The iniquitous A. M. cir. 3292. eir. annum ISAIAH. 8 The way of peace they know Olymp. XVII. 1. not; and there is no judgment Numa Pompilii, in their goings: they have made R. Roman., 4. them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. 9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: m we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.. . 10 We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. 11 We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. 12 For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them: state of the Jews. B. C. cir. 712 cir. annum 13 In transgressing and lying A. M. cir. 3292. against the LORD, and departing Olymp. XVII. 1. away from our God, speaking Numa Pompilii, oppression and revolt, conceiving R. Roman., 4. and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. 14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. 15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil a maketh himself a prey and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. S 16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: "therefore his arm brought salvation, unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. the word, guilty of the iniquities with which they are ceive my idea of the matter if I endeavour to supply charged. the supposed defect. I imagine it might have stood originally in this manner : Verse 8. Whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace-"Whoever goeth in them knoweth not peace"] For bah, singular, read Da bam, plural, with the Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, and Chaldee. Then he is upon a rasure in one MS. botheyhem, plural, we must read on nethibatham, singular, as it is in an ancient MS., to preserve the grammatical concord.-L. -nethi נתיבתיהם Or, for mishpat ein ki beeyinaiv veyera "And JEHOVAH saw it, and he was wroth; And it displeased him, that there was no judgment." We have had already many examples of mistakes of omission; this, if it be such, is very ancient, being prior to all the versions.—L. Verse 10. We stumble at noon day as in the night"We stumble at mid-day, as in the twilight"] I adopt here an emendation of Houbigant, 11 nishgegah, instead of the second, wiɔ negasheshah, the repetition of which has a poverty and inelegance extremely unworthy of the prophet, and unlike his man-cessor] This and the following verses some of the ner. The mistake is of long standing, being prior to all the ancient versions. It was a very easy and obvious mistake, and I have little doubt of our having recovered the true reading in this ingenious correction. Verse 11. But it is far off from us-“ And it is far distant from us."] The conjunction vau must necessarily be prefixed to the verb, as the Syriac, Chaldee, and Vulgate found it in their copies; verachakah," and far off." Verse 14. Justice standeth afar off] 3 tsedakah, ighteousness, put here, says Kimchi, for alms to the poor. This casts some light on Matt. vi. 1: "Take heed that you do not your alms," λenμouvy. But the best copies have dixaruvny, righteousness; the former having been inserted in the text at first merely as the explanation of the genuine and original word. Verse 15. And the Lord saw it-" And JEHOVAH saw it"] This third line of the stanza appears manifestly to me to be imperfect by the loss of a phrase. The reader will perhaps more perfectly con Verse 16. And wondered that there was no inter inost eminent rabbins understand as spoken of the Messiah. Kimchi says that Rabbi Joshua ben Levi proposes this objection: "It is written, Behold, he will come in the clouds of heaven as the son of man,' Dan. vii. 13; and elsewhere it is written, ‘He cometh lowly, and riding upon an ass,' Zech. ix. 9. How can these texts be reconciled? Thus: If the Jews have merit, he will come unto them in the clouds of heayen; but if they be destitute of merit, he will come unto them riding upon an ass." Now out of their own mouth they may be condemned. They were truly destitute of all merit when Jesus Christ came into Jerusalem riding upon an ass, according to the letter of the above prophecy; and they neither acknowledged nor received him. And that they were destitute of merit their destruction by the Romans, which shortly followed their rejection of him, sufficiently proves. Verse 17. For clothing-" For his clothing"] wan tilbosheth. "I cannot but think that this word, nan tilbosheth, is an interpolation. 1. It is in no Blessings promised B. C. cir. 712. Olymp. XVII. 1. with zeal as a cloak. CHAP. LIX. B. C. cir. 712 through the Messiah. A. M. cir. 3292. geance for clothing, and was clad | LORD from the west, and his glory A. M. cir. 3292. from the rising of the sun. When Olymp. XVII. 1. the enemy shall come in like Numa Pompilii, a flood, the Spirit of the LORD R. Roman., 4. shall lift up a standard against him. cir. annum Numa Pompilii, W 18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. 