Page images
PDF
EPUB

foretold is represented as of the highest importance, and of universal concern: all nations are called upon to attend to the declaration of it; and the wrath of God is denounced against all the nations; that is, all those that had provoked to anger the defender of the cause of Sion. Among those, Edom is particularly specified. The principal provocation of Edom was their insulting the Jews in their distress, and joining against them with their enemies the Chaldeans; see Amos i. 11. Ezek. xxv. 12. xxxv. 15. Psal. cxxxvii. 7. Accordingly the Edomites were, together with the rest of the neighbouring nations, ravaged and laid waste by Nebuchadnezzar: see Jer. xxv. 15–26. Mal. i. 3, 4. and see Marsham. Can. Chron. Sæc. xviii. who calls this the age of the destruction of cities. The general devastation spread through all these countries by Nebuchadnezzar, may be the event which the prophet has primarily in view in the thirty-fourth chapter: but this event, as far as we have any account of it in history, seems by no means to come up to the terms of the prophecy, or to justify so high-wrought and so terrible a description. And it is not easy to discover what connexion the extremely flourishing state of the church or people of God, described in the next chapter, could have with those events; and how the former could be the consequence of the latter, as it is there represented to be. By a figure, very common in the prophetical writings, any city, or people, remarkably distinguished as enemies of the people and kingdom of God, is put for those enemies in general. This seems here to be the case with Edom and Botsra. It seems therefore reasonable to suppose, with many learned expositors, that this prophecy has a farther view to events still future; to some great revolutions to be effected in later times, antecedent to that more perfect state of the kingdom of God upon earth, and serving to introduce it, which the holy Scriptures warrant us to expect.

That the thirty-fifth chapter has a view beyond any thing that could be the immediate consequence of those events, is plain from every part, especially from the middle of it, ver. 5, 6. where the miraculous works wrought by our blessed Saviour are so clearly specified, that we cannot avoid making the application: and our Saviour himself has morcover plainly referred to this very passage as speaking of him and his works: Matt. xi. 4, 5. He bids the disciples of John to go and report to their master the things which they heard and saw; that the blind received their sight, the lame walked, and the deaf heard: and leaves it to him to draw the conclusion in answer to his inquiry, whether he who performed the very works, which the prophets foretold should be performed by the Messiah, was not indeed the Messiah himself. And where are these works so distinctly marked by any of the prophets, as in this place? and how could they be marked more distinctly? To these the strictly literal interpretation of the prophet's words directs us. According to the allegorical interpretation they may have a farther view this part of the prophecy may run parallel with the former, and relate to the future advent of Christ; to the conversion of the Jews, and their restitution to their land; to the extension and purification of the Christian faith-events predicted in the holy Scriptures, as preparatory to it.

1. And attend unto me-] A MS. adds in this line the word, unto me, after O'NS; which seems to be genuine.

4. And all the host of heaven-] See note on chap. xxiv. 21. and De Sacra Poesi Hebræorum, Præl. ix.

5. For my sword is made bare in the heaven] There seems to be some impropriety in this, according to the present reading: "my sword is made drunken, or is bathed, in the heavens:" which forestals, and expresses not in its proper place, what belongs to the next verse: for the sword of JEHOVAH was not to be bathed or glutted with blood in the heavens, but in Botsra and the land of Edom. In the heavens it was only prepared for slaughter. To remedy this, Archbishop Secker proposes to read, for DW), DDT2; referring to Jer. xlvi. 10. But even this is premature, and not in its proper place. The Chaldee, for 7, bas, shall be revealed, or disclosed: perhaps he read, or Whatever reading, different I presume from the present, he might find in his copy, I follow the sense which he has given of it. 6. For JEHOVAH celebrateth a sacrifice] Ezekiel has manifestly imitated this place of Isaiah: he hath set forth the great leaders and princes of the adverse powers under the same emblems of goats, bulls, rams, fatlings, &c. and has added to the boldness of the imagery, by introducing God as summoning all the fowls of the air, and all the beasts of the field, and bidding them to the feast, which he has prepared for them by the slaughter of the enemies of his people:

“And thou, son of man,

Thus saith the Lord JEHOVAH:
Say to the bird of every wing,
And to every beast of the field :
Assemble yourselves, and come;
Gather together from every side,

To the sacrifice which I make for you,

A great slaughter on the mountains of Israel.

And ye shall eat flesh and drink blood:

The flesh of the mighty shall ye eat,

And the blood of the lofty of the earth shall ye drink;

Of rams, of lambs, and of goats,

Of bullocks, all of them the fat ones of Basan:

And ye shall eat fat, till ye are cloyed,

And drink blood, till ye are drunken ;

Qf my slaughter, which I have slain for you."

