Isaiah 1
PAT4G9 applies the words to the care that Christ took of their safety, when he yielded himself up to those that came to apprehend him,(xyiii. 9.) From hence it appears, that the holy writers themselves suppose, that the expressions of inspired persons may have several senses couched under the words. The same may be affirmed of that prophecy of Christ, concerning the destruction of Jerttsalem, and the end of the world, (Matt, xxiv.) in which it is hard to determine, where our Saviour makes a transition from one subject to the other; this flakes it probable, that he had both these events in his eye together, and that several of his expressions were partly verified at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem, but were more fully to be accomplished at the general judgment, of which that particular judgment was an eamept.and forerunner. The Prophet Isaiah is certainly one of the most difficult of all the prophets, though, perhaps, few are sensible of it, but they that try to explain him: besides the want of ancient records to clear up some historical passages of his prophecy, a difficulty common to him with the rest of the prophets; there are some difficulties, which do in a particular manner attend his writings. The profoundness of his thoughts, the loftiness of his expressions, and the extent of his prophecy, have made the commentaries hitherto written upon him fall short of a full explication of his book; and he that will undertake to fathom the depths of this prophecy^* is in great danger of going out of his own. This Prophet seems to have been. favoured with an entire view of the gospel-state, from the very birth of the Messias, to that glorious period, when the “kingdoms of the. world shall become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of his Christ.” Upon these accounts, as he deservedly holds the first rank in that noble order of prophets; so it may be hoped, the candid reader will favourably receive any attempt that is made, to give some farther light to this prophecy, how imperfect soever. And particularly, I would/make one request to him, with which I shall conclude this preface; viz. that, in those parts of this exposition, where there is any mention made of the Jews being to be restored to their own land upon their conversion, and some other particulars relating to that glorious state of the church, which we may from prophetical grounds of Scripture expect to come to pass in the latter times of the world, there he would not judge of. what is said upon these obscure subjects as so many positive assertions, but only as probable conjectures, and such as the words of the text may fairly be supposed to favour. For in these and such-like abstruse matters, which at present lie hid in their causes, and in the abyss of Providence, a modest man should not pretend to be ivise above that which is plainly and expressly written., N. B. The additions inserted in the third edition, (foL 1730.) are distinguished by this mark £ ]. Isaiah prophesied above sixty years, computing from the year in which Uzziah died, when he was solemnly called to the prophetical office, (Isa. vi, 1.) to the end of Hczekiah’s reign; whom he is said to have outlived, and to have been put to death by Manasses, his. body being - sawn in the middle; at the command of that wicked king, as the Jewish tradition informs us; to which cruel death the apostle to the. Hebrews is thought to allude, (xi. 37.),_.’\ St, Jerome, in his preface to Isaiah, tells us, that he was of noble birth, and he is said to have lived at court, and that his daughter was married to king Manasses. • His style answers his birth and education, and is lofty and elegant: his metaphors and illustrations are noble, and suitable to the dignity of the subjects he treats of; and he hath this pre-eminence above all the prophets, that he foretells the coming and times of the Messias more clearly and frequently than any of them. Accordingly, he is. often cited in the writings of. the. New Testament, and _ hath obtained the character of the evangelical Prophet in succeeding ages. To this sense the ancient Jews expounded his prophecy, as appears from the character which the son of Sirach gives of him, (Ecclus. xlviii. 24, 25.) He saw by an excellent spirit what should come to pass at the last (to. ia)(a™> the last, or latter times, an expression signifying the days of the Messias in the Old Testament), and he comforted those that mourn in Zion; he shewed what should come to pass for ever. Besides his prophecy, Isaiah wrote the history of Uzziah’s reign, mentioned 2 Chron. xxvi. 22. • We may distinguish this prophecy -into several parts or sections; the first of which reaches from the beginning of the book to the end of the fifth chapter; the second, from thence to the end of the twelfth; the third is continued to the end of the twenty-seventh; the fourth to the • end of the thirty-fifth* Then follows an account of Sennacherib’s invasion, and Hezekiah’s sickness, which happened at the same time, xxxvi. xxxvii. xxxviii. (that history being a key to explain several passages in the foregoing prophecies), with a brief prediction of the Jewish captivity, (xxxix.) From whence the prophet proceeds to foretell the return from captivity, and from thence takes occasion to set forth the several advances of Christ’s kingdom in aftertimes. This seems to be the only subject of a great part of the following prophecies, especially from the sixteenth verse of the fifty-ninth chapter to the end of the book. [Chap. % had a sight of the New Jerusalem coining down from heaven, (Rev. xxi. 10.) Which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.] His prophecy does chiefly relate to the kingdom of Judah, though he does accidentally speak of the ten tribes, as he does also of the Moabites, Egyptians, &c. the kingdom of Judah itself being concerned in the good or ill which befel their neighbours. This probably was not the first vision which Isaiah had, (see note on vi. 1.) but is placed at the beginning of bis book; because this and the four following chapters, contain a general description of (he state and condition of the Jews, under the several judgments which God had brought unto them, and are a fit preface or introduction to the rest of his prophecy. [chap, r." And ye shall be confounded for the gardens which ye have chosen. ] See note on Ixv. 3..
