Isaiah 24

A Prophesy concerning the wasting and destroying of the land of Juda, ver.1,6. Etc. Which should happen to all alike. 2 The reason why, % the remnant shall extol and praise God, 13. An exhortation to thanksgiving for it, 15. The prophet speaketh again of the destruction of the people of the Jews for their wickedness, 16, etc. He speaketh also again of Gods grace and mercy towards them. 21. Christs glory in his church.

1. Behold, the Lord maketh the land [To wit, the land of Juda, and of them that take part with the Jews] empty, [or he emptieth it, draweth it out] and he maketh it wast: [this was to be done first by the Assyrians, and afterward by the Chaldeans] and he overturneth the shape of it, [Heb. The face of it; that is, the form, countenance, shape thereof; that is, he will turn the land, with all that is in it, upside down, so that it shall not be like it self] and he scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

2. And as the people, so shall the priest [Or commander, or Ruler. The Hebrew word chosen signifieth the one as well as the other. See Genes.41.on vers.45.] be; as the servant, so his Lord; as the handmaid, so her mistress; as the buyer, so the seller; as the lender, so the borrower; as the usurer, so he of whom he receiveth usury. [the meaning is, that the miseries whereof he speaketh, shall beride all sorts and degrees of men, one as well as another. See Hos.4.9. Compare also Ezek.7.ver.12,13.]

3. That land[to wit, that land whereof mention is made vers.1.] shall be utterly emptied. [Heb. Being emptied be emptied] and it shall be utterly spoiled: [Heb. Being spoiled be spoiled. [that is, it shall be utterly spoiled and plundered] for the Lord hath spoken this word.

4. The land mourneth, it fadeth away, the earth [To wit, that part of the earth wherein Judea lieth] languished to wit, through grief and through grief and heaviness of heart] the highest of the people of the land do languish. [or they grow weak, weary, faint.]

5. For the land is defiled because of the inhabitants thereof. [Other, under the inhabitants thereof. The meaning is, the people of this land to, wit, of the land of Juda, are so wicked and corrupt, that they pollute and prophane the land they tread on] for they transgress the laws, they change the institution, [to wit, the statute or ordinance of God] they disannul the everlasting covenant, [to wit, that covenant which God made with Abraham and his feed, and confirmed by the sacrament of circumcision, Genes.17. and which God afterward renewed, Exod.24.]

6. Therefore the curse [To wit, that curse which the Israelites make themselves liable unto, when they entered into covenant with God, binding themselves to keep his laws and commandments, Exod.19. and 24. And Duet.29. Others, the oath of the curse. Of this phrase see Genes.24.41.] consumeth the land, and they that dwell therein shall be wasted: therefore the inhabitants of the land shall be burned, [that is, they shall perish either by fire or other ways: Or by the burning and heat of Gods wrath. Compare above chap.9.18. & 10.16.] there shall be few men left [the greatest part of men was slain, or carried away out of the land into bondage and slavery. See above chap.1.9. and 17.6.]

7. The new wine mourneth, [To wit, because it shall be wastefully drunk and swilled down by the enemies] the vine languisheth, [that is, it decayeth or fadeth away, to wit, because it shall be trodden down and destroyed by the enemies] all that were merry-hearted sigh. All the words of this verse and some following serve to shew the fearful judgements that should come upon the land.]

8. The mirth of Tabrets [That is, the joy or delight which men are wont to take in the sound of Tabrets] resteth, [that is, ceaseth. The Hebrew word signifieth as much as to keep a Sabbath] the sound [or, the rumbling, the noise] of them that leap for joy ceaseth, the joy of the Harp [that is, the joy or delight which men are wont to take in the sound of harps] resteth. [That is, ceaseth as before. Compare Jerem.7.34. and 16.9. and 25.16. Ezek.26.13. Hos.2.11.]

9. They shall not drink wine with singing: [or, in singing; that is, when they are jovial and merry with singing and roaring in their drunken meetings] strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.

10. The desolate city [To wit, which shall be made desolate by the violence and cruelty of her enemies that shall take it. And understand here the city of Hierusalem, with other cities that lay round about. See below chap.30.14.] is broken down, all the houses are shut up, (so) that no man can come in [Heb. From entering in, or coming in. Compare above chap.23.on ver.1.]

11. There is a lamentable cry in the streets, because of wine; [Because the wine is spoiled, or because there is no more to be had] all joy is darkened, [or, hath (its) evening: That is, it decreaseth, it hath its end, as the clear or bright-shining sun-light in the evening or at night-time waxeth dark, and withdraweth it self. [the joy of the land is passed away.]

