Notes on the Old and New Testaments

rusalem, and cry unto her that her 4 warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she

draw the breath forcibly, to sigh, pant, groan; then to lament, or grieve, Jer. xv. 6. Ps. xc. 13; then to comfort, or console one's self, Gen. xxxviii. 12; then to take vengeance; comp. Note Isa. i. 24. All the forms of the word, and all the significations, indicate deep emotion, and the obtaining of relief either by repenting, or by taking vengeance, or by administering the proper topics of consolation. Here the topic of consolation is, that their calamities were about to come to an end, in accordance with the unchanging promises of a faithful God, ver. 8; and is thus in accordance with what is said in Heb. vi. 17, 18. IT My people. The people of God. He regarded those in Babylon as his people; and he designed also to adduce such topics of consolation as would be adapted to comfort all his people in all ages. IT Saith your God. The God of those whom he addressed — the God of the prophets or ministers of religion whose office was to comfort the people. We may remark here, that it is an important part of the ministerial office to administer consolation to the people of God in affliction; to exhibit to them his promises; to urge the topics of religion which are adapted to sustain them; and especially to uphold and cheer them with the assurance that their trials will soon come to an end, and will all terminate in complete deliverance from sorrow and calamity in heaven.

hath received of the Lord's as in the margin, " to the heart." The heart is the seat of the affections. It is Ihere that sorrow and joy are felt. We are oppressed there with grief, and we speak familiarly of being pained at the heart, and of being of a glad, or merry heart. To speak " to the heart," is to speak in such a way as to remove the troubles of the heart; to furnish consolation and joy. It means that they were not merely to urge such topics as should convince the understanding, but such also as should be adapted to minister consolation to the heart. So the word is used in Gen. xxxiv. 3: " And hi3 soul clave unto Dinah — and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly (Heb. to the heart) of the damsel." Gen. 1. 21: " And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them." Heb. to their hearts. See also 2 Chron. xxxii. 6. "ft To Jerusalem. The direction is not merely to speak to the people in Babylon, but also to comfort Jerusalem itself lying in ruins. The general direction is, therefore, that the entire series of topics of consolation should be adduced — the people were to return from their bondage, and Jerusalem was to be rebuilt, and the worship of God to be restored. IT And cry unto her. In the manner of a crier; or one making public and loud proclamation; comp. vs. 3, 9. Jerusalem is here personified. She is addressed as in ruins, and as about to be rebuilt, and as capable of consolation from this promise. IT That her warfare is accomplished. LXX, " That her humiliation, ra^iVwo-ic, is accomplished." The Hebrew word, N23, warfare, properly means an army, or host, comp. Note ch. i. 9, and is usually applied to an army going forth to war, or marshalled for battle. 2Sam.viii. 1G, x. 7. It is then used to denote an ap- Dointed time of service; the discharge ■>f a duty similar to an enlistment, and is applied to the services of the Levites in the tabernacle. Num. iv. 23: " All vhat enter in to perform the service (Heb. to war the warfare), to do the work in 2ie tabernacle of the congregation."

Comp. Num. viii. 24, 25. Henc-; it ia applied to human life contemplated as a warfare, or enlistment, involving hard service and calamity; an enlistment from which there is to be a discharge by death.

Job vii. 1. But if a man die — shall he indeed live again? All the days of my appointed time I Heb. t.vj

Comp. Dan. x. 1. The word then means hard service, such as soldiers endure; an appointed time which they are to serve; an enlistment involving hardships, toil, privation, danger, calamity. In this sense it is applied here to Jerusalem— to the trials, calamities, desolations to which she was subjected for her sins, and which were to endure a definite and fixed time — like the enlistment of an army. That time was now coming to an end, and to be succeeded by a release, or discharge. Vitringa, who supposes that this refers primarily and solely to the times of the Messiah, regards this as meaning that the definite time of the legal economy, a time of toil, and of vexatious and troublesome ceremonies, was about to end by the coming of the Messiah. But the more correct interpretation is, probably, that which supposes that there was a primary reference to the long and painful captivity of the Jews in Babylon. IT That her iniquity. The iniquity, or sin, here referred to, is that long series of acts • f rebellion, corruption, and idolatry, with which the Jewish people had been chargeable, and which had rendered their captivity necessary. As a nation, that sin was now expiated, or removed by their protracted punishment in Babylon. It was a sufficient expression of the Divine displeasure at their national offences, and God was satisfied (ns^a) with it, and could consistently restore them to their land, and to their former privileges. The whole language here has respect to national, and not to indi* vidual offences. IT Is pardoned. Vulg

* Dimissa est iniquitag illrur-,." LXX, AeAurat dvrrjs h ajiapTia—* her sin is loosed, dissolved, remitted. The word pardon does not quite express the meaning of the word in the original — ^"j?. The word f"1^ ratzd, properly means to delight in any person or thing; to take pleasure in; then to receive graciously, or favourably; to delight in sacrifices and offerings, Ps. li. 18. Job xxxiii. 26. Ezek. xx. 40; and in the Hiphil conj. to satisfy, or pay off, i. e. to cause to be satisfied, or pleased; and then in Pass. to be satisfied, to be paid off, to be pleased or satisfied with an expiation, or with an atonement for sins, so as to delight in the person who makes it. Here it means not strictly to pardon, but it means that they had endured the national punishment which God saw to be necessary; they had served out the long and painful enlistment which he had appointed, and now he was satisfied, and took delight in restoring them to their own land. It does not refer to the pardon of men in consequence of the atonement made by the Lord Jesus; but it may be used as an illustration of that, when God is satisfied with that atonement; and when he has pleasure or delight in setting the soul free from the bondage of sin, and admitting the sinner to his favour — as he had delight here in restoring his people to their own land. IT For she hath received. Jerusalem had now been desolate for almost seventy years, on the supposition that this relates to the period near the close of the exile, and that was regarded as an ample or full expression of what she ought to suffer for her national offences. IT Of the Lord's hand. From the hand, or by the agency of Jehovah. Whoever were the instruments, her sufferings were to be regarded as his appointment. IT Double for all her sins. The word rendered " double," t^S2, hi the dual form from *33 a doubling, and occurs iv Job xli. 13:

Who wiii rip up the coverine of his armour? Againet the doubling- of his nostrils who will ad vance? aixiJ.

wisdom. That they are double to that which:s; that is, there are double-folds to God's wisdom, or the wisdom of God is complicated, inexplicable. Gesenius. The word in Job means " conduplieations, folds, complications, mazes, intric -icies." Good. Here the word has, do.xbtless, its usual and proper meaning, aid denotes double, twice as much; end the expression may denote that God had inflicted on them double that which had been usually inflicted on rebellious nations, or on the nation before for ns sins. Or the word may be used to lenote abundance, and the prophet may design to teach that they had been amply, or abundantly punished for their crimes. " That is," says Grotius, " as much as God judged to be sufficient." " Double, here," says Calvin, " is to be received for large and abundant." Some have supposed (see Rosenmiiller, who approves of this interpretation) that the word " sins " here means the punishment of sins, and that the word double refers to the mercies or favours which they were about to receive, or which God had purposed to confer on them. So Lowth understands it; and renders the word '"'^h? shall receive, in the future:

That she shall receive at the h.-tnd of JEHOVAH [.Blessing-] double to the punishment of a!i her sins.

But though it was true that their favours on their return, in the hope of the Messiah, and in their renovated privileges, would be far more numerous than their sufferings had been, yet this does not so well suit the connection, where the prophet is giving a reason why they should be released from their bondage, and restored to the privileges of their own land. That reason manifestly i.«, that they had suffered what was regarded by Jehovah as an ample expression of his displeasure for their national offences. It does not refer to individual sinners; nor to any power which they have to make atonement for their sips: nor does it refer to the atonement made by tlie Messiah. Eut it may be remarked, by th> way, that in the sufferings of the

3 The "voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare vye the

Redeemer there has been ample satisfaction for the sins of his people. The Chaldee interpreter understands this as Rosenmiiller does, that the word " double " refers to the mercies which they had received: " Because she has received a cup of consolation from the presence of the Lord, as if, 13 XS, she had been smitten twofold for all her pins,"

3. The voice of him that crieth. Lowth and Noyes render this, " a voice crieth," and annex the phrase " in the wilderness" to the latter part of the sentence:

A. voice crieth, " In the wilderness prepare ye the way of JEHOVAH."

The Hebrew, fiOip bip, will bear this construction, though the Vulgate and the LXX render it as in our common version. The sense is not essentially different, though the parallelism seems to require the translation proposed by Lowth. The design is to state the source of consolation referred to in the previous verses. The time of the exile at Babylon was about to be completed. Jehovah was about to conduct his people again to their own country through the pathless wilderness, as he had formerly conducted them from Egypt to the land of promise. i The prophet, therefore, represents himself as hearing the voice of a herald, or a forerunner in the pathless waste, giving direction that a way should be made for the return of the people. The wh»le scene is represented as the march, or return of Jehovah at the head of his people to the land of Judea. The idea is taken from the practice of Eastern monarcli3, who, whenever they entered on a journey or an expedition, especially through a barren and unfrequented or inhospitable country, sent harbingers, or heralds, before them to prepare the way. To do this, it was necessary for them to provide supplies, and make bridges, or find fording places over the streams; to level hills, and construct causeways over valleys, or fill them up; and 'o make a way

