Isaiah 28

Isaiah 28:1

CRown of pride] The proud haughtinesse of Israel, the ten tribes; drunk with prosperitie, and addicted to sensualitie: Hosea 5:5. & Hosea 4:11. & 7. 5, 10. Amos 6. 1, 4-6.

to the drunkards] Or, of the.

Ephraim] Chap. 7. 2.

glorious beauty] Heb. beauty of glory. vers 4.

a fading flower] Psal. 103. 15, 16. Chap. 40. 6, 7.

fat valleys] Having many fat (that is, fertile, Genesis 27:39.) valleys. Genesis 49:25. Deuteronomy 33:19. and hence Gethsemane, Matthew 26:36. situate about the foot of mount Olivet, as some of these beneath mount Lebanon, had its name.

overcome] Heb. broken: or, smitten. Proverbs 23:35. See vers. 7.

Isaiah 28:2

strong one] Either king, or hoast: the Assyrians, who should carry them away captive. 2 King. 17. 5, 6. & 18. 10, 11.

a tempest of hail] Chap. 25. 4. Ezekiel 13:11.

a floud of mighty waters] Chap. 8. 7. & 59. 19.

with the hand] By main force: with a strong hand. Ezekiel 20:33. Or, easily, without much ado; as with one hand. Lamentations 4:6.

Isaiah 28:3

The crown of pride] Or, With their crown. vers. 1.

under feet] Heb. with feet. Chap. 26. 6.

Isaiah 28:4

the glorious beauty] vers. 1.

the hastie fruit] Rath-ripe fruit; soon ripe, and soon rotten. Or, greedily devoured, because eagerly desired. Jeremiah 24:2. Hosea 9:10.

while it is yet in his hand] Or, as soon as it is.

eateth] Heb. swalloweth. Job 20:15.

Isaiah 28:5

a crown of glory] Or, a glorious; or, a beautifull crown.

glory] Or, beauty. vers. 1.

of his people To those of Judah; whom he will, not strengthen onely, but honour and magnifie under Hezekiah. Chap. 32. 1. 2 King. 18. 7, 8.

Isaiah 28:6

for a spirit of judgement] Giving wisdome to their rulers, and valour to their warriours.

in judgement] Heb. upon judgement: that is, upon the seat of judgement. Psalms 9:4. Proverbs 20:8.

that turn the battel to the gate] Who not onely defend their own countrey against the enemy, but beat him back also to his own gates. 2 Kings 18:8. Chap. 22. 7.

Isaiah 28:7

they also] They of Judah, notwithstanding the favour shewed them, have fallen away also, and imitated Israels evil courses. Jeremiah 3:10.

swallowed up of wine] Their Priests, Prophets, Princes, and Rulers, being drunken sots, Chap. 56. 10, 12. have no regard either what they teach, or what sentence they passe, Jeremiah 5:31. in the judgement, that they ought to give. Deuteronomy 17:9. 2 Chronicles 19:8. Malachi 2:7. vers. 1.

Isaiah 28:8

vomit] Hab. 2. 16.

there is no place clean] Or, free.

Isaiah 28:9

Whom shall he teach knowledge] Jeremiah 6:10.

doctrin] Heb. the hearing. vers. 19. Chap. 53. 1.

weaned from the milk] As sottish they were, and as unable to understand any good teaching, as a young infant. Jeremiah 4:22.

Isaiah 28:10

precept must be upon precept] They must have, or have had, the same things oft told them, and be, or have been taught, as little children, letter after letter, and line after line; and yet never the better. 2 Tim. 3. 7. Hebrews 5:12. must be] Or, hath been.

Isaiah 28:11

with stammering lips] Either, speaking half words, as we do to children, to teach them to speak. Or, by people of a strange language, which they understand not, brought in upon them, will God speak to this people; because they regard not his word, which they might understand, speaking to them in their own language. Deuteronomy 28:49. Jeremiah 5:15. Which though God did also for this very end, to make them attend unto his word, that they might understand it, and thereby be saved; vers. 19. yet it failed of that effect with them. vers. 13. See 1 Corinthians 14:21.

stammering lips] Heb. stammerings of lips.

and another tongue] Chap. 33. 19.

another tongue] Or, strange. Acts 2:4. 1 Corinthians 14:21.

will he speak] Or, he hath spoken.