12. Desolation is left in the city, and with a crack the gate is broken in pieces.

13. For thus shall it be in the innermost (part) of the land, [Or thus shall it come o pass: this shall be the case and condition of the land] in the midst of these nations, [understand here the tribes of the Jewish people, as also the Syrians, Egyptians, Moabites, and other nations, against whom the prophet prophesied, above] as the shaking of an Olive tree, and as the gleaning of grapes, when the vintage is ended. [the meaning is, as when the fruit is gathered from off an Olive-tree, and the vintage is done, yet notwithstanding some olives are left still on the tree, and some grapes remain still o the vines: even so though the land shall be laid waste, and my people shall be left, to whom the LORD will shew mercy. Compare above chap.17.6.]

14. They shall lift up their voice, [To wit, those few which shall be left, and shall have obtained favour and mercy from God] they shall sing merrily: because of the glory, [or majesty, or highness] of the Lord shall they shout from the sea, [that is, being in far and strange countries, or wheresoever they may be.]

15. Therefore honour the LORD in the valleys, [That is, in all places where faithful and glory persons are. Others in the fires; that is, ye that are yet in great afflictions and persecutions] (even) the name of the Lord the God of Israel in the Isles of the Sea.

16. From the uttermost end of the earth [Heb. From the wing of the earth,] do we hear Psalms (to) the glorifying of the righteous: to wit, God. See the former verses. Others that glory (is given) to the righteous; to wit, unto all those whom God justifieth of grace: and understand then by glory, the glory of the children of God, Rom.8.30.] but (now) say I, I grow lean, I grow lean, [here the prophet beginneth again to speak of the destruction of the land of Juda; as if he had said, but when I consider the perverseness of men, and know for certain that God will not suffer the same to go unpunished, then do I speak in a mournful and lamenting manner as followeth: I grow lean etc.] wo is me! The treacherous deal treacherously, etc. with treachery deal treacherously. [I grow lean, I grow lean, etc. That is, I take this so to heart, that I do languish and pure away for grief and sorrow, considering the treachery and perfidiousness of the greatest part of my country-men, whereby they provoke Gods anger against themselves. Others, I consume away, I consume away.]

17. Fear, and the pit, and the snare [Others the net] (are) upon thee, O inhabitant of the land! [See Psal.11.on vers.16. In this seventeenth verse are three Hebrew words used, all found alike Pathac, pach: which elegancy we are not able to express in our language.]

18. And it shall come to pass, (that) whosoever shall flee from the voice of the fear, [That is, from the voice of enemies, which shall cause fear and terror, he shall fall into the pit, and he that cometh up out of the pit, [Hebr. Out of the midts of the pit] he shall be taken in the snare: [the meaning is, though a man should escape one danger, yet he shall fall into another. Compare Job chap.20.ver.24,etc. Jerem.48.44. Amos 5:19.] for the slutes [or, flood-gates, Wears. Others Windows. See Genes.7.on verse 11.] in the high place are opened, and the foundations of the earth shall tremble [The prophet doth intimate, that God would reveal and pour out his wrath upon them, both from heaven above, and on earth beneath, as happened in the time of the flood or deluge.]

19. The earth shall be utterly broken down: [Heb. Braking be broken] the earth shall be utterly rent asunder, the earth shall be utterly moved [The meaning is, all things shall be destroyed on earth, and shall be turned upside down. But understand here properly those countries wherein the Jews and their confederates lived in those times.]

20. The earth shall utterly roll like a drunkard, [Understand here continual by the earth the inhabitants of the land. See above chap.19.14.] and it shall be moved to and fro, like a night-cottage, [which may easily be shaken to and fro by the wind, or also be carried and removed from one place to another: See Jerem.9.2. So by Shepherds, above chap.1.8. by souldiers, above chap.10.29.] her transgression [that is, the punishment of her transgression] shall be heavy upon her, and she shall fall, and not rise again. [Heb. Not add to rise: to wit, in such excellent prosperity and glory as she was aforetime.]

21. And it shall come to pass in that day, [That is, in the time appointed for it by God] that the LORD shall visit, to wit, in his wrath, that is, shall punish] the host of the high one in the high place, [or, of the highness: intimating the host of the high exalted Kings of this world] and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

22. And they shall be gathered together (as) the prisoners in a pit, and they shall be shut up in a Prison, [Heb. They shall be gathered (with) the gathering as a prisoner, that is, as Prisoners are gathered together, shut up together in a pit or dungeon] but after many days [Heb. After the multitude of days] shall they be visited (again) [to wit, in mercy, at the time of Christs coming.]

23. And the Moon shall blush, and the Sun shall be ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign on mount Sion and at Jerusalem [That is to say, here in the Christian Church] and before his eldest [to wit, those whom he appointeth to be protectors and defenders of his Church] shall be glory. Others most gloriously: or there shall be glory in the presence of his eldest. The meaning of the whole verse in brief is, the clear brightness and shining of the Sun and Moon shall be nothing at all in comparison of the glory of our head Jesus Christ in his Church, and when he shall come in the glory of his father.