Ezek. xxxix. 16, 17.

The sublime author of the Revelation (chap. xix. 17, 18.) has taken this image from Ezekiel, rather than from Isaiah.

7. —with their blood] : so an ancient MS., Syr. and Chald. 8. the defender of the cause of Sion] As from T, T, a judge; so from 17,7, an advocate, or defender; Judici Sionis. Syr.

11. over her scorched plains] The word T, joined to the 12th verse, embarrasses it, and makes it inexplicable. At least I do not know, that any one has yet made out the construction, or given any tolerable explication of it. I join it to the 11th verse, and supply a letter or two, which seem to have been lost. Fifteen MSS. (five ancient), and two editions, read. The first printed edition of 1486, I think nearer

.see Jer :על חרריה or בחרריה I read .חור חריה,to the truth

xvii. 6. A MS. has, and the Syriac reads, gaudium, joining it to the two preceding words; which he likewise reads differently, but without improving the sense. However, his authority is clear for di

viding the verses, as they are here divided. I read as a noun. They shall boast, p; see Prov. xx. 6.

13. And in her palaces shall spring up-by, so read all the ancient versions.

15. Every one her mate] A MS. adds after TUN, which seems necessary to the construction; and so Syr. and Vulg. Another MS. adds in the same place, which is equivalent.

16. For the mouth of JEHOVAH] For N, five MSS. (three ancient), read, and another is so corrected: so likewise LXX. Two editions have, and so LXX, and Vulg. and a MS. has

ap; with the masculine pronoun instead of the feminine: and so in the next verses it is, instead of, in fourteen MSS., six of them ancient.

CHAP. XXXV.

1. shall be glad] DW: in a MS. the

seems to have been

added; and is upon a rasure in another: none of the ancient versions acknowledge it: it seems to have been a mistake arising from the Sixteen MSS. have next word's beginning with the same letter.

.יששם .and five MSS ,ישושום

2. The well watered plain of Jordan] For 1, the LXX read 7; Tа eρnμa тov Iopdavov. Four MSS. read : see Joshua xv. 19. irrigua Jordani, Houbigant., ripa Jordani, Kennicott. See De S. Poesi Hebr. Prælect. xx. not.

Ibid. For, to it; nine MSS. read, to thee. See ibid.

7. —the glowing sand] ; this word is Arabic, as well as Hebrew, expressing in both languages the same thing; the glowing sandy plain, which in the hot countries at a distance has the appearance of water. It occurs in the Koran, chap. xxiv. "But as to the unbelievers, their works are like a vapour in a plain; which the thirsty traveller thinketh to be water, until, when he cometh thereto, he findeth it to be nothing." Mr. Sale's note on this place is; "The Arabic word serab signifies that false appearance, which in the eastern countries is often seen in sandy plains about noon, resembling a large lake of water in motion, and is occasioned by the reverberation of the sunbeams: ['by the quivering undulating motion of that quick succession of vapours and exhalations, which are extracted by the powerful influence of the sun.' Shaw, Trav. p. 378.] It sometimes tempts thirsty travellers out of their way, but deceives them, when they come near, either going forward (for it always appears at the same distance), or quite vanishes." Q. Curtius has mentioned it: "Arenas vapor æstivi solis accendit;-camporumque non alia, quam vasti et profundi æquoris species est." Lib. vii. cap. 5. Dr. Hyde gives us the precise meaning and derivation of the word. "Dictum nomen [Barca], splendorem, seu splendentem regionem notat; cum ea regio radiis solaribus tam copiose collustretur, ut reflexum ab arenis lumen adeo intense fulgens, a longinquo spectantibus, ad instar corporis solaris, aquarum speciem referat; et hinc arenarum splendor et radiatio (ex lingua Persica petito nomine) dicitur serab, i. e. aquæ superficies, seu superficialis aquarum species." Annot. in Peritsol. cap. ii.

Ibid. shall spring forth-] The 7, in, seems to have been at

first

in MS. Bodl. whence Dr. Kennicott concludes it should be 7. But instead of this word, Syr. Vulg. and Chald. read some word signifying to grow, spring up, or abound: perhaps, or 5;

.as Houbigant reads פרץ החציר or

8. And a highway] The word 777 is by mistake added to the first member of the sentence from the beginning of the following member: sixteen MSS. (seven ancient) have it but once; so likewise Syr.

Ibid. -err therein] A MS. adds 12, which seems necessary to the sense: and so Vulg. per eam.

