, and shall beat their swords into ploughshares. In other words, the influence of the reign of the Messiah shall put a period to wars, and reduce contending nations to peace, IF And shall rebuke, Shall reprove them for tLeir contentions and strifes.
pies" yoyes: " Ke shall be a juoge of the nations, An J ar. umpire of maigr Unsdom«.'*
.riuny people, and they «shall beat their swords into ploughshares; and their spears into
He shall show them the evil of war; and by reproving them for those wicked passions which cause wars, shall promote universal peace. This the gospel every where does; and the tendency of it, if obeyed, would be to produce universal peace. In accordance with predictions like these, the Messiah is called the Prince of Peace (Isa. ix. 6); and it is said that of hio peace there shall be no end. Isa. ix. 7. IT And they shall beat, &c. They shall change the arts of war to those of peace; or they shall abandon the pursuits of war tor the mild and useful arts of husbandry. Comp. Ps. xlvi. 9. Hos. ii. 20. A similar prophecy is found in Zech. 'X. 10. The following extracts may «erve to illustrate this passage: " The Syrian plough, which was probably used in all the regions around, is a very simple frame, and commonly so light, that a man of moderate strength might carry it in one hand. Volney states that in Syria it is often nothing else than the branch of a tree, cut below a bifurcation, and used without wheels. The ploughshare 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, and applied to the purposes of agriculture." IT Their spears. Spears were much used in war. 'I'hey were made of wood with a sharpened piece of iron or other metal attached to the end. The pruning-hook, made for catting the limbs of vines or trees, is, in tike manner, a long piece of wood with a cro'^ked knife attached to it. Hence it was easy to convert the one into the other. ^ Pruning-hooks. Hooks or long knives for trimming vines. The word here, however, means any hing employed in reaping or tnowing,
•pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
a sickle, or a scythe, or any instrument to cut with, as well as a pruning-hook. These jfigures, as images of peace, are often used by the prophets. Mi<;ah (iv. 4) has added to this deacription of peace m Isaiah, the following:
Joel (iii. 10) has reversed the figure, and applied it to war prevailing" over peace:
Falx ex ense. Pax me certa duels plaridos conflavit in usus Agricolae nunc sum, militis ante fui.
Squalent abductis arva colonis, Et curvae rigidum falces conflantur in ensein.
Sarcula cessabunt, versique in piia 'igones.
IT Nation shall not lift up, &c. Thia is a remarkable prediction of universal peace under the gospel. The prediction is positive that the time will come when it shall prevail. But it has not yet been fully accomplished. We may remark, however, in relation to this: (1.) That the tendency of the gospel is to promote the arts, and to produce the spirit of peace. (2.) It will dispose the nations to do right, and thus to avoid the occasions of war. (3.) It will fill the mind with horror at the scenes oi cruelty and blood that war produces. (4.) It will diffuse honour around the arts of peace, and teach the nations to prize the endearments of home and country, and the sweet scenes of domestic life. (5.) Just so far as ii hiM influence over pnncesand rulers, it w^*'
5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk "in the light of iho Lord.
teach them to lay aside the passions of ambition and revenge, and the love of conquest and " glory," and indispose Ihcm to war. (6.) The tendency of things now is towards peace. The Iaw8 of nations have been established under the gospel. DifRculties can even now be adjusted by negotiation, and without a resort to arms. (7.) Wars are far less barbarous than they were formerly. The gospel has produced humanity, mildness, and some degree of justice even in war. It has put an end to the unmerciful treatment of prisoners; has prevented their being sold as slaves; has taught even belligerents not to murder women and children. (8) Nothing remains to be done to make peace universal but to send the gospel abroad through every land. When that is done, the nations will be disposed to peace, and the prophet, therefore, has predicted the universal prevalence of peace only when all nations shall be brought under the influence of the gospel
5. O J. case of Jacob. This is a direct addrror, or exhortation, of the prophet to the Jews. It is made in view of the fac'. that God had gracious purposes to>/ards them. He intended to distinpui.'h them by making them the source cf blessings to all nations. As this was to be their high destiny, he exhorts them to devote themselves to him, and to live to his honour. The word house here means the family, or nation. The phrase is applied to the Jews because their tribes were descended from the twelve sons of Jacob. IT Let us walk. Let us live. The word walk is often used to denote human life or conduct. Comp. ver.3. Rom. vi. 4, viii. 1. 1 Cor. V. 7. Gal. vi. 16, &c. IT In the light V the Lord. The sense of this is: Let us obey the commandments of Jehovah; or, as the Ghaldee expresses it, •* Let us walk in the doctrine of the law of the Lord." The idea may be
6 Therefore thou hast forsaken ihy people, the house of Jacob, because they be replenished *from
thus expressed: * Let us not walk in the darkness and error of sin and idolatry, but:n the light or instruction which God sheds upon us by his law. He teaches us what we should do, and let us obey him.' Light is often in the Scriptures thus put for instruction, or teaching. Comp. Note Matt. iv. 16. John i. 4; also Ephes. v. 8.
6. Therefore. The prophet proceeds in this, and the following verses, to state the reasons of their calamities, and of the judgments that had come upon them. Those judgments he traces to the crimes which he enumerates — crimes growing chiefly out of great commercial prosperity, producing pride, luxury, and idolatry. IT Thou hast forsaken. The address is changed from the exhortation to the house of Jacob (ver 5) to God, as is frequently the case in the writings of Isaiah. It indicates a state where the mind is full of the subject, and where it expresses itself in a rapid and hurried manner. IT Hast forsaken. Hast withdrawn thy protection, and given them over to the calamities and judgments which had come upon them. IT They be replenished. Heb. They are full. That is, these things abound. IT From the East. Marg. More than the East. The meaning of the expression it is not easy to determine. The word translated East, ^'^.l^ denotes also antiquity, or that which is of old, as well as the East. Hence the LXX render it, * their land is, as of old, filled." The Chaldee, * their land is filled with idols as at the beginning.* Either idea will suit the passage; though our translation more nearly accords with the Hebrew than the others. The East, i. e. Arabia, Persia, Chaldee, &c., was the country where astrology, soothsaying, and divination particularly abounded. See Dan. ii. 2. Deut. xviii. 9-11. IT And are soothsayers. Our word* soothsayers means foretellers, prognosiicators, pe?* ihe east, and are soothsayers* like the Philis'-ines, and they please^ themselves in the children of '^strangers.
gons who pretend to predict future events without inspiration, differing in this from true prophets. What the Hebrew word means it is not so easy to determine. The word C^SSS? onenim may be derived from "ij^ dndn, a cloud — and then would denote those who augur from the appearance of the clouds, a species of divination from certain changes observed in the sky. Comp. Lev. xix. 26: " Neither shall ye — observe times." 2 Kings xxi. 6. This species of divination was expressly forbidden. See Deut. xviii. 10, 11, 12: " There shall not be found among you any one that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter," &c. Or the word may be derived from T]? ain, an eye, and then it will denote those who fascinate, enchant, or bewitch by the eye. It is probable that the word includes augury, necromancy, and witchcraft, in general — all which were expressly forbidden by the law of Moses. Deut. xviii. 10, 11, 12. ^ Like the Philistines. The Philistines occupied the land in the southwest part of Palestine. The LXX use the word foreigners here, as they do generally, instead of the Philistines. IT And they please themselves. The word here used — pS^ — means Uterallly to clap the hands in token of joy. It may also mean, to join the hands, to shake hands, and then it will signify that they joined hands with.foreigners; that is, they made compacts or entered into alliances with them contrary to the law of Moses. The LXX seem to understand it of unlawful marriages with the women of surrounding avToTg. Comp. Neh. xiii. 23. It means probably, in general, that they entered into improper alliances, whether they were military, matrimonial, or coramer-
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:
cial, with the surrounding nations. The words children of strangers may mean, with the descendants of the foreigners with whom Moses forbade any alliances. The Jews were to be a separate and peculiar people, and in order o this, it was necessary to forbid all such foreign alliances. Ex. xxiii, 31,32, xxxiv. 12-
7. Their land also is full of silver and gold. This gold was brought chiefly from Ophir. Solomon imported vast quantities of silver and gold from foreign places. 2 Chron. viii. 18, ix. 10, 1 Chron. xxix. 4. Comp. Job xxviii.