way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

through the forest which might lie in their intended line of march. This was necessary, because these contemplated expeditions often involved the necessity of marching through countries where there were no public highways that would afford facilities for the passage of an army. Thus Arrian (Hist. liv. cap. 30) says of Alexander, " He now proceeded to the river Indus, the army " i. e. >'; arpana, a part of the army, or an army sufficient for the purpose " going before, which made a way for him, for otherwise there would have been no mode of passing through that region." " When a great prince in the East," says Paxton, " sets out on a journey, it is usual to send a party of men before him to clear the way. The state of those countries in every age, wher& roads are almost unknown, and from want of cultivation in many places overgrown with brambles and other thorny plants, which renders travelling, especially with a large retinue, incommodious, requires this precaution. The emperor of Hindostan, in his progress through his dominions, as described in the narrative of Sir Thomas Roe's embassy to the court of Delhi, was preceded by a very great company, sent before him to cut up the trees and bushes, to level and smooth the road, and prepare their place of encampment. We shall be able, perhaps, to form a more clear and precise idea from the account which Diodorus gives of the marches of Semiramis, the celebrated queen of Babylon, into Media and Persia. In her march to Ecbatane," says the historian, " she came to the Zarcean mountain, which extending many furlonga, and being full of craggy precipices and deep hollows, could not be passed without taking a great compass. Being therefore desirous of leaving an everlasting memorial of herself, as well as of shortening the way, she ordered the precipices to be digged down, and the hollows to be filled up; and at a great expense she made a shorter and mora expeditious road; which to this day is called from her the road of Semiramis. Afterward she went into Persia, and all the other countries of Asia subjected to ner dominion, and wherever she went, Bhe ordered the mountains and precipices to be levelled, raised causeys in the plain country, and at a great expense made the wa\s passable." The writer of the apocryphal Boole of Baruch, refers to the same subject by the same images: " For God hath appointed that every high hill, and banks of long continuance, should be cast down, and valleys filled up, to make even the ground, that Israel may go safely in the glory of God." Chap. v. 7. It is evident that the primary reference of this passage was to the exiles in Babylon, and to their return from their long captivity, to the land of their fathers. The imagery, the circumstances, the design of the prophecy, all seem to demand such an interpretation. At the same time it is as clear, I apprehend, that the prophet was inspired to use language, of design, which should appropriately express a more important event, the coming of the forerunner of the Messiah, and the work which he should perform as preparatory to his advent. There was such a striking similarity in the two events, that they could be grouped together in the same part of the prophetic vision or picture; the mind would naturally, by the laws of prophetic suggestion (Intro. § 7, III. (3), glance from one to the other, and the same language would appropriately and accurately express both. Both could be described as the coming of Jehovah to bless and save his people; both occurred after a long state of desolation and bondage — the one a bondage in Babylon, the other in sin and national declension. The pathless desert was literally to be passed through in the one instance; in the other, the condition of the Jews was that which was not unaptly likened to a desert — a condition in regard to real piety not unlike the Btate of a vast desert in comparison with fruitful fields. " It was," says Lowth, " in this desert country, destitute at that time of all religious cultivation, in true pietj- and works unfruitful, that John was sent to prepare the way of the Lord by preaching repentance." That this passage has a reference to John as the forerunner of the Messiah, is evident from Matt. iii. 3, where it i3 applied to him, and introduced by this remark: " For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, Baying, The voice," &c. See also John i. 23. The events were so similar, in their main features, that the same language would describe both. John was nurtured in the desert, and passed his early life there, until he entered on his public work. Luke ii. 80. He began to preach in a mountainous country lying east of Jerusalem, and sparsely inhabited, and which was usually spoken of as a desert or wilderness (Matt. iii. 1); and it was here that his voice was heard announcing the coming of the Messiah, and that he pointed him to his own followers. John i. 28, 29. ^ In the ivilderness. Babylon was separated from Judea by an immense tract of country which was one continued desert. A large part of Arabia, called Arabia Deserta, was situated in this region. To pass in a direct line, therefore, from Babylon to Jerusalem, it was necessary to go through this desolate country. It was here that the prophet speaks of hearing a voice commanding the hills to be levelled, and the valleys filled up, that there might be a convenient highway for the people to return. Comp. Notes on ch. xxxv. 8-10. 1T Prepare ye the way. This was in the form of the usual proclamation of a monarch commanding the people to make a way for him to pass. Applied to the return of the exile Jews, it means that the command of God had gone forth that all obstacles should be removed. Applied to John, it means that the people were to prepare for the reception of the Messiah; that they were to remove all in their opinions and conduct which would tend to hinder his cordial reception, or which wrouid prevent his success among them, IT Of the Lord. Of Jehovah. Jehovah was the leader of his people, and was about to conduct them to their own land. The march, therefore, was regarded as that of Jehovah, a? a mon*

4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the

arch or king, at the head of his people, conducting them to their own country; and to prepare the way of Jehovah was, therefore, to prepare for his march at the head of his people. Applied to the Messiah, it means that God was about to come to his people to redeem them. This language naturally and obviously implies, that he whose way was thus to be prepared was Jehovah, the true God. So it was undoubtedly in regard to him who was to be the leader of the exile Jews to their own land, since none but Jehovah could thus conduct them. And if it be admitted that the language has also a reference to the Messiah, then it demonstrates that he was appropriately called Jehovah. That John the Baptist had such a view of him, is apparent from what is said of him. Thus, John i. 15, he says of him that, " he was before" him — which was not true unless he had an existence previous to his birth; he calls him, ver. 18, " the onlybegotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father;" and in ver. 34 he calls him " the Son of God." Comp. John x. 30, 33, 36. In ch. iii. 31, he says of him, " he that cometh from above is above all; — he that cometh from heaven is above all." Though this is not one of the most direct and certain prooftexts of the divinity of the Messiah, yet it is one which may be applied to him when that divinity is demonstrated from other places. It is not one that can be used with absolute certainty in an argument on the subject to convince those who deny that divinity — since even on the supposition that it refers to the Messiah, it may be said plausibly, and with some force, that it may mean that Jehovah was about to manifest himself by means of the Messiah; yet it is a passage which tho3e who are convinced of me divinity of Christ from other sources, will apply without hesitation to him as descriptive of his rank, and confirmatory of his divinity. IT Make straight. Make a straight or direct road; one that •hould conduct at once to their land.

The Chaldee renders this verse, " Prepare a way before the people of Jehovah; make in the plain ways before the congregation of our God." IT A highway. See Note on ch. xxxv. 8.

4. Every valley shall be exalted. That is, every valley, or low piece of ground, shall be filled up so as to make a level highway, as was done in order to facilitate the march of armies. This verse is evidently designed to explain what is intended in ver. 3, by preparing the way for Jehovah. Applied to the return of the Jews from Babylon, it means simply that the impassable valleys were to be filled up so as to make a level road for their journey. If applied to the work of John, the forerunner of the Messiah, it means that the nation was to be called on to put itself in a state of preparation for his coming, and foi the success of his labours among them. Vitringa, and others, have endeavoured to specify what particular moral qualities in the nation are meant by the " valley," by the " mountain and hill," and by the "crooked" and "rough places." But the illustrations arc such as cannot be demonstrated to be referred to by the prophet. The general sense is plain. The language, as we have seen, is taken from the march of a monarch at the head of his army. The general idea is, that all obstructions were to be removed, so that the march would be without embarrassment. As applicable to the work of John also, the language means in general, that whatever theie was in the opinions, habits, conduct; in the pride, self-confidence, and irreligion of the nation that would prevent bis cordial reception, was to be removed. TT Every mountain and hill. The) shall be dug down so as to make the jo. rney easy. All obstructions were to be removed. IT And the crooked. The word here used, -p9 is usually rendered crooked; but perhaps not by any good authority. The verb 2pS> usually denote* to be behind; iO come from behind;

5 And the glory of the Lord I shall be revealed, and all flesh | shall see it together: for the j mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. I

6 The voice said, Cry. And

or as Gesenii.s supposes, to be elevated j like a mound, arched like a hill or tumulus, and is hence applied to the heel from the figure. See Kos. xii. 4. Gen. xxv. 2G. According to this, the word would denote properly a hill, mound, or acclivity, which would put hack those who attempted to ascend. IT Shall be made straight. Marg. " A straight place." The Hebrew word TiUJ^E) denotes properly evenness, a level region, a plain. The hilly places would be reduced to a level. IT And the rough places. Those which are hard, bound up, stony, difficult to pass. Such as abounded with rocks and precipices, and which presented obstructions to a journey. Such places abounded in the region lying between Palestine and Babylon. IT Plain. Marg. " A plain place." A smooth, level plain. / 5. And the glory of the Lokd. The phrase here means evidently the majesty, power, or honour of Jehovah. He would display his power, and show himself to be a covenant-keeping God, by delivering his people from their bondage, and reconducting them to their own land. This glory and faithfulness would be. showrn in his delivering them from their captivity in Babylon; and it would be still more illustriously shown in his sending the Messiah to accomplish the deliverance of his people in later days. "iT And all flesh. All men. The word flesh is often used to denote human nature, or mankind in general. Gen. vi. 12. Ps. lxv. 3, cxlv. 21. The idea is, that the deliverance of his people would be such a display of the Divine interposition, so that ail nations would discern the evidences of his power and pdory. But there is a fullness aed a | richness in the language which shows I that it is not to be confined to that event. I It is more strikingly applicable to the i advent of the Messiah — and to the fact tha. through him the glory of Jehovah he said, What shall 1 cry? Al *flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.

would be manifest to all nations. Rosen* miiller supposes that this should be translated,

The Hebrew will bear this construction, but there is no necessity for departing from the translation in the common version. The LXX add here the words " salvation of God," so as to read it, " and all flesh shall see the salvation of God," and this reading has bet.;^ adopted in Luke iii. 6; — or it may be more probable that Luke (iii. 4, 5, 6,) has quoted from different parts of Isaiah, and that he intended to quote that part, not from the version of the LXX, but from Isa. Iii. 10. Lowth on the authority of the LXX proposes to restore these words to the Hebrew text. But the authority is insufficient. The Vulgate, the Chaldee, the Syriac, and the Hebrew MSS. concur in the reading of the present Hebrew text, and the authority of the Septuagint is altogether insufficient to justify a change, t For the mouth of ihe Lord. The strongest possible confirmation that it would be fulfilled. See Note ch. xxxiv. 1G. The idea is, that God had certainly promised their deliverance from bondage; and that his interposition, in a manner which should attract the attention of all nations, was certainly purposed by him. Few events have ever more impressively manifested the glory of God than the redemption of his people from Babylon; none has occurred, or will ever occur, that will more impressively demonstrate his gloiy, wisdom, and faithfulness, than the redemption of the woild by the Messiah.

