Isaiah 27

The destruction of the enemies of Gods church vers.1. and that he would protect and bless his people, 2 &c. When they should cease from sinning, 9. Hereunto the Prophet addeth a threatening, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, 10. And the return of some Jews from the lands into which they were dispersed, 13.

1. In the day [To wit, when God shall deliver his people out of the babylonish captivity] the LORD with his hard, and great, and strong sword [that is, by the Persians and Medes, above chap.13.17. and 21.2.] shall visit [that is, punish, destroy. See Genes.21.on vers.1.] the Leviathan, the long-winding serpent, See Job 26:13. with the Annotat.] yea the Leviathan, the crooked serpent: and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. [Or, the sea-dragon. [By the Leviathan here some do understand the King of Babel, who was crafty or subtle like a serpent, venomous or hurtful like a dragon. Others do also here understand by the Leviathan, the devil, Antichrist, and all both spiritual and corporal enemies of the Church of God. See further of the word Leviathan, Job chap.40.on ver.20. and Psal.74.14.]

2. In that day there shall be a vineyard of red wine, [Red wine was held in the land of Juda to be the best and strongest wine. See Gen.49.12. Prov.23.31. But the words of this verse are to be understood of the church of Believers, which should bring forth precious fruits of piety. Of the spiritual signification of the vineyard, see above chap.5. the Annotat. On verse 1.] sing of it by turns [the Hebrew word singing signifieth properly answering, as Exod.15.21. See the Annotat. There. It signifieth also to sing by turns in the dancer, as other ways; 1 Sam.18.7. as also here, and elsewhere besides. It is here an exhortation to all the godly, to rejoice because of their redemption by Jesus Christ.]

3. I the LORD do preserve, I will water it all (or, every) moment: left the enemy visit it, [That is, hurt it. See Genes.21.on vers.1.] I will keep it night and day.

4. Fierceness is not with me, who would set me (as) a thorn (and) brier in war, that I should fall on against it, together? [the Prophet speaketh this in the person of God; as if he had said, I am now quite appeased and reconciled with my people for Christ his sake; so that none shall any more provoke me to anger against them, as that making war against them I should become as thorns and thistles, or burn them up: Others, let that far from me. Some conceive, that God having spoken of his love to his Church, speaketh now here of his anger and judgements against the enemies thereof, unless they do sincerely repent and turn unto him; and render the words thus, whosoever shall set me in war as a thorn or brier, I will fall on against him, I will burn him at once: or he ought to take hold on my strength, he must make peace with me etc.]

5. Or he must take hold of my strength [Others though he (to wit the Vineyard; that is, my people the Church) should take hold of my strength] he shall make peace with me, peace shall be make with me.

6. In the time to come Jacob [That is, the posterity of Jacob] shall take root, [Others, O ye posterity, Jacob shall take root others, concerning; the posterity, Jacob shall take root: that is, the Church of God shall stand fast, grow and flourish] Israel shall flourish and grow. Compare Psal.72.16.] and they [to wit, the posterity of Jacob or Israel] shall fill the world with incomes [or fruits.]

7. Hath he [To wit, the Lord] smitten him [to wit, Jacob; that is, the people of God] as he smote him that smote [that is, as hard as he smote him that smote, &c.] him? [to wit, Jacob. Heb. Hath he smitten him, as he smote his smiter? To wit, Jacobs smiter, namely, the Babylonian] is he [to wit, Jacob] slain as his slain ones [to wit, the King of Babels slain ones: others, his slain ones; to wit, Gods slain ones, those whom God slew in his wrath] were slain? [the meaning is, that God dealeth far more graciously with his own people when he chastiseth them, then he doth with the enemies of his people.]