16. 1 Kings X. 21,27. 2 Chron. ix. 20. " And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones." " It was nothing accounted of in the days of Solomon." From these expressions we see the force of the language of Isaiah, " their land is full," &,c. This accumulation of silver and gold was expressly forbidden by the law of Moses. Deut. xvii. 17: " Neither shall he ("the king of Israel] greatly multiply to himself silver and gold." The reason of this prohibition was, that it tended to produce luxury, effeminacy, profligacy, the neglect of religion, and vice. It is on this account that it is brought by the prophet as an accusation against them that their land w^as thus filled. IT Treasures. Wealth of all kinds; but chiefly silver, gold, precious stones, garments, &c. Cornp. Note Matt. vi. 19 IT Their land also is full of horses. This was also forbidden in the law of Moses. Deut. xvii. 16: "But he shall riot multiply horses to himsell, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horseo." This law, however, was grossly violated by Solomon. 1 Kings x. 26: " And Solomon gathered together chariot* and horsemen; he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand
8 Their land also is fiill of idols; ''they worship the Work of their own hands, the work
horsemen " It is not quite clear why the use of horses was forbidden to the Jews. Perhaps several reasons might have concurred. (1.) Egypt was distinguished for producing fine horses, and the Eyptians used them much in war (Deut. xvii. 16); and one design of God was to make the Jews distinguished in all respects from the Egyptians, and to keep them frotn commerce with them. (2.) Horses were chiefly used in war, and the tendency of keeping them would be to produce the love of War and conquest. (3.) The tendency of keeping theni would be to l6ad them to put trust in them rather than in God for protection. This is hinted at in Ps. xx. 7: ** Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of Jehovah oar God." (4) Horses were regarded as consecrated to the sun. See Univ. Hist. Anc. P. vol. x. 177. Ed. 1780. They were sacrificed in various nations to the sun, their swiftness being supposed to render them an appropriate offering to that luminary. There is no evidence, however, that they were used for sacrifice among the Hebrews. They were probably employed to draw the chariots in the solemn processions in the woiiship of the sun. The ancient Persians, who were sun-worshippers, dedicated white horses and chariots to the sun, and it is supposed that other nations derived the practice from them. The sun was supposed to be drawn daily in a chariot by four wondrous coursers, and the fate of Phaeton, who undertook to guide that chariot and to control those coursers, is known to all. The use of horses, therefore, among the Hebrews in the time of Ahaz when Isaiah lived (see 2 Kings xxxiii. 11) was connected with idolatry, and it was mainly on this account that the prophet rebuked their «9e with so much severity. 2 Kings xxiii. 11. It may be added, that in a country like Judea, abounding in hills and moun- UJiiSi cavalry could not be well einploy- which their own fingers have ed even in war. On the plains of Egj'pt it could be employed to advantage; or in predatory excursions, as among the Arabs, horses could be used with great success and effect, and Egypt and Arabia therefore abounded with them. Indeed these may be regarded as the native countries of the horse. As it was the design of God to separate, aa much as possible, the Jews from the surrounding nations, the use of horses was forbidden. IT Chariots. Chariots were chiefly used in war, though they Were sometimes used for pleasure. Of those intended for war there were two kinds, one for the generals and princes to ride in, the other to break the enemy's ranks. These last were commonly armed with hooks or scythes. They were much used by the ancients. Josh. xi. 4. Judges i. 19. The Philistines in their war against Saul had 30,000 chariots, and 6000 horsemen. 1 Sam. xiii. 5. There is no evidence, however, that the Jews used chariots for war. Solomon had many of them (1 Kings x. 26), but they do not appear to have been used in any military expedition, but to have been kept for display and pleasure. Judea was a mountainous country, and chariots would have been of little or no use in war.
8. Their land also is full of idols. Comp. Hos. viii. 4, x. 1. Vitringa supposes that Isaiah here refers to idola that v/ere kept in private houses, aa Uzziah and Jotham were worshippers of the true God, and in their reign idolatry was not publicly practised. It is certain, however, that though Uzziah himself did right, and was disposed to worship the true God, yet he did not effectually remove idolatry from the land. The high places were not removed, and the people still sacrificed and burnt incense on them. 2 King* XV. 4. It was customary with tho heathen to keep in their houses Penates or household gods — small images, whi ch they regarded as protectors, and t*
9 And the mean man boweth down, and the great man hunribleth himself; therefore forgive.hem not.
10 Enter^ into the rock, and which they paid homage. Comp. Gen. XXX. 19. Judg. xvii. 5. 1 Sam. xix. 13. Hos. iii. 4. " This is a true and literal description of India. The traveller cannot proceed a mile through an inhabited country without seeing idols, and vestiges of idolatry in every direction. See their vessels, their implements of husbandry, their houses, their furniture, their ornaments, their sacred trees, their domestic and public temples; and they all declare that the land is full of idols."— 2?o6er<s. IT The work of their own hands, &,c. Idols. It is often brought as proof of their great folly and degradation that they paid homage to what they had themselves made. See this severely satirized in Isa. xl. 18-20, xli. 67, xliv. 9-17.
9. And the mean man. That is, the man in humble life, the poor, the low in rank — for this is all that the Hebrew word here — ^7^ — implies. The distinction between the two words here used — Q'JiJ as denoting a man of humble rank, and ^"^5? as denoting one of elevated rank — is one that constantly occurs in the Scriptures. Our word mean conveys an idea of moral baseness and degradation which is not implied in the Hebrew. IF Boweth down. That is, before idols. Some commentators, however, have understood this of bowing down in affliction, but the other is probably the true interpretation. •iT And the great man. The men in ele\ ated rank in life. The expressions together mean the same as all ranks of people. It was a common or universal thing No rank was exempt from tlie prevailing idolatry. ^ Therefore forgive them not. The Hebrew is /w^irc— cnb ti'^n-'^S'l. Thou wilt not hear for them; that is, thou wilt not bear away their sins [by an atonement ], or * thou wilt not forgive them;*
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 haughti-
— but agreeable to a common Hebrew construction, it has the force of the imperative. It involves a threatening of the prophet, in the form of an address to God. * So great is their sin, that thou Lord wilt not pardon them.' The prophet then proceeds in the following verses to denounce the certainty and severity of the judgment that was coming upon them.
10. Enter into the rock. That is, into the holes or caverns in the rocks, as a place of refuge and safer.'. Comp. ver. 19, and Rev. vi. 15, 16. In times of invasion by an enemy, it was natural to flee to the fastnesses or to the caverns of rocks for refuge. This expression is highly figurative and poetic. The prophet warns them to flee from danger. The sense is, that such were their crimes that they would certainly be punished; and he advises them to flee to a place of safety. H And hide thee in the dust. In ver. 19 this is " caves of the dust." It is parallel to the former, and probably has a similar meaning. But inay there not be reference here to the mode prevailing in the East of avoiding the monsoon or poisonous heated wind that passes over the desert 1 Travellers there, in order to be safe, are obliged to throw themselves down, and to place their mouths close to the earth until it has passed. IT For fear of the Lord. Heb. • From the face of the terror of the Lord.* That is, the punishment which God will inflict will sweep over the land, producing fear and terror. IT And for the glory, &c. That is, the honour or splendour which will attend him when he comes forth to inflict judgment on the people. Vs. 19, 20.
11. The lofty looks. Heb. * Th» eyes of pride,' i. e. the proud eyes or looks. Pride commonly evinces itselt in a lofty carriage and supercilious aa»
nessof men shall be bowed down; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that May.
12 For the day of the Lord i)f hosts shall he upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon
pect. Ps. xviii. 27. IT Shall be humbled. By the calamities that shall sweep over the land. This does not mean that he shall be brought to be humble, or to have a humble heart, but that that on which he so much prided himself would be taken away. IT The Lord alone, &c. God will so deal with them as to vindicate his honour; to turn the attention entirely on himself, and to secure the reverence of all the people. So terrible shall be his judgments, and so manifestly shall they come from him, that they shall look away from every thing else to him alone. IT In that day. In the day of which the prophet speaks when God would punish them for their sins. Reference is probably made to the captivity at Babylon. — It maybe remarked that one design of punishment is to lead men to regard and honour God. He will humble the pride of men, and so pass before them in his judgments, that they shall be compelled to acknowledge him as their just Sovereign and Judge.