G. The voice said. Or rather ' a voice.' Isaiah represents himself here again as hearing a voice. The word " the " introduced in our translation mars the sense, inasmuch as it leads to the supposition that it was the voice <*

111 s same person or criei referred to in ver. 3. But it is different. That was the voice of a crier or herald, proclaiming that a way was to be open in the desert. This is introduced for a different purpose. It is to proclaim distinctly that while every thing else was fading and transitory, the promise of God was firm and secure. Isaiah, therefore, represents himself as hearing a voice lequiring the prophets (so the Chaldce) to make a proclamation. An inquiry was at once made, what shouM be the nature of the proclamation. The answer was, that all flesh was grass, &c. He had (ver. 3-5) introduced a herald announcing that the way was to be prepared for their return. He now introduces another voice with a distinct message to the people, that God was faithful, and that his promises would not fail. A voice, a command is heard, requiring those whose duty it was, to make proclamation. The voice of God; the Spirit speaking to the prophets, commanded them to cry. II And he said. Lowth and Noyes read this, "And I said." The LXX and the Vulgate read it also in this manner in the first person. Two manuscripts examined by Kennicott also read it in the first person. Houbigant, Hensler, and Doederlin adopt this reading. But the authority is not sufficient to justify a change in the Hebrew text. The Syriac and Chaldee read it as it is in the present Hebrew text, in the third person. The sense is, that the person, or prophet to whom the command came to make proclamation, made answer, ' What shall be the nature of my proclamation V It is equivalent to saying, ' It was answered;' or if Isaiah is the person to whom the voice is represented as coming, it means that he answered; and is, therefore, equivalent to the reading in the LXX and Vulgate, and adopted by Lowth. This is the probable supposition, that Isaiah represents himself as hearing the voice, and as expressing a willingness to make proclamation, but rs waiting to know ichai he was to proclaim. IT All jlesh. This is the answer; or this is what he was to proclaim. The genei al design or scope of the answer was, that he was to pro* claim that the promise of "ehovaii wai secure and firm (ver. 8), and that therefore God would certainly come to deliver them. To make this more impressive by way of contrast, he states that all men are weak and feeble like the grass that is soon withered. — The expression does not refer particularly to the Jews in Babylon, or to any single nation or class of people, but to all men, in all places, and at all times. All princes, nobles, and monarchs; all armies and magistrates are like grass, and will soon pass away. On the one hand, they would be unable to accomplish what was needful to be done in the deliverance of the people; and on the other, their oppressors had no power to continue their bondage, since they were like grass, and must soon pass away. But Jehovah was ever-enduring, and was able to fulfil all his purposes. 1T Is grass. It is as feeble, weak, and as easily consumed as the grass of the field. A similar sentiment is found in Ps. ciii. 15, 16:

As for man, his days are as grass; As a flower of the field so he ilourisheth; For the wind pas.setii over it, and it is gone, And the place thereof shall know it no more.

See also James i. 10, 11. The passage in Isaiah is evidently quoted by Peter, 1 Epis. i. 24, 25: " All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth for ever; and this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you" — a passage which proves that Isaiah had reference to the times of the Messiah in the place before us. IF And all the goodliness thereof. The word rendered " goodli ness," "JOri, denotes properly, kindness, love, good will, mercy, favour. Here it is evidently used in the sense of elegance, comeliness, beauty. The LXX render it Sd^a, and so does Peter, ch. i. 24. Applied to grass, or to herbs, it denotes the flower, the beauty, the comeliness. Applied to man, it means that which makes him comely and vigorous — r health, energy, beauty; talent, wisdom. His vigour is soon gone; his beauty

7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

fades; his wisdom ceases; and he falls, like the flower, to the dust. The idea is, that the plans of man must be temporary; that all that appears great in him must be like the flower of the field; but that Jkiiovah endures, and his plans reach from age to age, and will certainly be accomplished. This important truth was to be proclaimed, that the people might be induced not to trust in man, but put their confidence in the arm of God. 7. The grass withereth. Soon withers. Its beauty is soon gone. IT The flower fadeth. Soon fades; or fades when the wind of Jehovah passes over it. So it is also with man. He loses his vigour, and dies at once when Jehovah takes away his strength and beauty. /IT Because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth vpon it. This should be rendered, undoubtedly, ' when the wind of Jehovah bloweth upon it.' The word spirit nere does not suit the connection, and does not express the idea of the prophet. The word HT"I rudhh, means, properly, breath — a breathing, or blowing; and 5s often used indeed to denote spirit; soul, life. But it often means a breath of wind; a breeze; air in motion; Job xli 8. Jer. ii. 24* xiv. 6. It is applied to the cool breeze which springs up in the evening, Gen. iii. 8. Comp. Cant, ii. 17, iv. 6. I*, sometimes means a strong and violent wind, Gen. viii. 1. Isa. vii. 2, xli. 16; and also a tempest, or hurricane, Job. i. 19, xxx. 15. Isa. xxvii. 8. — The 'wind of Jehovah' means that which Jehovah sends, or causes; and the expression here refers, doubtless, to the hot or poisonous east winds which blow in Oriental countries, and which wither and dry up every thing before them. Comp. Jonah iv. 8./ IT Surely the people is grass. Lowth reads this, " this people;" referring to the Jewish nation. So the Syriac, Perhaps it refers to the people of Babylon. (so Rosenmiiller), and means that mighfv people would fade away like

8 The "grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word bof our God shall stand for ever.

grass. But the more probable interpretation is that which regards it as referring to all people, and of course including the Jews and the Babylonians The sense, according to this view is, ' all nations shall fade away. All human power shall cease. But the promise of Jbhovah shall survive. It shall be unchanging amidst all revolutions; it shall survive all the fluctuations wh_'jch thall take place among men. It may, therefore, be trusted with unwavering reliance.' — To produce that reliance was the object of the proclamation. On this passage descriptive of the state of man the reader will at once be reminded of tbe beautiful language of Shakspearr*:

This is the state of man! Today ho put3 forth The tender leaves of hope; to morrow blossoms, And hears his blushing honours thick upon him; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost, And when he thinks, pood easy man, full surely His greatness isa ripening, nips his root, And then he falls,—

— never to hope again.

In the following passage from Tasso the same image is adopted:

The gentle budding rose (quoth he) behold.

That first scant peeping forth with virgin beams, Half ope, half shut, her beauties doth up-fold

In their dear leaves, and less seen fairer seems, And after spreads them forth more broad and bold.

Then languishes and dies in last extremes. So in the passing of a day doth pass

The bud and blossom of the life of man, Nor e'er doth flourish more, but, like the grass

8. The grass withereth, &c. This ig repeated from the former verse for the sake of emphasis, or strong confirmation. IT But the word of our God. The phrase " word of our God," refers either to hi9 promise to be the protector and deliverer of his people in their captivity; or, in general, means that all hia promises shall be firm and unchanging. ^ Shall stand for ever. Amidst all revolutions among men, his promise shall be firm. It shall not only live amidst the changes of dynasties, and the revolutions of empires, but it shall coutinvt

9 O 8Zion, that bringest cood

tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, sthat bringest good tidings, lift up thy

for ever and ever. This is designed for support to an afflicted and oppressed people; and it must have been to them, in their bondage, the source of high consolation. But it is equally so now. Amidst all the changes on earth; the revolutions of empires; the vanishing of kingdoms, God is the same, and his promises are unfailing. We see the grass wither at the return of autumn, or in the drought; we see the flower of the field lose its beauty, and decay; we see man rejoicing in his vigour and his health, cut down in an instant; we see cities fall, and kingdoms lose their power and vanish from among nations, but God changes not. He presides in all these revolutions, and sits calm and unmoved amidst all these changes. Not one of his promises shall fail; and at the end of all the changes which human things shall undergo, Jehovah, the God of his people, will be the same.

9. O Zion, that bringest good tidings. This is evidently the continuance of what the "voice" said, or of the annunciation which was to give joy to an afflicted and oppressed people. There has been, however, much diversity of opinion in regard to the meaning of the passage. The margin renders it, " Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion," making Zion the receiver, and not the publisher of the message that was to convey joy. The Vulgate in a similar way renders it, " Ascend a high mountain, thou who bringest good tidings to Zion," qui evangclizas Zion. So the Chaldee, understanding this as an address to the prophet, as in ver. 1, "Ascend a high mountain, ye prophets, who bring glad tidings to Zion." SoLowth, Noyes, Gesenius, Grotius, and others.

The word *"'"?.'&- ^, from "K?52 basdr, means cheering with good tiding?; announcing good news; bearing joyful intelligence. It is a participle in the feminine gender; and is appropriately applicable to some one that bears good

voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid: sav unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

8 or, thou that teVest good tidings to Zion.

9 or, thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem tidings to Zion, and not to Zion as appointed to bear glad tidings. Lowth supposes that it is applicable to some female whose office it was to announce glad tidings, and says that it was the common practice for females to engage in the office of proclaiming good news. On an occasion of a public victory, or rejoicing, it was customary says he, for females to assemble togethe. and to celebrate it with songs, and dances, and rejoicings; and he appeals to the instance of Miriam and the chorus i){ women (Ex. xv. 20, 21), and to the instance where, after the victory of David over Goliath, " all the women came out of the cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet Saul." 1 Sam. xviii. 7. But there are objections to this interpretation. (1.) If this was the sense, the word would have been in the plural number, since there is no instance in which a female is employed alone in this service; and (2,) it was not, according to this, the office of the female to announce good tidings, or to communicate a joyful message, but to cclebra.lt. some occasion of triumph, or victory. Grotius supposes that the word is " feminine in its sound, but common in its signification;" and thus denotes any whose office it was to communicate glad tidings. Gesenius (Cornm. in loc.]1 says, that the feminine form here is used in a collective sense for d^tSSE in the plural; and supposes that it thus refer* to the prophets, or others who wera tr> announce the glad tidings to Zion. Vitringa coincides with our translation and supposes that the sense is, that Zion was to make proclamation to the other cities of Judah of the deliverance; thai the news was first to be communicated to Jerusalem, and that Jerusalem was intrusted with the office of announcing this to the other cities of the land; and that the meaning is, that the gospel was to be preached first at Jerusalem, and then from Jerusalem as a centre to th"

