Exposition of the Whole Bible

“The Book of the Prophet ISAIAH.

HIS Book is called in the New Teftament, fometimes the book of the words of the prophet Efaias, Luke iii. 4. fometimes only the prophet Efaias, Acts viii.

28, 30. and fometimes as here, the book of the prophet Efaias, Luke iv. 17. In the Syriac. verfion, the title is, the prophecy of Ifaiah the fon of Amos: and in the Arabic verfion, the beginning of the prophecy of lfaiah the prophet. \t ftands firft of all the prophets; though the order of the prophets, —according to the fews*, is, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Ifaiab, and. the twelve. But it is here placed firft, not becaufe J/aiah prophefied before the other prophets; for Yael, Fouah, Hofea. and Ames, begun before him, namely in or before the Days of Feroboam the fecond; but becaufe of the excellency of the matter contained in it,. J/aiah is called by Bex Syra » the great prophet, and by £u/edius * the greateft of the prophets; and Jerom® fays,y he fhould rather be called an evangelift than a prophet, fince he feems rather to write a hiftory of things. patft, than to prophefy of things to come; yea, he {tiles him an apoftle, as well as an evangelift and. certain it is, that no one writes fo fully and clearly of the perfon, offices, grace and kingdom of Chrift; of his incarnation and birth of a virgin; of his fufferings and death, and the glory that fhould follow, as he does. ‘obs, the fore-runner of Chrift, began bis miniftry with a paffage out of him concerning himfelf; Maz. iii. 3.. Mark i. 3.. Luke iii. 4. Fobu i. 23. Our Lord preached his firft fermon at Nazareth out of this book, Luke iv.17—21. and it was in this, the Eunuch was reading, when Philip came up to him,..who from the fame feripture preached to him Chrift, 47s viii. 28 —35. And there are more citations. in the New Tetta- ment made out of this prophecy, than any other.

book, excepting the book of Pfalms, as Mu/culus obferves.. To which may be added, as another. reafon, the elegance and fublimity of his ftile; in which he exceeds the greateft of orators, Dema thenes among. the Greeks, and Tully among, the Romans; and this is obferved both by Jews and Chriftians. Abarbinel ‘ fays, that the purity and elegance of, his diétion is like that of. kings and counfellors,, who fpeak more purely and elegantly than other, men: hence their Rabbins, he fays, compare J/aiah to a citizen, and Ezekiel to a countryman.. And Jerom* obferves, that L/aiah is fo eloquent:and polite, that there is nothing of rufticity in his language; and that his {tile is fo florid, that a tranflation. can’t preferve it.; Moreover, another, reafon of this book being placed firft, may be the bull of it; it being larger, and containing more chapters than any of the greater prophets, and almoft as many as all the lefler prophets. put together. That J/aiah was the writer of this book, is not to be quéftioned; many of the prophecies in. it are by name afcribed to him, Mast. xiii. 14. and xv. 7. Fobn xii. 39, Rom. x. 20, 21. though fome others might be the compilers of it, collect his prophecies, and digeft them in order > fo the Fews fay, that Hezekiah and his.company wrote J/a@iah, &c. At what time, and in whole days he prophefied, may be learnt from chap. i. 1. by which it appears that he prophefied long, and lived to a good old age. He began to prophefy about A, M. 3236. and about 770 years before Chrift. Abulpharagius, an Arabic writer, fays ', he lived an hundred and twenty years, eighty-five of which he prophefied. It is a generally received tradition with the. Fews, that he. lived to the ' Manafeh, © Demonftrat. Evangel. I. 5. c: 4. © Procwm.

and which has been: ftian writers, and is thought to be referred to in Hei 37. SEE or that” place Aben Ezra on ver. 1. obferves, that had he lived to the time of Manajeb, it would have been written, and is of opinion that he died in Hezekiah’s time. According to the Cipp: Hebraict * he was buried at Tekoab, overgwholergrave a beautiful fument c erected 5 though Epiphanius', or the author O€the lives/of the prophets, that go by his name, fays, he was buried under the oak of Rogel, near the fountain of Siloam, and it is a tradition with the Syriae writers, that his bdédy ilay