12. The day, &c. This expression evidently denotes that the Lord would inflict severe punishment upon every one that was lofty. Such a severe infliction is called the day of the Lord of hosts, because it would be a time when he would particularly manifest himself, and when he would be recognised as the inflictor of that punishment. Ilis coming forth in this manner would give character to that time, and would be the prominent event. The punishment of the wicked is thus frequently called the day of the Lord. Isa. xiii. 6, 9: " Behold the day of the Lord Cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger," &,c. Jer. xlvi. 10: " The day of the Lord God of hosts, a day of vengeance." Ezek. xxx. 3. Zeph. i. 7, 14. Joel ii. 31. See also every one that is lifted i.p, aud he shall be brojght low;
13 And upon all the ^cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
in the New Testament, 1 Thess. y. 2. 2 Pet. iii. 10. IT Every one that \a proud and lofty. Or, rather, every thing that is high and lofty. The phrase is not restricted to persons, though it erabraces them. But though the language here is general, the reference is doubtless, mainly, to the princes, magistrates and nobility of the nation; and is designed not only to designate them as men of rank and power, but as men who were haughty in their demeanor and feelings. At the same time, there is included in the language, as the subsequent verses show, all on which the nation prided itself
13. And upon all the cedars of Lebanon. This is a beautiful specimen of the poetic manner of writing so common among the Hebrews, where spiritual and moral subjects are represented by grand or beautiful imagery taken from objects of nature. Mount Lebanon bounded Palestine on the north. It was formerly much celebrated for its large and lofty cedars. These cedars were from thirty-five to forty feet in girth, and very high. They were magnificent trees, and were valuable for ceiling, statues, or roofs, that required durable and beautiful timber. The roof of the temple of Diana of Ephesus, according to Pliny, was of cedar, and no small part of the temple of Solomon was of this wood. A few lofty trees of this description are still remaining on Mount Lebanon. " After three hours of laborious travelling," saya D'Arvieux, " we arrived at the famous cedars about eleven o'clock. We counted twenty-three of them. The circumference of these trees is thirtysix feet. The bark of the cedar resembles that of the pine; the leaves and cone also bear considerable resero • blance. The stem is upright, the wooo
14 And upon all the high | mountains, and upon all the hilU
is hard, and has the reputation of being incorruptible. The leaves are long, narrow, rough, very green, ranged in tufts along the branches; they shoot in Bpring, and fall in the beginning of winter. Its flowers and fruit resemble those of the pine. From the full grown trees, a fluid trickles naturally, and without incision; this is clear, transparent, whitish, and after a time dries and hardens; it is supposed to possess great virtues. The place where these great trees are stationed, is in a plain of nearly a league in circumference, on the summit of a mount which is environed on almost all sides by other mounts, so high that their summits are always covered with enow. This plain is level, the air is pure, the heavens always serene." Maundrell found only sixteen cedars of large growth, and a natural planta^ tion of smaller ones which were very numerous. One of the largest was twelve yards six inches in girth, and thirty-seven yards in the spread of its Doughs. At six yards from the ground, it was divided into five limbs, each equal to a great tree. Dr. Richardson visited them in 1818, and found a small clump of large, tall, and beautiful trees, which he pronounces the most picturesque productions of the vegetable world that he had ever seen. In this clump are tv/o generations of trees; the oldest are large and massy, rearing their heads to an enormous height, and spreading their branches to a great extent. He measured one, not the largest in the clump, and found it thirty-two f^et in circumference. Seven of these trees appeared to be very old, the rest rounger, though, for want of space, ■vheir branches are not so spreading. —Bush's Illustrations of Scripture. *' The celebrated cedar-grove of Lebanon," says Dr. Robinson," is at least two days' journey from Beirilt, near the northern, and perhaps the highest summit of the mountain. It has been ofien and sufficiently described by travellers for the last three centuries; but Ihey all differ as to the number of the oldest trees, inasmuch as in counting, some have included more and some less of the younger ones. At present the number of trees appears to be on the increase, and amounts in all to several hundred. This grove was long held to be the only remnant of the ancient cedars of Lebanon. But Seetzen, in 1805, discovered two other groves of greater extent, and the American Missionaries, in travelling through the mountains, have also found many cedars in other places. The trees are of all sizes, old and young, but none so ancient and venerable as those usually visited " — Bibli. Research. III. 440, 441. The cedar, so large, lofty, and grand, is used in the Scriptures to represent kings, princes, and nobles. Gomp. Ezek. xxxi. 3. Dan. iv. 20-22. Zech. xi. 1, 2. Isa. xiv. 8. Here it means the princes and liobles of the land of Israel. The Chaldee renders it, "upon all the strong and mighty kings of the people." IT And upon all the oaks of Bashan. Bashan wag east of the river Jordan, in the limits of the half tribe of Manasseh. It was bounded on the north and east by Gilead, south by the river Jabbok, ancP west by the Jordan. It was celebrated for pasturage, and for producing fine' cattle. Num. xxi. 33, xxxii. 33. Ps. xxii. 12. Ezek. xxxix. 18. Amos. iv. 1. Micah vii. 14. Its lofty oaks are alsc particularly celebrated. Ezek. xxvii. 6. Amos ii. 9. Zech. xi. 2. The sense here is not different from the former member of the sentence — denoting the princes and nobles of the land.
14. And upon all the high mountains. Judea abounded in lofty mountains, which added much to the grandeur of its natural scenery. Lowth supposes that by mountains and hills, are meant here, " kingdoms, republics, states, cities;" but there are probably no parallel places where they have this meaning The meaning is probably this: High mountains and hills would not only be objects of beauty or grandeur, but also places of defence, and that are lifted up,
15 And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,
protection. In the caverns and fastnesses of such hills, it would be easy for the people to find refuge when the land was invaded. The meaning of Ihe prophet then is, that the day of God's vengeance should be upon the places of refuge and strength; the strongly fortified places, or places of sure retreat in cases of invasion. Comp. Notes on ver. 19. IT Hills that are lifted up. That is, high, elevated hills. 15. Every high tower. Towers, or fortresses, were erected for defence and protection. They were made on the walls of cities, for places of observation (comp. Note ch. xxi. 5), or in places of strength, to be a refuge for an army, and to be a point from which they might sally out to attack their enemies. They were high to afford a defence against being scaled by an enemy, and also that from the top they might look abroad for observation; and also to annoy an enemy from the top, when the foe approached the walls of a city. T Every fenced wall. M^in JT^'i:22. The y.'ord fenced, nns!:22 betzuvd, is from *iS3 Idtzdr to make inaccessible, and hence to tbrtify. It denotes a wall that is inaccessible, or strongly fortified. Cities were commonly surrounded by high and strong walls to defend them from enemies. The sense is, God would overturn all their strong places of refuge and defence.
IG. And upon all the ships of Tarshish. Ships of Tarshish are often mentioned in the Old Testament, but the meaning of the expression is not quite obvious. See 1 Kings x. 22. 2 Chron. ix. 21, xx. 36, 37 Ps. xlviii. 7, &c. It is evident that Tarshish was Bome distant land from which was imported silver, iron, lead, tin, &c. It is now g:enerally agreed that Tartessus hi Spain is referred to by the Tarshish >f Scripture. Brlice, however, supposes
16 And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all ^pleasanl pictures.
that it was iri Africa, south of Abyssinia. See Note on ch. Ix. 9. That it was in the west is evident from Gen. x. 4. Comp. ^s. Ixxxii. 10. In Ezek. xxviii. 13, it Is mentioned as an important place of trade; in Jer. x. 9, it is said that silver was procured there; a:.d in Ezek. xxviii. 12, it is said that iron, lead, silver, and tin, were imported from it. In 2 Chron. ix. 21, it is said that the ships of Tarshish returned every three years bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes and peacocks. These are productions chiefly of India, but they might have been obtained in trade during the voyage. In Isa. xxiii. 1, Ix. 9, the phrase " ships of Tarshish," seema to denote ships that were bound on long voyages, and it is probable that they came to denote a particular kind of ships adapted to long voyages, in the same way as the word Indiaman does with us. The precise situation of Tarshish is not necessary to be known in order to understand the passage here. The phrase, " ships of Tarshish," denotes clearly ships employed in foreign trade, and in introducing articles ofcommerce,and particularly of luxury. The meaning is, that God would erribarrass, and destroy this commerce; that his judgments would be on their articles of luxury. The LXX render it, " and upon every ship of the sea, and upon every beautiful appearance of ships." The Targum, " And upon those who dwell in the isles of the sea, and upon those who dwell in beautiful palaces." IT And upon all pleasant pictures. Margin, " pictures of desire;" that is, such as it should be esteemed desirable to possess, and gaze upon; pictures of value or beauty. Targum, " costly palaces." The word rendered '^pictures," 111*3 'J, denotes properly sights, or objects to be looked at; and does not designate paintings particularly; but every thing that was designed for ornament, or J uxury. Whether the
17 And *the loftiness of man Bhall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of nien shall be laid
ow: and the Lord alone shall oe exalted in that day.
18 And the idols %e shall utterly abolish.
art of painting was much known among the Hebrews, it is not now possible to determine. To a certain extent it may be presumed to have been practised; but the meaning of this place is, that the Divine judgment should rest on all that w^as designed for mere ornament and luxury; and, from the description in the previous verses, there can be no doubt that such ornaments would abound.