19 So shall they fear the name of the Chap. xiii. 6; Psa. xxvii. 4; Jer. 1. 29; Matt. xvi. 27; Rev. xx. 12; xxii. 12. Heb. recompenses. one ancient version. 2. It is redundant in the sense, as it is before expressed in 1 bigdey. 3. It makes the hemistich just so much longer than it ought to be, if it is compared with the others adjoining. 4. It makes a form of construction in this clause less elegant than that in the others. 5. It might probably be in some margin a various reading for 12 bigdey, and thence taken into the text. This is more probable, as its form is such as it would be if it were in regimine, as it must be before Op] nakam.”—Dr. JUBB. Two sorts of armour are mentioned: a breast-plate and a helmet, to bring righteousness and salvation to those who fear him; and the garments of vengeance and the cloak of zeal for the destruction of all those who finally oppose him, and reject his Gospel. a cir. annum 20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transy Psa. cxiii. 3; Mal. i. 11. 2 Rev. xii. 15.-a Or, put him to flight.- b Rom. xi. 26. prophet in this place. The second y keal, which the Chaldee has omitted, must be read by baal likewise. With this only addition to the Chaldee, which the Hebrew text justifies, we are supplied with the following clear reading of the passage : The first הוא hu gemuloth baal ישלם yeshallem gemuloth baal The Lord of retributions, he εχθροις αυτού· ταις νήσοις αποδομα αποτίσει.-L. Verse 19. When the enemy shall come in like a flood] This all the rabbins refer to the coming of the Messiah. If ye see a generation which endures much tribulation, then (say they) expect him, according to what is written: "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." caph in by keal twice seems to have been at beth, in MS. This verse in the Septuagint is Verse 18. According to their deeds, accordingly he very imperfect. In the first part of it they give us no will repay—“ He is mighty to recompense; he that assistance: the latter part is wholly omitted in the is mighty to recompense will requite"] The former printed copies; but it is thus supplied by MSS. Papart of this verse, as it stands at present in the He-chom. and 1. D. II: TOIS UTEVAνtions autou apuvar 5015 brew text, seems to me to be very imperfect, and absolutely unintelligible. The learned Vitringa has taken a great deal of pains upon it after Cocceius, who he says is the only one of all the interpreters, ancient or modern, who has at all understood it, and has opened the way for him. He thinks that both of them together have clearly made out the sense; I do not expect that any third person will ever be of that opinion. He says, Videtur sententia ad verbum sonare: quasi propter facta [adversariorum] quasi propter rependet; excandescentiam, &c., et sic reddidit Pagninus. "According to the height of their demerits, he will repay | them to the height: fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies," &c.-Waterland. This he converts, by a process which will not much edify my reader, into Secundum summe merita, secundum summe (merita) rependet; which is his translation. They that hold the present Hebrew text to be absolutely infallible must make their way through it as they can; but they ought surely to give us somewhat that 01 nosesah interpretatur in significatione has at least the appearance of sense. However, I fugæ, et ait, spiritus Domini fugabit hostem;-nam hope the case here is not quite desperate; the Chal- secundum eum 70 nosesah est ex conjugatione dee leads us very fairly to the correction of the text, quadrata, ejusque radix est 1 nus: "nosesah he inwhich is both corrupted and defective. The para- terpreted in the signification of flight,―The Spirit of phrase runs thus: Ohwi ahol nın amarey the Lord shall put the enemy to flight; for according gumla ya hu gimla yeshallem, "The Lord of retribu- to him the root of the word is D1 nus, he put to tion, he will render recompense. ." He manifestly read flight." The object of this action I explain other Kimchi says, he that was the standard-bearer always began the battle by first smiting at the enemy. Here then the Spirit of the Lord is the standardbearer, and strikes the first blow. They who go against sin and Satan with the Holy Spirit at their head, are sure to win the day. The Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him—“ Which a strong wind driveth along."] Quam spiritus Domini cogit, “ Which the Spirit of the Lord drives on."