10 Behold, the Lord God will 'come with strong hand, and bis arm shall rule for him; behold,

other cities of the land, agreeably to Luke xxiv. 49. In tbil view, also, Hengstenberg coincides. Christol. vol. i. 424. But that the former interpretaiion, which regards Zion as the receiver, and not the promulgator, of the intelligence, is the true one, is apparent, I think, from the following considerations: (1.) It is that which is the obvious and most correct construction of the Hebrew. (2.) It is that which is found in the ancient versions. (3.) It accords with the design of the passage. The main scope of the passage is not to call upon Jerusalem to make known the glad tidings, but it is to convey the good news to Jerusalem; to announce to her, lying desolate and waste, that her hard service was at an end, and that she was to be blessed with the return of happier and better times. See ver. 2. It would be a departure from this, to suppose that the subject was diverted in onler to give Jerusalem a command to make the proclamation to the other cities of the land — to say nothing of the impropriety of calling on a city to go up into a high mountain, and to lift up its voice. On the meaning of the word Zion, see I ch. i. 8. "IT Get thee up into a high mountain. You who make this proclamation to Zion. It was not uncommon in ancient times, when a multitude were to be addressed, or a proclamation to be made, for the crier to go into a mountain, where he could be seen and heard. Thus Jotham, addressing the men of Shechem, is said to have gone and "stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice." Judges ix. 7. Comp. Matt. v. 1. The sense is, that the messengers of the joyful news to Zion were to make themselves distinctly beard by all the inhabitants of the city, and of the land. IT Lift up thy voice. As wl.;h a glad and important message. Do not deliver the message as if you Were afraid that it should be heard. It is one of joy; and it should be delivered In a clear, decided, animated manner, his reward bls with him, and *hifl work before him.

Sor, neanpetuejor his xcorka.

as if it were important that it should be heard. IT With strength. Aloud with effort; with power. Comp. ch. xxxv. 3, 4. IT Lift it up. Lift up the voice. The command is repeated to denote emphasis. The mind is full of the subject; and the prophet repeats the command, as a man often does when his mind is full of an idea. The command to deliver the message of God with animation, earnestness and ze_l is one that is not unusual in Isaiah. It should be delivered as if it were true, and as if it were believed to be true. This will not justify, however, boisterous preaching, or a loud and unnatural tone of voice — alike offensive to good taste, injurious to the health, and destructive of the life of the preacher. — It is to be remarked, also, that this command to lift up the voice, appertains to the glad tidings of the gospel, and not to the terrors of wrath; to the proclamation of mercy, and not to the denunciation of wo. The glad tidings of salvation should be delivered in an animated and ardent manner; the future punishment of the wicked in a tone serious, solemn, subdued. IT Say unto the cities of Judah. Not to Jerusalem only, but to all the cities of the land. They were alike to be blessed on the return from the captivity — alike in the preaching of the gospel. IT Behold your God i Lo! your God returns to the city, the temple, and the land! Lo! he cornea (Note v?r. 3), conducting his people aa B king to their land! Lo! he will come — under the Messiah in future times — to redeem and save! What a glad announcement was this to the desolate and forsaken cities of Judah! What a glad announcement to the wide world, ' Lo! God has come to redeem and save; and the desolate world shah be visited with his salvation, and smile in his mercy through the Messiah!'

10. Behold, the Lord Godicill come. Note ver. 3. Applied to the condition of the Jews in exile, this means that

G<! d would come to deliver them. Applied to the times of the Messiah, it means that God would manifest himself in a powerful manner as mighty to save.? With strong hand. ptPia. Margin, " Against the strong." So Vitringa and others understand it; and regard it as referring to the mighty enemies of the people of God, or as Vitringa particularly supposes, to the great foe of God and his people — the prince of darkness — the devil. Lowth also translates it in this manner," against the strong one." The LXX render it, IxetA iixyyogt with strength. This is the more probable meaning — that the Lord would come with the manifestation of strength and power, able to subdue and vanquish all the enemies of his people, and to effect their complete and final calvation. IT And his arm. The arm is a symbol of strength, because it is by that that we accomplish our purposes; by that a conqueror slays his enemies in Dattle, &c. Thus Ps. x. 15: "Break thou the arm of the wicked;" i. e. diminish or destroy his power. Ezek. xxx. 21: ' I have broken the arm of Pharaon king of Egypt." Comp. Jcr. xlviii. 25. Thus it is said of God, Ps. lxxxix. 13: " Thou hast a mighty arm," and Ps. xcviii. 1: " His holy arm hath gotten him the victory." Comp. Ex. vi. 6. The metaphor is takeu from the act of stretching out the arm to fight in battle, where the arm is the effective instrument in subduing an enemy. IT Shall rule for him. Lowth renders the phrase, i? Id, " for him," " over him:"

" And his arm shall prevail over him;"

that is, over the strong and mighty foe. The LXX render it, pera xvpiai — with dominion. But the meaning seems to be, ' God is mighty by himself; his power resides in his own arm; he is not dependent on others; he will accomplish the deliverance in such a manner the H shall be seen that he did it alone; and he shall rule for himself, without any aid, and so that it shall be manifest that he is the sovereign.' In the deliverance of his people from their captivity, Vie so directed it, that it was manifest that he was their deliverer and sovereign; and in the redemption of man, the same thing is apparent, that the arm of God effects the deliverance, and that it is his own power that establishes the dominion. IT Behold, his reward is with him. He will be ready to confer the appropriate reward on his own people. The idea seems to be taken from the custom of a conqueror, who distributes rewards among his followers and soldiers after a signal victory. This was always done in ancient wars, apparently because it seemed to be an act of justice that those who had gained the victory should share also in the result, and this participation of the booty was a stimulus to future effort, as well as a compensation for their valour. The rewards distributed consisted generally of that which was taken from the conquered; gold and silver, and raiment, as well as captives or slaves. See Gen. xlix. 7. Ex. xv. 9. 1 Sam. xxx. 26; and particularly Judges v. 30:

Have they not divided the prey;

To every man a damsel or two;

To Sisera a prey oi'divers colours,

A prey of divers colours of needle-work,

Of divers colors ot needle work on both sicca.

Meet for the necks ol'them that take the spoil?

The idea here is, (1.) That Jehovah would bestow appropriate rewards on his people. (2.) That tney would be conferred on his coming, and not be delayed. (3.) That it should be done by the hand of God himself. This language was applicable to the interposition of God to save his people from their long exile, and the " reward" would be ample in the restoration to their own land, and the re-establishmen. of his worship. It is applicable in a higher sense to the coming of the Messiah to bless the world. His reward was with him. He blessed his faithfu1 followers on earth; he will bless them more abundantly in heaven. It will be assuredly applicable to him when lie shall come to gather his people to himself in the great and last day, and the language before us is used with reference to that. Rev. xxii. 12: " And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according

11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; dhe shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry

aa his work shah be." IT And his work. Marg. " Recompense for his work." The margin here is the correct rendering. The Hebrew word strictly indeed denotes work, labour, business; but it also denotes the wages for work. Lev. xix. 13. Ps. cix. 20.

11. He shall feed his flock. In the previous verse the fact had been asserted that God would come to subdue his foes, and to reward his people., In this verse, the mild and gentle character of his government over his people is predicted. It would not be that of a conqueror over vanquished subjects; but it would be mild and tender, like that of a Bhepherd who carries the lambs which are unable to walk in his own arms, and gently leads along the feeble and the delicate. The word translated "shall feed," i"1^"^, denotes more than our word feed at present. It refers to all the care of a shepherd over his flock; and means to tend, to guard, to govern, to provide pasture, to defend from danger, as a shepherd does his flock. It is often applied in the Scriptures to God, represented as the tender shepherd, and especially to the Redeemer. Ps. xxiii. 1. Ezek. xxxiv. 23. John x. 14. Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Pet. ii. 25, v. 4. It is often applied to a leader or a ruler of a people. 2 Sam. v. 2, vii. 7. Jer. xxxii. 2. Thus Homer often uses the phrase, xoijrqv \a-2v — shepherds of the people, to denote a ruler, or monarch. Here it denotes that God would evince towards his people the same tender care, guardianship and protection, which a shepherd shows for his flock. IT He shall gather the lambs with his arm. This is a most beautiful expression, denoting the sare of God the Saviour for the feeblest and weakest of his people, and for the young and feeble in years and piety. A similar thing is often done by a shepherd. The tender lamb, unable to keep n) with the flock, becomes weary and *_*hausted; and the shepherd naturally them in his bosom, and shall gen* takes it in his arms and carries it. S uch a shepherd as this Virgil beautifully describes:

En, ipse capellas Protenus asger ago: lianc etiam vix, Tity re. ihl co: IIic inter densas corylos modo nainque gemelloSi Spem gregis, Ah! silice in nuda connixu rehquet

Lo! I ray goats urge fainting o'c the mead; This, feebler than the rest, \» si.;>ains 1 lead. Yean'd mid yon herd.- upon the flinty plain, Iter dying twins, my flock's lute hope, remain Wrangham.