17. And the loftiness, &c. See Note ver. 11. The repetition of this makes it strongly emphatic.
18. And the idols. Note ver. 8. IT Abolish. Heb, ' Cause to pass away or disappear.* He shall entirely cause their worship to cease. This prediction was most remarkably fulfilled. Before the captivity at Babylon, the Jews were exceedingly prone to idolatry. It is a remarkable fact that no such propensity was ever evinced after that. In their own land they were entirely free from it; and scattered as they have been into all lands, they have in every age since kept clear from idolatry. Not an instance, probably, has been known of their relapsing into this sin; and no temptation, or torture, has been sufficient to induce them to bow down and worship an idol. This is one of the few instances that have occurred where affliction and punishment have completely ansv/ered their design.
19. And they shall go. That is, the worshippers of idols. IT Into the holes of the rocks. Judea was a mountainous country, and the mountains abounded with caves that offered a safe retreat for those who were in danger. Many of those caverns were very spacious. At Engedi, in particular, a cave is mentioned where David with
19 And they shall go into th« 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 shako terribly 'the earth.
six hundred men hid himself from Sau in the sides of it. 1 Sam. xxiv. Some times caves or dens were artificiallj constructed for refuge or defence ii danger. Judges vi. 2. 1 Sam. xiii. 6 Thus, " because of the Midianites, tlw children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds." Judges vi. 2. To these they fled in times of hostile invasion. " When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places^ and in pits." 1 Sam. xiii. 6. Comp. Jer. xli. 9. Mahomet speaks of a tribe of Arabians, the tribe of Thamud, who " hewed houses out of the mountains to secure themselves." Koran ch. xv. and xxvi. Grots or rooms hewed out of rocks for various purposes are often mentioned by travellers in Oriental regions. See Maundrell, p. 118, and Burckhardt's Travels in Syria, and particularly Laborde's Journey to Arabia Petrea. Such caves are often mentioned by Josephus as affording places of refuge for banditti and robbers. Ant. B. xiv. ch. 15, and Jewish Wars, B. i. ch. 16. To enter into the caves and dens, therefore, as places of refuge, was a very natural image to denote consternation. The meaning here is, that the worshippers of idols should be so alarmed as to seek for a place of security and refuge. Comp. ver. 10. If When he ariseth. This is an expression often used in the Scriptures to denote the commencement of doing any thing. It is here derived, perhaps, frou the image of one who has been in repose— as of a lion or warrior, rousing up suddenly, and putting forth mighty efforts. IT To shake terribly the earth.
20 In that day a man shall cast *his idols of silver, and his;dols of gold, which they made
6 the idols of his silver.
An image denoting the presence of God, for judgment or punishment. One of the magnificent images which the sacred writers often use to denote the presence of the Lord is, that the earth shades and trembles; the mountains bow and are convulsed 2 Sam xxii. 8: " Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved, because he was wroth." See also vs. 9-16. Judges V. 4. Hab. iii. 6-10: " The mountains saw thee and trembled." Heb. xii. 26: " Whose voice then shook the earth." The image here denotes that he would come forth in such virrath that the very earth should tremble, as if alarmed at his presence. The mind cannot conceive more sublime images than are thus used by the sacred writers.
20. In that day. That is, in the time when God would come forth to inflict punishment. Probably the day to which the prophet refers here was the time of the captivity at Babylon. IT A man shall cast, &,c. That is, all who have idols, or who have been trusting in them. Valuable as they may be — made of gold and silver; and much as he may now rely on them or worship them, yet he shall then see their vanity, and shall cast them into dark, obscure places, or holes where arc moles and bats. IT To the moles. ni^B "iSnb. Probably this should be read as a single word, and it is usually interpreted moles. Jerome interprets it mice, or moles, from ^''Sf^ hhdphdr, to dig. The word is formed by doubling the radical letters to give inteneily. Similar instances of words being divided in the Hebrew, which are nevertheless to be read as one, occur in 2 Chron. xxiv. 6 Jer. xlvi. 20. Lam. iv. 3. Ezek. xxvii. 6, The mole is a well known animal, with exceedingly small eyes, that burrows under ground, lives in the dark, and subsists on roots. The bat lives \i\ old ruins, and behind 5»
^each one for r imself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; 21 To go into the clefts of the the bark of trees, and flies only in the night. They resemble each other, and are used here in connection, because both dwell amidst ruins and in obscure places; both are regarded as animals of the lowest order; both are of the same genus, and both are almost blind. The sense is, therefore, that the idols which had before been so highly venerated, would now be despised, and cast into obscure places, and amidst ruins, as worthless. See Bochart's Hieroz. p. 1, Lib. iii. p. 1032, Ed. 1663. IT And to the hats. " The East may be termed the country of bats; they hang by hundreds and thousands in caves, ruins, and under the roofs of large buildings. To enter such places, especially after rain, is most offensive, I have lived in rooms where it wa? sickening to remain, on account of the smell produced by those creatures, and whence it was almost impossible to expel them. What from the appearance of the creature, its sunken diminutive eye, its short legs, (with which it cannot walk,) its leather-like wings, its half-hairy, oily skin, its oflfensive ordure ever and anon dropping on the ground, its time for food and sport, darkness, makes it one of the most disgusting creatures to the people of the East. No wonder, then, that its name is used by the Hindoos (as by the prophet) for an epithet of contempt. When a house ceases to please the inhabitants, on account of being haunted, they say, give it to the hats. * Alas! alas! my wife and children are dead; my houses, my buildings, are all given to the bats.' People ask, when passing a tenantless house, ' Why is this habitation given to the bats V '* JRoberts. The meaning is, that the man would throw his idols into such places as the bats occupy — he w^ould so see their vanity, and so despise them, as to throw them into old ruing and dark places. 21. To go. That is, thit he ma> 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 go. IT Clefts of the rocks See Note onver. 19. ^ Into the tops, Sec, The tops of such rocks were not easily accessible, and were thert/ore deemed places of safety. We may remark here, how vain were the refuges to which they would resort — as if they were safe from God, when they had fled to the places in which they sought safety from man. The image here is, however, one that is very sublime. The earth shaking; the consternation and alarm of the people; their renouncing confidence in all to which they had trusted; their rapid flight; and their appearing on the high projecting clifis, are all sublime and terrible images. They denote the severity of God's justice, and the image is a faint representation of the consternation of men when Christ shall come to judge the earth. Rev. vi. 15, 16, 17.
22. Cease ye from man. That is, cease to confide in or trust in him. The prophet had just said (vs. 11,17), that the proud and lofty men would be brought low — thet is, the kings, princes and nobles would be humbled. They in whom the people had been accustomed to confide should show their insufficiency to afford protection. And he calls on the people to cease to put their reliance on any of the devices and refuges of men, implying that trust should be placed in the Lord only. See Ps. cxlvi. 3, 4. Jer. xvii 5. IT Whose breath is in his nostrils. That is, who ifi weak and short-lived, and who has Qo control ov^r his life. All his power shake terribly the earth.
22 Cease** ye from man, whosa breath is in his nostrils; foi wherein is he to be accounted of?
exists only while he breathes, and hia breath is in his nostrils. It may soon cease, and we should not confide in so frail and fragile a thing as the breath of man. See Ps. cxlvi. 3, 4, 5:
Put not your trust in princes,
Nor in the son of man in whom tliere is no help.
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to hia earth;
In that very day his thoughts perish.
Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for hii
help. Whose hope is in the Lord his God.
The Chaldee has translated this verse, " Be not subject to man when he is terrible, whose breath is in his nostrils; because to-day he lives and to-morrow he is not.> and shall be reputed as nothing." It is remarkable that this verse is omitted by the LXX, as Vitringa supposes, because it might seem to exhort people not to put confidence in their rulers. U Foj- wherein, &,c. That is, he is unable to afford the assistance which is needed. When God shall come to judge men, what can man do, who is weak, and frail, and mortal? Refuge should be sought in God. The exhortation of the prophet here had respect to a particular time, but it may be applied in general to teach us not to confide in weak, frail, and dying man. For life and health, for food and raiment, for home and friends, and especially for salvation, we are dependent on God. Ha alone can save the sinner; and though we should treat men with all due respect, yet we should remember that God alone can save us from the great day of wrath
1 For, behold, the Lord, the Lord of hosts, doth take away "from Jeiusalem, and from Judah, the -stay and the "'staff, the whole stay of bread, and the
1. For. This is a continuation of ihe previous chapter. The same prophecy is continued, and the force of the argument of the prophet will not be seen unless the chapters are read together. See the Analysis prefixed to ch. ii. In the close of the seC' ond chapter (ver. 22), the propbet had cautioned his countrymen against confiding in man. In this chapter a reason is given here why they should cease to do it — to wit, that God would soon take away their kings and princes.