Isaiah 1:1
JL HE vision of Isaiah the son ofAmoz. The two usual ways whereby God communicated.his will to the prophets, were visions and dreams, (Numb. xii. 6.) In vision the inspired person was awake, but his.external senses were bound up, and as it were laid asleep in a trance. Thus Balaam describes it as to himself, Wlio saiv the visions of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open, (Numb. xxiv. 1G.) It is called vision, not from any use made of corporeal sight, or that it is enter- * tained with external objects; but because of the clearness and evidence of the things revealed, and the conformity.this kind of inspiration bears to the information which the mind receives by corporeal sense. Though sometimes vision is accompanied with external representations; as when Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord sitting in his temple, (vi. 1.) and Ezekicl had the description and dimensions of the temple revealed to him in a vision, (Ezek..xl. 2.) and St.. John
Isaiah 1:2
Hear, O heavens; and give ear, O earth; for (he Lord hath spoke?i. An expression bespeaking men’s attention. (Compare xxxiv. 1. Deut. xxxii. 1. Micah i. 2. vi. 1, 2.) It farther signifies an appeal to the world, to angels, and to men. (Compare Deut. iv. 2G. xxx. 19. Psal.l. 4.) The holy writers sometimes appeal to inanimate tilings, to signify the evidence and undeniablencss of the truth which they assert: so Joshua tells the Jews, This stone shall be a witness to us, (Josh, x^cir. 27.) I have nourishedand brought up children.] God’s protection over his people is compared to the care that parents take in nursing and breeding up their children. (See Deut. i. 31. Isa. xlvi. 3, 4. Ixiii. 9.)
Isaiah 1:3
The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master*s crib:, but Israel hath not known, tec. Tho holy writers send men to brute creatures for instruction, thereby to upbraid their stupidity. (See Prov. vi. 6. Jer. viii. 7.)
Isaiah 1:5
Why should you be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more. The end of God’s judgments in this world is men’s reformation; and since this people appears, to be incorrigible, there is no reason to expect that ho should try any farther methods of discipline with them, but consume them all at once. (See Nahum i. 9.) The verse may be thus translated; To what purpose are ye stricken? ye shall still multiply transgression: and then the words will be parallel to Jer. ii. 30. In vain have I smitten your children; they receive no correction. Ver. (j. From the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is no soundness in it.] The whole frame of the Jewish church and state is corrupted, and their misery is as universal as their sin which caused it; this makes the nation look like a body overrun with a cancer.
Isaiah 1:7
Your country is desolate, your cities are burnt with fire. This relates to the desolations made in king Ahaz’s time, by the depredations of the Israelites, the Syrians, tho Edomites, the Philistines, and Assyrians; an account of which you may see, 2 Chron. xxviii. 5, &c. compare xxix. 8, 9. of the same book. Your land, strangers devour it.] A farther description of the same calamities; or else the words may belong to the confederacy of Rezin and Pekah against Judah, mentioned more at.largo chap. vii.
Isaiah 1:8
And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard^ &e. The daughter of Zion is the same with Sion. (Comparelxii.il. Zeeh. ix. 9.) Or it may more properly be taken for the inhabitants of Zion, a city being often represented as a mother, and the people.as her children,. The prophet describes Jerusalem as theonly remnant that is left of that once flourishing kingdom; (see ver. 9.) the cities round about it being desolate, and that very place daily threatened to be besieged by its enemies.
Isaiah 1:9
Except the Lord of hosts had left us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom. God always preserves a remnant in the heaviest judgments which he brings upon his people. (Compare iv. 2, 3. x. 20. 22. xvii. 6^ xxiv. 13. xxxvii. 32.) A type of those few converts among the Jews, who, embracing the gospel, should escape both the temporal and eternal judgments, which came upon tho rest of that nation, for their rejecting Christ and his messengers. This remnant are called the’EwZofiBvoi, in tho New Testament, (Lukexiii.23. Acts ii. 47.) the word being applied to that sense, from the use of it in the Septuagint. (See that translation upon Isa. xlv.- 20. Ix. 19. Joel ii. 32. see the note upon x. 22.)