-Vulg. nosesah, pihel à Di nus fugit. Kimchi says his father thus explained this word: -marey gum מרי גמליא .keal כעל baal instead of בעל מרי מרירותא baal gemuloth ; as בעל גלות laiya is " הוא 'הגלי marey merirutha is sy baal aph. Prov. xxii. 24. And so in the Chaldee paraphrase on Isa. xxxv. 4: marey gamlaiya yeya hu yithgeley, "The Lord of retribution, Jehovah himself, shall be revealed;" words very near to those of the wise. The conjunction vau, prefixed to ruach, seems necessary to the sense; it is added by the corrector in one of the Koningsberg MSS., collated by Lilienthal. It is added also in one of my own. Verse 20. Unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob-"And shall turn away iniquity from Jacob"] So the Septuagint and St. Paul, Rom. xi. 26, reading, The Gentiles exhorted ISAIAH. B. C. eir. 712. to receive the Gospel. A. M. cir. 3292. gression in Jacob, saith the I have put in thy mouth, shall not A. M. cir. 3292. Olymp. XVII. 1. LORD. depart out of thy mouth, nor out of Olymp. XVII. 1. the mouth of thy seed, nor out of Numa Pompilii, the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith R. Roman., 4. the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. cir. annum Numa Pompilii, с 21 As for me, this is my coveR. Roman., 4. nant with them, saith the LORD; My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which cir. annum phet, informing him that the spirit of prophecy should be given to all Israelites in the days of the Messiah, as it was then given to him, i. e., to the prophet. c Heb. viii. 10; x. 16. instead of leshabey and app beyaacob, veheshib and pyn meyaacob. The Syriac likewise reads 1 veheshib; and the Chaldee, to the same sense, ulehashib. Our. translators have expressed the sense of the present reading of the Hebrew text: "And unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob." Verse 21. This is my covenant with them-" This is the covenant which I make with them"] For On otham, them, twenty-four MSS., (four ancient,) and nine editions have On ittam, with them.. My Spirit that is upon thee] This seems to be an address to the Messiah; Kimchi says it is to the pro And my words which I have put in thy mouth] Whatsoever Jesus spoke was the word and mind of God himself; and must, as such, be implicitly received. Nor out of the mouth of thy seed] The same doctrines which Jesus preached, all his faithful ministers preach; and his seed-genuine Christians, who are all born of God, believe; and they shall continue, and the doctrines remain in the seed's seed through all generations-for ever and ever. This is God's covenant, ordered in all things and sure. CHAPTER LX. The glorious prospect displayed in this chapter seems to have elevated the prophet even above his usual majesty. The subject is the very flourishing condition of the Church of Jesus Christ at that period of the Gospel dispensation when both Jews and Gentiles shall become one fold under one Shepherd. The imagery employed is of the most consolatory and magnificent description. This blessed state of the world shall follow a time of gross darkness, 1, 2. The universal diffusion of vital godliness beautifully set forth by a great variety of images, 3-14. The everlasting duration and spotless purity of this kingdom of Christ, 15-21. A time appointed in the counsels of Jehovah for the commencement of this happy period; and when this time arrives, the particulars of the prophecy shall have a speedy accomplishment, 22. a b B. C. cir. cir. annum R. Roman., 4. 2 the glory of | shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and For, behold, the darkness his glory shall be seen upon thee. upon thee. a Eph. v. 14. The subject of this chapter is the great increase and flourishing state of the Church of God by the conversion and accession of the heathen nations to it, which is set forth in such ample and exalted terms, as plainly show that the full completion of this prophecy is reserved for future times. This subject is displayed in the most splendid colours under a great variety of images highly poetical, designed to give a general idea of the glories of that perfect state of the Church of God which we are taught to expect in the latter times; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, and the Jews shall be converted and gathered from their dispersions, and the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.. Or, be enlightened; for thy light cometh. c Mal. iv. 2. AM. cir. 3222. B. C. cir. 712. cir. annum and were never intended to be minutely explained. I shall add here the opinion of a very learned and judicious person upon this subject: "It is, I think, a mark of right understanding in the language of prophecy, and in the design of prophecy too, to keep to what appears the design and meaning of the prophecy in general, and what the whole of it laid together points out to us; and not to suffer a warm imagination to mislead us from the real intention of the spirit of prophecy, by following uncertain applications of the parts of it." Lowman on the Revelation, note on chap. xix. 21.