Ibid. But He shall be with them walking—] That is, God; see ver. 4. "Who shall dwell among them, and set them an example, that they should follow his steps." Our old English versions translated the place to this purpose: our last translators were misled by the authority of the Jews, who have absurdly made a division of the verses in the midst of the sentence, thereby destroying the construction and the sense.

9. Neither shall he be found there] Three MSS. read ), adding the conjunction: and so likewise LXX, and Vulg. And four MSS. (one ancient), read NY, the verb, as it certainly ought to be, in the masculine form.

For farther remarks on the two foregoing chapters, see De S. Poesi Hebr. Prælect. xx.

CHAP. XXXVI.

THE history of the invasion of Senacherib, and of the miraculous destruction of his army, which makes the subject of so many of Isaiah's prophecies, is very properly inserted here, as affording the best light to many parts of those prophecies; and as almost necessary to introduce the prophecy in the xxxviith chapter, being the answer of God to Hezekiah's prayer, which could not be properly understood without it. We find the same narrative in the second book of Kings, chapters xviii. xix. xx.; and these chapters of Isaiah, xxxvi. xxxvii. xxxviii. xxxix. for much the most part (the account of the sickness of Hezekiah only excepted), are but a different copy of that narration. The difference of the two copies is little more than what has manifestly arisen from the mistakes of transcribers: they mutually correct each other, and most of the mistakes may be perfectly rectified by a collation of the two copies, with the assistance of the ancient versions. Some few sentences, or members of sentences, are omitted in this copy of Isaiah, which are found in the other copy in the book of Kings: whether these omissions were made by design or by mistake, may be doubted: these, therefore, I have not inserted in the translation; I shall only report them in the notes.

3. Then came out unto him] Before these words, the other copy, 2 Kings xviii. 18. adds, “and they demanded audience of the king."

5. Thou hast said] Fourteen MSS. (three ancient) have it in the second person, ; and so the other copy, 2 Kings xviii. 20.

6. —in Egypt] MS. Bodl. adds, the king of Egypt: and so perhaps Chald. might read.

7. But if ye say] Two ancient MSS. have in the plural number: so likewise LXX, Chald. and the other copy, 2 Kings xviii. 22.

Ibid. only before this altar—] See 2 Chron. xxxii. 12.

`12. —destined to eat their own dung], "that they may eat,” as our translation literally renders it. But Syr, reads, "that they may not eat;" perhaps rightly, and afterward VDI, or NINV, to the same purpose.

17. —and of vineyards] The other copy, 2 Kings xviii. 32. adds here: "a land of oil-olive, and of honey; that ye may live, and not die: and hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he seduceth you."

19. of Sepharvaim-] The other copy, 2 Kings xviii, 34. adds of "Henah and Ivah."

Ibid. have they delivered—] ", the copulative is not expressed here by LXX, Syr. Vulg. and three MSS.; nor is it in the other copy; Ibid, Houbigant reads ", with the interrogative particle: a probable conjecture, which the ancient versions, above quoted, seem to favour.

21. But the people held their peace] The word y, the people, is supplied from the other copy; and is authorized by a MS., which inserts

אתר it after

CHAP. XXXVII.

7. I will infuse a spirit into him]"

never signifies any thing, but putting a spirit into a person; this was veupa deiλiaç.” SECKER.

9. —he sent messengers again] The word you (and he heard), which occurs the second time in this verse, is repeated by mistake from the beginning of the verse. It is omitted in an ancient MS. It is a mere tautology, and embarrasses the sense. The true reading, instead of it, is

, which the LXX read in this place, aжεσTρeye, and which is preserved in the other copy, 2 Kings xix. 9. "He returned and sent"-that is, according to the Hebrew idiom, "he sent again."

14. -and read them]"), so MS. Bodl. in this place; and so the other copy: instead of 7", and read it. Ibid. —and spread them]

", is upon a rasure in a MS.; which probably was at first. The same mistake as in the foregoing note.

15. —before JEHOVAH] That is, in the sanctuary. For, Syr. Chald. and the other copy, 2 Kings xix. 15. read

18. the nations-], the lands; instead of this word, which destroys the sense, ten MSS. (one ancient) have here, nations: which is undoubtedly the true reading, being preserved also in the other copy, 2 Kings xix. 17. Another MS. suggests another method of rectifying the sense in this place, by reading, their king, instead of DYN, their land; but it ought to be , "all the countries and their kings."

20. Save us, we beseech thee-] The supplicating particle

is supplied

here from eighteen MSS. (three ancient), and from the other copy. Ibid. —that thou JEHOVAH art the only God] The word, God, is lost here in the Hebrew text, but preserved in the other copy, 2 Kings xix. 19. Syr. and LXX seem here to have had in their copies

יהוה instead of

« PreviousContinue »