Isaiah 1:10
Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom. Sodom is called the sister to Jerusalem, (Ezek. xvi.46. 48.) because of their resemblance in wickedness.
Isaiah 1:11
To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to me? saith the Lord. The prophets often speak of the rituals of Moses’s law, as of no benefit, without that inward purity which was signified by them. This was a very proper method to prepare men’s minds for the reception of. the gospel, by shewing them a more excellent way of serving God than the ceremonial law directly prescribes. So that Christ’s abolishing the legal rites, which gave the Jews so great oflenec, was very agreeable to the doctrine of their own prophets, and even foretold by some of them. (See Jer. xxxi.31, &e.)
Isaiah 1:12
When you come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hands?. When God required the Jews to appear before him three times a year, (Exod. xxiii. 17.)- the command was to be understood of their coming with hearts full of religious duty towards him, which was signified by that precept, which forbade those that were not cleansed and purified, to eome near the temple, (Lev. xv. 31.) or to attend upon any of their solemn feasts, (Numb. ix. 13.) So the performing of their religious services in a careless and indevout manner, was what God had never required of them, and did not answer the intent of his law. The sense of the words is the same with that of Prov. xv.8. “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord:” God is said not to require or command that which he hates and abhors. (See Jer. vii. 31. compare here the following verses.) To tread my courts.] There were two partitions in the tabernacle, and afterward in the temple; the holy place where the altar of incense, the shew-bread, and the lamp were placed; and the holiest of all, into which only tho high-priest entered once a year. Besides these, there were several outward courts or apartments, one for the men, another for the women, another, in aftertimes, where the gentiles worshipped, and. another where the altar of burntofferings stood, allotted to the priests. From these several apartments are taken those expressions of coming into the courts of the Lord, and treading his courts. Of these courts we are to understand that place of St. Luke, i. 10. where, it is said, that the whole multitude was praying without at* the time of incense; i. e. while that offering was performed in the inner temple by the priest. Microsoft® CHAP. 1.] UPON ISAIAH.. -Ver. 17. Relfcve tlie oppressed.] Bochart seems to have hit upon the -true sense of the original here, Rtctify what is amiss, or reform what is corrupt; or, in St. Paul’s phrase, Purge ottt the aid leaven; (I Cor. v; 7.) which literally answers the.sense of the Hebrew hamuts.
Isaiah 1:18
Come now, mid let us reason together, saith the Lord. The word which is translated, reason together, signifies properly for two contending parties to argue the case together; but here it seems to import the effect or issue of such a;d£bate; viz. the accommodating their differences. So God, upon tha xepentance or reformation of the people, engages to pardon all that. is past, and look upon them with the same grace and favour,. as if they had never offended; for by their sins being made white as snow, is hte&nt, try a usnal metonymy, the sinners themselves being thoroughly purged from guilt. (Compare Psal. li.7.) Verl 21. JIqw is the faithful city became a harlot!] Cities are often represented under the resemblance of women:; (see Jer. vi. 2.) as being mothers of their inhabitants: sometimes they are called virgins; (see note.on xxiii. 12.) But Avhcn they “turn lewd and vicious, they arc styled harlots. This name is given to the heathen xuties of Tyre, (Isa. xxiii. 1G.) and Nineveh; (Nahnni iii. 4.) but it is applied to Jerusalem chiefly with respect to that solemn covenant made between God and the Jews, often expressed in Scripture by his being married to them; (see Jer. iii. 14. xxxi. 32.) and by idolatry they were guilty of the same falseness against God, as a woman is guilty of by adultery; the sin of idolatry being commonly styled, Goi*tg>a whoring after other gods. (See Bishop Patrick’s preface to his Comment upon the Canticles.) It was full of judgment.] This relates to the first and best times of the Jewish government, under the reigns of David and Solomon.