IT And shall gently lead. Marg. " Or give suck." This is the more correct translation. It denotes the dams of the flock that would be easily exhausted by being overdriven, and of which there was, therefore, especial care necessary. Thus Jacob says to his brother Esau, Gen. xxxiii. 13: " The flocks and the herds giving suck to their young are with me, and if they should be overdriven all the flock will die," Of the necessity of such care and attention there is abundant evidence, and indeed it is manifest at a glance. Dr. Shaw, speaking of the exposure of the flocks in Syria, says: " The greatest skill and vigilance, and even tender care are required in the management of such immense flocks as wander on the Syrian plains. Their prodigious numbers compel the keepers to remove them too frequently in search of fresh pastures, which proves very destuctive to the young that have not strength to follow." The following extract from Anderson's Tour through Greece will also serve to illustrate this passage: " One of the great delights in travelling through a pastoral country, is to see and feel the force of the beantiful imagery in the Scriptures, borrowed from pastoral life. All day long the shepherd attends his flock, leading- them into * green pastures,' near fountains oj water, and chooses a convenient place for them to ' rest at noon.' At night he drives them near his tent; and, if there is danger, encloses them in the fold. They know his voice, and follow him,

12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with a span, and comprehended the dust

When travelling, he tenderly watches over them, and carries such as are exhausted in his arms. Such a shepherd is the Lord Jesus Christ." No description could more beautifully describe the character of the Redeemer. In the New Testament, he is often described as a kind and tender shepherd, and regarding the welfare of all his flock, and as ready to give his life for them. John x. 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15. Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Pet. ii. 25, v. 4. We are here also strikingly reminded of the solemn command which he gave to Peter, evincing his tender regard for his flock, " Feed my lambs:" " Feed my sheep." John xvi. 15-17. It proves in regard to the Redeemer, (1.) That his nature is mild, and gentle, and tender. (2.) That he has a kind regard for all his flock, and will consult the real interest of all, as a shepherd does of his flock. (3.) That he has a special solicitude for the feeble and infirm, and that they will be the objects of his tender care. (4.) That he feels a particular solicitude for the young. He knows their feebleness; he is acquainted with their temptations; he sees the importance of their being trained up with care; and he looks with deep interest, therefore, on all the efforts made to guard them from the ways of sin, and to train them up for his service. Comp. Note ch. xlii. 3.

12/ Who hath measured. The object in this and the following verses to ver. 26, is to show the greatness, power, and majesty of God, by strong contrast with his creatures, and more especially with idols. Perhaps the prophet designed to meet Mnd answer an implied objection: that the work of deliverance was so great that it could not be accomplished. The answer was, that God had made all things; that he was infinitely great; that he had entire control Over -all the nations; and that he could, therefore, remove all obstacles out of the Way, and accomplish his great and gra-

of the earth in a 'measure, and weighed the mountains in scaler and the hills in a balance?

cious purposes. By man it could not b<? done; nor had idol gods any power to do it; but the Creator and upholder of all could effect this purpose with Infinite ease. At the same time that the argil ment here is one that is entirely conclusive, the passage, regarded as a description of the power and majesty of God, is one of vast sublimity and grandev; nor is there any portion of the sacred volume that is more fitted to impress the mind with a sense of the majesty and glory of Jehovah. The question, " who hath measured," is designed to imply that the thing referred to here was that which had never been done, and could never be done by man; and the argument is, that although that which the prophet predicted was a work which surpassed human power, yet it could be done by that God who had measured the waters in the hollow of his hand. The word " waters " here refers evidently to the vast collection of waters in the deep — the mighty ocean, together with all the waters in the running streams, and in the clouds. See Gen. i. 6, where the firmament is said to have been made to divide the watera from the waters. A reference to the waters above the heavens occurs in Ps. cxlviii. 4:

Praise him ye heavens of heavens,

And ye waters that be above the heavens.

And in Prov. xxx. 4, a similar description of the power and majesty of God occurs:

Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth?

He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; And the cloud is not rent undur them.

The word waters here, therefore, may include all the waters on the earth, and in the sky. The words, u the hollow of his hand," mean properly the hand as it is closed forming a hollow or a cavity by which water can be token up.

13 Who 'hath directed the

The idea is, that Cod can take up the vast oceans, and all the waters in the lakes, streams and clouds, in the palm of his hand, as we take up the smallest qu ntity in ours. *tf And meted out heaven. The word rendered " meted," i. e. measured (V2), means properly to etand erect, to set up, or make erect; to found, fit, adjust, dispose, form, create. It usually has the idea of fitting or disposing. The word span (^T:a) denotes the space from the end of the thumb to the end of the middle finger, when extended— usually about nine inches. The idea is, that Jehovah was able to compass or grasp the heavens, though so vast, as one can compass or measure a small object with the span. What an illustration of the vastness and illimitable nature of God! *T And comprehended. And measured — ^3 from "?i3, to hold or contain. 1 Kings viii. 27: " Lo, the heavens, and the heavens of heavens cannot contain thee." IF The dust of the earth. All the earth; all the dust that composes the globe. TT In a measure. ftWS?, Properly three; and then the third part of any thing. Jerome supposes that it means the three fingers, and that the sense is, that God takes up all the dust of the earth in the first three fingers of the hand. But the more probable signification is, that the word denotes that which was the third part of some other measure, a3 of an ephah, or bath. In Ps. lxxx. 5 the word is used to denote a large measure:

Thou feedest them with the bread of tsars, 4,nd givest them tear3 lo drink in great measure

The idea is, that God is so great that he can measure ail the dust of the earth a3 easily as we can measure a small quantity of grain with a measure. IT And weighed the mountains in scales. The idea here is substantially the same. It is, that God is so mighty that he can ■s'eigli the. lofty mountains, as we weigh a ligh object in scales, or in a balance; and perhaps, also, that he has disposed

Spirit of the Lord, or lehig 8his counsellor hath taught him?

them on the earth as if he had weighed them out, and adapted them to their proper places and situations. Throughout this entire passage, there is not only the idea of majesty and power in God, but there is also the idea that he has fitted or adjusted every thing by his wisdom and power, and adapted it to the condition and wants of his creatures.

13. Who hath directed. This passage is quoted by Paul in Rom. xi. 34, and referred to by him in 1 Cor. ii. 16. The word rendered " directed " here

("l?*^) i-s me same which is used in the previous verse," and meted out heaven.'* The idea here is, • Who has fitted, or disposed the mind or spirit of Jehovah 1 What superior being has ordered, instructed, or disposed his understanding? Who has qualified him for the exercise of his wisdom, or for the formation and execution of his plans 1" The sense is, God is supreme. No one has instructed or guided him, but his plans are his own, and have all been formed by himself alone. And as those plans are infinitely wise, and as he i3 not dependent on any one for their formation or execution, his people may have confidence in him, and believe that he will be able to execute his purposes. IT The Spirit. The word "spirit" is used in the Bible in a greater variety of senses than almost any other word. See Note ver. 7. It seems here to be used in the sense of mind, and to refer to God himself. There is no evidence that it refers to the Holy Spirit particularly. The word "spirit" he uses, says Calvin, "for reason, judgment. He borrows the similitude from the nature of men in order that he may more accommodate himself to them; nor, a3 it seems to me, does he here speak of the essentiaj Spirit of God." Coram, in loco. The design of the prophet is not to refcr to the distinction in the Divine nature, or to illustrate the peculiar characteristics of the different persons of the Godhead; but it is to set forth the wisdom of Jehovah kimsei-f, the one infinite God^ai

14 With whom took he counsel, and who •instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and showed to him the way of understanding?l

contradistinguished from idols, and as qualified to guide, govern, and deliver his people. The passage should not be used, therefore, as a proof-text in regard to the existence and wisdom of the Holy- Spirit, but is fitted to demonstrate only that God is untaught; and that he is independent and infinite in his wisdom. IT Or being his counsellor. Marg. as in the Hebrew, " Man of his counsel." He is not dependent for counsel on men or angels. He is supreme, independent and infinite. None is qualified to instruct him; and all, therefore, should confide in his wisdom and knowledge.

14. With whom took he counsel. The sentiment of the former verse is repeated here, in order, probably, to make it more emphatic. IT In the path of judgment. The way of judging correctly and wisely; or the way of administering justice. It denotes here his boundless wisdom as it is seen in the various arrangements of his creation and providence, by which all things keep their places, and accomplish his vast designs.

15. Fchold, the nations. All the nations of the earth. This is designed to show the greatness of God, in comparison with that which strikes man as great — a mighty nation; and the main object seems to be, to show that God could accomplish his purposes without their aid, and that they could not resist him in the execution of his plans. If *.hcy were as nothing in comparison with him, how easily could he execute his purposes! If they were as nothing, how little could they resist the execution of his plans! IF Are as a drop of a bucket. In comparison with him; or are so esteemed by him. — The drop that falls from the bucket in drawing water B a trifle It has no power, and com,-

15 Behold, the nations are aa a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he takcth up the isles as a very little thing.

pared with the waters of the ocean it ia as nothing. So small is the power of the nations in comparison with God. IT And are counted. Are thought of, regar led, esteemed by him, or in comparison with him. TT As the small dust of the balance. The small, fine dust which collects on the best finished and most accurate balance or scales, and which has no effect in making the scales uneven, or making either side preponderate. Nothing can be a more striking representation of the fact that the nations are regarded as nothing in comparison with God. TT Behold, he taketh up the isles. Or he is able to do it; he could remove the isles as the fine dust is driven before the whirlwind. A more literal translation of this passage would be, ' Lo, the isles are as the dust which is taken up,' or which one takes up; i. e. which is taken up, and carried away by the wind. There is something unusual in the expression that God takea up the isles, and the idea is rather that the isles in his sight are regarded as the fine dust which the wind sweeps away. So the Chaldee renders it, " Lo, the isles are like ashes which the wind drives away." The word " isles," Vitringa and Jerome regard as denoting not the small portions of land in the sea that are surrounded by water, but lands which are encompassed and enclosed by rivers, like Mesopotamia. But there is no reason why it should not be taken here in its usual signification, as denoting the islands of the sea. They would serve well to be used in connection with mountains and hills in setting forth the vast power of God. "51 As a very lit tie thing. p^$. The word *"? ddq, means that which is beaten small, or fine; and then fine dust, chaff, or any light thing which the wind casiiy «wve;;s aw jy

16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burntoffering.

17 All nations before him are ^nothing; and they are counted to him less than 'nothing and vanity.

16. And Lebanon. The expression here refers to the trees or the cedars of Lebanon. Thus it is rendered by the Chaldee: " And the trees of Lebanon." For a description of Lebanon see Note on ch. x. 34. It is probable that the word Lebanon here is not used in the limited sense in which it is sometimes employed, to denote a single mountain, or a single range of mountains, but includes the entire ranges lying north of Palestine, and which were comprehended under the general name of Libanus. The idea here is, that all these ranges of mountains, abounding in magnificent trees and forests, would not furnish fuel sufficient to burn the sacrifices which would be an appropriate offering to the majesty and glory of God. IT To burn. To burn for the purpose of consuming the sacrifice. IT Nor the beasts thereof for a burnt-offering. As the mountains of Lebanon were extensive forests, they would abound with wild animals. The idea is, that all those animals, if offered in sacrifice, would not be an appropriate expression of what was due to God. It may be remarked here, if all the vast forests of Lebanon on fire, and all its animals consumed as an offering to God, were not sufficient to show forth his glory, how little can our praises express the proper sense of his majesty and honour! How profound should be our

^reverence for God! With what awful veneration should we come before him! The image employed here by Isaiah is one cf great poetic beauty; and nothing, perhaps, could give a deeper impression of the majesty and honour of the great Jehovah.