IT The Lord. "il'^^J^J. See Note on ch. i. 24. IT The Lord of hosts. See Note ch. i. 9. The prophet calls the attention of the Jews particularly to the fact that this was about to be done by Jehovah of hosts — a title which he gives to God when he designs to indicate that that which is to be done implies peculiar strength, power and majesty. As the work which was now to be done was the removal of the mighty men on which the nation was depending, it is implied that it was a work of power which belonged peculiarly to the God of armies; the Almighty. IT Doth take away. Is about to remove. In the Hebrew the word here is a participle, and does not mark the precise time. It has reference here, however, to the future. U From Jerusalem, &LC. Notech. i. 1. IT The stay. In the Hebrew the words translated stay and staff dire the same, with the exception that the former is in the masculine, and the latter in the feminine gender. The meaning is, that God would remove all kinds of support, or every thing on which they refied. The reference '^ undoubtedly to
2 The mighty ^man, an(i th« man of war, the judge, and the prophet, and the prudent, and the ancient.
the princes and mighty men on whose counsels and aid the nation was resting for defence. See vs. 2, 3. IT The whole stay of bread. We use a similar expression when we say that hi-ead is the staff of life. The Hebrews often expressed the same idea, representing the heart in man as being supported, or upheld by bread. Gen. xviii. 5 {margin). Judges xix. 5 {margin). Lev. xxvi. 26. Ps. cv. 16. IT Stay of water. He would reduce them from their luxuries introduced by commerce (ch. ii.), to absolute want This often occurred in the sieges and wars of the nation; and in the famines which were the consequence of the wars. The reference here is probably to the invasion of the land by Nebuchadnezzar. The famine consequent on that invasion is described in Jer. xxxviii. 21, xxxviii. 9. Lam. iv. 4: " The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst; the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them."
2. The mighty man. The hero. The idea expressed is not simply that of personal strength and prowess, but the higher one of military eminence or heroism. Prof. Alexander. This was fully accomplished in the time of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 Kings xxiv. 14. IT And the prudent. This word in the original — DOp — properly means a dt* viner, or a soothsayer. But it is some* times used in a good sense. See Prov, xvi. 10, margin. The ChaMee under stands it of a man who is consulted, of whose opinion is asked, in times of perplexity or danger. The word was originally applied to false prophets, diviners,
3 The captain of fifty, and the ^honourable man, and the counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and the ^eloquent orator.
and soothsayers who claimed the power of looking into futurity. It came however to denote also the man of sagacity, the statesman, the experienced counsellor, who from the records of the past could judge of the future, and to whom, therefore, the nation could look in times of perplexity and danger. Vitringa supposes that it may refer here to the false prophets on whose advice the nation might be relying. IT The ancient. The old man. Such men, especially among the Hebrews, were deemed particularly qualified to give advice. They had experience; they kept the traditions of their fathers; they had conversed with the wise of the preceding generation; and in a land where there were few books, and knowledge was to be gained mainly by conversation and experience, great respect was shown them. See Lev. xix. 32 2 Chron. xxxi. 17. 1 Kings xii. 6,8.
3. The captain of fifty. By this was probably denoted an officer in the army. The idea is, that the commanders of the various divisions of the army should be taken away, IT The honourable man. Heb. tS'^iQ t<Tw3 nesu pdnlm. The man of elevated countenance. That is, the man high in office. He was so called from the aspect of dignity which a man in office would assume. In the previous chapter, the phrase is used to denote rather the pride which attended such officers, than the dignity of the office itself. IT.^nd the counsellor. Note ch. i. 26. IT The cunning artificer. Heb. The man wise in mechanic arts; skilled in architecture, &c. IT And the eloquent orator. ^'HS "li^J nebhon lahhdsh. Literally, skilled or learned in whispering, in conjuration, in persuasion. The word ^^? lahhdsh denotes properly a whispering, sighing, or calling for tielp. (Isa. xxvi. 16, " they have poured
4 And I will give children "to he the.r princes, and babes shall rule over them.
out a prayer," TJJH^ — a sccref. speech, a feeble sigh for aid.) It is applied to the charm of the serpent — the secret breathing or gentle noise by which the charm is supposed to be effected. Pa. Iviii. 6. Jer. viii. 17. Eccl. x. 11. In ver. 20 of this chapter it denotes a charm, or amulet worn by females. See Note on that verse. It is also applied to magic, or conjuration — because this was usually done by gentle whispering, or incantation. See Note ch. viii. 19. From this use of the word it comes to denote one that influences another; one who persuades him in any way, as an orator does by argument and entreaty. Ancient orators also probably sometimes used a species of recitative, or measured cadence, not unlike that employed by those who practised incantations. Jerome says that it means here, " a man who ia learned, and acquainted with the law, and the prophets." Chaldee, " The prudent in council." It may he used in a good sense here; but if so, it ia probably the only place where the word is so used in the Old Testament. A prophecy similar to this occurs in Hos. iii. 4: " For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim."
4. And I will give children. Not children in respect to age so much aa in regard to talent for governing. I will commit the land to the government of weak and imbecile princea This would naturally occur when the wise and great were removed. Comp. Eccl. X. 16: "Wo to thee, O land, when thy king is a child.'* Ccmp. Isa. iii. 12. IT And babes shall rule, &,e. That is, babes in experience and knowledge. This was fully accomplished in the succession of weak and wicked princes that succeeded Isniah, until the
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.
time of Zedekiah, the last of them, when the temple was taken by Nebuchadnezzar. Lowth.
5. And the people shall be oppressed. This describes the state of anarchy and confusion which would exist under the reign of children and babes (ver. 4), when all law would be powerless and all rights violated, and when the feeble would be oppressed and borne down by the strong. The word used here, properly denotes that unjust exactions or demands w^ould be made, or that the people would be urged to fulfil them. H Every one by another. In turn they shall oppress and vex one another. Heb. " man by man; and man by his neighbour" — a strong mode of expression, denoting that there would be a state of mutual strife, and violation of rights. Comp. 1 Kings xx. 20. V The child, &c. All ranks of society shall be broken up. All respect due from one rank in life to another shall be violated. 11 Shall behave himself proudly. The word here used means rather to urge, or press on. The child shall crowd on the old man. This was particularly descriptive of a stat» of anarchy and disorder, from the fact that the Jews inculcated so much respect and deference for age. See Note on ver. 2. IT The ancient. The old man. IT And the base. The man of low rank in life. The word properly means the man that is despised, the vile, the ignoble. 1 Sam. xviii. 23. Prov. xii. 9. IT The honourable. All the forms of respect in life would be broken up; all the proper rules of deference between man and man would be violated. Neither dignity, age, nor honour would be respected.
6. When a man shall take hold, &c. In this verse, and the following verses, the prophet continues to describe the talamitous and ruined stat^ that would
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 lei this ruin he under thy hand:
come upon the Jews — when there would be such a want of wealth and men, that they would seize upon any one that they thought able to defend them. The act of toJdng hold here denotes supplication and entreaty, as when one in danger or distress clinga to that which i* near, or which may be likely to aid hi.n. Comp. ch. iv. 1.
1 Sam. XV. 27. ^ His brother. Hia kinsmen, or one of the same tribe and family — claiming protection because they belonged to the same family IT Of the house of his father. Descended from the same paternal ancestors as himself Probably this refers to one of an ancient and opulent family — a man who had kept himself from the civil broils and tumults of the nation, and who had retained his property safe in the midst of the surrounding desolation. In the previous verse, the prophet had said that one characteristic of the times would be a want of respect for the aged and the honourable. He here says that such would be the distress, that a man would be compelled to show respect to rank; he would look to the ancient and wealthy families for protection. '^ Thou hast clothing. In ancient times wealth consisted very much in changes of garments; and the expression " thou hast clothing," is the same as * you are rich, you are able to assist us.' See Ex. xii. 34, XX. 26. Gen. xlv. 22
2 Kings V. 5. IT And let this ruin, && This is an expression of entreaty * Give us assistance, or defence. Wi commit our ruined and dilapidated affairs to thee, and implore thy help. The LXX read this, " and let mj food," i. e. my support, •* be undei thee" — do thou furnish me food. There are some other unimportant variations in the ancient versions, but the senue is substantially given in our translation
7 In that day shall he ^swear, Baying, I will not be an *healei-; for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: make me not a ruler of the people.
It is expressive of great distress and anarchy — when there would be no ruler, and every man would seek one for himself. The whole deportment evinced here by the suppliant is one of submission, distress, and humility.