HIS chapter, after the infcription, contains a charge of aggravated fin againft the Jews; |

God’s rejection of their ceremonial facrifices and fervice; an exhortation to repentance and obediences with a.promife of pardon; a deploration of their fa eftate; 4 prophefy of thev-reftoration. 8 a-better® ard ofthe deftraction of idolatrous finners. The infcription is in ¥. 1. in which are the-title-of-the-prophefy, a vifion; the writer of it defcribed by his name, his defcent, and the times in which-he prophefied, and -the fubject of the prophecy is Judah and. Ferufalem. ‘The charge againft the ‘fews is rebellion againft the Lord, and the heavens and earth are called as witnefles of it; which is aypravated by the relation they ftood in to God, and ‘by the favours beftowed upon’ them, y. 2. by theit more than brutifh ftupidity, ‘y. 3. by the multitude, of their fins, which were of a ‘provoking nature, y. 4. by the ufelefinefs of chaftifemtents; the whole body of the people, from the higheft ‘to the loweft, being afflicted without being the better for it, and fo generally depraved, that no regard was had to’ any means’ of réformation, y. 4, 6. and by the ‘defolation it brought upon them, which is illuftrated by feveral fimilies, y.°7, 8. and by the grace and ‘goodnefs of God in referving a few, or otherwife they muft have been for their punifhment, as they were for their fins, like Sodom and Gomorrba, yr. 9. wherefore both rulers and people are called upon under thofe names to hearken to the law of God, and not truft in and depend upon their facrifices and other rites of the ceremonial law, together with their hypocritical’ prayers; all which were abominable to ‘the Lord, fince they were guilty of fuch dreadful immoralitiés, yy. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. when they are exhorted to repentance for fin, to the obedience of faith, and wafhing in the blood of Chrift, whereby their crimfon and fcarlet fins would become as white as wool and fnow, otherwife deftru@tion muft be expected, ¥. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. and then a lamentation is taken up concerning the deplorable ftate of Ferufalem, reprefenting the difference between what it was now, and what it was formerly, and the fad degeneracy of the people, rulers, and judges, ¥.21, 22, 23. upon which the Lord foretells what he thought to do; to avenge himfelf of his enemies; to purge his church and people; to reftore them to their former uprightnefs ‘and integrity; and to redeem’ them with judgement and righteoufnefs, ¥. 24, 25, 26, 27. and the chapter

Manafeb, and that he was fawn afunder by him; hid in the waters of Siloab;

~ the-antient-chri- fv,—4.- but thefe are thi ~-depenc rs: cand alike fabulous are all other writings afcribed to”

fee my note on Joba ed: on'5 prophecy; as-what-are-called, the afcenfion of J/aiab, the vifion of [aiab, and the conference of J/aiab. This book contains fome things hiftorical, but chiefly prophetical; of which fome relate to the punifhment of the Fews, and other nationss~but for the-moft part are evangeli- - calyand cofcerm the kingdom and grace of Chrifts of.which fome- are delivered out more clearly and © perfpicuoufly, and,others more obfcurely under the type of the deliverance of the ews from the}