Isaiah 28:12

To whom he said] or, Because he said unto them.

he said] God by his Prophets. Chap. 7 4. & 30. 15.

the rest] The onely means of procuring rest. Jeremiah 6:16. Matthew 11:28.

wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest] Whereby in your afflictions ye may be releeved, and attain a good issue out of them.

yet they would not near] Or, but. as Chap. 29. 13.

Isaiah 28:13

But] Or, Therefore. as Amos 5:27.

was unto them] Or, shall be. as Chap. 6. 9, 10.

that they might go and fall back-ward] Gods word having an effect with them, through their corruption, contrary to it own nature, and Gods principall intendment in it. Ezekiel 20:11. Romans 7:10; Romans 7:13.

Isaiah 28:15

We have made a covenant with death] They thought, they had shifts enow to avoid Gods judgements; so that they were sure enough to escape, whosoever else perished.

made a covenant with death] Heb. cut. Chap. 55. 3.

hell] Or, the grave. Chap. 14. 15.

are we at agreement] Heb. we have made provision. as Exodus 18:21. Chap. 57. 8. vers. 18.

we have made lies our refuge] Chap. 30. 12.

lis] Heb. a lie. Jeremiah 7:4. & Jeremiah 27:15.

our refuge] Their craftie shifts; or, their idols; on which they relied. Chap. 44. 20.

under falshood] Deceit; or goods thereby gotten. Psalms 62:7. Jeremiah 5:27. Luke 16:11.

Isaiah 28:16

I lay] Heb. I am the founder of. or, I am he that layeth a foundation in Zion.

a foundation] Christ, the onely true and sure foundation, 1 Corinthians 3:11. Ephesians 2:20. opposed here to the vain fastnesses of wicked worldlings. as Proverbs 18:10-11.

a stone] Psalms 118:22. Matthew 21:42. Acts 4:11. Romans 9:33. & Romans 10:11. 1 Peter 2:6-8.

a tried stone] Heb. a stone of proof: or, triall. Ezekiel 21:13. a proper name not unlike it, and it may be alluded to, Joshua 15:6.

a precious corner-stone] Heb. a stone of the corner of pretiousnesse. See Chap. 54. 11. Jeremiah 51:26.

a sure foundation] Heb. foundation founded. as Chap. 25. 7. or, foundation of foundation. as Ezekiel 20:47.

shall not make haste] He shall rest quiet; not seeking to sinister courses, or relying upon other means; but resting onely on God in Christ. Psal. 112. 7, 8. 2 Chron. 14. 11. & 16. 8. Chap. 10. 20. Jeremiah 17:7.

make haste] Chap. 49. 23.

Isaiah 28:17

will I lay to the line] I will deal in exact rigour of justice with you, as by line and level: alluding, as to the manner of workmen, when they will do a thing exactly; Amos 7:8. so to the line after line before-mentioned. vers. 10. 13.

Isaiah 28:18

your covenant with death shall be disanulled] Gods judgements shall discover the vanitie of your shifts, and shall ferret you out of your hiding holes. Jeremiah 7:21. & Jeremiah 16:16. Ezekiel 7:19. & 17. 11-14. Matthew 7:27.

disanulled] Heb. expiated. Chap. 27. 9.

agreement] Heb. vision, or, provision. as vers. 15.

hell] Or, the grae. Chap. 5. 14.

the overflowing scourge] vers. 2. 15.

troden down] Heb. a treading down to it. Chap. 5. 5. & 10. 6.

Isaiah 28:19

goeth forth] It shall passe through the whole land, with that violence, that nothing shall be able to stand before it; and go over it so oft, that there shall be no escape from it.

forth] or, thorough, Chap. 8. 8.

morning by morning] Heb. by morning, by morning. Chap. 50. 4.

a vexation] Ye shall by fear and harsh courses be brought to learn that, which by fair and friendly means now ye will not, Job 33. 14, - 19.

to understand the report] Or, when he shall make you to understand doctrine. vers. 9.

the report] Gods message, delivered by his Prophets, Ch. 53. 1.

Isaiah 28:20

the bed is shorter] Ye shall be in extream want and straits: wherein all your wiles shall not be able to secure or to succour you, Chap. 59. 5. 6. A similitude taken from one, lying in little ease, by reason of the shortnesse of the bed he lieth on; and with as little warmth, in regard of the scantnesse of the bedcloaths, that should cover him.