7. In that day shall he swear. Hebrew, wNtlJ-i 'Shall he lift up'— i.e. the voice, or the hand. To lift up the hand was one of the modes of taking an oath. Perhaps it means only that he should lift up the voice— i. e. should answer. Comp. Num. xiv. 1. The Vulgate, the LXX, and the Chaldee, read it simply " he shall answer." IF / toill not be an healer. Pleb. " a binder up," ch. i. 6. The Vulgate renders it, " I am not a physician." The LXX and the Chaldee, " I am not sufficient to be a leader." The meaning is, that the state of affairs was so ruinous and calamitous that he would not attempt to restore them — as if in the body, disease should have so far progressed that he would not undertake to restore the person, and haye him die under his hands, so as to expose himself to the reproach of being an unsuccessful and unskilful physician. IT Is neither bread nor clothing. I am not rich. I have not the means of providing for the wants of the people, or to maintain the rank of a ruler. " It is customary," says Sir John Chardin, " to gather together an immense quantity of clothes, for their fashions never alter." "The kings of Persia have great wardrobes, where they have always many hundreds of habits ready, designed for presents, and sorted." Lowth. The description here is one of very great calamity and anarchy. So great would be the ruin and danger that men would be unwilling to be chosen to the office of princes and rulers, and none could be found who would desire to possess the highest ho-
8 For Jerusalem is ruined^ "and J ud ah is fallen; because Aheir tongue and their doings are against the Lord, to provoke the ^eyes of his glory.
nours of the nation. Generally men aspire to office; here they were unwillin-g, on account of the disordered and ruined state of affairs, even to accept of it.
8. For Jerusalem, «fcc. The prophet proceeds to show the cause of this state of things. "These are the words of the prophet, and not of him who was chosen leader." Jerome. IT Is ruined. It would be so ruined, and the prospect of preserving it would be so completely taken away, that no one couM be induced to undertake to defend and protect it. IT Judah. The kingdom of Judah, of which Jerusalem was the capital. Note ch. i. 1. ^ Is fallen. Heb. falls; i. e. is about to fall — as a tower or a tree falls to ruin. If the capital fell and v/as ruined, the kingdom wou4d also fall as a matter of course. IT Because their tongue, &o. This is the reason why Judah was ruined. By word and deed — that is, in every way they opposed God. The tongue here represents their language, their manner of speaking. It was proud, haughty, rebellious, perhaps blasphemous; IT To provoke. To irritate; to offend. V The eyes of his glory. This is a Hebrew expression to denote his glorious eyes. The eye quickly expresses anger or indignation. We perceive these passions in the flashing of the eye sooner than in any other part of the countenance. Hence, to provoke the eyes, is an expression signifying simply to excite to anger, oi to excite him to punish them. Lowlh proposes to render this " to provoke the cloud of his glory" — referring to the Shekinah or cloud that rested over the ark in the temple. By a slight variation of the Hebrew text, reading 15^ instead of *'35>, it may be so read, and the Syriac so translates it; but the change in the Hebrew text doef not seem to be authorized.
9 The show of their countenance* doth witness against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom, they hide it not. Wo unto their soul! for thev have re- Warded evil unto themselves.
10 Say ye to the righteous,
9. The show of their countenance. The word rendered the show is probably derived from a word signifying to know, or to recognize, and here denotes impudence or pride. LXX, "The shaine of their face." ^ Doth witness against them. Answers to them; or responds to them ("^^^S).
There is a correspondence between the feelings of the heart and the looks, an answering of the countenance to the purposes of the soul that shows their true character, and betrays their plans. The prophet refers here to the great law in piiysiology that the emotions of the heart will be usually expressed in the countenance; and that by the marks of pride, vanity, and malice there depicted, we may judge of the heart; or as it is expressed in our translation, that the expression of the face will witness against a wicked man. IT They declare, &c. By their deeds. Their crimes are open and bold. There is no attempt at concealment. IT As Sodom. See Gen. xix. 5. Comp, Note Isa. i. 10. IT Wo unto their soul. They shall bring wo upon themselves; they deserve punishment. This is an expression denoting the highest abhorrence of their crimes. V They have rewarded evil, &,c. They have brought the punishment upon themselves by their own sins.
10. Say ye to the righteous. The meaning of this verse and the following is sufficiently plain, though expo- Bitors have given some variety of interpretation. They declare a great principle of the Divine administration similar to what is stated in ch. i. 19, 20. Lowth reads it, " Pronounce ye a blessing on the just; verily good (shall De to him).*' H That it shall be that ^it shall he well unth htm: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings^
11 Wo unto the wicked! li shall he ill with him: for the re. ward of his hands shall be *given him.
well, &c. The word f^ndered '* well," means * good.' The sense evidently is, that in the Divine administration it shall be well to be righteous. The LXX have rendered this in a remarkable manner, connecting it with the previous verse. " Wo unto their soul, for they take evil counsel among themselves, saying let us bind the righteous^ for he is troublesome unto us, there", fore they shall eat the fruit of theii doings." IT They shall eat, &c. That is, they shall receive the appropriate reirarrf of their works, and that reward shall be happiness. As a husbandman who sows his field and cultivates hia farm, eats the fruit of his labour, so shall it be with, the righteous A similar expression is found in Prov. i.31:
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their owa
way, Aud be filled with their own devices.
Also Jer. vi. 19: "I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts." Comp. Gal. vi. 8.
11. Wo unto the wicked. To all the wicked — but here having particular reference to the Jews whom Isaiah was addressing. 1 It shall be ill with him. The word ill is the only word here in the original. It is an emphar tic mode of speaking — expressing deep abhorrence and suddenness of denunciation. * Wo to the impious! Ill!' IT For the reward of his hands. Of his conduct. The hands are the instru^ ments by which we accomplisli any thing, and her ice they are put for the whole man. IT Shall be given him. That is, shall be repaid to him; or he shall be justly recompensed for hia crimes. This is the principle on which God rules the world.. It shall l)e well
12 As for my people, children are 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.
here, and hereafter, with those who obey God; it shall be ill here, and for ever, with those who disobey him.
12. As for my people, children are their oppressors. This refers doubtless to their civil rulers. They who ought to have been their protectors, oppressed them by grievous taxes and burdens. But whether this means that the rulers of the people were literally minors, or that they were so in disposition and character, has been a question. The original word is in the eingular number (^513?^), and means a child, or an infant. It may however be taken collectively as a noun of multitude, or as denoting more than one. To whom reference is made here cannot easily be determined, but possibly to Ahaz, who began to reign when he was twenty years old. 2 Kin. xvi. 2. Or it may mean that the character of the princes and rulers was that of inexperienced children, unqualified for government. IT Are their oppressors. Literally, "are their exactors," or their taxers — the collectors of the revenue. IT And women rule over them. This is not to be taken literally, but it means either that the rulers were under the influence of the harem, or the females of the court; or that they were effeminate and destitute of vigour and manliness in counsel. The LXX and the Chaldee render this verse substantially alike: •* Thy exactors strip my people as they who gather the grapes strip the vineyard." IT They which lead thee. Heb. They who bless thee, or call thee blessed. (See niArgin.) This refers doubtless
14 The Lord will enter inta judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes there, of: for ye have eaten^ up the vineyard;? the spoil of the poor is in your houses.
15 What mean ye that y» beat** my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saitb the Lord God of hosts.
to the public teachers, and the false prophets, who blessed or flattered the people, and who promised them sKhty in their sins. IT Cause thee to err. Lead you astray; or lead you into sin and danger. IT And destroy. Heb. Swallow up.
13. The Lord standeth up. To stand up may mean the same as to arise. God would not sit in silence and see their wicked conduct; but he would come forth to inflict on them exemplary and deserved chastisement. IT To plead. To litigate, to contend with, i. e. to condemn, to inflict punishment.
14. With the ancients, &c. With the old men, the counsellors. IT Ye have eaten up the vineyard. Ileb. " Ye have burnt up"' — that is, you have consumed or destroyed it. By tht) vineyard is represented the Jewish republic or people. Ps. lxxx.9-13. Compare Notes Isa. v. 1-7. The princes and rulers had by their exactions and oppressions ruined the people, and destroyed the country. IT The spoil of the poor. The plunder of the poor; or that which you have taken from the poor by exactions and oppressions. The word spoil commonly means the plunder or booty which is obtained in war.
15. What mean ye. What is youi object? Or, What advan age is it to you 1 Or, By what right or pretence do you do this 1 IT Beat my people to pieces. That is, that you trample or them; or cruelly oppress them. Ps xciv. 5. IT And grind the fares of tht poor. This is an expression al/jo dienoting great oppression It is -.ak«A
16 Moreover, the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion
from the act of grinding a substance on a stone until it is worn away and nothing is left. So, by their cruel exactions, by their injustice to the poor, they exhausted their little property until nothing was left. The word faces here is synonymous with persons — or with the poor themselves. The word face is often used in the sense of person. Ex. xxxiii. 14. 2 Sam. xviii. 11. A similar description, though in still stronger language, is found in Micah iii. 2, 3:
Who pluck off their skin from off them,
And their flesh from off their bones;
Who also eat the flesh of my people,
And flay their skin from off them;
And they break their bones, and chop them in pieces, >4 for the pot, and as flesh within the caldron.