8. In measure [See of the Hebrew word, Genes.18.on ver.6.] hast thou [O Lord] contended with him, [to wit, with thy Vineyard, with thy people] when thou dist thrust him away: to wit, by the Babylonians. He speaketh of a thing that was yet to be done, as if it had been already done] (when he) [to wit, the Lord. The prophet altereth the person, which occasioneth some kind of darkness or obscurity in his speech] took him away by his hard wind: others, when the (enemy) took him away by his hard wind; [that is, by war, or other grievous plagues] in the day of his east-wind. [that is, of the enemies, a great part whereof came from the east, and were a rude and fierce people, as the east-wind in those countries, was a most rough, sharp, and hurtful wind. See Job 15:2. Psa.48.8. Heb.12.2.]

9. Therefore by it [To wit, by such punishments and fatherly corrections as the Babylonish captivity was] shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, [to wit, in that regard that the elect should be thereby brought to sorrow and repentance for their sins, and to amendment of their lives, and so should obtain forgiveness of their sins by true faith in Jesus Christ] and this is all the fruit, [to wit, which shall come by the Babylonish captivity] that he [to wit, the Lord] will take away his [to wit Jacobs] sin, when he wall make all the stones of the Altar, [understand that here is spoken of the stones of those Altars that were here and there set up in the high places to the honour of Idols] as scattered chalk-stones: [the meaning is, after he shall have taken away all idolatry, which is the original of all other sins the groves] of Idolatrous groves see Judges 3.on vers.7.] etc. the images of the sun [of these see the Annotat. Lev.26.on ver.30.] shall not stand, [others, when no groves nor images of the Sun shall be left standing. Understand withal, but shall altogether be cut down, and broken to pieces.]

10. For the defenced city [To wit, Jerusalem. See above chap.22.2. and 24.10. Ezek.chap.21.] shall be desolate, [here the prophet returneth to a description of the judgements wherewith God would visit those of Juda] the inhabitants, [or dwellings] shall be rejected and forsaken like a wilderness: there shall the calves feed, and here shall they lie down, and shall devour the branches thereof. [Meaning, the branches that shall grow in it, (to wit, in the city of Jerusalem) on the trees that should sprout up, and grow of themselves in their desolate houses, and in their streets, in their gardens and orchids. See the Annotat. Job 18:16.]

11. The boughs thereof shall be withered, they shall be broken off, (and) and the women coming, shall set them on fire [to wit, the boughs, or the city] for it is not a people of my understanding: [meaning the people of the Jews, with whom at this time no understanding was to be sought or found] therefore he that made them, [that is, God, Heb. Their maker] will not have mercy on them, [understand withal, but he will destroy them: to wit, by the Babylonians, as presently followeth, vers.12.] and he that formed them, [Heb. Their former] will shew them no favour.

12. And it shall come to pass in that day, [To wit, when the people of the Jews shall be in the Babylonish captivity] that the LORD shall thresh, [Heb. Shall beat out, or, knock out. Compare before chap.28.27. where threshing and beating out are distinguished: but here the word threshing is used for clearness sake] from the stream of the river, unto the river of Egypt: [that is, from the River Euphrates, unto the river of Egypt, called Sihor. See Jos.13.on ver.3.] but ye shall be gathered up one by one, [or, unto one, or one for one: each in particular] O ye children of Israel. [The meaning is, after ye shall have been for a while dispersed here and there, ye shall then be brought again into your own country, and be gathered together, as ears of corn are gleaned or gathered up in the field in harvest-time.]

13. And it shall come to pass in that day, that great a trumpet shall be blown: [Understand by this great trumpet, first the proclamation and public grant of King Cyrus, who suffered the Jews to return again into their own country, 2 Chron.36.22. Ezra 1:1. Secondly, in a spiritual way, the trumpet of the Gospel, whereby God called and gathered together unto himself a Church out of all people and nations of the world] then shall those come, [they shall come again into their own country, into the land of Juda] that are loft [that is, those that wander up and down, to and fro] in the land of Assur, [that is, the captives of the ten tribes of the Kingdom of Israel] and those chased ones into the land of Egypt: [thither were the remnant of the tribe of Juda fled, 2 Kings 25:26.] and they shall worship the Lord [See Genes.24. the Annotat. On ver.26.] on the holy mount [Heb.on the mount of holiness: to wit inn the new-builded Temple, and consequently in the holy and Christian Church] at Jerusalem.