Isaiah 28:21

Perazim] Where David overcame and scattered the Philistines, 2 Samuel 5:20. 1 Chron. 14. 16.

be wroth] Or, raise up himselfe. as Chap. 14. 9.

the valley of Gibeon] Where Joshua discomfited the Amorites, Joshua 10:12. and David the Philistines, 2 Samuel 5:25. 1 Chronicles 14:16.

strange act] Either admirable and wonderfull, Chap. 29. 14. or, unusuall and dreadfull, Proverbs 23:33. or, such as is strange with God, as being against his own disposition, enclining of himself rather to mercy, Lamentations 3:33. and is more like the work of an enemie, or a stranger, Jeremiah 30:14. then of so affectionate a friend, and tender a Father, as God is to his, Psalms 103:13.

Isaiah 28:22

lest your bands be made strong] Lest God for your obstinacie tie you up in straiter bands; and lay heavier things on you, Psalms 66:11. & Psalms 73:4. Lev. 26. 23, 24.

a consumption] Chap. 10. 22.

upon the whole earth] Or, Land. Chap. 10. 23.

Isaiah 28:24

Doth the ploughman plough all day to sow?] Or, Will the ploughman be all day (that is, continually; as Psalms 44:22.) ploughing to sow; or opening and breaking, &c. As the husband-man is not alwaies earing and sowing; but hath his fit seasons for every work, as wel for reaping and threshing, as for those other employments: so God will not alwaies be admonishing or menacing, but will at length proceed to execution, Ezekiel 12:28.

Isaiah 28:25

When he hath made plain the face thereof] Heb. if as Jud. 21. 21.

fitches] The seed of a plant, called from the colour of it Nigella; somewhat like to our cockle.

cast in the principall wheat, and the appointed barley] Or, the wheat in the principall place, and barley in the appointed place.

rie] Or, spelt.

in their place] Heb. border.

Isaiah 28:26

For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.] Or, And he bindeth it; or, beateth it out, (Heb. chastiseth it) in such sort as his God doth teach him.

Isaiah 28:27

the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument] As the husband-man hath divers sorts of beating out severall kinds of grain; so hath God divers sorts of dealing for divers sorts of delinquents, according to the nature and qualitie, either of the offence, or of the offender, Chap. 27. 7, 8. See vers. 25.

Isaiah 28:28

Bread-corn is bruised] Or, Nor is bread-corn bruised. the negative is to be supplied from the sentence before-going, vers. 27. as Gen. 2. 5, 6. Job 23:17. Psalms 9:19. Chap. 41. 28. else the latter part of the verse should contradict the former. Neither are those tenderer seeds threshed out with such instruments as the harder grain is: vers. 27. nor yet is the harder grain so beaten out with these instruments that are used about it, as to maul it to pieces and to spoil it: nor doth God so deal with his people, though more refractarie, in chastising them, as utterly to destroy them, Jeremiah 30:11.

bread-corn] Heb. bread. put for corn. Psalms 104:15. Ecclesiastes 11:1. as corn for bread. Lamentations 2:12.

bruised] Heb. ground. Exodus 32:20. Deuteronomy 9:21.

because] Or, for. as vers. 26. 27.

he will not ever be threshing it] Nor will God alwaies be punishing, Psalms 103:9. Chap. 57. 16. Lamentations 3:31-32.

be threshing] Heb. threshing thresh.

nor break it with the wheel of his cart] He will not so long continue threshing untill he break and bruise it to powder: as Chap. 41. 15. Mic. 4. 14.

cart] Or, sled: which they used to draw over their corn, to beat out the grain, Chap. 41. 15. to which purpose also they used oxen, Deuteronomy 25:4.

bruise] Heb. grind.

his horsemen] Those that guide the sled, which the horses draw: or, the hooves of the cattle used about it, Mic. 4. 14. or, as some, the iron teeth of the wheels, Chap. 41. 15. Amos 1:3.

Isaiah 28:29

from the LORD] Who having taught the husbandman to use such discretion in matters of lesse moment, will much more in matters much more weighty; to wit, in his spirituall husbandry, 1 Corinthians 3:9. do the like also himself, Psalms 94:10.

wonderfull in counsel] Chap. 9. 6.