16. Moreover, the Lord saith. In the previous parts of this prophecy the prophet had rebuked the princes, magistrates, and the people generally. In the remainder of this chapter he reproves with great severity the pride, luxury, and effeminacy of the female part of the Jewish community. Some interpreters have understood this as designed to reprove the pride and luxury of the cities and towns of Judah, regarded as daughters of Zion. See Note ch. i. 8. But this interpretation is far-fetched and absurd. On this principle every thing in the Bible might be turned into allegory. IT The daughters of Zion. Jewish females; they who dwelt in Zion. Perhaps he means particularly those who dwelt in Zion, the capital — or the females connected with the court. It is probable that the prophet here refers to the prosperous reign of Uzziah (2 Chron. xxvi. 5, &.c.), when by successful commerce luxury would naturally abound. IT Are haughty. Are proud. IT And walk with stretched- forth necks. Displaying the neck ostentatiously; elevating or extending it as far as possible. Septuagint, vipr)\(^ rpaxn^M, with elevated or exalted neck, i. e. with that indication of pride end haughtiness which is
are haughty, and walk with stretched- forth necks, and 'wan-
evinced by a lofty demeanour. *' When the females dance [in India], thty stretch forth their necks, and hold them away, as if their heads were about to fall from their shoulders.'* Roberts.
IT And wanton eyes. ^"'.^^^ '^''"^1^^^''. The word ^|?^ shdqdr, usually means to lie, to deceive, and may here refer to the ait of alluring by a wanton or fascinating glance of the eye. There has been great diversity of opinion about the meaning of this expression. Lowth proposes to read it, **and falsely setting off their eyes with paint" — in allusion to a custom known to prevail at the East of colouring the eyelids with stibium, or the powder of lead ore. This was done the better to exhibit the white of the eye, and was supposed by many to contribute to the healthful action of the eye itself This practice is known to prevail extensively now; but it is not clear that the prophet here has reference to it. The expression is usually interpreted to mean " deceiving with the eyes," that is, alluring or enticing by the motion of the eyes. The motion of the eyes is mentioned (Prov. vi. 13, 14), as one mode of deceiving a person:
He winketh with his eyes. He speaketh with his feet, He teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, He deviseth mischief continually.
Comp. Notes on Job xlii. 14. The meaning here, doubtless, is, that ihey attempted to entice by the motion or glance of the eye. The Chaldee seems to have understood this of staining the eyes with stibium. IT Mincing as they go. Margin, " Tripping nicely;" that is, walking with an affected gait — a mode which, unhappily, is too welt knovra in all ages to need a morS particular description. Roberts, speaking of the dance in India, says: "Some parts of the dance consist of a tripning or mincing step, which they call tattetattee. The left foot is put first, and the inside of the right keep-3 folic wing ton eyes, walking and ^mincing a^r they go, and^ making a linkling with their feet.
17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of
the heel of the former." IT And making a tinkling with their feet. That is, they adorn themselves with ankle rings, and make a tinkling or noise with them to attract attention^ The custom of wearing rings on the fingers and wrists has been common every where. In addition to this. Oriental females often wore them on the ankles — a custom in itself not more unreasonable or absurd. The custom is mentioned by travellers in Eastern countries m more modern times. Thus Michaelis says: " In Syria and the neighbouring provinces, the more opulent females bind ligaments around their feet, like chains, or btaceletS, united by small chains of silver and gold, and exhibit them by their sound as they walk." And Pliny (Nat. Hist. Lib. xxiii. ch. 12) says:" Silver has succeeded to gold in the luxury of the females who form bracelets for their feet of th^t, since an ancient custom forbids them to wear gold." Frequent mention is made of these ornaments, says RosenmUUer, in the Arabic and Persian poems. Roberts, speaking of the ornaments on the feet of females.in India, says: " The first is a large feilver curb like that which is attached to a bridle; the second is of the same kind, but surrounded by a great number of small BELLS; the third resembles a bracelet; and the fourth is a convex hoop, about two inches deep."
17. Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab. There is some diversity of rendering to this expression. The LXX read it, " The Lord wiU humble the principal daughters of Zion" — cnose who belong to the court, or to the families of the princes. The Chaldee, " The Lord will prostrate the glory of the daughters of Zion." The Svriac is the same. The Hebrew the hiead 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
word f^l^^ sippdhh, translated " will smite with a scab," means to make bald, particularly to make the hair fall off by sickness. Our translation conveys the idea essentially, that is, that God would visit them with disease that would remove the hair which they regarded as so great an ornament, and on which they so much prided themselves. Few things would be so degrading and humiliating as being thus made bald. The description in this verse means, that God would humble, and punish them; that they who so adorned themselves, and who were so proud of their ornaments, Would be divested of their gay attire, and be borne naked into captivity in a foreign
18. In that dayi That is, in the tim-e when he would inflict this exemplary punishment on them^probably the calamitous times of the Babylonish captivity. IT The Lord will take away. By the agents that he shall choose to employ in this work. — The prophec proceeds to specify the various ornaments that composed the female apparel in his time. It is not easy to describe them particularlyj nor is it necessary. The general meaning of the passage is plain: and it is clear from this, that they greatly abounded in ornaments. IT The bravery. This word we apply to valour or courage. The word here used, however, means ornament, adorning, or glory. IT Of their tinkling ornaments. This is tlie same word which is used in ver. 16, and refers to the chains or clasps with which they ornamented their feet and ankles, and which made a vlr.kling noise as they wa)\ed. IT And the cauls. Margin, " net works:" The LXX is the same. It is commonly supposed to mean caps of net-toork worn on the head. According 'a tinkling ornaments about their feetj and their 'cauls, and their roun'l tires like the moon, olhen, the word refers to small suns or spangles worn on the hair, answering to the foUowmg word moons. ** Tbe caul is a strap, or girdle, about four inches long, which is placed on the top of the head, and which extends to the brow, in a line with the nose. The one I have examined is made of gold, and has many joints; it contains forty-five rubies, and nine pearls, which give it a net-work appearance." Roberts. IT Their round tires like the moon, Heb. moons. This refers to email ornaments in the shape of crescents, or half-moons, commonly worn on the neck. They were also some-
19 The ''chains, and the brace, lets, and the ^mufflers,
8 oFi spangled ornaments, times worn by men, and even by camels. Judges viii. 21, (margin^ 26. It is probable that these ornaments might originally have had some reference to the moon as an object of worship, but it does not appear that they were so worn by the females of Judea. — They are still worn by the females of Arabia. SosenmUller. Roberts says of such ornaments in India: " The crescent is worn by Parvati and Siva, from whom proceed the Lingam, and the principal impurities of the system. No dancing girl is in full dress without her round tires like the moon." This ornament la still found in the form which the annexes engraving exhibits — under the name of chumarah. " The chumarah, which signifies moon, is a splendid ornament worn by the women of western Asia in front of their headdresses. It is usually made of gold, set with prej'ious stones and pearls. They are sometimes made of the crescent form, but the most common are: such as the engraving represents. They often have Arabic characters inscribed upon them, and sometimes a sentence from the Koran is used by the Mahometan women of Arabia Felix."
19. The chains. Margin, sweet lalls. The word used here is derived from the verb nyj ndtdph, to drop, to fall in drops, or to distil, as juice from a plant. Hence it means that which resembles drops — as pearls, or precious stones, used as ornaments for the neck or ears. We retain a similar word as applicable to the ornaments of the ear, by calling them drops. The Chaldee renders this chains, and so also the Vulgate. The LXX understand it of di hanging or pendant ornament — and this is its undoubted meaning — an ornament pendant like gum distilling from a plant. "These consist, first, of one most beautifully worked, with a pendant ornament for the neck; there is also a profusion of others which go rut nd the same part, and rest on th«
20 The bonnets, and the orna-
bosorr.. In making curious chains, the goldsmiths of England do not surpass those of the East." Roherts. IT ^nd the bracelets. For the wrists. The Chaldee translates it " oracelets for the hands." These ornaments were very ancient. See Gen. xxiv. 22. Num. xxi. 50. — Mahomet promises to those who shall follow him, gold and silver bracelets. " The bracelets are large ornaments for the wrists, in which are sometimes inclosed small bells." Roherts. If Mufflers. Margin, spangled ornaments. The word used here is derived from a verb, to tremble^ to shake — ^^^"^ radl — and the name is given to the ornament, whatever it was, probably from its tremulous motion. Perhaps it means a light, thin veil y or possibly, as in the margin, spangled ornaments, producing a tremulous, changing aspect. In Zech. xii. 2, the word is used to denote " trembling"— giddiness, or intoxication. It was early customary, and is still common in Oriental countries, for the females to wear veils. No female ventures abroad without her veil. — That which is supposed to be intended here, is described by the Arabian scholiast Safieri, quoted by Gesenius. It is drawn tight over the upper part of the head, but the part arourid the eyes is open, and a space left to see through, and the lower part is left loose and flowing, and thus produces the tremulous appearance indicated in ments of the legs, and the head- this place. See the Notes and illustrations on ver. 24.