C. 4a. VJ Ao is concluded with a denunciation of utter deftruetion upon wicked men, who are defcribed and pointed’at as idolaters; which will cover them with fhame and confufion, ¥. 28,29. and which is illuftrated.by the fading of the leaves of an oak, and by a}gardeh parched with droughit, ¥.1 308; and‘it is fusgefted-that it will*be-by ing with © y.1. The vifion of lfaiah the fon of Amoz, &c.] This is either the particular title of the prophecy contained in this fingle chapter, as Farchi and Abarbinel think; feeing the fecond chapter begins with another title, the word that Ifaiah faw, &c. or rather itis the’ common title of thé whole book’; fince it is the vifion which Jaizb faw in the réign of four kings, as 1s after affirmed; and fo is no*other than in general the prophecy of Tfaiah, as the’ Targum renders it; Called a vifon, becaufe it was delivered té him, atleaft the sreateft part of it, in a vifion; and) becaufe he had a clear perception of the things he prophefied of, as well as delivered them ‘in a clear’ and péerfpicuous manner to others: hence the Jews fay ™, that Mo/es and T/aiah excelled the other pro= phets, feeing they underftood what they ‘prophe~ fied of: ‘The name of J/aiah, the penman of this book, fienifies either the Lord fall fave, according to Hillerus"; or the falvation of the Lord, as Abar~ binel,. Ferom, and others; and is very fuitable’ to the meffage hewas fent with to the people of God; to acquaint them, that the Lord had provided a faviour for them, and that he would come and fave them. He is faid to be the fon of Amoz; not of Amos the prophet; the names differ; the name of the prophet that ‘ftands among the twelve leffer prophets, is D3 wos; the name of Jaiah’s parent is YIN Amoz. It isa tradition with the Fews*; that Amoz, the father of I/aiah, was brother to Amaziah, king of Fudab, fo that I/ziab was of the royal” family. ‘ Abarbinel endeavours to confirm it from’ that greatnefs of mind, freedom and boldnefs he ufed in reproofs, and from his polite and courtly way of fpeaking; and this is mentioned by Aben Ezra as a reafon why the Jews did not hurt him,” as they did Yeremiah: but this tradition isnot equally regarded by the Yewi/h writers; and ‘the Kimchi takes notice of it, yet he fays the geneale of Jaiab is not known, nor of ‘what tribe he was.

If he was of the feed royal, this is an inftance of =~

God’s calling fome that are noble, not only by his ~ grace, but to office in his church; and itis with — Ms iL, i) "AG 4 aioe ',

the Jews 4, that where the-name. of a) prophet’s, father is-mentioned, it,is.afign that his. father.was a prophet;.and fo. they fay this.4moz was, though, the king’s brother; and, that he is the fame with the man of God that came to Amaziab', 2 Chron. xxv. 7. but Aben Ezra, faggetts, that this rule.dges not always hold good. Which be Jaw concerning Judah and Ferufalems that is, chiefly and principally; for though, Ephraim, or the ten tribes of J/rae/ are mentioned, yet very rarely; and though there: are, prophecies. concerning other nations in it, yet. thefe relate to the deliverance of the fews from them, or to God’s vengeance on them for their fake. Jude is put, for the two tribes of Fudab- and. Ben- Jamin, and is. particularly mentioned,, becaufe. the fpring from»thence, whofe. title is the lion,of. the tribe..of Jedab.; and though Seru/alem,was-in: it, yet that, is) alfo particularly taken. notice-of, becaule not. only,.the temple, the place.of divine.worfhip was, in. it, and.it.was the metropolis of the land; but becaufe the Meffiah, when he came, -was often to appear here, and from thence the gofpel was to go forth into,alh the world; and this was,a figure of the gofpel, church-ftate|to the end of the world, which often bears this name:.and. many. things are, daid.in this prophecy not only concerning the coming. of Chrift, but of the golpel-difpenfation, and of various, things that fhould come to pafs in it; concerning the glory. of the church in the latter day, the calling of the Gentiles, the converfion. of the Jews, the deftruction of antichrift, and. the new heavens and new earth. Jz the days of Uzziah,