17. Arc as nothing. This expresses literally what had been expressed by the beautifil and striking imagery above.

18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness 'will ye compare unto him?

19 The workman mmelleth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

tf Less than nothing. A strong hyperoolic expression denoting the utter insignificance of the nations as compared with God. Such expressions are common in the Scriptures. IF And vanity

18. To whom then will ye liken God? Since he is so great, what can resemble him? What form can be made like him? The main idea here intended to be conveyed by the prophet evidently is, that God is great and glorious, and worthy of the confidence of his people. This idea he illustrates by a reference to the attempts which had been made to make a representation of him, and by showing how vain those efforts were. He therefore states the mode in which the images of idols were usually formed, and shows how absurd it was to suppose that they could be any real representation of the true God. It is possible that this was composed in the time of Manasseh, when idolatry prevailed to a great extent in Judah, and that the prophet intended in this manner incidentally to show the folly and absurdity of it.

19. The workman. The Hebrew word denotes an artificer of any kind, and is applied to one who engraved on wood or stone, Ex. xxviii. 2; to a workman in iron, brass, stone, wood, Ex. xxxv. 35, Deut. xxvii. 15; or an artisan, or artificer in general. It here refers manifestly to a man who worked in the metals of which idols were commonly made. Those idols were sometimes made of wood, sometimes of clay, but more frequently, as they are at present in India, of metal. It became,, undoubtedly, a regular trade or business thus to make idol gods. % Mell.eih. Casts or founds. V A graven image

20 He that sis so impoverished, that he hath no oblation, chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seek-

^5? • This word commonly denotes an image carved or graven from wood, Ex. xx. 4. Judg. xvii. 3. Isa. xliv. 15, 17; but it is also frequently applied to a molten image, or one that is cast from metals, Jer. x. 14, li. 17. It is used in thi3 sense here; as there is an incongruity in the idea of casting, or melting a graven image. TT And 1 he goldsmith. spreadetk it ever with gold. Jdols were frequently overlaid with gold or silver. Those which were in the temples of the gods were probably commonly made in this way, and probably those also which were made for private use, as far as it could be afforded. The word here rendered " goldsmith," hawever, does not of necessity mean a worker in gold, but a smith in general, or a worker in any kind of metals. *n And castetk silver chains. For the idol. These were not to fasten it, but for the purpose of ornament. The general principle seems to have been to decorate their idols with that which was regarded as the highest ornament among the people; and as chains were used in abundance as a part of their personal ornaments among the Orientals (see Notes on ch. iii. 23), so they made use of the same kind of ornaments for their idols. The idols of the Hindoos now are lavishly decorated in this manner.

20. He that is so impoverished. So poor. So it is generally supposed that the word here used is to be understood, though interpreters have not been entirely agreed in regard to its signification. The LXX render the phrase, "The carpenter chooseth a sound piece of wood." The Chaldee, '< He cuts down an ash, a tree which will not rot." The Vulgate, " Perhaps he chooses a.ree which is incorruptible." Jarchi •enders it, " lie who is accustomed to examine, and to judge between the wood vhich is durable, and other wood." Bat he signification of the word (from "j^D lakhdn to dwell, to be familiar with

eth unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, thai shall not be moved.

any one.) given to it by our translators, is probably the correct one, that of being too poor to make a costly oblation. This notion of poverty, Gesenius supposes, is derived from the notion of being seated; and thence of sinking down from languor or debility; and hence from poverty or want. IT That fie hath no oblation. No offering; no sacrifice: no rich gift. lie is too poor to make such an offering to his god as would be implied in an idol of brass or other metal, richly overlaid with plates of gold, and decorated with silver chains. In ver. 19, the design seems to have been to describe the more rich and costly idols that were made; in this, to describe those that were made by the poor who were unable to offer such as were made, of brass and gold. The word " oblation," therefore, i. e. offering, in this place, dees not denote an offering made to the true God, but an offering made to an idol, such as an image was regarded to be. He could not afford a rich offering, and was constrained to make one of wood. IT Chooseth a tree that will not rot. Wood that will be durable and permanient. Perhaps the idea is, that as he could not afford one of metal he would choose that which would be the most valuable which he could make — a piece of wood that was durable, and that would thus show his regard for the god that he worshipped. Or possibly the sense may be, that he designed it should not be moved; that he expressed a fixed and settled determination to adhere to the worship of the idol; and that as he had no idea of % changing his religion, the permanency and durability of the wood would be regarded as a somewha: more acceptable expression of his worship. IT A cunning workman. Heb. ' A wise artificer;' a man skilled in the art of carving, and of making images. IF A graven image. An image engraved or cut from wood, in contradistinction from one that is molten or made from metals

21 Have pye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you rfr om the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It 5is he that sitteth upon

? Tha I shall not he moved. That shall Stand long as the expression of his devotion to the service of the idol. The wood that was commonly employed for this purpose as being most durable, as we learn from ch. xiiv. ' 14, was the cedar, the cypress, or the oak. See the Note in that place. The phrase, " shall not be moved," does not refer so much to its being fixed in one place, as to its durability and permanency.

21. Have ye not known? This is evidently an address to the worshippers of idols, and either designed to be addressed to the Jews themselves in the times of Manasseh, when idolatry abounded, or to all idolaters. The prophet had in the previous verses shown the manner in which the idols were made, and the folly of regarding them as objects of worship. He now turns and addresses the worshippers of these idols, as being without excuse. They might have known that these were not the true God. They had had abundant opportunity of learning his existence, and of becoming acquainted with his majesty and glory. Tradition had informed them of this, and the creation of the earth demonstrated his greatness and power. The prophet, therefore, asks them whether they had not known this ] Whether their conduct was the result of ignorance? And the question implies emphatically that they had tetiown, or had abundant opportunity to know of the existence and majesty of God. This was emphatically true of the Jews, and yet they were constantly fa Uing into idolatrous worship. IT Fro?n the beginning. Heb. ' From the head," i. e. from the very commencement of the world. Has it not been communicated by tradition, from age to age, that there tS one God, and that hr is the Creator the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: and upholder of all things 1 This was particularly the case with the Jews, who had had this knowledge from the very commencement of their history, & id they were, therefore, entirely without excuse in their tendencies to idolatry, tf From the foundations of the earth. Have you not learned the existence and greatness of God from the fact that the world has been made, and that it demonstrates the existence and perfection of God ] The sacred writers often speak of the earth as resting on a foundation, as upheld, &c.:

For he hath founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the floods.

Ps. xxiv. 2. See also Prov. viii. 29. Perhaps here, however, the word " foundation" refers rather to the time than to the manner in which the earth is made, and corresponds to the phrase " from the beginning;" and the sense may be, ' Has it not been unde-rlcc-d ever since the earth was funded? Has not the tradition of the existence and perfections of God been unbroken and constant ]' The argument is, that the existence and greatness of God were fully known by tradition and by his works; and that it was absurd to attempt to form an image of that God who had laid the foundations o*' iie world.

22. It is he that sitteth. Ma.g. " Him that sitteth," i. e. have you not known Him 1 The Hebrew literally means ' the sitter, or he sitting on the circle of the earth;' and it may be connected either with ver. 21, ' Have ye not known him sitting on the circle of the earth Y or with ver. 18, • What likeness will ye compare to him that sitteth on the circle of the earth V In either case the phrase is designed to show the majesty and glory of God. The word sitteth refers

23 That bringeth the princes to "nothing: he makcth the u Job 12. «. ps ior. «.! judges of the caith as vanity.

to God as a sovereign or monarch, making the circle of the earth his throne. IT The circle of the earth. Or, rather, above ( ^? a!) the circle of the earth. The word rendered circle (3?,n) denotes a circle, sphere, or arch; and is applied to the arch or vault of the heavens, in Prov. viii. 27, Job xxii. 14. The phrase ' circle, or circuit of the earth,' here seems to be used in the same sense as the phrase orbis ierrarum by the Latins; not as denoting a sphere, or not as implying that the earth was a globe, but that it was an extended plain surrounded by oceans and mighty waters. The globular form of the earth was then unknown; and the idea is, that God sat above this extended circuit, or circle; and that the vast earth was beneath his feet. IT And the inhabitants thereof are like grasshoppers. Or, rather, like locusts, for so the Hebrew word properly means. This is designed to show that the inhabitants of the earth, numerous and mighty as they are, are as nothing compared with God. The idea is that God is so exalted, that, as he looks down from that elevated station, all the inhabitants of the world appear to him as locusts — a bu3y, agitated, moving, impatient multitude, spread over the vast circle of the earth beneath him — as locusts spread in almost interminable bands over the plains in the East. What a striking illustration of the insignificance of man as he is viewed from the heavens! What an impressive description of the nothingness of his mighty plans, and of the vanity of his mightiest works! IT That slrctchzth out the heavens. Referring to the firmament above, as that which seems to be stretched out, or expanded over our heads. The heavens above sre often thus compared to an expanse — either solid (Gen. i. 7), or to a curtarn, or tent (comp. Note ch. xxxiv. 4). T As a curtain. The word here used (p^) denotes properly fineness, thinness; ind then a fine or thin cloth, or curtain.

Here it means a thin canopy that ia stretched over us. The same expression occurs in Ps. civ. 2. Comp. Isct. xliv. 24. Job ix. 8. Probably the reference here is to the veil, curtain, or awning which the Orientals are accustomed ta draw over the court in their houses. Their houses are constructed with an open court in the centre, *dth the rooms ranged round it. In that court or open square there arc usually fountains, if the situation is so that they can be constructed; and they are cool and refreshing places for the family to sit in the heat of the summer. In hot or rainy weather, a curtain or awning is drawn over this area. According to the image of the prophet here, the heavens are spread out over our heads as such an awning. IT And spreadeth them out as a tent. As a tent that is made for a habitation. Perhaps the idea is, that the heavens are extended like a tent in order to furnish a dwelling-place for God. Thus the Cbaldee renders it. If so, it proves that the universe so vast was fitted up to be the dwellingplace of the High and Holy One, and is a most impressive representation of his immensity.