20. The bonnets. The tiara, head dress, or turban. The word comei from the verb to adorn. The turban is almost universally worn in the Eas* It was worn by the priests, Ex. xxxix. 28; by the bridegroom, Isa. Ixi. 10. Ezek. xxiv. 17; and by women. Its form is well known. IF And the ornaments for the legs. The word used here is derived from a verb signifying to walk, to go, particularly to walk in a stately and formal manner — with a measured step, tTiir^llri, from ^?S; and thus refers to a proud and lofty gait. The ornament which is here referred to is supposed to have been a short chain extending from one foot to the other, worn by the Eastern women to give them a measured and stately gait. Gesenius. This chain is supposed to have been attached by hooks or clasps to the " tinkling ornaments' mentioned in ver. 16. Safieri mentions these ornaments, and thus describes them: " The word denotes a small chain, with which females when they walk connect their feet, in order to make their steps equal.*' Happily these ornaments are unknown in modern times, at least in Western countries. They are still retained in the East. IT And the head-bands. This word means girdles of any kind, still commonly worn on the head. TV-j following cut will illustrate one of tV^ usual forms of the head-band. IT And the tablets. The Hebrew is, as in the margin, " the houses of the soul." The word translated soul means also the hreath —and hence as one of its mean- ings, that which is breathed, or ^.ticV is smelled; scent, fragrancy, odour. The word houses here may denote also boxes — as boxes of perfumes. The phrase here means, undoubtedly, sin^lh bands, and tlie tablets,* and the ear-rinofs.
ing boxes or bottles containing perfumes or fragrant odours. The word tablets has no meaning here. IT And the ear-rings. It is by no means certain that the original means car-rings. The word Di\::nb is derived from the verb '^n? signifying to whisper, and then to conjure, to charm (see Note on ver. 3) — and here probably denotes precious stones worn by the females as amulets or charms. The word is often used to denote charming serpents — from their hissing — and it has been supposed probable that these amulets were small images of serpents. Ther» is no doubt that such ornaments were worn by Oriental females. " These ornaments seem to have been amulets, often gems and precious stones, or plates of gold and silver on which certain magic formulas were inscribed, which were worn suspended from the neck or ears by Oriental females." Gesenius. The following extract will furnish an explanation of these ornaments: " Besides ornamental rings in the nose and the ears, they [Oriental females] wore others round the legs, which made a tinkling as they went. This custom has also descended to the present times, for Rauwolf met with a number of Arabian women on the Euphrates, whose ankles and wrists were adorned with rings, sometimes a good many together, which, moving up and down as they walked, made a great noise. Chardin attests the existence of the same custom in Persia, in Arabia, and in very hot countries, where they commonly go without stockings, but ascribes the tinkling sound to little bells fastened to those rings. In the East Indies, golden bells adorned the feet and ankles of the ladies from the earliest times; they placed them in the flowing tresses of their hair; they suspended them round their necks, and to the golden rings which they wore on their fingers, to announce their superior rank, and extort the homage which f'ley ha<l a right to expect from the lower orders; and from the banks of the Indus, it is probable the custom was introduced into the other countries of Asia. The Arabian females in Palestine and Syria delight in the same ornaments, and, according to the statements of Dr. Clarke, seem to claim the honour of leading the fashion. " Their bodies are covered with a long blue tunic; upon their heads they wear two handkerchiefs, one as a hood, and the other bound over it, as a fillel across the temples. Just above the right nostril, they place a small button, sometimes studded with pearl, a piece of glass, or any other glittering substance; this is fastened by a plug, thrust through the cartilage of the nose. Sometimes they have the cartilaginous separation between the nostrils bored for a ring, as large as those ordinarily used in Europe for hanging curtains; and this pendant in the upper lip covers the mouth; so that, in order to eat, it is necessary to raise it. Their faces, hands and arms are tatooed, and covered with hideous scars; their eyelashes and eyes being always painted, or rather dirtied, with some dingy black or blue powder. Their lips are dyed of a deep and dusky blue, as if they had been eating blackberries. Their teeth are jet black; their naila and fingers brick red; their wrists, as well as their ankles, are laden with large metal cinctures, studded with sharp pyramidical knobs and bits of glass. Very ponderous rings are also placed in their ears." Faxton.
21. The rings. Usually worn on the fingers. IT And nose-jewels. The custom of wearing jewels in the nose has generally prevailed in savage tribes, and was common, and is stillj in Eastern nations — among the Arabians, Persians, &.c. Sir John Chardm says: " It is the custom in almost all the East for the women to wear rings in their noses, in the left nostril, which ia bored low down in the middle. These rings are of gold, and have commonly
22 The changeaWe suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the ^viniples, and the crisping-pins,
iwo pearls and one ruby between, placed in the ring. I never saw a girl or young woman in Arabia, or in ail Persia, who did not wear a ring in
23 The glasses, and the iine linen, and the hoods, and tha veils.
this mariner in her nostrils." Har. mer's Obs., iv. p. 318. The annexed cut will illustrate the unual form of thii ornament in the East.
The Khizam, or Nose-Jewel of Modern Eotpt.
22. The articles which are mentioned in the remaining part of this description, are entire articles of apparel — those which had preceded were chiefly single ornaments. IT The changeable suits of apparel. The word which is used here in the original comes from a verb signifying to pull off- — as a shoe; to unclothe one's self; and it here denotes the more costly or valuable garments, which are not worn on common occasions, and which are laid aside m ordinary employments. This does not refer to any particular article of dress, but to splendid and costly articles in general. " The Eastern ladies take great pride in having many changes of apparel, because their fashions never aher. Thus the net brocades worn by their grandmothers are equally fashionable for themselves." Roberts. IT And the mantles. From the verb to cover, or to clothe. The word mantle does not quite express the force of the original. It means the fuller tunic which was worn over the common one, with sleeves, and which reached down to the feet. " A loose robe," says Roberts, " which is gracefully crossed on the bosom." IT And the wimples. Our word wimple means a hood, or veil, but this is not the meaning of the Hebrew word in this place. It means a wide* broad garment, which could be thrown over the whole — and in which the in* dividual usually slept. " Probably the fine muslin which is sometimes thrown over the head and body." RobertSi IT And the crisping -pins. This phrase with us would denote curling-irons. But the Hebrew here denotes a very different article. It means money-bags^ or purees. These were often made very large, and were highly ornamented. Comp. 2 Kings v. 23. Frequently they were attached to the girdle.
23. The glasses. There is a great variety of opinion about the expression used here. That the ancient JewS had looking-glasses or mirrors, is manifest from the account in Ex. xxxviii. 8. These mirrors were made of polished plates of brass. The Vulgate and Chaldee understand this of mirrors. The LXX understand by it a thin, transparent covering like gauze — perhaps like silk. The word is derived from the verb to reveal, to make apparent, &c., and applies either to mirrors or to a splendid, shining garment. It is probable that their excessive vanity wai evinced by carrying small mirrors in their hands — that they might examinflf and adjust their dress as might be ne that instead of sweet smell, there cessary. This is now done by females of Eastern nations. Shaw informs us that, " In the Levant looking-glasses are a part of female dress. The Moorish women in Barbary are so fond of their ornaments, and particularly of their looking-glasses, which they hang upon their breasts, that they will not lay then aside, even when, after the drudgery of the day, they are obliged tc go two or three miles with a pitcher or a goat-skin to fetch water." Burder. In Egypt, the mirror was made of mixed metal, chiefly of copper, and this metal was so highly polished that in some of the mirrors discovered at Thebes the lustre has been partially restored, though they have been buried in the earth for many centuries. The mirror was nearly round, inserted in a handle of wood, stone, or metal, whose form varied according to the taste of the owner. The cuts on the following page will give an idea of the ancient form of the mirror, and will show that they might be easily carried abroad as an ornament in public. Comp. Wilkinson's Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyptians, vol. iii. p. 384-386. V And the fine linen. Anciently the most delicate and fine garments were made from linen which was obtained chiefly from Egypt. See Note Luke xvi. 19. ^ And the hoods. Or, turbans. IT And the veils. This does not diflfer probably from the veils worn now, except that those worn by Eastern females are large and made so as to cover the head and the shoulders — so that they may be drawn closely round the body, and effectually conceal the person. Comp. Gen. xxiv. 65.