‘Laiah began to prophefy in the firft year of Uzziah’s reign, as Kimchi and Abarbinel think,, relying pretty much on 2 Chron. xxvi, 22. and, lived out the,reign of Hezekiah, as he mutt, if he was put to death by Maenafehb, according to the tradition of the Jews; he muft prophefy a hundred and twelve or thirteen years; for Uzziah reigned fifty- two years, fotbam fixteen, Abaz fixteen, and Hezekiah twenty-nine; but as this feems to begin his prophecy too foon, fince fo fmall a part of it was in or concerns Uzziah’s reign; fo it feems too late to fix the date of his prophecy from the year that king Uzaiab died, when he had the vifion in ch. vi. and-defired to be fent of the Lerd; whichis the opinion of Farebi, Aben Ezra, and others; but Dr. Lighifeot’s opinion is more probable; who places the beginning of his prophecy in. the twenty-third year of Uzziah; though perhaps it may. be fuficient to allow him only ten years of Uzziah’s reign: and ashe lived through the two reigns of Fotham and Abaz, fo it is certain that.he lived through more than half of the reign of Hezekiah; his whole reign was twenty-nine years; and therefore it was.when he had reigned fourteen years that he was taken fick, and then fifteen years more were added to his days; andthe year after this came the meflengers from Babylon to congratulate him on his recovery; all which J/ziebh gives an account of ch. xxxviii. and xxxix.,but how long he lived and prophefied after this cannot be faid: had his days been prolonged to the times of Mayaffeb, it would have been written, as Aben Ezra obferves, and who pays but little regard to the tradition of the Yews concerning J/aiah’s if the thing, fays he, is Cabala, a tradition, it. is truth; but.he feems, to callin queftion its, reality; however it is not to be depended.on,,\.;... ¥. 2. Hear, O heavens, and. give. ear, O. earth, &c.}]. To what the Lord was about ‘to fay of his controverfy with his people, which was to be.managed openly and publickly before them as fpectators and witneffes; this defigns either ftri€tly and properly the heavens andthe earth, or figuratively the inhabitants of them, angels and men.: The addrefs is folemn, and denotes. fomething of moment and importance, to. be done and attended to; fee Deut. xxxii. 1. The Targum is, “hear, O. ye ** heavens that were, moyed.when I gave my law to “* my people, and hearken, O earth, that trembled “¢ before my word.” For theLord hath fpoken, not only by Mo/es, and the prophets that were before Tfaigh, but he had fpoken to him the.words -he was now about to deliver; for they were’ not his own, words, but the. Lord’s: he fpoke. by; the. in-

{piration of God, and as moved by the HolyGhoft; -and.therefore what he faid was to be received, not as the. word.of man, but.as, the word.of God: { have nourifbed and brought up children; meaning the Jews x <* my people, the houfe of J/rae/, whom I *< have ¢alled.children,”;as. the Targum paraphrafes it 5, fee, Exod, iv. 22. to thefe, asa nation, belonged the.adoption; they were reckoned the children of God; the Lord took notice and care: of. them in their infant-ftate, brought them out of Egypt, led them through the wildernefs, and fed them in it; brought them into Cazaan’s, land, drove-out the nations before them, and fettled them there; gave them his laws and ordinances, diftinguifhed them from. all. other nations by his favours,.and raifed them.to| an.high eftate,. to much greatnefs and profperity, efpecially in. the days of David and Solomon. The words may.be rendered,’ I have magnified, or made great, and have exalted children *; not only brought them up, but brought them to great honour and dignity; and even unto man’s eftate, unto the time appointed of the. Father, when they fhould have been under tutors and governors no longer, but under the king Mefiiah; but they were rebellious, as follows:. aud they have rebelled againft me, their Lord and king;, for the Jews were under a theocracy; God who) was their father was their king, and.they rebelled againft him by breaking his laws; which rebellion is aggravated by its beingnot only of fubjects againft, their king, but of children againft their father; the law: concerning.a rebellious fon, fee in Deut. xxi. 18... The Targum paraphrafes it, they have rebelled againft my word, the éffential word, the Meffiah; the. Septuagint -verflon is, but they have rejetted me* and the Vulgate Latin verfion"s but they — have defpifed me: fo the Fews rejected and defpifed the true Meffiah when he came, would-not have him’ to. reign over them, would not) receive his yoke, though eafy,, but rebelled again{t him, The ews were a rebellious people from the. beginning, in Mojes’s time, and in the prophets, and fo quite down to the times of the-Meffiah.

¥. 3. The ox knoweth bis owner, &c.] Knows his voice, when he calls him,°and follows him, where he leads him, whether to: plow in the field, or feed in the meadows: and the afs bis mafter’s crib, or’ manger; where he is fed, and to which he goes when he wants food, and at the ufual times. Gu/- being put to death by Manaffeh; | /etius™ interprets the words, the afs knows the floor