-L. To this testimony I must add my own. This is one of the most glorious chapters in the whole of the Old Testament. The splendour, glory, and exOf the use in prophecy of general or common poeti- cellence of the Church of Christ are here pointed out cal images, in setting forth the greatness and impor- in language which the Spirit of God alone is capable tance of a future event universally, without descending of using. But when shall this state of blessedness take to particulars, or too minutely explaining circumstances, place? Lord, thou only knowest. I have already pretty largely treated in the twentieth prelection on the Hebrew poetry; and have more than once observed in these notes that such images are not always to be applied particularly to persons and things, NOTES ON CHAP. LX. Verse 1. Arise] Call upon God through Christ, for his salvation; and, The glorious ingathering A. M. cir. 3292. 3 And the Gentiles shall come of the Gentiles shall come unto Olymp. XVII. 1. to thy light, and kings to the thee. cir. annum Numa Pompilii, brightness of thy rising. R. Roman., 4. e 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. k m 1 A. M. cir. 3292. B. C. cir. 712 Olymp. XVII. 1. Numa Pompilii, R. Roman., 4. cir. annum 6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from 1 Sheba shall come: they shall bring " gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD. 7 All the flocks of a Kedar shall be gathered 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarg- minister unto thee: they shall come up with ed; because the abundance of the sea acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify shall be converted unto thee, the forces the house of my glory. Shine] ori, be illuminated; for till thou arise and call upon God, thou wilt never receive true light. For thy light is come]- 78 82 > ki ba orech, for thy light cometh. The Messiah is at the door; who, while he is a light to lighten the Gentiles, will be the glory-the effulgence, of his people Israel. Verse 2. Darkness shall cover the earth] This is the state of the Gentile people. Verse 3. And the Gentiles shall come] This has been in some sort already fulfilled. The Gentiles have received the light of the Gospel from the land of Judea, and the Gentile kings have embraced that Gospel; so that many nations of the earth are full of the doctrine of Christ. Verse 4. Shall be nursed at thy side-" Shall be earried at the side."] For DN teamanah, shall be nursed, the Septuagint and Chaldee read nn tinnasenah, shall be carried. A MS. has by al catheph tinnasenah, "shall be carried on the shoulder;" instead of hy al tsad teamanah, "shall be nursed on the side." Another MS. has both catheph and 3 tsad. Another MS. has it thus: : Mɔswan tinnasenah: teamanah, with a line drawn over the first word. Sir John Chardin says that it is the general custom in the east to carry their children astride upon the hip with the arm round their body. His MS. note on this place is as follows:-Coutume en Orient de porter les enfans sur le coste à califourchon sur la hanche: cette facon est generale aux Indes; les enfans se tiennent comme cela, et la personne qui les porte les embrasse et serre par le corps; parceque sont (ni) emmaillottès, ni en robes qui les embrassent. "In the east it is the custom to carry the children on the haunch, with the legs astride. This is the general custom in India. The children support themselves in this way, and the arm of the nurse goes round the body and presses the child close to the side; and this they can easily do, as the children are not swathed, nor encumbered with clothes." Non brachiis occidentalium more, sed humeris, divaricatis tibiis, impositos circumferunt. They carry them about, not in their arms after the manner of the western nations, but on their shoulders; the children being placed astride." Cotovic. Iter. Syr. cap. xiv. This last quotation seems to favour the reading by al catheph, on the shoulder, as the Septuagint likewise 66 iOr, wealth; ver. 11; chap. Ixi. 6.— lxxii. 10. Gen. xxv. 4.- Psa Chap. Ixi. 6; Matt. ii. 11. Gen. xxv. 13, by Hag. ii. 7, 9. do but upon the whole I think that al tsad tinnasenah is the true reading, which the Chaldee favours; and I have accordingly followed it. See chap. lxvi. 12.-L. This mode of carrying children is as common in India as carrying them in the arms is in Europe. Verse 5. Then thou shalt see-"Then shalt thou fear"] For tirai, thou shalt see, as ours and much the greater number of the translators, ancient and modern, render it, forty MSS. (ten ancient) of Kennicott's, and twenty-eight of De Rossi's, with one ancient of my own, and the old edition of 1488, have tirai, thou shalt fear: the true reading, confirmed by the perfect parallelism of the sentences: the heart ruffled and dilated in the second line answering to the fear and joy expressed in the first. The Prophet Jeremiah, chap. xxxiii. 