23. That bringeth the princes to nothing. That is, all princes and kings. No matter how great their power, theii wealth, and their dignity, they are, by his hand, reduced to nothing before him. The design of this passage is to contrast the majesty of God with that of princes and nobles, and to show how far he excels them all. The general truth is therefore stated, that all monarchs are by him removed from their thrones, and consigned to nothing. The same idea is expressed in Job xii. 21:

He pemreth contempt upon princes,

And wcakencth the strength of the mighty.

Ho poureth contempt upon princes, And cjiuseth them to wander in the wildemoa* where there is no way.

The particular idea here, as appears from the next verse, i3, that the prince!

24 Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown; yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth; and he

and rulers who are opposed to God constitute no real resistance to the execution of his purposes. He can strip off their honours and glory, and obliterate even their names. IT He maketh the judges of the earth. Kings and princes often executed judgment personally, and hence the words judges and kings seem to be synonymous, as they are used here, and in Ps. ii. 10:

Be wise now, therefore, 0 ye kin?rs; Be instructed ye judges of the earth.

24. Yea, they shall not he planted. The kings and rulers — especially they wno oppose God in the execution of his purposes. The idea in this verse is, that their name and family should become extinct in the same way as a tree vloes from which no shoot starts up. Although they were great and mighty, like the tree that sends out far-spreading branches, and strikes its root deep, yet God would so utterly destroy them that they should have no posterity, and their family become extinct. Princes and kings are often compared to lofty and majestic trees of the forest. Comp. Ps. xxxvii. 35. Dan. iv. 7 seq. Vitringa supposes that wicked rulers are particularly intended here, and that the idea is, that the wicked princes that persecuted his people should be entirely extinct en the earth. He refers particularly to Pharaoh, Antiochus Epiphanes, Nero, Domitian, Decius, Gallus, Galerius, Maxenus, Maximus, and some others, as instances of this kind, whose families soon became extinct. It may be remarked, in general, that the families of monarchs and princes become extinct usually much sooner than others. The fact may be owing in part to the usual luxury and vice in the families of the great, and in part to the direct arrangements of God, by which he designs that power shall not be for ever perpetuated in one family, or line. The general idea in the passage is, that earthly Diinees and rulers are as nothing when

shall also biow upon them, r.nd they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

compared with God, and that he can easily destroy their families and their name. But there is no improbability in the supposition of Vitringa, that the prophet refers particularly to the enemies of God and his cause> and that he intends specifically to affirm that nonp of these enemies could prevent or embarrass the execution of his purposes — since with infinite ease he could entirely destroy their name. IT They shall not be sown. The same idea under another figure. The former referred to princes under the image of a tree; this refers to them under the image of grain that is sown. The idea is, that their family and name should be annihilated, and should not spring up in a future generation. The same image occurs in Nahum, in respect to the king of Assyria, ch. i. 14: " The Lord hath given commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown;" that is, that thy name and family should become entirely extinct. TT Yea, their stock. Theii stem — referring to the stump or stock of a tree. When a tree is cut down, the roots often still live, and send up shoots, or suckers, that grow into trees. Posterity is often, in the Scriptures, compared to such suckers or shoots from old and decayed trees. See Notes on ch. xi. 1. The meaning here is, that as when a tree falls and dies without sending up any shoots, so princes should die. They should have no descendants; no one of their family should sit on their thrones. IT Shall blow upon them. Aa God sends a tempest upon the forest, and uproots the loftiest trees, so he will sweep away the families of princes. Or, rather, perhaps, the idea here is, that God sends a strong and burning east wind, and withers up every thing before it. See this wind described in the Notea on ch. xxxvii. 26. *ir And they shall wither. Trees and shrubs and plants are dried up before that poisonous and fiery wind — the Simoom — and so it

ye liken me, or shall I be equal f saith the Holy One.

would be with the princes before the blast of Jehovah. IT And the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble. This, in its literal signification, means that the whirlwind bears away the trees of the forest, and with the same case God would sweep away the families of the kings and princes that opposed him and oppressed his people. It may illustrate this to observe, that the c fleets of whirlwinds in the East are often much more violent than they are with us, and that they often bear away to a great distance the branches of trees, and even the trees themselves. The following description of a whirlwind observed by Mr. Bruce, may serve to illustrate this passage, as well as the passage in Ps. Ixxxiii. 13:

O my God. make them like a wheel; As the stubble before the wind,

referring to the rotary action of the whirlwind which often impels straw like a wheel set in rapid motion. " Mr. Bruce, in his journey through the desert of Senaar had the singular felicity to contemplate this wonderful phenomenon hi all its terrific majesty, without injury, although with considerable danger and alarm. In that vast expanse of desert from west and to northwest of him, he saw a number of prodigious pillars of sand at different distances, moving, at times, with great celerity, at others, stalking on with majestic slowness; at intervals he thought they were coming, in a very few minutes, to overwhelm him and his companion. Again, they would retreat so as to be almost out of sight, their tops reaching to the very clouds. There, the tops often separated from the bodies; and these, once disjoined, dispersed in the air, and appeared no more. Sometimes they were broken near the middle, as if struck with a large cannon-shot. About noon, they began to advance with considerable ev/ihness upon them, the wind being •'ery ctrong at north. Eleven of these awful visitors ranged alongside of lliem, abou* the distance of three miles. The greatest diameter of the largest appeared to him, at that distance, as if it would measure ten feet. They retired from them with a wind at southeast, leaving an impression upon the mind of our iatrepid traveller, to \\ hich he could give no name, though he candidly admits that one ingredient in it was fear, with a considerable deal of wonder and astonishment. lie declares it was in vain to think of flying; the swiftest horse, or fastest sailing ship, could be of no use to carry them out of this danger; and the full persuasion of this riveted him to the spot where he stood. Next day, they were gratified with a similar display of moving pillars, in form and disposition like those already described, only they seemed to be more in number and less in size. They came, several times, in a direction close upon them; that is, according to Mr. Brace's computation, within less than two miles. They became, immediately after sunrise, like a thick wood, and almost darkened the sun; his rays shining through them, for near an hour, gave them an appearance of pillars of fire. At another time, they were terrified by an army (as it seemed) of these sand pillars, whose march was constantly south; a number of which seemed once to be coming directly upon them; and though they were little nearer than two miles, a considerable quantity of sand fell around them. On the twenty-first of November, about eight in the morning, he had a view of the desert to the westward, as before, and the sands had already begun to rise in immense twisted pillars, which darkened the heavens, and moved over the desert with more magnificence than ever. The sun, shining through the piilars, which were thicker, and contained more sand, apparently, than on any of the preceding days, seemed to give those nearest them an appearance as if spotted with staisof gold." Paxlon. 25. To whom then will ye liken me. See ver. 18. The prophet having thui set forth the majesty and glory of God

26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created.hese things, that bringeth out their hosts by number: he calleth

asks now with great emphasis, what could be an adequate and proper representation of such a God. And if God was such a Being, how great was the folly of idolatry, and how vain all their confidence in the gods which their own hands had made.

26. Lift up your eyes on high. Direct your eyes toward heaven, and in the contemplation of the wonders of the starry world, and of God's power there, learn the evidence of his ability to destroy his foes and to save his friends. Lowth connects this verse with the former, and renders it:

" Saith the Holy One, Lift up your eyes on high."

The words " on high " here are evidently synonymous with heaven, and refer to the starry worlds. The design of the passage is to convince them of the folly of idolatry, and of the power and majesty of the true God. It is proof of man's elevated nature that he can thus look upward, and trace the evidences of the power and wisdom of God in the heavens; that he can raise his eyes and thoughts above the earth, and fix his attention on the works of God in distant worlds; and in the number, the order, the greatness, and the harmony of the heavenly bodies, trace the proofs of the infinite greatness and wisdom of God. This thought was most beautifully expressed by one of the ancient poets:

Pronaque cum spectent animalia caotera terrain: Os homini sublime dedit; ccelumque tueri, Jussit et erectoa ad sidera tollere vultus.

Tn the Scriptures, God not unfrequently appeals to the starry heavens in proof of his existence and perfections, and as the most sublime exhibition of his greatness and power. See Ps. xix. 1-6. And it may be remarked, that this argument is one that increases in strength, in trie view of men, from age to age, just in proportion to the advances which

nthem all by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth

are made in the science of astronomy. It is now far more striking than it wa9 in the times of Isaiah; and indeed the discoveries in astronomical science in modern times have given a beauty and power to this argument which could have been but b. perfectly understood in the times of the prophets. The argument is one that accumulates with every new discovery in astronomy; but is one — such is the vastness and beauty of the system of the universe — w.iich can be contemplated in its full power only amidst the more sublime contemplations of eternity. Those who are disposed to contemplate this argument more fully, may find it presented with great eloquence and beauty in Br. Chalmers' Astronomical Discourses, and in Dick's Christian Philosopher. IT Who hath created these things. These heavens. This is the first evidence of the power of God in the contemplation of the heavens, that God is their Creator. The other demonstrations referred to are the fact, that he brings out their armies as if they were a marshalled host, and understands and calls all their names. IT That bringeth out their hosts. Their armies, for so the word hosts means. See Note on ch. i. 9. The word here alludes to the fact that the heavenly bodies seem to be marshalled, or regularly arrayed as an army; that they keep their place, preserve their order, and are apparently led on from the east to the west, like a vast army under a mighty leader:

Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season] Or canat thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

tf By number. As if he had numbered, or named them; as a military commander would call forth his armies in their proper order, and have them so numbered and enrolled in the various divisions, that he can command them with ease. IT He calleth them all by names. Thi3 idea is also taken from a military leader, who would know the names of the individuals that composed his army. In smaller divisions of an army, this could of course be done; but the idea is, that God is intimately acquainted with all the hosts of stars; that though their numbers appear to us bo great, yet he is acquainted with each one individually, and has that knowledge of it which we have of a person or object which we recognize by a name. ft is said of Cyrus, that he was acquainted by name with every individual that composed his vast army. The practice of giving names to the stars of heaven was early, and is known to have been originated by the Chaldeans. Intimations of this custom we have not unfrequently in the Scriptures, as far back as the time of Job:

Which maketh Arcturus, and Orion, and Pleiades, And the chambers of the South.

Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades? Or loose the bancis of Orion? Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

This power of giving names to all the stars, is beautifully ascribed to God in Ps. cxlvii. 4:

Hetelleth the number of the stars, He calleth them all by their names.

This view of the greatness of God is more striking now than it was in the times of David or Isaiah. Little then, comparatively, was known of the number of the stars. But since the invention of the telescope the view of the heavenly world has been enlarged almost to immensity; and though the expression " he calleth them all by their names," had great sublimity as used in the time of Isaiah, yet it raises in us far higher conceptions of the power and greatness of God when applied to what we know now of the heavens. Yet doubtless our view of the heavens is much farther beneath the sublime reality than were the prevalent views in the time of the prophet beneath those which vq now hav;. As an illustration of this is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

we may remark, that the milky way which stretches across the heavens, is now ascertained *o receive its white appearance from the mingling together of the light of an innumerable number of stars, too remote to be seen by the naked eye. Dr. Herschell examined a portion of the milky way about fifteen degrees long, and two broad, and found that it contained no fewer than fifty thousaii^ stars, large enough to be distinctly counted, and he suspected that that portion contained twice as many more which for the want of sufficient light in his telescope, he saw only now and then. It is to be remembered, also, that the galaxy, or milky way, which we see with the naked eye, is only one of a laro-e number of nebulae of similar construction which are arranged apparently in strata, and which extend to great length in the heavens. According to this, and on every correct supposition in regard to the heavens, the number of the stars surpasses all our powers of computation. Yet God is said to lead them all forth as marshalled armies — how beautiful a description when applied to the nebula — and to call all their names! 1T By the greatness of his might. It is his single and unassisted arm that conducts them; his own hand alone that sustains them. 1T Not one faileth. Not one is wanting; not one of the immense host is out of its place, or unnoticed. All are arranged in infinite wisdom; all observe the proper order, and the proper times. How strikingly true is this, on the slightest inspection of the heavens! How impressive and grand is it in the higher developments of the discoveries of astronomy!

27. Why sayest thou. This verse is designed to reprove the people for their want of confidence in God. The idea is, ' If God is so great; if he arranges the hosts of heaven with such unerring skill, causing all the stars to observe their proper place and their exact times, the interests of his people are safe in his hands.' Piety may always

28 Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth

find security in the assurance that He who preserves the unbroken order of the heavens will not fail to keep and save his people. — The language in this verse is to be understood as addressed to the Jews sighing for deliverance in their long and painful captivity in Babylon. Their city and temple had laid waste for many years; their captivity had been long and wearisome, and doubtless many would be ready to say, that it would never end. To furnish an argument to meet this state of despondency, the prophet sets before them this sublime description of the faithfulness and the power of God. IT O Jacob. A name often given to the Jews as the descendants of Jacob. TT 0 Israel. Denoting the same. The name Israel was given to Jacob because he had power to prevail as a prince with God (Gen. xxxii. 28); and it became the common name by which his descendants were known. II My way is hid from the Lord. That is, is not seen, or noticed. The word way here denotes evidently the state or condition; the manner of life, or the calamities which they experienced. The term is often thus employed to denote the lot, condition, or manner in which one lives or acts. Jer. xii. 1. Isa. x. 24. Ps. xxxvii. 5. The phrase, "is hid," means that God is ignorant of it, or that he does not attend to it; and the complaint here is, that God had not regarded them in their calamities, and would not interpose to save them. IT And my judgment. My cause. The word here refers to their condition among the people where they were captive, and by whom they were oppressed. They are represented as being deprived of their liberty; and they here complain that God disregarded their cause, and that he did not come forth to deliver them from their oppressions and their trials.

not "neither is weary? there hi& no searching of his understand them for complaining of being forsaken, and assuring them that God was faithful to his promises. This argument of the prophet, which continues to the close of the chapter, comprises the main scope of the chapter, which i3 to induce them to put confidence in God, and to believe that he was able and willing to deliver them. The phrase, " Hast thou not known," refers to the fact that the Jewish people had had an abundant opportunity of learning, in their history, and from their fathers, the true character of God, and his entire ability to save them. No people had had so much light on this subject, and now that th. f were in trial, they ought to recall their former knowledge of his character, and remember his dealings of faithfulness with them and their fathers. It is well for the people of God in times of calamity and trial to recall to their recollection his former dealings with his church. That history will furnish abundant sources of consolation, and abundan* assurances that their interests are safe in his hands. IT Hast thou, not heard. From the traditions of the fathers; the instruction which you have received from ancient times. A large part of the knowledge of the Jews was traditionary; and these attributes of God, as a faithful God, had, no doubt, constituted an important part of the knowledge which had thus been communicated to them. IT The everlasting God. The God who has existed from eternity, unlike the idols of the heathen. If he was from eternity, he would be unchangeable, and his purposes could not fail. 1T The Creator of the ends of the earth. The phrase, " the ends of the earth," means the same as the earth itself. The earth is sometimes spoken of as a vast plain having limits or boundaries. See ver. 22. It is probable that this was tha prevailing idea among the ancients. Comp. Deut. xxxiii. 17. 1 Sam. ii. 10. Ps. xix. 6, xxii. 27, xlviii. 10, lxv. £».

29 He 'giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.

lii. 10. The argument hsre is, that he who has formed the earth could not be exhausted or weary in so small a work as that of protecting his people. IT Fainteth not. Is not fatigued or exhausted.

That God who has formed and sustained all things, is not exhausted in his powers, but is able still to defend and guard his people. IT There is no searching of his understanding. The God who made all things must be infinitely wise. There is proof of boundless skill in the works of his hands, and it is impossible for finite mind fully and adequately to search out all the proofs of his wisdom and skill. Man can see only a part — a small pare, while the vast ocean, the boundless deep of his wisdom lies still unexplored. This thought is beautifully expressed by Zophar in Job xi. 7-9:

Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven;

What canst thou do? Deeper than hell;

What canst thou know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, And broader than the sea.

The argument here is, that that God who has made all things, must be intimately acquainted with the wants of his people. They had, therefore, no reason to complain that their way was hidden from the Lord, and their cause passed over by him. — Perhaps, also, it is implied, that as his understanding was vast, they ought not to expect to be able to comprehend the reason c " all his doings; but should expect that there would be much that was mysterious and unsearchable. The reasons of his doings are often hid from his people; and their consolation is to be found in the assurance that he is infinitely wise, and that He who rules over the universe must Enow what is best, and cannot ekr.

31 But they ■'that wait upon the Lord shall l renew Atheir strength; they shall mount up with wings as easdes; they shall run 'and not be weary, and they shall walk *and not faint.

29. He giveth power to the faint. To his weak and feeble people. This ia one of his attributes; and his people, therefore, should put their trust in him and lock to him for aid. Comp 2 Cor xii. 9. The design of this verse is to give consolation to the afflicted and down-trodden people in Babylon, by recalling to their minds the truth that it was one of the characteristics of Gcd that he ministered strength to those who were conscious of their own feebleness, and who looked to him for support. It is a truth, however, as applicable to us as to them — a truth inestimably precious to those who feel that they are weak and feeble, and who look to God for aid.

30. Even the youths shall faint. The most vigorous young men; those in whom we expect manly strength, and who are best fitted to endure hardy toil. They become weary by labour. Their powers are soon exhausted, here is, to contrast the most the human race with God, and to show that while all their powers fail, the power of God is unexhausted and inexhaustible. IT And the young men. The word here used denotes properly those who are chosen, or selected (CH^inS Greek U\zkto\), and may be applied to those who were selected or chosen for any hazardous enterprise, or dangerous achievement in war; those who would be selected for vigour or activity. The meaning is, that the most chosen or select of the human family — the most vigorous and manly, must bo worn down by fatigue, or paralyzed by sickness or death; but that the powers of God never grow weary, and thai those who trust in him should never be* come faint.

here, from •"^, denotes properly to wait in the sense of expecting. The phrase, * to wait on Jehovah' means to wait for his help; that is, to trust in him, to put our hope or confidence in him. It is applicable to those who are in circumstances of danger or want, and who look to him for his merciful interposition. Here it properly refers to those who' were suffering a long and grievous captivity in Babylon, and who had no prospect of deliverance but in him. The phrase is applicable also to all who feel that they are weak, feeble, guilty, and helpless, and who in view of this put their trust in Jehovah. The promise or assurance here is general in its nature, and is as applicable to his people now as it was in the times of the captivity in Babylon. Religion is often expressed in the Scriptures by " waiting on Jehovah," i. e. by looking to him for help, expecting deliverance through his aid, putting trust in him. See Ps. xxv. 3, 5, 21, xxvii. 14, xxxvii. 7, 9,34, lxix. 3, comp. Note Isa.viii. 17, xxx. 18. It does not imply inactivity, or want of personal exertion; it implies merely that our hope of aid and salvation is in him — a feeling that is as consistent w.th the most strenuous endeavours to secure the object, as it is with a state of inactivity and indolence. Indeed, no man can wait on God in a proper manner who does not use the means which he has appointed for conveying to us his blessing. To wait on him without using any means to obtain his aid is to tempt him; to expect miraculous interposition is unauthorized, and must meet with disappointment. And they only wait on him in a proper manner who expect his blessing in the common modes in which he imparts it to men — in the use of those means and efforts which he has appointed, and which he is accustomed to bless. The farmer who should wait for God to plough and sow his fields, would.lot only be disappointed, but would be guilty of provoking Him. And so the man who waits for God to do what he ought to do; to save him without using any of the means of grace, will jiot only be disappointed, but will prc- VOL. ii. — 4*