Isaiah 1:22
Thy silver is become dross. A proverbial phrase, signifying that there is nothing sincere or pure left among them; but the very best things, such as government and the administration of justice, have a great alloy’ of corruption Tnixed with them. (Compare ver. 25. Jer. vi. 28. 30. Ezek. -cxii. 18, 19.) Thy wine mixed with water.] Another proverbial speech of the same importance; the LXX. render it more at large, ot Kuwrjkoi trov fi(<ryovcnv rbv olvov vSarty’Thy vintners mix thy wine with water, whence KaTniXtiu* signifies to embasc by a foreign mixture. (See 2 Cor. ii. 17*) Ver. 23; Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves.] Thy rulers and magistrates are in a state of rebellion against God, and live upon injustice and rapine. (See Hos. iv. 18. Micah iii. 11. vii. 3.) Vcr.iU. Tlierefore thus saith the Lord ofhosts 9 Ah, I will wtse me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies.] An expression borrowed from men’s passions, who find some sort of ease and rest in their minds upon venting their anger on just occasions, or in bringing offenders to condign punishment: in like manner, God is described as feeling case and satisfaction in executing his justice upon obstinate and incorrigible offenders. (Compare Ezek. v. 13. xvi.42. xxi. 17.) We may farther observe, that God is nc- Tcr said to take pleasure in the punishment of any, but those who have filled up the measure of their iniquities: (sec Prov. i. 25, 2G. Deut. xxviii. G3 ) those whom he corrects in unger, as Jeremy expresses it. As to others, the rule of the same prophet holds, that He doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men, (Lam. iii. 33.) but even sympathizes with their calamities. (See Judg. x. 16. Isa. lxiii. 3.)
Isaiah 1:25
I will turn my hand upon thee. The phrase signifies to fall upon or.punish those whom we had spared or connived at before; see Psal. Ixxxi. 14. Zech. xiii. 7. 2 Sam. viii. 3. where the phrase is the same in the original, but otherwise understood by our interpreters, who translate it, To recover his brother. And purely purge away thy dross, &c] See.ver. 22. This place foretells some great reformation, (compare Mai. iii. 3.) which shall be brought to pass by separating the bad from the good, and destroying those that are incorrigible. (See Ezek. xx. 38. and “notes upon iv. 3.)
Isaiah 1:26
And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning. These promises relate, at least in their primary sense, to the restoration of;the Jews after the seventy years of captivity, when they had the face of a government restored to them; and their governors, Zerubbabel, Nehemiah, and others, were remark- Able for their integrity. The expression seems to allude to those judges, whom God raised up to the Jews at their first settlement in the land of Canaan, to whom the prophet resembles these rulers, both because they were men of great ipiety and virtue; and because these latter did not affeckthe state and title of kings, till the latter times of the Jewish commonwealth. [Compare Jer. xxx. 20, 21.] After that thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, The faithful city.] This promise taken in its full extent, relates to more flourishing times of the church than the world.hath yet seen. (Compare Zech. viii. 3. compared with ver.: 20. of the same chapter: see likewise Isa. iv. 3. xxxv. 8. Iii. 1. Ix. 21. Zech. iii. 11—13.)
Isaiah 1:27
Zion slialt be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. When God shall redeem Zion, and restore those that truly turn to him,* he will make a remarkable discrimination between the righteous and.the wicked; God’s judgments will be visible in punishing the;latter, and his mercy in saviug the former. (See note on v. 16.)
Isaiah 1:29
For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired. The sacrificing in groves and shady places was an ancient rite of idolatry. Learned men observe, by comparing Judg. ii. 13. with iii. 7. that Baal and Ashtaroth are the same with Baalim and Asheroth, or the gods worshipped in groves. This kind of worship was expressly forbidden in the law; (see Deut. xii. 3. xvi. 21.) and yet prevailed so much in the times of the idolatrous kings, that the practice was not quite laid aside under religious princess. (See 1 Kings xv. 24. xxii. 43.) But the captivity of the Jews had that good effect, that they scarce ever afterward relapsed into idolatry. If we suppose the words relate to some farther reformation of the church in the latter times, we mayobserve,that when the prophets speak, of an entire reformation of the state of the church, they mention the utter extirpation.of idolatry out of it, as if that were one of the.last enemies of God and his truth that was to be destroyed. (Compare with this place, Isa. ii. 18. xxvii. 9. xxx. 22. xxxi. 7. xlv. 16. lxv. 16. Hos. ii. 17. Micah v. 13. Zech. xiii. 2. Tobit xiv.6.)
Isaiah 1:31
Tlie strong shall be as tow. Those that valued themselves for their strength and power, the mighty ones, who caused terror in the land of the living, as Ezekicl speaks, (xxxii. 21. 23.) they shall grow feeble. And the maker thereof as a spark J] The margin reads, And his work, which expresses the senso better; viz. That both the framers of idolatry and their devices shall porish together, however supported by secular power, or recommended by worldly grandeur.