9, has the same natural and elegant sentiment :— "And this city shall become to me a name of joy; Which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: His tibi me rebus quædam divina voluptas LUCRET. iii. 28. HOR. Carm. ii. 19. 1. 5.-L. Verse 6. The praises of the Lord-" And the praise of JEHOVAH."] Thirty-three MSS. and three editions have uthehillath, in the singular number; and so read the ancient versions, and one of my own MSS. Verse 7. The rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee] Vitringa on the place understands their ministering, and ascending or going up on the altar, as offering themselves voluntarily: ipsi se, non expectato sacerdote alio, gloriæ et sanctificationi divini nominis ultro ac libenter oblaturi. They, waiting for no priest, go and freely offer themselves to the glory and 66 The restoration of the Jews, and A. M. cir. 3292. cir. annum B. C. cir. 712. Olymp. XVII. 1. 8 Who are these that fly as a that despised thee shall bow A. M. cir. 3292. Olymp. XVII. 1. cloud, and as the doves to their themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Numa Pompilii, windows? R. Roman., 4. 9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, a to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. t 11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. 12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. 13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. 14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they 5. cir. annum R. Roman., 4. 15 Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. 16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 17 For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. 18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy bor ders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. 19 The i sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. k 20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither b Chap. xxxv. 2; xli. 19. See 1 Chron. xxviii. 2; Psa. cxxxii. 7.- Chap. xlix. 23; Rev. iii. 9. Heb. xii. 22; Rev. xiv. 1.—Chap. xlix. 23; lxi. 6; lxvi. H, 12.- Chap. xliii. 3.- - Chap. xxvi. 1.- Rev. xxi. 23; xxii. 5.- Zech. ii. 5. See Amos viii. 9. at the first; that is, as they brought gold and silver in the days of Solomon. P Psa. lxxii. 10; chap. xlii. 4; li. 5.————9 Gal. iv. 26. ————r Psa. lxviii. 30; Zech. xiv. 14.- Jer. iii. 17.—Chap. lv. 5. u Zech. vi. 15.—v Chap. xlix. 23; Rev. xxi. 24.-w Chap. lvii. 17. Chap. liv. 7, 8.- -y Rev. xxi. 25. - Or, wealth; ver. -a Zech. xiv. 17, 19; Matt. xxi. 44. sanctification of the sacred name." This gives a very elegant and poetical turn to the image. It was a general notion that prevailed with sacrificers among Verse 13. And I will make the place of my feel the heathen, that the victim's being brought without glorious" And that I may glorify the place whereon reluctance to the altar was a good omen; and the I rest my feet"] The temple of Jerusalem was called contrary a bad one. Sabinos petit aliquanto tristior; the house of God, and the place of his rest or resiquod sacrificanti hostia aufugerat. Sueton. Titus, dence. The visible symbolical appearance of God, cap. x. Accessit dirum omen, profugus altaribus called by the Jews the shechinah, was in the most taurus. "It was an omen of dreadful portent when holy place, between the wings of the cherubim, above the victim fled away from the altar." Tacit. Hist. the ark. This is considered as the throne of God, iii. 56.-L. presiding as King over the Jewish state; and as a footstool is a necessary appendage to a throne, (see note on chap. lii. 2,) the ark is considered as the footstool of God, and is so called, Psa. xcix. 5; 1 Chron. xxviii. 2. Verse 8. And as the doves to their windows-" And like doves upon the wing?"] Instead of el, to, forty-two MSS. of Kennicott's, and one of mine, have al, upon. For 'n arubboteyhem, their windows, read on ebrotheyhem, their wings, transposing a letter.Houbigant. The Septuagint render it duv vεodds," with their young;" they read On's ephrocheyhem, nearer to the latter than to the present reading.-L. The glory of Lebanon] That is, the cedar. Verse 19. Neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee--" Nor by night shall the brightness of the moon enlighten thee"] This line, as it stands in the present text, seems to be defective. The Septuagint and Chaldee both express the night, which is almost necessary to answer to day in the preceding line, as well as to perfect the sense here. I therefore as at the first." The ships of Tarshish As think that we ought, upon the authority of the Sep Verse 9. The ships of Tarshish first-" The ships of Tarshish among the first"] For a barishonah twenty-five MSS. and the Syriac read n kebarishonah, " 226 ( 15 ) |